Chapter 27: Deja vu

Ordinary-grade pollution entities, no matter how numerous, were no match for two Transcendent-grade magical girls.

Rose’s single laser blast obliterated swarms of entities, while Jasmine pinpointed the strongest among them.

A mosquito-like Exceptional-grade entity fell powerless under Jasmine’s golden-glowing spear.

Its dying husk crashed to the ground. Jasmine descended, crushing its head and core with a single stomp.

“Pollution entities are so much easier to deal with!”

Rose flew to Jasmine’s side, wiping imaginary sweat from her brow.

Both nodded in agreement, recalling their recent clash with the Pride Witch and her terrifying power.

“Rose! Can I get a photo with you?”

A young boy with a toy water gun shouted from afar, panting as he ran over.

“Of course!”

Rose struck a professional pose, standing side by side with the boy.

Across from them, a man held up his phone, snapping pictures.

“Dad, make me look cool!”

“Don’t worry, your old man’s got pro-level skills!”

The man flashed a thumbs-up, grinning.

The boy’s interaction drew a crowd, eager to capture moments with the magical girls.

“Rose, I want a photo too! Can you point your gun at me, give me a disdainful look, and call me a small fry?”

“Jasmine, I’m your biggest fan—please sign this for me!”

“One at a time, please, no pushing!”

The scene grew lively, the earlier danger forgotten.

Chances to meet magical girls up close were rare, especially when they lingered after clearing entities.

People weren’t about to miss out.

“Here you go.”

“Thanks!”

Jasmine handed back a signed notebook, her hand briefly brushing the girl’s.

In that instant, a masked man darted past.

The next second, Jasmine’s eyes widened in horror as the girl’s hand snapped off, falling to the ground.

“Ah!” The girl clutched her severed arm, screaming. “My hand!”

“What happened?”

Some in the crowd were still confused. Then, gunshots rang out.

Several people collapsed, blood pooling from bullet wounds.

Panic erupted.

“Ah! People are dead!”

“Weren’t the pollution entities already dealt with?”

Jasmine was bewildered. She hadn’t moved, yet the girl’s arm was severed.

The cut was clean, like a razor-sharp blade.

Augustus, blending into the crowd, hid a smoking pistol in his sleeve.

Behind his mask, a triumphant grin spread.

The crowd was in chaos, but it wasn’t enough.

Just a bit more.

Augustus shouted, “It was the magical girls! They did it!”

“I saw Jasmine touch that girl’s hand!”

He slipped to another spot.

“Get away from Rose—she shot those people! Run!”

“The magical girls are killers! Run!”

The scene descended into bedlam, faces twisted in terror.

People fled from the magical girls, scattering in all directions, shouting.

“The magical girls killed people! Power corrupts—they can’t hide their evil!”

“Let’s report them for murder!”

“Wah, Daddy!”

The boy tripped, his toy water gun falling and shattering under the stampede.

“Lele, get up! Daddy’s here!”

The man fought to reach his son, but the crowd’s tide was too strong.

Rose was baffled, and Jasmine was still reeling from the girl’s severed arm.

The situation had spiraled beyond recovery.

Augustus watched the father and son, then aimed his pistol at the boy’s head and fired without hesitation.

Bang!

The boy’s head exploded. The man’s face turned crimson.

“Lele!”

Things grew stranger.

“Please, believe us! This isn’t our doing—someone’s framing us!” Jasmine shouted.

No one listened. They trusted only what they saw.

The dead were closest to the magical girls, pinning the blame on them.

“We should leave. Too many people, and the culprit’s not using magic—I can’t sense them,” Little White suggested.

Staying would only worsen the chaos.

Leaving was the best option, letting the authorities clarify later.

Augustus watched the magical girls fly off, adjusting his voice.

“Look! The magical girls killed and fled!”

“They’re murderers! Demons!”

“My Lele!” The man cradled his son’s body, sobbing.

Fear, anger, sorrow—negative emotions flooded the scene.

Augustus pulled out his pocket watch. The black gauge, representing negative energy, surged rapidly.

This was far more efficient than the amusement park chaos.

Soon, the watch turned fully black. Augustus slipped away with the crowd.

Energy collection complete. Now for the experiment.

He’d create an unstoppable pollution entity!

When he claimed an Arcana seat, everyone would bow at his feet.

Flora Flower Shop

Huang Ran and Long Shu reviewed nearby surveillance, locking onto a suspicious man.

He wore a black-and-white mask, oddly familiar.

Before they could recall where they’d seen it, the authorities called.

Little White answered, briefly explaining the incident’s cause and aftermath.

The authorities knew magical girls wouldn’t harm people.

But their belief wasn’t enough—the public, especially the victims’ families, needed convincing.

If they failed, Huang Ran and Long Shu might face Bai Yao’s fate.

“Until we find the suspect, keep them out of action. Find Iris’s successor quickly. I’ll request a temporary magical girl to cover for Jasmine and Rose.”

“Thanks for the help.”

Little White set the phone down, shaking its head at Huang Ran and Long Shu.

Meanwhile, Bai Yao, still as Pride, soared toward the school, her heart pounding with worry for Bai Feifei. The magical disturbance she’d sensed was strong—too strong for ordinary pollution entities. As she neared, she saw the chaos: fleeing students, crying families, and a massive Calamity-grade entity rampaging.

Jasmine and Rose were struggling, their magic barely holding it back. A girl who looked eerily like Bai Yao stood behind Jasmine, protected by a faltering barrier.

“Feifei’s not here, but that girl…” Pride muttered, gripping her baton tighter.

She dove into the fray, landing between the magical girls and the behemoth. Crimson petals swirled around her, radiating power.

“Pride Witch?!” Jasmine gasped.

“Stay back. This one’s mine,” Pride said coldly, eyes fixed on the creature.

With a swing of her baton, a storm of crimson petals tore into the behemoth, shredding its limbs. It roared, but her magic was relentless, dismantling it piece by piece.

In the shadows, Augustus cursed. “Another witch? Not again!”

His watch pulsed, brimming with negative energy, but Pride’s interference threatened his plan. He weighed his options: flee or push further.