Heat Haze-Amaterasu

(Sun Yao)

Miluno's deadly kick instantly killed her father.

However, Fomalhaut, who calls himself "Sword Fiend," has returned, clearly to support his defeated father. Was the battle being watched from "the Other Side" through the wormhole?

However, with their remaining fighting strength, they couldn't defeat her...

She's too strong.

"I have no intention of fighting you. Our wormhole can't hold out for much longer. I just want to bring my friend back."

She picked up her father from the ground and turned to leave.

"Wait a moment!"

Miss Sirius called out to her, and even though her body hadn't fully recovered, she struggled to stand up.

"Leave Ceruno- chan's Star Crystal behind!"

"Impossible."

Without the Star Crystal, my father can't cross the wormhole, and my magic is seen as a threat by the Other Side, so the Sword Witch naturally won't agree.

Miss Sirius sighed.

"Not cooperating? That's a real shame... You did say earlier that your wormhole is about to close, right?"

Touch of Light extended from behind her, but the light was somewhat dim.

No, she's too weak right now.

It's not worth risking your life for someone like me...

"Hmph, you think you can hold me back now? Sirius, your comfortable life has made you weak."

The Sword Witch swung her hand horizontally, an invisible blade severing the Touch of Light, and also unleashed an ice wall in the center of the sky.

No, the level difference is too great.

Only Fenghua and Sky Lock are still capable of fighting, but the two of them are no match for the witch; they can't even buy her time...

"No, it really won't work."

"Wait, an ultra-high energy reaction... not from inside the wormhole... but from the sky!"

The warning from Aunt Lin Xi came through the earphones again.

The gathered clouds tore open a hole, and a dazzling meteor streaked straight down in this direction.

"That's Miss Falcon and... Heat Haze?!"

The sturdy ice wall was smashed to pieces by the falling two.

Without a word, Miss Falcon pulled out two golden revolvers and fired Sword Witch. The latter raised her sword to block them, but the deflected bullets bypassed the ice sword and still hit her. However, the remaining power was not enough to break through her solid, close-fitting frost armor.

The key issue is Heat Haze)...

Miss Heat Haze, who has successfully returned, has lost some of her violent temper and gained a fiery and powerful one.

She stood in front of me, her back to me, and asked, "Hey, why have you turned back into a shut-in? Did they even take away your Star Crystal?"

"... Um."

"How embarrassing! Vega is a bit far away, and there's no way to ask for another one."

Having been reborn from the ashes, her Battle Dress has also changed.

The feathered crown on her head disappeared, replaced by a sun wheel burning with golden flames. The fabric of her clothes was also more abundant, and her upper garment resembled an ancient costume from Japan. She held up long, flowing sleeves with both hands, but the hem of her clothes was much shorter, revealing her still slender abdomen. There were gorgeous pendants like sparrow feathers between her sleeves, and when she opened her arms, they resembled outstretched wings.

She asked, "Hey, Ceruno, my new clothes! Do they look good?"

Even so, you still call me Ceruno?

"... Yes, it looks good."

"Hehe, I'll go get the Crystal back for you."

"This witch... she's very strong."

"I am the Child of the Sun! How can I not be able to melt the ice!"

Heat Haze's smile was warm and powerful.

The gloom of losing the Star Crystal vanished, replaced by confidence...

Ah, is this what confidence is?

This is what I don't have.

Ms. Falcon stepped down, and Heat Haze stepped forward to greet her in a very generous manner.

"Magical Girl Heat Haze Amaterasu! From now on, I'll be your opponent!"

It actually evolved!

Even though they're called the Child of the Sun, I thought their return would be called "Heat Haze RX".

"I didn't come here to fight, but if you insist on this..."

Setting aside her father, the Sword Witch assumed a fighting stance once more.

Although Heat Haze seemed very confident, I was still worried about her because her opponent was, after all, the Legendary Witch herself...

Furisode.

Floating Fire Phosphor.

Although the Battle Dress evolved.

But the form of the magic remained unchanged; with a wave of his sleeve, the Fire Phosphor scattered instantly covered most of the rooftop area... Oh no!

"Let's retreat, let's go back to the elevator and hide there."

I helped the weakened Miluno turn around, only to find that everyone else had already retreated back to the elevator. Miss Fire Turkey's destructive power was well-known in Skyreach City, and no one wanted to be caught in the blast of the explosion, especially since she was now clearly stronger Fire Turkey Plus.

BOOOOM!!

A massive explosion occurred, shaking the entire building and even causing dust to settle in the elevator lobby.

Thankfully, everyone downstairs was evacuated, otherwise the magical girl recuperating there might have been seriously injured by the shockwave.

As the smoke cleared, I peeked out from the elevator lobby.

The Sword Witch remained standing in place, unharmed by the violent explosion. She swung her sword from afar, a seemingly ordinary strike that was imbued with invisible moisture.

Heat Haze is definitely unaware of this, and this tactic makes it easy to gain an advantage when the opponent is unaware...

Sizzle--

And then... it exploded!

The moisture near the Heat Haze turned into blue flames in a violent explosion.

"Phew, is this all the witch is capable of?"

It explodes when water vapor gets close; does Heat Haze, like his father, radiate high temperatures?

No, when she stood in front of me just now, I didn't feel any warmth.

"It was the Fire Phosphor that blocked the water vapor attack, you just couldn't see it."

Miluno explained, "Her magic has indeed evolved. Besides those long, flowing sleeves, the sun disc behind her head is also scattering finer scales... If you look closely, the entire elevator lobby is covered in them too..."

Large beads of sweat dripped from her forehead.

"Huh?!"

I have to squint to see the tiny specks of light scattered in the air, and I inevitably inhale them with every breath.

Wait, is my lung going to explode?!

Falcon quickly explained, "Don't worry, she'll only detonate where she wants to. This Fire Phosphor is a harmless magical substance before it explodes; it's non-flammable and non-toxic... She's no longer that bomb-wielding demon."

Judging from this, it's now a targeted demolition attack.

What happened to you in the sky?

"... We flew out of the atmosphere, and then the sun answered the Heat Haze's plea."

"The sun?"

"The Star Crystal truly originates from the will of the planet, just as Prosecutor Lu Linxi said, the sun really did give her another one..."

Before Ms. Falcon could finish speaking, someone's voice came from behind her.

"Such a thing actually happened... Do I have to return the one inside me to that child?"

The short-haired gray-haired girl sitting up in front of me is my mother, who has been in a coma for many years.

She was able to awaken by using the Star Crystal Heat Haze to become a magical girl.

"... Mother."

She had been unconscious since Miluno stole her back, but she has finally woken up now.

But I don't know how to face her.

"Yao'er has grown up so much. I'm sorry that Mommy couldn't be by your side."

Why should I apologize?

This makes it even harder for me to say anything...

Snap--

It hurts like fire.

It was Miluno's slap; she slapped me towards my mother.

Then I said, "Mom, if it weren't for me getting lost while seeking refuge back then..."

"That's not your fault, Yao'er."

She pinched my cheek.

"I had a very long and distant dream where I was always with you and your father... so I wasn't alone... but when I woke up and saw you all, and saw how you've changed over the years, I realized that I wasn't as happy as I was in my dream."

"How could this be...?"

"Take this. You should know what to do, right?"

She pulled something out from behind her and placed it in my hand.

Something unseen, yet undeniably present and weighty.

"This is..."

The mother broke the spell.

What I hold in my hand is a strange box.