I'm a magical girl in the future

Chapter 128 Psychological Counseling

After the battle, Noah and her group did not linger in the city of Yuehua before returning to Fennel's apartment.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the apartment's living room seemed a little strange.

Noah, Fennel, and Floating Duckling each found a place to sit down, the air filled with a post-battle weariness and tranquility. Noah and Floating Duckling were the most relaxed, after all, their opponents weren't very strong.

Fennel, on the other hand, kept her eyes closed, resting—she had been sieged by three magical girls at the beginning, leaving her physically and mentally exhausted. Naturally, she needed a good rest.

However, on the other side of the living room, Yotsuba and Asaka sat close together, their eyes filled with helplessness and confusion.

"What's wrong with you two?"

Noah was the first to notice their unusual behavior. She turned her head and looked gently at the two restless juniors.

"You haven't looked well since earlier. Are you feeling unwell?"

When Noah called her name, Asaka swallowed hard and then took a deep breath.

"Senior Noah...we...are a little scared..."

"Hmm..." Yotsuba nodded, her gaze fixed on the ground. "Just now... the battle just now... I... we all saw it..."

In Zhaoxia's mind, those images kept replaying—limbs severed in an instant, bodies shattered after being killed by magical beams, and the enemy's mournful and unwilling cries before death.

"I used to... always thought that magical girls' battles were like those on TV... that although there would be danger, they fought mostly to protect everyone, full of courage and hope... that seemed really cool..."

"But... I just realized today... that's not how it is at all..."

"I...this is the first time...that I've seen someone die so close up in front of me..."

"If... if it's about fighting a calamity beast, then... for now, we seem capable of fighting. But... if we really have to fight against other magical girls... then we..."

Asaka's words were fragmented, ending abruptly. Yotsuba, however, picked up where she left off and continued—

"When those seniors took action, there was absolutely no hesitation in their eyes. Those seniors... are a little... frightening..."

"In this scenario... are we... really suited to be magical girls?"

After listening to her story, a brief silence fell over the living room.

"I see." Noah stood up, then slowly walked to Yotsuba and Asaka, and squatted down.

The two women, who had been looking down, also turned their gazes toward Noah.

"Fear is only natural."

There was no hint of blame in Noah's tone.

"In fact, if you can remain unmoved by such a scene, then I should be worried about you. Because that would mean that your hearts may have become numb to the concept of 'life' itself."

"The essence of battle is to take the life of the opponent in order to protect what you want. Whether it's taking the life of a calamity beast or someone else, it makes no difference. There's nothing to be romanticized about it."

The next second, Noah reached out her hands and grasped both Clover and Dawn in her hands—

"And...I'm sorry."

Eh?

Yotsuba and Asaka were clearly stunned by Noah's apology.

"Senior Noah...why are you apologizing...?"

"Actually, what happened just now... shouldn't have been shown to you. It's too early for you to be involved in these things. We were too engrossed in the battle and didn't consider your feelings. So I must apologize."

Noah lowered her head slightly. This was indeed an oversight.

"Eh? Noah-senpai... but..." Asaka tried to say something, but stopped midway. Neither she nor Yotsuba knew how to accept Noah's apology.

"I can only say that you haven't had enough experience," came Fu Ping's clear voice. She seemed to be the calmest person present. "If you want to unleash killing intent, the simplest way is through hatred—"

"Hey, Floating Duckweed, shut up." Fennel gave her a disgruntled look. "Don't compare your situation to theirs! Even if they're around your age, they haven't had any of your experiences!"

"Hmph. If you can't go through all that, then you can only remain unable to do it. Well, let's change our approach—if you don't want to die, the only way is to kill the other side. It's that simple."

Looking at the magical girl in front of them who only looked like a "10-year-old", Yotsuba and Asaka recalled how she had just mercilessly killed the enemy, and their fear of this "little sister" grew even stronger.

Moreover, they were also surprised that such a young magical girl not only possessed unfathomable strength (she seemed even more powerful than their teacher), but also seemed to be accustomed to killing.

Noah ignored the duckweed and instead gripped the hands of Four Leaf and Dawn slightly tighter—

"You must have a clear understanding of why you are fighting."

"We fight not because we enjoy killing, nor because we revel in victory. The reason we stand here, the reason we take up arms—"

Her gaze traveled through the living room window to the city outside, which appeared incredibly peaceful in the twilight.

"—It's to protect a world...where there's no need for fighting. It's so that more people can enjoy peaceful daily lives as a matter of course, so that they will never have to experience the fear and despair we are feeling right now."

"The reason you are afraid is because you still cherish the weight of peace in your hearts."

Noah's words soothed the two girls and eased their discomfort from the scenes they had just witnessed.

"Hehe, Captain, you're still as charismatic as ever," Fu Ping interjected somewhat inappropriately—

"That's why we like you so much. But now it's okay to be a little more honest, right? Replace 'want to protect this world' with 'want to protect the people,' it's fine too, okay?"

"You're so talkative." Noah rolled her eyes at her. "You'd better keep quiet from now on."

"Okay, okay." After saying that, Fu Ping lay down on the sofa behind her and began to close her eyes to rest.

However, after hearing what Fu Ping said, other thoughts kept arising in Chao Xia's mind—

The important person... could it be... my brother?

While Chaoxia was still lost in thought, Noah's gaze returned to her and Yotsuba.

"Hesitation, fear, sadness, self-doubt... all of these will occur. Me, Fennel, Duckweed, each of us has walked the same path as you."

"However, as long as you remember what you want to protect and still have that 'desire' to protect others, you will definitely find the courage to continue fighting."

"I will not force you. This path is your own choice. Whether you choose to continue or retreat and return to an ordinary life is your right."

"However, whatever decision you make, I believe it will be the most truthful answer you can give after careful consideration."