Transform into a magical girl after getting off work

"You've been spouting madness like a little brat all along, do you think I'm not aware? Overexerting yourself twice, first in the Garden Defense and then during the Great Beast Catastrophe, your power has long since dwindled to a mere tenth of what it was!"

"Look at yourself now, how pitiful!"

"This is the Magic Kingdom! These are its heroes! Heroes who save the situation in war, who save cities in the material realm, only to end up being humiliated like this!"

"That's exactly why you are my best prey, the finest ingredient for me to ascend to higher heights!"

As her words fell, more magic power spheres emerged around her.

"...So it is."

Emerald Sparrow looked up at the sky now tainted with purple-black, her gem-like eyes reflecting the silhouette in the light: "Your target has been me from the start."

"Realizing now? It's already too late!"

Mosi laughed wildly, "What city, what humans, what kingdom and Investigation Bureau, these things were irrelevant to my plan from the beginning. All I need is you."

"Feeding a vast number of worthless pigs for two years to grow a Remnant Beast on the brink of collapse, then in one fell swoop acquiring a large amount of high-quality magic power, sufficient to bring its inner magic power back into equilibrium from a Magical Girl. This way, I can rapidly achieve the results I desire!"

"And what better prey than a former bearer of the Gemstone Scepter, severely injured, in seclusion for many years, oblivious to the outside world?"

"Once I obtain your source of magic power, allowing the beast's innards to complete their final replenishment, I can break through the cocoon's limits, ascend to a higher rank, and become an existence nearing the pinnacle—a King Cocoon!"

"I sent that useless mob of underlings to attack your old friend's daughter, and sure enough, you showed up; I had them attack the man related to you, and sure enough, you took the bait; I had the spider attract the attention of the Investigation Bureau, and you rushed there immediately; I had Hong Siyu deceive your cognition, and you were none the wiser!"

"I prepared so many smoke bombs to delay the ceremony, so many troubles to slow you down, and sure enough, you stepped right into my predictions, ignorant enough to make me pity you!"

"You are like a bird living in a cage, trapping itself beneath the barriers, completely unaware of the many dangers approaching from the outside world. Sad, laughable, lamentable!"

"Put away your useless defiance and kneel before me in the end. "

Her voice grew cold: "Just as I'm utterly incapable of protecting my own daughter now, you are utterly incapable of protecting those little girls. Kneel down and pray for my mercy, and I might spare their lives, allowing them to become my new test subjects."

The Remnant Beast's segmented limbs lifted high, under the fluttering wings, numerous purple-black magic power spheres flickered uncertainly, pulsating with a destructive aura: "Of course, you may refuse, and I don't mind devouring a few more Heart's Gems in the final ritual."

It thus looked down upon Emerald Sparrow, awaiting her reply.

However, the answer obtained was no answer.

Emerald Sparrow did not respond to her words.

Her dark blue hair was tinged with dust, her body draped in a torn dark blue dress with burnt edges. Despite appearing to be at an absolute disadvantage, Emerald Sparrow still stood there upright and composed, calmly watching Mosi.

"...No direction."

"Huh? What are you mumbling about?"

"When magic power disappears, there is no direction."

"So what? Answer my question!"

"No need to answer; I don't want to waste words on nonsense."

Emerald Sparrow spoke indifferently, "I've figured out your rule."

That statement, like throwing ice into boiling water, instantly quieted the previously exuberant Mosi.

"...Oh?"

After a long pause, she spoke again with a playful tone, "Well, that's unexpected."

"Unexpected what? Surprised that I could guess your rule, or surprised that I'm not an idiot?"

Emerald Sparrow narrowed her eyes slightly: "From the beginning, you've been throwing out all sorts of topics, your own experiences, Sakura's death, the kingdom's system, and my past... isn't it just to lead my thoughts astray and scatter my thinking?"

"In the midst of battle, you prattle on incessantly like a noisy clown for no other reason that I can see, except you are trying to dominate our thought process."

"Using various topics that you think would stimulate me, that would pique my interest, to force me to engage, thereby making me overlook, to voluntarily ignore thinking about the essence of your rule."

"After all, your rule seems insolvable, as though it could block anyone's magic attack, but when it comes down to it, it's just a single statement:" Enjoy exclusive content from empire

"—The person with the largest shadow seizes the magic power of others."

Her words left Mosi in silence once again.

"Nonsense," Mosi mocked after a moment, "if that's the conclusion you've arrived at, then you're only going to lose even more miserably."

"Is that so?"

Emerald Sparrow was noncommittal, "Since that's the case, then why haven't you removed that blindingly bright column of light after your 'ritual' ended? Why do you keep pointlessly moving its position, letting your shadow cover us the whole time?"

"Well, let's just say that's the case."

"Yes, let's just say that's the case," Emerald Sparrow repeated Mosi's words, then extended her hand, pointing behind it:

"After all, the Magic Silk I left behind you hasn't vanished until now."

Following the direction of Emerald Sparrow's finger, Mosi looked behind itself, only to see a small segment of blue Magic Silk fixed to the ground at some point, which was quietly emanating a halo of magic power.

It maintained its posture, gazing at that small segment of Magic Silk, then after a moment turned its head and abruptly spread its wings wide. In an instant, its massive shadow enveloped the entire area around Emerald Sparrow.

Watching that segment of silk, it wasn't until this moment that Mosi realized it might have truly underestimated this Magical Girl who had retired from the scene for many years.

"You've actually been considering this issue all along."

Looking at Emerald Sparrow, it clicked its tongue in wonder, "If it weren't for the fact that we're enemies, I might actually have to ask for your guidance to find out what it is that allows you to stay so composed?"

"The first rule is not to listen to the nonsense of you beasts."

"That's indeed a great honor for me."

"The second rule, is because I have long been fighting countless battles between rules."

Emerald Sparrow continued, "Guessing and concealing rules is of utmost importance, and I don't think you would overlook this. After all, once the truth of the rules is figured out, your rules lose their threat."

"Oh? Even if you know the rules, what can you do?"

Mosi stated emotionlessly, "You still can't use your own magic power, can't use your own artifacts. And you, right now, can no longer use the Wonderland, you have no means to resist all this..."

— "Who said I can't use Wonderland?"

Emerald Sparrow interrupted it, staring straight at Mosi, "Did I say I couldn't use Wonderland?"

"Hmph, bluster!"

Mosi snorted, "Your Heart's Gem and artifacts have long been damaged, just being alive is a miracle, forcibly using Wonderland? Do you think such a lie has any meaning?"

"Whether it's a lie or not, we'll know after we fight."

Emerald Sparrow spoke calmly, "As long as I know your rules, then your rules will no longer have any effect."

"Alright, come on."

Mosi paused, then smiled, "Let's see your Wonderland, and let's see what desperate measures you can muster at this point!"

Emerald Sparrow didn't continue the conversation with Mosi.

She silently spread her hands, the sparse deep blue magic power flowed through her body once again, and within the intertwining silk threads, a small pair of dressmaking scissors, barely the size of her palm, gradually materialized between her fingers.

The silver-blue scissors seemed engraved with dense, complicated patterns, but upon a closer look, one would realize those patterns are actually cracks. The scissors were in fact merely an outline, fragile to the point that they might completely shatter with any careless movement.

Emerald Sparrow gazed at the scissors in her hand, as if she was reminiscing about something, yet also seemed slowly letting go of something.

"...Sorry, for always using you so roughly."

She reached out to stroke the scissors, her voice soft, "But, let me be headstrong one more time."

Picking up the scissors, she drew out Magic Silk from the joints of her fingers, Emerald Sparrow waved her hand, resolutely facing the Remnant Beasts in the sky.

"Magic Power Assemble, Exude; Wonderland, unfold, and here sever all of this—"

Commanding with her mouth, her will growing firmer, the deep blue magic power surged like a high-pressure sensation, even the cracks on the scissors were glowing, as if they were about to shatter and explode at any moment.

Then, raising her voice, for the first time since her return, she called out her artifact's name:

— "Weave of Fate."