Chapter 43: The Weight of a Miracle

The azure sky stretched, an unbroken expanse of blue, yet it had been a long time since most people had dared to look directly at this ever-revolving dome where the sun rose and the moon set. Humanity had never imagined a day when even gazing up at the heavens would become an unforeseen luxury. The relentless pressure of life forced their eyes downward, fixed on what lay before them, stopping at their feet, leaving them with no choice but to endure, to strive with all their might yet still be compelled to live in quiet desperation.

The young woman lay spread-eagled on the grass, the temperature beneath her perfectly pleasant; it offered a gentle warmth without becoming stifling. It was much like the soft daylight before her; at this moment, simply clearing her mind and surrendering completely to nature would yield a period of profound relaxation for both body and mind.

“……Haaah…”

Yet, the young woman found no solace in it. After slowly exhaling a sigh laden with regret, she raised her legs, crossed them, and then, with a sudden jolt, sat up from the ground.

“I was careless…”

Asherah casually brushed away the leaf that had fallen on her head. The cicadas’ chorus from the woods reminded her of that gunshot. Yes, she had lost. She had lost to Baoyu and Senior Polaris, all because of her own oversight.

As a gifted athlete, Asherah was no stranger to the bitter taste of defeat. While she often emerged victorious, climbing the podium with immense pride, victory was, after all, not her exclusive right. In this fiercely competitive era, situations where one could not win even with their utmost effort were commonplace; in that regard, she had been fortunate enough.

However, the frustration of losing after giving her all was starkly different from losing due to her own mistakes. She had been too preoccupied with seeking a superficial sense of satisfaction, and consequently, she had faltered at the crucial moment. If she hadn’t chosen to kick Baoyu’s pistol away but instead attacked her directly, would the outcome have been different? If, in the instant she lost sight of her target, her mind hadn’t gone blank with panic, but instead she had dedicated her full attention to tracking Baoyu’s movements, would the outcome have been different?

Asherah disliked failures caused by her own errors, for she detested the regret and remorse that followed, and the part of herself that endlessly replayed ‘what if’ scenarios. This was an injustice to the battle itself, an insult to the opponent who had bested her, and a complete self-repudiation. A loss was a loss; offering excuses would only make her look worse.

Baoyu had performed even better than Asherah had expected. Although Asherah already considered her a dependable ally, subconsciously she still viewed her as an inexperienced novice. Yet, Baoyu had proven with her actual performance that this was an incomplete prejudice. Her formidable strength, which should not be underestimated, wasn’t merely due to possessing three magical armaments simultaneously; rather, she inherently possessed the ability to master multiple magical armaments, and thus was granted this validation.

Throughout the battle, she had constantly thought about how to leverage the advantages of her magical armaments while mitigating their drawbacks. She was calm, quick-witted, and adept at seizing opportunities. Her remarkable adaptability in combat meant her marksmanship grew increasingly precise as the battle progressed, fully displaying the suppressive force and formidable threat of gun-type magical armaments.

Most importantly, even when she had the upper hand, she did not let her guard down. She reacted swiftly upon first encountering String Moon’s magical armament ability, and even after her hunting rifle was knocked away, she immediately began devising a counter-strategy, ultimately capitalizing on Asherah’s mistake to turn the tide and secure victory.

“I can’t shake the feeling that Baoyu is even more calculating than she appears… Is it just my imagination?” Asherah, choosing not to dwell on it, glanced around. “Speaking of which, I haven’t seen String Moon yet. That means she’s still fighting in the Dream Weaving Ring, right?”

It was rare for the other person to cooperate with her, and she had messed things up… While String Moon would probably still maintain her unapproachable demeanor, Asherah knew she still needed to properly thank her when they met later. That was her personal principle.

Having made up her mind, Asherah had just taken a step forward when a thunderous boom erupted from the training ground not far away. Almost simultaneously, a figure suddenly appeared barely half a meter in front of her. Before Asherah could react, she was knocked to the ground by that figure, her chest bearing the full weight of the other person’s body.

“Ugh, cough, cough, cough—what’s happening?”

Asherah was utterly bewildered by the situation. Her hand brushed against a slippery mass, and she instinctively clutched it, which in turn elicited a faint grumble from above.

“That hurts like hell.”

“Ah, it’s you, you got sent out too—Pweh! Cough, cough, what are you doing? Why did you suddenly hit me! That really hurts!”

Asherah, recognizing String Moon, was just about to exchange pleasantries, when String Moon, who was still cushioning her fall, suddenly jabbed her sharply in the stomach with an elbow. Without the Dream Weaving Ring’s limitations, the pain registered with an undeniable, sharp reality.

“Stop pulling my hair, you stupid cat.”

String Moon irritably climbed off Asherah. After that clumsy fool who dropped the ball at the critical juncture was dealt with, String Moon had been forced to face Baoyu and Polaris alone. Baoyu, who had completely seized control of the rhythm, had successfully suppressed her with an unassailable offensive, ultimately retrieving the hunting rifle and firing the decisive blow.

Asherah’s assurances had been loud and clear, yet when given the chance, she had promptly handed victory away. String Moon felt exasperated by Asherah’s impulsiveness and bluntness. However, the thought that this scatterbrained individual, with whom she had never once coordinated, had managed to figure out her complex, powerful wind currents in such a short time made the solitary wind-wielder’s mood unexpectedly complex.

“Hah? Who are you calling a stupid cat! You were the one who suddenly got thrown over like a basketball and landed on me like a dead weight, weren’t you!”

String Moon averted her gaze with a cold snort, pulling back the hand that had briefly emerged from her sleeve.

“Alright, seniors, it’s over, so let’s not argue anymore.”

Both of them simultaneously looked in the direction of the voice, to see Baoyu walking towards them with her hunting rifle slung over her back. Even if the speaker may not have intended it, her status as the victor imbued Baoyu with an air of composure and ease in their eyes.

“I’m not a child,” Asherah denied in a distinctly awkward tone. After brushing the dirt from her clothes and standing up, she deliberately put two paces of distance between herself and String Moon, making her recently spoken words sound even less convincing.

“I lost.” String Moon admitted the outcome of the simulated battle without hesitation. After giving a slight nod to Baoyu, she began to wipe the blade of her combat weapon with her sleeve. Notably, she didn’t say “we,” but still only “I.”

“By the way, Baoyu, where’s Senior Polaris? Isn’t she with you?”

“Senior Polaris? She said she still needed to find Xirang. She should be in the training ground now.”

****

At the same time, Polaris returned the used Dream Weaving Ring to Xirang.

“Thank you so much for providing us with this invaluable training opportunity, Xirang. It was a tremendous help.”

“It’s the Magic Supervision Department’s directive, don’t misunderstand.” Xirang took the Dream Weaving Ring and tucked it back into a pocket on her person. “A new team’s first request for this always goes relatively smoothly, but don’t expect it to be so easy next time.”

“Yes, I understand. We won’t be requesting to use the Dream Weaving Ring again anytime soon. Such a precious device certainly wouldn’t be given to a team lacking cohesion, would it? Speaking of which…” Polaris looked at the ground in the training area, scarred by various damages sustained during the battle. Compared to a real fight, this could indeed only be called mere skirmishes.

“What do you think?”

“Do you believe I would waste my time watching your amateurish games?”

“I merely wanted to hear your opinion.”

Xirang glanced down at the short, red-haired woman who seemed so convinced that she had been observing their simulated battle. After a moment of silence, she slowly spoke, “Unbearable to watch. Utterly substandard. A complete waste of time.”

“…Hmm, while the actual situation is largely true, isn’t that a bit too harsh?”

“Harsh? A cripple with incomplete magical armaments, two hot potatoes utterly lacking in synergy and constantly dragging each other down, plus a simple, effective gun-wielder. An utterly laughable combination. Polaris, I don’t pity you for your current state, but the thought of you, like a nanny wrangling children, taking all these problem children no one else wanted to take on under your wing—that almost makes me pity you.”

“Leaving aside the newcomer who, despite being the biggest potential problem, causes no one any worry, Asherah and String Moon, those thorns in the Magic Supervision Department’s side who always insisted on not forming a team, were both dumped on you. Polaris, Polaris, do you owe the Magic Supervision Department money, or do they have some leverage against you, to make you directly take on such a messy situation?”

Finally, Xirang glanced at Polaris’s seemingly frail, small frame and added one final remark.

“Even if you think of yourself as a resilient safe, holding all those things, you won’t last long.”

Facing Xirang’s sharp, incisive critique, Polaris did not refute anything, but rather agreed with most of her statements.

“You were watching quite closely, weren’t you?”

“Your team practically has its problems written on its face; there’s no need to even look.”

“…Indeed, with the current members, we are still too immature as a team. But, problem children…” Polaris’s gaze drifted into the distance. She vaguely discerned the three girls standing within the shaded area of the team. The summer sunlight was so dazzling it made her squint, and their figures blurred, merging with certain memories.

“Everyone possessed strong personalities, no one willing to compromise or accommodate others, constantly arguing, often over disparaging each other’s magical armaments, even coming to blows… So-called problem children, that’s precisely the kind of people they were, right?”

“You’re not talking about them, are you?”

“No, I’m talking about my past self, and… the Rainbow Team.” Polaris’s nostalgic tone faded. She blinked, and the old illusions vanished from her sight. “The Rainbow Team was once called the bottom-feeder team filled with problem children, and I, some even called me the ‘Weakest Magical Girl.'”

As she spoke of this past self, long forgotten by most and never known to the public, Polaris’s voice showed no trace of shame or wistfulness; instead, it was imbued with a touch of pride.

“Now I’m Jingping City’s barely-functioning nanny, Polaris. Some things are impossible to replicate. It is precisely because they cannot be mimicked or reproduced by others that people call them ‘miracles.'”

“Miracles.” Polaris softly echoed the word. “I understand, Xirang. Precisely because I was once a member of the Rainbow Team, I am even more certain that such a team was truly unique.”

Saying this, Polaris took a step, walking into the warm sunlight before her, towards her current companions. “But aren’t Magical Girls precisely the ones who bring about miracles? I have always believed this. It was true then, it is true now, and it will surely be true in the future.”

“I believe in my team, and I believe in my teammates. I believe they can go further than I, and bring more hope. I believe everything will be alright.”

“…”

After watching the small-statured captain, burdened with a great mission, depart, Xirang silently manipulated the nearby earth to restore it to its original state. She had seen many naive idealists; most of them met with unfortunate ends, like fireworks that brilliantly bloomed in the night sky only to swiftly fade away, carrying a cheap sense of self-satisfaction.

Polaris, however, had merely gone a little further down that path. Xirang had thought the current Polaris had suffered enough to become more realistic, but now it seemed… the short woman who constantly took a beating in battle still hadn’t suffered enough.

As a cripple who had almost lost her magical armaments and had one foot in the grave, relying solely on sheer perseverance and imitation, how long could she truly hold on?

****

On the other side, Polaris reunited with String Moon, Asherah, and Baoyu. She noticed Baoyu’s occasional glances towards the other two, Asherah’s expression as if she wanted to do something but was forcibly holding back, and String Moon’s movements, seemingly maintaining her magical armament but with her hand repeatedly lingering in the same spot since earlier. Polaris understood that this simulated battle might have failed in terms of improving their strength and coordination, but it had indeed stirred something within them, drawing out their emotions. This burgeoning, unknown stir was the true purpose behind her organizing this simulation.

‘Thank you, Moshue. Please let me be you for a little while longer.’

“Alright, everyone.” Polaris clapped her hands, drawing everyone’s attention to herself. “While your memories and impressions are still fresh, I’d like to hear your honest thoughts about this simulated battle. Don’t worry about anyone else’s feelings; strong words are fine. I want to hear your true sentiments.”

“Me! Me, me, me!” Asherah was the first to raise her cat-like hand. “I have something to say, Senior!”

“Hmm, Asherah, you go first then.”

“I had prepared so, so, so many things to say, Senior, but right now, what I want to say most is—” Asherah suddenly swung her fists and kicked, as if fighting an invisible enemy. “Ahhh, it’s such a pity, I was so, so close to winning! I’m still so incredibly frustrated!”

After venting her emotions with a nearly shouted volume, Asherah clutched her chest and let out a sigh of relief. She looked at everyone present, one by one.

“First, you, Senior, you liar, saying worrying things like you couldn’t be a Magical Girl anymore. You’re still so amazing, aren’t you? If you were serious, I wouldn’t have been able to break through your interception at all; I’m very clear on that. So please, Senior, guide us well. I will work hard and become stronger. Even though I lost this time, my promise to you, Senior, won’t change.”

“Baoyu, you… Baoyu, well… uh… you’re really good at fighting. Even though I’m supposed to be the senior, this time I completely lost to you in terms of mindset, Baoyu… Ahhh, how can you always be so calm? And you coordinate so well with Senior, it almost makes me a little jealous. But I’m also very happy to see such a good performance from you, Baoyu. You’re very trustworthy. If it’s you, even if I occasionally get hot-headed, I can safely entrust my back to you. But, but it would be best if you gave a heads-up when you’re about to use that hunting rifle, I’m still not quite used to the sound of that gun.”

“Finally—hey! String Moon! Don’t you dare leave! I haven’t finished speaking, String Moon. I don’t know why you’re so resistant to teamwork, nor do I understand what you’ve been through. You never say anything, making it impossible to know what you’re thinking, and the few words that do escape your mouth always manage to be irritating. You’re really difficult to get along with—so I’m not letting you leave! Anyway, what I want to say is, whether or not you consider yourself a member of this team, I will treat you as a companion. If you truly don’t want to cooperate, I won’t force you to do anything. However, once we coordinate better and become stronger, if you’re still at this level, I won’t hesitate to forcibly commandeer your wind, just like I did earlier. Regardless, your wind makes me feel quite exhilarating when I run, hehe.”

After mustering the courage to speak her heart, Asherah realized she didn’t immediately hear any response. Already feeling a bit embarrassed, her face now flushed with a hint of red. “P-please say something, everyone! Don’t just let me be the only one talking! Did I say something wrong…?”

“No, you spoke very well, Asherah.” Polaris smiled softly, a faint smile, yet one that held a comforting warmth. “I think we all understand your feelings.”

Having said this, she shifted her gaze to the others, waiting patiently and gently.

“Hmm, that’s a very Asherah-like answer.” With a somewhat complex tone, Baoyu picked up the conversation. She envied Asherah’s ability to express her feelings so honestly, envied her freedom to live so naturally, and within that envy, a hint of jealousy subtly lingered.

She was jealous that Asherah’s heartfelt words were so moving and effective. If it were her, she might be able to say something similar, but that would be because she knew what words would elicit the desired response. Just as she had discerned that approaching String Moon with a gentle attitude wasn’t an effective way to build an emotional connection; on the contrary, a confrontational approach would better capture her attention and open a breakthrough for communication, thus keeping String Moon bound to this team.

Baoyu could achieve these things too, but her results would be deliberately engineered. Asherah, however, could achieve them purely through intuition and honesty. This ‘talent’ sparked a touch of jealousy in Baoyu.

“…Thank you, Asherah.”

Baoyu fell silent for a moment. Her gaze swept past Asherah, whose ear tips were faintly reddened, then she lowered her eyelids, as if deliberating something.

Moments later, she looked up, her voice still calm: “I also want to become someone you all can rely on.”

Simple yet earnest words echoed in the air. She gripped the buckle of her gun strap, seemingly drawing strength from the action.

Then, Baoyu returned to her usual composure:

“However, returning to the battle itself—this victory wasn’t because I was strong enough, but simply because Senior Polaris stood in front of me, helping me circumvent all unfavorable factors.”

“Moreover, no matter which pair, the so-called coordination is still just a scattered mess, far from being a proper team. Most of the time, we simply rely on our individual magical armament abilities to fight.”

Baoyu, despite being the least experienced member of the team, offered her calm yet somewhat pessimistic assessment. Compared to Asherah and String Moon, her coordination with Polaris could indeed be considered decent, but only because Polaris’s performance was exceptionally stable, allowing Baoyu to simply follow her lead.

Having constantly paid attention to Polaris’s movements during the simulated battle, Baoyu noticed that Asherah’s two seemingly successful breakthroughs were, in fact, orchestrated by Polaris’s deliberate instructions. Polaris not only wanted to test Asherah and String Moon but also set a challenge for herself. Baoyu had privately informed Polaris about her dagger’s abilities and consulted her, so her actions after losing both guns should have also been within Polaris’s calculations.

“Of course, I also learned a lot. Asherah’s control over the environmental factors, her intuitive grasp of opportunities, and Senior String Moon’s approach to developing her magical armament… these are all areas where I need to learn.”

Finally, she took a deep breath, reining in any superfluous emotions.

“While it feels like we’re currently riddled with problems, I don’t believe it’s a disheartening thing. Now that we’ve identified and understood the issues, the next step is simply to find solutions. As long as we can slowly resolve these problems, one by one, we will eventually achieve true collaboration.”

This was a very ‘good student’ style of speech, consistent with the impression Baoyu left on others, and it also subtly put a slight pressure on the two seniors present: she was constantly summarizing and reflecting on herself, then implementing revisions and improvements with high efficiency. If they continued to procrastinate like this, they might truly be effortlessly surpassed by her on some not-so-distant day.

Finally, as everyone’s gaze converged on String Moon, she aimlessly twirled the combat blade in her hand, surrounded by the current atmosphere. The metallic edge tapped against her fingertips, producing faint yet rapid ‘clacking’ sounds. It wasn’t until she realized that if she didn’t say something, this waiting would likely continue for a very long time, that she lifted her head slightly, her brow furrowed.

“…Don’t look at me like you’re waiting for me to say something.”

She snorted, her tone bordering on impatience.

“Do whatever you want. Just don’t hold me back.”

Her tone remained rigid, yet the ending note was so light it was almost carried away by the wind. After speaking, she silently glanced at Asherah—just for a second, then quickly averted her gaze.

“Still saying things like that, even at this point. What an unlikable person.”

“Mind your own business.”

No, that’s not right, Asherah. Why are you so oblivious at a time like this? The premise of ‘don’t hold me back’ is actually an implicit acknowledgment of being part of the team. Observing the two who still seemed to be at odds on the surface, Baoyu ultimately gave up on the idea of breaking through their awkward relationship.

Seeing that all three had expressed themselves, Polaris understood it was time for her to conclude. So, she hopped onto a nearby dirt mound, standing at a height where she could look everyone directly in the eye.

“Thank you all, truly.”

She began, her gaze gentle yet firm, her voice not loud, yet clear enough for everyone to hear distinctly.

“Hearing all of your individual thoughts today, to me, this is already more important than the outcome of the battle itself.”

She paused, exhaling softly.

“Admittedly, I won’t pretend that we are already perfect. We are still very unfamiliar with each other, still only know how to fight individually, and sometimes… we don’t even understand each other’s feelings.”

“However… it’s alright.”

The sunlight struck Polaris’s back, falling upon her light red hair tips. That vibrant, seemingly burning red looked like a small lamp.

“Rather than being perfect from the very beginning, I hope that we can truly, step by step, genuinely become partners.”

“Perhaps we are not indispensable in each other’s lives, but at least here, in this small team, I hope each of us can become an irreplaceable presence for one another.”

“So, let’s take our time.”

Taking their time, finding a rhythm that suited them—this still seemed like an overly idealistic wish. Time was fair and cruel; as this so-called team took its difficult first step, time flowed evenly and precisely, and while carefully nurturing the seed of ‘relationship’ with the soil of trust, some things had already blossomed and borne fruit, changing towards a next stage that no one could have predicted.