Chapter 41: Power difference.

Frozen Princess and Aurora Lora, having dispatched the clones, set out to find Scarlet Lily.

“Lily’s magic is spreading across the entire festival.”

Like a mist.
Her magic permeated the space with low density.

“Did Mirage Illusion cause this?”
“No clue, but it’s probably related.”
“It’s like Lily’s everywhere. How much magic does she even have?”

It was impossible to pinpoint her location.

Aurora Lora clicked her tongue.

“I knew she was something else, but damn.”

Pure awe.

Her magic capacity was leagues beyond theirs.

“No app, no way to sense her. Should we split up?”
“If Silent Eve’s with them, there’s two enemies. Better stick together.”
“Good point.”

Even in a 2-on-1, Scarlet Lily would likely be fine.

They trusted her, but they couldn’t just sit back.

They rushed toward where she might be.

Barriers were familiar, but seeing one wielded like this was a first with Silent Eve.

Erasing sound was impressive enough, but evaporating magic?

Modern magic has come a long way.

“You were faking it…?”

Mirage Illusion faltered.

She must’ve thought the barrier worked when I collapsed into an OTL pose.

“Seemed like a fun ability, so I wanted to try it out.”

I could’ve just stood there, but a little dramatic flair felt right.

I half-hoped the magic drain might undo my transformation.
Wishful thinking.

“It’s a cool trick, but it’s got flaws. Might catch someone off guard the first time, but once you know how it works, it’s too easy to break.

Silent Eve looked incredulous.

Does she not even know her own magic’s weaknesses?

No choice.
Might as well give her a full review.

“It feels like a cheat skill, but the restrictions are huge. Hard to trap a moving target in the area. The cast time’s a big drawback too. And I’m guessing, but terrain or obstacles could slash its effectiveness.”

Lucky for her, we’re on flat ground with no obstructions, but in a narrow alley, it’d be less effective.

Minor issues aside, the biggest flaw is the cast time.

It’s like an AoE skill in a game.
Powerful, but dodge it early, and it’s useless.
Anyone with good instincts would slip out easily.

“It only failed because you’re a monster. Eve’s magic usually works,” Mirage Illusion interjected.

“Not a fan of that term.”
“Then I’ll use it more, you monster.”

What a contrarian.

“Don’t sweat it, Eve. We drained her, so we can take her together.”

She’s openly calling for a 2-on-1.

“How do you say something so cowardly with such confidence?”
“No such thing as cowardice in a fight, right?”
“Been holding onto that one, huh?”
“Shut up!”

I stalled with banter to buy evacuation time, but also to gauge their abilities.

How strong is the artifact?
What kind of person is Silent Eve, and how does she fight?

There’s a lot I wouldn’t know without this moment.

Monsters cleared?

Looks like Frozen Princess’s side is done too.

“Silent Eve, I’ll give you props for spying and targeting me. But claiming to be my fan, an otaku for magical girls, and pulling this? That’s low.”

I once planned to use Reaper Mors as a double agent, only to get played myself.

The barrier hit me less than this betrayal.

And she bought my figurine, no less.

“Love feels better when you give it than receive it.”
“This isn’t love.”
“I want to see you flustered, struggling, in pain—every side of you no one else knows. That’s a desire only love creates.”

I was speechless.

I knew she was weird, but this much?

“Enough, take this!”

Mirage Illusion fired crystal shards, but I swatted them away.

They shattered with a ching, scattering into rainbow particles.

“No barrier…?”

I showed the power gap to avoid pointless fighting.

“Don’t just stand there, Eve! Attack!”
“The barrier failed. We should retreat.”
“Don’t wimp out over this!”

Mirage Illusion wasn’t giving up.

She summoned a massive crystal above my head.

“Nice… bigger than last time.”

It gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight.
Her trump card?

“Prism Impact!”

Boom!

I dodged sideways as the crystal crashed, embedding deep into the ground.

Decent power.

I thought clones were her only trick, but she had this up her sleeve.

“No use dodging!”

More came in succession.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Crystal pillars rose from the ground.

She’s spamming big moves, aiming to end it fast.

“We should regroup!”
“No next time!”

Silent Eve urged retreat, but Mirage Illusion ignored her.

Her momentum was like a runaway train, no brakes, relentless.

“What are you doing? Use the barrier!”
“Ugh… Blank World!”

Silent Eve joined reluctantly.

I couldn’t let them wreck more of the festival.

Magic drained from me, but it was a drop in the bucket compared to my reserves.
I charged straight at Mirage Illusion.

“No escape this time.”

I dispatched her clone obstacles barehanded and closed in on the real one.

She wasn’t going down quietly, pulling another trick.

“Die!”

Her ace: using prism refraction to combine clone beams into one.

Blocking with my arm, I felt a searing heat.

More clones should just split her power.
But the beam’s output far exceeded her usual strength.

Why?

Sensing the magic flow, I got it.

“Clever research.”

Not a trick.

She continuously fed power to her clones, like poking holes in a water tank.
More outlets, faster drainage.

Downside: her reserves deplete just as fast.

I took the beam head-on, advanced, and smashed the crystal with a punch.

“Huff… huff…”

Mirage Illusion collapsed, exhausted, breathing heavily.

No need for a counterattack.
Her clones vanished like ascending spirits, leaving just us two.

“Don’t want another punch, do you?”

I’m not heartless enough to hit someone who can barely stand.
But if she resists, no mercy.

Wait, what?

“Your buddy bailed.”
“…What?”

Mirage Illusion scanned the empty festival grounds.
No sign of Silent Eve.

She’d been reluctant to fight and must’ve slipped away when the beam obscured my view.

“Guess that’s the extent of villain teamwork.”
“Damn it… coward!”

She slammed her fist into the ground in frustration.

Silent Eve.
Timid and cowardly, but her crisis instincts were sharp.

Types like her survive long and thin.

“Caught you at last. Ready for a little interrogation?”

She’s got stories to tell.

Before facing legal consequences, we’ll have a nice chat in the container where Reaper Mors was held.

Aurora Lora’s a good pick for company.

[Post Title: Magical Girl Festival Chaos.jpg]
(Photos of the wrecked scene)

People started evacuating, and I wondered why—turns out monsters appeared.
F-grade, so not huge, but still. First time seeing them up close.
Some got taken down by people with rocks or sticks.

(Photo of a cosplayer hitting a monster with a prop sword*)

Thought it was a real magical girl at first, but just cosplay lol.
They fought well, though.

– Lmao
– Last pic’s hilarious
– Gate opening there of all places, civilians taking them out
– That’s a crossdresser, ugh

The historic festival was halted by a sudden gate incident.

What stood out: the crowd’s bravery.
Even in chaos, attendees banded together to take down some monsters.

– Some showed up right away.
– Saw Aurora Lora and Frozen Princess.
– Plus Lily, just those three.

– Reliable third-gens.
– Fifth-gens came too, but after it was over.
– Got carried by seniors.

– Lora and Princess felt like pros. Clean takedowns, guiding evacuations smoothly.
– Not troublemakers, but top-tier.
– Not quite the strongest.
– They were contenders before Lily showed up…

With minimal damage, the community vibe stayed light.

But they were harsh on the culprits.

– Silent Eve, a traitor…
– Barely noticed her, she was so low-key.
– Joined Lily’s team to spy.
– Shady big-chest betrayer, total trash.
– She was my oshi 😭

– Mirage Illusion got caught. What now?
– Torture for info.
– Organized attack suggests a mastermind.

Silent Eve, who betrayed her magical girl duties.
Her fans despaired; others raged.

Two confirmed traitors, but there might be a bigger force behind them.
Like a shadowy organization.

Theories spread fast, treated as near-truth.

– If there’s an organization, why hide and just do terrorism?
– Naming it risks heavier charges for organized crime.
– What, are they gangsters?

– Can guess the members.
– Bet there’s one who killed the first Armo.
– Investigate every AWOL girl.
– They don’t have personal info. Government ties only started recently.

– Feels like Lily was the target.
– Without Lily, the rest are just human-tier.
– Her existence alone deters crime. Goat.

Scarlet Lily, seen as Korea’s guardian.

As long as she’s active, there’s peace of mind.

A fresh 5.5-gen, she’s got years ahead.

In truth, she’s a veteran of over a decade, desperate to retire.
But no one knows that terrifying fact.