Starting with magical girls, I'll reign supreme for eternity.

It should be noted that even the most gifted protagonists in online novels need to acquire the techniques for various unorthodox arts such as formations, alchemy, beast taming, and talismans through chance encounters or guidance from a master before they can truly understand and master them. They rarely achieve enlightenment on their own.

The Witch's Guild, however, presents a great opportunity for me, as it will guide me to understand how to use corrupted magic.

After discarding the Seed of Sorrow, which had shattered due to the magical conflict, Jiang Si headed home.

Tomorrow he still needs to manipulate the Violet Puppet to fake a date, so even he needs some rest and preparation to multitask.

Otherwise, the disaster relief bureau might easily notice something amiss.

Chapter 35: You Need to step up your game too (5000 words)

Susan glanced at her colleague beside her while munching on her bread, "I didn't expect it would be you who came to do the surveillance mission with me."

Peony, who had changed into casual clothes, yawned.

"There's no other way. I'm the only magical girl left idle in the Disaster Management Bureau right now. Silver Lotus has to go to class today, so I had to come. What? You're not happy with me?"

"No, it's just a bit unexpected. Isn't it Monday and you should be in class today?"

"Of course I asked for leave. The Disaster Management Bureau gave me paid leave."

Peony spoke with a smug look on her face, radiating youthful energy, like a college student.

When it's time to go to work, he looks like he's almost thirty.

Work ages you.

Susan sighed inwardly. She touched her face, realizing that she had been feeling the same way lately, always looking in the mirror every morning and wondering if she had aged a little more.

She's usually someone who absolutely doesn't accept makeup, but this morning she couldn't resist putting on some to cover up her dark circles and somewhat rough skin.

In terms of the work of the Disaster Management Bureau and the arrangements made by the Qingyun Sect, Susan's workload actually far exceeds that of Peony.

Especially recently, because of the Miracle Seed incident, he has been searching for the traitor within the Witch Society of the Disaster Management Bureau, and is also entangled with Yinluo, so he has had quite a few troublesome things.

Peony tapped Susan's head, who was lost in thought: "But you, Susan, have you been okay lately? Just looking at you makes me tired."

"It's alright." Susan finished her bread, clapped her hands, and said. She had rushed out early and hadn't eaten breakfast, so she just bought a bread to tide her over. Looking at Jiang Si, who was just leaving the house in the distance, she thought, "It'll be fine once this period of time passes."

The two chatted as they followed Jiang Si at a distance.

“Yesterday we agreed that Yinlian would be in charge of the surveillance, but you insisted on taking the job. I mean, even if we don’t get along, there’s no need to worry that Yinlian will protect members of illegal organizations, right? The captain hates the Qingyun Sect and the Witch Society to the extreme.”

“The Yinlian and Yinlu sisters made a promise to Jiang Si before,” Susan said expressionlessly. “Regardless of whether they will cover for her or not, it’s best for them to avoid any appearance of impropriety in this matter.”

She didn't know what arrangements the Qingyun Sect would make. The Bureau was investigating closely lately, so she couldn't communicate with Lord Bing Tang about information at any time.

Therefore, we should try our best to secure this job first, giving the Qingyun Sect a day to devise a countermeasure.

Based on her understanding of the Qingyun Sect, it wouldn't actually take a day.

However, having become accustomed to the efficiency of the Disaster Management Bureau, she prefers to leave herself a day to spare.

After warming up a bit, Jiang Si suddenly started jogging as she walked.

The two of them naturally quickened their pace as well.

Peony continued the previous topic in a low voice, "That's what you say... I just think you're too tired."

"It's only for one day; they'll change people tomorrow."

Susan's cold expression softened a bit because of Peony's worry. "The Disaster Management Bureau also helped me with the time off. Today counts as overtime, and I have three days off afterward."

"That's fine, that's fine."

Peony murmured, "If you have anything on your mind, tell me. Don't keep it to yourself. Ever since your seed had problems, you haven't told me anything. It really makes me sad, Susan."

Jiang Si, on the other hand, began to gradually accelerate, running faster and faster.

“There’s nothing to say.” Susan looked at Jiang Si ahead. “Even if I said something, it wouldn’t change anything.”

They were once the best comrades-in-arms.

The Disaster Management Bureau's magical girl combat team has a small number of members, with only seven magical girls since its establishment.

When Susan and Peony joined the combat team, the entire team, including Hyacinth, consisted of only four people.

On the one hand, they had to run all over Beihai to clear out the disaster beasts, and on the other hand, they had to ensure safety, so they tried to split into two teams.

Susan and Peony have been teammates since they joined the Disaster Management Bureau, and they have gone through countless fierce battles and difficulties together.

Looking back now, it seems like it happened a long time ago.

But in reality, it's only been a year or two.

"You remind me of the past, when we first met."

Jiang Si ran faster and faster, and Mudan was starting to fall behind. Her tone became a little hesitant. "Back then, you always said, 'It's not necessary,' 'There's nothing to say,' 'It's just work,' 'Don't waste your time.' You were completely unwilling to communicate with me."

Susan remained silent and took a breath.

When she first came to the Disaster Management Bureau, she only felt that Peony was a burden.

She can handle the monsters all by herself; she doesn't need teammates or help.

Ultimately, the Disaster Management Bureau already had fewer people than the Qingyun Sect, and they even had to work in groups of two. How could they possibly compete with the Qingyun Sect?

And that's indeed the case. With magical girl combat teams of two people each, let alone the monsters, even those magical girls with potential couldn't compete with the Qingyun Sect.

She has always opposed the Disaster Management Bureau's team-based operational strategy, hoping that each magical girl can act independently.

Therefore, he always ignored Mudan and often left her behind to carry out tasks alone.

Until then, Susan, who was still a novice, encountered a B-level disaster beast.

Even a B-rank monster, which would be quite troublesome for a nascent magical girl, was a terrifying monster that was almost impossible for Susan, who was just beginning to develop magical powers at that time, to defeat.

His wand was broken, his magic was almost completely drained, and after reverting to his transformed state, he faced the B-rank monster with his most vulnerable body.

The real feeling of being injured and the fear made Susan realize for the first time that she was not omnipotent as a magical girl.

It's impossible to escape danger every time.

Peony arrived at the critical moment and saved her.

Susan doesn't remember what happened after that. She was taken to the hospital because of her serious injuries, and the invasion of corrupted magic left her unconscious for a long time.

When she woke up again, she found Peony lying on the hospital bed next to her, also badly injured. When she saw that Peony was awake, she smiled foolishly at her.

Peony at that time was naive and innocent, but so dazzling that she dared not look directly at her.

After that, Susan would never leave Peony behind to carry out missions alone again.

"I thought that from that moment on, we were the best, best of friends... Ouch!"

After running for a while, Mudan finally stopped and looked at Jiang Si, who was still running wildly ahead and showed no sign of slowing down.

He bent over, hands on his knees, panting heavily, "Holy crap, is he even human?!"

Even Susan was actually sweating a little.

They were running at a pretty fast pace.

After running for almost half an hour, Jiang Si still had energy left and looked like she could even pick up speed.

"No, I need to use magic." Peony pulled out the Miracle Seed. Although she dared not transform, fearing Jiang Si would discover it, secretly using a little magic to enhance herself was no problem. "How could there be such a person..."

Susan stood beside her, pursing her lips, her gaze fixed on the miracle seed of the peony.

She can't get the seeds out here.

But Peony skillfully grabbed her hand, helping to reduce her fatigue, and the two of them ran wildly again.

They stopped for only a short while, and Jiang Si was almost out of sight.

With the help of magic, the peony finally became more at ease.

After catching up with Jiang Si and maintaining a proper distance, Peony continued the previous topic, "Ever since the seeds went bad, Susan has also seemed to have gone bad, and she doesn't tell me anything."

"I always thought we'd always be friends," Peony said, troubled. "Why did our relationship deteriorate?"

While maintaining her breathing to avoid becoming too tired, Susan gazed at Jiang Si's small figure in the distance.

Yeah, why?

We laugh and grieve with the peony, and together we overcome powerful enemies.

She also thought their friendship would last forever.

Due to an intelligence failure by the Disaster Management Bureau, they were tricked by the Witch Society, and the Miracle Seed malfunctioned, preventing them from transforming. In reality, Susan did not feel despair, nor did she quickly understand what this meant.

After leaving the front lines, I went to the Guard Department, where I could only work in the Disaster Management Bureau at first.

Day by day, the accumulation of many everyday events began to tell her what it meant to be unable to transform.

Susan gradually began to break down.

When she encountered the monsters, she could no longer transform to fight them, and could only run away like other ordinary people, waiting for the magical girl to rescue her;

Even a D-rank calamity beast that she once looked down upon could take her life;

Unable to fight alongside her teammates anymore, she could only watch from behind as her comrades battled the monsters on the front lines;

When they appear on the battlefield, they will only be a burden, and will be criticized or even despised by their former comrades.

Everything she received as a magical girl, including the attitudes of those around her, is changing.

She can no longer transform into a magical girl; things she once took for granted are no longer there, but the pity, ridicule, and sympathy she never accepted will never disappear.

Even her best friend, Peony, couldn't always be by her side.

Because they are no longer comrades-in-arms, Peony has new comrades-in-arms. She often has to go out with others to clear out the disaster beasts, and she can't stay with Susan, who can no longer transform, all the time.

Even though Peony tried her best to maintain the friendship.

However, distance and time will always dilute many things silently, including friendships that we once thought would never change.

Seeing that there was no longer a place for her next to Peony, and seeing her former comrades chatting and laughing with other magical girls, fighting side by side, while Susan could only do insignificant logistical work in the rear, occasionally exchanging a brief greeting.

She couldn't even find meaning in living.

The sudden upheaval wouldn't drive her crazy; Susan wasn't that fragile.

It was the little things in daily life that, like waterboarding, caused her to break down in a long and arduous period of despair.

"Nothing lasts forever, not even a peony."