Time That Stopped Forever

(Bai Ziye)

My parents took Ceruno to a treatment facility, but as an "ordinary person," I couldn't get in, so I was left at home to guard the gate with the Golden.

However, I have other reservations.

As soon as they left, I rushed to the railway station and took the intercity rail to leave Skyreach City.

Only the dog Golden, was actually left behind.

Fortunately, this clever Doggy can find food on its own, knows how to use the toilet and flush, and doesn't destroy things. It's almost unlike a dog, except that it's not human.

After a two-hour drive, we finally arrived in Chaiqing City before the sun became even more scorching. Compared to Skyreach City, it is more inland, completely away from the sea, and surrounded by mountains on all sides. With its excellent natural environment, it is a famous tourist city around Skyreach City.

But I didn't come here for tourism; I came to see someone.

Searching for someone in the station hall to no avail, I dialed the phone.

"Hey! Boyfriend! I've been watching you wander around for five minutes, and you still haven't found me!"

A lively response came from the other end of the phone.

"When you arrive, can you just come out directly? Don't hide."

Snap--

Suddenly, someone slapped me hard across the back. The first magical girl's blow almost broke my spine, and I winced in pain.

"Only you dare to talk to me like that."

Seeing that I was still gritting my teeth, she added, "Young man, how come you're so fragile at such a young age?"

Sirius, she is my guide today.

I warned, "You could kill me right now. I hope you can consider the difference in physical abilities between a magical girl and an ordinary person."

"I was controlling my strength! Otherwise, how could you have stood up in front of me? But I'm also curious, why didn't you transform before coming over?"

She herself arrived ahead of time via a wormhole.

Although she didn't like the feeling of traveling through a wormhole, as a means of transportation, there couldn't be anything more convenient.

I replied, "'Miluno' doesn't have legal status and can't take the intercity rail. You don't expect me to run all the way here along the railway, do you?"

"Then you should register with the Association as soon as possible..."

Seeing my reluctance, she changed her tune, saying, "Fine, I'll make you a fake certificate later, but the finances aren't my responsibility. If you don't get the bounty, you'll have to blame it on Spica."

Association magical girls receive a universal pass symbolizing their magical girl status. This pass can be used to store money, ride vehicles, or prove their identity to armed police, allowing them direct access to places prohibited to ordinary people. It's even more useful than an FBI ID.

But I, a wild magical girl, don't have such a thing at all.

"Speaking of which, is it alright for 'Sirius' to appear here?"

She is the focus of the world's attention.

She was wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and a mask today, doing her best to disguise herself from the paparazzi. However, her blonde hair was too conspicuous, and some sharp-eyed pedestrians noticed her. It was only a matter of time before she was recognized.

"This is definitely not good. Sigh, I'm just too popular."

Saying narcissistic things, she grabbed my arm and hurriedly left the railway station, diving into a black car parked by the roadside.

"Ugh! It's so hot!"

The temperature in this car is at least fifty or sixty degrees Celsius. Sitting inside is like being in a sauna. You're afraid of burning your trachea if you breathe in it. It's incredibly uncomfortable.

Sirius also took off his hat and mask, saying, "This is what a car looks like after being baked in the sun! I'm on a secret mission today, so I can't arrange a driver. After all, I'm going to see that guy, and I don't plan to bring anyone but you."

The "that guy" Sirius mentioned was the Morning Star twelve years ago, one of the original seven magical girls.

It was the previous owner of this Star Crystal in my hand, or perhaps the magical girl who gave Crystal to me a year ago.

I've come here today specifically to confirm this.

The Star Crystal in the wristband merged into my body, and in an instant, I became Miluno... My long hair fell down my back, and I felt even hotter.

Sirius glanced at me in the rearview mirror, then started the car with a grin.

"Let's go, you'll be shocked when you see that guy."

"I was startled... She's a man too?"

No, quite the opposite.

I still don't understand what "completely opposite" means.

Wearing his seatbelt, he was shaking his leg in the passenger seat.

"Don't worry, we'll be there soon."

I'm not in a hurry, I'm just a little scared.

Although she is the world's number one idol and magical girl, she is not necessarily good at everything. At least, her driving skills are not very good in my opinion. I even doubt whether she can see the road ahead clearly with her height. Yet she drives very confidently. The mountain road is particularly narrow. I was really afraid that she would crash into a tree.

Is she still the world's number one road hazard?

"Slow down... Does that First-Generation Morning Star live in the mountains?"

"That's right, she's practically living in seclusion. Someone from the Association brings her food every week, and she doesn't go out at all."

"Why?"

"It's inconvenient to let her go out, probably because of the side effects of magic."

"What is her magic... again?"

Although she is a famous magical girl, there are not many records of her magic.

"It's Rewind, just like your Timefreeze, it's a time-related magic."

Although I was quite surprised inside, I didn't show it much on my face.

"... So you knew all along."

"Hmph, do you think you've kept it a secret very well?"

"So, can her magic reset her own time?"

Judging from the literal meaning, this is the likely effect.

"That's right, and the reset depends on her own will. She can heal the most severe wounds, pull fleeing enemies back to their original positions, and even completely Rewind her own time—truly returning to the Past. It's just that no one else knows this..."

The First-Generation Morning Star was incredibly powerful!

Is he truly a hero who could save the world in a chaotic era?

In comparison, I'm just gloating over a simple speed increase... the difference in levels is too great.

"This is absolutely unbeatable!"

"Invincible?"

Sirius, unusually, showed a sense of loneliness in response to my sentiments.

"Magic is a miracle, but the more powerful the magic, the more dangerous it is... Her magic brought serious side effects; she was trapped in time, and the miracle turned into a curse that cannot be broken even if she doesn't become a magical girl."

The idea of Sirius is somewhat eerie.

"... What exactly is wrong with her?"

"Every night at midnight, she would revert to the state of the previous day and wake up in the same bed, repeating this cycle throughout the day for six years... I took her Star Crystal and kept it at the Association, but I still couldn't break the spell on her."

"State also includes... memory?"

Stop the car.

Sirius looked at me seriously.

"Yes, she won't grow old, but she also has no Future... Her time is forever frozen six years in the past."