Chapter 284
"Monster?"
This is just another example of that nonsense.
If she could find the other person, Kirishima Ai might have punched them twice.
[Don't be angry yet. Remember that picture of the Monster who looked so much like Silver Feather at the museum? That wasn't something I made up.]
Museum...
Suddenly, Kirishima Ai recalled the scenes that had left a deep impression on her that day, and then she also remembered a woman who spoke eloquently on the screen.
Her eyes widened suddenly as she realized why the female ghost's voice sounded so familiar.
"Are you the museum curator?"
It was that woman.
She found it extremely strange at the time.
As it turns out, this woman was no ordinary person. So why has she now appeared in her mind as a female ghost?
No, we'll ask about that later.
The female ghost did not deny it, which was basically an admission. In other words, the president of the Dream Society was the person speaking in her head, or at least a disguise of the other party.
"Stop giving me this roundabout nonsense. Can you just be straightforward and tell me exactly what happened? Tell me everything you know in one go."
Kirishima Ai has always preferred to speak her mind.
She doesn't like spending all her time solving riddles and dealing with all those complicated things.
The female ghost seemed to have never seen such a short-tempered girl before. She pondered for a moment, then let out a helpless chuckle.
[Alright, then listen carefully.]
In the room where she was left alone again, Kirishima Ai felt a little cold, so she temporarily drew the curtains, huddled under the covers, and quietly listened to the female ghost's story.
The sound of wind could be heard from outside the window from time to time.
Combined with the female ghost's narration in his mind, it was somewhat frightening.
[You probably don't remember how you transformed into the Magical Girl Silver Feather anymore, right? Before this, you rarely thought about where you got this Magic girl Transformation Crystal that was so perfect for you.]
Kirishima Ai's Magic Armament, Broken Wing, originated from Takanashi.
Silver Feather Crystal, however, are a different matter.
Upon hearing this, she lowered her head and pondered for a moment:
"I remember that day, I think I was working at a museum. At that time, the museum wasn't open to the public yet, and many of the artifacts were covered with cloth, which was kind of eerie..."
Kirishima Ai began a brief recollection, summarizing the events surrounding her transformation into the Magical Girl Silver Feather. Since it had happened several months prior, she wasn't completely forgetful; she still remembered most of the details of her part-time job.
However, now that she thinks about it, she really doesn't remember how she obtained the Silver Feather Crystal.
She did ask Takanashi later.
But the other person said that it was normal to lose some memories when one first becomes a Magic girl due to issues such as chaotic Magic Power, so she didn't take it to heart.
"Could it be that the Silver Feather Crystal is one of those artifacts?"
Kirishima Ai.
[While those artifacts are indeed similar to the Silver Feather Crystal, they are not the same. After all, the Silver Feather Crystal is the only successful piece, and the fact that it chose you precisely illustrates this point.]
"It's a mess, I can't understand it."
Because she couldn't understand a word the other person was Kirishima Ai immediately revealed her usual Problem Child nature and became very impatient.
She hated these riddle-makers the most.
[...]
Seemingly annoyed by Kirishima Ai's attitude, but knowing there was nothing she could do at the moment, the female ghost composed herself.
Even if she got angry with this brat, it wouldn't do any good, so she could only try to be as straightforward as he had said.
Next, Kirishima Ai listened to the female ghost's story.
[Simply put, the Silver Feather Crystal is a very special Crystal created by a Magic girl using her own Magic Power; it is far more than just an ordinary Magic girl Crystal.]
[Its power was so great that it was perfectly suited to be a vessel for a soul, so after my initial awakening a few years ago, I found that Crystal and attached myself to it.]
The female ghost seems to be in the form of a soul, and she can even attach herself to Magic Power Crystal?
"Wait, so you're possessing Silver Feather's body? Then why are you in my head now?"
Now, the Silver Feather Crystal should have been taken away with the Silver Feather.
The female ghost calmly replied:
[Not long ago, for some reason, I became extremely weak. Staying inside the Silver Feather Crystal was too much for me; I couldn't even withstand the Magic Power within. So, I temporarily transferred myself into your body through some means.]
Upon hearing this, Kirishima Ai pondered for a moment.
Well, how should I put it?
Although this female ghost didn't seem like a good person, she inexplicably gave off an honest vibe, and she answered every question.
Don't the villains in cartoons usually lie in a roundabout way?
She had begun to be wary of this woman and started thinking about how to get rid of her.
"You just said that a Magic girl created this Crystal. Is that Magic girl you?"
Of course not.
The female ghost's tone became slightly displeased when this was mentioned.
[Didn't you ever wonder why this Crystal is so suitable for the Broken Wing Magic Armament? You know, not just any Crystal can be compatible with Lilith's Magic Armament.]
She mentioned a name.
Upon hearing that name, Kirishima Ai seemed to understand something, and she asked:
"Could it be... Overlord?"
Broken Wing is the Magic Armament used by the former Overlord Lilith.
The Phoenix Crystal she is currently using is the Transformation Crystal that was originally paired with it.
To be precise, Silver Feather isn't actually the original.
However, how should I put it, in every aspect, Kirishima Ai sometimes feels that the Silver Feather seems to be more suitable for the Broken Wing Magic Armament than the Fate Kite.
[He's quite smart.]
The female ghost affirmed.
Wait, what does this have to do with Silver Feather choosing her? She's just an ordinary Earthling.
With a hint of doubt in her eyes, Kirishima Ai nodded reluctantly.
"So, this Crystal was created by the Overlord and possesses very strong Magic Power. Even you, a female ghost, are eyeing it. For some reason, it chose me."
As a top student, Kirishima Ai has excellent summarizing skills.
Deciphering the meaning of this female ghost amidst a sea of riddles is no easy task.
"But now, Silver Feather's existence can make me disappear. What's the connection between these two?"
It wouldn't be surprising if the Crystal of Overlord's labor had some evil effects.
But Silver Feather is her friend.
At this point, the female ghost seemed to feel that the previous foreshadowing was sufficient, and she began to slowly recount her story.
[That Crystal was born from the mad desire of that insane woman, Lilith. If I'm not mistaken, the Crystal's origin might be a dead person.]
At this point, the female ghost seemed to recall some past events, her expression turning slightly unpleasant and cold.
[She collected someone's obsessions from their lifetime, and like creating Monster, she created a Crystal.]
[The inspiration for doing this might be that the Demon King was born in the same way.]
The female ghost's words were interspersed with past events and secrets.
This time, Kirishima Ai didn't stop the other person from saying strange things, but instead made a note of them, hoping that Takanashi could help interpret them.
[The Monster born from the Crystal is a fragment of that obsession, namely, the Silver Feather.]
Kirishima Ai's hand paused for a moment while writing in her notebook.
She looked up and happened to see the Silver Feather figurine and a photo of Silver Feather in the room.
The girl blinked.
"So, the Silver Feather I know is, in a sense, the embodiment of that Crystal?"
[That's one way to think about it.]
That's a very reasonable explanation.
However, calling him Monster was still unacceptable to Kirishima Ai.
If they were truly Monster person, why would they be so friendly with me, become my friend, and spend so much time with me?
Or rather, even if he's Monster, Silver Feather is a good person.
This kind of thing doesn't matter at all.
"But why am I gradually disappearing because of this?"
She touched her arm.
Even though I trust Silver Feather, the feeling of unease still won't go away.
Moreover, Silver Feather has now disappeared without a trace.
[On one hand, when Magic girl is about to ascend to the Sacred Domain, the Monster within the Crystal become highly active, even transforming into the Magic's personality and usurping her will.]
[On the other hand, there's the unique nature of Silver Feather as Monster.]
The Silver Feather Monster's defining characteristic is that its very existence can devour yours, impersonating you and stealing everything from you without you even realizing it.
Among the Monster, Silver Feather is a special kind of Monster who is specifically listed.
Just like the strange bird in the R'lyeh fairy tale.
The mere existence of Magic girl will gradually rob her of everything she is.
"This definitely wasn't her intention."
Kirishima Ai remained expressionless.
Is that important?
The female ghost gave a slightly cold laugh.
[How long can this loving relationship between a Magic girl and her Monster self last?]
[If she doesn't replace you, what will be her fate as Monster?]
[You are destined to defeat her and ascend to the Sacred Domain.]
"It doesn't matter."
Kirishima Ai retorted somewhat angrily.
She didn't care about any Sacred Domain or Sacred Domain.
If her friends are all going to disappear, what's the point of her power?
[Really? But do you know what she's thinking?]
Isn't she afraid she'll disappear?
The female ghost used a series of rhetorical questions to challenge Kirishima Ai, attempting to persuade Kirishima Ai to think in a certain direction.
It must be said that Kirishima Ai is much smarter than the Magic girls she had tried to persuade before.
They're really hard to fool.
However, she never intended to achieve her goal solely through such deceptive tricks; in fact, she could have gotten what she wanted without them.
Looking at Kirishima Ai's worried, somewhat gloomy face, the female ghost chuckled again and said:
[And soon... some troublesome guys will come along and make it clear to her what she should be doing.]