Chapter 117

At 15, Hong Siyu had grown a year older and was a girl who liked to daydream.

Rather, it was precisely because she rarely interacted with others and spent most of her time immersed in her own world that she unconsciously turned to fantasy.

Ever since a certain turning point in her second year of junior high, the shadow of a certain boy had begun appearing frequently in her fantasies.

At first, he merely appeared randomly in the stories she imagined in her mind, and Hong Siyu never gave it much thought; but as time passed, his image did not fade—it grew even more vivid.

Hong Siyu herself understood perfectly well why things had come to this—because she had used that boy's textbook.

When she secretly kept the textbook, she was still in second year; now she was in third year, and the textbook he had left behind had become her own study material. Every time she opened its worn pages and read the notes he had written in it, Hong Siyu found herself inexplicably stirred by his words.

That boy, Lin Yun, was good-looking, had a cool personality, and wrote beautiful characters—he seemed like someone who would get along well with her.

She often had such thoughts in her mind, which would then spread out; when they expanded enough, she would blush furiously at her own improper fantasies.

This can't go on, Hong Siyu—spending every day pondering a boy who doesn't even know you and whom you'll likely never see again, letting your emotions sway like this—what kind of good student is that? If you keep this up, you won't need to study anymore, or make friends either; what kind of nonsense is daydreaming all the time?

She scolded herself like this and tried to put away the secretly kept textbook, refusing to open it again. But this resolve lasted only a few weeks before she, unable to suppress some budding emotion, took the book out once more.

After all, it was a ready-made set of study notes; not using it would be such a waste.

She flipped through the textbook's pages with careful, furtive movements, like a thief, convincing herself with this self-deception.

What she had never considered was that even though she had fantasized about many scenarios of reuniting with that boy, when she truly met him again, it was in a place she had never imagined.

During the junior high cultural festival, her school was attacked by a Residual Beast.

A Residual Beast, appearing from nowhere, suddenly stormed into the campus and launched indiscriminate attacks on the people immersed in the festive atmosphere, plunging the crowd into panic in an instant.

When Hong Siyu saw the Residual Beast's gaping mouth before her, every fang clearly visible, she froze in place, forgetting even the thought of running.

But at that very moment, a hand reached out from somewhere and grabbed her sleeve.

"Don't just stand there—run!"

A voice, somewhat familiar yet strangely distant, sounded beside her. Immediately, she was pulled along by that hand, involuntarily beginning to run, then following him into an empty classroom in the teaching building.

When the roaring outside gradually ceased and the danger seemed to have passed temporarily, she looked at the boy before her and, unable to control herself, blurted out the name in her heart:

"—Lin Yun?"

"You know me?"

The boy pressed against the classroom door lowered his head, surprised, and looked at her.

"Ah, no, I…"

Faced with his confusion, Hong Siyu had no idea how to explain.

Should she tell him she'd seen him twice around school, and spoken to him only twice total? Would he think she was a stalker?

Or should she just admit the truth—that Senior, you dropped a textbook before graduation, and I secretly kept it? That sounded even more suspicious.

"I used to… often see you in the library."

After thinking long and hard, she finally stammered out this answer, then hastily changed the subject: "Aren't you graduated? Why did you come back suddenly?"

"Invited back for the cultural festival."

Lin Yun explained his presence here casually, then turned his gaze back toward the classroom door: "Didn't expect to run into this right after coming back."

"This?"

"Residual Beast."

"Um, Lin Yun… Senior, aren't you afraid?"

"Do I look afraid?"

"Well, actually, you seem almost used to it."

"…I'm just calm."

Pressing against the classroom door, Lin Yun glanced outside, then glanced back at Hong Siyu: "I'm leaving. Remember—if you don't want to die, lock all doors and windows in a sealed space, stay quiet. If the Residual Beast tries to break in, hide inside cabinets or under desks, suppress your presence."

"Huh?"

Hong Siyu couldn't help exclaiming in alarm: "Leave? Now? Why?"

"…Sitting here waiting to die isn't a solution."

Lin Yun paused slightly, then said flatly: "I'll see if I can get out and save two more people."

"No no no, you'll die!"

Seeing him about to open the classroom door, Hong Siyu rushed forward and pressed against it: "Don't be stupid—going out now means you'll be killed by the Residual Beast!"

"I've been observing. That Residual Beast has gone elsewhere."

Lin Yun remained calm: "It's fine—even if seen, if I move fast enough, I can still find a hiding spot."

"Huh?" Hong Siyu thought his logic was utterly unreasonable.

Rather, this was the first time she truly recognized this side of Lin Yun.

Previously, through fragments of conversation and her own self-generated speculations, she had always assumed Lin Yun was quiet, introverted, like herself.

Although rumors about him at school weren't good—many whispered he was dating two girls, a cheating, heartless jerk—Hong Siyu always felt the Lin Yun she knew wouldn't do such things.

How could someone so serious, independent, and coolly handsome possibly toy with girls' feelings?

But now, Lin Yun's behavior was shattering Hong Siyu's previous image of him.

She realized again, deeply, that she had truly been lost in fantasy, never truly understanding him. But before her adolescent emotions could stir further, another roar from outside shattered her thoughts.

—"Roarrrrr!"

As the roar thundered, the door before them shook violently, then a razor-sharp claw pierced through the classroom door and extended toward them.

Seeing the purple-black claw tinged with blood, Hong Siyu nearly screamed, forcing herself to clamp a hand over her mouth to suppress any sound. Then, she looked helplessly at the calm boy before her.

Lin Yun said nothing, only signaled her to be silent, then sidestepped the claw thrust into the room, continuing to press against the door, watching the corridor through the crack.

His recklessly bold actions made Hong Siyu's heart leap into her throat.

The two remained in eerie silence—Lin Yun frowned as he watched outside, Hong Siyu stepped slightly back, standing still, waiting for the Residual Beast's next move. Inside and outside the door, a strange balance settled.

Such fragile balance could not last, and soon, another crash sounded outside the classroom.

Boom!

The classroom door was torn open again by the Remnant Beast.

"Roar-awoooo!"

Clearly, the Remnant Beast had confirmed there were people inside this room.

"W-w-w-what do we do!" Hong Siyu, utterly at a loss, stammered while backing away, "It's going to come in!"

"Mm, it's going to come in." Lin Yun nodded with a calm expression. "Now isn't the time to repeat what I said, is it?" Hong Siyu's eyes widened, feeling she was about to collapse. "If this continues, we're going to die!"

"It's fine. We won't die."

"Huh? Do you have a plan?"

"I... don't have a plan, but someone will come to stop it."

"Who?" Hong Siyu asked with full expectation.

"A Magical Girl." Lin Yun answered with certainty.

Silence fell over the classroom for a moment. Even though the Remnant Beast outside the door had already torn half the main gate apart and most of its claw had extended inside, the awkward atmosphere was not diluted in the slightest.

"... Senior, are you joking?" Hong Siyu tried hard to make her tone sound less like she was coaxing a fool. "Relying on a Magical Girl at a time like this? That kind of illusory thing?"

"Is that strange?" Lin Yun glanced at her. "Where there is a Remnant Beast, there will be a Magical Girl. Isn't that a matter of course?"

"How is that a matter of course?"

Hong Siyu pointed at the Remnant Beast at the door, but her finger trembled like a sieve: "It's not like an animation on TV! That thing is about to come in! Can you stop joking!"

"It's fine. The Magical Girl will come."

"Why do you have such inexplicable confidence!"

"Wait for me a moment. I'll step out for a bit." Without answering her question again, Lin Yun said this, walked straight to the classroom window, and opened the window facing the outside of the building.

"Hah?" Watching his inexplicable behavior, Hong Siyu felt even more that her mind couldn't keep up with the development of events. "No, this is the fifth floor! Where are you going?"

"Step out." Lin Yun pointed at the window outside.

"... Oh."

It's over. He's going to jump off the building to commit suicide.

This was Hong Siyu's first thought.

Since the other party had brought her running into the classroom, he had been rambling nonsense. It must be because of the Remnant Beast's attack that his mental pressure had reached an extreme. Now he was also in a state of collapse, which is why he was displaying such abnormal words and deeds.

Thinking of this, Hong Siyu felt she had a bit of resonance with Lin Yun.

Should I jump with him? With her brain short-circuited, a few crazy thoughts arose in Hong Siyu's heart. She thought, if I'm going to go mad, then let me go mad; at least in the final moments of my life, I'm with a boy I have a slight fondness for.

But just as she made up her mind and looked at the window again, wanting to express her feelings to that boy, she discovered that Lin Yun's figure was already gone from the open window.

He had already jumped out.

Hong Siyu looked at the wide-open window, and all the expressions she had been brewing froze on her face.

And almost at that same moment, the shattered classroom door finally could no longer withstand the Remnant Beast's destruction. Under its charge, it shattered and exploded into a pile of debris. The Remnant Beast's black body poked in from the classroom door, its round, wide eyes staring straight at Hong Siyu, and then it opened its mouth.

—"Roar-awoooo!"

It seemed very happy to have found prey.

Having lost the only companion in the classroom and facing the vicious Remnant Beast alone, Hong Siyu felt she had even lost the function to scream, and could only slowly back away.

Facing the Remnant Beast, she stared intently at the other party, walking backward step by step. Until she reached the window, feeling the cold wind blowing in from outside, she realized she had no way to retreat, yet the Remnant Beast before her continued to press forward step by step.

So, what exactly is the situation now?

Her gaze gradually grew hazy. Hong Siyu leaned against the window and slumped down helplessly.

The rare school cultural festival finally came around, only to be met with a Remnant Beast attack, ruining this rare day of leisure.

Although there were so many people at the scene, the Remnant Beast pursued her relentlessly, finally following her all the way into the classroom of the teaching building.

She had finally met a boy she cared a little about, but it was under such chaotic circumstances, and the other party had even jumped off the building due to mental collapse.

"What is going on."

She couldn't help but speak, her voice trembling slightly: "Why am I the one so unlucky?"

They say that when things reach their worst, they will improve, but her life so far has been nothing but misfortune from start to finish. Now she is about to die early under the claws of a Remnant Beast. She still had so many things she wanted to do; isn't all hope gone now?

She truly had no other way.

In such a narrow, enclosed space, she could not escape from the claws of the Remnant Beast; a monster like the Remnant Beast obviously could not reason with her and let her go.

"Is the Magical Girl here?"

Thinking to the end, she could only lift her head and shout at the void in a self-abandoning manner. But after saying this sentence, even she couldn't help but laugh out loud: "How did I start saying such stupid things too."

She watched as the Remnant Beast walked to her front, opening its huge mouth once again before her. She could even smell the foul stench in its mouth.

But this time, no one would grab her hand and take her away to escape.

"... Forget it, this is really boring. Just end it quickly."

She helplessly closed her eyes: "Anyway, someone as unlucky as me is impossible to meet a Magical Girl."

—"That's not necessarily true."

A cold and crisp voice sounded from behind her.

The voice was extremely lively and pleasant, like a nightingale singing at night, melodious and clear. Merely hearing the voice made Hong Siyu feel her mind clear at once.

Then, she felt blue light flow out from the side of her face, and a petite figure brushed past her.

"Roar-awoo!"

The suddenly appearing figure obviously startled the Remnant Beast.

The Remnant Beast before seemed to feel a threat from the petite figure, so in the instant it lunged, it had already raised its claw and launched an attack against that figure without mercy.

Acting on instinct, its counterattack could not be called anything but swift. However, within the azure blue light, the petite figure remained unmoved.

"Masterpiece, Number Three, Sarissa of the Pierce."

A clear voice, like a chant, uttered a string of short phrases, then a shimmering spear glowing with blue light shot out from her hand, piercing straight into the Remnant Beast's chest. Next, the spear, carrying immense force and momentum, smashed the Remnant Beast flying away.

Thud!

At a speed Hong Siyu couldn't even see, the spear erupted with blinding light, then, carrying the Remnant Beast with it, pierced through the classroom wall, slamming it hard against the wall.

The battle ended in an instant. The Remnant Beast, which looked tall and ferocious, was so fragile against the petite girl; it was instantly killed in a single exchange.

Then, the girl landed lightly before Hong Siyu.

"It's all right now."

She stood firm, turned around, her navy-blue dress swirling with her movement like a blooming cornflower. The large bonnet atop her head trembled slightly from the combat movements, giving it a strange, lively feel. The girl's exquisite and cute face was seen in profile by Hong Siyu, her calm expression carrying a touch of gentleness:

— "Because the Magical Girl has arrived."

(End of this chapter)

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