Dimensional Codex System: I'm really not a cultist!

Chapter 1210: Chapter 1209: A Different Feeling

After Fang Zheng made the promise, Kyoko visibly breathed a sigh of relief. Not only that, Fang Zheng also advised Kyoko not to immediately explain the truth to Miki Sayaka. After all, if you directly say something like ”someone can use magic to heal your childhood friend’s injury,” it could easily be associated with some sort of religious scam. Therefore, he told Kyoko to first tell Miki Sayaka that she found someone who might be able to heal her childhood friend and ask whether Sayaka would be willing to let him take a look.

If she agrees, then Fang Zheng can just follow the normal procedure—after all, his hacking skills are world-class, and with the personal terminal, he can fabricate any identity.

If she doesn’t agree... hehe, as long as Sayaka meets with him, Fang Zheng is confident enough that he can persuade her.

Isn’t his charm A++ for a reason?

”Thank you, Mr. Fang Zheng. I’ll contact Sayaka right away. And Akemi, thank you too. See you tomorrow!”

As Kyoko left the fast-food restaurant, her previously worried expression had become much brighter. She happily waved to Fang Zheng and Homura, then turned and left cheerfully.

Watching Kyoko’s gradually disappearing figure, Homura had a somewhat complex expression. Only after Kyoko got into the car did she look at Fang Zheng beside her, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke.

”Thank you, Mr. Fang Zheng...”

”No need to be so polite, it’s just a small favor.”

Saying this, Fang Zheng reached out and patted Homura on the head.

”You’re just a child after all. If you encounter such things in the future, just come to me directly, and I’ll handle it for you, got it?”

”......”

Feeling the gentle touch on her head, Homura was momentarily stunned. She opened her mouth to say something but ultimately said nothing and lowered her head silently.

Facing such a Homura, Fang Zheng didn’t say much more, just shrugged his shoulders.

”Alright, it’s getting late. Let me take you home.”

Because of Fang Zheng’s ”Witch Hunt and Reversal” plan, the secret base under the wharf area had now become a large magical girl dormitory. However, Homura had her own home, and she wasn’t used to sharing a lively environment with others, so she still lived alone at her place.

”Haa...”

After returning to her quiet home, Homura sighed deeply and then lay down on the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling of her room, without saying a word.

However, Homura could feel her heart pounding intensely in her chest.

What exactly is this feeling?

Holding her chest, Homura closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had never had such a feeling before. In fact, when Fang Zheng patted her head just now, she suddenly felt an unprecedented trust and reliance, something she had never experienced before.

Homura was an orphan. She lost her parents at a young age and had been attending a church school ever since. At that time, she was physically weak, had a heart condition, poor eyesight, and wasn’t very bright, leading to bad academic performance. As a result, Homura had always been very introverted, with no good friends or any relatives. To Homura, she had always been all alone.

Until she met Madoka Kaname.

Madoka Kaname was the first friend Homura made and the first to make her feel cared for and loved, not to mention that Madoka later sacrificed her life for Homura. For Homura, Madoka was the most irreplaceable friend in her life.

And in the many cycles that followed, she also fought alongside Kyoko as comrades. Even when the magical girls could not accept the truth and began fighting each other, it was Kyoko who protected her.

But what she felt from Fang Zheng was different from Kyoko.

If Homura had to describe it, her reliance on Kyoko felt more like two young animals huddled together, shivering, licking each other’s wounds, and keeping each other warm. Because Kyoko was also just a child, barely 14. No matter how strong or gentle she acted, there wasn’t much else she could do. She too had her moments of hesitation and doubt and faced situations beyond her capability.

But Fang Zheng was different. He gave Homura the feeling of a large tree—strong, reliable, and reassuring, as if there was nothing he couldn’t do!

Yes, from Homura’s perspective, there really might be nothing Fang Zheng couldn’t achieve.

He could even restore magical girls who had transformed into witches back to their original form!

This already far exceeded Homura’s imagination!

That’s why when Kyoko sought Homura’s help, Homura’s first thought was Fang Zheng. If he could handle even witch transformation, surely a mere unexpected injury was no big deal?

Yet, after contacting Fang Zheng, Homura suddenly felt a bit of regret.

She knew what Fang Zheng was currently engaged in. After all, the work of the witch hunt reversal was quite significant. The more magical girls they could save, the more advantageous the battle during the Witch’s Night would be. But here she was, troubling him with such a minor issue. Was this truly okay?

In fact, Homura even considered what she would do if Fang Zheng refused due to being busy with work.

Unexpectedly, he not only agreed immediately but also provided clear instructions on what she and Kyoko should do next. At least in Homura’s view, following Fang Zheng’s approach significantly increased their chance of success. Had she been the one to talk to Miki Sayaka... who knows what the outcome would’ve been.

For the first time, Homura, who had always fought alone, felt a sense of reliance, something she hadn’t experienced even in the countless loops of fighting alongside her companions.

Her connection with Kyoko felt more like mutual dependence.

But Fang Zheng was different...

Suddenly, an intense thought struck Homura’s heart.

What if this attempt failed again?

Once this thought appeared in Homura’s mind, it was impossible to erase.

She had failed too many times, to the point where deep inside, Homura didn’t believe she could escape this cycle. She now felt more like a robot, simply following the predetermined goal. Whether she would eventually reach the endpoint didn’t matter much to her anymore. Perhaps she would continue this numbing persistence until the moment of self-collapse and total destruction.

However, Fang Zheng’s appearance this time caused her once dull heart to beat again.

For the first time in a long while, she felt a fear of failure!

Homura didn’t care about failure in the past, because if she failed, she could just go back in time, restart, and try again. But this time, she didn’t want to think like that.

What if in the next loop she didn’t meet Fang Zheng and the others? Or what if Fang Zheng and the others didn’t appear in the next loop?

At that point, would she have to fight alone again?

Thinking of this, Homura clenched her fists, shaking her head vigorously, trying to shake off the melancholy and anxiety from deep within her heart.

No, Mr. Fang Zheng came from another world. He also has equally powerful magical girls around him, and we’ve saved quite a few witches so far... this time, we will definitely defeat the Witch’s Night, break this cycle, and end it all!

But... what if we fail?

With that thought, Homura felt increasingly uneasy inside... she closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.