Arguments and Sincerity

The "arguments" that Larkspur presented were clearly beyond the comprehension of the two.

"A knot... so what does that represent?"

Asō Madoka hesitated, then said, "Isn't the Magic Armament made of magic? Whether it's knotted or not is just a matter of your word. Just let it come undone and then let it appear again."

"I must emphasize that I did not tamper with the Magic Armament in any way."

Larkspur's outstretched hands remained motionless. "You can sense the flow of magic on the Magic Armament. It's not bearing any external force; in other words, the 'knotted appearance' has become its original form. As long as I summon my Magic Armament, it will be knotted."

"So... how will this affect your combat?"

Asō Madoka raised an eyebrow. "For example, the use of Magic Armament being hindered or something?"

"No, not at all."

Larkspur shook her head. "Apart from the small knot in the line, I can't feel anything else. I even have to feel it carefully to find the small knot."

"Then that means it has absolutely no impact?" Asō Madoka frowned. "This kind of thing doesn't even warrant taking such a risk, does it?"

"But it's knotted, which means it's somewhat out of my control."

Larkspur emphasized, "It's an abnormal phenomenon that magical girls can't fully control their Magic Armament."

"Isn't that common? Newbies often make mistakes because they haven't developed their Magic Armament enough." Asō Madoka chuckled. "Maybe it's just that you haven't been fighting much lately, so your control precision has decreased."

"I'm not a novice, and my control precision has just declined; it shouldn't be to this extent."

"Then treat it as a minor issue and don't worry about it. As long as it doesn't affect the battle, it's fine."

"I can't help but care."

"... So what do you plan to do, sister? Before, it was fine that it was for healing, but now you're actually trying to smuggle yourself into the Kingdom for a knot in the rope, with a chance of being delivered as food?"

Asō Madoka laughed in exasperation, "How do you expect me to answer you? Should I kneel down and demonstrate how to untie it, then beg you not to do something so stupid?"

"Calm down, Asō." Larkspur said expressionlessly, "This isn't hard to understand; it actually represents a more serious problem."

"I'm calm. Just say what you're thinking, don't beat around the bush." Asō Madoka's voice gradually became more forceful.

The atmosphere in the director's office immediately became even more tense.

Larkspur silently raised her head and looked at Asō Madoka, who also stared at her without saying a word. Although they were separated by sunglasses, their gazes seemed to spark.

Neither of them said another word for a moment.

This could be considered a tacit understanding, because they both knew that saying another word at this time would only lead to more malicious remarks. And once those malicious words were uttered, the small conflict would escalate, eventually leading to a situation that no one wanted to see.

While the two remained silent, Hong Siyu, after observing for a while, reached out and tugged at the magic thread that Larkspur had offered, then took it into her own hand, where it transformed into a different shape.

"Look, doesn't it look like an iron tower?" She showed the other two the shape she had pulled out.

Larkspur and Asō Madoka turned to look at her at the same time.

The synchronized movements made Hong Siyu's shoulders tremble, and even a slight cold sweat broke out on her forehead, but she withstood the pressure of the silence and continued to explain, "What I mean is, I saw you constantly reaching out to pull the string, and suddenly I remembered that I had indeed played this kind of game before, and subconsciously..."

As she explained, she continued her hand gestures, stretching the Eiffel Tower into a more complex polygon. "Look, isn't it... interesting?"

However, no one spoke.

So Hong Siyu could only continue to manipulate the rope in her hand, this time pulling it into the shape of a parachute, and said in an extremely stiff tone, "The iron tower becomes a parachute..."

In the end, it was Asō Madoka who took the initiative.

She took two steps forward expressionlessly, approaching Hong Siyu under her tense gaze, and then, just as Hong Siyu was so frightened that she almost closed her eyes, she took the rope from her hand.

--The magic threads were stretched into the shape of a suspension bridge.

Then, the suspension bridge was presented to the Larkspur.

"... Thanks, but I'm not playing."

Interrupted by this little incident, the somewhat stiff atmosphere eased slightly. Larkspur sighed, reached out and took the thread back into her hand. "In short, even if you don't agree, I personally believe this plan is necessary, because this little knot isn't just a simple knot; it also signifies 'new side effects.'"

"In other words, given that I am no longer able to develop and improve the Magic Armament, the change in Magic Armament form must have been influenced by some subtle influence of its True Form."

Looking at the mess the two had made like cat's cradle, Larkspur ignored Hong Siyu's slightly accusing gaze, put away the silk threads in her hand, and let them dissipate into starlight magic. "In other words, if I ignore my current injuries, new side effects will appear. This time it was just Magic Armament knots, but what will it be next time? This unknown risk is too high. I have to deal with it."

There was one more Larkspur didn't mention, because she herself wasn't entirely sure that this idea was correct.

That is, her Magic Armament, "Weave Destiny," with its "thread" as one of the three components, to some extent symbolizes fate. And the knotted thread symbolizing fate is not a good omen in any sense.

Although she was already an adult in mind and did not readily believe in fortune telling or divination, the fact that the Weave Destiny Fate set was her Magic Armament made it impossible for her not to make some connections.

The current crisis in Fangting City, the encirclement of Black Ash Dawn and Claw Mark, the pressure to protect the child, the obstacles to avenging Anya, and the warning from the Magic Armament —all of these are stimulating Larkspur's nerves, telling her that "she must have power now."

To regain power, of the two previous choices— White Wolf and Emerald — Emerald's credibility is at least slightly higher than White Wolf's. Both seem terrible, so the only option is the less terrible one.

"To be honest, I still don't quite understand, because I'm really worried, sister."

Asō Madoka finally spoke again, a bitter smile on her face, "In my heart, your safety is the most important thing right now. Anya has already gone through that, and I really don't want anything else to happen to her. So when you said 'you might be executed,' I was really angry, which is why I said those things just now. I'm sorry."

"... Thank you for your concern. I understand, and in fact, I would have agreed with you in the past."

Larkspur lowered her eyelids. "You're not wrong, Asō."

"However, after experiencing all that has happened, I've come to understand that simply pursuing stability and peace on a whim is ultimately unsustainable."

"Just like how I naively believed that everything would end after the Great Beast Calamity and that I could enjoy a peaceful life; just like how Hong Siyu worked diligently at the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau and didn't make enemies with anyone... We all believed that we could return to peace, but the truth is, peace without power is not true peace."

"No choice in this world is absolutely safe. Will it really be safer for me to go to the Kingdom next year than to go now? What might happen during that year? Will next year be completely foolproof? We can't really guarantee these things. We just follow experience and logic, believing that this will help us avoid risks."

"But fate doesn't listen to logic or reason. It might show you occasional mercy, but more often it fools and mocks you. Only by taking power and control into my own hands can I feel at ease now."

"That's why I'm here, and why I became the director of the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau. I don't trust anyone else; I won't entrust our safety to anyone else again. Call it lust for power, call it paranoia, but I want to Control Stage these things as much as possible."

"So, this time is no different. I don't want to wait another year. I want to take the initiative."

She looked up again at Asō Madoka: "These are my thoughts, my true feelings."

After she finished speaking, she fell silent and waited quietly for the other person's response, or rather, reaction.

She didn't expect Asō Madoka to understand her thoughts immediately, nor did she want to continue debating with her. She laid out her thoughts completely, and all she needed was a glance or a gesture from the other person.

Eye contact and gestures directly reveal a person's thoughts, and their stance on those thoughts will directly influence the Larkspur's subsequent actions.

It's good that people are willing to act together, but it's also to be expected that they are unwilling, or even continue to oppose.

Because she knew that there was a difference between the past and the present. Although the three members of the Old Fangting Squad had all gathered here, time could never be turned back.

Especially Asō Madoka, who has already joined the Magic Kingdom and has been working in the Investigation Institute for many years, even longer than the time she was his teammate. From this perspective, she has absolutely no reason to agree to his plan.

As a magical girl from the Investigation Institute, Asō Madoka even had reason to call off the plan on the spot. But she didn't. Instead, she stood on the same side as herself and was willing to consider the safety of her old teammate, which was already quite considerate.

The things discussed earlier—whether it's visiting Anya, searching for Su Shengzi, or the potential confrontation with Claw Mark —are all things that magical girls should do, and they don't contradict the rules of the Kingdom.

However, using a false identity to "smuggle" into the Kingdom clearly goes beyond this scope. Even if the Gem Scepter is behind this act, it is still illegal on the surface.

If possible, Larkspur didn't want to bring up this topic so soon after her old teammates reunited, but since the topic existed, it would eventually come to this point, and she didn't intend to avoid it.

However, Asō Madoka's answer took her by surprise.

Do you remember what I told you when I first arrived a few days ago?

It wasn't a question of understanding or misunderstanding, or even a questioning of the Larkspur's motives, but rather a rhetorical question, "Did I just tell you that? Or did you take it as a joke and then forget about it?"

"...'Let's welcome this fan onto the stage?'" Larkspur said after a moment's recollection.

"No, it's a little further back."

Asō Madoka sighed helplessly, "Fine, I'll try again, otherwise you probably really won't remember."

As she said this, she suddenly knelt down on one knee and took up one of Larkspur's hands. "Well? Do you remember now?"

The Larkspur did indeed remember.

These were the words spoken by Asō Madoka after that extremely abrupt hand-kissing gesture.

"At your service."

At this moment, Asō Madoka repeated herself, "That's not to make you laugh, nor is it just a role-playing spur-of-the-moment thing; it's my true feeling."

"If you need the power to take the initiative, and you need to use these things to protect your goals, then why can't I use my power?"

"I can help you resolve your dangers; I can help you overcome your obstacles; I can help you avenge your enemies. Whatever you desire, my power is at your disposal."

"You don't need to worry about losing this power. If you feel it's necessary, I can stay in Fangting for the next year until you can heal your injuries using a safer method. As for the Dean, it's just a matter of me giving her a sick leave note and having her work overtime for the next two years."

"I just don't want you to always take such risks, putting your life at risk, as if dying doesn't matter as long as you achieve your goal... No, sister, it's not like that."

"Your child will be sad, your teammates will be sad, Hong Siyu sad, and I will be sad too."

"Cherish your life more, value yourself more. That's my only request. Don't do anything as foolish as you did during the Great Beast Calamity or when you saved Hong Siyu. There's no need to do that now."

She looked up, a rare bitter smile on her face, "Or is it that my strength is insufficient? Do you think my strength is inadequate, or that I am simply incapable?"

"Ah, Yuan Xiang! Why are you suddenly saying things like that? I thought the same thing!"

Hong Siyu, hurriedly chimed in, "Senior! I'm here too, and I'm Fang Ting's magical girl now, and I'll always be here, forever! Relying on me won't be a problem! Ah, although I have indeed neglected my studies for too long and advanced too late, my strength might not be very great..."

"...That's not it," Larkspur replied softly. "It's not that I'm unwilling to use your strength."

"Why is that? Don't you trust my power?" Asō Madoka continued to ask, "Even with my current strength, you still can't feel at ease? After all, even someone as strong as Anya died. Is it really not enough for us?"

No, none of these are it.

Larkspur shook his head. "It's because of my personal reasons."

"You alone?"

"My heart won't allow it, my true feelings won't allow it, just like you Asō, because of Anya's situation, you don't want to see your comrades in danger anymore."

The Larkspur looked at her earnestly. "I don't want to be powerless to help when my companions are in danger either."

"I will never let Anya's tragedy repeat itself, not even in the slightest possibility. Only in this way can I be true to my conscience and alleviate the torment in my heart."

Her voice was firm and resolute. "Continuing to hide behind my companions and be protected by others will only overwhelm me with emptiness and pain, so I... can't do that anymore."

Seeing the expression on the Larkspur's face, the tense look on Asō Madoka's face gradually faded, eventually turning into helplessness.

For some reason, she subconsciously glanced in Hong Siyu's direction and then discovered that the other person's expression was strikingly similar to her own.

Perhaps, even our thoughts are the same?

"... We lost."

Her sigh was neither a surrender to the Larkspur before her nor anything else.