As I made my way through the darkness to the Pillar of Lightning, toe-high water whizzed around my shoes. A strange calm sound, the reflected purple glow makes people feel ...... Warm. I walked towards the pillar, and a strange sense of nostalgia intertwined with comfort swept over me.

But there was something else underneath it, a sharp, heartbreaking complex emotion sharpened into a knife that stuck deep inside me.

I swallowed, trying to ignore the sensation of reaching the thorn bushes, once again marveling at the unnatural darkness that made up the core of the lightning, its purple outline glittering in the beautiful accents. The electric current made a slight humming sound that soothed the anxiety in my lungs.

The thorns crackled and a window opened, revealing a familiar-looking girl covered only with scattered black and amethyst thorns. She looked up at me, scarlet and azure eyes looking at me with a pleading expression.

"Why?" She whispered, softly with a hint of regret.

I looked away, knowing I had done something bad. Something I shouldn't have. The answers to the questions she asked lingered in my mind, teasing me with answers I couldn't fully understand.

"I don't understand," I told her at last, and she gave me a sad smile.

"Why?" She repeated. "Why don't you wait?"

Memories flashed through my mind like a whirlwind of blades. vines, bloodshot eyeballs, pain. I took a step back and jerked my gaze to my left arm, only to find that it was starting to disappear from above my elbow.

When I went to grab my stump, I screamed in panic and suddenly stopped again. When I started hyperventilating, my hands started to tremble.

My arm.

It's gone.

I cut it out.

It looked strange, lying isolated on the ground.

It's a part of me.

Not anymore.

I... I-

"Shhhhh "Everything will be fine. Like Selina said, it's not permanent, so it's just ...... Breathe. ”

Her words wrapped around me like a blanket, and suddenly, panic didn't seem to matter. I let the clutter disappear and imagined the calm waters of the pond.

Slowly, I began to feel like I was relaxing, my muscles were relaxed, and my breathing was back to its normal rhythm.

"Okay. Like we've done it a thousand times before...... But I still need to know...... Why don't you wait? ”

I looked back into her eyes and felt like they were watching me. It felt like she already knew that it wasn't really a problem, but I knew it only meant answering her correctly to be more "I'......" I swallowed. "I thought it would be safe."

"But why?" She asked, her voice trembling. "Why do you think it's safe here?"

"You understand, don't you?" The girl closed her eyes. "Sometimes, it's not a betrayal. Sometimes, making mistakes is enough. But you're already well aware of that. You just forgot, didn't you? ”

My mouth was dry, so I nodded in response.

"There's more, though, isn't it?" She asked, looking at me again with an inquiring look. "There must be. Otherwise, why don't you wait? ”

Thinking about it, I found myself slowly clenching my teeth, shame and anger burning in my cheeks.

"I'm too confident," I whispered. "Everything is going well, all the magical girl stuff, the points and the stats, it's like a game. I...... No longer think about it like in real life. I stopped thinking about what it really meant to fail. ”

"Too confident...... the girl whispered. Waiting for Selene to manifest could have avoided all this. Make yourself stronger with points? No...... That's just a drop in the bucket. These don't change anything. ”

Gnashed teeth. "It's stupid."

"On the contrary, it's right."

I looked up in surprise only to find that she was looking at me with big eyes. Their hearts are still full of pain and sorrow, but beneath it all lies despair.

"You don't understand it yet, but you will. Soon, I thought. You should be right. Safe. You should never lose that arm. Caught, but not dismembered. Awkward, don't break up. ”

"I don't understand," I eventually shook my head.

"You know, just not yet. All the pieces, but there is no frame to put them in. Never mind. You make assumptions about clips that they are the whole picture. You'll see. The missing links are all there. Life is a little too hectic for you to think, that's all. ”

The intensity of despair in her expression began to fade, her eyelids drooped, and she regained a sad, almost sleepy expression. She tilted her head, her smile suddenly nervous.

"So what was the ultimate reason for your hasty involvement?" She asked, her voice hoarse. "That lie you told Selina is a painful truth behind it?"

Her words hit me like a hammer, a pain throbbing in my chest. I don't want to say it, and I don't want to admit it out loud. Somehow, however, I felt like I owed her.

"I want to save Lily...... and others in the shelter. I was just...... Hope everyone is safe. It doesn't matter, if ......"

"If you're safe," she said for me. "If you're hurt. If you die. You never even stop to really think about these things. Because it doesn't matter. Never. ”

I bit the inside of my lip and clenched my hand into a fist. I knew she was right, but she didn't know, didn't understand. There's more to it than that, not just something as simple as stupidity. She doesn't know me.

"Shhh "I'm just trying to make sure you understand, that's all. There's nothing wrong with putting others first, even to this extent, as long as that's what you really want. If this is the path to happiness, then what does it matter if you are hurt? As long as you can understand, we can endure it, as we have always been. ”

I looked up at her in confusion. Her eyes drooped lower, she spoke more slowly, and seemed to be about to fall asleep. Her body drooped from the restraints, and the thorns tugged at her body tightly with an electric crackling sound.

"It's almost time for you to get up." She whispered, and I blinked.

Wake up?

I looked around and suddenly realized where I was.

"What do you do?" I asked, my heart racing, and a bad feeling swept through my body.

The girl opened her eyes and locked on to me with a new vitality. A soft, regretful smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, and the next words reverberated powerfully through my bones.

"I am the painful truth you don't want to accept, bound by the lies we have collectively concocted to keep you safe. I am the eternal thorn that imprisons your heart and is the refuge of all your unbearable pain. I am the reflection of what is broken and beautiful, the perfect thing in brokenness. So, take a breath, Mai, and let me share your burden, as I have always been. Let me help and forget about it, because it's not over yet, and your time is running out. ”

Before I could ask what she was talking about, the world blurred, and a voice filled the entire space, pushing me out.

[Mai?] ]

I opened my eyes, gasped, information was overloaded, and I stood up. It was dawn and I was lying somewhere. When I tried to push myself up and sit up, I couldn't find support with my left arm and I was lying on my back again.

[Take it easy, Mail, take it easy!] Serena's voice drowned out me. [You're safe!] You slept for less than two hours, but you're far from recovering. Wake up slowly. ]

I screamed, rubbing my sleepiness and looking around. I was in a bed in the infirmary of the shelter. I had an IV in my right arm and red liquid was running through it. This scene flashed through my mind, and I opened my eyes wide and turned my head sharply to look at my left arm.

It was a stump, and the end was just above my elbow.

I swallowed, a nervous hysteria boiling through me. I took a deep breath and looked around to see Selina sitting at the table next to me. I was intrigued by her comforting stuffed animal-like appearance, and I felt calm down when I picked her in. Her tail was raised, but the ends drooped, and her head was lowered to me. She looked worried, perhaps...... Guilty?

"My arm ......," I whispered hoarsely, my throat dry and coughing.

How much do you remember? Selene asked.

Images flashed through my mind, and I felt the fear in my chest trying to boil. To my surprise, this is not the case. The emotion felt unusually distant, like I was recalling a nightmare that I had time to stay away from. Or, more precisely, it's like one of those bad memories that I had time to put behind me and need to work on reminding myself of it. All I felt was an echo of the real emotions contained in the experience, as if time had smoothed its edges. It still hurts, but it was a faded, bitter wave, not the sharp knife I had come to expect.

I don't know why the fact that I just lost my arm feels so diluted. Is it because I lost it in my fight against the curse, trying to do the right thing? Did I really subconsciously understand that it was possible to be mutilated as a magical girl? Or have I finally reached the point where it's just a drop in the ocean, another bad memory that barely ripples in how numb I have become?

Or maybe it's something else......

Also, Selina says it's not permanent, so it's just ...... Breathe.

The thought felt strange, but I still found myself calming down, taking a deep breath and trembling. That's right. Selina once said so. I am a magical girl and a warrior on the front lines of humanity's endless war. I've become acutely aware that healing magic and magic technology are important things, and it's hard to imagine that I can't reconnect my limbs when I can use both of them.

A deeper feeling of guilt, shame, and loneliness welled up in my mind, and I quickly answered Serena's question before falling into that particular thought.

"I remember," I murmured, taking the glass of water that Selina had handed me with her tail, and continuing. "It's a bit vague, but I remember going back to the vault and passing out."

Selina nodded, her body relaxed. [Although it may seem like you don't remember everything.] The police are unsure of what to help and you wake up briefly and tell them to just give you a bed and not to disturb you. At that point you didn't care at all, just repeating what I told you. When you have enough mana, I manifest and instruct them to give you a blood transfusion to help you recover. I also told them everything that happened. ]

"Oh," I said, looking away from Selene. "I see."

There was silence between us, and I didn't stare at anything.

[Dance ......] I heard Selina writhing nervously. [What happened-]

"It's my fault," I interrupted. "I was careless. Everything went smoothly and I was just ...... No more careful. I should have waited. ”

[Maybe, but I even agreed with your decision at the time.] It's a mistake, Mai, but it's not your fault alone. None of this should be happening. ]

I shrugged my shoulders, a motion that made me acutely aware that my left shoulder was now losing weight. The sensation made me shiver and my throat tightened.

"Yes, uh...... It's my arm......"

[I'm not just saying it to calm you down.] Selene replied, and I turned to face her. [The loss of an arm is not permanent.] Fighting the curse is dangerous and sometimes losing limbs. Thankfully, there are some answers. Anything from buying lifelike prosthetics from a vault to using advanced healing magic to regrow an appendage. However, you don't need these because we are able to keep your arm safely. Even a lower-level magical girl can help you reattach it. Honestly, even a general surgeon with the help of some Ze

The ITH technique is also able to accomplish the procedure. ]

Listening to Selene's words, I felt a little lighter. Shock and horror still swirled deep in my chest, but some of the edges were gone.

"The container I bought cost zero points," I said almost absent-mindedly, glancing at my stump, then looking away.

[Biosecurity, yes.] Ze

ITH believes that some items are too important to the survival or well-being of magical girls to be priced. One of them is a bio safe, capable of keeping any lost appendages in perfect condition. The shell is infused with a "gentle rest" spell that prevents any degradation or decay. It can last up to three days without power, has a tracker inside, and can be plugged into any power outlet to extend its operational life. The case is also armoured to protect against A

Athema opens or destroys it. Since your arm remains pristine internally, the amount of work required to reattach and repair it will be greatly reduced. ]

I shuddered when Serena said "gentle rest" and a tingling sensation swept over me. I don't know how, but I can tell that the words have power for them. It raises new questions, but none of them are really appropriate at the moment, so I'm archiving it for later.

"Okay," I said, more to reposition myself. "So...... What went wrong? Why is that curse there, and why is the light on again? ”

Selene moved uneasily, his tail twitching.

[The full explanation is best given in the control room, perhaps in conjunction with E.]

o

Machi

a Given at the time of conversation. I woke you up because we needed to talk to him about some time-sensitive complications. Before we leave, I want to ask...... Did you happen to have a dream while you were asleep? ]

"A dream?" I asked, frowning. "I don't think—"

Black and purple lightning bolts, shaped like thorns. The water tickled on my toes. A familiar girl with a sad smile on her face. Scarlet and cerulean eyes.

The image burst through my skull like an ice axe into my brain. I frowned and raised my hand to my head. What...... Did I have a dream? I feel like that, but trying to grasp the memories only makes them go further.

"I could be?" I say. "I think so, but I don't remember...... Why? ”

[Well, not yet,] Selene breathed a sigh of relief, her tail relaxed. [You look restless when you fall asleep.] Anyway, the reason why I woke you up...... Well, Ji Yu wants you to rest as much as possible before we talk, and I agree with that. I can go to Jiwoo right now so we can discuss, but maybe you want to take a shower before leaving. Ji-woo has prepared some extra clothes for you in a nearby bed. ]

It was only then that I really realized that I was still wearing sweaty clothes and jeans soaked in blood. I resisted the feeling of disgust that welled up in my heart and forced myself to shake my head.

"No...... I want the answer first. I went to change my clothes, but I could wait for a shower. ”

[Very well,] Selina nodded to me. [I'll pick up Ji-woo while you change your clothes.] Allow me to remove the IV for you first. ]

I nodded, and Serena's tail quickly wrapped around the thread, then moved it away with a quick pull. It was not so much a painful feeling as a strange sensation, a sharp pressure that I had never noticed before disappearing from under my skin. I slowly stood up and walked over to the pile of clothes, and Selina jumped out of the way. Closing the dividing curtains around the bed, I went to work.

Even though my backpack wasn't visible at all, my blindfold was on top of the pile and I quickly put it on. Changing the rest of my clothes with one hand is...... Difficult. As I focused on my task, I ignored the feeling of tightness in my chest. With a bit of creativity, I put on a gray undershirt when the door to the medical room opened. The last thing I did was roll up my left sleeve and let it clump together at the end of my arm. Then I quickly threw the rest of my clothes into a pile, then pulled back the curtains and walked out.

Ji-woo stood in front of me, his eyes slightly sunken. She gave me a ghostly smile as her eyes scanned my stump before returning to my face.

"Hey......" she whispered, her voice very soft. How are you? ”

Anxiety swept through my body, and I moved uncomfortably.

"Okay," I replied. "I, hmm...... Things are not as bad as they seem. ”

Ji Yu was stunned when he heard this, but quickly nodded.

"No, no, of course not," she agreed. "I mean, with healing magic, you should be as right as rain. But...... This must be...... Hard. When it's all over, you really should talk to someone about it. Get things in order. If you need anything, I know some therapists or even groups. Just tell me, okay? ”

I nodded to her, but the thought of talking to someone else about what had happened made me want to throw up. I don't want to think about it, and I don't want to relive it. It's better to be buried in the ground, and I have a lot of practice in this area.

I cleared my throat. "So...... Selina said we had something to talk about. ”

The smirk on Ji-woo's face disappeared, and she nodded to me, motioning for me to follow. I did, and we quickly walked through the halls of the vault and headed straight to the control room. Sergeant O'Malley was there, and he looked up at me as the door closed behind us. My backpack and gun sat on the conference table and looked untouched, except for the bio-safe I had kept in my bag visibly missing. When Sergeant O'Malley nodded deeply and respectfully to me, Serena jumped up to the object.

"How are you?" He asked, his voice low.

"Okay......" I replied. Looking at the two officers, a thought suddenly occurred to me, and a sense of guilt swept through me when I realized why these two people looked so hurt.

"I-I'm sorry," I said, looking down. "The other officers before me...... I'm sorry I can't ......."

"Mai," Ji-woo said hurriedly, sounding shocked. "You have nothing to regret! You can't do anything for them. According to Selene, before you can find them, they're gone. ”

But...... "I struggled." You must know them, and—"

"We just got to know them in passing," Sergeant O'Malley interrupted. "The guard duties of each shelter come from multiple jurisdictions, and ours has been chosen to stay behind. What happened was scary, but you need to remember that they are doing their duty. They volunteer, know the risks, and even expect the results. They are heroes, and what happens to them has nothing to do with you. ”

His words were sonorous, resolute, and indestructible. Some of my guilt vanished, and I nodded to him. It made me feel so much better to know that Ji Yu and the other officers hadn't lost anyone they knew, but ...... Well, it does help because their pain is not as severe as they think. I've been.

This really puzzled me as to what caused Ji Yu and Sergeant O'Malley to have gloomy and reserved expressions.

"So...... Do we have something to talk about? I asked.

"Yes," Sergeant O'Malley sighed. "Selene told us what happened and we came to some conclusions. I think we'd better contact Guardian Command before proceeding. Maybe E

o

Machi

a Additional insight and assistance can be provided. ”

I frowned and gave Selina and Jiwoo a quick look. Everyone was acting unusually mysterious, which made me start to get scared. I swallowed a feeling of hesitation and foreboding, and just nodded to them.

"Okay."

I walked up to the communications console, and when I put my hand on the corresponding touchscreen, the police officers were in position behind me.

"Mai, I just wanted you to know," Ji-woo said suddenly, her words quickly spoken. "Whatever happens, it's your choice. You've done enough, and—"

"Officer Ji-woo," Sergeant O'Malley's voice snapped off like a whip.

Before I could ask any questions, the authentication process was over and the screen flashed showing the error cyborg wearing his emerald futuristic armor. This time his helmet had been put away, and he smiled with relief.

"You're here! I'm starting to get worried! Things took so long and—"

He stopped, his eyes wide open, and seemed to notice my arm. The smile on his face was gone, replaced by a look of horror.

"Oh my God, what the hell is going on?" His voice faded, his gaze scanning back and forth between my stump and my eyes.

"Hmm......" I struggled to find the right words and subconsciously moved to the side to hide my arm. We...... We went to the generator as planned, but there was a newborn spider in the generator room. ”

"You're fighting the newborn Spider-Man!?" E

o

Choked up, his eyes wide. He paused, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. "What are you...... No...... No, I guess you might feel like you don't have much of a choice. Damn it...... What level is that? ”

"Twenty-one." I shrugged, and he let out a wry smile.

"Oh my god - I mean, damn it. You really don't split things in half...... All right. So you fought Spider-Man and obviously won. To be honest, I'm surprised you've only lost one arm and-"

"I didn't." I interrupted softly.

He blinked, and soon looked at me again with confused eyes.

"What?"

"I only had a few bruises from spiders. But then...... I turned on the mana generator and was running back when the corpse flower attacked me. ”

"Damn," he frowned, exhaling slowly. "That's it. Those types of stalkers...... Wait, you said you activated the mana generator? However, the computer shows that the shield is still offline. ”

[When we are attacked by the Corpse Flower,] Selene interjects. [The mall lights are on again.] ]

"It doesn't make sense," E

o

Frowning, his fingers moved over the holographic keyboard while glancing to the side.

[No, unless you consider that there is an unidentified magic technology box attached to the mana generator.] ]

Error flashing. His eyes went from confusion to sudden realization. A flash of shock flashed across his face, but then vanished again, as anger turned his countenance into a sneer. His cyan eyes began to glow, he leaned forward, his hands gripping the table tightly, and I reflexively took a step back. A faint emerald green glow began to emanate from him, and his lips curled back in a growling sound.

"What?" He hissed.

[It's a magic tech box, apparently bought by the Guardian.] Since there is no markup on it, I think the only logical and plausible explanation is that the box is some type of generator booster. However, if the shield generator is not turned on, but the light is on......]

There was a nervous silence, E

o

Staring at Sele with undisguised anger

e。 Slowly, he leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

[The damage to her arm is severe.] Selina whispered. [It costs a lot of points, even so...... She also had to cut herself off. 】

The silence became tense and lasted only a few minutes before it was broken by a mistake.

"Fuck!" E

o

I slammed my hand on the table, my whole body tensing in nervous fear, and I shrank for a moment.

E

o

As if to capture the action, his eyes snapped at me, and then he quickly raised his hands in a calm motion. The green light that had been emitted was gone, and the light in his eyes dimmed.

"I'm sorry! I was just...... This...... Damn," he sighed. "I'm sorry...... This shouldn't happen to you, and I'm sorry you had to go through this...... Did you manage to recover your arm? ”

[Her first zero-point purchase.] Selene nodded at him, and he snorted bitterly.

"Well, welcome to the club, no matter what it's worth," he held up an imaginary glass to me, and I frowned in confusion.

[This is believed to be a rite of passage among the High Guardians," Selene explained. [Because most zero-point purchases imply a truly hopeless situation, it is a matter of respect that a zero-point purchase must be made.] ]

"So at least you have this," E

o

Spit out. "As for the magic tech box and the lights on...... I can't believe I didn't figure it out before. I never even thought it was an option because it was so crazy and stupid. I should see it, or at least realize that it's at least a possibility, though, but ......"

He shook his head. Before I decided to speak, I looked at the officer and E

o

A serious and angry expression on his face.

"Uh...... I do not quite understand. What does that box have to do with the light? ”

E

o

Rubbing his forehead, he sighed.

"Where to start...... Okay, so all this time, we thought the shield station was down because of some glitches, right? The shelter came online at the same time, somehow making the generator think it had been damaged due to a sudden power outage. So the emergency shutdown led to a mana explosion that caused the mall to lose power. We thought that's how it happened, right? ”

He waited for me to nod before continuing.

"Hmm...... I think so, because the other possibility seems too far-fetched. The possibility of the power supply being tampered with, some idiots decided to mess with a machine that is really responsible for protecting the lives of thousands of people. To confirm my suspicions, when you turn on the generator, what percentage of charge is displayed? ”

[The amount that resulted in the closure was reported to be 82%,] Sele

e replied. [At the time, I thought someone was just making a mistake when setting up the generator because, as you said, the other possibility seemed too ...... Unlikely. ]

E

o

Shaking his head, his eyes flickering again.

"The word you're looking for is 'crazy,'" he scolded. "Haohai...... The reason the lights are back on is that the mysterious box is sucking the power of the mana generator. My guess is that it's a mana converter that converts mana into electricity, just like shield stations usually do. In other words, the mall illegally sucked the power of the mana generator. That's why the generator goes down, and why the guard station doesn't restart when you turn the generator back on. The shielding station has software and equipment that identifies if there is actually tampering, so it certainly doesn't automatically restart when you turn the generator back on. Of course, because the shield station didn't restart, it didn't cause any curses, so when you tried to run back, the corpse flower was there waiting for you. ”

E

o

Shaking his head, a look of disgust on his face.

"Some idiots decided to suck up some electricity illegally, probably to save money on the mall's electricity bill, and everything that happened was because of this. All lives are at stake, vulnerabilities in the Acadia Shield network, all of this. It's all because someone wants to save some money. ”

In the silence that followed, I stared at the screen, processing all the information, and my heart was pounding.

Protective Station ...... If it hadn't fallen, I would have been able to reach the shelter with Brian. I will be safe, my guts will never be sucked away, and I will never have to fight monsters. I'm safe now, and so are the hundreds of people in the shelter.

I would never have to chop off my own arm.

Money.

It's all because of the money.

"Oh," I sighed, and somehow the familiar, disgusting sensation hit my stomach and let me breathe a sigh of relief. "Okay. So is the third-floor vault still in danger? Can I get the shield station back up next time I go? ”

E

o

And the officers all winked at this, giving me all sorts of shocked expressions.

"Is that okay?" Ji-woo asked, and I felt like I was blushing. "That's it...... That's it? ”

"Hmm...... Is it? I tried, nervously shifting my weight. I think...... It's more meaningful than all this just an accident, isn't it? ”

Ji Yu's face tensed, and more confusion flashed in his eyes. When Sergeant O'Malley finally cleared his throat and nodded at the wrong machine, I felt myself becoming more and more uncomfortable under her worried eyes.

"It is noteworthy that at the beginning of the usurpation, one of the owners of the shopping center happened to visit and was in this shelter. He behaved strangely from the start, trying to hold himself in charge of our decision-making and didn't back down until we threatened to arrest him. When the demon told us what had happened, we came to the same conclusion as you, so we decided to detain him. ”

"Very well," E

o

His eyes narrowed, and a bitter smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. "It's not much, but I can at least guarantee that I'll find someone responsible. All of them. When I do, I assure you that they will not see the outside of their cell for the rest of their lives. The law on tampering with shielded stations is very clear in this regard. ”

"I know," Sergeant O'Malley nodded, pausing. "And I also know that normal attempts to interfere with the mana generator should be detected. However, if the mana converter is provided and set up by a more legitimate source......"

"I see what you mean, Sergeant," E

o

Nodding. "I can assure you that regardless of the qualifications of the people who provide the converters, they will be punished. I promise you. As for the shield station, you can reactivate it if you go there yourself, but ......"

E

o

A gloomy expression appeared on his face. He opened his mouth to say something, then stopped, made an angry sound, and gritted his teeth. His eyebrows raised slightly, then he let out an exasperated snort and shook his head. E

o

's expression continued to change rapidly, and it took me a second to realize that he must be communicating with his pet.

"Is that what I do when I talk to you?" I whispered to Selina, and Ji-woo let out a burst of laughter next to me.

"No," she replied in a low voice. Your expression is dazed and distant, but it becomes more thoughtful. It looks like you're really thinking about it. ”

My cheeks are slightly hot, E

o

Finally, he sighed helplessly and looked down at the table in front of him. He looked frustrated and shook his head.

"What I'm trying to tell you is, you can't," his fingers began tapping on the table. "But I'm sure your angel will tell you the truth. I...... See, our options are limited. The shield station can be restarted with the proper authorization, which is what you have as a magical girl. The problem is, it requires a double confirmation, one is to start the process, and the other is done after checking to make sure all the readings are stable. In other words, once you turn it on, you have to sit there for a full five minutes before you can restart it before you can manually issue a second confirmation command. The problem is that the shield station collects mana throughout the restart, attracting all the curses in the area. So..."

"So she can't," Ji-woo hurriedly interrupted. "That's too dangerous. But what if we escort them? If we clear the path to the Vault, can we bring them here once the door is forcibly opened? ”

"Unfortunately, no," E

o

Sighing, "At least a lot of people died. If you look at the map of the mall, there are dozens of A's

Athema can be entered into the passage. Even if you manage to clear the nearby area, it will take a long time to escort so many people, and in the process, the chances of the cursed stumbling into the area or through the crack are almost certain. To make matters worse, some cursers have a sense of "life force" that allows them to find creatures from afar. They may not receive a small group, but a few hundred? Anasema, who has abilities, can sense them on the other side of the mall. Hell, I'd be surprised if the Cursed didn't open a crack and spawn a bunch of monsters on top of them the moment it sensed everyone. ”

"Where's the mana converter?" Zhiyu hurriedly asked. "If we disconnect, will the shield automatically restart?"

"Nope. Regardless of the case, the restart order requires a double check. Also, I don't recommend messing around with mana converters. It takes a professional to be able to safely disconnect without damaging the generator. ”

E

o

He took a deep breath and clenched his hands into fists.

"I'm sorry, but there's only one way to save everyone in the vault."

"But she can't do that!" Ji-woo roared. "You said it yourself! She had to fight for a full five minutes before activating the shield, who knew how many cursers there were. Even if she did, there was no way for her to escape, and all the curses would be drawn in. It's a suicide mission. ”

"Yes," E

o

Answered softly, looking up to meet my gaze. "It is."

I stared into his gaze and my pulse raced to my throat. I concluded that it was his eyes that sold it to me. There's something about them, a ghostly, empty look, too sharp to come from somewhere in the depths. He was telling the truth because he had experienced something similar.

And, I bet, he also saw the same look I wanted to see in my eyes.

Because the truth is, I'm scared. The thought of death really scares me.

What scares me even more is that if I don't go, everyone else will die.

Everyone else will die, and everyone in the shelter on the third floor has been bought with my life.

Lily will die so I can live.

I'll kill my only friend.

I decided, it was easy.

"Okay," I said, surprised me at how calm my voice sounded. "I'll do it."

"You can't—" Ji-woo immediately spoke.

"I'm the only one who can do it." I interrupted softly. "And ...... I'm a magical girl. I have a chance. ”

"You're a magical girl, but you can't get half of your magic." E

o

Growling, I flinched at the viciousness in his voice. "You don't know how bad this has been, how much you've been through, just because ......"

He interrupted himself, his head twitching, his gaze briefly sweeping over to something I couldn't see.

"If I don't go, people will die," I told them. "Someone I know. People I care about. ”

I'm with E

o

After a moment, he shook his head.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I need to get along with my high seas."

Sergeant O'Malley nodded, and although Ji-woo looked in pain, she relented and followed O'Malley out. After the door closes, E

o

Leaning back in his chair, he looked at Sele

e。 There was a silence between them, and then E

o

to Sele

E nodded.

"The time has come," he said simply.

[It is.] It violates the regulations, but the situation allows it. The rules set by the council doomed her every step of the way, and I wouldn't let her do it blindly. She should at least know the truth about her astral transformation. ]

E

o

Nodding and furrowing in disgust, I looked at both of them in confusion.

"What's going on?" I asked, and Selina turned to face me.

[It's time to tell you what I'm hiding from you.] Regarding the "Basics" section of your status menu, why you can't use astral transformations to shapeshift, and how different your battles should be. What I say next, I will only pass on to you. All I ask is for you to forgive me, because even though you tell me that I can hide these things from you, what I have to say hurts me. ]

I felt my breath a little short, and my eyes scanned the two of them. E

o

He nodded slightly.

"I'll be here to answer any questions you might have," he leaned back, turning to look to the side. "Take the time you need."

"What's going on?" I asked, my heart pounding wildly in my chest.

[It's time to understand your origins, the reason why you were chosen as a magical girl...... And why it is precisely this reason that prevents you from entering the astral transformation. ]

I looked at both of them, and my pulse continued to quicken. The mistake didn't see my eyes at all, and Selina's tail was limp and lifeless lying on the table. I suppressed the uneasiness in my heart and tensed my nerves.

"Tell me."