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

When Kohin and Yachiyo returned to the adjustment room, half an hour had passed.

Although they successfully saved Akiya Kaede, everyone’s faces showed a bit of confusion and gloom.

They defeated the Witch, but did not obtain the Seed of Sorrow.

For a Magical Girl, this was a heavy loss.

Fortunately, there were enough of them this time, and they eliminated the peculiar Witch without much effort, otherwise, it would have been a real loss to the granny’s house. Without absorbing the impurities with the Seed of Sorrow, the fight for the Magical Girls would have been in vain.

However, when they returned, they learned from Madam Yakumo that Red Ponytail had run away again...

”Huh? I asked her to stay here, didn’t I?”

Upon hearing Yakumo’s answer, Kohin was speechless, and Madam Yakumo nodded.

”Yes, the child was sitting obediently there before, but just a little while ago, she seemed to sense something, stared out the window for a long time, and then walked out.”

”Just a little while ago?”

Hearing this, Yachiyo’s expression suddenly changed.

”What was the exact time?”

”Hmm... about twenty minutes ago, just as you were about to come back?”

”What’s wrong, Yachiyo?”

Taozi and Yachiyo were quite familiar, and seeing her facial expression, Taozi knew that something was amiss.

”Is there any problem?”

”If it was at that time... wasn’t it when we eliminated that Witch?”

”Are you saying that the child is related to that Witch?”

Hearing this, everyone was shocked, and Yachiyo nodded.

”It’s not surprising, isn’t it? Until now, we know nothing about what she really is, and the Witch that appeared today was just as peculiar, right? Have any of you ever heard of a Witch that just appears anywhere as long as the rumors are fulfilled? Right before its appearance, there was no magic power aura, and despite its massive size, it didn’t drop any Seed of Sorrow. Do you truly believe such a Witch exists?”

”This...”

Hearing this, everyone couldn’t help but fall into deep thought. Indeed, usually, Witches are very reclusive, rarely moving about, especially as Yachiyo said, during the battle they didn’t think much, but now coming to think of it... this indeed didn’t seem like the Witches in their memory.

”Click.”

Just as everyone was pondering this, the door suddenly opened. Everyone looked up and saw a petite figure walk in.

”Ah, it’s you!”

Seeing Red Ponytail appear, everyone was stunned, while Red Ponytail walked in front of them, bent down, and bowed.

”Eh?”

Seeing Red Ponytail’s reaction, everyone was taken aback.

What does this mean?

”What do you mean by this?”

Yachiyo stared at Red Ponytail, asking coldly, but in response, Red Ponytail just shook her head.

”Why aren’t you speaking?”

(Shakes head)

”Don’t you all feel like she’s somehow different from before?”

At this moment, Rena chimed in, and hearing her words, Kohin also started to carefully scrutinize Red Ponytail.

”Now that you mention it, indeed...”

Looking at Red Ponytail before her, Kohin also noticed her subtle transformation in surprise. It’s worth noting that before this, Red Ponytail gave a feeling of emptiness, as if perpetually sleepwalking. But now, she seemed to have gained self-awareness, like she had just woken up.

”Well... can you recognize me?”

Thinking of this, Kohin hurriedly spoke up, and Red Ponytail looked at her and nodded.

”...Why won’t she say a word?”

Taozi questioned Red Ponytail in puzzlement, mumbling in a low voice, while Yachiyo pondered for a moment and approached Red Ponytail once more.

”From now on, I’ll ask you a few questions. You only need to nod or shake your head, okay?”

(Nods)

”Then, why aren’t you speaking? Is it because you can’t talk?”

(Shakes head)

”Is it that you can’t?”

(Nods)

”Why?”

”...”

”Okay, let’s change the topic.”

Seeing the silent Red Ponytail, Yachiyo felt she had asked a foolish question, so she turned to another topic.

”Who exactly are you? Are you a Witch?”

(Shakes head)

”Then, are you a Magical Girl?”

(Nods)

”I’ve never seen such a Magical Girl...”

Seeing this, Taozi widened her eyes in amazement, and Kohin also showed an incredulous expression.

”Why are you different from us?”

”.........”

”......Alright, let’s change the topic. The witch we just defeated, does it have anything to do with you?”

(Nods, then shakes head)

What does that mean?

Seeing Red Ponytail’s reaction, everyone exchanged glances, while Kohin had a sudden flash of insight.

”Ah, have you already recovered your memory?”

(Nods)

”Did you recover your memory because we defeated that witch?”

(Nods)

In fact, although there’s some discrepancy, it’s probably not too far off.

”Then do you know what that witch is?”

Yachiyo asked again, but Red Ponytail still shook her head.

”Is it a witch?”

(Shakes head)

”Then what is it?”

(Shakes head)

”You don’t know either...?”

(Nods)

Yachiyo asked Red Ponytail a few more questions and then stepped back.

”It seems that at least we have some clues now. Although we can’t confirm it, as I suspected earlier, what we encountered might not have been a witch at all.”

”Then what exactly is it?”

Upon hearing this, Taozi hurriedly asked, but Yachiyo shook her head.

”I don’t know either. I have a feeling she might know something, but...”

”Can’t speak, right?”

As Kohin spoke, she looked at Red Ponytail with some concern. Earlier, Yachiyo had tried to communicate with her by writing, but Red Ponytail shook her head and refused. Currently, Fang Zheng controls Red Ponytail with functions limited to directing her movement and using quick expressions for responses, much like a mute player in an online game, who can only jump to greet, then blow a ’kiss’ or ’cry’.

Simply put, Red Ponytail is currently an information terminal that can’t receive more data flow, only able to communicate in the simplest and most convenient way.

”I will continue to investigate those rumors. Kamihama City is very unusual right now; there must be a reason.”

As she said this, Yachiyo looked back at Kohin.

”Take care of that child. I have a feeling she might be connected to many strange occurrences in Kamihama City. If we keep investigating, we might find more clues.”

”Ah, yes!”

Hearing Yachiyo’s instruction, Kohin quickly nodded. After greeting the others, Yachiyo glanced at Red Ponytail and then turned to leave the adjustment room.

Afterwards, thanks to rescuing Feng, Mizunami Rena finally resolved her inner conflict and agreed to use her transformation magic to become a nurse and investigate the situation inside the hospital. Her magic indeed did not disappoint; she soon found a clue, but...

”No one remembers a patient named ’Tamaki Yuu’, your sister, but they do recall two other people named ’Toka’ and ’Yumem’, saying ’Oh, those two very smart kids, right?’, are they the ones?”

”It’s them!”

Upon hearing Rena’s answer, Kohin excitedly grasped her hand. In her restored memory, Kohin clearly remembered her sister living with two other people, named ”Toka” and ”Yumem.” Now it seemed, although no one remembered her sister, these two children were real, which meant... her sister must also be real!

”They’ve both been discharged. Although I inquired about their last names and when they were discharged, I didn’t find any useful clues.”

”Thank you, all this is already more than enough.”

Although lacking definitive leads, Kohin was quite satisfied; at least it proved she wasn’t just having a strange dream, but that it was real. After all, since ”Toka” and ”Yumem” existed, her sister ”Yuu” must exist, too!

For Kohin, that was enough!

”I will find Yuu.”

Sitting on the train, Kohin spoke, looking at Red Ponytail beside her.

”I believe Yuu must be waiting for me somewhere, maybe waiting for me to save her. Since Yumem and Toka are present, Yuu must be as well, right?”

Looking at Kohin, Red Ponytail nodded slightly.

”Thank you.”

With Red Ponytail’s response, Kohin felt somewhat relieved. Although Taozi and the others had previously offered to continue helping her search for her sister, Kohin ultimately chose not to trouble them any further. After all, there were no clear leads so far, and at Satomi Medical Center, they only confirmed the existence of her sister, yet...

”Why did Yuu disappear? And why does no one remember her...”

Watching the scenery whiz by outside the window, Kohin murmured to herself, then her eyes suddenly lit up, and she looked back at Red Ponytail.

”Right, Miss Yachiyo previously mentioned, didn’t many people disappear within that Chain Witch rumor?”

(Nods)

”Perhaps Yuu was trapped in some rumor as well!”

As she spoke, Kohin clenched her hands tightly. The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. After all, completely erasing someone’s existence is not something ordinary people can do. However, with such a strange witch in Kamihama City, who knows? If Yuu was captured by a rumor like the ’Breakup Stairs’, it wouldn’t be impossible!

”I’ve decided. Starting tomorrow, I will investigate all the rumors in Kamihama City! Little Hong, will you help me?”

(Nods)

”Thank you.”

Reassured by Red Ponytail’s affirmative response, Kohin breathed a sigh of relief.

”Then, let’s keep up the hard work tomorrow!”