Looking at the circuit running in the opposite direction, a flood of thoughts overwhelmed me.
Among all those thoughts, the one that occupied the highest frequency was, unsurprisingly, “Why?”
Why? How?
James had clearly said that this circuit couldn’t be created in the Federation.
While the basic principle was similar, the circuit’s operation changed depending on the emotions used.
Even Iris, who was smart enough to tinker with circuits and create various devices in an empty environment, hadn’t been able to fully uncover the principle.
If the circuit’s purpose could change just by altering emotions, we would have figured it out already.
Despair is a universal emotion—one that anyone could experience at least once.
Or, could this too be because of “magic”?
Was it because I believed in the idea that “it can be achieved”?
The pain I felt gradually faded.
My blurred vision also slowly sharpened—perhaps even more sharply than usual.
Although my head remained muddled, the disappearance of the pain left me with just one certainty: I could move.
I stood up.
In my hand, I gripped a hammer.
The generator within the hammer—
As expected, it burned white, like my circuit.
Like the circuit ahead, glowing in Hayoon’s hands.
But instead of the usual rampant blaze, it was… how should I put it?
A bit less dramatic—more like a bright flash of light.
Of course, it wasn’t just an ordinary flash.
It had an air of mystery to it.
If the black dots I created before resembled a black hole, then the light emanating from behind the hammer was like a star rising.
It burned nothing. It simply wrapped its surroundings in warmth.
Perhaps because of the light, the clothes I wore looked a bit whiter.
Had my appearance changed?
There was no time to dwell on such things.
I wasn’t sure if what drove my body to move now was hope or despair that had rebounded into something strange.
What I did know was that Hayoon was fighting ahead of me.
I couldn’t just lie there alone.
By the time that thought crossed my mind, I was already running forward.
“Jieun-ah?”
Hayoon called my name.
Her expression and voice showed confusion—just like mine, or perhaps even more so.
But Hayoon was much quicker and sharper at assessing situations than I was.
Without questioning why I had stepped forward, she simply joined me at my side.
What would others see if they looked at us now?
Two comrades standing steadfast together?
The fact that I was thinking about such things even in this moment made me laugh at myself.
I was the one who had stepped forward first.
I raised my hammer and ran forward with all my might—without the help of any propulsion device, relying solely on my strength.
My feet pressed firmly into the ground.
Whoosh!
The sound of my hammer cutting through the air faster than usual was threatening.
The creature dodged the attack, but—
“……!”
When its body came into contact with the hammer’s white light, the black liquid clinging to it evaporated. Startled, it leapt back.
Was that liquid distilled despair?
But I wasn’t fighting alone.
When I dashed forward, Hayoon had already leapt into the air, performing a dazzling flip and landing behind the creature.
Her pink glowing sword, shining brighter and more menacingly than usual, descended toward the creature’s crown.
The creature managed to block, inserting its black blade between its head and the sword.
It even intercepted my swinging hammer with a raised hand and its blade.
But—
Clang!
It seemed unable to deflect the attacks completely.
Hope didn’t appear to directly affect the despair circuit.
After all, a circuit is inherently influenced by the emotions of its user.
Even if Hayoon displayed intense hope beside me, my circuit would continue to run on despair if I didn’t feel the same way.
So, if this creature had weakened upon witnessing our combined strength, it meant it was feeling something distant from despair—a different emotion altogether.
The creature was also a human from Earth.
While the specifics of its inner workings were unknown, if it was artificially created, perhaps something other than organs resided inside.
But—
Who’s to say?
Other creatures had reverted to their original forms after being taken far from Earth and undergoing treatment.
If this being before me was truly human, there might be hope of restoring it after rendering it powerless, even if its “original” form remained a mystery.
The white light flared even more intensely, and perhaps influenced by it, Hayoon’s circuit shone just as brightly.
Pink and white lights intertwined, creating a slightly overwhelming yet undeniably beautiful scene.
Crack.
A sound like a fracture echoed as a crack appeared on the black blade.
It was the sound of my hope surpassing the creature’s despair.
Bang!
The white light struck the creature’s head, and it collapsed sideways to the ground.
“Haah!”
Hayoon swiftly drove her sword into the creature’s chest.
Though her sword left human bodies unscathed, it uniquely damaged only the material she intended, piercing through the creature’s circuit.
There was no explosion.
The black light that seemed to erupt was instead absorbed and dispersed by the brilliance of Hayoon’s sword, her hope extinguishing the despair.
As the dazzling light subsided, what remained was the creature, unconscious and collapsed.
Its body hadn’t yet returned to its original form, and it was still struggling to breathe.
But it was alive.
And as long as it was alive, there was hope for recovery.
The battle wasn’t over.
Other teammates were still fighting, and many creatures remained standing.
Yet, I found myself frozen for a moment, dazed.
As the tension eased, the flood of information around me overwhelmed my mind.
I glanced down at myself.
Unlike usual, I was clad in white.
The head of the hammer in my hand still radiated light.
Hayoon, standing nearby, stared at me intently.
I felt my face flush.
A white dress?
Really?
Of course, I knew that white dresses weren’t rare.
There are plenty of “dresses” that could be worn casually yet still called dresses.
But the outfit I wore now was far more extravagant.
When it was black, the design was far plainer—closer to cosplay than everyday wear, and even then, it wasn’t exactly a standout compared to the others, save for some minor details like the slightly exposed chest.
Now, however, every part that once had color was a pristine white.
Even the semi-transparent skirt at the back had turned into opaque white silk, adorned with a large ribbon that made it appear as though part of the dress had puffed up.
Overall, the outfit now resembled something akin to a wedding dress.
Though, not exactly.
There were too many details that didn’t align with a traditional wedding dress, but at a glance, with narrowed eyes, one might mistake it for one.
Why?
Once again, my mind was overwhelmed with a single question and a flood of confusion.
Was it really so simple that despair meant black and hope meant white?
Was this some kind of joke?
Whose idea was this?
Most likely, it was mine.
While I’d never consciously thought of wearing such an outfit, the binary thinking of “black for despair, white for hope” seemed like something I would come up with.
Grinding my teeth, I propelled myself into the air, trying to suppress the embarrassment.
Even in this absurd situation, my circuit continued to run vigorously—more than ever.
To escape the gazes of countless people forming a semicircle and watching us, I quickly flew off to help the others.
Hayoon’s thoughts were a tangled mess.
Jieun was… her favorite friend.
That was why, when Jieun was placed in such dire situations,
Hayoon had struggled to use her full strength.
At the same time, though, following Jieun had allowed Hayoon to regain her resolve.
Honestly, Hayoon was a little afraid.
She was scared of how Jieun thought of her.
After all, as a magical girl,
Hayoon had knocked Jieun down countless times—not just knocked down but inflicted injuries that, five years ago, could have left permanent scars or disabilities.
Naturally, Hayoon feared that Jieun might hate her.
She was also terrified of Jieun’s circuit, which spun wildly whenever Hayoon was around.
She worried that Hayoon herself might be the reason for Jieun’s “negative emotions,” the source of all that turmoil in her.
Hayoon had even wondered at times if it would be better for her to disappear from Jieun’s side.
After all, if magical girls like herself hadn’t existed in the first place, Jieun wouldn’t have ended up like this.
And yet, Hayoon couldn’t let go.
Even knowing how much trouble she caused for others by staying close to Jieun, Hayoon couldn’t abandon her.
That was why she had continued to follow Jieun.
Recently, however, Hayoon had felt a bit of relief.
Jieun seemed more at ease, even with Hayoon nearby.
Perhaps it was because Hayoon had saved Jieun directly, earning her trust.
If Jieun could think of Hayoon that way, Hayoon would gladly risk her life for her as many times as necessary.
Though, of course, Hayoon tried not to make that a habit—it would only make Jieun worry unnecessarily.
Still…
Hayoon’s circuit, the reason for its intense glow.
It might have been because of Jieun.
With Jieun by her side, fighting alongside her, stepping forward for each other—Hayoon thought it was because of this that she could harbor such a strong hope.
But maybe it wasn’t just that.
The magical girls had always been able to wield immense power thanks to Hayoon’s hope, which fueled their circuits and created a synergy among them.
If Hayoon’s strength could influence others, then perhaps the reverse was also true.
If Jieun, just by being near Hayoon, gained hope—and in turn, Hayoon’s circuit burned brighter—then…
Just the thought of it filled Hayoon with so much hope that she couldn’t sense even a speck of the surrounding darkness.
And now, as she watched Jieun, who stood dazed, staring in disbelief at the white dress she now wore, Hayoon was certain.
Whether Jieun had influenced Hayoon or Hayoon had influenced Jieun, it wasn’t clear at the moment.
But—
“…Impossible.”
Cherry, perched on Hayoon’s shoulder, muttered in astonishment.
An impossible event.
Something that could never be achieved with Jieun’s “despair” was happening right before their eyes.
Jieun was doing something only those filled with hope could accomplish.
Perhaps because it was hope born from such deep, dark despair, Jieun seemed to radiate light from her entire being.
Dressed in what looked like a wedding gown, Jieun blushed.
It was an odd expression for the situation, yet it made Hayoon feel reassured.
“A new… magical girl?”
Yes.
At this moment, Hayoon was witnessing it.
Before her eyes, the sixth magical girl was being born.
Until now, people had called Jieun the “Black Magical Girl” or the “Sixth Magical Girl,” but Hayoon felt that those names suited her more than ever now.
What would be a good name for her as a magical girl?
Perhaps “Blossom” might be fitting, Hayoon thought playfully.
If there were pink cherry blossoms, surely there could be white ones too.
After all, flowers often came in a variety of colors, didn’t they?
Watching Jieun fly off as if to escape, Hayoon followed suit, rising into the air.
As she observed Jieun furiously swinging her hammer at the creatures, her embarrassment evident in her movements, Hayoon refocused her thoughts.
For a magical girl name, perhaps…
“Lily.”
Yes, Lily would be perfect.
Her outfit matched the elegance and purity of the lily flower so well.
When I flew off to help the others, their gazes turned toward me.
Still, it was far better than the way strangers had stared earlier.
I’d rather face embarrassment in front of familiar faces than strangers.
I decided to redirect all my anger and embarrassment at the creatures.
Although the creatures were, in a sense, pitiful victims of unfortunate circumstances, they were also the only legal targets I could vent my frustrations on.
And in a way, it was their fault the situation had escalated like this.
After all, it was while fighting them that I ended up in this ridiculous outfit.
With that in mind, I poured all my anger into the hammer and swung it downward with all my strength.
Bang!
The hammer struck the creature squarely on the crown of its head, sending it crashing to the ground like a missile.
Thud!
Seeing its head buried in the asphalt, I startled myself at how excessive my attack seemed.
But when the creature’s body twitched and it used its hand to push itself up, I sighed in relief.
Its movements were grotesque, but at least it wasn’t dead.
“What are you doing!?”
I shouted at Iris and Dahlia, who were staring blankly at me.
“There are still plenty of creatures left! We need to deal with all of them!”
They snapped out of their daze and began firing magic at the surrounding creatures.
For some reason, Rose laughed at me, while Delphinium shook her head and let out a sigh.
Still, both quickly got their act together.
Rose clenched her gauntlets and flew toward the creatures, while Delphinium conjured a massive ball of magical energy, far larger than herself.
All their circuits were glowing brightly, without exception.
What on earth was happening?
But at least one thing was clear—the once grim expressions on everyone’s faces had softened.
If magical girls succumbed to despair in a situation like this, who would keep fighting?
And though I hated to admit it, I was now part of their ranks.
Gripping my hammer tightly, I noticed a creature ignoring Iris and Dahlia’s barrage of magic and charging straight toward me.
Just as I prepared to swing my strangely radiant hammer like a baseball bat—
Crash!
A pink streak shot up from the ground like a meteor, colliding directly with the creature’s chest—more specifically, its circuit.
The description might sound odd, but it was accurate.
The trajectory of Hayoon’s pink sword carved an unmistakable path through the creature’s body.
“Hiyaahh!”
As if determined to shield me at all costs, Hayoon shouted and drove her sword into the creature’s chest.
Ascending higher and higher, Hayoon’s figure was soon obscured by the pink light radiating from her.
Once again, black light seeped out in all directions, only to be erased by the pink glow.
The creature’s body fell gently to the ground, as if carried by the wind.
This too must have been Hayoon’s doing, ensuring its safety despite the height.
A fall from such a height could have easily shattered its body.
Then, standing tall with her small frame—half the height of the fallen creature—Hayoon, her pink hair glowing in the sunlight, turned to look at me.
A childhood friend who truly loved showing off.
Yet, somehow, that sight was so reassuring.
Though I didn’t like the feeling, I couldn’t help but smile just a little at the corner of my lips.
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