NOVEL NEXT Chapter 78 - 2v1
The afternoon Ouja had promised finally arrived.
WuYue and Bai Yu had gathered early, heading toward the location Ouja had specified—none other than their old training grounds.
As they made their way there, the sky gradually darkened. According to the weather forecast, a spell of continuous rain was expected over the coming days. But in their haste to reach the destination, neither of them had brought an umbrella.
After roughly ten minutes of brisk travel, they arrived.
Ouja was already there, reclining casually on a bench with his legs crossed, exuding an air of nonchalance.
“Hmm~ So, you’ve finally arrived, magical girls,” he said with a laugh. As they approached, he flipped himself upright in a fluid motion, shifting from a lounging pose to sitting upright.
Watching their cold, angry expressions, Ouja nodded in satisfaction.
“Such determination. I can see you’re truly intent on defeating me~ But are you sure it’s fine not to bring umbrellas? If you collapse later and get drenched, that’ll be quite the hassle for me, you know…”
“Hah! Spare us your fake concern, you worthless scum! You’re nothing but trash, and you disgust us!” Bai Yu retorted sharply, her tone filled with contempt.
She cast a quick glance around the area. “Where is he? What have you done with him? If your condition is to fight us and return him if you lose, the least you can do is let us see where he is!”
“Don’t be so impatient, Blue Night~ If you want to see him… that’s easy.”
Standing from the bench, he swung his right arm, then gestured provocatively with his fingers.
“You just have to defeat me first.”
“…”
“I figured as much,” WuYue, who had remained silent with her head lowered, suddenly spoke.
She raised her head, her tone devoid of emotion.
“After the fight, will you return him to us?”
“When you answered Bai Yu earlier, you only mentioned letting us see him.”
“Oh~ As for that…”
Noticing that WuYue had entered a terrifyingly serious state, Ouja adjusted his tone slightly, adopting a more serious demeanor as well.
“Nope~”
“Why would I return something so useful? Keeping him as leverage… haha~ Now that’s the smartest move~”
“…”
“It doesn’t matter.”
WuYue made no impulsive moves in response to Ouja’s taunting. Instead, she placed her right hand over the ruby around her neck and spoke to Bai Yu beside her, her tone calm but resolute.
“Let’s transform now and take this guy down.”
“Afterward, I’ll make him tell us where YouYu is.”
“By whatever means necessary.”
“…”
“Alright.”
Bai Yu nodded, wasting no time on further conversation. She gripped the blue gemstone at her neck, ready to transform.
Ultimately, their goal hinged on defeating Ouja. Any more words would be pointless; action was the only option.
“Sigh~ Are you two really in such a hurry? Even I’m not feeling rushed yet~”
“Honestly, it’s a bit terrifying…”
Watching them transform, their presence now radiating a palpable strength, Ouja fell silent for a moment.
Deep within, he spoke to a certain entity within his being.
“Mamba, there’s been a change. Just as you predicted, their strength has indeed increased,”
“It seems, in moments like this… they really can unleash something akin to sheer willpower.”
“Yes. My colleagues proved this long ago. When someone important to a magical girl is taken hostage, it triggers a surge in their power.”
Pausing for a moment, Mamba hesitantly asked, “So, YouYu, are you planning to use that? Right now? At this moment?”
“Yeah, this is likely the peak of their current strength, at least for this stage.”
“That’s why… I want to test it out. We haven’t had many opportunities to use it, but we’ll need it eventually.”
“Let’s treat this as a trial run.”
“And perhaps, it might even satisfy your ‘possession combat’ requirements.”
“I understand,” Mamba said, conviction replacing hesitation.
Without another word, he began channeling his power, constructing something intricate. As the structure became clearer in his mind, Ouja’s smile widened.
He glanced up at the sky, now pouring with heavy rain, and said, “Still, fighting here might be a bit inconvenient for you two, don’t you think?”
“After all, this place must hold a lot of memories for you.”
“So—”
Ouja crouched slightly, his right hand spreading open before pressing firmly against the ground.
With a sharp thud, he slammed his palm down.
“Boom!”
“?!”
A dark purple ripple erupted from where his hand made contact, spreading outward in a circular wave.
As the ripple passed, the ground transformed into loose sand, and one by one, uneven stones about a meter high jutted upward.
Some of these stones even had mirrors leaning against them, reflecting the rain-soaked surroundings.
“He transformed the space instantly?!”
“He has this kind of power too?!”
The sight left WuYue and Bai Yu stunned. Even Bai Yu, seasoned as she was, had never encountered an enemy capable of altering the battlefield so instantly.
Realizing anew the extent of Ouja’s power, they refocused their attention on him, their gazes fixed and unwavering, ready to react to any sudden moves.
“Relax~ I’ve merely adjusted the environment for our fight. It won’t harm you in any way.”
“Now then… magical girls.”
As he spoke, dark purple flames ignited in his right hand. When the flames dissipated, they revealed a long rapier, its polished surface glinting ominously.
He raised the weapon, pointing it directly at the two who watched him intently, searching for an opening.
A low, chilling laugh escaped his lips.
“Give it your all—”
“And entertain me to the fullest!”