Starting as a Magical Girl, I Alone Shall Rule for Eternity

“What do you mean, stick out your tongue.”

Keke sat there stiff as a board, completely at a loss for how to respond to Teacher Shion’s question.

Crap, crap, she’s going to hate me! A flood of panicked thoughts raced through her mind.

Immediately pretend to be a witch... she still didn’t want to die, pass.

Then play dead... yeah right.

Change the subject... too clumsy.

Better to play dumb and act oblivious...

“W-well, isn’t today Wednesday?” Keke raised her right index finger, forcing a serious tone.

“Teacher Shion must have sensed it too, the air’s composition is eighty percent nitrogen and twenty percent ammonia.

Oh no, what am I even saying…

“There’s also oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane, helium, calcium, magic factor, polluted magic, and then Retalen, Pardot, Teacher Shion’s perfume factor, and so on...

My brain feels like it stopped.

“...Most people don’t realize there’s also trace amounts of dark Gavatsong, which can react organical‑something with radiation’s Ponilezem to produce a Magical Girl.”

Move, my brain! I believe you can get past this!

“Also last Thursday was a full moon, which means at noon today there will be an Eruskovat manifestation; among those who constantly gather intel some have already noticed that it has [started], that is the [Doruzenablin reaction]...”

“Th-therefore, Teacher Shion, sticking out your tongue isn’t very appropriate.”

Keke forced a dry laugh. “It’s kind of... kind of weird, it might scare people.”

She thought she was going to die.

But Teacher Shion, though a bit puzzled, instinctively licked her lips and didn’t press further.

Keke let out a relieved breath.

Never read romance manga again!

It’s all Yiyi’s fault for recommending them!

She planned in her head how to get rid of the romance manga in her bedroom that had led her to such fantasies. Meanwhile Teacher Shion still stood there, not at all indicating she would sit.

Keke’s heart thudded.

She didn’t know whether Jiang Si had told Teacher Shion anything, but she had just called her “Teacher Shion.”

If the teacher misunderstood and thought she’d been imagining something weird, that would be a disaster...

No, no, would she be angry?

While she fretted and didn’t know how to start, Shion spoke first, “Still not awake?”

“Awake!”

Keke answered immediately.

She raised her voice, then prepared to get straight to the point!

But Shion didn’t look at her, only said casually, “Go wash your face.”

Keke deflated. “Oh.”

All her momentum gone.

As a result, everything she had planned to tell Teacher Shion stayed locked in her throat.

She obediently got up and went to the washroom, washed her face, and tidied her hair.

Feeling a bit more spirited, she peeked at Teacher Shion through the washroom.

She really was so cute, so beautiful...

If Jiang Si could date someone like her, if his parents were still alive they’d be so happy.

She’s just a little short, and Jiang Si isn’t very tall either, maybe their kids won’t be tall... what would Mom and Dad think...

No, stop. What am I thinking, height doesn’t matter!

A girl like Teacher Shion is a once-in-a-lifetime blessing if you can win her!

Yet he doesn’t cherish her...

Feeling sorry for Shion, Keke wiped her face and watched the teacher’s movements.

Like she was at home, Shion casually picked up the throw pillow Keke had carelessly dropped.

She placed it by the sofa and tidied the blanket Keke had kicked askew.

So practiced.

And that posture made it look like she treated this place as her own home.

Did Jiang Si bring Teacher Shion back here when I was at school?

Or did Shion secretly come near the house to observe...?

She lost herself in flights of fancy while watching Shion arrange the table as if she’d done it countless times.

When Keke came out, Shion set down what she was carrying and stared at her.

“Well...”

Keke stewed over how to begin; after all, telling someone their boyfriend might have ulterior motives and not truly love them was painful to say.

If she were in Shion’s position, no matter how gently one put it, it would hurt.

So she planned to be tactful and start elsewhere, “Teacher Shion.”

“Mm.”

“Are you thirsty?”

“I don’t drink water.”

“Ahaha.”

Dead end, instant failure. Keke scratched her head in an awkward laugh and continued, “Th-then, would you like some fruit...?”

“There’s no fruit in the house.”

Wow—“in the house,” she said it so naturally.

Completely acting like the lady of the house; why is Teacher Shion so practiced? Bro, how many times have you brought Shion home? We barely even know each other!

When I wasn’t around, bro, what did you even do with Teacher Shion...

While Keke fretted, she offered, “I can go buy some now, it’s close.”

“No need, don’t waste money.”

Typical hostess thinking.

Teacher Shion has already mentally moved in, hasn’t she…?

Bro, you’re really something, Shion likes you so much.

“So, how long are you going to stand there?”

Keke blinked, “Oh,” then sat down immediately with an air of preparing for a heart-to-heart.

Shion’s lips twitched; her cold purple eyes finally showed a hint of movement. “You...”

“Teacher, please sit!” Keke looked at her seriously. “I have something important to say.”

Shion nodded. “Then hurry up.”

Keke froze, her voice turning softer.

“It’s just... Teacher Shion, do you know Senior Kingfisher?”

“Yes, very formidable Magical Girl.”

“Then, how do you view Senior Kingfisher?”

“I want to fight her.”

Keke sucked in a sharp breath.

Teacher Shion wants to spar with Senior Kingfisher on a date?

No, no, impossible—Shion isn’t crazy like Jiang Si.

Maybe Shion is just very competitive, or she sensed a threat from Kingfisher...

Could it be she’s already noticed something... maybe?

Still, it’s strange that her thought aligned with Jiang Si’s—wanting to spar with Senior Kingfisher...

Thinking about it, Shion and Jiang Si do share a lot of similarities.

So the idea that lovers grow similar and become like one person might hold some truth.

Or simply the two saw each other because they were similar in so many ways...

Seeing Keke zoning out, Shion urged, “Nothing else?”

Keke heard the impatience and forced herself to say, “There’s one more thing...”

She peered cautiously; she couldn’t understand why Shion’s eyes carried a faint despair.

“Did Jiang Si tell you? Why he had you come.”

“Yes.”

Hearing Shion’s reply, Keke breathed out. “Oh, that’s good, then we can get to the point...”

Keke stood and finally spoke seriously, “Teacher Shion, if—if Jiang Si actually likes Senior Kingfisher, what should I do?”

A long, unbearable silence.

Shion pondered for a long while, then slowly nodded.

“It’s okay, I like her too.”

Keke went blank.

“Huh?”

Although she didn’t know what Keke had been thinking, Shion had at least pulled her out of her panic.

When she explained clearly that she had come to train Shion, Keke kept her head down the whole way and didn’t raise it.

Teenage girls were tricky.

Probably stalling against training, not wanting to exercise.

Not enough practice.

Transformed, Keke followed Shion to the northern outskirts of Beihai.

Shion originally wanted to go to the site where she had previously undergone tribulation, but it was under Disaster Control Bureau control.

They had to find another place.

Luckily Beihai was big.

From east to north, uninhabited land wasn’t hard to find—many wastelands were left from failed development projects. When the Disaster Control Bureau first came, they halted many outer-city projects.

That left many plots abandoned; though the economy improved in recent years, there wasn’t enough reserve to restart those interrupted projects.

The northern wasteland they found still held half a ruined factory.

There were actually many wild animals now; someone had been bitten by stray dogs there before.

Although deserted places with few people seldom produce Disaster Beasts, if someone dies in such a cursed place the resentment can often give rise to a Disaster Beast embryo.

Wild beasts may mutate and grow more aggressive.

The Bureau once cleared beast clusters in this factory to prevent small Disaster Beasts from harming residents.

But recently Beihai had been overwhelmingly busy, and the Bureau lacked spare hands to clean up again.

Although the factory housed some resentment—wild beasts and similar things—that resentment could coalesce into Disaster Beast embryos.

Typically those embryos are weak and rarely exceed C-class.

Most dissipate naturally; after all, wild-beast resentment can’t sustain a Disaster Beast for long, nor form a powerful one.

However, from this factory came the aura of a B-level Disaster Beast.

Keke, head still bowed, lifted her head in shock.

B-level Disaster Beasts are extremely rare in Beihai.

Shion stood atop the factory ruins, and one by one the creatures emerged from the wreckage—seven or eight of them!

Of course, they were all enhanced by her.

After her flesh had advanced to Seedling Peak Perfection, the improvement to her Magical Girl form was actually limited.

In terms of sheer power, the current Blooming Peak Great Perfection is already the limit.

One more step forward would be Full Bloom. Without clarifying what Full Bloom entails for Magical Girls, she wouldn’t rashly seek further breakthroughs.

But that didn’t mean there were no changes.

At least in Magical Girl form, her control over polluted magic had improved markedly.

Still, as a Magical Girl the conflict between pure magic and corrupted magic remained; to fully wield corrupted magic she needed her physical form.

As for these small Disaster Beasts, most would vanish on their own.

She used Disaster Beast manipulation techniques to forcibly infuse polluted magic into these barely formed embryos, pulling out so many B-level Disaster Beasts—enough to be passable. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

They had a time limit though—at best ten minutes before all the beasts disappeared.

Extremely strong magic is too much for those incomplete beasts to sustain.

“Ten minutes. Let me see your strength.”

Before Keke could react, Shion’s delicate index finger touched her.

All the Disaster Beasts roared and charged!

Keke flustered, produced her magic wand, and blasted the lead beast away with a power surge.

She had planned to unleash her full strength and impress Teacher Shion.

Her training recently had been unquestionable; she had trained hard and was currently the top local Magical Girl in Beihai’s Disaster Control Bureau.

Less than two weeks since transforming, she had become the strongest in Beihai!

Keke felt a small pride.

But after sending the first B-level beast flying, something felt off.

In Beihai she’d mainly faced weak beasts; B-levels were rare. The Bureau’s simulation trainer could replicate some B-level beasts they had defeated, so Keke had a sense of their average power.

Her serious magic blast, even if it didn’t kill, should have severely wounded a B-level.

But the flying B-level only flipped twice and got back up, charging again!

After frantically repelling one B-level, she slipped and was slammed by another and flung away!

Too fast, and completely unlike usual B-level beasts!

Strong defenses, sharp reflexes, and uncanny ability to exploit her flaws!

Teacher, you’re cheating...

She wanted to complain, but it was training; she couldn’t make a fuss.

Gritting her teeth, she gripped the wand, shapeshifted it into a magic spear, and timed the instant when three beasts converged.

She leapt to the side and pierced all three at once!

The magic spear, with three beasts skewered, pinned them to the wall beneath Shion’s feet.

However, without the wand, her magical power and control weakened.

Fighting bare-handed with B-level beasts, she could barely form magical spears, but without the wand’s assistance, their force couldn’t even pierce the beasts fully.

She inflicted wounds that only enraged them.

After some time, Keke was slammed away again.

Her magical outfit began to loosen...

She scrambled up and saw many beasts charging with no way to evade.

Keke drew a deep breath.

It felt like half an hour had passed.

She had never imagined B-levels could be so tenacious; four of them were already pushing her to the brink. Before, she’d been killing them with one blast each...

She concentrated, held her breath, and extended a single finger.

Above the four beasts, a massive magical finger instantly manifested.

A surge of magic thundered down, pinning the four beasts hard into the ground!

Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger!

Keke’s days of hard practice were not wasted; this move subdued all four beasts.

However, she was still inexperienced. Mirroring Teacher Shion’s method, after the strike her internal magic faltered...

She wondered where she’d gone wrong.

Just then she heard a roar!

The beasts under her Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger struggled and actually pushed her finger up!

Shaky, she rose. When Keke tried to use the move again, she collapsed onto the ground.

Her magic couldn’t support two uses of the Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger...

The beasts’ roars filled her ears, and her magic dwindled so severely she almost couldn’t maintain her transformation.

Keke could only clutch her head.

“Look up.”

At Shion’s command, Keke forced herself to lift her head against instinct and fear.

A giant purple finger slashed into view and instantly crushed the four charging beasts!

Compared to her limp, weak finger, Shion’s strike—though on a smaller scale—had incomparable power.

Keke sat on the ground, panting; facing so many B-level beasts at once had left her strained.

She hung her head slightly, crestfallen.

She had wanted to show off but almost reverted to her original self; she felt so ashamed she couldn’t look up.

“Not bad.”

Shion’s grudging acknowledgment came, and Keke raised her eyes to that cold, refined face.

She smiled sheepishly, but was also a little proud.

These B-level beasts were truly strong—almost an A-level. She had tried her best and she’d done well...

Her happiness was short-lived; Shion continued, “But your Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger is a mess.”

Her smile vanished.

“First, your magic control. Practice on your own; there’s no shortcut, just hard work.”

Shion crouched, picked up a twig, and drew on the ground. “The overall magic flow is correct, but details are off. It should flow from Lao Gong, Yu Ji, and Shao Fu points, finally to Zhong Chong. Your speed and direction are wrong in places. These are minor—try more and you’ll understand.”

She had demonstrated clearly before, but Keke needed to practice herself to reveal what she didn’t understand.

“Finally, and most importantly.”

Shion looked up at her. “You lack presence.”

Keke gaped. “Lack... presence?”

“Yes. Not only no presence, but you should start with Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger right away!” Shion grabbed her hand; Keke stiffened and didn’t dare move. “Only then will you have the ancestral bearing of the Azure Cloud Sect.”

Keke didn’t understand the Azure Cloud Sect ancestors; she only felt the teacher’s hand burning hot—probably due to magic—her whole arm seeming aflame!

The warm touch turned into a hot iron block, even painfully prickling.

Enduring it a moment later, Keke found it less painful.

A warm force spread through her body; her once crimson seed took on a faint purple tinge.

“Whoever is under your finger, treat them with the mentality and presence of crushing an ant,” Shion said sternly. “That is the Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger!”

Magic strength for Magical Girls largely comes from a believing heart.

The Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger is the same—you must possess a heart that can crush anyone to use it!

Keke nodded dazedly, “I—I understand.”

“Then continue.”

Shion stood. “I’ll supply the magic; you just keep practicing the Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger.”

Keke nodded and rose—then felt the world tilt!

A massive B-level Disaster Beast, looking like a cross between a jeep and a heavy truck, charged from the factory with terrifying momentum!

Before it reached them, the gale blew Keke away.

Looking up, she saw Shion lightly perched on the beast’s forehead, looking down at Keke from above.

“Mark me as the target. You must use the Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger with the mindset of crushing me like an ant to pass.”

Keke went black at once.

This is it.

...

“Keke, don’t run, don’t escape!”

“Shion, Teacher Shion!”

“Face me, don’t hide, use the Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger!”

Gritting her teeth, Keke turned and summoned courage, flying straight at the unstoppable beast and Teacher Shion!

Facing the charging beast and Shion head-on, her eyes widened and hardened.

Even if it’s the teacher, even if it’s the teacher!

With all her might in midair, she condensed the Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger!

Pressed it down again!

Boom!

Finally, with the added presence, the Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger succeeded in pinning the beast to death!

But Keke had reached her limit; both mind and body exhausted, she ended her transformation and lay on the ground panting.

She didn’t know how many times she’d pressed the finger—her fingers felt about to break and still hadn’t killed them before!

She had been pursued for over two hours—two whole hours!

Could B-level Disaster Beasts be this terrifying?

If Shion weren’t her brother’s lover, Keke would have thought she wanted to kill her.

Looking up, as the beast was crushed, Shion was in the midst of it too, and when the beast dispersed Shion floated to the ground without a scratch.

“All right, that’s enough.”

Though not entirely satisfied with the final result, Shion’s assessment was largely expected; many Azure Cloud Sect disciples get stuck here.

In the sect, only those who can perform the complete Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger on her count as having learned it.

With endless magic practice, Keke had basically mastered the technique’s details.

Usage was fine; she just lacked presence—needed more time to comprehend it.

Keke rose and was about to speak when Shion suddenly grabbed her Miracle Seed. Before she could react, she felt a large amount of corrupted magic poured into the seed.

Keke startled, fearful and helpless.

Teacher, why?

Think I’m too weak? Don’t want me as a Magical Girl anymore?

It’s not that harsh, is it?

But a moment later, all the corrupted magic in the seed condensed into a small black flame.

Compact and weighty, yet it didn’t damage the seed.

“This is the ember of a Fallen Heart Flame,” Shion said calmly. “If you can refine it, it will do you a lot of good.”

The polluted-magic scent reminded Keke of when she had transformed into a witch before.

She truly had some aptitude for polluted magic control.

Seeing Shion watch her and even design a special training plan, Keke felt simultaneously moved and guilty.

“Teacher, I will master it!”

Keke vowed with all her might.

Shion didn’t doubt Keke’s talent; once she grasped the method, she would learn quickly.

She considered teaching her more skills.

Training ended; after parting ways with Keke, Shion went straight to the Azure Cloud Sect.

The one waiting at the entrance, as usual, was Bingtang, holding a stack of documents. “Want some water?”

“No.”

Bingtang glanced at the still-transformed Sect Master and felt puzzled, but also a little pleased.

In ordinary, non-combat days, seeing Shion wasn’t easy.

“Do you have a mirror?”

At Shion’s question, Bingtang rummaged in her bag. “Oh—forgot it today. Didn’t we say the sect shouldn’t keep mirrors? It disrupts the immortal aesthetic.”

Shion nodded and fell silent for a moment, seeming lost in thought.

Then suddenly she stuck out a small portion of her tongue at Bingtang. “Is there something strange about my tongue?”