Morning Star

(Bai Ziye)

Will she feel pain?

"Every day that others live is just another day for you. Time rolls forward while you remain stagnant. How can this truth not be painful? What's most unbearable is... that even this pain can be 'Rewind'."

Before I came here, I never imagined I would face such a heavy truth.

This Morning Star was imprisoned in a prison called "Yesterday," from which she will never escape; she cannot even become numb...

However, it's also certain that the magical girl who gave me the Star Crystal was not the previous Morning Star.

I sighed, "... Then why did you let me see her?"

"Although your magic is different from hers, you are both the Morning Star and both time-based, so perhaps you can do something for her. I sent you here with a try-it-out mentality... Besides, didn't you want to see her?"

Should I try anything, even if it's a last resort?

Even the same Star Crystal can create different magic in the hands of different people. Can these magics interfere with each other?

I don't know, and no one has tried it.

"Get off the bus."

Sirius turned off the engine, opened the car door, and I got out and followed him.

Under the shade of the trees in the woods, the temperature wasn't so extreme; at least it was still within a tolerable range.

I asked, "Does she know the truth today? Should we pretend it's still today or six years ago?"

"I don't know, but there's no need. Just tell her directly, otherwise many things can't be explained... Anyway, the child's pain won't be carried over to tomorrow."

There were utility poles along the roadside, and power lines and internet were strung up on the mountain, but at the end of the road there was only an ordinary little wooden house.

This is where the Morning Star lived.

How exactly does she get through each repetitive day...?

"Oh! Sirius!"

On the balcony of the second floor of the cabin, a girl who was younger than I had imagined waved to Sirius. She was even smaller than Sirius, but she had a big smile on her face.

That was the Morning Star of the previous generation?

He's really just a child.

She looked to be around fifteen years old, even younger than me.

Although she should be older than me...

She was chosen by the Star Crystal when she was around ten years old, and then fought as a magical girl for five years. Finally, six years ago, due to the side effects of magic, time was stopped forever, and she was placed here by Sirius.

... That's cruel, that's too much.

Sirius turned his head.

What are you thinking about?

"A child younger than me started acting as a hero twelve years ago, and her fate is so tragic. As an active magical girl, as the one who received this Star Crystal, I... I can't remain calm."

"Really? I thought you could always stay rational."

Sirius seemed unimpressed by my answer, simply saying, "Wait here for a moment, calm down, I'll go in and explain the situation."

I nodded.

Since powerful magic has side effects, what impact will this time-accelerating magic have on me?

As I pondered, I noticed that there were feeding troughs and water bowls around the cabin, where some wild animals would drink. A small deer without antlers noticed my gaze and hopped away.

Wild animals rarely approach human settlements on their own initiative, but a little girl is hardly a threat to them.

Conversely, these seemingly harmless little animals can be a threat to a fifteen-year-old girl living alone.

Although the latter will revert to the previous state the next day as long as it doesn't die...

Wait, can death be reversed?

"Miluno."

Sirius waved to me from the cabin window.

"Come in, this child wants to see you too."

"Um..."

The cabin was very clean. I don't know if it was cleaned regularly by the Association or by the former Morning Star himself. Even some hard-to-reach corners were taken care of, creating a comfortable living environment.

I sat down on the sofa in the living room, and Little Morning Star came out of the kitchen with tea to greet Sirius and me, the two guests. Her demeanor was more mature than I had expected, even though she hadn't lived a single day longer than expected in the past six years.

"Hello, my name is Shi Yi. You can call me Xiao Yi, okay?"

Her self-introduction was so earnest, it almost sounded like a child's.

I followed her template and replied, "... Hello, my name is Miluno, you can just call me Sister Miluno."

"Yes, Sister Miluno!"

Lively and optimistic.

I sighed, but then I caught a glimpse of Sirius smirking beside me.

"Why are you laughing?"

"It's nothing, it's just... it's quite unusual for you to call yourself 'older sister'."

What else can I say in this situation?

"Xiao Yi, have you understood your situation today?"

"Um."

Xiao Yi took out a thick, bound notebook from under the coffee table. It was filled with a child's crooked handwriting and some obvious water stains.

"Every day, Xiao Yi records what she did that day in her diary and keeps it by her bedside, so people know what's going on with her."

"... You really are strong."

"I believe in Sister Sirius, and besides, meeting you all today will make Xiao Yi envious tomorrow!"

Sirius clenched her fists. Was she blaming herself for her powerlessness?

I sighed, "If you hadn't been trapped in this time loop, I should be the one calling you 'sister'..."

"Sister Miluno, did you inherit my Crystal?"

"... Yes, I'm currently active as a magical girl."

Sirius added, "More than a year ago, the Morning Star Crystal housed at the Europe headquarters suddenly disappeared... Crystal naturally choose their own suitable hosts, so this kind of situation is not uncommon."

Xiao Yi stared at my face with her big, childlike eyes and asked, "Is Sister Miluno amazing?"

"Your sister is amazing, but... your magic is still stronger."

This isn't flattery; the video will Rewind no matter what, so my acceleration is just a waste of time.

Xiao Yi's magic is unbeatable... Magical girls of that era were stronger than us new generation magical girls. Even if their magic wasn't powerful enough, they could still fight based on their rich experience.

"Ah!"

As if remembering something, Sirius loosened his fist.

She asked, "Miluno- chan, can your magic speed up Ichi-chan's time?"

"How do we do that?" I asked in return.

"Speed up! Let Yi-chan's time transcend 'the endless today'!"

Before triggering the "Rewind," do you switch to a different tape by speeding up the process?

It sounds like a worthwhile idea, but...

"If we do that, she'll die before she even crosses 'today'... She's just an ordinary person now, right? Ordinary people can't withstand the pressure of Time Acceleration."

For an ordinary person, even a few times the acceleration wouldn't be enough to withstand, right?

I couldn't meet Xiao Yi's expectant gaze.

"Then... what about Ceruno- chan? Could we use her magic to get Iori-chan into the next day early, close to the time of day...?"

Ceruno's bubbles might be able to relieve the pressure of the acceleration magic in place of Xiao Yi.

"I think we should give it a try."