Blue Larkspur Beneath the Cage

Thirty-five years old.

Hong Siyu spent two years in a daze.

"What's wrong with you today?"

One evening in a restaurant, the man sitting across from her asked, somewhat puzzled, "You're rambling on and on. Did you drink before you came here?"

It's quite normal for things to be disjointed...

She smiled bitterly to herself.

Because whenever she tries to tell the truth to the other person, all her vocal organs become ineffective, and she can no longer make a sound.

Her body felt as if it no longer belonged to her; her consciousness fluctuated between wakefulness and slumber. Even when she was fully conscious, her every move was like a machine with hidden doors, constantly hampered.

Information that is not allowed to be mentioned cannot be spoken aloud, and thoughts that are not allowed to be thought will be subconsciously forgotten. Many times, even she herself does not know what she is doing.

She was completely confused about whether she was still human.

But she had to exist this way, she had to persist in this way. Because she still had a lot of information, a lot to say to the man before her.

So she forced a smile, picked up her wine glass, and handed it to the man in front of her.

"The Kingdom announced a new list of magical girl Flower Card judges last month, and two new talents have been added!"

What she really meant was: Margaret- senpai has become Flower Card Japanese percussion instrument), are you really willing to completely give up the power of a magical girl?

"What's the point of saying all this now?" The man clearly didn't want to answer the question.

Is it meaningless to pay attention to younger generations?

What she really wanted to ask was: Look at me more closely, can you detect anything else unusual about me?

"It's none of my business anymore, why should I care?" But the other person continued to avoid the question.

"You can't fool your own people with this kind of lie. You can't possibly be completely uninvolved, can you? After all, you were..."

After all, you were awarded the honor of "Lifetime Magical Girl," and you can become a magical girl again.

Hong Siyu lowered her eyes and thought silently to herself.

There are so many things I want to tell him, but I can't say them; there are so many things I want to ask him, but I can't bring myself to ask them.

Over the past two years, she had given too many subtle hints, but the other party's attitude was clear: they didn't want to get involved in anything related to magical girls anymore.

He didn't explicitly state the reason, but Hong Siyu could tell from his expression that this wasn't an emotional decision, but rather one with some deeper considerations.

From her own perspective and position, she probably couldn't say anything that could move this man. After all, to him, she was just a junior he had known in school, a teammate he had worked with for half a year. Her words were insignificant to him.

But there's no time left.

Black Ash Dawn's operations are becoming increasingly frequent, and more and more cities in Eastern Hua Prefecture are being infiltrated. If this continues, there will be no chance left.

Therefore, it's clear that only one last method remains.

She closed her eyes and silently apologized in her heart.

Perhaps this is a bit despicable, but if it can bring back the magical girl from my memories, then I'll be even more despicable.

"The new magical girl from Fangting City has already made contact with us today. So, what do you think? Does this have anything to do with you?"

Black Ash Dawn will continue its hunt for magical girls in Fangting City, and nip the newly emerging magical girl, codenamed White Rose, in the bud.

Hong Siyu already knew this news.

She couldn't tell Lin Yun about this, nor could she hint at it in any way, simply because she couldn't defy Moss's will. Lower-level Aberrant Beast cannot disobey the orders of higher-level Aberrant Beast; this is an ironclad rule.

However, she never intended to tell Lin Yun about this directly.

She waited in a daze until one day, Black Ash Dawn had already planned to stage an ordinary Aberrant Beast attack that night and then make her move on the magical girl named White Rose.

Hong Siyu her drowsy state.

Magical Girl White Rose —that's Lin Yun's daughter, Lin Xiaolu's code name.

This was the opportunity she had been looking for.

She couldn't bring herself to say what she knew, but that didn't mean she had no other means; Moss had always thought she was completely under control, but she wasn't without ways to circumvent that control and send messages out.

That noon, she asked someone she knew to get a brand new SIM card, and then took the SIM card to a dark room in the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau. After sneaking inside, she found a purple cage in a device.

It was a cage made of purplish-black Magic Barrier and Spell Formula runes, inside which was imprisoned a small dog that looked listless. The dog should have had a pair of wings on its back, but all the feathers on the wings had been broken off, leaving only bare fleshy wings.

--That was a Fairy, the Seeder of Fangting City, or rather, the sower who should have been the Seeder of Fangting City, named Nini.

Two years ago, Moss assassinated a new magical girl in Fangting City, then captured this Seeder Nini and imprisoned her here.

Its feathers were very useful magical materials, so Moss took them; its magic was a rare Fairy magic in the Material Realm, so Moss exploited it; two years later, this once lively Seeder was on its last legs, with almost no vitality left.

It lay in the cage, watching Hong Siyu walk in from outside. Its lifeless eyes reflected the figure at the door, but it did not react at all.

"You are the Seeder, right?"

Hong Siyu said this without offering any further explanation, handing her phone to the puppy-like Fairy: "Then, you should still retain the ability to sense the Aberrant Beast and magical girls in this city."

Nini watched Hong Siyu quietly from inside the cage, without saying a word.

It could sense that the woman before it was also a crippled Aberrant Beast in human skin, and it had no reason to heed her words.

Hong Siyu didn't mind its lack of cooperation, and simply pushed the phone forward a little more. "I have no demands, I just hope you can feel what you can feel, and then when the time is right, tell the person on the other end of the phone what you know."

Nini remained motionless; it would not yield to the enemy.

Hong Siyu stared at it for a while, rummaged in her pocket, and then took out a few biscuits and candies, which she slowly slipped into the cage through the gaps.

"... What exactly do you want?" Nini spoke, but remained very wary.

"Aberrant Beast cannot disobey the will of its superiors; there are some things I cannot do myself."

Hong Siyu explained, "But my superiors didn't forbid me from meeting the Seeder, nor did they forbid me from giving Seeder any hints."

"... You want to betray your superior?"

Nini shifted her gaze slightly. "Or is this just a performance for me?"

"Whatever it is, you have no other choice, and neither do I."

Hong Siyu gripped her phone tightly, her voice low and menacing. "If this continues, you'll be drained of your magic within a year and become that woman's experimental subject. Why not gamble your hopes on this phone call? It's just a phone call; I'm not asking you to betray anyone."

Who's on the other end of the phone?

"Inspector," Hong Siyu said softly.

The Fairy paused for a moment, then, as if realizing something, swallowed hard.

What do you want me to say to him?

"Just tell him..."

Hong Siyu bit her lip, then slowly uttered two words: "Be careful."

What happened after that is self-evident and needs no further elaboration.

Hong Siyu had done everything she could, and she had indeed brought back the magical girl from her memories. The moment she saw Larkspur again, she knew that her mission was over.

As for Black Ash Dawn's plan, she had no way to stop it.

From the moment she stepped into the office of the director of the Fangting City Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau, she was already an Aberrant Beast. Under the premise of not being able to disobey her superiors, some underhanded actions were already the limit.

She chose to see her beloved one last time on the night of the Full Moon Festival, and then leave, quietly awaiting her final transformation in this place that had become a den of Aberrant Beast.

However, she never expected that she would see that person again in the last moments of her life.

She saw the magical girl in the navy blue dress walk in through the gate of the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau, her expression solemn, her steps hurried, and she seemed so resolute.

Was this a terminal hallucination? Or was it fate's final compensation to its unfortunate self?

Hong Siyu didn't know the truth, but that didn't stop her from walking out of the crowded horde of Aberrant Beast. Then, she quietly landed behind the magical girl and made her final request:

--Let's get started.

Then, her consciousness plunged into boundless darkness.

Hong Siyu knew she wasn't a qualified magical girl.

Because, when she first became a magical girl, compared to the other children, her initial intentions were selfish and weak.

If most girls who become magical girls fight with immense courage and determination for the common future of humanity, then I am actually the selfish one who only cares about my own happiness.

She embarked on this path in pursuit of her own happiness, striving to follow in the footsteps of her companions. But when she lost her initial aspirations and could no longer see the light ahead, her path came to an abrupt end. And so, her enlightenment could only take her this far; that dazzling light was destined not to stay with her forever.

Having lost her light and future, she could no longer go on.

So, is this the end of it all?

Hong Siyu silently pondered, letting her consciousness be overwhelmed by the tidal wave of darkness.

An incompetent magical girl who continued to mess things up even after retiring; perhaps this is her retribution.

If a person's consciousness goes elsewhere after death, what should I say to Anya when I see her? Will she feel regret and disappointment towards my actions?

But I'm not human anymore, am I? I've become Aberrant Beast, can I still go to the same world as a magical girl after I die?

Hong Siyu felt that her thoughts were becoming increasingly blurred.

The thick darkness clung to her thoughts, sinking her into an abyss. Her hazy consciousness froze as her thoughts ceased, and her last moments of clarity flickered like a candle flame in the wind, struggling to emit a final glimmer of light.

She could sense, in the depths of her being, that in the far distance above the boundless darkness, a deep blue light was growing ever brighter.

That was the magic of the Larkspur, the magic of a magical girl. Without a doubt, the moment it erupted, it would take her life.

"--"

But she seemed to hear someone calling out something.

Is he a senior?

Hong Siyu felt that if she still had a body, she should be able to genuinely laugh.

Even if he dies as Aberrant Beast, at least he dies at the hands of a magical girl before he commits any evil, or at least he dies at the hands of someone he loves—that would be the best outcome, wouldn't it?

--"Hong Siyu!"

The sound was becoming clearer and clearer, and this time, it reached Hong Siyu's ears with perfect clarity.

This brought her back a little clarity, even though she was on the verge of losing consciousness.

Why can I still hear it?

She couldn't help but have this question.

Is death really such a long and painful process? Even after completely losing consciousness, do delusions and hallucinations still constantly arise?

That's enough. I don't want to live like this anymore. I want it all to end quickly.

She complained in a self-deprecating manner. But then, she felt her hand being grabbed.

The hands, which should no longer exist, now felt incredibly strong as they were gripped tightly.

Who is it?

She tried to open her eyes, but was held firmly in place by an inexplicable force and remained unable to move.

--"Hong Siyu!"

The sound came from afar again, but this time it was much closer.

When this shout reached Hong Siyu's consciousness, the originally distant and dazzling blue light finally arrived in front of Hong Siyu.

She felt herself begin to rise.

Dragged by a powerful force from the boundless darkness, it rose into the sky, which was already out of reach.

--"Hong Siyu!"

She heard the shouts coming from right beside her ear with perfect clarity.

Hong Siyu suddenly opened her eyes.

Sight, hearing, touch, and taste—the senses that should have been isolated—were once again fed back into her mind with unparalleled clarity, and the world became clear and real once more.

She saw the familiar building, the familiar hall, and the familiar moonlight.

This was the Fangting City Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau, a place she knew well, where she had worked for two years against her will. Now, it was a ruin. Amidst the crumbling walls, cracked ground, and shattered glass, she lay in the chaotic ruins, the bright moonlight shining overhead.

Her hand was being held tightly by another hand.

Amidst the azure magical light, the petite girl was covered in blood and filth of unknown origin, her once lustrous hair now stained with dust, making her look utterly wretched.

Her eyes and nails shimmered with blue light, the Heart Gem at her neck glowed with a dazzling blue light, and even her hair shimmered with magic.

She looked at Hong Siyu with an enigmatic smile, as if she were an angel fallen to earth.

Hong Siyu had never seen Larkspur smile like that before.

"It's all over now."

She spoke in a cool yet gentle voice, and for some reason, although she was smiling, tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. "Because, the magical girl has arrived."

In her hand, she held a small pair of Tailor’s Scissors.

The scissors were now adorned with countless blue threads, their surface covered with intricate patterns that trembled with the breath of magic.

No, that's not a pattern.

Hong Siyu realized this.

Those things on the scissors are cracks.

She instinctively raised her hand, but what she saw was not the grotesque, Aberrant Beast as she had imagined, but her own familiar hand, only pale from blood loss.

She looked to the side and saw an incredibly tall, moth-shaped Aberrant Beast lying beside her, its belly ripped open, but its insides were empty.

It was as if something had been dug out from inside.

She couldn't help but make that connection.

"Senior."

She couldn't help but ask, "What... did you do?"

"It was just a very ordinary killing of the Aberrant Beast."

Larkspur gently put down the scissors in her hand, pressed Hong Siyu's hand down, and said, "Wasn't this your own request?"

This answer stunned Hong Siyu.

She stared at the Larkspur for a while, wanting to say, "Why are you still joking at a time like this?" but the words turned into a sob, and then she burst into tears.

First, tears silently slid down her cheeks, then she sniffled, and soon, unable to hold back her sobs, she finally burst into loud tears:

"How scary! Senior! It's so dark, so uncomfortable, so terrifying, I'm really scared to death!"

"Yes, I know."

"I didn't really want to die like this, but I thought it was truly hopeless, so I thought at least I wouldn't give you too much psychological burden when I died, and that I could help you finish things here quickly. But actually, I didn't want to die at all!"

"Yes, I know."

"But I don't want to really become Aberrant Beast. I don't want to eat people, I don't want to hurt others, and I especially don't want to hurt those children. I feel that if it really comes to that, I'd rather you kill me..."

Hong Siyu cried loudly like a child. Only when her tears were almost all gone and her voice became hoarse did she pause, gradually softening her voice, and murmur:

Senior, I like you.

"Yes, I know."

"It's not the kind of liking you have for a friend, it's the kind of liking you have for someone of the opposite sex."

"Yes, I know that too."

"So, do you know what? I've actually had a crush on you since I was in the second year of junior high school."

"... sorry."

"But I'm thirty-five now, not the young and beautiful girl I used to be. I've aged so much, and turned into such a disgusting monster. You wouldn't like me anymore, would you?"

With a slight twitch of her nose, Hong Siyu forced a somewhat awkward smile, "I can only muster the courage to confess in this atmosphere, and it's such a troublesome confession at that. Just pretend you didn't hear it and don't reply."

"... Hong Siyu."

"What's wrong?"

"You don't need to be Anya anymore, you're not her," Larkspur said softly.

Hong Siyu and Wei Wei were stunned, staring at Larkspur's face, and remained silent for a while.

"So you could feel it after all." She closed her eyes weakly. "I thought you'd really become as dull as a piece of wood."

"Hong Siyu."

"What's wrong now?"

"Thank you for helping me understand some things." Larkspur gently released her grip on Hong Siyu's hand.

"What's wrong? Have you realized that you can actually start a new relationship?"

No.

"That's true, after all, an old woman like me..."

"No, that's not it either." Larkspur's somewhat ethereal voice interrupted Hong Siyu's words.

This made Hong Siyu, and she opened her eyes again. She looked at Larkspur intently, carefully observing every detail of the other person, and felt that this magical girl who should have been familiar seemed to have changed in some way.

"Senior..."

She was slightly out of breath, her voice trembling. "What exactly did you do?"

The Larkspur didn't explain anything; she simply put away the scissors silently and stood up from the ground.

Then, Hong Siyu saw the scene behind the Larkspur.

Countless blue magical threads extended from behind the Larkspur, each thread connecting with the Aberrant Beast on the ceiling. The fluorescent blue threads intertwined to form a huge network, with surging magic flowing back and forth on the threads, forming a sea of light, or like a pair of wings, unfolding from behind the girl.

The tips of these wings connected with the Aberrant Beast that were originally humans, and surprisingly, they calmed the restless Aberrant Beast back to peace and tranquility, as if they had fallen into a beautiful dream, sleeping soundly in the stillness.

Hong Siyu found it difficult to describe this dazzling and magnificent scene in words.

But she began to feel a strange sadness.

Because she knew that this was not something Larkspur should be doing right now.

"Don't be so nervous, I haven't used that move yet."

As if seeing through Hong Siyu's thoughts, Larkspur calmly said, "I've simply come to terms with it."

"I once naively and even arrogantly believed that I was a hero who had saved everything, and that the heroes in folk tales, after saving the world, could retire and live a peaceful and happy life with their loved ones."

"However, the real world isn't a storybook, and I'm not a hero. I'm just an ordinary person who happened to have gained power and then saved some people during a battle."

"I am a negligent husband and a negligent father. I failed to protect my loved ones and wife, and if things continue like this, I will be unable to protect my daughter either. If it really comes to that, everything I have achieved will have been meaningless."

"So, at least as long as I can fight, I can be a proper magical girl, right?"

She looked at Hong Siyu, her smile dazzling, "Magical girls should be beings that bring hope, miracles, and redemption. As long as magical girls come, darkness, despair, and pain should be dispelled and destroyed."

"Let me become that kind of being. As long as I can fight, I will make sure that all evil within my sight has nowhere to hide, and I will bring hope to all of you."

"So, I'm sorry, although I don't hate you, I can't let go of the past. Having chosen my future, I may be destined not to be the one for you."

Hong Siyu knew that the Larkspur had made a certain choice.

It is not simply a choice about oneself or one's emotions, but a choice of something far more significant, even one with an immeasurable and far-reaching impact. And once this choice is made, it is like a machine that has been started with a roar, its operation can never be reversed or stopped.

"Don't do that."

She spoke weakly, wanting to get up and try to stop him, but then realized she didn't have enough strength. She was too weak to even stand up.

"Get a good night's sleep and rest."

The Larkspur spoke softly to her, and then the silk threads behind her surged, stirring up gusts of air in the autumn night, as if the kingfisher were flapping its wings.

In the ruins of the shattered Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau, the remaining steel frame resembles a giant cage, but this cage has lost its lock. The Larkspur inside the cage spreads its wings, looks up at the sky, and sings, wanting to fly away into the distance once more.

"By the time you wake up, it will be dawn."