Yes, I did all of this!

"..."

—A simple yet greedy wish, but one that Shen Wuling cannot fulfill. Having spent most of her time sitting on her sickbed, she has a stronger desire for such things than the average person.

Duanmu Mo stood up and asked her again, "Then I'll ask you one more time, what is your decision?"

Shen Wuling took a deep breath, clenched her hands over her chest, and looked up to meet Duanmu Mo's gaze:

"...I want to be like my sister, to have the power to pursue freedom—"

Chapter 242: Transformation

. . . . . .

"It seems that Dr. Suzuki has already made preparations, so there's no need for me to mess around with things I don't understand."

—Duanmu Mo placed Shenwu Ling on the modified bed and secured her body again.

She obediently lay down, but a hint of unease still flashed across Shen Wuling's face:

"Mr. Duanmu..."

"—Then I will feel ashamed for the rest of my life."

Duanmu Mo placed his hand on her head and said seriously.

Seeing that Duanmu Mo's expression didn't seem to be lying, Shen Wuling paused for a moment, then a slight smile appeared on her lips:

"I will try my best..."

The instrument started automatically, and as the iron bed opened and closed, it slowly rose up, enveloping the Divine Dance Bell inside.

Duanmu Mo took a few steps back, but Shen Wuling was still watching him. As if she had thought of something, she smiled helplessly: "Before I even thanked you, you always helped me so much. When I realized it, I didn't know how to repay you—just like how my sister treated you."

The effects of the first transformation still linger on her; it's just that now, these negative emotions have been unconsciously forced into a corner.

"The greatest help I received was to strengthen my beliefs during the transformation. Close your eyes and concentrate."

Duanmu Mo looked at Shen Wuling, who was completely covered in bulky armor, and nodded to her.

"......Um."

Shen Wuling gave Duanmu Mo a deep look, then closed her eyes, accepting the impending transformation.

Looking at her tightly closed eyes, Duanmu Mo walked to the side without making a sound, raised his arm, and placed his palm in the bottle containing the monster's energy.

In front of Shen Wuling, Duanmu Mo slowly drew out this energy, which appeared in his hand.

Immediately afterwards, he reached into his shadow and retrieved a ball of emerald green energy.

—This is the older sister of Shinmu Rin, Shinmu Oto, or rather, the power of Rin.

Her power was stolen by Ken Shinbu and given to the Old Man Raven, who then attempted to make it into the third Key to the Underworld.

After learning of his plan, Duanmu Mo joined forces with Huang Yu to steal the Netherworld Key from the Old Man of Crow.

The Key to the Underworld, which was supposed to be a one-time use item, was once again split into two energies by Duanmu Mo.

Now, Duanmu Mo is about to replace the energy in the jar.

...And this means that most of what Duanmu Mo said to Shen Wuling just now was nonsense.

What he says about controlling power with emotions instead of being controlled by power... these are all just platitudes. Lying without thinking is something he excels at.

However, Duanmu Mo is even more adept at leaving things unsaid, which can lead to misunderstandings.

For example, regarding the topic of emotions, if Shen Wuling really has no hope at all, even if she really wants to change her, Duanmu Mo will not change the energy in the jar—what he is doing now is closely related to Shen Wuling's emotions.

From this perspective, Duanmu Mo was not exaggerating.

Looking at the strange energy in his hand, Duanmu Mo threw it back into the shadows to preserve it.

This thing will still be useful to Duanmu Mo.

He stepped back to create some distance and observed Shen Wuling's current situation.

"Forehead......"

As the surrounding instruments began to light up, Shenwu Ling emitted a strange sound, and her brows gradually relaxed.

A completely different feeling surged into her body, like a refreshing breeze blowing away the gloom in her heart.

The negative emotions that had been building up in her heart vanished instantly. At the same time, she felt an energy surging within her body. As the electric current from the armor flowed in, a question arose in her mind.

Why do I feel like she's my older sister? ...Because we're sisters?

She didn't know why, but she didn't suspect Duanmu Mo; she just felt the power lingering within her.

Through an unfounded intuition, Shenwuling discovered the intention of this energy.

Just as the previous transformation had unearthed the despair in her heart, this energy was also examining her inner self. However, instead of despair, it was searching for hope within her.

Just like an exam or interview, if you succeed, you begin the formal transformation; if you fail, you are eliminated.

However, it was more difficult than the last transformation. Even though Shenwu Ling could feel a certain affinity with this energy, it still wouldn't give her any shortcuts.

hope......

Amidst the fluctuations in energy, Shenwuling's consciousness deepened, actively exploring the thoughts within her own heart.

After clearing away those negative emotions, nothing could hinder her judgment anymore, so she began to recall her past and seek her current feelings from her own experiences and the people around her.

After experiencing her parents' downfall, her own suffering and loss, whether Shinma Rin can remain steadfast in what she wants to do will determine whether she can be accepted by this power.

—Isn't that obvious?

Her words murmured to herself.

—I don't like my sister's weakness, but that doesn't mean I deny all her efforts. If I could, I would want to do better than her. Not by trampling her underfoot, but by protecting her in my own way, protecting those around me... protecting Mr. Duanmu.

As past scenes resurfaced in her mind, Shen Wuling felt her thoughts becoming increasingly clear.

If the price of this power is that others are destined to be hurt, then I will never do it no matter what. I will only do the right thing, and no matter what, I will not let the people around me be hurt.

As she felt the awakening of the Divine Dance Bell, this energy melted into her mind. The feeling of wind was gone, and it began to resonate with her inner self.

At the same time, the armor that transmits energy also changed under this power. Some powers that could only exist in the armor now miraculously merged into Shen Wuling's body along with the energy, no longer needing the armor, and completely existing within her power.

. . . . . .

Duanmu Mo was forced to retreat to a corner of the laboratory. Looking at the scene before him, his smile grew wider and wider, gradually forming a smile of premeditated triumph.

hum!

Beside Shenwu Ling, the emerald green energy surrounding her gradually faded, and slowly, a touch of dark gold emerged from the energy.

The iron-gray armor covering her body was also tinged with gold.

Electric arcs surged around her, flowing into Shen Wuling in the center of the laboratory, and another profound aura emerged from her.

Sizzle sizzle sizzle—

The control panel next to me emitted a garbled sound, but within this sound, a murmured voice could be faintly heard:

"Zero System... code name: Wind Chime."

. . . . . .

Chapter 243: Zero-Type Wind Chime

boom!

The black stone greatsword, over ten meters long, struck the magical girl, sending her flying backward before being quickly caught by Huangyi.

"Cough cough..."

He coughed up a mouthful of blood, which streamed down his head and streaked his eyes. He wiped it away hastily, managing to glance with difficulty at the final striker, who was about to give chase with his sword raised.

"It never ends..."

With difficulty, she raised her hand, and flames shot out from the thrusters on her arm, propelling her and Huangyi away from the spot. The next moment, the place where they had just been was cleaved down by the greatsword, sending up a large amount of spray and ripples spreading outwards.

"This final form is more powerful than any enemy we've ever fought before. It would be difficult for even three of us to handle, let alone the people on the cruise ship..."

The setting sun was once again suspended in the air by the power of the Listening Sound, and the Blazing Wings were also breathing weakly:

"If only we could bring the Raiders to a standstill again..."

- Om!

Before Huang Yi could finish speaking, he sensed a faint radio wave coming from the distant cruise ship, which quickly spread outwards.

The next moment, intermittent gunfire rang out.

Bang, bang, bang...

"Do not--"

The sound of gunfire immediately drew the attention of the three magical girls, and anxiety rose in their hearts. Huangyi gritted her teeth, preparing to call Cangyi to rescue everyone on the cruise ship.

But when they looked at the cruise ship, they realized that the attackers were not shooting at the hostages, but at themselves!

Some people escaped to the cruise ship, only to be captured by the attackers. Originally intended as a means to blackmail the magical girls, this incident instead allowed them to see this bizarre turn of events more clearly.

—The attackers gripped their guns and pulled the triggers, blasting their own heads apart with bullets. Some fired at unarmed attackers, killing them before taking their own lives.

For a moment, the magical girls were all stunned.

But the Striker Finale did not stop its attack because of their momentary lapse in concentration; a barrage of missiles was fired at them.

"Oh no..."

Lingyin snapped out of her daze and was about to reinforce the wind shields for all of them when she suddenly felt a strange tremor in her heart. Unconsciously, her attention turned to the cruise ship, and her movements slowed down.

However, just as these missiles were about to hit the three magical girls, they suddenly seemed to malfunction, deviating from their course, bypassing their bodies, and turning sharply to counterattack the Striker Final Form.

"What—that feeling..."

She was surprised by what she saw, but what surprised Lingyin even more was the resonance with her own power coming from deep within the cruise ship.

Not only her, but the Striker Finale also stopped attacking and looked in the direction of the cruise ship, the red indicator light in its eyes flashing incessantly.

"An anomaly has occurred in information collection..."

—That feeling became more and more obvious, and even Huangyi and Xiri were drawn to it.

"There's a force within..."

Cangyi turned her head, her eyes obscured by a mask, but she was deep in thought.