Chapter 252

This time there was no room for hesitation. She flew into the sky with all her might and unknowingly crossed the troposphere. To be honest, she didn't expect to think of the knowledge she learned in geography class at this time.

Once the buildings and city appeared very low and tiny in her eyes, she felt that she had reached a height where an explosion would be difficult to reach.

Although breathing is still a bit difficult.

With the explosion imminent, Silver Feather wasn't going to be foolish enough to wait to be blown up. She didn't want to perish here with the dangerous explosive device brought by this Monster.

"---boom!"

She slammed her fist into the Crystal embedded in the Broken Wing; the force of her punch tore through the air, creating a thunderous roar in the atmosphere.

However, the Crystal remained completely still.

Undeterred, Silver Feather slammed her fist into the Crystal again, this time with even greater force. Normally, this would have been enough to knock the Monster into thin air, but it only caused the Magic Power within the Crystal to erupt even more violently, attacking Silver Feather herself.

The burning sensation scalded her skin, causing her expression to contort for a moment, but Silver Feather only paused for a second before quickly regaining consciousness and striking the Crystal again.

And so it went, punch after punch.

She attacked the Crystal like a madwoman, using up Magic Power she had left, but Silver Feather's power didn't seem to be enough to destroy it.

After several attacks failed, even Silver Feather subconsciously sighed, a gloomy emotion appearing in his eyes.

Today was supposed to be a nice day to go out and have fun with my mom.

And she also ran into Teacher Haihara.

Why... have I gotten involved in these dangerous, Monster incidents again?

She endured the pain, her strength and Magic Power almost completely exhausted, leaving her panting heavily, a look of fatigue on her face.

And I'm so tired that I just want to close my eyes at any moment.

To be honest, she didn't know what would happen next.

Having taken the brunt of this explosion, she will undoubtedly be severely injured, perhaps even more seriously than all her previous battles combined.

She couldn't just abandon her Magic Wand and run away; who knew if the explosion would hit the city if it happened later?

She should deactivate her transformation after consuming the explosive food.

Generally speaking, she will suffer all damage in her Magic girl form, but she will be safe and sound once she de-transforms.

Even if she falls, that guy Dark Feather will catch her.

However, she had a feeling of unease.

Will everything really be alright this time?

What happens to Crystal after it has been subjected to damage exceeding its limits?

What if a Magic girl suffers a fatal injury?

Previously, she couldn't transform into Silver Feather, so why has she suddenly become one now?

Also, what exactly is the story behind the picture of that Monster looks so much like Silver Feather on the screen in the lobby...?

These questions floated through Silver Feather's mind one by one, but under the influence of Magic Power, her consciousness gradually blurred, and she no longer had the strength to think about them.

This is a bit... bad.

If this continues, it will fall.

She forced her eyelids open and continued to fly, trying her best to stay at that altitude and not fall. However, her fist, which had been trying to attack the Crystal, was now weak and powerless, and it had already scraped the skin and was bleeding.

We have to hold on a little longer...

Whether she was dreaming or not, when she opened her eyes again, Kirishima Ai found herself back in her small, often unlit, apartment.

The furnishings inside are very simple.

A small cooking counter, cabinets, a television, and a sleeping mat on the floor.

It was a place that belonged to her alone, where she had always lived alone.

However, she discovered that there were other people in this place.

A girl dressed in a silver-white feathered robe sat on her bed, gently hugging her knees and legs, her silver-blue eyes gazing at the television screen.

In the dark room, the light from the screen was very conspicuous, and I could also see the girl's face, which looked very similar to mine.

It's Silver Feather.

Actually, I misspoke a bit before.

She often dreams of Silver Feather.

I dreamt that Silver Feather had become an independent person, different from myself, and that I lived in the same room with her, chatting with her.

But today is different.

Although she was exhausted, she was unusually clear-headed. She discovered that Silver Feather had been there all along, beside her, existing there just like her.

Why?

Kirishima Ai couldn't understand it for a moment, yet it seemed like that was perhaps the case.

But for a moment, it still felt like a dream to her.

She was really tired, so tired she might fall asleep at any moment, so she said with some confusion:

"Silver Feather."

The silver-white Magic girl nodded slightly and hummed in agreement.

What have you been doing here all this time?

She asked.

The girl who resembled her had a beautiful smile that she couldn't match, just like her name, it was dazzling.

In that dimly lit room, when the light from the television illuminated her silhouette, Kirishima Ai felt a pang of envy.

She simply smiled and said in a low, calm voice:

"I've always been here, with you."

Silver Feather said it quite naturally.

I've always been with her.

Kirishima Ai lowered her head, pondering those words, and unconsciously began to reflect.

What does that mean?

"Before that, when I was fighting the Monster, when I had you by my side, and when I dreamt of you at night, you were always by my side?"

She whispered as she counted them one by one.

Silver Feather nodded again, agreeing very gently.

Kirishima Ai looked up as if she understood, then lowered her head again, still dazed, and continued muttering:

"So, when I was soaking in the hot spring with Teacher Haihara, and when I was fighting that Monster that suddenly appeared, were you by my side the whole time?"

She was a little confused about this.

Then, she blinked sleepily, but she couldn't just fall asleep like that, so she rubbed her eyes hard.

For some reason, Silver Feather's fair face suddenly turned a little red. She turned her face away somewhat embarrassedly, and her initial smile faded a bit.

She shut her mouth, lowered her flushed face, and nodded, a little embarrassed but also a little happy.

It's as if there are some beautiful memories worth reminiscing about.

"Yes, it's always been me."

Silver Feather readily admitted it.

Kirishima Ai remembered that before that trip began, she had a dream in which she met Silver Feather and they talked a lot in a Silver Feather that night.

At that time, Silver Feather told her that he wanted to come out for a while so he could help her confess to Teacher Haihara.

Later...

I feel like I've suddenly figured out some things I didn't understand before.

She blinked.

"But why did you suddenly disappear?"

Kirishima Ai raised her head, and her voice echoed in the silent room.

She remembered that she had never transformed into Silver Feather again since then.

Or rather, Silver Feather never appeared again.

Silver Feather's expression suddenly changed slightly, from its original gentle and peaceful demeanor to one that now showed a hint of unease.

Then, she said softly:

"You shouldn't transform into me anymore, my other self."

She spoke calmly and firmly, leaving no room for negotiation.

Ai Kirishima Ai was stunned.

What does this mean?

However, the Silver Feather in her eyes began to change. The once bright and white girl's feathers became dull, and her face, which resembled hers, was now covered by a pale mask that looked like that of Monster.

This seems to be just an illusion.

When Kirishima Ai, sweating profusely, blinked and looked again, the Magic girl was there again, revealing a helpless bitter smile, as if what had just happened was just an illusion.

"I already made plans with you, didn't I?"

"I was very satisfied and happy with my trip a while ago, and that's enough."

Then, Silver Feather turned her gaze to the television.

The screen showed scenes from their recent hot spring trip with Teacher Haihara.

It was truly a very happy time.

There are some scenes that even Kirishima Ai herself has no memory of.

It's like a scene where she's talking to Teacher Haihara against a backdrop of fireworks.

Then, she heard Silver Feather's calm voice:

"So, I won't be showing up again."

Those were the last words.

Before this, Silver Feather had always seemed like a version of Kirishima Ai herself, someone who had simply changed clothes, put on makeup, and was a little excited.

But it wasn't like that before.

Kirishima Ai realizes that Silver Feather was actually someone else who had been with her all along.

It won't happen again.

What does that sentence mean?

"No... wait--"

She spoke briefly.

But the next moment, her vision burst forth with light, instantly engulfing the Silver Feather before her and the room that belonged to the two of them.

Consciousness returned to reality.

The explosion eventually happened.

She realized that what she had just seen seemed to be a revolving lantern, and she was still in the sky, with a biting wind whipping at her, making it difficult for her to even breathe.

The Crystal on the Broken Wing burst forth with a dazzling light, stinging her eyes, and a scorching explosion rushed towards her.

Kirishima Ai closed her eyes, somewhat afraid that the pain would instantly spread throughout her body.

However, that feeling never came.

She felt a familiar embrace suddenly encircle her. The movement was very gentle, as if she weren't in the air, but simply in a safe place where someone had suddenly hugged her in front of her.

Soft and reliable, she gently nuzzled against the man's chest, feeling a sense of warmth and security.