Chapter 77: The Burden of a Hero’s Son

Since Ye Liuyun’s birth, his mother had always been by his side.

His mother was incredibly powerful; he had investigated her past.

Magical Girl Carnelian?

That was merely a later iteration of her strength. In her youth, his mother had been even more formidable than the Magical Girl Carnelian known today.

In her early years, his mother wasn’t just a hero in Clear Sky City. Her sphere of influence extended beyond their province, encompassing other regions, the entire nation, and even reaching global proportions.

Powerful, unparalleled.

Magical Girl Carnelian, who had nearly become a symbol of justice, was often sought out for assistance. Local Magical Girls would request her aid for any grotesque monster or demon problem they couldn’t resolve.

She would then transform into a streak of vibrant crimson light, streaking across the sky, arriving at the scene, and swiftly resolving the matter.

But the immense power of Magical Girl Carnelian ended with the birth of her child.

Magical Girls are a convergence of the world’s positive energy. The more a Magical Girl embodies humanity’s hope, love, and justice, and the more these forces are entrusted to her, the stronger she becomes.

Thus, the world of Magical Girls is inherently cruel, typically favoring the strong to grow even stronger. A powerful Magical Girl can solve more problems, garner more love and hope, and inspire more people to place their trust in her.

This allows a Magical Girl to wield even greater power, enabling her to tackle even more formidable challenges. It formed a virtuous cycle.

Of course, possessing great power usually meant confronting even more dangerous adversaries. This process was often perilous, and becoming the ‘strongest’ required putting one’s life on the line.

Yet, Carnelian voluntarily withdrew.

She vanished from public sight to nurture her child.

Humans are not heartless creatures, but they are undeniably pragmatic.

While some remembered Carnelian’s glory and her kindness, their emotions inevitably flowed towards new Magical Girls.

Magical Girl Carnelian had grown weaker.

She was now accompanied by a child.

Whispers began to circulate that the child was, in fact, the offspring of a grotesque monster. It was rumored that Carnelian’s final battle before her disappearance had ended in defeat, and she had only triumphed by using her own body as bait.

This became a blemish on Magical Girl Carnelian’s reputation.

No one openly acknowledged this rumor, yet no one refuted it either. Of course, no one was foolish enough to confront Carnelian directly and ask her about it.

As a child, Ye Liuyun was oblivious to these whispers. He simply felt that he was a burden to his mother.

So, when his mother held him to very high standards, he studied diligently. This included both combat techniques and various other subjects.

He noticed that his mother didn’t seem particularly pleased when he mastered combat skills. However, when he learned academic knowledge or peculiar facts, she would always beam with a gentle smile.

His mother believed that no matter how much his combat skills improved, he would never surpass her in power. She understood that he could never be like her, a Magical Girl, facing countless formidable opponents.

However, she felt differently about the pursuit of knowledge. His mother believed that he could contribute to society through scientific means.

During his studies, he naturally learned about the concept of schools. Since his mother cherished his learning, he developed an obsession with schools.

He imagined everyone learning together, mutually inspiring and improving one another. It seemed like a wonderful prospect.

When he reached high school age, he brought up the idea to his mother.

For the first time, he saw such a complex expression on her face. And it was also the first time his mother agreed to his request to leave her side.

Everything was novel to him. He enjoyed making friends with different people; he wanted to befriend everyone in his class. In this particular class, there was a peculiar individual named Ye Liuyun.

This person was quite strange.

This individual, with their mortal body, had stopped a grotesque demon. They had even helped Magical Girl Emerald.

Despite their apparent reclusiveness, Ye Liuyun knew this person was remarkably intelligent, meticulously controlling their academic performance.

Why could they achieve such feats while he could not? Why, as a fellow ordinary person, could they assist a Magical Girl, while he, the top student to their second, could only remain under the protection of his Magical Girl mother?

In short, why were they so ‘powerful’?

Upon hearing of this matter, Ye Liuyun truly understood the meaning of ‘powerful’ for the first time.

Through his interactions with friends, he gradually realized that the relationship between his mother and himself was not right—their dynamic was pathological.

She was too afraid of him getting hurt, too afraid of anything happening to him. But as the child of a hero, he didn’t want to be a burden to his mother, an impediment to her dreams.

He thought, if he hadn’t been born, perhaps his mother’s dream, her wish, would still be alive. Perhaps the existence known as Magical Girl Carnelian would have long become a symbol of peace.

His clandestine departure from home this time wasn’t due to frustration from a monster attack, seeking relaxation. Rather, he intended to investigate past records.

His mother would never research too much about herself.

He needed an environment where he could be alone to investigate the true and false intelligence from the past. He also needed to truly understand what had happened back then; it was crucial to him.

After ensuring he had indeed escaped his mother and entered this private room, akin to a bathhouse, he encountered someone there.

He recognized the person’s identity.

A burly physique, clad in a neat suit… that wasn’t particularly distinctive. The most iconic feature was the ox-headed mask on their face.

“Ox Mask… what do you want?”

“Don’t misunderstand, Ye Liuyun. I am not Rat Mask. We harbor no ill will towards you outsiders.” His voice was deep and magnetic, inspiring involuntary trust.

Ye Liuyun, of course, knew the other party had ‘no ill will.’ After all, if they truly intended to do something, they would have acted already, and he would be no match for Ox Mask.

But the other party seemed willing to communicate. He knew this might be a villain’s twisted pleasure, intending to use him for something, perhaps related to his birth.

“There once was a scientist, whom we called the New Era Leader—”

The other party simply provided Ye Liuyun with a document and then departed.

As Ye Liuyun reviewed the document, he confirmed only one thing from the detailed information.

He was the child of a grotesque monster.

He was the blemish on Magical Girl Carnelian. Moreover, because of his existence, his mother couldn’t even retire from her role as a Magical Girl. She had to maintain her facade, endure malicious speculation, and protect him under the guise of a Magical Girl.

His existence was a sin.

He knew he shouldn’t continue to dwell on it. He knew that malice and negative energy might consume him.

But then he thought.

If he was his mother’s blemish, and if his mother personally killed him, if this blemish was erased—would his mother then be able to stand in the sunlight again, like other Magical Girls? Could his mother continue her dream?

So, he stepped out.

He saw his mother standing just outside the massive building, gazing at him.

She loved him so deeply. Even if he was her blemish, even if he had destroyed her dreams, she still loved him this way. She was a truly great person.

But was she truly great? Was her preventing him from leaving not merely to keep this ‘blemish’ from being exposed?

Ye Liuyun wished these intrusive thoughts would be scraped from his mind, but his will was already beginning to waver, negative energy corroding everything.

He began to drift into a deep slumber.

‘Let me become a grotesque demon, and cleanse Mother’s stain.’

“Kill me, Mama.”

A grotesque demon was born there.

Hiding nearby, Ox Mask merely shook his head in resignation.

“Is the love between a mother and child truly incomparable to the love between lovers? Ye Liuyun and his mother’s bond is so profound. Why couldn’t he become an entity capable of controlling grotesque demon powers, like the original masterpiece?

Or perhaps, there’s a gap between my skill and that of the New Era Leader? It shouldn’t be. Scientific technology is constantly advancing; I’ve already completed research into induced grotesque monsters. And before me, mad scientists created Kamen Riders.

Combining their data, a fervent emotion is the sole factor that allows one to maintain sanity within the powers of grotesque monsters and demons, becoming a superhuman.”

The expression beneath his mask turned cold. “Could it be that I chose the wrong subject? That Ye Liuyun merely appeared to love his mother, but deep down, he harbored feelings of disgust and pain?

Human emotions are indeed difficult to comprehend. No wonder they are called an ‘unsolvable problem.’ Perhaps those two merely had better luck, finding suitable material.”

He gradually faded into the night.

****

Soon after, Magical Girl Ink Crystal arrived.

At this moment, Magical Girl Carnelian wept aloud. The last time she had cried was over a decade ago, when the man named Ye Feng died.

“This is clearly between me and my child! What right do you have to interfere! My child wants to kill him! How could I possibly kill him! He is my beloved! He is my reason for living! To me…”

Her eyes were brimming with tears. “I beg you, Kamen Rider… I’ll do anything you ask… Just don’t take my child from me. He is my only treasure…”

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