Raising magical girls, and leave them with eternal regret?!

They lost again. Defeated once more, their efforts crumbled as they fell to the ground.

Watching the figure of Ouja gradually fade into the distance, WuYue clenched her fists, her heart heavy with anguish.

Over the past few days, they had trained tirelessly, exploring every possible strategy, trying to devise a way to counter him.

If brute strength wasn’t enough to prevail, then they had hoped to rely on their coordination and meticulous planning to achieve victory together.

But when Ouja revealed another level of his overwhelming power, their carefully crafted teamwork was shattered like a cruel joke.

It felt as if there was no path to victory left.

…But was giving up really the only option?

“…”

“No… this is our only chance…!”

Lowering her gaze, WuYue’s eyes fell on the ruby pendant around her neck, its light still flickering faintly. Gritting her teeth, she endured the pain and struggled to her feet, her body trembling from exhaustion.

Bai Yu, startled to see WuYue stand again, instinctively opened her mouth to speak but was silenced by a sharp pang of pain, forcing her to bite back her words.

Fixing her gaze on Ouja’s retreating figure, WuYue grabbed her fallen sword from the ground. Flames reignited along its blade as she pointed it toward him, shouting with all her might:

“Ouja! Turn that head of yours back this way!”

“This fight isn’t over!”

Hearing WuYue’s voice, Ouja paused mid-step. Slowly, he turned, his gaze falling upon her.

There she stood, gripping her fiery sword, unwavering determination burning in her eyes.

Despite the wounds covering her body, each one a source of constant agony, she showed no sign of retreat or collapse.

“A death wish, is it?”

Watching her rise again, Ouja couldn’t help but feel a flicker of emotion. With a mocking laugh, he ceased his manipulation of a hidden presence and raised his sword once more, pointing it toward her.

“Well, well. Magic Girl Firebird, I didn’t expect you to still be standing after that kind of beating.”

“But… judging by your condition, I’d say you won’t last much longer.”

“So, tell me—are you here to save someone or simply to throw your life away?”

“Even if it means dying today, I’ll defeat you!”

“And I’ll save YouYu!”

Her fiery declaration rang out as she lunged forward, swinging her flaming sword at Ouja.

Yet Ouja didn’t so much as flinch. Standing his ground, he met her blade effortlessly with his own.

“Your strength is even weaker than before, Firebird.”

With a casual flick of his sword, he parried her strike, sending her reeling backward. Then, with his free hand, he shoved her lightly.

“Urgh!”

That seemingly harmless push sent WuYue flying, her body slamming hard into the ground once more.

Looking at her like this, Ouja shook his head and said in a calm tone,

“You should really stop now, Magical Girl.”

“Fighting when your body is already at its limit will only lead to death. You know that better than I do.”

“You claim you’d die just to save that man?” 

“Then you’re a fool.”

“If he knew you died trying to rescue him, I wonder… what would he think of you?”

Having said his piece, Ouja fell silent, merely standing there. Rain poured down, soaking them all—him, standing tall, and the two girls, sprawled helplessly on the ground.

“Is it still… impossible to win?”

Bai Yu, her expression bleak, couldn’t deny the harsh reality any longer.

No matter how much she hated to admit it, this fight was lost.

What kind of situation awaited them next?

Bai Yu had stopped trying to imagine it.

“Foolish? Then so be it! Call me whatever you like!”

Yet, just as Bai Yu succumbed to the numbness of despair, something remarkable happened.

WuYue, who had collapsed moments ago, stood up once more.

Not only did the sword in her hand glow faintly pink, but even her body began to emit the same light.

This unexpected sight left not just Bai Yu, but even Ouja the ever-calm and composed —momentarily stunned. He froze where he stood, his astonishment evident as he stared at her.

Then, as if realizing something, Ouja’s expression shifted. His lips curled into a peculiar, almost eager smile. Raising his sword again, he charged toward her, his tone tinged with excitement.

“Interesting… very interesting… So, you’re finally showing your true power, aren’t you, Magical Girl?”

With those words, he reached WuYue in an instant, bringing his sword down in a powerful swing—only for it to clash with her flaming blade, their strength now evenly matched.

Sensing an opportunity in the stalemate, Ouja unleashed a verbal barrage, his voice dripping with mockery.

“You couldn’t win back then, and now you think you can defeat me, Magical Girl?”

“You failed to save that man, letting him become a Negative Beast. If not for me, he’d already be in Night Demon’s hands now!”

“And yet… only now do you decide to show your resolve and awaken your strength?!”

“Don’t you think it’s a little too late?!”

Boom!

The collision of their swords erupted in a violent explosion, sending both of them flying backward.

But this time, WuYue didn’t fall. She clutched her nearly molten sword tightly, her voice resolute as she declared:

“Yes, you’re right! Back then, I was powerless, weak, and lacked the courage to save YouYu!”

“In the end… I was even forced to kill him myself!”

“After he’s gone, I thought I could live with his final words—that I’d keep moving forward, even without him, without succumbing to grief… But I couldn’t. I couldn’t do it!”

“My weakness and inability cost me everything. I let him disappear!”

“I’ve been filled with regret, blaming myself for my failure… ever since.”

Her trembling voice carried the weight of her guilt. All of it stemmed from her flawed choices.

Even if, back then, she had no other option…

What if there had been a chance? What if she’d had the strength to change the outcome?

If she’d held onto her determination, believing she could save YouYu, would things have turned out differently?

These questions haunted her relentlessly, even during the battle just now.

And so, she reached a conclusion.

This time, she had to hold on to her resolve.

To defeat Ouja.
To bring YouYu back.

After all, her weakness stemmed entirely from an unsteady heart and an unfulfilled wish.

More importantly, she had a feeling—a deep, inexplicable sense—that a Magical Girl’s true “power” was tied to the strength of her heart.

Therefore—

“This time, I won’t give up! I’ll grab his hand, no matter what!”

“That’s my resolve!”

The moment she spoke those words—

Boom!

The sword in WuYue’s hand ignited with an even fiercer flame, enveloping her completely in a blazing inferno.

When the flames subsided, what emerged before Ouja was no ordinary weapon.

It was a sword with intricate flame engravings along its blade, its hilt a vivid crimson.

“…It’s finally here, is it?”

Seeing the sword, a mix of emotions flickered across Ouja’s face. For the first time, he grew serious.

“The Magical Girl’s… weapon.”

According to Mamba, this was the first weapon imbued with the power of pure resolve he had ever encountered.

“Very well. Let’s see what it can do.”

“The power of resolve…”