Dark-colored Fairy Tale: Seven Magicians - Chapter 68

Chapter 68: A Clash of Magical Girls

Yang Shishi presented her test paper to Chloe, with a score of “97” out of a possible 100. Chloe, puzzled, looked at her. Didn’t you say you failed?

Liu Menglu laughed, taking the paper from Yang Shishi. “Aiai, don’t listen to her. Her grades are amazing. She’s always in the top five. If she didn’t take so many random leaves of absence, she might be in first place instead of me.”

Yang Shishi still looked miserable. “This time I’m only tenth in the grade. My dad is going to kill me.”

“It’s fine,” Liu Menglu reassured her. “Your dad knows you’re busy and won’t mind.”

As Yang Shishi nodded, Chloe’s eyes fell on her own score: “60.” Am I the clown here?

Feeling dejected and a little defiant, she glanced at Li Qiuyu’s test paper. She refused to believe that another magical girl’s grades could be better than hers. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she reached for Li Qiuyu’s test, which read “100.”

Chloe was speechless.

When Li Qiuyu returned to school, she noticed that Chloe’s gaze was even more intense than before. But Li Qiuyu wasn’t there to fight. She had just finished another sweep of the area where the girl committed suicide and found nothing. Frustrated, she had come to ask Chloe, as a fellow magical girl, if she had found anything.

Magical girls share the same goal of protecting humanity, so their resources are often shared. Despite her dislike for Chloe, Li Qiuyu came to her for help.

To ease the tension, Li Qiuyu started with Liu Menglu. “Has anything unusual been happening around Mengmeng recently?”

Chloe had wondered why Li Qiuyu pulled her onto the balcony, but as soon as she heard Liu Menglu’s name, she shot back, “I already told you, you are the biggest anomaly around Mengmeng. Other than that, nothing’s happened.”

Li Qiuyu, though annoyed, shared her findings. “I found out what kind of people the demon targets. It preys on students under 18 with excellent grades, luring them into suicide with a nursery rhyme.”

Chloe asked calmly, “Anything else?”

Her simple question seemed to trigger something in Li Qiuyu, who suddenly lost control. “What do you mean? Isn’t this enough? It’s more than you’ve found! I’m the one who told you, you beggar who just takes without giving!”

Chloe’s anger flared, and her Parasite’s Gun materialized in her hand. A fight? I’ll give her the beating she deserves.

Just as Chloe prepared to strike, Li Qiuyu narrowed her eyes. “A fight? I’ll oblige.”

Her White Emperor Sword appeared, and a cold, mechanical emptiness filled her bl00d-red eyes.

Chloe noticed that something was wrong. The one who came for peace was also the one who suddenly provoked a fight. It was as if Li Qiuyu were being controlled.

Chloe didn’t warn her, as it would likely be counterproductive given their strained relationship. Instead, she decided to find an opportunity to strike.

“I want to go to your office and see all the demon’s data,” Chloe said, provoking her.

Li Qiuyu sneered. “Who do you think you are? This isn’t Falion. You’re an outsider, and you don’t deserve it.”

Chloe’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t? Then I’ll have to let you and those useless people keep looking for a demon you can’t even find.”

With those words, Li Qiuyu’s eyes turned crimson. Chloe checked her talismans, but she had none that could calm a person down. “What a shame,” she muttered.

“Die!” Li Qiuyu lunged with her sword.

Chloe parried the attack and noticed an odd lack of force. Li Qiuyu could have easily dodged Chloe’s next move, a chop to her neck, but she didn’t. Chloe’s blow knocked her out.

Chloe looked at the unconscious Li Qiuyu, then turned and headed back to class, knowing that someone else on the balcony would handle the situation.

The first thing Chloe did when she returned was tell Yang Shishi, “I’m going to your family’s temple.”

Yang Shishi’s eyes widened, then she nodded. “Okay. When?”

“Tomorrow,” Chloe replied. She had originally wanted to go today, but she was worried that if she left, the demon might go after Liu Menglu. She decided to wait until tomorrow, Sunday, when she would have the entire day to investigate.

“Tomorrow?” Yang Shishi agreed and then, looking suddenly tired, put her head on her desk and fell asleep.

Chloe looked at her, confused.