Chapter 4: If I can't transform, wouldn't I have no choice but to die?

The rain was still falling outside.

Jiang Si came down from the second-floor bedroom. His younger sister sat in the living room, staring blankly at the family portrait hanging on the wall.

It was taken before their trip.

In the photo, their mother wore a white hat; though she was smiling faintly, her brow was furrowed as she reached out to pinch the cigarette held in their father's mouth.

Their father, looking somewhat aged, wore a helpless smile while holding the excited younger sister in his arms.

Behind the three of them stood a distracted Jiang Si, looking out of place.

"Uncle said he wants to adopt you."

As he reached the door to change his shoes, Jiang Si spoke in a detached tone. "Pack your things and go. I'll look after the house. You can come back to visit whenever you want."

"Brother..."

Her voice was soft and sweet, sounding as weak as if she hadn't eaten for days, laced with a sob.

"If there's anything in the house you want, take it yourself."

Jiang Si tapped his toes at the entryway, adjusting his shoes to fit more snugly. "I have things to do."

"What things, exactly, Brother?"

His sister's eyes were red, her tone filled with nothing but grievance. "What could you possibly have to do?"

Jiang Si paused at the door and pulled an umbrella from the shoe cabinet. "A lot."

"Brother!"

His sister raised her voice, as if trying to call him back.

However, Jiang Si did not look at her. He simply stepped out and closed the door.

"Jiang Si!"

Her final cry sounded hoarse and tearful. But Jiang Si did not stop; he merely opened his umbrella and walked into the rain.

A tiny sprite, looking like a plush doll, flew out from his pocket.

It was a pink, flying cat.

"Wouldn't it be better to stay and have a heart-to-heart with your sister..."

A companion sprite of a Magical Girl. Jiang Si had never watched Magical Girl anime and had no idea what this thing was.

When it appeared during his first transformation, his first instinct was that it was the prototype of a Calamity Beast, so he had instinctively tried to kill it.

However, he found he couldn't actually touch it.

It wasn't a physical creature, but rather a phantom-like entity condensed from magical power upon transforming into a Magical Girl.

He later learned that this was an entity meant to guide Magical Girls.

"No need. Our parents are gone; she needs to grow up quickly."

There wasn't a hint of warmth in Jiang Si's voice; it felt as if the raindrops would freeze if they fell too close to him. "I don't plan on taking care of her."

He had too many things to do, and he wouldn't be able to look after her in the future.

It would be best if she was simply adopted by a kind relative.

"A girl's heart is very soft, like a flower that needs nurturing..."

Before it could finish, Jiang Si grabbed the grass-like tuft on its head and pulled it in front of his face, letting the rain pour down on the little sprite.

Relying on the Magical Girl's magic, a companion sprite would gradually gain a physical form. The tuft of grass on its head was the sprite's core, and also the only weakness Jiang Si could use to grab it.

"I want to know about the Magical Girls."

Jiang Si's tone held a rare trace of agitation. "Why can't I transform anymore?"

Ever since that day of transformation, when he took out the seed again, he could no longer feel any magical power, nor could he transform.

For Jiang Si, this was completely unacceptable.

This was also why he had no mood to care about his sister; his own path was the top priority.

The cat-like sprite flapped its wings and squirmed out of Jiang Si's grip, huffing indignantly

"If you keep this up, I'll really be angry!"

"Sorry. So, why can't I transform?"

Unexpectedly, Jiang Si apologized so bluntly. The sprite froze for a moment before muttering vaguely, "Of course there are many requirements for transforming! You can't just do it whenever you want. Though, it's my first time seeing a boy become a Magical Girl..."

"So, what does transformation require?"

"Why are you in such a hurry..." the little sprite grumbled, but answered him nonetheless. "First, you must hold the Miracle Seed. The Miracle Seed is the vital medium for transformation. Only by obtaining your own Miracle Seed can you be considered a true Magical Girl..."

As he walked along the road toward a convenience store, a commotion erupted from the parking lot further ahead.

"Oh no!"

The previously slow-moving sprite's voice suddenly became urgent. "A Calamity Beast has appeared!"

"I still don't know how to transform."

"I'll explain quickly, just run! If the Calamity Beast eats people, they'll get even stronger!"

Jiang Si didn't run; instead, he quickened his pace.

In the torrential downpour, a panicked crowd surged from the parking lot, pushing against him and making it impossible for him to run.

His past training always provided reliable support at critical moments.

Hard work never betrayed one's self.

Even facing such a chaotic crowd, he was still able to walk calmly against the current, his umbrella remaining perfectly steady in his hand.

"Second! You must feel the magic within the seed! Resonate with the magic! Only by resonating with the magic can you possess the power to become a Magical Girl! Close your eyes, and you can feel the water flowing within the seed—that is the magic!"

Just as the sprite said, closing his eyes indeed allowed him to feel a flowing power within the seed.

But it wasn't water; it was more like fire.

Scorching and violent!

Cutting through the torrent of the crowd, Jiang Si finally reached the parking lot where the Calamity Beast was located.

The terrifying monster looked like some kind of giant insect; its mouthparts had even torn through a car.

The entire parking lot was in total disarray, though there were almost no people left—only smashed vehicles emitting black smoke, the flames being extinguished by the heavy rain.

There was only one little girl with a wounded right leg, sitting in the rain, clutching her bleeding leg and sobbing in terror.

"Save her! Jiang Si!"

"I felt the magic, now what? I still can't transform."

Jiang Si walked toward the Calamity Beast at an unhurried pace.

"The final step is, of course, the incantation! The final transformation incantation! You have to come up with it yourself! It serves as the catalyst for the magical power to burst forth! It's common knowledge that you transform through an incantation, right?!"

"What common knowledge? I've never heard of that."

The injured girl looked up, watching the strange youth walk in front of her to face the Calamity Beast.

He casually tossed his umbrella aside, and it landed by her feet.

"Don't get in the way."

His tone was cold, yet it didn't make her feel chilled. As she picked up the umbrella, she saw the youth take out a seed.

It was a beautiful and exquisite seed; one glance was enough to draw her gaze irresistibly.

Then, she heard the youth recite some sort of incantation, muffled and lost beneath the sound of the rain.

A purple flame soared into the sky!

It sent the charging Calamity Beast flying, smashing it into a car.

The frantic blaring of car alarms, the heavy rain, and the roars of the Calamity Beast all blurred together. However, the girl could see nothing and hear nothing else.

Her entire being was focused solely on the purple figure before her.

The fluttering ribbons were like flowers swaying in the wind, and the purple-gold shimmering skirt made her look like a flower blooming from a spark of fire.

And then there was that face—the gaze held a certain resoluteness and pride characteristic of a man, yet the features were exceptionally beautiful and lovely.

A boy... had transformed into... a Magical Girl...

"Magical Girl, Shion."

"Commencing cleanup mission."

A voice came from somewhere unknown. The girl, clutching her umbrella tightly, etched that figure—which looked like both fire and a flower—deep into her heart.

She would never be able to forget.

(End of Chapter)