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My heart was racing like crazy.

It felt a bit off to say something like this while the other kids were fighting and Pang-pang was in a life-or-death situation, but the colorful flames visible behind Ha-yoon looked strangely beautiful.

Ha-yoon grabbed my hand and lifted me up.

The outfit I was wearing wasn’t much different from the one I had tried on during the Hope Circuit.

I still didn’t quite understand how extraordinary the energy you could gain from happiness was—

Before I could grasp the situation, the girl in front of me changed.

Ji-hye.

It was Ji-hye, completely out of her transformation. Her clothes were slightly torn here and there, and it seemed she had some injuries since her transformation had worn off.

I always felt guilty toward Ji-hye. Even though we were sisters, all I had done was drag her into this mess.

But Ji-hye didn’t seem willing to listen to my excuses; without a care, she pressed her lips against mine.

A hot kiss. This was a bit different from what we had shared until now.

“…I love you too.”

Ji-hye whispered.

“I don’t know when it started. Whether it was because I had these feelings all along or because my thoughts changed while being with you.”

Ji-hye looked directly into my eyes.

It felt like I was being sucked into those jade-green pupils.

She wrapped her arms around my neck tightly, pressing her body against mine, and somehow she seemed so different from the Ji-hye I had known before.

A girl with a face flushed red. An excited expression I never could have imagined on Ji-hye’s face.

“So, we have to win.”

And this time, just as I was starting to comprehend the situation, the person in front of me changed again.

Unlike Ha-yoon or Ji-hye, she wasn’t hugging me. She simply held my hands and looked up at me intently.

“I know.”

Jua opened her mouth.

“Maybe you still can’t understand why I’m acting this way. Honestly, I don’t fully understand it myself.”

Before I could even think of a response, Jua quickly continued.

“But I want you to know that I wouldn’t act this way with someone I had no feelings for.”

Leaving those oddly defensive words, Jua stepped closer to me.

Her lips brushed lightly against mine. With a soft sound, Jua quickly pulled back.

“…”

I stood there for a moment, dazed.

So… this is happening.

“Let’s go.”

Ha-yoon said, pulling my hand.

“The kids are fighting hard. So— we need to help. Let’s go protect Earth, no, the universe.”

As Ha-yoon said this, she raised her wand.

We ran together.

Into the dazzling, colorful flames ahead.

Pang-pang looked our way, her eyes widening in surprise. Had she seen my transformation?

“Indeed.”

Pang-pang grinned at us.

No, that wasn’t Pang-pang. The face laughing at me wasn’t the face of Pang-pang…

Wasn’t Pang-pang the Chairman’s clone or something?

So much was happening all at once that my head was still spinning. I could somewhat acknowledge and accept that these three cared for me, given what I’d experienced up until now, but I could hardly wrap my head around this Pang-pang situation.

Wasn’t she a granddaughter who didn’t even want to set up a machine gun? And now she’s a clone?

Of course, she may have acted this way because of her important existence, because she was a necessary part of the plan, but I just didn’t understand.

“Are you really the Chairman?”

Before I knew it, I had asked that question. Pang-pang’s face, which had been smug just moments ago, suddenly stiffened.

And that glance confirmed my suspicion.

“After all, you must be someone who would protect your granddaughter.”

Right.

The transformation I had just gone through was because of ‘Love.’

It was a transformation visible because I had connected with the circuit of love filled in Ji-hye’s hands.

From the hand holding Ha-yoon, pink light started to bloom.

Sakura-colored vines climbed along my arm, painting my clothes in Ha-yoon’s colors.

“…!”

Ha-yoon’s eyes widened. The ‘Wand’ she was holding, the bouquet of flowers I had given her, shone more intensely than usual.

I reached out and took Ha-yoon’s other hand.

We looked like we were dancing together.

It wasn’t the kind of appearance suited for a fight. I could feel her breath escaping anxiously. I felt Ha-yoon’s soft scent in my ears and raised our wand together.

It was a massive sword. Not the slender one I usually saw, but as if it had materialized from the generator we all had put our strength into, a giant sword.

Although it was purely pink.

I pressed my lips lightly against Ha-yoon’s cheek.

“Ji-eun!?”

Ha-yoon exclaimed, surprised. Why? I had done this sort of thing many times before. I was always so close, sticking together even when we slept.

If we keep going like this, we might even go further than that—

Uh, is that too far-fetched?

The Hope Circuit concept is honestly a bit overwhelming. Hope means literally hoping, and Despair means genuinely feeling despair, whereas love is a force that continues to grow.

In a way, it’s an annoying power that leads to delusions.

But that thrill is what makes us fall in love all the time, isn’t it? Even if it might lead to pain in the end—

I pulled slightly away from Ha-yoon.

Ha-yoon looked at me blankly.

“I’ll just borrow this for a moment.”

Ha-yoon nodded, still in shock.

I turned back toward the Chairman.

No—toward that ‘whatever that is’ claiming to be the Chairman.

“About that clone thing. You’re not just making it all up, right?”

The entity possessing Pang-pang swung the wand at me, as if to say there was no need to answer.

I still managed to block that gleaming blade with Ha-yoon’s wand.

Clang!

It sounded like metal scraping, a noise that couldn’t possibly be associated with light meeting light. The intense clash of two blades echoed through the air.

Even if Ha-yoon’s sword had thickened, it still seemed thinner compared to the output from the generator.

Yet, I still didn’t budge.

“If that were the case, you wouldn’t even have handed this over. To test new powers? What happens to the despair energy that you were so busy trying to pull together until now? What happened to the energy of hope you flipped upside down at the last moment? With how frantically you’ve been planning, it makes no sense that you’d randomly search for a new energy!”

I grinned, pushing back against the sword. The massive blade that was way larger than my body began to retreat.

But the opponent swung their sword down at me again.

This time, I neither dodged nor blocked. I just turned because I heard someone calling my name.

Ji-hye’s worried face came into view.

It’s okay.

This time, I wouldn’t get hurt.

Bam!

This time, the sound of clashing metal was different from before.

It sounded as if a solid metal plate was blocking the attack.

When I turned my head again, a green glow hung in the air.

Blocking the space between the blade and me.

A light green hue surrounded my left arm.

…The feeling of love can color the other person in my hue and myself in theirs.

My color is black.

It would seem like I wouldn’t accept any colors, as if claiming to receive no one’s love.

My color is white.

It’s the color of simply accepting anyone when only space is left.

I stepped into the air.

Just like when Jua showed me that one time, instead of simply flying up, I climbed towards the foe.

“Eek…!”

Pang-pang’s face twisted miserably. Just like the typical cocktail of villainous remarks.

Well, sure. The black could be seen as a threat.

“…Ji-eun…!”

I heard someone shout from behind and felt something flying past me.

I raised my left arm to catch it precisely.

Jua had thrown me her weapon.

I elegantly caught it with one hand, spinning it beautifully. The weapon was turning purple. Click, clack; the sound came from the firearm as its shape began to change.

I aimed that gun at my opponent and fired directly.

Pang-pang easily deflected the beam with her sword, but then saw my blade swinging and rolled back in terror. Just like me, Pang-pang soared through the air.

“Are you crazy!? If you do that, I’ll—!”

“Your words are so typical for a low-tier villain.”

I approached, laughing in disbelief.

“Do you know? The word love is used in a variety of contexts. It can mean the love between lovers, but also love between friends and family. Well, usually it’s a bit awkward to say out loud.”

“What’s that supposed to mean!?”

“What do you mean what it means?”

I said, still chuckling in disbelief.

“Hey, this is magic. It’s not a real sword or a real gun.”

A weapon that doesn’t harm people.

A sword that can strike without leaving a scratch. That’s what Ha-yoon’s sword was.

However, while people’s bodies might not be hurt, the circuit could be wrecked. If there were factors in between that could be severed, they could also be destroyed.

If there’s something inside Pang-pang’s body that’s ‘something’, then of course that too could be ruined.

If she’s a clone, there’s no helping that. I might have to kill Pang-pang. But what did my opponent say?

If Pang-pang is really a clone, then there’s no need for such a showy bravado. There wouldn’t even be a need to fight against us. I wouldn’t be able to cut Pang-pang. I would need to save her and subdue her to free her from that brainwashing.

Seeing Pang-pang’s head hurting at that moment, it does seem like something had been implanted in her body beforehand, but—I doubt it’s a ‘clone’ technology.

If that was possible, they would have just left her in that state without any personality, pulling her out right when they needed her.

But the Chairman left Pang-pang alone.

It’s just a guess, but—yes, I felt that too, was also a kind of ‘love’ as family.

The swords clashed. The dazzling colors divided into pink and white. Oh, and sure, some green and purple were visible in between.

But those weren’t the lights of the magical girls ‘moving.’

“How? How…!?”

“Where’s James?”

I asked again.

Right. That was strange. If that fanatic truly wished to follow the Chairman, why was he here with just that pitiful red guy?

James wouldn’t get fooled.

…Yeah, that bastard’s face looked the same as ever, damn it.

Well, at least it’s a little comforting.

That incompetent Chairman’s plan would have failed in the end anyway, even without us being there.

There’s nothing more harmful than a messy power struggle. Isn’t that right?

“Hey, if that Chairman’s words aren’t being obeyed by the guy in front of me, doesn’t that mean something’s off?”

True. That’d be normal. The situation had gotten so weird I almost forgot.

Is that bastard James really not showing his face in front of the Chairman? Him? That thick-skinned guy? No, I would never think so.

If this was ‘really’ the Chairman’s plan, James would be standing confidently in front of me, saying, “I’m sorry, but due to blah blah blah, I will use you all.” But hiding?

No, it’s not that he’s hiding. There must be a reason he can’t.

“Chairman, are you dead or alive?”

As I swung my sword, I asked. Pang-pang’s face twisted.

He’s probably dead. Even if not, he’s likely in serious condition or close to it. I do not yet know the cause.

That Chairman could have been preparing a ‘backup.’

I don’t know if he completely copied himself, but he might’ve considered it as ‘one of the methods.’

Yeah, he probably thought about using Pang-pang as part of the plan. If there was no way to create a clone that would act the same, it’d be possible to brainwash her to make her move like the Pang-pang right in front of me.

If one could manipulate just partial memories or personalities, then the goal has already been achieved regardless. If he’s not dead but just critically injured, well, he might somehow make it through using Magic.

But the Chairman, in the end, couldn’t pull it off.

Because, after all, she’s family.

He’d left her just like that, but the Chairman would never think of simply using his granddaughter as a pawn. That’s why he didn’t forcefully take Pang-pang and only left behind minimal defensive mechanisms to protect her.

The Chairman’s efforts to find Pang-pang were probably independent of his own goals. If there’s someone to inherit and someone to execute the plans, it would have been great for him as well, but Pang-pang refused, and the Chairman calmly accepted that.

And—

—Because of that, someone who ‘needed’ Pang-pang has taken an interest in her.

…I know someone who could kidnap Pang-pang and play around with her body.

Crack.

My teeth clenched.

“Yeah, that’s what you’re saying.”

I started running.

Feeling like someone was pushing me from behind. It seemed like purple feathers were flying too. Did I sprout wings on my back?

“So, you mean to say, even after everything, you just wanted to act like you were still in control.”

Bam!

As I deflected the sword coming down on me with Ha-yoon’s wand, I opened fire in rapid succession from the gun in my left hand. Did it have this kind of function originally? It feels like the fuse isn’t even popping out right now—ah, let’s not think about these things.

For now, I’ll just leave myself to Magic—to the power of love. Overthinking may just end up blinding me.

Half-hearted thoughts are poison for a magical girl. Isn’t that right?

The slashing sword met the green light and bounced off. It seemed the opponent was extremely flustered that their blade couldn’t reach me anymore.

“Sorry, Pang-pang.”

I bolted forward, crashing into Pang-pang. I didn’t feel a single injury. Ji-hye’s protection was indeed heartfelt.

Using my foot on Pang-pang’s body to push myself off, I leaned down to get my face as close as possible and said to her.

“…You, are you Puff-Puff?”

Only someone who would throw away all self-respect and ruin their plans, just seeking short-term gains, could be Puff-Puff.

After kidnapping Pang-pang, he must have done something to put her in that state. A sort of insurance for the future.

Even if it’s himself, to be able to seize the facility at a key moment so he could use himself.

But guess what?

Puff-Puff isn’t in a normal state right now.

…If he was normal, it might have been worse for me. He would have probably known about this before anything happened.

I wiped the smile off my face.

“Seriously, just give it a rest, you’re pathetic.”

I let it slip.

“Now I get it, not being able to act in your name until now, that’s the reason, right? Because you’re someone without pride and nothing at all.”

I understand the appeal of money. I worked for Noir Corporation for the sake of money, too.

But there is a limit.

Why would Puff-Puff go through so much to seize the Chairman’s position, yet insist on being there as ‘Chairman’ instead of ‘himself’?

Thinking about it, the conclusion comes quite easily.

Now that he’s taken the Chairman’s position as the rightful heir, why is ‘Puff-Puff’ so important?

He’s such a selfish bastard that the portion of his ego inside the memory stick wouldn’t be altruistic enough to think of his own roots.

“Stop hanging around and get lost.”

I didn’t even plan on listening to Puff-Puff’s final words.

The moment he opened his mouth, I drove the blade of my sword into Pang-pang’s neck.

Then I reached out, wrapping around that circuit.

A small explosion went off. Unlike the last time when I almost blew off an Alien’s arm, this circuit had overwhelming power yet generated a much smaller explosion.

Green light surrounded my hands.

“You, you…”

It looked like he was going to continue speaking, so I directed the blade toward his head and cut it off.

If my ‘imagination’ is correct, regardless of what kind of memory lies within Pang-pang’s head, it would’ve vanished leaving no trace behind.

“…”

I held that position for a moment before finally shakily getting up and plopping down beside Pang-pang.

I carefully set Ha-yoon’s wand down on the floor, but I noticed that the handle, specifically the ‘bouquet’ part, seemed to have changed slightly.

New flowers had bloomed in the bouquet.

“…Haha.”

Those flowers were ‘lilies.’

After all, I am ‘Happy Lily.’

Now, I can’t deny it any longer.

I heard footsteps rushing toward me. As I listened to that sound, I reached a hand toward Pang-pang’s neck, which had still not awakened.

Her heart was beating.

She was still breathing.

Just that alone, I felt such relief that it drained away all my strength.

“Pang-pang.”

I whispered softly. Well, she probably can’t hear me yet.

“Let’s go back to Earth.”

Then, I just flopped back down.

 

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