Dark-colored Fairy Tale: Seven Magicians - Chapter 50
Chapter 50
The Demons Within
Li Qiuyu hovered motionless in the air, her mind a blank. She felt a deep sense of helplessness and bewilderment in her eyes. In a trance, she was once again reminded of that other girl, the one who had jumped from the third floor to save her. She, too, had tried desperately to save her, but in the end, that girl died, right before her eyes, in that single moment of falling.
Li Qiuyu didn’t understand why this was happening again. It was supposed to be a conflict between magical beings. They tried so hard to eliminate demons, so why did ordinary people still die?
Why? Why? Why?
At that very moment, a wisp of demonic energy began to rise from Li Qiuyu, the unmistakable sign of a magical being’s fall.
From the ground, the gravely injured Chloe felt this change. She looked at the abandoned Seed of Healing nearby, then at Li Qiuyu, who was floating in mid-air, ensnared by her inner demons. Without hesitation, she used the last of her magical power to detonate a lightning charm and immediately fell unconscious.
Until that last moment, her gaze was still fixed on the direction of Liu Menglu. The massive explosion from the charm jolted a sliver of consciousness back into Li Qiuyu. She stood in the air, still feeling bewildered. Her eyes finally focused, looking at the second floor where Liu Menglu had stood. She stared at the area and noticed a corrosive mark on the ground. This discovery awakened a fierce determination in Li Qiuyu.
The Li family was one of the most ancient and powerful in China. As a future heir, Li Qiuyu was well-versed in all forms of demonic knowledge. She recognized the corrosive mark. It belonged to an Invisible Giant Lizard, a demon with corrosive saliva and the ability to turn invisible. This type of demon was also an expert at concealing its magical energy and aura, making it incredibly difficult to detect and fight.
Fortunately, these demons were extremely rare. Fifty years ago, China’s security forces had set a trap that killed countless Invisible Giant Lizards, as they were known for being drawn to large concentrations of magical energy. Li Qiuyu was shocked that her and Chloe’s fight had attracted one that was almost extinct.
Li Qiuyu stared at the corrosive mark, silent for a long time.
A New Threat
A strange, high-pitched shriek echoed through the abandoned lot. Li Qiuyu seemed to snap back to full awareness. She slowly drew her White Emperor Sword, and her Flaming Wheels carried her to where the sound had originated.
She couldn’t see the demon or sense its magical energy, but as she arrived, a strong gust of wind swept towards her face. Li Qiuyu knew the Invisible Giant Lizard had launched an attack. She nimbly dodged to the side, and the object that hit the ground left several perfectly round, corroded holes. Seeing the holes, Li Qiuyu was once again reminded of the girl who had smiled so brightly before she fell.
The coldness in Li Qiuyu’s crimson eyes was instantly replaced by pure rage. She slowly raised her hand, sliced her own palm with the White Emperor Sword, and let her bl00d rain down everywhere. Li Qiuyu acted as if she felt no pain. Her expression was cold as she used her Flaming Wheels to fly above the battlefield, scattering her bl00d.
And then, she saw it—a moving stain of bl00d.
Without a moment’s hesitation, countless charms swarmed the area in a torrential downpour of yellow, eventually wrapping around the outline of a lizard. Li Qiuyu held nothing back. With a single, precise thrust of her sword, she pierced the soft flesh of the Invisible Giant Lizard’s skull, killing it instantly.
“Aaaaaagh!” A final, sharp shriek of agony filled the air. Slowly, the demon’s body became visible.
The Invisible Giant Lizard’s corpse was ugly and emanated a strange stench. Once killed, its body would quickly dissolve into a mild, toxic mist. Because of this, no magical being would ever stay to look at the corpse; it was basic knowledge.
This time, however, Li Qiuyu refused to look away, even as the light purple mist swirled around her. She knew she was paralyzed by fear and avoidance, but she simply couldn’t turn back. Avoidance couldn’t solve problems, yet it was the easiest emotion for a person to fall into.
Facing the Past
“Li Qiuyu.” A voice filled with a hint of disapproval suddenly appeared.
Li Qiuyu slightly turned her head, recognizing the voice of her father, Li Li. She wasn’t surprised by his presence; the magical energy fluctuations here were too intense, and as China’s Minister of Magic, it was his duty to investigate.
“Li Qiuyu,” Li Li’s voice rang out again.
By the rules, she should have saluted him immediately out of respect for her superior, but Li Qiuyu only wanted to stand where she was and not turn around.
Seeing the girl’s straight back, Li Li softened. He sighed. “As a magical being, do you not even have the courage to face your mistakes?”
Li Qiuyu still didn’t turn. It was as if she were shrouded in darkness, cut off from the outside world and unwilling to face it. The arrival of her father and his words confirmed the fact she didn’t want to believe—that Liu Menglu was dead.
After ten years, another girl was willing to be her friend, and then that girl died before her eyes. It was a recurring nightmare, and the words of that other girl’s mother came rushing back to her: You’re a jinx; you only bring disaster to those around you.
The curses and the woman’s crying seemed to reappear. The young Li Qiuyu stood there, helpless, as the light in her world went out.
“You’re a jinx! If it weren’t for you, those monsters never would have appeared!” That’s not true, I wanted to destroy the monsters. “Get out! You only bring disaster to my daughter! You’re not worthy of touching her!” “Get out, you jinx!”
That’s not true! It’s not true! Not true!
The girl clutched her head, her eyes filled with despair. A faint wisp of demonic energy once again appeared and disappeared around her.
“Li Qiuyu! You are a magical being!” A sudden roar exploded in her ears. She seemed to snap back to reality.
“I’m a magical being. A magical being,” she chanted to herself, her mind on the verge of collapsing. Yes, she was a magical being, so she had to face a friend’s death calmly. As a magical being, she couldn’t have friends. As a magical being, she deserved to be forgotten! The word “friend” was a taboo for magical beings; they were meant to be alone. If they weren’t, the first person to die in front of a magical being would always be their friend.
“Li Qiuyu! I order you to turn around!”
Li Li’s voice grew stricter. Li Qiuyu slowly closed her eyes. Even though she didn’t want to face it, a military command was sacred, and a higher rank would always crush a subordinate. Her body trembled and her heart wailed, but under Li Li’s command, Li Qiuyu finally turned. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and as she faced the spot where Liu Menglu had fallen, she even held her breath, unable and unwilling to smell the bl00d that covered the ground.