They transformed into colorful meteors, trailing gorgeous streaks of light behind them like swords slicing through the darkness, bravely charging toward the shattered sky above.
The crowd erupted in gasps and shouts. Some people pointed at the sky and screamed, others clasped their hands together in prayer, and still more frantically urged those around them to move faster.
But even with the magical girls' appearance, it couldn't soothe the unease in people's hearts.
The entire world seemed on the verge of collapsing, chaos and uproar everywhere.
Yet...
Even while trapped in this apocalyptic scene, Su Fang's heart couldn't seem to focus.
Thoughts churned endlessly within her.
I feel like... I've forgotten something.
Forgotten something incredibly important.
Forgotten someone incredibly important.It was as if someone was waiting for her at the other end of fate.
This feeling spread through her heart, making everything she was experiencing right now—this escape, this entire world—feel strangely off, filled with an indescribable dissonance.
She didn't know how long she'd been running with the crowd, but they finally reached the neighborhood park, where the underground shelter entrance was located.
From a distance, she could see several lanes cordoned off with barriers at the entrance. People formed long, long lines, quickly shuffling deep underground.
Looking at that endless queue, Mogong Ma's shoulders tensed up a little more.
"Su Fang, we need to get in line quickly."
Mogong Ma instinctively gripped Su Fang's hand tighter, trying to pull her along faster.
The surging tide of humanity kept pushing forward through the tunnels, while the demon beasts' roars and the city's crumbling echoes still reverberated across the distant sky.
Everyone was sprinting, racing against time to survive.
But right at that moment.
Mogong Ma suddenly froze.
She tugged, but was shocked to find she couldn't budge her daughter behind her at all.
Su Fang had voluntarily stopped.
Mogong Ma turned around, looking at her daughter, about to say something.
Yet, the moment their eyes met—those emerald-green eyes meeting hers—
The world between them seemed to have its mute button pressed.
The panicked crowd brushing past, the apocalyptic disaster raging in the sky—all of it receded like waves pulling back from the shore.
Only the mother and daughter staring at each other remained.
"Su Fang...?"
Mogong Ma was stunned, a flash of surprise crossing her striking, handsome face.
Su Fang's expression left her at a loss, and she seemed about to raise her hand to do something.
But the next moment, her hand was already actively held by Su Fang.
"Mom."
The girl revealed a smile.
That smile was bright and radiant, carrying the playful cuteness of a young girl, just like Su Fang's usual style.
Yet, what followed were tears that began to uncontrollably stream from the corners of her eyes.
*Clang—*
For some reason, the sound of chains breaking echoed in her mind. The days of the past, like yellowed photographs, gradually faded from her memory.
The slightly burnt fried egg every morning, that gentle and beautiful "Good morning," and the warmth of this hand holding hers right now...
These moments of tenderness she'd been so deeply immersed in, these happy times she'd desperately wanted to hold onto, those days of laughing and playing with her mom—they were all real, flawless, enough to make anyone want to lose themselves in them.
But...
For some reason, Su Fang simply understood one thing.
It was actually an illusion that could vanish at any moment, and most of it had never truly existed.
Then, a certain resolve followed.
A resolve to wake up from this dream.
"Mom."
Su Fang looked at Mogong Ma, holding her hand, speaking with a smile:
"When I was with you, I felt so happy, really as happy as a dream."
Tears still flowed endlessly from those emerald-green eyes, but they couldn't blur the determination within them one bit.
Mogong Ma stared at her daughter in shock, whispering, "Su Fang..."
Su Fang looked at her, speaking softly, "But... Mom, I've grown up now."
Her tears kept falling, yet her smile didn't dim in the slightest.
"I have something very important to do."
"Something incredibly, incredibly important. A promise that absolutely cannot be broken, just like yours and Dad's promise."
"Someone is waiting for me."
She held Mogong Ma's hand, gently placing it against her own cheek, meeting her mother's gaze.
The tears at the corners of her eyes followed their original path, dripping precisely onto Mogong Ma's right hand cradling her cheek.
Dropping onto...
That heart-shaped gem ring on her ring finger.
*Hum.*
The moment the tear touched the gem, that pink ring gently flickered with a warm glow twice.
The shock on Mogong Ma's face froze the instant the light appeared.
"..."
Then, that surprise slowly melted away like snow under the spring sun.
This strong mother asked nothing. She simply lowered her gaze slightly, slid her hands downward, and gently yet firmly pulled Su Fang into a tight embrace.
All around them, people were rushing to take shelter, brushing past like leaves swept by the wind.
"Yeah, Su Fang."
Mogong Ma held her most precious daughter, whispering in her ear, "Being with you, Mom was truly happy too."
"The happiest in Kazenari Town."
Su Fang closed her eyes, took a deep breath, memorizing her mother's scent, memorizing the warmth of her mother's embrace.
Then, she slowly released her arms around her mother, gently stepping back half a step, leaving that embrace.
She looked straight into her mother's beautiful eyes, speaking softly.
"Mom, I'm heading out."
Su Fang had thought she'd break down sobbing, but she didn't.
Because she had grown up.
And now, she would journey far, embarking on what might be her final voyage.
Mogong Ma looked at her, a smile of relief and letting go blooming at the corners of her lips.
"Safe travels."
Without hesitation, Su Fang turned toward the direction that had been silently guiding her heart all along.
The next moment.
As if repeating something countless times.
Under Mogong Ma's gaze, the girl's right hand touched the blue gem brooch that had appeared on her chest at some point, crossing with her left hand in front of her.
"I vow..."
"With this gentle flow of water."
"To protect everything I hold dear!"
On the streets, many panicked residents were still running toward the shelter.
But the moment the blue light of water flowed and the spirit outfit completed its formation, it was as if they had received a massive surge of encouragement.
"It's a magical girl!"
"The magical girl is here!"
Su Fang's figure transformed into a beam of blue light, moving against the tide of fleeing people, sprinting alone in the opposite direction from the underground shelter, charging upstream against the chaotic streets.
Finally...
She stopped in front of the most ordinary company building in the center of Kazenari Town.
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