Even if you're a corrupted magical girl, you still have to try to redeem yourself.

Nishio Reki slowly retracted the coiled dragon halberd he had pointed at, pointed his wand in the air, and a bronze-cast metal humanoid descended from the sky, accurately smashing into the joints of the giant hand's kicking hooves, causing it to fall back down as it tried to get up.

"Don't get distracted. I believe there won't be any problems with Xiaoyuan." Nishio Reki turned to look at Helica, then swung his halberd again, unleashing an even more powerful surge of magical energy. "We can't let Xiaoyuan down either!"

"That's true! Come on, come on! I want to see just how long this damn thing can hold out!"

Herlica cracked her knuckles, unleashing a torrent of lightning from her fists as she aimed them straight at the belly of the fallen behemoth.

……

Meanwhile, outside of the Dream World.

"What the hell? Why did we have to encounter something like this? It's terrifying, absolutely terrifying! I thought I was going to die here." A middle-aged woman patted her chest, trying to catch her breath with lingering fear.

"What are you afraid of? Aren't we being helped by magical girls? If it weren't for them, how could we be standing here like this?" The young woman next to her interjected. She didn't seem to know the middle-aged woman; she was just saying something.

This seemingly irresponsible remark only displeased the middle-aged woman, causing her wrinkled face to contort even further.

"Without them? Isn't this all because of the magical girls? If it weren't for them, none of us would have encountered this situation!"

Immediately, a voice of indignation supporting the middle-aged woman rang out from the side: "Yes, why do we have to go through this because of magical girls? In the end, what is the purpose of magical girls?"

"Weren't we doing this to protect you?! How can you say such things about our magical girl sisters?! If it weren't for them, we wouldn't have the peace we have today!"

A childish voice rang out, speaking out for the magical girls who had been rejected in the words. But her words only went so far before someone who appeared to be her mother covered her mouth, picked up the little girl, and quickly left the dispute.

"Tch, protection? Who needs their protection? Their non-existence is the greatest protection for us!" someone scoffed.

"Don't be so smug after getting the benefits. Aren't magical girls fighting witches? Aren't all the ones causing harm to our lives witches?"

"Stop with the witch/magical girl nonsense. Did she tell you she was a witch? Did she say so over the phone or via text message? To me, good or bad, she's still a magical girl, isn't she? How wonderful the world would be without magical girls! Once I have money, the first thing I'll do is move out of Moonsea City and never put up with this again!"

The disputes grew larger and more numerous, eventually reaching a point of uproar.

This is just one example, and while it may not fully represent the thoughts of all the residents of Moonsea City, it does offer a glimpse into people's opinions on magical girls.

For decades, even centuries, people have been divided on magical girls, but most have simply adopted an indifferent attitude.

However, this large-scale event, which encompasses the entire Moonsea City, is undoubtedly related to magical girls, and the immersive danger has intensified the opposition.

Amid the arguing crowd, the middle-aged woman with a wrinkled face who had instigated the dispute angrily pushed her way out of the crowd and came to a deserted corner by the roadside. She grinned, revealing a smile that seemed to stretch every inch of her skin.

Immediately, a large amount of black mud overflowed from the woman's mouth and nose, mixing with the viscous liquid remaining on the ground.

The middle-aged woman's body quickly withered away, and no one could find any trace of her anymore.

Koumori and several other magical girls were sitting on a high place, enjoying the evening breeze and watching the crowds coming and going below.

Some were searching for lost relatives and friends, some were rushing back to their homes, some were celebrating their survival, and others were actively rescuing the injured and beginning to clean up the mess caused by the disaster.

Faintly, Hong Moli could hear the discussions among the people below gradually escalating.

At the same time, there seemed to be some fleeting, strange magic, like a spark that burst forth in the dark night, which quickly faded away by the time Hong Moli noticed its presence.

"No!" Hong Moli muttered to herself.

Qianyou is always the first to notice even the smallest change in Hongmoli, let alone a clear whisper.

Qianyou immediately leaned over with concern: "Moli, what's wrong?"

In Qianyou's mind, and indeed in everyone else's, Hong Moli had always been a representative of clear logic. Qianyou never expected that Hong Moli would say something so cryptic.

"This magic... is not right."

Actually, it's not that Hong Moli couldn't explain it; Hong Moli herself didn't understand what had happened.

If Hong Moli were a small bat with an exceptionally keen sense of smell, she could always clearly smell the scent of blood, but this ability would be difficult to use in a sea of ​​blood.

This was the case before in the Dreamland, and it is the same now in Moonsea City. Chaotic and complex dark magic permeates every corner of Moonsea City, rendering Hong Moli's perception almost useless.

Yuuki Yuuki once gave this example: each magical girl is like a match; when it is lit, it will stand out from a pile of sticks.

But amidst the thick smoke after a match has burned out, Hong Moli couldn't even be sure if there was still any flame left.

"The black mud covering the entire Moonsea City still exudes an unsettling magical aura, which is why it's affecting your senses, isn't it?" Mizuno Yuu, sitting with the corrupted magical girls, translated Koumori's words.

With Yuuki Yuki absent, it would be more convenient for the two remaining brains to stay together. With this in mind, Mizuno Yu and Koumori temporarily reunited.

But Kuroba Laisei had disappeared somewhere, and Sakuragawa Nana ran back to the live house as soon as the time ended to check on her sister and Shirogane Rei, without ever having the idea of ​​joining the other magical girls.

“No, that’s not what I’m talking about.” Hong Moli shook her head. “These black muds are indeed problematic. The battle is over, so why are they still here? That’s strange in itself. But… I feel like they’re not the biggest problem. Rather, they’re a cover. It seems that there’s an even more annoying power among these nasty magics.”

“Moli thinks that these black mud marks are not from a battle, but from an enemy plot.” Qianyou understood what Hong Moli meant this time, and while not disturbing Hong Moli’s continued thinking, she relayed the message to the other two.

“What Mari means is that the destruction caused by the corrupted magical girls, which now encompass the entire Moonsea City, may not be the end, but rather the beginning.”

Mizuno Yuya immediately understood.

Lately, every event has ended with a lot of noise but little substance, leaving the magical girls feeling powerless.

The magic craze that swept the entire school turned out to be a hatchery set up by Asahimi to absorb malice and sow seeds. Just when the girls found some useful information, Asahimi withdrew from the scene.

The girls who are parasitized become corrupted magical girls with the help of evil intentions. This case has caused the magical girls a lot of trouble, but it was eventually solved by Yuuki Yuki under unexpected circumstances.

It was thought that the incident involving the corrupted magical girl had come to an end, but this incident was just a pretext to lead the girls astray in their investigation. The real purpose was to hide the existence of the parasite that had already been widely spread among the residents of Moonsea City.

But now, the sudden emergence and disappearance of these parasites still feels too deliberate.

The girls did indeed put in a lot of effort. Their appearance bought a lot of time for Genki Mashiro and Asahiya, who had invaded the Dream Realm, and also forced the magical girls to split up.

Was the purpose of setting all this up to mislead Yuuki Yukino's investigation, to stall the magical girls when needed? Or was it simply to cause widespread destruction in Tsukimi City?

Of course not, that would be putting the cart before the horse. The truth is that Yuuki Enishi cracked the secret, and Asahi Miyabi was forced to act immediately afterward.

Then, a fundamental question arises.

What was the original purpose of these magical powers and these dark nuns?

Chapter 200 The Girl Ignites Her Spark

The enormous, slender body of the dragon was faintly visible in the churning black mud. Its scales, constantly flowing with dark liquid, reflected the cold, eerie light unique to the deep sea in this dreamlike realm. The black, four-clawed dragon coiled above the dreamlike sky.

The faint dragon roars in the space were not as eye-catching as the roars of the giant beasts, but they had an indescribable sense of majesty, and in terms of momentum, they overwhelmed the evil beast twisted from the temple.

With his hands behind his back, Nishio Reki held the dragon-shaped magic wand firmly in his palms. His high heels stepped on the dragon's proud head as he circled around the beast alongside the churning four-clawed black dragon, occasionally thrusting a powerful blow at the beast, causing it to stagger a few steps.

Before the limping behemoth could even regain its balance, lightning's giant fist struck it from behind, sending it flying in the opposite direction like a curling stone.

The black dragon's tail swept across, striking the giant beast's side, preventing it from regaining its balance. Nishio Reki's halberd pierced the giant beast's head, and black magic exploded inside its skull, leaving a hole more than a meter wide in its skull.

"Wow, I didn't expect you to be so capable!" Helica rubbed her nose and didn't hold back her praise for Nishio Reki, who was standing on the dragon's head.

From the moment Nishio Reki shielded himself from the beast's descent, the battle began to subtly take a turn for the better.

Although Helica hasn't been able to completely shatter the beast's shell yet, the beast, which is being completely suppressed, is finding its range of movement to shrink. If this continues smoothly, they will ultimately be the victors.

The blind beast shook its head and lunged to bite down hard on the side, but Nishio Reki had already retreated to the side, and the beast could only bite empty air.

However, the large hole blasted into its head was being filled by flowing black mud, and within seconds of Nishio Reki retreating, it was completely restored.

“I’ve always been very powerful, but I haven’t been able to use that power effectively most of the time.” Nishio Reki finally had a chance to answer Helica.

As soon as he finished speaking, Nishio Reki leaned forward again, his halberd sweeping across his chest. A high-pressure stream of water descended from the sky and struck the giant beast. The black water washed away the black mud on its body, and after the collision of black against black, what remained was the pale stone bricks of the sanctuary.

“She’s right. In terms of sheer magical quality, I doubt many can compare to her.” Sumireko Yumehara also praised her, but her gaze never left the Holy Beast, which was completely suppressed and surrounded by aquatic magical energy, yet it remained silent.

Nishio Reki's strength is similar to that of Lava Lantern; both rely on extremely strong basic attributes to achieve the ability to fly with great force.

It's like a normal battle game. If one side has the attack power to kill the other with a single hit and an almost infinite health bar, no matter how fancy the enemy's mechanics are, they may not be able to gain any advantage.

Normally, magical girls can't do what Lamp Lava Mountain does, but Nishio Reki is a partial exception.

Nishio Reki is not a magical girl in essence; she merely borrows Yuuki Yuki's power. However, her power does not gradually weaken over time.

On the contrary, Nishio Reki has almost endless time to train and master the power she possesses. Even if she cannot refine her magic power as efficiently as she would use her own, the effect is still quite remarkable given the time available.

"What about you! We're both working our butts off, don't slack off!" Helica glanced at Yumehara Sumireko, who was standing still, holding her trident and surrounded by aquatic magic, then looked at the chariot not far from Yumehara Sumireko and Lin Jiezi inside the chariot, and hurriedly urged her on before continuing to swing her fists and relentlessly attack the top of the giant beast's head.

Yumehara Sumireko is a bit different. She is actually older than everyone else, and aside from Sumireko's personality, she is very reliable. Even if Herlica wanted to deliberately find fault with her, she couldn't, so she just urged her on.

"My attack is complete."

Yumehara Sumireko remained calm and composed, pointing her trident at the ground.

After Sumireko Yumehara pointed her finger, a third, exceptionally powerful magical force appeared in this dreamlike realm, in addition to Mashiro Urobuchi's magic and the black mud lurking in every corner.

A stream of azure water, made of magic, began to gush forth from the ground out of nowhere, like a spring appearing in a black ocean, dispelling the surrounding chaos and adding a touch of clear color to this world that was almost entirely dominated by black.

As the water level gradually rose, it washed away a lot of the black mud on the ground. The mixture of black mud and water appeared turbid, but much lighter than before, which slightly improved the ominous feeling.

The magical water flow was merely the beginning of Sumireko Yumehara's attack; it couldn't even be called an attack in itself.

Beneath the turbulent surface of the sea lies the true danger—though that is for the Holy Beast and its master. In Helica's eyes, this surprise attack couldn't be more reliable.

On the dark blue sea, which had been diluted countless times, a deep red tentacle tore through the water and shot out with a roar. Then, it coiled around one of the beast's giant ram's hooves, causing the staggering behemoth to stumble violently.

"Tent...tentacles?" Upon seeing this, Helica couldn't help but rub her eyes. "Why are you using tentacles too? Have you been corrupted by Yuuki Yukino?!"

Yuuki Enishi is known for a few things: wands flying everywhere, ubiquitous threads, bizarre monsters, and tentacles that are unavoidable in all of them; Seiki has also demonstrated her incredible tentacle skills, even creating a whole jungle of tentacles to block the magical girls' progress, and now Yumehara Sumireko has summoned red tentacles from beneath the water...

Why are there tentacles everywhere? Aren't your character designs a bit too repetitive?

Sumireko Yumehara didn't even blink, as if she hadn't heard Helica's complaints. She simply swung her trident down again and continued to manipulate the things beneath the water.

The second thick tentacle wrapped around another goat's hoof, causing the already unsteady beast to stagger.

The ferocious beast roared shrilly, and the remaining few huge hooves that were not bound by the tentacles kicked wildly underwater, splashing up towering waves.

Immediately afterwards, a third, a fourth, and even more tentacles emerged from beneath the water. Seeing that the opportunity was ripe, Helica and Nishio Reki intensified their attacks.

Gradually, the beast's struggles weakened. While Helica and Nishio Reki's attacks were undoubtedly helpful, the more crucial factor was the deep red tentacles that continued to extend from beneath the sea surface. The suckers on the tentacles adhered tightly to the beast's body, restricting its movement at various joints.

The deep red, octopus-shaped sea monster had fully emerged from the water, binding the beast tightly with its tentacles. The thick tentacles gradually embedded themselves into the wall, and although they were small, several tiny cracks had appeared on the walls of the sanctuary. A deep blue liquid, emitting a fluorescent glow like seawater, was constantly seeping out from between the cracks.

Helica was finally able to see clearly what those dozen or so tentacles actually were.

It does seem quite normal for a giant octopus to have several tentacles...

The octopus twisted its body as if trying to drag the entire sanctuary into the deep sea, its tentacles, which stirred up towering waves, slapped against the sanctuary and climbed higher and higher, causing the base of the building to creak like seashells rubbing together. The black mud connecting the various limbs on the giant beast's body was being pounded by the seawater attached to the tentacles, and it appeared to be being corroded by some kind of acidic secretion, showing a honeycomb-like structure.

"Helika, you shouldn't just stand around either," Nishio Reki called out. The dragon's tail swept across the sanctuary's spire once more, slamming the giant beast into the ground. The rumbling of the spire made Helika feel as if it might collapse at any moment.

It would be wonderful if the spire collapsed or even the entire sanctuary fell apart, but unfortunately, that was just Helica's wishful thinking.

"okay!"

Helica stopped her wild thoughts and unleashed a giant fist crackling with lightning from the sky, striking the central dome. The lightning, carried by the watery magic that had splashed across the sanctuary, raced across the walls, leaving a few marks.

The second punch landed, slamming the Holy Beast completely into the water. The giant octopus became even more active upon contact with the surface, its tightly wrapped tentacles becoming much stronger, firmly confining the beast in the water.