Chapter 717 - 272: Bilateral Disturbance

Chapter 717: Chapter 272: Bilateral Disturbance

With such an overwhelming difference in numbers, no matter how much He Ti liked to think of herself as "elite," in the end two fists could not beat four hands.

She had originally wanted to fight to the bitter end, unfold her Miracle Realm, unleash Beast Heart Liberation, and complete her mission no matter what. But unfortunately, the Kingdom’s preparations were clearly more thorough than hers.

The people Emerald Sparrow had brought might not have been painstakingly handpicked, but each at least had their own specialty. For example, one of the Research Institute directors had a Miracle Realm Ability called "Rule Weight." Her Miracle Realm rules were a complete blank, with no constraints at all, but within the limits of her Magic Power she could freely adjust the rule weight of everything inside the Miracle Realm.

Emerald had once commented that Rule Weight was a concept even she found difficult to handle. Normally, when two Magical Girls unfolded their Miracle Realms at the same time, both sets of rules could function properly. Even if the rules conflicted, it simply became a contest of whose rules took effect more easily, whose Magic Power lasted longer.

But altering Rule Weight meant she could turn everyone’s rule weight to zero. With her Bud Level strength, if she went all out, she could even drag a Flower Card down with her and turn both Miracle Realms into blank slates.

So Emerald Sparrow had her called in.

There was also a deputy minister from the Magical Affairs Institute, codename Snowball, whose Magic Armor ability was "Silence," allowing her to target someone and prevent their speech from invoking Magic Power.

Granted, Magical Girls used incantations to transform, unfold their Miracle Realms, and activate their Magic Armor largely for convenience, to keep their hands and bodies free. Even under Silence, they could still perform Great Prosperity Bloom or Beast Heart Liberation. But Emerald Sparrow’s goal was never to completely seal the enemy.

With such a disparity in numbers, all she needed was to turn the opponent’s first attempt at unleashing power into a dud.

So, when He Ti discovered that her Miracle Realm was useless and shouting Beast Heart Liberation got no response, a crowd had already rushed her and pinned her down.

To be fair, if He Ti had been allowed to go all out, she probably wouldn’t have been a weak opponent; she might not even have been much weaker than Yuan. But this was the Magic Kingdom, and the people Emerald Sparrow could mobilize here were even more numerous than back at Fangting, with even more focused countermeasures, so it turned into a one-sided crush.

"Mmph, mmph, you’re cheating... You’ve got so many people, it’s not fair..."

When Emerald Sparrow walked up to He Ti to use Magic-Sealing Arts on her, He Ti, already trussed up like a rice dumpling, was rolling all over the ground.

"Drop the fake crying. We’ve already investigated you. He Ti, Magical Girl codename Mujin, a Luennolay, once a ’genius’ of the Civil Administration Institute, disappeared eight years ago after going to the Material Realm on an external mission. Six years ago, you began operating under the Claw Mark banner, confirmed defector."

Emerald Sparrow casually pressed a Magic-Sealing Arts spell onto He Ti, using Magic Silk Thread to forcibly straighten her face toward her. "I’m not too keen on resorting to special measures. Anything you want to volunteer? For example, your operation plan and objectives?"

He Ti blinked and fell quiet.

"Bring your ear closer, I’ll whisper it to you," she said.

"Don’t pull that sulky brat routine."

Emerald Sparrow squatted on the grass beside He Ti, looking down at her. "If you don’t want to talk now, once we hand you over to the Investigation Bureau, you’ll be begging them to let you talk."

"...What will they do?" A trace of wavering crossed He Ti’s face. "Don’t tell me you think I’m afraid of death?"

She didn’t even mention "torture" as an option, because for Magical Girls who fought Remnant Beasts all year round, pain didn’t really count as anything as long as it didn’t touch their true form. And if it did touch their true form, then it was essentially no different from "killing someone."

"You’ll beg for death and not get it."

Emerald Sparrow stared at her, expressionless. "The last Claw Mark I handed over to the Investigation Bureau was called Sparrow. Guess how they made her talk?"

He Ti swallowed.

"Tickling. Endless tickling. Tickling enhanced with Magic Techniques."

Emerald Sparrow raised her hand and wiggled her fingers in front of He Ti’s eyes. "According to the Bureau, she broke in half a day. But they tickled her for an entire day, and in the end she was sobbing as she confessed."

He Ti’s pupils shrank, but she quickly averted her gaze. "Heh, just torture, that’s all. I, He Ti, a dignified cadre, my willpower isn’t something some weakling accountant like Sparrow could ever compare to."

"That’s hardly their only torture." A Kingdom Magical Girl standing behind Emerald Sparrow spoke coldly. "You know, when Magical Girls have been at this long enough, there’re plenty of perverts who like women."

Emerald Sparrow glanced back at that girl, and the Magical Girl immediately lowered her head and shut up.

But He Ti’s face had gone a sickly green.

"Dis... disgusting. Too dark, this Magic Kingdom..."

She muttered, "I knew it. You people do every filthy thing behind closed doors."

"Still better than a bunch of terrorists sneaking around trying to ambush an examination hall and going after a group of kids."

Emerald Sparrow’s tone was merciless. "Besides, Claw Mark’s killings of civilians and comrades in the Material Realm are hardly few. No need to play righteous in front of me."

"Dogs like you wouldn’t understand."

He Ti turned her face away. "Especially you, Cornflower. I’d thought you might have some spine—you were worth something, back then. Never thought you’d still throw in with the Kingdom, betray Sister Cat’s feelings for you. I really misjudged you, you two-timer."

Emerald Sparrow’s expression didn’t change.

"Looks like we’re done talking."

That was all she said, then turned her head. "Take her away. Lock her in the Research Institute first. Don’t hand her over to the Royal Court or the Investigation Bureau."

The Magical Girls behind her answered in the affirmative.

No one questioned the decision, because every Magical Girl involved in this operation knew that Claw Mark operatives would not be delivered to the Investigation Bureau or the Royal Court. If those people actually pried out something they shouldn’t, how was the Research Institute supposed to balance the books?

Emerald Sparrow had no intention of wasting too much time on He Ti. She didn’t know this White Wolf personally, but she’d had enough dealings with Claw Mark and Black Ash Dawn.

Someone of He Ti’s caliber was, most likely, just one of the enemy’s probes. A few days ago, after she’d discussed the matter with a group of Magical Affairs Institute core members, the general consensus was that the enemy had at least two more layers of backup plans.

The exam assault was half-real, half-fake. One of their confirmed true objectives was to seize The Origin of Beasts, and if things went even worse, they might even be thinking of reenacting the old stories of the two-realms war in Luennolay.

Speaking of those old stories, Emerald Sparrow couldn’t help but think of that man who once wore a long black coat.

The Bee Apostle—if he were still alive now, he would most likely have been renamed as Black Ash Dawn’s Bee Ash Servant.

Back then, even after she used Ephemeral Bloom, she’d still been unable to kill that man, only able to repel him, watching as he fled the Garden.

In this current assault, could his shadow be lurking behind the scenes?

Thinking of this, Emerald Sparrow felt she absolutely could not afford to let her guard down yet. Since He Ti refused to confess, then just throw her into the dungeon first; right now she had no time to pry open the mouths of people like this.

"Ah, right."

She looked at the few Magical Girls who were about to take He Ti away: "Bring a few more people with you, and make sure nothing happens on the way."

Only by guarding against every possible angle could they win this tough battle.

With that in mind, she connected to the Magic Mirror and began asking how the other nodes were doing.

"The few Beast Children haven’t made any moves for the time being, and there’s no sign of the enemy from other directions either. However, there is one thing I might need to report to you..." the Magical Girl on the other side of the Magic Mirror said.

"What is it?"

"It seems there’s been some development over at the Jade Book Gallery."

"...As expected. They’re after the Source of Beasts, aren’t they."

"Yes. It aligns very closely with the action model we previously simulated."

"How many people do you need me to spare you? It might not be easy for me to leave here."

"We—We probably don’t need that." The other side answered with some seriousness.

"Don’t need it?" Emerald Sparrow was puzzled.

"Yes, because the Chief herself has already taken the field."

...

...

"It truly has been a long time, Heidi."

Standing in the utterly empty corridor, Emerald looked at the person before her: "I can still vaguely remember you following behind your mother, a candy in your mouth as you saluted me. It really has been a long time."

Golden Snake looked at Emerald.

"Long time no see, Chief."

Her voice was calm, showing neither the guilty timidity of a "thief" caught by their owner, nor the impotent fury of someone like He Ti: "The last time I remember seeing you should have been at the postwar ceremony of conferment."

"Ah, the conferment... I remember now. Even at my age, it was one of the rare events that left me with a clear memory—conferment."

Emerald nodded slightly: "Poor child, I remember your tears back then."

"Thank you for being willing to take care of my mother’s affairs after her death. I went to the cemetery a few days ago. Thank you for not forgetting her."

Golden Snake took off the hat on her head: "If possible, I actually didn’t want to come to the point of standing against you."

"Mm."

Emerald neither affirmed nor denied it; the green pupils that had always been full of laughter now seemed like a bottomless, dark pool: "Have you considered turning back?"

"At the very beginning, I did."

Golden Snake replied with utmost respect: "Now, it’s no longer possible."

"What a pity."

Emerald lowered her gaze slightly: "In truth, it’s the Kingdom that wronged you."

"You’ve already done what you were supposed to do. The ones who need to apologize to us, or repent, are others."

Golden Snake put her hat back on and gripped her Magic Wand: "And now, we’re on the road to reclaim justice. I hope you’ll give us a chance."

"I’m sorry, child. If I were standing here solely as your mother’s teacher, I would let you pass. But I am one of the highest authorities of this country, so I cannot."

Emerald looked at her: "For the Kingdom, for the ’vast majority of people’ who are now enjoying a peaceful life, you are the minority—an exception, you could say. I cannot plunge countless citizens into suffering for the sake of an exception."

"Have you ever said those words to Lady Cornflower?" Golden Snake began walking forward.

"I said them once, and she has been troubled by them ever since."

Emerald watched Golden Snake: "But I don’t intend to say them a second time, because she has her own path to walk."

"For the sake of one person, what you’ve done can hardly be called caring for all living beings." Golden Snake walked up to Emerald.

"If something can be resolved by maintaining stability, I will maintain stability."

Emerald’s expression did not change: "And for what maintaining stability cannot resolve, as one in power I must choose a direction and place my bet. On this point, you should understand, child."

"Yes... I understand."

Golden Snake admitted: "It’s just that I placed my bet on someone different from you."

She admitted that she and Emerald were now irreconcilable enemies.

"Beast Heart—Liberation."

As her words fell, the Magic Wand in her hand slowly dissolved into particles:

——"Eternal Augustus."