New Zealand, South Pacific Theater temporary headquarters.
In the command room, Bull announced loudly: "Frontline news—we've completed 80% outer zone cleanup, eliminated all threats to base headquarters. Expeditionary forces are returning, arriving soon."
Before words ended, everyone celebrated. After a month of depression, finally welcoming a period of relaxation.
He couldn't help slumping in his chair, looking up at the ceiling. Actually felt the thick, oppressive bunker had a touch of comfort—indeed, people in happy times have good spirits.
"Not going out for fresh air?" Croft threw over a canned coffee.
Bull caught it mid-air then drank it down, smacking his lips: "Supply quality improved. I guess you have more good news to announce: new Pacific shipping lanes completed?"
"Right. Without those monsters causing trouble, logistics pressure decreased significantly. Speaking broadly, it revitalized surrounding economic activities—at least better than before, garrison pressure eased."
"What about rotating troops?"
"En route."
"Strange how the media keeps praising us without anyone saying the Church made too big a fuss or hyping threats."
"You know perfectly well." Hearing this, Croft smiled: "You personally demanded information control while cursing media conglomerate financiers—only then felt satisfied. Now feeling strange? But you're right—others must have acted, like Pharmacist's connections, the increasingly powerful Senator Miller... Besides, Magical Girls originally had plenty of methods preventing ill will."
"No ill will? Nonsense. Winners claim all honors. Wind Hyacinth and I are so laden with glory that trivialities are effortlessly overlooked."
In his political career, Bull experienced such universal praise for the first time—increasingly unreal yet full of vigilance. But thinking carefully, it had reasonable logic. World mainstream opinion was increasingly promoting strongmen—just returning to ancient times.
He'd thought Hermit Island's nuclear deployment would cause some uproar and criticism, even planned countermeasures to calm situations while selling the Church favors.
Wrong.
If you appeared strong, others thought you were dangerous. If you were too strong, everyone became well-intentioned. Now leadership was more concerned about what methods Hyacinth used to achieve magic with such widespread impact—comparable to Catastrophe Disaster Beasts's flapping wings for area clearing.
Similar records only appeared sporadically in the First Holy Relic Civil War.
Bull once again celebrated the Second Civil War's quick resolution—otherwise if Ancient Holy Relics got serious and made a big move, wouldn't that be total loss?
If their terrifying power then established Holy Relics' special status, now Magical Girls were the same.
While they chatted, Sid suddenly approached: "Just received news from some contacts in the cabinet—those politicians are drafting military cooperation resolutions with the Salvation Church, apparently willing to exchange interests to bind them... Their reactions are intense, probably also influenced by Miller. President, what do you think?"
"Smart choice."
Croft nodded: "I'm happy to have one more friend—at least better than one more enemy. Besides, the Church has proven its strength repeatedly."
"That intelligent subspecies battle probably means we're increasingly unable to interfere." Bull sighed regretfully.
"...I thought you'd react strongly."
"You don't understand your old rival enough, General. I succeeded because of trends and follow trends—otherwise destined to be crushed."
The seemingly open-minded words contained his life wisdom, and Bull simultaneously hinted to colleagues to accept reality. Though everyone sat here, through various detection methods they understood Fallen Zone depths battlefield situations:
Salvation Church's objective was rescuing the strongest elemental Magical Girl Tulip.
She was then suffering four Hegemon Disaster Beast sieges, then first-arriving Hyacinth withstood pressure fighting many alone, delaying until Hermit Island main forces arrived. Both sides launched fierce offensive-defensive battles. Could almost be understood as "Fallen Zone depths full forces VS Salvation Church full forces" fighting until heaven and earth darkened. More exaggerated was how the latter seemed precarious yet somehow achieved winning momentum.
Then everyone considered Salvation Church comparable to Holy City Association—both first-class super organizations.
But halfway through, intelligent subspecies emerged.
Initially, peak-condition Hyacinth lost to Obsidian in a few rounds—seemingly invincible opponents were easily handled? This was almost total annihilation omens.
However, the strongest Magical Girl again showed her worth—not strong because of antiquity, but consistently creating miracles occupying the ceiling.
On-site neck repair, heart patching, perfectly intact breakthrough to Blooming Stage.
She ended battles with more crushing power than Obsidian's previous round against her, final strike even erasing infection storms. Only then did the Fallen Zone dangerous battle conclude, leaving the world shocked by dramatic reversals, not daring to underestimate Magical Girls.
The Church seemingly revealed its top-tier combat configuration in this high-value battle, but deterrence only increased.
Especially Hyacinth's advancement!
Growth Stage her was already incomprehensible, then defeated by Obsidian, then easily counter-killed Obsidian—please ask how many incomprehensible levels between? Not ordinary people could understand.
As long as the world's number one led Salvation Church, its rating had to be upgraded again.
Croft said: "Actually magic power dissipation transforming environments is already happening. Hudson Bay Research Center confirmed atmospheric magic concentration increased threefold—almost a vertical curve. Ordinary people don't feel it strongly because it hasn't reached the threshold. At 5x, large numbers of rejection reactions will appear."
"Hope their research results aren't like global warming—sometimes very scary, sometimes insignificant in geological history."
"Not far off, so Ancient Holy Relics will gradually awaken."
"These native species are fine. What worries me is the recent Prophecy Book mentioning fairy descent—what are they planning?" Bull rubbed his forehead.
Suddenly a broadcast interrupted the three's thoughts, representing large fleet safe harbor return. Logically there should be no scheduled arrivals now... Hearing tsunami-like sounds, they understood—who else could it be?
Hermit Island possessed spatial jumping capability. If willing to return quickly for supplies, no need for travel at all.
Bang!
Signal flares rose like fireworks with thunderous applause. No need to guess how lively it was. Dorothy opened the door smiling: "Gentlemen, sorry to disturb you—want to participate in the triumph?"
The group exited headquarters building to see crowds on the embankment, flashlights aimed at massive Hermit Island scenery.
The leading silver-haired girl stepped onto the dock waving greetings—the best footnote to war's end.
❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀
Fairy Realm.
Julius closed the spatial passage. Power capable of shaking space returned to calm around her, finally ending suppression of the human world's Fallen Zone.
She instructed left and right: "Confirmed intelligent subspecies related to dark fairies. The egg at Fallen Zone center was interrupted in incubation by me and Hyacinth—should delay things a while longer. Afterward must increase troops at World Tree borders..."
Suddenly spatial barriers shook with a giant bird shadow passing through.
Surrounding fairies were shocked—it was Catastrophe Disaster Beasts Aurora, just with a weakened aura after so long, wounds unhealed? Probably had core crystals partially stolen.
"You also want to take advantage of entering the human world? Get back, or interested in telling me why you're so pathetic?"
"Scram!"
Even with declining aura, still worthy of Catastrophe Disaster Beasts pressure. Standing in spatial turbulence yet unmoved, actually baring fangs at World Tree realm. But it understood wasting energy was meaningless, so changed direction. Give up—wanting to invade the human world by hitchhiking wasn't working. Needed to find other catastrophes for cooperation, then give these guys huge surprises.
Before leaving, it said coldly: "Other forces lurk in this space—that's where fish swim in water. You fairies shouldn't be too arrogant."
After harsh words, the Catastrophe Disaster Beasts vanished.
Of course, gradually disappearing into turbulence didn't mean hostility vanished. Just as ordinary fairy soldiers breathed relief, Aurora suddenly burst from World Tree root mists.
Aurora Breath—
Life origin from top Disaster Beasts erupted from its mouth—flowing light overflowing colors, colorfully brilliant yet representing deepest fears. Energy torrents viciously struck World Tree's base, buzzing and roaring. Nearby fairies' wings even wrinkled, some blown away.
Barriers shook under one strike, might be boundless. A garden seemed to submit below.
Though World Tree's main body remained unmoved, it wouldn't give up. Always petty Aurora breathed while beating wings, instantly expanding form, wingspan crossing dozens of kilometers, shadows covering hundreds of miles.
Origin projection magnification, higher realm universal influence bombarding targets.
"Playing around needs limits." After cold snorting, Julius flicked out a leaf, instantly massive as a city, smashing toward the light flow.
Boom!
Both sides' contest made World Tree roots drop several branches, visibly shaking spatial stability.
Simultaneously several other powerful auras locked on. Seeing this, Aurora understood this wasn't time for tantrums—otherwise angering fairies who forcibly detained it would be terrible.
"Don't mind that guy, Julius. We have other missions."
The speaker was Guardian Knight Edwina arriving from Emerald Court, also one of the personal guards constantly beside the Fairy Queen, immensely powerful. Precisely sensing her aura made Aurora hastily leave—otherwise with its personality, it would definitely bicker while firing magic bullets.
"You personally came—does Your Majesty finally show recovery signs?"
"Right. Now we must formally start breakthrough plans for the human world. Must quickly cooperate with Magical Girls—otherwise magic revival won't be easy."
"All blessings, Lady Edwina."
"Don't celebrate too early. Our divination shows a force very hostile to fairies is scheming among humans."
Hearing this, everyone understood who was meant—a group attempting to fuse relics full of evil power. Admittedly, it counted as one supernatural path, but wouldn't that make them Disaster Beasts among humans? Destined to fail. Then they began pursuing magic marks, seeking predecessor civilization heritage—an era that also contacted invitations, naturally associating that World Tree could help alleviate erosion.
Holy City Association had spent years collecting fairy molts, magic knowledge, and things heavily contaminated with Knowledge Poison—simply smoking while sitting on powder kegs.
Human world situations were very complex, plus they had to risk weakened magic barriers for action.
Julius carefully asked: "According to your meaning, do plans change?"
"Changed—accelerated. Strive for early contact with the Church."
❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀
In spatial turbulence.
An octopus-type high-tier Disaster Beast inexplicably arrived at a strange region—like a lake reflecting upper and lower starscapes, with irregular refractive small landmass in the center. Strange—how did getting bombed by Hyacinth blast it to another place?
It tentatively extended a tentacle. Suddenly a deep hole with white light edges opened ahead, then emerged a girl with four spatial rift wings behind her.
Heterochromatic emerald and gold eyes showed indifference, pure white dress emanating faint light, bare feet with ankle ornaments lightly touching turbulence like flat ground. Magical Pirl Peony—her temperament was more divine than emotional.
"I invited you here—after all, need intelligence sources understanding outside situations. Of course, also testing transmission."
"Interesting. I saw similar abilities when fighting the Church? That magic should be called Door-Knocker. You're also a spatial type, and reached Growth Stage?"
The high-tier Disaster Beast was exhausted from great battle, with fatal disparities between both sides.
"Sounds similar but not the same thing. Door-Knocker emphasizes 'opening' to cross distances but has limitations, hardly opening different spatial coordinates. But the Door Key symbolizes 'control'—because holding keys represents ownership, right? I can do much more. Experience it well."
Ding!
Magical Pirl Peony flicked her finger. Surrounding space surged with small cubes surrounding the magic-depleted target. Attacks began!
The dignified high-tier Disaster Beast's tentacles touched small cubes and were sucked in, folded, annihilated, vanishing. But large amounts of flesh didn't disappear—itself seemed to become cube blocks for manipulation. Building here, building there—in one breath it was assembled into a one-cubic-meter magic cube, completely unable to move. More bizarrely, despite such bodily transformation, there wasn't a trace of pain.
Peony took the Disaster Beast's right eye, turning it into a cube for casual play. The spinning sensation made it suffer greatly.
"Tell me everything that happened in the Fallen Zone battlefield."
"...I see. Your first-stage skill is free-moving teleportation, second stage is controllable-sized cubic space division. You lack attack capabilities."
"Monster imagination is poor—you don't understand what miracles we Magical Girls possess."
Before words ended, black hole transmission ports appeared above and below the Disaster Beast cube, then it continuously fell between them—entering the entrance meant exiting the exit, maintaining endless free fall, faster and faster, increasingly feeling gravitational tearing.
Origin explosion!
Under ultra-high gravitational potential energy plus Peony's full-power punch, even high-tier Disaster Beasts were severely wounded, resistance completely dissipating.
"This space was land taken away when I first awakened magic and lost control. Survivors reproduced, naturally adapting to spatial turbulence, so we completely control the area. Give up—you can't even escape unless you're a Catastrophe Disaster Beasts. Confess honestly."
It related everything truthfully. During this, several Magical Girls used lie detection, eliminating even possibilities of cunning deception.
Peony frequently interrupted: "That Church organization has so many strong members with such high development! What about their so-called strongest tier giants?"
"Don't know. I only fought a fox-masked girl who could summon many monsters."
"...That should be summoning type."
"Also a bright yellow chrysanthemum Regalia girl who could influence minds making you approach or avoid, plus strong destructive power."
"Report as detailed as possible. Don't make me remind you to supplement like this—should punish you."
Peony removed the octopus Disaster Beast's heart flesh cube.
Crack.
Crushing it instantly spread pain through every cell. Logically Disaster Beasts with related resistance wailed continuously. Reduced to irregular rotten meat, it opened scattered maws crying, scenes making subordinate Magical Girls nearby feel chilled.
Their leader was an angel girl possessing situation-dependent purest emotional judgment—extreme evil for evil, extreme good for good, like objective scales weighing all things.
After warnings, high-tier Disaster Beasts shouldn't show any negligence, reporting everything in detail.
Not only that, but including its observations of the entire cultivation ground, even knowing losing utility value meant everything would end, completely helpless. If it tried conditions, it would suffer ultimate torture, life worse than death.
Finally the Disaster Beast wearily asked: "What's your objective?"
"Let Zodiac Palace, my kingdom, return to the human world. Though there's mutual collision destruction risk, I found reliable collaborators."
"Who?"
"That you needn't know."
"Madwoman. If we merely wanted to occupy human world, your actions might destroy everything. Accept your magic's consequences—eternal banishment..."
Peony blew gently. Gathered spatial cubes dissipated invisibly, completely eliminating the target.
Regardless, her objectives wouldn't waver. Return was everyone's wish, more her redemption. Because Magical Pirl Peony actually awakened magic very early, could be listed among early ranks, but subsequent inadequacy led to incomplete rampage losing control, increasingly severe until taking away land. Don't look at residents seeming to reproduce long—actually in time-turbulent space, how long truly? When standard scales lost meaning, everything constantly collapsed, only faith supporting.
Peony, who believed in return, had sealed her heart, becoming numb to everything. Not bad—instead made magic control steadily climb.
"Strongest spatial type..."
Even without Disaster Beast intelligence corroboration, she was certain Door Key surpassed similar types. Because so far, target-dissolving attacks, space-solidifying defense, transmitting various objects were all possible—and not finished yet.
Since the supposedly strongest Hyacinth reached the Blooming Stage, she equally couldn't fall behind. From now on, Peony decided to focus on conquering next-stage Regalia and magic.
❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
Holy City Association headquarters, lunar base, all things frigid.
Located on the moon for maximum isolation from Ancient Holy Relic contamination—otherwise any human settlement could hardly bear it. After all, Planet Gaia could hardly find super-large vacant areas. Only formerly—now the Pacific had vast empty spaces. If necessary, headquarters would enter atmosphere.
On chalky soil, spacesuited people constantly busied themselves. Besides protecting relics, it also undertook deep space exploration and extraterrestrial weapon construction—never finishing.
Massive Ring of Levitation spanned Earth-moon orbit, its amazing volume like a meteorite asteroid. Today it transported a strange new ship, directly docking with Holy City Association building bases.
Descending stairs, Pharaoh saw a hospital-gowned woman and another spacesuited man.
They were respectively Ring of Levitation holder and Complete Molt holder—Sleeping Beauty and Chariot, top aces barely known in current times.
The former showed no reaction like an empty shell. The latter enthusiastically shook hands smiling: "Haven't seen each other for thirty years, right?"
"Hope you've been well."
"Thanks for making the trip. After all, Lady Sleeping Beauty needs revival ceremony maintenance... She's lacked normal thinking ability for a long time."
"My fault. Charging ceremony formations in one hour."
Whenever thinking of this, Pharaoh felt extremely guilty—the past was full of pain. Years ago, erosion accumulated from maintaining high-intensity operations finally hollowed out the Sleeper. That was an empty monster shell causing a rampage, sweeping the lunar surface. Results alarmed all Ancient Holy Relics for suppression, even deploying association strongest King's partial Knowledge Poison strikes before subduing the monster.
However, human civilization couldn't lose the Ring of Levitation. Only with users could performance suffice—user conditions didn't matter, completely irrelevant.
So the organization ordered Pharaoh to use his never-used second relic: Revival Ceremony.
Taboos rarely had good results.
Finally he only "revived" nominal flesh lumps, still needing constant energy supply.
But the Ring of Levitation was perfectly fine, so the results were recognized. Then Sleeping Beauty still counted as one of civilization's foundations, association top experts.
Chariot actively broke silence: "I heard about surface events—everything changes fast. Should have waited for magic to spread another circle creating environments suitable for Ancient Holy Relics before acting. We even awakened early for this... Results got upstaged. Must hurry."
"Why?"
"Simple answer—no one expected Magical Girls reaching Blooming Stage brought qualitative leaps. We must suppress while we can maintain strategic advantages."
"Unnecessary, right? Are we all so resistant to new things? I think they came when they came—just species succession." Pharaoh shrugged, uninterested in finding enemies everywhere.
"Look what you're saying. Not like we must create mutual slaughter commotions. Suppress the Church and make them hand over fairy intelligence."
"I'll follow your arrangements."
"With our years of friendship, you'll definitely help. This is also King's orders."
"So I represent surface bases coordinating with you. Time to return."
After greetings, they unanimously looked toward deep starspace outside windows. The blue planet had clarified somewhat.