Guardian (Mi)

(Miluno)

I could hear extremely faint, distant sounds of fighting.

That was the only sound coming from the other end of the passage... so I couldn't have misheard.

Chaos, roars, collisions, sword winds, shattering.

The battle was intense and lasted quite a while.

"It sounds like we're still a ways off. Prepare for battle."

It seems Sirius heard it too.

"Our enemies are not only the 'Guardian,' but also A-Ji! Since she dared to come down here, she won't just give in obediently. Perhaps she had this plan all along and was just going with the flow... Don't forget, her ultimate goal is to lead the witch in rebellion against the authority of the 'Great Will.'"

I nodded in agreement.

"There's only one passage down from the main hall upstairs; there's no way we can take a side path. The one fighting down there must be Sun Ji... Sirius, could you please turn your light bulb any brighter? I can't even see where I'm going."

Her light could only illuminate a small area around her; it couldn't penetrate beyond that.

"I've tried my best! The density of darkness in this air is too high; my light can't penetrate this black fog... But we seem to be alright around us?"

The concentration of darkness in the air was so high that even the Crystal, which were one with my heart, began to pump faster, uncontrollably absorbing the darkness like a high-powered water pump. The darkness within a certain radius centered on me was completely sucked out. How could the air quality not be poor?

"Miluno- chan, here's yours for now."

"I have some too~"

Just as Sirius threw "Future Moment" at me, Ceruno, who was perched on my back, pulled out "Past Moment."

Two of the three pocket watches came back...

"What about 'the Present Moment'?" I asked.

Ceruno replied, "Oh, and there's a pocket watch on Liu's person too."

"Present Moment" is mainly for survival; I mainly use "Future Moment" as a teleportation tool in battle.

"I need to lower the brightness so your eyes can adjust to the darkness in advance."

The pillar of light above Sirius dimmed a bit, and for a moment I couldn't even see where Xiaoling was.

"If a fight breaks out, I won't be able to maintain the lighting indefinitely, and if we keep going like this, we'll eventually lose all light. Also... try not to get separated, and don't let the last layer of Bubble Membrane break, otherwise, this level of darkness will contaminate the Crystal."

"Understood, then I'll prepare another layer of bubbles."

Ceruno was clinging to my back, gripped her Trident and summoned another bubble that enveloped everyone, blocking out all sound.

My eyes adapted quickly, and it wasn't long before I could see things clearly again.

However, this only applies to the interior of bubbles that are not filled with darkness; the darkness outside the bubbles is also invisible to the naked eye...

Sirius continued, "Then, if those enemies are truly insurmountable, you all run back. I'll stay behind to hold off that 'Guardian' and buy you time to escape..."

"No, there's no way I'm letting you escape!"

Ceruno refused, and of course I disagreed as well.

"When it really comes down to someone having to cover the rear, it's more appropriate for me to stay behind. Those 'Guardian' are also creations of darkness, so maybe I can devour them all and make Mono a god directly?"

Sirius shook his head.

"I'm just a simulated personality created by Crystal, not even a magical girl, and I won't grow any further... I've already reached my limit, but you two still have room to grow. Sooner or later... no, you're already stronger than me, aren't you?"

"Hey, don't say things like you're giving your last words."

"Then consider this my last words."

Perhaps feeling that his words were somewhat pessimistic and unlucky, Sirius waved his hand and then turned his head away with a relieved expression.

He walked with his back to us, revealing his innermost thoughts.

"You've seen those Monster Soldiers, haven't you? They're fighting machines created by Great Will. They have no thoughts of their own, no understanding of the meaning of battle, and no reverence for death. A single order from above can send them to their deaths one after another..."

Ceruno said, "But the 'Supreme Council' members who have lived a long time are very afraid of death, aren't they?"

"That's normal, because I'm the same way."

The black fog grew thicker and thicker, and Sirius's figure, who was walking ahead, gradually became blurred.

But the sound can still be heard.

"When I first arrived on Earth, I was like a machine, carrying out the mission of eliminating the External Invader. Back then, I couldn't cry or laugh, I didn't have a single person I could trust, and even the human government tried to control me... I was no different from those Monster Soldiers."

But as time went by, I met a group of partners who fought alongside me, and I learned a lot from them... During that time, I felt from the bottom of my heart that I was becoming stronger, and I believed that surging passion could enhance my abilities.

But in the end, my abilities didn't improve at all, and what I thought was growth was meaningless; my potential had already been fixed.

Suddenly, I started to feel sorry for myself.

"Miss Sirius..."

Ceruno tried to say something comforting, but the latter simply shook her head.

"Magical girls have unlimited potential for growth, while I, as the Star Crystal, have no room for growth. Therefore, my true duty is to protect you and act as your shield until you grow up... And this duty should probably have ended long ago."

Perhaps Sirius isn't a magical girl.

But she is the Guardian of magical girls.

The original magical girls, those seven, all grew up under her guidance.

The Magical Girl Association, which she established, serves as a protective umbrella to shield magical girls from political manipulation.

She herself learned about and understood human behavior, thought, and knowledge, ultimately shaping the outstanding person she is today...

These are all part of growth.

None of these are meaningless.

"That's not true at all! Don't talk about sacrificing yourselves to cover the retreat. We're all going back together; no one needs to be left behind!"

Ceruno also retorted in a low voice, and continued:

"As a person grows, Barbara has recently had similar feelings... So, Miss Sirius, thank you for your long-term dedication, but I... we will never abandon our companions."

Xiaoling nodded in agreement.

Such intense emotions are something that the "The Other Side" lacks.

"With battle at hand, don't dwell on these things."

I tried to pull everyone back from their sentimental mood.

"Sirius, this pessimism isn't like you. Could it be that you've been influenced by this pervasive Dark Energy?"

Dark Energy can stir up negative emotions in people with weak wills.

But Sirius shouldn't be that kind of person...

"No, I just have a bad feeling."

Sirius bent down a beam of light shaped like an incandescent bulb from above and threw it to us.

The sound is very close.

The enemy is just behind the black mist right in front of us.

Everyone fell silent.

The strength of those Guardian is unknown.

But it's certainly not as powerful as the "Great Hand".

In that case, there are still solutions to be discussed.