Transform into a magical girl after getting off work

Lin Xiaolu was certainly not without options.

Rather, even though she hadn't anticipated any moves from Arrowroot, the moment she saw the opponent integrate the Magic Armor into her body, she knew her opportunity seemed to have arrived.

Coincidentally, after recklessly depleting her resources in a short time, her Magic Power was nearly exhausted, leaving her with only one option now——

"King's Key, Basic Form."

She employed Turbidity.

The stable light blue Magic Power around her began to fluctuate again, transforming into white flames, as the spear in her hand scattered into Magic Power particles and reformed into a white staff. The basic form ability activated, and pure white Magic Power instantly filled Lin Xiaolu's entire body.

The two exchanged a glance across the air briefly, and then Arrowroot began to move first.

At this point, she had already abandoned the idea of quickly withdrawing, thinking that even if Bai Mei's two teammates were to arrive any moment, she must first defeat Bai Mei once more.

In her current state, not only was her Magic Body capable of fog transformation, but the integration of her Magic Armor allowed her to use herself as a medium to extract Magic Power, greatly increasing her Magic Power Output and activity. This meant that under the same consumption, the power of her Magic Techniques would increase, and she could simultaneously use more moves. Moreover, even direct close combat with her Magic Body would cause damage far beyond normal.

Therefore, she chose a strategy of simultaneously using Magic Techniques to restrain Lin Xiaolu's movements while gradually closing in on her.

According to her plan, as long as she suppressed the opponent's Magic Armor attacks and engaged in close combat, some flaw should be forced out.

However, after just one round of exchange, this thought vanished.

When she punched Lin Xiaolu, and the opponent retaliated with a punch as well, she almost instinctively activated the Blood Bat ability, trying to absorb some of the opponent's Magic Power, but immediately afterward, a strong burning sensation penetrated deep into her soul.

"Hiss——Ugh!"

Unable to hold back a cry of pain, Arrowroot immediately expelled that portion of Magic Power from her body, and with it, even some of her own original Magic Power disappeared.

"This is..."

She looked at her hand incredulously, but Lin Xiaolu would not give her time to analyze, taking advantage of her faltered offense, raised her hand and fired two Magic Power Beams, then kicked towards Arrowroot's abdomen.

Like Arrowroot's plan, Lin Xiaolu now also found that close combat was more effective, rather she had painstakingly blocked the opponent's multiple methods, leading the situation to evolve into what it was now, exactly the opportunity for her to utilize her Turbid Magic Power.

The two then abandoned unnecessary moves and started a close combat interspersed with various simple Magic Power attacks.

Having chosen to close in on the opponent proactively, it's now too late for Arrowroot to try and create distance, faced with Lin Xiaolu's attack, she could only brace herself to counter it. But the more she fought, the more startled she became: because she found the opponent's close combat skills were far stronger than imagined!

What the opponent used was not merely fighting skills, but the most professional combat techniques specifically for Magical Girls. Many force logic and move connections were extremely cohesive and skilled, even the Magic Bullets and Magic Beams woven between actions were highly precise, surpassing her own by a few degrees!

Could this be the true level of a Cornflower student? But if the opponent possessed such a level of skill, how could they have been defeated so easily by Mu Mian before?

What she did not know was that presently Lin Xiaolu was precisely in a state of "gradual integration."

Oh, so that's the effect of this move, oh, that move should be used at that moment—vast knowledge previously learned was now being verified by her one by one, those moves she followed under Emerald Sparrow's teachings without understanding were quickly transforming into "combat thinking," becoming her own.

This process ought to require a lot of time, a lot of actual combat, achieved only through continuous integration, yet Lin Xiaolu was, beyond common sense, accomplishing this at an astounding pace.

And Lin Xiaolu hadn't even noticed that the white staff in her one hand was shining increasingly brightly, the magic clothing originally dominated by light blue was rapidly fading—or rather, dyed white.

Aside from retaining light blue embellishments at some connecting and decorative parts, the dress she wore had already transformed completely into white. But on the apron over her dress, a few peculiar patterns appeared, seemingly runes distinct from Favo Rune, combined together to form the outline of a staff.

"Magic Clothing has changed?"

Having seen all of this take place before her eyes, this event, unheard of, left Arrowroot even more perplexed, leading her to be caught off guard by Lin Xiaolu seizing the opportunity, even turning into black mist, still having a large amount of Magic Power burned away by white flames.

"Damn it!"

Seeing the unfavorable situation, Arrowroot momentarily considered liberating her Magic Armor recklessly, but the remaining reason told her that even resorting to the true Blood Bat now would not turn the tide. She could not absorb and utilize the strange white Magic Power the opponent used at all, nor did the current Magic Power disparity allow her more operations.

She felt unwilling.

She originally had more Magic Technique reserves, had stronger Combat Techniques, but just as the day before she had attacked the opponent without defense, now she suffered from failing in pre-battle preparations again?

Yet even so, she would never lower her head and concede to the opponent, thus decided to exhaust all strength, using her last Magic Power and final runes, to unleash what she initially intended as her trump card Magic Technique.

——"Chaos Magic Rise..."

"Time to end this."

Lin Xiaolu declared ahead of her.

Almost simultaneously with the runes lighting up on Arrowroot's wrist, Lin Xiaolu made her move first, three Magic Bullets shot out from the trickiest angles, threading accurately through a few runes.

Then, the already condensed Favo Rune String was instantly shattered into the most basic Magic Power.

Interrupted the casting.

This was a technique Emerald Sparrow had once demonstrated to Lin Xiaolu but never expected Lin Xiaolu to grasp at this stage; among them, shattering the opponent's runes forming Magic Chains was an act requiring precise operation. Yet as Lin Xiaolu entered this special state, such a challenging technique was easily executed.

Arrowroot was completely at a loss.

She could only awkwardly maintain her outstretched hand, dumbfoundedly observing Lin Xiaolu.

"Thinking about it, Mint's ranking list seems to have some truth too." But Lin Xiaolu, having casually shattered the runes, inexplicably uttered such a statement.

"...What do you mean?" Arrowroot asked.

"It means, Mu Mian actually might be indeed a bit stronger than you."

Lin Xiaolu replied in a surprisingly friendly tone: "Or perhaps, just because it's you, did I get this chance today to find this state. Her criticism was correct; my previous way of fighting was indeed not perfect."

Upon hearing this answer, Arrowroot laughed.

Laugh of anger.

She couldn't bother arguing with Lin Xiaolu anymore, but closed her mouth, once more engulfing herself in black mist, then charged at Lin Xiaolu for one last attack.

No unnecessary moves, no further calculations, simply the most earnest charge to release emotions.

"Give me back the badge."

Lin Xiaolu also raised her staff.

A corner of the sea of clouds briefly lit up with a dazzling white light, and then dimmed down.