The Witch's Self-Identity

(Sun Yao)

A similar shade of gray deep in my memory, but with short hair;

Young, still somewhat childish, yet still a magical girl who is a mother.

The Star Crystal stolen from Heat Haze only reversed her age, but did not change her appearance...

Mother is about to wake up.

We failed.

Must I take the Crystal back from my awakened mother?

This is too cruel, I can't do it...

My father's long-cherished wish was fulfilled in this way.

That's enough.

Deflecting Miluno's sword strike, Fomalhaut sheathed his sword at his waist, and his massive ice antlers and Western armor returned to their original state.

"It's not my turn to make an appearance yet, so I'll spare your lives today."

She casually activated a crystalline blue Teleportation Halo, and her father picked up her mother, ready to leave... Where did he want to go? Didn't he have anything to say?

We can't just let them leave like this.

However, Miluno is being closely watched by Fomalhaut and cannot act rashly; while Miss Falcon will be shot down by invisible water vapor as soon as she takes flight.

Right now, I'm the only one who can move.

And this teleportation magic... I happen to know it too!

Having made up his mind, a pink halo suddenly unfolded beneath his father, causing him to lose his footing and fall straight down while still holding his mother, failing to reach the Teleportation Halo opened by Fomalhaut.

I took them to my aunt's place.

Before they fell, I put a protective film over them so they wouldn't get hurt, but they'll still need my bubbles for a while...

Enraged by my interference, Fomalhaut's aura suddenly surged, and in contrast, the surrounding air grew even colder.

What's the benefit of keeping me in your world?

"Being able to eliminate a troublesome enemy ahead of time might not be so bad."

Miluno disassembled the composite longsword and pointed the tip at Fomalhaut.

"Besides, I haven't lost yet."

You are no match for me.

I'm faster than you.

"Your methods are too easy to figure out; even switching to dual short swords won't change that."

"Really? Then let's try again."

Miluno tossed a short sword into the air.

Fomalhaut also subconsciously looked up.

Bite--

Unfortunately, his attempt to distract the enemy with the short sword and launch a sneak attack was seen through.

"Naive! How can you possibly be my enemy with such petty cleverness?"

It was so fast that my eyes couldn't keep up, yet Fomalhaut was still able to block it.

But then again, Miluno's cleverness had just left her with several holes in her body. Although they seemed to have healed, bullets were still lodged inside.

Every movement must be accompanied by pain, right?

"Perhaps my kindness has led you to misunderstand the difference between us. Now that my friend is not here, I have no need to worry about anything."

She exhaled a breath of frost, and the entire rooftop began to freeze, the penetrating chill spreading down to the ground below.

Her father and the others weren't here, giving her a real reason to go all out in combat.

I hurriedly said, "Miss Falcon, the building is about to be frozen! You should take Miss Heat Haze away first!"

Falcon nodded, then climbed over the rooftop railing and jumped.

She had to take Heat Haze away from the operating room on the second floor to prevent her from being injured in the subsequent fight while she was unconscious.

The spreading ice was approaching, so I wrapped myself in bubbles and flew into the air, watching as my original foothold was completely covered by the deep frost.

We've narrowly escaped disaster.

But Miluno, whose feet were still on horseshoes, could not stand on the ice, and her feet might even freeze. Her proud speed was also sealed away.

Fomalhaut, who had transformed back into his antler form amidst the white mist, drew his sword and unleashed a swift, sweeping strike that stretched for tens of meters.

In an instant, frost filled the entire top floor and even the air.

From my vantage point above, Miluno's figure was instantly obscured by the frosty, cold light, and she vanished without a trace.

"..."

Before I could even comprehend what was happening, Fomalhaut unleashed a chilling, damp current towards the section of floorboards that had been cut open earlier.

Miluno jumped in to avoid the sweeping attack, while Fomalhaut planned to freeze her to death in the stairwell with a fierce cold wave.

Reverse time!

Miluno's voice came from below.

Fomalhaut was caught off guard and coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face contorted as he knelt on the ground.

The wound, which had already healed, began to bleed again, and several bullets flew out of her body... Miluno reversed the time of the bullets, thereby causing secondary damage to Fomalhaut.

"Didn't I tell you not to underestimate me?"

Miluno jumped out from below.

Although there was some frost on her body, she looked pretty good.

"... Hmph, ha, you think this magical girl's power alone isn't enough to deal with you?"

The cold air emanating from the wound not only stopped the bleeding but also spread further, forming a protective film that covered the entire roof.

Miluno used her sword to hold herself in place.

The blizzard was so strong that I put a heat-insulating protective film over her.

"Just relying on? Do you have any other power besides that?"

"Certainly!"

The Sword Witch forced herself to stand and replied, "I am your enemy... a warrior created from the material of 'magical girls'... I am not a traitor. From the very beginning, I have been a warrior fighting for 'the Other Side'... just like the other warriors sent here, and I am proud of it."

To her, being called a traitor by us was an insult.

She, and the other witches imprisoned by the Association, were all pure invaders, having little to do with the former "magical girls," at most inheriting only their "memories," "magic," and "personality"...

"Wrong!"

I couldn't help but argue back.

"You clearly remember things from when you were still human. Miluno and I even untangled a human Monster whose brainwashing had failed. Most importantly... you still considered Dad a friend and helped him save my mother!"

"Foolish! Look at my current posture, don't you understand?"

A huge shadow loomed over the blizzard.

It looked like the outline of a centaur... no... a deer... a tree spirit.

"I am not a creation of a 'magical girl,' but a new life created using 'magical girl' materials! My will and thoughts have nothing to do with the human you speak of! She is dead, and her memories are nothing more than a book I can consult at any time! I am who I am, and I stand here with my free will to assert that there is absolutely no such thing as brainwashing as you claim! Continue to slander my character, and I will not forgive you even for the sake of my friend!"

The enraged Sword Witch rattled off a long string of words.

No, should we call her the Deer Witch now?

The enormous white tree spirit, facing her was like facing a frigid iceberg in the Arctic Ocean, a feeling that even breathing would be frozen...

"Look! Look at me! This is my true form! Humans, I have never been one of you. I am the ghoul who devoured you, the enemy with whom I must fight to the death!"

"Then why do you appear in human form?"

She didn't answer, but the sky above her "cracked" open.

"That's the reason."