Chapter 83

Chapter Fourteen: Life Is Not Easy

"Then... how about you hand over your Magic Armament to me?"

The sound of cold rain, feathers soaked by the rain, the colors of black and white, and two Magic girls facing each other.

Silver Feather was knocked back by Dark Feather's attack and took a step back, but Dark Feather did not continue to attack.

Originally, Silver Feather was the strongest Magic girl active in Maple Plain City, but now, this suddenly appearing Magic girl even seems to possess strength surpassing hers.

Upon hearing her words, Silver Feather's expression turned slightly cold.

"Magic Armament?"

The Magic girl in front of me already has her own Magic Armament.

"Unfortunately, that's impossible."

Although she didn't know what the other person would use her Magic Armament for, she had no reason to give it to this strange and dangerous Magic girl in front of her.

Upon hearing this, Dark Feather remained calm:

"That's a real shame... After all, even I can't do anything about you right now."

The dark-skinned Magic girl lowered her head slightly, reached up to tuck a strand of wet hair behind her ear, seemingly having no intention of continuing her attack. Instead, she looked at Takanashi Shiori, who was powerless to do anything.

However, she didn't say anything.

After a period of silence, Dark Feather raised her head and looked around at the deserted streets, the fallen streetlights, the overturned trash cans, and the once bustling streets had become a mess.

She raised her hand, and black feathers drifted down onto the street, gradually turning into black mist and dissipating in the rain. The places touched by the feathers returned to their original state.

In this respect, she possesses the same ability as other Magic girls.

Magical Girl Dark Feather looked at Silver Feather.

"However, we still have a long time to get to know each other, so let's call it a day for now."

The imagined battle did not materialize, so we will stop here for now.

Dark Feather gently raised her Magic Wand, and dark Magic Power instantly enveloped her like Feather Wing. By the time the raindrops fell to the ground again, the Magic girl had completely vanished.

Silver Feather had no intention of giving chase. He simply transformed his Magic Wand into a gun, pointed it at the remaining Monster on the street, and fired a few Magic Power bullets, instantly eliminating all the Monster in the vicinity.

Now, she can no longer detect Dark Feather's presence.

Although they hadn't actually fought yet, she could already sense that this might be an extremely difficult opponent.

I don't know what their purpose is, nor do I know when they will appear again...

Silver Feather sighed, checked that there was no one else around, and then removed the Magic Crystal, deactivating her transformation.

She was still wearing the shop assistant uniform she had just worn.

Takanashi Shiori quickly deactivated her transformation.

"What was that person just now? Was she Magic girl?" Kirishima Ai asked.

"Hmm, probably... Black Magical Girl."

After transforming, Takanashi Shiori raised her hand to slightly shield her hair, trying to avoid getting wet in the rain.

However, using only your hands is obviously useless.

We still need an umbrella...

After the battle, Takanashi Shiori was a little down.

Although she had long since accepted the truth, the appearance of that Black Magical Girl made her realize once again how weak she was.

Even dealing with a few nascent Monster was a struggle, and that Black Magical Girl didn't even take him seriously.

Even though she was the first to become Magic girl, and she was the one who gave Kirishima Ai her Magic Armament...

As a result, she was easily left behind by others, just like before.

I wouldn't call it jealousy, it's just a little pathetic.

"Are you injured?"

Kirishima Ai sensed that Takanashi Shiori seemed to be in a bad mood.

Although he remained expressionless as usual, he seemed a little down this time.

"No." Takanashi Shiori shook her head.

"I have something to attend to, you can go ahead."

She remained expressionless, lowered her head, picked up her phone, and spoke calmly.

Shortly afterward, looking at the still heavy rain falling from the sky, Kirishima Ai still couldn't figure out what the girl in front of her was thinking.

Perhaps... it would be better for Takanashi if she left.

For a while after Kirishima Ai left, the streets remained deserted.

Takanashi Shiori, soaked in the rain, is texting on her phone with her head down.

The person she sent the message to was "Magical Girl Lily-chan ☆", which is Teacher Haihara she was on a date with today.

Are you alright?

[After you left, Monster started appearing here. I couldn't get through to you on the phone. Did you take proper shelter?]

Did you manage to buy an umbrella?

[Can you reply to me...?]

She sent many text messages, but the person on the screen remained unread.

Haihara didn't reply to her.

The screen of Takanashi's phone was getting wet little by little from the raindrops. When she touched it, the buttons on the screen would occasionally trigger another button, which annoyed her.

She sighed.

Probably... Haihara went to take refuge after the Monster appeared.

After the Magic girl saves the city, the restored scene needs to be confirmed safe by officials for a period of time before the citizens can return to normal.

Before the official announcement, no one else knew whether the Monster had been defeated.

Looks like my date today is off.

She rubbed her face; it felt cool and damp, and her hair was probably soaked too.

I've used up all my Magic Power for today, and even cleaning and drying myself is a hassle.

In addition, they didn't receive any money and couldn't go to a bathhouse.

This is a bit bad...

I might catch a cold later.

Takanashi Shiori lowered her eyes, her gaze dimming slightly. Receiving no response, she didn't leave, after all, she was already homeless.

She found a street corner that offered only marginal shade, patted the slightly damp floor with her hand, and squatted down, shrinking a little, looking all alone.

The skirt looks like it's wet.

At times like these, she feels a little sad, but there's no one she can confide in.

Thinking about it carefully, it was actually quite similar in R'lyeh.

She had no relatives; if she had to mention anyone, it would only be that woman.

But because that woman was of very high status, he couldn't treat her as his mother.

The woman told me that she had two mothers.

He didn't even know who his other mother was...

Perhaps that person didn't love her either, after all, she was such a useless and mediocre person.

For her, it seems she has only ever called one person "Mom"...

"Mother..."

She lowered her head, burying it in her rain-soaked knees. The cold water droplets pelted her pale skin, then, along with Takanashi's lonely soliloquy, were swallowed up by the grayness.

However, suddenly, she felt that the rain had stopped dripping on her.

Takanashi Shiori looked puzzled for a moment, then raised her head.

"Thinking about me?"

A cold, woman's voice came through the sound of rain.

Looking up, she saw a dark-haired woman standing there, tall and slightly dejected, gently bending over to hold an umbrella for herself.

She is her "mother" today.

The woman seemed to have borrowed the umbrella.

Why didn't this woman leave...? She wasn't even replying to my texts just now.

Takanashi felt a surge of emotions different from before.

"You're soaking wet. Let me take you home to take a shower."

Haihara touched Takanashi Shiori's rain-soaked hair.

That beautiful gray-gold hair was now wet, and the hairs hung down listlessly, like a crushed flower, as if only a dull gray remained.

Takanashi Shiori has no way of telling the woman that she is actually homeless.

She tilted her head slightly:

"What about today's date?"

"This is the best we can do for now."

"I don't want to..."

The girl said it in a somewhat willful manner.

After she finished speaking, she expected the woman to react coldly, as usual.

But Haihara simply squatted down beside Takanashi, like a reliable adult, watching over him.

She reached out and pinched the Takanashi's cheek, saying calmly:

"Then come and try to please me."

Takanashi Shiori paused for a moment.

The rain fell silently, like gray dust, turning the once empty street scene into a deep and cold one, while the two figures under the umbrella appeared slightly warmer.

After a while, Takanashi Shiori gently rubbed her wet hair against Haihara's chest, like a docile kitten.

This gray and desolate street felt like the impression of someone who had just arrived in this world.

"Mom... please stay with me..."

She lowered her head, her eyes buried in her wet bangs, and whispered sweet nothings.

Chapter Fifteen: The Good Child

Lately, Haihara feels like she's become a bit too compassionate.

She wouldn't have just picked up a little girl who was getting rained on and taken her home, let alone let her take a bath and change clothes in her house, treating her like her own daughter.

She did the same thing when she brought that little idol home before. She let the child live next door to her, eat and sleep with her, and even bought him a farewell gift. In the past, she probably wouldn't have had such feelings.

Is it because life has become too comfortable these past two years that I've naturally developed a kind heart?

And the same goes for that little girl, Kirishima Ai.

Haihara now a little confused about her own thoughts. Why would she take in and take care of these unfamiliar girls, tolerate their closeness to her, and even occasionally touch her inappropriately without getting too angry?

Simply put, she's like a foolish woman overflowing with maternal instincts.

Was it because they were his students, or because they looked somewhat pitiful, that he felt pity for them?