Friends (2)

“Senior, why do we always go on missions at night?”

Huangxing flew at the very back of the formation, looking utterly drained.

“What’s wrong with night? It’s easier to operate when it’s dark.”

Raging Flame glanced back at her.

“Flying around in broad daylight with all those people watching… aren’t you embarrassed?”

“Embarrassed?” Huangxing’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Why would I be? We’re magical girls—the heroes who protect the city! If anything, I’d love more audience. The more people who see my cool side, the better!”

“So… why did you become a magical girl again?”

“Obviously, to show off and be special!” Huangxing said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“You’re really something…”

Raging Flame shook her head, speechless.

She didn’t hate Huangxing’s blunt honesty—she even kind of admired it. Not everyone could so openly admit their selfish desires.

High above, the wind howled. The only reason they could chat so casually was because Tidal was leading the formation, cutting through the wind for them.

But they didn’t know—Tidal was already at her limit. Just maintaining flight was taking everything she had.

“Should we call it a night?”

Noticing Tidal’s sluggishness, Lao Lin on her shoulder immediately suggested.

“No. Let’s keep patrolling a bit longer,” Tidal replied.

Earlier that afternoon, she’d planned to take the medicine from the hospital and finally get some rest. Instead, Chen Xi had dragged her into being a living mannequin for hours. Not only did she not rest—her exhaustion had only deepened.

Tidal knew she wasn’t fit for battle, but her sense of responsibility pushed her forward.

It was strange. At first, she thought she became a magical girl just to protect her niece. Other people’s safety? She’d help if she could, but she’d never go out of her way.

But this morning, when she saw the news—more and more innocent people suffering from the Nightmare Fiend’s attacks—she felt a quiet guilt.

If only I’d found and stopped it earlier…

She couldn’t suppress the thought.

Maybe Lao Lin was right. Every boy dreams of being a hero at some point. Most grow up, realize they can’t, and let it go.

Now that she had power… had that old dream been reignited?

How childish. I’m thirty. Why am I still chasing this fantasy?

Tidal silently mocked herself.

She could faintly hear Raging Flame and Huangxing chatting behind her, but the wind was too loud to make out the words.

Are they actually getting along? Tidal wondered.

Whether in real life or as magical girls, that would be a good thing. To check, she tried to focus and listen more closely.

And in that instant—her phone rang.

—…!?!

Not a normal ringtone. It was the Magic Kingdom app alert. This sound meant a magic signature matching the Nightmare Fiend had been detected nearby.

“Lao Lin, is this reliable?” she asked immediately.

“Reliable,” Lao Lin answered, voice tense with excitement. “The Nightmare Fiend’s been active lately—we’ve gathered enough data. This time, there’s no mistake.”

As he spoke, Raging Flame and Huangxing’s phones beeped too.

“Senior!” both girls called out almost in unison. “The app’s reacting!”

The team halted in midair, scanning the city below.

From this height, they could see a vast expanse.

Gleaming highways and shopping centers. Brightly lit residential complexes. Skyscrapers with blinking aviation lights on their roofs…

Across this sprawling, ten-kilometer-wide area—where was the Nightmare Fiend hiding?

Splitting up risked leaving Raging Flame and Huangxing vulnerable. A full sweep might miss the chance. Tidal stared down, desperately trying to pinpoint the most likely location.

“There!” Huangxing shouted.

They followed her finger—pointing to a high school’s sports field.

“This morning, I saw on the news—the Nightmare Fiend only attacks in deserted places.”

“Good observation. Worth checking out.”

Tidal nodded, acknowledging Huangxing’s insight.

The team dove down in a steep, rapid descent.

As speed increased, the wind became fiercer.

Tidal, leading the charge, cut through the air like a blade, her blue hair whipping wildly behind her.

The app’s alert grew sharper, more frequent. Their heartbeats accelerated. A strong sense of this is it! surged in their minds.

They could see it now—two small dark figures on the dimly lit field.

At that moment, Tidal raised her palm. A flash of blue light—and her magic wand materialized in her hand.

The figures grew clearer as they approached.

One wore a black hoodie, face hidden under a deep hood. The other wore a dark green uniform—likely a school security guard.

“Damn it!”

Seeing the two closing in, Raging Flame unleashed her full power.

She transformed into a crimson streak, surpassing even Tidal’s speed. But even then—she was too late.

A flash of purple light from under the hood—and the guard collapsed instantly.

“Damn it… did we miss it again?”

Seeing someone fall right before her eyes, Tidal’s heart clenched with urgency.

She poured magic into her wand. The clear crystal slowly filled with light, glowing blue.

—…?!

But at this critical moment, the fatigue from days of overwork finally caught up with her.

Just as she was about to fire, a strange sensation—neither pain nor itch—surged through her chest. Tidal winced, instinctively clutching her heart with her left hand.

That split-second distraction scattered the gathered magic. The crystal dimmed, cooling like a bulb losing power.

“At least…”

Gritting through the pain, Tidal pulled the imaginary trigger, firing every last drop of magic left in the wand.

Copy
Ask
Explain

Translate(en-US)