An Angel's Nature

(Ceruno)

How come Xiaojie is such a witch?

Other magical girls' Witch Persona are parasites that devour their masters, but Xiaojie seems beneficial no matter how you look at it. I've heard of a leech live therapy, and Xiaojie is pretty much... cough cough!

"I know you mean well, but you can't do that next time, okay? If you want to give Miss Anjie psychological therapy, you can just use your own magic, right?"

Xiaojie shook her head, looked at me, and answered:

"Magic only has a temporary effect; it can't completely soothe Sister Anjie's pain."

"If you want to stop her from suffering, the only way is to eat away her memories of my father."

"Memory is very important! Memory is proof of her existence, and I... I've tried my best to preserve all the memories."

"If you leave behind memories, then your approach won't truly solve the problem. People's pain and sorrow all stem from memories. You're just licking the blood off her wounds. If the wounds don't heal, they'll bleed again sooner or later."

I pushed Xiao Yi in front of me and gave an example:

"You don't know yet, do you? Principal Xiao Yi lost six years of her life, but she also has no memory of that time. Look at her, laughing and joking, she doesn't seem sad at all, does she?"

The principal with the bob haircut paused for a moment, then said with displeasure:

"Huh? Hey! I was sad too, you know!"

"Since you have no memory of it, you weren't particularly saddened when you learned the truth, right?"

She rubbed her fingers together, fidgeting nervously.

"That's not wrong, mainly because you and Sister Miluno saved me! Was it the joy of being rescued that got the better of me? Besides, I have so many diaries, I haven't lost any of my memories from those years, have I?"

Are those diaries considered memories preserved on paper?

He put his arm around Xiaojie's shoulder from behind.

"In short, Miss Anjie can only get through this on her own. Even if you want to help her, the most you can do is use magic to soothe her, since mentally ill people still need medication!"

Miss Anjie gave a slight twitch of her lips.

She wasn't a strong person; after all, she was Fake Magical Girl who had been forcibly transformed using a corrupted Crystal.

He was beaten up by Miluno and became completely submissive, losing all courage to fight. His life plummeted, and he humbly begged for mercy to survive. After being abandoned by his father, he lost his direction and goals, and fell into a deep depression from which he has not yet recovered.

Even Ms. Anjie, at this moment, spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito's wing:

"Xiaojie... this child... can she... be my little sister?"

Like someone falling into Deep Well, Xiaojie was the only lifeline.

Xiaojie Jie's dark face flushed red, and she shyly lowered her head to respond:

"I've always felt that Anjie is my older sister...we were born from the same soul, and you're older than me...I'm just afraid you won't recognize me...after all, I'm a monster here to steal your soul."

"No, you're not a monster."

Miss Anjie, after denying it aloud, stood up and walked around the desk, hugging her... sister?

"Abandoned by Chairman Sun and sent to the research institute for reform, I thought there was nothing left in this world worth living for, and I even thought about ending it all. But in this dark future... you appeared, like an angel descending from heaven."

Having nowhere to release her emotions, she finally found an outlet, and her dry eyes were already filled with tears.

The crying was a bit unsightly, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"Elder sister."

Feeling the fervent emotions, Xiaojie also hugged Miss Anjie.

They embraced for a long time.

A soul with two personalities, who should be vying for dominance, have instead become sisters, turning their hostility into animosity—a truly rare and beautiful tale...

Extending this line of thought, is Mono also Miluno's sister?

While I was thinking, Xiao Yi tugged at my sleeve.

She put her index finger to her lips in a shushing gesture, then pointed to the door.

I understood and followed her out of the principal's office.

How are you feeling?

As soon as she stepped outside, she asked, as if showing off:

"My arrangements were pretty good, weren't they?"

"Are you trying to say that all of this was within your expectations?"

When I asked that, Xiao Yi shook her head and talked even more enthusiastically.

"I observed Anjie for a whole day. She worked very efficiently, and didn't rest at all except for meals. It was as if she was using work to escape something... It was as if if she stopped, something would catch up with her... At that time, I knew that her psychological problems were too serious and someone had to guide her, but I couldn't, and neither could you... Just like you said, she could only get out of this shadow on her own, and Xiaojie was her 'self'."

"Is this why you brought Xiaojie here?" I asked.

"She herself is quite happy to be this kind of psychologist!"

Xiao Yi walked to the window and pointed to the shopping area south of the City School.

"The number of students in the City School has exceeded a thousand, and the shopping street should be open soon. Although the number of shops is very limited, if this child is willing, I would like to arrange a special psychological therapy shop for her. The service is very simple. Just use magic on customers with high mental stress and then let them hug you... Sister Ceruno, you can also go and work there. Business will definitely be good."

She's so precocious for her age; is she already planning something like this?

But I immediately rejected it.

"No way, I won't let Xiaojie go either!"

Can hugging a cute girl heal your mind and body?

These kinds of shops have been around for a long time; we usually call them... touch-touch tea shops!

Seeing my reluctance, Xiao Yi revealed a wicked smile that was inappropriate for her age.

"Hehehe, everyone in the 'Zodiacal' except me is a magical girl! Since we're all beautiful girls, it wouldn't be a bad deal for Ceruno to get a hug, right? Don't boys like being hugged by girls?"

As she spoke, she actually hugged him.

Don't you mind knowing I was originally male?

"Of course I like you, but liking someone and being shy aren't mutually exclusive! I can be shy too, you know!"

Wow, how innocent!

Why am I being teased by a girl younger than me?

But to be honest, I don't really have the feeling that I used to be a boy anymore.

Time is truly terrifying; once you get used to something, you can never go back. Lately, even putting on makeup has become an effortless task...

No matter how long I've been a girl, I still can't tell the difference between those dazzling lipstick shades.

Just imagine it.

If one day I'm forced back into my original form, Vega Crystal leaves me, and I have to transform back into Sun Yao, will I still be able to accept that chubby, insecure version of myself?

I don't know if I can accept it.

Surprisingly, I was quite certain that Yezi would accept me.

After all, she was already Miluno when I wasn't Ceruno.

He concealed his identity, fighting Monster as a magical girl while quietly staying by my side as a friend.

That's why I'm so certain!

Only the Yezi will never abandon me.

Absolute!