Chapter 274: Half-Witch, Terminus Form, Test

On the morning of October 7th, a light drizzle was still falling.

Yesterday's rain had continued without pause until this morning. However, the lightning that had been flashing amid the cumulonimbus clouds was gone, and the sun could even be faintly seen. It was a rare sunshower.

At that moment, a bright yellow taxi was driving down the road toward the Magical Girl Company.

Ke Mingwei leaned against the car window with his arms crossed, his eyes closed in deep thought. Xia Zili kept her head down, playing on her phone. Caught in the middle, Ke Mingqing felt a little out of place.

He deliberately kept a small distance from Xia Zili. It looked natural enough, as if an invisible wall—like the ones in video games—had quietly partitioned the brother and sister.

From the corner of his eye, Ke Mingqing glanced at Ke Mingwei, then at Xia Zili.

He didn't quite understand why two people who could fly laps around the entire city of Leijing in a matter of minutes still had to take a taxi.

If the taxi driver found out, he'd probably drop to his knees and beg them.

"In this era of massive internet traffic, all roads lead to Rome," the driver would plead. "You two great heroes, do me a favor. How about you carry my taxi into the sky and fly us there? I've got elderly parents and young kids to feed, and this would give me a chance to become famous overnight! I've even thought of the headline—Flying Taxi! It's guaranteed to go viral. I wouldn't have to drive a cab tomorrow; I could just switch to livestreaming and selling goods!"

Outside, a warm sun shone down through the rain. To be honest, this kind of weather made people incredibly sleepy.

Ke Mingqing yawned repeatedly but forced his eyelids open, refusing to fall asleep.

He was terrified that if he accidentally dozed off in the car, he would be subjected to a father-daughter tag-team beating from Crow Man and the half-witch.

"Your sister's life is on the line right now, yet you actually have the nerve to sleep?" they would scold.

So, bored out of his mind and pretending to play on his phone, Ke Mingqing opened the Player Forum in the upper right corner of his vision.

Soon, a fluorescent blue panel opened in the young man's vision, covered with densely packed text.

Following the massive discussion sparked by Kamishiro Ruri's post yesterday, today's topics—the "disappearing fifteen-day time limit" and the "obituary"—had clearly caused another huge uproar on the forum.

Ke Mingqing did a quick scroll through the forum. Below were the players' reactions to the missing fifteen days.

[Big Pinwheel (IP: Paris, France): Fuck, have you guys noticed? Why did the time limit suddenly drop by fifteen days? Weren't there still eighty-three days left yesterday?]

[Gentleman Spirit (IP: London, UK): Time travel? Did we undergo another collective transmigration?]

[Liu Long (IP: Xinjiang, China): Do you guys think this sudden change has anything to do with the intel Kamishiro Ruri leaked on the forum yesterday?]

[Pianzhi (IP: Tokyo, Japan): It's just fifteen days less. Don't panic, everyone. This is just adding a little intensity to Lord Pianzhi's extreme speedrun challenge. Pressure creates legends. Invincibility is oh so lonely.]

[Orange Peel (IP: Tokyo, Japan): Yokatta—! Kakatte kinasai.]

[Qing Meng (IP: Tokyo, Japan): That's enough from you Japanese wannabes up there. Look how smug you are.]

[Orange Peel (IP: Tokyo, Japan): That's enough from you. Isn't your IP also in Japan?]

[Qing Meng (Player has disabled forum IP display): Shut up, you weeb. I wonder who's been working so enthusiastically at a host club these past few days. (Middle finger emoji)]

[Orange Peel (Player has disabled forum IP display): Hey, hey, hey, don't expose our whereabouts.]

[The Family's Black Cat (IP: Tokyo, Japan): There's been a constant stream of shocking news lately. I wonder who caused it all.]

[Fanquan (IP: New York, USA): This isn't good... If it's not a system error, then both the Siberia prison break plan and the comet hijacking plan will have to be moved up...]

[Orange Peel: Aren't you afraid of tipping off a mole by saying that directly on the forum?]

[Fanquan (IP: New York, USA): It doesn't matter. If we could be stopped, we wouldn't be players. Besides, we've already discussed this on the forum many times.]

[Fanquan (IP: New York, USA): Regardless, we have less and less time to prepare. Everyone, I suggest we stop treating this like child's play. The remaining two months are a critical juncture.]

[The Family's Black Cat (IP: Tokyo, Japan): Regarding the prison break plan, we also hope to lend a hand. We'll be heading to the United States soon. Let's discuss it in detail then, Mr. Fanquan.]

[Fanquan (IP: New York, USA): Mr. Fanquan? How dare you assume my gender?]

[The Family's Black Cat (IP: Tokyo, Japan): Then... Ms. Fanquan?]

[Orange Peel: Now I get it. This Fanquan is also a magical girl.]

[Pianzhi (IP: Tokyo, Japan): What? Who exactly is challenging Lord Chun Chun's uniqueness? How bold.]

Below were the players' reactions to the obituary released early that morning.

[Bloody Mary (IP: Washington, USA): SS Rank? Oh, my God, Holy Mother Mary, a threat rating like this actually exists?]

[Gentleman Spirit (IP: London, UK): I thought Zeus was already the strongest super-human on Earth. It seems there's someone else. Moreover, this "Alien Colonist" doesn't seem to have ever appeared before. I searched online and only found a bunch of random alien urban legends.]

[Big Pinwheel (IP: Paris, France): Shouldn't the focus be on "Alien"? Does this mean there are alien super-humans hidden on Earth? And looking at that serial number, there must be quite a few of them. If every alien is this strong, aren't we doomed?]

[Orange Peel: So this is Brother Ruri's true cause of death? I thought he died because he leaked critical intel on the forum and was forcefully hit with Obliteration by the system.]

[Pianzhi (IP: Tokyo, Japan): Superficial. If you ask Lord Pianzhi, could this alien be the system's true body? That would explain the manual silencing.]

[Qing Meng: If this alien really is the system's true body, then the system just revealed its health bar. Although an SS Rank super-human has never appeared before, as long as it has a threat rating, we have a chance to kill it.]

[Liu Long (IP: Xinjiang, China): Let's not pop the champagne at halftime just yet. Who knows how huge the gap is between S Rank and SS Rank? Besides, if it really is the system's avatar, wouldn't the system just modify its rating? Like raising this "Alien Colonist—12235"'s threat rating to Question Mark Rank.]

[Fanquan (IP: New York, USA): Speculating here is meaningless and will only mess up our own footing. Keep your feet on the ground and do what needs to be done. The answer will naturally reveal itself.]

[Fanquan (IP: New York, USA): Maybe it's just a hidden boss. The kind of extra stage you get after clearing the game.]

By the time Ke Mingqing had scrolled through hundreds of posts, the taxi just happened to pull up and stop in front of the Magical Girl Company.

When the old taxi driver turned his head, he suddenly realized that the depressed middle-aged man in the back was gone.

The moment Ke Mingqing and Xia Zili opened the door and stepped out, a sudden flock of crows pierced through the veil of rain, swallowing their figures like a storm. It enveloped their bodies and carried them soaring upward through the downpour.

By the time the two regained their bearings, they were already standing inside a cold, dimly lit conference room. The blinds were tightly shut, with only a few slivers of sunlight spilling in through the gaps.

"Dizzy?"

Ke Mingwei's voice came from behind them. A cigarette hung from his lips—who knew when he had lit it—and his expression was utterly calm.

Neither Ke Mingqing nor Xia Zili paid any attention to their show-off of a father. Instead, they silently raised their eyes and looked toward the three figures at the far end of the conference table: Xi Ziyue, Utuna, and Mizumio Akari.

The Magical Girl Three Giants were gathered together in one room.

With the exception of Xi Ziyue, the other two had their gazes fixed on Xia Zili. Mizumio Akari's eyes were as cold as ever, but Utuna's gaze was somewhat complicated. She seemed guilty about having passed out during the battle with the Witch of Calamity, failing to stop the Terminus Tower's plan to force Xia Zili into Becoming a Witch.

"Long time no see," Xi Ziyue said, taking a sip of clear tea. "Mr. Rain Crow and Mr. Blue Pigeon are more punctual than we imagined. So, how has Xiao Li been doing this past week?"

Ke Mingqing thought for a moment. "The witch persona is gone. That's what she said."

He lifted his head, meeting Xi Ziyue's gaze. "And I can guarantee that over this past week, my sister hasn't shown any signs of being possessed by the witch persona. She's been acting completely normal."

Xi Ziyue was silent for a moment. "Is that so."

Xia Zili didn't speak. She simply gripped her wrist and stood quietly in a corner of the conference room.

Mizumio Akari spoke at a measured pace, her tone frosty. "Are you saying that after Witchification, Xia Zili reverted to her original state, and her witch persona vanished at the same time? That does sound like a very rare case. So rare, it makes one feel like they're dreaming."

As her voice faded, lanterns emitting a faint blue glow suddenly rose from behind her, illuminating the gloomy conference room.

"What else could it be?" Ke Mingqing retorted.

Ke Mingwei frowned slightly. He could hear the hostility in Mizumio Akari's words, but since her beloved disciple, Magical Girl Deep Space, had died on the stage of the Terminus Night, it was understandable for her to have this kind of attitude.

Xi Ziyue spoke up. "Regardless, we need to take her for some basic tests next, like having her try to 'transform' and release her magical energy. Do you two have any objections?"

Ke Mingwei and Ke Mingqing both fell silent. The father and son exchanged a glance; it was clear that neither of them knew what would happen once Xia Zili released her magical energy.

At that moment, the magical energy cocoon that had nearly destroyed half of Leijing flashed through their minds, along with the witch in a tattered dress sighing softly on the Cross at the center of the storm.

Just then, the young girl who had been keeping her head down in silence suddenly spoke up. "I agree."

Ke Mingqing and Ke Mingwei were taken aback. They turned their heads simultaneously, looking at Xia Zili's face.

The expressions of the Magical Girl Three Giants, however, remained very calm. They all seemed to have anticipated that, with Xia Zili's personality, she would agree to this. There was no way she would run away from the test.

"There is no need to worry. The two of you and the Three Giants will all be observing at the testing site," Xi Ziyue said softly. "If an accident really does happen, by combining the strength of everyone present, we should be able to stop her in time."

"Are you certain?" Mizumio Akari asked expressionlessly. "Then how did Little Red Riding Hood die?"

As soon as those words were spoken, the conference room plunged into a dead silence.

Xia Zili lowered her head slightly, her long bangs covering her eyes. Her lips parted, her expression a mix of indignation and sorrow.

Utuna crossed her arms and said slowly, "If we repeat past mistakes, then we don't deserve to be called the Magical Girl Three Giants."

Ke Mingqing raised an eyebrow, turning to look at the red-haired girl dressed in armor and a half-skirt. 'You were the only one who ended up completely unconscious during the assault on the Terminus Night. The other two of the Three Giants at least stayed awake until the end. No wonder you want to show off so badly,' he thought.

Xi Ziyue fell silent for a moment before adding, "Regardless, I am the one making the decision. I will bear all the responsibility."

She paused and raised her eyes to look at Ke Mingwei. "And what is your opinion, Mr. Rain Crow?"

Ke Mingwei hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "I understand."

"And Mr. Blue Pigeon?"

"What other opinion could I have?"

Seeing this, Xia Zili had already taken the lead and walked toward the conference room's exit.

"It seems you have no self-awareness as a dangerous observation target," Mizumio Akari suddenly remarked.

Xia Zili stopped in her tracks and slowly turned back around. She raised her eyes, gazing quietly at the Three Giants. Finally, she simply bent at the waist in a deep bow, then turned and walked away.

Ke Mingqing glanced at her receding figure. 'After all this is over, she'll probably quit the Magical Girl Company,' he thought.

Three minutes later. The 25th floor of the Magical Girl Company, specialized training room.

What met the eye was a room built entirely of silvery-white metal. This was a specially developed material with a certain degree of tolerance against magical energy, giving the training room immense overall pressure resistance.

Right now, Xia Zili stood squarely in the center of the training room. The Magical Girl Three Giants and the father-son duo, Mingwei and Mingqing, stood on her front and back sides respectively, ensuring they could intervene at any moment if the situation spiraled out of control.

A moment later, the young girl in the blue jacket took a soft breath. Her figure was suddenly enveloped in a layer of faint blue magical energy. Following that, flames of the same color ignited at the corners of her eyes, her pupils growing brighter. A fierce gale laced with the aura of magical energy continuously swept outward. Xi Ziyue remained silent, quietly watching this scene as the wind whipped at her qipao.

Utuna exchanged a glance with Mizumio Akari. They could feel it—the energy sweeping toward them on the wind was not the magic of a magical girl, but the magic of a witch...

Ke Mingwei furrowed his brow. The cigarette dangling from his lips bobbed in the gusting wind, its ember dying out.

"I remember my sister's complete witch form having dark gold magic. Right now, her magic is blue. Is this because she is still in her Half-Witch Form...?"

Ke Mingqing pondered this as he shoved his hands into his windbreaker pockets, lowering his face slightly to mutter, "I just hope nothing goes wrong."

The next instant, the sound of chanting scripture suddenly echoed through the air.

Then, palm-sized paper figures appeared in midair. They held hands, linking together to form a pure white ring that orbited Xia Zili's body.

"This is—" Utuna frowned.

"The believers of a witch," Mizumio Akari said coldly.

"Believers?" Ke Mingwei's pupils constricted in shock.

Xi Ziyue fell silent for a moment before explaining, "Rumor has it that only a Dual Crown Name Witch can possess believers. A single crown name witch is too weak to attract them, while a triple crown name witch is a symbol of tyranny that no one dares approach. Therefore, only a Dual Crown Name Witch is worthy of having her own believers."

A moment later, as the ring of paper believers tightened to its absolute limit, the wisp of spectral blue flame at the corner of Xia Zili's eye suddenly flared, expanding several times over to engulf her entire body.

In the very next split second, a young woman wearing a tattered black-and-blue dress stepped out of the flames.

In her left hand, she held a massive umbrella. Its shaft had clearly been modified into a gun barrel, and the muzzle at the tip of the umbrella lay wide open, spilling out flames. From a distance, it looked just like a slender sniper rifle.

"What is that? A new weapon form?" Ke Mingqing stared blankly. "Is my sister cosplaying as Black Rock Shooter?"

The girl kept her head slightly bowed, the flames trailing from the corner of her eye rising like a curtain of fire toward the sky. Her lips were slightly parted, and with every breath, she exhaled faint embers.

The next moment, she slowly raised her head. Spectral blue magic poured into the air, whipping up the clothes of everyone present.

[Super-human species codename: Magical Girl Ember (Half-Witch Form Phase Two: Terminus Form)]

[Combat power rating: S Rank]