Chapter Four: The Demon Empress – Illusory Butterfly

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Near Changhong Road, in the wetlands park.
The magical girl tightly gripped her emerald-green crystal wand, hovering high above, her expression grave as she gazed at the dark forest beneath the night sky.
Her luxurious twin tails were a deep ocean-blue, clear and translucent. She wore a sleek pale green dress with black edges, the fabric smooth and just long enough to cover her knees.
A pair of snow-white stockings perfectly cloaked her slender legs, and the strappy dress left her delicate, rounded shoulders completely bare.
Fireflies fluttered gracefully among the trees, and cicadas sang their summer songs, painting an enchanting nocturnal scene that captivated the senses.
Yet when disaster beasts intruded, the forest transformed into an inescapable net—a hunter lurking in the darkness, waiting silently to engulf its prey without a sound.
Having trained in martial arts for years, she couldn’t help but feel a chilling sense of danger emanating from the woods.
“Xiaoqing, don’t rush. Wait for Xiaoqing and Xiaoxue to arrive before making a move.”
A steady female voice came through the Bluetooth earpiece—Chen Yuyi, captain of their Iris Magical Girl Squad.
“Got it, I’ll wait for you.”
Though she agreed verbally, her heart did not share the same patience.
The faint sense of danger irked her.
She did not believe that a newly transformed magical girl, deemed a genius with S-tier talent by Xiao Ai, would fear a mere “Falling Star” class disaster beast.
Perhaps “Falling Star” beasts were formidable before, but after the third Black Tide Crisis, humanity’s technological progress had surged.
Often, they didn’t even need magical girls to exterminate these creatures.
This was her first mission; she was determined to make it a perfect success.
Chanting a spell, Bai Youqing slowly descended into a clearing. Compared to flying in the air, where she was a naked target, landing on solid ground gave her more security.
She began waving her wand, chanting to emit a dazzling green light that illuminated the surrounding darkness, scanning the environment to ensure safety.
Yet her detection spell was clearly ineffective; the ominous chill of danger only intensified.
The quiet wetlands were filled with refreshing air and a faint floral scent, intoxicating and soothing.
She took a deep breath and called out softly,
“Classmate Xiao Ai?”
“I’m here. What music shall I play for you, master?”
“This is a battle, no time for jokes. Do you have any way to trace disaster beast traces?”
“Yes, and many methods.”
From her Green Vine Star, a tiny glowing green fairy emerged.
Magical fairies guiding magical girl transformations are called “Seeders.” Usually, the World Tree sends only one Seeder per city. Bai Youqing had only recently learned that Xiao Ai was not dispatched by the World Tree.
“Good, just tell me the simplest one, I’ll try it.”
Her heart lifted unexpectedly; she hadn’t thought the usually lazy fairy would be useful in this way.
“Abyssal Scent Tracking, Disaster Beast Insight, Abyssal…”
The green fairy rattled off names like a grocery list, but after five or six, it stopped and said disdainfully,
“Unfortunately, your mana or level is insufficient for these spells, so I can’t help.”
“So, is there any skill I can actually use?”
Hovering in the air, Xiao Ai pondered briefly. Under Bai Youqing’s eager gaze, it tilted its head and shrugged, “No.”
“Xiao Ai, you’re useless, just a bit better than my useless brother.” Bai Youqing made a tiny disparaging gesture with her thumb and forefinger.
“…Though I’m not the most useless in your heart, I’m still angry. If I don’t get two little puddings this week, this anger won’t go away!”
The green fairy circled angrily in the air, her gaze still scanning the forest with worry.
“Lastly, I suggest you leave the wetlands park now and wait for your teammates. In most stories, the heroines who insist on showing off like you end up ambushed by disaster beasts and finally corrupted into plush toys.”
“Alright, I get it.”

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Bai Youqing was reluctant but willing to listen since the magical fairy had spoken.
Her strength was in heeding advice.
After only a few steps, the rising sense of danger and terror surged sharply within her, despite clearly moving toward the exit.
The more she advanced, the stronger the floral scent became, yet her dread skyrocketed.
It was like dropping mint candy into a soda bottle—all at once, everything exploded.
What followed was a hollow, silent void.
The cicadas that had been chirping vanished, and her Bluetooth earpiece went silent.
Xiao Ai, who had been with her moments ago, suddenly disappeared as well, as if the world had forsaken her.
She was utterly alone in this desolate world.
—
In reality, a strange creature cloaked in a mysterious robe slowly emerged from the grass. About 1.6 meters tall, it resembled a goblin.
Its skin was pale blue, and in its bony hand, it held a lantern that emitted a faint glow.
If observed carefully, the faint lights drifted toward Bai Youqing.
The glowing specks were inhaled through her nose, leaving her rooted to the spot.
As more lights entered, fear and terror etched deeper onto her face. Xiao Ai’s frantic calls went unanswered.
“Roar!”
A disaster beast, badly wounded by Bai Youqing, burst out from the wetland forest.
Its body was smeared with foul mud, paws caked with damp earth. It had hidden in the swamp to evade detection.
“Xiaoqing, the disaster beast is out!”
“Bai Youqing! Wake up!”
“Bai Youqing, your browsing history was found by your brother!”
“So annoying! If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have come out with the rookie.”
Seeing the beast approach, Xiao Ai grew anxious. The green starlight flickered brightly in the dark forest as it darted in another direction, seemingly trying to lure the disaster beast’s attention.
Covered in mud, the beast hesitated. Compared to the motionless ugly creature, the flickering green fairy in the air seemed more interesting.
Just as it prepared to change course, the Abyss Listener standing by the grass grew agitated and furious.
“Big fool, come back! Your target is this green ugly female!” (Abyssal language)
“Roar!”
The disaster beast couldn’t understand its companion but obeyed due to the superior rank.
Its blood-red eyes reluctantly shifted focus, and the heavy body kicked up dust as it charged toward the magical girl in the clearing, ignoring the green fairy.
At that moment, Bai Youqing, trapped in a dream, sensed the danger, especially Xiao Ai’s last warning, and struggled harder to awaken.
She tried to chant a spell to fly, but the magic suddenly failed. A faint purple pattern cloaked the clearing around her.
The cloaked strange disaster beast stood nearby, chanting a spell—undoubtedly the cause of her sudden dream and magic failure.
Though she pinpointed its location, only ten meters away, a sprint’s distance, she couldn’t harm it.
When she opened her eyes, the huge disaster beast was already swinging its claws at her. No more than two meters apart, the viscous drool at the beast’s mouth was clear, and its lantern-sized eyes burned with cruelty and rage.
Bai Youqing wanted to resist but it was too late.
“Am I going to die?”
That thought flashed through her mind.
At this moment, her first thought wasn’t her brother’s but last night’s magical girl anime she had watched.

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Lies, all lies!
The disaster beasts weren’t like those in the anime, recklessly charging about. They had intelligence, set traps, and lured enemies to their doom to eliminate magical girls.
Moreover, disaster beasts despised magical girls, and her brother’s scripts on his phone were all false!
But in the end, the beast’s claws never reached her, forcibly stopped by someone.
A long scythe, wreathed in thick black smoke, intercepted the beast’s attack.
Brown vines tightly coiled the scythe’s shaft, upon which bloomed a violet flower—pale purple mixed with pure white, beautiful and pure, yet surrounded by black mist it appeared eerily sinister.
Just as Bai Youqing tried to see who the savior was, a heavy blow struck her from behind, knocking her unconscious.
The green fairy was no exception.
With the appearance of the purple figure, Xiao Ai, caught off guard, was forcefully sent back into Bai Youqing’s Green Vine Star by a barrage of spells—the newcomer clearly did not want to reveal their identity.
“Delighted to meet you, Princess Magic Empress Illusive Butterfly.” (Abyssal language)
Purple butterflies scattered in the air as a new magical girl emerged.
No, compared to the previous magical girl’s attire, she looked more like a fallen magical girl.
Her soft, pale purple hair flowed over smooth, fair shoulders. A translucent purple crystal adorned her chest, emitting a faint glow.
Her clothing was the opposite of refined and elegant—a luxurious deep purple gown clung to her graceful curves. She wore sheer purple stockings edged with black lace.
She exuded a bewitching and dangerous aura, her beautiful face concealing sharp thorns.
Magic Empress Illusive Butterfly was the last Magic Empress to appear during the third Black Tide.
One of the four great Abyssal Magic Empresses.
She said nothing, extending her right hand clad in black silk gloves to grasp the long reaper’s scythe, spinning it magnificently in the air.
Boom!
The monstrous disaster beast was cleaved, its massive head falling heavily to the ground, raising a dust cloud before turning into a wisp of black smoke drifting toward Illusive Butterfly.
Nearby, the Abyss Listener remained motionless, his terrifying face still showing utmost respect.
“Princess Illusive Butterfly, welcome.”
“Get lost. Don’t think I’m afraid to kill you!”
Illusive Butterfly’s cold face brimmed with murderous intent, her gaze icy as she fixed on the goblin-like Abyss Listener. The scythe in her trembling hand seemed barely under control.
“Princess Illusive Butterfly, Lady Tiaoluo asked me to deliver a message.”
With that, the lantern in the Listener’s hand flared, glowing brightly in the night.
Suddenly, a strange yet familiar voice echoed in Illusive Butterfly’s mind:
“Dear sister, I know you’re going through a rebellious phase and have your own views and thoughts. But as your sister—at least for a time—I want to tell you that the arrival of the Abyss is unstoppable and far more complex than you imagine.
No matter what you do now, I hope you seriously consider your future and that of our loved ones. You may not like my advice, but I’m giving you one last chance...”
Before the words finished, a violent violet aura erupted wildly around the girl.
In an instant, a shadow moved before the Abyss Listener, raising the scythe high. Thick black mist danced along the chained blade before it fell without hesitation.
The Abyss Listener died without a single cry.
His eyes remained locked onto Illusive Butterfly’s, filled with mockery and pity, then dissolved into dense black mist, absorbed into the scythe’s darkness.
The violet flower entwined in the scythe’s vines shifted slightly, its purple deepening while the pale white diminished.