Chapter 105 : Like a Shining Meteor

* * *

“Hana-chan! Look, a meteor shower!”

“…”

“They say if you make a wish, it’ll come true! Come on, let’s make a wish with Mommy!”

“…I want to walk.”

“…”

On a cold winter night.

The campsite that the Sato couple had brought their daughter to comfort her, as she couldn’t go outside, was quiet.

Hana’s words blurted out.

“Shooting stars are stars dying and falling, right? They just shine for a moment and disappear.”

“Th-that’s…”

“…Like me, who stupidly fell down the stairs.”

“N-no!”

Hana’s mother couldn’t answer any further and just held her daughter’s hand.

Such a cruel reality.

Was it a luxury to hope that her daughter would cheer up just from the twinkling of stars?

“…Ha-Hana-chan.”

“…”

The Sato couple’s expressions twisted with sadness at the sight of their daughter wrapped in blankets in a wheelchair.

Silence

Unable to bear that silence, Hana’s mother began to sob.

Quiet mountains, shining stars, and sobbing cries.

But the memory of that day was not of a ruined camping trip.

For Hana, the memory of that day was of a day of hope to be remembered forever.

Swish

Hana’s father walked forward silently, with the burning campfire behind him.

Shooting stars falling, leaving trails among countless stars.

A wave of stars embroidered across the black sky.

Tails of stars, trajectories and traces of stars.

“…”

Some realization flashed through the man’s mind.

Like a meteor.

The man standing under the stars spoke with love rising from deep in his heart.

“Hana-chan.”

“…”

“Shooting stars… don’t just shine for a moment.”

“Huh?”

“All those stars we see now have been running for a very… very long time.”

“Long… time?”

“They’ve been running continuously from far out in space since before Hana-chan was born, before Mommy and Daddy were born, before Grandma and Grandpa were born…”

“…”

The words that sounded like whispers gradually became clearer and filled with conviction.

“What we see in front of us now is the greeting left by stars as they pass by.”

“Greeting?”

“Yes, Hana-chan! Shooting stars don’t die! They’re still running far away even now!”

Running from far out in space.

A greeting left on Earth that they happen to pass by.

It’s not the end of stars, but a fateful encounter.

The father, who had returned to the campfire, held both of Hana’s hands and spoke loudly.

“Meteors are greetings shared to meet us during the journey of shooting stars!”

“The journey… hasn’t ended yet?”

“Yes! They’ve run from farther than the sun to meet Hana, Daddy, and Mommy, and now they’re greeting us!”

“…Greeting.”

“That’s right, Hana-chan can become a person like a meteor! You can become someone who brings smiles to many people, like the greetings left by shooting stars!”

“…Like a meteor.”

“Let’s do our best together. Hana-chan. Daddy and Mommy will do our best too.”

“Like a meteor.”

Her mother, who had been crying, smiled strongly upon hearing those words.

“That’s right! So our family can give hope to others together. Mommy will do her best too!”

Because the campfire reflecting in her mother’s tears looked like shooting stars passing by.

Because the campfire reflecting in her father’s eyes looked like it was burning.

“Like a meteor…!”

At that moment, Hana smiled with tears for the first time since she lost the use of her legs.

The meteor that started in the quiet mountains shone again, burning brightly at this moment.

When Hana opened her eyes again, she saw numerous demons and giants before her.

Thud

Thud

Thud

They were coming in unison to erase the world we live in.

They were coming to invade the world we loved.

“■■■■■!!!”

“■■!!■■■■!!”

Fallen friends.

Ominous sounds.

Red sky.

Burning city.

Faint screams.

Terrifying sights that made it seem like the world might be ending at this moment.

A bleak situation that made it seem pointless to run now.

“…”

Sato Hana.

An ordinary girl who could be found anywhere.

She saw a meteor in the depths of despair a few years ago.

“Hikari-chan.”

The one who answered her with a kind smile in the cafe where the sunset was faintly visible.

From that smile, she gained the confidence to truly face others, and to truly save others.

Hana’s best friend had said:

“The twinkling of stars… comes from dreams.”

What are dreams?

At least for Hana.

“Like a meteor… let’s run.”

Leaving a twinkling greeting in everyone’s hearts like a meteor.

Leaving a spark of light and hope in everyone’s hearts.

Sato Hana’s burning heart will become a meteor and split that sky.

“■■■■!!”

Countless spear blades shot out, seeming to try to trap Hana.

Black lions rushed in all at once, darkening her vision.

“Like a meteor!!”

Hana ran with all her might into the endless darkness.

A single meteor born with a huge yellow explosion.

Boooooom―!!

Arms stretching out as cool and refreshing as the winter sky’s wind.

Legs stepping as light and free as summer sky’s clouds.

The sky was always in the girl’s heart.

As she recalled the sky where countless meteors passed by, an incomparable sparkle gathered around Hana’s body.

Milky Way.

Sato Hana shot out, becoming a yellow sparkling Milky Way.

Flash―!!

With each step, distances of tens of meters were closed in an instant, conveying the will to move forward.

The yellow star cluster surrounding her entire body sparkled, spewing out flashes to clear away the darkness before her eyes.

Sato Hana was a single shooting star that had been running from the moment she was born until now.

Flash!!

Every time the yellow trajectory brushed past, black lions and giant soldiers were flung up into the sky.

“■■■■■!!”

“■■■■!!”

Hana became a single meteor.

She ran forward, driving away hundreds of demons and giant soldiers.

She became a shining meteor to drive away everything threatening Hana and her friends.

Deflecting

Deflecting

Deflecting

Deflecting

Even while endlessly deflecting, the yellow meteor did not stop.

Even if everything before her eyes was covered in black.

Running

Running

Running

Run

Flash―

The single meteor moving freely through the stadium was so pure and dazzling, like a picture being drawn with a yellow crayon, and the soldiers and demons being helplessly flung away were like paint coloring the night sky.

Hana wanted to title the picture she was creating ‘Hope’.

“I’m running like a meteor!!”

“■■■■■!!!”

A reddish-brown flash came down from the sky, chasing the yellow meteor driving away their soldiers.

A destructive charge.

Approaching death.

But Hana was no longer afraid.

For a sparkle more precious than death.

Hana instead rushed towards the reddish-brown flash that she couldn’t drive away no matter how much she ran.

Swoosh―!

Hands full of yellow starlight.

She ran forward, pushing back the reddish-brown giant’s chest.

“■■!!”

Bang!!

The reddish-brown giant turned its head with difficulty and struck Hana’s head with all its might.

A fist coming down full of reddish-brown flashes.

The fist as hard as an iron hammer rushed towards the head of a girl smaller than a palm.

Thud!

Bang!

It hurts.

So much that she couldn’t even scream.

Thwack!

Bang!

One punch and everything went dark

One punch and everything flashed

Bang!

Thud!

Still, Hana didn’t stop.

Even if blood from her nose wet her lips

Even if blood flowing from her head covered her eyes

Because it felt like the yellow meteor would end the moment she stopped running.

Hana opened her mouth full of the taste of blood and shouted.

“I’m… running… like a meteoooooor!!!”

“■■…■■■■■!!!”

Swoosh!

The yellow star cluster gathered behind the girl pushing back the giant, becoming a huge tail trailing behind her.

It shone as the huge tail of a meteor that didn’t stop running for her friends and for people.

Swoosh―!!

The yellow meteor swallowed up all the reddish-brown flashes and shot towards the sky.

A meteor rising to the sky.

The yellow meteor was pushing back the reddish-brown giant, flying across the red sky.

Though she was clearly flying through the sky, Hana felt like she was running with all her might.

In the midst of the giant’s punches and flashes, Hana was running with all her might.

-Ah! She’s running away!! She’s overtaking her opponent in an instant!!

What could those words mean?

Where was that voice coming from?

Hana suddenly turned her head to the side.

Golden clouds

Beyond them, some girl was running.

The one running was a girl with long arms and legs.

A girl much taller and cooler than her plain self.

The girl, who seemed even taller than Hikari, was running with all her might, her side ponytail swaying.

-Aaaah!!! 3rd place!! 2nd place!!! She’s breaking through!! Finally in the lead!!!

That girl was dazzling, shining with golden light.

A future erased by a butterfly flying over stairs.

-Gold medal!!! The youngest national representative!! Sato Hana!! She’s finally won the gold medal!!

-The miracle girl who brought the gold medal carrying the hopes of the entire nation!! Sato Hana!!

-The miracle girl who displayed her talent to the world since elementary school!! Now!! She’s writing legend!!

Beyond the golden clouds, Mom and Dad were shouting from the stadium stands until their voices went hoarse.

The two shouting with tears streaming from their eyes.

-Hana-chaaaan!!! You’re the best!!! We’re so proud of youuu!!

-We love youuu!! Hana-chan!!!

“Ah…”

Seeing that, Hana started crying.

So much that she even forgot about the battle with the giant for a moment.

-Sato Hana has expressed her intention to donate all advertising fees and profits to children with disabilities, gaining support from many citizens.

-The inauguration ceremony of the Sato Hana Foundation was a big topic as famous athletes from various countries attended.

-Sato Hana is the pride of all Japan!

-According to a survey, Sato Hana was selected as this year’s Sports Person…

Because her current self seemed so shabby.

Because the girl running beyond the golden clouds was so dazzling.

Was she wrong?

No.

She already had that sparkle too.

The night sky in Hana’s heart was already twinkling with countless stars.

-Hana can become a person like a meteor!

-I love you, Hana-chan.

-Thank you, Sato-san!

-Thanks! Sato kiddo!

-Thank you, Sato-san.

-Thanks for taking me.

-I wasn’t late thanks to you!

-Thank you Hana-chan!

-You’re so fast! Really cool!

-Thanks for helping.

A night sky with countless twinkling stars.

Under that night sky, get in position and prepare to run.

Let’s enter among those stars and greet them while twinkling together.

“Uwaaaaaaaaa!!!”

Hana ran, spewing out the dreams twinkling in her chest.

-Athlete Sato Hana!! She’s running forward again!!

-The lead! She’s overtaking the lead!!

The yellow meteor was already overtaking the golden girl and running ahead.

With a yellow light shining brighter than gold.

“I’ll make everyone happy like a meteor!!!”

Filled with a shining Milky Way.

“I am the magical girl Sato Hana!!!”

Becoming a single meteor.

“I’m proud of who I am now!!!”

Fully Bloomed 3-star Magical Girl of [Swiftness]

Sato Hana

As Hana passed by the golden girl.

-Do your best!

The golden girl smiled and said to Hana.

Receiving that encouragement, Hana shot up into the sky, becoming a star.

Yellow starlight enveloped Hana, who was full of wounds.

A yellow Milky Way began to grasp and swallow the reddish-brown giant’s fist.

A yellow meteor separated from Hana’s body and embroidered the sky.

[Swiftness] Magical Girl’s Unique Skill

Flash Girl

Becoming a star shining brighter than a flash.

Starlight gushed out from her magical girl outfit, which had somehow changed into a yellow dress full of starlight, and shot towards the reddish-brown giant.

Swoosh!

The starlight of the night sky

The yellow sparkle

Became thousands of meteors passing through and crushing the giant.

Kagagak!!

“■…■■!!”

Crunch

Crunch

The gradually disappearing reddish-brown giant was now crumbling at the starting point of the universe.

Towards the Earth covered in red atmosphere.

Hana, grabbing the reddish-brown giant’s collar, threw Achilles straight to the ground.

Boooom!!!

The yellow meteor eroded.

The yellow Milky Way grasped.

The battered guardian Achilles turned to dust in the hands of the girl who had overcome even another self, and fell to the ground.

Like a meteor.