Chapter 54: Asherah’s Unyielding Resolve

“How are you feeling? Can you still walk?”

Gazing up at Liu Tianze, who was being supported by Wen Qiusheng and Ji Lanxin, Polaris closely monitored the young man’s condition.

“I’m alright, but my body feels incredibly heavy, and my reactions are sluggish. I truly apologize…”

Liu Tianze flexed his left arm, the nerve impulses responding with such dullness that his movements appeared to be playing at half-speed.

Noticing the few lingering threads still binding Liu Tianze, Wen Qiusheng turned back to Black Mirror and bellowed, “Hey, what time is it? Brother Ze is already awake; quickly retract all your contraptions!”

Only minutes prior, he had been on his knees begging, yet now he had reverted to his usual boorish self; Black Mirror squinted at the arrogant young man, recalling how he had clung to her leg, sobbing uncontrollably from acrophobia when accompanying her here, and with a casual flick of her wrist, she withdrew the Inquisitor’s attack.

“Do you feel a bit better now, Brother Ze?”

Though he felt no discernible improvement, Liu Tianze still nodded to Wen Qiusheng, his gaze falling upon the similarly altered bodies of Wen Qiusheng and Ji Lanxin beside him, his eyes filled with profound guilt. “Even though it’s already too late, for you two to have transformed like this, I truly am so—”

“Stop, stop, stop! I told you not to apologize anymore. We barely managed to save your life; can you please spare me some worry? Honestly!” Ji Lanxin jabbed Liu Tianze’s waist with her elbow, cutting off his self-pity. “Don’t keep that long face. ‘I’m’ the one who wants to cry! Not only have I turned into this ugly monster, but I’m also soaking wet. Let’s go, quickly, stop dawdling in this rain.”

“Exactly, Brother Ze. Actually, my ability is pretty cool. Next time we get a chance, I’ll show you what I can do.”

Gazing at Liu Tianze’s somewhat strained smile, Ji Lanxin seemed to recall something suddenly, then leaned in close, rising slightly on her tiptoes.

“Speaking of which, I swore I’d give you a good slap once you, you big dummy, woke up.” Ji Lanxin declared, slowly raising her arm, clearly preparing to deliver a resounding smack.

Confronted by the hand suddenly appearing before his eyes, Liu Tianze instinctively closed them, yet the anticipated pain never arrived. When he opened his eyes again, a faint numbness spread across the other half of his face.

“You’re actually kind of handsome; it would be such a waste. I’ll just hit this side of your face.” In front of Liu Tianze, Ji Lanxin gently but firmly patted his cheek, then withdrew her hand as he looked at her with a hint of shyness.

“Brother Ze, speaking of which, can you control yourself and change back?”

In response, Liu Tianze paused. He furrowed his brow, seemingly attempting something, but then shook his head, utterly bewildered by his current physical state.

“Oh, and there’s something else…”

Not far off, Black Mirror, who had been silently observing Liu Tianze’s condition, had taken only two steps in his direction before being intercepted by someone both unexpected and entirely predictable.

“Don’t you dare take another step forward. I have something to ask you.” The orange-clad cosplay cat girl glared at her, arms crossed over her chest, her face etched with indignation.

‘As expected, once the crisis was resolved, things would revert to this state;’ Black Mirror was unsurprised upon sensing the gaze from behind her. ‘The fact that these Magical Girls hadn’t immediately attacked her suggested they were still somewhat adhering to Polaris’s instructions, but the drenched cat before her clearly found it difficult to let go of the situation.’

Magical Girl Asherah. Black Mirror had no particular impression of her, yet she understood perfectly why the other girl had approached her: it was undoubtedly for vengeance, a vendetta connected to the Rainbow Team.

‘So this is what the face of someone consumed by loathing and hatred looks like,’ she mused. ‘A burning rage, unquenchable even by the relentless rain, lay hidden beneath that skin and flesh, ready to ignite completely with the smallest spark.’

‘If she, too, one day found the potential killer of her own mother, would she become just like Asherah before her? Asherah was holding back, mindful of Polaris’s feelings and thoughts, not directly tearing into her. For Black Mirror, however, no such restraints or limitations currently existed.’

The endless rain brought with it a touch of melancholy, and Black Mirror felt a degree of pity for the impetuous young girl, knowing she would never find the answers she sought from her. Moreover, Black Mirror was certain that Polaris would never reveal anything related to it either.

‘When people feel dissatisfied with their current circumstances, they often overlook the possibility that those very circumstances might be the last remaining shred of decency.’

“I have nothing to say to you.”

“You!”

Seeing Black Mirror attempt to walk past her, Asherah, with immense effort, restrained herself and stepped sideways, once again blocking the indifferent girl’s path. Yet, the other girl consistently acted as if Asherah were beneath her notice, a fact that particularly infuriated her.

“If you don’t give me an explanation today, you won’t be leaving!”

At this, Black Mirror paused, her gaze sweeping over Asherah with a hint of mockery, deliberately testing the limits of her patience.

“What’s this? Since when did you Magical Girls become so amenable? Aren’t your fists and feet meant for annihilating Corrosive Entities? Why hold back then? Or do you imagine that by feigning such a pitiful, injured appearance, you can garner sympathy and get what you want? Stop dreaming.”

“You… you monster! How can you speak so casually after hurting others? The Rainbow Team tirelessly dedicated themselves to protecting this city, only to be… destroyed by you! What right did you have to do that?”

“Rainbow Team? Rainbow Team, Rainbow Team…” Black Mirror repeated the long-defunct name several times with a flippant tone, then shifted her gaze from Asherah to Polaris, who stood a little further away. Their eyes met for a brief moment.

“Since you’re so eager to know, I’ll tell you.”

Black Mirror paused, then took another half-step closer to Asherah, simultaneously lowering her body slightly. “Because they were too weak. So weak, in fact, that there was no longer any need for them to exist. That’s all.”

Before Asherah could utter another word, Black Mirror added, “Just as you Magical Girls eliminate Corrosive Entities harmful to you every day, I merely eliminated a few Magical Girls I found displeasing. What’s the problem?”

“I don’t care how many so-called good deeds they performed, nor how much hope they brought. In any case, those you care about will never appear before your eyes again, including that short girl clinging to life beside you. She won’t last much longer.”

Finally, Black Mirror tiptoed closer to Asherah’s ear, igniting the final spark. “Perhaps I should just tear apart her tattered armor right now. As a toy, she performed quite well, but ultimately, she’s become a bit of an eyesore.”

“——”

Asherah’s eyes widened, her entire body trembling slightly, her fists clenched tight. She looked like a volcano on the verge of eruption.

‘Yes, exactly like this. Easily provoked by words, ready to lash out like Shattered Diamond…’

“I truly cannot forgive you.”

Raising her fist, Asherah hesitated for a long moment. She stared directly into Black Mirror’s eyes, having imagined countless times her fist landing heavily on the other girl’s somewhat slender frame. Yet, in the end, her fist dropped, a sight that surprised Black Mirror.

Turning towards Polaris and Wen Qiusheng’s direction, Asherah, enveloped by her fury, took half a step back, subtly increasing the distance between herself and Black Mirror.

“Before I became a Magical Girl, Senior Polaris saved me. From that moment on, I always looked up to Magical Girls like her. The members of the Rainbow Team were the same. When I tried every possible way to join the Rainbow Team after becoming a Magical Girl, everyone accepted me with such warmth. They were incredibly kind to me, meticulously caring for me like a junior, and patiently guiding me.”

“My time with the Rainbow Team wasn’t actually very long, but… it was truly the most unforgettable and precious period of my life.”

“The Rainbow Team was my treasure.”

Taking a deep breath, Asherah continued, “So, when I learned that the Rainbow Team had disbanded and that my senior had suffered such grievous injuries, I was truly at a loss and completely unable to accept it. I knew the seniors must have wanted me to join another team out of concern for me, but I truly couldn’t do it. From that moment on, I kept wondering: who destroyed my treasure, shattered my dreams, and extinguished people’s hope?”

“Every night, I thought of you. What kind of being was Black Mirror? Why would you harm the seniors? Why would you be so cruel to Senior Polaris? No matter how I tried, I couldn’t find an answer. I could only continually layer more hatred onto my heart, imagining you as a truly heinous villain.”

“Now, I have finally met you. I have finally confirmed your intentions, and I have finally confirmed my own resolve.”

“You truly are, without a doubt, an utterly wicked person.”

A gaze filled with complex emotions darted across Black Mirror’s form, yet Asherah’s words continued.

“Ultimately, you are merely a villain who, driven by your own selfish desires, recklessly harms others. You are evil. You are a Magical Girl, and an enemy of the people. Even if, as a consequence, you might have saved some lives, fundamentally, you merely revel in manipulating the actions and destinies of others. I once tried to understand your motives, but I realize now that I was mistaken.”

“The moment you chose to align yourself with evil, you forfeited the right to be understood by us. Evil is, after all, simply evil. All I need to do is defeat you with all my might, and that will be enough.”

“……”

Upon hearing these words, Black Mirror’s eyes narrowed slightly. This little one, though outwardly impetuous, possessed a mind far more intricate than Black Mirror had anticipated.

“Polaris, your little follower certainly has a silver tongue. She speaks far better than you ever could.”

Standing beside Liu Tianze, Polaris offered no response. Asherah, however, stepped half a pace to the side, using her body to obstruct Black Mirror’s line of sight.

“I am no one’s subordinate, nor will I allow my senior to be casually dismissed by you. I will not be provoked by you any longer. You want to infuriate me, to prove that I am a fool easily toyed with, but I… I won’t let you succeed.”

“The enemy you painstakingly sought stands before you, freely admitting to its heinous deeds. It has insulted your dreams, trampled your hopes, and threatened your future. Can you truly control this rage? One day, it will surely consume you entirely, melting your reason like crackling grease in a fire.”

Asherah calmly shook her head, her taut body gradually relaxing.

“…I am not like you. I have my companions; I am not alone. Therefore, no matter the circumstances, I will never be left with only this one option. Just like those three over there, I believe someone will always be there to pull me back.”

“I will not succumb to hatred and despair.”

Although the disparity in power between Asherah and Black Mirror was immense, Asherah’s aura was undeniably superior at this moment, prompting Wen Qiusheng, who was observing the situation from a distance, to exclaim, “So cool… I wish I could say a line like that just once.”

“Stop looking over there, Big Silly Qiu! Come and help us!”

And just as Asherah had declared, she was not alone. Baoyu also stepped to her side, staring directly at the enemy before them. “We fight to protect people’s beautiful lives. You are merely one of the obstacles that have suddenly appeared on this path. Eliminating you is not the original intention behind us becoming Magical Girls.”

“Exactly, just as Baoyu said. We and our seniors will ensure those three are safely escorted away. You won’t be able to exploit them again; we will stop you.”

Stop her? That was hardly a humorous joke. These few present posed no substantial threat to her whatsoever. Asherah had better not assume that Black Mirror hadn’t attacked them because their strengths were comparable.

As if sensing Black Mirror’s disdain, Baoyu promptly added, “Our reinforcements are already en route. Even if you manage to defeat us, others absolutely will not allow you to leave with them.”

That, at least, was the truth. Black Mirror, her expression unchanged, calculated the time in her mind. Rainbow’s trick couldn’t stall the Magic Supervision Department and other Magical Girls for much longer. With Liu Tianze’s consciousness restored, she had precious little time left. She needed to extract the information she desired from Liu Tianze as quickly as possible.

“Alright, I admit I see your resolve at this very moment, Asherah. You’re certainly more interesting than that little coward over there.”

After subtly insulting Polaris once more, Black Mirror redirected her gaze to Asherah. In that instant, the cat girl’s form became overlaid with faint shadows from her memories.

“But Asherah, I’ve seen far too many Magical Girls like you, who pride themselves on justice. And just as you said, you will never approve of anything I’ve done, nor will I pay attention to what you Magical Girls say. Your Polaris once spoke similar words, but you’ve seen the truth: she failed.”

‘And what difference, then, could there be between you and her?’

‘Magical Girls promised to protect lives, to protect cities, to protect hope. But sometimes, they were simply too weak to even save those they cherished most.’

And as if to confirm Black Mirror’s pessimistic conjecture, a crisp shattering sound suddenly echoed in her mind, like a heavy object violently smashing against a car’s windshield.

Black Mirror blinked her purple eyes in stunned disbelief. The next instant, she abruptly turned her head to look at Liu Tianze, who was not far away, her eyes clouded by a shadow of unease as she realized something.

Almost simultaneously, she saw Liu Tianze forcefully shake off Wen Qiusheng, then collapse to his knees, his face contorted in agony.

And the ominous shattering sound in her mind continued to intensify.