The Source of the Conflict

When the Fangting City and Bai'an City Squad returned to the magical girl base, it was already past 1 a. m.

The restaurant remained exactly as it was when the group had hurriedly left. Half-eaten dishes were still scattered haphazardly on the table, and the hot pot, which should have been the highlight, was now deserted. Clumps of grease floated on the surface of the broth, mixed with some ingredients that had been put into the pot and never returned, telling the story of the regrettable end to this dinner.

"Those hateful Claw Mark... those despicable evil magical girls, I will never forgive you..."

Asō Madoka knelt by the table, heartbroken, as if she were grieving for something of immense hatred, each word dripping with blood. White Thistle stood awkwardly beside her, looking as if she wanted to speak but didn't know how to offer any words of comfort.

As for the other two in Bai'an City, Wood Lily was yawning and heading into the bathroom, while Mimosa had already returned to her room alone sometime earlier.

Xia Liang and Lin Xiaolu were in the kitchen packing up the ingredients and odds and ends they would need for New Year's Eve. Larkspur urged Bai Jingxuan to wash up and go to bed quickly. Then, she found a quiet corner, switched back to Lin Yun's identity, and continued to give instructions to the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau over the phone.

Fortunately, this incident did not occur in the city. Whether Yuan did it intentionally or unintentionally, her choice of Silver Screen Mountain in the far suburbs as the location of the operation was a good thing for the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau, as it meant that they would not have to spend a lot of manpower and resources to repair the site.

However, the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau still needs to send people to the battle site to carry out some cleanup work, including clearing away the remaining Aberrant Beast magic, the large-scale destruction of forest vegetation, and even the damaged mountain slopes.

In addition, such vicious incidents of Claw Mark attacks require the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau to report and file them with headquarters and the Kingdom. The Fangting City Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau must also record and archive them. The magical girls should also receive some official rewards as a reward for fighting powerful enemies.

Arranging these matters is what Lin Yun needs to deal with right now.

By the time he had roughly arranged things, restored the appearance of the Larkspur, and silently returned to the corridor of the stronghold, it was already past two in the morning.

She encountered Lin Xiaolu there; Lin Xiaolu had already washed up, changed into her pajamas, and was preparing to go back to her room to sleep.

Perhaps because she had just gone through a fierce battle and was greatly exhausted, she looked quite tired at the moment, walking with her head drooping, not even noticing people brushing past her.

"White Rose," Larkspur called out, stopping the other person.

"Ah?"

Lin Xiaolu belatedly looked up and saw that it was Larkspur calling her, so she tried to perk up a bit. "What's wrong?"

"Can you still hold on? I have a few things I'd like to discuss with you privately." Larkspur got straight to the point, making no attempt to hide her purpose.

"Hmm... it should be okay?" Lin Xiaolu blinked, feeling a little strange, but she didn't refuse.

She actually had some guesses as to why Larkspur had sought her out alone.

After all, she had already briefly explained her successful awakening of her Magic Armament on the way back to the base. Given that Larkspur never speaks without a purpose, she must want to know more about the Magic Armament from me, right?

Although she was exhausted, the awakening of her Magic Armament was of paramount importance, so she was still in a state where she really wanted to confide in someone; she was practically ready to grab anyone and ask, "How did you know I just successfully awakened my Magic Armament?" Larkspur's initiative to contact her at this time was exactly what she wanted.

Having reached an agreement, the two walked together toward Lin Xiaolu's room. During this process, Larkspur didn't say much, and although Lin Xiaolu occasionally stole glances at her, she also didn't speak.

She entered the room, and Larkspur closed the door behind her. Only then did she openly look at Larkspur, appearing ready to listen attentively.

Will they ask about my Magic Armament? Probably not. If I...

"Your father just called me; he doesn't understand what you're doing."

Then, Larkspur sighed softly and said, "He said that according to your agreement with him, you should have been resting at the stronghold tonight and shouldn't have appeared on the battlefield."

Her tone was calm, and she showed no emotional bias. When she said those words, it was as if she were simply relaying someone else's words.

However, no matter how well the Larkspur disguised herself, it couldn't change the fact that the question itself was questioning Lin Xiaolu's behavior. So when those words were spoken, Lin Xiaolu, who had seemed to be secretly expecting something, visibly deflated instantly.

She opened her mouth as if to refute something, but then hesitated. She looked at Larkspur with a slight frown, clearly thinking about how to respond, but all her thoughts ultimately stopped there, and she could only continue to look at Larkspur in silence.

All of this happened in Larkspur's eyes. She saw Lin Xiaolu's expression change from a hint of excitement to astonishment, resentment, and finally, grievance. Her eyes were red as she looked at her, like a puppy about to be abandoned by its owner.

"... What's wrong?"

Even the most oblivious person would realize they had said something wrong, so the Larkspur, who had originally come with the intention of confronting them, had to stop her thoughts and keep quiet.

Lin Xiaolu did not answer her.

Now it was Larkspur's turn to doubt himself.

Honestly, she had tried her best to control her tone and avoid sounding too fierce. You see, on the way to Silver Screen Mountain, when she saw Lin Xiaolu with Xia Liang and Bai Jingxuan in the group, she almost fainted.

Back at the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau, as Lin Yun, she repeatedly warned Lin Xiaolu not to come to the battlefield without permission. Lin Xiaolu verbally agreed, appearing to comply. But less than half an hour later, this girl not only disobeyed but also brought her entire team with her?

Considering Larkspur's state of mind at the time, the fact that she didn't immediately go up and hit Lin Xiaolu on the head shows remarkable self-control.

With a formidable enemy at hand and time pressing, Fangting City might face dire consequences if the situation wasn't handled promptly. That's why Larkspur remained silent, pretending ignorance. However, the fact that she didn't react at the time didn't mean the matter could be overlooked.

If it were just some trivial matter, that would be one thing, but this was a matter of life and death, and she really couldn't just brush it off. This time, thankfully, it was a close call; surprisingly, the Claw Mark Kite didn't deliberately target the younger generation. But what if there was a next time? If Lin Xiaolu continued to be so disobedient, what if something really happened?

Therefore, when Larkspur arrived, she had already made plans. Even if she didn't scold her, she would at least give her daughter a good talking-to and make her realize that her behavior was wrong.

Considering that everyone was exhausted after a fierce battle with the enemy, and that her words and actions should not be too aggressive, she carefully considered her words, using only mild terms such as "don't understand" and "shouldn't" to minimize the other party's resistance.

But Larkspur hadn't expected that even though she had phrased it so tactfully, Lin Xiaolu would still show considerable frustration, even more so than Cuique had anticipated.

Where exactly did I go wrong? Were my words really that serious?

"I don't mean to criticize or blame you; I'm just simply confused."

After much thought, she could only soften her tone once more, trying to eliminate the little blame that was already in her words: "After all, I am also worried, because the enemy this time is really strong, and it would be very dangerous to fight them."

"... But I won." Lin Xiaolu, whose head had been lowered at some point, murmured.

"Hmm?" Unexpectedly, she received such a reply. The Larkspur was initially taken aback, then instinctively guessed—was she being defiant?

But soon, she sensed from his tone that it wasn't quite the case.

Moreover, the person standing opposite him was ultimately his own daughter. During the two years of cold war between father and daughter, Lin Yun had seen his daughter's sulking face countless times: when she was angry, she would always stare straight at others with a righteous indignation and would never take the initiative to back down.

So, what exactly is this sentence trying to express?

She was still subconsciously pondering the meaning behind Lin Xiaolu's words, but the next moment, Lin Xiaolu suddenly raised her head, her expression becoming much calmer.

"Hmm... you're right."

She stared at the floor, her tone saying, "I know I didn't handle this well; I shouldn't have gone back on my word. So, after it was over, I planned to apologize to him. Next time something like this happens, I won't go to fight on my own again."

"Ha..."

Not knowing why the other party's attitude changed so quickly, Larkspur only had time to let out a meaningless hiss before hesitantly replying, "If you say that, then there shouldn't be any problem?"

Is everything really alright? Then why did I use a question? In fact, even Larkspur himself didn't understand.

"Okay, I'll message him later and apologize to him in person."

But Lin Xiaolu continued, following her lead. "Thank you for reminding me."

To steal someone else's words, leaving them speechless.

Lin Xiaolu has done just that; she's left Larkspur speechless.

His attitude was impeccable, and his words were perfectly correct; what could the Larkspur possibly say? Offering comfort seemed abrupt, while admonishing him seemed harsh. Should the topic be changed at such a moment?

"That, Larkspur."

Fortunately, Lin Xiaolu seemed to have something else to say, "I was really unwilling during the Full Moon Festival before."

"... Full Moon Festival?"

"Yes, back then, when facing the 'moth,' although I mustered up the courage to fight, I was too weak, so I knew I was completely useless."

Lin Xiaolu recounted the story calmly, her words surprisingly devoid of any extra emotion. "I was so easily defeated, so easily knocked down. The enemy wasn't even taking it seriously; they were just toying with me."

The Larkspur was speechless.

Lin Xiaolu has once again blocked her space to speak. She can neither admit nor deny this, because it seems inappropriate to say it either way.

If she admits it, it's like pointing a finger at Lin Xiaolu and saying she's "useless." If she doesn't admit it, it's like blatant lying, completely unconvincing.

Larkspur remained silent, leaving Lin Xiaolu as the only one speaking in the room, "In fact, because of my presence, that woman used me as a weakness, causing you to get injured, Larkspur. I know all of this."

"If you're going to say that I shouldn't have been there back then, that I shouldn't have been a burden and held you back, I admit it, I even hate myself for it."

"So, this time, I really tried my best."

"I have awakened my Magic Armament."

"And I... although I wasn't alone, I ultimately defeated that enemy too."

"Call me bragging if you want, but this time, I think... I did have a role to play, right?"

She slowly raised her eyes, looking at the Larkspur with uncertainty in them. "Shouldn't I be a burden this time, like this?"

Larkspur gazed at her for a long while, then slowly nodded. "You are not a burden. There's no need to ask. What you did tonight was crucial in defeating the enemy."

"Then why...?"

"Because I'm really worried about your safety, especially yours, White Rose."

Larkspur took a deep breath. "You should know that your mother, Sakura, died while on a magical girl mission. And she was incredibly powerful; she was definitely stronger than me back then. The fact that such a powerful magical girl could have an accident during a mission caused widespread panic among Magical Girl Squad throughout the Material Realm."

"As her... teammate, I'm definitely one of the people who finds this most unacceptable. I truly regret not being by her side back then. That's why I'm so worried about sending you on such a dangerous mission now. If something happens to you because of this, I really..."

She paused, then closed her eyes tightly and shook her head, as if trying to banish a certain thought from her mind, "I can't accept that kind of thing."

"And what about me?" Lin Xiaolu asked.

"What?"

"And how do I feel?"

Lin Xiaolu's eyes widened, and her voice rose slightly. "Have you ever thought that I feel the same way? I'm worried about you too! You lost your teammates, but I lost my mother! My mother died during a mission! How could I possibly want to experience that pain and despair again!"

"Am I not sad? Am I not scared? Because I'm also worried about these things, I also think, 'If I'm not the one who caused the trouble for Larkspur,' I won't even want to think about such things!"

"You always say you're worried about me and don't want anything to happen to me, but have you ever thought that I feel the same way? I'm so worried about you that I can't sit still. You make me stay in the base, and every second I'm thinking about whether something might happen to you. How could I possibly stand it!"

"Last time during the Full Moon Festival, you were severely injured by that woman, and in the end, you even destroyed your Magic Armament for some reason; this time in the battle, you were still injured by the person with Claw Mark, and she almost injured your True Form! Do you know how I felt when I was standing there? I was really worried that you were going to die! I couldn't even speak!"

"Do you think I'm afraid of death? Yes, I am. I'm afraid of death, I'm afraid of pain, I'm even afraid of thunder. There are so many things I'm afraid of. I'm a coward. But what I'm most afraid of is never any of these things. What I'm most afraid of is the disappearance of the people I love from my life!"

"My mother is dead and will never come back. It took me two years, and I still find it hard to accept. If you were to die, how many more years would you want me to accept it?"

"If that's really the case, I'd rather die in your place. After all, you saved my life. Even if we encounter some truly fatal danger, if I can exchange my life for yours—"

Lin Xiaolu stopped speaking.

At the most emotional moment of her speech, Larkspur raised her hand, gripped her shoulder tightly, and stared wide-eyed at her with her clear, azure eyes, saying each word slowly and deliberately:

"Absolutely not."

Lin Xiaolu had never seen Larkspur like this before.

Her face still didn't show any exaggerated expression, but there seemed to be some chaotic and heavy emotion brewing in her wide eyes, even with a hint of pressure that made her feel like she couldn't breathe.

Like some kind of stress response, when she mentioned that she would "die in place of the Larkspur," it was as if a sleeping beast had been awakened, causing the Larkspur to change from her original calm and thoughtful state to this.

"... I absolutely cannot accept this. You should think carefully about what your friends, your father, and I will think if you do this?"

After a while, Larkspur finally recovered from her daze and released her grip on Lin Xiaolu's shoulder. "I'm sorry, I hurt you, but you have to understand that many people will be sad for you and feel sorry for you. Believe me, no one wants to see that happen."

"But if it can save you, I'm willing to do it."

Lin Xiaolu did not back down at all. "Perhaps I will feel sorry for my father, but this is the only thing that makes me feel guilty."

The Larkspur stared at her for a long time.

After a short while, she nodded expressionlessly, as if she were meeting Lin Xiaolu for the first time. "Okay, I understand."

She took two steps back, leaned against the wall, and hugged herself.

"But since you're truly prepared for this, I'll tell you my real thoughts: if you really risk your life for this, I'll kill the person who killed you first, and then commit suicide."

Now it was Lin Xiaolu's turn to be stunned.

"Why?" It took her a while to decipher the meaning behind Larkspur's words, and she asked somewhat blankly.

"...There's no reason." Larkspur turned his head to the side.

Because her daughter's words crossed her bottom line, she couldn't help but blurt out her true feelings in a moment of impulse: she had already lost her wife, and if she were to lose her child one day, then there would be no meaning left for her to live in this world, and she might as well commit suicide for peace of mind.

Although somewhat extreme, this logic is barely understandable for Lin Yun, but it seems quite illogical when applied to Larkspur.

After all, from an outsider's perspective, the relationship between Larkspur and White Rose was merely a chance encounter between magical girls who were senior and junior in the same city, far from warranting such a life-or-death confrontation.

Larkspur knew this, but she was powerless to do anything about it. At the same time, she realized in that instant that the identities of "Larkspur" and "Lin Yun" were indeed different.

Lin Yun is Lin Xiaolu's father, but he is also just an "ordinary person who knows a little Spell Formula." With this identity, he can naturally express his concerns about his daughter going to the battlefield and use various means to dissuade her. Because to his daughter, he is her father, a "rear-line personnel," and has the right to offer such advice.

But Larkspur is a magical girl, and more importantly, the captain of the Fangting City Magical Girl Squad. She always leads from the front lines. Given her status, she shouldn't be stopping her teammates from going to the battlefield.

The reason given by Lin Xiaolu is the same: if it's just to "protect teammates," then everyone would have similar thoughts, and no one can guarantee that they will be safe from danger while carrying out a mission.

Moreover, as the Larkspur, she had promised Lin Xiaolu that she would help her become a "capable magical girl." From her perspective, she should have encouraged Lin Xiaolu to fight and grow.

It was precisely because he failed to distinguish between the roles of "father" and "senior" that Larkspur's words just now elicited such a strong reaction from Lin Xiaolu.

Yes, she was wrong. On a night when a great battle had just ended, as a senior magical girl, she should have praised Lin Xiaolu's achievements, commended her awakened Magic Armament, and encouraged her progress. That's what a senior magical girl should do.

Saying something like "I'm worried about safety" is not something a senior should say, at least not at this time. Because it ignores the other person's awareness of going to the battlefield and is a form of contempt for others.

However, it was too late to realize this now. The emotions that were about to erupt had already erupted, and the impulsive words had already been spoken. Now, she had no way to explain herself.

Thus, she could see Lin Xiaolu's expression change, from doubt to relief to determination.

"Larkspur."

She began by saying, "I've always had a very uneasy feeling. I've always felt that you've been too good to me. I don't know what I have that makes you so fond of me, or whether I can live up to your investment of love. So I've always been very anxious."

"I'm afraid that if I expect too much from myself and think I'm special, I'll feel terrible when my illusions are shattered due to the huge gap between expectation and reality."

"And now, I think I'm pretty sure why you did all this."

"So, you really are... trying to find your mother's shadow in me, aren't you?"

She lowered her eyes slightly. "I put myself in your shoes and thought about it. If in the future, I also had a very close teammate who died, and her child became a magical girl, perhaps I would also be unable to resist looking for something familiar in her."

What strange thing is this girl thinking about now?

Larkspur couldn't help but sigh, instinctively wanting to deny it, but before she could utter a word, Lin Xiaolu shook her head at her.

"I might still care a little, but after thinking about it more, I realize that I can actually not care so much."

She took two small steps forward, getting closer to the Larkspur, and lowered her head slightly to meet his clear, bright eyes.

"So, in that case, could I also consider you my mother?"

After leaving Lin Xiaolu's room, Larkspur lingered briefly in the corridor.

Gazing at the pitch-black night outside the window, and the occasional fireworks flashing across the night sky, her expression was inscrutable, devoid of joy or sorrow.

With a thoughtful expression, she walked forward slowly through the door to the second-floor balcony. Instantly, a faint scent of tobacco wafted past her nose.

She looked out onto the balcony and saw Asō Madoka leaning against the railing, her figure swallowed by shadows, with only a few sparks of fire flickering between her fingers.

She was smoking.

"She looks like a delinquent girl."

Larkspur commented without any mercy, then walked onto the balcony and stood beside Asō Madoka: "What are you thinking about all night long, instead of sleeping?"

"I've been waiting for you." Asō Madoka took a deep breath and stubbed out her cigarette. "How did it go? Did you finish talking with your daughter?"

"We're done talking."

Larkspur didn't ask her how she knew she was talking to Lin Xiaolu. She simply reached out to touch the balcony railing, but as soon as her hand touched the surface, she quickly pulled it back. "So cold."

"... Pfft." Asō Madoka suddenly laughed.

"What's wrong?" Larkspur looked at her with some confusion.

"Oh, it's nothing, just a little sigh, as expected of my biological son."

Asō Madoka seemed to be sighing about something, then quickly changed the subject with a casual remark. "Let's not talk about this, it's really dangerous tonight."

"Indeed." Larkspur did not deny it.

As an enemy, Iris is a rare and formidable foe.

Both sides used almost all their trump cards except for their ultimate moves before a winner was decided. Even so, after the cards were revealed, the group of people still couldn't defeat their opponent.

Depriving magical girls of their ability to use magic is a deadly Wonderland, almost fatal. If Tobi had chosen to act within her own Wonderland at that time, perhaps she and her group wouldn't have been able to return to their base unharmed.

"I've dealt with quite a few Claw Mark over the years, but this guy tonight is definitely one of the toughest to handle."

She tossed the extinguished cigarette butt into the night sky behind her, her fingers tracing a path. A burst of magic flickered in mid-air before vanishing with the cigarette butt. Asō Madoka and resonant. "Seeing is believing. This person is probably among the top fighters in Claw Mark."

Why make this judgment?

"If all magical girls with Claw Mark are this strong, then we wouldn't have needed to hide like this all these years."

"Too."

The Larkspur, mimicking Asō Madoka's posture, leaned against the wall, tilted her head back, and watched the hot breath rising from her mouth, her gaze slightly unfocused.

The two fell silent for a moment.

"So, what's the deal with that girl in your team named Bai Jingxuan?" After a moment of silence, Asō Madoka asked.

"What? What happened?"

"That transformation."

Which one?

"Don't play dumb, you're the one who mixed in the magic of the Aberrant Beast."

"Oh," Larkspur responded, and then fell silent.

Asō Madoka leaned against the railing and waited for a while. Seeing that Larkspur still didn't speak, she had no choice but to ask again, "Oh, what do you mean?"

"It means let me think about it." Larkspur's tone was flat.

"Oh." Asō Madoka didn't ask any more questions.

The two waited by the railing for a while longer before it was finally Larkspur's turn to speak, "That child is the Sacrificial Child of the Black Ash Dawn."

"... Black Ash Dawn? Sacrificial Child?"

"Um."

"No wonder," Asō Madoka sighed, "They're a bunch of beasts."

"Do you know what Sacrificial Child is?" This time it was Larkspur's turn to look at her with a sidelong glance.

"Have no idea."

"Then why are you sighing?"

"Because I killed one." Perhaps because they were truly discussing something disgusting, Asō Madoka's tone became somewhat displeased. "It was one of the most disgusting experiences of my life. You don't want to hear it; it will make you very sad."

"...Then I won't ask anymore." Noticing that Asō Madoka used the quantifier "only," Larkspur stopped exploring the question.

She recalled the Black Ash Dawn gang that broke into the orphanage, trying to take Bai Jingxuan away. Combining this with Asō Madoka's tone, she had already made some guesses about the story that she hadn't told.

But as Asō Madoka said, she didn't intend to continue exploring this story, because the thought of another innocent child as the main character of the story was never a pleasant one.

"Because of that unpleasant experience, if you call her Sacrificial Child, I will feel more sympathy and pity for her."

Asō Madoka continued, "But from a friend's perspective, I think what you did wasn't very rational."

"Do you think I shouldn't let a child like that become a magical girl?"

"Hmm," Asō Madoka affirmed softly.

"I won't let that child go down the path of Claw Mark."

Larkspur looked at the empty corridor outside the balcony door. "You've seen it all these days, he's a good child."

"This has nothing to do with her personally."

Asō Madoka shook her head. "What I'm saying is that having a child like this become a magical girl will present many difficulties for you and for her in the future. The Kingdom's tests, the prejudice of her colleagues, the Garden's scrutiny, the Royal Court's defenses—and all of this will be because of the Aberrant Beast magic within her."

Larkspur knew she wasn't exaggerating.

No one knows when the Aberrant Beast first appeared on this land, nor when the battle between magical girls and the Aberrant Beast began. But for every magical girl, for every life living in the Royal Court, the Aberrant Beast are evil, Aberrant Beast are disaster. In their eyes, every trace of magic flowing from the Aberrant Beast is a desecration.

Even the two people standing here now share this view to some extent.

If Bai Jingxuan hadn't actually existed in his life, and if he hadn't witnessed firsthand what kind of girl she was, even Larkspur couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't have viewed her with prejudice because of the Aberrant Beast's magic.

This is human nature; even magical girls are not immune to it.

"I know," the Larkspur replied.

However, she had actually already considered these things.

If Bai Jingxuan wants to continue as a magical girl, she is destined to face not only the challenge of self-identity but also the scrutiny of others. If the path of other magical girls is a muddy trail, then Bai Jingxuan's path is a precipice, and one wrong step on this path may mean she can never return to the right way.

That's precisely why she couldn't stand idly by.

She is the senior magical girl in the Fangting City Squad. What seniors should do is guide juniors and become their beacons.

Yes, you definitely know.

Asō Madoka chuckled, then shook her head. "No, I shouldn't say you know. Not only do you know, you will definitely do it."

"Hmm." Larkspur did not deny her statement.

"But is this really the right thing to do?"

"Um?"

"You were just talking to your own child, weren't you? You can't stop worrying about this one, and you can't stop worrying about that one. Can you really manage to keep everything going?"

Asō Madoka stroked her chin. "Children's jealousy can sometimes be more terrifying than women's, let alone little girls. It can get really difficult for them to get more attention from their parents."

"You should save those kinds of words for when you've sorted out your relationships within your own team."

Larkspur remained completely unfazed. "Someone who can make the kids on their team cry has no right to talk to me like that."

"Hmm..."

Asō Madoka's expression froze instantly. "Excellent marksmanship, a ten out of ten."

"I've figured it out, Asō."

After silencing her, Larkspur suddenly changed the subject. "I already thought this two years ago: my life has lost all meaning for me."

"A piece of firewood that is about to burn out has no reason to continue burning. The only thing it can do is use its remaining heat to ignite new firewood, and at the same time, to warm the people around the fireplace as much as possible."

"Perhaps only one person can sit directly in front of the stove, but if someone beside me wants the warmth I have left, then I will do my best to warm them with my heat."

"It's possible that it will ultimately turn out to be wishful thinking, but I don't mind, because it will make me feel that my life has played a more valuable role."

She turned her head to the side, a barely perceptible smile appearing on her otherwise inorganic face, "This way, I'll feel more satisfied."

Asō Madoka stared at her.

From her long, flowing, deep blue hair to her eyes that held a hazy radiance, to her face that looked as if it had been meticulously sculpted by an artist.

This wasn't the first time she'd thought her old friend, as a magical girl, looked like a doll, but this was the first time she'd almost thought she was standing in front of a doll.

Only dolls possess a magnificent appearance that living people cannot match, but they lack the heartbeat and warmth of living people.

"If you say those things a few more times, you might make me cry, sister."

She said, "So, I have to ask you, you can't say it anymore, I hate it."

"Okay." Larkspur nodded gently, readily agreeing to her request.

Their conversation ended again, until a short while later, a dazzling firework exploded in the night sky not far away.

Immediately afterwards, a series of fireworks soared into the sky, their deafening shrill sounds and dazzling colors momentarily drawing the attention of the two.

The Larkspur no longer leaned against the railing, but turned around and gazed across the balcony at the colors blooming in the night sky.

"Setting off fireworks in the middle of the night is just disturbing the peace," she muttered under her breath, her face expressionless.

"Yes, it's beautiful," Asō Madoka, looking at the fireworks filling the sky. "But we'll see even more beautiful fireworks this year, probably the most beautiful fireworks in the world."

"Hmm?" Larkspur turned her head to look at her.

"It's the Queen Year, sisters." Asō Madoka still gazed at the sky. "Have you forgotten? After the Great Beast Calamity, our team also gathered together to watch the fireworks in the Kingdom."

"The Queen Year...?" Larkspur's eyes lit up for a moment in the glow of the fireworks, but then returned to darkness along with the night sky. "Yes, it is the Queen Year."

For many magical girls and Fairy, the Queen Year might be a word worth celebrating.

For another group of magical girls and Fairy, the Queen Year is another detestable term.

However, no one can deny that this twenty-year cycle has finally come to its final year.

No one will forget what happened in the last Queen Year: Great Calamity, great celebrations, great changes, and great separations. It has become an indelible mark in the memories of many, and may accompany them for a lifetime.

And right now, this Queen Year has only just begun.

"Sister, let's make a promise."

Asō Madoka spoke up again, "How about we all go to the Kingdom to watch the festival fireworks this year?"

The Larkspur looked up at her and saw that, illuminated by the fireworks, her face was clearly defined by light and shadow. The light was bright and cheerful, while the shadows held a hint of sincerity, making her look like a painting that left a deep impression.

For some reason, she was somewhat unwilling to look at Asō Madoka like this.

So she turned back and continued watching the fireworks.

After a long pause, he answered in a voice almost inaudible:

"Yes, I want to go too."