Guardian Ceruno

(Ceruno)

The fourth support column of the dome collapsed.

In just a few minutes, a third of the City School was submerged in the wormhole. The deep darkness had obscured all visibility. The situation was urgent; they couldn't just protect the Control Tower, they had to push the bubble towards the teaching building...

But... but it seems impossible.

At this moment, the area I can protect is the area that my bubble can cover, but it's still not enough.

I wish the bubbles could be bigger, but even with everyone providing magic, the 100-meter radius around the command tower is truly the limit, provided the defenses are strong enough to withstand the supporting pillars.

And they call themselves "Star Guardian"? I can't even protect a single City School... so what are they talking about with a planet?

"Hey, do you want to protect this world?"

A strange yet melodious female voice echoed in my mind.

Clearly, this slow, gentle tone was not Sirius's voice.

As for the answer to that question...

Of course I want to!

"I cannot become your god, nor can I directly interfere with the world, so I will temporarily lend you my Radiance... O girl with a heart full of protective desires, let me see how much miracle your determination can bring forth."

... So who exactly are you?

There was no response.

In response, a blue spherical Crystal, unlike anything I'd ever seen before, materialized in front of me.

It's small, but it looks familiar.

"Oh my? As expected of Ceruno- chan~ She's gained the approval of the other Crystal again?"

Sirius's surprise then came to mind.

"This is also Crystal... What planet is this Crystal from?" I asked.

"Hehe, this is Terra's Crystal."

Terra?

That sounds like a woman's name.

"It's Earth! This Crystal comes from the will of Earth, and therefore possesses a powerful blessing comparable to the light of a star... stronger than me!"

Such a small object, yet more powerful than Sirius?

Is this what they call home-field advantage?

So the voice just now came from the will of Earth...

No, isn't it a terminal personality created by the Earth's Will for communication?

Just as Sirius is to Sirius, it is an interactive interface that simulates human thought...

Leaning against me, Xiaoling, who provides me with magic, also noticed the pearl in my palm.

"It's so beautiful, what kind of Crystal is this?"

Sirius says this is Earth Crystal.

Phoenix, who was hugging me from behind, exclaimed in surprise:

"You've gotten another Crystal... Are you some kind of main character?"

Well, but it seems to be temporary.

She meant to "lend" me her power. Perhaps the will of Earth is also trying to save itself. After all, if the "Great Will" truly descends, a battle between them is inevitable.

There's no time to think about these complicated and unnecessary things right now.

The damage to the City School is getting worse and worse. Even if we really have to go to 'the Other Side,' we need a complete base of operations...

BOOM--

Just as I was thinking this, a loud explosion came from afar.

The factory area that first crashed into the wormhole experienced a chain reaction of explosions under the pressure of the wormhole, which even blasted outside the wormhole.

"Oh no! Our cleaning drone is dead too!"

From outside the crowd came Xiao Yi's wailing. Our little principal treats every blade of grass and every tree in the City School as her own property.

We have no choice but to gamble on the unknown forces.

Crystal even stronger than Sirius...

If this were a tokusatsu hero series, then this would be the ultimate power-up item for the strongest form, right?

Why am I the one who encounters...?

Well, the reason I'm called the "Star Guardian" must also be related to this Crystal.

The azure Crystal, only the size of a marble, actually resembled the Earth at first glance, echoing my feelings. It burst forth with Flowlight that flowed into my body.

"Don't resist, give yourself to me, body and soul."

A clear, soothing female voice came from the Crystal.

"Girl, born to protect, I have been watching you all along, and now... my power will help you save this school."

My body began to glow, and Phoenix released me as a result.

His height, grown from merging with Sirius, at this moment...

"Huh? No way?"

It shrank back again!?

Since this is the final form, shouldn't I become a long-legged, mature woman like Miluno?

Aside from this unfortunate change, her pinkish-blue hair replaced the blonde hair influenced by Sirius, her bust size didn't shrink, and her spear evolved into a more ferocious Trident, with a ruby still embedded beneath the azure spearhead. However, the design of this weapon is completely... completely unlike that of a support-type magical girl!

Even with some special uses, isn't my magic essentially a defensive bubble?

But this Trident looks like an incredibly powerful melee weapon!

Should we attack the enemy if we encounter them?

I want to go into hand-to-hand combat!

After merging with Terra, Sirius seems to have gone offline?

After she was incorporated into the Earth Crystal, I could no longer hear her voice...

What happened?

"Don't worry, I've just blocked her voice... Until then, try the power I've given you."

Miss Terra took Sirius's place, and her voice was strangely reassuring.

Surrounded by a group of magical girls, I once again raised my imposing but heavy Trident.

The ruby inlaid at the tip of the gun emitted a beam of red magical light that shot towards the golden bubble, as if blowing air into it. The bubble, which should have reached its limit, began to expand further and disappeared into the wormhole in the blink of an eye.

It not only covers the teaching building...

It even completely enveloped the entire 200,000 square meters of the City School area.

Even so, I haven't reached my limit.

Is this the power of the strongest Crystal?

"Indeed, we get along very well."

In my mind's eye, Miss Terra asked, "My little Guardian, are you willing to protect this world?"

"Of course I would!"

"So, how much are you willing to pay for this?"

"Don't you understand yet? The process of adaptive ascension is the process of assimilating with the Crystal. Eventually, you will become a part of me, no longer possessing your current self, or even cease to be human..."

Huh? Adaptability increases and turns into Crystal?!

"Generally speaking, it shouldn't be that bad, right? But on Earth, using Crystal Earth's Will's will causes the adaptive rate to rise at a rate that's almost like a curse... Right now, we can't stop the enemy's invasion, but if you become part of Earth, a patch to the system, you can completely block the enemy's path to invasion."

If I sacrifice my will to merge with Earth, will the wormhole on the "The Other Side" never be able to open again?

"That's right."

Really...

This is why I'm called the "Star Guardian" and why I'm targeted by "the Other Side".

Will Miluno also become the Crystal of the Morning Star?

"I won't force you to make a choice. If you don't want to give up who you are now, just stop using my power."

Miss Terra's tone remained gentle throughout...

"But your life is the shortcut to ending the war, don't forget that!"