Child of the Sun

(Sun Yao)

Despite reporting the discovery in his father's office, he was relegated to guarding the water dispenser in the break room.

In the end, both Miss SpiCa and Miss Sirius opposed my participation in the operation to arrest my father, even though I had already made my determination clear to them.

"It's too cruel to make children fight against their own parents. You have to understand Director SpiCa's feelings; she rarely shows any humanity."

Miss Luer sat down beside me to comfort me.

As a liaison, she had been running errands for SpiCa for the past two days. It wasn't until Sirius led several recruited magical girls out that she had a chance to come and rest at my place. Right now, she was taking off her shoes and massaging her sore calves while drinking a can of iced coffee from a vending machine. Her rough behavior was a bit of a disaster, making her look like an office lady coming home from work. However, she didn't seem to mind me seeing this side of her, which gave me a strange sense of familiarity.

If I had an older sister, I would want her to be like Miss Luer, but unfortunately she is already Miss Yin Wei's older sister.

Sometimes I wonder, do these two women really only have one liaison officer in this branch?

I sighed, "I'm not a child anymore, of course I understand her intentions..."

"Hmph, so why are you still pouting and sulking here?"

Hmm? Do I look like I'm sulking?

I subconsciously touched my lips... Hmm, apart from being very soft, they weren't pouting at all!

"Sister Luer, do you have other work after this? Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Are you feeling uneasy just being idle? I understand your desire to help, but the Director of Operations Affairs definitely won't agree to you interfering directly. Let me take a look for you..."

She scrolled through her tablet.

"... Got it! Falcon is flying this way with Heat Haze. You can go to the top floor to meet them. It would be best to bring a wheelchair up, since Heat Haze's cast has been removed, but walking is still not recommended."

This is indeed what I can do right now.

"Okay, thank you, Sister Luer!"

She reached out and patted my forehead.

"Don't be so formal. Assisting magical girls like you is what motivates me to continue doing this job!"

The unreliable Miss Luer occasionally shows her adult side...

But, it looks like her hands just massaged her feet, right?

Pushing the wheelchair, we took the elevator to the top floor of the branch building. This place was much larger than the building itself. Below the lotus leaves that spread out in all directions was a bridge for detecting airships, and the flat floor above was a helicopter landing pad. These iconic lotus leaves were not only beautiful, but also served many functions.

In addition, the reconnaissance airship with "A2" printed on its side has been recalled, apparently to investigate the secret research institute without a door.

However, it couldn't really be called a research institute. In that area without doors, there was only the life support device my mother had used for so many years.

"Ceruno!"

Falcon, the flying magical girl, was on the helipad, carrying a frail figure on her back. I quickly pushed the wheelchair Past.

"Ms. Falcon, Heat Haze..."

Heat Haze, perched on Falcon's back, said, "Ceruno... just call me Yoko now... I'm not a magical girl anymore."

A palpable sense of despondency washed over me, and I quickly reassured her, "Please don't say that! We'll definitely get your Star Crystal back!"

"Then what will happen to your mother?"

"Perhaps the Star Crystal has already repaired her damaged nerves..."

I was halfway through my sentence when someone hugged me from behind around the waist.

"It's no use. If the Star Crystal could repair brain damage, Sirius wouldn't have remained indifferent all these years. He would have cured your mother long ago... After all, they were the closest comrades-in-arms back then."

A smiling woman in a suit.

"Aunt Lin Xi?"

However, a hint of displeasure flashed across her face, and she even poked my forehead with her finger. She wasn't short for a woman, so she used the height difference to poke me quite easily.

"Ceruno, I've wanted to say this before! It's fine when we're alone, but could you please not call me 'Auntie' in public? It sounds really old!"

Does your aunt look old?

It seems that's indeed the case...

I've gotten used to calling him that; I hadn't realized it before.

"So you call her 'Auntie'?"

"Let's do it right away, how about calling me 'older sister'?"

"Eh? No, no way! I'll get killed by Yezi."

Didn't I get the Yezi for free?

Although he always says he's like my dad...

Auntie also said, "Hmph, let's see if he dares! Quick, call me 'Lin Xi'!"

"Rin... no... why are you back?"

In the end, he couldn't bring himself to call out.

I heard that my aunt and Miluno were tracing the memories left behind by my father and his group, and they came to the same conclusion as me...

My aunt started pulling at the flesh on my face.

"Now that your father's goal is set, my support role is over, and combat is no longer my concern."

"Miluno already Past?"

"Well, after all, she still holds the title of the strongest in Skyreach City! How could that child not participate?"

Auntie seems quite proud of Miluno?

Oh, right.

She turned her attention to Heat Haze.

"Little Heat Haze, Sirius has given you a possibility. I wonder if you're willing to try it."

"... possibility?"

"If we're talking about special, you are indeed very special... Do you know which celestial body above us your Star Crystal comes from?"

Auntie pointed to the sky and asked a question.

"The only celestial body we can see during the day is the sun, right?"

"That's right, it's the sun! You are the Child of the Sun, a magical girl chosen by the sun. Since your Star Crystal has been taken away, just ask the sun for another one. Unlike other celestial bodies, the sun's Radiance is so intense it's almost annoying... That's what Sirius said. I don't really understand what their Star Crystal is, but there's no harm in trying, right?"

Although it sounds like a joke, since it was said by Sirius, it cannot be taken as a simple joke.

After all, the Star Crystal is the crystallization of the miracle of "magic".

What should I do?

For Heat Haze, she was unwilling to miss even the smallest glimmer of hope.

"Take off! Let Falcon take you closer to the sun!"

Pointing to the setting sun, the aunt declared, "Besides that, you also need to show a will worthy of the sun. Right now, you're like firewood soaked in water—you just can't light it no matter what you do... You've heard that legend, haven't you? The Star Crystal has its own will; it selects those worthy of it as suitable candidates. But in your current dejected state, can you really continue fighting as a warrior of the sun?"

"Fighting spirit..."

Heat Haze patted his cheeks, his expression changing.

"... Falcon, take me to heaven!"

"Okay!"

Ask the sun for another Star Crystal...

Is this really possible?