Chapter 15: Strength in Question, Meow?

A Desperate Gambit

Cang Lang was a man with a clear sense of his limits. The Mang Wolf Gang was just a bunch of small-time thugs, and the bit of villain tech he’d stumbled upon was mostly for show, used to intimidate other gangs. He’d never dared to use it recklessly.

That is, until a mysterious figure approached him recently, offering the gang a big job. They promised it was completely safe and even paid a hefty deposit upfront.

Sure, Cang Lang knew they were lying—how could something like this be risk-free? But the money was too good, so he took a chance, hoping for the best.

“Don’t panic, Mr. Cang Lang. Business comes with risks. You’ve been well compensated, and there’s nothing I can do in this situation.”

The low voice continued over the phone. “The three magical girls after you include an S-rank, [Skylark Songstress] Mu Xingge. You don’t expect me to snatch prey from a tiger’s jaws, do you?”

“I can send a car to pick you up, but you’ll have to escape that building on your own.”

“You… The building’s surrounded by magical girls! How am I supposed to get out?” Cang Lang’s voice was frantic.

“Don’t you still have your trump card, Mr. Cang Lang? Now might be the time to use it.”

Cang Lang froze, fumbling in his pocket until he pulled out a syringe with trembling hands.

“You b*stard…” He gritted his teeth, realizing something. “You knew this would happen, didn’t you? You set me up!”

“Just a friendly suggestion,” the voice coaxed. “Inject that serum, and you should have the strength to break through one of the exits. I’ll have a car waiting outside.”

“[Skylark Songstress] is at Exit C. The other two exits are guarded by magical girls with mana fluctuations no higher than D-rank. Don’t pick the wrong one, Mr. Cang Lang.”

With that, the call ended abruptly. Cang Lang’s knuckles whitened as he gripped the phone. He knew he’d been played as a guinea pig, but he had no choice left.

Thinking of the magical girl who’d knocked out his men with single punches, he hesitated but settled on a route. This was Mang Wolf Gang territory—he knew the building’s layout better than anyone.

Gritting his teeth, Cang Lang jabbed the syringe into his arm. He collapsed heavily, a pained whimper escaping his throat.

A Dangerous Transformation

Meanwhile, the three magical girls had blocked the exits, and the logistics team was searching the building.

The Magical Girl Association had many departments, but only the Magical Girl Division handled combat. Against mana-based monsters and villains, only mana-based attacks could deal damage.

Since it was confirmed the Mang Wolf Gang were just ordinary thugs, the more numerous logistics team could handle the cleanup, sparing the magical girls.

A light rain began to fall, like a curtain call. [Little Red Hood], guarding Exit A, thought the mission was wrapping up easily when a staggering figure emerged from the building.

The gang’s leader? She prepared to subdue him but sensed something off.

With every step, Cang Lang’s body swelled like a balloon, dark wisps of energy coiling around him. He looked dangerous.

“Get out of my way!” Cang Lang roared, his eyes glowing red. He charged at [Little Red Hood] like an out-of-control truck.

Caught off guard, [Little Red Hood] braced for combat, quickly notifying the others through her communicator.

“He’s here! Exit A, but something’s wrong with him…”

A beastly howl cut through the communicator, and Xiao Keke’s voice stopped. At Exit B, Xiao Xi’s heart clenched.

“Keke… [Little Red Hood], are you okay?”

No response. Xiao Xi didn’t hesitate, bolting toward Exit A like an arrow.

When she arrived, Xiao Keke lay unconscious to the side. Next to her stood Cang Lang, now a towering, fur-covered wolfman, two or three times the size of a normal person.

A villain? Xiao Xi frowned. Miss L had mentioned the gang might have villain tech, but she hadn’t expected Cang Lang to use it on himself.

“Get lost!”

Immature villain tech could drive someone mad, and Cang Lang was clearly on the edge of losing it. Still, he remembered to escape, charging recklessly at Xiao Xi.

This magical girl had pummeled his men, but he wasn’t the same anymore. If he could take down one D-rank magical girl, he could handle another. They were no threat to him now!

“Just a D-rank magical girl. Move, or you’re dead!”

But Xiao Xi’s gaze wasn’t on him. She stared at [Little Red Hood], lying on the ground, her face cold as ice.

“All my life, I’ve never laid a hand on my sister…”

A Sister’s Wrath

In the next instant, Cang Lang felt the world freeze for a second, like a drunken blackout. Before the pain in his gut could spread, Xiao Xi’s second punch was already flying toward his face.

It was like an older brother picking up his middle-school sister from school, only to find her cornered by punks at the gate. Rage flipped a switch in Xiao Xi, unleashing her inner beast.

She became a whirlwind of fists, pummeling Cang Lang relentlessly. As she lost count of her punches in a three-second frenzy, a purple light shot from the corner of the building.

“A-Xing, ease up! Xingge’s here!” Miss L’s voice came through the communicator.

Only then did Xiao Xi snap out of it, stopping her assault. She tossed aside the now-pig-headed Cang Lang and rushed to check on [Little Red Hood].

“Let me handle it.”

Mu Xingge descended from the sky, immediately tending to [Little Red Hood]. Soundwaves shaped like musical notes rippled over her body.

“Don’t worry, she’s just unconscious. She’ll be fine.”

Relieved by Mu Xingge’s words, Xiao Xi exhaled. But Mu Xingge frowned, glancing at the beaten Cang Lang with surprise.

She’d arrived only about ten seconds after [Sirius]. In that short time, this newbie had already taken down the enemy?

Though she’d been at Exit C, the farthest from A, this was not the strength of a D-rank magical girl.

A Mysterious Observer

Outside the abandoned building, on a secluded path, a figure in a black trench coat watched the scene, nodding thoughtfully.

“Interesting…”

With Mu Xingge’s arrival, he didn’t linger. He got into a car and slipped away under the cover of night.

He hadn’t expected to save Cang Lang—just wanted to see the show. But unexpectedly, he’d witnessed something far more intriguing.