The Vanished Crystal

(Bai Ziye)

After firing several shots into the keyhole, Falcon kicked open the door to the control room.

"Don't move, police—wait, what?"

However, there was nothing there; not even the lights were on, with only some dashboards flashing in the dim interior.

This is an unmanned hydroelectric power station.

I was completely baffled. Falcon asked, "Where are they? Are they in the Engine Room down there?"

"No, I'm afraid it's not here..."

I can "smell" the familiar lingering magic floating in the air.

"... This was just a decoy; we've been fooled."

I was only thinking that the target of the teleportation spell was nearby, but I didn't realize that the teleportation spell could be used continuously. After the Mechanical Witch sent them away, she stayed here alone to slow us down... Anyway, that was just a clone, and the original on the "The Other Side" was unaffected.

However, how could he possibly collude with the witch from "the Other Side" in order to awaken his wife? Was Ceruno's father a traitor?

Even the nominal president is like this; the Association really can't be trusted...

"They got away again! At this rate, we won't be able to catch them!"

Falcon stomped her foot in anger, and I was genuinely afraid she would pull out a gun and start shooting randomly inside to vent her frustration.

It's a civilian facility, after all. If it's damaged without any Monster appearing, compensation is definitely required, and it's an exorbitant amount.

Buzz--

A pink Teleportation Halo unfolded before my eyes.

I became more cautious about this... but the ring was pink.

Emerging from within were my mother, Ceruno, and Miss Anjie.

SpiCa wasn't with them; she probably left through that white wormhole... I wonder what she's doing at a time like this?

Could this new wormhole be Ceruno's masterpiece?

Although I knew she was skilled in using magic, I never expected she could also master magic that Crystal don't possess... I can't even use "Rewind" properly.

"Are you... are you Miluno? What happened here?"

I'll have a lot of questions next year too, but my mom asked them first.

"Yes, my Star Crystal has evolved, and my Battle Dress has been upgraded as well."

Why does she seem to not recognize me, just like Falcon? Did my face change after my second transformation?

Looking around but not seeing a mirror, he could only sigh, "Anyway, let's exchange some information first..."

"... After seeing Anjie use wormholes a few times, you've mastered it?"

Is it true or false?

Is that a skill you can learn by watching it a few times?

"I was just trying it out... but it seems the Vega Crystal responded to me... and added this magic to my skill bar!"

Here it is, a game-style metaphor that Ceruno loves to use.

I never expected her to be able to master such magic. I thought Anjie used some kind of prop or instrument to use it. Turns out it was really learned later in life?

"Didn't the prosecutor master that magic?"

It's strange to call my mom this, but that's all I can do.

She helplessly shrugged and shook her head.

"It's a pity. I might be able to learn something from it by studying some relevant materials afterward, but I don't have little Ceruno's talent."

If my mom can't do it, then I'm afraid I can't either.

"Ceruno is indeed outstanding."

This idiot is growing up very quickly as a magical girl. She can play all sorts of tricks with Bubble Magic, and her skills are so good that calling her a genius wouldn't be an exaggeration.

"Auntie, now is not the time to talk about me~"

blushing at the praise, Ceruno whispered a reminder, "We must bring Mother and Heat Haze back."

Falcon then asked, "But we have no direction, how are we supposed to catch up?"

Even Mom's "Memory Record" cannot show the mirror image on the other side of the portal.

Mom shook her head, smiled, and asked in return.

"How do you think we located this place?"

I don't know, but in her haste Ceruno gave the answer directly.

"The residual magic in the air contains information about the target location. I just need to complete the original magic based on the residual magic. The drawback of this magic is that I can't erase my 'footprints' after leaving."

The "footprints" of magic.

By following the traces of magic, one can pinpoint the direction from which the teleportation occurred.

"I'm afraid even your father didn't expect you to master this magic so easily."

"I didn't expect this myself!"

Ceruno raised her wand and activated a new Teleportation Halo on the wall.

"We should remain vigilant..."

Falcon had already plunged headfirst into the water before his mother could finish her instructions.

I didn't say anything, and accelerated into the pink Teleportation Halo.

Once inside the wormhole, you're floating, and the feeling of having no foothold is unsettling. The scenery inside the passage isn't so distorted that it's completely incomprehensible; you can still barely make out the forest, the rocks, and the reinforced concrete of the city.

Whether it's wormhole technology or teleportation magic.

Essentially, it compresses a long distance into a short segment. However, since the distance of teleportation magic is relatively short, the human body hardly feels any pressure.

Here it is...

Judging from the layout, it seems to be a small private clinic?

There was no inpatient department, and the smell of disinfectant and alcohol was nauseating.

"Here"

Falcon was giving directions at the top of the stairs, but because I was on high speed, I rushed up to the second floor before she could finish speaking. In front of the operating room, the black-clad bodyguards who had gone with Anjie to the air-raid shelter to rescue people were on duty.

You've come to the right place!

The moment I charged at them, they started reaching for their guns, but they couldn't pull them out until I took them down.

"Inside--"

Falcon then finished speaking.

After that, I removed the operating room door panel by hand.

Falcon flew inside, and a series of sporadic noises and screams came from within, until a revolver shot rang out, and everything returned to silence.

As expected of Heat Haze's childhood friend, her house-destroying skills are just as impressive.

Three researchers... or perhaps doctors, lay in the operating room.

There were no gunshot wounds on his body; he was probably just knocked unconscious.

There were two beds on the hospital bed, and not just one patient. The patient was a young woman covered in bandages. Although she was a stranger, she was probably Heat Haze Yanbenyan.

She has a very plain appearance and is older than when she was a magical girl. After all, she is from the same generation as Falcon, so it's not surprising that she is older than me and Ceruno.

I was worried that my friend would use his Falcon to check on my Heat Haze dysfunction.

"She's unconscious, but her transformation has ended... What happened to her Star Crystal?"

"Mother..."

Ceruno rushed in from outside the operating room, but didn't see her beloved mother. With red eyes, she asked, "What's going on?"

"The Star Crystal Heat Haze has been taken... What did that Crystal look like?"

"Like a transparent topaz, no, like the sun," Falcon replied.

Star Crystal like the sun?

"Miss Prosecutor, could you please use magic to look around here—"

Turning around, Mom was already investigating with her eyes gleaming red. The situation was urgent; she hadn't even put on sunglasses.

"Impossible..." she muttered to herself.

"... What's wrong?"

Mom frowned.

"Chairman Sun Ji... how did he end up here?"