Magical Girl Heavy Dependence

Chapter 1 Retired Boss

The blazing sunlight pierced through the cloudless sky.

Thick black smoke rose from the devastated ruins, and a huge figure was writhing wildly between the gaps in the collapsed buildings.

Chaos reigned in the airport terminal, with screams and shrill evacuation announcements mingling as people scattered like startled ants.

Cheng Chen squinted and looked up; it was a giant worm, magnified to the size of an earthworm. Its skin was rough and brown, with layers of chitinous exoskeleton stacked up like scales, and its four mouthparts wriggled, emitting a deafening roar.

It perched between the buildings, its body twisting violently, entangled with a bluish-green light.

My phone vibrated in my pocket.

The monstrous creature "Sand Power" has appeared. The city's emergency command center has issued a yellow evacuation warning. Citizens are urged to move to the nearest safe house as soon as possible.

The emergency disaster briefing specified the name of the giant insect.

Passersby rushed toward the emergency exit, but he remained motionless, standing in front of the transparent glass wall of the lobby, watching 'Sha Quan's' movements from afar.

Disaster Beast.

A monster that can appear at any time in any corner of the world, indiscriminately causing destruction and devastation.

It is difficult for humans to kill it, and even if it is severely damaged by firearms, the severed flesh and blood will regenerate in a very short time.

The only way to kill them is to rely on...

Magical girl!

A dazzling blue-green light flashed and darted around the giant worm. Huge waterfalls of magical light occasionally exploded on the worm's surface, attempting to stop it from causing further destruction.

Ordinary people could only see blurry light and shadow, but Cheng Chen could see it very clearly; it was a magical girl.

Meow~

A soft rustling sound came from the cat carrier she was carrying. Cheng Chen lowered her head and, through the black breathable mesh, met a pair of crystal-clear, agate-like eyes.

He reached in and gently scratched the cat's warm chin, softly saying, "There's a new magical girl. She's an unfamiliar face. It looks like the battle is quite intense."

The cat squinted and purred contentedly, rubbing its cheek against his palm. Then, in a flash, the fluffy creature appeared on Cheng Chen's shoulder.

"Meow~"

The pure white kitten sat upright, its meows soft and sweet.

"You mean that magical girl can't beat this bug?" Cheng Chen turned his head and smiled calmly.

The kitten nuzzled his cheek with its head and nodded slightly.

His bright eyes seemed to be asking him if he wanted to make a bet: the loser would have to feed the winner freeze-dried food.

Cheng Chen followed its gaze into the distance, his eyes narrowing slightly: "A magical girl of the Light Bell level is indeed no match for a Destruction-level calamity beast."

Upon hearing the answer, the kitten flicked its tail in dissatisfaction.

It was clearly the one who said "we can't beat them" first.

A mischievous glint flashed in the cat's eyes, and in the next instant, it vanished from Cheng Chen's shoulder without a trace.

Cheng Chen opened his mouth, somewhat helplessly.

"I didn't say you couldn't eat... and you're turning into a piglet from eating so many snacks."

……

Cheng Chen carried the empty cat carrier and dragged her suitcase toward the exit.

He was the only one left in the huge hall. Sunlight streamed through the massive glass curtain wall, casting long shadows.

The electronic displays on both sides scrolled with the name GG, and the spokespeople were all young girls dressed in elaborate gowns.

"Delicious flavors from the mountains and rivers, free-range chicken from Yanshan! Sponsored by Magical Girl Risa!"

"Even magical girl Shizuku loves this flavor, the Crunchy Potato Chips, a magical choice."

The traces of magical girls were so numerous that they could be seen everywhere. Cheng Chen chuckled to himself; no wonder Yincheng was called the "Capital of Magical Girls."

—The headquarters of the Southern Federation Magical Girl Association is located in this city.

Cheng Chen is not a magical girl, nor does she have anything to do with magic.

People like him are usually seen as the mortal enemies of magical girls. They are evil beings who have made contracts with monsters to gain power and are collectively known as "demons".

Of course, Cheng Chen's level is higher. Six years ago, some magical girls would call him: the evil master.

The insignificant achievements a transmigrator gains through the system are not worth mentioning.

In the distance, airport signs hung with striking red lettering.

[The magical girl Azure is currently battling the calamity beast "Sand Power." Until the battle ends, citizens are advised to remain indoors and safeguard their belongings in safe houses. For assistance, please call the municipal emergency hotline XXX-XXXXX.]

"Magical Girl Azure?"

He stopped and watched the announcement cycle once, then shook his head and continued walking forward.

Leaving the airport terminal, the view suddenly opened up. The azure sky was dotted with only a few clouds, and the sunlight felt warm on my skin.

Cheng Chen looked around for the person who was supposed to pick him up, but all around was quiet—the city seemed to have fallen into an eerie silence, with only the intermittent rumble of the rampaging monsters in the distance, and the battle seemed to be still raging.

"Hey, over here."

A car window rolled down, and a mature woman with long, wine-red hair angrily took off her sunglasses, raising an eyebrow at him: "What are you looking at?"

The red sports car, perfectly complementing her figure, gleamed metallically in the sunlight, its sleek lines resembling a crouching cheetah. The front of the car bore the logo of the Beacon Group, the Morning Star X7, the latest model of the year, a limited edition of twelve units produced by the Jeonnam Federal Government.

Cheng Chen walked over. The mature woman got out of the car in high heels and opened the glove compartment.

"It says on the billboard, Magical Girl Azure." He suddenly spoke.

The older woman paused for a moment, then casually said, "Oh, her? She's a magical girl who appeared last year. She's not active online, only showing up when she encounters a monster. Her combat strength is pretty good. She's ranked 161st on this month's new list, considered a new generation... What's wrong?"

"What I mean is, for a third-tier Destruction-level Calamity Beast, your association only sends a second-tier Light Bell-level magical girl to handle it?" Cheng Chen patiently voiced his question.

The mature woman skillfully took the luggage from his hands and stuffed it into the storage box, explaining, "You're on vacation, my wicked master. Don't you know today is the last day of Golden Week? Even magical girls need to rest."

"The association will not send low-level magical girls to fight high-level calamity beasts. As for Cang Qing, she appeared on her own and belongs to... well, vigilantes."

Cheng Chen walked around to the passenger side of the car: "What about the people the association sent?"

The mature woman rolled her eyes at him: "How should I know?"

Cheng Chen stared at her calmly until the mature woman felt a chill run down her spine.

"Yes, yes, yes." She waved her hand helplessly and explained, "Although I was the former president of the Magical Girl Association, I stepped down and started my own business four years ago. The company is so busy every day, I don't have the time or energy to deal with those things."

She snapped the front cover shut and added another sentence.

"I'm no longer 'Sakura,' I'm just an ordinary entrepreneur."

Magical Girl: Scarlet Cherry.

Six years ago, she was the most active magical girl in Yincheng. She won countless battles against demons and monsters, attracting many magical girls to gather around her and elect her as the president of the Magical Girl Association. Together, they maintained the peace and tranquility of the city.

However, one day, like the other magical girls who had been active, Hio suddenly disappeared.

Instead, only the mature and elegant woman in front of him remained, Jiang Fei.

"Where are the white apricots?"

Jiang Fei glanced at the empty cat bag, then disappointedly stuffed it into the car.

Cheng Chen opened the car door, savoring the feel of the limited-edition luxury car, and casually replied, "I just went out to play."

"Oh ho ho." Jiang Fei teased him with her eyes, "You've only just returned and you've already released a monstrous beast of god-like ferocity to run rampant everywhere. Is the once infamous and ruthless Demon Lord about to unleash a bloodbath upon this city again?"

Cheng Chen ignored her and continued, "It's been a bit lazy lately and is almost as fat as a ball. It's good for it to get more exercise, but I'm still a little worried about a kitten running around outside."

"The one who should be worried is not you, but everyone else in this city, okay?"

Jiang Fei adjusted her sunglasses, casually brushed her wine-red hair behind her shoulder, and said in a helpless tone.

Cheng Chen pondered for a moment and nodded.

That makes sense.

A moment later he said, "The white apricot doesn't scratch people, and it's been vaccinated, so it's okay."

Jiang Fei rolled her eyes, too lazy to talk to this guy anymore, and got back into the car.

Cheng Chen got into the passenger seat and closed the door.

Jiang Fei didn't immediately step on the gas. Instead, she placed both hands on the steering wheel, her eyes fixed straight ahead, and asked, "Don't you have anything you want to say to me?"

Cheng Chen smiled and fastened his seatbelt: "Long time no see, Fei Fei."

The red sports car roared out of the parking lot.

……

boom!

Smoke and dust billowed up, and gravel flew everywhere.

A figure in blue was sent flying, and the ground cracked layer by layer around her, like cracked ceramic.

The girl used her sword-shaped magic wand to support herself and avoid falling. Her once silky pale blue hair was now dusty and gray, even the pure white ribbons adorning her twin ponytails were stained with mud. Although her dress wasn't torn, it clung to her body in a wrinkled mess, making her look utterly disheveled.

The calamity beast "Sand Power" showed no mercy and roared as it charged forward once more.

Beneath its mineral-hard shell, flesh writhed wildly like vines, its massive body crushing the ground with unimaginable agility as it pressed down on her.

Unable to dodge in time, the girl could only hold her sword upright in front of her. The gem on the hilt emitted a blue-green light, creating a barrier of light between her and the giant body.

A dull thud resounded as the thick mass of flesh shattered the concrete floor, sending a massive shockwave through the girl's entire body.

She trembled and clenched her teeth.

"Well…"

The light barrier gave her a chance to catch her breath, but the gem on the sword hilt was already like a candle flickering in the wind, its light dimming and fading.

Click!

A sharp, shattering sound, like glass breaking, exploded in my ears.

"The magic can't hold up any longer!"

The girl, gripping her wand tightly, did not flinch. She stared wide-eyed at the monster before her.

Abandoning defense, the remaining magic power surged wildly into the cyan gem on the wand.

Sweat slid down her fair, flawless neck and dripped into the hollow of her collarbone.

"We can't break through the monster's defenses; we need an even higher amplification rate... Only then will we have a chance..."

She thrust her sword-shaped wand forward with all her might.

The sword tip finally pierced the shell of the calamity beast "Sand Power" and penetrated its flesh. Foul-smelling blood gushed out, but the girl herself was also blasted into the ground by the mountain-like, crushing insect body.

Boom!

The deafening roar shook the heavens.

The cyan figure plunged into the underground parking garage, and car alarms blared all around. The sword-shaped wand slipped from his hand, spinning as it plunged into the ground, the flowing light surrounding its blade teetering precariously.

"Magical Girl Azure, magic power remaining 11%, transformation is about to end."

A voice suddenly entered her ears, calmly reporting.

Cang Qing bit her lip and stood up despite the pain. She drew her sword, but the color of the gemstone had faded to gray, a sign of depleted magic.

A beam of light suddenly pierced the sky.

The calamity beast "Shaquan" raised its body high, allowing sunlight to stream through the cracked hole. Against the direction of the sunlight, the enormous shadow appeared ferocious and cruel.

Its mouth, surrounded by four layers of sharp teeth, opened to its fullest extent, releasing a foul stench, and greedily locked onto her.

"Is it almost over?"

Cang Qing instinctively thought of it.

The memories of becoming a magical girl flashed through my mind like a slideshow.

"roar!"

Sha Quan pounced down suddenly, his huge mouth swallowing it whole.

The girl bit her lip and closed her eyes.

Suddenly, a soft meow came from the sky.

Cang Qing paused for a moment, then subconsciously opened his eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a cat's paw, so large it blotted out the sky, sweep past, then vanish in an instant, like a mirage.

Before she could even doubt her eyes, Sha Quan, who had been frantically pouncing down, suddenly froze in mid-air. In the blink of an eye, the giant body, which resembled a coiled snake, was neatly severed, segment by segment, as if being sliced ​​into a sausage.

The battle came to an abrupt end.

laugh.

Corrosive, foul-smelling blood surged forth like a burst dam. Cang Qing hurriedly leaped to dodge, and only when she landed on a high place and looked down at the chaotic yet lifeless mass of insects did she realize what had just happened.

"What...what kind of power was that just now!?"

"Killed Sha Quan in an instant... Destruction level? No, Evil God level!?"

"Did a calamity beast or a demon... save me?"

The girl suddenly shivered, and fear appeared on her pretty face.

"God-level evil?!"

She dared not linger any longer and immediately transformed into a streak of light, disappearing into the horizon.

A few minutes later, when she emerged from the deserted alleyway, she had transformed back into an ordinary girl. She hurriedly pulled out her phone and typed rapidly.

[Azure: President, something terrible has happened!]

……