About Becoming a Magical Girl

She could not help but wonder whether she had accidentally stumbled upon some serious secret.

Why did it have to be kept secret?

What had Efnir meant when she said, "Your identity is 'Fifina'"?

"Fifina"...

Did she mean the "Fifina" she knew?

But Yukina had not heard the full conversation between Efnir and Shinomiyami Nami. She had no way of judging and could only remain silent.

Efnir did not speak either. A faint fragrance lingered at the tip of her nose, and the solid feeling of their tight embrace made her feel at ease.

She did not want to leave Yukina.

She could not let Yukina walk the path of an Agent.

So she did not know how to explain things to Yukina, who knew nothing.

For Yukina's sake, Efnir was willing to do anything. Nothing else mattered. But she had gradually realized that simply running away would eventually bring her to the edge of a cliff, with no path left to retreat.

"...I'm truly despicable."

She was relying on her little sister by using the identity of her favorite idol, in such a shameless way.

Yukina was the one who had been hurt, yet Efnir had the gall to seek comfort and warmth from her.

The battle was not even over, yet all she could think about was how to run away.

Efnir suddenly thought of Shiyin and Rin.

To them, who had always placed their hopes in her, this version of herself was probably a betrayal...

"Miss Efnir...?"

Yukina's delicate voice sounded by her ear.

"It's nothing..."

Efnir shut her eyes tightly and tightened her arms around Yukina.

Once the silence was broken, the warmth of this brief moment began counting down, taking away Efnir's excuse to keep running away.

Efnir took a deep breath, wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes, and pulled away from Yukina's shoulder.

"Thank you, Yukina... I'm sorry for always making you face your choices alone. I won't do that anymore."

She stood up and lowered her gaze slightly.

Yukina merely looked up at her blankly, listening to words she could not understand at all.

After a single breath, when Efnir raised her eyes again, the gloom in them had vanished, replaced by a smile as dazzling as starlight.

Yukina stared at her in a daze.

Though tears still stained the corners of her eyes, her eye sockets were red, and her voice was hoarse from crying, Yukina knew that Efnir had returned to being the invincible "Magical Girl Efnir" she usually was. Even though her petite body was a head shorter than Yukina's, her presence was enough to overwhelm anyone.

"I'm sorry... I made a fool of myself. If I made you uncomfortable, I apologize."

"N-No, not at all!"

Yukina hurriedly stood up, flustered and honored, and brushed the dust from the hem of her clothes.

"Please don't mind that at all! I wasn't uncomfortable! The fact that Miss Efnir could rely on me... I... I'm very happy!"

Yukina instinctively denied it loudly, then suddenly felt that such an intense reaction might be misunderstood and hurriedly looked away.

She still could not fully understand everything that had happened in this brief span of time, but she knew that the gentle Efnir she admired had returned.

"S-Sorry! I-I didn't mean anything else by that! I just think... Miss Efnir is very kind... Someone as kind and hardworking as you would never be disliked... And besides, I'm the one who should thank you! Because of you, I learned about my brother. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have known what to do..."

She was confused and bewildered by Efnir's words, guilty and worried over Efnir's tears and vulnerability, and secretly delighted and excited by Efnir's embrace.

And there was that faintly hot, damp breath against her neck, an itch that pierced straight into her heart.

Her heart would not stop racing.

It was as though she had returned to their first meeting—the brilliant sunlight that day, the warm and pleasant breath, the soft lips.

Her first kiss, her first flutter of love.

This feeling was strangely unfamiliar, yet incomparably fierce, leaving Yukina at a loss.

"Um..."

Her cheeks grew burning hot.

Yukina took a deep breath. Before she realized it, the words in her heart had already escaped.

"Miss Efnir, do you remember... saving me once, more than half a year ago?"

That embrace just now had seemed to last only two minutes, yet also an eternity. The faint scent of Efnir's hair was impossible to forget.

Her heartbeat suddenly grew unruly.

Yukina lowered her head and stared fixedly at her little white shoes, now covered in grime, while her fingers unconsciously clenched the corner of her clothes.

"Back then... if it hadn't been for you, I would already be dead. You reached out your hand and saved me... T-To me... maybe you don't remember me anymore... but I've always wanted to thank you properly... so... no matter what, please accept my thanks—Miss Efnir! Thank you very much!"

She had finally said it.

Timid and nervous, Yukina raised her eyes and carefully stole a glance at Efnir.

Efnir pressed her lips together, then suddenly turned away. Her small figure faced away from Yukina, silver hair cascading down her back.

Yukina could not see her expression.

There was no answer.

Perhaps...

As expected, she did not remember.

Efnir had saved so many people. To her, Yukina was probably just a wildflower sheltered on a whim, insignificant amid the long scenery of her life.

No one but Yukina remembered her first kiss.

Her heart quieted as though it had breathed a sigh of relief.

Yet for some reason, disappointment filled her chest in that moment.

Yukina lowered her head.

"S-Sorry... That was a little abrupt. I just went ahead and said all that... If it caused you trouble, please don't mind it!"

"I see..."

Efnir's voice was soft, drifting down like a feather.

"Anyway, seeing that you're still so full of spirit puts my mind at ease."

"Ah... y-yes! I'm terribly sorry... for causing trouble for you and Miss Shinomiyami..."

"It's all right. We bear some responsibility too."

Efnir turned around and paused.

"About your brother... once things here are over, I'll take you to see her. I have something to tell you too."

"There's really no need to trouble you, Miss Efnir..."

"It's fine... But these matters can wait until later."

Efnir looked toward the sky outside. The enormous Floating Island hung there like a heavy dark cloud, blocking out the sunlight.

Yukina suddenly understood.

Right. Unlike herself, who only needed to worry about her own safety, Efnir had a mission she had to fight for.

"It'll be dangerous if you stay here. That black Whale won't be easy to deal with. My companions alone can't take it down, so I need to return. Before that, I'll get you out of here first. Come over here."

"O-Okay!"

Efnir beckoned to her. Yukina hurried over to the table, picked up the phone her brother had dropped there, then ran back to Efnir.

"I'm very sorry, this is Miss Efnir's lounge, right? I... I don't know why my brother's phone was left here either. May I take it with me?"

"It's fine, take it... And this too. It's yours."

Efnir handed Yukina her phone.

"Thank you very much!"

"Then, you may feel a little uncomfortable next. Excuse me."

Before Yukina could react, Efnir bent slightly, wrapped one arm behind Yukina's waist and the other beneath her legs, and lifted her up.

"Huh??"

"I'm going to jump."

"Eek!? W-Wait!"

Yukina looked outside. Since the panoramic glass had been completely shattered, she could see almost the entire venue from here.

The venue's design was unique and grand. Looking down from here was even more terrifying than standing on the balcony of a tenth-floor apartment.

"Y-You're going to jump from here?"

Yukina's face turned slightly pale.

"Hold on tight."

Yukina could not bring herself to resist Efnir's commanding tone. She hesitated for only a moment before tremblingly raising her arms around Efnir's neck and hugging her tightly.

In this position, their faces were so close, so very close.

She closed her eyes instinctively.

But when everything before her turned black, Efnir's voice, the scent of her hair, and her breathing instead became clearer than ever.

She could almost hear Efnir's heartbeat.

Though it was not the time for it, Yukina's face flushed bright red.

"Senior Efnir, there's an emergency here!"

Canary's urgent voice suddenly came through Efnir's earpiece. At the same time, Shinomiyami Nami's voice also sounded in the earpiece.

"Efnir! We've detected a signal source with unknown matching data behind the Erosion Entity! Analysis of the energy wavelength... an Agent."

Apostle

"An Agent?"

Efnir froze slightly and stopped walking. She had not received any orders from the Orderkeepers to dispatch other combat forces as support.

Could it be Lily?

But Lily should still be inactive while recovering from her injuries. And what did unknown matching data mean...

"No, it isn't... At least, it isn't any Agent we know."

Shinomiyami Nami said immediately.

"The signal source cannot be matched with the database at all. It does not belong to any known Beacon."

"Could it be..."

"I can already see her from my side."

Canary's voice was slightly breathless as she spoke quickly.

"Target confirmed. She appears to be an ordinary young girl. No obvious offensive weapons are visible, nor is there a combat suit... Miss Shinomiyami, I'm sending you the footage."

"Received. Headquarters is beginning analysis simultaneously."

"The target is approaching us. Strangely, she isn't being attacked by the Erosion Entity. Senior Efnir, I request permission to go over and investigate further."

Ayse added as well.

"Wait a moment, Ayse, Canary. Don't rush in."