Celestial Fortress

(Sun Yao)

With the help of technology from "the Other Side," Dad forcibly transformed the Vega Crystal into a magical girl...

She has long, straight, light pink hair, a majestic face, and Battle Dress heavy Western-style armor (pink). She wields a lance longer than a person and a huge tower shield.

Even after transforming, her still towering physique made her look like an insurmountable mountain.

This is no magical girl.

This is the medieval Crusades.

However, I feel like I've seen this figure somewhere before...

"A-Yao, I've taken the Crystal back first. It's too dangerous for you to keep it."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was quite penetrating; even in such an open environment, I could still hear every word clearly.

"You're being targeted by 'the Other Side' all because of this Crystal. As long as you stop being a magical girl, you can continue living a peaceful life—"

Before her father could finish speaking, Miluno's composite longsword struck her shoulder armor, sending sparks flying but leaving only a negligible white mark.

"Hand over Ceruno's Crystal!!"

Miluno, usually calm and rational, was now speaking with barely suppressed rage.

"Only by staying away from these things can he be safe—"

"Safety? That's not something you can decide! How dare you trample on a child's awareness like that? What right do you have to act like a father here!"

Miluno swore because of me.

Betelgeuse dismissed the rest of its clones, leaving only one cloaked clone to return to its father's side.

He grinned and said, "Don't be so angry. She wasn't lying. As long as there's no Star Crystal, that kid isn't worth assassinating. As for the other targets... it's a pity, but we can come back another time."

This was the first time she had spoken rationally.

The Sword Witch's voice was calm and dignified, while the Hunter Witch's voice was much shrill, as if she were deliberately shouting, and it even had the static of a cheap microphone.

However, her words carried an undisguised murderous intent.

"Huh? Next time?"

Miss Sirius's eyes remained clear and bright.

Do you think I'll let you leave?

The old man replied, "Sirius, you can't stop us."

"A-Ji, you are no longer qualified to touch that Crystal."

"I truly have no intention of adopting this stance again, but this power is necessary to achieve 'our' plan. If you want to stop me, then bring it on."

Pointing the gun at Miss Sirius, the old man also uttered a harsh threat...

Etc.

Did Dad ever use Vega's Crystal?

Known as the "Celestial Fortress," the First-Generation Vega, a mobile land fortress, is a legend that almost single-handedly saved the entire Southern Europe.

The figure I had only seen in documents and literature was now standing in front of me.

Her true identity is still my stern and unsmiling father.

It turns out that there are precedents for men becoming magical girls...

"... Was it because of Dad that I was chosen by the Crystal of Vega?"

"Crystal doesn't have any bloodline inheritance. You were chosen by Crystal on your own merit, right? If you're a man, be more confident and stop being so effeminate, okay?"

That's what Miss Sky Lock said; perhaps this is her... way of comforting me?

But she was clearly not quite sure what was going on either.

The battle between the legendary magical girls was of such a high level that she and her magical chains were powerless to intervene.

However, she did manage to steal back the knife that Fenghua had been disarmed with, though that didn't change anything...

"Looks like we can't talk about this until we beat you to a pulp today."

Miss Sirius scratched her forehead unhappily, then took two steps forward and stood face to face with her father.

"Miluno- chan, don't make a move yet."

Miluno retreated to the railing, Betelgeuse glanced at his father with interest before silently standing behind him.

Light Flow, brighter than ever before, gathered in Miss Sirius's clear eyes, and then...

Biii--Mu!

A high-energy laser, more powerful than usual, blasted towards Dad. Even shielding his eyes with his hand caused a stinging pain, and the concrete in its path was scorched red.

The latter raised his heavy shield, mounted his lance, and charged forward despite the laser beams.

Those heavy, powerful strides, like an unstoppable rhinoceros, displayed a valiant spirit worthy of the name "land fortress".

The surface of the heavy shield was already glowing red-hot, on the verge of melting into molten iron, but just as it was about to approach Sirius...

The old man abandoned the tower shield and used his Battle Dress to take the scorching laser beam head-on.

He changed his grip on the gun to both hands, and despite running at full speed, the tip of the gun steadily thrust towards Miss Sirius.

But Miss Sirius wasn't immobile when she unleashed her trump card. She took a step to the left and swayed, then leaped to the right. Even though she made a feint, her father's gun seemed to have eyes and naturally followed, tearing a sweeping gash across her chest.

Because this lance is very long, the tip moves extremely fast, but it also requires a very high level of skill to wield.

Even after so many years without fighting, Father can still display this level of strength, even managing to injure Miss Sirius —something Miss Miluno and I couldn't achieve together, but...

There was no blood at the wound.

What would be a fatal wound to a human, Sirius showed no signs of pain whatsoever.

After all, she's not human.

"Oh dear, you've ruined someone's clothes!"

"Then take off that dress that's so inconvenient for fighting, Sirius. You've been an idol for too long; you've become weak and incompetent."

"Ha, who's the one who's become weak? A-Ji, when did you start wagging your tail at 'the Other Side'?"

"..."

The old man didn't answer.

Sirius's Battle Dress was replaced with lighter sportswear, and Old Man raised his lance and retrieved a heavy shield from the void.

Both sides readjusted their positions.

Preparing for the second round of competition...

But someone seemed to be getting impatient, Betelgeuse stepped between the two.

"It'll get really troublesome if this drags on any longer, Vega. Let me lend a hand, shall we?"

"Don't get in my way."

The old man's tone was not friendly towards Betelgeuse.

"I didn't say I'd directly intervene. I was just asking... if you'd like to experience the power of the 'witch' you've been talking about beforehand?"

"... Can we do it now?"

"Although we agreed to go back first and then carry out the modifications, we just received news that the delivery preparations are complete."

"Let me give it a try."

Dad accepted this proposal, which sounded very dangerous.

"A-Ji!"

The enraged Miss Sirius fired a laser, but a massive stone tablet fell from the wormhole, blocking Old Man's view.

Wrong.

It's less of a stone tablet and more of a... coffin?

A long, narrow box.

"What's this?"

"Our strength is also a gift to our allies."

Betelgeuse lifted the "coffin lid" for her father, explaining, "In order to operate in this world, we on the 'The Other Side' must integrate with local factors... In other words, you, who already belong to this world, will be even stronger than 'us' after acquiring the power of the 'The Other Side'."

Inside the coffin was a black, Rubik's Cube-like crystal, with ominous energy floating on its surface, seemingly out of place in this world.

This is forbidden power, the Apple of Eden.

Without hesitation, the old man pushed open the stone coffin, took out, crushed, and absorbed the power that he shouldn't have been exposed to, right in front of us.

She willingly became a witch.