Chapter 382: Chu Yuanqing, Can You Save Your Daughter?

In the sky, like a fortress of flesh, the gluttonous demon blocked out the sun, entangled in illusionary chains reaching to the heavens. Its crimson blood spilled across the air, dissolving into the surrounding undulating butterfly notes, transforming into nourishment for the sustaining spell.

Beelzebub seemed unaware of pain. Its swampy, viscous flesh writhed, giving rise to countless maggots like a tide. Innumerable eggshells hatched, breaking free and becoming buzzing flies, eager to escape this song of revenge.

But no matter whether it was the gluttony avatar, destroying hearing, overwhelming force… or even more methods, none could break free from Xie Qing Yu’s magic.

From now on, Beelzebub’s power and authority could only act upon Xie Qing Yu alone. Before it truly consumed this vengeful witch, it could not feast upon anyone else, nor activate the “Holy Communion.”

—【Love of Nemesis】.

This was revenge magic that had truly reached the conceptual level.

Effect 1: Absolute binding. Regardless of strength, before the first cycle of “Love of Nemesis” finished playing, the opponent would be bound by the chains of revenge, sharing the same fate as Xie Qing Yu.

Effect 2: Revenge mark. The stronger the hatred and anger, the harsher, scarier, and more brutal the restraints would become, with the highest level capable of instant death.

Effect 3: Gluttony Symphony. The chains of revenge swallowed the enemy’s flesh and blood, converting it into Xie Qing Yu’s magic power limit, allowing her to surpass her original 【Full Bloom】 limits, and under certain conditions, transform it into new Patronus Magic.

Charlotte felt a wave of emotion.

Xie Qing Yu’s years of gloom, anger, fear, sorrow, her unwillingness to lose Violet, and the true courage ignited upon facing her enemy—all these together forged this revenge magic that surpassed previous limits.

This was a miracle belonging to a magical girl and a pillar for resisting the Disaster group in the new era.

And at this moment,

The Beast of Love felt neither fear nor anger. Upon sensing this threat, it could not help but laugh joyfully.

How intriguing, and how fortunate!

The savior who reshaped the world, taking the place of the blessing-granting magical girl, had indeed displayed power far more interesting to the Disaster group.

“Xie Qing Yu, you deserve to be consumed by the Disaster group.”

Beelzebub whispered faintly, sneering as it stirred its origin, prying open the gluttony authority, and bathed in the glory of the Calamity God, amidst the overwhelming turmoil of the crimson sea of blood, revealing once again the apostle’s complete form.

No matter how many bindings magic could create, it was still a freshly born concept-type ability. To grow enough to devour the authority bestowed by its master, it must still endure the fairest combat.

Only the victor could claim everything!

Elise watched anxiously at the scene where the revenge symphony and the sea of gluttonous blood intertwined and tangled. Xie Qing Yu’s magic swept the surroundings—fluttering butterfly notes, petals of blue roses, thorny chains woven from violets—painting a surreal and bizarre tableau.

Now, nearly the entire Sea City could witness this grand spectacle. The invasion of several disastrous beasts was an already terrifying event impossible to hide. Without mentioning the resulting panic, the greater concern was that they might not be able to protect the populace.

Currently, the super AI Dream Weaver had taken command of the entire city, rapidly directing citizens through various passages into the massive shelter linked to the Dazzling Stage base.

This civilization wonder, forged from nano-metal and EtherTech, had become the final ark of Sea City. If things became unmanageable, it would use the Etheric Substance accumulated over the years to trigger a targeted teleport, carrying the entire dungeon to the safest coordinates.

But…

“There’s no time left.”

Elise’s magical field covered all of Sea City. Through her dragon instincts, she sensed even more terrifying enemies approaching this prosperous first-class metropolis. She and Dorothy could block two foes, or briefly hold off three or four.

But there was no way they could withstand the arrival of four Supreme Disaster Beasts like Sister Charlotte could. That was a capability granted only to those worthy of reaching Kline’s Lighthouse. Even if those enemies were not at full bloom, they remained the backbone of the Countermeasures Bureau.

So at most, she and Dorothy could only protect the performance venue by moving around, having no strength left to shield the rest of the people, only creating limited time for evacuation.

Moreover, the underground base could shelter nearly ten million people, but Sea City housed nearly one hundred million. Even with enough delay, many would inevitably be sacrificed.

“Teacher Dream Weaver, do we really have to give up Sea City?”

The silver-haired, red-eyed figure appeared like a ghost. She looked toward the battlefield and softly spoke,

“If we could, no one would want to reach this point. But Elise, if 【Pure White】 collapses prematurely, such a calamity will completely lose its restraints, and all of human civilization, even this planet, will be in grave danger.”

Elise bit her lip and said nothing. She prepared her Magic Armor, tightened her little cloak, stuffed the candy Sister Charlotte had given her into her mouth, picked up the delicate pocket watch on her chest, opened it, glanced at the photo attached to the cover, and softly said,

“Elise is just a child. She doesn’t understand the bigger picture. Elise only knows that many of those sacrificed are just like her—many things they have yet to experience, many truths they do not understand.”

“Among them, there will be good adults, just like my mom and dad. No one deserves to suffer such misfortune, and no one should die for no reason.”

“Sister Chu would also not want to see such a tragedy happen.”

The girl’s deep gray eyes shimmered with starlight, transforming into dragon-like vertical pupils. Her breathing intensified, her heart beating like a furnace, pumping blood as hot as molten lava, and her skin became adorned with shifting magical scales.

In that moment, the favor of the Elemental Dragon King and the traits of many great dragons elevated her life essence, awakening the nature of magic, making her soul roar thunderously, revealing the power and authority of the ancient dragons, transforming her into… the Dragon Witch!

Elise glanced back at Esther’s phantom and smiled, saying,

“But I also know that Teacher Dreamweaver is right, so Elise will do her best to save everyone in her own way.”

Having finished speaking,

the Dragon Witch soared across the sky, transforming into a magnificent, dreamlike holy dragon. Her elegant body was covered with phosphorescent scales that changed colors with the refracted light, like a guardian from a fairy tale, beating her wings to command fierce winds and blazing flames, confronting a formidable enemy.

That was an apostle under Nergal. Like the other 【Calamity Gods】, it revealed a hidden trump card left in this world and sent forth the Lord of Pestilence—Natus.

Dorothy felt somewhat anxious; she needed to protect the performance venue and could not leave the vicinity, unable to accompany Elise in battle.

The little girl’s rainbow-colored eyes were filled with worry. The more she thought, the more anxious she became, pacing back and forth, her peach-colored twin tails swaying as if she might start spinning in place.

It was important to remember that last time, Nergal’s uprising forced Elise to sacrifice the Lantern Elf and enter 【Full Power Mode】, which led to her subsequent regression.

She had only recently recovered from her injuries and had lost the Lantern Elf, the messenger who carried part of Nergal’s authority. The apostle bearing Nergal’s power might force her into 【Full Power Mode】 again, or even push her to the brink of 【Scatterflowers】.

Elise was her best friend, yet Dorothy could only watch her fight alone.

Dorothy felt saddened; the Lonely Fairytale was born from tragedy, and she never wanted to lose her friends again.

This sentiment affected the Lantern Elf as well, causing the red-covered fairy tale book to flutter around the room, ultimately dropping onto the sofa with a plop, feigning death.

The girl’s lively face drooped until she sensed a certain presence. She then picked up the Lantern Elf—the fairy tale book—and unhappily walked through the towering buildings to face the invading enemy.

Under Tianpu Bridge,

Thousand Faces looked up at the sky, adjusting the collar of his suit with his left hand while elegantly holding a black umbrella with his right. He had changed little; his 1.8-meter tall frame bore the signs of physical training. His clothing, watch, and leather shoes were all tastefully chosen, resembling a wealthy, leisurely nobleman.

However, the head that had once worn a mask had now transformed into a chilling yet absurd spectacle—the slowly spinning Thousand Faces dice. The cold numbers revealed no emotion, and the top hat he wore looked peculiarly eerie, deeply understanding the uncanny valley theory.

The accident that night had taken away all of his PERSONA. The only reason he could rise again was that 【Helldir】 was suppressed far more strictly by 【Pure White】, unlike the other 【Calamity Gods】, unable to release apostles or Supreme Disaster Beasts.

In this situation, the cult members who believed in 【Helldir】 were all treated by Thousand Faces, the archbishop, as expendable resources and sacrificed without hesitation, making him the only spokesperson available under 【Helldir】’s command.

Thus, with the chips he had bet fully played and with the backing of his superior, Thousand Faces not only recovered his principal but multiplied it many times, acquiring more authority and power—a textbook gambler’s comeback.

But now,

this archbishop appeared disinterested. Bored, he held up his umbrella as grains of salt fell like hail beneath the bridge, tumbling down and splattering the street before his polished shoes, spreading out like a pure white paint spill.

Chloe wore a white robe, floating midair. Snowflakes drifted in her pure white pupils. Her face, body, and limbs sometimes appeared normal, then suddenly twisted into chaotic white mosaic blocks, resembling a strange aberration.

The authority of the 【King of Salt】 was absolute and pure. No soul or flesh could sustain it for long. This vessel named Chloe would inevitably be completely discarded, defined as a mere consumable.

Thousand Faces, holding his umbrella, looked at the archbishop who worshipped the 【King of Salt】. He saw the other’s fate of giving everything to the 【Calamity God】, calmly gazing at the two-dimensional graffiti tumbling down from above, and sighed:

“Fairy Witch.”

“I really hoped you could surprise me.”

Otherwise, if everything went as they wished, joy would be buried in emptiness and destruction, with no fun at all.

Unfortunately, what could not be defied was fate.

The savior who once interfered with infinite possibilities and unified the world would ultimately die amidst schemes and conspiracies; the last warmth of Embers would burn out, returning to silence at the moment of brilliance.

As his words fell, the bishops from other sects struck first, wielding powers from the realm of concepts to shatter the fragmented future absorbed into the fairy tale world.

Magical girls could create miracles, and the stronger they were, the more so.

Thus,

Thousand Faces stood there, treated as a puppet by [Helldir]; aside from the thoughts hidden within the memetic patterns, this body’s sole purpose was to use [Helldir]’s authority to deduce the battlefield’s future.

At this moment, the 9 traits, magical properties, Patronus Magic, various spells, character flaws, and countless useful and useless pieces of information from the Fairy Witch were shared among the 7 bishops present along the branched future paths.

Thousand Faces even saw the Fairy Witch advancing once again on the battlefield, ascending to the [Sea] realm, fully unleashing her potential, rivaling the future path of The Last Diva in the sky.

But as long as she avoided those factors, Dorothy remained a bird in a cage.

After eliminating 19 possibilities of being wiped out,

Killing her was merely a matter of time for the 7 bishops present.

Thousand Faces wanted very much to help, but his free will could not interfere with the authority bestowed by Helldir.

Therefore,

The archbishop could only extend a finger, strike a villainous pose, and sneer:

“Dorothy, let me tell you some good news.”

“Within ten minutes, the Dragon Witch will enter Full Power Mode; fifteen minutes later, she will choose [Scatterflowers]. Three seconds after that, she will die in mutual destruction with Natus.”

“In other words, if you can’t kill us all within that time, your best friend will die. So… put in a little effort, and let us see the limits of the magical girl.”

The next moment, the future twisted and changed before his eyes again, then instantly wriggled back to the sole conclusion.

Thousand Faces, somewhat regretful, gazed upon the dazzling spectacle that flooded his vision.

Such a pity; it had clearly shone brightly enough, but in the end it was a fruit that failed to grow and bloom. Without the towering tree sheltering the magical girl, the endless possibilities would collapse and unify, marching towards ruin.

Yet for some strange reason, a subtle expectation remained in his heart, as if he had a premonition that there was still a variable that could reverse the ending, compelling him to harbor the gambler’s respect for it.

Chu Yuanqing, could you… obstruct the birth of the new god?

…

…

At the border of Sea City, like a mountain-sized triangle lion dragon, it devoured the sea of clouds and mountains, treading upon the bustling streets. It pushed down buildings as if they were blocks, wantonly smashing towering structures, patiently sorting through the bloodied prey as it advanced toward the performance area.

Tiamat, the creation mother goddess from Babylonian mythology, and just like in the myth, this Calamity God also commanded eleven magical beasts.

At present, this Supreme Disaster Beast, named Uxiomugalu, was one of them. It was weaker than the World Python, Seraph, and Beelzebub, having to first absorb nutrients and nurture more disaster aura before heading into battle.

At this very moment, similar events were unfolding throughout Sea City, shattering years of peace in brutally violent fashion, tearing apart the illusion and unleashing a tempest of blood and chaos.

The Last Diva observed these scenes through the super AI’s surveillance, took a deep breath, her iridescent eyes filled with resolve. Her pink lips curved into a confident and adorable smile as she softly said:

“Little Dream, help me broadcast live across all of Sea City.”

“Let the Calamity God witness something it has never seen in the new world.”