Vol 2 Chapter 143: Reversal
Remnant Beasts typically build their nests only in secure environments. To gather sufficient materials and provide ample magical energy, most Remnant Beasts choose relatively concealed locations with abundant food before beginning nest construction.
This behavior forms the primary basis for Magical Girls when hunting Molt-stage Remnant Beasts. They use this pattern to investigate potential nest sites, ambushing these locations to eliminate Molts before they can complete their nests and unleash their full power.
However, exceptions always exist.
When too many Molt-stage Remnant Beasts get eliminated before completing their nests, when too many Molts perish away from their nests - whether by Magical Girls or other Remnant Beasts - the law of natural selection takes effect. The survivors that successfully mature often develop abilities beyond conventional norms.
Now, Cornflower realized she was facing precisely such a victor of this brutal survival competition - a Remnant Beast that had endured nature's merciless filtering.
This creature was constructing a temporary nest using on-site mucus.
In fact, this marked Cornflower's first time witnessing a Remnant Beast's nest formation process.
All fluids - oozing from the beast's body, rising from buildings and pavement, even dripping from her and Nina - began flowing with eerie purpose toward a central point. These liquids mixed with ground filth, transforming into a revolting yellow-green pus that swirled around the block before ascending skyward.
The entire space was melting.
Observing the still-spiraling mucus walls - now over ten meters high and steadily closing - Cornflower understood that once this space fully sealed, she and Nina would face catastrophic disadvantage.
Her thread-based magical attire couldn't deal substantive damage to this Remnant Beast. Her ruler's control effects were easily shaken off. That left only one final option.
Dispersing all now-useless threads, she gripped a pair of scissors instead.
This was the last resort.
Ideally, she wouldn't use her scissors now. Each activation of their severing ability consumed tremendous magic while occupying too much magical output capacity.
But if this nest completed its formation, even this ability wouldn't salvage their situation.
"Mohe, forget about your outfit for now - activate your magical attire," Cornflower instructed Nina while using magic to maintain her body's form and speech capacity. "Create an air barrier along the mucus's spiraling path to block it."
"Huh? W-wait, solidify air?" Briefly startled by the suggestion, Nina nodded obediently. "Got it!"
She extended her hands toward the nearly-sealed nest opening, focusing intently while gradually closing her partially melted finger guards.
Before completing the motion, Nina suddenly lost balance and tumbled down.
Mid-process, one of her calves bent like melting ice, scattering magical particles like snowflakes. For a Magical Girl's magical form, such injuries meant little - even severed limbs could be rapidly regenerated without permanent loss. But currently, bodily repairs proved futile as any magic used for reconstruction would simply melt under the prevailing rules.
Cornflower swiftly caught Nina but lacked time for comfort. If Nina didn't obstruct the nest's completion soon, all would be lost.
"Do it!" she shouted while extending her scissors forward.
This Remnant Beast's rules were abnormally powerful for a Half-Molt. Simultaneously, Cornflower struggled to believe rules essentially "depriving Magical Girls of mobility" could exist without limitations.
Their bodily melting must have overlooked restrictions. Identifying and circumventing these could prolong the battle.
But now, no time remained for such analysis.
Her fingers closed the scissors while mentally conceptualizing "mucus" as the target. Yet the blades resisted as if meeting steel bars - she lacked sufficient magic to sever the near-complete nest's concept.
Realizing this, Cornflower swiftly changed targets to "magic energy," but the blades still refused. Naturally - her magic was continuously melting away while the beast's grew stronger by controlling more mucus. Ironically, her own dissipating magic now unbalanced the severing ability.
Without time for deliberation, she attempted sub-concepts like "nest," "self-control," and "magic manipulation" - all failing - until finally conceiving a concept that could shift their predicament: Fresh chapters posted on 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✶𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲✶𝗻𝗲𝘁
"Corrosion resistance!"
Shouting this, her scissors erupted with radiant light undimmed by the liquid obscuring her vision.
With this faint sound, the scissors closed.
Simultaneously, Nina - now half-collapsed against Cornflower while barely maintaining balance - finally focused her attention and magic, making a grasping motion toward the closing mucus passage.
Even as liquid gushed from her mouth like a drowning victim, Nina desperately uttered her ability's activation phrase.
Thus, the ascending mucus finally halted.
And before them, the Remnant Beast froze mid-motion as Cornflower's scissors closed.
Both heard a deep rumbling emerge from within its flesh.
Both heard tearing sounds reverberating internally.
Both witnessed cracks forming across the previously intact beast.
"Cover your ears, Mohe," Cornflower instructed as her body's melting finally slowed, freeing enough focus. She raised her hands to her own ears.
As if hearing her, the Remnant Beast tilted its distorted head upward.
After a pause, it opened its maw and released its loudest roar since encountering the Magical Girls.
Then, amid explosive liquid spray, its body completely disintegrated.