Chapter 185: I Have Already Overcome That Despair

"Is the world a game? Is it already destined for destruction? Perhaps so."

"Memories have been tampered with; that probably really did happen too."

Lin Guang's calm voice echoed through the room. "But it doesn't matter. That's not important."

Amber lifted her head blankly, staring at the cherry-haired girl.

"Even if it's a game, even if the world is truly going to be destroyed, I will never give up. Even if the past memories might be fake, I'll choose to believe they're real."

The cherry-haired girl said calmly, "My very act of thinking represents that I exist here."

[This world must have something transcendent.]

—A despair like this, a void like this...

—I have already overcome it long ago.

"But, you—"

Phoenix seemed about to say something, but the girl before her continued speaking.

"Embrace love and hope to protect others."

Su Fang raised her head in shock, her emerald green eyes staring blankly at her senior.

This was—

"Step forward when others are in trouble."

"Work together with companions."

"Never give up on anyone, ever."

Those words, spoken who knew how many times, left her lips once more.

"This is what it truly means to be a magical girl, right?"

Lin Guang took a deep breath. The flame in her eyes blazed to life along with the scorching heat radiating from the Soul Gem on her chest.

"So..."

"I'm going to transform, and then fight for this Kazenari Town—a place that holds the traces of everyone's existence."

At that moment, Tang Keren and Zihan were both staring at the cherry-haired girl's delicate face, which bore an expression no different from usual. Shock was written in their eyes.

And yet, the radiance of magic power flickered in their gazes.

"Besides, it's still too early to jump to conclusions."

Lin Guang looked back at the dazed Phoenix and said calmly, "Do you really think she's the mastermind behind all of this?"

"With that brain capacity of hers that's barely holding together, she doesn't have the intellect to scheme against everyone, doesn't have the ability to set up such a plot, and couldn't possibly fool me."

"Besides, without using her authority, she trained for three hundred years just to tie with me. Do you honestly believe a useless waste like her is the mastermind?"

"...!"

Everyone was stunned for a moment.

—Strangely, that actually makes a lot of sense...

"And also..."

"No matter how memories are tampered with, magic power never lies."

Lin Guang said seriously, "You can feel it too, can't you?"

"I don't believe those things on her computer are fake, and I don't believe she would truly kill Su Fang's father for good."

Phoenix stood frozen in place.

"You mean, Airwen might actually be—"

Su Fang was stunned in an instant. "Dad is..."

The cherry-haired girl shook her head. "I can't guarantee that."

"But."

Lin Guang released her palm and gently rubbed the feathers on Phoenix's head. "Since the world is already on the verge of destruction, if we don't go and ask for ourselves, we'll never get an answer."

—The inside story of this world truly did sound incredibly complicated.

But for Lin Guang, there was nothing to hesitate about.

Because no matter how complex the setting or story, it all ultimately came down to communication between people, and between people and the world.

And that was especially true for magical girls.

How many works had Lin Guang played and watched where tragedy occurred simply because people didn't speak plainly, didn't communicate properly, or didn't clear up misunderstandings?

She couldn't remember.

Just like she couldn't remember how many chicken breasts she'd eaten in the past.

So...

She absolutely wouldn't do that.

Since she'd chosen to form a fixed party, she had to speak up when it came to her teammates.

Whether it was yelling at them or resolving emotional knots, the only thing she couldn't do was freeze them out or stay silent.

That was the professional ethics of a top-tier player.

Airwen might not understand how to play the game, but that didn't mean she didn't.

"..."

Amber gazed at Lin Guang, a smile filled with inexpressible warmth on her face. "Mm, good."

Phoenix's voice came through, tinged with a nasal tone. "You really... have me beat."

She turned her head and looked at the other side. "Hey! What about you all?!"

"Hmph... of course, this young lady will fight too!"

Tang Keren slammed her hand heavily on the table and stood up, her golden eyes blazing with anger and disgust. "No matter what Airwen's true identity is, if she's going to destroy Kazenari Town, this young lady absolutely won't allow it!"

"I'll fight to the end, until she admits she's wrong!"

"I am the same!"

Zihan's lips curled up as she voiced her agreement loudly. "I will walk alongside Mengmengxiang! We are accomplices!"

Su Fang stood up as well, her youthful face etched with seriousness. "I have to go and ask her face to face. I want to know what really happened to my dad, and what Airwen-senpai is really thinking!"

"And—"

She walked over to Lin Guang's side, hooked her arm through hers, and suddenly broke into a brilliant smile. "When I think about it, ever since Senior Mengmengxiang lost her memory, she's been sleeping with me every single night. That's over two years now."

"Without me by her side, Senior Mengmengxiang would definitely be lonely."

"That absolutely won't do!"

Tang Keren blinked, suddenly catching on.

—Hey, isn't this girl trying to stake her claim!

Even at a time like this!

She quickly walked over to the cherry-haired girl's other side and hooked her other arm. "Hmph! If I don't go, she'll definitely be heartbroken too! Right, Mengmengxiang?"

Lin Guang: "..."

Phoenix and Amber looked at the girls, whose atmosphere was burning with fervor, and suddenly laughed. "Alright, then. Let's go."

"This cycle is definitely the last one."

"Since that's the case, there's no need to hold anything back anymore!"

With that, the fiery bird raised her head and let out a clear, piercing chirp. Her crimson wings spread wide, and her entire body suddenly erupted in dazzling golden light.

Amber did the same.

In an instant, the potted plant lit up.

Radiant specks burst forth in a torrent, transforming into a golden downpour.

"Take this—this is all the magic power the Sacred Tree has painstakingly accumulated, drop by drop, over the past 3,332 cycles!"

Boom—

The spirit outfits of the four girls materialized on their bodies almost instantly.

In a single moment, Lin Guang felt the magic power within her surging wildly, rising ferociously, skyrocketing.

That searing magic power blazed like scorching flames, burning with fighting spirit throughout her entire body, continuously climbing higher.

C-.

C.

C+!

Both the attributes on her panel and the perception granted by her two talents made Lin Guang feel... the magic power inside her had soared to its absolute limit, reaching an unprecedented peak—far surpassing any previous cycle!

And there were also many indescribable things surging within her body, then being absorbed into the Soul Gem.

The girls beside her—their eyes of various colors were also shimmering with an indescribable, dazzling radiance.

The pink-haired girl smiled. "Ha, not bad at all. I feel like my whole body is bursting with power, more dazzling than ever before."

Phoenix's body turned back to red, and she said seriously, "We've given you all of the Sacred Tree's origin magic power!"

Su Fang asked curiously, "What's that?"

Amber smiled. "Actually, it's the power from the ritual used to let each new generation of girls make their contract and awaken as magical girls after being dropped into this world."

"Once it's used up, there won't be a next generation of magical girls."