Perhaps due to the environment she was in, young Ling was not very lively and had almost no friends. Although she was lonely, she didn't know what to do and just kept her dissatisfaction in her heart.

If it weren't for the plump, cheerful and smiling maid, Ling might have become a child with a darker and more twisted personality.

Having said that, it's not that her parents don't love her.

Every gift they gave to Ling was carefully selected. When they returned home late at night, they would always visit Ling who had already fallen asleep and stroke her head lovingly.

But for the young Ling, such care was far from enough...

That's why Ling gets mad, pretending to be asleep even though she's awake. When her parents come home early from get off work for her, she reacts coldly, acting like she's indifferent...

The reason why Ling has become what she is now, the epitome of innocence, is probably because of the influence of the maid.

After several years of employment, the maid saw that young Ling was becoming increasingly listless and could not bear it, so she gave Ling a suggestion.

──In short, just laugh.

It was a very casual suggestion, but the maid's smile made it clear she was serious.

To Ling, the maid was like another mother, and her words had a significant impact. Although Ling did not understand the meaning at the time, she still put the maid's advice into practice in order to avoid loneliness.

First, Ling tried to express her joy openly to her parents.

──Dad! Mom! Thank you!

Whenever her parents patted her on the head or she received a gift, Ling would smile widely, jumping for joy, and showing her joy with all her might. In fact, she still had some resentment in her heart, but she tried to suppress it deep down.

As a result, although her parents were initially surprised by her unusual behavior,...

──Ring, ring! It's okay, this little gift is nothing!

──Ling, let mommy hug you!

The parents' expressions at that time were truly joyful, a happy expression Ling had never seen before.

Although her parents are still busy with work, unlike before, every time they see Ling, they no longer look apologetic, but instead show a happy expression.

That was a smile that made Ling herself feel happy.

After that, Ling started to smile more often at school. Even though there was nothing to be happy about, she still had a cheerful smile on her face.

In this way, before she knew it, there were always people around her, and those people were always smiling and talking to her happily. Seeing this, the originally boring campus life was suddenly filled with joy.

So Ling learned a lesson.

No matter what time it is, just keep smiling, and you will no longer feel lonely.

This is the birth of the pistachio. This pistachio always has a cheerful smile on his face - yes, even if it's not a genuine smile, even if it's just an act, his face will never lose the smile.

"You seem to resonate with Eri's calculating and acting-filled way of life, don't you?"

Ling suddenly came to her senses.

Her consciousness seemed too immersed in past memories. Although she was still carefully responding to the barrier battle in front of her, she did not notice the multiple mobile barriers "Tian Jue" that were deployed simultaneously and extended along the ground.

By the time Ling realized something was wrong, the barrier of "Tenjutsu" had already flashed. The expanding magical energy exploded, and the barrier became a ready-made fragmentation grenade, causing the barrier to explode.

“Woo-gu!”

Ling opened her twin iron fans, barely protecting her vitals. However, the force of the barrier's explosion blew Ling's lithe body away, sending her plump to the ground several meters behind her.

Ling rolled on the ground for a few times, and although she looked painful, she immediately stood up.

Ling said almost nothing, not like her usual self at all. It seemed that both her body and mind had reached their limits.

Yet, for some reason, though it was only a brief moment, the phantom looked at Ling with a look that was both probing and questioning. The next moment, she quickly revealed a mocking expression, but did not press her advantage.

"So Ling believes that Eri feels the same way as she does. That's why Ling firmly believes that Eri is a true friend, a close friend."

Eri, who was full of calculations and hypocrisy, was just like him, and couldn't possibly have any ill intentions. She must have good intentions and valued Ling and her companions.

"No, that's not right. You really want to believe her."

After coming to this world, the strange feeling became more and more obvious, but Ling ignored it.

She sensed signs of ill intent but pretended not to know.

He just blindly believed Huili and hid his inner anxiety deep in his heart.

Because Ling is afraid of confirmation.

Somewhere in her heart, she was convinced that once Eri took off the mask of "Eri Nakamura" that Suzu knew, the comfortable friendship they had felt until now would end.

"Rin ran away. She didn't dare to face Eri, so she fled."

"..."

The result of escaping is...

"So the tragedy happened that day."

They lost two classmates, knights including the Knight Commander Meld died, and they even almost lost Kaori.

"You shouldn't have run away. You should have gone to Eri and asked her what she was really thinking. The only person who discovered her true nature was Suzu, who already sensed something was wrong! Only Suzu could have prevented the tragedy that day! But Suzu refused to face reality! To protect her own heart, she avoided a reality she didn't want to know! And she refused to face her friend!"

This is undoubtedly an attempt to blame oneself.

"...!"

Ling had no room to refute and could only grit her teeth and bear it.

Ling had never told anyone about this darkness in her heart - the guilt that lingered in her heart.

Because she believed her friend couldn't possibly do anything bad, she just kept telling herself that everything was fine. However, the result of giving up thinking was an irreversible tragedy.

Even if she didn't have the courage to confront Eri, if she had discussed it with Shizuku or someone else, perhaps the outcome would have been different.

Of course, this is all just a "hypothesis." Eri was the perpetrator, after all, and Suzu could be considered one of the victims. Shizuku and the others would probably console Suzu in this way, at least.

But since that day, Ling's heart has been filled with regret and self-blame, and she has never forgotten it for a moment.

The apparition of Ling is the manifestation of those emotions.

Therefore, she mercilessly exposes the ugly part of Ling's heart.

"The same goes for Eri. You could have done something before she went astray, but you did nothing. Do you have the nerve to call yourself her 'friend'?"

"..."

"You think all you have to do is put on a fake smile? You have a lot of friends, but they're so shallow, and you don't really open up to them. So you think you're not alone? As Eri said, you're such an idiot."

Ling waved the iron fan and remained silent.

Dozens of "Heavenly Absolute" barriers unfolded, making a whirring sound as they flew towards the phantom and surrounded her.

Ling activated a barrier explosion. With a resounding boom, the force of the fragmentation bombardment was directed inward, striking the phantom.

Yet the Phantom was unharmed.

She opened a simple barrier, covered her mouth with an iron fan, and looked at Ling with contempt.

In fact, when the war just started, the phantom had already been strengthened to a considerable extent.

Ling remained silent, silently enduring the verbal assault, a pained expression on her face. Even in the back-and-forth battle of the barrier, only Ling was injured. Ling's barrier hadn't yet inflicted any effective damage on her phantom.

This fact clearly shows Ling's mental state and the difference in power between her and Phantom.

"What's the point of seeing Eri again? You don't even know what you want to say. You think she'll kill you anyway, laugh at you, and won't listen to you."

The phantom even transformed the future into blades and attacked Ling mercilessly.

Although Ling really regretted and blamed herself, and wanted to see Huili, she still didn't know what to say to Huili.

The feeling of unease, as if lost in a thick fog, was indeed deeply rooted in Ling's heart.

The phantom revealed Ling's feelings without leaving any room for doubt.

Ling's heart was ravaged and bleeding continuously.

However──

"...After all this talk, I still haven't gained any strength. No, the strength is gradually being removed."

The expression on the Phantom's face changed from mocking to a wry smile.

At this time, Ling finally spoke, and the look she gave the phantom was so strong and powerful that it was shocking.

"So that's the rule. You won't be strengthened this way."

"It seems so. Ever since I used Tian Jue to knock you away, your heart has gradually calmed down... I see, that's why you didn't say a word in rebuttal..."

──The reason for not refuting is probably to re-examine yourself.

From the beginning, Ling hoped that this trial would expose her sins.

Because before challenging this big maze, Ling decided not to escape anymore.

If not, she wouldn't have asked Hajime so strongly to let her go with her.

Ling's magic power reached its limit. Her face was pale, her breathing was rapid, and her hands gripping the twin iron fans trembled. Yet, as she confronted the phantom, her figure, eyes, and voice all appeared dignified and graceful.

"...You're absolutely right. Ling is truly useless... But it doesn't matter. Ling won't stand still for herself anymore. Because when she fell into a dream in the Great Labyrinth of Hartner, Ling realized the importance of the things she had been avoiding."

"...That was truly a beautiful dream."

The phantom scoffed. But Ling smiled too. Her smile wasn't an act; though it contained pain and sorrow, it came from the heart.

"If Ling hadn't escaped from reality, that dream world would have been possible."

Ling spoke in a calm tone, her eyes clear at this moment.

"When my maid, Aunt Mei Zi, said 'Just smile,' she didn't mean just keeping smiling. Now I understand what she meant—if you want to open up to someone, you have to open your heart first."

Ling has achieved this to some extent, but it is not perfect.

Because Taniguchi Suzu is a very timid girl.

She was terrified of upsetting others and then ending up alone.

That's why I lost the girl who was supposed to be my friend.

"You're right. Honestly, Suzu doesn't know what to do after meeting Eri. Should I blame her, apologize for avoiding the problem, or try to convince her to mend her ways... I don't know."

Ever since that day of betrayal, Ling's emotions had been in turmoil. A flood of emotions, like a river after a heavy rain, overflowed. She could only desperately hold back her emotions.

After meeting Huili, the dam in her heart would probably collapse, and her heart would scream.

So──

"I don't know what to do, but I just know I have to see her..."

She would not make the same mistake and humiliate herself in the Great Labyrinth of Hartrina. No matter what reality she encountered or what truth she faced, she would not run away from it again!

Ling conveyed her fiery will to her other self.

"...My strength has decreased slightly again. It seems you have truly made up your mind."

"Yes, I won't indulge in naive dreams any more. Ling will surpass you and move forward! Let's gather again - 『Sacred Destruction: Turn』!!"

The strong momentum and strong will all turned into magic.

With the fanning of the two iron fans, the trial hall suddenly shone with brilliant light.

Those countless fragments, like the stars in the night sky—were the barrier that should have shattered and disappeared.

The fragments of the barrier swirled around the phantom, forming a galaxy, and gradually took shape.

"This is... I see. While you were fighting, you were also manipulating the barrier I destroyed earlier... Using the regeneration magic of the Left Iron Fan, you restored the barrier. Did you plan this from the beginning?"

"Because I knew that the Great Labyrinth's trials wouldn't be easy to pass, I was mentally prepared when I heard the whispers in my ear. Of course, I kept a trump card in reserve."

Ling didn't start a barrier battle with the phantom without thinking.

Ling took control of the barriers that were destroyed and about to disappear in the battle. There were a total of one hundred and fifty barriers.

Adding to that the barrier Ling created using all of her remaining magic power, the number of barriers that can be used for barrier explosions reaches three hundred.

Those barriers surrounded the phantom. The multiple barriers Ling had erected shone with an orange light, illuminating the Trial Hall like a mythical fortress floating in the sky at sunset.

In the transparent fortress shimmering with orange light, a phantom revealed an expression as clear as the sky.

"Come on! Let me see how strong you are after transforming your weakness into will!"

"...Thank you, Miss Trial. Take it! Transform into flowers and light and scatter—"

Ling smiled slightly, then waved the iron fan vigorously.

“—‘Light Scattering’!!”

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