SWNOVELXO Chapter 41 - How did they win?
“…Huff… Huff.”
Carrying Bai Yu, YouYu had run a considerable distance.
After confirming that Night Demon hadn’t followed, YouYu stopped, visibly relieved but also secretly felt a hint of regret in his heart.
It was a shame that Night Demon didn’t pursue them. If it had and had managed to land a few blows, perhaps he could have perfectly achieved “eternal regret.”
But… the current situation is also ok.
After all, this had somewhat opened Bai Yu’s heart.
With that thought, YouYu glanced at Bai Yu, who was held in his arms.
Uhm… including WuYue, this should be the second time he’s carried a girl. And Bai Yu’s face seemed even redder than WuYue’s—perhaps from anger?
Thinking so, YouYu gently set her down and leaned against a nearby wall, breathing heavily.
Seeing him like this, Bai Yu bit her lip, seemingly wanting to say something but ultimately refraining. Instead, she expressed her concern:
“Are you… are you okay? You were running so fast, and it didn’t seem like you were injured… Could it be that your injuries have worsened because you carried me while escaping?”
“…Well, perhaps that’s the case.”
“…”
“Sorry, because of me, you ended up like this.”
“…Actually, there’s no need for you to say such things; after all, it’s normal, right?”
With an indifferent shake of his head, YouYu caught his breath and coughed a few times before sitting down against the wall, saying:
“This kind of trouble… could happen again in the future. I’ve long been prepared for it, so there’s no need for you to apologize.”
“If I die someday, or if something happens, it wouldn’t be surprising…”
“…”
“You…”
Looking at YouYu’s profile, Bai Yu wanted to say something more, but seeing his exhausted state, she couldn’t help but feel guilty.
After a moment of hesitation, she diverted her gaze from his face, her voice slightly subdued as she asked:
“So, are you now… feeling dizzy and tired because of your injuries?”
“…You can see that, can’t you?”
“Indeed.”
Upon hearing YouYu’s response, Bai Yu nodded, took a deep breath, glanced at the endless sky, and then assumed a kneeling sitting posture.
She then said to YouYu:
“Well… if you don’t mind, you can rest on this ‘place’.”
“…There aren’t any pillows around, so we’ll have to make do.”
“…What are you saying?”
Hearing Bai Yu’s words, YouYu turned his head to look at her. He saw her in a kneeling position, patting her lap.
“…”
The intention was quite obvious.
For a moment, YouYu felt a bit of unease.
Well… without a doubt, this situation was the classic “lap pillow” scene. To be honest, he hadn’t expected this to happen… or rather, he hadn’t imagined that Bai Yu would be able to do this kind of thing faster than WuYue.
But the fact proved his assumption wrong.
So… it seemed that his “rescue” had been quite effective?
After thinking for a moment, YouYu’s answer was—
“Well… alright, I’ll make do. But it won’t be for long. I still need to check on WuYue…”
Well, if something happens like earlier on in the future, this memory might come in handy!
This was the reason he accepted her lap pillow; there were no other intentions!
Explaining this to himself internally, YouYu slowly moved to her side, adjusted his position, and then lay on her lap.
And then… As expected, he saw her slightly embarrassed face; though she didn’t show much, it was only a subtle hint.
It seemed as though she simply wanted him to rest for a while and then offered her lap pillow.
After YouYu lay down, Bai Yu sighed and chose not to look at his face but instead focused on the distant sky, saying:
“…I’m sorry for the things I said earlier.”
“I didn’t mean to refuse your help. It’s just…”
“It’s just that you don’t want to see the same things happening again, right?”
“…”
“You know about it?”
“I know a little, from what I found online before.”
Seeing Bai Yu fall silent again, YouYu sighed, getting up from her lap after lying there for a short time, and said:
“However… I don’t know too much, just some guesses about the reasons. Could you tell me what exactly happened?”
“…”
“Alright.”
Nodding, Bai Yu decided to share her past, which she had always found hard to talk about, with YouYu.
…
So, after a while of speaking, she briefly told YouYu everything about her life before and after becoming a magical girl.
Listening to her, YouYu fell into deep thought.
“…So, that’s how it was.”
According to Bai Yu, after becoming a magical girl, she had lived alone with her father, occasionally fighting as a magical girl and seeking “revenge.”
However, due to a mistake in battle or because Night Demon came after her, she was unable to defeat it, leading to her defeat in battle.
At that time, her father, seeing her in such a bad state, could not bear to let her continue like this. He stepped in front of her and begged Night Demon to spare her life.
Night Demon agreed, but the price was his own life.
Although he did not understand why Night Demon demanded such a price, he felt that even a slight chance to keep his daughter safe was worth seizing.
So, he died.
Bai Yu watched her father die with her own eyes.
Since then, she could be said to have been devastated. Even though the hatred remained, it was no longer as intense as before.
She was exhausted… She couldn’t understand what all her efforts had been for. In the end, her family was still gone.
And so, it was because of this, because she remembered this, that she broke down when she saw YouYu shielding her.
In summary, this is Bai Yu’s past, a harsh and dull story.
“…I’m growing increasingly skeptical of Mamba’s claim.”
How did these magical girls manage to win in the original timeline?