Several days later, at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau's special containnt facility in Fangting City.
At the entrance of the building, Erald Sparrow was standing there with arms crossed alongside Hong Siyu, silently waiting.
Today was the day previously agreed upon with the Kingdom. An investigator would co to look into the recent attack in Fangting City and take the involved rebellious Magical Girl—Sparrow—back to the Kingdom.
Shortly after noon, the sun was still scorching, so the two had sought out a shady spot. But even so, the heat was still oppressive.
Fortunately, before long, amidst the blinding sunlight, several figures descended slowly from the sky, landing steadily before the two.
These were three Magical Girls.
Unlike the usual city guardian squads, in addition to their normal attire, they were all draped in golden yellow Magic Robes and wore hardtop hats of the sa color that glittered in the afternoon sun, appearing quite uniform and neat.
The leader among the Magical Girls had an impressive figure that would leave a lasting mory on the opposite sex, with short light-red hair that reached her ears, but she looked quite stern and serious.
Upon seeing Erald Sparrow standing before the entrance, she identified her and proactively stepped forward, performing an apparently special salute, and said, "Identification tag 35032, Squad Leader under the Investigation Bureau, Magical Girl Cat Tail."
Her voice was full of vigor, leaving a solid impression.
"Identification tag 41076, Patrol Magician, Erald Sparrow." Unfolding her arms from her chest, Erald Sparrow returned the gesture.
"Erald Sparrow?"
Finding the code na slightly puzzling, the Magical Girl who called herself Cat Tail asked, "May I confirm, if I am not mistaken, wasn't your code na Cornflower?"
"It's been changed." Maintaining the reserved air befitting a "Patrol Magician", Erald Sparrow answered succinctly.
"Very well, Lady Erald Sparrow."
With professional deanor, Cat Tail quickly disregarded these minor details and got straight to the point, "We are a specially appointed investigation team from the Investigation Bureau, here to take custody of the Magical Girl you have arrested in this city, linked to 'Claw Mark.' May I ask if the Magical Girl imprisoned here is the forr Identification tag 14267, Magical Girl Golden Bell, now calling herself 'Sparrow'?"
"That's correct."
"Good, then please inform us of the specific location of her confinent."
Cat Tail saluted again.
Her two teammates seed to defer to her judgnt, or perhaps they were in awe of the authority of the Patrol Magician, Erald Sparrow. They did not interject but followed suit with their salutes.
Erald Sparrow did not respond but tilted her chin up to glance at Hong Siyu, who imdiately understood and took over the conversation. After saluting the investigative team, she led them into the special containnt facility.
The special containnt facility in Fangting City was essentially a prison for the magic side, and most of the ti, it was used to detain local magicians who broke the rules.
As for imprisoning Magical Girls, this was a first for the facility. Setting aside the question of whether such an institution was capable of detaining Magical Girls, the Abnormal Strategy Bureau itself had no authority to detain and investigate Magical Girls.
Only in cases like Sparrow, who had rebelled from the Kingdom, and with the Investigation Bureau's consent, did Fangting City dare to keep Sparrow locked up here.
Even then, they only dared to place her in a solitary cell and had soone specially guard her, fearing any unforeseen incidents occurring.
The group, led by Hong Siyu, reached the top floor of the building, passing through closely shut tal doors. Not just the investigative team, but also Erald Sparrow scanned the surrounding scene.
For her, this was also the first visit to this building since her return, and upon closer inspection, she noticed many differences from the past.
Perhaps due to technological advancent or increased investnts, the special containnt facility had improved significantly in both hardware facilities and aesthetic decoration compared to nineteen years ago.
"That Magical Girl called Sparrow has been pretty energetic these past few days," Hong Siyu casually remarked as she led the way, "To be honest, if it weren't for that Magic-Sealing Spell around her neck, I would hardly dare to approach her."
"Just a grasshopper after the autumn, bound to leap around a few tis," Cat Tail comnted expressionlessly. "Once she is brought back to the Kingdom, she'll hardly have a chance to rant and rave anymore."
"Are there rebellious magical girls like this in other cities too?" Hong Siyu asked in return.
"Yes, we are a squad that specifically investigates Claw Marks," Cat Tail answered thodically.
This piqued the interest of Erald Sparrow, who was following alongside, prompting her to ask:
"What exactly are these magical girls known as Claw Marks?"
"Reporting to the superior, to tell the truth, we're actually not entirely sure ourselves."
Seeing that it was the "Patrolling Magician" inquiring, Cat Tail looked towards Erald Sparrow and earnestly replied, "To be more precise, it should be considered that since the great disaster and celebration nineteen years ago, from that ti on, the numbers of rebellious magical girls began to increase, and in just a few short years, they rapidly ford into a force openly opposing the state, continuously evading our capture."
"Nineteen years ago... Are you saying..." Erald Sparrow furrowed her brows.
"Yes, it was not only after the great disaster and celebration but also after you, superior, had ceased activities," Cat Tail said unreservedly. "So, it's quite normal that you don't know about them."
In the midst of their conversation, the group had already arrived at the end of the corridor, standing in front of the door to a specially made prison cell.
Hong Siyu opened the door, and Erald Sparrow looked inside, only to find a young woman sitting calmly on the bed behind a transparent barrier.
When the prison door was opened, revealing several faces of magical girls, Sparrow's placid expression gradually changed: If seeing Erald Sparrow made her shrink away slightly, then as the investigation team clad in golden robes walked in, that expression turned into one of panic.
"Good afternoon, Sparrow, I've brought so people with today!"
Clearly indifferent to Sparrow's thoughts, Hong Siyu greeted the transparent barrier informally and gestured to the investigation team with her hand, "How is it, about to return to the state, are you feeling the warmth of ho?"
When did these two get chummy?
Erald Sparrow was puzzled and glanced at Hong Siyu but didn't voice her question.
Hong Siyu, apparently perceiving her confusion, grinned and said, "This guy must have been bored while locked up here, so she chatted with a bit more."
Of course, whatever engagent there was before, Sparrow clearly wasn't in the mood for conversation now.
As the mbers of the investigation team stepped forward, Sparrow found herself unable to retreat, and soon she was shackled by two of them, then led out of the cell, her face the picture of misery.
"What will happen to her after she's taken back to the state?" Erald Sparrow asked, having witnessed the entire process.
"Reporting to the superior, she will likely be interrogated, and after a series of evidence gathering, she will be sentenced according to her cris," said Cat Tail calmly as she watched Sparrow being led away. "If she hasn't committed any egregious acts during her defection, she will simply be stripped of her magic power and returned to a normal life; if she has been involved in mass killing of innocents or actions threatening the state, she will be imprisoned; and if she has the cri of killing her peers, she will be sentenced to death."
"Of course, if she can provide sufficient information about Claw Marks, depending on the value of that information, the state may forgive so of her cris."
"Even if she has killed other magical girls?" Erald Sparrow pressed.
"...Even if she has killed other magical girls," Cat Tail affird.
"Is this rebellious organization called Claw Marks that serious of a threat to the state?" Erald Sparrow frowned.
"To be precise, it's quite serious," Cat Tail shook her head, then pulled sothing from the inside of her magic robe and placed it in front of Erald Sparrow, "But this is not sothing I should tell you; there's soone else who wants to talk to you."
"Who?"
Erald Sparrow looked curiously at what Cat Tail held in her hand, but as she saw what was taken out, her puzzlent quickly faded.
Because what Cat Tail had retrieved was a mirror, or more specifically, a communication mirror. At the top of the mirror was a small gem.
The gem was a bright yellow but also carried a hint of deep green. When touched by light, the deep green gradually receded, leaving an impression of golden yellow.
Without a doubt, it was a golden green gem.
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