Toyokawa Shoko doesn't want to become a witch

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a tongue of fire tearing through the air as it swept past overhead.

【hiss----!】

The 20mm shells left the barrel at a rate of 3,000 rounds per minute, passing through the floating fireflies in the air and transforming into a steel storm more terrifying than the breath of a dragon. With the physical damage from the shells and the combined damage from the fireflies, the mantis with the human face was instantly torn to shreds by the flames, without even the ability to fight back.

"call."

Xiangzi threw the Vulcan cannon, which was a bit too big for humans, on the ground. The cannon slowly turned into magical fragments and scattered. His right arm, which had become a giant's arm to grip the Vulcan cannon, also returned to its original state.

This is a Hard-level witch who can even leave her own barrier and kill people everywhere in the real world, which is already quite powerful.

But it was also the umpteenth Hard-level killer that Xiangzi had killed. Xiangzi had become numb to this rating; it seemed that as long as it didn't reach Dangou, it made no difference to her.

However... the number of witches appearing in the Reed Plains is really too exaggerated. Is it really because of Witch's Night? The landing ten years ago couldn't have been as exaggerated as this, could it?

It seems that even if Su Shi were to hatch among these hordes of witches... it's better not to think about Su Shi for now. Since Deng said she could be trusted, then I should trust her too.

Xiangzi walked up to the magical girl and extended his hand.

"Are you OK."

"Huh? That's it? It's gone?"

The girl looked up and saw the Lament Seed left on the ground by the Mantis with the Human Face Orchid, and her mind went blank.

The terrifying witch who had just been chasing and killing them died inexplicably in front of the magical girl who saved her, just like when they encountered the witch.

Is this still a magical girl...?

For some reason, she felt a sense of dread when she looked at Xiangzi's face, and she subconsciously took a step back when Xiangzi extended his hand.

"..."

Xiangzi sighed softly.

"Ah... I'm so sorry..." The magical girl realized that she had gone too far. She got up from the ground and bowed deeply to Xiangzi. "Thank you... for saving me."

"It's just something that comes along easily, don't worry about it."

Xiangzi walked to the side, picked up the lamentation seed left behind by the orchid mantis, and threw it into the magical girl's hand.

"Hard-grade Lament Seeds have special effects and can be used to enhance your strength, so don't waste them."

"This, this is such a valuable thing, are you... are you sure you want it... are you going to give it to me?"

"I don't need it." Xiangzi patted her shoulder. "That's fine. Other places need me. I'm leaving now."

Before leaving, Xiangzi turned around and took one last look at the magical girl.

"That Seed of Lamentation, I hope you use it to survive tonight, and I hope to see you again tomorrow morning."

"Ah... okay, I'll try my best!"

"Goodbye." Xiangzi smiled slightly. "I wish you all the best."

==========

Compared to the modern reed beds, the reed beds of the 1980s looked much more harmonious.

It was already the second day since I arrived here. I walked down the street with my laptop in my arms. Everywhere I looked, there were bright lights and a peaceful atmosphere, as sweet as if I were soaking in golden honey.

In one day, the lights have been turned off for three months.

When the lamp was shutting down the second terminal, it encountered an unexpected person.

Mr. Chimera, who once guided them through their greedy world, had only recently moved in, just like Xiao Su Shi.

However, unlike Xiao Su Shi, he had no memory of what happened before he died. He only knew that he was very happy with his father here, and he couldn't even remember when he moved in, only that it was recently.

I was very happy with my father... So that's how it is.

He forgot all the unpleasant memories between him and his father, and his father forgot that he had his leg broken by a carriage while saving Chimera. Without that estrangement and guilt, they returned to the purest father-son relationship and lived happily together.

When she shut down the third terminal, she encountered a security guard in the community. Deng rarely saw anyone who could be so fulfilled and satisfied as a security guard, but that uncle was an exception.

The uncle said that he would be content as long as he could see everyone in Guankou City living happily.

By the way, the name of that residential area is Guankou City.

Everything in the Kingdom of God remains at its most beautiful moment in memory. Painful memories are selectively erased from the world. Everyone lives a carefree, heavenly life in the Kingdom of God.

The lamp gradually came to understand that this was the "happiness" of the mortal world.

Is forgetting pain the same as happiness?

The lamp bid farewell to the father and son, shut down the terminal in that area, said goodbye to the security guard, and shut down the terminal in that area as well. Three black areas appeared in the city, as if a power outage had occurred.

After shutting down the terminal, the area it was responsible for would turn completely dark, as if a power switch had been pulled. She once stood at the clear dividing line between the bright yellow of the lamplight and the deathly gray of the darkness, gazing at two different worlds.

Although they look different, there is no difference between the two completely opposite areas.

People moving around under the bright yellow light are, in the eyes of this world, nothing more than dead people; perhaps it would be more accurate to call them "living memories."

Both Xiangzi and Delete have said that witches, whether ordinary witches or flower witches, are mostly products of extreme distortion even if they have self-awareness. Xiangzi herself is no exception. She is able to maintain a clear self-awareness now purely by relying on something else.

The lamp had also seen the "other things" she mentioned.

Somniorum, who lives deep within Xiangzi's heart and represents his perfect self, and Oblivionis, whom he has never met.

The two of them were important factors in maintaining Xiangzi's mental stability, while Su Shi did not have such a person to maintain her mental stability.

Deng could understand Su Shi, and understand her obsessive dedication that bordered on madness.

But she couldn't accept it, couldn't accept Su Shi's madness of continuing even at the cost of others, which was also a madness that led to her own destruction.

She wants to stop Su Shi.

I also want to understand why Su Shi is so persistent before trying to stop her. Only with a thorough understanding will she have a strong enough reason to deny it.

Deng glanced down at the notebook that had become completely full in just half a day since he bought it.

Have I done enough?

She still asks herself that question from time to time.

However, she no longer hesitated; she wouldn't be timid or hesitant just because she felt she hadn't done enough.

I closed my notebook, looked up, and faced the bustling Shibuya Street.

The terminals in this area have replaced the famous Shibuya Sky in the real world. They were in such a hurry when they arrived that they didn't see it. Now that they've returned to this area, they realize that the towering terminals are easy to spot no matter where you are.

Before pulling the plug, everyone agreed to spend some time doing what they wanted to do before saying goodbye to this most bustling and lively place in the reed field.

Emerging from the Ginza Line, I walked alone through the bustling streets, listening to the CityPop music filling the air, as I casually strolled through the streets of Shibuya.

What would be a good use of this time? Just as Deng was thinking this, a light, airy song drifted into her ears.

"The comic you brought~ and the flowers I didn't recognize~ haven't arrived yet?"

The simple guitar accompaniment and the clear, unique voice evoked images of slightly tart, unripe citrus fruits, and the light followed the song to the singer.

—"Having tasted this emotion for the first time~ sketching the paintings adorning the window~ traveling the universe alone~ I should be so content~"

The song depicts the bittersweet feeling of first love, which matches the singer's voice perfectly.

She was already surrounded by a group of people, and it took her a lot of effort to squeeze to the front.

The people who are still alive are incredibly enthusiastic. In the real world, there would never be so many people gathered around in the reed marshes, especially during this off-get off work time.

The lights and the gathered crowd swayed together with the music. It was an ordinary street, but it looked like a music festival stage with a large crowd gathered there. Many people standing in the back row might not even be able to see the singers, but the singing alone was enough to make them stay.

And so, time passed by unnoticed, accompanied by the singing.

When the song ended, thunderous applause erupted from the audience. The young woman who performed bowed to the audience to express her gratitude and announced the end of the performance.

After a while, Deng saw the crowd gradually disperse before he mustered up the courage to walk over.

"Hello......"

"Hello~" The singing girl smiled at the lamp while tidying up her things.

"You sang so well, and this song too. Did you write it yourself? It's really great."

"Thank you for the compliment~" The girl was bending down to pack her things when a few unruly strands of hair fell down. She brushed the hair behind her ear, slung her guitar bag over her shoulder, turned around, and looked at the lamp with a surprised expression. "Can you tell that I wrote this myself? Why?!"

"Because of...feelings?" Deng tilted his head, not knowing why he said that.

Incidentally, since eternal people are "living memories" rather than truly living people, the lamp cannot hear their inner voices.

"Thank you for the compliment~ I really appreciate it." The girl said, cupping her face in her hands, her voice filled with happiness. "This song is about my first love with my husband."

"Hey, you're actually married?"

"Yes, we've been married for less than a year," she said with a smile, hands on her hips.

However, the girl soon sighed again.

"It's a pity that I died less than a year later. This song was the last song I sang before I died."

"Huh? Huh?!" Deng stared at her, her eyes wide. "You still have your memories?!"

"What's wrong?!" The girl was startled by Deng's sudden outburst. "I...I didn't say anything wrong, did I..."

“You are the first person (besides Xiaosushi) to know that I am dead after I came here.” Deng took two steps closer to the girl, looking curious.

"You came in here? So you're not a permanent person? No wonder you asked me a question. Usually, people don't hear the second half of what I say."

"Why $;`韭灵瘤咝镏漆坝栮爸?"

"I don't know, anyway, nobody hears about anything related to death." The girl shrugged.

"Hmm... I think I understand." Deng nodded thoughtfully.

It's because painful memories aren't remembered, so people don't hear anything about death, that must be true. But why is it that, as an eternal being, the girl in front of me can not only casually bring up this topic, but also remember the fact that I'm dead?

"Do you remember how you died?" the lamp asked cautiously.

The girl in front of her was somewhat different from all the eternal people she had met here; it wasn't just that she remembered her own death.

She is so special.

"Yes, she suddenly fell seriously ill and died within two days." The girl nodded and said softly, "I've always been in poor health and often get sick, so I expected this to happen."

"sorry."

"It's nothing, it's nothing~" the girl waved her hand, "I don't mind."

Suddenly, she seemed to remember something very happy, and her face lit up with a smile again.

“Because I’ve done everything I wanted to do before I die.” The girl counted on her fingers one by one, “Dating, getting married, becoming famous, performing, traveling everywhere… I’m satisfied, happy, and blessed enough, so I’m not unhappy at all. Every minute and every second I’m alive is happiness for me, even when I’m sick.”

In the end, she couldn't count on her fingers anymore, so she simply made a V-sign at the light.

"Why? Isn't being sick painful?" Deng didn't understand.

“Because it makes me feel alive.” The girl smiled and turned her head. “It makes everyone take care of me so well, and makes me feel loved. Although it may seem selfish of me to my husband and parents to think this way... but there’s nothing I can do about it. My body can’t stay with them forever.”

The lamp's pupils shrank slightly.

This was the first time she had ever heard of an eternal person, no, it was the first time she had ever seen anyone say such a thing.

Is simply being alive enough happiness for her?

The lamp roughly understood why the girl in front of it had memories of her own death, because for her, someone was by her side until the moment her consciousness completely disappeared.

"So, if, I mean... if you were to lose consciousness in fifteen minutes, what would you think?" Deng swallowed and licked his dry lips.

"Of course, I'll keep singing, I'll keep singing here, until the moment I disappear."

"..."

Deng took a deep breath, lowered his head, and began to write.

She wrote so much that the girl couldn't help but peek over to take a look—hmm, there were water droplets on the paper.

But it's okay, the words on it are still legible.

"What you wrote, is it poetry?" the girl asked curiously, "or lyrics?"

“Yes, all of them.” The lamp sniffed and looked up. “Thank you… for giving me inspiration.”

"Hehe~ We're all creators, I'm really happy to be able to inspire you." The girl gave her a thumbs up, her eyes narrowing into crescents. "Very good lyrics, I look forward to the day you sing them."

"Well, I appreciate your words."

Deng rubbed her nose and suddenly remembered that it was almost time for the meeting. She glanced at her watch and realized she was indeed late.

So she hurriedly put the notebook away.