Lin Lu hesitated for only 0.01 seconds before Frost Feather Streaming Light coalesced in her hand.
“Frost Mist: Instant Body.”
She didn’t choose to deal with the giant beast.
Instead, she turned and sprinted toward Lin Xiaoxi’s location, her figure dispersing like icy mist, shooting like a white arrow toward her.
‘Faster… faster…’
She stared fixedly at Lin Xiaoxi’s direction.
Although Xiaoxi had scrambled back to her feet, the Shadow Beast’s claws were already swiping down toward her face.
The sharp claws glinted coldly under the lights, less than a meter from Xiaoxi’s face…
“Clang!”
‘Made it!’
“Xiaoxi! Get out of the way!”
Lin Lu twisted her wrist, bringing Frost Feather Streaming Light up horizontally above her head, intercepting the Shadow Beast’s claws.
Her silver hair fanned out from the inertia, revealing her profile to the girl before her.
“Frost Flower: Scatter!”
With a flick of her wrist, she used the sword to force the Shadow Beast back, then unleashed several slashes that bisected not only that one but also several other smaller Shadow Beasts that had rushed up behind it.
“Xiaoxi! Are you okay?!”
Seeing the immediate danger was gone, Lin Lu turned and knelt, checking Lin Xiaoxi for any injuries.
After a frantic pat-down, she only found some minor scrapes on Xiaoxi’s legs from the fall, and finally relaxed.
‘It’s good that my sister is okay…’
“Um… how did you know my name is Lin Xiaoxi…?” Lin Xiaoxi stared blankly at the girl before her, Chiyoyuki, and asked in confusion.
But now was clearly not the time for explanations.
Lin Lu didn’t answer.
She just gave Lin Xiaoxi a gentle push toward the exit.
“Hurry! Get out of here!”
The screeches of Shadow Beasts came from behind.
The remaining smaller ones were charging toward them.
Lin Lu turned and walked in the opposite direction, “Don’t look back.”
Lin Xiaoxi merged with the fleeing crowd, glancing back once at Lin Lu.
“Chiyoyuki… no, Sister! Be careful.”
Then she disappeared into the exit.
Lin Lu’s hand, gripping Frost Feather Streaming Light, paused for a moment.
“Yeah, it’ll be fine.”
It was unclear if she was saying it to herself or whispering it to the now-safely-departed Lin Xiaoxi.
Her gaze returned to the theater, now utterly wrecked and unrecognizable.
A wave of guilt washed over her heart.
As an older sister, she couldn’t abandon her own family member in danger to save the masses.
She wasn’t a hero, nor was she a selfless saint.
She couldn’t save everyone… at the very least… she had fulfilled her duty as a sister.
“Sis—!” Hoshino Hikari’s voice called from a distance, “Come help me! This big one is so annoying…”
Lin Lu snapped back to reality and looked toward the sound.
Hoshino Hikari was single-handedly holding back the giant beast’s advance.
The Shadow Beast already bore several deep wounds, and the number of its tentacles had significantly decreased.
‘Hikari destroyed this beast’s tentacles while I was saving Xiaoxi!’
The giant Shadow Beast’s crimson eye was now fixed intently on Hikari, who was darting and leaping around to dodge its attacks.
Seemingly enraged by this agile “monkey,” dozens of tentacles extended from its sides, lashing out at Hikari in mid-air.
“Oh no!”
Hikari, airborne, clearly couldn’t dodge such a dense barrage of attacks.
If she took that hit, while it might not be fatal, a long hospital stay would be unavoidable.
Lin Lu tightened her grip on her sword and was about to rush toward Hikari when a streak of red light flashed past.
It was so fast Lin Lu only saw an afterimage.
It sliced through the air.
The blazing sword energy, upon nearing the giant Shadow Beast, instantly split into dozens of smaller, derived energy blades, severing all the tentacles attacking Hikari.
Black liquid gushed from the wounds, and the Shadow Beast let out a muffled screech.
“Ah~ Saved, saved!”
Hikari, landing on the ground, patted her chest and let out a long breath.
She’d thought she was about to be smashed into the wall.
“Hey! What are you still standing there for? This big guy isn’t dead yet.”
Hong Huang watched Lin Lu with interest from a distance, the long blade in her hand still wreathed in undying crimson flames.
‘Right! Hong Huang is here too!’
“Snow Flower: Thousand Blades!”
Lin Lu charged at the Shadow Beast.
Snowflakes drifted down from the air, each one a flash of sword light, all raining down on the massive beast.
Each one left a deep wound on its body.
The Shadow Beast’s screeches gradually turned into wails.
Its enormous body began to tilt, then crashed to the ground with a final “thud.”
Black mist surged from its form, gradually dissipating into the air.
“Whew~ Hey! Are you all okay?” It was only then that Lin Qingqing came running up, panting heavily, from who-knows-where.
“Huh? You guys took care of the big one? The small ones were all dealt with by me and Minazuki. Eh? Where’s Minazuki?”
Lin Qingqing looked around but didn’t see Minazuki.
“Uh… she probably went to help evacuate and calm the crowd. Don’t worry! No one died. At worst, some people got fractures from being pushed and falling during the stampede.”
Hearing Lin Qingqing’s words, Lin Lu finally relaxed completely.
Although this battle was sudden, thankfully, no one had died.
Hong Huang walked over then.
Seeming to guess what was on Lin Lu’s mind, she patted Lin Lu’s shoulder.
“You… and that girl are sisters? I heard you call her… Xiaoxi?”
“I… yes.”
Lin Lu knew Hong Huang must have seen and heard her interaction with Xiaoxi, so she nodded in admission, not denying it.
“Eh? Eh? Sister, you know Xiaoxi??” Hoshino Hikari, hearing Hong Huang’s words, looked at Chiyoyuki in shock.
She and Lin Qingqing, and Minazuki knew Lin Xiaoxi because they’d hung out with her privately.
But why would Chiyoyuki…
“Ah~ So… Sister Yuki, you’re Little Lu…” Lin Qingqing had also guessed Chiyoyuki’s civilian identity by now.
“I knew it. The look in your eyes when you were singing that duet with Lin Xiaoxi was practically dripping with affection. So she’s your sister. That explains it.”
Now it was Lin Lu’s turn to be stunned.
How did Hikari and the others recognize her civilian identity?
And from the sound of it, they knew Lin Xiaoxi too?
‘Wait…’ Lin Lu smacked her forehead.
Chen Xingye, Hoshino Hikari.
Lin Shuiyue, Minazuki…
Then Su Tang was undoubtedly the Lin Qingqing before her.
‘Holy crap! Doxed!’
“I’m… I’m sorry, I…”
Lin Lu apologized to everyone, feeling guilty.
As a Magical Girl, when the public was in danger, she had run off alone to protect just her own sister…
“Huh? Why are you apologizing?” Lin Qingqing and Hoshino Hikari were a bit confused.
“Listen, Yuki.” Hong Huang, however, smiled and shook her head, speaking earnestly, “You haven’t wronged anyone.”
She reached out and gently lifted Lin Lu’s bowed head and said, “Magical Girls aren’t saints. We wouldn’t cruelly demand you abandon your sister and selflessly choose to protect the masses. You haven’t failed anyone. To put it another way, setting aside her being your sister, she is also a member of the public, isn’t she? The weight of a life doesn’t have a hierarchy. No matter what your choice was, your actions were undoubtedly saving someone.”
“Oh~ So that’s why Sister Yuki looks so guilty… Honestly, if it were me making the choice, I’d also choose my own family without hesitation.”
Hoshino Hikari finally understood why Lin Lu looked so remorseful.
“Exactly. One person’s power is limited. Most of the time, we can’t achieve the optimal solution. Besides! Sister, you have us, don’t you? No one died today!”
Lin Lu stood there, looking at the gentle gazes of everyone, and felt her eyes grow inexplicably warm.
“Thank you…”
Hong Huang laughed heartily twice and threw an arm around Lin Lu’s shoulders by saying, “What are you thanking us for? So sentimental! With a personality like yours, if you join the Seven Blades, you’ll definitely get toyed with by those weirdos! Hahaha.”
Lin Qingqing and Hoshino Hikari were slightly taken aback inwardly upon hearing Hong Huang’s words.
‘The Seven Blades… Sister Yuki was noticed by the Capital Headquarters…’
“But today’s incident… was strange.” Hong Huang’s smile faded as she addressed everyone, “I investigated that suddenly appearing spatial rift. It seemed more like… a man-made result. I believe you all checked beforehand; the space in this area is quite stable, right? Under normal circumstances, a rift couldn’t appear naturally.”
“Even so… can we be sure it was man-made? Maybe there was some special anomaly we didn’t detect?”
Lin Lu also frowned.
Hong Huang shook her head, seeming to want to say more.
“No…”
“What are you all talking about?”