Chapter 32: The Crystal’s Return

The stairwell leading to the rooftop.

The school’s rooftop was never open, and naturally, people rarely ventured here.

Perhaps a few mischievous young couples might sneak away for a clandestine rendezvous, exchanging playful banter. But for now, at least, there was no one in sight.

It was perfect for undisturbed solitude.

Chao Wu stood in the corner of the stairwell, her fingers restlessly rubbing together.

Only this morning, still adrift in her confusion, she had shared an intimate moment with Ling Xing right here.

The sensation, that warm touch, seemed to linger on her fingertips.

It was Ling Xing’s slender hand that had given her the courage to face her shattered dreams, the confidence to reclaim hope, and a chance to continue living.

And it was precisely to chase Ling Xing’s warmth that Chao Wu had joined the Dark Organization.

But… why?

Even after joining the Dark Organization, why did Ling Xing remain so distant? No matter how hard Chao Wu tried, she couldn’t reach her.

Those small hands, which had once brought Chao Wu such warmth, why…

Why were they now holding the hand of Kuonji Mashiro, the Magical Girl, appearing before her like this?

“Oh, you silly Magical Girl—”

Oblivious to Chao Wu’s dazed expression, Ling Xing entered, a lighthearted smile gracing her lips.

Behind her, the Magical Girl who should have been an enemy, the elegant Young Lady Kuonji, arrived with Ling Xing, her hand casually clasped in Ling Xing’s, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Their expressions were so utterly natural that for a fleeting moment, Chao Wu wondered if her own concern was merely oversensitivity.

Was she the one who knew nothing at all, merely indulging in self-pity?

“…I’m not a Magical Girl anymore, Ling Xing.”

She had been able to call her by name before, but now… the old moniker had returned.

Why, why had she become so distant again?

Chao Wu’s restlessly rubbing fingers slowly tightened with her rising emotions, clenching into a fist.

“Hm? Oh, right, I’ve been monopolizing the crystal all this time, preventing you from being a Magical Girl. My apologies.”

Ling Xing, seemingly still oblivious to the girl’s emotional turmoil, flicked her fingers, and in the blink of an eye, something appeared at her fingertips.

Clasped between her fingers, sparkling…

“A crys…tal?”

It was the very beginning of their story, the transformation crystal Chao Wu herself had accidentally thrown, striking Ling Xing.

Chao Wu had believed it would forever be intertwined with Ling Xing, a part of herself inseparably fused with Ling Xing, becoming an irreplaceable part of each other.

But now.

“Yes, I’ve looked into it. My body needs at least one crystal—but thanks to a certain kind soul who lost to me in another gamble, I no longer need to occupy yours.”

This part Chao Wu had believed to be indivisible, along with the deeds she thought only she could accomplish, had all been replaced.

“I’ve already spoken with Mashiro. That failure won’t be recorded in your file, so you can return to the organization and resume being a Magical Girl.”

The step she had taken with such courage, now returned to its origin.

To continue being a Magical Girl, to fulfill the dream she had cherished since childhood.

This was how things should have been; Chao Wu should have been overjoyed.

But…

Just today, the dream she had striven for so long had been cast aside by Chao Wu herself.

She had already resolved to abandon her past and follow the girl before her. How could she bear to return to a hazy, ignorant past, clinging to a false dream?

“What is this… a test from the org—organization? An el—elite combatant senior? I am a combatant, aren’t I?”

She shouldn’t have said it, revealing a secret that should have been hidden, her identity, right in front of Young Lady Kuonji.

But it no longer mattered.

What would happen to her, what consequences might arise—none of it mattered anymore.

She couldn’t let Ling Xing continue speaking like this; she had to stop her.

This was Chao Wu’s sole thought at that moment.

“No, truth be told, while I truly appreciate having a companion, someone to share activities with, you genuinely aren’t suited for the Dark Organization.”

Ling Xing, for once, reined in her smile, a hint of seriousness gracing her features.

“I can’t let my personal feelings ruin your life, you silly Magical Girl. A girl as upright, brave, resilient, and kind as you—I can’t imagine anyone better suited to be a Magical Girl, to become the first and most wonderful Magical Girl of your dreams.”

“……”

There was no need to refute her anymore.

Chao Wu listened numbly as Ling Xing spoke those words, watching her extend a small hand, offering the crystal.

The hand clenched into a fist slowly lost its strength, unclenching limply.

‘Was that praise, or disdain?’

‘Should she be grateful, or should she hate?’

Chao Wu couldn’t fathom an answer. She simply, numbly, and entirely out of instinct, reached out.

She took the crystal, the beginning of that day’s story, the one that had originally belonged to her.

“Ah… so… I’ve been fired.”

“Dal will still welcome you to play with her, and so will I.”

Clutching the treasure she had once held so dear, the crystal that was inherently hers.

Chao Wu turned away, no longer looking at Ling Xing, and delivered her final reply in an unfamiliar tone.

“What are you saying, Ling Xing? Magical Girls don’t stay with Dark Organizations, do they?”

She clutched the crystal tightly, even as its sharp edges cut into her palm, drawing blood.

The girl didn’t look back.

On her face… something warmer, more noticeable than the blood seeping from her palm, traced a path from the corner of her eye.

She didn’t want Ling Xing to see her like this.

So, she turned and walked away without a backward glance, denying Ling Xing any chance to see the expression on her face.

It wasn’t until she had departed that Young Lady Kuonji let out a disdainful scoff, speaking with a mocking tone.

“Hmph, the conditions you specifically proposed to me, a deal you were willing to take a huge loss to achieve—is this truly all there is to it in the end?”

“What else? Did you expect me to plant some super spy to single-handedly dismantle the entire Magical Girl Organization? I wouldn’t mind that, actually—”

Ling Xing watched the girl’s retreating back for a moment, then shrugged, her usual playful grin returning.

“I don’t understand. She had no family resistance or constraints, so why reject her? Or rather, after doing so much for her on your own accord, you rejected her without any benefit to yourself? Do you have some peculiar habit of self-torment and self-indulgence?”

“Can’t you see? Girls are quite innocent and emotional. If the Dark Organization has fallen so low as to fully accept and carelessly order around a girl they’ve only known for a day, a girl merely swayed by fleeting emotions, and casually destroy her life, then what difference is there between the Dark Organization and the Magical Girl Organization?”

Clink—

The handcuffs connecting the two jingled softly.

The Young Lady subtly raised her hand, causing Ling Xing’s hand to lift slightly as their gazes met.

How could Ling Xing, with such a petite and delicate frame, utter such righteous words?

The Young Lady… no, the Magical Girl known as Kuonji Mashiro, felt a long-lost sensation emanating from Ling Xing.

A feeling that no longer belonged to a Magical Girl whose spirit had been eroded by prolonged slaughter and conflict.

“Heh, I’m starting to think it would be a shame to simply break your limbs and collect you as a specimen. Count yourself lucky, Ling Xing, I won’t kill you after you lose tonight.

However, I’m finding school a bit tiresome. Before I decide how to deal with you, I’ll need to find something amusing to pass the time.”