I'm a magical girl in the future

Chapter 65 The Awareness of Obsession

As night fell, He Yuran was staying overnight in Shen Zixin's bedroom.

"Then I'll go take a shower first," Shen Zixin said to He Yuran, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, as she picked up her change of clothes.

"Okay, sure." He Yuran nodded.

She was wearing a pink bunny-patterned pajama set, which was her own, not the one she had borrowed from Lu Yue. This afternoon, she had brazenly brought some toiletries and a change of clothes to Shen Zixin's house.

Shen Zixin stepped into the bathroom, where warm water poured down from the showerhead, washing over his body and bringing a moment of peace to his somewhat chaotic thoughts.

He Yuran's behavior that morning had already made Shen Zixin sense an uneasy atmosphere. He Yuran had a special obsession with being by his side, which even went beyond ordinary "love".

This might be the catalyst that led her down the path of destroying the world.

I need to ask Noah tomorrow what He Yuran did in the future.

After taking a shower, Shen Zixin dried her hair, changed into her pajamas, and returned to her bedroom.

However, the person sitting in the bedroom was not He Yuran, but the magical girl Bi'an.

Bi'an sat quietly in the chair in front of Shen Zixin's desk, a ball of magical light, a mixture of pitch black and deep red, steadily pulsating between her palms.

This was the most basic and tedious method of magic cultivation that Noah had taught them a few days ago.

"The other side?" he tried calling out.

"Hmm? A-Xin, are you done washing?" Bi'an replied, but her hands didn't stop moving.

"Still practicing?" Shen Zixin frowned. "I remember you were practicing this this afternoon, right? You were about to go to sleep, are you going to continue?"

"This is nothing to worry about." The other side looked at the magic ball in her hand. "I'm not tired yet."

Even so, Shen Zixin could clearly hear the fatigue in her tone and her somewhat poor mental state.

She's just putting on a brave face.

"Don't push yourself too hard," Shen Zixin's voice softened. "Cultivation should be done step by step. If you keep practicing like this, your body won't be able to take it, will it?"

"I can't help it, I can't forgive myself." Bi'an smiled bitterly. "I can't forgive myself for being an outsider who couldn't do anything when you needed me the most. So, I must become stronger."

Shen Zixin had no idea that He Yuran cared about this matter so much—she had mentioned it that morning and immediately entered into this somewhat crazy practice.

Their initiative is frighteningly high.

"I want to be strong enough... strong enough that when you encounter any danger, the first name that comes to mind is 'He Yuran,' and that I can replace that woman and become your strongest support."

She slowly stood up, and the magical orb in her palm suddenly dissipated. Then she turned around to face Shen Zixin—

"When it comes to 'becoming your strength,' I will never lose to Noah."

That's no longer just a simple expression of love.

In her eyes, Shen Zixin saw not a young girl's dependence and coquetry, but an almost obsessive awareness of burning herself out completely. That awareness sent a chill down his spine.

"You didn't have to go this far, because I promised you I would protect you—"

Shen Zixin recalled the past—the promise made during that disaster.

"Ah Xin," Bi An interrupted him, her tone almost devoid of He Yu Ran's usual gentleness, "You already saved me once during that unprovoked natural disaster... This time, it's my turn to protect you."

"..."

"I absolutely cannot let you put yourself in danger again because of me—"

"Other shore, this isn't some competition that needs a winner or loser." Shen Zixin tried to comfort her from a different angle. "Protecting you was my own choice, and it's never been a 'favor' that you need to repay—"

He thought that his words would calm her down.

However, he completely underestimated the importance he held in He Yuran's heart.

"Of course?"

Bi'an suddenly took a step forward and grabbed Shen Zixin's shoulders tightly with both hands.

"Ah Xin, you simply don't understand. You've never truly understood!"

The unfathomable darkness in her eyes, usually concealed by a "smiling mask," was now surging uncontrollably outward.

It was an abyss that had been silent for too long, a mixture of love and fear.

"To me, this world... from the very beginning, was a cold cage. Without color, without warmth, and without any meaning. Until you came along—"

"You are... the only light that illuminates my entire world. It was you who, in those ruins, risked everything to save me from the rubble of despair."

"So, 'protecting you' has never been something I take for granted! It's the only reason I live!"

She tightened her grip on Shen Zixin's shoulders.

"How could I... how could I bear to be like a piece of trash, hiding behind you and accepting your protection, when you need strength the most?"

"Noah... that woman... everything she can do is something I can't do. Do you know how painful it is to be excluded?"

"Every time I think about how that woman can stand by your side as if it were her right, while I can't do anything for her, I feel a deep hatred for myself."

Shen Zixin was completely stunned.

He always thought that He Yuran's jealousy stemmed from the possessiveness of girls vying for attention.

However, he realized at that moment that it was not simply a matter of possessiveness.

It's a kind of panic that arises when the "light" on which one depends for survival is about to be taken away, and a frantic desire to protect what is important in front of one's eyes at all costs.

"So, I must become stronger than her. No... stronger than anyone else in this world."

If He Yuran in the morning only made Shen Zixin feel vaguely uneasy, then the other side now directly exposed her deepest thoughts.

He knew he could no longer convince himself with the excuse that "He Yuran is just an ordinary girl".

The energy contained within this childhood sweetheart far exceeded my imagination.

Seeing the undisguised shock and horror on Shen Zixin's face, the madness in Bi'an's eyes subsided considerably.

She seemed to realize that what she had just said might have gone a bit too far.

"……Feel sorry."

She released her grip on Shen Zixin's shoulders, took a half step back, and lowered her head. A flash of light, and she transformed back into He Yuran, wearing adorable pink pajamas.

"Did I...did I...scare you?"

Shen Zixin remained silent, unsure how to respond.

The silence between the two continued until they fell asleep in bed, and until the next morning.