“What is the duty of a Magic Girl?”
“To protect companions, to protect others, to protect those dearest to them.”
“What is your obsession with becoming a Magic Girl?”
“…To practice this will of protection, to firmly resolve to protect others.”
“How have you practiced this will? Have you fulfilled your past vows?”
Silence.
A long silence.
“I failed my past promises, I failed my own vows.”
“I reprimanded my companions, I shirked my responsibilities, and I let myself and my companions fall into danger due to my arrogance.”
“I… am not worthy to continue being active as a Magic Girl.”
“…Not so.”
“Your story is still long, your future is still vast.”
“Go back, your companions are still waiting for you, Magic Girl Luoluo.”
The girl woke up from her dream with a start.
…
A familiar ceiling.
The girl turned her head, glanced at the chirping phone alarm on her pillow, let out a long breath, reached out to turn off the alarm, and lay in bed in a daze.
The Magic Girl, Luoluo, whose real name is Ye Yuxia, lay quietly on her bed in her bedroom.
Yesterday, she encountered Xin Yuehu again.
She had thought she could easily resolve this incident with the help of Bai Lili and the others, but she didn't expect to fall into Xin Yuehu's trap, getting caught in her Rule Monster story and unable to escape, even needing others to rescue her.
And what Xin Yuehu said to her, and the performance of her former captain, Mai Sui…
“As a Magic Girl, are you truly worthy of the stars' favor?”
“Are you worthy of the sacrifices they made?”
This made Luoluo think of her own selfish thoughts when she and Hyacinth separated, which now seemed quite childish.
Indeed, she wasn't quite able to bear the responsibility of being a captain, Ye Yuxia thought.
Violet and Edelweiss had been severely beaten by Hellcat and were currently receiving treatment at the Hero Association's affiliated hospital; with the physical fitness of a Magic Girl, they should recover and be discharged very soon.
But as the culprit who led them astray, she was lying at home as if nothing had happened, which made Ye Yuxia feel very uneasy, even a little afraid.
How would they look at her after they were discharged?
Would they scrutinize her with strange eyes, just as she had ostracized Mai Sui back then, or even question and accuse her?
Thinking of this, Ye Yuxia pulled the covers over her head, shrinking into the bed, letting the darkness swallow her.
.
“Ding-dong.”
The doorbell.
After a brief silence, there was another knock on the door.
“Hello—, is anyone home—?”
“Knock knock knock! Knock knock knock!”
Loud knocking, one could tell the person knocking had a lot of strength, but it was quickly interrupted by a cacophony of sounds.
“Xiaofeng, be gentle, don't disturb the neighbors.”
“I was already very gentle…”
“Let me!”
Another series of knocks.
Ye Yuxia silently got up, walked out of the bedroom in her nightgown, and glanced at the apartment's front door.
“Who is it? Making so much noise on a weekend, aren't you letting people sleep?”
The girl walked to the door in her slippers, sullenly opened it, and called out.
But as soon as her words fell, Ye Yuxia suddenly froze, meeting the gaze of the four people outside the door.
Nan Xiaofeng, wearing a long-sleeved hoodie and leggings; Hua Ling, wearing glasses as always; and Lin Muyao in a winter dress and Li Kexin in designer clothes.
Ye Yuxia stared at them blankly, momentarily even forgetting to open the door and invite them in.
“…Good morning, Miss Ye.”
Hua Ling stepped forward half a step and greeted Ye Yuxia.
“I am Hua Ling, you can also call me… Iris.”
.
The group sat on the living room sofa and stools. Nan Xiaofeng looked with interest at the Magic Girl merchandise display cabinet nearby, which was filled with various figures and merchandise, suggesting Ye Yuxia's family background.
But it couldn't compare to Li Kexin, that young lady. It was said that she even spent money to have manufacturers custom-make almost all Magic Girl holographic cards and laser ticket sets in the country, a level of extravagance that left Nan Xiaofeng speechless.
“I don't have much in the way of snacks at home, but I do have some drinks. What would you like to drink?”
“Juice!” “Cola!” “Do you have tea?”
Nan Xiaofeng's trio each said different drink names, then looked at each other.
Li Kexin remained silent, sitting primly on the edge of the sofa, like a dignified young lady.
Ye Yuxia didn't understand why they had suddenly come to find her.
Her address wasn't hard to find; it was registered with the Hero Association, but why would they come to her at this delicate time?
Could it be…
“This should be the first time we've met like this, right?”
Li Kexin suddenly spoke.
Ye Yuxia, who was placing drinks on the coffee table, froze for a moment, looked up and met Li Kexin's gaze, but then involuntarily and deliberately looked away.
“Yes, it's truly the first time.”
“You two have never met in person? What a joke.” Nan Xiaofeng looked surprised.
Li Kexin smiled wryly and nodded.
Not only had they never met, but she had never even heard Ye Yuxia's name before.
Maisui Squad always assembled temporarily when something happened, and then quickly returned home after the battle, unlike Hyacinth Squad, who could gather offline to visit anime conventions and buy merchandise.
“You specifically came to find me because of what happened last time, didn't you?”
Ye Yuxia knew very well the reason Li Kexin came to find her.
Not long ago, after a mission to intercept a Monster, she had shifted the responsibility for the city's destruction onto Li Kexin. Coupled with Li Kexin's stubborn personality, she unhappily withdrew from the Sui City Squad.
But Mai Sui had bravely come to rescue her in the Demon King City yesterday, completely disregarding Ye Yuxia's previous ostracism of her.
This brought deep astonishment and shock to Ye Yuxia.
She really was a burden to her, Ye Yuxia thought.
Once she left the Sui City Squad, Li Kexin immediately became cheerful, and even quickly made friends like Nan Xiaofeng.
But what about herself?
Because of her blind self-confidence, not only Violet and Edelweiss, but even Bai Lili and Hyacinth were dragged into it.
“You could say yes, and you could say no.”
Li Kexin smiled slightly.
“Yuxia, may I call you that? I'm told it sounds more intimate.”
“…Whatever you want.”
Ye Yuxia was a little unaccustomed to this form of address, but she still nodded.
“I don't like beating around the bush, so I'll be direct.”
“I will continue to be active in Rong City for a while, learning how to fight strong opponents like Xin Yuehu and Hellcat, but I will return to Sui City very soon to continue fighting Monsters.”
“Since yesterday's incident, I've realized that I am always a member of the Sui City Squad. No matter where I am, you are my companions, and if you encounter danger, I will rush to support you immediately.”
Li Kexin gazed at Ye Yuxia, who looked surprised.
“I learned a lot from Hyacinth and them.”
“Magic Girls are born to protect.”
“No matter what conflicts happened in the past, we are still friends who fought side by side, we are always companions.”
“…And, I also want to apologize to you.”
After a pause, Li Kexin showed a wry smile,
“Actually… my original intention for becoming a Magic Girl was to make a close friend.”
“I never knew what I truly liked, what I wanted to do. After becoming Mai Sui, I was always at a loss.”
“I… actually always wanted to be friends with you, with Edelweiss and Violet… that… I…”
The girl was a little shy, quietly pinching the hem of her skirt, creating a few wrinkles.
“Although it's a bit late, can I be friends with you, Yuxia?”
Ye Yuxia was silent for a long time.
But before she could reply, Nan Xiaofeng's smiling face appeared between the two of them.
“Hehe, why be shy? Since we're friends, let's go out and have fun all day on this rare weekend, to celebrate our hard-won victory!”
“Xiaofeng, don't ruin the mood!”
The girls' laughter echoed in the living room, bringing smiles to Ye Yuxia and Li Kexin as well.
The former companions looked at each other and smiled.
“I also want to apologize to you.”
Ye Yuxia said with a bitter expression,
“I shouldn't have shifted my responsibility onto you, because… because at that time, I felt that if I pushed all the blame onto you, no one would criticize me anymore… I'm sorry.”
“It's okay, I understand. After all, our tactics really were…”
Both of them simultaneously remembered the title of 'Public Facilities Destroyer' and smiled awkwardly.
“Oh, speaking of that, do you really not want to go out and have fun together today?” Nan Xiaofeng suddenly interjected again.
Li Kexin seriously considered the proposal, turning her gaze to Ye Yuxia, who was also deep in thought.
“…Alright then.”
“Today, let's go visit Violet and them.”
The girl said softly, as if having made up her mind.