Chapter 189: Dispute and True Heart

The "argument" Cuique produced clearly exceeded the understanding of the two.

"A knot... so what does that represent?"

Asou Enka hesitated, words on her lips but unsaid: "Isn't a Demon Gear made of magic power? Isn't whether it's knotted or not just a matter of your own word? Just disperse it and make it manifest again."

"I must emphasize that I have not tampered with the Demon Gear in any way myself."

Cuique's outstretched hands remained motionless: "You can sense the flow of magic power on the Demon Gear; it bears no external force. In other words, the 'knotted appearance' has become its original form. As long as I summon my Demon Gear, it will be knotted."

"Then... will this affect your combat in any way?"

Asou Enka raised an eyebrow: "For instance, hindering the use of the Demon Gear or something?"

"Not really."

Cuique shook her head: "Except for a small knot on the thread, I feel nothing else. Even I have to focus carefully to find this small knot."

"Then isn't that completely without effect?" Asou Enka frowned: "This hardly constitutes a motive to risk everything, does it?"

"But the fact that it is knotted means that, to some extent, it has detached from my control."

Cuique emphasized: "A Magical Girl being unable to fully control her Demon Gear is, by nature, an abnormal phenomenon."

"Isn't that quite common? For newbies, insufficient development of the Demon Gear leads to errors." Asou Enka sneered: "Perhaps you've simply fought less recently, so your control precision has declined."

"I am not a newbie, and a mere decline in control precision shouldn't reach this extent."

"Then just treat it as a minor problem and ignore it. As long as it doesn't affect combat, there's no issue."

"I cannot ignore it."

"... Then what do you want to do, sister? Saying you're going for healing earlier was one thing, but now you're outright planning to sneak into the Realm over a knot on a string, with a probability of delivering yourself as a gift?"

Asou Enka laughed in exasperation: "How am I supposed to answer you? Should I kneel before you and perform how to untie it? Then beg you not to do such a stupid thing?"

"Calm down, Asou." Cuique's expression was blank: "This isn't hard to understand; it actually represents a more serious problem."

"I am very calm. If you have any thoughts, just say them directly; don't play riddles here." Asou Enka's voice gradually grew heavier.

The atmosphere in the Director's office instantly became more Solemn.

Cuique silently raised her head, looking at Asou Enka, while Asou Enka stared back at her without a word. Although separated by a layer of sunglasses, their gazes seemed capable of sparking fire.

For a moment, neither of the two spoke another word.

This could perhaps be considered a kind of tacit understanding, for they both knew that speaking one more word at such a time would only turn into more vicious words. And once vicious words were spoken, the small conflict would escalate repeatedly, eventually becoming a situation no one wanted to see.

And just as the two were silent, Hong Siyu, who had been observing for a long time on the side, reached out, tugged the magic thread Cuique had extended twice, then took it into her own hands, transforming it into a different shape.

"Look, doesn't it look like an iron tower?" She showed the shape she had pulled out to the other two.

Cuique and Asou Enka turned their heads to look at her simultaneously.

The synchronized movement made Hong Siyu's shoulders tremble, and cold sweat even slightly seeped from her forehead, but she still endured this silent pressure and continued to explain: "I mean, seeing Senior Cuique always holding the thread, I suddenly remembered that I used to play this kind of game before, and subconsciously just..."

While explaining, she continued her hand movements, pulling the iron tower shape into a more complex polygon: "You see, it's very, very interesting, right?"

Yet still, no one spoke.

So Hong Siyu could only continue to fiddle with the rope in her hands; this time she pulled out the shape of a parachute, saying in an incredibly stiff tone: "Iron tower turns into a parachute..."

In the end, it was Asou Enka who moved first.

With a blank expression, she walked forward two steps, approaching amidst Hong Siyu's nervous gaze, and then, just as Hong Siyu was so frightened she almost closed her eyes, took the rope from her hand.

—She pulled the magic thread into the shape of a suspension bridge.

Then, this suspension bridge was handed to Cuique.

"... Thanks, but I don't play."

Interrupted by this small incident, the originally somewhat stiff atmosphere eased slightly. Cuique sighed, reached out to take it, letting the thread return to her own hands: "Anyway, even if you don't agree, I personally believe this plan is necessary, because this small knot is not merely a knot; it also signifies 'a new side effect'."

"In other words, under the premise that I myself am powerless to develop and improve the Demon Gear, the change in the Demon Gear's form must be influenced by some subtle effect of the True Form."

Glancing at the shapes the two had previously made like playing cat's cradle, Cuique ignored Hong Siyu's slightly accusatory gaze, gathered the thread in her hand, letting it dissipate into star-like magic points: "That is to say, if I ignore my current injuries, new side effects will appear. This time it was just the Demon Gear knotting; what will it be next time? This unknown risk is simply too high; I must resolve it."

There was one more thing Cuique did not say, because she herself could not be completely certain this thought was correct.

That was, her Demon Gear, "Weaver of Fate", the "thread" as one of the three components, held a certain symbolism of fate. And for a thread symbolizing fate to be knotted was, in every sense, not a good omen.

Although her mind was long since that of an adult, and she did not easily believe in fortune-telling or divination, since Weaver of Fate was her own Demon Gear, she could not help but draw some associations.

The current crisis in Fang Ting City, the encirclement by the Black Ash Dawn and the Claw Marks, the pressure of protecting the children, the obstacles to avenging Anya, and the Demon Gear's warning to herself—all were stimulating Cuique's nerves, telling her "power must be had now".

And to reclaim power, between the two previous choices—Bai Lang and Emerald—at least Emerald's credibility was slightly higher than Bai Lang's. Both sides looked terrible, so one could only choose the less terrible one.

"To be honest, I still can't quite understand, because I am really worried, sister."

Asou Enka finally spoke again, wearing a bitter smile: "In my heart, what is most important now is your safety. Anya already had that happen; I really don't want anyone else to have an accident. So when you said 'might be executed', I was truly angry, which is why I said those things just now. Sorry."

"... Thank you for your concern; I understand. Even if it were the previous me, I would have agreed with your thoughts."

Cuique lowered her eyelids: "You are not wrong, Asou."

"But the current me, after experiencing those previous things, has figured it out. Pursuing stability and peace with a one-sided wish is ultimately unsustainable."

"Just like how I one-sidedly believed everything would end after the Great Beast Calamity, and that I could enjoy a peaceful life; just like how Hong Siyu worked diligently at the Alien Strategy Bureau, making enemies with no one... We all originally believed we could return to tranquility, but the fact is, tranquility without power is not true tranquility."

"There is no choice in this world that is absolutely safe. If I wait until next year to go to the Realm, will it really be safer than going now? What will happen during this year? Will next year truly be foolproof? We actually cannot guarantee these things. We are just following experience, following logic, believing this will avoid risks."

"But fate does not speak logic or reason to you. It may occasionally show you mercy, but more often it mocks and ridicules. Only by grasping power, by holding the initiative in my own hands, will the current me feel at ease."

"This is also why I am here, having become the Director of the Alien Strategy Bureau. Because I am not at ease; I will not entrust our safety to others again. Call it a desire for power, or call it paranoia, but I want to control these things as much as possible."

"So, this time is no different. I do not want to wait another year; I want to seize the initiative."

She raised her head again, looking at Asou Enka: "These are my thoughts; this is my true heart."

After speaking, she said no more, but quietly waited for the other's response, or rather, reaction.

It was not expecting Asou Enka to immediately understand her thoughts, nor hoping to continue debating with her. She had laid out her thoughts completely; next, only one look, one gesture from the other would be enough.

The look and the gesture would directly reflect the other's thoughts; the other's stance on her thoughts would directly affect Cuique's subsequent actions.

Being willing to act together would be good, but being unwilling, or even continuing to oppose, was also within expectations.

Because she knew that the past and the present were, after all, different. Although the three members of the old Fang Ting Team were all gathered here, time could not be returned to.

Especially Asano Enka; the other party has already joined the Magical Kingdom and served in the Investigation Bureau for many years, with a tenure even longer than the time they were teammates. From this perspective, the other party actually has no reason whatsoever to agree to this plan of his.

As a magical girl of the Investigation Bureau, Asano Enka even had grounds to halt this plan on the spot. Yet she did not; instead, standing on the same side as him, she was willing to consider the safety of this old teammate, which was already quite magnanimous and beyond the call of duty.

The matters discussed previously, whether visiting Anya, searching for Su Shengzi, or the Claw Marks they might have to confront next, all belonged to what a magical girl should do and did not contradict the Kingdom's rules.

But using a fake identity to "smuggle" into the Kingdom clearly exceeded that scope; even if this act was orchestrated behind the scenes by the Gem Scepter, on the surface it remained a violation.

If possible, Senior Cuique did not want to bring up this topic at the moment when old teammates had just reunited, but since the topic existed, it would inevitably reach this point one day; she did not intend to evade it.

It was just that Asano Enka's response was beyond her expectations.

"Do you remember what I told you when I first arrived a few days ago?"

It was not understanding or confusion, nor even a questioning of Senior Cuique's motives, but a rhetorical question: "I clearly just told you, or did you treat it as a joke and toss it aside after hearing it?"

"...'Let us welcome this fan to the stage'?" Senior Cuique said after recalling slightly.

"Not that one, it was a bit further back."

Asano Enka sighed helplessly: "Forget it, I'll say it again, otherwise you probably really won't remember."

Saying this, she suddenly knelt on one knee and then took hold of one of Senior Cuique's hands: "How about it? Do you remember now?"

Senior Cuique indeed remembered.

The words Asano Enka had spoken after that abrupt kiss on the hand.

— "To serve you."

At this very moment, Asano Enka repeated it again: "That was not to mock you, nor was it a role-play on a whim; it was my true heart."

"If you need the power to seize the initiative, if you need these things to safeguard your purposes, then is my power not enough?"

"Your dangers, I can help you resolve; your obstacles, I can help you break; your enemies, I can help you take revenge. Whatever you want, my power can be used for you."

"You do not need to worry about this power not being in your own hands; if you feel it is necessary, I can stay in Fang Ting for the coming year, waiting until you can heal your injuries by a safer method. As for the Dean, it is merely a matter of me throwing her a fake leave note and working extra shifts for the next two years."

"I just do not want you to always take such desperate risks, treating your own life as if it mattered nothing as long as the goal was achieved... No, sister, it is not like that."

"Your child will be sad, your teammates will be sad, Hong Siyu will be sad, and I will be sad too."

"Be more careful with your life, cherish yourself a bit more; this is my only request. Do not do such foolish things again as during the Great Beast Calamity back then, or as when you saved Hong Siyu before; at least now it is no longer necessary."

She raised her head, a rare bitter smile on her face: "Or is my power not enough? Do you think my power is insufficient, or that I am not enough?"

"Ah, Enka! Why are you suddenly saying such things alone? I clearly think the same way!"

Hong Siyu, standing nearby, hurriedly spoke up too: "Senior! I am here too, and I am currently a magical girl of Fang Ting; I will always be here in the future, forever! Relying on me a bit more is no problem! Ah, although I did neglect my training for too long and promoted too late, so my strength might not be very impressive..."

"... It is not like that." Senior Cuique answered softly. "It is not that I am unwilling to borrow your power."

"Then why? Do you not trust my power?" Asano Enka continued to ask: "Is my current strength still not enough to make you feel at ease? After all, even Anya, who was so strong, died; us being like this is still not enough, is that it?"

"No, none of these are it."

Senior Cuique shook her head: "It is because of my own personal reasons."

"Your personal?"

"My heart does not allow it, my true heart does not allow it, just like you, Asano, because of the matter of Anya, are unwilling to see comrades fall into danger again."

Senior Cuique looked at her seriously: "I do not want to, when watching comrades fall into danger, to be powerless myself."

"I will absolutely not let Anya's tragedy happen again; even the slightest possibility, I will absolutely not tolerate. Only in this way can I be worthy of my heart and alleviate that torment within."

Her voice rang out with conviction: "Continuing to hide behind comrades and be protected by others, that emptiness and pain within my heart would already drown me, so I... cannot be like this anymore."

Seeing Senior Cuique's expression, the tense look on Asano Enka's face gradually melted away, finally turning into helplessness.

For some reason, she subconsciously glanced in Hong Siyu's direction, then found that the other party's expression at that moment was astonishingly identical to her own.

Perhaps, even their thoughts were the same?

"... I have lost."

She sighed thus, yet did not know whether she was surrendering to the Senior Cuique before her, or something else.

(End of this chapter)