Reason for Fighting

The cemetery in winter is even more desolate than usual. Without the greenery of plants, all that can be seen is black, white, and gray. A few people walking in the cemetery are dressed in monochromatic clothes. Although they are not in mourning, it is still a small expression of their feelings. Being in such an environment is like stepping into an old, colorless photograph.

In this cemetery, however, there is one tombstone that is slightly different from the others.

It's all gray-black rock, all simple decorations, yet it stands out from the forest of steles at a glance. From the outside, the tombstone is not eye-catching, and even the gifts placed in front of it are only a few scattered, indicating that the deceased did not have a wide circle of friends during his lifetime. The gifts are not extravagant either; from this perspective, there are no elements that would attract attention.

If you were to ask passersby in the cemetery what makes it so unique, the answer would likely be "atmosphere."

Many people have a similar feeling in life: the "atmosphere" of a house that has been occupied for a long time is different from that of a house that has been abandoned for a long time. Often, people can vaguely sense whether a place is inhabited just by this "atmosphere".

Among the older generation in Eastern Hua Prefecture, this kind of "atmosphere" is also called "popularity".

Such a tombstone evokes a different atmosphere; simply noticing it gives one an unusual impression.

Lin Yun looked at the tombstone.

He stood with his hands at his sides, expressionless, his gaze slightly lowered, simply watching in silence.

The gray tombstone in the cold wind looked even more hard and cold than usual, covered with a layer of whitish frost, and the cherry blossom crystal necklace hanging on the side of the tombstone was also covered with a layer of ice, making it look particularly desolate.

That's why Asō Madoka, dressed in a stylish trench coat, and Lin Yun, dressed in casual clothes, seemed somewhat out of place.

"Should we change our clothes before coming back?" Looking around, Asō Madoka, wearing sunglasses, couldn't help but rub the back of her hands. Even though she wasn't a local of Fangting City, she could feel the subtle, heavy atmosphere.

"... The sentiment is enough."

The words paused slightly in Lin Yun's mouth, then turned into a murmur mixed with a sigh, "But I suppose if she were here, she wouldn't care about these things anyway; it's just self-consolation."

Having already sent the girls back to the base, Lin Yun had no reason to maintain the form of the Larkspur after arriving at the cemetery, so she transformed into Lin Yun's appearance.

Beside him, Asō Madoka slowly squatted down in front of the tombstone, gazing steadily forward.

After the two got out of the car, they only exchanged a few words. After Lin Yun brought them here, they had even less to say.

He didn't know what Asō Madoka was thinking at that moment, but that didn't stop him from choosing to remain silent. If it were nineteen years ago, perhaps he would have tried to find something to talk about to break the deadlock, but things were different now, and they were no longer young. For adults, sometimes appropriate silence is more appropriate than words.

"So that's how it is."

After a long silence, Asō Madoka slowly spoke, "Seeing a friend's tombstone, so this is what it feels like. It's... it feels unreal."

"What do you think it will be like?" Lin Yun asked.

I thought I was going to cry.

She still didn't look up, her expression tinged with melancholy. "But after arriving here, I wasn't as sad as I had imagined. Perhaps it was more of a sense of regret. I feel like my emotions are veiled, and even I can't see them clearly."

"After all, a long time has passed."

Lin Yun wasn't surprised by her words. "Besides, you haven't seen each other for a long time, have you?"

"It's been a long time... maybe eight years? Nine years? Anyway, it's been a little shorter than the time we've been apart."

Asō Madoka sighed, "When I was an examiner in the Magic Kingdom, she even brought newcomers from Fangting City to take the exam. I never imagined that would be the last time."

"Have you been in contact privately?" Lin Yun asked.

"We kept in touch at first, but later... we had less and less in common, so we rarely talked alone anymore."

Asō Madoka chuckled twice, "She knows I don't enjoy listening to her everyday trivia, and I know she doesn't care about my work troubles. She's content being a full-time housewife, while I'm focused on my singing career. We both know we're still sisters and still miss that feeling of being able to talk about anything, but we can no longer understand each other's words."

"Humans are strange sometimes. They all want to love each other, but their hearts still drift further and further apart."

Asō Madoka continued, "I've actually thought many times about whether we should arrange a place to meet properly, chat, and share what we've been doing all these years, but every time I felt 'there's still time,' 'there's no rush.' Until that day, the director suddenly called me over and told me 'Sakura is dead.'"

Lin Yun did not respond.

His right thumb was in his trouser pocket, his exposed fingers tapping on the fabric. His lips moved slightly, but he ultimately said nothing.

He suddenly remembered that a few months before Anya passed away, she had suggested to him, "Why don't we invite all our old teammates together for a get-together?"

At the time, he was focused on his work and didn't think the sentence had any other meaning, so he simply replied "That's certainly possible" and that was it.

--No rush, there will always be other opportunities in the future.

That was also what he was thinking at the time.

He somewhat understood why many people develop a habit of smoking in middle age; it was probably because they were troubled but couldn't bring themselves to say it. Unfortunately, he didn't have the habit of smoking and could only stand there like a wooden stake.

"If someone else had said that to me, my first reaction would probably have been, 'Are you kidding me?' Because no one knows her strength better than us. If we're only talking about Aberrant Beast as enemies, I can't imagine any Aberrant Beast that could be her match."

Asō Madoka's voice was calm. "Was something an accident that happened before she transformed? Or did she contract some kind of illness? No matter how you look at it, it shouldn't be someone else killing her."

"But the dean made it very clear that the cause of death was not an accident... but a pure homicide."

Lin Yun clenched his fist.

Even though he had heard those words countless times and confirmed them to himself countless times, hearing them again still stirred his emotions.

Two years ago, when he was overwhelmed by hatred over Anya's death, someone found him and told him, "Think carefully about what you are carrying now, and don't do anything impulsive."

That person, also known as the "Dean" in Asō Madoka's words, Chrysoberyl Cat's Eye.

"You said before that she told you not to attend the funeral, or even not to come to Fangting City?"

Lin Yun asked hesitantly, "Did she tell you why?"

"Yes, I have."

Asō Madoka said calmly, "You know, a mere, unreasonable order won't stop me from doing what I want to do."

"Why?"

"Because when I arrived, you were left with only the option of 'revenge'."

Raising her head and turning her face to the side, Asō Madoka looked at Lin Yun and said, "If I don't come back, or rather, if neither I nor that woman Su Shengzi come back, you can calmly weigh the consequences of 'revenge.' But if we come to the funeral then, what will you think?"

What do you think?

"The Fangting City Squad has regrouped, but one member has been killed. Everyone is seeking revenge, but only one person has given up their magical girl powers and is now unable to fight."

As she stood up from her squatting position, perhaps because her legs were numb, Asō Madoka tiptoed. "In a situation like this, given your personality, do you really still have the option of 'not seeking revenge'?"

Lin Yun was speechless.

The other party is right. If things really turned out that way, he probably wouldn't hesitate to return to the fight.

"... Even so, what's wrong with that?"

Even so, he still has doubts. "I don't feel like I'm being coerced or forced, because that's what I wanted to do in the first place."

"Really?"

Asō Madoka countered, "Then what are you fighting for now?"

"Of course I'm doing this now for..." Lin Yun stopped abruptly halfway through her sentence.

Because he realized what the other person was trying to express.

He is not fighting for "revenge" now; his reason for picking up the Flower of the Heart again is actually to protect his child.

"The reason for fighting is very important. Just because the reason is different can lead to vastly different ways of fighting. You should understand that."

Asō Madoka continued, "The Dean's idea is that the answer to the question 'whether to fight' must be given by yourself. Only if we don't interfere can you find your own reason to fight, a reason that you decide for yourself."

"What if I decide to fight for revenge all by myself?" Lin Yun frowned.

"If you are acting entirely of your own volition, then no one will stop you."

Asō Madoka curled her lips into a smile, "However, I must emphasize that I don't want you to die with Anya, and neither does the Dean. You used that move during the Full Moon Festival, right? The one where you damaged your Magic Armament to gain combat power. If you use it again, you will die."

"If you're already facing this level of battle just to protect your child, how long would it take you to burn out your life if you knew the real culprit and chose revenge? Believe me, my friend, it may sound selfish, but nobody wants to see that."

"...I know, I've understood all of this for a long time." After hearing this, Lin Yun sighed. "In any case, I have to make sure Lulu ...no, I have all the children have the ability to protect themselves. I won't act rashly until those children can stand on their own."

"Even if they can stand on their own, it won't work."

Asō Madoka glared at him. "Are you in such a hurry to commit suicide? You don't even know who the real culprit is, yet you're going to seek revenge. Are you planning to march all the way to Black Ash Dawn's lair and wreak havoc?"

"This won't work, that won't work, so what exactly are you here for? To be a guard for our Dean?"

Lin Yun replied irritably, "Do I need to remind you that my rank is half a grade higher than yours? A candidate Inspector?"

"Didn't I say when we first met that I'm here to be your bodyguard, Your Excellency Inspector?"

Asō Madoka chuckled sarcastically, "Let me confirm this with you one more time: although the 'Moth' who secretly controlled Fangting City has been brought down, things haven't been going well for them lately, have they, sir?"

"So-so," Lin Yun replied indifferently.

One was all smiles, the other a cold expression; after a long standoff, Lin Yun finally backed down and said, "There are indeed quite a few problems."

Who is the enemy?

"You do not know?"

"How would I know? I just arrived."

"Didn't you already ask Chrysoberyl Cat's Eye? How come the Investigation Institute has no record of it?"

"Record what?" Asō Madoka asked innocently.

"Who was it that just told me they 'know the progress of things better than anyone else'?"

Lin Yun's eyes widened. "So this is just a nice-sounding phrase?"

"I do know the progress of things, and I know that Claw Mark sent people over, but how could I possibly know who they were?"

Asō Madoka spread her hands confidently. "We're here to exchange information, aren't we? Tell me!"

"... Never mind, forget I said anything. I'll take you to the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau later and explain it to you properly. I'll show you the relevant information, and you'll understand."

"Great! It's been a long time since I've been to the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau in Fangting City."

"How come I remember someone saying not long ago that going to the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau was boring?"

"Because I really don't want to go to the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau right now. You said you'd 'go later,' right?"

Asō Madoka slightly pursed her lips. "It's so annoying how often they go straight to the local Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau upon arriving in a city."

"It's not like I'm taking you on a trip; it's not going to be much fun anyway."

"Don't worry, I understand."

Asō Madoka responded somewhat perfunctorily, then suddenly seemed to remember something, picked up her handbag, and reached in to pull out a square, thin piece of paper.

"What is that?" Lin Yun asked.

"The album CD, mine, the latest one," Asō Madoka replied.

"Why are you taking out your own album here?" Lin Yun asked, puzzled.

But the other person waved the CD in their hand and laughed, "Is this a custom in your Donghua Prefecture? You have to bring a gift for the deceased."

"So what?"

"This is my gift." Asō Madoka blinked.

"... You're so narcissistic."

Lin Yun put one hand on his hip and couldn't help but rub his forehead with the other. "Who brings something like this when worshipping the dead?"

"This isn't me being narcissistic, my friend. Anya would definitely like it if she knew."

She placed the album in front of the tombstone, Asō Madoka a gesture of worship, bowed deeply, waited for several seconds, and then straightened up, saying, "You see, she told me it's very good."

"That was incredibly stupid," commented the deceased's family.

This time, Asō Madoka offered no rebuttal, nor did she respond at all.

She simply glanced at the tombstone with gentle eyes.

The tombstone will not give her any response, but what remains in her mind is their last phone call.

"So you haven't even listened to my new song? I spent several days recording this perfect version, please, sister, give it a listen."

"Hmm... even if you say that, if you send me a string of strange letters, I have no idea how to turn it into music."

"That's a web link!"

"You'd need to use a computer, right? It seems so difficult... But compared to that, Lulu did some crafts at kindergarten today and learned how to fold paper cranes! Do you want to see? Our child is surprisingly talented with crafts; she seems to be the first in the class to fold one."

"Really? That sounds amazing. Send it to me later. But remember to listen to my songs!"

"Okay, okay, I'll definitely listen to the big star's songs. I'll have Ah Yun get them after he gets off work."

"You're clearly not listening..."

"I really do intend to listen."

"Sigh... I don't know how to use web links, but you know how to listen to CDs, right?"

"CD? Oh, disc? That's fine. You were already planning to release a CD?"

"An album might still be a while away, but it's definitely happening, at the latest in about two years. My songs have been selling very well recently, and if I continue like this, an album will definitely be a success."

"Okay, I'll buy one then."

"No need, I'll give it to you."

"I love Yuan Xiang the most, I'm so touched!"

"Don't say things like that in such a dismissive tone; it only makes people feel worse..."

"Okay, okay, it's just that I really don't know much about music or computers, but I'll definitely buy a copy of your album to support you, Yuan Xiang, even if you don't send it to me."

"Is it a deal?"

It's a deal.

"If you don't buy it, I'll personally deliver the album to your house later."

"Delivered to my home? Hmm... then I suddenly don't want to buy it anymore!"

"Hello!"

Long time no see, Happy May Day. To all the readers who are still waiting, thank you. Although there's still a lot I want to say, I feel it's not the right time yet. Let's let the updates speak for themselves first.