Chapter 202 – Utterly Powerless

The Queen of Lust gave a faint smile.

An ordinary person would already have fallen under her spell.

But Lin Xi was no ordinary person.

Xia Xun and Thor were both in love with Lin Xi, which made them immune to the Queen of Lust’s charms. Su Tang kept every emotion firmly under control, while Misaka Shirai was straight.

In other words, no one present was buying what the Queen of Lust was selling.

But seduction was hardly the only weapon at her disposal.

The instant her petals touched the ice crystals, the Absolute Zero Seal began to melt.

It was not evaporating from heat. Instead, the ice seemed to lose the will to maintain its own existence, collapsing into harmless droplets of water.

“You’re the Queen of Lust-one of the Seven Monarchs of Desire of the Dark Realm?!” all three Magical Girls cried at once.

Xia Xun reacted first.

“Attack! Don’t let her break the seal!”

Her hands flashed through a series of seals.

“Frigid Spear: Absolute Penetration!”

A crystal-clear spear of ice formed in her palm and shot toward Yang Shanshan, carrying a chill that could freeze the soul itself.

Misaka Shirai attacked at the same moment.

“Railgun: Thunder God’s Wrath!”

A Railgun blast three times thicker than usual ripped through the air.

Su Tang, meanwhile, focused on reinforcing the spatial prison. Countless fragments of space spun together, assembling into an even more intricate structure.

The three Magical Girls had already spent far too long fighting Lin Xi. They were at the end of their strength.

Yang Shanshan did not even blink.

“Desire Barrier: Sevenfold Rapture.”

She lazily snapped her fingers.

Seven translucent barriers of purple-black light unfolded in an instant. A different tableau of desire flowed across each one-greed, gluttony, sloth, envy, pride, wrath, and, on the innermost layer… lust.

The ice spear pierced the first barrier, Greed, and stopped dead. Then it began replicating itself in an eerie frenzy. Within seconds, hundreds of identical spears filled the air-only to crash into one another and shatter.

The Railgun tore through three layers-Gluttony, Sloth, and Envy-but when it reached the fourth, Pride, it was refracted into the sky and dispersed into harmless lightning.

“How is that possible?” Misaka Shirai stared in disbelief. Her strongest attack had been brushed aside as if it were nothing.

A dangerous curve touched Yang Shanshan’s lips.

“My lovely magical beauty girls, let your big sister show you what real magic looks like.”

She gracefully traced a heart with both hands, then blew across it.

“Wind of Lust: Racing Heart.”

A gust of pink wind swept across the entire battlefield.

All three Magical Girls felt their hearts begin to hammer, as though they were trying to burst free of their chests.

Their skin became painfully sensitive. Even the brush of clothing sent an electric thrill through them.

Worst of all, the mana inside their bodies fell into chaos. One spell formation after another collapsed.

“I… can’t concentrate…”

Su Tang dropped to her knees. The spatial prison began to crumble.

Xia Xun bit down hard enough to draw blood from her tongue, trying to use the pain to stay clearheaded, but the Absolute Zero Seal had already disintegrated completely.

Misaka Shirai’s electromagnetic prison flickered several times, then vanished.

Yang Shanshan surveyed her handiwork with satisfaction before turning to Lin Xi and Thor.

“Can you still move, Little Flame?” She held out a hand.

Lin Xi regarded her warily, her left hand moving instinctively to guard her chest.

“So you really are the Queen of Lust. Why are you helping me?”

“Why?” Yang Shanshan pressed one hand dramatically to her heart. “Because of love.”

Lin Xi could only stare.

What love?! Where had that come from?!

This was literally the first time they had ever met!

Thor managed to lift her head and let out a weak draconic rumble, equal parts fearful and hostile.

Why was the Queen of Lust trying to steal Lin Xi from her too?!

Yang Shanshan looked at her in surprise. So this was the dragon she had sensed in Lin Xi’s home that day.

There was no time to chat about that now.

She turned toward the three Magical Girls writhing in pain and sighed.

“Relax. The Wind of Lust won’t cause any permanent damage… though the next few hours will be difficult.” She winked slyly. “Think of it as an introductory lesson in puberty.”

At a loss, Lin Xi pushed herself to her feet.

Compared with the three Magical Girls, this unknown member of the Seven Monarchs of Desire was far more dangerous.

Lin Xi remained ready to unleash one hundred percent of her power the instant the woman tried to hurt anyone here.

Yang Shanshan noticed her hostility.

In a blur, she appeared beside Lin Xi and whispered into her ear, too softly for anyone else to hear.

“I won’t hurt anyone, Little Flame.”

Lin Xi stared at her in shock. Before she could demand an explanation, Yang Shanshan had already retreated several steps, weaving a more intricate spell between her hands.

“I’ll send you on your way. As for these three little darlings…” She glanced at the Magical Girls struggling to stand. “They need to learn one lesson: never underestimate the power of desire.”

“Gate of Lust: Heart’s Destination.”

Yang Shanshan ripped her hands apart. A colossal gate studded with seven kinds of gemstones appeared in midair, pinkish-purple light spilling through the gap between its doors.

“Go,” she said.

Lin Xi hesitated for only a moment.

She would take things one step at a time. If it came to the worst, she could always use one-hundred-percent output and fight this inexplicable Queen of Lust with everything she had.

Yang Shanshan burst into laughter. It rang like silver bells-clear, beautiful, and dangerous.

“Remember, Little Flame. Desire is not the enemy… repression is.” Her expression abruptly turned serious. “We’re leaving together.”

The gates swung fully open. A tremendous force dragged Lin Xi and Thor inside.

In the final instant before she vanished, Lin Xi saw the Queen of Lust turn to face the three Magical Girls, her purple-black skirt spreading behind her like a peacock’s tail.

Then light and shadow tangled together. Space twisted, and Lin Xi plunged into an endless vortex of color.

When the light faded, Xia Xun was the first to struggle back to her feet.

The Queen of Lust, Lin Xi, and Thor were all gone.

Only the cloying fragrance lingering in the air proved that none of it had been an illusion.

“Damn it!” Misaka Shirai clutched at her still-racing heart, her face bright red.

Su Tang tried to give chase, but her mana remained in chaos.

“The Queen of Lust, one of the Seven Monarchs of Desire… The three of us were utterly powerless against her.”

Xia Xun gazed into the sky, her brow drawn tight.

“But why would she rescue that Super-Grade Disaster? Are they working together?” She turned to her companions, her expression more serious than they had ever seen it. “I think Z City is in serious trouble.”

Then her composure finally broke.

“We were about to see the face under that mask! Damn it!”