《Hagakure Sakura Does Not Lament》 CH 1 Prologue ¡ºMagical Girls¡» What exactly do people associate with that name? A princess of the magical world who casts spells into a mirror? Or do you mean the apprentice witch training in an ordinary town? Or brave girls fighting bad guys for justice? None of them are wrong, but the girls in this world are in a slightly different situation. Volunteers for the National Defense Magical Contract ¨C a.k.a. ¡°Magical Girls¡±. They are ¡°Defenders of the Nation¡± who have chosen to fight against the endless number of Demonic Beasts that keep springing up. For some, it¡¯s a position. For some, it¡¯s a matter of ideals. For some, it¡¯s hope. Some others chose that path because they wished for peace. What awaits those who become ¡°Magical Girls¡± are dangerous days of life and death. A meritocratic society where one¡¯s talent is the only thing that counts. In such a lonely battle ¨C defeat is never acceptable¡­ Winning is deserved. Losing means death as it is. ¨CThis is the story of a girl, or a boy, entangled in such a fate. ¡ª- Hagakure Sakura¡¯s story. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô 2:00 a.m. On a quiet residential street in the middle of the night, there was a girl. She was wearing flower-patterned pajamas and staggered down the street with her hands against the wall. She seemed to be in poor health, breathing heavily as if in pain. The appearance of the beast in five minutes. Please evacuate to the northwest as soon as possible. Such a mechanical voice came from a cell phone the girl had. ¡°Quick, we have to get out of here¡­¡± The girl muttered bitterly, biting her lip as if reprimanding herself and putting strength into her trembling legs. -How long has it been since the warning¡­ If she didn¡¯t escape soon, she really wouldn¡¯t make it. Cough. The girl coughed. She had a high fever and dizziness, probably due to a cold. There¡¯s a reason why she was outside in spite of her condition. Yes- because the monsters¡­ were coming. ¨CPredicted outbreak of Class-E Demonic Beast has been confirmed. There are 30 minutes left until the appearance of the entity. Everyone in the area near the marker should immediately begin evacuating to the designated area. She certainly heard such an alarm in the middle of the night in her foggy consciousness. Her memory was somewhat hazy, probably because she was deeply asleep due to the fever. ¨CE-class Demonic Beasts. Based on the map on the cell phone, the government¡¯s predicted location of the Demonic Beast is within a radius of 200 meters from the vicinity of the girl¡¯s home. At this distance, under normal circumstances, she would have been able to evacuate with her parents. However, the girl¡¯s parents were away for a relative¡¯s funeral and would not return until tomorrow night. Therefore, the girl could only escape alone with her ailing body. In this day and age, it isn¡¯t unusual to see deaths caused by Demonic Beasts. A certain number of people are killed each year ¨C it¡¯s like a traffic accident, so to speak. However, even though death by Demonic Beasts is not uncommon, it¡¯s the nature of human creatures to not want to be involved in such events. The girl¡¯s grandmother used to say that just a few decades ago, though¡­ There were no such things as Demonic Beasts. ¡ºThe Demonic Beast¡» The joke of this existence¡¯s nature suddenly began to encroach on reality. ¨CThe beginning of the event was 30 years ago. It was July 7, at 2 pm. People suddenly looked up at the sky and mouthed the following words. The sky is cracking. The crack, which could only be described as a crack, was so large that one could not see its edges just by looking up at it, and it spread out to cover the entire Japanese archipelago. People were suspicious of the mysterious phenomenon, but the cracks that appeared soon melted away into the blue of the sky. The news that day reported that it was an unseasonal aurora borealis or something. ¨CPeople still had no way of knowing that that day was the beginning of it all. The day after the sky broke, in an urban building area during the morning rush hour with many passersby -it appeared without warning. The beast, which looked like an even more vicious version of a large bear, killed and wounded dozens of people and was shot dead by police riot police a few hours later. If that had been the only case, it would just have been labeled as a case of an unexplained animal rampage and eventually faded from people¡¯s memories. -But it didn¡¯t happen. After that day, the beast-like creature began to change its shape and location, appearing in various parts of the Japanese archipelago at a rate of approximately several times each day. Mysterious beasts of wondrous destruction, which after a while dissolve into the air like a haze and disappear. The Demonic Beasts could only be called unknown invaders. Anxiety and fear spread slowly. People were still unable to admit that the world had changed. Then, a few days after the incident began. A psychic said to the government, which had not even begun to solve the problem, ¡°This was caused by yesterday¡¯s disaster. Evil things are entering Japan through that crack,¡± he began to warn on social networking sites. At first, most of the voices were mocking, saying that they could not believe that it was the word of a stinking spiritualist, but these voices gradually became quieter. It could also be said that they simply no longer have the time to worry about such things. The foreign media reported on the Demonic Beasts incident with great frequency. At first, the tone was as if they were presenting a poorly made monster movie, but as time went by, the tone gradually changed into something more and more sinister. A Modern Hell. The End of Atheism. A Nation Abandoned by God. Those Demonic Beasts must be demons. ¡°-If we get involved with a country where such horrible things happen, our country is doomed!¡± ¡­However the mystery had faded and the existence of God had been reduced to a skeleton, religion was still deeply rooted in countries around the world. It was only natural to associate the fear of the unknown with a known entity. The greatest misfortune for Japan was that it could not involve other countries. For some reason, the Demonic Beasts only appeared in Japan. Many countries were concerned that Japan¡¯s current situation might spark a firestorm in their own countries if they got involved in such a situation. Foreign countries moved quickly: the U.S., the EU, Russia, Asian countries, all closed their embassies within three months of the first incident, and some countries even banned Japanese citizens from entering their countries. Three months ¨C that¡¯s how long it took for the country of Japan to be mercilessly driven into isolation. It may seem thin-skinned, but for other countries, the Demonic Beast was becoming a symbol of fear. Some of them may have been under pressure to be more sympathetic, but the faraway island nation was just a stranger to the rest of the world. The world easily dismissed Japan as a country that had no choice but to save itself. Japan was almost forcibly forced into a state of isolation, and its lifelines were destroyed by Demonic Beasts, plunging the country into a state of devastation. The people living in Japan became exhausted by the fear of being attacked by the monsters day and night. On the other hand, those with wealthy upper-class family members had long since fled the country, and those with foreign nationality who were in Japan fled back to their home countries as soon as possible. Only those who could not escape were left behind in Japan. ¡­Thirty years have passed since such a nightmarish situation. Miracle after miracle has occurred that no one could have predicted, and the current situation in Japan has greatly improved, but they¡¯re still constantly exposed to the threat of death. ¨CThe monster has not disappeared yet. ¡°Ah.¡± Suddenly, her feet tangled and the girl fell to the ground. The impact distorted her vision. Even so, she was in poor health due to a high fever. When impatience and fear are added to the situation, it isn¡¯t surprising that she was unable to move satisfactorily. But she couldn¡¯t just stand there. The girl tried with her last strength to stand up. ¨CBut, as if to mock her determination, a rasping sound rang out from her cell phone. ¡°Warning, warning. Leave the area now. I repeat. Leave the area now. The predicted location of the apparition is 20 meters from your current location. Repeat. Now¨C¡° ¡°What? No way¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure it was safe this way on the map!¡± She hurriedly checked the map on her cell phone, but to the girl¡¯s dismay, the display of her current location was filled in red with an emergency alert. ¡°Why? Why is the display map different from the first one? I had never heard of such a glitch¡­!¡± ¨CI have to run, I have to run, I have to run! At the moment when the impatient girl tried to run away from the pain in her body, a chill, different from the chill caused by the illness, ran down her spine. ¡°Oh, oh, no¡­¡± She could hear something strange approaching from the alley right next to her, making a strange rustling sound. -She had to run away, but her legs didn¡¯t move as if they were frozen. The girl looked to the side, shivering. It¡­ had the silhouette of a large man. However, there was one thing that was definitely different from that of a human man. With the light of the full moon on its back, the thing ¨C a Demonic Beast with the face of a wolf ¨C stood there, waving its murderous intent. She squealed. Horrifyingly intense fear dominated the girl¡¯s thoughts. She should run away from this place right now, but she couldn¡¯t turn her eyes away from the Demonic Beast. ¨COh, no. No way, no way. She¡¯d seen plenty of Demonic Beasts in her life. But they are always unrealistic things that we see on TV or read about in books. Even hunters get upset when they encounter wild bears, so how could an ordinary girl be so calm when she encountered a Demonic Beast? ¡°Uh-uh.¡± Tears were spilling from both of her eyes. Unable to hold it in, a small sob escaped. Absolute fear of death. The girl was simply terrified of the monster in front of her. The Demonic Beast twisted its largemouth into a grin and looked at the girl. It looked happy, as if it had just gotten a new toy. The expression on its face spoke volumes of the girl¡¯s future treatment. ¨CI can¡¯t do it anymore. I¡¯m done here. This werewolf is going to tear me to pieces and kill me. Just as the girl was about to give up, she felt something touch her shoulder. ¡°Close your eyes.¡± The voice entered the girl¡¯s ears with surprising ease. She did as she was told and closed her eyes. For some reason, she felt that she had to do so. A moment later, she heard a sharp whistling sound and the sound of something large slamming into the ground. The sound of water was fresh in her ears. Her body shook involuntarily, but she didn¡¯t want to open her eyes. Too speechless to speak, the girl slumped to her knees on the spot. As the girl covered her face with her hands and shivered, she heard footsteps that sounded like walking through a puddle. The footsteps were slowly coming toward the girl. A chill run down her spine. What is it that is approaching me now? If she looked up and opened her eyes, she was sure she could see it was. But she couldn¡¯t help but be afraid. -What if it is another Demonic Beast in front of me right now? If so, she wasn¡¯t sure she could keep her sanity. I think I would actually be happier if I just close my eyes and get it over with. That¡¯s what she thought. As the girl was currently shaking, something touched the girl¡¯s shoulder. Hee? The body shook violently. ¨CI¡¯m scared, scared, scared, if it¡¯s a dream, please wake me up. The girl cowered, hoping so. However, her expectations were betrayed. ¡°¡­Are you okay? Are you hurt?¡± ¨CIt was a terribly clear tone. But the voice was somehow nostalgic, and she even felt a strange sense of relief. The girl¡¯s back was stroked awkwardly, and her breath, which had been hyperventilating from the anxiety, slowly returned to normal. The owner of the mysterious voice continued to gently cuddle with the girl until she calmed down. -Who is this person? Gradually calming down, the girl opened her eyes fearfully and looked up. There was a lady, two or three years older than the girl, with a worried look on her face. Cool eyes and slender features. She looked somewhat boyish, but the girl just thought she was vaguely beautiful. Upon seeing her, the girl immediately knew who it was. No, she knew the generic name of that ¡°Being¡±. ¡°Magical Girl?¡± The lady nodded in response to the girl¡¯s question. ¨CWhen Demonic Beasts began to appear in this world, they were followed by the sudden appearance of other beings. That is the ¡ºMagical Girls¡» Girls around the same age as her who made a contract with a miracle to fight against Demonic Beasts. The lady in front of her must be one of them. ¨COh, I¡¯m saved. The moment she realized this, she suddenly lost all strength from her body. It was as if her body was heavy. Gently supporting the girl as she fell, the lady quickly checked the girl¡¯s body and told her, ¡°It looks like you¡¯re not injured. But the next time you¡¯re sick and there¡¯s an alarm, call the emergency services. You don¡¯t have to go alone.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± When she said this, the girl remembered the ambulance for the first time. Because of the fever, she only thought that she had to get out of there as soon as possible, and such a thing had never occurred to her. ¡°Your fever is high, and I¡¯m going to drive you to the hospital. You can sleep a little.¡± She then gently placed her right hand on the girl¡¯s forehead. The cool temperature of her hand felt comfortable. Just as the girl was about to fall into a deep slumber, she muttered something as if a thought had just occurred to her. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± -I am sure that I will never forget what happened today. That¡¯s why I want to know the name of the benefactor who saved me from the depths of fear. Then the woman smiled softly and beautifully and whispered. ¡°¨CMy name is Hagakure Sakura. You don¡¯t have to remember it. It¡¯s an insignificant name anyway.¡± ¡°Hagakure Sakura.¡± -That was all the girl could remember. The next thing she knew, the girl was on a hospital bed receiving an intravenous drip. Her mother, who looked like she was about to cry, rushed over to the girl who was rubbing her eyes in a daze. It seemed that the lady, Sakura Hagakure, had carried the girl to the hospital after that. According to the doctor, the cold had worsened due to her moving around, causing pneumonia, and the girl had been unconscious for about a week after she was brought to the hospital. If she had come to the hospital a little later, she might have lost her life in the worst-case scenario, he told them mysteriously. And the lady who had carried the unconscious girl on her back seemed to have disappeared without a trace after handing her over to the doctor. She didn¡¯t even say her name, and the girl smiled with narrowed eyes at the doctor, who said curiously. It¡¯s kind of like her, she thought vaguely. While quietening her mother, who cried that she was safe and sound, the girl recalled that night. It was a terrifying experience. But more than that, she wanted someone to hear about this strange experience. ¡°You know, Mom. ¨CI was saved by a Magical Girl!¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¨CMonths after the incident in which the girl was nearly attacked by a Demonic Beast. A girl, now in good spirits, was walking on the station platform chatting with her friends when her foot got caught on the cobblestones and she bumped into a high school boy who was walking in front of her. The girl¡¯s staggering body was supported by the boy as if in a panic. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to worry about it. It¡¯s my fault for being so unaware.¡± It was the girl who was not looking ahead. The boy did not seem to be bothered by the girl¡¯s apology and left. As she patted her chest in relief and stared at his back, her friend smirked and tugged at the sleeve of her dress. ¡°What is it? Did you fall in love at first sight by any chance? He was so cool, wasn¡¯t he? He seemed kind.¡± ¡°No, no! But what can I say, you know?¡± Then the girl clammed up and held her mouth as if in thought. ¡°¨CHe felt like ??????? someone else.¡± Her friend looked bored by the girl¡¯s response, ¡°Hmmm?¡± She took the girl¡¯s hand and started to walk away, saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to be late, so let¡¯s hurry up and go.¡± And the girl, too, did not pursue the sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu she had at that time, but returned to her peaceful daily life. He turned back to the girl at a distance, unaware that the boy had muttered, ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re feeling better¡± ¨C and he really was. CH 2 The Beginning Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨C¡±His¡± fate was twisted in September. It was about two months before the girl was almost attacked by a Demonic Beast. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô It happened on the way home. With the sound of explosions rolling in the distance, Nanase Tsugumi held his side, which was dripping with blood. His uniform was ripped and his white shirt was stained a poisonous red. ¡°What the hell, this is¡­¡± -In hindsight, it begins since this morning. With these thoughts in his hazy consciousness, his mind went back to this morning¡¯s events. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô The day began with a series of small mishaps that morning. For some reason, his alarm didn¡¯t go off, his twin sister left him because he wouldn¡¯t wake up, and the train he boarded got stuck in an accident. And finally, on the short walk from the station to the school, he got caught in a guerrilla downpour and ended up a wet rat. It was truly a mixed blessing and a curse. ¡°It¡¯s crazy. If it¡¯s just one time, it¡¯s fine but would you normally have that much bad luck? Thanks to this, I¡¯ve arrived at the school during lunch break. Yeah, I feel like I¡¯ve wasted my day¡­¡± When he was so fed up and complained about this morning¡¯s events, his friend, who was listening to the conversation, looked up and said in a dismayed tone, ¡°¨CThere are times when things like that happen. Maybe you¡¯ve been having a bad day, Tsugumi-chan?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say random things. I didn¡¯t do anything strange¡­ and I don¡¯t want you to be the one who said that.¡± When Tsugumi told him this with a disgruntled look on his face, his friend-Amari Yukitaka sounded surprised. ¡°Eh, but I wasn¡¯t thinking of anything.¡± Yukitaka complained as if he really had never thought of such a thing. Perhaps he actually had no idea what he was talking about. ¡­What kind of mouth is able to say such a thing? Thinking of this, Tsugumi let out a weary sigh. ¡°I remember you were getting slapped by a junior girl on the way home yesterday. Don¡¯t tell me you two-timed again?¡± ¡°How did you know? ¡°I received a commentary with a video. Do you want to see it?¡± Yukitaka raised his voice in exasperation. ¡°What the heck is this? Who the hell took these pictures!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Meibuki-senpai and his merry band of friends from our class.¡± Without hesitation, Tsugumi told him the name of the sender. Since they were rather flippant about spreading the rumors, there¡¯s no need to hide it. ¡°Those black-bellied glasses and those idiots¡­ Just because I¡¯m popular with the girls, I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re being so shady.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah. Sure, you¡¯re popular, but I think that¡¯s another matter.¡± -It¡¯s not because of jealousy or anything like that, but it¡¯s simply because you are not liked by those people. Gently looking away from the frustrated Yukitaka, and thinking this without saying it out loud, Tsugumi gently pressed the side of his stomach. ¡°Then what? Is it because I exposed the alleged scandals of the Magical Girls they are promoting on the Internet? Or because his friend¡¯s girlfriend switched to me because she thought I was better?¡± ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯ve never heard of that one.¡± He wondered which one Yukitaka was talking about. ¡°Well, it¡¯s very common of you to get angry at something like this, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯d hate it.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to say this in an interview when you die after someone stabs you to death. I knew this would happen one day.¡± ¡°Haha, I wouldn¡¯t screw up like that!¡± When Tsugumi said it with sincerity, Yukitaka laughed and boasted lightly. The easygoing appearance of Yukitaka frightened him. But the reason why he was so loved and adored, despite his behavior, was probably because of his appearance. This friend of mine is really a looker¡­ If he had to use an analogy, it was as if Yukitaka was a manifestation of every beautiful boy¡¯s existence in this world. And he wasn¡¯t too smart, but his words and actions themselves were friendly and likable. However, when it came to the content inside, it wasn¡¯t as flattering. ¡°I love it when people look uncomfortable or angry!¡± This friend, who was not afraid to speak openly in public, naturally had many enemies. Frankly speaking, it would be more difficult to find someone he got along with. Most girls were attracted to him because of his looks, but most of them couldn¡¯t stand his personality. After a few days, they left, disillusioned or enraged. Some of them became so intoxicated that they got obsessed, but Tsugumi didn¡¯t want to look deeper into it. There were things he shouldn¡¯t know about his friends, no matter how much he wanted to. You should live moderately. I don¡¯t like it when murderous things happen near me. I don¡¯t want to get caught up in it and get hurt. Yukitaka laughed when Tsugumi told him this as if he were dumbfounded. ¡°Haha. It¡¯s like Tsugumi to not say, ¡®I¡¯m worried about you there¡¯.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never taken my advice, have you? How long do you think we¡¯ve been together? Even I have learned that much.¡± He had known Yukitaka for a long time. Tsugumi knew how to treat him. ¡°I don¡¯t know why¡­ but I always get the short end of the stick.¡± He gently pressed his aching head, remembering the commotion he was involved in last year, related to Yukitaka. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not the only one with bad timing. You could have at least taken the day off.¡± ¡°Why? I was late for some things, but I made it to school safely. If I don¡¯t show up here until my afternoon class, what will Chidori say to me later¡­¡± Then, Tsugumi put on a bitter face. Chidori was his twin sister. If that honor student knew that her younger brother ¨C Tsugumi ¨C had skipped class, there was no telling what she would say to him later. When Tsugumi told him this, Yukitaka exaggeratedly shrugged his shoulders and began to speak. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you know this because you weren¡¯t at the morning assembly, but the afternoon classes were suddenly changed to a school assembly. You see, there was a pretty famous Magical Girl in the third grade, right? Let¡¯s see, Sato Something-san. She died in the line of duty yesterday, and they¡¯re having a farewell party or something, but you¡¯re not interested in that, are you?¡± ¡°¡­So I didn¡¯t have to worry about the class credits?¡± ¨CSato, uh, what was it? He remembered her name was Michiko or something like that. He heard that she was a famous senior, but for Tsugumi, who had a very limited circle of friends, he only had a vague impression of her. Tsugumi quietly looked around and spoke to Yukitaka in a small voice as if muttering to him. ¡°And yet she was killed in the line of duty. I can¡¯t say it too loudly, but she had a good run, right?¡± ¡°I guess so. She had been a Magical Girl for five years, so she must have been better than average.¡± ¨C¡±Magical Girl¡± is a very cute term, but the reality is quite bleak. They are, so to speak, human weapons ???? who have made a contract with a non-human being- a so-called ¡°God¡± -to fight against Demonic Beasts. ¨CThe event began 30 years ago. Suddenly, monsters called ¡°Demonic Beasts¡± began to appear in Japan. The monsters attacked people, destroyed buildings, and eventually Japan ceased to function as a country. When the lifelines were cut off by rampaging Demonic Beasts, and all the people were about to give up, wondering if they would be doomed to extinction ¨C the first ¡°Magical Girl¡± appeared. The girl¡¯s name was Sakura Akane. She was a Magical Girl who became the absolute hope for the people until eight years later when she was confronted by a powerful Demonic Beast. She appeared like a comet, dressed like a shrine maiden, and walked across many battlefields. ¨CShe had been on many battlefields, all in the name of exterminating Demonic Beasts and saving her country. The effect of her presence was dramatic. ¡°¨CI heard that there is a girl who defeated a Demonic Beast.¡± At first, it was such trivial gossip. Then one by one, two by two, more and more witnesses came forward, and finally she became well-known to everyone who had survived. How did she look like to those who were already on the brink of desperation? ¨CThey were sure that no matter how hopeless the situation was, she would come to their rescue. Just the thought of it gave them the strength to survive tomorrow. From a narrow-minded point of view, she was an Idol that was much more useful than a bad religion. Oddly enough, with the birth of the ¡°Magical Girl,¡± there was a glimmer of hope. Those from the government agencies who were still alive were able to contact Sakura and talk to her contractor ¨C a raven who called himself Yatagarasu. In that encounter, Yatagarasu began to talk about the being above him ¨C Amaterasu. The details of the discussion were a state secret and had not been disclosed to the public, but to summarize, if this country was to be brought under the control of God ¨C Amaterasu ¨C again, they would provide protection for it. The government accepted the contract, partly on the words of Amaterasu, who said, ¡°If you do so, I will do my best to protect Japan.¡± According to the information from Yatagarasu, who stood between her and the negotiations, these ¡°Demonic Beasts¡± are a kind of concept-like life form that obtain energy from the bad feelings of living creatures. Conceptual beings that exist in a distant dimension, using colorless energy generated from a rift in the sky, form a shape and came down to this world to eat ¨C to absorb despair. That¡¯s the true identity of the Demonic Beast. The reason for their sudden appearance in Japan is, as mentioned above, due to the rupture in the sky. But Yatagarasu did not even explain why the sky split open. He simply said, ¡°It¡¯s because of the things that are too horrible to talk about.¡± ¨CThe ¡°Horrifying Thing¡± is still not understood. In addition to such stories, Amaterasu created the ¡°Amano-Iwato,¡± a ward against Demonic Beasts, through a vast number of transactions, and covered all of Japan with the ward. And in order to increase the number of soldiers to protect the country, Amaterasu used his own channels to negotiate with other beings like himself. ¨CThe result is a system called ¡°Magical Girl¡± ????. According to Amaterasu, they are so-called ¡°branch spirits¡± who manifested themselves in the real world with the pure energy leaked from the rift in the heavens at their core. The first among them to manifest was Amaterasu. ¨COriginally, the ancient Gods could not interfere with mankind. This is the result of a decrease in faith from the human side and the rise of other religions, which have twisted the definition of existence as heresy. If they tried to interfere in the world of man, they may even shake their own definitions if they were not careful. If they were unlucky, they could exhaust their power as Gods and cease to exist. It¡¯s an unwritten common sense even for the Gods, and no one wanted to be involved with humans to the point of risking their own existence. ¨CThe energy that leaked from the rift in the sky was a simple reversal of this conventional wisdom. If that colorless energy is used well, it¡¯s possible to create a spirit with some power without the risk. -Between you and me, the beings called Gods basically have too much time on their hands. What would they do if they knew that there is a way for them to easily walk around this world? ¨CI am sure that they will visit this Japan with the intention of seeing things. Amaterasu was the first to realize this and dispatched his own subordinate, Yatagarasu, to the lower world to make a contract with humankind and become the rightful owner of the land. He then carved into the earth a technique to repel deities that harbored ill will toward Japan. That¡¯s one of the effects of the boundary ¡°Amano-Iwato¡±. After completing his preparations, Amaterasu made this offer to the Gods who had flown their consciousness to Japan. ¡®¨CWhy don¡¯t we do something more fun?¡¯ The result was a sacrifice called ¡°Magical Girl¡±. The Gods who have descended as spirit offshoots could gain the right to interfere in this world by making a contract with a susceptible girl. In exchange, they made it their duty to have the contractor ¨C the Magical Girl ¨C exterminate Demonic Beasts. Magical Girls are visible bait. From the human point of view, becoming a Magical Girl is a conversion to an honorable warrior, and for the Gods, it¡¯s like an easy game of nurturing. Humans, in order to survive, for themselves. Gods offered their power for their own pleasure. When the price is put together, new rules are made, adjusted and created so that everyone would benefit. The system of ¡°Magical Girls¡±. Well, the contract, which at first had been settled peacefully, became a little inconvenient for the Gods, as detailed restrictions were imposed over time, reducing the freedom of movement for them. Besides, polytheism is originally the standard in Japan. Even if they were despised as demons in some places, in this country, there was no superiority or inferiority in them. Because of this unique sense of religion, the old Gods, who had been driven into the backcountry by other religions, were willing to cooperate with humankind in a very concessionary way, saying that they could cooperate if humans were willing to respect them. ¨CAs Magical Girls were controlled by the government and came into force, the situation in the country slowly calmed down. Under such circumstances, methods were established one after another to convert the bio-energy emitted when a Demonic Beast was defeated into a solid substance, to use the core of that energy as a substitute for oil and electricity, and to create medicines and other products with various beneficial effects. And so, in less than a decade from the day the sky broke ¨C commonly known as ¡°the Day of Creation¡± ¨C Japan had successfully rebuilt itself. It was often said that all is well that ends well but there had seldom been cases of such reversal of fortune and misfortune. As Japan moved in the right direction, countries which had refused to have relations had approached about restoring diplomatic relations, but the current government had turned down all such offers. Of course, there was criticism from other countries, but now that everything could be provided by one country, such criticism meant nothing. The people left all the hard fighting to the Magical Girls, and a new form of peace in Japan was created based on the precious sacrifices of the girls who became Magical Girls. Incidentally, the minimum age to become a Magical Girl was set at 12, but it was believed that very few people continued to be Magical Girls for more than 10 years. It was a dangerous profession that had killed dozens of people in the line of duty. Well, most Magical Girls retired and quit after about five years of life. ¨CHowever, if you survived long enough, you could get the position, honor, and even money. High risk, the high return was exactly what it meant. These days, famous Magical Girls were treated as if they were idols, and they were busy with various things other than protecting the peace of Japan, such as popularity contests and the like. Because of this, people like Tsugumi, who had not known the hell that begin in the beginning, did not have a good impression of the existence called ¡°Magical Girls¡±. He knew these women were heroes, but knowing was different from trusting. They had been working hard in such a competitive market for a relatively long time, and this senior wasn¡¯t so lucky either. ¡°And yet, a rally¡­ that¡¯s a hassle, to be honest.¡± When he said this, Yukitaka¡¯s eyes narrowed as if he were looking at something interesting. ¡°You don¡¯t like crowds, do you, Tsugumi-chan?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like being crammed into a shelter, it¡¯s suffocating me. There¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡± As Yukitaka said, if there was no class, there might be no problem if at least one person went home. ¡°I think I¡¯ll go home after all. Chidori knows I¡¯m not good at that kind of thing, and I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t be that angry¡­.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No, I thought I¡¯d call Chidori just in case, but I forgot my cell phone ran out of charge. Sorry, but would you mind if you call instead?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure, but you owe me one.¡± Yukitaka said, and then he slowly pointed his cell phone camera at Tsugumi and snapped a picture. Then he quickly edited the photo and held it out in front of him. On the screen, you could see a somewhat pale face. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s well-edited. I¡¯ll call Chidori-chan and tell her I send you home because you look pale.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, yeah. Thanks. That helped.¡± Should Tsugumi condemn him for sending the edited photo, or should he feel thankful for Yukitaka¡¯s concern? After a bit of hesitation, he thanked Yukitaka. He was certain Yukitaka didn¡¯t mean to offend him. Maybe. When Tsugumi thanked him, Yukitaka began to gather his belongings on his desk without seeming to be particularly bothered by it. Then he finished packing his bag with all the useless little things that girls like to carry around in their bags, and turned to Tsugumi and said, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m going home, too. Be careful on your way home. We have an alarm, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine. ¨CIf you see Nagisa, tell her I left early.¡± Yukitaka then clapped him on the shoulder and went out of the classroom with a flourish. Truly, he was a free man. And when Tsugumi looked around, he noticed that more than half of his classmates had already disappeared. This was terrible, though, it didn¡¯t affect his grade. The second-year F group, to which he originally belonged, was a class where problematic children gather. Rather, few people attend the class properly. While thinking about that, he gave up and stared at the blue sky after the rain from the window. The weather was so refreshing that he couldn¡¯t believe there had been a downpour. It was a beautiful rainbow. Feeling somewhat irrational, Tsugumi stared bitterly at the sky for a while, but then exhaled in resignation and picked up his bag again. No matter how much you hate natural phenomena, there¡¯s nothing you can do about it. In times like this, it¡¯s best to just forget about it. As he opened the classroom door, he almost collided with someone who was coming into the classroom from outside. The person who stumbled forward, failing to put her hand on the door, was held back by Tsugumi. The sweet scent tickled his nostrils. ¡°Oh, my. I¡¯m sorry. Sensei was a little careless¡­¡± ¡°Suzune-sensei, didn¡¯t you almost fall down the stairs the other day when you said that? Be careful.¡± When the Tsugumi said this, the teacher ¨C Nagisa Suzune ¨C dyed her cheeks red in embarrassment. He took his hand away from Suzune¡¯s as he gave her a warning. ¨CShe was the homeroom teacher of Tsugumi¡¯s class, but she was somehow unreliable for someone so much older, or rather, she was so calm in the face of danger that you couldn¡¯t take your eyes off her. Perhaps because of this, she was treated like an unreliable mascot in a class full of problem children. She was not happy with the way she was being treated, but considering that she was the first person to get lost during the outside orientation in April, ahead of other students, it was the appropriate treatment. Incidentally, at that time, even the class members worked together to find the lost teacher. Thanks to this, Class F, which was a group of problem children who would have been on the verge of class disbandment in previous years, was now a reasonably cohesive class. At one point Tsugumi wondered if this was her intention all along, but seeing how natural she was on a day-to-day basis, he felt a little disappointed and wondered if it was just her true nature. Was it really acceptable for a twenty-six-year-old adult to be like this? Despite this concern, he was inwardly sweating coldly, wondering what to do about the situation. Suzune¡¯s gaze wandered around the sparsely populated classroom in a dazed manner. Even the dullest Suzune must have noticed something strange about the classroom. ¡°¡­I wonder if maybe the kids who aren¡¯t here right now have already left.¡± ¡°Uh, well, you know, maybe.¡± ¡°Yeah, no, that¡¯s terrible ¡­¡­¡± In a thin voice, Suzune said this, tears welling up in her eyes. ¨COh, no. I already thought about this, but I was a step too late. A large, sparkling drop fell from Suzune¡¯s eyes. His classmates, who had been watching them with grins on their faces, shouted with delight. ¡°Aah! Nanase is making Nagisa-chan cry.¡± ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t you feel sorry for Nagisa-sensei?¡± The few remaining classmates, giggling, let loose one after another in the field. He was not happy about this¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not my fault. You should complain to the people who left early.¡± While lightly patting Suzune¡¯s back to comfort her as she began to cry in earnest, Tsugumi complained to his classmates in a disgruntled manner. ¡°But you¡¯re going home, too, right? Then you¡¯re the same.¡± ¡°Gosh, that sounds like¡­¡± His classmates had a point. He had planned to sneak out, but now that he met his homeroom teacher, he had to inform her that he was leaving early. However, it was a little bit painful to tell her that he was leaving, as she was shedding tears. Because more than half of the class was already gone from this place. If a school assembly was held in such a situation, it was inevitable that Suzune, the homeroom teacher, would be blamed later by other teachers. As Tsugumi began to wonder if he should stay behind because of the predicament, he noticed that Suzune was staring at his face with wet eyes. ¡°Sensei? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Could he possibly be blamed for leaving? That¡¯s what Tsugumi thought, but what came out of Suzune¡¯s mouth were words he never expected. ¡°Nanase-kun. Are you okay?¡± ¡°What?¡± It was an awful, worried tone of voice. Not understanding what she was asking, he asked, ¡°What is it?¡± When Tsugumi asked this question, Suzune opened her mouth, though she looked a little reluctant. ¡°If you¡¯re not feeling well, you don¡¯t have to attend. I¡¯ll make sure to explain to the others¡­¡± Normally, when a member of the class tried to take a day off or leave early, she would stop them with a sad look on her face. Inwardly tilting his head at Suzune¡¯s words, he opened his mouth. ¡°Um, do I look that bad?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you realize it, but you don¡¯t look so good. Even I can¡¯t tell a really sick kid to stay behind.¡± When Suzune expressed her concern, his classmates who had been listening to the conversation approached Tsugumi. ¡°What? What? Nanase, are you sick?¡± ¡°No, not really¡­ Do I look that bad?¡± ¡°Hmmm, I don¡¯t really get it.¡± Other classmates who were listening to the conversation also said that Tsugumi did not seem to be in particularly bad shape. ¡°Nagisa-chan is mistaken. You know, they say idiots don¡¯t catch colds.¡± They were talking to each other in an amused manner, and Tsugumi couldn¡¯t help but raise his voice. No matter how unwell he may not look, the treatment was unacceptable. ¡°You guys should at least show a little concern. Besides, I¡¯m not stupid!¡± ¡°What¡¯s with you? You¡¯re doing great!¡± ¡°Tsugumin never gets mad, but he yells at us.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t call me Tsugumin. It¡¯s embarrassing.¡± ¨CThis isn¡¯t going anywhere. Ignoring the disgruntled classmates, Tsugumi grabbed his bag and headed out of the classroom. As he exited the classroom without so much as a hello, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps clattering behind him. He turned around to see what was going on and found Suzune rushing up to him. ¡°Wait, wait, Nanase-kun.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I made it¡­ in time.¡± Perhaps running down the hallway in a hurry, Suzune was shaking her shoulders and gasping for breath. But what was going on? Maybe there was something she had forgotten to say. ¡°Um, are you okay?¡± Tsugumi asked, looking worriedly at Suzune, who was coughing and breathing hard. Then she gently held something out in front of him. ¡°Here, take this.¡± ¡°Is this a¡­ good-luck charm? No, I can¡¯t accept something that looks so expensive.¡± Tsugumi shook his head when he saw the somewhat solemn-looking amulet, a small black cloth bag with a floral design sewn into it with red thread. Not only it was incomprehensible to him, he also felt that it would be a little too intimidating for him to carry. ¡°Just take it.¡± Suzune squeezed the amulet in Tsugumi¡¯s hand, without waiting for whether or not he would take it. The unexpected desperation of this move made his eyes widen in surprise. He had never seen Suzune act in such a forceful manner before. ¡°I have a bad feeling about this. Can you hold this for me, please, even if I¡¯m being a selfish teacher?¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s with that? I¡¯m a little scared.¡± When Tsugumi asked the reason in a surprised manner, Suzune only shook her head and didn¡¯t try to give a detailed explanation. Feeling a little confused, he tossed the amulet into the breast pocket of his school uniform. He wasn¡¯t sure, but he was certain there was nothing wrong with it, as long as he had it with him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I said something weird.¡± ¡°Well, if it makes you feel better, this is fine.¡± ¡°Really, be careful on your way home.¡± When Suzune repeatedly told him that she was worried about him, Tsugumi halfheartedly nodded his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. My physical condition is not that bad.¡± ¡°¡­Right?¡± Suzune turned her anxious gaze toward Tsugumi while replying in a somewhat halting manner. Then, as if wanting to say something, she opened her mouth, closed her eyes deeply as if hesitating for a moment, and smiled softly as if regaining her composure. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow. Don¡¯t be late this time and come to school.¡± ¡°¡­Ahaha. Good-bye, Suzune-sensei.¡± Then Tsugumi turned his back on Suzune and started walking straight toward the front door again. He was unaware that Suzune was staring at his back. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô When the Tsugumi¡¯s back was out of sight, Suzune softly murmured in a voice so small that no one could hear. ¡°¡­That boy is all red¡­all over.¡± Suzune said, but if the students in the class had heard these words, they would have tilted their heads in confusion, because Tsugumi looked just like ¡°the usual¡± to them. ¨CWhat was Suzune really seeing? ¡°That¡¯s probably already at¡­ No, that¡¯s why¡­¡± Then Suzune folded her hands in prayer and silently lowered her eyes. ¡°I can only pray, but please¨Cdon¡¯t die?????¡± CH 3 Creeping Shadow Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani As he left school and walked on a low-traffic road, Tsugumi tilted his head. This is because he was really worried about Suzune. ¡°¨CI don¡¯t understand her, either.¡± The woman named Nagisa Suzune was a bit unreliable as a teacher, but her personality as an adult was trustworthy. If you ask her for advice, she would be helpful and kind, and she never said anything unreasonable. Perhaps because of her good nature, she was strangely accepted by Tsugumi¡¯s class, which was full of strange people. ¨CBut there is still a sense of instability as if your feet are not on the ground. It¡¯s like you¡¯re looking at me, but you¡¯re not looking at it¡­ There are times when he felt that way. ¡ªIn addition, there were various rumors about the teacher named Nagisa Suzune. They all had something to do with occults. There were variations of rumors such as a retired Magical Girl, a daughter of a famous shrine, and a psychic with great skill. Recently, a story spread through the class that she could guess exactly who was going to die in an accident. Well, Yukitaka was the one who told this story for fun, so he didn¡¯t take it seriously. In fact, there had always been rumors of psychic activity at Saekami Saigami High School, which was the school that Tsugumi attended. Even now, stories of strange things being seen in the middle of the night were quite common. Although Tsugumi himself had never encountered such a thing, his sister Chidori often said that she sensed strange things at school. Tsugumi thought there might be a misunderstanding, but he couldn¡¯t say anything because he couldn¡¯t prove that ghosts didn¡¯t exist. ¨CWell, it¡¯s best to be careful anyway. Because of this thought, Tsugumi was walking toward the station to go straight home, but he felt like he had forgotten something important. ¡°¡­ Oh, that¡¯s right. I have to get a book.¡± He suddenly remembered that. In fact, the owner of an antique dealer told him that the book he had ordered from a month ago arrived yesterday. Chidori, Tsugumi¡¯s older sister, enjoyed collecting foreign literature, especially minor children¡¯s books, and often visits secondhand bookstores on her days off from school and club activities. She had been wanting this book for a long time, and now he had finally obtained it. It was very difficult to find used foreign books nowadays, and it took a lot of effort to find a store that would stock them. Yukitaka was kind enough to help him find a store. ¡°Because Chidori¡¯s birthday is the day after tomorrow. I have a plan with Yukitaka after school tomorrow, and if it¡¯s true, it¡¯s most convenient to go get it today¡­¡± The day after tomorrow was Tsugumi¡¯s and Chidori¡¯s seventeenth birthday. Although there was no particular arrangement every year, it was customary to bring food and cakes and exchange gifts with each other. ¨CSince I get to go home early, I might as well take a little detour. The devil whispered in his heart. He was leaving early with permission from his homeroom teacher. A side trip would have been the last thing he wanted. He was going to go home¡­ but the most convenient time to pick up the book was right now. Fortunately, the store itself was not far from the nearest station. It was just far enough to walk there. That shouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s okay.¡± ¨CSorry, Suzune-sensei. In his heart, Tsugumi lightly apologized to Suzune. Such excessive worry rarely occurred. As a matter of fact, his physical condition was not particularly bad, and even if he encountered a Demonic Beast, he usually got an alarm so he could easily evacuate. In addition to mobile phones, he also had an alarm terminal, and it was unlikely that he would miss the alarm. When the monster appeared, an alarm would be issued at least 30 minutes before, and even if you missed it once, it would be easy to escape from the range of action of the beast. Tsugumi was so optimistic that he broke his words with Suzune and proceeded to the other side of the station. -Without knowing that he would encounter events that would shake his life in the future because of his choice. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¨CPress down on the side of the body and try to stop the bleeding. It¡¯s just for comfort, but it is much better than not trying. Hitting flying debris and dragging one leg that was no longer free, Tsugumi hid in the shadow of a building that had not collapsed. The pain was making him feel like he was going to lose consciousness. ¡°What is this ¡­¡± Tsugumi recalled what happened to him. When he broke Suzune¡¯s instructions and went to the antique dealer behind the station, he felt something strange. As he was walking along, wondering inwardly if he had really caught a cold, the cause of the strange feeling became clear. ¡ª-There is too little sign of people. ?????? It looked as if people have already evacuated, but it was too strange. The alarm wasn¡¯t ringing, and just a few minutes ago there were people here and there. Suddenly there were no people? How could such things happen in real life? ¨CThat¡¯s not the real problem. ¡ªWhere is this in the first place? The target antique dealer shop should have been a straight road from the station to the nearby shrine. He had visited the store several times and it was hard to imagine that he made a mistake. And yet, the place where he was standing now was a place he had never seen before. Feeling impatient, Tsugumi hurried to turn back the way he came. He didn¡¯t know why, but it felt bad to stay here. ¨CThe moment he heard the sound of a bomb scattered from above. he thought no way and looked up at the sky. There, Tsugumi saw something incredible. A Magical Girl¡­ and a giant gargoyle-like Demonic Beast that engaged in aerial battles at a dizzying speed. A battle with Demonic Beasts that you would never see in life. ¡°Uh, this has to be a lie! Why am I in the barrier!?¡± A barrier was an isolated space created when a Magical Girl fought. By trapping the Demonic Beast in it, the Magical Girls prevented damage to buildings and those who were late to escape. -There is no point in fighting if you destroy the city every time you defeat the Demonic Beast. The first Magical Girl once appealed to Yatagarasu Kami-sama. Demonic Beasts that suddenly began to appear thirty years ago-only a Magical Girl who had been blessed by the Gods could fight against them. However, it would be a complete disaster if the city and its inhabitants were to suffer damage every time the girls waged battle. ¨CAmaterasu, who received the report from Yatagarasu, added a system to create an isolated space inside the ward of ¡°Amano-Iwato¡±. Since then, the Magical Girls have begun to create a barrier-a so-called instant ¡°different world¡± before fighting the Demonic Beast. With the help of the God contracted by the Magical Girl, the Demonic Beast moved to the actual mirror space. By doing so, they succeeded in reducing the damage in reality. Since objects destroyed within the barrier were regenerated to their original state at the same time the Demonic Beast was defeated, the damage caused by the Demonic Beast could be reduced to almost zero. -So no matter how flashy they fight in the barrier, no matter how much they destroy the city, it doesn¡¯t matter. However, the seemingly all-powerful barrier also had a fatal flaw. The barrier created by the Magical Girl would not be released until either the Demonic Beast or the Magical Girl died. Moreover, if the Magical Girl, not the Demonic Beast, died first, the damage inflicted on the building within the barrier would be fed back as it was. An evacuation was recommended when a Demonic Beast appeared to avoid an accident. -That is why Magical Girls are not allowed to lose their lives. Win or die. They can only choose one or the other. However, there was an exception. During the slight time lag in which the collapse was reflected, if another Magical Girl re-established the barrier, the feedback of the collapse was postponed. In the past, there were many cases where the Magical Girls who came to the aid of the city were not able to arrive in time, causing damage to the city, but in the last decade, the movement of Magical Girls had become much more organized, so there had not been much damage in recent years. ¡­It was explained for a long time, but the current situation of Tsugumi was another story. The battle of Magical Girls could be seen in reality through special monitors all over Japan. But what exactly was the spectacle that he was seeing right now? Naturally, no ordinary human being could enter the isolated space- the barrier. He never heard of a case where an ordinary person was involved in the barrier of a Magical Girl. Clearly, something unusual was happening to him, that much was obvious. ¡°I¡¯m not kidding! What should I do like this!?¡± He screamed involuntarily, but it was not wrong to get confused in this situation. ¡­It seemed that the idea of ¡°unpleasant premonition¡± that Suzune-sensei said was dead-on in the worst case. ¨CThe first thing he needed to do was to get away from this place for the time being. If he got caught in a battle, he would be in deep trouble. Then, when Tsugumi was about to escape, the Magical Girl who was fighting in the sky was blown away by the thick rock-like arm of the Demonic Beast. Cold sweat was flowing on his back. ¨COh, that¡¯s bad. When he thought so, it was already too late. ¡ªThe Demonic Beast was watching Tsugumi standing on the road¡­ ¡­The memory from then until he escaped to the back alley was terribly hazy. Tsugumi put his weight on the concrete wall while adjusting his rough breathing. To be honest, he didn¡¯t have the energy to stand normally anymore. He couldn¡¯t move anymore, and more importantly, he was bleeding pretty badly. If he wasn¡¯t careful, he¡¯d probably lose consciousness and die. ¨CI regret that I didn¡¯t listen to Suzune¡¯s advice more seriously, but I never thought that I would end up in this situation. If I made it out alive, I would have to ask her what was going on. Yes, if I make it out alive¡­ He clenched his teeth. The worst possibility went astray. I¡¯m really sorry to die in such a place. Why didn¡¯t the alarm sound in the first place? And where was this? ¡­He felt like he was in a strange world. ¡°-Damn it.¡± He cursed, but there was nothing he could do about it. This place was a Magical Girl¡¯s boundary, separated from the outside world of all kinds. As long as the barrier was not lifted, Tsugumi would not be able to escape the combat zone. If he hadn¡¯t been injured, he could have escaped from the center of the battle, but he was unlucky enough to be attacked by a Demonic Beast, and in the aftermath, a piece of a broken building stuck in his leg and the side of his body, leaving him in this mess. The body gradually loses its strength, and he crawled on the ground and collapsed. Little by little, he found that the scenery in front of him turned hazy. ¨CHe wondered in a daze if he would ever make it. With dozens of random Demonic Beasts appearing in a day, it was not unusual for a Magical Girl that couldn¡¯t be rescued in time to be injured by a low-grade Demonic Beast. Let¡¯s put it this way, it¡¯s not so different from the number of serious injuries that occur in traffic accidents. In Tsugumi¡¯s case, it may be a rare situation, but the result would not change. ¡­Now that I think about it, I think I¡¯ve lived a short, but moderately spectacular life. ¨CNanase Tsugumi had no memory of being older than seven years old. The oldest memory was the sight of his sister covered in black soot pulling his hand and running through the sea of flames. A catastrophe caused by a special A-class Demonic Beast that occurred ten years ago. One of the few survivors of the disaster that destroyed one city was Tsugumi and his sister Chidori. Neither Tsugumi nor Chidori remembered anything about themselves, but they knew clearly that they were a family. The two were taken over by an old man in a shelter, and they had lived together so far. ¨CWhat would Chidori think if he died? Will she be sad? Or will she be happy that the troublesome younger brother is gone?¡­ He laughed bitterly. ¡°-Well, I can¡¯t die.¡± ¨CBecause if Tsugumi died, Chidori would be alone this time. She¡¯d spend her time crying alone in a large house. That would be too sad. And if he died like this, Chidori would surely find out the cause. The thought of her becoming a Magical Girl sent a shiver down his spine. Fighting would never suit that kind sister of his. ¨CBut what should I do? How can I survive in this worst situation? From the sounds of battle coming from above, the battle between the Magical Girl and the Demonic Beast was far from over. Tsugumi would probably run out of energy before the battle was over, or got caught in the collapse of the surrounding buildings. He crawled his way to the ground. He felt nauseous about his own helplessness. But I still can¡¯t die. I can¡¯t die Because I haven¡¯t been able to repay my sister yet! ¨CTen years ago, when Tsugumi was crying in the burning city, she pulled his hand and ran desperately. She should have been scared herself, but she smiled at him encouragingly without showing the slightest sign of being scared. He thought that kind strength and kindness were more precious than anything else. She had been there for him through the hardest times, through the most painful times. But he had yet to give anything back to Chidori. If he died like this, he would regret it forever. He didn¡¯t want that. With this ego-like feeling in his heart, he said in a voice that sounded as if he was trying to squeeze out a word. I¡¯m going to live. ¨CI¡¯m not going to die in this incomprehensible place. He forced his weak body to sit up and tried to stand up on shaky legs. His uniform, which had absorbed blood strongly, was too heavy for him. The ground Tsugumi standing on was already covered in blood. But he still found himself alive ?????. The situation was bad enough, and he never knew when he might be caught in the aftermath of another battle. Even though it was like that, Tsugumi smiled. It was an expression that showed he would not give up at all. -There was a black shadow staring at Tsugumi who started walking with the full-blown wound. The black shadow shook his lustrous tail once, as if he had seen something interesting. ¡°¨CThat¡¯s why humans are stupid.¡± But that¡¯s part of the fun, isn¡¯t it? With these words, the black shadow slowly began to move toward Tsugumi. CH 4 Something Called Hagakure Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani -If I just stand still here, I will die in the battle. He put his hands on the battered walls and walked toward a place where he could escape from any damage. The hazy visibility made it difficult to see obstacles here and there. The intense pain running through his body was gradually turning into a dull ache. Perhaps his senses were becoming numb. Tsugumi inevitably kept walking. When the sounds of battle became more or less distant, he rolled into an alleyway to avoid detection by the enemy. He couldn¡¯t stop shaking. Then he laughed, as if making fun of himself. ¡­He couldn¡¯t take one more step. But he could get away from the center of the battle better than before. He could only crouch here and wait for the fight to end. It wasn¡¯t a good battle, but he still had no choice but to continue to endure. ¨CBut no matter how hard he tried to push himself, the calm part of his mind knew that his body would not be able to hold out much longer. His eyes were slowly turning red. For some reason, his heart was burning. He let out a blood-curdling cough and closed his eyes. Behind his eyelids, a red light was fluttering. He felt like he was going to fall asleep if he wasn¡¯t careful. ¡­It¡¯s so frustrating, isn¡¯t it? In a voice almost like an exhale, he muttered. He didn¡¯t want to die. But he didn¡¯t know what to do anymore. The only place where guts could do anything was in comic books. If wounds could be healed only by one¡¯s will, there would be no such thing as doctors in this world. He opened his eyes. The blood dripping on his limbs looked like red strings. If there was a grim reaper with a sense of humor in the room, he might say something like, ¡°Your fate of death is entangled with you.¡± He could have said that in his mind, but he had lost the energy to actually say it out loud. Even moving a finger was too much of a chore. ¨CIf he wanted to change his fate, he would have to ask for a miracle. Yes, a miracle from God. Thinking about it, he smiled dryly. ¨CMiracles don¡¯t happen very often. Even if he was a talented and wonderful person, Tsugumi was mediocre. God couldn¡¯t bother to help such an insignificant existence. Reaching out to such a dying human was probably the devil or something that tried to exploit his weaknesses. ¡­But he¡¯d be glad if he met a devil. It didn¡¯t matter what kind of guy he¡¯d become if he could live here now. Tsugumi certainly thought so. So this encounter-It can¡¯t be called a miracle. However, it must have been fate. ¡°Hey, kid. Do you want to be saved?¡± Suddenly, such words came into his ears. A black shadow fell before his eyes. Tsugumi looked up and saw a black cat. The black cat looked at him with its golden eyes and repeated the words again. ¡°Do you want to survive? Or do you want to die like this? ¨CI¡¯ll help you out, depending on your answer,¡± said the black cat with a laugh. There was an irresistible charm in its words. A strange sensation, as if a mixture of holiness that made you want to cling to it at any moment and disgust that made you want to turn your face away. And yet, there¡¯s something about it that was somehow alluring. ¨CThis must be what they called ¡°the deal with the devil¡±. ¡­He knew clearly that this black cat wasn¡¯t a decent thing. The barrier created by God Amaterasu was by no means all-powerful. Tsugumi¡¯s current situation was a good example. Barriers sometimes even missed bad things. ¨CBut what does it matter? Even if the being in front of him was a demon, what did it matter? If he only had to suffer because of an unreasonable contract, so be it. That seemed much better than dying here without anyone knowing. With hands stained with blackened blood, he grabbed the black cat¡¯s paw. He couldn¡¯t even speak properly anymore. ¨CSo, Tsugumi nodded in affirmation. The black cat saw this and laughed. The way the corners of its mouth turned up in a grin was not a movement that a cat¡¯s skeleton would be capable of. The black cat gently put its face close to the Tsugumi¡¯s ear and said amusedly. ¡°I see????.¡± ¨CAnd then the black cat stuck its fangs into his throat. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡°Tsugumi! Do you catch a cold?¡± ¡°Whoa!¡± The loud voice suddenly heard in his ear made Tsugumi involuntarily let out a shriek. His heart was pulsing abnormally due to waking up suddenly. He looked around with surprise. He thought he was lying in the rubble, but now he saw something very familiar ¨C or rather, he was on the doorstep of his house. ¡­No, not only the rubble but the shredded body scratches were also gone. He tried touching his legs, but he couldn¡¯t find any abnormalities. ¨CI was so scared, I thought I was dreaming. Staring anxiously at his behavior, Chidori opened her mouth. ¡°I had to take a break from club activities and come home early because I got a call from Tenri-kun. I thought my heart was going to stop¡­ Hey, are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Saying this, Chidori peeked into Tsugumi¡¯s face with concern. In her eyes, he could see a hint of anxiety. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I was feeling kind of spaced out¡­ Did I catch a cold after all?¡± Chidori gently brushed back his bangs and laid her forehead against his. The warmth of human skin was gradually transmitted from her forehead. But with Chidori¡¯s pretty face at such close range, he felt very uncomfortable. He felt like he was doing something forbidden. Chidori, who had no way of knowing the complexity of Tsugumi¡¯s feelings, let go of his forehead and exhaled in relief. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear you don¡¯t have a fever. But just to be safe, I think you should take a day off. I¡¯ll make you some porridge later.¡± ¡°Sorry for making you worry¡­¡± Seeing Chidori¡¯s smiling face, he suddenly felt the strength leave his body. Oh, thank goodness. She can smile again today ¨C really, I¡¯m glad. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chidori. I¡¯m feeling sleepy, so don¡¯t worry about dinner. I¡¯ll make something proper tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yeah? Let me know if you need anything. Really, Tsugumi is so reckless.¡± Tsugumi laughed and said not to worry, and went back to his room. He slammed the door shut and sat down against the wall. His head ached terribly. He managed to wake up from his foggy thoughts. ¨Cbut no matter how you think about it, it¡¯s too crazy ??????. Seeing the school uniform without any scratches or fraying, Tsugumi frowned. He couldn¡¯t say it well, but the injury was certainly real. He thought he would die. However, when he turned over his clothes and looked at his body, he couldn¡¯t find any scratches or pain. If it was a dream, then there was a contradiction. Inexplicably, he had no recollection of ever returning home from the station on his own. How long had this been a dream, and how real was it? Perhaps this very moment was a dream at the moment of death. I don¡¯t know, even after thinking about¡­ Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go to the hospital for a checkup. I wonder what that cat was all about. He muttered to himself. It was too intense of an event to be dismissed as a dream. With something that didn¡¯t quite add up, Tsugumi got up and plopped down on the bed with a start. If it was a dream, it was probably better to let it end as a dream. He was alive and well. That fact was all that mattered. That¡¯s why he should say this. ¨CI am glad it was all just a dream. When he closed his eyes, he heard someone¡¯s voice overhead. ¡°It¡¯s not a dream, you idiot!¡± He reflexively raised his upper body. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Why are you looking at me like a fool? Your Lord is showing himself to you like this. You should prostrate in front of me.¡± A black cat with four thin wings like a dragonfly on its back said as it floated in front of Tsugumi in a fluffy manner. Tsugumi stared at the strange creature with his mouth wide open, as he had no idea what was going on. ¡°Are you¡­?¡± ¡°I told you, I¡¯m your Lord!¡± The black cat yelped angrily and slapped Tsugumi vigorously with its puffy, pawed paws. ¡°Guh?!¡± Despite its fancy appearance, the attack was powerful. Tsugumi fell off the bed from the force of the smack. His cheek was throbbing with a dull pain. ¡°Hmm, idiot. Did you finally feel like bowing?¡± -No, you just smacked me and dropped me. Tsugumi thought that in his heart, but he didn¡¯t say it out loud. It was a wise decision. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± He was confused by the current situation but managed to get it out of his mouth. ¡°What is it? You really don¡¯t remember anything? You are so incompetent. ¨COr are you pretending to have forgotten?¡± The black cat¡¯s merciless words silenced him. He couldn¡¯t think of the right words to reply. The first thing that came to mind was the dim memory of his own near-death experience. The pain of being split open. ¨CAnd those words that echoed through him like a savior. ¡°Do you want to be saved?¡± To these words, Tsugumi certainly nodded. Then this black cat¨C. With eyes filled with conviction, Tsugumi looked at the black cat. ¡°You saved me, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Ha, you finally remembered.¡± The black cat laughed sarcastically as it sat on the bed with a thud. ¡°I am God. I am the King. I am your Master. ¨CRejoice, my servant. You have been chosen as a toy to pass the time for me. You must dance as much as you can without breaking.¡± ¡°Toy? Dancing? What the hell do you want me to do?¡± The black cat¡¯s taunting words sent an inexpressible chill running up his spine. He knew this premonition all too well. Yes, just like when he was caught up in Yukitaka¡¯s evil scheme. ¡°You saved my life, but I don¡¯t want to commit a crime or anything like that. I don¡¯t want to do something that would cause trouble for others¡­ No, I know I¡¯m talking about convenience. If¡­ that doesn¡¯t sit well with you, you can return my wounds.¡± The black cat had saved his life, but he couldn¡¯t allow it to be prolonged harm. It¡¯s not that he wanted to die willingly, but he would rather die that way than cause trouble for Chidori. It would still be a mysterious death, but it would be a better choice than being killed because of a Magical Girl. But the reaction of the black cat was different from what Tsugumi imagined. ¡°Don¡¯t be a fool, boy. Do you think I¡¯m going to use a man of your stature to do my evil deeds?¡¡If I do that, my former subordinates would laugh at me!¡± ¨CIf you¡¯re going to do this, you would show that my corps are not great! God was angry in a direction that Tsugumi didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Well, I mean, you wouldn¡¯t do something horrible to my family or force them to commit a criminal act?¡± ¡°Hmph, that¡¯s not the case. I have no interest in your people.¡± ¡°Then what the hell am I supposed to do?¡± There was only so much an ordinary human being could do. To be frank, he didn¡¯t think he could do anything that would satisfy this God. When Tsugumi asked this, God smiled, its beautiful golden eyes narrowing. And then it told him something extraordinary. ¡°In this playground country, they call toys Magical Girls, don¡¯t they? ¨CYou will be my Magical Girl. Besides, it would be foolish not to participate in such a fun event. I¡¯m going to enjoy myself to the fullest.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. A Magical Girl is¡­ I¡¯m a man, remember? I have neither the aptitude nor the right to do so. This is absurd!¡± ¡°Shut up. You don¡¯t have the veto power. When I tell you to do something, you do it. I don¡¯t want you to do anything else.¡± The black cat said in a voice that was imbued with intimidation. Under the weight of this pressure, Tsugumi involuntarily fell silent. ¡°But it¡¯s not my intention to be noticed by the Sun God. I¡¯m going to ask you to stay within the rules of this place and keep a low profile. Well, I¡¯ll treat you as if you were a common toy.¡± ¡°But like I said before, I¡¯m a man. I don¡¯t know the details, but there is no precedent for a man becoming a Magical Girl, and I¡¯m not the right vessel to accept God¡¯s power, am I? Besides, I think it would definitely stand out if a man became a Magical Girl.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You have the power to change your appearance when you transform, and I can do as much as I want with the vessel. ¨CI¡¯ve noticed since signing the contract that you have a higher penetration rate of divine power than most women. Have you been training among the priestesses?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± It¡¯s impossible, he supposed, but he couldn¡¯t be sure because he had no memory of his childhood. His past family register was burned during a catastrophe ten years ago and some of the data crashed, so there was no way for him to know his roots anymore. ¡°Well, tomorrow, you will transform and fight a Demonic Beast. Then, even if you don¡¯t like it, you¡¯ll see that there¡¯s no problem.¡± Although he was tempted to voice his disapproval, he was not granted the right of veto. Tsugumi swallowed what he wanted to say and nodded quietly. But even so, he still had questions. ¡°I¡¯m really grateful for your help, and if there¡¯s anything I can do for you, I¡¯ll do anything. ¨CBut why did you go to the trouble of choosing a guy? From the looks of it, you¡¯re probably one of God¡¯s higher beings, aren¡¯t you? You could have better girls.¡± Here in Japan, the main deity was Amaterasu ¨C in other words, a Goddess, so basically, those who could be used on the divine side were women. That¡¯s why there was a strong public perception that ¡®Gods prefer women¡¯. There was no need to go to the trouble of choosing a man like Tsugumi. However, the black cat¡¯s face contorted at the question as if he said something outrageous. ¡°Unlike the other Gods (Garbage Waste), I don¡¯t like women.¡± ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s okay to be like that.¡± Tsugumi replied, puzzled by the sudden outburst. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a few select government officials, but they¡¯re not much to talk about. They sneak up on me to get their own benefit. They hide their filthy nature behind their smiles. ¨CThey resemble religious people who are in league with the powerful, and it¡¯s repulsive,¡± it spat out. He wondered if it has some kind of major trauma to¡­ religious people. ¡°I know not all of them are like that¡­ There must have been plenty of girls all over Japan who want to be Magical Girls. Even if they¡¯re not the selected ones, I¡¯m sure some of them are pure at heart.¡± By that logic, Chidori, for example, would have plenty of scores to pass the test. No, he would firmly prevent Chidori from becoming a Magical Girl. When Tsugumi said that, the black cat looked as if it was chewing on a bitter bug. He was a little surprised to see that even with the appearance of a cat, it could make such a dexterous expression. ¡°Unfortunately, you can only sign up with a Magical Girl after you have reached the age of twelve¡­¡± ¡°¡­God might be a little girl.¡± When he tried to continue the words, the tail of a black cat swung down and smashed his face. It hurt soberly. ¡°Don¡¯t say such a disgusting thing, you fool¡­! I just have a low tolerance!¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¨CI wonder if that¡¯s something to be proud of? He was tempted to ask but managed to stifle it in his mind. The silence was golden. ¡°That¡¯s why I compromised with someone like you. You can thank me with tears in your eyes.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, thank you.¡± Did this mean that this God wanted to make a contract with a Magical Girl, but girls over the age of twelve were out of her strike zone, so she compromised with a dying Tsugumi whose weakness she could take advantage of? ¡­Either way, he couldn¡¯t escape God. Because the contract had already been made. The heart, not logic, was clearly aware of this. The black cat was his master. The black cat smiled and said to the silent Tsugumi. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to the future. Isn¡¯t that right, my miserable contractor?¡± ¡°But first, let me tell you something.¡± ¡°¡­I was thinking earlier that you are rude in your manner of speaking. Well, I am generous. It¡¯s a long-term relationship, and I¡¯m willing to forgive a few trifles with a big heart. So, what do you want?¡± ¡°What should I call you? God¡¯s eyes widened, and she tilted her little head. ¡°What? Haven¡¯t I told you yet? Yes¨Cyou can call me ¡®Bell¡¯ if you like.¡± ¡°Bell¡­¡± ¨CWas there ever a God or devil with such a name? At least Tsugumi had no recollection of it. ¡°Put a ¡°sama¡± on it, you fool. You lack the courtesy of a servant.¡± ¡°Well, I have a proper name, Tsugumi¡­¡± ¡°What about it? The casual reply depressed him a little. ¡°¨COh, by the way, I forgot to tell you. When I registered you as a Magical Girl, I was allowed to use a false name. I¡¯m not a government-collared stray, so I can be flexible about such things. This way, as long as no one sees you when you transform, no one will know you are a Magical Girl.¡± ¡°What kind of name is it?¡± What should he do if it was an embarrassing glittering name? It was a tense moment. ¡°¨CHagakure Sakura. Isn¡¯t it a good name, even for me?¡± Bell smiled smugly as she told him this, and Tsugumi nodded his head in agreement. ¡°Bushido is found in death. It¡¯s true that I died once, so it¡¯s probably just right for me.¡± Although often misunderstood by the public, a passage in a book called ¡°Hagakure Kikigaki,¡± an instruction manual for samurai spirit, said, ¡°Bushido means to die,¡± not to be determined to achieve a goal. What it really meant was that the best results were achieved by making decisions based on the mindset that one was already dead. He had not expected that she, who was probably a foreign God, had such a deep knowledge of Japan. As she was admired by Tsugumi, Bell tilted her head, as if she had no idea what was going on. ¡°I just thought it was cool.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hey, say something.¡± ¡°¡­No! That¡¯s the coolest name ever! Your sense of style is off the charts!¡± He raised his voice in a deceptive way and pretended it didn¡¯t happen. He was ashamed of himself for making a lecture with a smug look on his face. ¡°Oh, yes, of course! More praises!¡± As he praised God, he was relieved to hear that her heart was in the right place. It seemed that this God was not as bad as he had thought. ¡°Bell-sama.¡± ¡°What, servant.¡± ¡°I look forward to working with you from now on.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm. Good luck.¡± As usual, she was a pompous figure. But strangely, Tsugumi did not feel bad about it. ¨CThis is the beginning of everything, the encounter between Tsugumi and Bell. This is the story of one boy who was saved by God ????. And this is the story of a Magical Girl, Hagakure Sakura, who¡¯s eaten by the devil. CH 5 Unique Skills Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CThe next day, Tsugumi and Bell stood facing each other in the living room. The first thing they did was to try out the transformation before going to fight the Demonic Beast, because he insisted that they should try it out first. He told Chidori in advance that he would be absent from school and asked her to contact his teacher. He felt sorry for Suzune-sensei, who was worried about him, but today was not a very good day to be at school. Naturally, Tsugumi had to cancel his plans with Yukitaka, but he backed down easily, which was unusual for him. On the contrary, Yukitaka said he would go to the secondhand store to pick up the book for him. After all, that¡¯s what it meant to be a friend. ¨CBut how did Yukitaka know that I hadn¡¯t gone to pick up the book yet? Well, most likely he thought that Tsugumi had forgotten to pick up the book. The reason wasn¡¯t important because it was a big help. ¡°Now, what do you think?¡± ¡°What a great idea! ¡­Wow, even my voice has changed.¡± Then Tsugumi stroked his throat in a restless manner. It felt so different. He was wondering what was going on under his¡­ clothes, but with this feeling, everything must be transformed. -Yes, he had transformed into a woman¡¯s form. As for his height, he was probably a little under 170 cm. He was thinly fleshed and generally slender. He was surprised to see how easily his body could be reconfigured by simply thinking in his mind. He was amazed and awe-struck at the same time. Watching Tsugumi, Bell laughed with satisfaction. ¡°The contract I gave you was specially made by me. Any slight discomforts will soon disappear.¡± ¡°Even though it¡¯s such a small ring. God is ridiculous, after all.¡± A contracted trinket, was necessary to transform into a Magical Girl. Tsugumi was given a ring with a round green stone, with an unfamiliar crest engraved deep within the stone. The design somehow tickled the male heart. ¡°The dress is a black skirt and a stuffed collar jacket. Basically, it¡¯s similar to what I¡¯m wearing now. That¡¯s a little surprising.¡± It¡¯s as if the men¡¯s uniform he always wore has been transformed into women¡¯s clothing. As it was, it was too plain, and there was a danger of floating away. But even as he calmly thought about this, he couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed by the fact that he was wearing a knee-length skirt. It was so cold, he wondered why women like to wear such things. ¡°No, a Magical Girl¡¯s clothes are designed to change according to your imagination. The fact that your clothes haven¡¯t changed much is simply because you have a poor imagination.¡± ¡°So I have to think up all those sparkly outfits that the average Magical Girl wears? I¡¯m sorry¡­ but I don¡¯t think I can do it.¡± From so-called gothic lolita designs, to fashionable idol-like clothing, to ethnic costumes. He had assumed that the clothes would be changed to suit each person best, but he had no idea that they were all made by hand. ¡°I¡¯ll have the contracted equipment fixed by tomorrow. I¡¯ll make you dress as befits a contractor of mine.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What, you got a problem with me? ¡°No, yeah¡­ That¡¯s fine.¡± To be honest, he was dreading to see what the finished product would look like. If the whole thing was full of frills and stuff, he didn¡¯t know how he would react. However, considering the degree of perfection of this ring, he had a feeling that it would be of reasonable quality. Let¡¯s trust Bell here. Or rather, there was something more worrisome than that. ¡°I¡¯d like to take a look in the mirror. I¡¯m curious to see what I look like now.¡± After all, when it came to transformation, the best part was becoming a ridiculously beautiful girl. When Tsugumi said that, Belle let out a sigh of exasperation. ¡°Human people immediately care about their faces. It¡¯s just a piece of skin.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Let¡¯s see, the mirror is here¡± He looked into the mirror with a buoyant feeling. What was reflected there was¡­ ¡°This is me¡­? I mean, not much has changed, has it?¡± Tsugumi said, and looked at Belle in frustration. He had straight black hair that reached just below his shoulder blades, and lightly pigmented, dark brown eyes. If he had a younger sister who looked like him, she would probably have a face like this. Of course, there were differences between men and women in terms of sharpness and roundness, so she probably didn¡¯t look like the same person, but he felt very disappointed. ¡°I¡¯m sure someone I know would recognize this face¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you can pretend you don¡¯t know her. No one would normally think that you, a man, are a Magical Girl. ¨CIf they say anything, just tell them you might be a sister from another life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. Well, I don¡¯t know every face of all the Magical Girls either, and there¡¯s a lot of things I¡¯d rather not know.¡± He didn¡¯t know much about the Magical Girl industry, so he couldn¡¯t judge. But since Bell, who knew more about Magical Girls than Tsugumi, said so, he supposed it wasn¡¯t a problem. But it was a bad idea to set them up as brother and sister who have been separated from each other. It is a well-known fact that Chidori and Tsugumi had no memories of their past, so someone might try to bring them together. ¡°But you can¡¯t change your face. You don¡¯t have the capacity for transformation anymore.¡± ¡°¡­Then it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll just have to defend myself by wearing glasses in my normal form.¡± He couldn¡¯t complain anymore. By nature, Tsugumi had no right to lament or anything. He guessed he should consider himself lucky that he could still voice his opinion. ¡°By the way, is this state a ¡®Magical Girl¡¯? The feeling itself is not much different from usual.¡± ¡°Idiot. The function of strengthening by Magical Girl¡¯s conversion can only be used in the space of the other world. Don¡¯t you know that?¡± ¡°Is that so? I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing before.¡± When Tsugumi replied, Bell¡¯s brow furrowed with a grim look on her face. ¡°¡­I see. Is it kept secret to protect the Magical Girls? Because it can be handled in any way, such as a little girl who can¡¯t use her power as a Magical Girl.¡± ¡°But wouldn¡¯t that put your everyday life in jeopardy? I heard that as your name becomes more popular, there will be some bad chasing going on.¡± ¡°To prevent this from happening, Magical Girls are able to use two unique skills even before they transform. The problem is the organization¨Cforeign agents. Surrounded by a group of firearms, some of them may be helpless.¡± ¡°Foreign agents, huh? Japan has been closed to the outside world for a long time, but a limited number of people ¨C diplomats, for example ¨C can enter the country if they go through the proper procedures. Although they are not allowed to stay in Japan for more than a week by law, there is no guarantee that they will not commit abductions or other acts within that short period of time.¡± Japan was now attracting attention from all over the world. The magical nucleus of the ¡°Demonic Beast¡± was truly a blessing from God. It seemed that other countries were jealous of Japan¡¯s monopoly on it. ¡°I guess we just have to be careful. What is this unique skill¡­? I know this sounds like a game, but is there some sort of status indicator with parameters?¡± When he asked Bell about such things, she looked down at him with the utmost disdain. She also flew above Tsugumi¡¯s line of sight. Well, it was a fine trick. ¡°In the first place, the efficiency of the divine power, the acceptable range, and the techniques that can be used differ from person to person. The only thing that is quantified is the number of people who can use it. This is why the ignorants are so annoying.¡± Bell snickered, cowering her shoulders. Well, it was certainly bad for Tsugumi to get carried away and ask strange questions. It was rude to say to a Magical Girl fighting for her life that it was like a game. He must reflect on that. ¡°The only thing you have is this ¡®skill sheet¡¯. Hey, you might want to take a look.¡± With a mechanical whirr, something that looked like a thin, shiny A4 board appeared in Bell¡¯s hand. He took the board with trepidation. It had no weight at all, and he didn¡¯t feel like he was holding something. It seemed to be a touch panel and able to scroll down. Let¡¯s see. ¡°¡­That.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°According to our common sense, this kind of thing is called a status display.¡± Tsugumi squeezed out in a slightly lower voice. The remaining divine power in the form of a pie chart and the activation rate of the body were displayed. The skills he could use and their proficiency levels were indicated. There were columns for height, weight, number of Demonic Beasts defeated, and frequency of battles. No matter how you looked at it, it was a status display. What was that all-out denial earlier? ¡°I didn¡¯t say that there was no status display. I only said that there was no numerical value. There is no need to be so angry.¡± ¡°I may need to have a meeting with Bell-sama sometime in the near future to reach a mutual understanding.¡± In a telling tone, Tsugumi said. A disagreement like this would surely get them in trouble later on. And it would be him who suffered. ¡°According to the skill sheet, my unique skills are ¨C [Transportation] and [Thread]¡­?¡± He knew what Transportation was. It was the ability to move yourself or an object to an arbitrary location. It was also indicated as such in the skill introduction section. But what exactly was the effect of this [Thread] skill? The skill description only said that it ¡°creates and manipulates threads.¡± In addition to the unique skill, there was a column for a constantly activated passive skill and a column for an optionally activated active skill, but these were blacked out. These were probably only visible in the barrier area. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. That [Transport] is right on the money. According to my research, there are only a few people in the government who have this ability. From our point of view, it is convenient for us to be able to move around unnoticed. I praise you.¡± ¡°What is this [Thread] skill¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. The first skill is almost random, but I hear the second skill comes from personal characteristics. If you don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t know either.¡± Bell was the only one he could count on, but she was completely unreliable. What should he do? Skills that depended on Tsugumi¡¯s characteristics. Manipulating¡­ threads? To be honest, he didn¡¯t get it at all. ¡°¡­Who the hell came up with these ¡®unique skills¡¯ or ¡®skill sheets¡¯? It¡¯s easy to understand, but it just doesn¡¯t feel real somehow.¡± As Tsugumi thought earlier, this system was very close to the ¡°game system¡± that young people nowadays think of. He guessed from Bell¡¯s words, this system was common to Magical Girls. It was a little hard to imagine that such a rigid government would create something so playful. ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but it seems your Sun God Amaterasu created it as a hobby for her own comfort. I guess Amaterasu just made it this way to make it easier for light-headed people like you to understand. Also, I heard that the reason why the unique skills are now random and dependent on qualities is because the people who thought up and created their own techniques and arts were, as far as she was concerned, useless.¡± ¡°I see¡­?¡± Tsugumi honestly wanted to respect them, but he also felt like he was dancing in the palm of the government¡¯s hand, which makes him feel vulnerable. He was pretty sure those who destroyed themselves by creating skills misread their own limitations. Adolescents had a tendency to run off a bit that way, didn¡¯t they? He considered himself lucky that he was able to become a Magical Girl after some of the basic systems were in place. Tsugumi let out a sigh with slumped shoulders. I wonder if I will be able to survive in the future. It was a terribly depressing thought. CH 6 The First Battle Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani The battle by Magical Girls against the Demonic Beast was basically controlled by the government. Those who become Magical Girls through the government¡¯s selection process ¨C so-called auditions ¨C were assigned by the government to a specific location and shift, and then follow the navigator¡¯s instructions to defeat a Demonic Beast of strength suitable for them. ¨CIn the case of the Magical Girls who were not affiliated with the government, such as Tsugumi, how did they fight the Demonic Beasts? Bell answered his question. ¡°You know there are grades of Demonic Beasts, don¡¯t you? They are classified according to the amount of energy they contain, and are constructed in the present world by creating a dependent according to the amount of power they possess. Therefore, the time between the observation of energy and its appearance differs. Well, this much should be common knowledge.¡± ¡°Oh, I know that much. The predicted time of emergence changes depending on the grade, right?¡± There were a total of five grades of the strength of Demonic Beasts. From the top, there were grades A through E. The government had a machine, known as the ¡°Yatanokagami,¡± that predicted the appearance of Demonic Beasts, and the map reflected in the mirror allowed the government to determine the location and time of their appearance with a high degree of accuracy. Five hours for Class A. three hours for Class B. Two hours for Class C. One hour for class D. There was a time lag between the time of prediction and the appearance of the beast, which was enough time to evacuate the area. Magical Girls were also ranked according to the grade of the Demonic Beast, and basically, they were to take the name of the grade of the defeated Demonic Beast as it was. According to this list, the current Tsugumi, or rather Hagakure Sakura, would be in the F grade. ¡°For example, in class E, they take thirty minutes to appear. The government brings the closest Magical Girl to the scene during its first five minutes and sends them to the site. The system is not so different from the fire department.¡± ¡°Well, doesn¡¯t that mean that Magical Girls who aren¡¯t part of the government don¡¯t have a chance to get involved in exterminating Demonic Beasts? If you interrupt them badly, you might antagonize them.¡± ¡°There is a loophole. If you have the power of transportation, it¡¯s easy. In your case, you can go to the scene before the Magical Girl who will fight back are determined, that is, within five minutes of their predicted appearance, and declare to the government that you will respond to the situation. You will then automatically have the right to fight.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a problem. Other strays and highly motivated people in the government are all doing similar things. ¨CAnd think about it. In this country, there are close to a hundred Demonic Beasts a day. If there are those who move of their own volition, the more they are the better.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re absolutely right.¡± ¡°Besides, depending on the relationship between the Magical Girls¡¯ standby locations, there may be cases where the city is damaged because they are not able to cope with the situation in time. It may indeed be an advantage for the government to have Magical Girls on the government side ready to go into battle at any time, with Tsugumi and other Magical Girls in the field going into battle. There are approximately 30,000 cases of Demonic Beasts per year. In other words, in one day, between 100 and 60 Demonic Beasts will descend on Japan. If this were to happen every day, it would be very difficult to deal with them.¡± Thirty years ago, only a few cases per day could be confirmed, but over the next ten years, the number of cases gradually increased and settled at the current number. The number of occurrences had been about the same for the past 20 years, so it was unlikely that the number would increase any more than it was now. On the other hand, the total number of Magical Girls was about 3,000, or a little less than 3,000 as far as they knew. If all of them were to engage in about 10 battles per year, the quota would be met. ¨CThe problem here, however, was the rate at which Magical Girls retire and were killed in the line of duty. In one year, there were 500 people who die in the line of duty and 500 people who retired. More than 30% of the personnel were replaced every year. ¡­¡­ It was safe to say that being a Magical Girl was quite a demanding profession, contrary to its glorious social status and fancy name. It was frightening just to think that he was a part of it, but thinking about it too deeply gave him a headache, so he wouldn¡¯t worry about it too much. ¡°So, the enemy will be here in three minutes, I guess.¡± Tsugumi muttered. He was now standing in a forest on the outskirts of Kanto. According to Bell, a class-E Demonic Beast was scheduled to appear at this location. Incidentally, the contact with the government itself was completed by Bell in a matter of seconds. ¡°¡­ but I wonder if it would be okay. It¡¯s a thread manipulation skill. Should I sneak up and squeeze the other person¡¯s neck?¡± While they were waiting, they tried to see what the skill [Thread] could do, but roughly speaking, it could only be described as ¡®the ability to produce thread¡¯ as it was. A thin thread. A thick thread like a rope. Tsugumi was able to produce about any kind of thread he could imagine. It was possible to make it strong enough that a blade couldn¡¯t cut it. The only thing he didn¡¯t test was how far it could be stretched, but if it was thin enough, it could cover the entire forest. However, for some reason, the color of the thread was fixed at red, so it may not be suitable for surprise attacks. When Tsugumi complained anxiously, Bell looked at Tsugumi as if she was looking at a troublesome object and answered as if it was obvious. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re ready to use it. You¡¯ll naturally know how to use it when you get into battle. That¡¯s what a unique skill is all about.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± As he continued to walk along as if to cover up his anxiety, Tsugumi felt a heavy pressure like a tingling, tiny needle pricking him. Without thinking, he looked up. The sky was swirling. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s coming. Be ready.¡± He gulped and gasped for air. He was kind of swept along, but to be honest, he wasn¡¯t really prepared for it. ¨CBut I guess it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll figure out the details later. I¡¯ve always done that. I¡¯m sure this time, too, I¡¯ll figure it out. A black haze of mist gathered in front of him in a circular motion. Slowly, it became a sphere and split in two, emitting a poisonous atmosphere. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s big¡­¡± There it was, a boar that must have been three meters tall. It looked like an ordinary boar, except for its size and the silver color of its tusks. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, you idiot! ¨CActivate the barrier!¡± Bell kicked at Tsugumi, who involuntarily backed away from her due to the boar¡¯s power. She then raised her voice and announced the creation of a barrier. Normally, activating the barrier was the work of a Magical Girl, but since Tsugumi was a special case, Bell had been asked to perform some of the formulas on his behalf to prevent any problems from arising. With such a declaration, the barrier spread out like an umbrella, covering the entire forest. He thought he heard a click as if the gears were meshing in his head. This sensation must have been the signal that the barrier had been properly set up. Now, what should I do? ¨CJust as he was thinking that, the boar approached him at a tremendous speed. Too fast. ¡°Whoa, whoa, ah!¡± With an unintentional, uncool scream, Tsugumi reflexively leaped to the top of the tree. While running up to the thick trunk using the branches as a foothold, he caught his breath when he calmed down. The boar stomped its feet under the tree and looked up at Tsugumi with resentful eyes. ¡°¡­I have a lot to say about this, Magical Girls move so much when they¡¯re inside a barrier. They¡¯re like ninjas.¡± Moreover, his body moved before he could think. He was surprised at the potential of the Magical Girl¡¯s existence. As one would expect from a front-line presence protecting Japan, they were of a different caliber. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t run away! If my contractor does such a thing, it will lower my reputation!¡± With a flap of her bat wings, Bell came up next to Tsugumi and shouted angrily. ¡°No, no, this is a strategic evacuation¡­ Just to be safe, I¡¯d like to check my other skills while I¡¯m at it..¡± The excuse was a little forced, but it was important to check his skills. He wanted to make sure that the new items he could see now were also properly checked in advance. ¡°Here, hurry up.¡± He quickly followed the board handed to him checked it with his eyes. If he didn¡¯t hurry, he felt like the boar below him might do something wrong. ¡°Thank you, Bell-sama. Well¡­ hmm? This one only mentions the name of the skill?¡± [Optimize] and [Physical Enhancement] were in the column of always-activated passive skills. One step down, it just said [Control Technique]. No details were given. Perhaps the above two were skills that the Magical Girl was equipped with in advance. [Manipulation] skill below might be related to Tsugumi¡¯s unique skill, [Thread]. In the ¡°Optional Active Skills¡± column, there were descriptions of ¡°Invisibility/15 minutes¡± and ¡°Gluttony/after a battle¡± with simple explanations. He could understand the Invisibility, but what did Gluttony mean? As he twisted his head and thought about it, Bell called out. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s okay to keep checking the skills ¨CIt¡¯s coming.¡± Saying this, Bell dexterously squeezed his chin with a snap. With that, Tsugumi looked down to his left. The first thing he saw was a twinkling of light, and beyond that, he saw a boar clad in a silvery-white light. The boar was about to run toward the tree where Tsugumi held on, with a great deal of strength in its hind legs. ¡­This is not good. The moment he thought that, the boar¡¯s figure scuttled away from below him. Bekki-Bekki-Yee¨C! The tree trunks were crushed as if they had been greatly gouged out with a tremendous sound. Naturally, the trees were snapped off, and in the aftermath, the trees around them fell one after another, changing the landscape of the forest. ¡°I¡¯m really glad I have the [Transportation] skill.¡± Watching the destruction of nature from the treetops on the other side, Tsugumi muttered to himself. He made a hasty decision to move in just as the boar disappeared from sight, and it seemed he was right. In reality, actual E-class Demonic Beasts were strong. He¡¯d seen specials on TV and other media that show them as larger than a normal beast, but he didn¡¯t know that they could use such techniques. The boar was destroying the trees around it as if it were angry. It screamed. ¡°Bumoooooooooooooooooooooooo!¡± Perhaps it was looking for Tsugumi. While paying attention to the boar¡¯s movements, Tsugumi decided to try another of his unique skills. If he couldn¡¯t come up with a countermeasure, he¡¯d have to keep running until he couldn¡¯t transport anymore. If that happened, what awaited him was death. A sense of urgency was growing in his heart. He tried not to worry about it as much as possible, but the pressure from Bell beside him was also tremendous. He let out a small breath. ¨CIt¡¯s time to make up my mind. He created a thread in the palm of his hand, as if he was praying. At that moment, some information entered his mind. Threads, and the art of string manipulation. ¨C¡°I see, so this is what it¡¯s all about.¡± This must have been why Bell had said so many times, ¡°Use it and you¡¯ll understand.¡± He could pick up what he needed to do. ¡°Are you ready?. I¡¯m getting tired of this.¡± Bell said as if in a hurry. It might just be his imagination but she looked somewhat irritated. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay now. ¨CCome on, let¡¯s start fighting back.¡± Saying this, Tsugumi laughed, feeling invincible. CH 7 A Matter of Feelings Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CThe Demonic Beast was furious. Demonic Beasts didn¡¯t know right from wrong. There¡¯s only pure lust for destruction. A Demonic Beast that had landed on earth was, in other words, a terminal of a concept that existed in another world. By destroying things, harming people, and exhausting the land, the Demonic Beast gained its sustenance. After a certain amount of destructive activity, the Demonic Beast disappeared like a haze in order to return the energy it had gained to its main body in the other world. For a Demonic Beast, destruction is an act to satisfy its own greed ¨C like a meal, so to speak. The ¡°Magical Girl¡± who interfered with this was the first obstacle to be defeated. Besides, ¡°Magical Girls¡± were also a mass of high-density energy. Killing one of them was a much more efficient way to consume energy than killing a hundred ordinary humans. Either way, the priority of killing them was still high. The woman who fled up the tree ¨C the Magical Girl ¨C had yet to be found. No, it had found her. But every time it raided the place where she was hiding, her presence somehow disappeared¡­ So annoying. Low-grade Demonic Beasts were not very smart. They didn¡¯t have the resources allocated to intelligence. Hence, this boar beast was endlessly rushing at the tree where the woman was supposed to be. But that pointless attack would soon come to an end ¡ª Ah, I found it. The Demonic Beast had finally found the woman. Perhaps she stopped hiding and came out. The woman was standing comfortably on top of an overturned tree, pointing with her index finger as if she were trying to provoke it. The woman¡¯s steeple-colored eyes shot straight at the Demonic Beast. The beast knew that the woman was trying to do something to him. But the beast did not care about that. ¨CThe woman¡¯s hind legs were straining. At the same time, its entire body was filled with silvery-white light. The shockwave from the fighting spirit cloaked rush ¨C this was the only attack the Demonic Beast had, and it was a special attack. There¡¯s no strategy for a low-class Demonic Beast. It just killed with all its might. That¡¯s all. The woman did not run away. She just pointed at the beast, with her arm. And then the Demonic Beast started to run. Its huge body, shot out like a bullet exceeding the speed of sound, was like a cannon that destroyed everything it hit. No matter how magical the girl was, if this attack hit her directly, she would probably die. ¨CI got it! The moment the beast was convinced of this, the woman swung her arm down. ¨CThe vision blurred. At that moment, the beast somehow rolled to the ground and before it realized, it was looking up at the woman. It stood up and tried to attack, but its limbs would not move. Huh, why is that? The woman¡¯s face was contorted and she looked down at the Demonic Beast. Her expression looked as if she was in pain. Why would she make such a face when she herself was not even injured? The Demonic Beast had no idea. ¨CAh, but¡­ ¨CThe Demonic Beast thought in its foggy head. ¨CIt felt a little full. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô He didn¡¯t know why¡­ ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your face? You did a good job, didn¡¯t you?¡± Bell asked curiously. Tsugumi looked down at the limb-amputated Demonic Beast and, feeling bad about his attitude, clicked his tongue. ¡°Oh, I feel sick.¡± As he said this, he gripped his right hand tightly. In his hand, countless threads were entwined. The knowledge that skill brought to Tsugumi¨CThread¨Cwas a versatile force that used thread as a weapon, a means of attack, defense, and sometimes even a means of espionage. It may be inferior to Magical Girls with large-scale extermination skills such as fire and lightning, but it was still an excellent skill. First, he hid the threads with [Invisibility], and with a single action, a delicate movement of his fingers and a swing down of his arm with the threads entangled, he cut off the leg of the Demonic Beast that jumped forward like a bullet. Then, by instantly creating a wall of woven threads, he was able to catch the beast as it rushed forward. Bell felt that it was a satisfying spectacle. However, she was annoyed by the Tsugumi¡¯s dismissive attitude, and spat out a sarcastic remark. ¡°Sick? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re not good with blood. You¡¯re not even a real girl, you are so sensitive.¡± ¡°No, at least I¡¯m not a real girl, am I? ¡­It¡¯s not that, it¡¯s just a matter of ethics. I don¡¯t think I did anything wrong at all, but it¡¯s a creature like this¡­ It was the first time I killed an animal-shaped object, so I have some thoughts.¡± Tsugumi gently patted his own right hand. He could easily kill a living creature with such a single movement. That must be very frightening, depending on how you look at it. Well, it wasn¡¯t as serious as it sounded, since he could afford to talk about it lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can quit now. Your fate is in my hands ¨C don¡¯t forget that.¡± In a strong tone of voice, Bell said reproachfully. Even Bell would be annoyed if Tsugumi were to say, ¡°I¡¯m quitting,¡± right here and now. He knew how she felt. ¨CBut her fears were unfounded. ¡°I¡¯m not going to say I¡¯m quitting. What I don¡¯t like is that I didn¡¯t feel as much as I thought I would. I¡¯m just a little sickened by my own thin-skinned self. Oh, maybe this is the effect of that [Optimization] thing in your skillset?¡± Then Tsugumi tilted his head. If so, it¡¯s a pretty useful skill for a Magical Girl, he thought with a light heart. Under normal circumstances, a guilty conscience was a pretty ridiculous disadvantage. The best way to fight was to be cheerful and happy and enjoy the process of killing Demonic Beasts. However, although there was no way for him to know, the skill of [Optimization] was originally a skill of motion assistance and did not affect the mind. I don¡¯t feel anything. So¡­ I don¡¯t feel good. What an extravagant statement that would be. Hundreds of Magical Girls a year break their hearts and quit, and Tsugumi had no idea how rare of a talent it was. Most likely he wouldn¡¯t notice it unless someone pointed it out to him. ¡°¨CBut surely, at this rate, I¡¯m suited for it. Being a Magical Girl.¡± Then Tsugumi looked at Bell and smiled. There was no hint of sadness on his face. He had no choice but to continue as a Magical Girl. He already died once, and it would be a waste of his life to worry about every little thing. For Tsugumi, if he could continue to work without hesitation, there was nothing wrong with it. Seeing such a bright Tsugumi, Bell smiled with satisfaction. ¨CThis may have been a good pick-up. Thinking this way, Bell narrowed her eyes. If this man continued to be a useful toy for Bell, she would eventually grow attached to him. She was looking forward to that time. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to use the other skill, [Gluttony]. It says after the battle, so should I use it now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Why don¡¯t you try to declare it?¡± Gluttony, a term that felt quite familiar to Bell. But she had no intention of telling Tsugumi about it. It was an event that Bell wasn¡¯t very happy about. ¡°Hmm.-Then, activate the skill [Gluttony]!¡± As soon as Tsugumi said this out loud, the space around the Demonic Beast shook a little. Then, a number of large beast mouths appeared from the ground and bit into the remains of the Demonic Beast. The appearance of the beast was a bit gruesome, to be honest, even from Bell¡¯s point of view. She glanced at Tsugumi and saw that he was holding his mouth with his hand, revealing a very pale face. The first time she saw him, she thought he was a bit of a monster¡­ To be frank, he was more expressive now than he was when he defeated the beast. The beast¡¯s mouth chewed all but the core of the beast and its silvery-white fangs, and then disappeared into the ground, looking heartily satisfied. At the moment, she was not quite sure what kind of effect this skill had, but it must be that kind of skill because she felt that the strength of Tsugumi¡¯s vessel standing next to her had slightly increased. Tsugumi rubbed his belly anxiously and opened his mouth discreetly. ¡°Bell-sama, I might want to quit being a Magical Girl after all¡­¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°I know, right? ¡­Huh.¡± Then Tsugumi lowered his shoulders dejectedly. His black hair, which had been left untouched and unbound, fell out. Bell stared at his profile. She hadn¡¯t been paying close attention until now, but this one wasn¡¯t bad at all. ¨CThe way this Magical Girl defeats monsters with grace and cruelty will surely be a spectacle to behold. Thinking this, Bell smiled with satisfaction. CH 8 I Don''t Have Many Friends Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¡°There¡¯s a strange fullness to it¡­ It¡¯s pretty scary¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with that. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll feel much better.¡± ¡°I doubt that¡­¡± He let out a small exhale. That enormous mass was in this stomach¡­ He didn¡¯t think it was true, but he felt he just ingested some kind of energy. Wasn¡¯t eating a Demonic Beast really harmful to the human body? However, since Bell said ¡°No problem¡±, Tsugumi must believe that word. ¡°Then, should we come back? Because there is no use here any more.¡± Saying so, Bell released the barrier. The fallen trees changed their shapes like a mirage and returned to their original forms. The scene was so fantastic that Tsugumi couldn¡¯t help but let out an exclamation of admiration. A world of magic that until yesterday he had never even heard of. He knew it wasn¡¯t all that wonderful, but he still wanted to immerse himself in this dream world, just for now. That¡¯s how he felt. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡°¨CBut then again, Transportation is really convenient, isn¡¯t it? Being able to fly to any place you want is truly magic!¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s true for you humans. Originally, such a means of transportation could only be used by those of high rank or those with a special role to play. You should sob at your own good fortune to have this skill.¡± After coming home and untransformed, he thought he wanted to express his feelings about the Transportation skill, but Bell acted high and mighty in return. ¡°I am a little curious. If I didn¡¯t have the skill of Transportation, how was I going to get to the Demonic Beast?¡± That was a simple question. Without the special power of transport, it would be impossible to get to the area where the Demonic Beast would appear within five minutes. ¡°I had used my power to set up a transport gate in your room. However, it¡¯s not suitable for heavy use because of the cumbersome coordinate settings and the considerable risk involved.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the risk, by the way?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ To be more specific, your life span is reduced by about ten days per transport.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m glad my unique skill is Transportation. Really.¡± He felt like he¡¯d been told something plain and outrageous. What the hell did Bell think a person¡¯s life span is? But it¡¯s also true that the Tsugumi was lucky, just as Bell said. Just as he was thinking this, the doorbell rang. ¡°It¡¯s only three o¡¯clock.¡± After all, it was still afternoon class time. This is not something that Tsugumi who skipped school and was absent like this could worry about, but he wondered if Yukitaka¡¯s attendance was okay. Well, he didn¡¯t think his crafty friend would do anything that would cause him to drop credits. ¡°Bell-sama. I think my friend is here, so I¡¯m going out for a bit. I¡¯m going to¡­ uh, I hope you don¡¯t show your face if you can.¡± ¡°You idiot. Who would show their face in front of people? Get the hell out of here.¡± I thought I might be in a bit of trouble if your face is seen, was his comment, but she returned it like that. ¡ªCome to think of it, why is the high-mighty God bothered to get involved with people? I wonder if she¡¯ll surprise me again¡­ With these thoughts in mind, Tsugumi headed for the front door. He checked the other party on the monitor and open the door. There stood a person just as he had guessed. ¡°Hey there, Tsugumi-chan. You look well.¡± Yukitaka said, waving his right hand in a small gesture. ¡°¡­Well, sort of. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on with you too, this early in the day. Something wrong at school again?¡± ¡°No, I am just skipping today. Our classmates are all over the place, and it¡¯s very depressing.¡± Saying this, Yukitaka¡¯s mouth twitched in frustration. He must have been involved with his classmates in some strange way. It was certainly a hassle. ¡°This is the book you asked me to give you. ¨CIf you¡¯re not Tsugumi-chan, I wouldn¡¯t have forgiven you for breaking your promise and making me run errands for you. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been up to, but this debt is very, very expensive.¡± ¡°Ah, thank you. It really helped¡­ I¡¯ll make it up to you properly later.¡± Tsugumi knew Yukitaka would have noticed his temporary illness anyway, but Yukitaka often didn¡¯t ask at times like this, which he appreciated. He received the bag containing the book from Yukitaka and checked its contents. It was indeed the book that he had asked for. Taking a quick look at the contents, there were no noticeable stains or missing pages, so the quality was probably quite good. It was a good enough gift. But at the end of the book, he noticed something tucked in. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s this, an envelope?¡± Tucked away at the end of a page in the book was a neat little envelope with a gold border. What on earth could this be? When Tsugumi curiously took out the envelope, Yukitaka happily opened his mouth, looking as if he had successfully pulled off a prank. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a present from me for Tsugumi-chan. Why don¡¯t you open it?¡± ¡°Hmmm? What, a tour of hot springs? And for three days and two nights. Are you sure? I¡¯m getting something that looks so expensive.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I got that one, too, so it didn¡¯t really cost me anything.¡± The tour ticket read, ¡°Hakone Bus Tour, Luxurious Onsen Sightseeing Trip!¡± The departure date was in the latter half of December, three months from now on. It was right around the time the schools were on winter break. ¡°Wow, and it¡¯s a pair ticket. I can go with Chidori, right? Hey, this is¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yukitaka tilted his head with a puzzled look on his face. Gently holding out the ticket, Tsugumi pointed to a small sentence at the bottom. Yukitaka read it out loud. ¡°What is it? This is a pair of tickets for women only! We will check your ID on the day of the event, so please don¡¯t forget to bring it with you¡­ Uh, let¡¯s see, so this is for Chidori-chan! Have her go out and invite her friends!¡± Yukitaka laughed as if to deceive him. To be honest, it felt quite painful. ¡°No, I¡¯m not complaining at all, but how did Yukitaka get this¡­¡± What was the person who gave this women-only ticket to Yukitaka thinking? Tsugumi was a little worried that Yukitaka might be getting some roundabout harassment. ¡°No, I just got it from an acquaintance who said, ¡®I don¡¯t need it, so I¡¯ll give it to you¡¯. I only saw the part about the Hakone trip, but I didn¡¯t know there was a reason for that. I¡¯m sorry, okay?¡± Yukitaka bowed his head lightly in an uncharacteristically auspicious manner, perhaps feeling a little bad about Tsugumi. ¡°I¡¯m happy enough to celebrate with you. Thank you, Yukitaka. I¡¯ll tell Chidori to thank you properly later.¡± He laughed. Although not as bad as Yukitaka, he himself did not have many friends. Out of all of them, Yukitaka was probably the only one who would bother to come and celebrate. He complained about it sometimes, but Yukitaka was still an important friend of his. ¡°I see. Well then, give my regards to Chidori-chan. ¨CI¡¯m going to leave you guys alone today. I¡¯ve got someplace to be.¡± ¡°Thank you for everything you¡¯ve done for me. Take care. ¨CSee you next week at school.¡± ¡°Okay, bye.¡± With these words, Yukitaka left. As he watched Yukitaka¡¯s back fade into the distance, he let out a small breath. A smile naturally broke out on his face. ¨CToday was a good day. I¡¯m so glad I didn¡¯t die yesterday????????. Being alive was really wonderful. He strongly thought that it was because he experienced the edge of death once. Tsugumi carefully held the bag of the book in his chest and returned to the room where Bell was. ¡°I¡¯m back, Bell-sama.¡± ¡°Oh. What¡¯s with the look on your face? Loosen your sloppy cheeks.¡± As if she had seen something strange, Bell said that with a furrowed brow. ¡­Is it really strange? He didn¡¯t mean to have a terrible face. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I wonder if I can be free from tomorrow afternoon. I have an errand I can¡¯t pass up.¡± Bell promised to take this into consideration so that Tsugumi could lead a normal life. As for Tsugumi, he wanted to do as much as he could to accommodate Bell¡¯s wishes. It was the only way he could repay her. But tomorrow afternoon was a different story. He wanted to spend tomorrow as a family of Nanase Chidori, not as a servant of Bell. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We don¡¯t have to hunt monsters every day. But since you insist, it must be something important, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the birthday of me and my sister¨CChidori. Bell-sama probably thinks it¡¯s silly to have a ¡®birthday party¡¯ at my age, but my sister is the only family I have left. I want to do everything I can for her.¡± ¡°Birthday? Hmmm, I heard that people used to celebrate together at the beginning of the new year together, but now they celebrate individually. Hey, is your birthday tomorrow too?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it¡¯s supposed to be. My sister and I have a vague memory due to a disaster, so it may not be accurate. But the current family register says so, so it must be tomorrow. I think.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask that much. Can¡¯t you even reply properly?¡± The other party was a God, so it would be better to tell the truth properly. That¡¯s his explanation, but Bell did not seem to be that interested. Well, she usually didn¡¯t. ¡°Hmmm. But it is the duty of those who stand on top to take care of their contractors, isn¡¯t it? ¨CHey.¡± Bell put her chin in her hands thoughtfully, and then she called out to Tsugumi. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be free tomorrow afternoon. But you have to stay with me in the morning.¡± At these words, Tsugumi patted his chest. This was a relief for the time being. The only question was, what would he do in the morning? ¡°Then where are you planning to go?¡± When Tsugumi asked this, Bell grinned and told him. ¡°Well¨Cit¡¯s just a ¡®date¡¯.¡± CH 9 Dressing Up Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CThe next day, he woke up early in the morning and set out immediately. First, they went to a market in Hokkaido in the morning to eat crab, then south to Sendai to grill beef tongue, then to Yamanashi to swallow Shingen Mochi rice cakes like Wanko soba noodles, and then to Ehime to quench their thirst by buying a box of the famous Mikan juice. And finally, in Sasebo, Nagasaki, they would stuff their mouth with the hamburger they ordered while gazing out at the sea. ¨CIt was, without a doubt, a foodie¡¯s trip. It was also a waste of Transportation skill. Well, it wasn¡¯t Tsugumi eating, but Bell. ¡°The hamburger is also a great dish. If the meat were a little bigger, it would be even better.¡± Bell dexterously held the hamburger bag, and with a snap, she broke the round of hamburger with great vigor. Within a few minutes, the burgers she had bought were gone in no time. ¡°¡­I really do eat a lot, don¡¯t I?¡± From Hokkaido in the north to Nagasaki in the south. He had not expected to travel such a large distance. The trip took about five hours, but it was too intense. The main eating was done by Bell, while Tsugumi did chores such as shelling crabs and grilling meat, so he only ate about one meal in total. When he first went to the seafood market and was ordered to buy a pile of boiled crabs, he really didn¡¯t know what to do. He was terrified that he might pay for all of it, but thanks to a wad of bills that Bell pulled out of nowhere, the problem of payment was solved. At this time, he was impressed that God also had money. ¡°I was overthinking because you suddenly said it was a ¡®date¡¯, but turns out it¡¯s just an escort mission. I was so nervous.¡± Tsugumi was wearing a short navy blue culotte skirt and a feminine blouse. He wore knee-length ribbon-like socks, short boots, and a bright sky-blue jacket over her top. The outfit somehow suited him, who transformed into a woman. Before he left, he wondered what would happen when he was given the outfit and told to put it on, but all he had to do were just chores. What on earth should he do with this indescribably delicate feeling? ¡°I can¡¯t believe you can¡¯t understand my little joke¡­ You really are a disappointment, aren¡¯t you?¡± Bell sighed, her shoulders cowering as she let out a sigh. God¡¯s jokes were too lofty for Tsugumi to understand, so please give him a break. ¡°If you don¡¯t want people to know that you are a Magical Girl, then you should learn to act more like a woman. ¡°So, that¡¯s what it¡¯s all about¡­¡± While today¡¯s main focus was certainly on Bell¡¯s foodie exploits, there was a proper meaning to this outing. ¡°¨CYou are so manly in your attitude, speech, and behavior,???? even when you transform. If anyone were to see you, they would be able to spot your gender in an instant.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware of that, but those things aren¡¯t easy to fix, are they? It¡¯s hard to do that unless you give me some time.¡± He could be somewhat careful with language, but he felt deeply uncomfortable using explicitly feminine language in Tsugumi¡¯s appearance. The most he could do right now was to be careful with how he walked and to change the way he said ¡°I¡± when he transformed. He didn¡¯t know how to fix it beyond that. ¡°First, stop sitting with your legs open. It¡¯s unsightly.¡± Bell said in a sharp voice to Tsugumi, who was sitting on the bench. He sighed as he sat on the bench with his knees together, looking annoyed. ¡°Girls are so troublesome.¡± ¡°Nonsense, this is just the beginning.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± Frankly, he wasn¡¯t sure what the future held in store¡­ ¨CHowever, considering the time when everything went wrong, he had to make an effort even if he didn¡¯t like it. In Japan, where it was a basic premise that men couldn¡¯t make a contract with Gods, only Tsugumi could use magic. He didn¡¯t know what kind of fuss it would be if someone knew about it, but he expected it wouldn¡¯t be fun. ¡°I was able to buy souvenirs, and I(ore)-no, I (watashi) enjoyed it a lot, but how about Bell-sama? But then again, I didn¡¯t know that God eats food, too.¡± And in such large quantities too. The amount of food Bell ate today, no matter how small the estimate, exceeded 20 kilograms. If she were to eat this amount of food every day, the money coefficient would be in danger. ¡°Originally, We don¡¯t need food. After all, this body is like a spirit of its own. Eating is just a hobby¡­ But once I start eating, I can¡¯t stop myself. If it weren¡¯t for that, I¡¯d enjoy it a lot more.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that, so you weren¡¯t hungry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case. ¨CWell, let¡¯s talk about something else.¡± ¡°Un, that¡¯s right.¡± While breaking off the conversation, Tsugumi pondered. ¨CBell¡¯s words made it pretty clear. He was sure that that [Gluttony] skill was derived from Bell¡¯s divinity. He could almost guess what kind of anecdotes Bell had about her divinity. But that¡¯s something that shouldn¡¯t be mentioned ??????????. It¡¯s a little wrong to say she was hiding it, but it was obvious from her attitude that she didn¡¯t want to talk about it. He had enough sense not to mention it. ¡°Ah, I forgot to mention that I still have the money in my pocket. I didn¡¯t pay any particular attention to the amount I spent, but was it all right?¡± With that, Tsugumi held out the money in an envelope toward Bell. The wad of bills she had given him in the morning was already half as thick as it had been. The rest should be about three hundred thousand. Incidentally, the biggest expense in today¡¯s lineup was for crabs. Bell took one look at the envelope and shook her head in disinterest. ¡°No, I want you to keep it. ¨CSince it¡¯s a reward for you in the first place¡± ¡°¡­Hm? What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a reward for defeating the Demonic Beast yesterday. It comes from the government. Didn¡¯t you know that?¡± ¨CTo be honest. I had no idea. He might have heard about it, but he had never heard of anything related to Magical Girls until now. It couldn¡¯t be helped that he didn¡¯t remember. For Tsugumi, his work as a Magical Girl was a way of repaying Bell, so he didn¡¯t care if there was a reward or not, but now that he found out, he was a little concerned about the amount of money. ¡°By the way, how much do you get for the E class?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden interest? It¡¯s creepy. ¨CWell, if you are a Magical Girl in the field, you will be paid 70% of the original reward of one million yen, or 700,000 yen.¡± ¡°Seven hundred thousand! I can get that much!?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not much, no matter how you look at it¡­ It¡¯s a small amount of money after fighting for your life with a chip on your shoulder. How dare other Magical Girls think of fighting for such a sum of money? You¡¯ll blow it in no time after a day of eating and walking.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to say something so discouraging¡­¡± This God really didn¡¯t understand anything about the human heart. But maybe celebrity people and others had a thought process like this? ¡°Five million for the D class. Ten million for the C class. The amount of money increases when you get to the B level, but the difficulty level also increases. Right now, I don¡¯t have to worry about it. It¡¯s like a dream, even if it isn¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m going to hunt low grades for a while and try to figure out my skills. I don¡¯t want to die.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. ¨CI promise you that I will not use you up in vain. Some Gods will turn a contractor they don¡¯t like into a high-ranked Demonic Beast. Compared to them, you are a lucky man.¡± ¡°I guess there¡¯s a lot going on in the world of Magical Girls¡­ Frankly, I don¡¯t want to know too much about it.¡± It seemed that Magical Girls had a darker inner working than Tsugumi first assumed. He wondered if the dreaming girls of the world have a proper grasp of this fact. Perhaps the government was restricting information in order to keep the population of Magical Girls from decreasing. It was a frightening story. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. By the way, I forgot to tell you.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯d like you to stop with the sudden bombshells if possible.¡± A startled Tsugumi shook his shoulder. This God had a tendency to tell things that were important to him as if they were unimportant. He was expecting to hear something outrageous again, but what he heard next was unexpected. ¡°The clothes look great on you. It was worth the choice.¡± He was told in a gentle voice. He digested the meaning of the words carefully. The clothes looked good on him. In other words, it was praise. For who? Tsugumi? This outfit? ¨CThat¡¯s, um, huh? I¡¯m feeling a little happy¡­? ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t have to look so bitter. I didn¡¯t say anything strange.¡± ¡°No. Uh¡­ I¡¯d like you to leave it alone for now.¡± Bell looked dissatisfied. But Tsugumi was having none of it. This was a matter of dignity. ¨CWhat kind of man would be happy to be told that he looks good in women¡¯s clothing? No matter how much of a woman¡¯s body he had now, wasn¡¯t this dipping a toe into abnormal sexuality? No, he should think about it calmly. An actor in the female form would surely be pleased to be praised as beautiful. Tsugumi¡¯s transformation should be no different. That must be it. As a result of various thoughts, Tsugumi decided to accept that he was just a ¡°lost cause¡±. Well, if his hormonal balance changed when he became a woman, he might feel that way. In other words, Tsugumi was normal. There was nothing wrong with that. Bell sniffed as she looked at Tsugumi who was convinced by himself. ¡°I don¡¯t understand the action of human beings. Since I have praised you, you should be more than happy. You impudent bastard.¡± ¡°I have nothing to say in return¡­¡± Tsugumi returned the sarcastic digs in his usual tone. ¨CAs I thought, it¡¯s better to be treated like a downgrade. ¡ªAlthough such things happened, The holiday for one person and one God had passed. CH 10 A small clink of glasses was made to imitate a toast. It felt a little awkward because the content was just orange juice. ¡°Then again¡­ ¨CHappy birthday, Chidori!¡± ¡°Happy seventeenth birthday to you too, Tsugumi. Fufu, I am kind of embarrassed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s nice to celebrate like this once a year.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. ¨CThen, let¡¯s have supper.¡± With that said, Shizuku and Chidori smiled at each other. Various things happened, but being able to laugh with Chidori this way was the happiest thing for him. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve eaten crab. Wasn¡¯t it expensive?¡± ¡°It was on sale and cheap. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not over our budget.¡± After returning from what seemed to be a date with Bell, Tsugumi cooked more elaborate dishes with Chidori, who returned from club activities. She was surprised by the souvenirs he took out but managed to be convinced when he told her he bought them at a department store in the station building. It was a bit of a close call. ¡°The disaster of ten years ago seemed so long ago now.¡± Chidori suddenly muttered. ¨CTen years ago, an unprecedented biological disaster, caused by a Demonic Beast that is said to be beyond the level of Class A, resulted in the disappearance of an entire city. On that day, when a city with a population of 30,000 people was instantly reduced to rubble, Tsugumi and Chidori lost everything but each other. They lost their memories, could not remember where they lived, their parents or relatives, and the only thing they could remember were their first names. ¨CBut he could still remember that day when they ran through the sea of fire together as if it were yesterday. That was Tsugumi¡¯s earliest memory. ¡°Ten years went by so fast. When I was a kid, I used to wonder every day what would happen to me, but now I¡¯m doing okay, and that¡¯s good. I still dread to think what would have happened if Jiisama hadn¡¯t taken us in.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We have to thank Yozuru-jiisama for taking care of us.¡± Yozuru was an elderly man of extraordinary wealth who took in Tsugumi ten years ago and adopted them. The old man had lost all of his blood relatives during the turmoil thirty years earlier and still lived in seclusion in the mountains, but they met in the shelter ten years ago and on a whim, he took them in. He gave them a house to live in and even paid their living expenses and school fees. At first, Tsugumi was a bit skeptical of his generosity, but now he¡¯d gotten used to it and was grateful for his goodwill. ¡°I¡¯d like to repay him someday, but I wonder if he will let me¡­ That person doesn¡¯t seem to have any money problems, and he hates people, so he won¡¯t let me take care of him, will he? Sometimes when I see him, he leaves after a few minutes, and I¡¯m sure he doesn¡¯t hate me, but he¡¯s a little difficult, so I don¡¯t know what to do with him¡­¡± Chidori let out a sigh with a pensive look on her face. Yozuru went to see them once a year at this house, but they were basically not allowed to go see him from here. In the first place, Tsugumi didn¡¯t even know where Yozuru lived. The distance between them was a little too big to be called ¡°family¡±. Both physically and mentally. He really was a mysterious person. ¡°Come to think of it, do you remember your old memories?¡± ¡°¡­Why do you ask that?¡± Tsugumi only asked the question vaguely, but for some reason, Chidori asked back in a slightly stilted voice. The unexpected response made him a little confused. ¡°No, it¡¯s just a feeling I have. It¡¯s been ten years, and it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if we remembered some things, would it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t remember anything. Do you remember anything, Tsugumi?¡± Chidori asked with a serious look on her face. Tsugumi was a bit annoyed by this, but opened his mouth. ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything in particular, either. I¡¯m sorry¡­ Did I perhaps remind you of something you don¡¯t like?¡± Perhaps Chidori had a different view of the past than Tsugumi. While he himself didn¡¯t care about his parents or his memories of the past, Chidori was kind and probably feel guilty about not being able to remember them. A family was supposed to be very important. Just as Chidori was to Tsugumi, she probably cared about her parents, whom they couldn¡¯t remember. ¡°No, I¡¯m just a little sentimental. ¨CYes, let¡¯s get back on track and exchange gifts, shall we? You made sure you got me one, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Oh, um. Of course.¡± Chidori cut off with a cheerful voice. It made him wonder, but maybe she just didn¡¯t want to talk about something so dark. Thinking this, Tsugumi reflected on the strange subject he had broached. It probably wasn¡¯t the right conversation to have on a day of celebration. ¡°Here¡¯s one from me. A notebook and an alarm clock. You know how often you¡¯re late and forget things, don¡¯t you? Use this to take care of yourself from now on, okay?¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯ll do my best¡­ But thank you. I¡¯ll use it carefully.¡± His alarm broke just the other day, so the timing was perfect. The notebook would surely help him keep track of his schedule as a Magical Girl from now on. With this in mind, first of all, he presented the ticket that Yukitaka had given him in front of Chidori. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°A gift from Yukitaka. It¡¯s a ticket for a women-only trip to a hot spring, so you should invite a friend to go with you. ¨CHere¡¯s one from me. Try opening it.¡± Saying this, Tsugumi took out a beautifully wrapped box. It was a masterpiece that he had worked so hard on yesterday while being ridiculed by Bell as ¡°bad shit¡±. He knew the wrapping would be ripped off soon, but if she was pleased with it, that would be fine. ¡°Onsen trip! I wonder if it¡¯s ok to get something so expensive¡­ As for Tsugumi, oh my, it¡¯s kind of cute.¡± With dexterous hands, Chidori peeled off the wrapping paper without tearing it. Her eyes widened when she saw what was inside. ¡°Andersen¡¯s fairy tales collection¡­ It¡¯s in Danish, too, isn¡¯t it? I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m getting a text that¡¯s as close to the original as I can get!¡± Chidori gazed at the book with sparkling eyes. ¨CDuring the turmoil and disasters of 30 years ago, most of the libraries and other facilities were burnt to the ground and disappeared. There might still be some books left in the national collection, but they were not something that ordinary citizens could look at easily. In addition, the Japanese people¡¯s impression of foreign countries was at its worst due to the country¡¯s isolation. Books written in foreign languages, not to mention books burned in Japan, were rare and hard to come by. That¡¯s why it wasn¡¯t easy to collect foreign books. With trembling hands, Chidori hugged the book tightly. If she was that happy, all the hard work was worth it. ¡°I¡¯m glad you liked it.¡± Involuntarily, the words stopped. ¨CIn front of his eyes, Chidori was crying with ragged tears???? ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t have to cry about anything. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a first edition original book, and the value itself isn¡¯t that great, you know?¡± Tsugumi was upset and gently offered a tissue. He hadn¡¯t seen Chidori cry in years. It would be strange not to be upset. ¡°No. I¡¯m just happy that Tsugumi remembers what I like¡­ Thank you so much.¡± And Chidori laughed beautifully while crying. ¨CThat face overlapped with someone else¡¯s. He had a feeling that someone had laughed like this before. But now he didn¡¯t care about that. ¡°I am glad you¡¯re happy. I¡¯ll put away the dishes, so go cool your eyes. It wouldn¡¯t do you any good if it swelled up, would it?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. I¡¯m sorry, I cried like a child. Is it okay if I go back to my room first? I still can¡¯t stop crying¡­¡± I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s embarrassing, isn¡¯t it? Chidori wiped her tears. It didn¡¯t bother him, but even though they were siblings, Chidori wouldn¡¯t like to be seen crying forever. Thinking so, he sent her on her way. ¨COh, I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re happy. Thinking so, Tsugumi laughed with satisfaction. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Chidori closed the door behind her and covered her face with her hands. A drop of clear water trickled from between her fingers. ¨CI am so happy. I am very, very happy. That made Chidori feel??????????bitter. Chidori sometimes wondered if she should be living so happily. Living with her younger brother Tsugumi, cuddling up to him. It was so sweet ¨C and yet so sinful¡­ She stood up unsteadily and opened a drawer in her desk. There was a small wooden photo frame. She took out the picture and gently stroked the surface of the picture. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Then Chidori said with a sorrowful expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¨CSakura-oneechan????????.¡± Tears soaked into her hands. ¨CThe picture showed two people. One of them was a young Tsugumi, about five years old, and the other was a middle-school girl with a face similar to that of Tsugumi, smiling as they snuggle up together. On the back of the photo was written. ¡°With my beloved brother, Tsugumi. Sakura.¡± ¨CTsugumi didn¡¯t know. ¨CHe didn¡¯t know anything. CH 11 Our Daily Life Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CHe had a dream-a strange, strange dream. In the dream, Tsugumi was about the size of a kindergartener and was dressed in a kind of white Japanese-style costume. He was silently sitting upright on a pedestal in the middle of a square room. In the white-toned room, roaring torches surrounding the four sides of the room were burning. But strangely, he did not feel any heat. In front of Tsugumi, various adults were bowing their heads as if in a state of prostration. They seemed to be saying something in their mouths, but he couldn¡¯t quite understand what they were saying. ¨CWhat is going on here? Just as he began to wonder, he heard a voice behind him. He quickly tried to turn around, but for some reason, his body wouldn¡¯t move. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± It was a voice like the ringing of a bell¡­ but somehow nostalgic. ¡°Tsugumi, I will definitely save you.¡± Saying this, the person behind him gently embraced Tsugumi. The arms were white like a corpse, but the petal-like bruises that littered their right hand were impressive. ¡°¨CBelieve in your sister¡± Their voice was so gentle that he couldn¡¯t help but squint with comfort¡­ And yet. But you¡¯re not a stranger??????are you? ¨CThere, he woke up. Tsugumi shook his drowsy, fuzzy head and looked at the clock. It was right before the alarm went off, and he felt like he had lost a little. Ah, it hadn¡¯t been a good morning. ¡°¡­I have to go to school.¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô Fully awake, Tsugumi recalled yesterday¡¯s events as he prepared to go to school. The event of his birthday had gone off without a hitch, and on Sunday, the last day of the weekend, he went away and tried to figure out his skills and so on. There were a few things he learned. The first was the operability of the [Thread]. He asked Bell to create a pseudo-barrier to check, and within the barrier, it was possible to manipulate the threads according to his will within a radius of about a hundred meters. However, outside of the barrier, the operability was significantly reduced, and the string could only be manipulated properly at a distance of 10 meters. He didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be using his abilities outside of the barriers, so that shouldn¡¯t be a problem. The other main method of attack was cutting with the frictional force by moving the thread, but this had an extremely short range of 10 meters inside the barrier, and less than one meter outside the barrier. ¡­He wasn¡¯t concerned about this, as he thought it could be extended with practice, but Bell seemed a little dissatisfied with it. He was going to work on that from now on, so he hoped she would forgive him. And as for the second skill, Transportation, although there was a slight difference in the rate of power consumption between inside and outside the barrier, he couldn¡¯t find anything that seemed to be a drawback. It¡¯s even possible to transport to a place where one had never been, and the consumption of power was low. It¡¯s the best skill, to put it mildly. If he had to pick a drawback, it would be that this transport skill only allowed Tsugumi to move alone. To be precise, Tsugumi couldn¡¯t move with other creatures. In other words, if he was with someone else, he couldn¡¯t use transport. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem when fighting the Demonic Beasts, but if he ran away with someone in the event of a disaster, he couldn¡¯t use this skill¡­ Well, he didn¡¯t care because such things rarely happened. But from a different point of view, living things and non-living objects could move together. Depending on how he used it, the range of strategies might expand. It¡¯s up to him to master it. I¡¯ll continue this discussion when I get back, he thought. I will be late if I don¡¯t leave for school soon. ¡°Well, then, Bell-sama. I¡¯m off to school now and I¡¯ll start my activities as a Magical Girl after school, is that right?¡± ¡°Ah. In some cases, I¡¯ll call during the day, but not frequently.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s great for me, but what does Bell-sama do in her spare time?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t assume that I am free. It¡¯s rude. Hmm¡­ It¡¯s the same as before I met you. I¡¯ll see other Magical Girls fighting in the barrier.¡± ¡°¡­Is it something possible to see? If so, wasn¡¯t the last conversation quite awkward?¡± That was a surprise to Tsugumi. There was a possibility that someone was watching him fight the other day. He didn¡¯t remember the details of the conversation, but he was beginning to worry a little. Then again, maybe he should have been more careful about what he said and did. When Tsugumi asked that, Bell shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s good to be careful, but basically no one can hear any other voice in the barrier because of the noise. Some may be able to read your lips, but that¡¯s a very small percentage. It¡¯s nothing to worry about. In the first place, I don¡¯t think anyone would go out of their way to bother me.¡± Bell sniffed, hmmm, as she said so. The tour system itself was not so different from the silent movies that Tsugumi could watch. The only difference would be the sense of presence. He was impressed by Bell¡¯s confidence, but he wondered how much of it he could trust. It¡¯s probably best to listen to her half-heartedly. ¡°In the first place, I found you when I was observing on a whim. ¨CMost of the stray Magical Girls are found by other Gods in that way. The fact that you can blend in within the barrier means that you are that much closer to the world of ghosts. This means that you have enough aptitude to be a Magical Girl¡­ Some are stupid enough to get caught up in it when they¡¯re sick and dying, though.¡± ¡°I see. So that¡¯s why barrier accidents are rarely publicized.¡± He didn¡¯t know how many people a year wandered into wards, but if that¡¯s the reason, no wonder there were no reports of barrier accidents. ¡°Besides, just watching their fights is good for us¡± ¡°¡­Is it something good?¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t understand this, but we view Magical Girls¡¯ battles as a ¡®tribute¡¯. Therefore, Gods who have not made a contract is saving their power by watching the battles. It¡¯s like a recharging period.¡± ¡°Ah, I think I sort of get it.¡± In other words, to a God like Bell, Magical Girls¡¯ battles were like ¡°kagura¡±. Fighting itself became a performance and a Shinto ritual. The Gods transformed their faith into power. As Bell said, Magical Girls were originally a derivative of Miko, or shrine maidens, so perhaps it was only natural. ¨CAnd even so, well-done ???????. As they enjoyed and watched Magical Girls fight, they¡¯d gradually want their own Magical Girl (Miko), and they would naturally help in the defense of this country. Amaterasu, who thought up this system, must be very talented after all. ¡°Well, whatever. I¡¯ll go for the time being. ¨CSee you later.¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¨CWhen he arrived at school, his classmates all pointed crackers at him at the moment he took his seat. Pang-pang-pang. A bursting sound echoed in his head at a close distance. It was just plain scary. ¡°Eh, what¡¯s that? So scary.¡± As Tsugumi looked around with a confused look on his face, one of his classmates came up to him with a smirk. ¡°Nanase, I heard you had a birthday the other day. You¡¯re so snotty, you should have told me.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not worth mentioning, is it? What the hell is going on?¡± When Tsugumi said this with a dubious look on his face, one of his classmates ¨C Akiyama -presented a paper bag with a sly face. ¡°This is a present from us. ¨CIt¡¯s for Chidori-chan.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not for me there.¡± He was a little disappointed because he had uncharacteristically high expectations¡­ But this turn of events made sense. ¡°Why do we have to give a present to a man? It¡¯s natural to give preferential treatment to pretty girls. Besides, Chidori sometimes brings homemade sweets to the class. Don¡¯t you think we should thank her once in a while?¡± ¡°She did that?¡± Tsugumi had never heard of such a story before. He knew that she often made pastries, but he had always assumed that she gave them out to the club members. ¡°Ah. ¡®Take care of Tsugumi, okay?¡¯ she said. Lucky for you, you have a kind sister.¡± ¡°¡­Just kill me.¡± Tsugumi plopped down on his desk and held his head in his hands. ¨CWhat did Chidori think of him? He didn¡¯t expect her to act like a mother worried about her son¡¯s inability to make friends. ¡°Well, whatever. Just give it to me anyway.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that attitude? Why don¡¯t we just give it to her ourselves? Unlike you, I¡¯m sure she¡¯d be happy with anything.¡± When Tsugumi grudgingly said that, Akiyama shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands out, saying that he should do it himself. ¡°Idiot. If we all go together to meet her, it¡¯ll be a little crowdy, isn¡¯t it? Besides, if one of us gives it to her, the rest will be left out, you know. It¡¯s best to have me, her brother, give it to her. I have very mixed feelings about this. What¡¯s this? Does everyone in our class look at Chidori that way? I¡¯d like to reconsider my relationship with you guys for a minute¡­¡± Frankly, he was a little taken back. Tsugumi knew that Chidori was cute, but he had no idea that his classmates thought of her this way. He didn¡¯t have a sister complex, but he¡¯d like to not get involved in his sister¡¯s love affair if possible. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. That¡¯s not the case.-Chidori-chan is just like an idol.¡± At Tsugumi¡¯s words, Akiyama returned the denial in a dissatisfied tone. His classmates around him nodded in agreement. ¡­He wasn¡¯t sure how that differ from romantic feelings, but he guessed there was a clear difference between Akiyama and the others. ¡®Well, I don¡¯t mind if you just give it to me separately¡­ By the way, what¡¯s inside?¡± ¡°A brand new scarf. I think we pay about 3,000 yen each.¡± 3,000 yen each. That meant at least 40,000 yen. The thought of it made Tsugumi¡¯s face tighten. No matter how you think about it, it wasn¡¯t the amount of gifts you get from a group of men you have little to no contact with. ¡°I hope you guys are fine with that¡­ Don¡¯t bother Chidori too much.¡± It was an earnest and true intention. He hoped Chidori wouldn¡¯t mind if he gave her this present since he accepted it for the time being. As he was pondering this, the door to the classroom opened with a rattle. ¡°Hey, you guys. Your voices are echoing all the way down the hallway. I am starting the lesson, so get your asses to your seats.¡± ¡°Why is Kisara-sensei here? Nagisa-chan¡­ What¡¯s wrong with Suzune-sensei?¡± Akiyama asked Kisara, the male teacher who came in, more politely than usual. However, when he looked at Akiyama with a glare, he frowned and slammed the book on the table. Apparently, he seemed to be in a bad mood. ¡°Suzune-sensei is suddenly ill and now resting in the infirmary. She¡¯ll be available for a class after school, so don¡¯t make the mistake of trying to go see her in the infirmary. Okay?¡± The classmates all nodded silently at the threatening man. This teacher, Kisara, had the position of student advisor, and if he was displeased with the students, he might give them suspensions. In fact, half of the students in this class had been suspended from school at least once. Well, they couldn¡¯t complain because it was totally their fault. ¡°There¡¯s nothing special to report, but¨CNanase¡± ¡°Uh, yes.¡± He suddenly heard his name called and quickly raised his face. Maybe he was going to get scolded for the uproar earlier. Cold sweat dripped down his face. ¡°Come to the student guidance office during lunch break. Don¡¯t forget it.¡± ¡°Wait, Sensei. I am¨C¡° He tried to explain, but Kisara quickly walked out of the classroom as if he hadn¡¯t heard him. Tsugumi watched his back as he stretched out his right hand in dismay. ¨CShould I be angry? It has to be a lie, right? As he remained motionless, Akiyama came up to him and gently tapped him on the shoulder. ¡°Well, cheer up!¡± It was a refreshing smile, without a single cloud of doubt. He smiled back at Akiyama and squeezed his right hand. In the first place, these guys were all bad. ¡°Akiyama, you ¨C clench your teeth.¡± With that, Tsugumi shook his right hand. ¨CAfter that, it¡¯s just another page in a typical adolescent¡¯s life. There is nothing to talk about in particular. Even so, he thought. -Is Suzune-sensei alright? CH 12 Oni Teacher Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Tsugumi let out a small sigh at the door of the student guidance office. The morning¡¯s call seemed unreasonable, but on second thought, even Tsugumi had a lot on his mind. Perhaps it was just a revelation of something he¡¯d done. He was depressed about what was going to happen next. But if he ran away, he¡¯d be suspended from school in a heartbeat. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± Tsugumi said so, and opened the door to the guidance counselor¡¯s office with reluctance. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here. Sit in that chair for now.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Kisara, who was waiting for him in the room, further pointed to a seat. He had no complaints, so he quietly followed the instructions. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go into details, but I¡¯d like you to take that thing in your breast pocket and put it out here.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± The sudden words stopped him in his tracks. Did he have something strange in his breast pocket? To be clear, Tsugumi had no idea what it was. Perhaps annoyed at his absentmindedness, Kisara rushed him with a strong tone, ¡°Get on with it.¡± Mysteriously, Tsugumi fished around in his breast pocket. He then touched something rough, and at that moment, he remembered what it was. ¨CIt was a good-luck charm given to him by Suzune-sensei. Come to think of it, he had forgotten that he had left it here. Thinking about it again, the fact that his life was saved just in time might have been due in part to the blessing of this amulet. As he thought about this, Tsugumi put the amulet out on the desk. It was a gift from the teacher, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problems. That¡¯s what he thought. But that naive thought was scattered on the desk. ¨CAh, maybe this is dangerous. ¡°This is¡­ ¨CWhat the hell did you do?¡± Kisara looked astonished and stared at the amulet on his desk. This might be it. The amulet was so stained with blood that it was immediately recognizable. The gold embroidery and the white cord were cruelly discolored reddish black, although it¡¯s not that noticeable since the original was black. In all likelihood, it must have been attached to Tsugumi when he was almost killed. He was caught off guard because the uniform had been completely restored. It never occurred to him that this thing wouldn¡¯t be the same as it was then. ¡­No matter how you look at it, this thing reek of crime, doesn¡¯t it? From the blood-stained amulet, it even looked like one person might be dead. It was Tsugumi¡¯s blood, but it wasn¡¯t clear whether or not Kisara would believe that this was incidental. There¡¯s only one way to go about this. ¡°I think I may have spilled my drink. Oh, this was given to me by Suzune-sensei, so I apologize for making it dirty.¡± Tsugumi tried to look as apologetic as possible. Because, no matter how much he was prodded, there was nothing he could talk about. Even though it was Tsugumi¡¯s blood, there was no way he could explain it now that he wasn¡¯t even injured. The only option left was to deceive. ¡°Huh? Do you really think that excuse will work?¡± However, it seemed that this did not convince him. Kisara laughed at Tsugumi¡¯s words in a moody manner. ¨CIt¡¯s impossible after all. Tsugumi already knew that, but he couldn¡¯t tell the truth. ¡°There is no excuse or anything. In the first place, are you suggesting that I did something to cause the bloodshed? If you doubt me, you can take this to the police. Then you¡¯ll know that I didn¡¯t hurt anyone.¡± Well, it¡¯s Tsugumi¡¯s blood. It might be a problem, but unless he was injured, there¡¯d be no case. That¡¯s why he gave such a strong response. The standoff between Kisara and Tsugumi continues. The one who broke first was Kisara. ¡°Well, originally I just wanted to check on you.¡± At these words, Tsugumi patted his chest in relief. It¡¯s safe for the time being. ¡°You can talk to Suzune-sensei after this. ¨CShe¡¯s the one who told me to call you in the morning¡­ Just to be clear, don¡¯t try anything strange.¡± ¡°¡­What am I supposed to do with a teacher?¡± The advice was given in a very serious tone. Kisara didn¡¯t have to worry about such things. But what does it mean? If it was Suzune¡¯s order to call up Tsugumi, he couldn¡¯t see any reason other than the exchange on the way home the other day. It seemed she was worried about Tsugumi and wanted to confirm his safety. ¡°Oh, yes. How did you know this was in my breast pocket?¡± Even Tsugumi had forgotten its existence. In particular, the pockets weren¡¯t unnaturally bulging, or it could have been mistaken for a cigarette. In response to Tsugumi¡¯s question, Kisara gave a Buddhist monk¡¯s face and a small click of his tongue. ¡­This man had a bad attitude even though he claimed to be a life coach. He was still popular with girls, probably because he was young and looked good, but he¡¯s basically not well-liked by boys. He was similar to Yukitaka in that aspect, but if Kisara heard it, he would surely get angry. ¡°I have a better sense of smell than most people. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± If it were Yukitaka or Akiyama here instead of Tsugumi, they would have said, ¡°You¡¯re like a dog, Sensei!¡± but he wasn¡¯t that stupid. Tsugumi tried to smell it, but he didn¡¯t smell anything. It¡¯s said that some people have a constitution that makes them hypersensitive to certain smells, and Kisara might have such a constitution. While he was thinking about this, he saw a figure at the door of the next room. ¡°-Oh, I¡¯m glad. Nanase-kun, you came.¡± The door to the adjoining preparation room opened with a subdued ¡°rattle, rattle¡± sound. With a relieved expression on her face, Suzune entered the student guidance room. ¡°Suzune. Are you feeling all right now?¡± With a worried tone, Kisara asked Suzune. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m fine now. I¡¯m sorry for worrying you too, Yukari-niisan.¡± Yukari-niisan¨C. Tsugumi looked at Kisara with a blank expression. As he recalled, Kisara¡¯s first name was Yukari. But many students made fun of his feminine name, and for various reasons, it was now taboo to call him by his first name. And she was that friendly about it? ¡­What kind of relationship do these two have? When he was staring with such thoughts, Kisara coughed badly. ¡°Hey, I told you not to call me by my name at school.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Suzune was surprised and immediately made a depressed face. Looking at her, it somehow looked like Kisara was doing the wrong thing. As he watched the situation of these two teachers, Kisara turned around and said to Tsugumi. ¡°¨CNanase. Forget what just happened. Understood?¡± ¡°What happens if I say something?¡± ¡°Your math grade will be a 1.¡± ¡°What a tyranny! ¡­No, I¡¯m not going to say anything. I just wanted to ask.¡± What a terrible teacher. There¡¯s no way to mix public and private. Tsugumi felt indignant, but the grade thing was probably Kisara¡¯s joke. He¡¯d like to think so¡­ But at this rate, they wouldn¡¯t answer his question about their relationship. It might be quicker to ask Suzune secretly later. ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ll leave my seat, but I will come back later. Is that okay, Suzune-senseii?¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you, Kisara-sensei.¡± Saying so, Kisara left the instruction room. Suzune sat down quietly at the seat Kisara had vacated. ¨CShe then looked at the amulet that was left on the desk and lowered her eyebrows sadly. ¡°Is there anything you want to ask me, Nanase-kun?¡± Suzune said this to Tsugumi abruptly. What I want to ask Suzune -There were several things. Why did she give him this amulet that day? Why did she collapse this morning? What¡¯s her relationship with Kisara? But if he had to pick one, there was only one thing he could think of. ¡°Suzune-sensei, what did you think would happen to me that day?¡± In hindsight, Suzune¡¯s response at that time was too strange. It was as if she could see a future where Tsugumi was about to be killed????? Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have tried so hard to give away the amulet like that. If someone had told him that the barrier accident was Suzune¡¯s scheme, he would have been convinced by the timing. When Tsugumi stared at Suzune, she opened her mouth as if she had made up her mind to do something. ¡°Do you believe in fate, Nanase-kun?¡± Saying this, Suzune smiled. CH 13 Red Thread of Fate Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CDestiny. It¡¯s a phrase that women seem to like. Most of what people call miracles or destiny are probably just the product of coincidence, but as for Tsugumi, he believed that such a flow of fate existed. Or should he say, it¡¯s more comfortable to think that way ?????? ¡­But he had something to say to Suzune before the matters of believing or not believing. ¡°I would like to refrain from talking about religion.¡± The only god that Tsugumi now believed in was Bell. Unfortunately, if it were a religious solicitation, the conversation would be unacceptable. When he said this with a serious face, Suzune sounded a little angry. ¡°No! It¡¯s not that!¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s good to know.¡± He exhaled in relief. Well, he knew it wasn¡¯t that kind of story, but just in case, he needed confirmation. ¡°Fate, huh? It would be nice if it exists.¡± The original meaning of the word ¡°Fate¡± is a blessing or a curse that befalls a person regardless of their will. This is exactly what Tsugumi was going through these days. When he answered, Suzune smiled, as if she were a little relieved. ¡°Yes. ¨CIt¡¯s a long story, but I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± Tsugumi glanced at his watch. Lunch break was in about twenty minutes. He didn¡¯t know how long it would be, but he probably wouldn¡¯t make it to his next class. But the next class, coincidentally, was math, which Kisara was in charge of. Even if he was a little late, Kisara should be able to understand it. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡®Thank goodness! Well, this happened when I was ten years old¡­¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô When I was ten years old, I had a little accident and hit my head really hard. It wasn¡¯t a serious injury, but I still have a little scar on my head. After I got out of the hospital, I started seeing strange things from time to time. A reddish-black, haze-like light. I consulted the doctor at the hospital just to be sure, but he didn¡¯t seem to find anything out of the ordinary. A while later, I bumped into my neighbor¡¯s brother in front of his house, and I was very surprised. Why do you think that was? ¨CI saw a red thread intertwining with his body. I thought it was the red thread of fate. You see, at 10 years old, it¡¯s about time to become interested in love, isn¡¯t it? The older brother next door was eight years older than me, but he was very kind, and I knew he was the one! I was so excited at the time. I told him right then and there. Please marry me! I was so happy. ¡­Well, he laughed it off at the time and let it slide. It was a shock to me at the time, although it was obvious. It was my first heartbreak. I went home and cried by myself, but after a while, I noticed that the house was getting noisy and I asked my mom about it. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She said with a sad face. ¡°The next-door neighbor¡¯s brother died in an accident.¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô Tsugumi swallowed. Suzune¡¯s speech was soft, yet somehow chilly. ¡°He was so shredded limb from limb and head to head that he couldn¡¯t have a proper burial. When I heard that, I knew I was in big trouble.¡± ¡°¡­That is.¡± ¡°Where do you think the red thread was entangled in the neighbor¡¯s brother? ¨CYes, limbs and neck ????.¡± Then Suzune smiled. That smile, which usually made him smile when he saw it, was now somewhat frightening. Suzune continued her story. ¡°At first I thought it was just my imagination, but something similar happened to me several times. When that happens, you have to be aware of it, even if you don¡¯t want to be. ¨CI¡¯m seeing the fate of death????¡± When she explained it to him, he realized what Suzune was trying to say, even if he didn¡¯t want to. Tsugumi bit his lip with mixed feelings. ¡°I¡¯m sure I saw that thread that day¡­ Yeah, it was so tangled up in it that I couldn¡¯t even see your face.¡± Ordinarily, anyone would have laughed it off as a ridiculous tall tale. But Tsugumi couldn¡¯t laugh at her story anymore. ¨CIf he hadn¡¯t met Bell that day, he would have died. Just as Suzune had predicted. ¡°The amulet I gave to Nanase-kun was given to me at a shrine that belongs to a relative of mine. That person said to me like this. ¡®¨CYou know, sometimes there are children whose channels of vision are connected in strange directions. ¨CBut what you are seeing is undeniably real. I feel sorry for you, but you¡¯ll have to live with it for the rest of your life.¡¯ It¡¯s a terrible story. I never wanted this kind of power.¡± Suzune gently lowered her eyes and folded her hands as if mourning something. ¨CThe magical eye that visualizes the destiny of death as a thread. In this day and age, it would not be surprising if she were celebrated as a child of the gods. But he didn¡¯t envy her at all. How many deaths had she seen in her life? Just thinking about it made his heart ache. ¡°I can only see the fate of death. No matter how hard I tried, none of us could escape that fate.¡± There, Suzune stared at him with a straight face. The expression on her face, which seemed to have slipped away, agitated Tsugumi¡¯s frustration. ¡°Why? ¨CWhy is Nanase-kun alive ??????¡± ¨CIt was too pure and cruel a question to ask. Her eyes eloquently doubt ¡®Tsugumi¡¯s survival¡¯. ¡­Surely it was Tsugumi¡¯s fault that Suzune collapsed in the morning. He wondered what he looked like to Suzune right now. A man who went to school with a nonchalant look on his face, even though he was supposed to be dead ¨C if he saw it like that, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he felt as sick as she did this morning. -Oh, really, it¡¯s a miracle that I¡¯m breathing like this now. When he thought of this, a feeling that he couldn¡¯t put into words slowly flooded his heart. ¡°I was feeling regret¡­ So much regret that I feel I can never die.¡± -He wanted to live. He thought he couldn¡¯t die. Most of all, he didn¡¯t want Chidori to cry. That was the only reason. ¡°I was just lucky. My destiny was overturned by a miracle. I was sure that I would have ended up just as Sensei had predicted.¡± If he hadn¡¯t met Bell that day, Tsugumi wouldn¡¯t exist today. What would you call it if it¡¯s not a miracle? ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell me what happened, are you?¡± To Suzune¡¯s question, Tsugumi shook his head a little. ¡°Yes. ¨CI can¡¯t tell you that. But I¡¯m fine now, no injuries, so don¡¯t worry. ¡­I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m just being selfish.¡± Tsugumi then bowed his head to Suzune. She spoke up for herself properly, but he said nothing. That¡¯s not very fair. But that¡¯s as far as he could go. With little intuition, she would have guessed that he was involved in something Magical Girl-related. It would be best if she thought he was saved by meeting a Magical Girl in the field. No one would even think that the Tsugumi had become a Magical Girl. ¡°Oh¡­ I understand. Sensei won¡¯t ask anymore. There are many things in the world that are better left unknown. ¨CPlease don¡¯t talk about my power. Well, I don¡¯t think they would believe it if you told them.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone, ever. ¨CI¡¯m really sorry for worrying you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. But if you have any trouble, don¡¯t hesitate to ask the teachers for help, okay? Even if we¡¯re like this, Kisara-sensei and I have acquaintances in [Rikka].¡± ¡°¨C to that [Rikka]?¡± Rikka refers to the six Magical Girls who were elected by popular vote once a year from among the Class A defeatists. They were an elite group of Magical Girls who had more power than a lowly member of the parliament and were treated as a national force in times of emergency. ¨CHow could the teachers be acquaintances with such great people? It was this thought that made him look at Suzune with a disturbed look in his eyes. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a look of doubt on your face. You don¡¯t have to believe me. But keep it in the corner of your mind.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¨CSuzune-sensei is a really kind person. She probably prepared an escape route in consideration of the time when Tsugumi was in a situation where it couldn¡¯t be helped. Normally, she seemed a bit unreliable, but when it came down to it, she was a very dependable adult ¨C he thought such a person existed only in books. ¡°Sensei, you are strong.¡± ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s the first time anyone has ever said that to me.¡± Suzune smiled happily. Her smile showed no sign of the patheticness she had shown earlier. ¡°By the way, is Suzune-sensei close to Kisara-sensei? I won¡¯t tell anyone about this either, so can you tell me a little?¡± Tsugumi asked lightly. Perhaps because it was something close to her heart, he was still curious about it. And he also had a little calculation in wanting to keep a hold on Kisara¡¯s weakness. To his question, Suzune told him that it was nothing ¡°Kisara-sensei is a childhood friend from long ago. Of course, he knows about my power.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why he looked so worried¡­¡± ¡­This might be a little bad. If they had such a relationship, Suzune would surely be praying and talking further about Tsugumi¡¯s condition. It¡¯s safe to assume that this conversation would be almost entirely overheard. As he himself said, Kisara had a sharp nose. If there was an opportunity, the worst-case scenario was that Tsugumi¡¯s situation would be exposed. Kisara was such a person not to be underestimated. He shouldn¡¯t be too close to someone like that. ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much, Kisara-sensei is a kind man, even though he looks like that, okay?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a bad person. But he is a strict man.¡± ¡°Is that so? Oh, it¡¯s already late. The class has already started¡­¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s Kisara-sensei¡¯s class and he probably knows what¡¯s going on, so I¡¯ll probably be fine.¡± Tsugumi said, and got up. He didn¡¯t feel like it, but he supposed he couldn¡¯t miss class. Suzune stopped him. ¡°Wait. ¨CTake this with you.¡± ¡°The amulet?¡± She gently offered him a bloody amulet that he had left on the desk. He wondered if it was okay for him to still have it, even though it was in such bad shape. He hesitated a little to accept it, but Suzune took his right hand and held the amulet in it. Tsugumi stared at Suzune in surprise. ¡°I think it would be better if you still have it. ¡­Please.¡± As if making a plea, Suzune said. ¡­That look from Suzune sent a chill down his spine. ¨CI have a bad feeling about this. Tsugumi hoped the feeling was wrong, but it was as expected of him. ¡°Is it still visible to you??????¡± Suzune gave a small nod in response to the modest question. It was a hit. ¡°The amount is smaller than before, but now it¡¯s all over Nanase-kun. I¡¯ve never seen anything like that before. I just can¡¯t help but think it¡¯s not a very good thing¡­¡± ¡°I see.¡± While listening to Suzune¡¯s explanation, Tsugumi came up with a hypothesis. ¨CSuzune said that the thread was red¡­ Something similar to that, Tsugumi already knew?????. I see. ¨CSo this is where the ¡°Thread¡± skill originated. If this idea was true, then the [Thread] that Suzune seeing now was harmless to Tsugumi. It wasn¡¯t him, but the red thread that had been caught up in fate. ¡°Nanase-kun? Are you okay?¡± Worried about his silent Tsugumi, Suzune shook him by the shoulder. He looked at Suzune with a huff. It seemed he was a little too absorbed in his own thoughts. Tsugumi smiled deceptively and grasped Suzune¡¯s hand. Suzune looked up in surprise. Her cheeks reddened. He opened his mouth with a cheerful smile. ¡°Suzune-sensei.¡± ¡°What is it? Um, your hand¡­¡± ¡°I, for one, am absolutely convinced that fate is in play. Talking to Sensei convinced me. Thank you.¡± ¡°Eh, eh, even if you suddenly say that¨C!¡± Wondering about Suzune¡¯s sudden blush, Tsugumi let go of her hand and carelessly pocketed the amulet. Ah, this meeting had yielded more than he had expected. Tsugumi walked toward the door with a clear mind. ¡®Well then, I¡¯m off to class! Excuse me.¡± ¡°Hey, Nanase-kun, wait a minute¨C¡° The door to the student guidance office rattled shut. He thought he heard Suzune say something, but it was probably just his imagination. Her face was a little red, which worried him a little. Maybe she was feeling sick again. ¡ªWhen he entered the classroom late after that, he was given a bunch of assignments just for him only. He didn¡¯t understand why. CH 14 A Certain Video Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CThe time is December. About three months have passed since Tsugumi became a Magical Girl. ¡°Fifteen Class E. Six Class D. Now we have one C-class. ¨CIsn¡¯t it a good result for a fledgling Magical Girl?¡± Tsugumi said this to Bell as he gazed at the scene of ¡°Gluttony¡± after the battle was over. In terms of numbers alone, the quota for two years in total had been achieved. He was getting better at using the thread, and for a newcomer in his third month, he was doing a good job. But Bell shook her head with a discouraged look. ¡°No, it¡¯s still a long way to go in a battle.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s none of our business as strays, but the government guys have combat simulators. They can train for combat whenever the conditions are right. Compared to them, we¡¯re just a bunch of chicken.¡± ¡°Simulator:..¡± He had no idea such a useful thing existed until now. But the fact that Bell didn¡¯t tell him about it suggested that it must be useless for Tsugumi. ¡°Do I have to belong to the government to use it?¡± ¡°Of course. With a collar, you have the privilege to make up for that inconvenience. Just like the bounty. -Otherwise, people wouldn¡¯t gather together¡± Tsugumi nodded at her words. That¡¯s certainly a point. However much ¡°Magical Girls¡± may be the No. 1 occupation that girls wanted to be in, Magical Girls who belonged to the government had as little personal freedom as the Self-Defense Forces. It¡¯s no wonder that there were people who want to do it comfortably in the field. ¡°As for you, it¡¯s better to study in reality than in fiction like a simulator. Sometimes it¡¯s a matter of skills.¡± Having said that, Bell looked into the mouth of the beast that was feeding on the C-class Demonic Beast. Surely that couldn¡¯t be reproduced in a simulator. They couldn¡¯t fill a stomach in virtual reality. ¨CHe thought that the total amount of power that he could manipulate had increased considerably in the past three months. The duration of his skills had increased, and above all, his body was easier to move and his senses were more acute. He could handle a string stretched over a wide area as if he were moving his own arms and legs. According to Bell, ¡°The size and strength of my vessel have increased,¡± but he had no idea what exactly was happening. ¡®Well, maybe it¡¯s more nerve-wracking in practice. ¨CBut the C-class is hard and big, and they move fast. And they would send things like poisonous needles at you.¡± Saying that, Tsugumi gazed at the C-class Demonic Beast, a.k.a. ¡°Manticore,¡± which had been eaten and was almost like a leftover piece of meat. The original length of the manticore was about 15 meters, larger than a large bus. It was built like a tiger, with a reddish body and a scorpion-like tail. The only problem was that its face bore a striking resemblance to that of a human being, making it a little creepy to stare at. However, it seemed that this ¡°Manticore¡± creature may or may not have actually existed. According to some theories, the existence of the Manticore was a transformation of a Bengal tiger¡¯s fearsome image into a deformed monster. Demonic Beast¡¯s concept was to change into stuff that people find scary. There wasn¡¯t any relationship between actuality and non-existence. As a confirmed example, Shoggoths and Shantak birds in the Cthulhu Mythos sometimes appeared as Demonic Beasts. Since B-class and even A-class Demonic Beasts had mythological names and projected their own names, if you challenged them with the same mindset as C-class Demonic Beasts, you would be easily beaten back. It might be called the ¡°name recognition correction¡±. Everyone knew that mythological monsters were strong. So, of course, the Demonic Beasts that were imagined with their existence at their core were also strong. The current Tsugumi ¨C Hagakure Sakura ¨C still had his hands full with the less well-known C grade, and he must work harder to challenge the higher grades. Eventually, they considered challenging the A-class, but if they go that far, Tsugumi¡¯s stance of being inconspicuous would be broken. Bell said that if they became good enough to take down a Class A, the government would have little to say about it, even if their identities were discovered. It would be a long road ahead, but he had no choice but to do what he could. ¡°Oh, I think I¡¯m done eating. ¨CLet¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± And so, Tsugumi ¨C ¡°Magical Girl Hagakure Sakura¡± ¨C was steadily gaining strength. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡°Yo, Nanase. Hey, take a look at this.¡± ¡°¡­What is it, Akiyama? Don¡¯t rub my shoulders, it¡¯s annoying.¡± When he entered the classroom, Akiyama hunched his shoulders as if he was hugging him from behind. To be honest, he wasn¡¯t happy to have a guy do that to him. Shaking off the hand roughly, Tsugumi turned to Akiyama. ¡°So what are you looking at?¡± ¡°Here it is. You¡¯ll be surprised.¡± Akiyama smirked and quickly held out a cell phone in front of him. The screen was showing a video. He took the phone and pressed the play button. [Special feature on Magical Girls this season! ] In the video, a certain Magical Girl was shown. The girl was running around the building city in all directions, cutting down huge Demonic Beasts with some kind of weapon. When the Demonic Beast was defeated, her name appeared on a large sticker at the bottom of the screen. ¡°¡­Hagakure Sakura?¡± ¡°Yes, yes! This Magical Girl¨Cshe looks just like Nanase, doesn¡¯t she?¡± For a moment, he stopped breathing. ¨CFinally, the time had come. He had been prepared for it, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be so soon. He glanced at Akiyama¡¯s face. His expression was not suspicious of anything, but innocent, like a child who wanted to share something interesting. -Then, let¡¯s go with Plan D. Tsugumi decided in his heart. It hurt a little, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°Sure, we¡¯re similar¡­¡± ¡°Right? I was surprised when I found it yesterday, too. I have to show it to you.¡± While Akiyama laughed happily at that, Tsugumi bit his lip and made a sad expression on purpose. ¡°I wonder if I did something to Akiyama without realizing it. If so, I apologize¡­¡± Tsugumi took a step away from Akiyama, and then said weakly. From the outside, he looked like a wounded boy. Akiyama stared at him with a look of incomprehension. ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡°No, because, you know. This is well done, but it¡¯s an edit, right? The face has been modified to look more feminine, but I don¡¯t think you have to go this far to harass me.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do something that advanced! You just look alike!¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible, isn¡¯t it? We look like twins, this woman and I.¡± Watching the exchange between Tsugumi and Akiyama, some of his classmates came up to him to see what was going on. One of them snatched the cell phone from him and started laughing, comparing the video to his face. ¡°Ha-ha-ha! What¡¯s this? She really looks just like Tsugumin! I¡¯m going to cheer for her starting from today.¡± ¡°I like it. I¡¯ll check out the other information. This girl¡¯s name is Hagakure Sakura correct?¡± ¡°Are you serious¡­ And stop calling me Tsugumin.¡± It gave him chills in many ways. Tsugumi took three steps away from his noisy classmates and hugged himself with both hands. Everyone was more fond of ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡± than he expected, he was a little scared. ¡ªSome unexpected events happened, but they were generally within the expected range. Plan D was to pretend he didn¡¯t know her at all and made a mess. He thought that if he were dealing with these classmates, he could just make a joke out of their resemblance and be done with it. This is not to say that he was mocking them or anything, but simply that he was aware of their personalities. Even now, they were only making fun of each other by comparing the videos with Tsugumi. No one was looking at the relationship between Tsugumi and ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡±. So, the whole thing was supposed to be settled. ¡°¨CWhat¡¯s with this stupid fuss? Don¡¯t bother Tsugumi-chan too much.¡± The class fell silent at the words of the person who entered the classroom. There was only one person in this class who had this much influence. Tsugumi gripped his hands tightly. ¡°Yukitaka¡­¡± ¡°Good morning, Tsugumi-chan. So¨Cwhat were you talking about?¡± ¨CThe guy he couldn¡¯t predict had come. CH 15 Dissonance Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. It seems that there is a Magical Girl who looks like me, and they made a bit of a fuss about it. ¡­Akiyama, just to confirm, that¡¯s real, right?¡± ¡°Still skeptical, aren¡¯t you? Sakura Hagakure is real. By the way, I looked her up and she¡¯s popular in some circles as a cool Magical Girl.¡± ¡­What do you mean by ¡°some circles¡±? But it seemed that the existence of ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡± was more famous among the public than Tsugumi thought. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why I feel some stares on my face recently? Damn, I thought I was just getting popular¡­¡± The other day, a high school girl from another school stared at him intently, probably because she knew about ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡±. Perhaps it was about time to start thinking about a serious disguise. Should he buy some glasses? As he and Akiyama were having such an exchange, Yukitaka said to Akiyama. ¡°Hmmm. Show me your cell phone for a moment.¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t want to.¡± Without a pause, Akiyama declared his refusal. ¡­He felt the temperature around him drop. ¨CAh. It started again. Tsugumi gently pressed his forehead, which suddenly began to ache. He knew this was going to happen, but it¡¯s hard to be the one who was caught between the boards. ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± ¡°No, because I don¡¯t want you to put some weird app here. I don¡¯t want you to touch my stuff in the first place.¡± First of all, the premise is that Yukitaka and Akiyama ¨C or rather, his classmates as a whole ¨C did not get along. Since 90% of the fault was on Yukitaka¡¯s side, he couldn¡¯t blame his classmates. What Akiyama was saying in the first place was actually one of the things that Yukitaka did. To a greater or lesser extent, the classmates understood Yukitaka¡¯s viciousness. Even Tsugumi often received well-meaning advice, ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop associating with him?¡± but so far he had no plans to do so just yet. Yukitaka was also a bit obsessed with Tsugumi, but it was just in the category of friendship. Perhaps he was like a child who did not want to let go of his favorite toy. With that in mind, Tsurugi set out to help the two from arguing. ¡°You two should leave it at that. Here, you can use my phone.¡± ¡°Hmm, thank you.¡± ¡°He can use his own. Nanase spoils him like that, so he takes advantage of you. Why is a guy like you on his side? Does he grasp your weakness?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case¡­¡± He searched video sites and handed his cell phone directly to Yukitaka. However, Akiyama, who was watching, lightly chided him. Tsugumi himself was not particularly threatened, and it¡¯s not nice to be called out like that. On the other hand, Yukitaka was not taking any notice of Akiyama¡¯s words, as if he was blowing in the wind. Perhaps that¡¯s what made him so antagonistic. ¡°Hagakure Sakura, hey¡­ It¡¯s certainly similar to Tsugumi-chan.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too similar for me and it¡¯s creepy.¡± Tsugumi said this with a nonchalant look on his face. At least, for Nanase Tsugumi, ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡± had to be a stranger. But Yukitaka¡¯s instincts were sharp. Could he be deceived by Tsugumi¡¯s poor acting? That was his only worry. Without knowing such anxiety, Yukitaka looked at Tsugumi and smiled. ¡°But after all, it¡¯s still someone else. It¡¯s crazy to make a fuss over something like this. I¡¯ve lost interest in it.¡± ¡°You need to think a little more about how you say things¡­¡± Feeling the murderous stares from the whole class, Tsugumi gently held his stomach. Why does Yukitaka want to make enemies in all directions? ¡ªBut his words probably didn¡¯t mean anything. He did what he did because he wanted to. He didn¡¯t care what others think. He just did whatever he wanted. Tsugumi didn¡¯t know if it could be called strength, but he sometimes envied that way of life. Well, he had no intention of imitating him. ¡°Don¡¯t agitate people too much. If you go too far, I¡¯ll call Mebuki-senpai.¡± When Tsugumi said so, Yukitaka glared at him with a blatantly sullen expression on his face Mebuki-senpai was a kind and caring senior to Tsugumi, but it seemed that she and Yukitaka were a deadly bad match. He apparently still held a grudge over the tongue-lashing he lost the other day. He made a really disgusted face. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t talk about her in front of me. It makes me nauseous.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, if that¡¯s how you feel, shut up and take your seat. ¨CI¡¯m sorry everyone. I didn¡¯t mean to make you feel bad.¡± Tsugumi bowed his head lightly as he said this. He didn¡¯t have to apologize, but it all started with ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡±. He felt a little responsible. The classmates looked dissatisfied, but they couldn¡¯t say anything strong to Tsugumi. This made their stare at Yukitaka nastier but it was to be expected. The conversation ended in a rather awkward atmosphere after that. Well, he was generally bad at this. He was also saved. Although he wasn¡¯t aiming for it, the story became off-topic because Yukitaka got involved in the conversation. ¨CPerhaps Yukitaka knew everything and acted that way. ¡­No way. Tsugumi hadn¡¯t told anyone about the Magical Girl, nor had he made any pretense of doing so. He lived his daily life as usual, and his relationship shouldn¡¯t have gotten worse. There wasn¡¯t anything wrong to be noticed. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong, Tsugumi-chan?¡± ¡°No, nothing.¡± Yukitaka, sitting quietly in his seat, showed no signs of suspicion. I¡¯m sure I am just thinking too much¡­ Tsugumi thought so. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡°-And that¡¯s what happened at school.¡± ¡°Hmmm, becoming popular amongst people. That¡¯s somewhat troublesome.¡± After he got home, he told Bell what happened today, and he said with a bitter face. ¡°As long as I¡¯m active in the public, it¡¯s unavoidable that my name will gradually spread, but I agree that it¡¯s troublesome.¡± Originally, Tsugumi didn¡¯t like to be the center of attention. But just he said in class, it seemed that lately, people were starting to look at Tsugumi, who was similar to Hagakure Sakura. It was embarrassing that he thought he was getting popular. Maybe because he was always with Yukitaka, Tsugumi wasn¡¯t very popular. If they were together, it would be natural for people to be more attracted to a prettier face. He didn¡¯t regret it, but he felt a little empty. ¡°But it makes me happy to think that my abilities are being appreciated. You know, it makes me feel like my efforts have been recognized.¡± There was no greater honor than this. The life of a Magical Girl began by chance, but even Tsugumi had some patriotic feelings. ¡°You¡¯re happy with just something like that? You¡¯re a cheap man.¡± ¡°Well, I think Bell-sama can praise me a little more¡­¡± As usual, Bell was harsh on Tsugumi. He could count her praises on one hand. She had an overwhelmingly strange ratio of carrot and stick. If he were a normal girl, his heart would have been broken long ago. To Tsugumi¡¯s words, Belle snickered and replied. ¡°Nonsense. If you spoil a human being, they will take advantage of you. It¡¯s just right to give them a good smack on the butts.¡± It¡¯s an extreme theory no matter how you look at it. However, he believed that Bell had her own feelings about human beings. He could guess the traumatic nature of their relationship over the past three months. It¡¯d be better that she didn¡¯t hate humans. Such a strong reaction couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°I think it depends on the person. Well, that¡¯s fine for me.¡± Tsugumi was a rather forgiving person. As long as he wasn¡¯t treated in a way that caused harm, he didn¡¯t mind being verbally abused. This isn¡¯t because he was kind, but because he was just plain slow. ¡°By the way, it seems that the Magical Girl who has become popular to some extent will be asked to cover magazines and appear on TV. I don¡¯t think that will happen to ¡®Hagakure Sakura¡¯ yet, though.¡± ¡°Ah, I do get requests from time to time. I refuse all of them.¡± ¡°What, are you kidding me?¡± Tsugumi exclaimed in surprise. Did such requests go through Bell first? He didn¡¯t even know that. He didn¡¯t know about the system, but he wondered if Bell was contacted via the government. Bell didn¡¯t talk about that kind of thing in detail, so he couldn¡¯t really understand it. ¡°There is nothing special about it. Stray Magical Girls are not well informed to the public. I think the government would like to know what¡¯s going on inside.¡± ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s how it is.¡± It wasn¡¯t purely an interest in the ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡±, but in this case, it would be an interest in Bell the contractor. From the way Bell talked, it seemed that Bell herself was a God of some power, so it might be natural for the government to be concerned. ¡°Anyway, your friend-was it Yukitaka?¡± Uncharacteristically, Bell asked about Tsugumi¡¯s friendships. Curiously, he opened his mouth. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. What¡¯s wrong with Yukitaka?¡± ¡°That kind of person will betray you one day. You¡¯d better get rid of him quickly.¡± Suddenly, Tsugumi couldn¡¯t speak. What kind of a windfall could have suddenly brought this up? ¡°I saw you before when I went to check on you. Your soul is clouded. In this day and age, you could have been killed for your vices.¡± ¡°Is it so dangerous that God talks about him that way¡­¡± It might be a little exaggerated, but it was undeniable that Yukitaka¡¯s personality was fundamentally distorted. Tsugumi was somehow getting along for now, but if Yukitaka changed his mind, he would be cut off in a heartbeat. That much was easy to predict. ¨CBut still, Yukitaka was an important friend. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for the advice, but Yukitaka is still my friend.¡± There was no particularly grand encounter between the two of them. They just kind of hung out together, became friends somehow, and here they were. ¨CBut that¡¯s how friends are, isn¡¯t it? There should be no need for a reason to become friends. Everyone who knew Yukitaka said that Tsugumi¡¯s thinking was naive. Yes, they were right. But he couldn¡¯t cut Yukitaka out of his life. ¡°If, as Bell-sama said, one day the time comes when I get betrayed, I will think about it then¡­ I just can¡¯t hate that guy that much.¡± ¡°¡­Do whatever you want. I don¡¯t care what will happen.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry for worrying you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried about you. I just thought I would be in trouble if something happened to you.¡± Bell said with a click of her tongue, frustrated. Her black tail was banging against the desk, so her feeling was easy to understand. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll ask you just in case, you don¡¯t happen to be a man-crazy kind of guy, do you?¡± ¨CBell added that the man had a beautiful face, too. ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡¯s possible, right?!¡± At Bell¡¯s words, Tsugumi shook his head with a seriously disgusted look on his face. It just never going to happen. He usually liked pretty girls. ¡°I really hope you don¡¯t make that kind of mistake. I¡¯m straight¡­!¡± No matter how beautiful his face was, it was impossible to look at him that way when he was a man. At least, for Tsugumi. ¡°I wish that were the case. ¨CBut I¡¯m going to take this opportunity to ask you, what kind of woman do you like?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If I have to mention someone-¡° Then, with a hand on his chin, Tsugumi pondered. If he had to give a specific example, there would be only one. ¡°¨CA person like Mebuki-senpai, maybe?¡± ¨CThat person was Yukitakai¡¯s natural enemy. She was a senior, a pretty girl with glasses. CH 16 Bad Food Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CThe place has changed and it is time to go to work. Black shoulder-length tunic and knee-length skirt with black lace over red base. Loosely curled black hair with a red ribbon headdress, and red laced short boots over black net tights, he spun around in place. It was a complicated look, but it really suited him. This costume, as Belle saw it, made him look more like a witch than a Magical Girl. However, as Hagakure Sakura was mainly active at night, it was easier for him to act in such a dark-colored costume. In the meantime, Belle yelled at him not to let his guard down, but it was also a necessary ritual to switch his feeling. By switching between his consciousness as Nanase Tsugumi and Hagakure Sakura, he could increase the rate of synchronization with his body. ¡°Okay, I am ready.¡± Tsugumi was now inside the barrier, facing the enemy ¨C a Wyvern, a C-class Demonic Beast. This would be the second consecutive C-class defeat since the last time, but the pressure exerted by the opponent was not as great as that of the Manticore. Incidentally, a Wyvern indicated a relatively small dragon species. For some people, a Wyvern was more like a large lizard with wings. The size of this Demonic Beast was about 10 meters, and its means of attack differed from one individual to another, so it was necessary to be very careful. ¡­The only problem is that the fighting place was on level ground. Hokkaido¡¯s grasslands. Now it was all white with snow on the ground, but its most notable feature is that there are no obstructions at all. ¡ªIn the first place, the ¡°Thread¡± attack used the various forces of nature. It was a multiplication of power that made full use of the physical laws prevailing in this world. By passing through some kind of prop, projection, or shield, a synergistic effect of power was created, and explosive power was generated. That was the essence of the Thread attack. In other words, on level ground like this, the power of the Thread skill couldn¡¯t be drawn out to its full extent. But the compensating factor was Transportation. ¨CIt really is a skill that seemed to match the Thread user. When he transported, the threads that connected him to something other than himself were severed. However, if the threads were reconnected with the threads in the area at the destination, it was possible to maneuver three-dimensionally in the air by manipulating the threads. The cooling time of the Transportation skill was about three seconds. In that amount of time, the thread that had been disconnected from a high place wouldn¡¯t fall to the ground. Even without using magic such as levitation, it was possible to fight in the air. ¨CFirst, fly above the Wyvern¡¯s right wing and entangle the thread in the right wing, then go down and do the left leg. And finally, from behind, using the Wyvern itself as a prop, he pulled the thread in all directions using the point where it was hooked to the ground. So far, ten seconds. This was a speed only possible with the use of Transportation and Thread skills. And with this, the disadvantages of flat ground were almost eliminated ¨C or so it seemed. ¡°¡­It¡¯s hard after all.¡± Tsugumi furrowed his brow. ¡°Gyaooooooooooooo!¡± ¨CThe left leg was torn off and the wing was cut about a third of the way from the base. He set out with the intention of ripping off both, but it seemed he was a little underpowered. The Wyvern seemed to have no idea what had happened and looked angrily at Tsugumi. As it was, it opened its mouth wide and produced something like a ray of light, but it didn¡¯t hit Tsugumi who used Transportation in the first place. As he was thinking this, the Wyvern flew straight toward Tsugumi as if it were numb. Still, it was fast. In the blink of an eye, the Wyvern was right in front of him. Even with the wounds on its wings, it still had the speed characteristic of a winged species. If there were trees or buildings in the area, he could set up a spiderweb-like trap and had it destroy itself with its own speed, but it¡¯s a little difficult to do that here. If he continued to repeat the same attack as before several times, he would be able to defeat it without any problem, but that wouldn¡¯t give him any experience. ¡°Bell-sama, that thing I was thinking about the other day¡­ May I use it?¡± ¡°Do whatever you want. ¨CIn the first place, I have entrusted the battle to you. Do not ask me about such trivial matters.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± With that answer, Tsugumi produced a large number of threads around it. They whirled around, changed shape, and became beads the size of bowling balls. As long as these threads were connected to him, they wouldn¡¯t break even if he used Transportation. ¨CIn other words, he could carry it around with him. Depending on how it was used, it could work as a weapon. Tsugumi muttered and shifted far into the sky. ¨CThe Wyvern looks like a grain of rice. At this rate, I won¡¯t be spotted for a while. He felt a little cold, but it didn¡¯t affect his enhanced Magical Girl body. As he fell, he rapidly stretched the thread downward and connected it to the Wyvern. ¨CAfter that, just shoot. ¡°Target stringing complete. Cannonball set. Trajectory secured. Commence spiral deployment.¡± With the declaration, threads of various thicknesses were spirally extended along the thread connected to the Wyvern. The diameter of the thread was the same size as the first bullet of threads. Tsugumi quickly pointed at the Wyvern with his index finger. ¡°Three seconds to fire. Three, two, one¨Czero!¡± The finger shot. With that, a number of bullets that had been deployed around Tsugumi rained straight down on the Wyvern. ¨CThe Wyvern seemed to have noticed something and was flying around the area as if shaking itself off. But the trajectory of the bullets didn¡¯t deviate from the Wyvern. That¡¯s what the threads were for. The threads were so entangled that they couldn¡¯t be removed by the slightest thing. The bullet of threads passed through the path of the spiral and approached the Wyvern with increasing acceleration. The thread rotated and squeezed out of the firing port, creating a propulsive force like a cannon. If shot from above, gravity would be added to increase its power. ¨CThe bullet finally landed on the Wyvern. ¡°Geeaaaahhhhhh!¡± Round holes were easily made in their wings, legs, shoulders, tails, bodies, and backs. It looked as if it had been hit directly by a meteor, and its initial graceful flight through the air was a lie. ¡°The new technique is good. With this, I have secured a long-range attack method.¡± Tsugumi confirmed that the Wyvern fell and landed on the ground. The Wyvern¡¯s limbs were torn off, and it was sinking in a pool of blood, glaring at him with burning hatred in its eyes. Of course, if you¡¯re attacked from a safe distance, you¡¯re going to resent the attacker. ¡°But it can¡¯t be helped. You tried to eat me, so it¡¯s no wonder you¡¯re being eaten.¡± Tsugumi said, ¡°Eat it,¡± and swung his right hand down. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô After finishing Gluttony and returning home with a full stomach, Tsugumi asked Bell, with a mysterious look on his face. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve been looking forward to Gluttony lately. Isn¡¯t that a little too dangerous?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really care.¡± ¡°I wish you¡¯d take me a little more seriously¡­¡± Moreover, she responded while playing a social game on Tsugumi¡¯s phone. Which is more important, Tsugumi as a contractor or the characters distributed at events? No, he wasn¡¯t going to ask because it would make him sad to actually hear it. ¡°I don¡¯t care if it doesn¡¯t affect your body. It makes you stronger, so what¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a matter of feelings. I¡¯m a little scared that I can eat ghetto food normally now.¡± He was horrified that he looked at a splattered Wyvern and thought it looked delicious. He would never have been able to eat something like that under normal circumstances. Even though he was in a high mood after the battle, he shouldn¡¯t eat that. ¡°You have a poor body, so why don¡¯t you eat a little and gain some weight? ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that Hagakure Sakura¡¯s body is poor, it¡¯s because Bell-sama doesn¡¯t like feminine bodies, isn¡¯t it?¡± Relatively tall, with slender limbs. She had relatively tall height, slender arms and legs, and thin breasts that did not hinder her movement. The only feminine qualities were the nips and the softness of her body. When he once commented that a girl¡¯s body was soft, Bell looked at him as if he was garbage. That was a bit traumatic. He had meant to refer to the range of motion in ¡®her¡¯ joints and the suppleness of ¡®her¡¯ limbs as ¡°soft¡±. He didn¡¯t mean it in an evil way. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t mind increasing it if you insist that much, but do you really want that much bad meat? Isn¡¯t it in the way?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like the way you say it¡­ Well, I¡¯m just getting used to my body now, and I don¡¯t have to change it. Besides, if I gain breasts or something now, they¡¯ll probably call it padding or breast implants anyway.¡± And then it was a set until they got slammed on the internet. Just thinking about it was troublesome. When Tsugumi replied, Bell let out a breath of blatant relief. He was so easy to understand but hard to deal with. ¡°I¡¯ve got school tomorrow, so I¡¯d better get to bed. There are only two days left until winter break, so take me out for a bite to eat again after that. I think it¡¯s time for me to enjoy a normal meal¡­¡± It was a sincere wish. If possible, his sense of taste needed to be corrected as soon as possible. When Tsugumi said this, Bell shrugged her shoulders and let out a sigh. ¡°It is the duty of the Lord to grant the wishes of the servants once in a while. Well, you can count on it.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, thank you.¡± Tsugumi thanked her. ¡°You only need to say ¡®yes¡¯ once,¡± she said angrily but it was a tribute. ¨COh, I¡¯m really looking forward to winter break. CH 17 Under The Cold Weather Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani The next day at lunchtime, Tsugumi was eating his lunch on the rooftop. It¡¯s the so-called ¡°loneliest meal¡±. The rooftop was open to other students, but in this mid-December cold, no one would come to the roof. Usually, he bought bread and ate it in the classroom, but today he couldn¡¯t stay there. ¨CBecause today Chidori had made a lunch box for him. Since she didn¡¯t have morning practice for club activities, she made one for Tsugumi as well as for herself. The kendo club that Chidori belonged to was a regular at national tournaments, so practice was tough. As the head and the ace of the club, Chidori was also very busy. It would make sense for him to make the lunches, but to be honest, it was hard for him to get up early in the morning. This might be the reason why he was called the ¡°no-good brother¡±. ¡°¡­It¡¯s cold¡± The hand holding the chopsticks trembled. The weather wasn¡¯t looking good, and he felt like it was going to snow. Even Tsugumi really wanted to be in a heated classroom. But if he showed his classmates his lunch box, there wouldn¡¯t be a grain of rice left in it. They¡¯d be fighting over it. And if Chidori found out that the food she had made was not in Tsugumi¡¯s mouth, she would be saddened. That¡¯s why he forced himself to come to the rooftop. But to be honest, he couldn¡¯t really taste anything because of the cold. If this was the case, he should have told Suzune-sensei and rented an empty classroom. ¡°¡­Thanks for the food.¡± With that, Tsugumi clasped his hands together. He exhaled a white breath, and felt that action alone was robbing him of his body heat. It felt really cold and he wanted to get back to class as soon as possible. Thinking so, Tsugumi tried to stand up after closing the lunch box. ¨CBut he couldn¡¯t do that. ¡°What are you doing out here all alone in this cold weather?¡± ¨CThe owner of the voice hugged him from behind, as if riding on his back. A soft, warm feeling spread across his back. ¡°Whoa, careful. ¨CWhat are you doing all of a sudden, Mebuki-senpai?¡± He stepped on the tatara and managed to stay in place without falling. He could only imagine the terrible consequences of falling with one person on board. Mainly for Tsugumi, though. ¡°Heh heh. I saw Tsugumi-kun looking lonely on the rooftop, so I just had to!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not really lonely¡­ Can you please not talk about people like that?¡± While replying, he politely tried to get her off his back, but Mebuki didn¡¯t want to come down at all. Tsugumi gave up and just sat down on the floor. It was tough to carry her all the way down, no matter how light she was. ¡°All right, all right, it¡¯s important for young people to give up, right? By the way, Tsugumi-kun¡¯s body is cold, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ll keep it warm for a while!¡± ¡°Um, thank you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that reaction? You should be more than happy to be hugged by a young girl.¡± He was at a loss to respond to such a statement. He knew she was just playing with him, but honestly, he was very nervous, and he wanted her to stop as soon as possible. ¡°I see, so it¡¯s Chidori¡¯s lunch today. No wonder you evacuated from the classroom.¡± ¡°You understand everything even though I haven¡¯t explained it¡­ As expected of a genius.¡± Mebuki was able to perfectly guess the current situation just by looking at the lunch box in Tsugumi¡¯s hand. As always, she was like a great detective. She was a regular in the single digits rank of the national mock examinations. She must be more quick-witted than others. When Tsugumi said so and sighed, Mebuki stood up and turned to face him. She looked warm in her red coat, he was a little jealous. ¡°Because it¡¯s me! Praise me more!¡± Her long blonde hair was softly spread by the wind. Her cheerful smile against the sun made her look like an angel. She wore gray glasses with tinted glass in them as a cape, and her bangs were pulled up in the air. Perhaps because of that, he could see her eyes so well. Deep green, beautifully luminous. Her face was somewhat exotic, and you can tell that she had foreign blood just by looking at her. ¨CShe was a British quarter. Her grandmother on her mother¡¯s side was English. Her mother had an Asian complexion, but she was the only one who was born with this coloring due to parthenogenetic inheritance. He didn¡¯t know how it was in the past, but in today¡¯s Japan, it¡¯s a little difficult for someone with her kind of appearance to live. Thirty years had passed since the country was closed off from the rest of the world, but bad feelings toward foreign countries still persisted. The Mebuki-senpai that Tsugumi knew was always seen smiling in this way, almost as if she was eating people up, but he was sure that she had also gone through quite a lot of hardship in places he didn¡¯t know. Older people avoided her appearance, but to Tsugumi she looked like a stunning doll, and was very beautiful. Well, not in a romantic sense, but more in an artistic sense. ¡°I heard she¡¯s becoming quite popular. A Magical Girl who looks just like you.¡± ¡°¡­Is it spreading to the senior grades? It¡¯s a nuisance for me.¡± Tsugumi slumped his shoulders and let out a sigh. Yesterday, a stranger asked, ¡°Are you by any chance Hagakure¡¯s brother?¡± It had clearly caused real damage. ¡°There¡¯s quite a bit of information on the Internet forums and such. I sometimes look at it myself, but that girl is nice. I can understand why she¡¯s so popular.¡± ¡°I have some very mixed feelings about this¡­¡± Internet message boards. It¡¯s a little depressing to think that all sorts of things were probably being written in various ways. However, it was human nature to be curious. He decided to secretly take a peek when he got home. As Tsugumi was thinking about this with a rugged face, Mebuki smiled and said. ¡°From the looks of it, you really are unrelated. But when you look so much alike, it¡¯s natural to suspect a blood relationship. In fact, you don¡¯t even know where your and Chidori¡¯s relatives are, do you? Why don¡¯t you try contacting her through the government?¡± Mebuki told Tsugumi admonishingly. Perhaps she said this because she was worried about Tsugumi and Chidori. Anyone close to them knew that they had no relatives. If there was even the slightest chance that they might be related, it¡¯s understandable that they would want to meddle. After all, Mebuki knew both Tsugumi and Chidori very well. ¨CAnd, to begin with, the relationship between Mebuki and Tsugumi was created through Chidori. The former head of the kendo club and her junior colleague, Chidori. As she asked him to help her with her packing and other chores, he somehow took a liking to her. Although they had such a relationship, he was very grateful for their concern. But, this was a different story. ¡­Contact or not, Hagakure Sakura was Tsugumi himself. It was bound to be a match failure. Tsugumi shook his head apologetically. ¡°If you try to contact them anyway, they¡¯ll just mistake you for a scam. I heard that if you become famous, you will have random people who claim to be your relatives. ¡­Besides, having Chidori is enough for me.¡± The latter half was also true for Tsugumi. Even if Hagakure Sakura was real, Tsugumi wouldn¡¯t want to contact them. What good would it do to have a blood relative now that he couldn¡¯t even remember the past? ¡°Hmmm. I¡¯ve been told something similar by Chidori. But she said it in a way that made me afraid to confirm it. Well, if that¡¯s fine with you guys, it¡¯s fine with me.¡± Mebuki said this and sat down next to Tsugumi. Then she looked down into his face and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve decided on a career path, and now I can afford the time to take care of my lovely juniors.¡± ¡°Oh, you already got a recommendation? Congratulations!¡± ¡°Yes. It seems that the paper I submitted six months ago was highly evaluated, and I received an enthusiastic offer to come to their company. In fact, they have already set up a laboratory for me. Isn¡¯t that great?¡± Mebuki proudly puffed out her chest. Isn¡¯t it a pretty good deal to have a laboratory prepared for you even before you enter school? But still, it came with a thesis. The scale of what she was doing was so different that he couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous. ¡°What did you write your thesis about? It seems to be a science field, if you¡¯re going to have a lab.¡± When Tsugumi asked, Mebuki opened her mouth. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s about the operation of the [Magic Tool Artifact]. A few years ago, I obtained a small magic nucleus through a family friend. I spent a lot of time testing it, and I finally found a theory that I could put to practical use. I haven¡¯t announced the whole thing because there are some interest issues, but once this is implemented, the Magical Girls¡¯ battles should become dramatically easier!¡± Mebuki spoke so proudly. Tsugumi just stared at her, stunned. -Isn¡¯t that ridiculous? ¡°If a Magical Girl uses it, does that mean that it can be brought inside the barrier? That¡¯s great. They¡¯ve only been able to bring in one blade or so, but if it becomes possible, it will change the common sense. With an achievement like that, even the National Medal of Honor would be awarded in a heartbeat.¡± He didn¡¯t know what kind of tools they would be able to bring in, but one of those shotguns would be enough to fight an E-class Demonic Beast. The death rate for Magical Girls who were not used to the [Skill] would also be much lower. ¡°I know, I know! I look like this, but I love this country. I want to be useful somehow, with my wasted good brain. Well, when I applied to be a Magical Girl candidate for the government before, I was rejected for not having the aptitude, and I despaired, but I¡¯m glad I persevered and did my best.¡± Laughing happily, Mebuki scratched her cheeks in embarrassment. ¨CShe looked so dazzling to Tsugumi. Tsugumi knew nothing about it. She was always so easygoing, but she had such passion in her heart. His heart ached and he felt a flood of emotions that he couldn¡¯t put into words. ¡°¡­Senpai is cool, isn¡¯t she? So different from me.¡± ¡°What is it, all of a sudden? It¡¯s not like you.¡± Mebuki gave a curious look to the self-mocking Tsugumi. Certainly, this isn¡¯t like the usual Tsugumi. It seemed he got caught up in the heat of the moment. ¡°Do you think I can become useful to someone like Mebuki-senpai someday?¡± He¡¯d been mistaken because he became a Magical Girl by chance, but he wasn¡¯t a good person who would do his best for someone whose face he didn¡¯t even know. Until now, Tsugumi had lived his life without much interest in other people. He only cared about the few acquaintances he knew. Other than that, he¡¯d always pretended not to see others¡¯ misfortune. ¨CBut, recently, I¡¯ve been feeling that I can¡¯t go on like this. Tsugumi couldn¡¯t be a self-sacrificing heroic hero. But at the very least, he wanted to be a person that the people he cared about could be proud of. ¡°¨CYou can. I guarantee it.¡± At the sound of her voice, he looked up in surprise. She was looking at Tsugumi with very kind eyes. It was as if she was affirming her words without questioning them, and it made his heart itch. Tsugumi was going to say something, but then he thought better of it and kept his mouth shut. He felt like it would sound cheap no matter what he said. So he gently extended his hands to Mebuki. ¡°Hey, what are you doing!¡± Ruffling her soft golden hair like petting a gruff dog. He didn¡¯t want her to see his face just yet. ¨CHe was pretty sure his cheeks were red. ¡°¨COh, my hair is so shaggy now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same as usual.¡± ¡°It changes! This is why you¡¯re no good, Tsugumi-kun. You need to be more sensitive to women¡¯s subtleties or you won¡¯t be popular!¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± It was a gut-wrenching statement. That verbal attack worked on him, so please stop. Perhaps satisfied seeing him depressed, Mebuki snorted. ¡°I¡¯ll let you off the hook for today. I have a big heart. ¨COh, and about next week¡¯s trip, I heard Tsugumi-kun got us the tickets, right? I¡¯m glad Chidori invited me to go, but is it okay if you both don¡¯t both go, sister and brother?¡± Then, Mebuki cocked her head. ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± Tsugumi pondered, not understanding the meaning of what was being said. ¨CCould she be talking about the tour tickets given to him by Yukitaka? A cold sweat broke out. Did Chidori really invite Mebuki on a trip without explaining anything? No, it was fine to invite her. Mebuki and Chidori were good friends outside of club activities, and now that she had become the head of the club, she probably had a lot of things she wanted to discuss. ¡­He didn¡¯t expect her to not mention Yukitaka, though. It¡¯s true that Mebuki and Yukitaka got along like cats and dogs. If she knew that the ticket was a gift from Yukitaka, Mebuki wouldn¡¯t have come on the trip. That said, he didn¡¯t think she would keep quiet about it¡­ And so, Tsugumi weighed his conscience against Chidori¡¯s feelings and chose to remain silent. There is a saying, ¡°What goes unsaid is the flower that blooms.¡± I¡¯m sorry Yukitaka, but I hope you¡¯ll let me off the hook this time. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Well, have fun.¡± ¡°Oh! Expect some souvenirs!¡± Mebuki returned a radiant smile to Tsugumi, who laughed vaguely. ¡°¨CIs it late already? I should get back to the classroom.¡± Tsugumi said as he looked at the clock on the wall. He ended up staying on the roof until the end of the day, so his body was cold to the core. He might as well get some hot tea from the vending machine on the way home. ¡°That¡¯s right. Tsugumi-kun, works hard to study properly. See you!¡± With that, Mebuki left the rooftop. She really was an energetic person. ¨CHe wondered if next week was already the trip. Hakone looked very cold this time of year. Chidori said they were going to visit hot springs and shrines, but he was worried that she might catch a cold. CH 18 You Guys On The Other Side of The Screen Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani The large electronic bulletin board that was currently widespread in Japan ¨C ¡°Ame no Sagume¡± or ¡°39 Sagu-chan¡± ¨C was operated by the government. There were some privately operated bulletin boards, but they were small in scale. The reason for this was because the isolation of the country had made it impossible to use large foreign servers. Most of the large servers in Japan were destroyed in the turmoil of 30 years ago. Therefore, when reconstruction began 30 years ago, the government was the first to create a large-scale server and bulletin board system in order to create a place for citizens to exchange information. And when the number of users exceeds 10 million a day, the cost and maintenance of such a large-scale bulletin board system were not trivial. Perhaps, for this reason, government bulletin boards still dominated the market share even after 30 years. The difference from the old bulletin boards was that users were required to register as members using their national IDs in order to post on the boards. Even though the BBS had a high degree of freedom, it was still run by the government, so that might be the least that could be done. Some people said it was about government surveillance or freedom of speech, but if you have a problem with it, just don¡¯t use it. If you just wanted to browse, you didn¡¯t have to register. By the way, Tsugumi was basically a professional viewer of message boards. ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡­ Is it?¡± Tsugumi muttered to himself as he stared at the computer screen. ¡ª [C-class] Hagakure Sakura 15 [Thread User] Among the many Magical Girl-related threads, he found such letters. He wasn¡¯t doubting Mebuki, but he was astonished to see that it was really there. Where on earth would there be a demand for it? This thread started a week ago. It was around the time he defeated Manticore. That¡¯s probably why the title was ¡°C-class¡±. Tsugumi swallowed and clicked on the title. ¡ô¡ô¡ô [C-class] Hagakure Sakura 15 [Thread User]. 1: Anonymous This is the general thread for C-class Magical Girl Hagakure Sakura. Feel free to chat, discuss, etc. C-class Manticore Battle http:****~ 2: Anonymous >>1 This is Otsu! 3: Anonymous >>1 What. 4: Anonymous Is Hagakure-san finally joining the ranks of the C class? I¡¯m deeply moved 5: Anonymous >>4 I¡¯ve only been active for three months. 6: Anonymous The frequency of battles is really high, isn¡¯t it? I feel anxious because I feel like she¡¯s rushing too much. 7: Anonymous The Manticore was a formidable opponent¡­ I haven¡¯t seen Hagakure-san injured in a long time. 8: Anonymous When she got slammed into the rock, I cringed like a stone. Blood was pouring out of her forehead. 9: Anonymous No matter how many battles she wins, she¡¯ll be healed, but that was scary. 10: Anonymous But I really like Hagakure-san who smiled belligerently right after that. 11: Anonymous >>10 I know what you mean. 12: Anonymous >>10 >>11 How¡¯s M? According to the other discussion group, that was a dare to hit. Apparently, she planted a huge amount of fine threads in the Manticore at the time of contact. 13: Anonymous If you didn¡¯t think it was moving, it was a trap. But I¡¯m surprised that¡¯s all it took to hit the Demonic Beast at that speed. 14: Anonymous >>13 Looking at how she flew after hitting, it feels strange, so I am sure that some precautions were taken. 15: Anonymous A scheming Thread user. Is she a ninja from a hidden village? 16: Anonymous I guess that theory might be possible, since no personal information about Hagakure-san has come out at all. 17: Anonymous There¡¯s no such thing as a hidden village. www. 18: Anonymous But there¡¯s almost no sighting information. She¡¯s a stray Magical Girl, so she¡¯s not even on the government¡¯s introduction. 19: Anonymous I saw Hagakure-san a month ago. She was at the takoyaki restaurant where I work part-time. 20: Anonymous >>19 Seriously? 21: Anonymous >>19 Please elaborate. 22: Anonymous This is what I was told. She just pointed to the menu and said, ¡°I¡¯ll have everything from here to here.¡± She brought about 20 boats of food. 23: Anonymous No way, that¡¯s a big meal! 24: Anonymous Stupid, you can¡¯t eat that much by yourself. There¡¯s no way, right? 25: Anonymous Come to think of it, there was a sighting at a donut shop once. The one that said she bought the whole menu. 26: Anonymous Ah, that one that was confirmed. There was also one story that said she brought a lot of meat to the riverside and barbecued it by herself, and bought a box of yatsuhashi (in a big cardboard box). 27: Anonymous Maybe they weren¡¯t just stories? 28: Anonymous I don¡¯t think she¡¯s eating that much, though, because she¡¯s not very fleshy. Well, maybe it¡¯s just to fuel the economy. 29: Anonymous Don¡¯t mention the breasts. It¡¯s pitiful. 30: Anonymous No one said it was about breasts. 31: Anonymous You know, why does everyone here call Hagakure Sakura with ¡°san¡±? Isn¡¯t it too long and shouldn¡¯t it be ¡°Hagakure¡± or ¡°Sakura¡±? 32: Anonymous >>31 Read past threads. 33: Anonymous >>31. We use ¡°san¡± because she¡¯s not the ¡°kyapi-kyapi¡± type like other Magical Girls, and she¡¯s a hard-core type of person. Also because some people shouted that calling Sakura is disrespectful to the legend. 34: Anonymous That¡¯s about it. 35: Anonymous Somehow. 36: Anonymous The battle scenes are so unnecessarily cool. It¡¯s not a flashy one like Rikka¡¯s, it¡¯s more of a showcase of skill. 37: Anonymous Well, Rikka is far superior in ability. This girl couldn¡¯t even reach Sumire-sama¡¯s feet. 38: Anonymous >>37 Go back to your exclusive thread. 39: Anonymous If you¡¯re going to compare her, at least compare her to other C-levels. Comparing her with Rikka is not an option. 40: Anonymous But she¡¯s a C-class in three months, right? At this rate, maybe even an A-class wouldn¡¯t be a dream, would it? 41: Anonymous It¡¯s tough to start from B-class. 42: Anonymous >>40 The Magical Girls who let their guard down after defeating C-class are the first to die. I¡¯m not too worried about Hagakure-san because she doesn¡¯t seem to have any frivolity. 43: Anonymous Some of these guys are monsters, though, and they¡¯ve been destroying A-levels in two months. I think Yukinon might be the next legend among legends. 44: Anonymous >>43 Sure, Yukino Shizuku is amazing, but it¡¯s not the thread for that. 45: Anonymous At this point, I¡¯m going to ask despite the risk, Hagakure¡¯s face is quite cute, isn¡¯t it? 46: Anonymous More beautiful than cute. 47: Anonymous To be honest, I like it like crazy. 48: Anonymous I¡¯m a woman, but I wouldn¡¯t mind being hugged by Hagakure-san. 49: Anonymous I want to be cursed just once. Too sad that the video is silent¡­ If only I had the audio data, I¡¯d make my own. 50: Anonymous I like that you¡¯re not being flirty. Perhaps she is indifferent to her own appearance. And the last time she had a nosebleed, she wiped it vigorously, like she didn¡¯t care. 51: Anonymous Sometimes I giggle like a child. I want to give her sweets. 52: A Anonymous Hmm¡­ Aren¡¯t there too many perverts? 53: Anonymous And this is just the beginning. 54: Anonymous She¡¯s so cute, it¡¯s natural that God chose her. 55: Anonymous Speaking of Hagakure-san, I heard a strange story. 56: Anonymous >>55 Don¡¯t be weird. 57: Anonymous >>56. I didn¡¯t mean it that way. A friend of mine who was watching the battle through a mirror near the site told me that the barrier wasn¡¯t lifted even after the battle was over. Normally, the barrier would be lifted immediately, right? By the way, I looked it up, and there are several similar reports on social networking sites and such. During those ten minutes, what in the world is she doing¨C? 58: Anonymous Stop making it occult style. Seriously, stop. 59: Anonymous I think she¡¯s just having an evaluation meeting with her contract God. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s easier to give combat pointers and such in the field. 60: Anonymous That¡¯s normal enough. Girls take a long time to get ready. 61: Anonymous Maybe it¡¯s like the report from earlier about eating a Demon Beast¡­? 62: Anonymous >>61 Nay www 63: Anonymous Ghetto- eating www That¡¯s not even a story www 64: Anonymous I have a suspicion that she¡¯s just a (tentative) glutton. 65: Anonymous >>61 Pebbles. 66: Anonymous Speaking of which, what do you think of Hagakure-san¡¯s outfit? Isn¡¯t it nice to look like a Magical Girl who has fallen evil? 67: Anonymous >>66. Your eyes are strange. At least call it a dark hero look. The glimpse of her shoulders is glamorous. 68: Anonymous Simple, but strangely fitting. 69: Anonymous I think it¡¯s cute how she spins around before she fights. Other Magical Girls do quite a bit of fanservice, but Hagakure-san doesn¡¯t get any media exposure at all¡­ 70: Anonymous Is it the policy of her boss (contract God) or her own wish¡­ Either way, I wouldn¡¯t hold my breath. We¡¯ll just have to put up with the video. 71: Anonymous It¡¯s like the supply is just in time because of the number of battles. Ah, I want audio data. 72: Anonymous >>71 You >> 49. 73: Anonymous Was I exposed? ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô After seeing that much, Tsugumi closed his laptop with a slam. In many ways, he couldn¡¯t watch anymore. ¡°¡­It¡¯s embarrassing.¡± He held his face in his hands as he said this. If it wasn¡¯t night, he might have groaned and rolled around on the floor. It was as if a stranger had forced him to play a humiliating game. He got it now, so ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡±¡® was a reasonable-looking girl in other people¡¯s eyes. He felt both happy and somewhat empty, a delicate feeling. The other thing that bothered him was the ¡°Gluttony¡± thing. He had expected that the predation scene would have been a big problem for his reputation, but it seemed that part of the scene had not been preserved in the video. That helped him, but he was a little afraid that one day it would be exposed. ¨CBut, he was more favorable than he thought he would be. Maybe that¡¯s because what he saw was a thread dedicated to ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡±. But he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to see the general thread on Magical Girls, he was so scared. If they criticized him harshly, even the stoic Tsugumi would be depressed. As Tsugumi was holding his face in the same position, Bell, who had returned from going out, spoke to him. ¡°What¡¯s with that strange look? Did you hurt your stomach?¡± ¡°Bell-sama. ¡­I just looked into the abyss for a moment.¡± ¡°What?¡± Bell made a noise saying she didn¡¯t know what it meant. But he honestly didn¡¯t have the energy to explain anymore. ¨CLet¡¯s not look at the internet for a while. The damage to my psyche would be too much. But the next day, when Bell looked at his online history, she revealed the contents of the thread to him, laughing. CH 19 Toward The Tipping of The Balance Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani The rest of the winter break went by without incident. He made plans to hang out with his classmates, and it was all about guys who got together for Christmas. Things got a little bit messy in the end. Well, it was just a typical day. ¨CAnd today was December 27. The sky was clear, and it was a perfect day for a trip. Chidori left early in the morning to the rendezvous point for the trip, and wouldn¡¯t come home for three days. He felt a little sad, but it was a good opportunity, so he hoped she had a good time. Incidentally, Tsugumi was planning to go out for a full day of eating and walking with Bell. Today¡¯s attire was a khaki-colored military coat and a black checked knee-length dress. He wore a big red ribbon tied around his waist, his hair was loosely pulled down and he was wearing glasses. He looked somewhat different from his usual impression. According to Bell, she kept it simple with the theme of ¡°the gap between the honor student look and the coat¡±. He wondered where she was going with this. While thinking about this, Tsugumi watched Bell continue eating. ¡°¡­You really eat a lot.¡± ¡°This body converts food into energy the moment it¡¯s swallowed. I never feel full.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s a problem of fuel efficiency¡­ The women around the world would envy you.¡± While having such a conversation, Bell was consuming a mountain of cream puffs at a high pace. To say the least, it is a very surrealistic picture. ¨CBut the people around him didn¡¯t look at Bell. This is something that he¡¯d noticed recently, but it seemed that ordinary people didn¡¯t see Bell¡¯s figure. No, it might be more correct to say that their perception was tampered with. For example, if they had a barbecue outside, and Tsugumi was busy putting meat on Bell¡¯s plate, the people who saw it would only think that the meat had somehow run out. The rest of the time, the brain would supplement the reason why the meat had gone on its own, so the majority of people would recognize that the person cooking the meat, Tsugumi, ate it. This is why the world was spreading the word about Tsugumi ¨C Hagakure Sakura ¨C as a gluttonous character. Today, he wore glasses and a light disguise just to be safe, but it¡¯d be obvious when he ordered a large amount of food. ¡°Come to think of it, you have no memory of the past. The catastrophe of ten years ago, was it? What is the story of that among you?¡± Suddenly Bell asked him such a question. Tsugumi wondered what was going on out of the blue, but there was no sign of anything unusual, so it was probably just an extension of small talk. -The catastrophe ten years ago. It¡¯s deeply involved in Tsugumi¡¯s life, but there isn¡¯t much he could say about it. ¡°I don¡¯t know all the details. Partly because I don¡¯t remember it, but also because the government has restricted information about it.¡± After he grew up, he reexamined the catastrophe, but was unable to gather any information at all, given the scale of the disaster. All he could find were reports about the damage, but there was nothing definitive about the cause. He could only think that the government was hiding the truth. When Tsugumi answered, Bell¡¯s eyes narrowed in interest. ¡°Hmmm? Well, regulation is reasonable. Among our people, there is a strong belief that it was a failed attempt to ¡®bring down the Gods¡¯.¡± ¡°Bring down the Gods?¡± They were words he had never heard before. When Tsugumi tilted his head, Bell glared at him in frustration. ¡°This is why ignorant people are so annoying. ¨CThe word ¡®bring down the Gods¡¯ in this case refers to bringing down a divinity to a person¡¯s body. It is a foolish thing at all. How could a human being possibly conquer a God in the first place?¡± ¡°¡­Wait. Does that mean that the disaster could have been artificially created?¡± Tsugumi had thought for sure that a Magical Girl had failed to defeat an A-class Demonic Beast and that the government had concealed it. He had no idea that it was man-made. Bell shrugged her shoulders, uncaring. ¡°I guess that¡¯s what it comes down to. Some say that they were trying to bring down a Demonic Beast rather than a God, but either way, they gained nothing by sacrificing an entire city. What an expensive study failure.¡± ¨CBring down ¡°God¡± to the person of a human being. He didn¡¯t know why anyone tried to do that, but the side effect was the self-destruction of the people around him. ¡°I really can¡¯t tell Chidori¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to say anything else. ¨CThere are many things in this world that are better left unknown.¡± Bell concluded and began to bring the cream puffs to her mouth again. Just as she put the second bite into her mouth, they heard the tinkling of a bell, ringing from somewhere. Tsugumi looked around, but couldn¡¯t see the source of the sound. Bell clucked her tongue at the sound and pushed the cream puffs she was about to eat to Tsugumi. ¡°Eh? What?¡± ¡°Hold on to this.¡± Bell said and held her hand up to the void, from which something like a plate of glass suddenly appeared. Apparently, it was the glass that made the sound of a bell. Then Bell put the plate of glass on the table and began to speak. ¡°What do you want? ¡­Huh? Why should we do such a thing? There are plenty of pawns in your brood, I don¡¯t care who you are or what you think. ¨CAfter all, it is your own fault. You should be sorry for your own incompetence, you rude people!¡± Bell shouted, then raised her hand and knocked the glass plate to the ground. Tsugumi had no time to interrupt. He wasn¡¯t sure what happened in the end¡­ But something terrible must have happened for Bell to be so angry. ¡°Who the hell do you think you are, damn dog of the government! Oh, I could tear you to pieces right now!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but calm down. Here, have some of this.¡± Tsugumi gently let Bell hold the cream puffs he had been entrusted with and picked up the glass plate that had been knocked off. Then, after a moment¡¯s hesitation, he placed the glass plate in his coat pocket. If he gave it to Bell now, she¡¯d likely throw it somewhere again, so it was probably best if he kept it for a while. ¡°So what was that all about? It sounded like a phone call.¡± He asked when Bell¡¯s agitation calmed down a bit. Bell sighed heavily. ¡°The government has asked us to go to work. There seems to be a glitch in the prediction system, and apparently, an A-class Demonic Beast will appear in this world 15 minutes from now. They probably called you because you have the Transportation skill.¡± ¡°Why make ¡®Hagakure Sakura¡¯ do such a thing? Wouldn¡¯t it make more sense for them to talk to Rikka?¡± In the first place, it¡¯s strange to call on Tsugumi who didn¡¯t belong to the government. The government might be short on time, but there were a lot of people with Transportation capabilities, and there¡¯s no way that the C-class Hagakure Sakura would be a match for an A-class Demonic Beast. It was only natural that Bell would be angry like this. ¡°Hmmm. They said that the appearance of 20 D-class, six C-class, two B-class, and other high-ranked beasts in the morning had combined to make it impossible for the government to move those with the ability to transport. In addition, there are no Magical Girls near the place of the appearance, so no matter how fast they hurry, they won¡¯t be able to make it in time for the appearance in another 15 minutes. ¨CThe government is to blame for not being able to manage the risks, no matter how many irregularities there may be. That¡¯s no reason for us to put our lives on the line.¡± Bell said it so lightly, but for Tsugumi, it was a surprise. ¨CThere were only about five B-class Demonic Beasts a month, but today there were two of them. That alone would be enough to make it a quasi-disaster. He¡¯d heard that a lot of people had the ability to transport, so this must be a very serious situation. It was noon, and there were still twelve hours left in the day. What were they going to do if another high-ranked Demonic Beast appeared before then? Maybe it would be okay to talk to Bell and see if she could come up with a response. ¡°It¡¯s going to cause a hell of a lot of damage, that¡¯s for sure.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t want mercy for those fools.¡± ¡°But still, an A-class Demonic Beast. Where is it located?¡± ¡°Oh, apparently they appear in a town called Hakone in Kanagawa Prefecture.¡± Tsugumi stopped moving. ¡°¡­Hmmm, I see¡± ¨CI see. So it is in Hakone that the Demonic Beast appears? Then what Tsugumi would do had been decided from the beginning. He gently reached into his pocket and checked its contents. A slight bulge asserted its presence. It surely wasn¡¯t a problem. He felt a sharp pain in his chest. What Tsugumi going to do was definitely a betrayal to Bell. It¡¯s also an act that would bring the trust of the past three months to naught. It was a really, really, painful thing to do. ¡­He didn¡¯t want to do this, if possible. ¨CStill, Tsugumi didn¡¯t even hesitate. Because the scales had long since tipped. Then, when Tsugumi slowly stood up from his seat, he turned down lightly toward Bell. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Bell-sama, but I¡¯m going to have to leave for a while. Eat some cream puffs while I¡¯m gone.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care, but what¡¯s wrong?¡± In response to Bell¡¯s dubious question, Tsugumi put a perfect smile on his face and said. ¡°¨CYeah. I¡¯m just going to pick some flowers, you know.¡± ¨CIt would be him that got picked, though. CH 20 Whereabouts of Emotions Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani A few minutes after Tsugumi left his seat, Bell felt an inexplicable sense of discomfort. She felt as if she had forgotten something important. She tilted her head. ¡ªBy the way, where did the device she just knocked down go? She remembered that Tsugumi picked it up, but she didn¡¯t know what happened to it after that. It was a government-issued device, so it would have been bad to lose it. It was most likely in the possession of Tsugumi. But if that¡¯s the case, why didn¡¯t he give it back to her? ¨CDid he forget to return it¡­ Or did he not return it on purpose? Bell shook her head, thinking it was impossible. Although they had only known each other for a short time, Bell had a pretty good grasp of Tsugumi¡¯s personality. He was basically an obedient man. Unless something happened to him, it wasn¡¯t likely for him to act in a way that would disobey Bell¡¯s wishes. The only exception to this rule was in the case of his sister. ¡°¡­Wait a minute. Didn¡¯t he say his sister was traveling to Hakone?¡± The worst possibility crossed her mind. There was no way that Tsugumi wouldn¡¯t go to save his sister, Chidori. But even if he told her, he would have known that Bell would object. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t say anything. Belle immediately looked for Tsugumi¡¯s location. As long as Tsugumi wore the ring of contract, she could detect wherever he was. And, unfortunately, her prediction came true. ¡°¨CI knew it! That big idiot!!¡± Tsugumi¡¯s current location was in Kanagawa Prefecture ¡ª halfway up Mount Hakone. Bell confirmed this and immediately flew to the location. Through a gate that had been opened by a rift in space-time, she passed through subspace to a deserted forest of dead trees, where she found Tsugumi, in the form of a Magical Girl, sitting on one knee in a daze. Tsugumi was staring intently into the void, twirling the glass plate in his hand ¨C a terminal for contacting the government. There was no emotion on his face. ¡°I found you! ¨CDo you know what you¡¯ve done?¡± Bell shouted howlingly. The space around her was distorted by the divine power that leaked from her uncontrollable rage. Excessive interference in this world meant deportation to the place where God stayed ¨C but even knowing this, this anger was unbearable. Tsugumi looked at Bell, who suddenly appeared, and said with a troubled smile. ¡°That¡¯s very quick. ¨CNo, or was it too late?¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¨CTime went back a few minutes. ¡ªA the operation room, the manager of Demon Beast Countermeasures Headquarters, Inaba Honoka, was impatient. ¡°Number 28, Arisato Botan has refused!¡± ¡°Agatsuma Suoho, number 83, is no good either. The contracting God in charge was furious¡­¡± ¡°Damn! Not even those strays who don¡¯t have the Transportation skill!¡± He slammed his hands on the desk, frantically thinking and searching for the next move he could make. The grade of the Demonic Beast, estimated from the magnitude force, was an A-class. An ordinary Magical Girl would be no match for it. Although evacuation advisories had already been issued for the areas surrounding Hakone, it would be difficult to quickly evacuate everyone, including tourists. Because there were only about ten minutes left until the appearance of the Magical Girl. ¡°Ah, there has never been a problem with the Yata no Kagami until now! Why is this happening today!¡± A new operator raised his voice in distress. Inaba agreed, but complaining about it now wasn¡¯t going to get anything done. ¨CThe ¡°Yata no Kagami¡± prediction system was certainly responsible for the failure of detecting the appearance of an A-class. Normally, the system should have been able to detect it five hours before the event, but only this time they were able to know about it 15 minutes before the event. The schedule for dispatching Magical Girls was also completely disrupted because of this. The C and B classes had been predicted to appear in advance, so they were able to take care of the situation without any problems, but the cooldown time for the Transportation skills of the Magical Girls belonging to the government was interrupted by the dispatch of the new Demonic Beast. He hurriedly tried to contact stray Magical Girls who had Transport skills and those in the Hakone area, but the result was a disastrous failure. ¡­Originally he had no expectations for stray Magical Girls. They weren¡¯t obliged to dispatch for emergency services, so he couldn¡¯t complain if they refused to do so. Even if he expected them to be dispatched out of the goodness of their hearts, the Demonic Beast was too bad to deal with this time. ¡°What about the members of Rikka? Even if we don¡¯t make it in time to emerge, the damage must be kept to a minimum¡­!¡± ¡°A government helicopter is on its way to pick up Suzushiro-sama and Hitsugi-sama. But, it will take another 30 minutes to reach Hakone!¡± Inaba bit his teeth at the report. Thirty minutes from now would mean allowing the Demonic Beasts to overrun the area for about twenty minutes. ¡­In the worst-case scenario, the damage could exceed the catastrophe of a decade ago. ¡°Manager. Shouldn¡¯t it be better to contact the higher-ups and ask for permission for forced Transportation by the contract God? It seems odd that it is available to the stray Magical Girls, but not to the government.¡± Another staff member offered an opinion, but Inaba shook his head. ¡°Surely, if we could do that, it would solve everything. But the higher-ups would never give us permission. ¨CThe government¡¯s ban on forced transfers is based on the will of Amaterasu. No matter how urgent the situation may be, there is no way they will give permission.¡± They said there were various reasons why Amaterasu forbid forced Transportation. According to some, it was for humanitarian reasons, others feared that it would increase the authority of the contracting Gods, and many other speculations were made, but it wasn¡¯t certain. Inaba¡¯s position didn¡¯t allow him to know the true reason for this, but perhaps someone in the higher-up would know more about the situation. ¨CBut whatever the case may be, I cannot disobey the will of Amaterasu at this point in time. As a government official, that¡¯s an absolute rule that he couldn¡¯t break. ¡°If I could buy the time at least for 20 minutes¡­¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask the strays to fight again? Let¡¯s contact them again, but only those who have a record of A-class subjugation.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, let¡¯s give it a try.¡± Inaba clenched his trembling hands tightly and was about to call the strays Magical Girls again when he heard the tinkling of a bell. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s ringing!¡± ¡°It¡¯s number 96. When I contacted her earlier, she abused me pretty hard. Maybe it¡¯s a complaint¡­¡± ¨CA stray Magical Girl. Serial number 96, Hagakure Sakura. Her current grade was C. A rare talent with a Transportation skill. However, it was always the contracted God who contacted them, and none of the staff had ever spoken to her personally. Her contract God was famous for her temper. She wasn¡¯t someone you want to talk to at length in this dire situation. Inaba clicked his tongue loudly and picked up a pair of headphones nearby. He¡¯d just have to tell her that this was an emergency and ask her to leave the complaint for a later date. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll get it over with right away.¡± ¨CLet¡¯s just cut to the chase and hang up the call. Inaba thought so and pressed the button on the caller ID. ¡°Yes, this is Inaba in the operation room of the Demon Beast Countermeasures Headquarters.¡± ¡°¨CGood. It¡¯s connected properly.¡± A cool voice tone came through the headphones, different from the contract God he remembered. It was clearly a woman¡¯s voice. Inaba was relieved and asked in a quiet tone. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, is this Hagakure Sakura-san herself?¡± ¡°Yes, I am. Is this the right way to contact the government? This is the first time I¡¯ve made contact like this, so I¡¯m not sure how to do it¡­¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, any contact from a Magical Girl is always connected to this place. How can I help you?¡± ¡°Regarding Hakone, which you contacted me about earlier¨Cthere is no local broadcast on which means that you haven¡¯t decided on the Magical Girl to be sent yet, have you?¡± ¡°¡­Local?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in Hakone right now. I can only hear the evacuation alarm so far, but do you think you will be able to dispatch the Magical Girls by the time the Demonic Beast appears?¡± Inaba swallowed. -At the moment, she is in Hakone. Can I expect her to know why she¡¯s there with her Transportation skill? Inaba opened his mouth while suppressing his feelings. ¡°No, I am sorry. I have dispatched two members of Rikka to the site urgently, but it is unlikely that they will be able to reach the site in time.¡± ¡°How long do you need?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°¨CI¡¯m asking how long do I have to make up the time¡­¡± ¨CThis is it. ¡°Will you fight for us?¡± At Inaba¡¯s loud voice, the staff around him turned around with a perplexed look on their faces. Inaba swallowed and switched the receiving line of the call to a room-based one. If the other staff members heard this conversation, they would know what action to take. He could hear the upset voices around him, but he couldn¡¯t worry about that right now. ¡°I contacted you with that intention. Um, I should take the oath first, right? ¨C[I swear by my God] I declare that I will intercept those who come down here. ¡­Is this correct?¡± Saying so, Hagakure Sakura finished the [oath] as if it was nothing more than a simple matter. This oath was the key and cage for Magical Girls to create barriers. The word ¡°cage¡± meant exactly what it meant. By taking the [oath] through a government terminal in a place where Demonic Beasts were expected to appear, that Magical Girl wouldn¡¯t be able to escape from the battle. She wouldn¡¯t be able to move from the place until the Demonic Beast appeared, and when it appeared, a barrier would be automatically drawn in, pulling the Demonic Beast in. In other words, she would be locked in a cage. ¨CHagakure Sakura had only recently become a C-class. The accuracy of her technique and everything else wasn¡¯t enough to take on an A-class Demonic Beast. And he was sure she knew it well. When he contacted her contracted God, she ridiculed him for calling those who go into battle as ¡°pawns¡± to be thrown away. She must have heard that too. And yet, she came forward like this. He didn¡¯t know what kind of communication took place between her and the contracted God, but she was probably already prepared for her action. Inaba felt like crying at his own inadequacy. He knew that this work was necessary, but in the end, he and the others were just ordering the girls around, and there was little he could do to help them directly. Inaba and the other staff members in the operation room were basically in a position to bear a grudge. This is because they sometimes had to issue orders to dispose of Magical Girls. Magical Girls belonging to the government weren¡¯t given the right to veto emergency dispatches. Therefore, there were a lot of times when they had to give a merciless order. If a government-affiliated Transportation skill holder had been available at this stage, Inaba would surely have ordered the child to go to Hakone as the head of the office. Even if the child¡¯s grade was E-class. Some of the staff members were even attacked by the grieving families of Magical Girls. ¨CBut this is the organization, and this is our mission as protectors of the nation. There was no time for sentimentality. He just had to keep doing the best he could. And Inaba calmly reported the time. ¡°Twenty minutes, no, if you give enough time to earn thirty minutes, the two Rikka members will arrive at the site. I¡¯ll be sure to make it in time¡­!¡° ¡°I see. ¨CWell, can I ask you one thing?¡± ¡°Yes, anything you want.¡± Inaba braced himself for whatever was to be said. Her dispatch was completely in good faith, not an obligation as a matter of duty. She had a right to complain to the government, which had created the situation that compelled her to do so, even if it was due to a glitch in the system. But the words that came out of her mouth were different. ¡°Please take care of the rest. Oh, but if I have defeated a Demonic Beast, please apologize with me to Rikka for coming all the way to Hakone!¡± She said this calmly with a slight laugh. In response, Inaba was speechless. ¨CHow could she smile so calmly in the face of death? Inaba just couldn¡¯t understand. He could hear the gasps from the staff around her. ¡°¡­I will surely dispatch someone who can win. Absolutely, I will not let the city be harmed.¡± Inaba clenched his fists hard. It felt terribly sad to lose Magical Girls. But there was no time to stand still. ¨CI have to do my part to repay the Magical Girls who are fighting for us. Even if they call me evil. She let out a relieved breath at Inaba¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you. ¡­Oh, I¡¯m sorry. It looks like the time has run out¨C¡± ¡°Hagakure-san? Hello? ¡­It has been cut off?¡± With these words, the call with Hagakure Sakura was cut off. Inaba gently put his hand on his chest, closed his eyes, and exhaled. -I have to change my mind. When he opened his eyes, Inaba looked back and said. ¡°You all heard the call earlier, didn¡¯t you? ¨CHurry up and get on with the work you have to do!¡± ¨CYes! All at once, the voices rose up. Some of the staff members were in tears. He knew how they felt but this wasn¡¯t the right time to cry. ¡°¡­I guess it¡¯s my ego that wants to win and survive.¡± Inaba muttered to himself, shook his head loosely, and returned to the work he had to do. CH 21 ¨CFive minutes to go until the arrival of the Demonic Beast. In Hakone-Yumoto, a hot spring resort town, there was a traffic jam of evacuating residents and tourists. On one of the buses, Nanase Chidori and Mebuki Kei were riding in the middle of the traffic. ¨CI¡¯m in big trouble. Mebuki rubbed Chidori¡¯s back, who was pale and trembling. Chidori had been relatively calm when the alarm went off, but she had been in this state since she found out something. Mebuki had no idea what it was, but she couldn¡¯t find the words to say to her. The train, which had been in a state of panic until about 10 minutes ago, had gradually calmed down after the government informed them that the Magical Girls had been dispatched. Some of the passengers were as frightened as staggered birds, but as long as the Magical Girls who would be dispatched did not make any mistakes, the people in Hakone wouldn¡¯t be harmed by the Demonic Beasts. ¡°Even so, the government¡¯s contact came too close and I was impatient. Is it because of the malfunction of Yata no Kagami? I want the government to be a little more solid.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Moreover, the government¡¯s Magical Girls couldn¡¯t get there in time, so they asked a stray to do the job, right? But I heard she¡¯s a C-class. I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but I wonder if she¡¯s going to be okay. I hope she can last until Rikka comes running¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that. It¡¯ll make you uneasy.¡± Mebuki overheard the conversation between the bus driver and the attendant. She didn¡¯t think the conversation was appropriate on the part of the passengers, but she could certainly understand their uneasiness. This time there were too many irregularities. Both the Yata no Kagami¡¯s malfunction and the government¡¯s dispatch error were unprecedented. It was understandable that they might have a hunch that something troublesome might happen again. The name of the girl who agreed to take on the A-class Demonic Beast was Hagakure Sakura. She was a new Magical Girl who looked a lot like a cute kouhai and had recently become a hot topic at Mebuki¡¯s school. If possible, she would have liked to be involved with her in some other way. It might be inappropriate to think this way, but the chances of Sakura Hagakure¡¯s survival in this battle were extremely low. And Hagakure Sakura herself would surely challenge the A-class Demonic Beast with a determined spirit. Mebuki could only thank her for her selfless devotion. At times like this, she truly hated her own helplessness. It would be too much to entrust the entire fate of the country to a handful of selected girls. And there is one more thing that bothers me. ¨CShe was talking about Chidori. Chidori turned bloodthirsty and started shaking like this when the name of Hagakure Sakura was mentioned. When they talked earlier, Chidori replied that she had nothing to do with Hagakure Sakura, but she might be hiding something in this situation. ¡°Chidori, are you alright? ¨CChidori?¡± Mebuki felt uneasy about the quandary and called out to Chidori, who was holding her mouth down, but she didn¡¯t say anything back. When Mebuki brought her face closer to confirm, Chidori seemed to be muttering something in a small voice. Gently, she listened carefully. ¡°It¡¯s¨Cit¡¯s my fault.¡± ¡°¨Cit¡¯s my fault, that person. Because I¡¯m here in this place. It¡¯s my fault. I am a bad person. It¡¯s my fault. Because of me, Sakura-oneechan will die again¡­¡± Mebuki gasped for air. What she spun out of her mouth sent a chill down her spine. Chidori was repeating the same words over and over like a broken record. Her eyes were tinged with fear, and she looked too pathetic to call it repentance. ¡°Chidori!¡± Mebuki couldn¡¯t stand still and called out Chidori¡¯s name in a loud voice. The passengers around her turned around to see what was going on, but there was no time to worry about that. She shook Chidori¡¯s shoulders somewhat roughly. If she left her in this state, it surely wouldn¡¯t be any good. Chidori was clearly delirious right now. If this didn¡¯t work, she had no choice but to bring her back to her senses even if she had to stretch her cheeks. ¡°¨CAh, Kei-senpai?¡± Despite Mebuki¡¯s concern, Chidori stared back at her with a dazed look. In her eyes, Mebuki was firmly reflected. Seeing this, Mebuki let out a relieved breath. If she was conscious, then she was still okay. ¡°Chidori, calm down a little. Take a deep breath.¡± When Mebuki said this, Chidori did as she was told and took a deep breath. As she exhaled, she became a little calmer and bowed her head with a puzzled look on her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Senpai. I seem to have been somewhat distraught¡­¡± ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t matter. A junior is a status that allows you to cause trouble for your seniors. Can you rely on me more?¡± Mebuki made a joke like that, in her usual tone. Chidori smiled as if she played along, but her expression was still stiff. After giving her a bottle of water and she had calmed down a little, Mebuki began to talk. ¡°May I ask you a few questions?¡± ¡°¨CYes.¡± ¡°Chidori, you¨Cyou know about Hagakure Sakura after all, don¡¯t you?¡± To this question, Chidori gave a small shake of her head. Mebuki raised her eyebrows at the answer, but Chidori looked troubled and said with her eyes downcast. ¡°She was a trigger for what happened earlier, but she had nothing to do with it directly. When the government contacted me, I saw her on the screen and it was like a flashback to an event from the past¡­ I¡¯m sure it¡¯s like a trauma. Even though ten years have passed, I feel ashamed of myself.¡± ¨C¡®Ten years¡¯ might be related to the catastrophe from when Chidori had lost her memory. But does the flashback mean that her memory has returned? ¡°Do you remember the past, Chidori?¡± ¡°Fragments, but only a little. For the most part, though, I can¡¯t remember anything like Tsugumi.¡± Then Chidori smiled sadly. ¡°Do you remember what I was saying earlier, Senpai?¡± ¡°Oh, ¡®Sakura-oneechan¡¯ was it? ¡­You said a lot of other disturbing things, but let¡¯s put that aside for the moment, shall we?¡± ¡°¡­Hagakure Sakura-san looks a lot like that ¡®Sakura-oneechan¡¯. But there is no way that person is her¨C¡° Chidori continued as if talking to herself. ¡°Because Sakura-oneechan¨Cshe was supposed to have died protecting me and Tsugumi ten years ago.¡± ¡°¨CSo that¡¯s how it is.¡± At the moment Mebuki was about to continue her words, she felt a blurring of space. Perhaps a Magical Girl¡¯s barrier had been put up to cover this area. In other words, the Demonic Beast had finally descended upon Hakone. ¡°Chidori. Let¡¯s talk about this later. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m more concerned about the battle situation right now. You¡¯re probably wondering about her too, aren¡¯t you? I think you should see how it all turns out.¡± As Chidori said, she might not have a direct relationship with Hagakure Sakura, but she definitely had special feelings for her, to the extent that she saw her as that ¡°Sakura-oneechan¡± over and over again. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been so distraught over the mere resemblance. At Mebuki¡¯s words, Chidori showed a slight thinking gesture, and then nodded hesitantly. ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¨CThe battle of Hagakure Sakura began, leaving many questions unanswered. CH 22 Monster of The Gods Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¡°It¡¯s coming.¡± The moment Bell muttered that, something like a weak electric current ran through Tsugumi¡¯s body. Perhaps this was what it felt like when a Magical Girl put up barriers. He felt a little fresh because until now he¡¯d left it up to Bell to set the barrier. As the world switched to a mirror image, a thick fog-like mist hung over the area around Lake Ashi in Hakone. At the same time, he felt tremendous pressure. The presence that pierced his skin was so terrifying that he was almost frightened just to be in contact with it. The shadow that could be seen on the shore of Lake Ashi was incomparably larger than any of the Demonic Beasts he had fought. And as the fog cleared, its true nature became apparent. ¨CIt was a large snake. And not just one. It was not just one snake, but nine huge golden snakes, folded and intertwined with each other in a strange appearance. They were between 500 and 300 meters long. The body of one of them was about three meters in diameter, and when seen alone, it looked a little stocky. At first glance, they appeared to be like the eight-forked giant serpent, but it wasn¡¯t quite right. ¡°That must be Radon.¡± Bell muttered to herself. ¡°Radon, that snake from Greek mythology?¡± Bell nodded firmly in response to Tsugumi¡¯s question. ¨CRadon. The official name is Lardoon, which refers to a serpent in Greek mythology that is said to have a hundred heads. The famous story is probably from the Twelve Trials of Hercules. But the serpent before him, unlike the anecdote, had only nine heads and a tail. ¡°I thought it was inspired by the legend of the Nine-headed Dragon, but it¡¯s not.¡± It is said that a priest persuaded an evil nine-headed dragon that had its roots in Lake Ashi to be elevated to a guardian deity. Chidori had told him about the Hakone shrine the other day, so he remembered the folklore well. When Tsugumi explained this, Bell nodded her head as if she was impressed and said. ¡°¡­I see, I thought about it. Does it use the ¡®fear¡¯ that remains in this land as a vessel? No wonder the time it takes to appear is so short.¡± ¡°Uh, what do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s that simple. In order to come down to earth, he poured the contents of Radon into the Nine-headed Dragon that is said to have existed in this land ¨C a vessel that people have defined as such. With that method, it makes sense that it would be able to appear in such a short period of time as it did this time.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± The explanation was a bit confusing for Tsugumi, but did it mean that the personality of Radon was contained in the image of the Nine-headed dragon that was originally created by people on their own? ¡°Then does that mean that this time it wasn¡¯t a glitch in the Yata no Kagami, but rather the usual accurate foreknowledge? ¡­If this keeps happening over and over again, the government is going to have a hard time dealing with it.¡± ¨CThat¡¯s really troubling. But the Japanese government was no fool. It would be easy to arrive at the guess Bell was referring to. But whether or not there were any measures that could be taken was another story. Well, the government would have to do its best in that area. For now, the immediate task was the first priority. Just because they were far away from the Demonic Beasts did not mean that they had been slackening off. While talking to Bell, he was also keeping a close eye on Radon. The Radon was crawling along the shallows of the lake in a slow, sluggish motion. Apparently, by the looks of it, it seemed to be moving slowly. ¨CFirst of all, let¡¯s attack the neck on the far right. He made himself invisible with his skill and crept close to the neck by shifting, twisting a thread around the neck, and attempting to cut it off. ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Its neck was cut in two so easily that it didn¡¯t even feel a firmer grip. Spewing blood, the golden head fell into the lake. A moment later ¨C he thought he saw a grin on the head¡¯s face. With a crack, the head sank into the lake. Why is this serpent not even upset that one of its heads has been dropped? -But he soon found out why. ¡°Uh-oh.¡± It made a messy, raw sound, and a new head grew out of the base of the body. He knew it wasn¡¯t something that could be easily defeated, but it was apparently that kind of type. When it came to that, the neck that he just dropped was also dangerous. ¡°¡­Ugh!!¡± He felt a chill and instantly left the area using a thread. With a thud, he heard something shatter from where he had just been. Turning back, there was a large gouge in the ground like a crater. He looked around and saw a snake emerging from the lake, facing them, its mouth wide open. A faint smoke-like substance could be seen coming from its mouth. Considering that the main body of the Radon hadn¡¯t moved from its position, it must have been the head dropped by Tsugumi. ¨CBut even so. ¡°Can all dragon species shoot beams these days?¡­¡± It was an unpleasant fact. However, it seemed that the majority of Demonic Beasts were created based on the image people have of them, so many people might think that ¡°dragon = beam¡±. It was a little overkill. Anyway, it might be a bad idea to cut off the head of the beast. He slipped a thread into the lake to check the shape of the fallen head, but it seemed that the head itself had the ability to regenerate, and the body had completely recovered. At this rate, it would only increase the number of enemy units. ¡°It¡¯s awkward to dive underwater. As expected, the threads are slow in the water¡­¡± With this in mind, he planted a search thread in the vicinity of the main body of Radon. Why doesn¡¯t that main body show any movement at all? Tsugumi was terrified from the start that a fierce attack and defense would ensue, but when it didn¡¯t move like that, he suspected it was doing something else. ¨CWhat are the characteristics of Radon? The whereabouts of a hundred heads. The theory of supposed immortality. Mouths all over the body. Once died by poisoned arrows. He dug up various memories and see if he could do something about it. ¡°¡­Hmm? What the hell is this?¡± Overlooking the lake, the height of the water surface was rising. And even though there was no wind, the surface of the water was shaking as if a wave had occurred. With a snap, he pulled the thread on his fingertip. ¨CIs Radon¡¯s response greater than it was at first? No, they are multiplying¨C! As soon as Tsugumi noticed this, part of the water surface rose. Then, as if aiming for the heavens, a single gold-colored something popped up. Tsugumi looked up at the gold ¨C their eyes met. He quickly used Transportation and flew to the other side of the mountain. He moved without time to think, but apparently, it was the right move. Gah gah gah gah gah!¡¡The explosion sounded like something big collapsing. He looked back to where he had been and found an unbelievable sight lying there. ¡°The mountain has been gutted¡­¡± The mountain on the other side had exposed a brown crust, as if it had been reaped by something large. It was that golden tentacle ¨C or rather, a collection of snakes that did it. ¡°The reason it didn¡¯t move was because it was splitting up in the water. ¡­How am I supposed to defeat that thing?¡± The dust from the destruction of the mountain cleared. The number of tentacles, or rather tails of the snake, that could be seen from above was six. This was just a guess, but he was sure that it hid as many of those long tails in the lake as it did with its heads. ¡°That may be the original form of Radon. ¨CThat¡¯s exactly what a monster looks like.¡± The length of a single tail was approximately 2,000 meters. In some cases, it could be much longer. Moreover, the tail could emit long-range rays of light from its head in various places. Considering the attack range alone, it was safe to say that the area around Lake Ashinoko had been completely suppressed. ¨CThe situation isn¡¯t good. Tsugumi ran on the threads that had been stretched out, slipping past the tail¡¯s attacks and aiming for the main body. The main body had a hundred heads, as the anecdote said, and if it had a hundred heads, then he could chop them off a hundred times and grind them down so they couldn¡¯t regenerate. Even though it was a class-A Demonic Beast, its resources of power should not be infinite. It would be impossible for it to keep regenerating indefinitely. He thought about using a long-range attack like he did against the Wyverns last time, but that would take too much time before it was hit. If it uses its tail to defend itself during the battle, it would hardly be able to damage the main body. Fortunately, Tsugumi¡¯s ability was also suited to endurance fighting. As long as he didn¡¯t get hit, he could keep fighting as long as his body could move. ¡ªCut off one neck of the main body and withdraw through Transportation. If possible, don¡¯t forget to cut off the head before it falls off and chop it up. Repeat it endlessly. Occasionally, the tail attack is snagged, but it is not a wound that would cause abnormal movement. -There was slight anxiety left in his heart. He didn¡¯t know if this act of decapitation was really working. It might just be a prank and increase the number of enemies. If Radon performed as the anecdotes said, there was even a possibility that nothing but poison could kill it. If a member of Rikka was here, she would have defeated the Demonic Beast without regard to such compatibility or conditions. If it were Tono Sumire, ranked first in the order, she would have burned up the entire Lake Ashi. If it were Mibu, ranked second in the order, she would have cut down the huge body with a single stroke of her sword. If it were Suzushiro Ran, ranked third in the order, she would have submerged this entire Hakone area in a sea of poison. But Tsugumi had no such special moves. There was one trick that seemed to work, but it was too much of a gamble. If he were to use it, it would only be when he had no other options. After several assaults, Tsugumi hid behind a rock to escape the tail¡¯s attack, breathing heavily. As expected, when it came to fighting several times in a row, he didn¡¯t have the physical strength. ¡°What should you do? Do you give up if you can¡¯t win?¡± Bell, who had swooped down next to him, asked him teasingly. After all, she knew how Tsugumi would answer. ¡°I don¡¯t like it. ¨CI¡¯ll never give up.¡± Tsugumi said with a laugh. After all, his spirit wasn¡¯t broken. And the battle had only just begun. CH 23 Meaning of The Smile Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CAt the same time, a helicopter landed about ten kilometers away from Hakone. Out of it came two girls. No, one of them was more like a woman than a girl. Suzushiro Ran, ranked third on Rikka¡¯s order. And Hitsugi Airi, ranked fifth on the order. These two girls were the backup girls dispatched by the government. Hitsugi, a woman who looked between the age of a university student and a working adult, got off the helicopter and asked the local disaster response staff who greeted her about the situation. ¡°What is the situation right now?¡± ¡°The C-class Magical Girl who came to help us are still fighting back. But at this rate, it looks like it will be your turn soon.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Where is the mirror? We would like to see how the battle goes so we can consider our future response.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. This way, please.¡± The staff member replied, and Hitsugi and Suzushiro walked along behind him. Suzushiro, a high school-aged girl who had been listening to them in silence, pulled on Hitsugi¡¯s cuff, and her mouth twitched in dissatisfaction. ¡°Hey, Ai-chan. Why is a C-class girl fighting? Some kind of roundabout suicide or something?¡± ¡°¡­Ran-san. You, you didn¡¯t listen to the explanation in the helicopter at all, did you? I have explained it to you properly. There was something wrong with the government and a child with Transportation skills rushed in with good intentions. You can¡¯t talk like that.¡± Hitsugi said this accusingly with a furrowed brow. But Suzushiro didn¡¯t seem to mind. ¡°Really? But it doesn¡¯t change the fact that the child will die. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have been invited here.¡± ¡°There are two sides to every story. You are in a position of authority over others, so you have to be careful with your words-¡° ¡°Yes, yes, I understand. I¡¯ll be careful next time.¡± Interrupting Hitsugi¡¯s words midway, Suzushiro responded curtly and made a gesture of covering her ears in annoyance. Seeing this, Hitsugi let out a sigh of exasperation and turned around, saying the story was over. ¨CI wondered what was going on when I was suddenly summoned on my day off, but I didn¡¯t expect to be with this girl. Hitsugi thought to herself in her mind. Although Hitsugi was older, Suzushiro was chosen for Rikka one year earlier than her. She was also higher in rank than her, so she couldn¡¯t say anything too strongly. ¨CI wish the people in the government would take a little more consideration of our compatibility. She thought so, but she heard that the situation in Hakone was so urgent that every second was counted so she couldn¡¯t complain. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived. The mirror is this way.¡± As she thought about this, she arrived at the place where the mirror was located. In a small shrine-like building, two large mirrors were placed facing each other. The mirrors were placed in various locations in Japan and automatically reflected the battle of the nearest beasts. Normally, these mirrors were open to the public, but in cases such as this one, where a higher level of monsters must be dealt with, government officials were given priority in their use. Hitsugi and the others looked into one of the mirrors ¨C the mirror in which the Demonic Beasts were mainly reflected. ¡°Thank you for the guidance. ¡­This is terrible.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s so gross. Isn¡¯t that really gross?¡± Hitsugi and Suzushiro raised their voices almost simultaneously. Although the words were different, the meaning they refer to was almost the same. The first thing that caught their attention was the fearlessness of the Demonic Beast. The undulating thing stretched across half of the lake ¡ª a tentacle-like thing made of multiple entangled snakes that twisted like a whip and destroyed mountains and towns. The snakes were emitting rays of light from their mouths, causing more damage. The mass in the center of several tentacles¨Cthe snakes leaned their heads back as if they could afford to do so. ¡°Here is a summary of the details of this individual. Please check it.¡± She received a document from a staff member with the names of individuals and battle details, and hurried to look it over. In the document, Hitsugi found a note that the weak point was probably poison, and she stared at Suzushiro involuntarily. Her aptitude was [Poison]. She was exactly the kind of person who was tailored to this enemy. Suzushiro also noticed the description and looked relieved in an easy-to-understand way. ¡°What is it? If this is the case, it would be faster if I fight next time. Oh, or did you want to fight, Ai-chan?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s better to fight when you can definitely win.¡± If you don¡¯t have to risk your life for anything, so much the better. Hitsugi had been chosen as Rikka, the highest level of Magical Girls, but her ability itself was not that high. If her skills were not matched well, she could have a hard time even with B-class opponents. Even Hitsugi herself didn¡¯t know why she was chosen as a Rikka. Was it luck or bad luck? In the first place, no matter how much the selection is made from Magical Girls of A-class or above, how is it that they choose it by public vote and not by merit? Hitsugi was now depressed to think about the vote that would be held in January next year. No matter who was chosen, it would be troublesome in the end. ¨CThe signboard of ¡°Rikka¡± is too heavy for an ordinary Magical Girl. While thinking about this, Hitsugi was lightly patted on the back by Suzushiro. ¡°Ai-chan. Look at this for a minute.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Hitsugi twisted her head at Suzushiro, who sounded unusually stiff. It was really rare for her to sound this serious. Then, Hitsugi stared at what she pointed to ¨C a mirror in which a Magical Girl was reflected. The sight took her breath away. ¨CWhy is the child smiling ??????? Reflected in the mirror was a Magical Girl with wounds all over her body. Her clothes were shredded and covered with mud, and her arms and legs were covered in a number of not-so-shallow scars. The difference in strength was obvious. The reason she ¨C Sakura Hagakure ¨C was still alive was because her ¡°Transportation¡± skill was excellent. A single transport skill that ignored distance. Its cooling time was about five seconds or less. It was an outstanding skill even among various Magical Girls. That¡¯s why it¡¯s a shame. If only this had not happened, she would have continued to be active as an excellent Magical Girl. She boldly challenged the main body of Radon, but even when she reached it, she didn¡¯t seem to have the means to attack it enough to give it a decisive blow, so she didn¡¯t do much damage. Sometimes her body was bounced off by the tail and she was flung into the air. However, the mouth was always arched in a joyful manner. It was as if she was enjoying the fight with all her might. ¨CThis is not the expression of a person who is about to die, no matter how you look at it. Hitsugi suppressed her voice that was about to tremble and said quietly. ¡°She still intends to win, doesn¡¯t she?¡± There was conviction in her voice. ¨CThis Sakura Hagakure had not given up on anything. From the bottom of her heart, she believed in her victory. Is this really an act of bravery born of ignorance, or is there some other strategy? Hitsugi couldn¡¯t make a decision. ¡°That¡¯s too bad. If I¡¯d known she was like this before, I would have wanted to be friends with her.¡± Suzushiro said so. She had her shoulders down and seemed blatantly depressed. When Hitsugi looked at Suzushiro curiously, Suzushiro smiled a little shyly. ¡°Heh heh. We love people like this who never give up no matter what. Isn¡¯t she cool?¡± Suzushiro told her innocently. Her straightforward words, without any ulterior motives, seemed a little dazzling to Hitsugi. ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t dislike it either.¡± But Hitsugi knew. Magical Girls are the ones who die first from such courage. Most of the Magical Girls who had survived for years in this harsh environment were cowardly and headstrong. Hitsugi was one of them. ¨CThat¡¯s why it¡¯s hard to see the ¡®real thing¡¯ like these girls. Because I feel like I am being blamed for my own diminutive size. ¡°Hagakure Sakura has stopped her action. She is currently using her skills to hide her appearance, and seems to be talking something with the contract God on the Torii gate near the lake.¡± The staff member who was observing the mirror told them so. When they looked in the mirror, they saw a faintly blurred image of Hagakure Sakura, staring intently toward the lake, talking to a cat-like object floating next to her. ¨CThe cat-like thing seemed calm, as if it were making small talk. The expression on its face, which changed from one moment to the next, made it seem as if it was not on a battlefield. And then, Hagakure Sakura smiled a heartful, happy smile and gently thrust her left hand forward. -Immediately afterward, everyone present could not believe their eyes. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô The serpent¡¯s head was dropped and then released ¨C hit and away repeatedly for several dozen minutes. Probably, the Magical Girls who stood as backups had already arrived at Hakone. With this, he could say that he had done the minimum amount of work. Thinking so, Tsugumi let out a small breath. ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty of energy, but I¡¯m actually close to a dead end. ¨CI wonder if this is how I am going to die.¡± Using his invisibility skill, Tsugumi stared at the rampaging Radon from atop the shrine¡¯s torii gate. He had dropped dozens of heads so far, but it didn¡¯t seem to be particularly effective, only slowing its movements somewhat. Even if he continued his suicide attack, Tsugumi would probably run out of power sooner rather than later. The current Tsugumi was no match for Radon. He hated to admit it, but this was the reality. Even if he didn¡¯t intend to give up the fight, he was losing the ground. ¨CBut I am not out of options. ¡°Hey, Bell-sama. ¨CWhat would you do if I told you I have a trump card ?¡± ¡°Is there such a thing? Then why don¡¯t you use it quickly?¡± When Tsugumi asked that question, Bell appeared next to him out of nowhere and replied. It was the truth but he had a good reason for not using it until now. ¡°I can¡¯t go into detail, but I wasn¡¯t sure it would work. In some cases, it was just a waste of death. ¡­No, maybe that¡¯s more likely.¡± The method that Tsugumi came up with was not a proper means. It was nothing more than a theory, and it was too close to wishful thinking. He didn¡¯t have time to go into detail here, but it was almost like a gamble. To be clear, the probability of self-destruction was higher. ¡°If it fails, I¡¯m sure [Hagakure Sakura] will become a laughingstock. ¡®Hey, hey, what did that idiot do?¡¯ Even Bell-sama, the contract God, might have a funny word with the others. ¨CStill, please forgive me for this outrage. I definitely want to win against it.¡± Then, Tsugumi smiled apologetically. He spoke softly, but his body was beyond its limits. He could collapse at any moment. The only way out of this hopeless situation was to take a gamble now. ¡­He couldn¡¯t afford to cause any more trouble for Bell. If she said no, he¡¯d gracefully give up and look for another way. Seeing Tsugumi with his head down, Bell shrugged. ¡°¨CI¡¯ve told you before. Have you forgotten already?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°I have entrusted you with the battle. ¨CSo don¡¯t bother asking me about such trivial matters.¡± At Bell¡¯s words, Tsugumi opened his mouth wide. Then, as if he couldn¡¯t take it anymore, he started laughing, clutching his stomach. Seeing this, Belle complained. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°No, no, because Bell-sama is too cool. I¡¯m really glad that Bell-sama is my God!¡± He wiped away the tears and looked straight at his enemy Radon. ¨COh, it¡¯s good. Now I¡¯m no longer worried. All I have to do is make a decision. And with that thought, Tsugumi exhaled calmly. ¨CThe current ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡± was no match for radon. Then, he could win by becoming Hagakure Sakura. The more he fought, the more his Magical Girl¡¯s power¨Cskills¨Cwould naturally strengthen. Now even the Thread skill could be applied in various ways, and even the Invisibility skill could be used in more ways than at the beginning. If he wanted to, he could erase not only his appearance, but also his temperature and even his existence. However, there is only one skill that has remained unchanged. Tsugumi had never wondered about it, but perhaps the time had come for that to change. ¨CDevelop the skill of [Gluttony]. Through the force of Tsugumi¡¯s will. Thrush believed in Bell. That¡¯s why ¨C the power skill from which his anecdote was derived couldn¡¯t be the end of the story. He strongly believed it. ¡°¨CHagakure is about finding a way out of a deadly situation.¡± Now, this name fit Tsugumi¡¯s current situation as if it had been arranged beforehand. It¡¯s as if he had anticipated this future. He smiled and pushed his left hand forward. ¨CI just need a little courage and determination. All that¡¯s left is a miracle from God. ¡°I¡¯ll pay in advance. Take it all, just enough so I don¡¯t die. ¨CCome on, eat¡­ [Gluttony]!¡± Hearing Tsugumi¡¯s words, Bell screamed. ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t be¨C!¡± But it¡¯s too late. ¨CThe black beast¡¯s mouth appeared with the declaration and ate off Tsugumi¡¯s left hand and right leg. CH 24 Stardust Shine Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CWhat exactly is a ¡°Magical Girl¡±? Tsugumi had been thinking about it for a long time. The official government definition of a Magical Girl was a priestess who had made a contract with a God. But after spending his days as a Magical Girl, he had come to realize the true nature of the term. The only reason he understood this was because he had the skill of ¡°Gluttony¡±. The power that Magical Girls had and the power that Demonic Beast had was almost similar. Thinking logically, it wasn¡¯t strange at all. Gods could manifest in this modern age because they used the energy leaking from the dimensional crack that caused the Demonic Beasts to appear. This energy was converted into divine power and poured into a girl, forming a Magical Girl, an existence to fight. And Tsugumi was an exception to the rule among Magical Girls. His entire body had already been largely remolded. The first time was when his life was saved. The second time was when he was able to transform into a woman¡¯s body. The third time onwards ¨C when the body of the Demonic Beast was eaten by Gluttony. ¨CHe was really aware of it. He was aware that after each battle, his body was becoming more and more devoid of human reason. He pretended not to see it all along. When Tsugumi pointed out the discomfort, Bell told him not to worry about it, so he decided to assume it was okay. He never actually had any trouble with it, and more than anything, he was happy that he was stronger as a Magical Girl. It was all for the best. ¨CSo when he saw the mouth of the beast eating his own limbs, Tsugumi was truly relieved to realize that his guesses were correct. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô Bell could only watch as Tsugumi was being devoured. God was not allowed to interfere in the battle. She couldn¡¯t even support the body that was about to fall. ¨CTsugumi was spitting out blood. It seemed that not only the limbs, but also some of the contents had been eaten. The ¡°Gluttony¡± skill was used to feed on one¡¯s own flesh. ¨CIt is the most efficient way of sacrificing. And the determination and dedication of Tsugumi¨Chis purified thoughts¨Cdoubled the effect of [Gluttony]. In fact, a great deal of converted and amplified power was flowing into Bell¡¯s body. Now, if this purified ¡°divine power¡± was poured into Tsugumi¡¯s vessel, some enhancement of the other skills should also occur. It would be temporary, but for a moment, it would be possible to produce power comparable to A-class. ¨CBut the cost was high. Perhaps Tsugumi¡¯s vessel couldn¡¯t withstand the enormous amount of divine power. Even if he could surpass it, he¡¯d die soon. What to do with this power was left to Bell¡¯s judgment. This responsibility was heavy. But there was nothing to hesitate about. He said he wanted to win. ¨CWhat kind of God doesn¡¯t answer to that? ¨CBell was once a God who ruled over men. In the course of time, she was disgraced as an evil God and scorned as a devil. Humans were selfish, arrogant, and foolish creatures. But certain things about them were beautiful. Above all else, she couldn¡¯t betray Tsugumi¡¯s expectation, who honestly adored Bell as a God. Bell sent divine power through the pathway path connecting her and Tsugumi. She carefully measured the amount she poured in, hoping it wouldn¡¯t break. -It¡¯s been thousands of years since I¡¯ve prayed for someone. The body of this spirit wasn¡¯t capable of performing miracles as far as she was concerned. The only thing she could do was to pray like this. ¨CBut still¡­ Since the great God and the pure Miko are all here, there is no reason why at least one miracle can¡¯t be performed, right? Softly, a warm breeze surrounded Tsugumi. The blood flowing from Tsugumi¡¯s limbs became like a single thread, and it began to move around him as if it were drifting. The red threads formed the shape of the lost limb, as if knitting, and settled on his body as if nothing had happened. Slowly, Tsugumi opened his eyes. The color of his left eye was also blood red, giving it an inhuman appearance. Watching him, Bell gasped. The red threads that wrapped around him and the thick hint of death that wafted from his left eye. It resembled the divine authority that Bell knew so well, and she involuntarily bristled all her hairs. ¨CSimilar? But not the same?????? What Tsugumi had was more like a primitive object than divine power. It was a remnant of a time when death was once closest to him, even before God¡¯s supremacy. It¡¯s the kind of power that allowed animals to predict the death of others. He gripped the arm made of thread, checked its movement, and turned to Bell. ¡°Then I¡¯m off.¡± He said it with the ease of a man going for a walk. Bell responded in the same way. ¡°Yeah, go on.¡± Hearing her curt reply, Tsugumi laughed. And then, with gliding speed, he started running toward a single tail. There was no feeling of sadness on his back. ¨CEven though Magical Girls had a dull sense of pain, there was no way he didn¡¯t feel pain after being wounded so badly. Yet, with the lightness of a prima donna, Tsugumi was slicing the Radon¡¯s tail from end to end. He passed under the tail, which was swinging at high speed, and sliced off the body from the neck down. As if the struggle he¡¯d just endured was a lie, he sliced the thick tail into pieces like butter. And to her surprise, the part cut by the red thread seemed to be unable to regenerate. The hint of death she felt at that moment must have worked to seal Radon¡¯s immortality. Perhaps impatient with Tsugumi, which had suddenly become more mobile, Radon continued to use its tail to attack him repeatedly. Tsugumi, however, was able to avoid the dazzling rays of light with minimal movement. As if he could see the future. After roughly clearing away the tails that were visible above the water, Tsugumi stared out at the lake and muttered a few words. ¡°¡­This is a nuisance.¡± Then he suddenly dipped both hands into the lake and it disappeared in transportation ¨C the lake and all of its water. ¨CThe surprising thing was its mass. The size of this lake was about 150 times the size of the Tokyo Dome. It would be absurd to think that the entire lake with such a large amount of water could be transported. Such a huge amount of water was erased with a single action, a single touch of the hand. Even with his excellent Transportation skills, he was still a bit of a monster. However, other A-level Magical Girls could also do things on a more or less similar scale, although in a different form. Considering that Tsugumi¡¯s abilities had been raised to the level of Class A, it might not be that strange. ¡­But, in the end, the power was a doped-up imitation. The greater the power available now, the greater the repercussions later. ¡°I can¡¯t afford to spare.¡± Like a glittering star that burned out in an instant, he ran for a moment. That kind of Tsugumi made her proud and angry at the same time. ¨CEven though you said you would survive. I¡¯m not going to let you go. It¡¯s too late to say anything now. With such a negative feeling, the weather also looked also a little darker. The lake, with its unobstructed view, was now nothing more than a mortar-shaped slaughterhouse. After returning from the Transportation, Tsugumi freely manipulated the threads as if he was playing ¡°Ayatori¡± (a game of cat¡¯s cradle). As if he was conducting music while dancing. Ironically, all that spinning was blood splatter and sounds of destruction. Cutting, chopping, and rolling. Sometimes he manipulated the necks to make them fight with each other, and sometimes he chopped Radon¡¯s body precisely. And within a few minutes, he had almost completely shredded them. In a sense, the slow-moving giant¡¯s body backfired. But on the other hand, Tsugumi¡¯s body also seemed to be nearing its limits. Although he didn¡¯t fall down, his face was pale and lifeless. Breathing heavily, he wobbled closer to Radon¡¯s main body ¨C the neck of one of them. Coughing up a considerable amount of blood, he said to the neck. ¡°I¡¯ve sealed off its regeneration, but it¡¯s enough to finish it.¡± Tsugumi had a terribly calm expression on his face as he faced Radon, who was glaring at his neck. Radon tried to fire a beam of light at the unprotected approaching Tsugumi, but was easily distracted by a flick of his finger. From Radon¡¯s point of view, this was a nightmare. ¡°¨C¡­Release.¡± As Tsugumi muttered something in a muffled voice, the threads entangled in Radon¡¯s bodies scattered throughout the lake began to glow with a faint dark light. A fearless sense of death filled the entire Lake Ashi. If someone said that this was hell, an ordinary person would believe it. ¡°I¡¯m glad I did it. I¡¯m glad my preparation¡­ didn¡¯t go to waste.¡± Then Tsugumi looked up at the sky, which was beginning to darken. ¨CFor the first time, Bell noticed something unusual. The sky was too dark for daytime, and the strange noise was getting closer and closer. Let¡¯s think back again here. ¨CWhere the heck did Tsugumi put that vast lake of water? Bell looked up at the sky and saw large and small blobs, slightly muddy green in color, falling from the sky. ¡°Did you bring the water to the sky ¡­!?¡± For Tsugumi, the horizontal axis of movement that he normally used to move around was probably not that different from the vertical axis of movement like this one. The idea itself was frightening. When Bell looked at Tsugumi, he was smiling with satisfaction. It was a smile as pure and innocent as a child¡¯s who had drawn a good picture. ¡°The temperature in the mesosphere above is far colder than below freezing. Even a large amount of water can be easily frozen if I spread it out to a certain extent. If I adjusted it by using Transportation, the timing of the drop is just like this!¡± Shouting, Tsugumi spat out a large amount of blood. But he didn¡¯t care and kept talking. ¡°The fate of death is already eating away at you. Even if you are immortal, you can never escape the cause and effect of death!¡± ¨CIce blades, larger than large trees, fall in great numbers like stars. Radon, blocked from moving, had no way to avoid it. ¡°¨CIt¡¯s my win.¡± CH 25 Hagakure Sakura Does Not Lament CH 26 Girl In A White Room Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CIn a pure white room, a girl was crying, holding a doll in her arms. The girl¡¯s face was in shadow and couldn¡¯t be seen clearly. The doll in her arms was missing one limb at a time. The girl was trying her best to fix the frayed parts, but unless she could find the missing limbs, there was nothing else she could do. Still, why was that doll in such a terrible state? Tsugumi felt like he was forgetting something, but he couldn¡¯t remember anything because his head was so foggy. As Tsugumi stared at the girl, she eventually closed her eyes, as if she had made up her mind to do something. ¨CDarkness. ¨CIn the blank room, the girl was laughing with a doll. The doll¡¯s arms and legs had been mended and looked as if they were brand new. But there was one thing that bothered him. The girl¡¯s body was one size smaller. Her body, which was originally about 10 years old, was now about 7 years old. Tsugumi saw this, and for some reason felt the urge to scream out. ¡°Stop it. Please stop! ¨CWhy do you have to do that?¡± Tsugumi himself didn¡¯t know why he shouted such a thing. But he knew intuitively. The girl was getting more and more worn out every time she fixed that doll. The doll wasn¡¯t worth it. Perhaps she heard Tsugumi¡¯s desperate voice, the girl stood up and walked toward him. As she got closer, the shadowed girl¡¯s face was revealed. ¨CThe girl had the same face as ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡±. No, she was shrunken and younger, so her impression was softer than that of ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡±. And the decisive difference was the eyes. Those beautiful ruby-red eyes were gazing tenderly at Tsugumi. As if she was looking at someone she loved. And then the girl gently held out the doll that she was holding so dearly. Is she asking him to accept this? ¨CBut he gently pushed the girl back and shook his head. If he accepted the doll, he would probably continue to fix it whenever it was damaged and wear himself out. And finally, he would disappear. The thought of this gave him chills. A sense of frustration and fear of loss welled up from deep within his chest. It was scary that the girl in front of him would disappear. The girl looked sad when she saw Tsugumi. She forced him to hold the doll and slowly opened her mouth. -A warning bell rang in his head. Don¡¯t listen to those words. ¡°¡±¡± ¨CBefore his brain could recognize the words, Tsugumi jumped to his feet. ¡°¨CAhhhhh!¡± A meaningless scream came out of his mouth. His throat must have been cut by the sudden loud cry, and his cough was laced with blood. Tsugumi rubbed his aching chest as he slowly calmed his breathing. ¡°Ha, ha. ¡­A dream, huh?¡± With blurry eyes, he looked around. The place that looked familiar was Tsugumi¡¯s room. When did he come back to his room? He twisted his head, but couldn¡¯t remember anything. ¡°You¡¯ve woken up. How are you feeling? Is there anything wrong?¡± Perhaps noticing Tsugumi¡¯s loud voice, Bell appeared in his room through Transportation and asked about it. In her voice, he could hear the concern she couldn¡¯t hide. ¨CAnd then he finally remembered what he had done. ¡°Bell-sama¡­ Am I alive?¡± Tsugumi asked, holding his head, which suddenly began to ache. He couldn¡¯t remember what happened after he dropped the ice on Radon. Even when he woke up, he was skeptical that he was actually alive. ¨CThe battle that seemed to continue to roar and burn with life. Just remembering it was terrifying. To be frank, it was a wonder that he was even breathing right now. Tsugumi gently hugged his trembling body. It was a story he couldn¡¯t laugh at when he was shaking now. Seeing this, Bell smiled softly and said. ¡°Ah. You won, and you survived. ¨CYou did well.¡± He chewed those words carefully. The fact that Radon had been defeated, and that Tsugumi was alive like this, was proof of victory. ¨CYes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ve done it. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m glad¡­¡± Then, Tsugumi finally breathed a sigh of relief. ¨CI¡¯ve won the bet. When he thought about it, he felt tired. Besides, his body felt heavy and there was a stinging pain in his chest. ¡°My whole body aches and my chest hurts. ¡­I wonder if it¡¯s like a muscle ache.¡± ¡°¡­I hope that¡¯s all it takes. Are any of your senses not working well, or is your memory feel clouded?¡± ¡°Hmmm, not particularly.¡± He was prepared for the worst, like missing a limb in reality, but there was no such problem. It was a bit discouraging. ¡­Maybe the dream I had earlier has something to do with it? Even as he thought so, only the unsettling feeling remained. ¨CWhat was that girl all about? The girl with the doll that had the same limbs removed in the same place that Tsugumi had lost during the battle. He didn¡¯t feel anything bad. In fact, he even felt a strange sense of nostalgia. But Tsugumi couldn¡¯t remember anything about that girl. The girl who resembled Hagakure Sakura ¨C and thus looked a lot like him ¨C was trying to tell him something at the time, but what exactly did she want to say? He kept thinking about it but there was no answer. ¡°I have a lot of other questions, but I guess we¡¯ll just have to wait and see for a while. ¡­I¡¯ll borrow a tool from an acquaintance to do some tests. It pains me to have to bow down to him, but it will have to do.¡± ¡°¡­I am sorry to bother you.¡± Tsugumi looked apologetic and bowed to Bell. The fight started out as an act of selfishness on his part He was really sorry that he had put Bell through that reckless battle. However, Bell didn¡¯t seem to care and shrugged lightly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? ¨CThis case is also beneficial to me.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°In every age, the Gods love a ¡®heroic¡¯ battle. Your battle this time was well-received. I, the God of contracts, am proud of you.¡± Bell said this proudly, but it felt a little complicated to be treated as if he were a gladiator. But if Bell¡¯s reputation among the Gods had improved, then Tsugumi was happy for her. ¡°¡­ Yes, what about Chidori?¡± Suddenly, Tsugumi said. He didn¡¯t think there was any damage because the barrier was put up with no problem, but it didn¡¯t mean that she wasn¡¯t involved in an accident during the evacuation. The current time was 9:30 at night. It was noon when Tsugumi started fighting, so he had been asleep for almost nine hours. He hurriedly checked his cell phone and saw a number of incoming calls. The top notification was fifty minutes ago. It said that the trip had been canceled and that she would be home in an hour. ¡°¡­I am glad. It seems that Chidori and the others are safe.¡± Tsugumi patted his chest in relief. If Chidori had been seriously injured, he would have lost sight of what he had worked so hard for. If she was going to be home in ten minutes, it would be better to greet her. Even just for the sake of it, he¡¯d been ignoring the calls. It wouldn¡¯t be good to cause her any more unnecessary worry. ¡°I¡¯m going to go downstairs for a bit. I need to talk to Chidori.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you do it tomorrow? I still think you should rest today.¡± Bell said she was worried, but as for Tsugumi, he didn¡¯t feel that there was anything wrong with his body. It would be no problem to go downstairs and talk with Chidori for a bit. He gently shook off Bell¡¯s attempts to keep him in the room and headed for the front door. Just as he was going down the stairs, he heard the front door open. ¡°I¡¯m home. ¡­Why is it so dark?¡± He could hear Chidori¡¯s frustrated voice. Indeed, there was no time to turn on the lights, so the first floor was dark and nothing could be seen. Tsugumi turned on the hallway light and headed for the front door. ¡°Whoa, you surprised me. If you were there, you should have called out to me. Why didn¡¯t you answer your phone?¡± Chidori, who had entered the hallway from the front door dragging a suitcase, said so accusingly. But he couldn¡¯t speak. ¨CThe moment he saw Chidori¡¯s face, all thoughts were blown away. He staggered toward Chidori. ¡°¡­Chidori.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Tsugumi? You look pale. Huh, what?¡± He hugged Chidori, putting his hands around her back. The faint warmth made Tsugumi almost cry. ¨CAlive. Chidori is alive! That made him irresistibly happy. It was as if everything had been worth it. ¡°I am so glad you¡¯re not hurt.¡± His voice was trembling. Before the fight, he had actually prepared himself ¨C that he would never see her again. That¡¯s why he was so happy to see her again like this. Perhaps realizing that Tsugumi was unstable, Chidori gently stroked his head with concern. ¡°¡­Yeah, I¡¯m sorry for worrying you.¡± At these words, Tsugumi tightened his embrace a little. ¨CChidori. The only family member he¡¯d ever known. Losing her was unthinkable. Because she was the only one left in his life. ¡°If you¡¯re safe, that¡¯s fine.¡± The next moment after he said that, he coughed loudly. He put a hand over his mouth to see if he was coughing up phlegm, but his palm was red. He let go of Chidori and sat down in the corridor. He couldn¡¯t get any strength in his legs. And then he coughed intermittently, coughing up blood, which did not stop. ¡°¡­Tsugumi? No, it¡¯s a lie, right? Hey, Tsugumi!!¡± Chidori, who sensed what was happening, screamed impatiently and shook Tsugumi, but the blood in his mouth prevented him from speaking properly. His vision distorted. He heard someone calling out to him, but he didn¡¯t have the energy to recognize it. ¨CThen, Tsugumi let go of his own consciousness. CH 27 Pieces of Aftereffects Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¡°¨C Extreme anemia and dehydration. General fatigue as if you had overworked your body, and vomiting blood due to acute gastritis caused by stress. ¡­Why did you let it go on until it got this bad?¡± Mebuki said in a voice that seemed to be a mixture of dismay and surprise. She then continued her story while dexterously peeling an apple with a fruit knife. ¡°Chidori and I were worried when we heard about what happened in Hakone¨CI wonder why you were so determined to head to Hakone. Moreover, you rode a bicycle to avoid traffic restrictions! I heard that you decided to turn back after the A-class was defeated, but if you spent that time without eating or drinking, of course, you would get sick. ¡­I hope you think a little about how I felt when I received a tearful call from Chidori.¡± ¡°¡­I have no words to return.¡± ¡°They say you¡¯ll be in the hospital for a week or so, so make sure you reflect on what you¡¯ve done during that time.¡± -After a day of angry waves, Tsugumi was admitted to a hospital run by a relative of Mebuki¡¯s. He had collapsed, coughing up blood, and a distraught Chidori had apparently called Mebuki first. She arranged for him to be rushed to this hospital, and the doctors were furious that they hadn¡¯t called the ambulance first. Chidori was now going home to get a change of clothes for Tsugumi. When Tsugumi woke up, she looked as if watching the end of the world and wailed. She cried as if Tsugumi had died, but after calming down, she slapped him in the face, which was still fresh in his mind. The diagnosis at the hospital was exactly what Mebuki had just told him. Anemia, dehydration, general fatigue, and stress gastritis. The hematemesis was apparently caused by a hole that was about to open up in the wall of his stomach. Overall, the symptoms were not that serious, but the cover story that Bell improvised upon hearing this diagnosis was just too much. According to the story, Tsugumi became worried about Chidori and the others after hearing the news of the Demonic Beast¡¯s arrival, and decided to go to Hakone by himself on a bicycle ¨C or rather, a road bike. On the way there, he heard that a Magical Girl had defeated the beast, so he went back the way he came, but he collapsed in the middle of the night due to the exertion of the forced march. While he was telling this to the doctor and Chidori and the others, Tsugumi had half given up trying to deceive them, thinking this was absolutely impossible, but for some reason, they all agreed with that explanation. It certainly helped that they were easily fooled, but somehow it was surprising. ¡­No, really, why would anyone believe such a messy explanation? Perhaps the people around him thought that Tsugumi was a siscon that could do such stupid things. It was a little embarrassing to think so. Tsugumi was pondering about this, and if Bell were here, she would no doubt say, ¡°What kind of a mouth does a man who has done something worse than this talk about?¡± But that¡¯s the way it was, and the way it would be. As Tsugumi sighed, Mebuki said angrily. ¡°I hope this won¡¯t happen again. Chidori and I were really worried, got it?¡± ¡°No, even I didn¡¯t expect this outcome¡­ And yes, I will be careful.¡± Tsugumi easily backed down. He tried to explain himself, but was met with a glare. The angry face of a beautiful woman was powerful and a little scary. Mebuki crossed her legs as if to regain her composure and took a bite of the apple. Apparently, she had been peeling it to eat it herself. Either way, Tsugumi couldn¡¯t eat due to the bad case of gastritis. ¡°Even so, Tsugumi-kun really loves Chidori, huh?¡± Mebuki said this with a sly smile. At these words, Tsugumi nodded his head inwardly. There was nothing very special about it, it was simply natural to care about family. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. ¡­We¡¯re family, so it¡¯s natural to worry.¡± When Tsugumi responded, Mebuki made a slight gesture as if she were thinking, and then opened her mouth, as if she was having difficulty saying it. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry to keep asking you this, but you have no memory of anything prior to ten years¨Cany memory at all of the so-called past episodes, right?¡± ¡°Yes. What about it?¡± ¡°No, I was talking with Chidori yesterday, and I suddenly had a question. If you don¡¯t remember anything from your past, then how did you decide that you are ¡®sister and brother¡¯ to each other?¡± Tsugumi blinked and thought about the meaning of her words. What is the reason why I think Chidori and I are sister and brother? ¨CI see, so that¡¯s all it is about. In response to Mebuki¡¯s question, Tsugumi smiled beautifully. ¡°What are you talking about, Senpai? Chidori and I are twin sisters and brothers. Sure, we don¡¯t look much alike, but there is no room for doubt.¡± ¡°Even if you don¡¯t remember it?¡± ¡°Eh? Because we are sister and brother. What does it matter if I have memories or not?¡± Tsugumi looked at her with a puzzled expression and thought she was asking a strange question. They didn¡¯t look alike, but then again, sisters and brothers like that existed everywhere. In response to Tsugumi, Mebuki had a terribly difficult look on her face and looked lost in thought. It was as if she had learned a truth she didn¡¯t want to know. She also looked a little pale, and he was starting to get worried. ¡°Mebuki-senpai? Are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­Oh, yeah. Let¡¯s put a stop to this. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine, but you¡¯ve got to heal yourself first.¡± Mebuki shook her head, said so, and got up from the chair. He wondered if her question had been answered. He was curious about that, but if she herself said she was done talking about it, there was nothing he could do. ¡°The big rooms are noisy. I¡¯m glad we got a private room.¡± Saying this, Mebuki laughed as if to regain her composure. She had kindly gotten him a private room at the hospital, but he felt like he was doing something wrong if he was treated special. If Chidori had not invited her to the trip, there would have been no reason for her to get involved in the Hakone incident. In that sense, even Tsugumi, who received the Hakone trip ticket from Yukitaka, was responsible for this. Somehow, he had to make up for it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have caused you troubles.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t get a chance to use my authority unless it¡¯s an opportunity like this. ¡­Hmm?¡± Mebuki stood up and moved her face toward Tsugumi. Gently, she put her hands on his cheeks. The soft touch of her palms made his shoulders jumped involuntarily. ¡°Se, Senpai?¡± Although Tsugumi made an impatient sound, Mebuki kept a serious expression on her face. Mebuki wondered as she touched Tsugumi¡¯s face with a floppy hand. ¡°Tsugumi-kun, It¡¯s hard to tell now, since you¡¯re so thin, but don¡¯t you look a little rounder?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Unable to swallow the meaning of the words, Tsugumi raised his voice in question. What does she mean by ¡°look a little rounder¡±? Perhaps she was implying that he had gained weight. He didn¡¯t think he had gained weight, but it was hard to tell since he didn¡¯t remember measuring himself recently. ¡°Hmmm. Is it my imagination? Maybe it¡¯s the IV that¡¯s causing the swelling.¡± When Mebuki said that and resolved herself, she quickly removed her hand from Tsugumi¡¯s cheek. Then she gave a final wiggle and patted Tsugumi¡¯s head. The bangs, which had grown a little longer, stung his eyes and hurt. ¡°Whoa, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Payback for before! Phew, you¡¯ve gotten wild and manly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re laughing, already.¡± Mebuki was happily giggling as she fixed his hair with a hand comb, even though Tsugumi complained about it. ¡°I think I¡¯ll go home now. I¡¯m sure Chidori will be here in a little while, so don¡¯t try to escape and stay quiet, okay?¡± ¡°What do you think I am, Senpai?¡± Tsugumi replied with dismay, but Mebuki kept smiling. Perhaps she thought of Tsugumi as a small child. Really, she was a very caring senior. ¨CThen, Mebuki went out of the private room, but there was one thing that he was really worried about. He got up from the bed so as not to damage the IV and headed toward the mirror. He felt a little pain in his stomach area, but he had to move now. He stood in front of the mirror and stared at his own face. Gradually, the color of his face turned blue. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t my face getting closer and closer to that of Hagakure Sakura?¡± The outline was just a little more angular than he remembered it. The skin was finer and whiter. His eyelashes seemed to have grown longer. The fact made him dizzy. What in the world was happening to him? ¡°¡­Let¡¯s talk to Bell.¡± It was unlikely that such a ridiculous problem could be solved by Tsugumi alone. CH 28 As Tsugumi staggered back to bed and held his head in his hands, he heard the door to his room open. Chidori walked into the room, holding a scarf around her mouth. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake. I brought you a change of clothes. Is this right?¡± With a slight blush on her cheeks, Chidori handed her a handbag filled with clothes ¨C mainly underwear. As he accepted it, he thanked her, feeling slightly embarrassed. Normally, they washed their clothes separately, so even though they were siblings, it was a little embarrassing for them to see each other¡¯s underwear. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fine. Thank you for going out of your way.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. ¨CYou still look pale, are you alright? You can rest if you want, okay?¡± ¡°No problem. Rather, I¡¯ve been sleeping so much that my body aches.¡± When Tsugumi said this, Chidori laughed, as if she was relieved. ¡°It feels lonely that you have to be in the hospital for a week, but we have to make sure you get better. ¡­I¡¯m really glad that Tsugumi didn¡¯t die.¡± ¡°Chidori¡­¡± ¨CA family member collapsed in front of her, coughing up blood. How terrifying that must have been. Tsugumi shuddered to think if he had been in the opposite position. He gently took her right hand in his. The hard sword marks on her hand seemed to indicate how hard she had been working. The hand was a little tender, but to him, it was the most precious thing. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for worrying you. ¡­But I might do the same thing again if Chidori is in danger.¡± He shouldn¡¯t say anything that would cause too much worry to the busy Chidori. Even Tsugumi knew that. But he wanted to tell her this. He¡¯d been repeating these words over and over in his mind, and now he was saying them out loud to himself. ¡°I¡¯m more afraid of losing Chidori than anything else. ¨CBecause you are my only family.¡± At the moment when Tsugumi said this, Chidori¡¯s eyes shook unnaturally. Then she opened her mouth as if to mend it. ¡°But it was a glitch in the government¡¯s system, wasn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t think I will get caught up in something like that again¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that¡­¡± He remembered what Bell said. She said that Radon was a manifestation based on the mythological lore that remained in the Hakone area. It should be something to be proud of, but there were so many monsters and myths in Japan. As long as Radon was a prerequisite, it was almost certain that Demonic Beast that couldn¡¯t be grasped by the forecasting system would continue to appear in the future. If this were to happen, the damage to the city would be even greater than it was now. The system was probably still in the process of verification, but as soon as there was any proof, it would be announced to the public. If that happened, some confusion would be unavoidable. If the probability of people being harmed by Demonic Beast increased, it was impossible to say that Chidori wouldn¡¯t be harmed. Even Tsugumi couldn¡¯t watch over her at all hours of the day. Tsugumi was the kind of person who would fight his mighty enemies for the sake of Chidori, with all his courage. That¡¯s why he was more afraid of losing Chidori than anything else. If he lost the spiritual pillar of his life, he couldn¡¯t imagine what he would become. Just thinking about it made him want to throw up. ¡­Maybe it was more like dependence than familial love. ¡°I¡¯ll try not to overdo it as much as possible, but I want Chidori to be more careful from now on. ¡­Please¡± As he closed his eyes in prayer, something hit him on the head ¨C it was Chidori¡¯s head. She took Tsugumi¡¯s hand with her free left hand, so close that their breaths touched, and Chidori said. ¡°It¡¯s all right. ¨CI won¡¯t leave Tsugumi¡¯s side. I¡¯ll be right next to you, no matter what.¡± ¡°¡­That might be too much.¡± ¡°What, even though Tsugumi was so passionate about it in the beginning? Isn¡¯t that kind of terrible?¡± ¡°Haha, I was kidding. I¡¯m glad¨Cthank you.¡± ¡°You surprised me!¡± Then they both looked at each other and giggled. ¨CHe suddenly remembered something from his childhood. He had a feeling that something like this had happened before. When he was a little kid, he had a scary dream, and when he jumped out of bed, his sister came running¡­ That person comforted the crying Tsugumi with a kind face¨C ¨CHe felt pain in his head and chest. His vision shook for a moment. ¡­I feel like I was about to remember something, but was it just my imagination? ¡°¡­Speaking of which, Mebuki-senpai said something strange earlier.¡± After releasing Chidori¡¯s hand and taking a breath, Tsugumi muttered to himself. Yes ¨C as if it was a funny story. ¡°How can you recognize each other as sister and brother when you don¡¯t remember anything from the past? Because, you know. That¡¯s a strange thing to ask, even for Senpai. ¡­Chidori? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s nothing. I just seem to be a little sleep-deprived.¡± Chidori said so with a cloudy expression on her face. Perhaps she couldn¡¯t sleep much because she was worried about the fallen Tsugumi. Thinking about it, he felt a little guilty. He didn¡¯t regret fighting Radon, but he didn¡¯t want to make Chidori look like this. ¡°Well ¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a line I have the right to say, but don¡¯t overdo it. It¡¯s the most important thing for me that Chidori is doing well. If I bother Chidori anymore, I will be called by the junior of the Kendo club again¡­¡± Remembering that time, Tsugumi chuckled. It was around July of this year ¨C sometime before Tsugumi met Bell. When the junior in her club found out that Chidori had been taking care of Tsugumi more than necessary, she said, ¡°Please don¡¯t bother Senpai!¡± He went to the back of the school building and was asked for a direct answer. Mebuki suddenly appeared then, laughing and putting the matter behind them, but the damage was done. He wanted her to give him back his pure heart, he thought she was going to confess. When Tsugumi said so, Chidori blushed and sharpened her mouth. ¡°I already told them properly. ¡­And I don¡¯t think you¡¯re bothering me.¡± ¡°I can do a whole bunch of stuff too, so you don¡¯t have to worry that much, okay? If Chidori is busy, just assign the household chores to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with the way things are now. Because club activities are what I like to do, it would be unfair to rely on Tsugumi for that, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Is that how it¡¯s supposed to be? If Chidori likes it, that¡¯s fine.¡± Somehow he was not convinced, but Tsugumi nodded his head reluctantly. If Chidori said it like that, there was nothing he could do about it. After talking for a while, Chidori left the hospital room with a regretful look on her face. He exhaled as he saw off her back. ¨CFrom the looks of it, it was possible that Chidori didn¡¯t care much about the change in Tsugumi, or perhaps didn¡¯t even notice it. Even Tsugumi would not have noticed if Mebuki hadn¡¯t told him. In fact, it was possible that he had to see it as a change from the beginning to be able to recognize it. With that in mind, Tsugumi called out to the owner of the presence he had sensed earlier. ¡°What do you think, Bell-sama?¡± ¡°What, you¡¯ve noticed?¡± ¡°Well, sort of.¡± Ever since waking up in the hospital, he felt like his senses had become somewhat more acute. Sometimes he felt a kind of presence, even though no one was supposed to be there. It was a little scary when he thought about it, since this was a hospital. Tsugumi gently stroked his face and asked Bell with a somber look on his face. ¡°You know, what kind of condition is my body in right now?¡± ¨CThe damage to the body was on the mend. But the fundamental problem had not yet been solved. It was still okay to get hurt in a fight. He was prepared for that. But this one was a different story. ¡­Maybe it would slowly turn into a woman¡¯s body. If this was the aftereffect, it would be more damaging to Tsugumi than anything else. When he thought so, he felt a different kind of horror from fighting the Demonic Beast. ¡°When I broke the barrier, the injuries from the Radon fight healed without a problem. You fell because your body could not endure the rapid healing, and the injuries to your soul were reflected in the time delay. It was a minor injury, though.¡± ¡°What about now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re about to find out. ¨CYou know as well as I do that I can¡¯t allow you to do it that way again. This time, for some reason, you got off with a minor injury, but the next time, it will surely result in death. And in a miserable way.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Bell stared at Tsugumi and let out a sigh. It seemed that she was still suspicious. Even Tsugumi wouldn¡¯t want to do something like that again, if possible. After a few moments of silent exchange, Bell sniffed in frustration. It seemed that she had given up on the idea of pursuing the matter any further. She came softly in front of him and pulled out of the void something that looked like an opera-glass with jewels scattered all over it. ¡°This is a tool to see the shape of the soul, which I borrowed] from a certain God. Through this tool, I will be able to tell roughly what state you are in.¡± Bell then looked at Tsugumi through the pitch-black lenses of the opera glasses. A strange sensation passes through his body. It was as if a sensitive spot on his skin was tickled. With a difficult look on her face, Bell grimly opened her mouth. ¡°Hmm¡­ Let me get this straight. Your soul is definitely missing. It will never be the same ¨CBut there is something covering your soul that more than makes up for it. This is a phenomenon that is not inherently human. ¡­Did you receive some kind of blessing without my knowledge?¡± Bell said With a terribly complicated look on her face. Apparently, she didn¡¯t like the fact that Tsugumi was being interfered with by some entity. But he had no idea what it was, even if it was called a blessing. ¡°¡­That girl.¡± ¡°Does that ring a bell?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if it rings a bell or if it¡¯s just a dream I had¨C¡° Then Tsugumi began to tell her about a dream he had before he collapsed. When Bell finished listening to him, she folded her hands in thought. ¡°I see. I see. That dream is probably not unrelated to what happened this time. You have the aptitude of a Miko. It¡¯s not surprising that you can do something similar to dream walking. ¨CAnd that something that surrounds you now¡­ It has a strong Qi. Originally, the Yin and Yang are for women. The body is basically restored according to the soul, which is probably the reason why your face has become a little more feminine.¡± ¡°In other words, is my missing soul being supplemented by the girl¡¯s soul? And to the extent that I was compensated, my body was healed as a woman. ¡­Well, why would I be like that?¡± ¡°Why would I know?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± Tsugumi grunted in pain as he held his throbbing head. It was about himself but he had no idea what was going on. What the hell is that girl anyway? As far as the soul traits were concerned, it seemed as if that something had no definite intention. Even if the erosion progressed, he guessed he didn¡¯t have to worry about it taking over his personality. ¡°¡­Do I even have to worry about that? Give me a break.¡± ¡°But from the looks of things, it doesn¡¯t seem like this thing has attached itself to you in the recent past. It¡¯s been a few years, no, it¡¯s been ten years. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have become so attached so quickly. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been able to spend time here without much rejection.¡± ¡°Ten years, huh?¡± As he muttered this, Tsugumi touched his left eye, which still felt slightly strange. At the time of the battle with Radon, his left eye had reflected a mysterious object. The roaring, burning red threads that entwined Radon¡¯s entire body¡­ When he moved his fingers as if tracing the thread, Radon was too easily sliced in a circle. The sight reminded him of the catastrophe from ten years ago. He had been aware of it, but his lost past might be a terrible story. ¡°I guess it¡¯s time to face it.¡± He muttered in a small voice. ¨CSomeone¡¯s voice in his head said, ¡°You¡¯ll be happier if you just forget about it.¡± But he couldn¡¯t keep running away. ¨CFirst of all, let¡¯s move one step forward. Tsugumi turned to Bell and clenched his fists as if he had made up his mind. ¡°By the way, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve always wanted to ask to Bell-sama.¡± ¡°What, say it.¡± Bell replied to Tsugumi¡¯s words with such irreverence. Chuckling at her usual attitude, he opened his mouth. ¡°¨CBell-sama¡¯s name¡­ It¡¯s about time you told me. It doesn¡¯t look good if I don¡¯t know my God¡¯s name, does it?¡± At the sudden words, Bell blinked with a blank look. Tsugumi laughed at her slightly goofy face. ¨CHe really loved this kind but stubborn, arrogant, and funny god. Tsugumi sincerely thought so from the bottom of his heart. ¡ªEven if the other god who was hiding here, later ridiculed him, saying, ¡°You were like a baby bird that was imprinted at that time¡±, that feeling would not change. CH 29 Your Name Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¡°¨CMy name is [Baal]. I am the God of fertility who is worshipped in the distant land of Canaan. ¡­No, I used to be one.¡± Bell opened her mouth with a faraway look in her eyes, as if in contemplation. What she said was roughly what Tsugumi had expected. Baal ¨C the great God worshipped in the land of Canaan, which was called the ¡°Promised Land¡± in the Bible. Baal was pronounced in Babylonian style as [Bell]. Her aliases were many and varied, and according to one theory, she was sometimes equated with Baal, one of Solomon¡¯s 72 demons, Beelzebub, the demon of gluttony famous for the seven deadly sins, and Set, the God of storms in Egyptian mythology. ¡°The place that used to be Canaan is now ruled by missionaries from elsewhere, and there is no one who respects my existence anymore. Not only that, they have disgraced and humiliated this precious self. They mocked me as an evil God or a demon.¡± Bell said as if to spit. ¨CThe God who once boasted of her prosperity was now disgraced as an evil God. Her fertility powers were inverted and turned into gluttony, likening her to an insect that destroys crops, and she was called the Lord of the Flies. An anecdote about her uniting the Gods was twisted and turned into her leading an army of demons. ¡­Bell often said that humans were selfish, and she certainly wasn¡¯t wrong. For their own happiness, they would easily discard even the Gods they used to believe in ¨C even if it was to survive in the midst of religious oppression, it wasn¡¯t something that should be tolerated. It was something that Tsugumi who lived in a polytheistic country could never understand. ¡°I came to this country on a whim. But as I told you before, there are no good candidates in the government. Just as I was beginning to think about giving up and returning to the position of God¨CTsugumi, I found you.¡± Bell looked at Tsugumi and laughed softly. It was a radiant smile, as if a possession had been lifted. ¡°¡­Now, do you feel happy to be here?¡± Tsugumi asked Bell. She had not forgotten the despair of being betrayed and the hardship of being humiliated. But even so, she was now lending her strength to this country, to humanity. To him, it seemed very noble. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not so bad. ¨CBut don¡¯t get me wrong. I have never been a slave to this country. You humans are not free to do as you please.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± Japan was the one who asked Gods to lend their strength. Even if Amaterasu was the administrator, there should be no hierarchical relationship between them. Everyone knew that. ¡°And you can call me [Bell] as usual. It¡¯s annoying to change my name now.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what Bell-sama says, then that¡¯s what I¡¯ll do. With Bell-sama¡¯s current appearance, no other names would come to mind. ¡­I¡¯m going to ask you at this point, why are you in black cat form? Can you take another figure?¡± Until now, like the name, he felt an atmosphere that he shouldn¡¯t touch this figure. The figure of a supple black cat with dragonfly-like wings on its back¨Cit looked like a devil¡¯s messenger¨CLike the mascot character that children imagine, and it gave a very lovable impression. Considering Bell¡¯s personality, it was a wonder why she chose such a figure. ¡°I thought it would frighten people if I looked too stern. After consulting with my acquaintances, I settled on this one. Don¡¯t touch me too much. I don¡¯t want to be reminded of it.¡± Bell said bitterly. Her words reminded Tsugumi of the first time he met Bell. -Well, come to think of it, Master Bell really wanted to make a contract with a little kid, didn¡¯t she? Tsugumi felt an indescribable feeling and smiled vaguely. Now he could understand that Bell only wanted to make a contract with a young child¨Cor rather, a person with a pure heart¨Cbut at the time, it sounded like a lolicon¡¯s excuse. Mutual understanding was important, Tsugumi really thought. There were many problems, but the chemistry between Tsugumi and Bell was not bad. Maybe it was just his imagination, but he felt that Bell had opened up to him a lot since the Radon battle. Tsugumi didn¡¯t know how much longer he could continue his activities as a Magical Girl, but he¡¯d like to keep going as long as she wanted. He didn¡¯t want to fight at the level of risking his life too much, but there probably wouldn¡¯t be another case like this one, and if he didn¡¯t push himself too hard, he could be active for a reasonable amount of time. ¡°Oh, I forgot to mention that the bounty for this project has been transferred to your account. It was paid in full as a thank-you for responding to the urgent call, but it¡¯s still not worth it.¡± ¡°Well, how much?¡± The amount of the reward was not disclosed to the public. Whether the amount was high or low, there would be people who made a fuss either way. E-class was one million, D-class was five million, and so on. The amount for C-class was 10 million. The amounts after that had not yet been made known to Tsugumi. In his case, he was a stray Magical Girl, so he received 70 percent of the reward, not the full amount, but he still received about 40 million in the past three months. To be honest, it was a little frightening, because it seemed like he was going to lose his financial sense. With A-class, the difficulty level jumped up, and maybe he could get 50 million at a time. When Tsugumi thought so, Bell mentioned a ridiculous amount of money with a face like it was nothing. ¡°It¡¯s 300 million. Your life is looked upon as cheaply as mine. ¡­Hmm? What¡¯s with that funny look on your face?¡± His cheeks were tugged. ¡­Maybe he heard it wrong. ¡°Well, I wonder if that digit is wrong.¡± ¡°I am not mistaken. I think it¡¯s okay to have three billion?¡± At these words, Tsugumi shook his head. That huge amount of money was scary and he couldn¡¯t accept it. With Tsugumi sweating, Bell folded her arms in disgust. ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? Think about it¨CIf you didn¡¯t fight, the city would have been overrun by Radon until another Magical Girl arrived. Considering the damage it would have caused, 300 million is a small price to pay.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t deny that¡­¡± Certainly, considering the damage, that amount of money might not be out of line. The only problem was that it would be difficult for Tsugumi to spend that money freely. ¨CThe reward money received by Magical Girls was basically tax-free, but only if the individual could be identified. Magical Girls who hid their identities from the government, like Tsugumi, were generally not allowed to make large purchases, as they were likely to be caught up in an investigation if they made too many. There had even been a few cases in which they were suspected of tax evasion and their identities were revealed. At any rate, he could only use a little pocket money and eat out with Bell. ¡­There was no point in worrying too much, so he¡¯d just forget about it. Thinking about it, he let out a small yawn. Perhaps he was feeling relaxed now that the matter he had been worrying about had settled down. ¡°Well, you are in a good mood to be yawning in front of me.¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m a little sleepy.¡± As Tsugumi rubbed his eyes and said this, Bell approached Tsugumi and stroked his head with a gritty little hand. Bell¡¯s head was soft and paw-like. ¡°I think you should take a rest now. When your body heals, you¡¯ll be back to working as hard as before.¡± ¡°Yeah. ¨CThank you, Bell-sama.¡± He felt somewhat embarrassed and smiled deceptively. It was a different feeling from being fussed over by Chidori and Mebuki¨CTsugumi wondered if this was what it would have been like if he had an older brother. With these thoughts in mind, Tsugumi drifted gently off to sleep. It felt like he was about to have a good dream. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¨C2:00 A.M. The lights in the hospital were out, and silence pervaded the entire building. ¡°¡­Thirsty.¡± Tsugumi got out of bed, muttering to himself. He looked around for something to drink. There was cold tea in the refrigerator of the private room, but he somehow couldn¡¯t bring himself to drink it. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure the doctor said there was a vending machine in the hallway¡­¡± Half-asleep and unsteady, Tsugumi stood up. Then, using the IV stick for support, he slowly walked toward the door. If Chidori had been here, she would have angrily stopped him from going out in the middle of the night. And just as he was about to put his hand on the door, he felt a stare on his back. His hand stopped with a snap. The blurred thoughts gradually became clearer and clearer. Tsugumi felt the gaze from the sofa. In other words, it was from diagonally behind. -Isn¡¯t it a ghost? He swallowed his spit. Tsugumi didn¡¯t really believe in ghosts, but lately, he was starting to think that since Gods existed, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising that ghosts existed as well. Moreover, this place was a hospital- it would be unnatural if there weren¡¯t any. Other people might think what the hell he was doing now that he had fought monsters like Radon, but he was still afraid of things he didn¡¯t understand. It would be much easier to understand and appreciate something like a Demonic Beast that would be killed if you cut it. Tsugumi thought about it for a moment, but then dropped his shoulders in resignation. The gaze and the mysterious presence that seemed to be burning his back. He could pretend he didn¡¯t know and leave the room, but he¡¯d end up coming back to this room anyway. ¨CI guess I¡¯ll have to take a look, after all. Tsugumi exhaled a small breath and turned around, as if he had decided. CH 30 ¨CThere was a girl about the age of an elementary school student in a white hospital gown. She stared at Tsugumi inorganically through her shaggy hair. The girl was sitting deep on the sofa, letting her feet, which did not touch the floor, swing back and forth. ¡­The fact that she had feet meant that she might not be a ghost. It would be better if she was just a lost child or something. As Tsugumi pondered what to say to the girl, she stood up without a sound. Her shoulder shook and she tried to retreat, but her legs seemed to be sewn to the ground. ¡°Wh-why, uh.¡± She pulled her leg with all her might, but instead of moving, it felt as if the strength in her leg was gradually slipping away. The strange phenomenon, which he did not understand, made him impatient. ¨CIn the split second that Tsugumi took his eyes off her, he moved to stand right in front of her. The girl looked up at him with a calm expression. Without saying a word, she reached out with her right hand and placed it on Tsugumi¡¯s left chest¨Chis heart. Impatience, fear, and bewilderment took over his thoughts. His heart that beat like a quick bell was unpleasantly noisy. The girl smiled. ¡°¨CGood.¡± ¨CHer voice was wrinkled, like an old woman¡¯s. ¡°I have a prophecy for you. Well, you¡¯ll get your money¡¯s worth.¡± As if in a whisper, something in the form of a girl continued. It looked like an oracle of a Goddess. ¡°The seal is now a dying flame. Soon the Beast of Calamity will be unleashed. But there is a way of life in the midst of the fire. ¨CStrive to keep it in your hearts and minds. Well, you¡¯ll forget it tomorrow.¡± The girl with the voice of an old woman laughed. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± When Tsugumi asked this question in a daze, the girl squinted. Her violet eyes glinted suspiciously. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find out soon enough. ¨CWhen the time comes, please save my beloved child. Oh, let¡¯s make it the price you should pay.¡± ¡°Wait, what are you talking about¡­!¡± With a gulp, he grabbed the girl by the shoulders. Even though he flinched a little at the slender body, Tsugumi was not going to give in. ¨CHe was not convinced by the sudden mention of a prophecy. To begin with, he didn¡¯t even know who this girl was. ¡°Let go, child of the Shaman. I told you that now is not the time.¡± The girl said in a strong tone, shaking off the hand that gripped her shoulder. Her eyes, like purple crystals, shot straight through Tsugumi. As their eyes meet, his vision distorted. He put his hand against the wall and looked forward again, but nobody was there. When he looked around the room and confirmed that the girl wasn¡¯t there anymore, he sighed. ¡°Damn, I feel like I¡¯ve been turned into a fox¡­¡± Saying this, Tsugumi sat there against the wall. It would have been much easier to say that he was dreaming while standing up. But to him, the previous event could only be the reality. ¡­Tsugumi understood that she was saying something important. At the same time, he could understand why he couldn¡¯t remember this conversation for long. He stared at his hands. He could still feel the touch of the girl¡¯s shoulder when he grabbed her. ¡°Bell-sama¡­ I can¡¯t call her. There¡¯s something like a strange barrier in the room.¡± Tsugumi clicked his tongue. With this, he couldn¡¯t even ask for advice. After all, he didn¡¯t know if it was that girl¡­ But what was she doing here? If he was going to forget it in the morning, it didn¡¯t have to be today. ¡°¡­It might be useless, but I¡¯ll leave a note just in case.¡± The seal, the Beast of Calamity. And the word kachi ¨C perhaps written as vortex or fire ¨C was the only way to make a difference. It was too abstract to make sense, and it was probably not a very good kind of prophecy. Tsugumi had a feeling that something terrible was going on under the surface, but what did this have to do with him? A strange feeling of uneasiness scratched at his chest. ¨CAnd can I take the girl¡¯s word for it? In the first place, he didn¡¯t even know if the prophecy was really true or not. After all, no matter how worried he was, there would be no answer. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go to bed.¡± In times like this, it would be best to do nothing more. He couldn¡¯t leave his room anyway, and tomorrow he would have forgotten everything. ¡°¡­I wonder what will happen to me.¡± While lying on the bed, Tsugumi muttered. ¨CUntil yesterday, he thought he was a normal person, no different from anyone else around here. But his uncertain past, the anomalies in his soul, and the events that were happening around him were gradually negating that fact. It felt like that. It wasn¡¯t even funny that he didn¡¯t understand it best, even though it was about himself. In the midst of blurred thoughts, almost falling into unconsciousness, Tsugumi subconsciously opened his mouth. Words that he did not intend to say spilled out like whispers. ¡°Still, I¡¯d like to remain as Tsugumi¨CNeesan¡­¡± ¨CThe next thing he knew, he fall asleep. And the next morning, when he got up, he found a strange note on his desk. ¡°What is this scribble? ¨CWho wrote this?¡± Tsugumi picked up the note, tilted his head, and was about to throw the note in the trash. But then he reconsidered and gently put it back. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s something Senpai has forgotten. Let¡¯s save it just in case.¡± Saying so, he tucked the note into the back of a novel he had left under his pillow. Here, even if he forgot the note¡¯s existence, he would be able to remember it when he finished reading. Tsugumi gave a small stretch and got up from the bed with slow movements. It was nice to be up, but there was nothing to do. He remembered going out last night to get a drink, but on second thought, there was no way that Tsugumi, who was in the hospital with an upset stomach, could eat or drink normally. It had to be a dream or something. Otherwise, he must have been sleepwalking or something strange was controlling his consciousness. With these rambling thoughts in mind, he dragged the IV out of the room. After so much sleep, he needed to get out in the fresh air once in a while. -It might be cold, but let¡¯s go to the rooftop. Tsugumi thought so, but when he was about to turn down the corridor, he bumped into something with a thud. ¡°Oh, that hurts¡­¡± It hit him hard in the stomach. A gripping pain centered on the abdomen. The impact made Tsugumi cringe and moan. With tears in his eyes, he looked up and saw a girl in a hospital gown standing there. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± The girl with long, shaggy hair was looking at Tsugumi with her hands wandering about in a panic. She seemed to be trembling slightly, as if frightened. Her dark eyes were filled with tears. ¡­It feels as if I¡¯m the one abusing her. Although feeling awkward, Tsugumi stood up, clutching his stomach. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t check properly, but don¡¯t run in the hallway in the first place. It¡¯s dangerous, okay?¡± Tsugumi said in a quiet voice. He didn¡¯t mean to be overbearingly angry with a child, but he had to warn her, at least. Although it didn¡¯t turn out to be a big deal this time, there was a risk that the person who hit him could have been injured or his medical condition could have worsened. When he warned her, she bowed her head apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Oniisan. I wanted to get to the lobby quickly because my father was coming to see me, so I ran¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not angry. Just be careful next time.¡± Tsugumi chuckled and said so, gently patting the girl on the head. He didn¡¯t know why this girl was in the hospital, but he did know that she wanted to see her family as soon as possible. They parted immediately, but Tsugumi had a strange sense of deja vu. ¡°¨CI feel like I¡¯ve seen her somewhere before, or is it just my imagination?¡± He tilted his head in that direction, but couldn¡¯t recall anything in particular. ¡­Well, it must have been my imagination. This kind of thing is quite common. Though feeling uncomfortable, Tsugumi convinced himself. ¨CAnd so the week in the hospital passed uneventfully. CH 31 Mistaken Identity and Pancakes Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CIt had already been a week since he left the hospital. Winter break was over in the blink of an eye, and Tsugumi was going to school as usual. The test after the break was over, and he was lying on his desk, exhausted, when a voice called out to him from above. ¡°How was the test, Tsugumi-chan?¡± ¡°It¡¯s neither good nor bad. I don¡¯t need to ask about yours¡­¡± Tsugumi answered sluggishly, stretching his limbs. In response, the man who spoke to him ¨C Yukitaka ¨C narrowed his eyes and smiled like a cat. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have to study to get a good score. Is everyone else¡¯s head different?¡± ¡°So damn annoying. I wish the answer column was off and you get a zero¡­¡± Yukitaka smiled, unmindful of the fact that Tsugumi was looking at him with a stern look. The fact that he was really smart as he said, made it all the more annoying. ¡°By the way, is your body okay? You were in the hospital all through the holiday season, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well, somehow. ¡­Hey, don¡¯t laugh.¡± ¡°Kuh, I mean, isn¡¯t it just too dumb?¡± Biting back a giggle, Yukitaka grinned at Tsugumi. Yukitaka knew that Tsugumi had been in the hospital, and ostensibly he knew why he ended up there. Tsugumi understood the temptation to laugh, but whether he could tolerate it or not was another story. ¡°I am sorry, don¡¯t stare at me like that. ¨CBut, it was a disaster. I didn¡¯t expect something like that would happen either.¡± Yukitaka lowered his eyebrows and apologized. Perhaps he felt some responsibility for the gift of the travel ticket to Hakone. ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t want to go through that ever again.¡± He thought so both as Nanase Tsugumi and as the Magical Girl Hagakure Sakura. ¡°Right, this for Tsugumi-chan!¡± ¡°What¡¯s this? ¡­Pre-opening of an amusement park?¡± Yukitaka held out a flyer for a new amusement park about three stops from here. The flyer stated that a lottery would be held for a pair of tickets to the pre-opening event next week. ¡°For compensation, why don¡¯t you take this? It¡¯s so close, a day trip should be a piece of cake.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but this is a lottery, isn¡¯t it? I think the probability of not winning is higher¡­¡± To begin with, he had never won a lottery of this kind. When he said that, Yukitaka grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve got a contact with the people involved, so I¡¯m sure I can get a couple. As long as you want the tickets, I¡¯ll get them for you.¡± ¡°You have connections I don¡¯t understand. ¡­Well, I¡¯ll ask Chidori later if it¡¯s convenient for her. ¨CBut are you not going? You love this kind of event.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll pass this time. The crowds seem too much, so I¡¯ll go with someone else sometime during the week when I am free.¡± ¨CHow rare, you usually take the initiative to come with me. Tsugumi thought so, but he supposed Yukitaka felt that way sometimes, too. ¡°Is that so? ¨CWell, what am I supposed to do for you in exchange for getting you a ticket?¡± Tsugumi shrugged his shoulders and said so. Things always came at a price. Whenever Yukitaka came up with a good offer like this, it usually came with a ¡°favor¡±. ¡°As expected of Tsugumi-chan! You catch on fast!¡± Yukitaka clapped his hands happily and laughed. In response, Tsugumi responded with a wry smile. In this situation, he might be asked to do something troublesome again. Yukitaka put his hand on the Tsugumi¡¯s desk, brought his face close to his ears, and whispered to him. ¡°¨COn your way home today, go out with me for a while.¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô White walls and a lovely flower-patterned carpet. Stuffed animal toys were placed everywhere, and the table cloths were made of delicate lace. The sweet aroma of the restaurant was filled with a group of high school girls. In the middle of the crowd, Tsugumi and Yukitaka were seated at a table facing each other. With a slight blush on his cheeks, Tsugumi spoke to Yukitaka in a quiet voice. ¡°Ah, aren¡¯t we out of place? The stares really hurt¡­¡± Since a few moments ago, he felt piercingly curious stares from all directions. Most of them were directed toward Yukitaka, but some of them were looking at Tsugumi with interest. ¡°Eh, but I really wanted to try the pancakes here.¡± ¡°Are you a kid?¡± With his cheeks puffed out, Yukitaka said this like a child. Tsugumi elbowed his shoulder in disgust and exhaled a sigh. He was used to Yukitaka¡¯s spontaneous behavior, but he did not expect to be brought to such a fancy restaurant. And this was just Tsugumi¡¯s personal feelings, but he felt a little uncomfortable with the little yellow voice that rose every time Yukitaka said something. He wanted to say out loud that this guy had a nice face but his personality was truly bad. ¡°I am not going to complain, but I wonder why you decided to come with me. You should have come with a girl like you usually do.¡± ¡°Fufu, I just wanted to see the look of embarrassment on Tsugumi-chan¡¯s face¨CAh, it¡¯s a lie, don¡¯t look so angry.¡± ¡°I see, I was worried you¡¯d woken up to a weird taste.¡± He felt like the temperature had dropped ten degrees in an instant. If they weren¡¯t careful with their words, Tsugumi might die socially. Yukitaka said as he sipped his coffee, which was full of sugar. ¡°Lately, I haven¡¯t been hanging out with Tsugumi-chan, right? You go home right after school. So I wanted to annoy you a little. Oh, but it¡¯s true that I want pancakes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it was anything like that¡­ Well, if you feel that way, I guess it was. My bad.¡± Tsugumi said as he cut the three layers of pancakes with a knife. He brought the cut-up pieces to his mouth. That it really tasted delicious was kind of frustrating ¡°This pancake is really delicious. I would have come back if the customers weren¡¯t like that.¡± Tsugumi didn¡¯t have the courage to come to this restaurant often. It might not be a bother if he transformed into Hagakure Sakura, but the publicity from the year-end incident had made it unlikely that he would be able to eat outside for a while. In this regard, Bell was more disappointed than Tsugumi. ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t really care.¡± Yukitaka gracefully brought the fork to his mouth, paying no attention to the gazes of those around him. Perhaps hairs grew in his heart. Tsugumi envied him. He would like to learn from his boldness. As he was thinking about this, he was discreetly tapped on the shoulder from behind. ¡°What is it?¡± He hastily swallowed what was in his mouth and turned around. Standing there were a group of high school girls, about the same age as him. They looked at Tsugumi¡¯s face and screamed, ¡°I knew it!¡± ¡°Um, what can I do for you?¡± When Tsugumi asked suspiciously, the other girls urged the girl in the middle with the pigtails to open her mouth, and she tinted her cheeks red. ¡°Excuse me, are you the brother of ¡®Hagakure Sakura¡¯?¡± ¨COh, here we go again. Tsugumi let out a big sigh in his mind and made a heckling smile. ¡°¡­Ah, sorry. We might look alike, but we are completely unrelated.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± When Tsugumi told them this, the girls left, looking terribly disappointed. It was heartbreaking in many ways. They were interested in Hagakure Sakura, not in Tsugumi. ¡°Tsugumi-chan is also having a hard time. Why don¡¯t you buy some glasses for a disguise?¡± ¡°I should probably do that, after all.¡± He had been asked the same question three times a day since the beginning of the year. The kids earlier backed off immediately, but some of them persisted in their insistence. It was getting to be a real pain. ¡°I only look like her, but since it¡¯s so hard for me, it must be even harder for all the Magical Girls in the world. It really makes my head spin.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Those kids are doing it because they like it.¡± ¡°Maybe, but still, you know.¡± Tsugumi used to feel the same way, but as he learned more about the Magical Girls¡¯ side of things, he couldn¡¯t speak so strongly. Because he knew that they also had their own hardships. ¨CAfter that, they finished the pancakes, albeit in a messy way, and left the restaurant. The bill was on Tsugumi. That should have been enough to cover the cost of asking for a ticket. ¡°By the way, who are you going to vote for next week, Tsugumi-chan? Is it the Big Tits, after all?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call Rikka¡¯s number one like that¡­ No, I guess that¡¯s no good for me either.¡± Sumire Tono, first place in the Rikka¡¯s ranking. She was a Magical Girl who had been ranked first for the last five years in a row. In addition to her ability, her outstanding style and beautiful appearance attracted a lot of attention, and she was fanatically popular. As for Tsugumi, he thought Chidori and Mebuki-senpai were prettier, but he supposed it was just a matter of taste. Up until now, he hadn¡¯t been particularly interested in voting, so he just voted for the name at the top of the list, but starting this year, he would give a little more thought to who he would vote for. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m thinking of voting for Suzushiro Ran or Hitsugi Airi this year. See, they came to Hakone for support.¡± Well, that had ended up being a wasted trip. After all that, he wanted to thank Inaba-san, the government official who first responded to his request, but he couldn¡¯t do anything because Bell didn¡¯t lend him the terminal. He didn¡¯t really intend to do anything weird anymore. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not Hagakure Sakura.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s complicated for me too.¡± He didn¡¯t even want to enter, but now that the list was announced before he could withdraw, they said he couldn¡¯t withdraw during the process. Because of the mess at the end of the year, he was late in taking action. Although it was unlikely that Hagakure Sakura would be selected as one of the six, the classmates were all saying that they would vote for Hagakure Sakura, and he was a little fed up with it. They didn¡¯t have to go that far to make fun of Tsugumi. ¡°I like Hitsugi better, though. She¡¯s got a human side to her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s serious and has common sense in what she says and does. The other five are sometimes a little bit weird.¡± In a nutshell, the other five were, in order from top to bottom: ¡°Flame Lover,¡± ¡°Sword Fanatic,¡± ¡°Loose Gal,¡± ¡°Absolute Zero,¡± and ¡°Sideline Idol¡±. Tsugumi didn¡¯t really understand it either. Did they become strange while fighting as a Magical Girl, or were they strong because they were originally strange? The truth remained a mystery. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really care. ¨CHey, do you hear a strange noise from that alley?¡± Saying so, Yukitaka pointed to an alley on his right. ¡°Noise? ¡­No, it¡¯s a human voice.¡± Tsugumi listened carefully and focused his nerves. Then, from the alley to which Yukitaka pointed, he heard the voices of several children ¨C and girls. Some of them even sounded like screams. ¡­It looked pretty bad. This road was a shortcut to the station, but it was basically deserted. He probably shouldn¡¯t say this, but it was more likely that if something were to happen there, no one would notice it. You could say that this place secretly had a high crime rate. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s see what¡¯s going on. Worst case scenario, we¡¯ll have to call the police.¡± Tsugumi rushed stealthily and quietly peeked into the alley so that the people there wouldn¡¯t notice him. ¨CThere they were: five girls. Five elementary-school girls in uniforms from a well-known school for young ladies were standing around a girl. At the time, he thought that they were just playing, but upon closer inspection, he realized that something was wrong. The clothes of the girl sitting on the floor were unnaturally wet. Next to her, a girl holding an empty plastic bottle was laughing in a high-pitched voice. It was a scene of bullying, no matter how you look at it¡­ After all, it was a children¡¯s quarrel. Tsugumi wondered if he should interfere, but then he realized something. ¡°¨CIs that girl from before?¡± That girl sitting there was the same girl who bumped into Tsugumi at the hospital just the other day. It was hard to tell because she was sitting down, but there was no doubt about it. ¡°¡­Maybe this is a coincidence.¡± Tsugumi said so and looked back to Yukitaka. ¡°Hey, Yukitaka, help me a little.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but what are we doing?¡± When Yukitaka said this with a suspicious look, Tsugumi narrowed his eyes and laughed. ¡°Something bad, I guess.¡± CH 32 Bad Children Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CYukitaka walked into the alley, making loud footsteps on purpose. Obviously, anyone would turn around at the noise. The surrounding girls were no exception. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, you can go on. I¡¯m just passing by.¡± Yukitaka said this with a flirtatious smile on his face. The backlighting from the back of the alley where the girls were standing made it impossible to see their expressions, but they probably thought it was just a creepy guy who had arrived. Then, the girl who seemed to be the leader among them stepped forward. Her eyes were full of willpower. ¡°¡­What are you?¡± ¡°Nothing special? I was just wondering what the ladies of that Asuka Academy are doing in such a place. Oh no, I never thought that the students of that prestigious school are a bunch of bullies! It¡¯s the end of the world!¡± Yukitaka said this as if he were a clown preaching. Perhaps intimidated by Yukitaka¡¯s eccentric behavior, one of the girls who seemed to be part of the cronies took a step back and looked anxiously at the leader of the group. ¨CAsuka Academy. It was a prestigious school for young ladies in this neighborhood. It was rumored that there was a special class for those with Magical Girl aptitude, but the truth was not certain. Yukitaka probably judged it by looking at the uniform. ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s impossible that we are bullies. We were just having a friendly chat. ¨CRight, Itadori-san?¡± The girl in the leadership position then asked the girl who was crouching ¨C the one who had just been assaulted. The girl, however, only shook her shoulders and did not respond, looking down and refusing to make eye contact with anyone. Her appearance was a testament to the current situation. The leader of the group frowned at the girl¡¯s attitude and mocked, ¡°It seems she is embarrassed to talk in a place where there are strangers.¡± ¡°You guys sure get along well. Nowadays, elementary school kids pour drinks on the other¡¯s clothes before they talk. I didn¡¯t know that.¡± Yukitaka then pointed to an artificial puddle of water. The girl at the center had her hair wet and dripping water. Seeing this, only a fool or an indifferent person would be able to say, ¡°You guys seem to be on good terms!¡± The girl in the leader¡¯s position looked at Yukitaka and gave him a small tongue-lashing. ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s none of your business, is it?¡± ¡®Well, yeah. I told you, you can continue.¡± Yukitaka smiled at the girl who told him so bluntly. ¡°You guys are doing that to Itadori-chan with your own beliefs, right? ¨CThen isn¡¯t it okay? You can torture her to your heart¡¯s content without fear of anyone. Boil her, roast her, do whatever you want.¡± As if reading from the Bible, Yukitaka announced such things in a high voice. What he was saying was so far out of the bounds of humanity that any reasonable person would not believe his words. ¡°Ah, what are you saying-¡° Perhaps intimidated by Yukitaka¡¯s strange behavior, even the girl in the leader¡¯s position, who was very determined, was reluctant to speak to him. She was staring at Yukitaka as if she were looking at a maniac. Yukitaka, not paying attention to her awe-struck gaze, laughed, tilted his head, and said. ¡°After all, it¡¯s not up to me to decide if it¡¯s right or not.¡± Yukitaka then pointed in the direction of Tsugumi ¨C to the second floor of the building next to the alley. Six pairs of eyes were focused on Tsugumi, who was peeking out of the building¡¯s window. ¨COr more precisely, at the cell phone he was holding up. With a wave of his hand, he jumped out of the second-story window. At that height, he should be able to land without any problem. Tsugumi, who landed on the ground silently, took down his cell phone and whispered. ¡°Now, here¡¯s a question for you smart kids. ¨CWhen do you think this video was taken?¡± The girls¡¯ faces suddenly turned pale at Tsugumi¡¯s words. It felt as if he was bullying the weak, but it would be better if he had given them this much. ¨CThe video of the girls pouring drinks on the other, let alone the exchange that took place earlier, was on video. It was enough evidence. The damage when it came out would be immeasurable. ¡°Are you going to tell the school? You can do whatever you want. ¨CThat much, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± With her face contorted in frustration, the girl in the leadership position said so firmly. She was surely a young lady from a decent family as she attended Asuka Academy, but with this tone of voice, she might be a child of one of the most powerful families in the area. Seeing the girl, Yukitaka opened his mouth happily. ¡°I won¡¯t tell the school. Because that would be boring.¡± ¡°What would you do then? Do you want to threaten my father? I wonder which one of us will feel the pain then.¡± Chuckling, the girl smiled. She must have absolute confidence in her own power. ¨CBut there was no way that such logic would work on Yukitaka. ¡°You¡¯re confident that your father loves you, aren¡¯t you? ¨CWell, let¡¯s put that love to the test.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I shall post that video on the Internet! Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure to hide your face. Yeah, but the internet love to pry. ¨CI¡¯m sure they¡¯ll find out about you soon enough.¡± With a smile, Yukitaka narrowed his eyes and laughed. To Tsugumi, that smile looked frightening. ¨CThe video would go up in flames in an instant, and the person in the video would be identified in a matter of seconds. The school¡¯s uniforms were distinctive. In half a day, the address of the girls might be exposed. Perhaps they thought the same thing as Tsugumi, the girls were trembling with blue faces. Their expression was saying they never thought it would be such a big deal. ¡°Now that the world thinks you¡¯re a [bad] kid, do you think your father will still love you?¡± Tsugumi sighed a little, looking sideways at Yukitaka, who talked with genuine joy. ¨CAs usual, Yukitaka had no regard for other people¡¯s feelings whether he was dealing with children or not. Tsugumi wouldn¡¯t complain, but if he went too far, he had to be stopped. But in terms of punishment, maybe this was just about right. The girl who was the leader of the group looked like she was about to cry and shouted. ¡°No, how much should I pay? Tell me the amount you want! You¡¯re after the money anyway! That¡¯s why¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. What should I do? I¡¯m at a loss.¡± Yukitaka gave a sloppy reply to the girl who desperately pleaded. ¡­This was probably the limit. If they went any further, they¡¯d be suspected of blackmail. Tsugumi approached the girl who was crouching and shivering ¨C the one who was called Itadori ¨C and put the coat he was wearing on her shoulders. It was better than staying wet and exposed to the wind. Then, Tsugumi said in a quiet voice to the girls who were looking at him. ¡°I¡¯m not really going to post it on the Internet. ¨CAs long as you¡¯re [good girls]. ¡­You know what I mean.¡± Tsugumi looked at the girl who had been called Itadori, and continued his words. ¡°I¡¯ve known this girl for a little while. I¡¯m telling you, next time I won¡¯t warn you. Keep that in mind.¡± When Tsugumi said this in a strong tone of voice, the girls in the circle apologized in rapid succession, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± ¡°It won¡¯t happen again,¡± and ¡°Please forgive me¡±. Some of them were crying. ¡­Tsugumi regretted that he might have gone overboard. This behavior might not have been mature for elementary school students-though it looked like they were in upper grades. He didn¡¯t mean to hunt them down until they cried. But thinking about it calmly, it must be terrifying to be confronted by two high school boys, no matter what the situation. Even though he had a good reason, it would have been better to take a different approach. ¨CI don¡¯t know which one of us is the [bad] kid. Tsugumi chuckled at that thought. When he looked at the girl in the leadership position, she did not hide her frustration and bowed a little reluctantly. He wasn¡¯t convinced, but she wasn¡¯t so thoughtless as to take action at this point. ¨CAt any rate, this incident should be good enough to serve as a deterrent. I guess that¡¯s a relief for the time being. Then Tsugumi pacified Yukitaka whose look was saying he hadn¡¯t played enough, and released the girls from the alley, except for the child who had been called Itadori. The girls in the crony group repeatedly begged him not to release the footage, but even Tsugumi didn¡¯t intend to go that far. What he said earlier was just a bluff. Well, Yukitaka¡¯s story was so imposing that the girls did not even suspect it. He was worried about the leader girl who was looking at him with a grudge until the end, but this was as far as Tsugumi could go. ¡°¡­Are you okay?¡± Tsugumi gently rubbed the back of the girl who had been silent for so long ¨C Itadori. Her uniform was still wet, and she might catch a cold at this point. She had been looking down and shivering all day, but she looked up with a fearful look on her face and turned to face Tsugumi next to her. Her eyes were blurry as she stared at him After blinking a few times, she shouted a little. ¡°¡­Are you the Oniisan that I bumped into at the hospital?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¨CHey! Are you okay!?¡± Itadori smiled as if she was relieved, and then fell sideways. He held her before she hit the ground, but she did not respond when he called out. He thought it was unlikely, so he gently touched her forehead and found that it was unusually hot. ¡°She has a fever¡­ Maybe she¡¯s been sick from the beginning.¡± ¡°Well, do you want me to call an ambulance?¡± Yukitaka, peeking out from the side, called out. It would certainly be better that way. Explaining the situation would be somewhat difficult, but they couldn¡¯t just leave her like this. Tsugumi called an ambulance and laid the girl on a bench just outside the alley. The girl was breathing heavily and coughing from time to time, as if in pain. ¡°I wonder what happened with those girls.¡± Tsugumi mumbled. He had only met this girl once in the hospital, but she didn¡¯t seem like the kind of girl who would be subjected to such insidious abuse. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think she stepped on a land mine or something. People are rather lax in their exclusion of others, and this girl is probably like that, too.¡± Yukitaka then yawned and stretched in a troublesome manner. ¡°When the ambulance arrives, I¡¯ll go home first. I have goosebumps because I did something unusual like helping people. I have to balance myself with something.¡± Yukitaka rubbed his arms and said with a teasing tone. To such Yukitaka, Tsugumi opened his mouth with a wry smile. ¡°Just throw away that distorted balance. ¡­Anyway I was saved today. Thank you.¡± Thanks to Yukitaka¡¯s prior efforts to upset the girls, the conversation became easy. If it had been just Tsugumi, it would not have gone so well. It might seem strange later, but as long as they had the video, even the girls wouldn¡¯t act badly. When Tsugumi bowed his head, Yukitaka looked at him as if he were looking at something strange. ¡°Tsugumi-chan can bow his head for someone else. I don¡¯t understand that kind of thing.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not that big of a deal.¡± ¡°Well, never mind. ¨COh, I think an ambulance is on its way.¡± ¡°I guess so. ¨CExcuse me! This way!¡± Tsugumi raised his hand and called for an ambulance in a loud voice. Soon the ambulance pulled up beside them, and the paramedics got out. Then, Tsugumi got into the ambulance with the girl and left Yukitaka on the spot. He was worried because Yukitaka looked like he had something to say, but surely he would have contacted him if anything had happened. ¡°¡­He¡¯s not that bad.¡± Tsugumi made a small comment. At least, he had been a good friend. The people around him dismissed Yukitaka as [evil], but to Tsugumi, he looked like a child who didn¡¯t know right from wrong. ¨CWell, it¡¯s not a good idea to think about it now. Thinking so, Tsugumi stared at the girl who was being treated by the paramedics. First of all, it would be better to see this girl settled down in the hospital. CH 33 The Things I Hate Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Tsugumi went to the hospital with the fainted girl¨CItadori, who had fallen ill¨Cand left the hospital after explaining to the doctors what had happened. The hospital where they were taken to was the same one where she had been admitted the other day, so it didn¡¯t take too long, but the doctor who was in charge of her said, ¡°You were able to call an ambulance properly this time!¡± He was slightly unconvinced by the teasing. Had he been really out of it back then? Anyway, the girl¡¯s illness, pneumonia, was caused by her asthma. He heard that her hospitalization at the end of the year was also due to her getting sick from a cold. She probably had weak bronchial tubes. According to the doctor, the girl¡¯s mother, who had contacted him by phone, asked to thank Tsugumi for his help, but he politely declined. Instead, he agreed to visit the girl, and would go to check on her on his way home tomorrow. If possible, he would like to discuss with her how to process the video. It should be up to her how to use it. ¡°So, as soon as I get back home, this is what I¡¯m going to do?¡± Immediately after returning home, Bell took him out to a desolate industrial area on the outskirts of a local city. Needless to say, the reason was to fight Demonic Beasts. He¡¯d been absent for two weeks, so it was just about time, but he wanted to be contacted in advance if possible. Tsugumi, which had transformed into the Magical Girl form Hagakure Sakura, let out a small sigh as he played with the edge of his skirt. The first battle in a long time was still a little nerve-wracking. ¡°The opponent is a D-class Demonic Beast. There shouldn¡¯t be any problems, but don¡¯t let your guard down.¡± ¡°I understand. First, I need to see how well my body can move.¡± Saying this, Tsugumi turned his arms around. His left hand, which had been eaten by [Gluttony] at that time, was still moving as usual. It was as if it was never injured in the first place, but he still didn¡¯t know if it could keep up with the violent movements. While they were talking about this, the barriers were deployed. It seemed the Demonic Beast had already appeared. Tsugumi stared at the wavering space and concentrated his mind. ¨CFirst of all, I have to find out where the Demonic Beast is. If it attacked the moment the barrier was completed, there would be no way to stop it. Fortunately, he soon found out where the beast was. It was about 300 meters from here, on the roof of a factory. ¡­The shape of the beast was something he honestly didn¡¯t want to get close to. ¡°It¡¯s a four-meter-long praying Mantis. ¡­The way its mouth opens is disgusting.¡± The mouth cracked into six pieces and was wiggling around. It felt like anyone would lose their mind just by staring at it. ¡­Rather, Tsugumi wasn¡¯t very fond of insects himself. In that sense, this time the Demonic Beast was a bad match. ¨CBut I can¡¯t complain too much. After confirming the giant Mantis, Tsugumi kicked the ground with a thud. First of all, he had to check his physical capabilities at this stage. With this in mind, he started running, but his body felt surprisingly light. It wasn¡¯t as fast as it was during the Radon fight, but his body was still pretty fast. When analyzing the power flowing through his body, he immediately understood the reason. The divine power pouring in from Bell was circulating through his entire body, and it was coating his muscles and nerves, creating an explosive force. Moreover, the conductivity of the divine power was higher than before. ¨CI guess all high-ranking Magical Girls are like this. It was no wonder that the Magical Girls of Rikka¡¯s strength were able to perform even ordinary movements in such a monstrous manner. Until now, he had always thought it was a difference in skill or original talent, but with this system, any human being could become strong if they continued to be a Magical Girl for a long time. Originally, Tsugumi was supposed to take time as well. But because he was forced to draw out his strength in the Radon battle, he skipped the middle steps. That¡¯s why he felt his physical capability had improved sharply. And he felt like his senses were no longer as blurred as they were in his male body. Perhaps it was because he learned how to move efficiently while working as a Magical Girl. As a result of this application, he felt that his physical abilities in the male form had also improved. Now, even with his original body, he should be able to perform parkour-like movements. When Tsugumi reached the Mantis, he stopped and looked up into its horrifying face. He frowned in physiological disgust. Then, the Mantis, with an unidentifiable liquid dripping from its mouth, let out a strange cry and swung its two-handed scythe down. While lightly avoiding the slash from close range, Tsugumi calmly checked if there was anything wrong with his body. -There is no problem with limbs and joints. I don¡¯t feel any injuries or cramps from before, and I¡¯m doing well. ¡­No, on the contrary, I¡¯m confused because I¡¯m in good shape. At least, he didn¡¯t see any of the aftereffects that Bell had feared. Tsugumi shook his head to regain his composure and ran up to Mantis¡¯s body. Then, just like that, he unleashed a sharp kick from behind to its thin back. ¡°Gishaaaah!!!¡± The Mantis let out a high-pitched cry, flew forward with great force, and rolled. ¨COriginally, Tsugumi was not the type of Magical Girl who fought directly. In the past, this kick would have been powerful enough to stagger an opponent. But now that his physical capabilities had been enhanced, he could deliver this kind of power. Although he wouldn¡¯t have a chance to use it against high-ranked Demonic Beasts, it was still safer to have a large number of tricks. ¨CSo, how about the [Skill]? With this in mind, Tsugumi activated the [Invisibility] skill on himself. Although he only used it for a short break during the Radon battle, this skill was essentially an excellent skill that could be used as a diversion or distraction. Unlike Transportation and Thread, this skill could only be used within the barrier, so he had to try it now. The Mantis was running around the area, stomping its feet, looking for the missing Tsugumi. It seemed that it was quite annoyed at having been kicked. The green body of the Mantis was now slightly tinted in purple. This type of enemy could spit out poison, so he had to be careful. However, it didn¡¯t pose a threat unless it found him. The great thing about Invisibility was that it even erased any sign of his presence. Thanks to this effect, he was able to secure a safe place in the Radon battle. Tsugumi gently twirled an invisible thread around Mantis¡¯s leg. Naturally, Mantis didn¡¯t notice it. It would have been easy enough to pull the string, but that would have been a little unsatisfying. Besides, there was something he wanted to try for a long time. In the battles so far, Tsugumi couldn¡¯t try it because he couldn¡¯t afford to. It might be good to try it this time. ¡°Imagine a donut shape centered around the part where the Mantis is running around.¡± Muttering this, Tsugumi quickly lowered his finger. With that signal, the ground slowly became transparent, leaving around the area where the Mantis stood. The ground, which was transparent up to 20 meters underground, looked like a deep pit. Apparently, the area of effect was much wider than before. The Mantis seemed puzzled by the hole that had suddenly appeared in front of it, and stepped back. In fact, the pit was fake, but there was no way the Mantis could see it at first sight. Tsugumi also stared at the hole, but it looked like a real pit. He touched the ground with trepidation, but the texture remained the same as normal, rough dirt. He didn¡¯t know the principles that made it transparent, but he felt strange looking at it. ¡°If I combine this with Transportation and make it impossible to tell if it¡¯s true or false¡­ Yeah, it¡¯s crazy.¡± With the ability of transport, it would be easy to actually create a pitfall of this magnitude. Once they were aware that it was a fake, he could be sure to trap them the next time. Alternatively, a large wall that had been made transparent in advance could be shifted and treated as an invisible obstacle. ¡­But it seemed that Tsugumi¡¯s skill was specialized in latent force. He wondered what influenced this. ¡°Well, I think that¡¯s enough confirmation.¡± He got most of what he wanted to find out, and it was fine just to find out that there were no side effects. He still didn¡¯t know the details about the flames that were visible during the battle of Radon, but there was no point in being impatient. It was certainly reassuring to have the ability to kill even immortals, but for some reason, he felt it didn¡¯t fit him at the moment. There was no need to rush, and it would be important to steadily accumulate achievements. Tsugumi removed the invisibility and turned his back on the Mantis. The Mantis, now that the ground had been restored and it could move freely, spotted Tsugumi and attacked with both hands ready to kill. Tsugumi didn¡¯t turn around, but muttered a few words. ¡°Sorry. ¨CYou have no use anymore.¡± The right foot stomped with a thud. Then, the invisible threads around the Mantis¡¯s body instantly sliced through the space. The body parts of the praying Mantis fell off in pieces according to gravity. It appeared that today¡¯s sharpness was also outstanding. ¨CAt this rate, I think I can take on an A-class, let alone a B-class. Tsugumi thought so, and smiled softly. He didn¡¯t mean to be dependent on fighting, but he was honestly happy to be stronger. Besides, all boys would think the same way. ¡°Looks like you had a lot of fun.¡± Then Bell said so, teasing him. Apparently, she had seen him laughing. Cowering his shoulders, Tsugumi opened his mouth. ¡°It sounds arrogant to say it like this, but with a D-class, it¡¯s like bullying the weak.¡± ¡°That¡¯s natural. Rather, it would be a problem if you took time and effort to this extent.¡± Bell crossed her arms and said reproachfully. As for Bell, it might be embarrassing to see her contractor, Hagakure Sakura who had defeated an A-class Demonic Beast, struggling against a D-class opponent. Then, as usual, Tsugumi let [Gluttony] feed on the body of the Demonic Beast, but when he saw the beast¡¯s mouth, he tilted his head. ¡°¡­I feel like it¡¯s getting bigger.¡± Specifically, about twice as much. He didn¡¯t feel particularly overloaded, so he guessed it wasn¡¯t a problem, but it was probably better not to play around with this skill too much. This beast already knew what Tsugumi tasted like. The ¡°Gluttony¡± skill could only be used within the barrier, so he didn¡¯t have to worry about it accidentally eating someone, but it was better to be careful. Tsugumi was a prime example of that and there was always a possibility of a human wandering into the barrier. As he thought about this, Bell¡¯s ears twitched and she looked in the direction behind him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Bell-sama?¡± ¡°No¡­ There¡¯s something trouble outside.¡± By outside, did she mean outside of the barrier? Bell¡¯s vague way of saying this bothered him, but when Bell said it this way, it probably meant she didn¡¯t want to give too many details. Perhaps there was a familiar face outside that she didn¡¯t like. ¡°¡®Hmmm? Then we should hurry up and transport once the barrier is lifted.¡± When Tsugumi said this, Bell thought for a moment and then shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll take my chances. Give them some company. ¨CI¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be after you from now on anyway. Oh, and just so you know, don¡¯t attack them out of the blue.¡± ¡°Well, I am not sure, but if Bell-sama says so, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t talk about anything else. It¡¯s for your own good.¡± Bewildered by such meaningful words, Tsugumi nodded firmly. If Bell asked him to do it, then he had to. With the lifting of the barrier, the mirrored world blurred and synchronized with the real world. This squishy sensation was something he¡¯d never get used to. And when Tsugumi opened his eyes, a blinding light poured down on him. Involuntarily, he hid his face with his arms to block out the light. -This is supposed to be a desolate factory area, so what the hell happened? A strange sound echoed intermittently, like a crackling sound. When Tsugumi looked ahead, he saw too many people. ¡°¡­Wha?¡± Tsugumi unintentionally opened his mouth and muttered. What he should have been able to see was not quite entering his mind as information. Then, when he was stunned, a woman in front of him thrust a microphone to his face and spoke in a loud voice. ¡°Hagakure Sakura-san! Interview, please!¡± Starting with that one word, the other adults crowded around her and asked questions one after another. ¡°How do you feel now that you have entered Rikka?¡± ¡°Please tell us your enthusiasm after the match against Radon!¡± ¡°You are a stray Magical Girl, do you have any plans to belong to the government in the future?¡± ¡°Why did you choose a D-class for your return match? And how was the response?¡± ¡°I heard that you were forced to do something against Radon, but are there any aftereffects? If you don¡¯t mind, please let me know!¡± Tsugumi was confused as the questions became longer and longer. He was not Prince Shotoku, there was no way he could answer such a question all at once. With a deeply embarrassed face, he looked at the spot where Bell was, but she squared her jaw as if she wanted him to do something about it. Apparently, no help was expected. ¨CWhat am I supposed to do about this¡­ Tsugumi smiled serenely with dead eyes. Now that this happened, there would be no other way but to make it through. CH 34 -Well, now what should I do. Tsugumi was thinking, trying not to show it on his face. Although he was careful not to use rough language during the transformation, he still felt uncomfortable. Then, what would be the right thing to do¨Cyes, he just had to imitate someone close to him. Fortunately, Tsugumi knew the most suitable example. Yes, someone who was kind to people, always calm, and liked by everyone ¨C Nanase Chidori. Tsugumi quickly turned his palm to the press, who were throwing questions at him like a machine gun. It was a silent gesture to ask them to be quiet. Perhaps they understood his intention, the press looked at each other and then, with a hint of reluctance, fell silent. Perhaps they thought it would be unwise to upset Tsugumi at this point. In response, Tsugumi smiled and bowed gracefully. Then, slowly looking up, he opened his mouth, conscious not to lose his smile. ¡°Nice to meet you, my name is Hagakure Sakura. ¨CI¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll be able to answer some of your questions. If you still don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll go along with you.¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¨CHagakure Sakura was a hot topic at the moment. That was the perception of the media. A courageous girl who was prepared to die in the face of an A-class Demonic Beast that suddenly appeared in Hakone. ¨COr perhaps, a hero. The reason why they were making such a big deal was because she successfully defeated the Demonic Beast. If she had died at that time, the evening news would have ended with a memorial service at best. Later that day, the media all over the world broadcasted the battle of Hagakure Sakura, and the response was tremendous. The giant killing that overturned the overwhelming difference in strength enthralled those who watched the battle. It had gained the support of men and women of all ages. And not only the fight with Radon, but past fights against C-class and D-class had recorded high viewership ratings as well. The reason for this, one expert said, was as mentioned below. ¡°The way she fights is captivating. The initial trial and error, the occasional belligerent expression. Her movements, which seem to be dancing gracefully, have something in common with kagura. Well, how should I put it, I am strangely attracted to it.¡± The scholar who said this with a smile on his face laughed and said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m a fan of hers, too.¡± At first, she was in danger of retiring due to the side effects of her overexertion, but now, two weeks after the Radon battle, Hagakure Sakura was in front of the press after completing her return match. A source had leaked the news and they had rushed to a factory in the suburbs of a rural area, but there were already people from various news organizations there. It seemed that all the stations wanted to hear the real voice of Hagakure Sakura. At first, she looked around puzzled, but then, as if she had made up her mind, she straightened up her back. Then she said the words at the beginning. ¨CSakura Hagakure smiled gracefully when she calmed down the press. It was such a perfect smile that anyone would instinctively admire her. ¡°Then, starting from the far right, please take your turn.¡± And so the questioning of Hagakure Sakura began. ¡°It¡¯s been two weeks since your last fight, how did you feel about your response? Also, please tell us why you chose D-class as your opponent.¡± ¡°Well, I think I was able to move beyond expectation. As for why I chose the D-class, it¡¯s because I¡¯m still not in shape, so I wanted to see how my body would do. It¡¯s kind of like a rehabilitation program.¡± ¡°Is that because of the side effects from the Radon match? In the video it looked like you were moving smoothly, but what about in reality?¡± ¡°For the side effects, so far there are none that stand out. I can¡¯t seem to exert as much power as I did during the Radon battle, but I am able to move around without any problems for now, so I think I can work as a Magical Girl without excesses or deficiencies.¡± ¡°You seem to get along well with your contract God. What kind of conversations do you usually have with her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a casual conversation. Oh, sometimes we talk about good restaurants.¡± Hagakure Sakura answered the questions posed to her with a thin smile. Sometimes she replied, ¡°I can¡¯t answer your questions,¡± but for some reason,it didn¡¯t give a bad impression at all. This was probably due to her behavior and actions. She smiled calmly at any question, and because her tone was gentle, her voice, which was cool and refreshing like the sound of a bell, passed pleasantly through their ears. And what was more captivating than anything else was her gestures. She lightly crossed her arms, and thoughtfully touched her chin with a white finger. Even such a trivial gesture had a certain elegance. ¨CThe press didn¡¯t know Hagakure Sakura¡¯s words and actions were an imitation of the gestures of his sister Chidori, the most familiar member of the opposite sex to him, from a male point of view. From the position of her fingers, to the center of gravity when standing, to the angle at which she tilted her head, she took great care to look like an ¡°ideal woman¡±. The reason why they were so taken by this behavior was probably the same as the reason why female actors look sexier than most women. ¡°I see that you have entered Rikka¡¯s voting competition, are you confident that you will be chosen among the six?¡± When the last person asked this question, here for the first time, Hagakure Sakura¡¯s face turned clouded. Then, with a look of heartfelt apology, she bowed her head in a small gesture. ¡°I have something to apologize for to everyone.¡± The words she uttered brought a puzzled look to the face of the person who asked the question. ¡°Um, what are you¡­¡± ¡°I have a request for those who have seen the interview. ¨CPlease don¡¯t vote for me.¡± At these words, the press went into an uproar. She entered Rikka and then she said ¡°Don¡¯t vote for me¡±. Wasn¡¯t that a contradiction? Hagakure Sakura kept her eyes down and spoke up sadly. ¡°Nominally, it¡¯s considered an ¡®entry,¡¯ but basically every A-class Magical Girls are supposed to participate. Those whose names are not on the list must have declined in advance. The deadline for Rikka entries is at the end of the year. I was, um, stuck at the end of the year, so my declination didn¡¯t come in time.¡± ¡°Why did you decide to withdraw? I know there are many people who would like to vote for you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m good enough right now. If I were to be elected to Rikka with this kind of feeling, I think that would be a problem for a lot of people¡­ I would like to survive until next year and try again when I have more confidence in myself. So I hope you will forgo your vote for me this time.¡± With that, Hagakure Sakura bowed her head once again. If you think about it as a media, it would be better to have her keep up the momentum and win the votes for a big turnout, but if she insisted on it, it was unavoidable. Apparently, the rest of the press wasn¡¯t going to force her to do so. ¡°Besides, my contract God doesn¡¯t seem to think well of my belonging to the government camp Rikka at this stage. As a matter of fact, she was quite reluctant to give me this interview before it even started. ¡­There is a possibility that next time, even if you wait for me at the site, I won¡¯t be able to meet you. I will let the contract God know, so in the future, I hope you will contact me in advance via the government.¡± At Hagakure Sakura¡¯s words, the press thought that the reason why she had never shaken her head, even though she had made offers through the government in the past, was nothing but the interference of her contracted God. Unlike girls in the government, stray Magical Girls had a much more pronounced power relationship with their contract God. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t uncommon for the contract God to be in control of everything. Some of the contracted Gods were said to be so tightly bound that they refused to appear in the media at all. Perhaps her contract God had that kind of character. ¡°I would like to answer all of your questions, but may I leave for today?¡± ¡°Ah, unfortunately, Hagakure-san also has her own plans. Thank you for your time today.¡± For some reason, the press, who usually tried to get a lot of comments by being very pushy, was quiet today. Perhaps this was another virtue of Hagakure Sakura. ¡°Yes, thank you very much for this valuable experience.¡± ¡°¨CWait a minute, just one last thing.¡± When one of the press members held her back, Hagakure Sakura gave a small nod. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I know this is a private question, but¨Cdo you have any siblings?¡± Hagakure Sakura blinked at the question, tilted her head slightly, put her index finger in front of her mouth, and laughed mischievously. Unlike her earlier behavior as a Yamato Nadeshiko, she was so cute and devilishly charming. ¡°Fufu, that¡¯s a secret.¡± She said so and disappeared from the press in a blink of an eye. Her Transportation skill was well-known, but this was the first time they had seen it in person. More than that, her smile burned into their eyes, and wouldn¡¯t leave. One of the members of the press, holding his heart beating fast, muttered to himself. ¡°That was a foul play¡­¡± ¨CThis evening¡¯s news was going to be pretty rough. CH 35 [Class A] Hagakure Sakura 293 [Thread User] 1: Anonymous This is the general thread for A-class Magical Girl Hagakure Sakura. ? For other magical girl topics, go to the exclusive thread ? No trolls/slanders Class A Radon Battle http:**** ~~~~~~ 130: Anonymous It¡¯s been two weeks since the Radon battle¡­ It¡¯s hard to wait. 131: Anonymous She¡¯s a stray Magical Girl, so I can¡¯t expect any further news from the government. 132: Anonymous Oh, I¡¯m sure that Hagakure-san will come back in good health. 133: Anonymous Isn¡¯t Hagakure-san appearing too much on TV lately? Because of that, the number of fans has increased and it¡¯s annoying. 134: Anonymous I hate it when people misinterpret things. 135: Anonymous On the contrary, I was happy to see the video from the early days. 136: Anonymous I¡¯m more annoyed that they are used as material for criticizing the government. Usually, they don¡¯t even report on it as far as I¡¯m concerned, but they make a big fuss about it here and there. 137: Anonymous Trash, period. 138: Anonymous Let¡¯s talk more about Hagakure-san than that. 139: Anonymous >>135 The early days are fresh. And her clothes are different from now. 140: Anonymous I like the stuffed collar like early military uniforms. 141: Anonymous I¡¯ve been following it since then, but I thought after the Radon battle it would be over. The excitement at that time was dangerous. 142: Anonymous The people who were there filming the video were sobbing while they were watching the battle. I couldn¡¯t understand what they were saying in a tearful voice, but it was so tragic that I couldn¡¯t even weed through it. 143: Anonymous I was crying and praying to God while watching the video too. But miracles really do happen, don¡¯t they? I was so excited to see the reversal of the situation after the loss of the limbs that I was screaming in real life. 144: Anonymous She¡¯s just like a beautiful star, isn¡¯t she? But I wish she¡¯d stop living as fleetingly as her name, Hagakure Sakura. Seriously. 145: Anonymous I can¡¯t stop my heart from palpitating when I watch Hagakure-san¡¯s videos lately. Maybe this is love¡­? 146: Anonymous >>145 That¡¯s probably the suspension bridge effect. 147: Anonymous Preliminary report: Hagakure-san has been booked for dispatch in the suburbs of Saitama Prefecture, apparently against a D-class Demonic Beast. The source is the government¡¯s website. 148: Anonymous >>147 I thought it was a lie, so I went to check it out, but it turned out to be for real. Yay! Hagakure-san is back! 149: Anonymous I¡¯m so happy, my heart is about to stop! I¡¯m glad I believed you¡­! 150: Anonymous Are you okay with the side effects? 151: Anonymous I¡¯m just happy to know that she¡¯s alive. Now I can sleep in peace today. 152: Anonymous >>150 That¡¯s why the opponent is D-class. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s also for rehabilitation. 153: Anonymous Please don¡¯t overdo it!! I don¡¯t want to see Hagakure-san get seriously injured anymore¡­ 154: Anonymous Thirty minutes to go, huh? I¡¯m getting kind of nervous! 155: Anonymous Someone nearby is going to put up a video, so I¡¯ll post the link to the channel. http:****¡« 156: Anonymous >>155 Yes! ~ Watching the video. Sometimes mixed with meaningless screams~. 203: Anonymous Hey, Hagakuran-san was so cool. 204: Anonymous >>203 Suddenly a little girl lol I can¡¯t say for sure since it¡¯s against a D-class opponent, but she¡¯s definitely stronger than she was before the Radon battle. 205: Anonymous There don¡¯t seem to be any side effects or anything like that from what I¡¯ve seen. I mean, Hagakure-san hates insects. That kind of thing is girly and cute. 206: Anonymous Is she cool and cute or a goddess? 207: Anonymous >>203 I really love the scene at the end where she cut it up without turning around. I know my vocabulary is dying. 208: Anonymous At any rate, Hagakure-san is back in full force. Now I can vote for Rikka without a care in the world. Of course, everyone in this thread will vote for Rikka, right? 209: Anonymous >>208 Of course! 210: Anonymous >>208 Of course. Who should I rather vote for other than Hagakure-san? 211: Anonymous I¡¯m asking my family and friends to vote for Rikka. Will she get more media exposure if she becomes Rikka? 212: Anonymous Here¡¯s some good news for you guys. One hour from now, at 7:00 pm, a news program will show a video of an interview with Hagakure Sakura. It seems that the media rushed to the site after the Mantis battle. 213: Anonymous Huh? You¡¯re kidding, right? 214: Anonymous ¡­Seriously? ¨CAfter this, a program that conveyed the full content of the interview was aired, but the actual situation and impressions used up one whole thread. [Class A] Hagakure Sakura 294 [Thread User] 1: Anonymous This is the general thread for A-class Magical Girl Sakura Hagakure. ? For other magical girl topics, go to the exclusive thread ? No trolls/slanders Class A Radon Battle http:**** ~~~~~~ 525: Anonymous Questioner: ¡°Do you have a girlfriend?¡± Hagakure: ¡°No, I don¡¯t have one.¡± Yay, I¡¯m going to buy an engagement ring. 526: Anonymous >>525 Not that you can go out with her, okay? 527: Anonymous Hagakure-san, your manners are too beautiful¡­ The theory that she¡¯s a young lady that someone mentioned late in the last thread is becoming more and more plausible. 528: Anonymous I think my brain is going to be hit by the gap between this one and when she¡¯s in battle. But I like both. 529: Anonymous >>527 I feel a sign of outrageously high society. I can¡¯t imagine that she¡¯s been binge drinking and eating on her days off. 530: Anonymous Oh, I love it! I can¡¯t get that last smile out of my eyes! 531: Anonymous But declining Rikka? What a pity. 532: Anonymous It looks like she¡¯s still in the middle of rehabilitation. No wonder. 533: Anonymous I¡¯m worried that the contract God seems to be very strict. Well, I can understand why she would want to monopolize her. If I were the contract God, I¡¯d do the same thing. 534: Anonymous >>531 I¡¯m sure people who watched the broadcast won¡¯t vote, so I¡¯ll put in Hagakure-san as a commemorative. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll get any valid votes anyway. 535: Anonymous >>529 Stop talking about it www 536: Anonymous People don¡¯t talk about it much, but isn¡¯t Hagakure-san¡¯s voice just too good? I couldn¡¯t help but record the sound and transfer it to my cell phone. I can listen to it all the time. 537: Anonymous That voice is beautiful, isn¡¯t it? I want to go karaoke with her. 538: Anonymous >>536 You¡¯re the one with the sound fetish from the early days. Don¡¯t use it in a weird way. 539: Anonymous >>538 I don¡¯t like guys with good instincts. 540: Anonymous The last question ¡°Do you have any siblings?¡± what the hell is that? That one was so abrupt, I didn¡¯t really understand it. And then at the end, we¡¯re all just taken by Hagakure-san¡¯s smile. 541: Anonymous Ah, that one. Maybe it¡¯s the rumors. 542: Anonymous I¡¯ve heard that too. I heard there¡¯s a guy who looks a lot like Hagakure-san. He¡¯s a guy, though. 543: Anonymous >>542 Oh, are they really siblings? 544: Anonymous What do you think? Hagakure-san was being vague, and I don¡¯t know what the truth is. 545: Anonymous I mean, he looks like that Hagakure-san, and that¡¯s just the kind of handsome guy he promises to be. Honestly, I envy him. 546: Anonymous That guy could be Hagakure-san, for all I know! 547: Anonymous >>546 No way! ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¨CThere was a girl in the waiting room for Magical Girls in the government. That girl¨CSuzushiro Ran¨Cwas humming and looking at a piece of paper in her hand. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You look like you¡¯re having a lot of fun.¡± Then another girl came into the room and spoke to Ran in a friendly manner. Ran smiled and opened her mouth. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Yuri-chan. What¡¯s wrong? Aren¡¯t you working your shift today?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been playing on the simulator! Radon was strong!¡± The girl called Yuri ¨C Mibu Yurie, second in the Rikka ranks, said this while proudly puffing out her chest for some reason. It was as if she was a child waiting to be praised. The simulator placed by the government was a device that simulated Demonic Beasts that had been defeated in cyberspace. Yurie was a regular user of the simulator, so she must have cut up the phantom of a Demonic Beast there today. Yurie was one year younger, both as a Magical Girl and as a member of Rikka. But both of them didn¡¯t care about such hierarchical relationships, so they were like friends. Ran smiled and waved a piece of paper in her hand in front of Yurie¡¯s eyes. On the paper, in large letters, was written [Invitation Ticket]. ¡°Hehehe, I got a ticket to an Amusement Park from an acquaintance. I¡¯m super excited!¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s great, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah! If you are free on Saturday of the week after next, why don¡¯t we go to this Amusement Park together? These are a pair of tickets, right?¡± When Ran suddenly said that, Yurie tilted her head with a curious look. ¡°Hmm, maybe I am free that day, but is it okay? Ran-chan has lots of other friends, right?¡± ¨CSuzushiro Ran had many friends. This wasn¡¯t limited to within the government or at school but extended to all areas of life. Perhaps it was because of her fame as Rikka and her personality that came on to people without hesitation. That¡¯s why Yurie wondered why Ran dared to ask her out. When Yurie said so, Ran laughed as if it was nothing. ¡°It seems like everyone is unavailable on that day. But I¡¯m not asking Yuri-chan out by process of elimination! I really want to hang out with you!¡± It seemed that Ran had no other intention. Yurie made a gesture as if she was a little troubled, but eventually shook her head firmly. ¡°If so, I¡¯d like to join you. What kind of Amusement Park is it, by the way? Is it the screaming type?¡± To begin with, the last time Yurie had been to such an Amusement Park was four years ago. But it will be a loss if I don¡¯t enjoy myself. Yurie thought so with excitement, but Ran lowered her eyebrows as if troubled. ¡°I¡¯m still not sure about that. It¡¯s a new Amusement Park, so there are no details about it on the Internet. I know it¡¯s big, but¡­¡± ¡°A new Amusement Park?¡± ¡°Yes! ¨CActually, this is a ticket for the pre-opening!¡± Ran said happily. The name of the Amusement Park on the ticket was [Tenma Amusement Park]. ¨CIt was the same Amusement Park that Tsugumi planned to go to. CH 36 ¡°Good morning¡­?¡± When he arrived at school in the morning as usual and greeted his classmates, they all turned to him at once. Tsugumi, who was drawn to the momentum, quietly closed the door of the classroom. It was a bit like a horror experience. ¡­Though it didn¡¯t seem possible, he wondered if yesterday¡¯s unmanageable behavior towards the elementary school girls had been revealed. Or did someone see two guys entering a fancy store? Either way, he¡¯d either be pulled in or made fun of. As Tsugumi pondered about this, he received a light tap on the back. ¡°What are you doing standing there in front of the door, Tsugumin?¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t surprise me like that, Fuyuno.¡± When he turned around in surprise, he saw a girl who was also his classmate. Her name was Fuyuno, and she had a strange hairstyle with red mesh on both sides of her appropriately chopped hair. It was a wonder why she decided to wear her hair in such a punky style in this progressive school. Perhaps it was because she was in the art club, her sensibilities were sharp. In a way, she was a suitable member of class F where Tsugumi belonged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to make of your glasses. They don¡¯t suit you.¡± ¡°¡­They¡¯re just a disguise. It was the only pair of glasses they had at the convenience store.¡± Tsugumi replied with dissatisfaction. He didn¡¯t really like the black-rimmed, unfashionable glasses he was wearing now. The reason was simple. Perhaps because of yesterday¡¯s interview with Hagakure Sakura, many people were more persistent this morning. He thought it would be a bad idea to keep it as it was, so he bought glasses and a mask at a convenience store in a hurry, but even Tsugumi would feel a little depressed if someone said it didn¡¯t look good on him. He had a hard time sleeping last night because Bell had been nagging all night long, telling him that he was talking too much, why didn¡¯t he end the conversation earlier, and how dare he made up the settings. ¡°Ha-ha! Must be though being famous.¡± Fuyuno, who had no way of knowing Tsugumi¡¯s melancholy feelings, reached out to his face with a laugh and picked up his glasses. ¡°I¡¯m not famous¡­ Hey, give it back.¡± As he said so, Fuyuno put the glasses on her own head and stepped closer to look into his face. Tsugumi tried to retreat involuntarily, but the closed door was in the way and he couldn¡¯t move. Fuyuno, not caring about his reluctance, observed his face. ¡°I knew it. ¨CAre you really not brother and sister?¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re too close¡­¡± He tried to turn his face away, but her hands were pinning both of his cheeks and he could not move. As he wondered what to do, the door he was leaning against slammed open. His body, without any support, slumped backward. Thinking that if he fell, it would be a disaster for both of them, he managed to stay on his feet, but the load on his legs was too much and he was in a lot of pain. He glanced behind with irritation, and standing there was Akiyama with a dubious look on his face. Perhaps he had grown numb to Tsugumi, who had not entered the room anytime soon. ¡°¡­What are you guys doing? Could it be some kind of play?¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely different. See, let it go.¡± Akiyama asked with a dumbfounded look. Tsugumi didn¡¯t know what he was mistaken about, but this was not that sexy. Fuyuno¡¯s eyes were only looking at the shape of his face. ¡°Tsugumin has become cute recently. Can I draw you in the upcoming tournament?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t do that. If you win an award, I¡¯ll be in big trouble.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Fuyuno said and walked to her seat as if she had lost interest. He wondered if she would ever return the glasses that were still on her head. But it would be a bit of a hassle to get them back. Tsugumi sat down in his own seat and let out a big sigh. But peace wasn¡¯t easy to come by. ¡°Why did you shut the door on me earlier? We¡¯ve been talking about you since this morning, remember?¡± Akiyama, who was sitting in front of him as if it was natural, spoke like that. He was sitting there on his own, but that seat belonged to someone else. ¡°It¡¯s not about me anyway, it¡¯s about ¡®Hagakure Sakura¡¯, isn¡¯t it?¡± When Tsugumi said this in a dismissive tone, Akiyama laughed deceptively, saying, ¡°You got me.¡± ¡°I saw her talking about it on the news yesterday, but aren¡¯t you blood-related? You see, her behavior was just like Chidori-chan.¡± ¡°At least, I don¡¯t know. Chidori doesn¡¯t seem to know either, so I guess she¡¯s just a stranger to me.¡± Tsugumi replied quietly, trying to sound as disinterested as possible. It wasn¡¯t a good trend that he was considered ¡®conscious of Hagakure Sakura¡¯. When Akiyama said ¡°She looks like Chidori,¡± he was a little nervous, but thinking about it, he made it look like that on purpose so it was only natural. There was no need to be upset about it. ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±. Akiyama stared at Tsugumi¡¯s face for a moment, then snickered with cowered shoulders. ¡°Well, Nanase and Hagakure are too different in terms of dignity. Maybe it¡¯s just my imagination.¡± He felt a pang of frustration when Akiyama laughed so openly, but he held back. ¡°¡­You said you were going to vote for Hagakure Sakura, right? Who are you going to vote for instead?¡± Tsugumi interjected, trying to change the subject. As of yesterday, Hagakure Sakura had effectively renounced her bid to become Rikka. This meant that he wouldn¡¯t be selected. In a sense, a weight had been lifted. But Akiyama tilted his head curiously and slowly shook it sideways. ¡°I¡¯m not going to change my vote, though?¡± ¡°Huh? But she said in the interview, ¡®I don¡¯t want you to vote,¡¯ right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have anyone else to vote for this time. The others wouldn¡¯t vote anyway, so even if I did, it wouldn¡¯t amount to a valid vote!¡± ¡°¡­Well, I am not sure about that.¡± Tsugumi felt something inexplicable, but he was sure there weren¡¯t many people who would dare to vote for Hagakure Sakura. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem if some of them voted for her. ¡°The guy in the seat in front of me is about to come to school. Get out of my way before I make you.¡± Tsugumi waved his hand to drive him away. It would be him who got complained later by the front seat guy. Akiyama stood up from his seat without minding the rough treatment and said in a small voice. ¡°By the way, are you free after school today? I am talking about going to karaoke with the guys from the class.¡± Akiyama asked this, but Tsugumi made a small cross with his finger. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll pass for today.¡± ¡°What, you¡¯re going out with that guy again?¡± To Akiyama who complained, Tsugumi shook his head. And then, with a small smile on his face, he quietly opened his mouth as if to tell an important secret. ¡°No, this time I¡¯m going to visit a pretty princess.¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡°¨CWhen I said that, he laughed so hard he hyperventilated. Frankly, I think I could have been forgiven for punching him once.¡± ¡°Hahaha! Oniisan¡¯s friends are sure interesting!¡± With that, Itadori Kanae wiped away the tears that had come from laughing too hard. A giggle and a laugh that could not be contained echoed in the room. ¨CThe tension seemed to have dissipated. After school, when he arrived at the hospital room where Itadori was staying, he was greeted with a stiff face. Sensing that they would not be able to have a proper conversation at this point, Tsugumi tried to talk about what had happened this morning, but it seemed to be received better than expected. Thinking about it now, he usually wouldn¡¯t have said that punchline. It might get him laughed out of the room. He wondered if the actress mode from yesterday had not yet been turned off. With this thought in the back of his mind, Tsugumi turned to Itadori and said. ¡°Are you feeling all right now?¡± ¡°Yes. The doctor said I¡¯ll be discharged from the hospital tomorrow.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s great.¡± When Tsugumi laughed, Itadori lowered her eyebrows with a troubled look. Seeing that look on her face, he realized his mistake. ¨CBeing discharged from the hospital meant that she would have to go back to school afterward. From her point of view, it would be nothing but pain to face those bully girls. The awkward atmosphere was then followed by a bland conversation to get away from the subject, but then Itadori squeezed her own hand as if she had made up her mind and stared at Tsugumi. ¡°Listen, will you listen to my story?¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t mind.¡± When Tsugumi nodded at her question, she smiled as if she was relieved. ¨CAnd what she said was something that he had not expected. ¡°I change class this year. Do you know what a special magic class is? This is a class for people with an aptitude for Magical Girls¨Cthose with high receptive receptors.¡± ¡°Special Magic Class¡­? I thought it was a rumor, but does it actually exist?¡± Tsugumi was surprised. Perhaps the receptor was what Bell often called the ¡°vessel.¡± The bigger the vessel, the more power a Magical Girl could exercise. He was told that only the government had the equipment to test it, but perhaps it was deployed in prestigious schools nowadays. ¡°I had a measurement before the new semester, and it was very high. It was the highest reading since the beginning of the school year. The teacher laughed and said it was a miracle, but I wasn¡¯t too happy about it. I am afraid of fighting with Demonic Beasts.¡± Tsugumi gasped at what he was told. ¨CMagical Girls were a blossoming profession in this country. Every child in elementary and junior high school must have dreamed of it at least once. In such a world, what would a child who had been told that she had the potential to become an excellent Magical Girl think about her powerful rival, Itadori, who had suddenly appeared on the scene? ¨CThe answer was, needless to say, exclusion. ¡°¡­Maybe that¡¯s why those kids treated you like that? That¡¯s just jealousy.¡± ¡°But I think it¡¯s my fault too. I don¡¯t want to move to the new class, but I can¡¯t say it.¡± ¡°Why? Was it forced by the school teacher?¡± When the Tsugumi said that, the Itadori sadly shook her head. ¡°Un. ¡ª because Okaasan looked happy. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t say it.¡± Then Itadori started talking about herself. Her parents divorced last April, and her mother took her in. Her father still paid for the hospitalization and other medical bills, as well as the high tuition at Asuka Academy, but he only came to see her on special occasions, such as the last time he was here. And her mother worked hard to provide for Itadori. She had always been worried about her mother, who always looks tired. Such a mother was happy with tears in her eyes that Itadori had the aptitude to be a Magical Girl. ¡­There was no way she could refuse the offer, no matter how she thought about it. ¡°Okaasan said that when she was little, a Magical Girl saved her from a dangerous situation. She said that¡¯s why she always wanted to be a Magical Girl. She said she would be really happy if I became a Magical Girl like that. ¡­But do I really have to become a Magical Girl?¡± As Itadori turned her head, a teardrop fell. ¨CHer mother¡¯s expectations and her own feelings. Both were important to her, and she couldn¡¯t choose between them. Tsugumi had a similar experience. He had no regrets about the path he¡¯d chosen, but he wondered what would have happened if he picked another choice. The answer probably would never come out. Tsugumi gently placed a hand on her head and stroked it gently. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you¡¯re not sure about it right now. If Kanae-chan doesn¡¯t want to do it, that¡¯s okay. Even your mother won¡¯t force you to do it.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s true. Don¡¯t worry about what anyone says. ¨CIf you can be proud of your choice in the end, that¡¯s the correct answer.¡± ¡°Correct answer?¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯re the only one who knows the answer.¡± When Tsugumi smiled at her, Itadori laughed, as if she was relieved. Maybe she had been struggling for a long time, unable to talk to anyone about it. All he could do was push her back. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m going to become a Magical Girl yet, but I¡¯m going to try just a little bit harder. Thanks to Oniisan, those girls probably won¡¯t get involved with me anymore. ¡­And I don¡¯t want to disappoint Okaasan¡± Itadori, looking firmly ahead, clutched the futon tightly to hide her trembling hands as she told him this. Tsugumi wondered how much courage it took for her to say those words. He was sure that only she herself would know. ¨CFor some reason, her figure reminded Tsugumi of who he used to be. It was probably why he couldn¡¯t leave her alone. ¡°Then, let¡¯s make a promise.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hook our fingers. ¨CIf Kanae-chan asks for help, I¡¯ll definitely come to the rescue. See, this will make you feel a little less scared, right?¡± When Tsugumi said so and held out his pinky finger, Itadori looked at him with a tearful smile on her face. ¡°¡­Yeah. Promise?¡± ¨CPinky swear, if you lie, you¡¯ll get a thousand needles. They both sang in unison. They both knew it was only for comfort. Even so, the vow born out of it was surely not a lie. After that, when Tsugumi was about to stand up and say that it was time to go home, Itadori shouted as if she had just remembered something. ¡°I¡¯ve got a field trip next week. And it¡¯s on a Saturday. I¡¯m going to hate it.¡± ¡°Well, where are you going? It has to be a pretty nice place if it¡¯s a field trip of Asuka Academy.¡± ¡°They said it¡¯s a new amusement park. ¨CI think its name is Tenma Amusement Park.¡± Hearing Itadori¡¯s words, Tsugumi let out a surprised voice with a blank expression. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if this is a coincidence or not. ¨CI¡¯m going to the same place that day.¡± Saying this, Tsugumi laughed innocently. -Unaware that the chains of destiny were slowly ganging up on them. CH 37 It had been two weeks since he went to visit Itadori. The voting for Rikka, which took place earlier this week, went well, and the government would probably announce the results tomorrow. This time, Tsugumi voted for Hitsugi Airi, who came in fifth in the ranking, but it seemed that half of his class voted for Hagakure Sakura. He wondered if it was some kind of harassment. When he asked why, they said after looking at his face, ¡°No, because I feel some kind of kinship.¡± ¡­Please don¡¯t decide such an important thing on that basis. Well, he supposed the votes of a few classmates were insignificant. And now, Tsugumi was on the train with Chidori. They were on their way to the Amusement Park they had agreed to go to. He asked Bell if she wanted to go as well, but she refused, saying she didn¡¯t want to go to a crowded place. Well, he expected her to say so. ¡°Hmmm, it¡¯s kind of funny when you dress like that. Isn¡¯t it hard to see what¡¯s ahead?¡± ¡°Surprisingly, the vision isn¡¯t that bad. But it looks good, doesn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve got Mebuki-senpai¡¯s blessing on this one.¡± With that said, Tsugumi pointed to the pair of thin tinted glasses he currently wore on his face. A few days ago, he went out of his way to ask Mebuki-senpai to go out and help him find a pair of glasses that would look good on him. ¡°Hmm. I like the usual Tsugumi better.¡± ¡°You can always see the usual me at home. ¡­Well, I wouldn¡¯t use it unless it¡¯s an occasion like this.¡± ¨CBut then again, how much of an impression can be changed just by wearing glasses? Tsugumi gazed at his reflection in the train¡¯s glass. At a quick glance, it couldn¡¯t connect with the usual him. The glasses were very effective, and no one had yet approached him today. In that respect, it could be said that Mebuki¡¯s choice was accurate. He put one cold hand in his jacket pocket. But then Tsugumi remembered the thing that touched his fingertips and let out a small sigh. ¨CI appreciate Senpai¡¯s good attention, but I don¡¯t want to get something like this. When shopping for glasses with Mebuki, she handed some of her handmade self-defense items, saying, ¡°Things are so dangerous these days.¡± Each item was about the size of a marble and easy to carry around, but the contents were all useless, such as bird traps and smoke screens, and honestly, it felt like he was forced to buy something unnecessary. It said the material had no effect on the human body, but using it might cause other problems. Today, too, he had originally intended to leave it at home, but when he noticed it, the whole sachet had been twisted into his jacket pocket. Perhaps Chidori had secretly slipped it in there. She might have heard about it from Mebuki beforehand. ¡°I think this might be the first time I¡¯ve ever been alone with Tsugumi at an Amusement Park. It¡¯s kind of weird.¡± Chidori laughed happily as Tsugumi gazed absent-mindedly outside. ¨CIt might be true if anyone asked. Although they had gone out shopping together, they had never been to this kind of leisure facility. When he was younger, he couldn¡¯t go out far because he wasn¡¯t accompanied by a parent or guardian, and even when he entered Middle School and his range of activities expanded, puberty and the eyes of those around him meant that they didn¡¯t go out to play together as much as they used to. In fact, he was so bothered by the comparison of their performances that he avoided going out with Chidori himself. -When he was little, Chidori was the center of his world. Tsugumi chuckled at the thought. Thinking about it, maybe it wasn¡¯t so different now. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it, the Amusement Park.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m really looking forward to it!¡± ¨CTenma Amusement Park. It was an up-and-coming facility that planned to attract about two million visitors a year. According to the pamphlet given at the entrance, it aimed to be a theme park that offered a new sensory experience, combining fancy elements based on fairy tales with mystery-solving elements that even adults could enjoy. ¡­It might be a bit overstuffed. ¡°Looks like there¡¯s going to be a ceremony in the central plaza. Well, it¡¯s a pre-opening, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Tsugumi muttered to himself as he looked at the schedule he had received with the pamphlet. The ceremony started fifteen minutes from now. After about 30 minutes of speeches and parades, the attractions would finally be unleashed. ¡°I don¡¯t mind waiting, but it¡¯s a little hard when it¡¯s so cold. ¡­I wish the ceremony isn¡¯t outside, at least.¡± Chidori rubbed her hands together in the cold and exhaled a white breath. ¡­No wonder. The temperature from January to the beginning of February was the coldest time of the year. The cold weather didn¡¯t bother Tsugumi that much, but for women, this cold could be quite painful. ¡°You can use my scarf.¡± With that said, he took off the scarf he was wearing and wrapped it around Chidori¡¯s neck without waiting for a reply. Asking her normally would just make her feel reserved. In that case, it would be easier to just put it on without permission. Chidori smiled apologetically and thanked him while touching the scarf he had wrapped around her ¡°¡­Yeah, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll return it properly later.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not that cold.¡± Even if it got cold, he could at least buy a scarf at the store. The actual price might be higher, but naturally, everything was expensive in such facilities, he just had to accept it. ¡°By the way, it seems that an acquaintance is coming here today.¡± ¡°Someone from your class?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s someone I met when I was in the hospital the other day. I¡¯m not sure if we¡¯ll be able to find her in the crowd.¡± When Tsugumi replied, Chidori opened her mouth with a tense look. ¡°Is it a girl?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. She said she is a student of Asuka Academy. I heard it¡¯s part of a field trip, so she¡¯s probably still in uniform, and I¡¯ll recognize her right away when I see her. ¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡± For some reason, Tsugumi felt a strange pressure from Chidori and faltered. ¡­He wondered if he had said something strange. There was nothing out of ordinary from his words, though. When Tsugumi asked, Chidori shook her head. ¡°Um. I am kind of surprised¡­¡± ¡°Eh, what¡¯s so surprising about it?¡± ¨CDid Chidori really think that Tsugumi had no acquaintances other than school friends? She wasn¡¯t wrong, but it stung to hear such an assessment from his own family. Although inwardly depressed, Tsugumi laughed to regain his temper. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to go out of my way to talk to an elementary school kid. I might wave at her or something, though.¡± At this Tsugumi¡¯s words, Chidori opened her eyes wide with a puzzled look. ¡°¡­Um, is she an elementary school student?¡¯ ¡°Yeah? That¡¯s right¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why she¡¯s outside of school¡­ So, it¡¯s all my misunderstanding¡­¡± Chidori was mumbling something in a small voice, but Tsugumi couldn¡¯t hear it. And then, with a subtle look that could be taken either as joy or sadness, Chidori let out a loud sigh. Just what happened to her, really? After that, Chidori acted as if nothing was wrong, but apparently, she did not want to touch on the topic anymore. As for Tsugumi, he didn¡¯t feel like talking about Itadori, so he was thankful that she didn¡¯t pursue the matter in depth. ¨CThe ceremonial greeting began, and just as he was about to move to the parade, a shrill alarm rang out from the cell phones of the people gathered in the plaza. ¡°Wh-What is it?!¡± ¡°No way, a Demonic Beast? With this timing, it has to be a lie, right?!¡± Such voices could be heard from all around. With a bitter look on his face, Tsugumi took out his cell phone and checked the alarm screen. ¡°¨CAn hour from now, a D-class Demonic Beast is going to attack. ¡­Why isn¡¯t it tacked on like this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. ¡­Do you want to go with me sometime to get rid of the bad luck?¡± ¡°That might be a better idea.¡± Tsugumi and Chidori looked at each other and let their shoulders drop. Following the last one in Hakone, a Demonic Beast would appear in this Amusement Park. Since the opponent was a D-class, it wasn¡¯t so bad, but until the beast was properly exterminated, they wouldn¡¯t be able to set foot in this area. At the very least, it would be two hours from now before they could play in the attractions. ¡°What are you going to do? We have to get out of here, should we have lunch somewhere else and come back again?¡± ¡°That might be better¡­ I don¡¯t want to wait at the entrance for two hours.¡± Chidori said sadly and turned her eyes down. Seeing this, Tsugumi felt bad. He didn¡¯t invite her here to make her sad. Even so, he wondered why the Demonic Beast decide to come down here today. There were plenty of other places where people gather. According to the follow-up report that arrived on his cell phone, it seemed that the Magical Girl who would be dispatched had been decided. Apparently, the girl was not a government-affiliated Magical Girl, but a stray. Her activity started at the same time as Tsugumi ¨C Hagakure Sakura, and the number of subjugation cases was two E-class and one D-class. The government would probably send a backup Magical Girl just in case, so there was no need to worry about it. With that decision made, the staff guided Tsugumi and Chidori toward the east, where the gate was located. On the way, he could see a group of people in Asuka Academy uniforms headed toward the gate to the south, but he couldn¡¯t find Itadori. Some of these girls were probably genuinely looking forward to today¡¯s event. It was truly a pity, but he could only hope that the Magical Girls would defeat the Demonic Beasts as soon as possible. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡°¡­The line doesn¡¯t seem to be moving very fast.¡± Tsugumi muttered as he stared at the gate in the distance. It was good to get near the gate, but the line was hardly moving forward at all. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s difficult to prepare the procedure for re-entry. You know, with this many people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I think everyone lacks a sense of crisis.¡± ¨CEven if they didn¡¯t make it in time to move before the appearance of the Demonic Beast, ordinary people would be repelled from the barrier, so there wouldn¡¯t be that much of a problem. However, he didn¡¯t think it was right to sit on and neglect the evacuation. No matter how much trust people had in Magical Girls, there were still times when precautions had to be taken. At the very least, they should manage the crisis properly. Tsugumi strongly believed this because of the troubles he had to deal with in the past. ¡°I¡¯m more worried about Tsugumi. Don¡¯t worry so much, we have thirty minutes to go.¡± ¨CJust as Chidori answered, a child next to her pointed to the sky and shouted. ¡°Hey, Mama! Look at that¨Cthere¡¯s a big rainbow!¡± ¡°¡­Rainbow? Even though it¡¯s not even raining?¡± Triggered by the words, Tsugumi looked up at the sky. There, he saw something incredible. ¨CIt wasn¡¯t a rainbow floating in the sky. It was a distortion of the boundary, like a messed-up aurora. The scene disgusted him. ¡°¡­Huh? My vision is kind of wobbly.¡± Then, Chidori, who was next to him, held her forehead and wobbled, clinging to Tsugumi¡¯s arm. She blinked his eyes painfully and looked in anguish. The blood drained from his body. Such a thing couldn¡¯t be right. And yet, Tsugumi could not deny the thought that came to him. ¨CChidori was acting similarly to the way a Magical Girl in the middle of setting up a barrier would act. ¡°¨CChidori!!¡± He shouted, grabbing Chidori¡¯s hand and hugging it to his chest. There was a small scream and a slight flinch of resistance, but he couldn¡¯t care less about that. ¡°Huh, what? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chidori blushed and tried to push Tsugumi¡¯s body back, but he couldn¡¯t leave. If he let go of this hand now, Tsugumi would surely regret it for the rest of his life. Then, following Chidori, with relief at his vision, which was beginning to distort dizzily, he said as if to spit it out. ¡°I will protect you.¡± As if making a vow, Tsugumi said so. Perhaps things were heading for a worst-case scenario. Suppressing the urge to scream out, ¡®Why, why us?¡¯, Tsugumi strengthened his hug on Chidori. Before Bell saved him ¨C Tsugumi still remembered the despair when the Gargoyle tried to kill him as if it were only yesterday. He couldn¡¯t let Chidori experience that feeling. ¨CEven if the opponent was a Demonic Beast, he would definitely let Chidori escape. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely save you¡­!¡± ¨CWith those words, Tsugumi and Chidori vanished on the spot. Due to the appearance of the Demonic Beast much earlier than expected, the number of people caught in the hastily deployed barrier is currently six. It was a wonder if they would be able to survive. CH 38 ¨CThe next time Tsugumi opened his eyes, every single person who had been there in huge numbers had disappeared from the scene. No, the one who had disappeared was probably Tsugumi. Looking around, he saw the layout of the buildings and the letters on the signs had been reversed. ¨CInside a Magical Girl¡¯s barrier was a mirror image of the real world. In other words, this place was already a dangerous zone where Demonic Beasts roamed. Tsugumi clicked his tongue and searched for signs and noises with caution. If he were attacked in a place like this, his current self wouldn¡¯t be able to get away. He learned from an official government information site which only Magical Girls had access to that there were about 30 cases a year of humans getting caught in Magical Girl¡¯s barriers. If they included cases like Tsugumi¡¯s, which had not yet been discovered, the number would be much higher. The people involved were all young women, and all of them were highly qualified as Magical Girls. The only exception was Tsugumi. ¡­That Chidori had an aptitude to be a Magical Girl was something that Tsugumi had somehow guessed. Rather, it would not be normal for a man like Tsugumi to have the aptitude, while his twin, Chidori, did not. ¨CBut I never thought it would come to this. They were lucky to arrive together inside the barrier, but to be frank, there wasn¡¯t a lot that Tsugumi could do here. In this situation, he couldn¡¯t use his power as a Magical Girl. He tried to put some strength into his fingertips to get a thread out that Chidori couldn¡¯t see, but still nothing happened. ¡­He had heard it in advance from Bell, but it seemed the power was really blocked. ¨CIn the first place, the barrier was a kind of divine realm created by the God who had contracted with the Magical Girl. If Miko, a Magical Girl who had a contract with another God, entered such a place, it was only natural that the divine power inside her body would rebel and she wouldn¡¯t be able to use her abilities properly. However, Bell said that while he wouldn¡¯t be able to use normal skills such as Thread and Transportation, he would still be able to use Invisibility and Gluttony, which could only be used inside the barrier, if he put his mind to it. It seemed the side effects vary from person to person, but he should at least be prepared for unimaginable pain. When she said that, Tsugumi laughed it off and said, ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m getting involved again,¡± but now he regretted not listening more seriously. Additionally, in Tsugumi¡¯s case, in order to use abilities such as Invisibility within the barrier, he had to transform once into a woman, which was doubly burdensome. But neither of these skills were offensive-oriented, so he didn¡¯t think they were very useful, to say the least. The only thing he could do was pray that a legitimate Magical Girl would defeat the Demonic Beast while he was hiding. As Tsugumi was thinking about this, Chidori, who had been knocked unconscious by the shock of being caught in the middle of the action, slowly opened her eyes. ¡°What the hell is this place¡­? Where are all the other people?¡± Saying this, Chidori looked around, holding her forehead painfully. There might be some discomforts remaining from the move. ¡­When Tsugumi was caught up in the barrier before, he didn¡¯t feel any discomfort and before he knew it, he was already inside the barrier, but perhaps there were individual differences. ¡°¨CThis is the inside of a Magical Girl¡¯s barrier. We¡¯re caught in it. ¡­Let¡¯s move on for now. It¡¯s not safe to stay here.¡± Tsugumi, pulling on the hand of the confused Chidori, began to set out to the building. If they stayed in the middle of the road, there would be a higher chance of the Demonic Beast finding them. ¡°How does Tsugumi know that? ¨CIt¡¯s as if you¡¯ve been involved in this before.¡± For a while, Chidori had followed Tsugumi in confusion, but eventually, perhaps unable to bear it any longer, she asked such a question. Tsugumi was a little confused on how to answer, since there was a good chance that Chidori would find out if he told a bad lie. In that case, he had no choice but to weave the truth into his story. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to worry Chidori, so I didn¡¯t tell this, but I¡¯ve been caught in a barrier like this once before. At that time, I heard about it from someone¨C¡° As he finished explaining the current situation, Chidori opened her mouth, her face turning blue. ¡°In other words, we can¡¯t get out of here unless the Magical Girl defeats the Demonic Beast.¡± ¨CThey were in the same space as Demonic Beast. For Chidori, this must be the most terrifying thing she had ever experienced. Tsugumi supported the staggered Chidori and said in a cheerful voice to cheer her up. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sure the Magical Girls will defeat the D-class Demonic Beast in no time. ¨CFor the time being, let¡¯s hide somewhere so we don¡¯t get caught up in the battle. Okay?¡± D-class Demonic Beasts were not that difficult to defeat for ordinary Magical Girls. But even if they were easy opponents for Magical Girls, they were still a sufficient threat to ordinary humans who had no means of countering them. Just like when Tsugumi was once almost killed by a D-class Gargoyle. ¡°But then again, how could we be the only ones caught up when there were so many people there?¡± Saying so, Chidori tilted her head curiously. ¡­In the previous explanation, he did not dare to talk about the aptitude of Magical Girls. It might cause confusion. People with Magical Girl aptitude did not necessarily get caught up in barriers, and the absolute number of people with such aptitude was small to begin with. This case was, by all accounts, a rare case. And he didn¡¯t really want her to think that Tsugumi, being a man, had the aptitude for Magical Girls. From a trivial question, there was a possibility that it would be associated with Hagakure Sakura. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Rumor has it that people who have near-death experiences or have an aptitude for Magical Girls are more likely to get caught. But is that really true? I¡¯m here, so maybe there¡¯s more truth to it than I thought, but¡­¡± Having said that, Tsugumi involuntarily pressed his mouth with his hand. Because he remembered something very important. ¨CHow could I have forgotten? Aptitude as a Magical Girl. What did Itadori, who was supposed to be at this Amusement Park, say in that hospital room? ¨CShe said she had ¡®the highest aptitude for Magical Girls in the record since the beginning of school!¡¯ Rather, it was unnatural to think that a child with such a high aptitude would not be involved. Realizing this fact, Tsugumi bit his lip. ¨CI should go help her. His heart said so, but logic interfered. He might be able to get away with it if he was alone, but Chidori was here too. He couldn¡¯t afford to take any bad action. ¨CShould I put the Chidori¡¯s safety first, or should I keep my promise to Itadori? ¡­Amusement Park was a big place. If the Magical Girl was properly dealing with the Demonic Beast, everything would be over while she was hiding somewhere. But what if something unexpected happened? What if the Demonic Beast attacked when Itadori was all alone? Tsugumi had taken Itadori¡¯s hand once. And yet, this time he had to abandon her out of inconvenience. Such injustice was unforgivable. But Tsugumi couldn¡¯t leave Chidori¡¯s side. He just couldn¡¯t. While racking his brain over this, something warm touched Tsugumi¡¯s cheek. ¨CIt was Chidori¡¯s hand. Chidori looked at Tsugumi with a certainty in her eyes and smiled bitterly as if to say it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°You¡¯ve noticed something, haven¡¯t you? Don¡¯t worry, just talk to me. It¡¯s okay. I usually work out, too, because I don¡¯t want to bother you when something happens. ¡­So don¡¯t worry and stop that pained look on your face.¡± To Chidori¡¯s words, Tsugumi opened his eyes. Chidori didn¡¯t know anything about it. Even so, she was waiting for an answer as if she had made up her mind. ¡°Maybe we¡¯re not alone.¡± Tsugumi looked down as if he was lost in thought, and he grasped Chidori¡¯s hand and opened his mouth as if asking for forgiveness. ¡°I need to talk to you about something.¡± ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¨CSomething is wrong. The Magical Girl who set up the barrier in the Amusement Park ¨C Takasaki Kurumi ¨C was puzzled by the sense of discomfort swirling in her chest. The Demonic Beast that appeared earlier than originally planned was about three meters in size and shaped like a red Ogre. Takasaki started to fight in confusion, but the beast was too unresponsive for a D-class. For Takasaki, who had little experience in combat, a D-class Demonic Beast was still a formidable foe. The D-class Demonic Beast she had faced only once before was much larger, and the pressure she felt was much greater. And yet, the beast in front of her just repeated monotonous attacks, and there was only a hair¡¯s breadth of difference in strength between the beast and the E-class Demonic Beast. It was true that weaker enemies were better than stronger ones, but this was a bit discouraging. ¨CPerhaps it¡¯s a side effect of appearing earlier than it¡¯s supposed to. Takasaki thought so, but she had no proof. It would have been helpful if she could ask the contract God a lot of questions at a time like this, but she could not count on that. Takasaki¡¯s contract God was very reluctant to be seen or heard by others. Even Takasaki, who had a contract, never had a proper conversation before besides exchanging information. ¨CI envy Hagakure Sakura. Takasaki thought sincerely. She must have a good relationship with her contract God. From the images on TV, it was clear that they were always on good terms. She was very different from Takasaki, who began her Magical Girl career at the same time. Even today, she was suddenly told, ¡°A Demonic Beast is coming, so you have to go now,¡± and was sent to this Amusement Park half-forcibly. But for Takasaki, the contract God was the one who saved her life and she owed a favor to. She wasn¡¯t in a position to complain, but being treated differently didn¡¯t feel good. ¨CLet¡¯s just finish this quickly and go home. Fortunately, or perhaps because the contract God was not interested in money, all the bounty went into Takasaki¡¯s hands. The bounty for the D-class was three hundred and fifty thousand, five times the bounty of the E-class. ¡­Weird feeling of discomfort remained, but she should just consider herself lucky that her opponent was weak. Since the place was an Amusement Park, she thought it would be better not to prolong the fight. She couldn¡¯t inconvenience the people who were waiting for the Demonic Beast to be defeated. The red Ogre, which had sustained a deep cut on its neck from the attack, fell to the ground, spurting out a large amount of blood. Takasaki let out a sigh of relief as she gazed at it. For the time being, this was the end of the matter. ¨CNow, let¡¯s release the barrier. Just as Takasaki was about to call out to the contract God to release the barrier, she received a shock as if her body had been hit by a large object. At the same time, she felt a pain that shattered her whole body and a floating sensation as if she was being blown away. Along with the pain, she was lightly knocked unconscious and her vision went completely black. When Takasaki came to, she found herself lying on the ground with a large amount of blood pouring from her body. ¨CWhat in the world is happening? Fighting back the pain and suppressing her agitated mind, Takasaki desperately looked up. ¨CThere was a blue Ogre standing there, looking at her and smiling. The corpse of the red Ogre was still lying in the distance. In other words, standing before Takasaki¡¯s eyes was a second Demonic Beast. ¡°Why? Demonic Beasts are supposed to appear one at a time-!¡± Before Takasaki could finish her sentence, the blue Ogre swung the black gold bar straight down. Once, twice, three times. The blue Ogre repeated the attack, crushing her limbs without inflicting fatal wounds. Then it took one look at Takasaki, who had become a motionless doll, only spitting out groans, and moved out of the way as if it had lost interest. The blue Ogre, bathed in blood, headed in the direction of the sign that said ¡®South Exit¡¯ ¨C the place where the other victims caught up in the barrier were hiding. CH 39 The Thing Called Magical Girl Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Inside a country-style hut with the sign ¡°South Gate Waiting Area¡± written in inverted letters, Itadori was sitting on the floor with an anxious look on her face. On the opposite wall, another person ¨C Yumeji Nadeshiko ¨C was staring out the window with an irritated look. Itadori let out a small sigh as she stared at her profile. ¨CWhy am I with her, of all people? With a melancholy feeling, Itadori clutched her knees. Yumeji Natsuko was a central figure in the selected class and was the one who had taken the initiative in bullying Itadori until recently. Frankly, she didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡­To begin with, Itadori had no idea what Yumeji was thinking. When she was first caught up in this empty Amusement Park ¨C a Magical Girl¡¯s barrier ¨C Yumeji scolded Itadori for her confusion and explained the current situation in a reluctant manner. She looked deeply annoyed but she never abandoned Itadori and escaped. After entering the hut, which could be locked from the inside, Yumeji completely ignored Itadori and kept silent with a grim look on her face. Itadori didn¡¯t know how to talk to Yumeji. But it would be awkward to remain silent like this. Thinking so, Itadori gathered up her courage and opened her mouth. ¡°Um, Yumeji-san.¡± When Itadori quietly called out, Yumeji raised her eyebrows and replied, ¡°What?¡± Her expression was one of obvious displeasure. Itadori opened her mouth, feeling a little depressed. ¡°Why did you bring me here with you? You don¡¯t like me, do you?¡± When Itadori said so, Yumeji replied in a disdainful manner. ¡°Are you an idiot? I didn¡¯t save you. If you die in a place like this, it will ruin my reputation and the school¡¯s reputation, right? I¡¯m going to become a Magical Girl. I can¡¯t have my reputation tarnished by something like this.¡± Yumeji clenched her right hand tightly. Toward the end, it sounded as if she were talking to herself. She talked about it dauntingly as if it wasn¡¯t just a dream. ¡°Why do you want to be a Magical Girl so badly, Yumeji-san? It¡¯s hard work and you could die.¡± Friends and other classmates around her had excessive admiration for the existence of ¡®Magical Girls¡¯, but considering the death rate and the number of cases where people die, she didn¡¯t think it was such a wonderful job. It was certainly an indispensable job in the world, but why did everyone want to take the initiative to do it? Itadori just couldn¡¯t understand. ¨CThe world worshipped Magical Girls as if they were a seal of approval. Such a world frightened Itadori. The only person who affirmed this fear was a young man she had recently met, Nanase Tsugumi. Itadori stared at Yumeji. Perhaps she was mistaken, but it seemed to her that Yumeji did not have the same yearning for Magical Girls as the rest of her classmates. Her family was wealthy, it was unlikely that she was after the bounty that Magical Girls got. However, it didn¡¯t seem like she wanted to be pampered like an idol either. What laid beneath her was something else. Negative emotions like fear and loathing¨Cshe couldn¡¯t help but think so. When Itadori said this, Yumeji glared with cold eyes. ¡°What do you know? Even though you don¡¯t know anything¡­!¡± Yumeji stood up and approached Itadori, grabbing her by the collar of her uniform. She was lifted with such strong force that she fell to her knees and moaned. ¡°Cough, Yumeji-san, stop¡­¡± ¡°You really get on my nerve. The highest aptitude level on the record since the beginning of school? The most promising star? ¨CDon¡¯t make me laugh. You¡¯re not even ready to be a Magical Girl, so get out of my way!¡± Itadori was about to retort that she wasn¡¯t in the way. ¨CBut the moment she saw Yumeji¡¯s face, she couldn¡¯t say anything. ¨CBecause Yumeji was crying. ¡°Yumeji-san?¡± ¡°I have to become a Magical Girl.¡± Yumeji let go of Itadori, wiping tears with her cuff, and gave a mocking smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure an ordinary person like you wouldn¡¯t understand, but there are many things going on in a great family. My family has produced many Magical Girls. Do you know what this means? ¨CYes, all the girls who can¡¯t become Magical Girls are treated as dropouts. Just like my sister who committed suicide.¡± Itadori gasped at this sudden confession. However, Yumeji did not care and continued talking. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a Magical Girl either. ¡­But I don¡¯t want to end up like my sister, even if it kills me. I don¡¯t want to be miserable like her¡­!¡± Yumeji shouted as if to let out the thoughts in her heart. ¨COh, this person is the same¡­ Itadori thought vaguely. She didn¡¯t know anything about her family. But she could understand the essence of her worries. The expectations of those around her and her surroundings did not allow her to choose a path other than that of a Magical Girl. The anxiety of having no choice but to continue running on a predetermined rail and the frustration of not being able to choose anything. How much pressure that must have been for her. She probably never had anyone who told her that she could make her own choices. Itadori thought it was terribly sad and painful. ¡°Yumeji-san. ¨CYou know.¡± Just as Itadori was about to call out to her, she caught a glimpse of a shadow in the small window of the locked door. Their gazes turned toward the door. ¨CThere was a big blue monster. The monster had its ugly face pressed against the small window and smiled at Itadori. ¡°Kyaaaah!¡± Yumeji screamed in a high-pitched voice. Perhaps it had heard them talking. But it was too late to regret it now. ¡°But, it¡¯s locked.¡± As soon as Itadori muttered that, there was a thud and a bang from the door, as if something had slammed into it. She crouched down and covered her ears. Sweat broke out from every pore in her body, and she trembled with fear. ¡®Death¡¯ was just around the corner. ¡°¨CNo, at this rate, the door will be destroyed!¡± Yumeji cried out in a sad voice. If it broke down the door and entered the hut, that would be the end of the story. Trembling, Itadori looked around the hut and saw something. Her eyes widened and she swallowed hard. ¨CAs long as she couldn¡¯t walk out the door, there was no other way to escape. Itadori whipped her trembling body and stood up. ¡°Yumeji-san, come here!¡± Itadori grabbed Yumeji¡¯s hand and pointed to a rope ladder that hung on the opposite wall from the door. The ladder led to a high bay window, and if it worked, there was a chance of getting out. Yumeji looked alternately at the rope ladder and the bar window, and opened her mouth anxiously. ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be any other way, but will it work?¡± ¡°We have no choice. ¨CBecause we don¡¯t have that door anymore.¡± The creaking door looked as if it would break down after a few more attacks. There was probably little time left to hesitate. They looked at each other, nodded with determination, and gently reached for the rope ladder. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡°Are you okay? Are you alive? Can I help¨C? ¡­No, there¡¯s no answer.¡± A girl wearing a long, loose-fitting dress with a cassocked hat ¨C Mibu Yurie ¨C crouched on the ground and asked the bloodied Magical Girl who was lying on the ground. Her breathing could be heard faintly, so the girl was still alive, but she probably couldn¡¯t move anymore. Since the degree of injury was hard to pinpoint, moving her from here was impossible. Yurie took off her white coat and gently draped it over the fallen Magical Girl. The blood that flowed out soaked into the coat and discolored it red, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. The bloodshed had lowered her body temperature. If she got any colder, it would be fatal. It¡¯s my favorite coat, Yurie thought, calmly assessing the situation. The way she was injured, she had about two hours left to live. No matter how strong the transformed Magical Girl was, she wouldn¡¯t last longer than that. If she had wanted to, Yurie would have been willing to intercede on the spot, but since she didn¡¯t give an answer, there was no other choice. Yurie called out to Ran, who had a blue face, with dissatisfaction. ¡°What should we do, Ran-chan? I can¡¯t transform, I can¡¯t use my skills, and the Magical Girl I counted on is in a bad shape. The Demonic Beast seems to still be around too.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that so easily. ¡­I mean, it¡¯s really bad. I hate to say this, but I might really die.¡± Ran, with her long hair down and big black-rimmed glasses, gently pressed her stomach and moaned. When they first got caught up in this barrier, they were optimistic about the situation. They knew their skills inside the barriers of other Magical Girls couldn¡¯t be used, but Ran thought that as long as the regular Magical Girl properly defeated the Demonic Beast, they wouldn¡¯t be in any danger. But the result was this. The Magical Girl had been rendered powerless, and the Demonic Beast was still on the loose. This was the worst situation imaginable. One would think that this dying Magical Girl would be better off dead¡­, but that was definitely a line that one should not cross as a person. Before coming here, they had checked the skills just in case, but the side effects were beyond their understanding. There was a high possibility that they wouldn¡¯t be able to move properly when being confronted by a Demonic Beast, so it would be best to avoid using them at all if possible. ¡°The government told me to be prepared for self-defense even on my days off, but this time I only brought one short sword, you know? That was the only thing I could hide in my skirt.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve only got two vials of poison that will work on Demonic Beasts. But now that I don¡¯t have my poison skill, it may be a little less effective. This is the type of poison that depends on the ability.¡± Ran then let out a sigh. Although they both had received licenses from the government for possession of hazardous materials, there was no way they would go to an Amusement Park fully armed. For that reason, they brought only the minimum amount of weapons that would not arouse suspicion. That backfired, but the thought that they would be involved in such a situation didn¡¯t even cross their mind. There was no one to blame for the lack of preparation. Although feeling bad for the injured Magical Girl who was lying nearby, as long as they appeared on the battlefield, they were responsible for their own lives and deaths. Even if the two Rikka abandoned her on this spot, they would not be held culpable. Well, the world would criticize them. ¡°But if the Demonic Beast isn¡¯t here, does that mean there are other children involved after all? Otherwise, it would have come to us long ago.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a matter of responsibility, isn¡¯t it? I am scared¡­ Ah, I have no choice but to go.¡± Saying this, Ran stared at the road where a trace of blood trailed. Perhaps there was a Demonic Beast ahead. ¨CI¡¯d be lying if I said I am not scared. It was the first time she was forced into such an unfavorable battle since she¡¯d started her career as a Magical Girl. But there was a reason why they could not retreat. Because they were Magical Girls of Rikka. However, they did not wish to become Rikka, nor did they wish to be chosen. Despite this, the fact that they were desired and chosen by the majority supported their pride. This remained true even now that they were unable to use their powers. ¡°Even if we can¡¯t use our full strength, we are still [Rikka]. As representatives of Magical Girls, we have to do what we have to do.¡± ¡°Well, this is our job too. ¨CThen, let¡¯s hurry up.¡± And so the two began running toward the south gate. ¨CThe actors are gradually coming together. CH 40 Their Choice Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Using a rope ladder, Itadori and Yumeji had escaped from the hut and were running along the road of Amusement Park, out of breath. The Ogre immediately noticed that they had escaped from the hut, but fortunately, it was slow and they managed to escape now. ¨CHowever, the stamina of elementary school students would eventually reach its limit. And there was one more problem. ¡°¡­Ku¡± ¨CItadori was running frantically behind Yumeji, dragging her leg, which was in a lot of pain. She had sprained her ankle during the escape. The rope ladder that hung inside the hut was fine for climbing up, but when the ladder hung outside, it was just a little too long to go down. Yumeji jumped down the remaining distance without difficulty, and Itadori did the same, but this was where the difference in innate physical ability came into play. Itadori failed to land on her feet. She managed to cover it up and run while enduring the pain, but she was already at her limit. -If Itadori fell down right here and now, what would Yumeji do? She might run away without paying attention, or she might stop and try to help Itadori. But either way, Itadori would not be saved. ¡°Yumeji-san!¡± ¡°What? I don¡¯t have time to talk to you!¡± Yumeji yelled back without looking back. No wonder, Demonic Beast ¨C the blue Ogre ¨C was approaching from behind. Itadori stared at Yumeji¡¯s back and narrowed her eyes in envy. ¨CI¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be able to handle it on her own. But it¡¯s over for me. The pain alone was still bearable. She almost wobbled and fell many times before running here, and the stabbing pain made it hard to think straight. It was only a matter of time before she collapsed. Then, at least ¨C let¡¯s take action that I won¡¯t regret. Thinking so, Itadori smiled as if she had given up on everything. That day, Tsugumi-oniisan had said, ¡°Choose the way you think is right¡±. If she chose the path that would save at least one person, then it was probably the correct answer. She was concerned about leaving her mother behind, but if Itadori had done something good, she would surely agree. Itadori still didn¡¯t like Yumeji, but she understood that it was a struggle to survive in her current situation. Besides, it was Itadori¡¯s fault that she sprained her leg. Therefore, she shouldn¡¯t involve Yumeji in her negligence. ¡°Let¡¯s split up! I¡¯ll go to the right, you run to the left!¡± Itadori managed to muster up the energy to say so. ¡°Huh? What are you saying¡­ Eh?¡± Yumeji turned around as she ran and looked at Itadori with a stunned expression. Itadori¡¯s complexion had turned pale and she was running while dragging a swollen right leg. It was obvious what was happening to her body. ¡®Wait a minute, why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier! How can you run in that condition¡­¡± Just as Yumeji was about to stop, Itadori shouted as if howling. ¡°¨CJust look ahead and run! You know what I mean!¡± With tears streaming down her face, Itadori yelled at Yumeji. Seeing her sword-like fierceness, Yumeji gulped. ¨CEven when Yumeji was bullying her, she never revealed her feeling like this. Unable to hide her agitation, Yumeji wondered what she should do. ¡­She was lost. ¨CJust as Itadori said, running away had to be the correct answer. There was no need to worry about a person who wasn¡¯t close, to begin with. However, as if there were clouds filling up the heart, the hesitation to run away without her did not disappear. ¡­Because Yumeji didn¡¯t know. She didn¡¯t know that an attacking Demonic Beast was such a terrifying thing. The gold bar in the blue Ogre¡¯s hand and the cloth wrapped around its body were covered in reddish-black stains. What did that beast do before coming here? She could understand without thinking. If Yumeji ran away from this place, Itadori would probably suffer the same fate as that stranger. Yumeji might have a twisted personality, but she was not so evil that she could turn a blind eye to the horrific death of someone she knew. While holding down her throbbing chest, Yumeji suddenly uttered a thought that came to her. ¡°We should run away somewhere inside a building. If we do that, we might even be able to disperse it¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible. I can¡¯t run anymore.¡± Itadori said this as if she was breathless. Just like she said, her running speed was gradually slowing down, and the distance between her and the beast had shrunk to a few dozen meters. If she stopped even once, the Demonic Beast would catch up in no time. Still, when Yumeji looked at Itadori with snarling eyes, she put on an expression like a weeping smile and said. ¡°Go on, Yumeji Nadeshiko! You are going to be a Magical Girl! Don¡¯t stop at a place like this!¡± With those words of Itadori at her back, Yumeji ran off in the direction to the left as if she had been played. ¡°¨CAh, ah. Aaah!¡± The unspoken screams and overflowing tears never stopped. ¨CWhy, why, why! How could you laugh like that! Even for Itadori, the Demonic Beast was scary. There was no human being who wasn¡¯t afraid to die. And yet, Itadori sacrificed herself to let Yumeji go. Yumeji couldn¡¯t understand this behavior and had no idea why she was so confused. Impatience, and regret. Complex emotions that she could not verbalize were swirling in the back of her chest. So, Yumeji continued to run with passion. Crying, she turned the corner of a building, where she bumped into something with great force. Yumeji fell on her buttocks, looked up with a blurred vision, and clung to the person standing there. ¡°Please! Save Itadori-san!¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¨CTen minutes had passed since Yumeji ran away, but Itadori had not yet been caught by the beast. ¡­To be accurate, it could be said that she was being played with. The blue Ogre was following the limping Itadori at a certain distance with a smile. Perhaps it enjoyed watching Itadori¡¯s face contorted into a look of horror. Demonic Beasts fed on people¡¯s negative emotions. The emotions Itadori was feeling right now must be delicious. ¨CBut if I stop, it¡¯s over. Even without being told, Itadori sensed this fact. As long as she was moving and escaping, the beast would not attack. But if she stopped even once, it would swing the gold stick straight down on her. A toy that wouldn¡¯t move was worth nothing. Frightened by the fear of death approaching, Itadori muttered. ¡°¡­Liar. ¨CYou said you would come to my rescue.¡± So he said, and Itadori shook her head a little. In a corner of her mind, she had hoped that he would come to help. She had hoped that he would dash in and grab her hand. It was because of this faint hope that Itadori was able to give Yumeji some courage. In the end, that too did not come true. ¨CShe already knew. That person couldn¡¯t come to such a place. ¡°¡­Ah, uh.¡± Shaking with fear, Itadori listened to the sound of footsteps approaching from behind. The heavy thudding sound was getting closer and closer to her side. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to.¡± Itadori crouched down to hold her head and said in a trembling voice. ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to die! ¨CHelp me, Tsugumi-oniisan!¡± Just as Itadori shouted this, there was a screeching sound of wheels grinding together, and at the same time, the sound of large objects colliding with each other echoed from behind. Immediately after that, she could hear something popping, and in a flash, white smoke began to fill the area. ¡°What on earth¡­¡± Coughing, she looked up softly and felt something warm grab her hand. ¡°No, let go of me!¡¯ Itadori raised her other hand and tried to attack the opponent in front of her, but that hand was easily grabbed as well. -Oh, it¡¯s no use. Just as she was about to open her eyes, a familiar voice could be heard right next to her. ¡°Are you okay?! Is there anywhere else that hurt besides your leg?¡± She looked up with a start. ¨CThere he was, the hero she had been waiting for. ¡°Ah, ah, ¨CTsugumi-oniisan!¡± Tears that should have already been shed were now flowing out one after another. ¨CHe kept his promise. That fact made Itadori very happy. Even if this was a dream she was having at the last moment, it was fine. It even seemed like that. Tsugumi gently held Itadori, who kept crying, and said in a gentle voice. ¡°I¡¯m here to help you, as promised. Now, let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Itadori replied with a small ¡°yes¡± and clung to him. She was too exhausted to say anything else. And then she let go of her consciousness, as if to sleep a little. CH 41 At The End Of The Confluence Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CThe time went back to a while ago. After being confronted by Chidori, Tsugumi told her, in a blur of circumstances, that a girl he knew might be in this barrier and he bowed his head deeply. I don¡¯t want to put Chidori in danger, but I don¡¯t want to abandon Itadori either. Please forgive me for my selfishness. ¨CHe said so. Chidori, who had been quietly listening, said with a complicated expression on her face. ¡°There is no proof that the girl is here, isn¡¯t there? Are you still going?¡± ¡°¡­I have a bad feeling. My instincts in these situations, unfortunately, are often right.¡± With that said, Tsugumi clenched his right hand. It was an uncomfortable feeling that pressed deep into his chest, as if all the hairs on his body were standing on end. If Tsugumi was not mistaken, he could feel the presence of a Demonic Beast from the direction where Itadori might be. Either the Magical Girl had made a mistake, or she in the middle of the battle. In any case, it was certain that Itadori was in danger. When Tsugumi told her this, Chidori smiled, her eyes downcast, as if she were troubled. ¡°Tsugumi, you never change. You wouldn¡¯t listen to me even if I stopped you, would you?¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t, but¡­¡± Then Chidori firmly took hold of Tsugumi¡¯s right hand, looked him in the eye, and said. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. If that¡¯s not possible, I won¡¯t allow Tsugumi to leave here, either. Since it¡¯s Tsugumi, I know you were going to leave me in a safe place anyway, but it¡¯s not going to happen.¡± ¡°¡­It is.¡± Tsugumi bit his lip in hesitation. Chidori¡¯s prediction was mostly correct. He had wanted her to hide in a place where there would be no sign of the Demonic Beast. That way, he would be able to act with peace of mind. Perhaps reading the conflict in Tsugumi¡¯s expression, Chidori said in a gentle voice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll run away at the first sign of danger. I¡¯m not that worried about it, I¡¯ve been working out a lot too. I can crush an apple with one hand.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s scary.¡± Saying this, Tsugumi laughed a little. Now that this happened, it would be impossible to persuade Chidori. ¡­To begin with, it was Tsugumi who was selfish. In the event of an emergency, Tsugumi had to let her escape, even if it meant putting his body on the line. Chidori said so, but the world was not so naive that a woman¡¯s slender arms could handle a Demonic Beast. ¡°If it¡¯s dangerous, run away immediately. Can you promise?¡± ¡°When that happens, I¡¯ll pull Tsugumi¡¯s hand and run away. ¨CLike that time.¡± Chidori laughed nostalgically and said mischievously. She was probably referring to the catastrophe ten years ago. Tsugumi laughed and quickly pointed in the direction of the south gate. ¡°That child is in the south gate over there. ¨CLet¡¯s hurry.¡± ¡ô¡ô¡ô Later, on the way to the south gate, he met a girl who had been bullying Itadori ¨C Yumeji ¨C and was able to ask her about Itadori¡¯s whereabouts. He didn¡¯t know what happened, but Yumeji was seriously concerned for Itadori¡¯s safety and desperately asked for help. After hearing what she had to say, Tsugumi forced the sobbing Yumeji into Chidori¡¯s care and ran alone to the place where Itadori would be, where the presence of the Demonic Beast was the strongest. From behind, he could hear Chidori trying to stop him, but with Yumeji as a shackle, she could not chase after Tsugumi. The sadness in her voice made his heart ache, but he thought it was a good thing. ¨CAt the end of that road, there would surely be a Demonic Beast. He didn¡¯t want to take Chidori to such a place. Besides, he didn¡¯t run out there without a plan. According to Yumeji¡¯s story, the Demonic Beast was not that big and its legs were slow. In that case, there were many ways to get rid of it. When he found a motorcycle for sale while running, he removed the back carrier and operated it, twisting the right accelerator pedal to accelerate. Perhaps it was not the correct way to drive the bike, there were some strange creaking noises coming from some places, but he could not be bothered with such details. The police might be angry later at him for driving without a license, but the fixtures in the Amusement Park would be repaired once the Demonic Beast was defeated, so even if this bike was broken, it would not be a problem. Then, straight ahead, he found Itadori. Tsugumi plowed the whole bike into the Demonic Beast ¨C a blue Ogre ¨C that stood right next to her. Tsugumi jumped off the bike before it hit, but the impact was so great that the blue Ogre was blown backward with great force. As soon as he saw the blue Ogre fall to the ground along with the motorcycle and the debris on the wall, he threw a self-defense toy he had received from Mebuki ¨C a smoke ball ¨C in the beast¡¯s direction. As soon as it hit the ground, the smoke ball made a popping sound, and white smoke spread all around the area where the beast was. According to the creator, Mebuki, the effect lasted about ten minutes. While the smoke was deceiving its vision, he had to escape with Itadori. Itadori was on the ground, trembling, and her right leg was painfully swollen. This had to be the leg injury that Yumeji had mentioned. When they met face to face, she struggled against him briefly, but since she had been chased by the beast just a few moments earlier, it was only natural that she got confused. Tsugumi patted his chest in relief when he saw Itadori was not injured anywhere else besides her sprained leg. It was truly a stroke of luck that she wasn¡¯t attacked by a Demonic Beast in this state. No, she was unlucky to get caught up in this barrier in the first place, but he should leave it at that for now. He glanced in the direction of the fallen beast and left the place, carrying the stunned Itadori on his back. It would be impossible for the current Tsugumi to stop the beast now. If he didn¡¯t hurry, the Demonic Beast would rise up. ¡­That beast¡¯s shape was small for a D-class, but its special abilities might be stronger. As long as the current Tsugumi couldn¡¯t compete with it, there was no other choice but to run away. In the first place, it was a miracle that it fell to that level of attack. If it had been the size of the Praying Mantis ¨C the D-class opponent he had fought the other day ¨C it would have been too much to handle. He didn¡¯t know how the change in appearance time affected the Demonic Beast, but the shorter appearance time might have made it weaker. -I have to thank Mebuki-senpai. With that in mind, Tsugumi thought about the remaining number of self-defense items in his pocket. One more smoke ball, one more trap, and one more tear gas spray. The effectiveness of any of these items against Demonic Beasts might be questionable, but they were effective as a distraction. It would buy some time. ¨CAt any rate, there was no sign of the beast chasing them yet. The pressure he felt from behind had not disappeared, but there were no signs of movement, so it was probably still in that place. Maybe he got lucky and hit the wrong spot. Then, Tsugumi suddenly looked at his left ring finger. There, he found the ring with the green stone on it, the magical tool of his contract with Bell. He still couldn¡¯t reach her. Perhaps Bell was prevented from interfering until he got out of here. The thought of this made Tsugumi look down to think. ¨CChidori wasn¡¯t here, and Itadori was out cold. The Demonic Beast was not moving, this might be a good time to try the transformation. With that in mind, Tsugumi pulled the hood of his clothes deeper to hide his face. The mirror outside would reflect either a Demonic Beast or a Magical Girl, but there was no guarantee that there wouldn¡¯t be a glitch in the mirror to reflect his image. He had to be careful. Then Tsugumi took a slow, deep breath and put all his strength into the ring. The divine power that circulated through his body remade his shape. When he was fully transformed into a woman¡¯s body, with his clothes intact, he felt an unbearable discomfort. ¡°Ugh, uuugh!¡± A low growl escaped from his mouth. Tsugumi irresistibly unraveled his transformation, stopped, and exhaled roughly. ¨CThat felt disgusting! Tsugumi looked up at the sky with teary eyes as he endured nausea. After the transformation, he felt a fearful discomfort, as if maggots were crawling all over his body. He didn¡¯t want to endure that, not even for a second. Just transforming into a woman caused such side effects. If he used skills in such a state, there would probably be even more side effects than that. The thought made him shudder. ¨CI¡¯m not going to be able to use my skills in this situation. When he had tried to use Invisibility to escape, he felt sick and fall down. ¡°What is the Magical Girl doing anyway?¡± Tsugumi furrowed his brow. It had already been thirty minutes since the barrier was put up. But she was not engaging in battle, letting the beast run wild instead. -The general public might not be aware of the people caught up in the barrier, but even if this was the case, it was taking too long. -No way, is the Magical Girl killed already? Tsugumi shook his head at the thought. That didn¡¯t seem likely. If she got killed, the government would have come up with a backup plan soon. ¡­Then, what is the circumstance that leads this Demonic Beast to wander unattended? Tsugumi had no idea. With some doubt in his mind, he returned to the place where he had left Chidori and found two more figures there. They were dressed normally, so they were probably not Magical Girls. Chidori, who was in front of them, looked relieved to see Tsugumi, but her expression was somewhat hard, and he could see a deep sense of anxiety on her face. ¡°Hey! Is Itadori-san safe!?¡± Just as Tsugumi was about to go to them, Yumeji came rushing. Her eyes were red, and he could see traces of tears. ¡°Itadori is fine. She¡¯s a little tired right now and sleeping, but other than her leg, she has no other injuries, so she should wake up soon.¡± ¡°Thank goodness¨C!¡± Yumeji exclaimed and covered her face. He didn¡¯t know what happened between them, but it was obvious that they were no longer fighting each other. He could ask for more details when Itadori woke up. ¡°I owe it to you for telling me where she was. Nice work.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± When Tsugumi said this, Yumeji nodded with a complicated look on her face. She looked like carrying a deep sense of guilt. ¡­No matter how much she was told to run away, the fact remained that she had abandoned someone. Thus, although it was good that Itadori was safe, if she had died instead, this girl might not have been able to recover from it. In a double sense, Tsugumi was glad that he was able to save Itadori. As he walked with Yumeji toward Chidori, one of the two figures ¨C a short girl with short hair ¨C stepped forward and said to Tsugumi. ¡°Are you Nanase Tsugumi?¡± ¡°Ah, um. That¡¯s right, but you guys-¡° The girl grabbed him by both shoulders with a strong grip. Then, Tsugumi was struck with a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. ¨CI feel like I¡¯ve seen this girl somewhere before. Before he could answer that question, the girl turned to him and said. ¡°I¡¯m going to be direct with you. ¨CI want you to help us.¡± CH 42 Two Of Rikka Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¡°The Magical Girl is incapacitated, you say?¡± Tsugumi felt dizzy at the current state of affairs that was passed on by the girls ¨C the two members of Rikka. ¨CThe fact that two of Rikka were here was astonishing, but to think that the Magical Girl he was counting on had already been killed. He was so shocked he couldn¡¯t speak anymore. And they were not just any Magical Girls, but the Rikka. No wonder they looked familiar. These two, who were above the clouds to the average person, were standing in front of Tsugumi. That alone was a surprise, but to offer help would be unprecedented. The two Rikka girls continued to speak to Tsugumi, who was astonished. ¡°To be more precise, we should say that she¡¯s dying. There are a few hours left. ¨CWe¡¯d like to get this over with before then, if possible.¡± ¡°¡­If civilians are inside the barrier, the right thing to do would be to run around and buy time. But we didn¡¯t become Magical Girls to leave anyone to die. If it¡¯s possible, we want to help her.¡± The two Rikka members¨CSuzushiro and Mibu¨Cspeak apologetically. If the priority was on Tsugumi and other ordinary people, the smart solution would be to abandon the dying Magical Girl ¨C or to give her up and let the backup Magical Girl defeat the Demonic Beast. But Tsugumi could understand their point of view, too. ¨CMagical Girls existed to protect the people of this country. Their job was to defeat Demonic Beasts, not to kill people. Even though the other party was also a Magical Girl, it would be against principle or belief to leave her to die. ¡­Tsugumi didn¡¯t want the Magical Girl to die, either. If there was a way to save her, that would be best. But it was too risky to cooperate with them The reason was because these girls, just like Tsugumi, had been blocked from using their powers as Magical Girls. They couldn¡¯t act as Magical Girls, so even though they were Rikka, they were no different than any other high school girls. He was a little uncertain about counting on their strength. ¡°But can you guys fight a Demonic Beast? If there are Magical Girls as good as Rikka, shouldn¡¯t we have been saved a long time ago?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Our powers are restricted within the barriers of other Magical Girls. Don¡¯t expect us to be as active as we normally are.¡± When Tsugumi asked for confirmation, Mibu answered clearly without hiding anything. He already knew that, but it meant that there was no one here who could fight properly. This was effectively a dead end. The other two who were listening to the conversation were clearly upset, perhaps thinking the same thing. ¡°You¡¯re Rikka, aren¡¯t you? Can¡¯t you do something about it!?¡± As if in despair, Yumeji choked loudly. Chidori supported her shoulder with caution, but her expression was one of deep anxiety. ¡°What should we do now? Even if we are told to cooperate, there is nothing we can do¡­¡± When Chidori said so, Suzushiro smiled a little. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if you cooperate, you¡¯re not going to fight the Demonic Beast. I just want you to help Yuri-chan and me to distract the beast until we can get the place in order.¡± ¡°Distract?¡± Tsugumi asked back, and Suzushiro took out two small bottles. ¡°This is a poison that works on Demonic Beasts. ¡­If you can get the beast to drink this, we¡¯ll use our skills to do the rest.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll do all the actions! You guys can throw rocks from afar to distract the Demonic Beast or run to contact Ran-chan after I have poisoned the Demonic Beast. Then there won¡¯t be any danger, right?¡± The two Rikka looked at Tsugumi and Chidori as if waiting for an answer. ¨CThat¡¯s certainly not a bad idea. But there is one thing that bothers me. Tsugumi made a thoughtful gesture and opened his mouth. ¡°Can you really use those skills? The way you were talking earlier, you said it would be difficult to use your powers as a Magical Girl within this barrier.¡± That was the problem. Even before using a skill, Tsugumi almost vomited because he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. It was still unknown what kind of side effects the girls would suffer, but he didn¡¯t think they would be able to move properly under the influence of side effects. He didn¡¯t want to be given a cheap shot. When he asked that, Suzushiro looked at her left hand and turned to him with clear eyes, as if she had shaken off her doubts. ¡°No problem. ¨CI¡¯m going to get it done.¡± Tsugumi involuntarily flinched under the pressure of her spirit. ¨CThis was the dignity of Rikka. The quality of her determination was clearly different from those who became Magical Girls by chance, someone like Tsugumi. A strong will to protect others. It was very different from Tsugumi, who put the people he cared about first. He was both envious and saddened by this. Magical Girls who put their lives on the line to save the lives of people in this country ¨C in other words, they were nothing more than slaves. No matter how many pretty words were used to decorate them, it was a fact that they were being offered to numerous Gods to fight. The obligation was light for strays, but how heavy was the pressure on the government-affiliated Magical Girls? ¨CWhat are the Rikka doing to support themselves in such a situation? It was strange for Tsugumi. ¡°So, did you get an answer? We¡¯re running out of time, so please hurry if you can.¡± Mibu told him to hurry, paying attention to the direction behind him. Perhaps she had noticed that the Demonic Beast had begun to move. She too could probably sense the presence of a Demonic Beast. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯ll help if I can. But the other three of you should stay in a safe place-¡° As Tsugumi was about to continue his words, Chidori interrupted. ¡°No. I¡¯ll help too.¡± ¡°But, Chidori.¡± ¡°If left alone, Tsugumi will do something reckless again. ¡­I haven¡¯t forgiven you for what you did earlier.¡± When Chidori said this in a resentful tone, Tsugumi looked away awkwardly. She was apparently quite angry that he had pushed Yumeji on her and left them behind. ¡°Are we all on the same page? Let me give you the gist of the operation.¡± ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡°I really feel bad for you guys. We¡¯re not supposed to involve the general public in something like this. I¡¯ll pay you the reward later. I¡¯m well paid, in spite of how this looks!¡± As Mibu, Chidori, and Tsugumi were on their way to the Demonic Beast, Mibu said something like that. ¡°I don¡¯t need a reward. It¡¯s an emergency situation, and I don¡¯t think you need to worry about it.¡± ¡°No, even though she doesn¡¯t belong to the government, the Magical Girl is causing trouble, so we need to be compensated for that, don¡¯t we? It¡¯s like I came all the way here to have fun and was forced to get caught up in a horror attraction. ¨CAnd, you don¡¯t have to use honorifics, okay? I¡¯m younger than you. I don¡¯t like to be treated with too much respect.¡± ¡°That¡¯s, uh. I can¡¯t be so familiar with Mibu-san, who is a Rikka.¡± When Chidori said this in a bewildered manner, Mibu laughed out loud. ¡°I¡¯m not that uptight about it. Even though I¡¯m a Rikka, I¡¯m just cutting down Demonic Beasts. Unlike everyone else, I don¡¯t have such proud beliefs.¡± Mibu smiled happily as she said this, picking up the kodachi she wore at her waist. ¡°Besides, there are very few opportunities to fight a Demonic Beast in such a restricted situation. I¡¯ll take it as a test of my skill. Ran-chan said that, but I wouldn¡¯t mind if I beat it!¡± Her tone was light and she didn¡¯t sound like she was about to challenge a Demonic Beast in the flesh. It was exactly the same [Mibu Yurie] as seen on TV, and Tsugumi involuntarily stared at her quizzically. ¡°Somehow, you¡¯re very relaxed. On the contrary, Suzushiro-san seemed to be overdoing it.¡± ¡°Hey, Tsugumi.¡± Chidori raised a small voice at Tsugumi¡¯s comment, but Mibu opened her mouth as if she didn¡¯t care. ¡°Ran-chan looks so serious. I don¡¯t worry too much about the details as long as the Demonic Beast is out of the way.¡± Tsugumi did not know what to say to Mibu, who said this easily. He knew that some people ridiculed her as ¡°a person whose only purpose in life is to cut up Demonic Beasts,¡± and some even called her ¡°Sword Fanatic¡± with awe. But it was a gift to be able to maintain the usual mentality in this situation. ¡°¡­Why are you so obsessed with cutting down Demonic Beasts?¡± When Tsugumi somehow asked her that, Mibu looked up at the sky vaguely and mumbled. ¡°Maybe because the only things I can cut down are Demonic Beasts.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Tsugumi was about to continue when a blue shadow slowly appeared from the far end of the road. The Ogre¡¯s face was painted in a single color of rage, accentuating the horror of the situation. ¡­It seemed to be annoyed by the attack on Tsugumi¡¯s motorcycle. Chidori let out a small scream when she saw the beast, but stayed on the spot and stared firmly ahead. As for Tsugumi, it would have been better if she had run away, but if that was what she wanted, he had no other choice. In the event of an emergency, Tsugumi would protect her at all costs. ¡°Hmm? Look like it¡¯s here. Stay firm.¡± Mibu, who sheathed out her kodachi said this, signaled to Tsugumi, and laughed ferociously. CH 43 The Blade Called Mibu Yurie Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¡°¨CHahaha! What¡¯s wrong with the Demonic Beast! It¡¯s moving too slowly!¡± Mibu Yurie was avoiding the attacks from the beast with her light steps, and in between attacks, she was boldly cutting at the beast. However, the beast¡¯s skin was hard and the cut was not very deep. He was worried about how well Mibu would be able to move, partly because of her inability to use her powers as a Magical Girl, but it seemed that his fears were unfounded. From the outside, Mibu seemed to have the upper hand. However, that was not the problem. ¡°¡­Even if you ask for my support, how am I supposed to barge in?¡± While Mibu and the Demonic Beast were moving around at a dizzying pace, Tsugumi was stunned, holding a stone in his hand. In a situation like this, even if he threw a stone, it might just get dangerously in the way. ¡°That¡¯s amazing¡­ I do kendo too, but I could never move like that.¡± Chidori, perhaps thinking the same thing as Tsugumi, gazed at Mibu¡¯s battle with eyes filled with puzzlement and respect. As people who share the same path of swordsmanship, she must have felt something. ¨C¡°Rikka¡± is not a bad title, after all. The name Rikka had been at the forefront of the Magical Girl world for four years. Tsugumi, who had only been active for half a year, also benefited from physical strengthening. There was no way that someone in Rikka¡¯s class could be ordinary. As he thought about this, Tsugumi threw a stone behind the Demonic Beast, aiming for the moment when Mibu would cut into it. The sound of the stone falling almost made the beast react, but it did not turn around. After that, he threw a few more stones, knocked over things to make noise, and did some other small obstructions, but that didn¡¯t seem to have much of an effect. ¡­Was cooperation really necessary? Seeing Mibu happily taking on the beast, he wondered if his help was needed. Perhaps, although Mibu said they were cooperating in the battle, his real mission was to serve as a messenger to Suzushiro. But that was as far as he could safely go. The beast¡¯s wounds were steadily increasing, but they were shallow and far from fatal. And without a chance to take the all-important poison, time was passing in vain. Tsugumi was not the only one feeling impatient. ¡°Kuh, I don¡¯t think I have the strength to drag this on any longer.¡± After saying this, Mibu took some distance from the beast and turned back to Tsugumi. ¡°Get ready to run! You remember where it is, right?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s the wooden three-dimensional maze to the west, right? When Chidori replied, Mibu answered ¡°Alright!¡± and held the kodachi in the opposite hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to use it if possible, but I guess I can¡¯t spare it.¡± Mibu inserted kodachi directly into her chest and roughly cut her clothes from the chest to her feet. Her white, slender body was exposed to Tsugumi¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­Huh? Eh?!¡± Tsugumi could not hide his shock and shouted loudly. ¡ªIs, is this something I should take a closer look at? No, but I have to cover for support¡­ He glanced behind him and saw Chidori staring at him with terribly cold eyes. In an instant, his excitement subsided and his head cooled down. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll concentrate properly.¡± ¡®Very well. ¨CI¡¯m sure Mibu-san has her own ideas. Let us do our job.¡± ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¨CMibu Yurie was an abnormal person with an urge to cut down things. Yurie was born to an ordinary couple and led an ordinary life without any inconvenience. The turning point came in the spring of the year she turned ten. It was a warm day, with petals of cherry blossoms dancing in the air. In the morning, Yurie was walking to school when she was attacked by a gangster with a knife. However, when the knife was pointed at her, she took it without fear and, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, twisted the weapon in the gangster¡¯s stomach. Afterward, Yurie answered the adults¡¯ questions without any sense of fear: ¡°Because that knife looked like it would cut well.¡± From that day on, Yurie¡¯s abnormality became apparent. Whenever she picked up anything with a blade, from scissors to cutters to kitchen knives, she could not suppress the urge to tear apart the object in front of her. In addition to this, for some reason, Yurie was unable to feel guilty about the act of cutting. When Yurie held a knife in her hand, she had only two choices: ¡°it cuts¡± or ¡°it doesn¡¯t cut¡±. Each time Yurie¡¯s parents tried to correct her impulses by scolding her, quieting her, and sometimes crying over her, but without success. It was a kind of inevitability that Yurie decided to become a Magical Girl when she turned twelve. -To be able to legally chop down various objects. How wonderful that is! Yurie continued to cut up Demonic Beasts as her impulses dictated. The illustrious status of Rikka was only a byproduct of that. But now, she had a certain sense of duty as a member of Rikka, and the awareness that she should behave in a manner befitting of her position. Otherwise, she would never have thought of fighting a Demonic Beast in such a helpless state. With the cooperation of the contract God, she was now able to suppress the impulses in her daily life, but it was a wonder what would happen when she retired from being a Magical Girl. It might just be a matter of not carrying a knife, but there was still the possibility of ¡°what if¡±. Yurie herself had no desire to cause trouble for others. When she retired, it might be safe to live a slow life deep in the mountains, far away from people. ¨CBut first, she would probably have to die. ¡°¨CSkill release, ¡®Aerial Walking¡¯.¡± With that declaration, Mibu ran through the air. Aerial Walk, as the name implied, was a skill to walk in the air. For Yurie, who had been a Magical Girl for a long time, it was an ability that she could use more easily than breathing. If there was a problem, it was the side effect. Yurie¡¯s face was no longer as relaxed as it had earlier when she attacked by creating footholds up and down, left and right, and in the air, looking for the beast¡¯s opening. Her lovely face was contorted in pain, and her white skin gradually turned red. Her body was gushing out a considerable amount of sweat. ¡°Ah! It¡¯s hot!!¡± ¨CThe side effect that appeared in Mibu Yurie was ¡°fever¡±. Every time she used her ability as a Magical Girl, her body temperature would gradually rise. Even if she tried to adjust the temperature by turning off the skill, the raised body temperature did not go down easily. Even more so because of the strenuous exercise she did. She had cut her clothes in order to release as much heat as possible. She was definitely not an exhibitionist. Then, the moment the beast was knocked out of its stance by an attack from behind ¨C Yurie activated her second skill. The divine power gathered in the kodachi and clothed it in a pale red color. ¡°Cut it down, Beast Slaying!¡± With that declaration, Yurie swung down the kodachi. ¨CAs the name suggested, the Beast Slaying was a skill to slay Demonic Beasts. To be more precise, it was a skill that put the necessary concepts into a sword. There was no need to explain in detail now. It was so tricky that it required some taming, but as long as she had this skill, no matter how hard-armored the beasts were, she could cut them down with a single sword stroke. This was the last trump card Mibu Yurie had. ¡°¡­It still won¡¯t work, after all!¡± ¨CBut in a situation where the output of the skill was limited, it didn¡¯t become a fatal hit. The blade cut off the beast¡¯s right arm, which was raised as if to protect it, and came close to its neck. However, the blade stopped when the tip of the blade dug in a few centimeters. Yurie rushed to pull out the kodachi, but the beast¡¯s remaining left hand gripped the kodachi, preventing her from moving. ¡°Gu, gaaaaaaaah!¡± The Demonic Beast screamed in a mixture of pain and anger. The beast pulled the kodachi and tried to attack Yurie ¨C not realizing that it was guided to do so. ¡°Ah, I was waiting for you to do that.¡± Yurie smiled and let go of the kodachi. She then approached the staggered beast and took two bottles the size of golf balls, unsealed them, and threw them into the beast¡¯s mouth. She kicked the Ogre in the mouth, forcing it to close its mouth, and made it swallow the entire bottle and the liquid inside. After watching the beast¡¯s throat move, Yurie quickly stepped back. ¡°¨CI made it drink the poison!!!! Go!¡± As Yurie shouted this, one of the siblings who had been asked to help ¨C the older sister, Chidori ¨C ran as if she had been shot. Looking at the sister¡¯s figure with a sideways glance, Yurie sensed an approaching limit. ¨CHer vision was whirling. At this point, Yurie¡¯s body temperature was over 42 degrees celsius, and she could have lost consciousness at any moment. The fact that she was able to hold on was a result of her willpower and perseverance as Rikka. But perhaps it was the slackness of having accomplished her mission to poison the beast, or the fact that she was on the verge of losing concentration, which she had been keeping just in time. Through a blurred vision, the Ogre approached Yurie, moaning in agony. But Yurie couldn¡¯t move. ¨CWell, I guess I did my best. Yurie thought with a fluffy thought process. This way of death would at least save Rikka¡¯s face. It was dumb that she was in her underwear, but that couldn¡¯t be helped. And just as Yurie was about to accept her death, something was thrown at the Ogre¡¯s face. ¡°Gaaaaaaaaaah!!!¡± The beast screamed loudly and held its face with the remaining left hand. The beast¡¯s face was covered with a shocking pink liquid, and even from a short distance away, one could smell a strong odor wafting through the air. As she watched the scene, she felt someone¡¯s hands on her waist and the back of her knees. ¡°Hmm?¡± Without the time to be confused, she was lifted up and held sideways. It was the so-called bridal carry. When Yurie looked up, she saw a man with an impatient look on his face ¨C Nanase Tsugumi. ¡°What are you doing?! Don¡¯t give up so easily! ¡°¨CAh.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s run away quickly. We¡¯re going to lead that Ogre to the west, right? It¡¯s going to be a little bumpy, but bear with me.¡± Tsugumi, with its back to the Ogre and Yurie in his arms, tried to run off to the west. Yurie impatiently grabbed Tsugumi by the collar and forced him to stop, then pointed to the kodachi that had fallen nearby. ¡°Wait a minute. Can you pick that up for me?¡± ¡°That? ¡­That¡¯s right. It¡¯s probably still needed.¡± With minimal movement, he picked up the kodachi, wrapped the blade in the cloth that had fallen off, and handed it to Yurie. ¡°Look for the scabbard later. The Ogre seems to be weakened, but that doesn¡¯t mean it won¡¯t lash out while we¡¯re looking for it.¡± Yurie stared blankly at Tsugumi that had run off after saying that, buoyed by the heat. The angle from below gave a good view of the face under the sunglasses. It resembled the face often seen in the visual media these days. ¨CIt¡¯s just like the face of Sakura Hagakure. Yurie slowly let go of her consciousness as she was rocked in Tsugumi¡¯s arms. It was beyond her mental and physical limits to move any further. The only remaining fortress was Suzushiro Ran, who was waiting for her in the three-dimensional maze. But Yurie was not worried. ¨CBecause she was so much stronger than Yurie. CH 44 Preparation For Solitude Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CWhile Yurie was fighting the beast, Suzushiro Ran was running around the maze with a hose connected to the water supply. ¡°¡­Ah, I¡¯m tired.¡± Ran was gasping for breath as she sprayed water into the maze. The maze had three levels, and if the top floor was sprinkled with water, it would trickle down to the lower levels. Fortunately, there was a tank-type water supply on the rooftop, so there was no difficulty in finding a source of water. Well, she chose this place for the battle, knowing in advance that there was a tank of water. Unlike Yurie, who could use her skills with just a blade and her body, Ran needed to make preparations beforehand in order to use her skills. The water sprinkling was part of that preparation. However, despite her efficient watering, Ran¡¯s expression was dark. Suzushiro Ran was unusual among the many Magical Girls in existence in that she had few direct methods of attack. It could be said that she was the exact opposite of Yurie, who pushed on physically. Because of her skill set, the most dangerous part was left to Yurie this time, but it wasn¡¯t as if Ran was taking no risks either. In a sense, this part was tougher than directly confronting the Demonic Beast. ¡°I¡¯ll leave enough water to cover the beast directly later, but I probably don¡¯t have enough water in the maze. I wonder if Yuri-chan is doing well?¡± ¨CDespite the worried look on her face, Ran did not doubt in the slightest that Yurie would finish the job. No matter how terrifying or strong the other Demonic Beast was, Yurie was never driven by fear. It was no exaggeration to say that her strong and unshakable mentality existed precisely because she was a Magical Girl. The most important quality for a Magical Girl was not a sense of justice or appearance, but spiritual strength. At the very least, many Gods were concerned with the inside more than what was on the outside. -God, I wonder if he¡¯s going to get angry. Thinking this, Ran let out a loud sigh. Ran¡¯s contract God was a bit special. He hated it when Ran did things that involve self-sacrifice. Her activities as a Magical Girl were considered a separate category because it was part of the job, but her behavior this time was out of line. If Ran¡¯s contract God had been here, he would have been screaming like a wildfire. Even if that were not the case, she would get a lecture when she got back home for sure. Ran was now feeling depressed. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s been a terrible holiday.¡± Ran complained as she looked out the window between the maze and gazed at the view outside. There were many fun attractions lined up, but even if Ran and the others defeated the beast, it was unlikely that they would reopen today due to the investigation into the cause of the irregularity. The ticket she had been given now had gone to waste. Besides, she would be busy tomorrow with the announcement of the new Rikka. If she got chosen, she wouldn¡¯t be able to take a proper vacation for a while, and the day when she would visit this Amusement Park to play might never come again. ¨CWell, that¡¯s only if I survive. The odds were against them. According to the story of the encounter with the Demonic Beast, its strength rank was as close to E-class as possible. Ran¡¯s sub-skill, if fitted well, could play tricks on A-class Demonic Beasts. No matter how limited the output was, there was no reason to not win. The only concern was the side effects of using the skill, but she¡¯d already come up with a solution for that. The rest was up to Ran¡¯s fierceness. Ran was idly gazing outside when she spotted a small figure running toward the maze from the distance. It was Nanase Chidori, one of the siblings she had asked for help. She was running forward without looking back. From the looks of it, Yurie must have done well. ¡°Un. Yuri-chan seems to have succeeded.¡± Ran let out a relieved breath, and then proceeded towards the entrance of the maze. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô Chidori arrived near the entrance just in time as Ran went downstairs. Chidori opened her mouth with a nervous look as she regulated her breathing. ¡°Mibu-san gave both bottles of poison to the Demonic Beast. And then¡­ My brother will lead the rest of the way here.¡± ¡°I see. Thanks for coming so quickly. ¨CIs Yuri-chan okay?¡± When Ran asked this, Chidori made a slight stilted gesture, but quickly replied, ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem to be hurt.¡± Wondering about this, Ran tilted her head and asked her back. ¡°Did something strange happen?¡± ¡°No, well, in the middle of the fight, Mibu-san cut off the clothes she was wearing¡­¡± Chidori replied, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Ran heard the reply and came to an understanding. Perhaps Yurie had used her skill. She had heard beforehand about the side effects, so she could understand why she did it. But as a girl, she had mixed feelings. ¡°Ah, yes. I think it was necessary, so don¡¯t worry about it. ¡­Well, that means Yuri-chan is half-naked and alone with a boy.¡± It was unlikely that she¡¯d be in a strange mood in this emergency situation, but she was still worried. ¡°It¡¯s okay! My brother doesn¡¯t have the courage to touch a woman! I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll come running straight here with Mibu-san.¡± ¡°Ri, right?¡± Even if she was his sister, it was too bad an assessment. He didn¡¯t seem that timid when she first talked to him, but perhaps he was in fact a bit reserved. While they were talking, she saw two shadows in the direction Chidori came from. The one in the back was the blue Ogre, a Demonic Beast. And the one running in the front was¨C ¡°¡­Whoa.¡± ¨CNanase Tsugumi was running, holding Yurie in her underwear with both hands. Yurie herself would not mind, but it was somewhat embarrassing to watch. Perhaps he was carrying Yurie who collapsed from skill overuse with good intentions, but the impact of seeing this moment was too great. ¡­He was probably going to have a difficult time after he was saved. Yurie¡¯s fans were not that extreme, but he might be the center of attention for a while. Ran glanced at Chidori next to her as she thought about this. She was looking anxiously at Tsugumi who kept running. She was probably just genuinely worried about her brother, who was being chased by the Ogre. ¨CIt¡¯s time to focus. She could think about this later when it was over. If they got any criticism from the public, then Ran could deal with it. She thought so and took a deep breath. Her mind needed to change. No matter how weakened the beast was by the poison, she shouldn¡¯t let her guard down. If Ran failed here, at least one person would surely die. It was what they were trying to prevent. Tsugumi who was guiding the Ogre increased his running speed as soon as he caught sight of Ran and the others standing in front of the maze. He then reached the front of the maze with a significant distance separating him from the Ogre. ¡°I¡¯ve got you¡­!¡± ¡°Tsugumi, no injuries?¡± ¡°No! Mibu-san is safe! ¡­I¡¯m sorry, just a minute, please.¡± Exhaling roughly, Tsugumi gently handed the unconscious Yurie to Chidori as he looked away. Fortunately, Yurie was small and light. Even a girl like Chidori could probably hold her temporarily. Then, he quickly took off his jacket and put it on Yurie to help her. It seemed he could not leave her in her underwear. Ran looked into Yurie¡¯s limp face and breathed a sigh of relief. Yurie¡¯s skin was slightly reddened and she was breathing shallowly, as if the fever from the side effects had not yet subsided. But there were no noticeable injuries, and she would soon recover as long as she took a rest. ¡°Good work! Then you two, take Yuri-chan and get away from here. The rest is my job.¡± Ran was about to evacuate the two when Tsugumi stopped and stared at her silently. For some reason, his gaze was fixed on Ran¡¯s left hand. ¡°What? Something wrong?¡± ¡°¡­No. Nothing.¡± He looked unconvinced, but Chidori called him away to the rear of the maze. -Is he aware of what I am about to do? Ran shook her head in a small way, thinking that there was no way that he knew, and then she looked at the beast that was slowly walking up from the front. The remaining distance was about fifty meters. At that speed, it would reach here in a few minutes. The time had come. Ran then took a small pair of pliers out of her pocket that she had found in the staff room of the maze, and without hesitation, she placed the tip of the pliers on the nails of her left hand. ¨CThe side effect of Ran¡¯s skill was ¡°sleepiness¡±. The violent drowsiness of the skill instantly reaped Ran¡¯s consciousness. The countermeasure was quite simple. ¨CIt was nothing but pure pain. ¡°Well now¡­. ¨CLet¡¯s try a little harder!¡± CH 45 Object Of Resentment Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani A short distance away from the maze, Tsugumi remembered the object in his pocket. It was the remaining self-defense items. He didn¡¯t expect Suzushiro to fail, but it would be better to give her these items just in case. These things should be held by those who need them. As Tsugumi thought about this, he was reminded of the strange object he had just seen. ¨CThe red flame-like shadow that seemed to cling to the left half of Suzushiro¡¯s body. Perhaps he had seen it wrong, but there was a possibility that it was a sign of something. Suzushiro was the last fortress in this battle. If the cause for concern could be alleviated, he should take an action. So, he called out to Chidori, who was walking in front of him. ¡°Hey, Chidori. I¡¯ve got something for Suzushiro-san, so I¡¯m going over there for a bit. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± When he said this, Chidori looked doubtful. ¡°Give her what? Oh, is it perhaps the sword that Mibu-san is carrying?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s the remaining self-defense items that Meibuki-senpai gave me. ¡­I¡¯ll take that one too, just in case. If she says she doesn¡¯t need it, I can just bring it back.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it dangerous to go back?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. With the speed of that Ogre, it will still take some time to arrive. It¡¯s faster for me to get away.¡± Chidori lowered her eyebrows in concern at the Tsugumi¡¯s words, but then let out a sigh as if she had no choice. ¡°I think it¡¯s okay because Suzushiro-san is there, but be careful.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When he replied, Tsugumi pulled the sword out of Mibu¡¯s hand. The blade was wrapped in cloth, so there was no danger in carrying it around. Tsugumi waved lightly to Chidori and began to run toward the maze. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¨CAnd then, in front of the maze, Tsugumi saw Suzushiro biting down on a scream with blood pouring from her left hand. At her feet, a pair of pliers stained with blood had fallen along with some reddish-black object. Looking at its shape, it was just the size of a fingernail. Given the circumstances, he could only assume that she removed her own fingernails, but he wondered what had happened in the short time he was away. As Tsugumi stared at Suzushiro from behind in dismay, Suzushiro turned around and opened her mouth, clucking her tongue. ¡°Why do you come back? ¡­Ah, I didn¡¯t want people to see me like this. ¨CDon¡¯t worry about this. I don¡¯t have time to answer.¡± Sweat pouring from her forehead, Suzushiro said so in a broken voice. Even though he was told not to worry, he couldn¡¯t help feeling curious. However, it was not the kind of atmosphere where he could ask for details. ¡­Perhaps it was necessary for the skill to be activated, but it was painful. Tsugumi was dismayed, but he spoke up about his original purpose. ¡°That, I thought I¡¯d give you the weapon Mibu-san had, just in case. And I have a smoke ball for blinding, so I thought it might be of some use¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want a sword. I don¡¯t think I can carry it. But I¡¯ll take the smoking ball. ¡­Well, I don¡¯t know why you have such a thing.¡± ¡°A friend of mine gave it to me for self-defense. There are various circumstances¡­ It¡¯s pretty easy to use, if you throw it hard enough on the ground, it will start smoking.¡± ¡°Hmm? Well, okay. Thanks. You should go over there soon. The Demonic Beast is just around the corner.¡± With these words, Suzushiro took the bag containing the smoke ball and put it in her jacket pocket. She exhaled painfully from time to time, but it seemed that her breathing had stopped being erratic. Tsugumi bowed lightly, put the sword back in his hand, and hurried away. Then he looked in the direction of the beast. ¨CHe saw it. The Ogre, covered in the pink liquid that had a tear gas effect and carrying a metal rod in one hand, was heading toward the maze at a steady pace with a look of fury on its face. But the moment its eyes met Tsugumi¡¯s, the beast stopped and roared into the sky. ¡°Ggahhhhhh!¡± Tsugumi was pierced by murderous intent. The demon stopped roaring and stared straight at Tsugumi. He watched the beast¡¯s movements in a cold sweat. ¨CMaybe, the Ogre is holding a grudge against me. There were a number of reasons that came to mind, to say the least. First of all, he had run into the Ogre with a motorcycle. The next one was the horrible attack on its face. And if he included the fact that he had interfered with it killing people, then Tsugumi must be quite an eyesore for the Ogre. It wasn¡¯t surprising that he got targeted. The Ogre, while increasing its walking speed, did not look away from the Tsugumi, as if it were looking at a vindictive enemy. ¡°¡­this, isn¡¯t this beast coming towards me the way I ran away?¡± Suzushiro let out a loud sigh and slapped Tsugumi across the chest with one hand. ¡°I wish you would have just escaped without doing anything unnecessary!¡± The words of resentment spilled out of Suzushiro¡¯s mouth. Tsugumi bowed his head, feeling deeply sorry. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry ¡­I didn¡¯t think I would be resented by the Ogre.¡± ¡­His action was well-meaning, but it backfired. If he left the maze at this point, the Ogre would probably follow his path. That would ruin the whole operation. And her resolve ¨C even her injured finger. He kept her eyes down and began to speak in a determined voice. ¡°I¡¯ll go into the maze with you. Then the demons will arrive, and it won¡¯t hinder your strategy, right? It¡¯s my fault the plan went wrong. Let me take responsibility for that.¡± If Tsugumi had not bothered to return to the maze, things would have gone on without any problems. Then it was natural for Tsugumi to take the risk for atonement. Suzushiro looked a little hesitant at the Tsugumi¡¯s offer, but then slowly shook her head. ¡°I honestly didn¡¯t want to get civilians anymore involved, but I guess I don¡¯t have a choice this time. ¡­It¡¯s pretty dangerous, will you still help?¡± ¡°Of course. Anything you say.¡± When Tsugumi responded with a serious look on his face, Suzushiro gave a small laugh. ¡°Well, then, I¡¯ll let you do your best. Hmm, but when the subjugation is over, let me hit you once. I was really pissed off earlier.¡± ¡°Well, if it makes you feel better¡­¡± It felt like he was hit with a rather strong force earlier, but he supposed he shouldn¡¯t worry about that. Rather, if he could be forgiven with that, it would be great. Tsugumi then turned around and stared at the distant back of Chidori, which was getting further and further away. He put his hands together and bowed a little, apologizing to Chidori in his heart. ¨CSorry, Chidori. I can¡¯t go back yet. But all that was left to do was to fit the maze into the plan he had heard beforehand. It might be a bit of a hassle to get out, but as long as he didn¡¯t injure his leg, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. It wasn¡¯t a situation that Chidori had to worry about. ¡°Then, it¡¯s about time. Let¡¯s get going. If you get lost and enter the dead-end, I won¡¯t be able to help you.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Then, Tsugumi was led into the maze by Suzushiro. The Ogre followed, destroying the door in the way. ¨CThe game of tag was about to begin. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô ¡°¨CEh, Tsugumi, why are you inside¡­?¡± They didn¡¯t know Chidori, who stopped in the distance and looked back toward the maze, was stunned by what she saw. CH 46 The Devil''s Whisper Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani At a trotting pace, Tsugumi followed Suzushiro. The maze¡¯s paths were wide enough for people to pass each other, but they were intricate in their own way, it would be easy to get lost if one got a little distracted. As he ran, Tsugumi observed the rearview. Suzushiro¡¯s physique was more slender than Chidori¡¯s, and she didn¡¯t look like someone who usually found themselves in the middle of a battle. Thinking so, Tsugumi felt sorry for himself. ¨CIn the end, I am useless. Tsugumi¡¯s sub-skill was not very useful in this situation. In fact, because of the side effects, using the skill could be a drag. The reason he didn¡¯t tell the girls he was a Magical Girl was more than to hide the identity of Hagakure Sakura. If he couldn¡¯t use the skills properly, he thought it would be better not to count on them. But watching girls his age fighting to the bitter end, he began to feel a sense of guilt. It felt like cheating alone. ¡°Go to the left at the next end and go straight for a while! When you get to the last set of stairs, grab the bucket next to you and stand by! Sprinkle the water when the Demonic Beast comes up!¡± Suzushiro shouted this in the middle of the road. Apparently, the target point was close. ¡°I understand. What should I do after that?¡± ¡°Hold on to my left hand. If I feel lightheaded when I use my skill, hold it tightly. That way you can reduce the side effects of the skill. Oh, and you have to put up with a bloody hand. You¡¯re a boy, right?¡± ¡°But that hand still hurts pretty bad, doesn¡¯t it? Is it okay if I hold it?¡± Suzushiro said to hold it lightly, but an injury to the fingertips was considerably more painful than other parts of the body. As she ran and her body temperature raised, the current pain must be considerable. If he stimulated it, it might cause extreme pain close to torture. When Tsugumi asked, Suzushiro replied. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going to put up with it. This is the first time I¡¯ve been injured in a long time, I¡¯m about to cry. ¡­Ha, for what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m glad you were there. I was a little nervous about being alone after all.¡± ¡°¡­I thought about it when I saw Mibu-san, but no matter how much of a ¡®Rikka¡¯ you guys are, you don¡¯t have to go to such lengths. If you wanted, you could have decided to ignore it for the protection of the general public. And if one Magical Girl died because of that, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡­If the two Rikka had not been here, Tsugumi would have abandoned the dying Magical Girl for sure. It was simply because he knew his own limit. Tsugumi didn¡¯t think he could defeat the Demonic Beast alone. At best, he would have to run around and buy time. Either way, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to save the Magical Girl. When Tsugumi said this, Suzushiro glanced back and opened her mouth. ¡°Well, I thought about it, too. Because it¡¯s not worth it.¡± ¡°Then, why?¡± ¡°Because it wouldn¡¯t look good if I ran away. I don¡¯t want my God to see me looking that bad.¡± Suzushiro said this and began to walk up the stairs, giggling. Tsugumi fastened his pace and followed her lead. They were almost at the place they had set their sights on. ¡°¨CI have a goal.¡± ¡°A goal?¡± When they reached the top of the stairs, Suzushiro spoke abruptly. Tsugumi listened to her voice as he held a bucket of water and peeked down the stairs. Suzushiro continued, paying no attention to Tsugumi. ¡°My contract God is a God that has been written off as having never existed in history. So he¡¯s not very powerful in general, and he¡¯s not very well known because he hates people and doesn¡¯t want his name to be mentioned. I want to do something to that kind of God, somehow.¡± Listening to Suzushiro¡¯s story, Tsugumi was reminded of Bell. Bell was also an old God forgotten by the works of humankind. Perhaps she had a lot in common with Suzushiro¡¯s contract God. ¡°Does that mean he wants to regain the authority of a God?¡± ¡°I wonder? If I work hard and defeat the Demonic Beasts, my God¡¯s power will increase and the other Gods won¡¯t make fun of us for being weak. And you know what, one day I¡¯ll get permission to build a temple! Then, even if I quit being Magical Girls, we can be together forever, right?¡± Saying this, Suzushiro smiled like a little kid talking about her dreams. As she said these words, Tsugumi looked at the beast that had begun to climb the stairs. ¨CIf they were going to splash water, now would be the right time to do it. ¡°I am sure it will come true. ¨CBut first, we have to get out of here alive.¡± Tsugumi pulled back the bucket, stood up, and took Suzushiro¡¯s hand. The beast roared like mad and swung its golden club, but its deadly blade did not reach the top of the stairs. The moment she finally saw the face of the Ogre that had run up the stairs, Suzushiro activated her skill. ¡°¨CI am the one who rejects truth and affirms falsehood.¡± ¡ô¡ô¡ô Suzushiro Ran¡¯s basic specs without her Magical Girl powers were almost ordinary. As a child, she was neither good at studying nor athletics, and was an ordinary child with nothing outstanding to show for it. Her parents both worked and were not interested in her, and although she had many friends now, her friends were very few back then, so she had a very lonely childhood. In the midst of these empty days, Ran was diagnosed as having a very high aptitude for Magical Girl in a hospital examination she underwent by chance. Her parents told her to live her life as a Magical Girl candidate. ¨CBut what awaited her there was more pain than ever. Ran, who did not excel in anything in particular, was by far the worst among the many candidates. She was ridiculed by everyone around her and scorned for her failures at every turn. After about half a year of such a life, her instructor decided that it was useless, and she got expelled from the program. As a final memorial, she was allowed to enter the ¡°God¡¯s Room,¡± where various deities came in search of Magical Girls. Of course, it was just for making memories, no one expected Ran to be chosen by a God. ¨CBut there she met her ¡°fate¡±. A God, who had been deemed unnecessary and buried from history, chose a girl who was a failure. If it wasn¡¯t fate, what else should she call it? From that day on, Ran¡¯s life changed dramatically. She became more confident in herself and her friendships widened. Finally, her efforts bore fruit and she was able to rise to the position of Rikka. For this reason, Ran was always grateful to her God and held respect akin to faith. It was ¨C to the point of risking her life for the sake of God¡¯s goodwill. ¡°The thing scattered in the maze. It is not water, but a fire that burns everything up!¡± Rin¡¯s contract God was the Egyptian god of vanity and chaos. ¨CThe name of the God was ¡°Gereg¡±. He was the opposite of Ma¡¯at, who crowned justice and truth. The name of the skill inspired by his authority was ¡°Event Alteration¡±. It was a fearsome ability that rewrite part of the world¡¯s reason. The water turned into a shimmering blue flame with Ran¡¯s declaration. At the same time, black smoke and the smell of burning wood spread all over the maze, quickly filling the area with flames. The Ogre, now on fire, tumbled down the stairs, screaming. The fire had spread to the stairs as well, and it was no longer possible to climb them. Ran¡¯s body tilted. This skill was very powerful, but it consumed a lot of power. Therefore, the side effect quickly took away Ran¡¯s consciousness. ¡°Ouch, ouch, it hurts.¡± Just as she was about to fall completely unconscious, she felt a sharp pain in her left hand. ¡°Wake up! Let¡¯s get the hell out of here!¡± Tsugumi shouted with a look of impatience on his face. Ran looked around vaguely and took stock of the situation. The flames were so intense that both of them might be burned to death if they continued. There was no time to be amazed. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. Let¡¯s run away.¡± Saying that, Ran activated another skill. Then, while enduring the drowsiness that struck at the same time by holding Tsugumi¡¯s hand tightly, she took a step into the flames. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s already on fire¨C¡° Just as he was about to grab Ran by the shoulders and stop her, the sea of fire split in two like a cracked road. Pulling back the hand of the stunned Tsugumi who looked at the path of fire, Ran smiled, squinting her large shaded eyes. ¡°My other skill is ¡®Good Luck.¡¯ As long as it is activated, this flame can be completely nullified. ¨CBut the time I am able to use it is short, so I have to go now!¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô In the sea of flames, the Ogre struggled with pain all over its body. Its hard blue skin was burning away, and the burning wood was chipping away at the Ogre¡¯s body. It was no longer an Ogre, but a lump of reddish-black flesh. The Ogre¡¯s head, half dead and half alive, was filled with anger and hatred. ¨CJust how could this situation happen when the first Magical Girl is already destroyed? It¡¯s all because of those humans. Thinking of this, the Ogre groaned. It had only a few minutes left to live. ¨CIt got completely shut down, even though the task was simply to eliminate the maximum strength of the Magical Girl and then hunt the humans who were lured in ¨C those with the aptitude for Magical Girls. The lack of decisiveness and the slow pace was the main reasons for the defeat. However, what it did not expect was those three ¨C the active Magical Girls. If it had not been for them, things would have gone well. The Ogre roared, feeling frustrated with its gradually charring body. ¨CAh! If only I had one more chance, I would definitely kill them! Just as the Ogre was about to snap out of it, screaming with vindictiveness, a revelation echoed in its head. ?¨CI see. Then, once again.¡± It was like a whisper from the devil. The flames that had been burning the Ogre¡¯s body turned into a black haze, and its skin became rough and rugged. It was as if the body was being rebuilt. ?Now go on. ¨CPlay your part.¡± Guided by a mysterious voice, the black Ogre moved through the collapsing maze. ¨CThe figure of the black Ogre was just like a hellish prison guard. CH 47 The Thing Reaching Out Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CTsugumi was running frantically down the street carrying Suzushiro, whose consciousness was clouded, on his back. ¡°Screw you! If you got beat up that bad, you should be dead already!¡± He shouted this in frustration, but moved his feet without stagnation while keeping an eye on his back. The situation was very bad, to put it bluntly. -After that, Tsugumi was able to get out of the burning maze and watch the building that used to be the maze burn and smoke from a short distance away. ¡°Even a Demonic Beast can¡¯t survive in those flames. It¡¯s only a matter of time before the barrier is lifted. ¡­Oops, you can go back to sleep if you can¡¯t stay awake, okay?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ It¡¯s about time I reach the limit¡­¡± When Tsugumi said this out of concern for Suzushiro, who was staggering, she collapsed onto Tsugumi¡¯s shoulder and began to fall asleep. Apparently, she was pushing himself harder than she looked. Then, after putting Suzushiro on his back to carry her easily, he began to walk toward where the others were waiting. ¨CShortly after that, something unusual happened. A large piece of debris crumbled, and a volleyball-sized fireball covered in black flames flew right next to him. Blood poured from his cheek, which had been cut by the impact. When he turned around, he saw a black shadow emerge from the collapsing maze. ¨CIt was a Demonic Beast. It was smaller than the blue Ogre, and its entire body was covered in a rugged black suit of armor. Black flames were gushing out from the gaps in its armor, and given the circumstances, it was safe to assume that the earlier fireball was an attack from this beast. Tsugumi looked at the scene and gave a dry laugh. ¡°This has to be a lie, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¨CI haven¡¯t heard about this. Judging from the battle with Mibu, the estimated difficulty level of that Demonic Beast was E-class. Under normal circumstances, it would be strange if it didn¡¯t die from its injuries in the maze. It was impossible to think that it would revive with new abilities in this way. After thinking that much, Tsugumi firmly supported Suzushiro and tried to leave the place as fast as he could. He didn¡¯t have time to think about this. As long as the Demonic Beast was alive, the only thing he could do was to run away with Suzushiro in his arms. But almost as soon as he started to run, the black Ogre followed suit. ¨CIt¡¯s fast! Its speed was almost as fast as the speed at which he was running now. If Tsugumi slowed down even a little, it could easily catch up. And that Ogre also had a long-range attack method like a fireball. If he wasn¡¯t careful, there was a high possibility that he would be finished off in an instant. Tsugumi wondered if he should wake Suzushiro up, but he quickly shook his head. Her skill was powerful, but its use was limited. In this situation, even if she used her skills, she would not be able to get away. Then they were back to the initial problem, but Tsugumi¡¯s spirit was near its limit. He was losing his nerve as the distance between him and the attacker was gradually closing, and he was dodging the occasional fireball from behind. With the possibility of death at any moment, Tsugumi frantically analyzed his escape route. ¨CI can¡¯t just head out to where everyone is waiting. We need to choose a path with some obstacles to buy more time. ¡­At this point, Tsugumi had completely given up on the dying Magical Girl. Now that the Rikka, the one he relied on, was unable to move, there was no longer any way to defeat the Ogre. The only thing that Tsugumi could do was to keep running away from the Ogre until the Magical Girl, the Master of the barrier, died. As long as his own life was in danger, he couldn¡¯t care about other people. While protecting Suzushiro on his back, he sensed the slightest killing intent and avoided the flame bullet. The number of fine scratches on his body increased, and he gradually lost the ability to move his legs. Still, Tsugumi could not stop his footsteps. But the limit would soon come. ¡°¨CAh.¡± Tsugumi stumbled over a stone at his feet and lost his position. ¨CThe Ogre didn¡¯t miss that opportunity. A black flaming bullet came flying at him from behind. Tsugumi tried to change his position, but he couldn¡¯t avoid it for half a step. With unsettled thoughts, he quickly twisted his body to protect Suzushiro, and closed his eyes. ¨CIn this position, it wouldn¡¯t hit a vital spot. Even if he got injured, he should still be able to move. He had not given up. Tsugumi had no intention of dying here. And so he gritted his teeth, bracing himself for the impact to come. But the pain never came. ¡°¡­What?¡± He opened his eyes and looked behind him. ¨CThere was a person wearing a white hooded cloak. The hood had long rabbit-like ears that swayed in the wind. The figure stood in front of the Ogre, holding a large board out in front of them like a shield, as if to protect Tsugumi. At first, Tsugumi thought he had succeeded in stalling the attack. He thought that the dying Magical Girl had died and she had come in to replace her. But an unusual sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu negated that. ¨CHe ¡°knew¡± who it was. His body shuddered. Physiological tears welled up, and a sob-like voice escaped. He didn¡¯t want to believe it. But the reality in his eyes denied it. ¨CWhy. Why. That person alone ¨C she shouldn¡¯t have become a Magical Girl! Tsugumi cried out in a trembling voice. ¡°Ah, ah! Chidori!? Why you!!¡± Hearing his cry, the white hooded figure¨CChidori¨Cturned and smiled sadly. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Tsugumi.¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô After Tsugumi disappeared into the maze with the Ogre in tow, Chidori walked quickly to the place where Itadori was waiting with an unsettled feeling. ¨CI¡¯m sure there¡¯s a reason for this, but you don¡¯t have to take Tsugumi as well. Chidori was really worried about Tsugumi. Not just today, there had been many times when that little brother had stepped into danger the moment she took her eyes off him. Because of this, she was aware that she had been more overprotective than she should have been since they were kids. But since Tsugumi himself was hardly aware of the danger he was taking, Chidori¡¯s effort couldn¡¯t be measured. Up until now, Chidori had been lucky and they had been able to spend time without serious injury, but the hospitalization at the end of the year had made her inevitably anxious. That was why, upon returning to the waiting area, Chidori decided to leave Yumeji in charge of the unconscious Mibu and return to the place where the maze was located. Along the way, Chidori recalled the conversation she had had with Mebuki earlier. ¨CMebuki had determined their relationship as codependent. Their attachment to each other was far too great, even discounting the fact that they were the only two people in the family. At that time, Mebuki suggested that they should have a thorough DNA test to clarify their blood relationship, but Chidori rejected the suggestion. Although she did not doubt her blood relationship with Tsugumi, she was afraid. If I am not Tsugumi¡¯s sibling¨C Just thinking about it made her shake with fear. It was as if her world would be fundamentally changed. ¡°Mebuki-senpai said that the relationship between me and Tsugumi was distorted. But still, I¡­¡± ¨CNanase Chidori truly loved Nanase Tsugumi. Not as a member of the opposite sex, but as a family. But what if the two were not related by blood? What would I do if that premise collapsed? She didn¡¯t even want to think about it. With a trace of anxiety in her heart, Chidori continued to run. And when Chidori reached the burning maze, she saw something unbelievable. ¡°No way¡­¡± The figure of Tsugumi running away from the direction Chidori had run. The black Ogre ran after the two of them, roaring. Staring at them as they swallowed their screams and ran off, Chidori muttered in dismay. ¡°¡­Suzushiro-san failed? No, but that Ogre¡¯s appearance is different from the blue Ogre from earlier, no matter how you look at it. Could it be a new kind of Demonic Beast?¡± While saying so, Chidori could only hug her shaking body. The black Ogre was probably more formidable than the blue Ogre that she just saw. It was as fast as Tsugumi, and from what she¡¯d seen, it had the means to attack from a distance. ¨CIf the black Ogre caught up to Tsugumi. No doubt, Tsugumi would surely die. The chances of escaping were higher if he abandoned Suzushiro on his back, but she just couldn¡¯t imagine that Tsugumi would make that choice. ¡°What should I do? How can I help Tsugumi?¡± ¨CRun and become the decoy. Impossible. If she did that, on the contrary, Tsugumi would move to attract the Ogre¡¯s attention. -Wake Mibu up and have her fight. Even if she woke up, she probably couldn¡¯t fight or make it back in time if they went back now. She thought of several ideas to break out of the current situation, but they were all unfeasible and lacked decisive action. Then, Chidori came up with a plan that she hadn¡¯t dared to think about. ¡°If we can get our hands on the Magical Girl lying in the plaza, or¡­¡± And if the newly dispatched Magical Girl came here, everything would be solved. ¡­But that would mean the social death of Chidori. No matter what the circumstances might be, anyone committing murder would be sentenced to the death penalty. In the first place, injuring a Magical Girl was much more serious than committing an ordinary crime. Considering the social importance of Magical Girls, that wasn¡¯t surprising. Even if they could get through this situation, Chidori and Tsugumi could no longer be together. She squeezed her trembling hands and closed her eyes. Even as she pondered this, Tsugumi was in danger. ¨CA decision had to be made. ¡°Huh, uh¡­¡± Tears slipped from her closed eyes as she sobbed. She knew what she had to do to save Tsugumi, but her heart denied it. For better or worse, Chidori was a good person. It wasn¡¯t easy to be ready to kill someone. ¡°Are you that worried about your brother?¡± Someone said so near Chidori who was crying. Inorganic, youthful voice. Chidori opened her eyes and looked around. But nobody was there. ¡°Who are you?¡± When Chidori asked this question with alarm, the owner of the voice said, ¡°Look down.¡± Chidori fearfully obeyed the voice and looked down, and there was a white rabbit. Its golden eyes stare at Chidori as if they were assessing her. ¡°Let me ask you a question. Little girl, can you stand by your brother¡¯s side no matter what?¡± Chidori was puzzled by the white rabbit¡¯s abrupt words, but nodded her head firmly. It was only natural that Chidori would take Tsugumi¡¯s side. -But why is this white rabbit asking such a thing? Before Chidori could ask about the true reason, the white rabbit continued. ¡°Little girl. What is your name?¡± ¡°Chidori. ¡­.Nanase Chidori.¡± Chidori answered in confusion and the white rabbit continued matter-of-factly. ¡°I see. Chidori, your brother will die at this rate. You understand that, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Chidori bit her lip at those words. She knew that without being told. That was why Chidori was at loss. ¨CBut if. If there¡¯s another way, I would choose anything over killing people. Perhaps sensing Chidori¡¯s hesitation, the white rabbit made a suggestion. ¡°-Hmm. Then, let¡¯s make a contract.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± ¡°Chidori. I will give you the power to fight. ¨CIn exchange, you will fulfill my ¡®wish¡¯ when you are done.¡± The White rabbit narrowed its eyes and held out a small white hand toward Chidori. ¡°Choose. I won¡¯t say it twice.¡± Chidori¡¯s tear-stained eyes widened as she stared at the white rabbit. ¨CThis was a ¡®solicitation¡¯ from God. Chidori was now at a crossroads in her life. Yes¨Cwhether to become a Magical Girl or not. She had heard that stray Magical Girls need to respond to God¡¯s request as well as grant their wish. Even if she asked what that wish was, it probably wouldn¡¯t answer. What this God in the form of the white rabbit asked from her was only two options: to accept it or not. If Chidori uttered any other words, it would disappear like a dream. In that case, Chidori¡¯s answer had already been decided. Chidori thought about Tsugumi as she quietly crouched down on the spot. ¨CI¡¯m sure he¡¯s going to get angry. Tsugumi would never allow Chidori to become a Magical Girl. She could easily imagine him yelling at her to retire immediately because it was too dangerous. Chidori laughed a little and took the white rabbit¡¯s hand. She bowed reverently and said. ¡°Please lend me your strength. ¨CI want to save Tsugumi.¡± ¡°¨CThe contract is completed.¡± With these words, a soft, warm breeze surrounded Chidori. Watching the gradual change in her clothes, Chidori asked the white rabbit. ¡°God, what do I call you?¡± The white rabbit tilted its head, as if thinking about something. Then it turned its back to Chidori, looked up at the sky, and said. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ You can call me Shiro. ¨CNow, hurry up if you¡¯re ready. We don¡¯t have much time.¡± CH 48 Snake-like Flame Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CChidori, who he wanted to protect, was fighting with a Demonic Beast. Tsugumi gnashed his teeth as he stared at the backs of the Chidori and the Ogre moving away from him. He knew that Chidori had the aptitude to be a Magical Girl. But who could have predicted that she would make a contract with God at this point in time? ¡°¡­It¡¯s my fault.¡± There was no way Chidori would voluntarily become a Magical Girl. In all likelihood, she saw that Tsugumi was being chased by the black Ogre, and in her impatience, she took God¡¯s offer. ¡­It was almost like a scam. So far, Chidori had not shown any side effects like other Magical Girls. In other words, Chidori¡¯s contract God was a very powerful God who could resist the rejection of the barrier. However, it was hard to believe that the resistance would last forever. The limit would be reached soon. Chidori, protecting herself with a shield-like object, moved lightly as if gliding on the ground, playing with the Ogre. Perhaps thanks to her long experience in kendo, the way she handled the attack was quite imposing, and she looked much more superior than Hagakure Sakura of the early days. If Chidori kept up the momentum and turned to attack, she would have a good chance to win. ¡­But, it wasn¡¯t the real problem. ¡°That Chidori, she¡¯ll never win¡­ She should have known that better than anyone.¡± ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô ¡°¨CKuh, the attack is too heavy!¡± Chidori raised a pained voice as she fend off the Ogre¡¯s attacks. Even though her physical abilities had improved by becoming a Magical Girl, the power of the Ogre¡¯s attacks was still tremendous, and her hands went numb with each blow she received from the gold bar. If Mibu had not cut off one of the Ogre¡¯s arms to reduce its offensive power, this thin shield would have been easily destroyed. ¡­In the first place, the skill given to Chidori was not [Shield]. The two skills that Chidori obtained by becoming a Magical Girl were [Wind] and [Door]. She jumped in front of the Ogre before knowing the details of those skills, but Tsugumi was able to safely escape. With that alone, it could be said her original goal had been accomplished. ¡°I have to do something about this guy quickly¡­!!¡± Chidori muttered impatiently, and then increased her mobility by creating wind around her feet. ¨CThe God of the white rabbit was doing everything in their power to ensure that Chidori could move fully within this barrier. But they said that it would not last very long. If that happened, Chidori would be subjected to the same side effects as the two Rikka. Before that happened, she had to defeat the Ogre somehow. With that in mind, Chidori tried to strike the Ogre with the wind blade, but it didn¡¯t work. ¡­The image of the blade was made properly. Even the timing was well-timed. But for some reason, the blade disappeared as if it were softly unraveling in front of the Ogre¡¯s eyes. ¡°Why!? Why won¡¯t it hit!?¡± She shouted in a trembling voice, but the result remained the same no matter how many times she repeated it. ¨CIf Tsugumi had been here, he would have answered Chidori¡¯s question like this¨C¡°That¡¯s because you subconsciously avoid killing.¡± The Magical Girl¡¯s skills were activated and developed by their own will. The stronger the mental power, the more precise it became. Therefore, it was only natural that if they hesitated to hurt their opponent even just a little, their skills wouldn¡¯t be successfully activated. ¡­In Chidori¡¯s case, it was fair to say that the first opponent was a bad match. Unlike large insects, dragons, and other Demonic Beasts, Ogre was extremely human-like in shape. Ordinary people were not comfortable even killing small animals, but could Chidori really hurt something that was associated with humans? Magical Girls belonging to the government overcame such repulsion by simulating it through simulators, but for Chidori who had no training in this area, it was probably still too heavy of a burden. In the first place, people like Tsugumi, who could kill Demonic Beasts without hesitation from the beginning, were strange. ¨CAs the time limit was approaching, Tsugumi stared at her from afar with serious eyes as she fought desperately. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡°¨CI knew it¡­ That¡¯s why I told you over and over again that you¡¯re not cut out to be a Magical Girl.¡± Tsugumi dropped Suzushiro off at a safe place and returned to where Chidori was, hiding in the shadows of the building. He couldn¡¯t just run away alone in silence. Upon arriving, he saw Chidori manipulating the air with a tearful face and an Ogre wielding a gold bar with one arm. Chidori was unharmed, but neither was the Ogre. ¡­Apparently, just as Tsugumi had feared, Chidori was unable to mount a proper attack against the Ogre. ¨CIn the first place, a person who had a tender heart was not suited to be a Magical Girl. ¡°The government¡¯s Magical Girl candidates are not good enough,¡± Bell once complained, but those who had a true spirit of compassion for living creatures were crushed and quit at the candidate stage. The only ones who remained were those who were somewhat screwed up. But even the chosen ones often had their hearts broken after repeated battles. He had many things to say to Chidori, who had become a Magical Girl. But in order to do so, he had to get rid of the black Ogre that stood in his way. But could the current Tsugumi do it? ¡°¡­But it¡¯s not that there isn¡¯t any way to do it.¡± Tsugumi grunted as he held his left eye, which suddenly began to ache. The blood-colored flames appeared in his field of vision as if in proportion to the stabbing pain. ¡­This was the same thing he saw in the Radon fight. -What is the meaning of this fire hallucination? He had been thinking about it all this time, and now it felt like he had finally come up with an answer. Tsugumi considered this flame to be the manifestation of ¡°the Possibility of Death¡±. By attacking the place where the flame appeared, he could fix the fate of death ¨C perhaps this was the right answer. His memory was hazy because he was almost in a trance during the Radon battle, but that would explain the killing of immortality. Derived from the image of red thread that visualized Suzune¡¯s ¡°mortality¡±, this was a different ability that was not described as a skill. Did his talent blossom after nearly dying many times, or was it the ability of someone else nestled inside Tsugumi? For Tsugumi, the latter was more likely. It was probably why he couldn¡¯t use it freely. ¡°The flames are concentrated on the right side of the Ogre¡¯s neck¨Cthat¡¯s where Mibu-san cut it.¡± Until now, the shadow of the flames couldn¡¯t be seen on the Ogre¡¯s body. But after Chidori started fighting the Ogre, he could see it a little bit. There might be a condition for the appearance of the flames. Tsugumi held his chin as if in thought, and then remembered the object hooked around his waist. ¨CA kodachi borrowed from Mibu. He picked up the sword and gently removed the cloth wrapped around the blade. The sharp blade was covered with reddish-black blood, and just by looking at it, one could tell that the sharpness of the blade was frightening. Since it belonged to one of the Rikka, it had to be a very powerful sword. The moment he turned the sword toward the Ogre, he thought of a plan, as if by divine revelation. ¡°Chidori¡¯s role. The existence of this sword. And my invisibility skill. ¨CI see, it¡¯s theoretically possible.¡± The strategy was simple. Tsugumi used Invisibility to sneak up on the Ogre and stab the sword into its neck. As simple as that. If there was a problem, it would be the lack of coordination with Chidori. In addition, if the Ogre detected Tsugumi¡¯s approach, the possibility that the flame would disappear couldn¡¯t be dismissed. This flame, unlike Suzune¡¯s red thread, was still undetermined. Depending on Tsugumi¡¯s action, fate might get rewritten. When he met Suzushiro in front of the maze, the flame that had been clinging to her disappeared in an instant. Her fate surely changed because of Tsugumi¡¯s interference. ¨Cif I don¡¯t do it well, the spider thread will break in a flash. Then he placed his right hand over his heart and closed his eyes as if in prayer. ¨CTsugumi didn¡¯t know who the white-haired girl that he had seen in his dream was. But every time he tried to remember her, he felt a tight pain in his chest. The feeling of loss and nostalgia was so mixed up that it was hard to put the feeling into words. The only thing he could tell was that the girl was very important to Tsugumi of the past. Now Tsugumi could only cling to the girl¡¯s power. ¡°Please, help me.¡± ¨CHaving forgotten all about her, maybe he was selfish to say this. Still, if Tsugumi reached out, she would surely hold his hand. He had such a strange conviction. To answer the desperate prayer, a chirping bell resounded in his head. As if guided by the sound, he slowly opened his eyes. Tsugumi, seeing the scene spread out before him, subconsciously muttered. ¡°A path of fire?¡± A path made of flames led from his feet to where the Ogre was. It looked like a giant snake. Tsugumi¡¯s intuition told him to follow this path. And then he remembered the words that had been haunting him for some time. ¡°There is a way of life in the midst of the fire, huh. ¡­I know It¡¯s just a coincidence, but it¡¯s a little strange that it matches the current situation like this.¡± Tsugumi stroked his left eye, which was burning, as if in an effort to soothe it. She was certainly here. ¡°Thank you.¨CI¡¯ll definitely remember you someday.¡± -With this, I feel like I¡¯m finally at the starting line Tsugumi exhaled a small breath as he looked at the glimmering flames. Whether the operation would work or not was depending on him. CH 49 Beautiful Sunny Day Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Tsugumi took off his soot-stained sunglasses, inserted them into the pocket in his chest, and pulled the hood deeper over his head. In fact, it would be more convenient to wear sunglasses to hide his face, but it would be bad for his vision. If it got out of hand, everything would be ruined. Then Tsugumi squatted down on the spot and took off his sneakers and socks. When he transformed to use Invisibility, his body inevitably became one size smaller. The clothes were not an option at this point, but if he ran and fall down in shoes that didn¡¯t fit, he¡¯d be blindsided. ¡­As for the side effect, he would just have to put up with them. The side effects for Tsugumi ¨C intense nausea and terror that ran through his body ¨C were heinous. But that didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d die. If that was what it really took, he¡¯d endure it all the more. Mibu took off her clothes to let the heat escape, and Suzushiro peeled off her own fingernails to suppress sleepiness. If he were to complain about a little bit of nausea, he would be a laughing stock. ¨CIn the end, I¡¯m not that different from them. Thinking so, Tsugumi smiled bitterly. It could be for someone important ¨C God, or for yourself. For the sake of that special someone, he would not hesitate to take a step into a dangerous place. Tsugumi understood this noble mentality. The only thing that mattered was whether or not he could carry out that intention. Tsugumi sat up quickly and held the sword in the opposite hand. Then he took a deep breath to calm his mind and stared at the back of the Ogre¡¯s head. ¡°Exterminate the Ogre, huh¨CI am not Momotaro.¡± As he jokingly said that, Tsugumi smiled a little and started running. A moment later, Tsugumi¡¯s image blurred and instantly vanished from the scene. He had activated his skill. ¡°¨CKu, kuh.¡± The discomfort came immediately after the transformation, as if worms were crawling under his skin. Desperately enduring it, Tsugumi ran along the path of the cold flame. The distance to the Ogre was about a hundred meters. It felt like an eternity. ¨CThe sensations in his body, his tender nerves, were messed up. If it weren¡¯t for this situation, he would have thrown up everything in his stomach and shamelessly rolled around on the ground. The only reason he could endure such torture was because Chidori was waiting ahead. Only the fear of losing her sustained his spirit. Twisting the spasms of his body through will alone, he continued to run, paying no mind to the soles of his feet that had been cut by gravels. Only the faintest trace of blood, dotted with spots, marked his path. ¨CFive meters to go. A few more steps and he would be able to reach the Ogre¡¯s head. The flame of death had not disappeared yet. Tsugumi restrained his feeling of urgency and looked for the right moment. The moment the Ogre swung its only remaining left arm toward Chidori, he slid around to the Ogre¡¯s right side. At the same time, the skill and transformation were released, but once he reached this position, the Ogre could no longer react to Tsugumi¡¯s actions. The flames around the Ogre¡¯s neck were roaring and burning. With a prayer, Tsugumi took one more step and swung the kodachi at the wound on its neck. ¨CThe blade sank into the hard flesh. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a surprised look on Chidori¡¯s face. Tsugumi smiled to reassure her and put strength into his hand. ¨CNow, Chidori wouldn¡¯t have to fight anymore. ¡°This is it! It¡¯s the end!¡± The blade was thrust deep with a forceful sideways cleave. Blood like reddish-black sludge splattered around the area, and the Ogre let out a shrill roar. By all accounts, it was a fatal wound. ¨CProbably a final decisive blow. ¡°Gee, gaaaahhhh!¡± As the Ogre writhed in pain, its body crumbles roughly from the end. ¨CAh, it¡¯s finally over now. Just as Tsugumi turned away to leave the scene with a staggered body in relief¨Cthe Ogre threw the gold bar at him with its last ounce of strength. Involuntarily, he opened his eyes wide. ¡°Huh?! wha-¡° Tsugumi quickly jumped sideways to avoid it, but even that couldn¡¯t stop the impact. The thorns on the bar snagged his forehead, and a lot of blood spurted out. Tsugumi rolled around on the ground and clicked his tongue loudly. ¨CDamn, I let my guard down. He stared abominably at the place where the Ogre had been, but there was nothing left besides a large lump of ash. Only the white, murky, angry-looking head was staring at Tsugumi. No matter how irregular this Ogre was, it was not likely to get up again. Tsugumi had won. ¡°Tsugumi! Are you okay?!¡± Chidori rushed over to Tsugumi who was lying on his side with limbs stretched out. The Magical Girl attire was already undressed and he was back to wearing normal clothes. Chidori took out a handkerchief and gently pressed it to Tsugumi¡¯s forehead. The white handkerchief instantly turned red, and the severity of the bleeding was obvious. But there was nothing to worry about. The gold bar only grazed him and did not hit him directly on the head. The heavy bleeding made it look like a serious injury, but in reality, it wasn¡¯t so different from a scrape. ¡°It hurts, be more gentle. ¡­Don¡¯t worry, even a small wound to the forehead can cause a lot of bleeding.¡± Tsugumi said to Chidori as he raised her aching body. The blood had gotten into his left eye and it hurt like a tingle. ¡°Why did you do such a reckless thing¡­!¡± Tears streamed down her face as she approached Tsugumi. The expression on her face was a complex mixture of relief, confusion, and apology. Chidori probably never thought that Tsugumi would come here. And as a result, it was Tsugumi who had cleaned up her mess. ¨CIf she had properly defeated Ogre, then Tsugumi would not have been injured. She probably thought like that. ¡°That line, I don¡¯t want to hear it from Chidori.¡± Tsugumi exhaled quietly and looked straight into Chidori¡¯s eyes. The barrier was being lifted and a rustling sound could be heard in the distance, but he had to say this before anyone else arrived. ¡°Chidori made a contract with God to become a Magical Girl, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°I understand that Chidori was trying to help me. ¨CBut still, I didn¡¯t want you to become a Magical Girl¡­!!¡± He clutched Chidori¡¯s shoulder as if to cling to her. The handkerchief fell off and the blood dripping from his forehead soaked his clothes. ¡®I don¡¯t like it because you promised you wouldn¡¯t leave me. ¨CYou can¡¯t be a Magical Girl. You¡¯re definitely not suited for it. You¡¯ve learned that from the fight, haven¡¯t you? You¡¯re not cut out for this, so get out of this contract immediately. ¡­Please.¡± When he told her so, Chidori shook her head with a sad look on her face. ¡°I know I¡¯m not good enough as a Magical Girl. But I can¡¯t decide on my own. I have to fulfill the contract.¡± At Chidori¡¯s answer, Tsugumi bit his lip in frustration. He knew she was going to say that. Tsugumi, likewise, was bound by a contract with Bell. Unless God canceled the contract, the fate of the battle couldn¡¯t be escaped. And because he knew that, he couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated. ¡°Tsugumi, I¡¯m sorry. ¡­I am really sorry.¡± Chidori put her hands on Tsugumi¡¯s back as if to hold him. ¨CHer hand was trembling. Warm drops of water dripped down her neck. She must be crying. ¡­Even Tsugumi knew. It¡¯s not that she¡¯s a bad person. It wasn¡¯t Chidori¡¯s fault. She had no choice but to follow the path of a Magical Girl because Tsugumi was lacking. ¡°¡­Wrong. It¡¯s wrong. It was all my fault.¡± He gently laid his head on Chidori¡¯s shoulder. He didn¡¯t want her to see his pathetic face, covered in blood and on the verge of tears. His vision was distorted from the loss of blood, but he couldn¡¯t lose consciousness just yet. -Tsugumi hadn¡¯t told Chidori the important thing. ¡°I should have said this first. But my head was all messed up and I could only say terrible things, I couldn¡¯t help myself. ¨CYou know, Chidori.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¨CThank you for saving me. Thanks to Chidori, I¡¯m alive now¡± At his words, Chidori¡¯s shoulders trembled. She clung to him tightly and sobbed as if she couldn¡¯t bear it. ¡°Hu, uh, huaa, I¡¯m so glad that Tsugumi didn¡¯t die¡­!¡± Chidori cried as if her cords were broken. Even Tsugumi, which had been through a fair share of hardships, was at his limit. It was a miracle that Chidori, an ordinary girl, was able to endure this harsh situation until now. The back that was being squeezed tight felt a little painful. But the pain made him realize that he was alive. Just as Tsugumi was afraid of losing Chidori, she, too, was afraid that Tsugumi would die. The feeling was surely the same. ¡°Hey!! Are you guys safe!? Answer me!!¡± From a distance, someone dressed like an ambulance crew called out. Apparently, the rescue had finally arrived. Tsugumi gently raised one hand and gave a small wave. ¨CAh, it¡¯s finally over. He looked up at the sky, letting out a sigh of relief. ¨CIt was a beautiful blue sky, not a cloud in sight. CH 50 Black Suspicion Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani After being protected by the paramedics, Tsugumi was taken to the hospital for an examination of his injuries. It was just a small cut on his skin, but the injury was in his head. Even if he was fine now, there was no guarantee that it would not affect him later. The government probably did not want to let the victim, who had just been saved, die because of a minor mistake. He felt that he was treated with great care during the transportation to the hospital. The others were taken to a government-appointed hospital in the same way. Coincidentally, it was the same hospital where Tsugumi had been hospitalized until last month. Chidori and Yumeji, who were not injured, were also taken to the hospital to get examined as a precaution. After that, the government would interview each of them individually, but Tsugumi and Itadori who were badly injured would be sent at a later date. The two Rikka would explain the details. Tsugumi would add what happened when they weren¡¯t unconscious. Luckily, no one died in this case. The Magical Girls who had been torn to shreds seemed to have recovered to some extent as the Demonic Beast was defeated. However, it seemed that the resources recovered in the barrier were not enough for them to reach full recovery. The doctor lamented that there might be side effects, but it was also a sign that their lives were saved. The head injury that Tsugumi suffered was also examined and there were no abnormalities in the brain or bones to be found. The wound itself was not that deep, and it would become less noticeable in a while. But the blood loss was more than expected, so he was currently resting on a bed with an intravenous drip. ¨CThe accident ended safely, but he was more worried about the public¡¯s reaction. The hospital was completely isolated and no information from outside was coming in. Even Bell, who was his only confidant, had not returned after saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to do a little negotiation.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but feel curious. ¨CAbout whether the world had found out the identity of Hagakure Sakura. Whether Chidori¡¯s contract God had told her about Tsugumi. Such worries swirled around in his head. He had no regrets about his actions, but thinking about the future made him quite depressed. ¡°Well, that¡¯s quite a sloppy look on your face. You don¡¯t look like you¡¯ve just been saved.¡± ¡°¡­ Asakura-sensei?¡± The doctor who called out was the elderly male doctor who was in charge of Tsugumi when he was hospitalized last time. Additionally, he was also the deputy director of this hospital. His specialty was supposed to be psychiatry, but before realizing it, he had settled as the doctor in charge of Tsugumi. Perhaps Tsugumi was considered to be a troublesome patient since he had been referred to the hospital by Mebuki, a relative of the manager, during his last hospitalization. At first, Tsugumi was nervous about how to respond, but by the time he was about to be discharged from the hospital, his treatment of him had become quite crude. A doctor who peeled and ate the fruit from visitors without permission, no matter how great he was, couldn¡¯t be respected. However, Asakura himself was quite an excellent doctor and was said to be capable of treating and diagnosing patients in other fields. His usual aloof demeanor made him somewhat unreliable, but he never gave any strange diagnoses as far as Tsugumi remembered. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Sensei? Are you perhaps bored?¡± When Tsugumi asked this in a troublesome manner, Asakura said, deliberately exasperated, ¡°What are you saying? I come all the way out here even though I was on vacation to see you when I heard you¡¯re in the hospital.¡± ¡°Yes¡­?¡± ¨CWhat is this old man talking about out of the blue? Tsugumi looked up at Asakura with a dumbfounded look and made a puzzled sound. Though it was probably a joke, he didn¡¯t know how to react. Somehow he understood that he was loved like a grandchild, but in this case, what kind of words he should say in return? Perhaps unable to see Tsugumi¡¯s bewildered state, the nurse in charge of the treatment interrupted. ¡°Deputy Director Asakura. You were originally supposed to come in at noon, weren¡¯t you? You shouldn¡¯t make fun of children so much.¡± ¡°Yeah. I was just making a light joke.¡± Asakura cowered his shoulders. The nurse looked disappointed and left the hospital room, telling him to behave moderately. Being left alone with Asakura, Tsugumi let out a sigh and let his shoulders drop. ¨CI¡¯m grateful you come all the way to my hospital room, but it¡¯s a bit much for me to deal with when I am so tired. But he had to go to work at noon, which meant he might have seen at least one news report in the morning. With that in mind, Tsugumi asked Asakura. ¡°Um, Sensei. Did you see anything on the news about the accident involving me and Chidori? I don¡¯t think that might be the case, but they didn¡¯t mention Chidori¡¯s names and mine, right?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know that much about it, but the media seems to be making quite a commotion. They won¡¯t be able to reach this room, but there is a lot of press outside the hospital. It may be natural for them to gather since there are two Rikka¡¯s here, but if they¡¯re going to make a fuss, they should think about where they¡¯re going.¡± Asakura let out a tired sigh and continued speaking. Maybe he had a bit of an agony outside to get here. ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry. The videos on the TV were terrible because of the noises. It seems that the projection equipment doesn¡¯t work well when foreign objects ¨C other people ¨C enter the barrier, so as far as I can tell, there are no good images left. And even the part where you and the others were filmed was mosaiced in consideration of portrait rights, except for the two Rikka members. Unless you know them, you won¡¯t recognize who they are.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¨CNoise. Maybe that time, as well as this time, the part of the image that showed Tsugumi was invisible to the outside world. But Asakura¡¯s words couldn¡¯t be taken at face value. Now that Chidori had become a Magical Girl, the media would stick to her, and information could easily leak out. The fact that Chidori¡¯s brother, Tsugumi, was there would soon be exposed to the world. The question was whether or not anyone would associate Tsugumi with Hagakure Sakura. The woman¡¯s appearance itself would not have been seen, since he used Invisibility to disappear when he transformed at the time, but still, he couldn¡¯t let his guard down. It would be fine if they were just mistaken for siblings or relatives just as it had been, but it would be bad if they were judged to be the same person. In the first place, the existence of Hagakure Sakura was an extraordinary miracle. First of all, If it got exposed, Tsugumi would die socially. This was a very unreasonable thing to say, even though he had done nothing wrong, but it was the reality of today¡¯s society. It was easy to imagine being toyed with by the world for being a cross-dresser. Second, a ¡°man¡± could become a Magical Girl if they met the conditions. Although the female body was preferred as the receptor of divine power, the foundation could be a man as long as they had the aptitude. This fact would definitely shake Japan in the future. ¨CThis country was slowly turning into a female-dominated society. The reason for this, needless to say, was because only women could be Magical Girls. They protected the country, served God, and enriched society. In the last 30 years, all of these important roles had been played by women. It would be strange if they didn¡¯t have the upper hand in the normal course of events. ¡­For the government, there was a section that promoted Magical Girls in a different dimension, like idols, rather than as military personnel, to prevent animosity from the general public who were not suitable for them. By daring not to treat them as ¡®the same person,¡¯ they were deflecting public dissatisfaction. The selection of Rikka as a popularity contest was probably the best example of this. ¨CBut what would happen if a ¡°man¡± were added to this already completed society? At least, Tsugumi couldn¡¯t imagine it at all. Male Magical Girls might be treated as idols, just as it had been in the past, or the balance that had been so exquisitely maintained might be lost, and discontent might erupt from all sides. ¡­He didn¡¯t want to realize how troublesome it was. It seemed Magical Girls were truly a black existence. In any case, there was nothing Tsugumi could do at this stage. It would be best to avoid gaffes at tomorrow¡¯s interview. Perhaps thinking that Tsugumi was concerned about tomorrow¡¯s interview, Asakura began to speak in a cheerful tone. ¡°The government will take immediate action on this one, as there¡¯s no guarantee that something like this won¡¯t happen again. Tomorrow¡¯s interview will be fine. You must be tired because of your injuries, so take a good rest today. The two Rikka will tell most of the details since that¡¯s part of their job.¡± ¡°If possible, I want to go to the interview with Chidori tomorrow.¡± When Tsugumi muttered this, Asakura shook his head a little. ¡°It¡¯s impossible. If you want to go talk, it¡¯s possible, but as a doctor, I can¡¯t allow it.¡± ¡°Well, of course.¡± He understood the government¡¯s urgency. This time not only Magical Girls, but ordinary people were also affected. Tsugumi didn¡¯t want to think about it too much, but there might be more irregular damages in the future. He didn¡¯t know what was happening in the space between the skies. However, things would not remain as peaceful as they were now forever¨Cthat was how he felt. ¡°By the way, you were the last one to put a stop to that Demonic Beast. Just out of curiosity, how are you feeling right now? You see, I¡¯m a psychiatrist. I¡¯m a little curious about that.¡± Tsugumi titled his head in response to Asakura¡¯s question. He didn¡¯t have any particular thoughts about it. The only thing he could say was that the feeling of cutting meat with his hands was more unpleasant than he had expected. ¡°Even if you say it like that¡­ I¡¯m glad I was able to beat it properly, but I don¡¯t really think about it.¡± ¡°Hmmm? You don¡¯t feel elated or guilty? ¡°No, not really.¡± Asakura put his hand over his mouth and looked thoughtful. ¡°It¡¯s fine if there¡¯s no sign of PTSD, but it seems dangerous. I¡¯ll have to observe this. ¡­By the way, are you interested in heroes? ¡°Does it look like that?¡± When Asakura asked this question fearfully, Tsugumi replied with annoyance, and Asakura exhaled in a relieved manner. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. I can¡¯t handle a kid with a desire to be a hero, you know. You can live an ordinary life, just as you are. It¡¯s better not to have extraordinary things.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­? I am not sure, but I think being ordinary is the best.¡± As usual, this doctor had a strange and difficult way of speaking. Tsugumi didn¡¯t understand half of what he was saying, but it would be fine to just nod for the time being. Tsugumi looked up at the ceiling in a daze as he gave appropriate responses. ¨CI wonder if Bell-sama will come back soon. When Bell returned, he would certainly get a lecture, but even so, Tsugumi couldn¡¯t wait. Chidori, Tsugumi¡¯s eyes, and future plans. He had a lot to talk about, such as his future plans and policies. ¨CI hope she doesn¡¯t abandon me because of this incident. With this thought in mind, Tsugumi let out a small yawn. It seemed the fatigue had reached its limit. Tsugumi turned his back on Asakura, who was still talking about something, and pulled the covers over his head. It probably wasn¡¯t anything important, so he might as well just go to sleep. Thinking so, Tsugumi closed his eyes at least. Then, his consciousness fell into the darkness. As if something was guiding him. Then, when Tsugumi entered the dream world, Asakura, who had been sitting on the side of the bed talking, looked at Tsugumi¡¯s sleeping face with narrowed eyes. ¡°A hero, or perhaps the destroyer of the age? ¨CNanase, what a troublesome kid that has been pushed to me.¡± Asakura chuckled and put his hand on the door of the hospital room. ¡°Good night, Tsugumi-kun. Please have a good dream.¡± CH 51 Voting Results Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is Inaba from the Demonic Beast Countermeasure Headquarters. Thank you for taking part in today¡¯s interview.¡± ¡°I am Nanase Tsugumi. I am looking forward to work with you.¡± A day after the incident ¨C Tsugumi was in a reception room at the hospital, meeting with government officials. Apart from Inaba, who was the main speaker, there was also a staff member in charge of recording what Tsugumi had to say. He had spoken with this government lady ¨C Inaba ¨C once before, as Hagakure Sakura, over the terminal. Since then, he hadn¡¯t had a chance to talk to her because Bell didn¡¯t lend the terminal, but it was a little surprising to see that she was a younger woman than Tsugumi had imagined she would be. Judging by her appearance, she was probably in her mid-thirties. He had expected her to be much older than that. Tsugumi sighed a little as he thought about this. ¨CBell-sama, you didn¡¯t come back yesterday in the end. He didn¡¯t think Bell would be in any danger, but not seeing her made him worried. She had said she was negotiating, but with whom? Tsugumi didn¡¯t understand. Hiding his depressed heart with a friendly smile, Tsugumi took the business card that they politely offered and slowly sat down on the sofa. However, Inaba remained standing and did not take her seat. When he stared at her curiously, she looked at him straight in the eyes and pursed her lips. ¡°We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the government¡¯s inadequacy. All responsibility lies with the government. You may curse at me.¡± Inaba said this and bowed deeply toward Tsugumi. Seeing this, Tsugumi sat up with a start. ¡°Ah, please raise your head. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the government¡¯s fault, because who could have seen that coming?¡± It was rare for ordinary people to get mixed up in the barrier. However, there were very few cases where multiple people got involved just like this time Additionally, the actual number of Demonic Beasts was two, which was an irregularity. There might have been some mistakes due to the carelessness of the Magical Girl who fought, but he didn¡¯t think the government side was responsible. Besides, the two Rikka, who belonged to the government, did their job well enough. It was a loss that they could not defeat the Demonic Beast, but it was because of their efforts that Tsugumi was able to defeat the Demonic Beast. There was no reason to blame them. When he explained this, Inaba looked up apologetically. Then, as Tsugumi sat down again, waiting for the question, he noticed that Inaba and the others were staring at his face. ¡°Um, what is it?¡± ¡°Ah no, I heard from Chidori-san but you really do look a lot like ¡®Hagakure Sakura-san¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­Well, I got that a lot.¡± When Tsugumi said this and smiled vaguely, Inaba laughed and took a seat. ¡°Forgive me, that was impolite. ¨CThen I would like you to begin by explaining how your day went yesterday.¡± In response to Inaba¡¯s question, Tsugumi told her in detail what had happened yesterday. Of course, things that should be hidden, such as transformation and skills, were properly concealed. When he finished his explanation and arrived at the part where he got attacked by the Ogre, Inaba gave a tense smile and said. ¡°You were very reckless. ¡­As a government official, I would like to praise your courage, but as an adult, I want to express my bitterness. But¨Creally, I¡¯m glad no one died.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± ¨CIf he had pressed even one wrong button, there would surely have been a large number of deaths. There might even be a possibility of total annihilation. It was a miscalculation that Chidori had become a Magical Girl, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. Considering the limited conditions of the battle, Tsugumi thought he did well. He regained his composure and posed a question to Inaba. ¡°So, it¡¯s about my sister Chidori¡­¡± ¡°Oh. I spoke with Chidori-san yesterday, did she give you any details?¡± Tsugumi nodded in response to the question. ¡°Yes. I heard that you want to borrow Chidori¡¯s skill as a Magical Girl¨Cthe power of ¡®Gate¡¯.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The government is now in the greatest need of her ¡®Gate¡¯ skill.¡± ¨CThe two skills that Chidori had acquired. It was the ¡°Wind¡± skill to manipulate the surrounding air and the movement skill that enabled the transfer of multiple people through the ¡°Gate¡±. The latter was a skill that the government, which was forced to deal with irregularities, currently needed. According to the explanation he had received from Chidori this morning, it was only a¡±cooperation¡± and she didn¡¯t belong to the government. It seemed there was also the intention of the contract God, but since she wouldn¡¯t be affiliated with the government, there was no possibility that Chidori would be forced to go out on a mission. In exchange for lending the government the right to use the ¡°Gate¡± skill, Chidori could freely use the government¡¯s facilities ¨C like simulators and other equipment. In addition to that, rewards would be given according to the number of uses. Chidori¡¯s contract God ¨C a God in the form of a white rabbit named Shiro ¨C was apparently less focused on combat, unlike Bell. Chidori herself didn¡¯t have much conversation with him, so she didn¡¯t know the details, but it seemed unlikely that the contract God would force her to fight. The contract God himself was apparently have been summoned today by the Gods in charge of the management regarding the use of power within the barrier, and was not expected to return until evening. It seemed there were many things going on in the world of the Gods. Perhaps Bell was also involved in one of them. ¡°I think it¡¯s fine as long as she¡¯s happy with it, but it¡¯s a little difficult to tie her up for so long¡­ Chidori is still a student, so please be moderate about it.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand your concern. The government is not black, either. Basically, we¡¯re thinking of cooperating in accordance with the work rules of ordinary part-time jobs.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Tsugumi breathed out a sigh of relief, but there was one more thing he was worried about. ¡°I want to check something. ¨CI heard once you become a Magical Girl, you can no longer participate in official sports competitions.¡± When he spoke with Chidori this morning, she sadly told Tsugumi that she had to quit club activities. Magical Girls¡¯ physical abilities were enhanced with each battle. Such people couldn¡¯t be treated by ordinary standards. Especially in the world of sports. Tsugumi knew best how much effort Chidori had put up until now. This was why he couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated. ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s the rule. There are no exceptions.¡± Inaba apologetically replied, but it didn¡¯t clear Tsugumi¡¯s mind. What Chidori lost in this accident was too much. As he looked down with his eyes downcast, a piece of paper was quickly placed on the table in front of him. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a consent form for a blood test. As you may have heard from Chidori-san, there is a high possibility that the same irregular accidents will occur in the future. We are asking everyone to cooperate with the blood test in order to find out what the victims have in common and what their characteristics are. How about it?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t mind.¡± With that said, Tsugumi filled in his name on the form. The only thing in common between the people involved was their aptitude as Magical Girls, but since Tsugumi¡¯s gender was male, the government couldn¡¯t affirm. The blood test results would show that Tsugumi also had the aptitude, but he doubted it would change anything. Even the government would not recruit a man who still was an uncertain factor, no matter how high the aptitude he had. The government certainly had its own suspicions, but as long as Chidori, who had the ability to transfer, was cooperating with the government, they would show some consideration to Tsugumi. There was nothing to worry about. ¡°That¡¯s all for the interview. Do you have any questions?¡± ¡°Uh, yes. I have one.¡± Tsugumi put his hand to his chin in thought, then looked up as if he had just thought of something. ¡°You got the results of Rikka¡¯s vote this morning, right? There¡¯s no TV on the floor we¡¯re on, so no information coming in. Can you tell me?¡± Since he was in the hospital, he couldn¡¯t look it up on his phone. This time, it had something to do with Hagakure Sakura, so he was really concerned. Fortunately, there were people from the government right in front of him. They would have reliable information. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine. First of all, let¡¯s start with the first place¨C¡° Inaba then pulled a notebook out of her breast pocket and showed it to Tsugumi. The names of the Magical Girls were written there, in order from the top to the bottom. First place: Toono Sumire. Second place: Yukino Shizuku. Third place: Mibu Yurie. Fourth place: Suzushiro Ran. Fifth place: Hyuga Aoi. Sixth place: Hitsugi Airi. There was a slight change in ranking, but the Rikka members themselves remain unchanged. Tsugumi exhaled a small breath of relief at the absence of Hagakure Sakura¡¯s name. ¡°And this is not yet confirmed, but the government is considering the expansion of Rikka, in response to the accident of this irregularity.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± When Tsugumi asked back, Inaba rolled up the pages of her notebook. From seventh to ninth place, some familiar names continued, and theTsugumi¡¯s eyes were glued to the tenth place column. ¨CThe tenth place: Hagakure Sakura. ¡­The ranking was higher than Tsugumi had expected. It was a little frightening that he had wished to not get voted on TV, and yet here he was in this position. He wondered what the people who voted were thinking. But what does Inaba mean by expansion? As Tsugumi tilted his head, Inaba brought her face closer, as if she were talking privately. ¡°There are talks about creating a new framework called ¡®Jukka¡¯ with the members up to the tenth place. Well, it is still in the conceptual stage. ¡­What¡¯s wrong? You look pale.¡± ¡°Ah, no. I was just wondering if it¡¯s okay for a regular guy like me to ask such an important question.¡± Tsugumi replied, breaking out in a cold sweat. ¨CThe worst possible development. He didn¡¯t make the top six, but there was such an unexpected pitfall. What would Bell say? It was the only thing he was worried about. ¡°You are the victim this time. I think you have the right to know. But please don¡¯t tell anyone yet.¡± Saying this, Inaba smiled. ¨CThen, after separating from Inaba and the others. Tsugumi groaned as he plopped down on the bed dizzy, mussing and stirring his own hair. ¡®¡­What should I do now?¡¯ About Chidori. About himself. ¨CAnd about Hagakure Sakura. The problems were piling up. CH 52 New Friends Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Tsugumi cleaned up his room in preparation for his discharge in the evening. The hospital had provided him with new clothes, so as long as he packed his baggage, he could leave the hospital as it was. His clothes were covered in blood, so he decided to get rid of them. It wasn¡¯t worth much, and he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to wear the clothes again now that they¡¯d been shown on TV. It was such a shame, he liked them a lot. Chidori left the hospital right after Tsugumi¡¯s interview was over and apparently went home after stopping by the government with Inaba. She was probably going to finalize the details of the contract, but he was still a little worried. By the way, when Tsugumi left, he would be carried out in a type of car that wasn¡¯t visible from the outside. Apparently, it was to prevent media exposure. According to the story, even after a day had passed, there was still a crowd of reporters in front of the hospital, and it was impossible to get out of the hospital in a normal cab. It was beyond annoying. ¡­Surely, the most conspicuous thing about this incident was the fact that Tsugumi had directly defeated the Demonic Beast. The media would definitely want to cover the fact that a man, who was not a Magical Girl, had defeated a Demonic Beast. Perhaps the government had taken this situation into consideration. He didn¡¯t know how they were going to treat a man whose face looked like ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡± but he could only hope that it hadn¡¯t been talked about. Whatever the case, it was still troublesome. As Tsugumi sat on the side of his bed, he heard a knocking sound. Someone had come. ¡°Come in.¡± ¨CAsakura must have come to kill time again. When Tsugumi opened the door with this thought in mind, he found an unexpected person there. ¡°Hehe, I¡¯ve come.¡± ¡°Is your injury okay?¡± While saying that, Suzushiro and Mibu walked into the hospital room without waiting for his reply. Tsugumi stared at them with his mouth gaping open. ¡°Wh-why are you here?¡± ¡°What, am I not allowed to come?¡± When Tsugumi asked, Mibu sat down next to him, her mouth pursed with dissatisfaction. ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­ I just didn¡¯t expect the two Rikka to come.¡± Now that the case was over, there was no reason for them to get involved with Tsugumi. Even just for the sake of it, they had just been chosen as Rikka again. Tsugumi didn¡¯t think they had time to have a conversation with him. ¡°Hmmm? You¡¯re so cold, even though we fought together. ¨CSo, you don¡¯t have to wear sunglasses anymore?¡± ¡°¡­Ah¡± Tsugumi held his face down, but it was already too late. Thinking about it, he had never shown his true face in front of these two people. This was mainly because it was too troublesome to explain, but he wondered what they thought of the face that resembled Hagakure Sakura. While he was at loss for words, Mibu, who was sitting next to him, suddenly reached out and began to touch his face. Then, she moved her face so close to his that his breath came in contact with it, and stared at him intently. ¡°I see. Chidori says you guys are not related, but if you look so much alike, you might want to hide it.¡± Satisfied with herself, Mibu continued to speak. On the other hand, Tsugumi didn¡¯t feel comfortable. The sudden approach of the opposite sex made him so dizzy that he couldn¡¯t get a word out. Even so, a cute girl was in front of him. Tsugumi didn¡¯t know what to do. As Tsugumi froze in place at Mibu¡¯s mercy, Suzushiro called out to stop her. ¡°Ah, Yuri-chan. You should leave it at that. Tsugumi-kun is turning red.¡± ¡°Hmm? Why? Yesterday he didn¡¯t seem to mind seeing me in my underwear, so it¡¯s strange that he would be embarrassed by something like this.¡± ¡°No, you see, it was an emergency then. I feel sorry for him, so stop it. He¡¯s about to cry.¡± When Suzushiro said this, Mibu reluctantly removed her hand from Tsugumi. Exhaling a breath of relief, he covered his face with his hands. He hated his cheeks which felt hot. ¡­He didn¡¯t cry, but he was certainly in trouble. Tsugumi thanked Suzushiro for her help and turned to them with a cough. His ears that still turned red were a pleasure to see. ¡°So, what¡¯s your business¡­?¡± When Tsugumi asked, Suzushiro slowly opened her mouth. ¡°I just wanted to thank you. As it turns out, I¡¯ve been saved by you and Chidori. ¨CThank you very much.¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯d be dead without you two. Thanks for your help.¡± The two bowed their heads, and Tsugumi called out to them with a wry smile. ¡°Oh, please raise your heads. Rather, we¡¯re the ones who should be grateful. If it weren¡¯t for the two Rikka, we might all be dead. It¡¯s only natural that we should cooperate together. ¡­I was able to defeat the Ogre only because you weakened it.¡± -Tsugumi alone could not have defeated that Demonic Beast. Thinking about it, that was not Tsugumi¡¯s accomplishment alone, but definitely a team effort. This was why they had no reason to be grateful in this way. The two looked at each other and began to laugh. ¡°Haha! You say the same thing as Chidori-chan. I guess you guys are sister and brother after all.¡± ¡°Did you talk to Chidori?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a little surprising that she became a Magical Girl. She didn¡¯t seem that aggressive. Well, if something happens in the government, we¡¯ll follow up on it, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Suzushiro laughed a bit and held out a folded piece of paper in front of him. He tilted his head as he accepted the paper. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Yuri-chan¡¯s personal contact information and mine. Whatever the case may be, it¡¯s true that you helped us out. ¨CIf anything happens to Tsugumi-kun, we will help!¡± I¡¯ve been re-elected to Rikka, so I have a certain amount of power, said Suzushiro with a laugh. Tsugumi opened his mouth in a shaky voice, alternately staring at the note in his hand and at the two of them. ¡°Is it okay for me to have such an important thing?¡± He had no idea how valuable Rikka¡¯s private contact information is. Normally, these women would be above the clouds that Tsugumi would never have to deal with them in his life. He didn¡¯t expect them to care so much just because he helped them once. ¡°You don¡¯t have to take it so seriously, you know? No matter how coincidental it is, with your appearance, you¡¯re going to get into all kinds of trouble. Besides, there is also the matter of Chidori. Think of it as having someone you can rely on in case of an emergency. ¨CYou see.¡± Mibu patted Tsugumi on the back, and then quickly held out her empty right hand in front of him. When he stared at Mibu¡¯s face, not understanding why, she laughed exasperatedly. ¡°We gave you our contact information. I think it would be polite for you to write yours down as well.¡± ¡°Is it necessary¡­?¡± ¡°Of course it is! We fought for our lives together. Aren¡¯t we friends now?¡± When Tsugumi asked this question with a puzzled look on his face, Mibu replied with a clear expression. He glanced at Suzushiro, and she nodded, as if to say, ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Apparently, there was no escape. Tsugumi wrote his contact information on a notepad on the table and quietly handed it to them. Somehow, he felt a tinge of trepidation. They carefully put away the note they had received and took out their cell phones to check the time. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve taken care of our business, we should get going.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a press conference in the evening. It¡¯s always a hassle.¡± The two women let out a melancholy sigh. The press conference probably referred to Rikka¡¯s inauguration ceremony. Tsugumi had never seen the live broadcast, so he didn¡¯t know all the details. ¡°By the way, two of you are re-elected as Rikka. Congratulations.¡± When Tsugumi congratulated them, Suzushiro cowered her shoulders a bit in dissatisfaction. ¡°I lost to Yuri-chan. I¡¯m a little shocked.¡± ¡°Is that so? I don¡¯t really care.¡± ¡°This kind of thing isn¡¯t logical!¡± ¡°See you later, Tsugumi-kun. Call me soon.¡± ¡°See you later!¡± Tsugumi smiled cheerfully at their words. ¨CIt sounded like a conversation between friends. ¡°Yeah. ¨CSee you again.¡± Tsugumi said with a light wave of his hand. He didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d see each other again, but he thought it would be a little regrettable if this was the end of their relationship. It wasn¡¯t because they were Rikka, or because they were pretty girls, or for any other cheap reason. ¨CIt was because they were human beings worthy of respect. Their straightforward nature dazzled Tsugumi more than anything else. As they walked out of the hospital room, Tsugumi smiled. ¨CIt was like a storm. The victims of the same accident and ¡°comrades-in-arms¡± who fought alongside each other against the Demonic Beast. Tsugumi thought it was an overrated assessment, but he didn¡¯t feel bad about it. Lying back on the bed, Tsugumi stared blankly at the note with their contact information on it. The distinctive rounded handwriting and the rough, slightly rightward letters. Both of these handwriting styles show their individuality. ¡°Friends, huh?¡± ¨CWhen¡¯s the last time I heard someone say that to my face? Just remembering it made him feel embarasses and happy at the same time. ¡°¡­But I can¡¯t tell anyone else¡­¡± There was no way he could tell his classmates, especially his best friend Yukitaka. He didn¡¯t know what they would say. There would be no problem if Mebuki knew, but there was no need to tell her. If she asked, he would just answer. With that in mind, Tsugumi stared at the clock. The time was five minutes before fourteen o¡¯clock. After confirming it, he raised his upper body with a flip. ¡°Oh no. ¨CI promised to visit Itadori.¡± ¨CThis morning, Asakura told him about Itadori¡¯s condition. She had badly sprained her ankle and was told to take a week¡¯s rest at home after being discharged from the hospital. Her discharge was this evening, the same time as Tsugumi. Asakura asked him to visit her before she left the hospital because she wanted to see Tsugumi. And the time that Tsugumi was allowed to visit was at 14:00 today. ¡ª in other words, there was no time to lose. He got off the bed, tucked the note he was holding into his notebook, and left his hospital room at a quick pace. ¨CWhat is the young girl who had faced the Ogre thinking right now? Tsugumi didn¡¯t know. CH 53 The Self-Righteousness of "Correct Answer" Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani When Tsugumi arrived in front of Itadori¡¯s hospital room, he knocked discreetly. A voice came from inside the room, saying ¡°Come in¡±. Opening the sliding door, he greeted Itadori and another person inside, Yumeji, who had come to visit her. ¡°Hello, Kanae-chan. How¡¯s your leg? And you, too, Yumeji-san. I heard you were discharged from the hospital yesterday. Is there any problem?¡± ¨CFor a while, he wondered if something was going to happen, but since she came to visit like this, they must have reconciled. When Tsugumi asked with a relieved heart, Itadori smiled and said. ¡°Yes. It looks like I need to rest, but I¡¯m fine now. But I think I¡¯m going to need crutches for a while.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m glad to hear you¡¯re not seriously injured.¡± Then Tsugumi glanced at Yumeji as he stroked Itadori¡¯s head. Yumeji was slumped over, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her expression unrecognizable. When Itadori asked, ¡°Nadeshiko-san?¡± Yumeji raised her face. She was obviously pale. ¡°Hey, are you all right?¡± When Tsugumi called out, Yumeji shook her head. She looked up at Tsugumi frightfully, and spoke in a trembling voice. ¡°Hey, did you really defeat that Ogre? When you¡¯re not even a Magical Girl?¡± ¡°Well, I wonder. The opponent was full of wounds, and I guess I just got lucky.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Yumeji opened her mouth to bite Tsugumi¡¯s reply. ¡°Why can you go against such a horrible thing? You and Kanae-san are absolutely strange. ¨CI was shaking and couldn¡¯t do anything! I don¡¯t want to be a Magical Girl if I have to fight that thing!¡± As she shouted, Yumeji clung to Itadori and began to wail. Tsugumi looked at Itadori with a bewildered expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tsugumi-oniisan. Nadeshiko-san seems to be a little emotionally unstable since yesterday¡­¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t mind. After all that happened, it¡¯s normal to be upset.¡± Itadori and Yumeji were part of the Asuka Academy¡¯s Magical Girl Aptitude Selection Class. Since Yumeji was discharged earlier, she might have heard a lot of things from her teachers and parents after she returned home. Besides, Asuka Academy had a section that held detailed information about Magical Girls. They must have already known that those who were caught up in the barrier were those with extremely high aptitude. ¨CThese two were expected to become Magical Girls in the future. This incident must have made those involved feel even stronger. But whether or not this made the kids in question happy was probably secondary for them. Tsugumi gently put his hand on the back of the crying Yumeji and spoke in a quiet voice. ¡°My sister became a Magical Girl after being discovered by a God during the incident. ¨CBut I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something to be happy about. Rather, I don¡¯t want her to become a Magical Girl. Do you know why?¡± When he asked Yumeji, she turned her bright red eyes to Tsugumi and shook her head. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want her to die. ¡­The rate of Magical Girls killed in the line of duty exceeds about 15 percent per year. As long as you continue to be a Magical Girl, that danger will always be with you. That¡¯s what I¡¯m afraid of.¡± Fortunately, Chidori was blessed with skills. She had signed a contract with the government, so she would not be sent into dangerous battles unless she pushed herself too hard. However, the anxiety still persisted. If Chidori were forced into a situation in which no one but her could fight, she would go into battle without hesitation, even if she knew she would die. Nanase Chidori was that kind of person. ¡°You saw those two girls in Rikka, right? You can be a Magical Girl only if you are as determined as they are. So if you don¡¯t want to do it, you shouldn¡¯t. ¡­And I don¡¯t want to see anyone I know die, either.¡± ¡°¡­Then I don¡¯t have to be a Magical Girl? But my father and mother would never forgive me for that.¡± Yumeji said, with a sad expression. Tsugumi smiled reassuringly and continued to speak. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to be. It¡¯s up to Yumeji-san to decide. ¨CWell, I still think you should start with a family meeting. He¡¯s a good father, isn¡¯t he? If you talk to him, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll understand. If they force you to become a Magical Girl, you can run away from home. At that time, I will help you.¡± That being said, the existence of a ¡°parent¡± wasn¡¯t something that an orphan like Tsugumi could understand. But he knew the feeling of cherishing a precious ¡®family¡¯. Once, Yumeji spoke proudly of her father. He didn¡¯t know what kind of person her father was, but he could only hope he had the decency to listen to his daughter¡¯s plea. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. ¡­I¡¯m sure if I talk to him properly, even Otousama will¡­¡± Yumeji said in a small voice and stood up with unsteady steps. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m going to go wash my face for a bit. ¡­Um, Oniisan.¡± Yumeji said to Itadori then stood in front of Tsugumi, holding her own hands as if in prayer. Somehow, he sensed a kind of tension. Tsugumi sat back a little, looked at her, and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Yumeji opened her tightly knit lips and let out a few words as if she were expressing all her feelings. ¡°¨CThank you¡± Yumeji bowed deeply and thanked Tsugumi. ¨CWhat is that thank-you for? For rescuing Itadori at her request? For defeating the Demonic Beast and returning to the real world? Or was it for the words of appreciation she had just received? Tsugumi thought it was all of those things. Tsugumi wanted to respect the step taken by the arrogant girl. ¡°¨CYou¡¯re welcome.¡± Feeling warm and fuzzy, Tsugumi replied, and Yumeji walked out of the hospital room with a small smile on her face. Staring at the closing door, Tsugumi sat down in the chair by the bed. ¡°Somehow, we¡¯ve become friends before I knew it.¡± When Tsugumi said this, Itadori laughed with a troubled look. ¡°Yeah. I think Nadeshiko-san feels a bit put off by me, though ¡­You see, I¡¯d made myself the bait.¡± ¡°Oh, you mean that time. She told me. You let her go first because you couldn¡¯t run with a leg injury. I was chilled to my core when I heard it.¡± ¨CWhen he first heard this story, Tsugumi had suspected that Yumeji was lying. The Itadori he knew was not such a courageous girl. But seeing Yumeji¡¯s earnest plea for help, he changed his mind. Yumeji¡¯s words turned out to be true. If he had been a few dozen seconds too late, Itadori would have died. She would have gone down in history as the first victim of an irregularity. It was a good thing that he got there in time. ¡°Are you scared now? If you have any problems with your heart, tell Asakura-sensei ¨C the gray-haired, bespectacled, stinky teacher. That man is very good at what he does.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s okay. I was scared at the time, but now that Tsugumi-oniisan has kept his word, I¡¯m not afraid of anything anymore.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­Don¡¯t overdo it, okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. But when I was running away, I was so desperate that I don¡¯t remember much. But I do remember thinking that I had to do the right thing. Hey,Tsugumi-oniisan. ¨CDid I choose the correct answer?¡± Itadori said with a cheerful smile. He couldn¡¯t see the fear of death that he had seen when he rescued her. Seeing Itadori like this, Tsugumi realized why Asakura had stated that he should definitely go to see her. Tsugumi slowly took Itadori¡¯s hand and squeezed it with both of his hands as if wrapping it around. ¡°Oniisan? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°What you did was not wrong. I am sure many people will praise you. But I don¡¯t want to assure you that it is the ¡®correct¡¯ answer.¡± Hearing those words, Itadori frowned in dissatisfaction. Perhaps she had expected Tsugumi to praise her and let it go. With an admonishing tone, Tsugumi said. ¡°Thanks to Kanae-chan, Yumeji-san survived unharmed. But what do you think would have happened if you became a victim of the Demonic Beast?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Yumeji-san will blame herself for the rest of her life. You can expect that from the way things are going right now, right? It¡¯s not good to make people sad. And I¡¯m sure I would always wish I¡¯d taken one more step sooner.¡± ¡°You too?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If you were dead, my heart would break. ¨CYour mother would have cried with worry, too, wouldn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, but Okaasan was angry and wouldn¡¯t listen to me.¡± Itadori¡¯s expression turned clouded. -He had heard some stories from Asakura beforehand. Itadori¡¯s mother grabbed her in tears as soon as she arrived at the hospital room. She had sobbed and lectured her, asking her why she had done such a dangerous thing. Itadori, who was dazed from painkillers and other medications, did not remember much of the conversation. She was only smoldering with frustration that her mother had been angry with her. However, Itadori was a kind child. She would surely understand if Tsugumi talked to her. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be nice either. If you really think it¡¯s the right thing to do, I won¡¯t deny it. But I will be sad if you die. I want you to remember that.¡± ¡°¡­Will you cry too, Tsugumi-oniisan?¡± ¡°Definitely. I think I¡¯m going to cry so hard it¡¯ll be pathetic.¡± Tsugumi chuckled and said so. Itadori said, ¡°I see,¡± and turned her head down. ¡°It¡¯s hard to find the ¡®correct answer¡¯.¡± ¡°Yes, I know. But there¡¯s one thing I can say is a ¡®correct answer¡¯.¡± When Tsugumi said this, Itadori tilted her head curiously. Tsugumi laughed mischievously and held his index finger up to his mouth. ¡°Apologize to your mother for worrying her. ¨CKanae-chan is a good girl, so you can do it, right?¡± Itadori heard Tsugumi¡¯s words and looked at him with a puzzled look, but then immediately let out a small giggle. It seemed he had hit the nail on the head. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I can do it. ¨CI don¡¯t know what the ¡®correct answer¡¯ is for me yet, but I¡¯m going to think it over a little more carefully. If something comes up, would Oniisan be willing to talk about it with me?¡± ¡°Of course. Call me anytime.¡± Itadori heard the answer and gave a small smile. Tsugumi exhaled with relief at the look on her face, and slowly stood up. The nurse in charge had told him not to stay too long in the hospital room. ¡°Then, I¡¯m going to go now. It¡¯s going to be noisy for a while, but let¡¯s do our best.¡± ¡°Yeah, good luck to you too, Oniisan!¡± ¨CHe walked out of Itadori¡¯s hospital room and looked down. The nurse who passed by him looked perturbed, so maybe he looked pretty bad. Then Tsugumi went back to his own hospital room and sat down there. ¡°¡­What¡¯s with the ¡®it¡¯s not good to do things that make people sad¡¯ thing?¨CThat¡¯s all about me.¡± He muttered like he was about to throw up. All of the words Tsugumi said to Itadori were coming back to him. No, objectively speaking, Tsugumi might be even worse. Risking your life to save someone. That might be noble. ¨CBut, until now, Tsugumi had disregarded the feelings of the person who had been waiting for him, Chidori. As long as Chidori was saved, he did not care what happened to himself. It looked like devotion, but in reality, he didn¡¯t think about her at all. Talking with Itadori made him realize this. Additionally, he put his life on the sideline and blamed Chidori for becoming a Magical Girl. It was the lowest form of punishment, by any measure. ¡°I can¡¯t keep going like this¡­¡± ¨CHe had always thought that his actions were for Chidori¡¯s benefit. However, it was actually for his own self-indulgence, and he betrayed Chidori¡¯s feelings. ¡°It¡¯s possible that Asakura-sensei figured out what¡¯s going on around here and sent me to Itadori. ¡­Really, he¡¯s a good doctor.¡± Apparently, the title of psychiatrist is not just a show-off. Tsugumi muttered bitterly and sank face down on the side of the bed. The surrounding environment changed, and people¡¯s emotions shifted. Nobody knew what was right. Finding a compromise was the only way. ¡°I have to think a little more.¡± Sighing loudly, Tsugumi closed his eyes. ¨CBell hadn¡¯t returned yet. CH 54 Chidori and Her Younger Brother Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Let¡¯s talk about the barrier accident at Tenma Amusement Park [5]. ~~~~ 666 : Anonymous If we follow the order and organize the timeline, it would be like this Demonic Beast Alert. Dispatch Magical Girl confirmed (Takasaki). A barrier accident occurred. Six people were involved (two of them are Magical Girls). Takasaki defeated one of the Demonic Beasts. The Irregular Demonic Beast ambushed her and caught her by surprise and rendered her inoperable. The Demonic Beast discovered Girl A and Girl B. Boy D rescued Girl A who was being chased. The six people involved were all together. Mibu attacked the Demonic Beast. She succeeded in weakening it. Boy D led the Demonic Beast to the maze. He and Suzushiro went inside. They burnt the Demonic Beast and succeeded in trapping it in the burning maze. The Demonic Beast revived from the flames. At this point, the two Rikka¡¯s were out of action. Girl C made a Magical Girl contract with a Rabbit. The transformed Girl C engaged the Demonic Beast, but had a hard time. Boy D thrust a dagger into the neck of the Demonic Beast from behind. They were rescued. Everyone survived. I¡¯ve broken down the details. 667 : Anonymous >666 B It¡¯s bad when you put them all together like this. Is this some kind of new horror attraction? 668 : Anonymous >666 B I guess they left out Mibu¡¯s undressing and Suzushiro¡¯s nail-stripping. They were blurred out on TV too. 669 : Anonymous I¡¯m sure it was stopped by the people on top anyway. Maybe the government doesn¡¯t want to show too many bad scenes of Rikka. 670 : Anonymous >>668 All that happened!? Rikka is not half bad, after all¡­ 671 : Anonymous They can¡¯t even transform inside the barrier, right? From what I¡¯ve heard, they can¡¯t even use their powers. Under such circumstances, how can Rikka even think of fighting a Demonic Beast? 672 : Anonymous I mean, many Magical Girls are basically crazy¡­ 673 : Anonymous But still, except for Rikka, they don¡¯t give their faces and names. I think it¡¯s okay at least if Girl C, who became a Magical Girl, shows her face. 674 : Anonymous Personally, I¡¯m concerned about Boy D, who only has black points. Isn¡¯t it amazing that he can put a stop to a Demonic Beast even though he¡¯s just a regular guy? I kind of admire him. 675 : Anonymous He¡¯s probably Girl C¡¯s boyfriend or something. If she were right in front of him, he¡¯d be dying to try. 676 : Anonymous >>674 No, I¡¯m full of envy, you know? I¡¯m too jealous to see Yurie-chan¡¯s service scene and holding hand with Ran-chan. 677 : Anonymous In the dedicated thread, some jealous guys even made death threats. Well, I¡¯m sure those idiots will be caught soon. 678 : Anonymous >>677 Some of them were grateful, you know? And if it wasn¡¯t for Boy D, both of them could have died. 679 : Anonymous But I¡¯m sure every guy has fantasized about this at least once. Encountering a Magical Girl in a pinch. 680 : Anonymous >>679 I¡¯ve had that one too. It¡¯s a delusion as common as terrorists in the classroom. 681 : Anonymous But you guys can¡¯t actually be as active as this boy D. 682 : Anonymous You never know. You might awaken some hidden power. 683 : Anonymous >>674 If I were Girl A, I¡¯m sure I¡¯d fall in love with him. He¡¯d come to the rescue just in the nick of time. 684 : Anonymous By the way, Girl A and Girl B seem to be students of that prestigious Asuka Academy. The guys in the specific thread assured me. 685 : Anonymous Wow, too scary for the specific threads¡­ 686 : Anonymous I guess everyone is curious about their backgrounds. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll all be identified and reporters will be at their homes by tomorrow. 687 : Anonymous I can¡¯t help but wonder what would happen if I were Boy D. I don¡¯t think I would be able to live a normal life anymore. 688 : Anonymous But still, isn¡¯t this the first time we¡¯ve had a large-scale barrier accident? The people involved seem to be random, and that¡¯s a little scary. 689 : Anonymous It doesn¡¯t seem to matter if you¡¯re a man or a woman. Tomorrow could be my turn. 690 : Anonymous >>688 Depending on the rank of the Demonic Beast, you could die instantly. The government needs to come up with a way out of this. 691 : Anonymous >>690 The government is doing its best too¡­ ¡ô¡ô¡ô Tsugumi let out a loud sigh as he sat in the back seat of the car provided by the government. He tried looking through some online forums on his cell phone, but it only made him feel depressed. Although Tsugumi had not yet been identified, this might only be a matter of time. The most concerning thing was the behavior of Rikka¡¯s fans ¨C specifically, Mibu¡¯s and Suzushiro¡¯s fans. It was unlikely that he would be killed or maimed, but if his identity was discovered, he would get into trouble, for sure. It might be better to be prepared for some harassment. Fortunately, like a blessing in disguise, the number of scenes featuring Tsugumi seemed to have been intentionally reduced. For example, the media did not seem to report much on the footage of the two Rikka being carried in his hands. Perhaps it was a consideration on the part of the government. ¡°We have arrived. Thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± The driver called out, and Tsugumi thanked him before getting out of the car. The house from the outside was dark, and there was no sign of anyone inside. It seemed Chidori had not come back yet. He unlocked the door to the house and proceeded upstairs to his room. He should have slept well last night, but for some reason, his body was exhausted. Perhaps yesterday¡¯s fatigue was heavier than Tsugumi thought. Then, as he opened the door to his room and turned on the light, something shimmering caught his eye. ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± ¡°¡­Bell-sama?¡¯ There she was, sitting at his desk with a grim look on her face. Tsugumi let out an involuntary sigh of relief and rushed to Bell. ¡°Where did you go, Bell-sama? I have a lot of things to talk about.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been cleaning up your mess. Don¡¯t complain.¡± Bell let out a weary sigh and stared at Tsugumi. It would have caused quite a bit of trouble, but he thought half of it was beyond his control. Even Tsugumi didn¡¯t want to get involved. ¡°You should have stayed hidden and kept still instead of having a bad sense of justice. Why don¡¯t you think a little about your own position?¡± Bell said astonishingly. ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± Certainly, If he had hidden somewhere just as Bell said, it wouldn¡¯t have been such a hassle. But even Tsugumi had something he couldn¡¯t bend. If Itadori and Chidori had died on the spot, there would have been deep scars on his heart. ¨CI want to protect the people who are important to me, who are within my reach. He thought he was allowed to do that much. But Bell clucked her tongue in frustration, perhaps sensing Tsugumi¡¯s naive idea. ¡°¨CDon¡¯t even think about it, Tsugumi. You are neither a genius nor a jack-of-all-trades. You¡¯re arrogant if you think you can live without taking anything away. Don¡¯t get carried away when you can¡¯t even protect yourself!¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± For Tsugumi, the rebuke was painful to hear. This incident made him realize just how powerless he actually was. If he lost his power as a Magical Girl, he would be no match for an E-class Demonic Beast. He was lucky to survive this time. Additionally, the two Rikka were there, as well as Chidori, who signed a Magical Girl¡¯s contract to save him. It was truly a series of miracles. ¡­If he got involved in another barrier accident like this one, there was no guarantee that he would be safe the next time. In fact, it would not be surprising if he got himself killed as cruelly as he had done with the Gargoyle. As Tsugumi looked down with a mysterious expression on his face, Bell began to speak. ¡°I¡¯ve spoken to the other contract Gods who were watching inside that barrier. Your true identity will not be revealed to the other Magical Girls. ¡­It¡¯s not so much a matter of etiquette to tell others about someone who has kept their identity a secret¨Crather, If you¡¯re dealing with the right God, all you have to do is nailing it with words..¡± ¡°Yes¡­ That¡¯s good.¡± This at least prevented Chidori from discovering the true identity of ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡±. Similarly, his existence was concealed from the government¡¯s side. It was a relief to know that. But for some reason, Bell¡¯s expression didn¡¯t clear up. Seeing this, Tsugumi remembered Rikka¡¯s new framework¨Cthe ¡°Jukka¡±. If Bell had anything to worry about, it must be that. ¡°Perhaps, Bell-sama also heard about ¡®Jukka¡¯ in the government?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, that story. I heard a touch of it, but I don¡¯t think you need to worry that much. Even if six people change to ten, the other four are just spares. Basically, things will proceed as before, with Rikka playing a central role. Whether or not you decline, it will not affect us that much.¡± ¡°Do you mean I won¡¯t be assigned to anything too important?¡± ¡°In the first place, Hagakure Sakura is ranked tenth. The government probably doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s very important.¡± Bell said so matter-of-factly, and Tsugumi was convinced with it. And as Tsugumi and Bell were exchanging information about this and that, the sound of the front door opening could be heard from the first floor. Then came the sound of Chidori¡¯s tired voice, ¡°I¡¯m home-¡° When Tsugumi put his hand on the door to greet her, Bell discreetly tugged on his sleeve and held him back. ¡°Wait. There is one thing I have to tell you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, all of a sudden? Is it something you forgot to mention?¡± When Thrush turned around and asked, Bell began to speak haltingly. ¡°I said earlier that I had talked to the other contract Gods, but one of them put on one condition.¡± ¡°What, so suddenly? Does it have to be at this time? ¡­No, maybe.¡± Then Tsugumi glanced at his feet. Chidori was on the first floor. ¨CWhich meant that Chidori¡¯s contract God could be with her. When Tsugumi looked up and gazed fearfully at Bell, she nodded with a somber look. ¡°It¡¯s exactly as you imagined. ¡­I don¡¯t want to go into detail, but it¡¯s not that bad. All you have to do is to keep quiet and listen to him.¡± With these words, Bell disappeared from the room as if she had nothing more to say. Subconsciously, he reached out to her, but his hand cut through the air. Tsugumi stood there in a daze and moaned like an abandoned puppy. ¡°Wha-what are you talking about?¡± For a while, Tsugumi held his head as if trying to escape reality, but then he heard Chidori¡¯s voice from downstairs, ¡°Tsugumi? If you¡¯re here, I¡¯d like to have a word with you.¡± Now that this happened, he couldn¡¯t escape anymore. Tsugumi clenched his fists and braced himself, and slowly made his way down the stairs. He opened the door to the living room and saw Chidori sitting on the sofa. Chidori stared at Tsugumi with a somewhat nervous expression, and the air was somehow heavy. ¨CIt was most likely due to the white rabbit sitting on her lap. Tsugumi stared at the rabbit in surprise. From the way Bell spoke, he had expected contact from him sooner or later, but he had not expected him to show up like this with Chidori. What on earth is this white rabbit, God, thinking? And as Tsugumi looked alternately at Chidori and the rabbit with a puzzled expression, Chidori broke the silence and began to speak. ¡°Hey, Tsugumi. I have something important to tell you, is that okay?¡± ¡°Well, yeah. That¡¯s fine.¡± In all likelihood, she was referring to the being on her lap. As Tsugumi prepared himself for what she was going to say, Chidori turned away from him, gently picked up the white rabbit with both hands, and opened her mouth with an embarrassed look. ¡°His name is ¡®Shiro¡¯. He is going to be my little brother from today on. Well, I guess you can say that he¡¯s going to be a big brother for Tsugumi?¡± And the white rabbit, lifted up to Chidori¡¯s chest, let out a deep breath through his nose and said to Tsugumi in an irreverent voice. ¡°I¡¯ll be counting on you from now on, Otouto.¡± Hearing these words from a person and a God, Tsugumi waited a full ten seconds before quietly tilting his head. ¡°¡­Eh?¡± ¨CBecome Chidori¡¯s younger brother. And the white rabbit called Tsugumi his younger brother. He understood the meaning of those words, but he had no idea what they meant. Perhaps, he had gone crazy. He turned around and asked Bell for help, but no one was there. He felt like crying for no reason, but reality would not wait for him. ¡°¡­Give me more details, please.¡± Tsugumi gulped down everything he wanted to say and spat these words out. ¨CThe strange encounter had only just begun. CH 55 The White Rabbit''s Circumstances Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani When Tsugumi asked for an explanation, Chidori began to talk about the circumstances with a mysterious look. ¡°This is after the discussion with the government was over.¡± ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¨CAfter the discussion with the government, Chidori was left alone in the conference room. It would take some time to arrange a car, so she was told to wait in this room until then. Chidori let out a small sigh as she checked the documents she had received. As a Magical Girl, Chidori had acquired two skills: [Wind] and [Gate]. The [Gate] seemed to be an exceptional skill even to Chidori, who was not familiar with Magical Girls¡¯ abilities. The ¡®Gate¡¯ skill was a transfer skill that allowed the user to move to the desired location through a gate that had been made to appear. Moreover, it was possible to move someone else other than the ability user, and more than one person at that. The maximum number of people that could be moved had not yet been determined, but it could probably be as many as 10 people. She could understand why the government was rushing to enclose it. The effect was slightly different when used outside and when used within the barrier, but the basic principle was still the same -There was also some backup from the government, and she wasn¡¯t obligated to fight. At first glance, it was shaping to a good start, but Chidori¡¯s expression did not clear up. ¡°I wonder what will happen in the future. I¡¯m worried¡­¡± A voice of uneasiness escaped from her mouth. The government officials were concerned about Chidori and made various concessions to her, but her mood remained heavy. She had to quit the club activities that she had taken so seriously, she would have less time to spend with Tsugumi, and most of all, she did not know how to deal with Shiro, the God with whom she had made a contract. According to the explanation from the government, the relationship between Magical Girls and their contract Gods was very diverse. In some cases, they were like lovers 24/7, while in others, they were more business-like and did not contact each other more than necessary. The former was a rare case, and the latter was more common among contract Gods belonging to the current government. In Chidori¡¯s case, however, she might have to pay some kind of ¡°consideration¡± first, since she made a ¡°promise¡± before signing the contract. According to the divine law enacted by Amaterasu, any excessive demands by a contract God could be lifted by appealing to the government, but the government asked her to put up with it as long as possible. If the contract Gods knew that their demands would not be met, there was a possibility that the contracts with Magical Girls would be canceled. Perhaps they did not want Chidori to lose her ability to transfer, even if it meant making some sacrifices. The unusually favorable treatment might also serve as an atonement. Chidori, too, had no intention of breaking the contract. Even though she would be weakened inside someone else¡¯s barrier, the advantage of her skills was very significant. She didn¡¯t know what would happen, so insurance was necessary. According to the government, once a person was involved in a barrier accident, there was a high probability that they would be involved again. This meant that Chidori ¨C and Tsugumi as well ¨C were at risk of being attacked by Demonic Beasts. Chidori¡¯s younger brother, Tsugumi, was somewhat in danger. She had a feeling that at a moment¡¯s notice, he could disappear right in front of her eyes. There had been signs of this for some time, but recently they had gotten worse. -I don¡¯t want to push Tsugumi any further. It was the reason Chidori needed to be strong. This time, she had to protect her younger brother, Tsugumi. As Chidori closed her eyes and prepared herself, a scent like a golden osmanthus softly tickled her nostrils. Flowers were not supposed to be in this room. ¡°Sorry for the wait, Chidori.¡± Hearing the familiar voice, Chidori opened her eyes with a start. When she turned her eyes to the place where she heard the voice, there was the white rabbit ¨C Shiro, Chidori¡¯s contract God. ¡°Shiro-sama? Why are you here?¡± When Chidori asked him in surprise, Shiro slinked up on the desk and sat down in front of Chidori. ¡°I got scolded at the Jingu, located behind the government. Apparently, it is forbidden to use the power of God excessively within the boundaries of others. If we were not careful, there was a possibility that the barrier system would go haywire. Well, so far there has been no problem.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Listening to Shiro¡¯s words, Chidori lowered her eyebrows apologetically. The reason this God was warned was surely because he forced himself to lend his strength to Chidori at that time. ¨CI couldn¡¯t do anything even though I received so much help. She couldn¡¯t even damage the Demonic Beast, let alone defeat it. Unlike the two Rikka, she had been strengthened as a Magical Girl. Chidori stopped crying at her own inadequacy. But Shiro did not blame Chidori. When he spoke to her briefly yesterday, he made no mention of the battle and simply said, ¡°I¡¯m glad you survived.¡± Was that kindness, or was he not interested in the battle? They had not been together long enough for her to determine that. ¡°Seriously, I just came down yesterday, but that three-legged guy is so annoying.¡± Shiro muttered in frustration and began to talk about what had happened to him over the past few days. Yesterday he came down to this world for the first time. The first battle he saw was the one that resulted in the barrier accident. Then, he was given a terrible lecture by Yatagarasu, a three-legged crow, at the government¡¯s shrine. And he talked with other Gods who were wandering around the government. He continued to talk about what seemed like a dream at his own pace in an indifferent manner to Chidori. However, he seemed to be enjoying himself and gave the impression of a child. ¨CBut Chidori felt a sense of dread when she saw Shiro¡¯s appearance. Chidori held her body, which was trembling and shaking, and tried her best to suppress her fear. The white rabbit in front of her had a very cute appearance, but its presence was somehow profound and divine. In the presence of this being, a mere human being would be nothing more than a speck of dust. Chidori just now realized the gravity of the situation. No matter how friendly he might be, the being in front of her was a [God]. What such a higher being wished for an ordinary human like Chidori? As Chidori thought about it, Shiro opened his mouth as if he realized what was going through Chidori¡¯s mind. ¡°Speaking of which, I haven¡¯t told you my ¡®wish¡¯ yet.¡± ¨CHere it comes. Chidori swallowed hard and waited for Shiro¡¯s next words. He stood up on all fours and strode up to Chidori¡¯s face, his golden eyes like the full moon narrowing as he smiled. ¡°Chidori. ¨CYou are going to be my new ¡®big sister¡¯.¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡°¨CThere was something like that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t understand at all.¡± Chidori explained the whole story to him, but he still didn¡¯t understand. He couldn¡¯t understand the reason at all, let alone the circumstances. Why would God want to play family with a human? It was incomprehensible. With doubts, he looked at his self-proclaimed older brother-the white rabbit. The white rabbit stared off into the distance and began to speak as if he had reached a point of no return. ¡°I have always wanted a kind, merciful older sister and an obedient younger brother.¡± The white rabbit¡¯s expression looked smug. ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± ¡°Wait, Tsugumi! You¡¯re being rude!!¡± The outburst came out of his mouth unintentionally, and Chidori rushed to warn him. Tsugumi realized his mistake after he said it, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. He was actually being moderate. If it had been Yukitaka who was here, he would have said something much harsher. At Tsugumi¡¯s sullen gaze, the white rabbit coughed deliberately and began to speak again. ¡°I hate to be the one to tell you this, but I have a bad relationship with my sister. She was furious with me over trivial matters, and we became estranged.¡± ¡°Trivial matters?¡± When Tsugumi asked that, the white rabbit looked away and repeated, ¡°Yes, trivial matters.¡± But somehow he sensed a hint of a lie. If mythologies were unraveled, one would find many sibling quarrels between Gods that could shake heaven and earth. ¡­Perhaps, only the person himself thought it was trivial¡­ The white rabbit continued, oblivious to Tsugumi¡¯s suspicious glances. ¡°I¡¯ve been living out of my sister¡¯s sight for a while now, but recently I heard a rumor that something interesting was happening in this world. I came down to this world with a heavy heart. ¨CThen I found you, Chidori.¡± ¡°M-me?¡± Chidori was surprised at the sudden mention of her name. The white rabbit in Chidori¡¯s hand floated up and sat on Chidori¡¯s shoulder, and continued talking as he curled his body to snuggle up. ¡°A pure heart for her brother. The depth of her compassion and willingness to make self-sacrifices. Her strength of will at a critical moment. ¨CShe is the ¡®ideal sister,¡¯ don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°¡­Well, you have a point.¡± Tsugumi nodded in agreement. ¨CI¡¯m a little concerned about his behavior, but he doesn¡¯t seem to be a problematic God. Tsugumi thought so, and let his guard down a little. In other words, this white rabbit probably just wanted to be loved like a little brother by his contractor, Chidori. Treating Tsugumi as a ¡®little brother¡¯ was probably just an added bonus to make the sister-brother role-playing more authentic. Besides, Gods that came down to Japan were bound by the laws of Amaterasu, without exception. In light of the compensation due to land affinity and faith, there were hardly any Gods that could break that firm tie. With that in mind, it was hard to believe that this God was trying to harm Tsugumi at the risk of sanction. It couldn¡¯t be said that he had no other intentions, but since Bell assured him that ¡°It¡¯s not bad¡± it was probably not a malicious wish. Rather, in a broader sense, it was a much kinder ¡°wish¡± than Bell¡¯s that forced him to fight. ¡­He had a lot of complaints, but he owed this white rabbit a debt. If this God hadn¡¯t lent his power to Chidori, Tsugumi would have been severely injured by the Demonic Beast¡¯s attack. If done wrong, he might have died. He still couldn¡¯t forgive this God for turning Chidori into a Magical Girl, but even so, he couldn¡¯t forget his gratitude. ¨CMore than anything else, there was also a statement from Bell. She had told him to obey the white rabbit. In other words, from the very beginning, Tsugumi had no choice. Tsugumi smiled, approached Chidori, and gently held out his right hand to the white rabbit ¨C his ¡°older brother¡±. ¡°Take care of me from now on¨CNiisan. Please protect my sister.¡± ¡°Un, leave her to me.¡± ¨CThe way he said it, it sounded like he was going to marry her. Tsugumi giggled, feeling somewhat funny as he held the white rabbit¡¯s soft hand. Seeing Tsugumi like this, Chidori let out a relieved breath. Perhaps she was worried that Tsugumi would refuse and become angry. On the surface, the two continued to chat cheerfully, but then a question suddenly entered his heart. -Earlier this white rabbit said that he had recently learned about the ruckus in Japan ¨C the playground of the Gods. If the Gods were so powerful that they could interfere with Amaterasu¡¯s boundaries, why had not a single piece of information come in over the past 30 years? Could it be that the information was intentionally blocked? But Tsugumi only thought that much and shook his head a little. ¡­In the first place, 30 years might be just an error level of time for God. The white rabbit said recently, but it was possible that he actually heard about it long ago. Besides, God¡¯s thoughts were incomprehensible to human beings anyway. It was useless to worry about it. ¡°Well, whatever.¡± What he didn¡¯t understand, he could just ask Bell later. Thinking so, Tsugumi looked at Chidori laughing happily. ¨CHe knew this peace was short-lived. Still, he was really happy that they were able to come home alive together like this. Tomorrow, everyday life would begin again. The uneasiness in his heart would not disappear, but he still felt like he could walk forward. CH 56 The Role of Rikka Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CA grand party was being held in the event hall of a luxury hotel located next to the government. Politicians, bureaucrats, intellectuals, and people of distinguished service in various fields were all gathered at the party hall. Among them, there were also some well-dressed Magical Girls. A banner on the stage read ¡°The 20th Rikka Inauguration Commemoration¡± in large letters. Anyone could see from this banner that the Rikka organization was established 20 years ago. -But why did the government bother to create such an organization? There was a profound reason. Twenty-two years ago, Japan had recovered from the destruction caused by Demonic Beasts and was about to enter a golden age where everything was in full swing. It was during this time that a major incident occurred that still became a relevant topic today. ¨CThe first Magical Girl, Sakura Akane, was killed in the line of duty. Sakura Akane was killed when she was confronted by an A-class Demonic Beast. For eight years she had been at the forefront of fighting Demonic Beasts and had been the hope of the Japanese people, but her death had been too great of an impact. People mourned, and girls of her age gradually began to avoid becoming Magical Girls. ¨CEven Sakura Akane had died, so there was no way that anyone else would be able to do it. At that time, there was an atmosphere of resignation throughout the country. The government took this situation very seriously, and two years after Sakura Akane¡¯s death, six Magical Girls were selected. These six were named ¡°Rikka¡± and were given the same authority as that given to Sakura Akane. The name ¡°Rikka¡± had the meaning of ¡°one who exceeds the five petals of the cherry blossom,¡± which was the image of Sakura Akane. In order to fill the hole in the hearts of the people who had lost Sakura Akane, the government decided to advertise the talented Magical Girls in a big way. The plan worked, and now, twenty years later, ¡°Rikka¡± was functioning as a spiritual pillar for the people. In the course of time, the system had shifted to national voting that took popularity into account, rather than selection based solely on merit, but the essence of the system remained the same. ¨CBut the government had one regret. ¡­Sakura Akane was the only one performing the role that ¡°Rikka¡± was doing. How much of the heavy responsibility was on her shoulders alone? From morning till night, she never had a moment to rest, and when she went outside, she was expected to appear as a noble Magical Girl. Her way of life was so devoted and reassuring. ¨CNo, perhaps everything in the country had forced her to live a harsh life. She pushed herself to a reckless degree, and her mind and body were worn out. An unacknowledged frustration caught up with her. The last A-class Demonic Beast she fought was at a level where she would normally have been able to defeat it with no problem. -The rare hero was crushed by people¡¯s expectations. It was a constant reminder of the government¡¯s sinfulness for what they had done. ¨CThis country was founded on the sacrifice of ¡°Sakura Akane¡±. They must never again create such a pathetic victim like Sakura Akane. That was the government¡¯s ¨C and even Amaterasu¡¯s ¨C intention. It was also the reason why there were some restrictions placed on Magical Girls belonging to the government. There were speculations that the Rikka could have followed in the footsteps of Sakura Akane if they made a mistake, but fortunately, their fears were unfounded. During the past 20 years, the existence of Magical Girls had shifted from military personnel to idol-like figures, and excessive worship had gradually disappeared. Magical Girls were still forced to fight harsh battles. However, it was possible to create an environment in which the world would not blame them if they left the Magical Girl world of their own free will. Only those girls who were prepared to fight through would remain, and those who were brokenhearted could return to the safety of their daily lives. It might seem distorted, but this was the only measure the government could take. ¨CBut that peace was now being shattered by the presence of ¡°Irregulars¡±. The ¡°Yata no Kagami¡± was useless in detecting and predicting Demonic Beasts in the event of irregularities such as time gaps in appearance, changes in population numbers, and barrier accidents. In times of emergency, the only thing that could be relied on was the absolute power of Rikka. Just like the case in the past with Sakura Akane, a situation was beginning to arise that demanded the presence of a ¡°hero¡±. The most dangerous accident was when an A-class Demonic Beast appeared in Hakone. At the time, it looked like it would be a disaster of unprecedented scale, but with the cooperation of a stray Magical Girl, the situation was saved. There was a movement among some people to regard the stray Magical Girl, Hagakure Sakura, as a hero, but at present, there wasn¡¯t that much fuss about her. The government was grateful for the increase of powerful Magical Girls, even if they were strays. The government had been working behind the scenes to deal with Irregularities, and in response to the recent barrier accident, they had decided to move up their plans. Extension of Rikka¡¯s framework ¨C the inauguration of the ¡°Jukka¡±. If the emergency bill was passed, it would be possible to start activities by the end of March. There might be some public outcry, but they could not withdraw the plan. ¨CEverything was to protect the country. ¡ô¡ô¡ô There were two women at the party venue. One was a woman with long burgundy hair and a bewitching air. The other was a petite, fragile girl with white hair. They were discreetly conversing by the wall, but the people around them were constantly looking at the two of them. It wasn¡¯t surprising that they became the center of attention. They were the two stars of today¡¯s event, the first and second in the ranking of Rikka: Toono Sumire and Yukino Shizuku. Toono smiled at Yukino as she elegantly sipped the wine in her hand. ¡°I look forward to working with you again over the next year. Shizuku-san is so diligent and talented, how reliable.¡± ¡°Reliable? I¡¯m sure you meant someone you can easily push more work to, right? Do you know how many times I¡¯ve been called in on my days off because you don¡¯t work?¡± Toono¡¯s cheerful words were cut short by an exasperated Yukino. Contrary to her fragile appearance, her boyish words seemed a little unbalanced. Yukino glared up at Tono and clicked her tongue. ¨CRikka¡¯s second rank. A-class subjugation shortest record holder. A girl of ice who continued her salty attitude towards her fans and the media. Yukino Shizuku had a variety of aliases. However, the actual situation was vague, and no detailed personal information was available. This was probably due to her own wishes and the fact that she used to be a stray Magical Girl. On the other hand, Toono, who was glared at, opened her mouth with a smile. ¡°Do you really care about that? But even Shizuku-san knows that I can¡¯t go outside while I¡¯m working at the shrine, right? I don¡¯t think I am that bad.¡± Toono was not only a Magical Girl, but also a Miko of a shrine dedicated to Amaterasu. She had been working as a Miko at the government-run shrine since she was a child, and had been hailed as ¡°the most beautiful girl of all time¡± even before her age reached double-digit. She was famous for her beauty, and was well-liked by the older generation who respect Miko. And because of her aptitude as a Magical Girl as well as her beautiful growth, she was still extremely popular. It was no surprise that she was ranked number one in the popularity polls. Hearing Toono¡¯s response, Yukino let out a big sigh. ¡­It was only natural that she couldn¡¯t move during the festivities. But it happened too often. Yukino thought that Toono was most likely skipping work using a festival as an excuse. ¨CToono did her job well when the occasion called for it, but she was too lazy at other times. The same could be said for Hyuga Aoi, who rose to fifth place this time, but she was a good person who tried to make up for it. ¡°But there¡¯s a limit. I have my reasons. I accepted to work as Rikka because of the contract God¡¯s intention, but originally I¡¯d like to quit being a Magical Girl as soon as possible. You know my situation, don¡¯t you?¡± When Yukino complained, Toono tilted her head lightly and smiled with narrowed eyes. ¡°I think you should enjoy it more now that you¡¯ve been chosen. There are only a handful of talented kids who can become the prestigious Rikka.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in a trophy that has nothing but that kind of nuisance. ¡­Well, it would have been easier if the others have been more serious.¡± Yukino then dropped his shoulders. ¨CIn the first place, there was no sense of cooperation among ¡°Rikka¡±. The main reason was probably that they didn¡¯t work as a team, to begin with, but the members were too individualistic. Toono¡¯s motivation was uneven, Mibu and Suzushiro were natural and their behavior was unreadable. Hyuga was ambitious and Yukino didn¡¯t want to work in the first place. ¡­The only Rikka with a decent personality was Hitsugi. ¡°I heard that Rikka is also going to expand their framework and increase the number of people who can move, but I guess it will still take some time. Seriously, is this the right time to relax?¡± When Yukino said this in disgust, Toono chuckled. ¡°The government has its own circumstances, so don¡¯t blame them so much. ¨CBy the way, did you know, Shizuku-san? I heard that Yurie-san and Ran-san exchanged contact information with that boy.¡± At these words, Yukino¡¯s shoulders lifted. That boy. The boy was able to enter the barrier ¨C in other words, he was most likely a ¡°male¡± who had the aptitude to be a Magical Girl. Even Yukino was somewhat concerned about this. ¨CBut it was annoying that Toono pointed this out. Yukino shook her head, looking away to make sure Toono wouldn¡¯t notice. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°It¡¯s concerning. ¨CBut I don¡¯t think there are any boys who are suitable.¡± Tono said this with a look that seemed to see right through her. ¡°Even so, it¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then it¡¯s fine. But please take a look at the report on the barrier accident just in case. I¡¯ve emailed you the documents, so check them later.¡± Toono said so, drank the wine in her hand, and left the place. ¡­Maybe the reason she took the trouble to come to Yukino¡¯s place and talk to her at length was in order to inform her of this information. Yukino, who had become bored, leaned against the wall with a pout and pulled out her cell phone to open the file attached to the e-mail. She skimmed through the first few pages and found a description with the names of those involved in the barrier accident. ¡°Nanase Tsugumi? ¡­I feel like I¡¯ve heard it somewhere.¡± Muttering this in a small voice, Yukino put her hand to her mouth as if in thought. Then, after a while, she remembered something, and her eyes widened with a start. ¡°It¡¯s most likely the student that Nagisa was so excited to talk about before. ¡­Well, maybe it¡¯s at least worth a try.¡± Saying this, Yukino laughed sarcastically. No one heard her mutterings. ¨CThe various thoughts are mixed up, and eventually, the causes and effects converge. No one knows yet how the threads that are being strung together will be connected. CH 57 Secrets and Lies Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani The next Monday. Tsugumi and Chidori were called by the school, so they arrived at school earlier than usual. Apparently, the school, having been contacted by the government, had held an emergency meeting as of yesterday. They were informed to arrive at school by 6:30 a.m. today to finalize what had been decided yesterday. He was called at night by Kisara, but then the caller complained on the phone that he had ruined a precious vacation time. ¡­He felt a little bad, but this one time it was unavoidable, so please forgive him. Tsugumi looked at the dark face of Chidori walking next to him and let out a small sigh. -I¡¯m sure she¡¯s worried about the explanation to the waiting club members after this. Whether she was a reserve or a ghost member, Chidori was the head and the ace of the kendo club. Suddenly quitting the club would not be immediately acceptable to the club members. The advisor would probably give an explanation, but in some cases, Chidori might be blamed by the club members. For an athletic club, the loss of a key player was quite damaging. She was already depressed, if such a thing was to happen, Chidori would be even more depressed. ¡­But Tsugumi couldn¡¯t do anything about it. On the contrary, it would be more complicated if Tsugumi interfered. In the end, Chidori had no choice but to solve it herself. Fortunately, everyone in the club adored her. If Chidori explained the situation sincerely and properly, it wouldn¡¯t turn out bad. So, when Tsugumi and Chidori arrived at the staff room, the principal explained to them how they would handle the situation. Mainly, it was about Chidori¡¯s work. They were told that if she were late or left early because she was called by the government, it would be treated as an official absence. Since this school had enrolled Magical Girls before, the basic rules were probably already clearly stated. The explanation went fairly smoothly. And what they were told to be more careful about than anything else, in this case, was how to deal with the media. Tsugumi¡¯s name had not yet come out, but as long as Chidori was active as a Magical Girl, there would certainly be a fuss. The school probably wanted to prevent Tsugumi from becoming even more conspicuous. For this reason, when approached by people of the media, the students were strongly advised not to deal with them alone, but to call a nearby teacher. There were a few other precautions, but they would be given a booklet with the details later. The school was quite generous. For some reason, the teachers were all very cooperative, even though they had to go through all that trouble and hassle. According to the secret interview with another teacher later, the schools where Magical Girls were enrolled received subsidies and extra bonuses depending on how much the school contributed. ¡­It was a pity that it wasn¡¯t for pure favor, but that was just how all adults were. ¨CAt any rate, this laid the groundwork for Chidori to work as a Magical Girl (courier). With backup from both the school and the government, it shouldn¡¯t be that difficult. For a while, he wondered what would happen at one point, but for now, it looked like he could lead a normal life. If he just stayed quiet until things cool down, everything would be fine. As Tsugumi patted his chest in relief, he was approached by the principal, who had just finished giving a general explanation. ¡°Then, Nanase Chidori-san, please go with your advisor to the club for an explanation. ¨CAnd, as for Nanase Tsugumi-san¡­¡± The principal told Chidori, and then continued to speak to Tsugumi as if to add. ¡°Kisara-sensei and Suzune-sensei are waiting for you at the school¡¯s guidance office. You should head there immediately.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± At the principal¡¯s words, Tsugumi opened his eyes wide and voiced his doubts. ¨CI didn¡¯t expect to be called to the staff room. He did not know what it was about, but now that he got summoned, he had to go. Tsugumi split up with Chidori and, although he was somewhat uncomfortable, reluctantly decided to go to the student guidance office on the fourth floor. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô After arriving at the student guidance office with heavy steps, Tsugumi opened the door with a sense of uncertainty. ¨CI don¡¯t remember doing anything to be called in separately, but if there was something wrong, it should have been brought up over the phone yesterday. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a sign of trouble. With this thought in mind, he stepped into the guidance counselor¡¯s office. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re finally here. Well, sit down.¡± Kisara, who was looking out the window, told Tsugumi that came in. He pointed to a table, where Suzune was already seated. For some reason, Suzune was staring at him with emotionless eyes, which was somewhat creepy. Puzzled by Suzune¡¯s unusual behavior, Tsugumi sat down at the assigned seat, which was right in front of Suzune. ¡­He couldn¡¯t stand being there somehow After confirming that Tsugumi had taken his seat, Kisara opened his mouth as if to regain his composure. ¡°So, what¡¯s your business today? The principal just briefed me on how to handle Saturday¡¯s incident and stuff.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a different matter.¡± ¡°Then, was there anything else? I can¡¯t think of anything.¡± When he heard the frustrated Tsugumi, Kisara stared with narrowed eyes. ¡°Are you telling me you don¡¯t have any idea?¡± ¡°Yes? Even if you suddenly say that¡­¡± Looking back to what had happened recently, there was nothing unusual. The only thing that came to mind was that he threatened an elementary school student, but that had already been settled, so there should be no problem. Probably. To begin with, he had been busy with hospitalization, sympathy, and rehabilitation as Hagakure Sakura so he had not been working much with Yukitaka, the root of all evil (trouble maker) who was the cause of Tsugumi¡¯s fall from Class F. There was no reason to be angry and summoned him. As Tsugumi twisted his head in confusion, Suzune, who had been silent up to that point, quietly opened her mouth. ¡°I told you at the time, didn¡¯t I? ¨CIf anything happens, please talk to me.¡± Suzune looked down, her bangs obscuring her expression. But Suzune¡¯s low voice, which sounded as if it was being squeezed out of her throat, made Tsugumi break out in a cold sweat. ¨CIs she perhaps angry? But about what? The only thing he noticed was that Suzune¡¯s behavior was different from usual. But he didn¡¯t know what she was so upset about. Thinking about it normally, it might be about the incident, but he couldn¡¯t even make a phone call at that place even if he was asked to consult with her. It was not right for her to be angry. ¡°Th-that¡¯s right. But there¡¯s nothing in particular that I have to rely on my teacher for¡­¡± Thinking he should say something for the time being, Tsugumi said this in his defense, but Suzune glared at him sharply and slammed the table vigorously with both hands. A dull thud echoed through the room. Shaking his shoulders in surprise, Tsugumi stared at Suzune in a daze. ¡°Why?¡± Suzune muttered, then loosely raised her head and looked at Tsugumi, her face contorted into a scowl. Then, her large eyes began to shed tears. Beautiful clear drops passed down her cheeks. Then Suzune asked Tsugumi in a trembling voice. ¡°Am I really that unreliable?¡± ¡°Oh, um, Suzune-sensei?¡± When Suzune started sobbing after saying that, Tsugumi wandered around with his hands in the air. The sudden turn of events left him at a loss for what to do. Confused, Tsugumi looked at Kisara, asking for help. Under Tsugumi¡¯s gaze, Kisara exhaled a troubled sigh, and suddenly announced. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time left, so let me get straight to the point. ¨CWe know your secret.¡± ¡°My secret?¡± At Kisara¡¯s words, Tsugumi¡¯s eyes widened involuntarily. ¨CTsugumi¡¯s secret. There was only one. -Yes, it was ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡±. ¡­Suzune once received an explanation that a Magical Girl saved Tsugumi when he was about to die. But now that he thought about it, that explanation was full of holes. Including the timing of the injury and hospitalization, combined with the activity period of Hagakure Sakura, it was probably not surprising that they could guess Tsugumi¡¯s true identity. ¨CBut even so, Tsugumi couldn¡¯t accept Kisara¡¯s words. The identity of ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡± must be absolutely concealed. It was partly because of his promise to Bell, but also because now that he was strangely famous, the revelation of Hagakure Sakura¡¯s identity would be fatal to Tsugumi. Even if the two people in front of him were trustworthy, he had no intention of telling them his secret. Then there was no other way but to deceive. Tsugumi turned his eyes down to think for a moment, then deliberately made a troubled expression and opened his mouth. ¡°¡­What are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand what the teachers are trying to say.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb with me now. Anyway, she seems to have good confirmation. You still doubt it after seeing her like this?¡± Kisara said with a tsk and a click of his tongue. ¡­Certainly, Suzune¡¯s cries were unusually convincing. ¡­If the secret really is out, how can I cover it up? Keep quiet. Cry it off. Ask Bell to erase the memory. Worst case scenario, he had to make sure Chidori didn¡¯t find out. Various thoughts like that were swirling around in his head. An unprecedented sense of urgency was taking over the Tsugumi¡¯s mind. While Tsugumi was struggling for the right words to say back, Suzune began to speak, shouting. ¡°¡­I thought ¡®maybe¡¯ when I saw the TV footage, but I became convinced when I saw the footage given to me by the government at yesterday¡¯s meeting. I know Nanase-kun has a hard time telling me this. But even so, I want you to speak up and tell me.¡± Suzune suddenly stood up and cupped Tsugumi¡¯s cheeks in her hands, as if to pull them closer to hers. His eyes met hers, wet with tears. In an instant, Tsugumi realized his own defeat. ¨COh, this is no good. There was definitely a certainty in Suzune¡¯s eyes. She would never change her mind no matter how much Tsugumi denied it. ¡­If it¡¯s completely exposed, then that¡¯s all there¡¯s to it. Fortunately, these two were very tight-lipped. As long as they didn¡¯t make a mistake subsequently, his identity wouldn¡¯t spread in a strange way. Tsugumi, having given up on deception once and for all, waited for Suzune¡¯s next words. ¨CBut what she said was unexpected. ¡°The moment you started running, there was no hesitation. You thrust the blade from the demon¡¯s neck along the overflowing thread as if you could see it. ¨CHey, Nanase-kun, you see the same things I do, don¡¯t you?¡± Suzune said and laughed softly with a snarling look on her face. A strange silence pervaded the room. Tsugumi ruminated on Suzune¡¯s words for about five seconds and finally understood what they meant by the ¡°secret¡± they were talking about. Tsugumi gripped his right hand tightly, sweating with relief. ¨CIt¡¯s not Hagakure Sakura that has been exposed! Thank goodness! In his heart, he shouted loudly, ¡°Safe!¡±. Perhaps Suzune was referring to the red flame that he saw when challenging the Ogre, which led to its death. It was a mystery how it got exposed, but Suzune had similar abilities, it might have something to do with it. But Hagakure Sakura wasn¡¯t exposed. It was the only thing that mattered. Although Tsugumi was relieved that his secret had not been exposed, he realized that he now had another thing to worry about. ¨CIs it okay to tell others about this ability to see the flames of death? After Bell left to escape yesterday, he did not get a chance to talk to her again. Because of the bad timing, they hadn¡¯t had a chance to discuss this ability at all. The conditions for its use were still unclear, but Tsugumi didn¡¯t think it was a high priority. Fearfully, Tsugumi raised his gaze and looked at Suzune¡¯s face. She was quietly waiting for him to speak. Her face showed a pleading color, a hint of trepidation, and unbridled anticipation. ¨CPerhaps Suzune wanted to believe that Tsugumi possessed the same unusual ability. There were other people who possessed the same unusual ability that she alone should have possessed. He wondered what she thought when she realized this. Based on that, he felt like he could understand Suzune¡¯s frenzy today. ¡­Whether he affirmed or denied the dissimilarity here, it would be troublesome either way. If he couldn¡¯t find the right answer, then he should choose the better option as much as possible. Tsugumi hesitated for a bit and decided on an answer. He turned his gaze away from Suzune and smiled fleetingly as he gently placed his right hand on the hand resting on his cheeks. Then looking up and gazing at Suzune, he opened his heavy mouth. ¡°¨CSuzune-sensei, it¡¯s exactly as you said.¡± CH 58 Hell in Your Eyes Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¡°At that time, I was seeing things that I should not have been able to see.¡± When he told her this, Suzune laughed in relief. In contrast to Suzune, Kisana widened his eyes in surprise at Tsugumi¡¯s words. Was he surprised that Tsugumi admitted this so easily, or was it because he actually had a unique ability? ¡­He didn¡¯t know which one it was but that reaction was too much after the threatening confrontation. Tsugumi felt something didn¡¯t add up, but explained about the flames he had seen that day. The first time he saw the flames was two days ago. Unlike Suzune¡¯s threads, they could be seen or unseen, depending on his actions. He didn¡¯t say anything about the unusual ability right away because he had so many other problems that he had completely forgotten about it. It was talked about in a way as to not provoke Suzune as much as possible. ¡°That¡¯s why, I didn¡¯t mean to say that Sensei was unreliable. You see, there was also the matter with Chidori, so I didn¡¯t have time for consultations¡­¡± Tsugumi concluded his explanation. Fortunately, Suzune looked much calmer, perhaps because she had calmed down as she listened to the conversation. ¨CThis should be all right for the time being. Tsugumi thought so, and patted his chest in relief. Kisara, who had been silently listening to Tsugumi, held his forehead as if enduring a headache and lightly poked at Suzune. ¡°See, you thought too much, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What? But¡­¡± ¡°And I told you yesterday that it would be better to wait until things had calmed down a little more, not in the morning when there was no time.¡± When Kisara told her so, Suzune suddenly looked as if she had realized something and began to be flustered. Unlike the deadly look she had earlier, she looked more like the normal Suzune. The sudden change in the two of them puzzled Tsugumi. Just like the way Suzune acted, Kisana, who had been so intimidating, was clearly less motivated. It was strange. ¡°Oh, yes, that¡¯s right. Nanase-kun was being involved in a very serious incident, and I¡¯m also¡­¡± Saying so, Suzune apologetically lowered her gaze. Her face was pale and shaking slightly. It was as if she was frightened of something. ¡°Suzune-sensei? Are you all right?¡± Tsugumi, concerned, called out and tried to touch Suzune¡¯s shoulder. But Kisara, who was standing next to her, restrained his hand. ¡°Nanase, you don¡¯t have to worry about it. ¨CNagisa, that¡¯s enough for today. You should wash your face once. I¡¯ll explain the rest properly.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll let you do that. ¨CNanase-kun, I¡¯m sorry for the inconvenience.¡± Dizzy, Suzune stood up and bowed deeply, lowering her eyebrows in a terribly apologetic manner. Then, without waiting for a response from Tsugumi, she left the room at a quick pace. While Tsugumi was stunned by this unfamiliar turn of events, a can of coffee was gently offered in front of him. Reflexively, he took it. ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you. Don¡¯t tell the other students.¡± ¡°Oh, thanks.¡± Kisara opened the lid of his own coffee, leaned back in his chair, and let out a loud sigh. He looked somewhat like a tired office worker. ¡°My bad, you have to put up through all of this in the morning.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind that much¡­ .But if it was a personal matter, you could have called me at any other time. I thought something happened.¡± When Tsugumi said this in dissatisfaction, Kisara cowered his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m the one who worked hard. She would have stormed into your house last night if I hadn¡¯t stopped her. Would you have preferred that?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that, I¡¯m a little scared. ¡­Is Suzune-sensei all right? She seemed to be acting strange.¡± Then, Tsugumi looked at Kisara with trepidation. No matter how he looked at it, Suzune was acting strangely. ¨CSuzune¡¯s unusually devilish act was something that could never be imagined from her usual appearance. Even Tsugumi was suspicious for a moment, wondering if it was someone else. Kisara cowered his shoulders at Tsugumi¡¯s question, then began to speak as if he had given up. ¡°She couldn¡¯t stay put when she found out you have the same power as she does. ¡­Suzune at times like that, acts and speaks as if she¡¯s possessed by something. I couldn¡¯t stop her.¡± The reason why Suzune was impatient could be guessed somehow. He heard about Suzune¡¯s ability only once, but her ability was too irredeemable. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t surprising that when she realized the possibility that Tsugumi had the same ability, she went berserk. -She probably wanted a fellow victim with the same power. It was too sad of a wish. ¡­But the issue of Suzune¡¯s attitude was different from the issue of Kisara¡¯s attitude. ¡°Then why was Kisara-sensei being so coercive¡­? You were glaring at me, being very aggressive, and I felt like I was being interrogated.¡± ¨CAt that time, Kisara was like a veteran interrogator. Perhaps it was because he usually treated his students roughly, but he was too imposing. If he had felt even a little sorry, he would not have had to be so coercive. ¡°It was true that we didn¡¯t have time. All this unnecessary gut-wrenching state was a waste of time. Besides, I didn¡¯t mean to glare. I haven¡¯t slept well because of Suzune¡¯s persuasion. It¡¯s no wonder my eyesight is getting worse.¡± Kisara said so and brushed back his bangs. ¡°So, are you alright? I don¡¯t know about you, but seeing paranormal things takes a toll on the mind, doesn¡¯t it? Suzune often collapses from it.¡± ¡°In my case, it¡¯s because I can¡¯t see anything unless I strongly think about it. ¡­Now that I think about it, it¡¯s a little different from Suzune-sensei¡¯s ability.¡± Suzune¡¯s unique ability was different from Tsugumi¡¯s, she wasn¡¯t able to turn on and off her vision. Besides, no matter how visible the mortality was, it would be of no use. If it were Tsugumi that possessed this ability, he would no doubt be mentally ill by now. Kisara smiled at Tsugumi, whose expression was clouded with this comment. ¡°The world she sees is hell, to put it mildly. Do you know? She doesn¡¯t watch any old movies or dramas. When she¡¯s in bad shape, she won¡¯t even turn on the TV. Do you know why?¡± ¡°Old movies¡­? No, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Her powers apply to the dead, too. Think about it, do you enjoy watching a movie where most of the characters are wrapped around threads? Especially if you know the reason for the threads.¡± Tsugumi gently pressed his mouth shut as he thought of the images of what Kisara had told him. It was too sickening. It was understandable that Kisara called it hell. He exhaled thinly to calm himself and looked at Kisara. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t think it was that bad.¡± ¡°Maybe. ¡­It may be brazen of me to say this, but please don¡¯t blame Suzune too much. I will make her apologize again after this matter settles down. If you are still dissatisfied, I¡¯ll try to stay out of it as much as possible.¡± Kisara then bowed his head toward Tsugumi. ¨CTsugumi didn¡¯t expect Kisara, who usually treated his students with a resolute attitude, to show this kind of behavior. ¡°I don¡¯t really care that much. ¡­.But even so, why does Kisara-sensei have to go to such lengths? Even if Suzune-sensei is your childhood friend, it seems too excessive.¡± -I have been thinking about this for a while, but I am not quite sure about the relationship between Kisara-sensei and Suzune-sensei. At first, he just thought they were involved in a love affair, but Kisara-sensei treated Suzune almost like a little sister. In addition, he could sense a feeling of shame. When Tsugumi asked him this question, Kisara looked down, let out a big sigh, and then opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve forced you to talk, so it¡¯s only fair that I tell you some secrets, too. Well¡­ let¡¯s talk about this. She probably already told you, but Suzune had an accident when she was ten years old which, unfortunately, blossomed her unique ability. ¨CThat accident was caused by me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I was playing in the river with my other friends when she slipped on a rock trying to join us. If I had been a little more careful, it could have been prevented.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s solely Sensei¡¯s fault.¡± As far as he could tell from the story, it was simply an inadvertent mistake on Suzune¡¯s part. However, Kisara shook his head at Tsugumi¡¯s words ¡°No. I was embarrassed to act with my younger childhood friend in front of my other friends. So I took the steep path on purpose and tried to get her off my back. ¡­That¡¯s how it went down. Don¡¯t laugh.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± That being said, Kisara mocked himself and Tsugumi couldn¡¯t say anything. ¨CIt wasn¡¯t clear who had to be blamed. Suzune probably would not have blamed Kisara either. Suffice to say, it was just bad luck. ¡­But Kisara wouldn¡¯t agree with Tsugumi¡¯s words. ¡­In his mind, the answer had already been decided. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me and her. Besides, frankly, I think it¡¯s harder for you. If it gets too noisy, the school will warn the students, but even then there are limits. You should also think about getting the government to protect you in the worst-case scenario. You can rely on Rikka¡¯s ¡®Yukino Shizuku¡¯ through Suzune¡¯s message, but you never know how things will turn out in that case. You shouldn¡¯t expect too much.¡± ¡°So, the acquaintance Rikka mentioned before is Yukino Shizuku. There¡¯s quite a difference in age, what kind of relationship is it?¡± ¡°She is Suzune¡¯s relative. Well, they didn¡¯t seem to be related by blood.¡± ¡®Is that so?¡± Yukino Shizuku was a talented Magical Girl who had jumped to second place in the latest poll. It was rumored that she had a cold personality and didn¡¯t want to get involved with others, but what was she actually like? He was curious, but there was no point in asking that now. When Tsugumi was honestly impressed, Kisara began to speak in an admonishing voice. ¡°¡­The only person who would notice your unusual ability just from the images would be Suzune, but don¡¯t try to blow it up. If that causes a fuss, I won¡¯t be able to cover for you.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to brag it around. ¡­Do I look that stupid?¡± Even in this age of Ancient Gods, prejudice against occult abilities was strong. Many people argue that it was wrong for those besides Magical Girls ¨C those who had not made a contract with Gods ¨C to use supernatural powers. In addition, due to the special nature of their abilities, if they were not careful, they might be targeted by underground organizations as research subjects. In any case, there was no other choice but to stay quiet. Kisara smiled a little when he heard Tsugumi¡¯s dissatisfied response. ¡°At least, you don¡¯t look that smart. You didn¡¯t do too well on last month¡¯s test, either. You should study harder.¡± ¡°Wow, you say that here now? I am hurt¡­¡± Tsugumi gently clutched his chest, a little shocked. It was true that he didn¡¯t do very well on last month¡¯s test, but he had been sick at the time. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s a joke, don¡¯t worry about it that much. ¨COh, it¡¯s about time. You¡¯ll be back in time for the first period, so Nanase, go back to the classroom.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I wait for Suzune-sensei?¡± ¡°She won¡¯t be back for a while anyway. ¡­It¡¯s going to take a lot of time to fix the makeup from scratch.¡± Kisara let out a heavy sigh. ¡­The words were full of wasted feeling. It might be best not to go into it too deeply. ¡°Then I¡¯m going back to the classroom.¡± Saying so, Tsugumi stood up from his seat and turned away from Kisara. As if it was accidental, Kisara called out to him. ¡°Oh. ¨CYes, Nanase.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Learn more ¡°You¡¯re hiding something else, aren¡¯t you?¡± The hand on the door stops at his words. Tsugumi slowly turned around and opened his mouth. ¡°What are you talking about? There¡¯s nothing else.¡± When he answered, Kisara shook his head with a wry smile. ¡°No, if you have another secret, you don¡¯t have to tell me about it. I¡¯m not going to pursue it, and I¡¯m not going to find out.¡± Kisara laughed, saying that he owed a favor. Tsugumi looked at him quizzically, but somehow managed to swallow his agitation. It might just be a play of trick, but he couldn¡¯t say anything bad back. Seeing Tsugumi at a loss for words, Kisara said in a teasing tone. ¡°¨CBe careful. You¡¯re pretty easy to figure out.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you for the advice.¡± Then, as Tsugumi closed the door to escape, he heard a giggle and a small laugh from inside the room. ¡­Really, it wasn¡¯t good for his heart. Tsugumi walked down the hallway at a brisk pace and spat out the words as if he were really tired. ¡°That person really has a good intuition¡­¡± As expected, he really had a good nose. It seemed he let it off the hook this time, but Tsugumi couldn¡¯t let his guard down. As long as Tsugumi did not turn against Suzune, it would be fine, but he still needed to be vigilant. ¨CReally, this school only has troublesome people. With this thought in mind, Tsugumi strode to his classroom ¨C a class full of troublemakers. CH 59 Whimsical Kindness Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CI hope it¡¯s not too much trouble. Tsugumi thought about this as he walked down the long hallway. The other classes had already started HR, and he shrugged it off. Basically, the class that Tsugumi belonged to only had HR when there was something to communicate, but since the homeroom teacher, Suzune, didn¡¯t make it to HR, they might not get any notice this time. ¡­It was easier for Tsugumi because they didn¡¯t have to make a fuss, but they would find out later anyway, so it was just procrastination in the end. Tsugumi didn¡¯t really care that much about being ridiculed, but he didn¡¯t want to be asked to dig up roots about Chidori. The government¡¯s conditions were good, but Tsugumi was still not convinced that Chidori would be able to work as a Magical Girl. Logically, he knew that it couldn¡¯t be helped, but at the moment, he felt a surge of frustration and fear. Because of this unstable state, the easygoing questions from his classmates could be a minefield for the current Tsugumi. -But I can¡¯t cause a problem at this timing. Tsugumi¡¯s action would be directly connected to Chidori¡¯s reputation. Even if it was somewhat uncomfortable, he had to put up with it now. Despite feeling that it was a hassle, Tsugumi was prepared and walked into the classroom. ¡°¡­Good morning.¡± Tsugumi called out and went to his seat with a nonchalant look. ¡°Good morning. You¡¯re late today.¡± ¡°Hey, Nanase. I heard the next subject is self-study.¡± When his classmates saw Tsugumi, they said things like that. ¨CYes, as if it were business as usual. Could it be that Tsugumi was overthinking and that his classmates were unaware of anything about the accident? He thought like that, but then he felt something strange. As if they were forcing the subject away. ¨CIt was the sign. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s this¡­?¡± On Tsugumi¡¯s desk, there was a small box. A blue wrapping paper and a beautiful golden ribbon. It looked like a present, but today wasn¡¯t his birthday or anything. What on earth could it be? ¡°Why don¡¯t you open it?¡± Fuyuno, who was sitting next to him, said so while lying down on her desk with a lazy look. ¡°Ah, is this addressed for me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s on Tsugumin¡¯s desk, so of course it is. Are you an idiot?¡± Come on, hurry up. She told him to hurry up and unwrap the gold ribbon, Tsugumi wondered if it was really safe. He peeled off the blue wrapping paper and pulled out a small box inside. ¨CIt was something familiar to him. ¡°This is the box from the optician¡¯s shop I went to with Senpai the other day.¡± When he said that, he noticed a message card underneath the box. The card read: To Tsugumi-kun I¡¯m sorry to hear about the accident at Amusement Park. It seemed you were injured, but I¡¯m really glad you and your sister are okay, I really wanted to go to the hospital to visit, but I can¡¯t go against the government¡¯s decision. For some reason, I have to leave early today, so I can¡¯t see you in person, but I¡¯d like to talk with you about a lot of things, so I hope you¡¯ll set some time aside for me sometime soon. P.S. I don¡¯t think you can use the sunglasses you bought before, so I¡¯m going to give you a pair of sunglasses of my second choice design that you can use on a daily basis. It¡¯s my way of saying thank you. From your dependable senior, Megumi Mebuki. When he opened the box, he found a pair of blue-rimmed glasses with pale blue lenses. They might be more like computer glasses than sunglasses. Smiling, he picked them up and put them on his face. ¡°How do I look?¡± ¡°Hm- it¡¯s okay. Isn¡¯t it better than the last black-rimmed one?¡± Tsugumi smiled with satisfaction at Fuyuno¡¯s answer, took off his glasses, and carefully put them away in a box. Since it was a good opportunity, he would use it from now on. But what does the word ¡°thank you¡± at the end of the message mean? He was curious, but he would have to ask her directly to find out. ¨CI am really indebted to Senpai. With the hospital, the glasses, and the current situation. ¡°Hey, Fuyuno.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No one has said anything to me, is it because Senpai came to class this morning and said something?¡± It was easy to figure out. Except for Kisara and Yukitaka, there was no one in this class who had this much influence ¨C besides Mebuki. Mebuki, who was the first to know what was going on, probably came to Tsugumi¡¯s classroom ahead of the others and admonished his classmate. Perhaps she had anticipated that Tsugumi¡¯s mind would be in turmoil because of Chidori. At the Tsugumi¡¯s words, Fuyuno narrowed her eyes and the corner of her mouth lifted up into a small smile. ¡°The rule is not to ask anything about such things, right? Why don¡¯t you just go on with your life, as usual, Tsugumin? The noisy ones already shut up.¡± With that said, Fuyuno pointed to a seat in the front of the room. ¡°¡­Whoa.¡± Around that seat was an odd group of people. Usually noisy classmates ¨C mainly Akiyama and others ¨C were wearing masks with a large X on them. It looked like some kind of punishment game. When they heard Tsugumi¡¯s voice, they tried to tell something by making some kind of formation-like gesture in a circular motion. But he had no idea what it meant. ¨CIt seemed fun so he¡¯d just leave it alone. Tsugumi lightly waved his hand and ignored Akiyama and the others, then turned to Fuyuno and opened his mouth. He thought he heard a silent plea from that side, but it was probably just his imagination. ¡°Thank you. I thought it would be hard if there are a lot of questions, so that helps.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. For your gratitude, you can just be my model for the painting, okay?¡± ¡°Haha, absolutely not.¡± He laughed off what Fuyuno said and opened his mouth to regain his composure. ¡°By the way, Is Yukitaka not here? I don¡¯t see him around.¡± ¡°Ah, that. He fled out the window the moment Mebuki-senpai entered the classroom.¡± ¡°¡­This is the third floor.¡± ¡°Then he¡¯s dead, isn¡¯t he?¡± Tsugumi stood up silently and hurriedly peeked out the window. Nothing had fallen on the ground directly below. Holding his pounding heart, Tsugumi let out a loud sigh. ¡­He probably just got carried away by Fuyuno¡¯s words. It didn¡¯t seem possible, but the scary thing about Yukitaka was that he could do it. Tsugumi returned to his seat discouraged and said to Fuyuno in frustration. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t give me a heart attack. You seem impatient.¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t care about him.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Fuyuno frowned and spat that out. ¡­That guy, Yukitaka was really hated. As for Tsugumi, it hurt his heart that his friend was despised by people close to him, but he couldn¡¯t say it too loudly, because there were some things about Yukitaka that he couldn¡¯t defend either. ¨CBut even then, that reaction is too much. This was especially true in this class. Since the class was originally made up of people with strong personalities, no one was willing to give an inch. This might be a particularly bad match for Yukitaka, who had a tendency to try to manipulate those around him with his hands. Unfortunately, there was no class change in this Class F. There were times when the number of students increased, but basically, the number of students did not decrease. It was a little depressing to think that he¡¯d be stuck with these blockheads in the next school year, but he supposed it was to be expected. Tsugumi was also stubborn, as usual. That didn¡¯t mean that the people in this class were at fault. They were kind enough to accept Mebuki¡¯s words and care for the heartbroken Tsugumi. It was undeniable that there were some troublesome parts, but except for Yukitaka, the class was reasonably comfortable for Tsugumi. ¡°I¡¯m sure Yukitaka will be fine. He¡¯ll be in touch soon. ¡­Oh, did it just arrive?¡± He took out his cell phone, which was vibrating, and looked at the screen. The short message that arrived was also sent by Yukitaka. ¡°It feels unpleasant so I leave early. ¡­Is your attendance number okay?¡± Tsugumi dropped his shoulders and let out a sigh. It seemed Yukitaka still had a hard time with Mebuki. It was like an amulet to ward off evil. ¡°Hmm, an attachment?¡± Upon closer inspection, he saw that there was some kind of file attached to the message. He touched the screen and opened the file. There was an image of some kind of map in it. ¡°Where is this? Could it be a park near my house?¡± While rotating the screen around, he thought of the location shown on the map. The address and street number on the map indicated a park within a few minutes¡¯ walk of Tsugumi¡¯s house. And at the bottom of the map, there was a small note that said, ¡°Today at 23:00 at this place.¡± ¡­Perhaps it meant to come to the park at this time? Tsugumi held his head, not even hiding his annoyed look. There were occasional unreasonable calls from Yukitaka, but there was a half-chance that they would be dismissed. Even Tsugumi wanted to avoid wasting time when so much trouble was happening. ¡°¡­What should I do.¡± To tell the truth, he didn¡¯t really want to go, but it would be a hassle to complain about it later. ¨Cwell, I guess I¡¯ll just have to decide what to answer before I leave. Since it was Yukitaka, he might change his plans before then. Tsugumi yawned a little as he thought so optimistically. CH 60 Those Who Choose Flowers Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¡°¨CI can¡¯t do anything. Interference with non-contractors is basically forbidden.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­ The rules are troublesome.¡± After school was over, Tsugumi came straight home and explained to Bell what had happened this morning. In the course of the conversation, he asked if there was anything that could be done about Suzune¡¯s unique ability, but he was told it was impossible to remove it at present. According to Bell, there were strict rules for the Gods who had descended to the lower realms, and it was strictly forbidden to use their powers on people other than their contractors. There were exceptions to this rule, but in Suzune¡¯s case, the exception did not seem to apply. ¡°In the first place, the woman must have an acquaintance in Rokka, right? Since the problem is still unresolved despite such connections, it must be something quite deep-rooted. If you try to remove it by force, it will affect the soul in the worst-case scenario. Unless the God is good at that kind of treatment, even the woman¡¯s life may be in danger.¡± ¡°God is not all-powerful, huh?¡± When Tsugumi said that, Bell lifted her eyes and yelled. ¡°You fool, our power is limited in the lower realms! Had I been here in my perfect body, I would have been able to change the terrain with ease!!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I understand.¡± Hushing the indignant Bell, Tsugumi smiled bitterly. ¨CThinking about it calmly, it was reasonable that God¡¯s power was limited. If all the Gods performed miracles as they pleased, the value of miracles would decrease. Miracles were precious because they did not occur frequently. It was a bad habit of Japanese people to immediately ask for help from God whenever they were in trouble. No matter how close God, Bell, was, it was not good to rely on her too much. ¡°Your evil eye is more important than that insignificant woman. Why didn¡¯t you tell me that earlier?¡± ¡°Well, the timing was bad¡­¡± At Bell¡¯s reprimand, Tsugumi turned his face away. It could be said that he didn¡¯t have time to talk because of Chidori and the white rabbit, but it was certainly his fault for not telling her about his unique ability. ¡°Hmmm. I guess I had a glimpse of the ability from the beginning, but it¡¯s a little strange.¡± Bell looked into the Tsugumi¡¯s eyes and frowned. ¡°What is it? Is it affecting my soul again?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. ¨CIt¡¯s strange how nothing is affected.¡± Tsugumi tilted his head at Bell¡¯s words. Isn¡¯t it good that there is no effect? Perhaps reading the question from Tsugumi¡¯s expression, Bell sighed and shook her head. ¡°A unique ability-It is a mutation of some part of the soul. Therefore, the more powerful a person is, the more they deviate from the rules of human nature. When this happens, their power often rebounds and they become unqualified to be the vessel of a Miko. You are fortunate that your contract with me was not forcibly terminated.¡± ¡°¡­Now I¡¯m starting to break out in a cold sweat.¡± Tsugumi shuddered lightly and gave a faraway look. He didn¡¯t think he was crossing such a dangerous bridge. But Bell¡¯s explanation finally convinced him of something. ¨CI knew it, this unique ability is not my own. Just as he felt at the Amusement Park, this evil eye that led to death must have belonged to the white girl who lived in Tsugumi¡¯s soul. Who exactly was that girl? The key to her identity must be the disaster of ten years ago. But all this information was hidden by the government. The current Tsugumi had no way to get that information. ¨CYes, unless he belonged to the government. Tsugumi looked up, stared straight at Bell, and opened his mouth. ¡°By the way, Bell-sama, has the government approached you about joining ¡°Jukka¡± yet?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh. I was contacted yesterday. I haven¡¯t responded so far, but do you have any wish to join? This request is not important to me, and you can decide what you want to do.¡± Bell said as if it didn¡¯t matter, and threw the decision to Tsugumi. Apparently, for Bell, the ¡°Jukka¡± seat, which was an addition to Rikka, was not important. ¡­It would have been easier if he was forced to decide. ¨CTruthfully, he had been at loss. Considering the situation, Tsugumi knew it was better to decline. Not only he wasn¡¯t sure how much time he would have to devote to his activities as Juka, but there was also a risk that the more he got exposed, the easier for his true identity to be discovered. But if he missed this opportunity, he would never get another chance to infiltrate the government. ¡­If he had good grades and good behavior, like Chidori, he could have gone straight to work for the government, but with his current grades, it was just not going to happen. ¡°What should I do?¡± The white girl. And the desire to reveal the disaster of ten years ago. But more than that, he was afraid that his daily life would be shattered by the revelation of Hagakure Sakura. Even Bell would want to avoid the revelation that her contractor was a man. When Tsugumi expressed such weakness, Bell laughed in disgust. ¡°You are so weak for a man who can do such a reckless thing for his people. ¨CDon¡¯t worry about it. Anyone who complains about a man who has achieved so much is not a proper God, but just a piece of trash.¡± Then Bell put her small hand on Tsugumi¡¯s head and brought her face close to his. ¡°Don¡¯t break. Never compromise. I do not want a coward to be my honored contractor. ¨CTherefore, make a choice without regret. If you are rejected by the world, you can throw away all the ungrateful people. At that time, I will stay with you until I get tired of you.¡± Bell laughed, saying she had plenty of money. Tsugumi opened his mouth and began to laugh, as he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Hmm, it sounds like a proposal.¡± ¡°Huh? It¡¯s a mere hundred years or so and you¡¯re exaggerating. Don¡¯t get carried away. I¡¯m just too lazy to let go of my handy servant.¡± Bell said, turning her face away. She probably meant exactly what she said, but to Tsugumi, it looked like she was trying to hide her embarrassment, and he couldn¡¯t stop laughing. ¨CAh, but only Bell will stay with me no matter what. He didn¡¯t know how Chidori and the others would react when his true identity was revealed, but only Bell would always be with him. That was all the support he needed to know that he wasn¡¯t alone. ¡°No, thank you. ¨CThanks to that, I¡¯ve made up my mind.¡± Whichever choice he picked, he would regret it and it wouldn¡¯t necessarily work out. But when he remembered the sad face of that white girl, his emotions were stirred beyond his control. Painful nostalgia and unbearable sadness. A love so vivid that it made him want to resent the missing memory. It was too painful to remain ignorant of the girl. ¡°I-Hagakure Sakura wants to belong to Juka. I really want to know about the disaster that happened ten years ago. I think the only way to do that is to get inside the government and gain their trust.¡± ¡°¡­The man-made disaster, huh? That¡¯s not going to work.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to overstep my bounds, and I know when to back off. ¡­I don¡¯t think I can get information out of the government on my own. If it comes to that, I need Bell-sama to help me as a negotiator.¡± ¡­He knew he was only talking out of convenience. But even the government might be willing to make a few concessions if they thought they had gotten a Magical Girl who could move freely in a time of emergency. And, if Bell, a powerful God, said anything, he was sure the government wouldn¡¯t be able to ignore it. It was like a fox borrowing the authority of a tiger, but if Bell was willing to cooperate, it would be very reassuring. Saying that, Tsugumi bowed his head. Bell squinted and pulled on his hair. ¡°T-that hurts! Eh, what?¡± ¡°Hmm. You are always so auspicious at times like this.¡± Then Bell let go of his hair with a poof and laughed abruptly. ¡°I have some interest in that man-made disaster. ¨CWell, if I feel up to it, I will help.¡± ¡°Bell-sama¡­ Thank you so much.¡± ¡°I told you, if I feel up to it.¡± Bell said so, but that was enough for Tsugumi. ¨CIn truth, maybe he just wanted a push. The fear of having his daily routine disrupted hadn¡¯t gone away. But he had already received the courage to step forward. If this precious God watched over him, there was no reason to hesitate anymore. He sincerely thought so. ¡°¨CBell-sama is amazing, after all.¡± ¡°What are you saying. Don¡¯t say the obvious.¡± Belle laughed proudly. She acted like usual that even Tsugumi laughed along with her. Does she know what she¡¯s doing, or is she just a natural? Either way, Tsugumi was grateful. For the time being, the direction for the future had been decided, so he just had to move accordingly. It would be several months before he could start working as Jukka, but in the meantime, ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡± must work harder than ever. At the very least, he would need to be able to slaughter B-class Demonic Beasts with ease. If possible, he would like to grow strong enough to be able to challenge the A-class. If he didn¡¯t do that, it would be a little tough to join the ranks of the talented Magical Girls. While they were talking about this, Chidori came home, so the discussion with Bell was over. ¨CThe clock then advanced forward to midnight. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô Beep, beep, beep, Tsugumi stopped the modest cell phone alarm and got up from his bed. The time was 10:45 p.m., fifteen minutes before the appointment with Yukitaka. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll just go and if he¡¯s not there, I¡¯ll come back¡­¡± When leaving the house, it would be better to slip out with Transportation so that Chidori would not find out. It would be pitiful if the sound of the door opening woke her up. ¡°Hah. ¨CJust what in the world do you want to talk about?¡± Tsugumi changed his clothes and mumbled in annoyance. He then put on the shoes he had prepared in his room beforehand and flew outside using Transportation. ¨C23:00 midnight. An empty, dark park. The person who called and the person who went to the park were both crazy. He thought so, but somehow he couldn¡¯t refuse and came here. Tsugumi entered the park, which was surrounded by wooden walls, and looked for Yukitaka. Then, he saw a figure on a swing in the distance. It was probably Yukitaka. Yukitaka noticed him and waved his hand widely as he gently swung around. ¡­No matter how good he looked, it was quite disconcerting to see a high school boy playing on a swing. With his hands in his pockets, Tsugumi approached the direction where Yukitaka was waiting and called out to him. ¡°At your age, you¡¯re just a kid on a swing set.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, right. It¡¯s pretty fun, you know?¡± Then Yukitaka motioned for Tsugumi to sit on the swing next to him, and he smiled happily. ¨CIt was a really childish, pure, joyful smile. CH 61 The Girl in the Picture Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Tsugumi sat on the swing and blew on his cold hands. A February night was so cold that it made him shiver. The starry sky seen through the trees in the park was beautiful, but he still didn¡¯t want to stay too long. ¨CJust why had Yukitaka chosen such a place? It was also strange that the meeting was at night. As he pondered this, Yukitaka leaned on the chain of the swing and looked into his face. Unexpected words spun from those shapely lips. ¡°Hey, Tsugumi-chan. ¨CDid you have fun at the Amusement Park?¡± The sudden words made his cheeks twitch. He wondered if Yukitaka knew what those words meant. By all means, it could only be taken as a provocation to fight. -A lot of people got hurt and almost died, and Chidori became a Magical Girl. There was no way it was fun. Tsugumi clutched the chain and tried to lift his hips to stand up. But the chain in his hand was colder than he had imagined, and his angry thoughts were overwhelming. Slightly, he hesitated on using violence. Then he glared at Yukitaka, clicked his tongue, and slowly sat down. The burning anger was still there, but it was not enough to hit him. Clenching his fists tightly, Tsugumi grunted. ¡°¡­I¡¯m glad it¡¯s night.¡± ¡°Heh, why?¡± ¡°If it had been the morning, when I was so frustrated, I probably would have punched you as hard as I could.¡± He exhaled to suppress the anger. Yukitaka might have meant it as his usual light-hearted remark, but as someone who had actually almost died, he couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated. ¨CIn the first place, if Yukitaka had never introduced that Amusement Park, he wouldn¡¯t have been involved in such an accident. Such thoughts popped into his mind, but Tsugumi shook his head. It was true that following the Hakone incident, an unfortunate accident occurred at a location suggested by Yukitaka, but it is wrong to blame Yukitaka for that. Unless, of course, he had known in advance that the accident was going to happen, but that would be too much of a stretch. It was impossible for an ordinary person to know in advance what even God couldn¡¯t predict. Regaining his composure, Tsugumi asked Yukitaka. ¡°So? Did you bother to call me out just to piss me off?¡± ¡°Hm, I guess it¡¯s not too far off the mark. You know, it seems like you¡¯ve been through a lot, and I thought that getting angry once would clear things up a little.¡± Yukitaka said this while laughing deliberately. ¡°¡­Well, I¡¯ve certainly calmed down, but you should think about how you do it.¡± Yukitaka¡¯s provocative words had made his blood boil a moment ago, but now he felt much better. Some of the haze that had been smoldering in his mind seemed to have gotten ridden off. But this and that was another matter. To provoke him like he wanted to get punched in the face, he must be out of his mind. When Tsugumi said this with a jittery look, Yukitaka smiled, his eyes narrowed in satisfaction. ¡°I think it would have been better to let go of your emotion a little bit. I can forgive you for hitting me once. In the first place, you are too patient. Can¡¯t you be more selfish? ¨CFor example, like me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s difficult¡­¡± Tsugumi responded, his shoulder cowering. It was not possible for a person with ordinary sensibilities like Tsugumi to act selfishly like Yukitaka. It would require a very strong mentality to not care about what others think. And it wasn¡¯t as if he was holding back. But to Yukitaka, it might have looked like he was pushing himself too hard. He could think of a few reasons. Although Yukitaka had given him a lot of trouble since he was in middle school until now, he never once had been so angry that he lost his cool. Yukitaka might have thought it was because he was holding back. ¡°Aah, I¡¯d like to have had a real fight with Tsugumi-chan at least once. I called you out late at night when no one was around, but it was all for nothing.¡± ¡°¡­So that¡¯s why you called me out at night?¡± When Tsugumi said so in dissatisfaction, Yukitaka opened his mouth without a hint of offense. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not my fault that you went to the Amusement Park, but since I invited you, I have some responsibility for it, don¡¯t I? I don¡¯t want things to get awkward over something as trivial as this, so I thought I¡¯d have you quickly resolve your dissatisfaction.¡± ¡°How does that get to the idea of a late-night fight? I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I was just wondering what it¡¯s actually like to fight with a friend. It could solve some problems, kill two birds with one stone, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get me involved in that nonsense!! ¨COh, but you don¡¯t have any friends besides me¡­¡± Indeed, if Yukitaka wanted to try that, the only way was to pick a fight with Tsugumi. ¡­He was provoked so badly for such a silly reason. Thinking about it, he could only sigh. Tsugumi sighed tiredly and brushed his bangs back. ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to blame Yukitaka for this incident. It is true that you introduced me to that Amusement Park, but I can¡¯t blame others for accidental accidents.¡± ¡°Hmmm, that¡¯s fine with Tsugumi-chan.¡± ¡°If you tell me that was your doing, I¡¯ll punch you in your pretty face with all my might. Well, I don¡¯t think you could do such a God-like awful thing.¡± ¡°Now, how about that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of your flippant remarks. I won¡¯t be offended if you stir things up anymore.¡± Everything that went wrong is Yukitaka¡¯s fault. It was easy to think so, but it was a little unrealistic. Even Tsugumi knew that Yukitaka had a very troublesome personality. It was Yukitaka¡¯s usual practice to act as if he was responsible for something he did not do and confuse the situation. Tsugumi couldn¡¯t take care of himself if he had to worry about every single thing Yukitaka said or did. To Yukitaka who laughed mischievously, Tsugumi poked his head lightly. ¡°I don¡¯t care, we can fight anytime in the future. ¡­Well, it¡¯s probably best if nothing really happens.¡± The relationship between Tsugumi and Yukitaka could be described as rotten. They probably would still stay together in the future anyway. There would be a lot of fights in the future, too. Well, it would be safer for Tsugumi if such a thing did not happen. When Tsugumi replied, Yukitaka turned his head and stared at the ground. His expression was hidden by his hair. ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. There¡¯s always an opportunity.¡± His voice sounded rougher than usual. Tsugumi felt a little uneasy, and asked Yukitaka. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. ¨CAh, that¡¯s right. I forgot I had something for Tsugumi-chan.¡± Yukitaka answered Tsugum¡¯s question in a coarse manner, then quickly looked up and smiled beautifully. ¡°You want to give me something?¡± ¡°Yeah. My acquaintance saw a picture of me and Tsugumi-chan on SNS and contacted me. He sent this.¡± Yukitaka pulled out a small envelope from his coat pocket. When Tsugumi received the envelope, he opened the envelope and took out the contents. ¡°¡­Photographs?¡± It contained several sooty photographs. They showed a lot of people, all wearing the same strange white clothes. They looked like some kind of religious group. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that there were only two people in the picture who dressed like Miko. ¨CLooking at their faces, Tsugumi forgot to breathe. ¡°This. ¨CWho is this?¡± The two people in the picture were a young boy who looked just like Tsugumi, and a middle-school-aged girl. The girl looked like a younger version of Hagakure Sakura. ¡°The photo belonged to the uncle of the guy who sent it to me. From what I¡¯ve heard, his uncle died ten years ago ¨C his body was found in the center of that disaster, the one that affected Tsugumi-chan.¡± As he listened to Yukitaka¡¯s words, he looked at the other photos. In each photo, the young girl in Miko¡¯s robe was seen cuddled up with a young boy. The date printed in the lower right corner was about 11 years ago. Which meant that this young boy might be the past figure of Tsugumi. Staring at the photo in dismay, Tsugumi traced the image of the little girl with a trembling hand. The white girl nestled in Tsugumi¡¯s soul. She must be the girl in the photo. ¨CI can¡¯t believe I get this important information so quickly. ¡°Hey, Yukitaka. Can I meet the person who sent this picture?¡± When Tsugumi asked, Yukitaka shook his head slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth it. His uncle had been missing for many years before he died, and his bag of belongings was delivered ten years ago and he never saw him again. There¡¯s not much point in talking to him.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± The person who sent the photo did not seem to be able to provide any more information. However, it was certainly a step forward in finding out the identity of the girl. ¨CBut there was one thing that really bothered him. ¡°Hey, Yukitaka. ¨CIs there any photo with Chidori together?¡± In the photo handed to him, Chidori was nowhere to be seen. When Tsugumi asked, Yukitaka said no as he thought about it. ¡°I asked him to show me a photo of Chidori-chan just in case, but he couldn¡¯t find any that looked like her. ¨CHey, Tsugumi-chan.¡± ¡°¡­What.¡± ¡°Are you and Chidori-chan really siblings?¡± At Yukitaka¡¯s words, Tsugumi furrowed his brow. ¡°Of course, we are. Don¡¯t say strange things.¡± ¡°How can you be so sure? With no memory of the past, no evidence of anything?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¨CHow can I? Until now, he was convinced that Chidori was his sister with firm confidence. It was not because of logic, but just because he thought that was how it should be. However, from this photo given by Yukitaka, he could not find any trace of Chidori. Perhaps it was just a coincidence that she wasn¡¯t in the picture, but his suspicions deepened as if a black stain had formed on a white piece of paper. When Mebuki had asked the same question in the hospital before, he had been able to deny it with a smile, but for some reason, he couldn¡¯t do so now. Yukitaka looked sideways at Tsugumi, who had fallen silent with a mysterious look on his face, and said matter-of-factly. ¡°I don¡¯t really care. You can do whatever you want, whether you want to look into it or not.¡± ¡°¡­Have you told Chidori about this yet?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s only for Tsugumi-chan.¡± ¡°Then, if you can, please don¡¯t tell Chidori about this yet. ¨CI¡¯m begging you.¡± With that, Tsugumi bowed his head to Yukitaka -He knew that it was better to discuss this with Chidori alone. But right now, he still couldn¡¯t sort out his feelings. This photo was like a bomb. If he talked to Chidori and find out that they were not siblings. Just the thought of that made his chest tighten and he could hardly breathe. It was an instinctive fear that made him feel as if his feet were about to fall off the ground. He wasn¡¯t confident he could face it right now. Yukitaka told Tsugumi to raise his head and said in a gentle voice. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to say unnecessary things. I¡¯m not that close to Chidori-chan, to begin with. Even if I told her, she wouldn¡¯t believe me.¡± Yukitaka laughed, but Tsugumi didn¡¯t feel like laughing with him. ¡°Well. Now that I¡¯ve finished my side business, I¡¯m going home for the day. See you at school tomorrow.¡± ¡°¡­Ah. ¨CSee you tomorrow.¡± Yukitaka then stood up from the swing and stretched lightly, turning his back to Tsugumi. There were other questions that he wanted to ask Yukitaka, but he couldn¡¯t think straight. In this state, no matter what he asked, he would never get a satisfactory answer. His mind was a jumbled mess, and he didn¡¯t know who to prioritize. The unidentified girl or Chidori. There was no way he could prioritize. When Yukitaka left the park and Tsugumi was all alone, he sat on the swing and looked up at the starry sky. ¡°¨CWhat in the world happened ten years ago?¡± He asked the sky, but of course, no one answered. He then carefully tucked the photo into an envelope and cast down his eyes with a somber look on his face. ¡°In the end, that disaster holds the key to everything¡­¡± ¨CWhat was waiting for him beyond the truth that he had discovered? For Tsugumi, it was unbearably scary. CH 62 Object of Respect Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani A few days had passed since Yukitaka gave him the photo, but Tsugumi was still unable to tell Chidori anything. Partly because Chidori was busy being summoned by the government, but more than anything else, Tsugumi was afraid that the current relationship between them would be destroyed. The memory he lost¨Cthat seemed like Pandora¡¯s box. Because of this hesitation, he put off consulting Chidori. ¨CIt would not be too late to find out more about the accident that happened ten years ago. Or so Tsugumi told himself. At any rate, as long as he was working as Jukka to obtain information, Tsugumi had to acquire a certain level of power as ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡±. As part of that strengthening, Tsugumi finally decided to challenge a B-class Demonic Beast. ¡°But I¡¯m a little nervous. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve fought a B-class Demonic Beast, after all.¡± ¡°Hmm. With your current strength, a B-class Demonic Beast will be no match for you. But don¡¯t let your guard down. Depending on the compatibility of your enemies, you may have a hard time.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Tsugumi, who transformed into his Magical Girl form on the rooftop of a local building in the city, replied to Bell with a serious look. He gently tucked his hair aside behind his ears and peeked under the building. The people in the building area were beginning to move in lines. At this rate, the evacuation would be complete by the time the Demonic Beast appeared. Some of the evacuees were looking up restlessly. But they walked out of the building area after a while, looking disappointed. ¡­Perhaps they were looking for ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡±? Thinking about this, Tsugumi felt somewhat strange. ¨C¡±Hagakure Sakura¡± had very little exposure to the public. Only a few people from the media had actually met him face to face. As an exception, he had on several occasions protected people who were running late or in poor health, but he wasn¡¯t certain if they remembered what happened. ¨CI wonder what the general public thinks of ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡±. The media reported her as a benevolent and righteous girl, but if she deviated too much from the reality of Tsugumi, it would be too hard on him later on. That being said, the cat was already out of the bag. ¡­Maybe he should have prepared the character settings in advance. He regretted it, but it was too late now. As long as he continued to work as Hagakure Sakura, he would have to be careful not to make a mess of things. In his Hagakure Sakura form, he tried to be as soft-spoken as possible, even when he wasn¡¯t being seen, but this sometimes caused him to speak in the same way at school. The girls in the class said he was ¡°easy to talk with¡±, but it was a little doubtful whether they were aware of Tsugumi as a member of the opposite sex. ¡°Even so, it¡¯s a bit of a hassle to wait three hours at the site when dealing with a B-class.¡± The appearance of a B-class Demonic Beast took three hours. As a stray Magical Girl, Tsugumi had to go there and declared that he would fight before the government dispatched Magical Girls. The biggest problem was that once he had declared his intentions, he couldn¡¯t leave the area until the battle was over. ¨CIt was a bit of a hassle to stay in the same place for three hours, if only for an hour or so. ¡°It would be easier if we could make reservations in advance, but that¡¯s a little difficult.¡± Tsugumi muttered to himself, but he knew full well that it was impossible. As a stray Magical Girl, the system of battle reservations was not allowed at all. It might seem a little inefficient, but there were compelling reasons for this. ¨CIn the first place, stray Magical Girls were basically not obligated to fight. They were, so to speak, like paid volunteers. They were in a different position from government-affiliated Magical Girls. Because of this background, there were some Strays who were less conscious of the importance of combat. If it became possible to make reservations for a battle, it could lead to a situation in which, if done poorly, the reservation was made but the person did not show up at the site. ¡­With the lives of people at stake, it was only natural that the government would restrict the actions of stray Magical Girls. And recently, due to the irregularities, there was a trend on the part of the government that Magical Girls should head to the site as soon as possible. At this rate, it was unlikely that a system of reservations would ever be implemented. ¡­He wondered if ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡± alone would be treated as a special case when it came to Jukka. That would depend on future activities and negotiations. ¡°You¡¯ve been watching battle videos of other Magical Girls lately, is there any result?¡± Bell, who was floating next to Tsugumi, asked that. Tsugumi opened his mouth with a small nod. ¡°Yeah. I checked out the type of girls who fight between medium and long-range, similar to ¡®Hagakure Sakura¡± and it was quite helpful.¡± He had watched countless battle videos, and strong Magical Girls had several things in common in their fighting style. ¡°The same is true for Magical Girls of Rikka, but basically they have a consistent way of fighting. It is true that they respond differently to different types of Demonic Beasts, but in the end, they proceed with their battles while applying the [pattern] that they¡¯re best at. If that fighting style is properly established, even A-class Demonic Beasts can be easily defeated, even if they have no specialized offensive skills. Rikka¡¯s Hitsugi-san is a good example.¡± -For example, Toono Sumire would take the method of burning up the target with her blessed wide-area annihilation ability. Mibu Yurie would drag the opponent down to her base and cut it down to a single sharp point, Suzushiro would slowly corner the enemy from afar with deadly poison, and Yukino Shizuku would dismantle the Demonic Beast with reason. As for Hinata, placed fifth in the rank, there was no need to mention her this time because her fighting style was mainly for the sake of attractiveness. And the one who Tsugumi judged to have the best ¡°fighting style¡± among the Rikka was Hitsugi Airi, who was ranked sixth. The members of Rikka, except for Hitsugi, had very good vessels as Magical Girls, and the scale of power they could wield was considerably larger than that of ordinary Magical Girls. However, on the other hand, the size of Hitsugi¡¯s vessel was not so blessed. It was a quality that she was born with, and no matter how much effort she put in, it couldn¡¯t be overturned. She could expand her capacity somewhat by repeating battles, but she couldn¡¯t overtake it as long as the original foundation was different. For example, even if Hitsugi Airi had the same ability and skills as Toono Sumire, she would not be able to perform better than Toono. However, Hitsugi Airi had the unique experience of having fought in the front line as a Magical Girl for a long time. She had a perfect grasp of her ability skills, the dexterity to keep fighting with less cost, and the flexibility to change her fighting style flexibly. Her fighting style, in which she could both attack and defend by making box cubes appear, was so brilliant even from Tsugumi¡¯s point of view. ¡ªTsugumi, inexperienced in battle, was not as good as the current Rikka. Thanks to the [Gluttony] skill, his vessel expansion rate was much higher than others, but it would still take him a long time to catch up with the girls of Rikka. Because of these circumstances, Hitsugi Airi, who rose to Rikka on her own merits alone, was a goal that Tsugumi could respect. ¡°The most important thing is to establish a fighting style that suits ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡±. If I can push with force, it would be easier, but Hagakure Sakura¡¯s ability structure does not specialize in attacking.¡± The skill [Thread] combined a low base attack power with a high degree of freedom. What Tsugumi currently needed was the ability to think outside the box and make decisions on the spur of the moment to make full use of it. It took a little less time to repeat trial and error, but even so, a few months should be enough to at least create a template for a fighting style. He had to somehow make it in time before he went to the government as Jukka. Incidentally, the great technique used in the previous battle against Radon to transfer the entire lake¡¯s water couldn¡¯t be used by the current Tsugumi. It might be possible at least once, but it would be meaningless if he ran out of gas. He wouldn¡¯t be able to see the light of day for a while. ¡°¡­But it¡¯s also a little incompatible with the type of Demonic Beasts that can dive underwater or on the ground, as was the case with Radon. The thread can¡¯t reach them.¡± ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to worry about that this time. After all, this is a building area.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s true.¡± One person and one God continued to talk about such trivial matters while waiting for the Demonic Beast to appear. ¨CWell, in the end, that conversation turned out to be a flag. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¨CThree hours passed, and with the appearance of the Demonic Beast, the area was covered with a barrier. In the mirrored world where all the scenery was inverted, Tsugumi gazed at the Demonic Beast which appeared and gently covered his face with his hands. Bell, who was floating next to Tsugumi, confirmed the shape of the Demonic Beast and spoke to Tsugumi as if she were truly dumbstruck. ¡°Hey, are you perhaps cursed by something?¡± ¡°Maybe, I can¡¯t deny it¡­¡± At Bell¡¯s words, Tsugumi let his shoulders drop in a gloomy manner. ¨CThe total length of the Demonic Beast that could be seen under the building was approximately between fifty and a hundred meters. The Demonic Beast had a whitish skin, and its countless legs were dexterously maneuvering to bring down the building one after another. The Demonic Beast was dragging the building into the liquefied ground and seemed to be waiting for the Magical Girl, Hagakure Sakura, to come out. ¡°I already said I don¡¯t want a diving type of Demonic Beast¡­¡± Exhaling a loud sigh, Tsugumi muttered tiredly. He didn¡¯t expect to be fighting his least favorite type so soon. ¡°According to past data, that type of Demonic Beast is called [Kraken]. Originally, it is a being that is famous as a sea monster, but I never expected it to appear in a place like this where there is no water¡­¡± Bell muttered, looking down at the tentacle-like feet bobbing below her. ¡°Suddenly I¡¯m dealing with a type I¡¯m not very good at¡­ I guess it¡¯s not easy to be strong.¡± Tsugumi muttered to himself, turning his palm toward the Demonic Beast and shaping his fingers like a viewfinder. Looking at the view enclosed by the square, Tsugumi squinted at it. ¡°Should we drag it up to the top or clear it out in the mud? It¡¯s a problem.¡± ¡°Hmm? Do you have any plan?¡± Bell asked with a sly smile on the corner of her mouth. Tsugumi smiled back and nodded broadly. ¡°Of course. I have to make sure that Bell-sama sees that even I can use my head a little in a fight!¡± CH 63 Each Speculation Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Bell muttered as she watched Tsugumi run around with his clothes fluttering in the wind from afar. ¡°¡­It seems you are moving with great confidence, but is it really okay?¡± Bell was not doubting Tsugumi¡¯s ability. He probably would deny it, but Tsugumi in his current state should be able to push the strength of his threads to the limit and even slice up Demonic Beasts in the mud. However, he would be in bed for half a day as a reaction to all the power he had just pulled out of his system. There were some disadvantages, but even without going to the trouble of devising a clever strategy, there was still a good chance of winning. However, Tsugumi dared to strategize and challenge the Demonic Beast. The subtleties of the situation were hard for Bell to comprehend. ¨CIt was only because Bell was [the one who owned]. A noble God-like Bell, who once boasted of her prosperity, couldn¡¯t understand the human Tsugumi in the essential sense of the word. Nowadays, Tsugumi had established himself as ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡±, but the original Tsugumi was someone who [did not own] anything and hid in the shadows of his talented older sister and eccentric classmates. The person called Nanase Tsugumi understood more than anyone else that he was mediocre. He never expected too much of himself, never became conceited, and only did what he could safely do. Unless pushed to the limit, he was no different from the average high school student. But from Bell¡¯s point of view, Tsugumi was a special human being, chosen by the noble and great God herself. Bell thought it was a great honor, and that he should be more proud of being her contractor. But even now that he had power, he still refused to break out of this ordinary frame of mind. For Bell, this was unacceptable. -Those with power are allowed to behave in a manner commensurate with their power. Bell sincerely thought so. To be recognized, respected, and believed in by the world. At first, Bell wanted to use ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡± to ridicule the foolishness of humans and other Gods. The dying Gods, living in poverty with their pseudo-religious beliefs, with their flamboyantly-dressed Magical Girls as their representative, were in a pathetic state. At the time, Bell couldn¡¯t understand how they could be so devoted to humans. ¨CNow that she had made a contract with Tsugumi, she painfully understood their feelings. While she wanted Tsugumi to shine brilliantly, she couldn¡¯t deny his will to not stand out more than necessary. Besides, Bell had previously declared to Tsugumi that she would ¡°leave all combat-related matters to him¡±. Bell couldn¡¯t interfere with Tsugumi¡¯s tactics now. ¡°¡­It¡¯s an extraordinary thing.¡± Muttering this, Bell rested her back against the rubble. It didn¡¯t feel good to see Tsugumi trying to keep it small, but she had to at least acknowledge the efforts. Bell was a very generous god. ¡°Try your best. ¨CSometimes, even the shallow wisdom of people is not to be trifled with.¡± ¡ô¡ô¡ô Tentacles with suckers, large and small, entangled the building and dragged it to the ground. As the building disappeared into the mud, the liquefied ground was gradually expanding its area. ¡­If this continued, he might run out of footholds to move around. ¡°A type of Demonic Beast that changes the field to suit itself. B-classes are on an entirely different level..¡± Tsugumi muttered to himself as he dexterously ran between the sinking buildings. The main body of the Demonic Beast¨CKraken¨Cdid not emerge from the ground, and all that could be seen were its tentacles, writhing like a whip. Although the liquefied ground would not melt hands or threads even if touched directly, it would be quite difficult to manipulate the threads in the mud. In spite of this, the Demonic Beast seemed to swim smoothly, which might be one of the characteristics of this Demonic Beast. From what he observed, it seemed to move much faster in the mud than on the ground. Several times he stretched out his string into the mud to lightly attack it, but it easily evaded his attempts. Curiously, he examined the tentacles closely and found that some of the suckers on the tentacles looked like large eyes. ¡­With so many eyes, it would be easy to avoid the visible threads. The Demonic Beast tried to catch Tsugumi, who was flying around using Transportation, with its free tentacles, but Tsugumi ducked the tentacles with brilliant moves. -This was about as fast as a fly compared to the tail of Radon. However, simply avoiding the attack at this point was not enough to defeat the enemy. He could attack it by stringing it up in the mud, but if that Demonic Beast had the characteristics of a squid or an octopus, it would be difficult to do so. A mollusk like a squid had no hard bones, so as long as there was even a small gap, it could easily pass through. A poor attack would be easily evaded. And even if he set traps, he couldn¡¯t set in a large numbers. If he wanted to create traps so strong that they couldn¡¯t be escaped, the amount of divine power put into them would increase proportionally. If he wanted the traps to be perfectly accurate, the minimum he could install were one or two at most. ¡°But there isn¡¯t enough support to fish that huge body. ¡­It feels like I am fishing. Well, it won¡¯t make that much difference since I¡¯ll eat it in the end.¡± He muttered with a laugh, but there wasn¡¯t much time left. The size of the swamp continued to grow. At this rate, even the footholds necessary to move would disappear. If it made a move to escape from his attacking reach, there was nothing more that Tsugumi could do. Since a Magical Girl¡¯s power wasn¡¯t infinite, the end was obvious if he was forced to fight an endurance battle. ¨CBut there was a solution. The best way that ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡± could do now was to take advantage of this muddy swamp¡¯s characteristics, and overthrow the side of the Kraken who thought that it couldn¡¯t be attacked in the mud. ¡°¡­Okay.¡± With a small voice of determination, Tsugumi stared straight ahead at the view in front of him. Then he glanced at Bell, smiled, and promptly went into action. ¨CThe threads were wrapped around the building where the Demonic Beast was submerged, and he slip the threads into the swamp to make sure the opponent did not notice it. With his current strength, Tsugumi couldn¡¯t produce enough threads to stretch all over the swamp. But this time, there was no need to go that far. ¡°The total length of the Kraken is about a hundred meters. The error can be adjusted by cutting off a limb. In the end, all that matters is if I can capture the body that contains the magic stone.¡± As he said this, Tsugumi began to create something by manipulating the threads he had sent in. The image was a round jar of woven threads. The threads were carefully woven together until there were no gaps to slip out. The threads moved slowly because of the sticky mud, but even so, it did not take much effort to gather the threads in one place. While the Demonic Beast was sinking ten buildings, Tsugumi completed the trap for capturing it. The Demonic Beast had not yet noticed the trap. ¨CIf this opponent had been as intelligent as the big boar he first fought, it would surely have been easy to drive it into the trap. However, that Demonic Beast was intelligent enough to create a favorable position and change its behavior when it saw his movements. A simple method would have allowed it to see through the trap and escape. ¡°The Demonic Beast is probably not that stupid. ¨CBut this time, its ability to learn will be a hindrance.¡± Tsugumi poured the thread into the swamp, creating a simple zigzag maze of thread walls from the location of the Demonic Beast to the location of the trap. The thread itself was as soft as cotton and was only strong enough to easily teared apart if the Demonic Beast hit it with its body. ¨CBut it was enough. After finishing his preparations, Tsugumi stopped at the top of the building, pointed at the Demonic Beast with a powerful snap, and announced in a loud voice. ¡°Now the hunt begins.¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô The Kraken swam leisurely through the dimly lit mud. The Magical Girl, its natural enemy, could not follow to the place where the Demonic Beast was, and it was moving right and left on the ground. Sometimes she attacked with a thread-like object, but to the Demonic Beast, which could swim freely in the mud, it was like a winged insect. ¨CIf the Magical Girl kept diving down until she ran out of strength, it would be the Demonic Beast¡¯s victory. The encroaching muddy swamp would eventually take away the foothold and lead the Magical Girl into the mud. Then it would take its time preying on the fallen Magical Girl. The Demonic Beast thought so. Then, as the Demonic Beast was moving around in circles inside the swamp, it noticed something in front of it, a bulky wall. Curious, it extended one of its tentacles toward the wall. After feeling a bump, the Demonic Beast looked out of the wall with the eyeballs on its tentacles and was astonished. ¨CThere is no mud? On the other side of the wall, the mud was gone, as if a space had been cut off. It was as if the place itself had disappeared. ¡°¨CThere you are.¡± Along with small murmur, a shock ran through the arm of the Demonic Beast. In an instant, the scenery connected to the tentacles turned black. -It was only after a while that it realized it had been cut off. ¨CThat Magical Girl had the ability to cut off space. The Demonic Beast decided so. Then this blobby wall was the boundary of that ability. It would be dangerous to get too close. The Demonic Beast started moving away from the wall, but it soon bumped into another wall. The wall traps were cleverly placed in various places, and the Demonic Beast was attacked several times. However, that level of injury did not hinder its action. The tentacles would soon revive, so it didn¡¯t think it was that much of a problem. It would be the end of the story if the main body was accidentally taken out of the wall, but the Demonic Beast was not that stupid. If the tentacles, which could be torn to shreds, were going ahead of the main body, it wouldn¡¯tt be needlessly injured. And so, while dexterously avoiding the wall, the Demonic Beast was led to a certain place without even knowing it. Yes¨Cto the trap set by Tsugumi. ¨CBy the time the Demonic Beast realized this, it was already too late. The moment the Demonic Beast felt the water flow, the mud around it came crushing down. The Demonic Beast impatiently tried to move away, but the walls were so hard that it could not even find an opening for its tentacles. The Demonic Beast was completely trapped in a sphere made of threads. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¨CThe building that remained standing without collapsing was now a muddy swamp, and Tsugumi looked out over it. Below him, a maze of muddy paths remained, but everything else was gone, as if it had been cut out. ¡®Well, it¡¯s not gone, it¡¯s just partially made transparent.¡± The strategy that Tsugumi came up with was quite simple. The soft threads were arranged like a wall, and the other parts were made invisible by Transparency to create a visual ¡®wall¡¯. In reality, it was only transparent, so it was actually easy to move around. However, the Demonic Beast had a preconceived notion that the outside of the wall was dangerous because the tentacles that came out of the wall were attacked. In reality, he was desperately moving the attacking threads along the wall, so he wasn¡¯t confident that it could cut anything other than the tentacles ¨C something as large as the main body. But the Demonic Beast thought that the outside of the wall was dangerous, and it entered the trap itself, just as Tsugumi had intended. If it had been something as simple as a big boar, it would not have cared about the existence of the wall in the first place. Being halfway smart was also a problem. Staring at the muddy swamp, Tsugumi deactivated the maze¡¯s invisibility. Then, he reapplied his Invisibility skill only to the area where the Demonic Beast was trapped. Inside the swamp, which looked like a gaping hole, sat a sphere that looked like a lump of woolen yarn. The yarn used to create the trap was specially strengthened and could not be easily destroyed. The Demonic Beast, blocking the exit and unable to move, was now in the palm of the Tsugumi¡¯s hand. ¡°The contents¡­ is not necessary to look at. It¡¯s probably gross anyway.¡± Tsugumi gently reached out with his right hand and muttered with a thin smile. ¡°The means of escape was not bad, but unfortunately¨Cyou got the wrong opponent.¡± One by one, he slowly folded his fingers inward. The sphere floating in the mud was distorted as if it were being squeezed by a large human hand. The moment Tsugumi finished clenching his fist, the Demonic Beast inside the sphere died with a high-pitched scream. ¡­He felt a little bad. And at the same time as the trap threads were released, the [Gluttony] skill was automatically activated and the Demonic Beast ¨C the Kraken ¨C was deliciously devoured. Gently turning away from the grotesque sight, Tsugumi waved his hand in Bell¡¯s direction. ¨CHe wonder if Bell would praise him for this battle. Thinking like that, Tsugumi ran toward Bell. CH 64 Announcement from the Government Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani As Tsugumi hobbled back to Bell, she opened her mouth with a slightly difficult look on her face. ¡°The technique was indeed excellent. I also commend you for not getting hurt. But it was based on the premise that the Demonic Beast would be trapped successfully. If the Demonic Beast had discovered the trap, how would you have handled it?¡± At Bell¡¯s words, Tsugumi gripped his right hand tightly as he stared at the ground. ¨CShe hits a sore spot. Tsugumi thought, his expression clouded with bad feelings. Certainly, the plan was based on the assumption that the Demonic Beast would move as Tsugumi had expected. If the Demonic Beast had moved even slightly differently, the trap itself would not have worked in the first place. But just in case it failed, he had a plan in mind. ¡­Well, unlike the previous plan, it was a brain-smart method. ¡°I think at that time I would have transferred with the cage I had made and gone directly to catch the Demonic Beast. I knew where it was through the threads I had stretched across the walls, so I could probably catch them if I repeated the process a few times.¡± If the Demonic Beast successfully entered the cage, it would be a success. Even if the transport location was slightly off, if he loosened the threads of the cage and entangled the limbs at the moment it hit the opponent, he could at least block the action of the Demonic Beast. A motionless Kraken was nothing more than a carp on a chopping block. Tsugumi would not want to do this if he could help it, because it was not a smart method and he would be covered in mud. At Tsugumi¡¯s response, Bell narrowed her eyes in dissatisfaction and let out a small sigh. ¡°¡­I¡¯m glad it worked out. Because the latter is a little pathetic. Even if it wasn¡¯t brilliant, I don¡¯t want the fight to get any messier than it already is.¡± ¡°Well, for now, I¡¯m just prioritizing the numbers. If I keep fighting like this, I can catch up to the expectations sooner or later.¨CI think it¡¯s terrible to say that it wasn¡¯t brilliant. I mean, we have the lovely Sakura-chan here, so isn¡¯t that enough?¡± ¡°You, aren¡¯t you ashamed of what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, I am regretting it now.¡± He could feel the heat of shame slowly gathering in his face. ¡­ He wasn¡¯t aware of it, but perhaps he had been a little excited by the elation of defeating a B-class Demonic Beast. And the saddest thing of all was that Bell didn¡¯t even give him a smile. It was supposed to be a joke to lighten the mood, but apparently, she missed it. It was a shock to him. To Tsugumi who slumped his shoulder in dejection, Bell sighed in exasperation as she tapped her tail on his shoulder. The soft-touch was strangely irritating. ¡± I¡¯m not saying that you are not brilliant yourself. ¡­I guess there¡¯s no point in saying that now. ¨CI was wondering, how are you and the white rabbit getting along these days? You seem to be getting along quite well.¡± As if to change the subject, Bell mentioned the white rabbit ¨C Chidori¡¯s contract God. ¨CShe usually didn¡¯t want to mention any of this, it was quite unusual. Tsugumi opened his mouth, thinking about that. ¡°Ah, you mean Niisan. We¡¯re certainly on good terms. We went snowboarding together last weekend.¡± ¡°Niisan? Are you really calling him that?! More importantly, did you go out with him? Without even telling me?!¡± Bell overreacted to the words that Tsugumi said lightly. ¡­He wondered if he said something strange. Tsugumi answered Bell¡¯s question with a curious tilt of his head. ¡°No, because he told me to call him that. ¡­Besides, Bell-sama was out of town last week and I couldn¡¯t get in touch. It couldn¡¯t be helped.¡± ¨CAbout two weeks had passed since the God, commonly known as Shiro, came to live with Tsugumi. At first, he was horrified to deal with him, but the adaptability of human beings was amazing, and now he felt completely at ease. Shiro didn¡¯t seem bothered either, so there had been no problem so far. As for going out together, there was no particular reason. Last weekend, Chidori had gone out on a personal errand, so Shiro, who was free, asked Tsugumi to join him. In the cold, they took a train and a bus all the way up to the snowy mountain, one person and one God, but it was certainly more fun than he had thought it would be. Shiro basically didn¡¯t talk much, so he was always silent, but it wasn¡¯t like Tsugumi was being ostracized, it didn¡¯t really bother him. At that time, the white rabbit looked like a stuffed animal to the people around him, and in a way, Tsugumi might have been the center of attention as he slid down the slopes with the white rabbit on his head. It was good that he was wearing goggles. Some of the girls who liked pretty things would call out to him, but when Tsugumi introduced the white rabbit in a serious tone as ¡°his brother,¡± they would give him a drawn-out smile and leave the scene. Perhaps they thought he was a crazy guy. ¡­Well, it was a little disappointing, but he didn¡¯t care. There was no time for romance right now. As he spoke, Bell looked at him as if he was something inexplicable. ¡°How can you stand it¡­ Is he dull, or is he slow? ¡­But then again, he¡¯s a guy, too. I don¡¯t understand why he would want a [younger brother] of all things. A brother is nothing but a vicious animal that wants to kill you.¡± Tsugumi returned a wry smile to Bell as she spat out these words. Bell ¨C the noble God Baal ¨C was said to have a bone-and-flesh battle with her brother Mot. She was killed and her body swallowed by Mot, but with the help of his sister and his wife, the God Anat, he was spared. Well, that story was irrelevant now. ¡°That¡¯s a terrible thing to say. Niisan doesn¡¯t make any unreasonable demands on me and Chidori, and I think he¡¯s a good God in his own way.¡± Saying that, Tsugumi nodded his head lightly. There didn¡¯t seem to be any strange demands or any problems for Chidori, who played the role of the older sister. Brushing him on her lap. The white rabbit would make small requests, such as feeding him by hand and begging for handmade clothes. ¡­She acted more like a pet owner than a big sister, but that was probably better left unsaid. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to disparage Bell-sama. Besides, it was Bell-sama who said ¡®listen to the white rabbit¡¯ first.¡± Even Tsugumi didn¡¯t leave Bell alone for the white rabbit. When he wasn¡¯t fighting or studying as a Magical Girl, he went to stores across the country where people waited in line to buy large quantities of food for Bell to take home. Recently, he stood in line for three hours to get a cup of tapioca milk tea, which had a great reputation. Well, the taste seemed to be mediocre in spite of its reputation. ¡°But that¡¯s not the point! That¡¯s why humans are-!¡± Bell, looking annoyed, used her tail to continuously smack Tsugumi on the head. Unlike the earlier laborious contact, he felt a sharp pain as if he was being beaten with a supple whip. ¡°Bell-sama, it hurts!¡± ¡°Hmm, that suits you who lack a sense of crisis. ¨CIn the first place, you don¡¯t know what God is.¡± Bell folded her arms irreverently, looking down at him from her lofty perch. ¡°Listen to me, Tsugumi. God and human beings are incompatible partners by nature. The intensity of our existence is too different for us to exist together.¡± ¡°¡­That may be true.¡± It was true that the positions of God and human beings were different. But there were some, like Tsugumi and Bell, who could build a friendly relationship. It would be a little bit wrong to say that they were incompatible with each other. Perhaps Tsugumi¡¯s frustration was evident, Bell chuckled lightly and said in a kind tone. ¡°The reason why we have a good relationship is because there¡¯s a clear hierarchy. I am above you and you are below me. You Japanese have a habit of lumping good and bad together and worshipping them as one, but that is not the extent of the relationship between master and servant. Therefore, the equal ¡®family game¡¯ that that white rabbit guy wants is bound to fail sooner or later.¡± ¨CSo don¡¯t get too deep into it. That was how it sounded like to Tsugumi. Perhaps Bell was seriously concerned about him. ¡­But Tsugumi didn¡¯t think Shiro really intended to become a ¡®family¡¯ with Chidori and him. Tsugumi slowly shook his head and chuckled at Bell. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Bell-sama. I know my place. ¨CI¡¯m sure that the younger brother is just a stand-in. Perhaps even the older sister, Chidori. ¡­I know from the very beginning that we can never be the real thing.¡± ¨CWhen they first met, Shiro spoke of his ¡°older sister¡± with complicated eyes that were a mixture of love and hate. Looking into those eyes, even the dullest Tsugumi could tell who his heart went out to. If reality was not good enough, even God should be allowed to wish for peace in a fictional world. When Tsugumi replied, Bell looked at him with narrowed eyes. ¡°That¡¯s good. ¨CWe better get home. You have school tomorrow, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s early in the morning, so I¡¯m going to eat and go to bed right after I get home. I didn¡¯t get hurt, but I¡¯m kind of tired.¡± With that said, Tsugumi raised his hands and stretched to straighten his back. Sadly, bending his back didn¡¯t particularly emphasize the chest. ¡­Would anything ever grow here? Only God knows. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¨CNo, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡ô¡ô¡ô April 30th. At five o¡¯clock in the evening, in the exclusive thread for Hagakure Sakura. [Class A] The exclusive thread for Hagakure Sakura [10th place]. 1: Anonymous This is the general thread for the A-class Magical Girl Hagakure Sakura. Feel free to chat, discuss, etc. Please do not talk about other Magical Girls in this thread. No trolling or slander! Latest battle record ¡°B-class: Battle of Gasha Skulls¡± http:**** ~~~~ 430 : Anonymous Hagakure-san was so cool and cute this time too¡­ I think my heart is about to break because of the oversupply lately! 431 : Anonymous You¡¯re right, there¡¯s been a lot of fighting lately. She¡¯s fighting B-class Demonic Beasts once a week. 432 : Anonymous She¡¯s really cool every time. And the innocence that sometimes peeked out is adorable. 433 : Anonymous >>432 it¡¯s just little gestures, I know. But I don¡¯t feel it¡¯s deliberate, so it¡¯s probably just me (I hope). 434 : Anonymous Cool, strong, cute, and a little natural, the strongest¡­ Where can I go to charge her? 435 : Anonymous >>434 Give it up. If I could, I would too. 436 : Anonymous Hagakure-san¡¯s commercial hasn¡¯t appeared either. I can¡¯t even support or by buying something for her. 437 : Anonymous I really regret that she wasn¡¯t chosen for Rikka. If she had been chosen, she would have had more media exposure by now¡­ 438 : Anonymous I mean, Hagakure-san is really getting stronger, isn¡¯t she? Isn¡¯t it about time she took on the A level? Radon match? That¡¯s kind of a no-brainer. 439 : Anonymous Before, there were a lot of rough edges in her fights, but now her technique and strategy are godlike. I knew she¡¯d peeled off from the radon fight when I saw it. 440 : Anonymous You know, I thought the Invisibility skill was a loss until I saw the Kraken fight. I¡¯m honestly sorry. I guess the point is it¡¯s up to the user¡­. 441 : Anonymous >>440 Me too. 442 : Anonymous >>440 Me too. Maybe the Transportation skill is so strong that the others don¡¯t stand out. 443 : Anonymous Oh, I heard there¡¯s a big announcement from the government this evening. 444 : Anonymous >>443 It looks like a live broadcast, and they seem pretty enthusiastic about it. 445 : Anonymous Maybe someone from Rikka is retiring or something like that? Well, by that theory, the most likely candidate is Hitsugi-san. 446 : Anonymous >>445 Hey, stop it. I¡¯m not ready yet. 447 : Anonymous It¡¯s an irregularity-related announcement anyway. It¡¯s been almost three months since the Amusement Park accident, and there have been several similar cases after that. The government will have to get serious about this. 448 : Anonymous So far, the only thing that¡¯s happened is a time displacement of the Demonic Beasts¡¯ appearance? I¡¯d like to see them at least announce the mechanism of how they got caught up in the barrier. 449 : Anonymous It seems the government is taking the initiative to make self-defense goods these days. Where was it, you see, Ibuki? And I heard they partnered with a manufacturer 450 : Anonymous Oh, it looks like the live broadcast has started. 451 : Anonymous Eh? 452 : Anonymous Oh, come on, that¡¯s a lie. 453 : Anonymous Am I dreaming? 454 : Anonymous Hey, why is Hagakure-san on a live government broadcast? ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¨CApril 30th. On that day, the government made three major announcements. One, in order to deal with irregular cases, the Rikka system was partially changed, the number of members was increased by four, and the name was changed to [Jukka]. Two, to invest funds and cooperate with a number of companies and universities to set up a Demonic Beast research institute. Third, all citizens should be tested to see if they had the aptitude to be a Magical Girl ¨C a Miko. The four newly selected girls were lined up at the live broadcast prepared by the government. The girl on the far left ¨C Hagakure Sakura was smiling calmly as usual. CH 65 Tea Party on the Terrace Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CTime went back from the government press conference to April 15. ¡°I know I¡¯m late, but congratulations on your enrollment in the university. Oh, here is a souvenir from Chidori. Please take it if you like.¡° ¡°Un, thank you. ¨CAnyway, it¡¯s Castella from Nagasaki. Before that, I got sakura jelly from Akita-Chidori must be traveling around a lot. Tsugumi and Mebuki were sitting across from each other on the terrace of a fashionable caf¨¦. Mebuki smiled as she accepted the box of Castella offered to her. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Chidori¡¯s transportation skill can¡¯t be used in the places she¡¯s never been gone to outside of the barrier. It looks like she¡¯s forced to go away to various branches every time I take a vacation¡­ I don¡¯t want her to overdo it.¡° Tsugumi said with a wry smile. ¨CChidori was using her power as a mobile service provider to help, as she first contracted with the government. There were conditions, as Tsugumi said earlier, to use the Gate for mobility, but even so, its effectiveness was immeasurable. He didn¡¯t want her to be too useful and not be able to quit. Magical Girls belonging to the government who had transportation-based skills were generally not in the battles very often, so most of them did not retire even as they aged. By the way, ordinary Magical Girls usually retired in their mid-20s at most. The reason for this was not physical decline, but simply because the world¡¯s eyes were becoming more and more strict. The reason for this was because the public treated Magical Girls as idols and wanted them to voluntarily retire and vacate the slot for Magical Girls. Since the absolute number of Gods willing to cooperate was fixed, it might be cruel but in a sense natural that the world would think that a young girl with a future should take on the role rather than an older woman with no prospects for advancement. On the contrary, It seemed that when one became a big name at the level of Rikka, they were spared from retiring, but instead, they got shunned by younger Magical Girls. ¡­Magical Girl industry was really hell. ¡°Well, I¡¯m relieved to hear that your life wasn¡¯t in that much danger. I was really surprised when Chidori told me that she had become a Magical Girl. I¡¯ve already graduated, so I can¡¯t help you at school, but you can count on me for anything else. I still have some power.¡° Saying this, Mebuki winked at Tsugumi. The move suited her so well that Tsugumi couldn¡¯t help but admire it. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s the matter, Tsugumi-kun? You look dazed.¡° ¡°Ah, no, I just thought Senpai looks cute today, too.¡° When Tsugumi answered honestly, Mebuki blinked her eyes and then smiled. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, all of a sudden? You don¡¯t get anything for praising me. ¨COh, maybe I didn¡¯t give you enough? Shall we go buy something now?¡° ¡°No, I don¡¯t want anything. ¡­Maybe you¡¯re still bothered by that matter? It¡¯s okay. I was saved by those self-defense items.¡° Saying this, Tsugumi lightly cowered his shoulders. Apparently, Mebuki was still concerned about what happened after the accident at the Amusement Park. ¡­Remembering a new pair of glasses and a letter he had received from Mebuki before, in the letter she had written, ¡°I would like to thank you¡°. When he had asked Mebuki about it later, she replied with words he never expected to hear. ¨CThe self-defense items used by Tsugumi in the Amusement Park incident. It seemed that the government had decided to increase the production of those items. ¡­It had been proven in that accident that they were indeed effective against Demonic Beasts. But Tsugumi felt a little complicated because it felt like he was being forced to go along with an experiment without knowing it. As for Mebuki, she might feel guilty for accidentally making Tsugumi the advertiser, and in this way, she frequently tried to buy something for Tsugumi. At first, he was a little bothered, but he was more grateful for the self-defense items, so now he didn¡¯t mind anymore. ¡°¨CBut then again, even Senpai is busy, right? You said you were given your own laboratory as soon as you entered the university. And you were suddenly treated as a laboratory head, weren¡¯t you? I don¡¯t doubt your abilities in the slightest, but are you sure they¡¯re not picking on you?¡° ¨CLaboratory of Magical Science and Engineering, Teito University. It was Mebuki¡¯s new study place. The newcomer was a rare researcher who had her own laboratory and was backed by famous companies and the government. Coupled with Her Western-style appearance, she was the subject of controversy. Well, this senior would probably not care about the trivial opinions of a few people, but he was still worried. When Tsugumi asked this, Mebuki squinted and laughed, crossing her hands and placing them on the desk. ¡­Her chest was strangely emphasized, making it hard to look away. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re worried about me? Thanks, I¡¯m glad. ¡­Well, there was some kind of harassment the first few days. The senior in the other lab-he blackmailed them and they immediately relented. He¡¯s a man called Higoromo Yuki, do you know him?¡° ¡°Ah, I think I¡¯ve heard that name somewhere before. Isn¡¯t he the leading authority in the theory of Magical Girls¡¯ activities? Such a big name is helping you.¡° -Higoromo Yuki was a young man around 20 years old who was mainly researching the relationship between Magical Girls¡¯ vessels and aptitude, and how the divine power was reflected in their skills by certain mechanisms. His research had apparently made it much easier to select those with the right aptitude. Although he was still a student, it was rumored that he would soon receive a medal from the government. ¡°I thought so, too, and asked him about it. Apparently, he is a distant relative of your homeroom teacher, Suzune-sensei. And he had told her that he would help me if I needed anything when I entered the University. Fufu, I have to thank Suzune-sensei properly later.¡° ¡°Suzune-sensei really has some strange connections¡­¡° Tsugumi said so. Suzune¡¯s relatives, including Rikka, might be peculiar people. ¡°As for me, I¡¯m more worried about you. I heard from Chidori. During the past two months, the number of your late arrivals and early departures due to illness has been increasing. I heard that you have a migraine-like symptom that causes pain behind your eyes. Have you seen a doctor?¡° ¡°¡­Yes, ¨Cin a manner of speaking. I heard that it could be an aftereffect of hitting my head at the Amusement Park, but they did an MRI and couldn¡¯t find anything wrong. I am going to wait and see for a while.¡° As Tsugumi replied to Mebuki, he gently lowered his eyes. ¨CIt was a big fat lie that he wasn¡¯t feeling well. For the past two months, Tsugumi had been hunting B-class Demonic Beasts, sacrificing his schoolwork as well. The reason for his poor health was the pain behind his eyes, when he said this, Suzune and Kisara actively told him to take a break. ¡­He felt sorry for taking advantage of people¡¯s kindness, but he hoped they would forgive him and be patient until the end of the month. The number of B-class Demonic Beasts that appeared in a month was approximately between five and eight. The time of day and frequency were random, so Tsugumi decided to fight the B-class Demonic Beasts once a week. At that time, there was a brief dispute with the government, but that was quickly resolved. After the second B-class battle was over, the government told him something like, ¡°We appreciate you fighting for us, but we don¡¯t want you to monopolize the B-class Demonic Beasts.¡° in rather oblique terms. ¡­Perhaps they did not want to spoil Tsugumi¡¯s mood after he agreed to join Jukka. But even Tsugumi could not retreat this time. He contacted Inaba directly at the Demonic Beast Countermeasure Headquarters and strongly insisted on the need to fight the B-class. ¨CAt this stage, ¡°Hagakure Sakura,¡° who didn¡¯t belong to the government, could only gain experience in actual battles. The government would not want ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡° who entered Jukka to be weak, so he apologized for almost monopolizing the battle with B-class, but he asked to be allowed to do so until the end of April. And to Inaba, who began to worry, Tsugumi said something like this. ¡°From March until the end of April, I refuse to accept the bounty. It¡¯s only natural since I increase the battles on my own, isn¡¯t it?¡¡¨CInaba-san. Please, will you persuade the others on those terms?¡° The effect of these words was so great that Inaba had persuaded her boss within a matter of minutes. ¡­Was the government perhaps in that much trouble with money? He was a little worried. And while Inaba was out of his seat, he heard strange voices saying ¡°how noble¡° and ¡°precious¡° from the terminal that had been left connected, was their mental state really okay? He began to feel a little uneasy. After such negotiations, Tsugumi successfully won permission and was able to take on the B-class with the government¡¯s approval without a care in the world. ¡­Well, it seemed to have gotten a bad rap from some Magical Girls, but he wasn¡¯t breaking any rules, so there wasn¡¯t any reason to complain about it. -Besides, a lot of Magical Girls were not that concerned with fighting. The total number of Magical Girls was currently about 3,000. Of that number, about 30 were A-class Magical Girls, and only about 20 of them were still actively working. The remaining ten were either near retirement due to physical or mental breakdowns, or they became strays and lived a carefree life with their contract Gods There were about 50 Magical Girls in the B-class, and only about 30 of them had the will to continue fighting vigorously in the future. The rests were C-class and lower classes with similar ability. ¡­As one could see from this, the number of ¡°Magical Girls who could actually fight¡° was far less than the 3,000 announced by the government. Some Magical Girls were scared of when they would be sent into high-class battles. With that in mind, it couldn¡¯t be said that Tsugumi¡¯s behavior this time was that bad. As stated many times, the Magical Girl industry really was hell. As Tsugumi stared at the desk with a complicated expression, Mebuki gently patted his head in a caring manner. ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it. ¨CI¡¯m sure there are more people who will be saddened by your collapse than you realize.¡° ¡°¡­Yes, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡° Saying so, Tsugumi bowed auspiciously. He didn¡¯t mean to overstep his bounds, but if he were to tell Mebuki about his current situation, she might be furious. However, Mebuki would definitely cooperate with Tsugumi despite her anger. Because she was very kind. ¨CBut I can¡¯t involve Senpai in this. Tsugumi chuckled a little at the thought. Mebuki decided on her own path and began to move forward. He didn¡¯t want to be the one who drag her down just because he was in trouble. As the two continued to talk, Mebuki¡¯s cell phone, which was on her desk, rang. Mebuki picked up her cell phone, checked the screen, and opened her mouth, frowning. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tsugumi-kun. It seems there¡¯s an error at the lab, and I have to go back now. ¨CCan I invite you for tea again?¡° ¡°Yes, with pleasure.¡° Mebuki seemed relieved when he answered with a smile. Then she put some bills on the desk and tried to get up, but then she said, ¡°Oh,¡° as if she had just thought of something. ¡°By the way, that Higoromo-senpai I told you about earlier said he¡¯d like to meet with you.¡° ¡°What? Why does such a famous person want to meet me?¡° When Tsugumi tilted his head and asked that question, Mebuki smiled and brought her face close to his ear, saying in a small voice to talk in private. ¡°I heard that Senpai is sharing information with the government. Of course, he knows that the boy involved in the Amusement Park accident is ¡®Nanase Tsugumi¡¯. ¡­I think he may have found the right male candidate. He wants to meet you as a researcher.¡° Then Mebuki moved away from Tsugumi and smiled beautifully. ¡°So, if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like you to at least listen to what he has to say. You don¡¯t have to get so worked up about it. It¡¯s probably just intellectual curiosity.¡° And then Mebuki left the caf¨¦ after taking a quick look at the time. ¡°¡­ Everywhere, it¡¯s all such a hassle.¡° Tsugumi sipped the remaining lukewarm coffee and gazed idly at the scenery outside. The petals of the cherry blossoms that had fallen to the ground were turning brown. The cherry blossom viewing season was almost over. ¨CSpring is over, and summer will soon arrive. A new season is about to begin for Tsugumi. CH 66 Round Table Meeting Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CApril 28. Nine women were sitting at a round table in a government conference room. ¡°There are only five minutes left until the designated time. ¡­I don¡¯t mean to force you to act well in advance, but is she here yet?¡± Hitsugi Airi muttered, sighing a little. Gathered here were the A-class Magical Girls who were selected by the previous vote to be placed in the top ten. In addition to the six members of Rikka, three new members were scheduled to be added to the list. However, there was one Magical Girl who had not yet appeared on the stage. ¨CThe provisional A-class, Hagakure Sakura. In addition to her heroic actions at the end of the year, she had been making headlines in both good and bad ways for the past two months while single-handedly monopolizing the defeat of B-class Demonic Beasts. However, although the monopoly was not an act that should be praised, it was an action that had been viewed relatively favorably by the A-class Magical Girls. As a basic policy, the government was afraid of losing senior Magical Girls unnecessarily, so they often had them deal with Demonic Beasts of a lower class than their original class. The A-class Demonic Beasts were mainly fought by Rikka, the B-class by Rikka and other A-class Magical Girls, the C-grade by B-class Magical Girls, and so on. The battles were divided up in such a way. Sometimes, those who wished to improve their ranks challenged the higher class, but if they did not show good results in the simulator, they weren¡¯t even allowed to fight. In other words, the B-class Demonic Beasts that Hagakure Sakura faced all this time were the ones that A-class Magical Girls were originally supposed to fight. From the point of view of an A-class Magical Girl, exterminating a B-class Demonic Beast was nothing but a troublesome chore. Since she was taking care of it, there was no reason to harbor any ill will toward her. Well, for a Magical Girl with a high reputation, Hagakure Sakura might be nothing more than a show-off and a troublesome bump on the eye. But it was not advisable to voice that complaint openly to the government. ¡­Hagakure Sakura was well-liked by the staff of the Demonic Beast Countermeasure Headquarters to an unusual degree. If anyone spoke ill of her, they would be glared at by the staff of the Countermeasure Headquarters, who were at odds with Magical Girls. In a sense, she was untouchable. ¡­She really was a troublesome person. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s lost? Do you want me to pick her up?¡± ¡°Oh, in that case, let¡¯s go together.¡± Mibu and Suzushiro raised their voices in unison. There was no hint of any other intention in their voices, and it seemed that they were making the offer out of the goodness of their hearts. In a sense, these two were troublemakers, but their human nature was extremely good. No matter what kind of person the new member was, they would treat her in a friendly manner. ¨CYes, there was only one person who had a problem. ¡°Hah? Just leave that her alone. She¡¯s on her own whether she gets lost or not, right?¡± A junior high school girl, Hyuga Aoi-Ranked fifth of the ranking order, raised an irritated voice against the two easygoing people. Shaking her bob-cut hair with yellow mesh, Hyuga continued grimly. ¡°In the first place, it¡¯s ridiculous for a newcomer to arrive late. Hey, what do you think about that, Toono-senpai?¡± Toono, who was asked to speak, put her cup of tea on the desk and smiled softly. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be here soon. ¨CAnd it¡¯s not good to raise your voice too much. You¡¯re making the other three newcomers feel intimidated.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± At Toono¡¯s unaffected attention, Hyuga apologized in a reluctant manner. Apparently, she couldn¡¯t bite a far superior person. ¡­Hyuga Aoi had a bad habit. She was strangely outspoken against Magical Girls who were less experienced than she was. Incidentally, Yukino, who had been a Magical Girl for less than three years, was another target. ¡°¨CHey, while we¡¯re at it, it looks like we¡¯ve got a ¡®waiter¡¯ on our hands.¡± Yukino, who had been watching the series of events with a troublesome look, announced bluntly. The words made Hitsugi turn her head toward the door, and a subdued knock sounded. ¡°I¡¯m Inaba from the Demonic Beast Countermeasures Headquarters. I¡¯ve brought Hagakure Sakura-san with me. May I come in?¡± ¡°Please come in.¡± Hitsugi gave permission to enter the room. Almost at the same time, the door to the conference room opened. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you here then. ¡­Hagakure-san, that¡¯s-¡° ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll see you later. Thank you for showing me around.¡± Inaba and Hagakure exchanged small words, and only Hagakure entered the room. The smile on her face was the same calm smile they had seen in the TV interview. ¡­It was a far cry from her belligerent smile with blazing eyes during the Radon battle. For Hitsugi who watched her appearance at the time, the difference was too disconcerting. Everyone had two sides to them, but it was unusual for it to be so pronounced. ¡°I am sorry for being late. ¨CIs it fine if I sit over there?¡± ¡°Yes, please have a seat.¡± While staring into eighteen eyes, Hagakure lightly bailed and sat down in the vacant seat¨Cbetween Yukino and Mibu. She straightened her back majestically and looked up firmly, without any sign of being self-conscious. She was very different from the other three, who had been taken in by the atmosphere of the place and had become withdrawn. Hitsugi exhaled a little and picked up the materials on the desk. It was a proceeding document for the meeting, which had been pushed to her by the office staff in charge of Rikka. Then, Hitsugi quickly looked up and raised a dignified voice. ¡°Then, all of us have gathered together. Now, I would like to start the first meeting as Jukka, instead of Rikka.¡± -Even though she was the oldest, she wondered why she had to play the role of moderator. She wished the staff did it like before. Under the guise of ¡®encouraging independence,¡¯ the role of the moderator was supposed to be played by one of Rikka¡¯s members. But for some reason, the person in charge of the meeting always handed over the documents to Hitsugi. She knew that she was being used by the clerks, but for Hitsugi, who was thinking of working for the government in the near future, it would be risky to refuse considering the future relationship with the government. Besides, it was also true that there was no one else who could be entrusted with the job. Yukino would be able to host the event without a hitch, but Hyuga would protest if she were the hostess. If other people were to host the event, it would be difficult to keep the conversation together. ¡­Given the process of elimination, it might be inevitable that Hitsugi was the moderator. ¡°Today is more of a meeting than a conference, but first, let me introduce myself to the four new members-¡° ¡°Wait, Hitsugi-senpai.¡± Interrupting Hitsugi¡¯s words, Hyuga raised her sharp voice. Hitsugi opened her mouth while gently holding her abdomen, which was causing her sharp pain. ¡°Yes, what is it, Hyuga-san?¡± ¡°Before we start the meeting, I think we have to find out if she is really suitable as Jukka. ¨CHey, Hagakure Sakura-san? At Hyuga¡¯s words, the eyes of everyone present turned to Hagakure. Hagakure smiled, tilting her head cutely, as she raised her elbows while interlocking the fingers of both hands. However, Hitsugi, who was sitting opposite her, could clearly see the swarthy color behind her narrowed eyes. ¡°In other words, you are skeptical of my ability.¡± ¡°Well, to put it bluntly, yes. You¡¯ve only defeated B-class or lower-class Demonic Beasts since the battle at the end of the year. If you¡¯re only that good and you get scared when it comes time to fight A-class Demonic Beasts, we¡¯ll be in trouble.¡± ¨CI knew it¡­ It¡¯s started again¡­ That thought almost made Hitsugi clutch her head in disbelief. However, Hyuga had a point this time. To work as a Jukka, they must have the ability to defeat A-class Demonic Beasts. No matter how easily Hagakure Sakura defeated a B-class Demonic Beast, in the end, it meant nothing if she couldn¡¯t defeat an A-class Demonic Beast. As Hitsugi gazed at Hagakure while thinking about this, the other girl turned over and gently put her right hand over her mouth. Upon closer inspection, she seemed to be trembling slightly. ¨CMaybe the pressure made her feel sick. Just as Hitsugi was about to follow up on this thought, she heard a giggle and laughter that sounded out of place. She involuntarily looked around. Then, Hitsugi checked the owner of the laughter and gently rubbed her arms, which were covered with goosebumps. ¨CAh, why does this person always laugh at the strangest times? With a small quiver on her shoulders, Hagakure Sakura laughed. It sounded more like a sneer than a joyful laugh. Hyuga, who had backed away as if frightened at the sight of such an image from Hagakure, said in a raised voice. ¡°What¡¯s so funny!¡± ¡°No? ¨CI¡¯m just surprised that your line is so predictable.¡± Then she gently wiped her tears from laughing so hard with her finger and smiled cheerfully. The smile, which should normally appear calm, was so different in this situation. The other members of the group, who were usually noisy, were watching her behavior as if they were observing the event. ¡°Well then, according to Hyuga-san¡¯s words, I have to prove whether I am capable enough to be a Jukka.¡± Hagakure said abruptly and quickly got up from her seat. Then, she walked straight toward the door. ¡°Hagakure-san? Where are you going? When Hitsugi asked her in a panic, Hagakure, who had her hand on the door, turned around and said with a natural look. ¡°Of course, to the simulator room. ¨CI¡¯ve already spoken to the head of the Countermeasures Headquarters, Inaba, so please go to the monitor room.¡± ¡°Oh, so you are going to demonstrate in front of us that you can fight A-class Demonic Beasts without any difficulty?¡± Toono asked Hagakure in the same tone as usual. She nodded in response and smiled mischievously with narrowed eyes. ¡°Yes. ¨CBecause if I don¡¯t, you all won¡¯t approve of me, right?¡± ¡°Fufu, yes, you¡¯re right. ¨CThen, we¡¯ll head to the monitor room after this. See you later, Sakura-san.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± After saying this, Hagakure stalked out of the room. ¡­There was no time to stop her. ¡°¡­She was late coming to the conference room because she was negotiating this matter with Inaba, the head of the Headquarters. She¡¯s pretty good.¡± Yukino said this admiringly as she leaned back in her chair. Certainly, what she did was amazing. The actions of Hagakure Sakura this time were based on the premise that her lack of ability would be pointed out to her. It was not possible for a person with ordinary nerve to book a battle simulation for the first meeting, knowing in advance that they would be denounced. ¡°Aoi-chan lost this time. If Sakura-chan properly defeats A-class Demonic Beast, you will apologize to her.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Hyuga, who was admonished by Toono, nodded reluctantly, not hiding the dissatisfied expression on her face. ¡­It was still worrying, but it supposedly solved the problem at hand. If Hagakure Sakura could properly defeat an A-class Demonic Beast in the simulation, it would prove that she was perfect as a Jukka. There was some confusion, but the result was not bad. ¡°They¡¯re not as similar as I expected.¡± ¡°Yes. They especially don¡¯t resemble each other on the inside.¡± Nobody knew what Mibu and Suzushiro were talking about. Hitsugi sighed out loud, then stood up on the spot and clapped her hands. Their attention was drawn to Hitsugi. ¡°Let¡¯s all start moving for now. ¨CHagakure-san is waiting for us.¡± CH 67 The Schemer and the Child Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Walking down the long hallway, Tsugumi let out a weary sigh. ¨CI might have gone a little too far. It was the thought that came to mind. No matter how necessary it was, it wasn¡¯t Tsugumi¡¯s intention to be so rude in a place where everyone else was higher-ranked than he was. ¡­He hoped they didn¡¯t hate him for being so cocky. ¡°Don¡¯t dwell on it forever. Everything is going according to plan.¡± ¡°¡­I know.¡± At Bell¡¯s reprimand, Tsugumi gently held his chest with his right hand. ¨CThe beginning of the matter was a conversation he had with Inaba. Arriving at the government two hours before the meeting began, the first thing Tsugumi did was to go to the Demonic Beast Countermeasure Headquarters. He did that to find out more about the personalities of Rikka and the other three. He had already gathered information about each of them from the Internet and magazines, but he thought it would be more reliable to hear directly from the people who were actually working with them. Besides, he simply wanted to thank them for the various efforts they made during the battle with the B-class Demonic Beasts. Since he had the opportunity to meet them, he thought it would be the right time to do so. WhenTsugumi visited the Countermeasure Headquarters, he was told shocking words by Inaba and the others in a welcoming mood. ¨CThe fifth in the ranking, Hyuga Aoi¡¯s viciousness. Although not widely known to the public, Hyuga Aoi¡¯s values regarding hierarchical relationships were already tremendous. Perhaps because she had been active in the entertainment industry since she was a child, Hyuga was very particular about the number of years she had been active in the industry. In her common sense, those who had been active longer should be respected as ¡°seniors¡±. According to Inaba, even Yukino, who had only been active for a few months, was an object of attack for Hyuga. ¡­What a troublesome personality. In addition to that, she said that given Hyuga¡¯s personality, it was quite likely that she would poke at Tsugumi ¨C Hagakure Sakura ¨C at this meeting. In the direction of this, she would most likely point out her lack of ability as a Jukka. The fact that Hagakure Sakura had yet to defeat an A-class Demonic Beast, excluding irregularities, was certainly sufficient material for an attack. As Tsugumi was thinking about this backstory, he received a proposal from Inaba. ¨CA simulation battle. In other words, a virtual battle with A-class using a simulator. By actually fighting an A-class opponent, he could demonstrate his abilities directly to the members of Jukka. ¨CBut just proposing a virtual battle at the meeting was lukewarm. If they were going to do it anyway, they should thoroughly reveal Hyuga¡¯s nose at this point. Inaba laughed and said so. The staff of the Countermeasures Headquarters, including Tsugumi and Inaba, spent two solid hours discussing the plan. It was why he was almost late for the meeting. ¨CThe first phase of the operation was complete. All that was left was to successfully defeat the A-class Demonic Beast. As Tsugumi nervously pondered this, Bell moved softly in front of him. ¡°Even so, I was surprised. ¨CInaba, the dog of the government who proposed to pick a fight with Rikka, is a considerable person, but you also did a good job of stirring things up to that extent.¡± With a wicked grin, Bell looked into Tsugumi¡¯s face. ¡°Oh, no, Bell-sama. You don¡¯t know how vicious Nanase Tsugumi is, do you? Compared to Yukitaka, this is still a bit lukewarm.¡± Tsugumi responded calmly. His attitude was a far cry from the belligerent way he had been agitating Hyuga earlier. It was true. Because that appearance was almost an act. ¨CThe first thing that Inaba instructed Tsugumi to do during the two-hour strategy meeting was to ¡°make Hyuga angry¡±. That preparation was for the effective implementation of the second strategy that was coming up after this. The mission itself was not that difficult, since he had already anticipated that Hyuga would try to pick a fight with him by the time he was late for the meeting. In addition, Tsugumi had the greatest weapon of all. ¨CYes, the imitation of Yukitaka¡¯s behavior. It provoked others, manipulated their behavior, and directed their thoughts in the direction he wanted them to go. For Tsugumi, who usually spent time with the professional, Yukitaka, it was a very easy job to manipulate the actions of Hyuga, who had a rather simple thought process. ¡­Well, whether he actually wanted to do that was another story. ¡°All that¡¯s left is to win. ¡­Honestly, it may be tough at times depending on the opponent, but if Inaba-san¡¯s second plan succeeds, we¡¯ll be well on our way to victory.¡± Tsugumi placed his right hand over his heart as if praying and kept his eyes down. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you, Inaba-san.¡± With that murmur, Tsugumi was urged by one of the Countermeasures Headquarters staff waiting at the end of the corridor to enter the simulator room. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡°We have been waiting for you. Your seats have been prepared in advance, so please go that way.¡± When the members of Jukka arrived in front of the monitor room, Inaba, a staff member of the Demonic Beasts Countermeasure Headquarters, urged them with a polite tone. Frowning at her words, Hyuga said. ¡°It¡¯s you again¡­ Since when did the Countermeasure Headquarters become Hagakure Sakura¡¯s dog?¡± ¡°Would you please stop saying stupid things? We are only working for the government¡¯s benefit. It is not our intention to have you and Jukka, who are the government¡¯s notoriety, fall out with each other. This is just a necessary step to achieve that. ¨CWell, speaking from a personal point of view, I would certainly prefer a cute straight-forward girl to a twisted child.¡± Inaba said, snickering at Hyuga¡¯s high-handedness. The other members of Jukka looked at the scene with slight dismay. ¨CIt had been a problem for a long time, but the compatibility between the Countermeasure Headquarters and Hyuga was quite bad. The staff did not take kindly to Hyuga¡¯s prioritization of her work as an idol. In addition, Hyuga hated the staff of the Headquarters, who were annoyingly careful even though they didn¡¯t fight. The fault was on Hyuga¡¯s side, but her mental immaturity and her special position as a Rikka had allowed her to be overlooked in this aspect. If only there was some chance, Hyuga¡¯s personality would improve a little, but it was still difficult now. Since an opportunity had presented itself to reveal the nose of such an unsavory character, there was no reason for the staff of Headquarters not to cooperate. Besides, this was not nominally a favor to Hagakure Sakura, but to ¡°help lubricate Jukka¡¯s operation.¡± No matter how it would turn out, there was no reason for Inaba to be blamed. As Hyuga said, she was intervening too much, but considering that she was helping to facilitate the activities of a promising Magical Girl, Hagakure Sakura, it was not just a funny matter from the government¡¯s point of view. ¨CIt was true that right now, Hagakure Sakura¡¯s power was still not as strong as the other Jukka. But the people in Headquarters were convinced. She would surely rise to become one of the most powerful members of Jukka. Hagakure Sakura¡¯s growth rate was quite remarkable compared to other Magical Girls. If she continued to hunt Demonic Beasts at this rate, it would not be a dream. ¡°Hmph. I don¡¯t think so, but you¡¯re not cheating, are you? If it were up to you, you could have told Hagakure Sakura who the opponent in the simulator is in advance, right? If it¡¯s possible to take countermeasures in advance, testing her power is meaningless.¡± Hyuga said with a dissatisfied look on her face. Although faintly, Hitsugi and Yukino were also looking at Inaba with eyes full of suspicion. ¡­The Headquarters¡¯ attitude toward Hagakure Sakura had become quite famous within the government. It was natural to be suspected. However, neither Hagakure Sakura nor the members of the Countermeasures Headquarters violated any rules in this case. What Inaba did was only ¡°advice,¡± ¡°suggestions,¡± and a little help. There was no problem. ¡°I can understand why you are suspicious of us. If I were in your shoes, I would definitely suspect some wrongdoing. ¨CSo, Hyuga-san. I¡¯d like you to set this up.¡± Smiling, Inaba handed the tablet terminal to Hyuga. Then, peering quizzically at the tablet she had received, Hyuga¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the setting screen of the Demonic Beast battle opponent?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. From what I¡¯ve seen, it seemed Hyuga-san didn¡¯t approve of Hagakure-san the most. Since I would be suspected, I thought it would be fairer to have you decide the opponent at random. What do you think?¡± ¡°¡­If you insist that much, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Saying this, Hyuga looked at Inaba suspiciously and quickly manipulated the tablet device to select something. Then, after checking the screen, she returned the device to Inaba by pushing it toward her. Inaba looked at the screen returned to her. Then, she said, muttering. ¡°A-class list NO.201, the Minotaur, King of the Labyrinth?¡± ¡°Is there a problem?¡¡¡± ¡°Not at all? Then, I will now run the combat system. Please sit over there, Hyuga-san. ¨CThe others have already sat down.¡± Yes, the other members had quickly taken their seats while Inaba and Hyuga were exchanging information. Perhaps they thought it was too much of a hassle to get involved. ¨CBut this exchange was heard by them as well. As long as Hyuga chose her opponents, there would be no cheating at all. Even if it was just as Inaba and the others had planned. Watching Hyuga¡¯s back as she walked into the room, Inaba gently covered her mouth with her right hand. She couldn¡¯t hold back her smile. She quietly walked out into the hallway and let out a giggle. ¡°Really, that girl is so so simple.¡± ¨CInaba had intended to let Hyuga choose the opponent from the beginning. The reason for this was to specify the opponent, which was originally supposed to be chosen at random. Even though Hagakure Sakura¡¯s ability was practically A-class, she might have a hard time depending on the opponent. Even if she could defeat an A-class Demonic Beast in the simulator, a hard victory with a shredded body would not win the trust of the members of Jukka. The ideal was just to win smartly. If she had more time, she could have thought of countermeasures for all the A-class Demonic Beasts in the data, but two hours of discussion would only be enough time for a few of them. So Inaba thought of a way to reduce the number of choices of Demonic Beasts to fight. That was the basis of this strategy. ¨CThe first step was for Hagakure Sakura to put pressure on Hyuga, eliciting feelings of anger and rebellion. Then, when Hyuga¡¯s vision was narrowed by her anger, she was forced to choose the opponent. Analyzing Hyuga¡¯s personality, it was easy to predict what type of Demonic Beast she would choose. ¡®A Demonic Beast with abilities that I didn¡¯t struggle with at all, but that would be troublesome for other Magical Girls.¡¯ ¨CHyuga would definitely choose that kind of Demonic Beast. This prediction was spot on. ¡°One of the three Demonic Beasts on the list is the Minotaur. We had prepared enough countermeasures. In other words, as planned so far. ¡­After this, I can only pray that Hagakure-san will win safely.¡± Saying so, Inaba smiled beautifully. CH 68 Labyrinth of Darkness Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani chapAs the simulator deployed and moved into the virtual space, Tsugumi recognized that the light had instantly disappeared from his vision, and cheered in his heart. ¨CInaba-san-san and the others, you are so right. They had made an excellent guess as to the Demonic Beast that Hyuga would choose. Their insight was truly worthy of respect. ¡­I have to make sure those people never become my enemy. Tsugumi closed his eyes to focus his nerves as he thought of this. ¨CThe Minotaur was a fearless monster from Greek mythology. King Minos, who ruled the land of Crete, incurred the wrath of Poseidon, the God of the sea, and the result was the Minotaur, a monster with an ox-head and human body. Minotaur grew more ferocious as it grew older and was finally imprisoned in a huge labyrinth. The monster continued to create a small-scale hell within the labyrinth until it was vanquished by the hero Theseus. ¨CTsugumi would now attempt to challenge the horror of the ¡°Minotaur, King of the Labyrinth¡±. When this Demonic Beast once descended into this world, a member of Rikka and two A-class Magical Girls were cruelly shattered. It took a total of ten days to defeat the Minotaur, which was known as one of the most difficult enemies among A-class Demonic Beasts. The Minotaur had three major special abilities. One of them was this [Labyrinth]. In mythology, the labyrinth was a vaulted space with no ceiling, but this labyrinth was surrounded by cold stone walls above, below, left, and right, making it impossible to sense even the flow of air. Perhaps the nature of the confinement was emphasized more than in historical fact. If the Kraken, which he had fought before, had the ability to establish its position, this Minotaur had the ability to set up the position in advance. The second special ability was the darkness that made it impossible to see what was in front of one¡¯s eyes. In this darkness, even if a Magical Girl tried to brighten the scenery using her ability, no light would ever come on. It was as if the concept of light had disappeared. Tsugumi calmly scattered his searching thread, keeping a wary eye on his surroundings. The fact that his vision was blocked was certainly dangerous, but it was not the essence of the Minotaur¡¯s horror. ¡°¡­.As I thought, the thread breaks in the middle.¡± Tsugumi muttered to himself as he looked deep into the darkness. ¨CThe stretched threads shred one after another as they progressed beyond a certain distance. If he had not heard about this from the people in the Countermeasures Headquarters beforehand, he would have felt impatient. Then Tsugumi felt a strange sensation under the floor and flew directly to the side as if to avoid something. At that moment, with a loud thud, a large object came flying out of the ground. It was a new stone wall. ¨CThe wall is moving¡­! Looking for signs of the surrounding area, the walls would rise or sink from all sides with a creaking sound, changing the course of the labyrinth. In the past, the hero Theseus used the ¡°thread¡± given to him by Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos, to conquer a labyrinth that was thought to be inescapable. However, that method did not work in this labyrinth. On the contrary, just meeting the Master of this labyrinth was difficult. A labyrinth where the directions to the correct answer changed every second. It would be a bad attraction. Magical Girls who set foot in this labyrinth must overcome this hellishly difficult labyrinth and defeat the Minotaur, the main body of the labyrinth. ¨CBut that couldn¡¯t be the only difficulty that stood in their way. The thin threads around him swayed, even though there was no wind. The moment Tsugumi recognized it, he used Transportation to fly to the next road. The entirety of its true identity was recognized only by the feel of the threads connected to it. It was a large arm, more than two meters thick. The arm appeared the moment Tsugumi moved out of the way, and with a sharp whistling sound, it descended precisely where Tsugumi had been standing. And then the great arm vanished like a puff of smoke. [¡°Listen, Hagakure-san. The greatest horror of Minotaur is not the darkness or the changing labyrinth. It is the great arm that attacks through partial Transporation without any sign. You know better than anyone the horror of Transportation ability, don¡¯t you?¡±] In the Countermeasure Headquarters, Inaba had told Tsugumi. ¡­He had heard the stories, but there was certainly nothing more troublesome than enemies with than the ability of [Transport]. The attack came from the darkness, where even pre-movement was unrecognizable. And even if they were able to prevent the attack, they would forever lose their nerve unless they could conquer the labyrinth. That was how the three Magical Girls ran out of strength. In other words, this Demonic Beast ¨C Minotaur ¨C specialized in the ability to kill at first sight. Even if they knew about its abilities beforehand, if their abilities didn¡¯t match up well, even a Magical Girl of Rikka¡¯s level would have a hard time. ¡°¨CBut, it can¡¯t get through me.¡± Certainly, Minotaur¡¯s abilities were powerful. But because its abilities were so outlandish, Minotaur¡¯s own strength was not that high. Once the main body was found, Tsugumi¡¯s victory was almost confirmed. Tsugumi was superior in exploration and even in mobility. Which one was faster, Minotaur¡¯s labyrinthine changes or Tsugumi¡¯s Transportation¨CIf he couldn¡¯t win after all this arrangement, he wasn¡¯t qualified to be a Jukka. Then Tsugumi quickly pointed to the back of the labyrinth and the edges of his lips lifted. ¡°Now, the hidden Demonic Beast is done for.¡± ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô ¡°¡­It¡¯s hard to see. Why did you choose this one, Ao-chan?¡± Suzushiro¡¯s mouth twitched in frustration as she stared at the monitor. The multiple screens in front of her showed scenes of the labyrinth from various angles. The labyrinth, which should normally be invisible, was covered with a green light as if they were wearing night-vision goggles. As a person looking at the screen, it was hard to see. ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped. I didn¡¯t expect it to look like this on the monitor¡­¡± Saying this, Hyuga looked away, as if she felt bad. ¡°Hmm. This is what happens when you try to be mean to people, okay? Ao-chan, you¡¯re going to be a high school student from April, so you should be a little more mature.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. You¡¯re right.¡± Somehow, an atmosphere of wanting to say, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it from you,¡± could be sensed, but it would be wise not to say it out loud. ¨CAnd yet, she¡¯s still going on with guns blazing. Suzushiro thought this vaguely as she stared at the monitor, which was hard to see. The first time she saw Hagakure Sakura fight was against Radon, but she had the same vigor as then. Her gait was sparkling and light, almost as if she were dancing. In her appearance, there wasn¡¯t any fear of death or hesitation. It was a new sight for Suzushiro, who always saw government-affiliated Magical Girls with a shadow on their backs. ¨CYeah. I guess you and Tsugumi don¡¯t look that much alike after all. Nanase Tsugumi, trembling with fear but facing difficulties head-on, and Hagakure Sakura, smiling and moving forward as she kicked down the obstacles in front of her. Both were certainly likable, but their essence was too different. It was true that their faces were very similar, but it was probably just someone else¡¯s likeness. It was said that there were three people in the world who had the same face, it wasn¡¯t that strange. Hagakure Sakura on the screen was repeatedly teleporting as she moved forward. It seemed she had a clear destination. As Suzushiro gazed at the image curiously, Yukino, who was sitting next to her, muttered. ¡°I guess she is repeatedly teleporting to the destination where the outstretched thread has been broken.¡± ¡°Yes, why?¡± ¡°The fact that the labyrinth creates a wall and cuts the thread means that it doesn¡¯t want her to go beyond. It will require some calculation of frequency and direction, but with that much mobility, she¡¯ll get to the right answer eventually. Yeah, she¡¯s excellent.¡± ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s a lot of work. I don¡¯t think I can do that kind of calculation.¡± When Suzushiro answered, Yukino let out a sigh of exasperation. ¡°In your case, you could fill the labyrinth with poison water and that would be the end of it. ¡­I wish I can just be clever and use my head.¡± Saying this, Yukino cowered her shoulders. At Yukino¡¯s self-deprecating response, Suzushiro laughed and patted Yukino on the back. ¡°Yuki-chan is so good at jokes! Even if you don¡¯t humble yourself like that, everyone knows Yuki-chan is amazing!¡± ¡°Wait, Suzushiro. That hurts, no, that really hurts!?¡± Yukino complained. It seemed she inadvertently put a lot of force into it. ¡°¨CBoth of you. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re messing around, but it¡¯s about to be settled.¡± Toono said in a soft voice. As if guided by her voice, she stared at the monitor. ¡°Oh, the neck fell off.¡± Suzushiro¡¯s honest impression was answered by Mibu with a happy smile on his face. ¡°Not only the head, but it¡¯s also already been sliced in half, isn¡¯t it? Well, if she can defeat that Demonic Beast, she¡¯ll do just fine as an A-class! ¨CHyuga thinks so too, right?¡± Mibu asked Hyuga in a light tone of voice. The gazes of the people in the room were drawn to Hyuga. Hyuga¡¯s cheeks puffed out in dissatisfaction, then she looked away in a sulky manner. ¡°Hmm. You all are so naive to admit it at that level. If it were me, I could easily conquer that labyrinth in five minutes. ¡­But I certainly was the first one to bring it up. I have my grievances, but I won¡¯t complain anymore about that person belonging to Jukka.¡± Despite the auspicious words of the latter half, though she still seemed unconvinced, Hyuga approved of Hagakure Sakura. This meant that, for the time being, the immediate problem had been settled. ¡°Well.¡± Suzushiro slowly stood up and looked around the room. Then she looked at everyone¡¯s faces and smiled, opening her arms and announcing in a cheerful voice. ¡°Let¡¯s all go back to the conference room!¡¡¨CThis time we have to introduce ourselves properly!¡± CH 69 The Girl with the Burn Scars Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani After successfully completing the battle in the simulator, Tsugumi returned to the conference room, mentally exhausted. The time taken to defeat the Demonic Beast was less than an hour. Not a bad time score, he supposed. That should have been enough to show how good he was. When he arrived at the conference room, the other members were already seated, smiling on the surface and welcoming Tsugumi-Hagakure Sakura. Apparently, he got a passing score. ¡°Well, we¡¯re quite a bit behind schedule, so I¡¯ll start introducing myself right away.¡± Hitsugi declared as the host and the self-introductions of the Jukka members began amidst a subtle sense of tension. Well, the self-introduction was just a brief profile and background. Self-introductions began with Toono Sumire, who was ranked first, and ended without incident with Hitsugi Airi, who was ranked sixth. These six probably didn¡¯t need any special introduction. Their names and ages were known because they were always explained on TV. ¡­But among them, there was one who had an unusually small amount of information. ¨CYukino Shizuku. In her self-introduction, she only mentioned her name and how long she had been active as a Magical Girl. Originally, Yukino Shizuku had a history of being a stray Magical Girl. Although she became a Rikka and switched to government affiliation, her personal information had not yet been made public. Perhaps it was the intention of the person herself and the contract God, but it seemed too much. However, in the sense that neither her age nor her hometown was known, Hagakure Sakura didn¡¯t have the right to say anything about others. ¨CAt any rate, it was finally time for the seventh and subsequent introductions. Tsugumi listened to the other three introduce themselves, feeling somewhat nervous. They had been a bit nervous when they first came to the conference room, but it seemed they had calmed down while Tsugumi was fighting. He hoped time would resolve this somewhat awkward atmosphere. ¡°I am Sobi Maki. Please accept my regards.¡± Seventh in the ranking. She was a Magical Girl belonging to the government. She was 20 years old and had the elegance of a Yamato Nadeshiko. At a quick glance, she did not appear to be very active in battle. ¡°Agatsuma Suo! I¡¯ve been working as a stray for a while, so I don¡¯t really know what I¡¯m doing, but I¡¯m looking forward to working with you!¡± The one who greeted so cheerfully was a girl ranked eighth in the ranking. Her age was probably not that much different from Tsugumi¡¯s. The girl had been working as a Magical Girl for longer than Hagakure Sakura and had been active as a Stray for about four years. It seemed she had a Transportation skill like Tsugumi. ¡°¡­Kazaguruma Tokiwa. Nice to meet you.¡± The girl who greeted somewhat vaguely and sleepily rubbing her eyes was ranked ninth. She was fifteen years old and in the same grade as Hyuga. Although she was as strong as Rikka in terms of ability, she had not been selected as one of Rikka until now because she was not very active in voting. It could be said that she was selected only because the number of slots was expanded. The last one, Tsugumi, stood up and opened his mouth. ¡°¨CMy name is Hagakure Sakura. I may cause you trouble, but please take care of me from now on, okay?¡± Then Tsugumi laughed softly. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô After a small self-introduction and a few small announcements, the first meeting ended without incident, although there were a few bumps along the way. The big task at hand was the press conference on Jukka, which would be held in a few days. The new members were asked to come up with a few words of aspiration for each of them, but this should be manageable. The shift in preparation for the monthly A-class subjugation would be announced at the next meeting. Basically, his job was to stay in the government during his shift, but Tsugumi could transport at any time, so he didn¡¯t necessarily need to be in the government. They were going to take that situation into consideration, but he could only hope it would not affect his school life as much as possible. As the members left one after another, someone called out to him from behind. ¡°Hey, Hagakure-san. Can I have a few minutes of your time after this?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Tsugumi was surprised by the sudden words and turned around to see Hitsugi standing there with a small smile on her face. ¡°Since you are a stray Magical Girl, you probably don¡¯t know much about government facilities, do you? I invited Agatsuma-san, who is also a Stray, so I was wondering if we can have dinner together after the explanation. How about it?¡± Tsugumi held his hand over his mouth in thought, but then he smiled and nodded firmly in affirmation. ¡°Yes, I would be happy to join you.¡± ¡°I am glad. ¨CLet¡¯s get on our way.¡± In response to Tsugumi¡¯s approval, Hitsugi let out a relieved breath, then she called out for Tsugumi to come forward, and stepped out of the conference room. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡°¨CIn other words, it¡¯s okay to use the simulator and view the battle logs as long as I belong to Jukka?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. The rest is about meals in the government. If you give out the personal card that I gave you earlier, everything will be provided free of charge. Everything on the menu here is delicious, so whatever you order will be good.¡± While tasting the beef stew he ordered at the government cafeteria, Tsugumi asked Hitsugi a question that had been on his mind. He had heard that by joining Jukka, he would have more privileges to use, but being able to see the details of the battle records was great. Until now, he had supplemented his knowledge with videos and discussions left on the Internet, but if he could access official government data, he would be able to save time and effort. In addition, it seemed that some of the restrictions that had been placed on Strays would be lifted. This was an unexpected blessing. Incidentally, as for the bounty, it would remain a 30% cut unless he became fully affiliated with the government, but in Tsugumi¡¯s case, money was not that important, so it wasn¡¯t really a problem. ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to worry too much about Hyuga-san. That child¡¯s words may be a little harsh, but she¡¯s not going to lay a hand on you or drag you down.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. She may not be aware of it, but she is one of the Magical Girls who protect the country. She may speak openly, but she will never do anything cowardly. When you think about it, she¡¯s just pretty cute, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Well, maybe so.¡± It was true that Hyuga¡¯s problem was just her attitude, the people in the Countermeasures Headquarters had nothing to say about any cowardly behavior. If Hyuga had been a person who would have chosen any means to kick others down the road, even Tsugumi might have despised her. For now, all he had to do was to win the battle of tongues, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problem regarding Hyuga. ¨CJust as I¡¯ve heard from Chidori, the food in this cafeteria is really delicious. The beef melted in his mouth and the demi-glace sauce went well with it. But what is this strange sensation I sometimes feel? It was a strange sensation that filled his second stomach as if he was invoking his [Gluttony] skill. He didn¡¯t feel anything bad, but it was still concerning. As Tsugumi twisted his head, Agatsuma, who was sitting next to him, muttered something. ¡°Is there perhaps a little bit of the magic nucleus in this food?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m surprised you noticed.¡± Hitsugi said this in surprise, then spoke softly under her breath. ¡°The food here ¨C the food served to Magical Girls ¨C contains a small amount of crushed magic nucleus. And the food itself is grown with a lot of highly concentrated magical fertilizer. It¡¯s usually not noticeable, but Agatsuma-san is amazing.¡± ¡°Hehe, thank you very much.¡± Agatsuma smiled happily at Hitsugi¡¯s praise. In the midst of all this, Tsugumi asked Hitsugi what he had been wondering, ¡°But why are they mixing the magic nucleus? It¡¯s not for the sake of luxury, is it?¡± ¨CThe magic nucleus was a crystallized form of energy that appeared when a Demonic Beast was defeated. It could be dissolved in water and used as a chemical fuel, used as an element to generate electricity, or even crushed into small pieces as a high-purity fertilizer for agriculture. In other words, it was a dream-like versatile material. However, even though 30,000 Demonic Beasts could be hunted each year, the amount of magic nucleus was limited. It was difficult to imagine such a luxury item mixed with meals. ¡°It¡¯s not publicized, but the magic nucleus has the effect of expanding the Magical Girl¡¯s vessel. Well, the effect is still insignificant.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know there¡¯s a reason for that. But isn¡¯t it a bit of a waste? Isn¡¯t the magic nucleus quite precious?¡± Listening to Hitsugi¡¯s answer, Agatsuma said in surprise. Tsugumi could agree with that statement. Nowadays, the rate of Demonic Beasts¡¯ appearance was constant and they were able to have a stable supply of magic nuclei, but he didn¡¯t think this situation would change forever. For the sake of the future, they should probably refrain from using the magic nucleus if it only produced a small effect. Hitsugi smiled as if she could see their doubts. ¡°Although it is certainly distressing to see such a precious resource being used for something like this, I understand the feelings of the people in the government who decided to introduce this program. ¨CFor Japan, Magical Girls are the last stronghold. They are willing to use their precious magic nuclei if we can become stronger even if just a little and survive. Maybe that¡¯s how they think. I¡¯ll be happy if the effects of this meal will reduce the number of people we have to send off, even if only a little.¡± Hitsugi¡¯s words, with a hint of sadness, caused Tsugumi to fall silent. ¨CHitsugi had been a Magical Girl for almost ten years now. He wondered how many of her colleagues she had lost to Demonic Beasts in that time. It was hard to imagine how she felt. As the three of them looked away awkwardly, suddenly a beeping electronic sound echoed around the area. In the midst of this, Hitsugi suddenly put her hand into the inner pocket of her jacket and pulled out a rectangular terminal. ¡°Yes, this is Hitsugi. ¡­Now? No, that¡¯s fine. I will be on my way immediately.¡± Then, Hitsugi hung up the phone and bowed apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have to leave first. I¡¯ve been called away by staff of Jukka ¡­I¡¯m really sorry, even though I invited you to dinner.¡± ¡°No, no! I¡¯m still here to talk with Hagakure-san, so don¡¯t worry too much!¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped since it¡¯s a call from the government. I look forward to hearing more of your stories next time.¡± After the exchange, Hitsugi bowed her head apologetically and left the cafeteria with quick steps. She was truly a humble person. He liked her, but he was worried she might be overworking himself. ¡­He wondered if the Magical Girls who belonged to the government were always that busy. If so, it might be enough to just remain as a Stray. Thinking about this, Tsugumi glanced at his neighbor. Agatsuma Suo had finished her lunch set and was smiling with satisfaction. Then she turned to him and abruptly spoke up. ¡°By the way, how did you become a Magical Girl, Hagakure-san?¡± ¡°¡­How, you said?¡± When Tsugumi asked back, not understanding what she meant, Agatsuma said matter-of-factly. ¡°You see, this was the beginning of my contract with God. I was walking down the street when I was suddenly invited. What was it like for you, Hagakure-san?¡± ¨CI see, so that¡¯s how it is. Unlike those who belonged to the government, stray Magical Girls had different ways of meeting Gods. Since Strays rarely got a chance to talk to each other, they would never know the reasons why the others joined without this kind of opportunity. She was probably curious about that. ¡°In my case, it all started when I was involved in a barrier accident and a God saved me. Fufu, it¡¯s like returning the favor, so to speak.¡± When Tsugumi answered, Agatsuma¡¯s eyes lit up and she laughed. ¡°Heh, repaying a favor, huh. That¡¯s kind of cool! I was looking for something when I met a God, and I became a Magical Girl on the condition that they help me find it. ¨CWell, I haven¡¯t found what I was looking for yet.¡± Agatsuma said, ruffling her hair bashfully. At that moment, he caught a glimpse of the bruise on her right hand. The burn-like bruise extended from the back of her hand to the tip of her wrist, and it was hard to tell just how big it was. He wondered if it came from her Magical Girl activities. Perhaps noticing Tsugumi¡¯s gaze, Agatsuma gently held her right hand with her left and smiled, as if troubled. At Agatsuma¡¯s attitude, Tsugumi looked down at her with a bum eye and said in an apologetic voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for staring. It looked like you¡¯re in pain, so I got worried.¡± ¡°Oh, these burn scars? Don¡¯t worry, it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore! I don¡¯t really remember, but apparently, I was involved in a fire when I was little. It seemed I was injured then.¡± ¡°That must have been a disaster.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true! It was a large-scale disaster, but the details of the disaster have not been announced yet, and it¡¯s not good for the general public, you know.¡± As Agatsuma said this with a laugh, Tsugumi felt a slight sense of discomfort. Her words were light and she didn¡¯t seem to be concerned about her injuries. But why? ¨CIn the depths of her eyes, he could sense a murky hatred. ¡°¡­By the way, what exactly is it that you were looking for that you mentioned earlier? If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll help you as much as I can.¡± When Tsugumi broached the subject, Agatsuma blinked in surprise. ¡°Really!?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s something I can do.¡± When Tsugumi replied, Agatsuma laughed happily. ¡°That¡¯s very helpful. ¨CI¡¯m actually looking for a person.¡± ¡°A person?¡± ¡°Yes, a person. ¨CThe disaster I mentioned earlier, it seems it was a man-made disaster. I am looking for the culprit.¡± ¨CThe disaster, the man-made disaster, and the burn on Agatsuma¡¯s right hand. Various information ran through his mind-and he came up with a single answer. He felt like he could hear the sound of blood dropping. ¨CHe had no idea that there were people involved in that disaster so close by. By a strange coincidence, Tsugumi gently rubbed his cold arms. Apparently, he was so upset that he was sweating a little. Then Tsugumi asked Agatsuma a question to turn his guess into a certainty. ¡°Is that disaster, by any chance, the great fire of ten¨Cno, eleven¨Cyears ago?¡± ¡°Yes, I was referring to the great fire that broke out in the town of Sekiguchi, eleven years ago. Hagakure-san, you know it well!¡± Saying this, Agatsuma smiled happily. ¨CAnd so, by chance, two people pursuing the same case have a chance encounter. No one knows yet how this encounter will turn out. CH 70 Lies and Promises Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani After separating from Agatsuma and walking alone down the hallway, Tsugumi confirmed that no one was around and whispered. ¡°Thinking about it normally, it would be more efficient to cooperate, but I¡¯m a little stuck.¡± It would be best to share information with other people who were pursuing the same case. But he felt that he did not have enough information and understanding of Agatsuma to offer that. ¨CAnd her eyes are concerning. The deep anger that seemed to burn behind her smile. For Tsugumi, knowing the truth about the disaster was an important issue, but somehow he and Agatsuma seemed incompatible. ¡°The right thing to do is to not get involved more than necessary.¡± ¡°Bell-sama.¡± Bell appeared softly on the spot and said that. It seemed she was aware of the exchange in the cafeteria. ¡°Their very nature is that of vindictive, vengeful demons themselves. If you get involved with them, you¡¯ll end up getting burned.¡± ¡°¡®Them¡¯? Are there others besides Agatsuma-san?¡± When Tsugumi asked that question, Bell frowned. ¡°¡­I talked a little too much. Forget it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind if Bell-sama says so¡­ For now, I¡¯m going to distance myself from Agatsuma-san for a bit. I feel like we¡¯re not going in the same direction.¡± Aside from a casual exchange of information, he decided not to actively cooperate with her. Besides, there was the matter of the advice from Bell. ¡­He felt a little uncomfortable about it, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°Even so, those burn scars¡­¡± ¨CMe and Chidori ran through the flames, but we didn¡¯t get that kind of injury. The day of that disaster. In Tsugumi¡¯s memory, he was scrambling through a wall of flames that exceeded his height, and he was running frantically along the rubble-strewn road, hand in hand with Chidori. But why? He remembered the warmth of her hand, but he just couldn¡¯t remember the heat of the flames. As he was thinking about this, he felt the presence of someone from the end of the corridor. He quickly mended his expression and started walking as if nothing had happened. It would be a bad idea to do anything that would make the government people suspicious of him even though there was no information on him yet. Fortunately, perhaps because he¡¯d been acting as ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡± a lot lately, the acting didn¡¯t come off easily. He had also learned how to behave as a woman properly, so as long as he didn¡¯t mess up, there should be no problems. ¨CBut such naive thoughts were easily shattered when he saw the face of the person who walked up to him. The person with long, shiny black hair, wearing a white blouse and checkered skirt, and a card with the word ¡°Temporary Staff¡± on it hanging from her chest ¨C Nanase Chidori ¨C looked at the face of ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡± who appeared before her, and a look of astonishment came into her eyes. The moment she stopped, the papers in her hand fell to the ground in pieces. As if to represent what was going on in her mind. Staring at the scene, Tsugumi clutched his right hand tightly as if trying to twist down his upset mind. ¨CSmile. Don¡¯t look upset. Pull up the corners of your mouth. You knew beforehand that Chidori is in the government. Don¡¯t get upset over something as trivial as this! That was how he reprimanded himself. He couldn¡¯t say he was prepared to meet Chidori as ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡±. Tsugumi knew in his head that they would eventually meet in the government, but he had put it off. ¨CHe was afraid. If it was Chidori ¨C if it was the only member of his family, she might be able to see through the transformed Tsugumi. The thought of that frightened him, The contempt and loathing for being in the female form. Grief and anger from being lied to. If such feelings came from Chidori, Tsugumi didn¡¯t think he could live anymore. Tsugumi managed to suppress his agitation and smiled, then he squatted down and began to pick up the papers that had fallen out of her hands. ¡°Are you okay? You look a little pale.¡± As he handed her the papers he had picked up, Tsugumi made a worried expression and said to Chidori. Chidori looked surprised when he spoke to her, and bowed her head slightly as she received the documents. ¡°Oh, no, ¡­I¡¯m fine. Thank you.¡± ¡°Well, then. Please be careful.¡± With that, Tsugumi turned to leave. ¡°Please wait!¡± He was approached from behind by Chidori. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Um, my name is Nanase Chidori. You are Hagakure Sakura, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right¡­¡± Clutching the document in her hand so tightly that it wrinkled, Chidori gazed at Tsugumi ¨C Hagakure Sakura with snarling eyes. When he replied with a puzzled look, she exhaled deeply and opened her mouth, as if she had made up her mind about something. ¡°Hagakure Sakura-san. ¨CDo you have any idea about a boy called Nanase Tsugumi who looks just like you?¡± Chidori¡¯s straightforward words made his eyes involuntarily twitch. ¨CDid she notice? No, it can¡¯t be. He dismissed the possibility in an instant. If it was fount out, Chidori would have been more emotional and questioned him. Besides, the expression on her face. She looked more frightened than suspicious. ¡°No. I don¡¯t know this Tsugumi-san? Sometimes I hear that there is someone who looks like me, but it is just a rumor. ¡­What about it?¡± Feeling self-hatred, Tsugumi replied with a smile plastered on his face. Then, for some reason, Chidori made a relieved face and bowed her head. ¡°¡­I see. I¡¯m sorry for asking such an impolite question out of the blue.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t be of more help.¡± ¡°No, excuse me.¡± Chidori said so and ran down the hallway at a quick pace without even looking at him. ¡­He was worried that she might fall if she ran too quickly. Tsugumi quietly lowered his eyes, gently holding his throbbing chest. He already knew it, but it was really hard to keep lying to Chidori. ¡°Do you regret it?¡± Bell asked. Tsugumi shook his head and smiled fleetingly. ¡°It¡¯s too late for that, Bell-sama. I have no choice but to keep moving forward.¡± ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô After the encounter with Chidori, Tsugumi stopped by the Demonic Beast Countermeasure Headquarters to say hello and thank them, and then headed home, feeling exhausted. He arrived home via Transportation and collapsed on his bed in the same state he was in. ¨CI¡¯m really tired. It was hard enough just to act the part of ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡± during the transformation, but it also took a lot of nerve to be careful not to make any miscellaneous gestures at a moment¡¯s notice. Moreover, the stop was an encounter with Chidori. There was no way he would not get tired. He undid the transformation while lying down and picked up his cell phone, which he had left on his bedside table. Looking at the screen, he saw that he had received several messages. ¡°The first two messages are from Yukitaka and Mebuki. And Suzushiro. She¡¯s pretty busy, too.¡± It had been several months since he started keeping in touch with Suzushiro in this way. Now, it felt like he was being contacted once every few days. Thinking about it, this might be extraordinary. -Although he exchanged contact information with Suzushiro and Mibu in the hospital room that day, Tsugumi was a little hesitant to contact them. Partly because Tsugumi was not used to women, but also because those two were so far above the clouds that he felt uncomfortable making contact with them. But the girls, oblivious to Tsugumi¡¯s feelings, contacted him when they felt like it. They were like true friends. Suzushiro frequently contacted him to introduce a restaurant where she had enjoyed a delicious cake and to talk about trendy fashions. And Mibu would suddenly send him pictures of incomprehensible objects she had taken on the street, or pictures of ugly stray cats. Perhaps, in their own way, they considered him a friend. That was kind of crazy. ¡°What is this? ¡®I met Hagakure Sakura! She looks just like you! But I don¡¯t see much of a resemblance on the inside¡¯. ¡­That, well, I suppose she¡¯s right.¡± In the message sent by Suzushiro, she wrote about her impression of meeting Hagakure Sakura. From the context, it seemed he had received a good amount of high praise. Tsugumi breathed out a sigh of relief and squinted. As he read on, he found this at the end of the message. ¡®I¡¯m so glad that I can work fewer shifts now that Rikka becomes Jukka and the number of people has increased! So, I have the last weekend of Golden Week off with Yuri-chan, and if you want, why don¡¯t you go somewhere with us? I¡¯ll be waiting for your call.¡¯ Tsugumi checked his notebook and confirmed that he had no plans that day. Then he put his hand on his chin and looked up at the ceiling. ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡¯s shift announcement will be made after Golden Week. I¡¯ll be free until then. ¡­Maybe it¡¯s fine to take a break for a while.¡± Tsugumi replied to Suzushiro, ¡®Please let me go with you.¡¯ Going out with them might be a bit conspicuous, but he didn¡¯t think he could resist the temptation of going out with two pretty girls. The girls would most likely take measures such as disguising themselves, so he didn¡¯t have to worry that much. To Tsugumi was smiling in a good mood, Bell, who had actually been by his side the whole time, said in dismay. ¡°This is why humans are. Even though you were on the verge of tears just a few minutes ago, you cash cow.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh, I can¡¯t even gag.¡± But let him make a few excuses. Human beings couldn¡¯t live only by suffering. Even in the midst of pain, it was okay to have some fun. Even if it was a kind of escape from reality. Besides, everyday life and Magical Girl(extraordinary) should only be considered as two separate things. Otherwise, his heart might collapse. ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t care what you do on your day off, but don¡¯t have another incident like the last one.¡± ¡°¡­That was a force of nature.¡± It was true that the members of the team would be preoccupied at that time, which made him a little uneasy. But irregular accidents wouldn¡¯t happen so soon. With these thoughts in mind, Tsugumi smiled quietly as he thought about the weekend. CH 71 Her "Love" Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani After the encounter with Hagakure Sakura, Chidori ran into the restroom and gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. ¡°¨COh, thank goodness.¡± Chidori muttered in a voice filled with relief. ¨CChidori¡¯s feelings toward Hagakure Sakura were indescribable guilt and creeping fear. When Mebuki suggested the DNA test, the first thing Chidori felt was fear. This was not the first time someone had questioned her blood relation with Tsugumi. Other than Mebuki, Chidori had also been pointed out by innocent friends and mindless adults that they weren¡¯t ¡°look-alike¡±. Each time, Chidori suffered as if her feet were falling off the ground. The only clue to the past was left at hand. In the photo of ¡°Sakura-neechan¡± and Tsugumi, Chidori was not in the picture. It was as if to prove that Chidori was not included in the ¡°family¡±. This fact weighed heavily on Chidori. The ¡°Sakura-neechan¡± in her memory always smiled kindly. But why? The smile that she used to recognize as kind now felt terribly cold. ¨CIt was probably due to uncontrollable self-loathing. The reason why Tsugumi so blindly adored Chidori (sister) might be because he was unconsciously overlapping her real sister with Chidori. Such unfounded fears floated in and out of her mind. Chidori, who had no memory of her past, was left with only one family member: Tsugumi. If Chidori and Tsugumi were not sisters and brothers, who in the world should the person called ¡°Chidori Nanase¡± live for as emotional support? She was scared to death when she thought about it. The daily life with Tsugumi together was peaceful and contented, but she felt anxious at any moment as if her chest was constricted. Even after she entered high school, that uneasiness remained, and like a smoldering flame, it grew more and more. It was at this time that the Magical Girl, Hagakure Sakura, appeared. That Magical Girl, who looked a lot like Tsugumi, or rather ¡°Sakura-neechan,¡± quickly rose to the C-class from the start of her activities, and became famous after her miraculous survival in the battle against Radon at the end of the year. The moment Chidori heard on the bus that day that Hagakure Sakura was going to fight a Demonic Beast, she felt like she had been caught up in the past that she had been running away from. As if telling her there was no escape. She didn¡¯t know if that girl was the same person as ¡°Sakura-neechan¡±. But it was hard to believe that someone so look-alike could be unrelated. ¨CIf she was Tsugumi¡¯s blood relative, how would she feel about Chidori taking the place of ¡°Sakura-neechan¡±? With this thought in mind, Chidori did not want to get too involved with Hagakure Sakura. However, after this chance encounter, she was able to judge that Hagakure Sakura would not make any contact with Tsugumi, although she didn¡¯t know how she felt about it inwardly. If what she said was true, she and Tsugumi were unrelated, and if she was actually related to Tsugumi, the fact that she deliberately pretended not to know would mean that she had no intention of getting involved. ¨CSo at the time, Chidori was relieved to hear her response. As long as Hagakure Sakura didn¡¯t get involved, Tsugumi surely wouldn¡¯t remember ¡°Sakura-neechan¡±. ¡­If Tsugumi¡¯s memories came back, Chidori and Tsugumi probably wouldn¡¯t be able to have the same relationship as before. Fortunately, Tsugumi was not interested in Hagakure Sakura and did not seem to be particularly bothered by her appearance on TV or other media. In fact, he seemed to be more fed up with the trouble he was getting into because of their resemblance. In contrast to Chidori, who was worried about their blood ties, Tsugumi had no doubt in the slightest that they were siblings. He probably didn¡¯t know how much it had saved Chidori¡¯s life. ¨CPerhaps that¡¯s why. Chidori¡¯s feeling for Tsugumi was deeper than familial love. The way he acted, the way he laughed. His face when he was angry, his voice when he was depressed. All of these things made Chidori¡¯s heart flutter. It was too faint and too heavy to be called love. Chidori would surely never let go of Tsugumi¡¯s hand in the future. Even if he hated her, she wanted to stay by his side. Such a stand would never be possible for a ¡°lover¡±. Therefore, Chidori covered her own feelings. She tried to think that this affection was familial love, not infatuation. Whether they were blood-related or not, thinking that way would save Chidori¡¯s heart from being hurt. If they were siblings ¨C if she said they were siblings, she could stay with Tsugumi all the time. And since Tsugumi was a kind person, he would never refuse a request from his ¡°sister¡±. ¨CIt was like a curse. ¡°¡­I¡¯m the worst.¡± Chidori muttered with a crying smile. The cute little brother (Tsugumi) didn¡¯t know anything about such an ugly side. ¡°¨CBut that¡¯s the path my sister has chosen.¡± ¡°Shiro-chan¡­¡± The white rabbit who had been sitting on her shoulder without her realizing¨CChidori¡¯s contract God¨Csaid in a resolute voice. ¡°Chidori. You swore at that time that you would ¡®stand by your brother¡¯s side no matter what¡¯. Then you should stick to it. Because you are his sister.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right¡­¡± Then, after cooling her reddened eyes a bit, Chidori returned to her department. It was long past break time, but they might have guessed a lot from the look in her eyes that she was crying. In this workplace where co-workers often die, there were more people crying in hiding than one might imagine. They must have misunderstood the reason for Chidori¡¯s tears that way. After completing her work within the allotted time and returning home, she found Tsugumi preparing dinner at home. Wearing a black apron, he was working in the kitchen, humming a tune. ¡°Welcome home. Dinner will be ready soon.¡± ¡°Thank you. Is that fried food I smell?¡± ¡°Yes, taranome and kisu tempura. I made takikomi gohan because we have bamboo shoots. The main course is oily, can you eat it?¡± Turning around, Tsugumi said worriedly. He was probably worried about Chidori, who had been eating poorly of late. ¡°It¡¯s okay. ¡­But you¡¯ve done a lot of work this time. Everything seems to be in season.¡± ¡°Hmm, I guess it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been enjoying eating a little more lately. I even have a part-time job for my foodie pleasure.¡± ¡°A part-time job is good, but don¡¯t overdo it. It¡¯s nice of you to buy me souvenirs, but do it in moderation.¡± Tsugumi seemed to have started working part-time around the beginning of February. The reason for this was that he felt bad about staying at home while Chidori was working for the government. When the matter of working for the government was brought up, Chidori couldn¡¯t complain. On the weekends, she was occasionally sent across the country to secure travel routes, and the time with Tsugumi was significantly reduced. Perhaps Tsugumi was feeling lonely in his own way. He didn¡¯t tell her about the part-time job because it was ¡°embarrassing¡±, but by the looks of it, Chidori thought it must be restaurant-related. If there was a problem, it was Tsugumi¡¯s spending. Tsugumi often went away for the weekend, and every time he did, he came back with expensive souvenirs. At first, she thought he was just spending his first part-time job salary, but after a few times of this, she began to worry. It seemed he had not touched the living expenses given to him by his guardian, Yozuru, but considering the future financial situation, it was not a good idea for Tsugumi to get into the habit of spending money. Tsugumi smiled vaguely and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be careful¡±, but by the looks of it, he probably didn¡¯t take it too seriously. If he came back with another expensive souvenir next time, a reprimand might be in order. ¡­I¡¯ll ask for Mebuki-senpai¡¯s help then. Chidori sat deeply on the sofa while thinking about this. Shiro was not available this evening. Apparently, he had something to do. ¡°By the way, how is Chidori going to spend Golden Week?¡± While carrying the plate with food on it, Tsugumi asked the question. ¡°I¡¯m going to show up at the kendo club¡¯s training camp as usual. ¡­I can¡¯t attend the tournament, but I can help and support them in their training.¡± Although she lost her qualification to participate in tournaments after becoming a Magical Girl, Chidori still showed up at the kendo club when she had time and helped with training. When she announced that she was quitting the club, the other club members pleaded with her. Chidori did not think it was particularly difficult because she could check how to move her body, which had improved her physical ability. ¡°I see. I promised to hang out with my friends on the last Saturday, so I was wondering if Chidori would like to join me, but then it can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°A friend? Is it one of your classmates? Tsugumi must be on good terms with them. Whenever I see them in the hallway, they talk about how¡¯s Tsugumi doing.¡± ¡°¡­No, those guys just want to talk to Chidori. And this time it¡¯s not a classmate. Yukitaka also said he¡¯s going on a cruise with his rich sister for the holidays.¡± Chidori laughed at Tsugumi¡¯s answer. Apparently, Tsugumi¡¯s friend, Amari, was still the same. ¡°Then, ¨CWho in the world is it? The only other mutual acquaintance I know of is Mebuki-senpai.¡± ¡°Suzushiro and Mibu. Chidori also exchanged contact information with them, right?¡± ¨CGachang. The moment Tsugumi¡¯s words reached her ears, Chidori dropped the bowl he handed over. The rice spilled a little on the table. ¡°Whoa, are you all right? It doesn¡¯t look broken, but I¡¯ll have to add more.¡± Tsugumi laughed, saying he had cooked more. Chidori looked at him with puzzled eyes and opened her mouth. ¡°Sure, we exchanged contacts, but I¡¯ve only done a few greetings. Besides, they¡¯re like my superiors ¡­I¡¯m surprised you two get along well enough to go out and have fun¡­¡± While talking about this, Chidori thought about the reason why Suzushiro and Mibu became friends with Tsugumi. ¨CHe wasn¡¯t aware of it but there was something about Tsugumi that attracted a special kind of person. Including his classmates, who were considered problem children, Amari, who was a paragon of bad behavior, and Mebuki, who was called the school¡¯s prodigy¨Call of them adored him. The two Rikka, a handful of chosen ones, was probably also attracted to Tsugumi¡¯s peculiarity. Thinking so, Chidori looked at Tsugumi. ¡­In this situation, it didn¡¯t look like it was going to be a love affair. When he talked about the two of them, Tsugumi didn¡¯t show signs of being self-conscious. He seemed to be enjoying himself, but there was no hint of infatuation. It seemed he really intended to go out as ¡°just a friend¡±. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me this time. Have fun.¡± Chidori laughed and said so, and Tsugumi opened his mouth, smiling gently. ¡°Yeah¡­ If you have more time off in the summer, let¡¯s go on a trip somewhere together. I haven¡¯t been able to hang out much with Chidori lately.¡± ¡°I guess so. ¡­ I¡¯ll have some money for my part-time job, and it might be nice to stretch my wings a bit.¡± Tsugumi¡¯s thoughtfulness warmed her heart. ¨COh, I wish this peaceful happiness can last longer. Thinking of this, Chidori reached for a hot meal. CH 72 Place of Memories Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Last Saturday of Golden Week. Tsugumi was sitting on a bench at the meeting place, staring uncomfortably at the ground. It was because when he looked up, he made unusual eye contact with passersby. It felt like they were watching him. ¡­They didn¡¯t even call out to him, but he wondered if his disguise was still too lax. With this in mind, Tsugumi looked at his attire. He was wearing a pair of colored glasses given to him by Mebuki and a newsboy cap. He bought a set of clothes worn by a mannequin, so the outfit shouldn¡¯t be that funny. He tilted his head inward, but no correct answer came out. ¨CDuring this time, Tsugumi was completely unaware, it wasn¡¯t his appearance or his clothes that were attracting people¡¯s attention, but the atmosphere around him. His body had lost some unnecessary fat due to the strengthening of his vessel, but it did not lose its softness, and his slender arms and legs were well-proportioned, reminding one of a supple black cat. There was also a strange sensuality in his laid-back appearance. Even if his face was hidden, there was something about Tsugumi that drew the eye. It might be easier to understand by describing the atmosphere as celebrity-like. Unaware of such a thing, Tsugumi looked at his cell phone idly, looking away from the gazes, and suddenly felt something approaching him from behind. Then he was lightly tapped on the shoulder. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, Tsugumi-kun! Did you wait long?¡± ¡°No, I haven¡¯t waited that long, but¡­?¡± Tsugumi looked up diagonally and opened his mouth wide. He pointed to the person who had approached him and said in a surprised voice. ¡°Eh, are you really Suzushiro?¡± Suzushiro had twin tails hair, large red-rimmed glasses, a white blouse with a black cardigan over it, and a navy blue flared skirt. No matter how he looked at it, she looked like a lovely, innocent young lady. It was too different from her usual atmosphere that his brain couldn¡¯t recognize her at a quick glance. ¡°That¡¯s right! Hehe, does it suit me?¡± ¡°It looks good on you and you look cute, but I¡¯m a little surprised¡­ One outfit can change the impression so much. ¡­Um, could it be that the person behind you is Mibu?¡± He called out fearfully. Then, a short boy behind Suzushiro smiled. ¡°Good answer! You¡¯re watching very carefully.¡± Saying that, Mibu leaped in front of Tsugumi. She wore a light gray shirt with laced cuffs, a sleeveless vest and tie, plaid short pants, and long boots. With her bangs parted to hide one eye and half of her face and a navy blue beret on her head, she looked like a cute little boy. In terms of their clothing, when standing side by side with Suzushiro, they looked like siblings. ¡°Ran-chan prepared everything for me, but this is a boy¡¯s outfit, huh? I don¡¯t know much about that kind of thing, does it suit me?¡± ¡°It looks good on you. ¡­I think you¡¯ll be more popular than me. My senior in particular is going to really like it.¡± A small smile crossed Tsugumi¡¯s face as he pictured Mebuki happily taking care of Mibu in her boyish form. However, in this situation, their disguises shouldn¡¯t be revealed. The two of them looked quite different from their usual lively appearance, and they had a calm and sophisticated air. It was unlikely that they would be recognized as members of Rikka-no, Jukka, at a quick glance. ¡­But he felt the two of them were attracting a lot of attention, perhaps because the facial deviation value jumped up now that these two were here. It would be safer to leave early. ¡°I didn¡¯t specifically ask, but where are you planning to go?¡± When Tsugumi said this to change the subject, Suzushiro answered happily, smiling. ¡°Of course, we¡¯re going to ¡®Tenma Amusement Park¡¯ for revenge!¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô After a cab ride, Tsugumi and the others arrived in front of the Amusement Park. ¨CThe Amusement Park. It was the place where they had met and fought together. He had heard that it had reopened for business in mid-April, but he never expected to visit this place again with these two people. They bought a free pass ticket and entered the Amusement Park. Although it was the middle of a holiday weekend, the park was sparsely populated and didn¡¯t look too crowded. ¡­The accident at the opening of the Amusement Park was probably still lingering in the air. Japanese people believed in bad omens. No matter how accidental it was, there was no doubt that it left a bad impression. However, in terms of avoiding the crowds, this might be a good place to go. With the help of the two happy people who seemed to be having fun, he cruised through the Amusement Park attractions one by one in turn. When he visited in February, there wasn¡¯t much time to look around, but it seemed there was a rather interesting selection of things to do. A high-speed spinning coffee cup and a roller coaster that ran upside down. A haunted house based on the Cthulhu Mythos and a merry-go-round with strangely realistic horses. ¡­There were a lot of specialties, with all these eye-catching attractions, it would have been quite popular if it weren¡¯t for the accident. It was really just bad luck that it had become a place for an irregularity to occur. While giving a hearty cheer to the Amusement Park management, Tsugumi wandered around the park as he was swept away by the two. Some of the rides were tried more than once. They kept moving almost nonstop so it was quite painful. But for Tsugumi, who was tired of the daily hardships, today¡¯s outing was truly refreshing. Seeing the two of them enjoying the Amusement Park with carefree smiles on their faces, he felt as if his dirty mind was being purified. He had other friends besides Yukitaka, but they were all twisted in some way, and many of them had strong habits. So it was a refreshing change to be around pure people like these two. After the three of them played around the sparsely populated Amusement Park like young children, they watched the setting sun from the Ferris wheel then Mibu whispered to him. ¡°Come to think of it, I think this might be the first time I¡¯ve forgotten all things about Magical Girls and feel this excited. ¡­Thanks, both of you, for today. And Ran-chan, you brought me all the way here because I was concerned about this place, right?¡± When Mibu said this, Suzushiro took off her glasses and smiled. ¡°Yuri-chan, you were pretty disappointed after the accident. I thought you were really looking forward to the Amusement Park. There didn¡¯t seem to be many people coming to the Park yet, so I thought it would be a good time for us to go out.¡± ¡°Oh, it was a lot of fun as I expected! I feel like I¡¯m human again for the first time in a long time.¡± To Mibu who said such a thing, Tsugumi opened his mouth with a wry smile. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Is the job of government¡¯s Magical Girl really that tough?¡± ¡°Hmmm. It¡¯s more because of the way I¡¯ve been treated by the people around me. The people in the government, the other Magical Girls, and the general public all see me as ¡®a blade that kills Demonic Beasts¡¯. I don¡¯t mind that, but even I want to complain once in a while. I¡¯m still a human being, after all.¡± When Mibu said this, he couldn¡¯t say anything. This was because until he got to know Mibu and started talking to her, he had been thinking the same thing. ¨CEven Magical Girls have hearts and feelings. They weren¡¯t just idols who fight against Demonic Beasts and smiled at the world, but they were also proper human beings. No one wanted to recognize such an obvious fact. This was probably the biggest distortion that this affluent country was facing. ¡°Yuri-chan¡­¡± Suzushiro raised a concerned voice. In response, Mibu answered in a quiet voice. ¡°¨CI have only been diligently honing the art of killing Demonic Beasts. That was all I had, and I didn¡¯t need anything else. But then, by chance, I started working with Ran-chan, and I made a kindred friend named Tsugumi. And then we would break away from the framework of being Magical Girls and have a conversation about nothing else. I never knew that it could bring such peace of mind.¡± Mibu smiled beautifully as she said this. ¡°Nezha¨Cmy contract God told me. I¡¯ve become a lot more human these days. This is all thanks to the two of you.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not doing anything special.¡± Aside from this, Tsugumi didn¡¯t take any particular action. It was just a normal response, the same as he would give to his classmates or to Yukitaka. He didn¡¯t do anything to be thanked in this way. But Mibu shook his head at Tsugumi¡¯s response. ¡°That¡¯s not true. Tsugumi treated me not as a Magical Girl, but just as ¡®Mibu Yurie¡¯. That¡¯s enough to save me.¡± ¡°Is that what it is?¡± When Tsugumi curiously twisted his head, Mibu answered, cowering her shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s how it is. ¡­Tsugumi is not suited for that kind of dullness. You should reflect on that.¡± ¡°Eh, why do you raise the topic and then drop it¡­ Isn¡¯t that terrible? Hey, what do you think, Suzushiro?¡± Then Tsugumi looked at Suzushiro next to him and was startled. ¡°Wait, oi, why are you crying. Are you okay?¡± Holding her mouth with both hands, Suzushiro shed large tears as she tried to hold back her sobs. The drops of tears trailed down her hands and wet her cuffs. Suzushiro then stood up and hugged Mibu tightly. The gondola of the Ferris wheel swayed greatly with the force of the hug. ¡°I-I love you too, Yuri-chan! I¡¯m really happy that we became friends like this!¡± ¡°Ra-Ran-chan?¡± Suzushiro said in a tearful voice as the embraced Mibu wandered her hands around in dismay. ¡°Yuri-chan is always happy to listen to my stories and is so much fun to be with! Next to God, you¡¯re my favorite! ¡­I really wish we had gotten to know each other sooner.¡± -I would have felt more comfortable working in the government if I had done so. Saying this, Suzushiro strengthened the strength of both hands that embraced her. Mibu looked puzzled, but also somewhat happy. Watching this heartwarming scene, Tsugumi thought of his own friend, Yukitaka. It was no exaggeration to say that Yukitaka and Tsugumi were best friends, but they had never been so open and honest with each other. It might be because they were both men, but at the core of their relationship, they were somewhat cold. ¨CThere was a line that Yukitaka didn¡¯t allow to step over-Until now, he had never thought about it, but when he saw them embracing in front of him, Tsugumi felt a little pain in his heart. He pretended not to notice it and drove the thought from the corner of his mind. I have to talk properly with Yukitaka someday. But it seemed that now was not the time to think about it. After hugging Mibu, Suzushiro held on to her for a while, then suddenly let go of her hand, stood up, and sat down next to him. Wiping her eyes with her cuffs, Suzushiro looked at Tsugumi and said. ¡°I like Tsugumi-kun too. Next to Yuri-chan.¡± ¡°Eh, thank you¡­¡± Suzushiro¡¯s sudden words made his cheeks redden involuntarily. ¡­He knew that she didn¡¯t him as a man and just liked him as a friend, but he was still embarrassed. ¡°I also consider the two of you as important friends.¡± Tsugumi answered with a smile. While the debate raged on as to whether friendship existed between men and women, Tsugumi couldn¡¯t develop romantic feelings for either of them. They were indeed two lovely girls, but he was afraid to look at them that way. For these two people, he felt a sense of undeveloped childishness in their hearts. Perhaps it was the result of having spent so much time as Magical Girls. He felt sorry to have such feelings for these two people who were waiting for such innocence like baby birds. ¨CIf I have younger sisters, it probably would have been like this. Thinking about this, Tsugumi smiled gently. He could understand a little bit Shiro¡¯s desire for an older sister and a younger brother. And so the three of them exited the Ferris wheel with a friendly air, and they left the Amusement Park. Since they were going in different directions on their way home, they split up at the station. When they parted, Suzushiro took his hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s play together again!¡± Waving his hands behind their backs as they headed for the ticket gates of the other train line, Tsugumi thought absentmindedly. ¨CI wonder what those two would think if they know that Nanase Tsugumi is ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡±. Would they feel choked up about the deception? Or, more likely, would they be disappointed and dislike him? His heart sank a little when he thought about it. ¡°One day I will have to take responsibility for this silence. ¡­Until then, not yet.¡± ¨CHe still wanted to enjoy this lukewarm happiness. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô ¨CIn a cafe inside the train station, Suzushiro and Mibu were sitting facing each other. Sipping a cold cup of coffee, Mibu said. ¡°Tsugumi is really a strange guy.¡± ¡°Yuri-chan. I don¡¯t think you should say it like that.¡± Suzushiro warned her, Mibu didn¡¯t care and continued to speak. ¡°It¡¯s only been a few months since we met, but he stands next to us with a natural look on his face as if he had been like that from the very beginning. It¡¯s strange. I don¡¯t hate it.¡± ¡°Certainly, Tsugumi-kun is like that.¡± As she answered, Suzushiro remembered the first time she met Tsugumi. They had run around in the maze together because of the circumstance, holding hands and waiting for the Demonic Beast to come up the stairs. -That time, Suzushiro really had no intention of telling him about God. But without realizing it, she had told him about her situation as if it were spilling out of her mouth. Perhaps she subconsciously thought that he would listen without making fun of her. Tsugumi had such a mysterious charm that he soaked into the gaps in people¡¯s hearts. In retrospect, she might have forced the exchange of contacts in the hospital because she didn¡¯t want to break this relationship. ¨CBoth Suzushiro and Mibu were different in kind, but they had a lot of distortion. The fanaticism toward God and the urge to cut down. Tsugumi didn¡¯t change his attitude in any way when he later heard about Mibu¡¯s situation. He accepted it as a matter of course as if it was natural. In addition to that, Tsugumi did not treat the two of them in any special way. The two of them who had the power of Rikka were in a position to be favored by those around them. When they first exchanged contact information, he was a little reserved, but after that, he treated them like normal friends, without being flirtatious. He also made silly jokes and complained about school. The other day, when he suddenly sent a video of his classmates doing something stupid, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. Recalling that time, with a small smile on her face, Suzushiro said what she had been thinking for some time. ¡°You know, maybe Tsugumi-kun doesn¡¯t have feelings of ¡®jealousy¡¯. I think that¡¯s why he can look at any person as an equal.¡± To a greater or lesser degree, humans had a propensity to envy others. When they saw someone better than them, they became envious, jealous, and smoldering with a sense of inferiority. But she never saw any sign of it in Tsugumi. It was better to think of it as a function missing from the beginning, rather than as a human being. So Tsugumi could treat them ¡®normally¡¯ as if it were natural, even if both of them were great, strong, or warped. ¡°Yeah. Is that why he¡¯s not afraid of us, I wonder.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a guess.¡± However, it was very pleasant to communicate with Tsugumi without such negative emotions involved. Mibu probably felt the same way. ¡°Ah. I wish Tsugumi-kun was a girl.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Mibu questioned Suzushiro¡¯s words with a curious look. Suzushiro¡¯s lips twitched in dissatisfaction, and she put both of her elbows on the desk. ¡°If he gets a girlfriend or something, she wouldn¡¯t be happy about it. You don¡¯t want him to be in trouble, right?¡± ¡°Hmmm. I don¡¯t think you need to worry about that for a while. ¡­A half-baked woman can¡¯t overcome that older sister wall, right?¡± ¡°Ah, maybe¡­¡± Although Tsugumi himself wouldn¡¯t admit it, he had a ridiculous sister complex. His first priority was his own sister ¨C Chidori. That was the one thing that probably would never change, no matter what. When he talked about Chidori, he looked happier than she¡¯d ever seen him before. That alone showed how much he cared about his sister. As long as Chidori was around, no one could be number one for Tsugumi. ¨CWhen she thought of this, Suzushiro¡¯s chest pricked up. ¡°¡­Hmm, huh?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mibu called out in concern to Suzushiro, who suddenly clutched her chest. Suzushiro gave a small shake of her head and said with a troubled laugh. ¡°No. It¡¯s nothing.¡± And so the two of them enjoyed their last time on holiday, exchanging their impressions of the Amusement Park with each other. Tomorrow, another day of killing Demonic Beasts awaited them. But for now, they wanted to remain oblivious. After parting with Mibu a while later, Suzushiro gently patted her left chest and twisted her head curiously. What was the pain in her chest at that time, she wondered. Right now, no one knew what that faint feeling was. CH 73 Jukka''s Work Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¡°A party with diplomats?¡± ¡°Yes. Several times a year, we have a party where important government officials, visiting diplomats and their families, and randomly selected business people get together to exchange information. I was hoping that Hagakure-san would attend that party at the end of this month.¡± One day in the middle of May. After a regular meeting, Tsugumi, transformed into the form of Hagakure Sakura, was summoned by Hitsugi to a private room in a cafe inside the government. According to Hitsugi, it was customary for senior Magical Girls in the government to attend the reception party, which also served as an escort for important people. The number of people was about ten each time, and until now it had been Rikka and other A and B-class Magical Girls who had taken turns. ¡°A party, huh¡­ I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s work, but why didn¡¯t you say it at the meeting?¡± When Tsugumi asked that, Hitsugi answered with a wry smile. ¡°It was a little difficult to talk in that place. Normally, I would have selected at least two members of Jukka ¨C Rikka, but many of them are not suited for that kind of place, right? I know at least Hyuga-san would want to go, but that child tends to cause problems with others¡­¡± ¡°¡­Oh, that¡¯s for sure.¡± As Hitsugi said, Hyuga didn¡¯t get along with other Magical Girls. Suzushiro and Mibu had perfect human qualities, but they didn¡¯t seem to be suited for such awe-inspiring occasions. With that in mind, it was not hard to understand why Hitsugi didn¡¯t want to ask them. ¡°There¡¯s no problem with Yukino-san¡¯s and Toono-san¡¯s behavior, but they don¡¯t like to go out in public more than necessary. ¡­This time I ask Maki-san and you. If it¡¯s okay with you. It will be great if you would accept it, but¡­¡± Saying this, Hitsugi put her hands together apologetically. Ruminating over Hitsugi¡¯s words, Tsugumi softly put his hand over his mouth in thought. ¨CA round-table party with the big figures. From the bottom of his heart, he didn¡¯t want to go, but since it was work, he had no choice. If it was called ¡°escort,¡± he¡¯d probably be fine in a suit and tie, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems. Then, Tsugumi turned his gaze to Hitsugi. Originally, this would be a matter for the government, not her, to bow down to. The government people seemed to be giving too much work to Hitsugi just because she was the oldest. It was a little questionable. ¡°¨CI don¡¯t mind. In the case of Magical Girls, escorting is more important than socializing, right? I¡¯m not very good at talking to people, but being a wallflower, I can do that.¡± When Tsugumi answered, Hitsugi laughed in relief. ¡°Thank you. That really helps! Fufu, Hagakure-san is popular, I don¡¯t think you can quietly become a wallflower, though?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± It was a gathering of big figures, why would they take their time talking to a mere Magical Girl? Tsugumi didn¡¯t really understand. While drinking the soy latte he ordered at the cafe, Tsugumi asked Hitsugi a question he had been thinking about for a while. ¡°Why do you devote yourself to the government so much, Hitsugi-san?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen, it seems you are forced to do a great deal of work by the government. Don¡¯t you hate it?¡± It was the same with this meeting. As a matter of fact, Hitsugi was facilitating and organizing the discussion. If she was satisfied with it, that would be fine, but if she was forced to do it, that would be a different story. Hitsugi was an excellent Magical Girl who was trusted by other Magical Girls. She was also adored by that Hyuga. If she was being abused by the government, she should speak up. He joined Jukka to gain the government¡¯s trust, but if the government itself was corrupt, his plan was likely to fail. It would be much better to change the plan than to be used for their purposes. Besides, it was easier to speak up like this because Tsugumi was a Stray and didn¡¯t have ties, unlike the Magical Girls on the government¡¯s side. If she wanted to, he would be more than willing to go directly to the government officials and ask them for help. And above all, Tsugumi was indebted to Hitsugi. Since his appointment with Jukka, Hitsugi had followed up on every occasion to help ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡±. It was sad to see such a kind person suffering. When Tsugumi earnestly told her that, Hitsugi laughed and shook her head with a troubled look. ¡°No. It¡¯s certainly hard, but it¡¯s not painful.¡± ¡°Really? Are you sure you¡¯re not overdoing it?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be patient for a few more years. When I retire, I plan to continue working for the government. I can endure it if I think of it as a temporary job. ¨CBesides, there are many difficult girls in Jukka. I can understand why the clerks want to throw everything at me.¡± Saying so, Hitsugi picked up her iced coffee. ¡°Thank you for your concern. ¨CBut I¡¯m surprised. I thought Hagakure-san didn¡¯t care much about other Magical Girls. Oh, no, I¡¯m not trying to talk bad about you, okay?¡± ¡°No, I certainly don¡¯t talk to other people very often¡­¡± Making friends with the Magical Girls would make it difficult to deceive them. To avoid this, Tsugumi tried as much as possible not to get involved with other Magical Girls. Considering this, it would not be an exaggeration to say that Hitsugi Airi was the closest to ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡± at this stage. Hitsugi chuckled and opened her mouth. ¡°The truth is, it¡¯s like a willpower thing.¡± ¡°Willpower, huh?¡± ¡°Yes. ¨CIf I continue to work for the government, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be on the fast track to success. Other people think I want that, too. But you know, I¡¯m not that interested in getting ahead myself. My only goal is to become a government official who supports Magical Girls.¡± ¡°Then why? If it¡¯s you, Hitsugi-san, you can get into the government through a regular route, can¡¯t you? There¡¯s no need for you to overdo it.¡± ¡°I promised a junior at school a long time ago. I¡¯m going to be a great Magical Girl, and she¡¯s going to be a government official and support the Magical Girls who are working so hard. ¡­But that promise is no longer fulfilled. ¨CBecause that girl passed away.¡± ¡°Eh¡­ that, uh.¡± As Tsugumi struggled for words to answer Hitsugi¡¯s sudden confession, she gave a small shake of her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It was a long time ago. But, you know, I wanted to make her dream come true instead. And if I am going to do it, might as well aim high, right? That¡¯s why I¡¯m still working hard. ¨CI hope that makes sense.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. I¡¯m sorry I made you talk about the hard stuff.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re taking care of me.¡± Then Hitsugi took out a black file from her backpack and handed it to Tsugumi. ¡°This file contains all of the information about the party. Hagakure-san will probably be fine with the etiquette, but if you¡¯re worried, do some prep work.¡± ¡°Ah, thank you¡­¡± Tsugumi wondered why she thought his etiquette would be okay, but he smiled and thanked her anyway. They finished the conversation and parted away, but then Hitsugi left a bomb for the last time. ¡°Oh yeah, you will wear a dress for the party.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Because of security and barrier, the clothes shouldn¡¯t have magic woven into them. The government will probably pay for some of the expenses, but it is advisable to prepare your own dress for the future.¡± After saying this, Hitsugi left the private room. In the empty room, Tsugumi muttered to himself with a blue face. ¡°Prepare a dress? ¡­It couldn¡¯t have been a suit or something.¡± ¨CThis is a very bad idea. With that thought in mind, Tsugumi gently held his head. CH 74 What We Lack Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani After returning home, Tsugumi called Bell and explained the situation with a mysterious look on his face. ¡°¨CSo what should I do?¡± When he told her what had happened, she sighed in exasperation. ¡°You¡¯re a fool. That¡¯s what happens when you take a cheap shot at something you¡¯re not used to doing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right¡­¡± ¡°And a dress at that? ¡­What could possibly look good on that chest and back?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s the problem after all.¡± Then Tsugumi let out a big sigh. ¨CThe biggest drawback of ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡±. It was the lack of flesh. She had thinner-than-average breasts for a woman of her age and stood nearly 170 centimeters tall. Her long arms and legs gave the impression of being slender, but depending on the clothes she wore, she might look a little poor ¨C Calling it slender sounded good, but how one perceived it depended on the person. He didn¡¯t really care because the clothes he wore were designed to be less revealing, but a common dress ¨C one that showed off the lines of the body well ¨C would surely have brought out that flaw. A suit would be a good choice. ¡­If it was a suit, he would have looked like a beautiful woman in men¡¯s clothing, so there would have been no problem in terms of appearance. ¡°Isn¡¯t it possible to temporarily tamper with the body shape by applying transformation?¡± When Tsugumi asked Bell this, she shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s impossible. The appearance of ¡®Hagakure Sakura¡¯ is based on the ¡®possibility of being born as a woman¡¯ and the body has been altered. If you mess with it badly, it will affect your actual body.¡± ¡°..Okay, the plan is rejected.¡± Tsugumi easily dismissed his own proposal. ¨CHe didn¡¯t want the original body to be adversely affected. Even just the side effects of pushing himself too hard in the Radon battle were showing, he didn¡¯t want any further changes. ¡°But you care a lot about how you look. I thought you weren¡¯t particular about your appearance.¡± Bell said this with a curious look. It was certainly quite unusual for Tsugumi to be concerned about his appearance, especially when it came to Hagakure Sakura¡¯s look. It couldn¡¯t be helped that Bell wondered about it. In response to Bell¡¯s words, he gave her a bummed look. ¡°I am going to the party as one of the faces of the country, right? ¨CIt will be annoying If I get mocked for such a trivial thing.¡± Apart from that, he wasn¡¯t worried about the lack of breasts or flesh. It was just annoying to be ridiculed for his body shape, which was something he couldn¡¯t control. In addition, if he dressed strangely, not only would he be criticized as Hagakure Sakura, but also as Jukka. ¨CThe real purpose of this party was not a friendly discussion, but rather a more cunning and sordid game of searching for flaws. Every participant hid a malice-laced knife in their hearts in an attempt to gain a hold of someone¡¯s weakness. Hence, even the slightest thing could become an object of ridicule. As long as Hagakure Sakura was attending the party as Jukka, he had to mend his appearance to look serious, if not perfect. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about politics, but I do understand that in this particular case I have to be careful not to show any weakness. I don¡¯t want to make Jukka as a whole look bad because of me.¡± When Tsugumi told her this, Bell cowered her shoulders in dismay and sat down on the table. ¡°¡­What¡¯s with this. Did you eat something bad?¡± ¡°What with you, out of the blue. I don¡¯t eat weird stuff¡­¡± When Tsugumi asked back dubiously, Bell opened her mouth with a sarcastic laugh. ¡°No, I think it¡¯s a great loyalty. Hmm. Amaterasu seems to be doing a very good job of educating her people.¡± ¡­Apparently, Bell was not happy that Tsugumi was cooperating with the government. Rather, Bell had always disliked the government itself. It wasn¡¯t a matter of how it should be, or what its policies should be, but simply because she didn¡¯t like being told what to do. In the first place, It was no exaggeration to say that the government of this country was an administrative organization under the direct control of Amaterasu. In other words, instructions from the government could be seen as orders from Amaterasu. For Bell, who had a high sense of pride, she probably wasn¡¯t satisfied with the fact that she was under the control of the God of the Far East, even if it was only temporarily. ¡­God¡¯s circumstances in that area couldn¡¯t be resolved by Tsugumi, so he hoped she could come to terms with it. While thinking about this, Tsugumi opened his mouth with a wry smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think Amaterasu-sama is that much involved in government. But it¡¯s true that the government does have some light brainwashing when it comes to Magical Girls. Other than that, it¡¯s pretty legitimate. The general public can live in peace every day, after all.¡± Certainly, the Demonic Beasts attacked regularly, and some girls were forced to fight hard. The government was not always trustworthy, and there were many things that didn¡¯t add up. But even so, Tsugumi still thought this country deserved to be called a ¡°paradise¡±. The country was protected by the main God, Amaterasu, and the Magical Girls, modern-day Valkyries, joined hands with Gods from all ages and cultures to challenge their enemies. It was just like a reenactment of a myth. ¨CThe Gods, who in other countries were only told of in ancient myths, existed in this small, closed island nation. Just the thought of it made his heart flutter. Certainly, this country might seem distorted, strange, and mysterious to the rest of the world. It was a country of Demonic Beasts. The brainwashing of Magical Girls was a good example. But even so, Tsugumi couldn¡¯t hate this country. ¡°And if I hadn¡¯t been born in this country, I wouldn¡¯t have met Bell. It¡¯s not all bad.¡± When Tsugumi told her this, Bell stared at him with a disturbed look. ¡°Hmph. Don¡¯t think you can fool me with such nice words.¡± ¡°Hahaha. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s such a bad thing to cooperate with the government. The world situation seems to be changing now.¡± Saying such a thing, he took out one of the documents in the file given to him by Hitsugi and presented it to Bell. ¡°It was discussed at today¡¯s meeting, but it seems that over the past few years, Demonic Beasts have started to appear in foreign countries as well. Apparently, only minor damage has occurred, but I think it¡¯s only a matter of time before we see catastrophe-class damage. If that happens, existing Magical Girls will be targeted by other countries even more than before. I think it¡¯s in our best interest to reasonably be obedient to the government, considering the future.¡± It was better to complain to the government when they were being unreasonable like in Hitsugi¡¯s case, but it would be safer to act cooperatively in other areas. Better to stay close to the government, but not too far. ¨CThe younger generation might not be aware of it, but it had only been about 30 years since Japan was virtually destroyed. The government¡¯s ability to rebuild the foundations of life in just ten years after being overrun by Demonic Beasts deserved proper recognition. However, not all the problems had disappeared. An energy conversion system using the nucleus of the Demonic Beast had been established, and the country was now able to provide all the life necessities, so people could live without any inconvenience or relying on imports. ¨CBut what did the rest of the world think when they saw this country in such a state? On the surface, Japan was a country where Demonic Beasts congregate, and they repeatedly criticized Japan for forcing young girls to fight Demonic Beasts, saying that it was against humanity. On the other hand, it was obvious that they were jealous of Japan, which had solved the resource problem perfectly. In addition, there was the problem of the increasing number of Demonic Beasts appearing in foreign countries. No matter how he thought about it, it was bound to be a tumultuous turn of events. ¡°Well, this time around, all I have to do is to sit quietly by the wall and smile, so I can relax. No one will be expecting any political talk from Hagakure Sakura. ¡­As for the dress, I¡¯ve heard that there is a government-owned clothing store that offers dresses, so I¡¯m going to consult with them. If I ask a professional, they may be able to provide a dress that will disguise my body shape.¡± It was a little embarrassing to ask about women¡¯s clothing, but he couldn¡¯t turn his back on it. And as Tsugumi selected a clothing store that looked good from the list, the living room door opened with a loud bang. With a startled shaking of his shoulders, he looked at the door. There, standing in the doorway, was the white, round, furball Shiro. Then Shiro looked up and said something unexpected. ¡°I¡¯ve heard your story. You can leave the clothes to me.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± When Tsugumi twisted his neck, Shirou, who had just walked over to him, climbed into his lap and said in a confident voice. ¡°I have an outfit I¡¯ve been preparing for a long time that I thought would look good on my sweet little sister. You can wear it.¡± ¡°¡­I have a lot of things I want to say, but first of all, I¡¯m your little brother, not your little sister. Hey, Bell-sama. What should I do in this case?¡± Tsugumi looked at Bell in confusion, but Bell looked at Shiro with a fearless stare and turned away with a small shake of her head. Apparently, she had no intention of getting involved. ¨CYeah, it¡¯s a lie, right? Abandoning me in this situation¡­ As Tsugumi was shocked inside, Shiro, on his knees, pulled out a large booklet from somewhere and gently held it out in front of him. ¡°I¡¯m not forcing you to do anything. ¨CLook at this and call me if you like it. See you later.¡± As soon as Tsugumi received the booklet, Shiro disappeared in a blinding flash of light. It was hard to hide his agitation at how quickly it had happened. ¡°¡­I wonder how long he¡¯s been listening.¡± As Tsugumi muttered in dismay, Bell clicked her tongue loudly, and dang, her tail slapped irritably against the desk. ¡°Probably from the very beginning. ¨CReally, he¡¯s making fun of us.¡± Bell said, her fur bristling with anger. That was the first time he saw the two Gods face each other like that, but it seemed they were not compatible with each other at all. He didn¡¯t know what kind of communication they had before, but he wished they thought a little about how he felt when he was caught in the middle. -And yet, he wondered what on earth his brother was thinking. They had spent the last few months together, but he was still not quite sure how his mind worked. He thought he was a natural airhead, but Tsugumi didn¡¯t expect him to go this far. The way he said that, somehow it sounded like the clothes were already prepared, but what was Shiro thinking preparing such a thing? ¡­Rather, how did he know the size of Hagakure Sakura¡¯s clothes? ¡­If he thought about it too deeply, he might lose it. Gently holding down his churning stomach, Tsugumi opened the booklet he had received from Shiro. He wasn¡¯t expecting anything in particular, but it would be good to have a look at it. However, what was depicted in the booklet, contrary to his expectations, was exactly in line with Tsugumi¡¯s wish. He didn¡¯t dare to consider it as an option because he didn¡¯t know its structure, but this might cover Hagakure Sakura¡¯s shortcomings. ¡°¨CThis is not bad, though a little frustrating.¡± With a small murmur, Tsugumi glanced at Bell. ¡­The biggest challenge this time might be convincing Bell of this. CH 75 Nothing is More Expensive than Free Stuff Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Around the end of May. At a dock in the purple dusk of Tokyo Bay, Tsugumi, dressed in formal attire, looked up at a huge ship standing comfortably in front of him. ¨CThe ship, built about three years ago, was a luxury cruise ship for celebrities, designed for cruising rather than sailing. The venue for the reception party was inside this ship. For safety reasons, the outside of this ship was coated with paint that dissolved a magic nucleus, and it had the defensive strength of a small fortress. It was perfect for a party of VIPs. ¡°¡­Even so, this tightness made it hard to breathe. ¨CHah. Why is it so hard to wear a kimono?¡± In a voice quieter than the sound of the waves, Tsugumi let out a complaint. ¨CThe clothes that Shiro gave him. It was a beautiful kimono with a gorgeous cherry blossom pattern on black. The greatest advantage of a kimono was the lack of disparity in body shape. Even if he had a flat body with no sharpness or a fat body with no neckline, he could still look good in a kimono. Above all, it simply looked good and was well received by others. As a ceremonial dress, it was the most appropriate one. As he gazed out to sea with such thoughts in mind, Tsugumi ¨C Hagakure Sakura was secretly attracting the attention of the people around him. His beautiful appearance caught their eyes. The colorful cherry blossom patterns, as if they were dancing, were painted on a fabric of excellent quality. The obi was a subdued silver color, embroidered with a pattern of flowing clouds in gold and red threads. The obidome had a large green cat¡¯s eye stone and its surrounding area was elegantly crafted with a raden. His black hair, which was tied up in a bun, was shiny and glossy, and the thin, white nape peeking out from the base of his neck gave off an austere, sexy impression. The people around him were admiring his beauty in kimono, but Tsugumi was not at all at ease. ¨CThe story goes back to the time when he received the kimono. ¡°This, you know, looks very expensive¡­¡± When Shiro presented him with this gorgeous set of kimono, Tsugumi felt an indescribable sense of dread. -A hint of a wad of cash was coming from this kimono. And a tremendous amount of it, too. The fabric had a texture that felt as if it was absorbing to the skin, and the embroidery shone as if it was glowing even in the dark. The obi was clipped with fine jewels and elegant hair ornaments. The other accessories did not look like things that ordinary people could afford. And when he held the kimono, expecting it to be heavy, he found that everything was as light as a feather. It was definitely not an ordinary kimono. ¡°Is this kimono really for me? Could it be mistaken for something else?¡± When Tsugumi, who was upset, asked Shiro about the details of the kimono, his face scrunched up, and he received a surprising answer. ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s not mistaken, though? ¡­But that kimono was originally made by a friend of mine who is good at sewing to send to my ¡®sister¡¯. In the end, she refused to accept it, so I stored it in the warehouse, but I thought the pattern would suit my cute little sister, so I picked it out.¡± Of course, I left some for Chidori, Shiro said proudly. As he listened to the explanation, Tsugumi gently lowered the kimono onto the table with trembling hands. Originally, the kimono was supposed to be given to Shiro¡¯s sister ¨C in other words, to a famous God. ¡­There was a saying that nothing was more expensive than free stuff, but this was a product that couldn¡¯t even be priced properly. Frightened by the seriousness of the situation, Tsugumi tried to return the kimono, but Shiro ran away from the scene in a flash as if he had made the first move. He quickly called out to him, but for some reason, he didn¡¯t seem to stop. As Tsugumi looked in dismay at Shiro¡¯s back as he left the set of kimonos behind, Bell, who had been standing silently next to him the whole time, muttered. ¡°¡­He¡¯s really crazy.¡± Tsugumi gave a small nod of agreement, and then let out a deep sigh. ¨CNow that I¡¯ve received it, I have to wear it. Tsugumi gently held his head, which was giving him a headache, and let out a loud sigh. It would not be that difficult to prepare another kimono, but it was obvious that Shiro would be shocked if he did. Basically, Tsugumi had a soft spot for his family. Shiro was also one of his family members, even if only temporarily. He didn¡¯t want to see him sad. ¨CAnd then, he had asked the government to introduce a professional dresser and make-up artist, and here he was today. The people who were in charge of dressing the guests didn¡¯t scrutinize his kimono, as if they were proud of his professionalism. ¡­Well, they¡¯d be amused to know that his hands were shaking slightly when he put it on. He knew how it felt. ¡°Good evening, Hagakure-san. -It¡¯s a lovely outfit. Did you get that new kimono for today?¡± As he gazed idly at the ocean, he was approached by someone walking up from behind. ¡°Good evening, Sobi-san. ¡­Yes, it¡¯s a gift from my brother. Sobi-san also looks good in a blue dress.¡± Tsugumi formed a smile and greeted her with a slight bow. There she was, Sobi Maki, who was assigned to security duty with Tsugumi. Her speech was always gentle and he could sense her innate elegance. Sobi was wearing a fluffy blue dress with a soft silver shawl. A dainty necklace featuring roses sat around her white, thin neck. The most remarkable thing about her was the way she stood. Her spine was straight and gentle smile was dignified, which Tsugumi did not have. ¡°Fufu, thank you. ¨CEven so, I¡¯m sorry to hear that Hitsugi-senpai had a mishap, too. Didn¡¯t she get driven into a fight with Irregulars this morning and injured her throat? I heard it wasn¡¯t serious, but I¡¯m worried¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I also received a call during the day. It was a call from the deputy, she will be on her way to the ship as soon as she is finished with the treatment, although she may be late. To be honest, I hope she won¡¯t be too hard on herself¡­¡± Tsugumi replied to Sobi¡¯s words with a somber expression. ¨CHitsugi Airi¡¯s injury. The news was spread throughout the country in an instant. Hitsugi fought against a B-class Demonic Beast that appeared by shortening the time in the morning today, and at the end of the fight, the Demonic Beast sprayed black mist on her, injuring her throat. Fortunately, it was not serious, and most of the injury was healed when the barrier was lifted, but it seemed that the discomfort in her throat did not disappear. Normally, a slight injury could be completely healed by the conversion of divine power when the barrier was closed, but if the injury was severe enough, it might not heal completely. In other words, it was like Tsugumi in the Radon battle. ¡°She has a strong sense of responsibility. Most likely, she is thinking, ¡®I don¡¯t want people to think that one of the Jukka, a national force, has been weakened on a day when VIPs from other countries will be gathered¡¯. ¡­It would be fine if she can rely on us juniors a little more.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± ¡°For now, our work will not change whether Hitsugi-senpai comes or not. Please enjoy the party like everyone else and observe if anyone is acting strangely. ¡­I think the food will be delicious but don¡¯t eat too much, okay?¡± ¡°Haha¡­ I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Saying so, Tsugumi laughed and fooled around. ¡­Perhaps because of the rumor that Hagakure Sakura was a big foodie, he recently had been receiving more gifts and sweets from people he met in the government. Perhaps it was because he has always accepted them with a smile, but apparently, the rumors had been spurred on. Sobi¡¯s earlier comment was probably made out of concern that Tsugumi might get carried away with the food at the party and neglect the security. ¡­It was a somewhat disgraceful treatment, but it was hard to correct it now, so he had to keep quiet. Then, as he was discussing future plans with Sobi, a bell was ringing from the ship. Apparently, the ship was ready for boarding. Prompted by the staff member in charge of the landing area, Tsugumi boarded the ship, smiling at the news cameras gathered around the ship, and headed for the party venue, straightening his back. -It was different from what he¡¯d been up to, but this place was like a battlefield in a sense. He had to be careful. With a small exhale, Tsugumi gazed at the door in front of him. The doorman in uniform opened the grand door, announcing the name of Hagakure Sakura. ¡°Jukka, Hagakure Sakura-sama is now entering.¡± ¨CNow, the battle begins. CH 76 Encounter with the Unknown Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Tsugumi observed the venue as he passed on the questions and invitations of people who came to visit him one after the other. The atmosphere was relatively calm and there was no sign of trouble. ¡­But, why do they want to talk to Hagakure Sakura so badly? The reason why they were so eager to talk to Hagakure Sakura was because she belonged to Jukka, but since she wasn¡¯t a part of the government, she didn¡¯t have that much power. There should be no particular benefit in getting along with her. Among the people who came to talk to him, there were a few foreigners who were full of exoticism. Some of them were very enthusiastic and asked if he could come to their country, but he turned them down softly. I understand the desire to bring Magical Girls into your country, but there are other ways to do it. Saying so to himself, Tsugumi sighed. ¡­While Tsugumi himself didn¡¯t pay any attention to it during this time, ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡± was a bit of a hot topic at the party. The most important topic was the kimono she was wearing, but above all, everyone was concerned about her origin. ¨CIf a kimono of such high quality were to appear on the market, it would surely become a topic of conversation in wealthy circles. However, their familiar kimono shop had never mentioned the existence of such a faintly shining kimono. This meant that the kimono was not made recently. In that case, does that mean Hagakure Sakura is actually from an old family? Such speculation was spreading among the participants. No one could imagine that the kimono in question was a gift from a God who was not his contract God. Combined with Tsugumi¡¯s usual cat-like attitude, the misunderstanding was only accelerating. Not knowing that, Tsugumi managed to handle the wave of people and headed for the wall out of sight in order to catch his breath. On his way there, he accepted a drink from a boy and sipped it after confirming that it was not alcohol. The refreshing tartness of the apple passing down his throat was pleasant. ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m still a little nervous about this glamorous place, after all¡­¡± Tsugumi complained in a small voice and as he quietly observed his surroundings, a pair of men caught his eye. One of them seemed to be a middle-aged man, and the other appeared to be a boy about the same age as Tsugumi. The most notable thing about them was their clothes. They were dressed in an ankle-length coat-like garment with a stuffed collar and a long sash hanging down from their necks. Yes, the outfit resembled the Christian plain dress he had seen in a book. As Tsugumi looked at them with curiosity, his eyes suddenly met the middle-aged man¡¯s. He smiled and gave a nod, but the man stood there with a surprised look. Then he looked at the Tsugumi from top to bottom, as if checking something, and began to slide backward, reacting as if he had seen a monster. ¡­I don¡¯t understand. Did I do something strange without knowing it? As he tilted his head inwardly, the young boy moved the middle-aged man to hide behind him and smiled at him fondly. As if caught in the act, Tsugumi smiled back at him. The boy with golden hair and emerald green eyes waved to Tsugumi lightly and walked away with the older man in tow to the back of the hall. Perhaps because he knew someone with a very similar color scheme, he felt somewhat familiar, even though they had never met before. ¡­But what was the man¡¯s reaction earlier? He had no idea what to think, but they probably wouldn¡¯t meet anymore, so there was no point in worrying about it. Thinking about this, Tsugumi quickly tipped the glass in his hand and drank the contents. Now that he had a good rest, it was time to get back to work. ¡°¡­Now. Let¡¯s go.¡± Muttering this in a small voice, Tsugumi started walking in the opposite direction from where the two men were headed. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô ¡°What the heck was that¡­! How can she wear something like that and remain unconcerned!¡± A middle-aged man wearing a cassock exclaimed in a voice that sounded as if it was being squeezed out of him. His face was pale and his hands were trembling. ¡°Well, well. Please calm down, Bishop-dono. Here, how about a glass of bright red God¡¯s wine?¡± ¡°¡­Priest Azalea. What did you think when you saw it?¡± To the middle-aged man who said so bitterly while receiving the wine, the boy who was called Priest Azalea answered with a carefree smile. ¡°Let¡¯s see. As far as I can tell, those clothes are of the relic class that we have carefully stored away. The other children we passed in the street also wore some mystical ornaments, but she has a lot of guts to wear something of that level all over her body. ¨CNormally, if you expose yourself to such an enormous amount of divine authority, you might go crazy at any moment.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I was afraid to even approach her. Perhaps, the reason why the little girl is so unconcerned is because of the blessing of the giver, the heretic God. ¡­I must admit that the power is real, no matter how heretical it may be. ¡°Oh, my. Is it okay for Bishop-dono to say such a thing? ¨CIt would be a betrayal of the Church.¡± Bishop laughed at Azalea, who said this in a teasing manner. ¡°Hmph. I don¡¯t want to be told off by you. For the guy who told a Cardinal at the Vatican ¡®I don¡¯t want to be a part of doctrine¡¯.¡± ¡°Haha. ¨CEveryone is too uptight. Over the past few years, Demonic Beasts have finally begun to appear in Europe. As long as our God does not save the believers at this stage, it would be a bad move to keep away the country that has the means to defeat those monsters. If the human race dies while we are talking about heresy, it would be the end of the world, wouldn¡¯t it? At a time like this, it would be foolish to fight over a doctrine that people later added on their own.¡± Priest Azalea said in a relaxed tone and drank down the red wine in his hand in one gulp. ¡°I don¡¯t care if I am excommunicated from the church for this. What I fear the most is that the faithful will die with a grudge toward God. If that happens, they will surely not even have peace after death. ¨Cit would be too pathetic. That is why someone has to find a way out of this, even if it means getting in the mud. It would be better if as few people as possible were sacrificed.¡± Priest Azalea announced this with a calm expression on his face and placed his right hand on his left chest as if in prayer. He looked like a clergyman of great faith. ¡°If only you were mature in your words and actions, you would be a devout servant of God¡­¡± The middle-aged Bishop sighed with reverence and gulped down the wine he had been handed. Bishop looked at the wine glass with admiration and placed it on the table with a careful hand. ¡°Hmm. The wine here is also very good. The food is good, too, and everyone I¡¯ve met in this country has been generous and gentle. The people in this country have a violent nature that cheers at the sight of women and children fighting, and a tolerance for the evil Gods. This country really is a magical land that I don¡¯t understand. at all. How am I supposed to explain such a ridiculous story to the Cardinals?¡± Patting Bishop on the back to comfort him as he held his head, Priest Azalea said aloofly. ¡°Our purpose this time is to ¡®audit the country of Japan¡¯. Well, it is up to the higher-ups to decide whether or not to rescind this country¡¯s heresy status after hearing the report, but if they are not too stupid, they will be able to make a wise decision.¡± ¡°I am saying it¡¯s a hassle. ¡­It¡¯s just my luck that I got involved with you. It¡¯s been crazy ever since I met you.¡± ¡°Give it up, Uncle. This must have been fate.¡± Saying this, Priest Azalea giggled and smiled. ¡°The time has come for the majestic of God to shine once again. It seems that our Lord has not yet descended to this world, but it will only be a matter of time. By then, we must have our foundation in place. ¨CIf I can help Him to descend, I will be very happy.¡± He exhaled like a boy in love. But behind his eyes, he was not smiling, and there was a glowing, dangerous gleam in his eyes. It was the appearance of an unmistakable fanatic. When Bishop stared at him with a stern look, Azalea opened his mouth happily. ¡°Alright. When you¡¯re done putting down roots, let¡¯s get in touch with the distant relative who has moved to this country. ¨CAh, we¡¯ll be busy.¡± A middle-aged Bishop and a young priest who looked buoyant. As if to hide their contrasting figures, the night sky was covered with thick clouds. The moonlight was no longer visible over the ship. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¨CThe scene returns to Tsugumi. After taking a break, Tsugumi wandered around the venue and caught a girl standing alone near a table where there were few people. He could only see her back but she was not very tall, so she was probably around the age of an elementary school student. At first, he thought she might be another Magical Girl who had been dispatched, but younger children didn¡¯t participate in this guarding duty due to working hours. Besides, he didn¡¯t think any of the Magical Girls he had seen in front of the ship before were wearing the same dress as her. Perhaps she had been separated from her parents and got lost. Thinking this, he secretly observed the girl and a red-faced man approached her quietly from the other side of the boat. -Maybe her father had come to pick her up? Tsugumi thought so, but when the girl made a frightened gesture toward the man who reached out his hand carelessly, Tsugumi hurriedly approached her. ¡°¨CWhat are you doing? Do you know this child?¡± Supporting the girl¡¯s shoulders, Tsugumi glared at the man, who mumbled some excuse in a small voice and strode away. ¡­It was very easy, but it would be rare to find someone who could be so domineering in front of Jukka. It was like power. ¡­Well, there was no direct damage, but he would the security people later because that man was making a bad example. As the man ran away, he could see the strength in the girl¡¯s shoulders relax. Apparently, she was very scared. ¡°Is everything all right?¡± He gently removed his hand from her shoulder to turn in front of her and made eye contact. The girl¡¯s face was so beautiful that he tilted his head back in his mind. ¨CHe felt like he¡¯d seen the girl¡¯s face somewhere. Moreover, it might be relatively recent. As he pondered this, the girl spoke up. ¡°Oh, um. Thank you very much. I came here with my father, but we got separated. I was troubled alone when that man came up to me¡­¡± Saying this, the girl anxiously squeezed the hem of her dress. There were tears in her eyes, and they were about to spill out. The sound of her voice and her anxious expression reminded Tsugumi of who the girl in front of him was. ¨CBut why is she here? Even if he pondered about it, no answer came out. He wondered what to do, but he couldn¡¯t just leave her here alone, so he decided to take her with him while listening to her story. ¡°That was a disaster. ¨CIf you would like, why don¡¯t you talk with this Neesan until we find your father?¡± With a gentle smile, Tsugumi made such an offer to the girl. She gave a relieved smile at the offer and gave a small nod. ¡°Yes, with pleasure! I¡¯m so glad I get to talk to you, Hagakure-san!¡± ¡°Fufu, thank you. May I ask your name?¡± When Tsugumi asked, the girl looked embarrassed as she spoke her name. ¨CThe name was exactly as he had expected. ¡°¨CMy name is Yumeji Nadeshiko.¡± ¨CAh, I know, friend. Swallowing these words, Tsugumi gently held Yumeji¡¯s hand. ¨CThe last few months had been difficult for Yumeji and her father because of the Magical Girl issues. At least, it was what Tsugumi had heard from Itadori, and indirectly through Itadori, he had been consulting with Yumeji about it. But Yumeji was attending this party with his father, whom she had been having a hard time with. He could only think that there was something going on behind the scenes. Pushing down the doubts that had been floating around in his mind, Tsugumi pulled Yumeji¡¯s hand and started walking to lead the way ahead. First, it would be better to move to a place where they could talk calmly. ¨CBut I never thought I would meet someone I know in a place like this. The world really is a small place. CH 77 Spinning Things Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Although he said they would search together, Yumeji did not seem to be that eager to search for her father. She looked around as she walked, but it seemed her eyes were on women rather than men. ¡­Maybe she was looking for someone else? ¡°Hey, Yumeji-san. You seem to be looking at women since earlier, could it be that you know someone else besides your father?¡± When Tsugumi asked this question, Yumeji looked surprised and held her mouth, perhaps because he had hit the bull¡¯s eyes. She then lowered her eyebrows in a dejected manner and began to speak in a thoughtful tone. ¡°Actually, that¡¯s right. I forced myself to attend today¡¯s party in order to meet that person. That¡¯s why I intentionally separated myself from Otousama as well ¡­I¡¯m sorry for being so deceitful. But it looks like that person is not coming today after all. Because of what happened during the day¡­¡± ¡°During the day? By any chance, is the person you¡¯re looking for¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Hitsugi Airi of Jukka.¡± To Tsugumi¡¯s question, Yumeji answered with a firm nod. ¨CThe only person who had made a commotion during the day today was Hitsugi. But what is the connection between her and this girl? Perhaps the question was evident in Tsugumi¡¯s expression, Yumeji began to explain the situation with an apologetic look. ¡°The other day, when I entered my dead sister¡¯s room for the first time in a while, I happened to find an envelope addressed to Hitsugi-san. It was taped to the backboard of her desk, so the rest of the family probably couldn¡¯t find it. I think it must have been very important to her since she hid it in that place. ¡­So I thought I should give it to her instead. When my sister was alive, I couldn¡¯t do anything for her¡­¡± Saying this, Yumeji looked down sadly. He had heard from Itadori that her sister was already deceased, but he didn¡¯t know the details. It seemed she had chosen to die because of frictions that only a famous family could cause, but he wondered how much despair she must have felt to choose death for herself. It might be happier to not understand such things¡­ ¡°My sister had an aptitude as a Magical Girl, and the family and all the members of the clan had high expectations of her. She had excellent grades as a candidate, and she had good relationships with the older Magical Girls who had graduated from the candidate program. ¨CBut my sister was not chosen by God. No matter how many times she stepped into the ¡®God¡¯s Room¡¯, she never got a call. More candidates who came in later were overtaking her, and my sister¡¯s heart was completely broken. She gave up and tried to study to become a government official, but Otousama wouldn¡¯t allow it. They kept my sister locked up in the house and kept trying to convince her to go back to the candidate program every day. ¡­As a result, my sister chose to die on her own.¡± ¡°¡­What should I say? At the very least, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what a proper parent would do.¡± ¡°I think so too now. But I was six years old at the time, I couldn¡¯t think that my parents were wrong. ¡­I always thought it was my sister¡¯s fault. So when my sister was being blamed, I just kept quiet and watched. I am really a terrible sister.¡± Saying this, Yumeji laughed bitterly. The expression on her face was not the kind of expression one would expect to see on the face of an elementary school student. It was a look of regret and remorse. ¡°Actually, I also have the aptitude to be a Magical Girl, and I¡¯m expected to be a candidate next year. ¡­But I am afraid. Even if I am lucky enough to be chosen by a God, I don¡¯t think I can fight. ¨CI even found the Demonic Beast I saw that day terrifying from the bottom of my heart¡­!¡± ¡°Yu-Yumeji-san, calm down. ¨CThere¡¯s nothing to be afraid of here.¡± Gently supporting Yumeji, who began to shake and tremble, he moved to the wall to get away from the crowded area. ¨CA flashback of horror. The events at that Amusement Park had deeply scarred her. According to Itadori, she sometimes shivered like this, remembering her fear of Demonic Beasts at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡­Asking her to become a Magical Girl in this condition was too much. ¡°Ah, Otousama always told me not to be like my sister. He praised me when I did well in school. I didn¡¯t want to be hated, so I wanted to live up to that expectation. ¨CBut it¡¯s impossible. I can¡¯t do it. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll die soon. ¡­.My sister will probably be angry if she heard me whining like this. I have the potential to become a Magical Girl, and I try to throw it away on my own.¡± ¨CIt was like a confession. The words came out in a rambling, unceasing stream, and Yumeji spun them out with a somber expression. ¡°I was so scared and in so much pain that I wanted to apologize to someone, so I ran into my sister¡¯s room. I knew there was no one there anymore. But when I crouched down on the floor crying, I found this envelope. I thought to myself at that moment. ¨C¡®Oh, I must have been entrusted with this letter. If I could give this letter to Hitsugi-san, I would be forgiven by my sister¡¯ ¨C I thought, shallowly. Even though that¡¯s just a selfish fantasy.¡± ¡°Yumeji-san, that¡¯s enough. It¡¯s all right. ¨CDon¡¯t blame yourself anymore. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Rubbing Yumeji¡¯s back as tears streamed down her face, he gently wiped her tears with a handkerchief. ¡°It¡¯s your choice whether or not to become a Magical Girl. Even if it is your own parents, they shouldn¡¯t talk to you unnecessarily. ¨CIt¡¯s okay to run away if you are afraid. No one has the right to criticize you for it. Yes, not even God.¡± It was inhumane to forcibly drag a child who insisted she didn¡¯t want to fight to the battlefield. To want such a child to fight, he could only assume it was a special propensity. If there was a God who would choose this child, it would not be a good God. ¡°Hagakure-san. ¡­The only people who said that to me were my friend and a brother I knew. Everyone else told me that since I had so much talent, I should become a Magical Girl ¡­Can I really decide for myself?¡± With clinging eyes, Yumeji looked up at Tsugumi. The eyes were moist, red and bloodshot, and very pained. Tsugumi touched Yumeji¡¯s cheeks with both hands and brought her face closer to remind her. ¡°You have to make your own decision. ¨CIf your parents complain about it, you can talk to me. I¡¯m not that good at persuasion, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll listen a little if it¡¯s from Jukka.¡± ¨CYumeji¡¯s parents probably had a strong desire to prove themselves. Such people were usually vulnerable to external pressure from those in higher positions. If he made a few bitter remarks and suggest that they go public with this matter, her parents would probably shake their heads, albeit reluctantly. ¡­.Well, this would be a last resort as he didn¡¯t really want to use it. When Tsugumi smiled softly to reassure her, Yumeji finally relaxed her shoulders and broke the hard look on her face. ¡°Thank you, Hagakure-san. I¡¯m really happy just to hear you say that.¡± ¡±You don¡¯t have to worry about it. ¡­I know someone who can¡¯t fight Demonic Beasts.¡± He chuckled softly and thought back to Chidori. Chidori had experienced several battles in the simulator in between her work in the government, but she had yet to defeat a humanoid or animal-like Demonic Beast. Insects and inorganic shapes were fine, so it was probably more a matter of feeling than ability. ¡­Surely, the act of taking the life of a living creature was not for Chidori. He wished she just concentrated on the transportation and gave up fighting as soon as possible. As he thought so, Yumeji clasped his hands tightly in front of her chest as if she had made up her mind to do something, and looked at Tsugumi with strong-willed eyes. ¡°Um, Hagakure-san. Please take this.¡± ¡°Eh? But this is your sister¡¯s letter, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes. I want Hagakure-san to give it to Hitsugi-san. I really want to give it to her in person, but I don¡¯t know when it will happen.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind but is that really okay?¡± When Tsugumi asked that question, Yumeji smiled beautifully, as if something was blown out of portion. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll see Hitsugi-san someday. ¨CJust like my sister who aspired to become a government official and help Magical Girls, I am going to aim for that as well. Besides, my friend is probably going to become a Magical Girl, so I want to help her as much as I can.¡± Yumeji said and took out her cell phone from the small bag in her hand, then checked the screen and let out a small sigh. ¡°¡­It seems my father is going home soon. He said he¡¯s waiting for me near the boat¡¯s boarding gate, so I¡¯d better get going.¡± ¡°Shall I walk you there?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. ¨CI can¡¯t monopolize everyone¡¯s Hagakure-san any longer.¡± Saying so, Yumeji laughed mischievously and made a beautiful bow holding the edge of her long dress. ¡°Have a good day. ¨CThank you very much for today.¡± ¡°Yes. Please be careful on your way home.¡± Watching Yumeji¡¯s back as she walked away, Tsugumi exhaled softly. When she left, he slipped the contact information of ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡± into Yumeji¡¯s bag, so she would be able to contact him if anything happened. He couldn¡¯t stand idly by and watched a person he¡¯d come to know so well being driven into a corner mentally. ¨CAnyway, this letter. What should I do? He could give it to Hitsugi with an indifferent face, but this was a different matter. ¡­The ¡°junior who said she wanted to become a government official¡± that Hitsugi talked about before was probably the sender of this letter¨CYumeji Yotsuba. But can a work written in a state of mind before death be considered legitimate? If Hitsugi was severely depressed because of this letter, it would result in no one being saved. ¡­Worst of all, it might be better to revise the contents of the letter once, though it was bad for the sender. For Tsugumi, the person living now was more important than the will of the deceased. ¨CThe party ended without any major problems. According to what Sobi told him later, Hitsugi came to show her face only once and she just said hello to a few people before leaving early. It seemed she was coughing a little, so he wondered if she was really all right. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The next day after the party was over. Tsugumi came to school, dragging his tired body in unfamiliar clothes. He changed his shoes at the entrance and was about to go up the stairs when his arm was grabbed tightly from behind. ¡°S-Suzune-sensei?¡± Before the startled Tsugumi could ask what was wrong, Suzune pulled Tsugumi with an impatient look on her face. The destination was an unoccupied preparation room right next to the stairs. He could have shaken her off, but Suzune¡¯s desperate expression made him decide to follow her in silence. After entering the preparation room, Suzune closed the door and opened her mouth with a grim look. ¡°¡­Nanase-kun¡¯s sister. Chidori-san is in the government today, right?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I heard that she will be there all day today. I think she reported her official absence, but what¡¯s wrong with that?¡± When Tsugumi responded, Suzune looked a little troubled and opened her trembling lips. ¡°I saw some footage of yesterday¡¯s party on television this morning, and there was one thing that bothered me.¡± ¡°¡­Heh, what is it?¡± Tsugumi braced himself for another Hagakure Sakura-related issue, but what came out of Suzune¡¯s mouth were words he did not expect. ¡°The person who was seen in the video for a brief moment ¨C Hitsugi Airi ¨C has a pitch-black thread entangled in her body. I have never seen threads of that color before.¡± ¡°Black threads?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know the details either, but the moment I saw it, I couldn¡¯t stop shaking. I had a bad feeling about it and I contacted Yukino-san just in case, but I think it would be better for Chidori-san to stay away from Hitsugi-san if possible. Before it¡¯s too late for anything to happen.¡± Suzune said with a look of terrible worry on her face. Tsugumi exhaled a small breath, trying hard to suppress his upset heart. ¨CCalm down. It is not yet confirmed that Hitsugi will die. Suzune said she isn¡¯t sure about the ¡°black thread¡±. I shouldn¡¯t assume. ¡°Suzune-sensei. ¨CThank you for telling me. I will contact Chidori.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s okay. I¡¯m just curious.¡± When Tsugumi thanked her, Suzune laughed, as if relieved. She probably thought it was a ridiculous story. Maybe she was worried whether Tsugumi would believe her or not. ¡­But her intuition was often right. Tsugumi himself knew this. After parting with Suzune and leaving the preparation room, Tsugumi jumped into a blind spot behind the stairs, transformed, and activated the Transportation. The destination was the government ¨C the department where Chidori worked. Suppressing his urgency, he prayed desperately. ¨CPlease make it in time. CH 78 Cracked Miniature Garden Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Near the department where Chidori was enrolled ¨C Tsugumi landed in the unpopular corridor and was greeted with an unexpected sight. ¡°What in the world is that¡­!¡± A large hole had opened in one of the walls, destroying the entire area as if a tornado had struck. The door to the room where Chidori was supposed to be was open, and no figures could be seen inside. Seeing that the room was not in disarray, it seemed the mysterious attack had not reached this room. As he looked around impatiently, he saw a figure crouching in the corner of the corridor. ¡°Are you okay?!¡± ¡°Ah, Hagakure-san, I¡¯m sorry, I sprained my leg when I was evacuating. I think I¡¯ll be able to move after a little rest.¡± ¡°This tragedy is¡­ What is going on in the government right now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really understand that either¡­¡± The woman with the dark expression on her face made an apologetic gesture and began to talk about what had happened here. ¡°I was working in the room there when suddenly there was a roar. ¡­I went out into the hallway and this is what I found. Immediately an evacuation order came from above, and I moved everyone else to the shelter in the basement. This is a very important department in the government, so evacuation is considered a top priority.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t evacuate with them?¡± When Tsugumi asked, the woman laughed, looking embarrassed. ¡°My ability to transport myself is not good enough. Some of the girls offered to stay behind to carry me, but I refused because I didn¡¯t want to reduce the number of transports we could use in a day because of this. From here, the evacuation route is very close. ¡­And yet, I fell when I left the room. It¡¯s pathetic.¡± The woman, her eyes downcast as she said this, stroked her red, swollen ankle. Perhaps the high-heeled shoes that she used to move around were a detriment. ¡­At any rate, if Chidori had been in this room, she would have been able to escape safely. This was one less thing to worry about. None of the problems had been solved, but just being able to confirm Chidori¡¯s safety was a big deal. Tsugumi unclenched his right hand, which was clenched tightly, and let out a small breath of relief. He then crouched down, made eye contact with the woman, and spoke to her in a hushed tone of voice. ¡°You¡¯re a good person.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°No matter how many instructions were given, you remained here even though you understood the danger, and you gave priority to preserving the number of transportation for others to consider the future. That is not a decision anyone can make. ¨CYou should be proud of it.¡± With that, Tsugumi turned his respect toward the woman. ¨CWith a little bad luck, someone on the rampage could have been back here. Not that she didn¡¯t consider the possibility, either. Still, she put her duty first. He honestly thought it was amazing. The government personnel was of really good quality. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of heading towards the sound of destruction, are you going to be alright? If you want, I can help you to safety.¡± The woman¡¯s cheeks flushed slightly and she shook her head. ¡°No, I am fine on my own. Please head toward the direction of the sound, Hagakure-san. ¨CBe careful. According to the information I heard when the evacuation order was issued, there was talk that a Magical Girl is rampaging.¡± ¡°A Magical Girl? ¡­It might be better to hurry up.¡± The moment Tsugumi heard the word ¡°Magical Girl¡±, Hitsugi¡¯s face popped up in his mind. ¨CThinking about it, there were only a limited number of people who could exercise such a powerful skill outside of the barrier area. At the very least, they would need to be a B-class. ¡­Oh, he had a really bad feeling about this. ¡­The direction where the faint sound coming from was the southeast. The location was probably towards the gardens at the corner of the government. He had to hurry. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô Looking off at the disappearing afterimage of Hagakure Sakura through transportation, the woman let out a heated exhale. ¡°Hagakure-san is so cool. ¡­She even complimented me.¡± The woman stroked her heated cheeks. Even if the other person was a younger girl, it didn¡¯t feel bad to be praised. The woman closed her eyes and recalled what had happened six months ago. ¡°The blunder of the Transportation Management Department in the battle against Radon. The one who suffered the most from that damage was Hagakure-san, yet that woman never once blames us. ¡­Really, she¡¯s so human.¡± The one-hour gap that they inadvertently caused in their busy environment. If Hagakure Sakura, who had the ability to transport, had not raised her hand at that time, there was no doubt that an unprecedented catastrophe would have occurred. That day was talked about in the department at every turn as a reminder. If something similar had happened, thousands of lives would have been lost. When she thought about that, she felt reluctant to let the transportation used on her. One transportation consumed for herself might end up killing someone else. It was the woman¡¯s biggest fear. ¡°Everyone is likely back to their normal duties in coordination with the Demonic Beast Countermeasure Headquarters, but I need to submit a survival report as soon as possible. ¡­I¡¯m sure the juniors are worried.¡± ¨COther colleagues were probably hiding in shelters, so there was nothing to worry about. But the issue at hand was this assault on the government. ¡­It would be better if it was just a mentally ill Magical Girl on the rampage, other than that would be frightening. If this was an attack by a Demonic Beast that the government could not detect, it would mean that the Demonic Beast detection system itself was broken. But fortunately, Hagakure Sakura, who was a Jukka, was on her way to the scene. Thinking this, the woman gently placed her hand on her chest. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but I am relieved to know that Hagakure-san is on her way. In case of emergency, she can escape with her skill.¡± She was a little worried about her going to the scene, but it was a person who held a position at Jukka. It would not be the worst thing that could happen. The woman thought so and slowly stood up with her hands on the wall. She couldn¡¯t just stand here forever. There was a danger of the wall collapsing, so she should move to a safer place. Just as the woman was about to walk away, a person running from the opposite direction from where Hagakure Sakura had disappeared called out to her in a loud voice. ¡°Hey! What the hell is going on here!¡± ¨CThe person standing there, out of breath, was someone she recognized. ¡°Excuse me, do you hear what I¡¯m saying? I want you to answer me quickly.¡± The spiky honorifics and the sullen look on her face. ¨CThe fifth of the Jukka, Hyuga Aoi, was there. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô After reaching the place where the sounds of destruction and angry shouts could be heard, Tsugumi was stunned and gazed at the scene. The Japanese garden, which had been painstakingly created by a government-employed garden engineer, was located in a secluded part of the government grounds and was in a state of utter destruction. At the center of the garden, two people were confronting each other. ¡°Please stop! If you move any further, your life will be in danger!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yukino, with blood smeared all over her white clothes, was looking ahead and saying these words, while Hitsugi, with red blood running down her arms and legs, was standing there, lying her face down and keeping silent. His left eye hurt. ¡­Maybe it was reacting to the black threads that Suzune saw. Tsugumi couldn¡¯t see anything, but he could somehow tell that she was surrounded by something bad. ¡°Excuse me!! Please tell me the situation!!¡± ¨CThere was no point in worrying. Yukino shouted to Tsugumi. ¡°Hagakure? Just as well, you can restrain her with your string. The situation is as you can see here. Hitsugi has been manipulated by someone and is on a rampage!¡± ¨CThe moment Yukino shouted, the surrounding air shook. Tsugumi reflexively took evasive action at the chill he felt. He rolled away and looked back to where he had been. It was a horrifying sight. A seamless box cube the size of his fist, floating in mid-air. The boxes were spinning in place, as if their arrangement corresponded to the head, heart, and several other vital points of the human body. ¡­If something like this suddenly appeared inside his body, he would not just get away with it. ¡°¡­This is a bit unfashionable.¡± The two basic skills she had were [Box] and [Rotation]. The box, as the name suggested, was a skill to make a box-like object that appeared at will, but the box itself had no special effect. Originally, it was a skill that seemed out of place, but through repeated trial and error, Hitsugi refined it to a level where it could be used in battle. Her persistence and effort were truly worthy of respect. The box could appear anywhere she could recognize ¨C even inside her body, for example, ignoring the laws of physics. If the opponent was a living creature, just by making the box appear near the brain or spine, she would be able to drive it out of action in a matter of seconds. Another extremely useful skill was [Rotation]. She used this skill to rotate the box she had put out at high speed, creating a drill-like attack force. She could also change the fulcrum of the rotation, making the attack look as if it were artificially created, like the tornado in the corridor he saw earlier. ¨CAh, let¡¯s admit it. The one who was rampaging through this government was undoubtedly Hitsugi herself. Even though he saw Hitsugi facing Yukino, he still believed in Hitsugi somewhere in his heart. Even if she was being manipulated by someone, she would never turn on the government. However, Hitsugi¡¯s eyes were dark and stagnant, and he could not sense her own will. It was not unreasonable to think that she was being manipulated, and in fact, she probably was. ¡°¨CI can¡¯t forgive you.¡± He felt his eyes turning red with anger. He couldn¡¯t forgive anyone who made her do this, not to Hitsugi. Her dreams, her wishes, her efforts, all of them had been trampled on. This was the devil¡¯s work. Tsugumi looked up at Hitsugi as if to glare at it, spitting out red threads. ¡°It¡¯s okay. ¨CI¡¯ll definitely stop you.¡± ¨CHe couldn¡¯t stand to have her humiliated any further. He would stop her even if he had to entangle her, capture her, tie her up and drag her off. He didn¡¯t know who was doing this and why. But it didn¡¯t matter. Right now, Hitsugi must be stopped at any cost. With determination, he started running straight. Tsugumi¡¯s first interpersonal battle was about to begin. CH 79 The Approaching Time Limit Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani While sensing the wavering air, he avoided Hitsugi¡¯s attack that was unfolding in all directions. Since there was a lag of about one second from the time he noticed the shaking until the box appeared, avoiding it was easy, but he really had to be careful of what came after. ¡°¨CKuh, that was dangerous!¡± The true value of Hitsugi Airi was not the horror of the box that suddenly appeared, but her high level of predictive power, which she had drawn from her combat experience. Multiple boxes were placed in exquisite locations, as if she knew in advance the direction that Tsugumi would avoid. If he simply avoided to the side without thinking, his internal organs might be destroyed to shreds at that moment. No matter how small the number of boxes that could be put out outside the barrier, if they were aimed at him with pinpoint accuracy, he wouldn¡¯t be able to get away with it. Without prior knowledge of Hitsugi, he would have fallen prey to the boxes in no time. ¨CBut this is still lukewarm. He thought about this while avoiding the attack that interrupted his transportation from time to time. If this were the original Hitsugi, she could easily anticipate Tsugumi¡¯s actions four or five moves ahead and set up a box in advance at the location where he planned to move. Apparently, the being who was controlling Hitsugi was not fully using her abilities. The one controlling her was probably not very good at it, or it might be because Hitsugi was resisting hurting people in her mind. Either way, it was a good thing for Tsugumi. While avoiding Hitsugi¡¯s attacks, he wrapped a minuscule thread around her body. Then, after wrapping the threads a certain number of times, Tsugumi passed power through the threads to make them gigantic. Hitsugi resisted with a small moan, but the intricately entangled threads were not easily untangled. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°I finally caught her. ¡­I am asking you, please stay quiet.¡± Hitsugi¡¯s arms and legs were secured with rope, and thin threads were woven in like a belt to cover her ears and eyes. If she couldn¡¯t see his location, she shouldn¡¯t be able attack. Tsugumi, who had restrained Hitsugi tightly, looked around and rushed to where Yukino was holding her bloodied side. ¡°Yukino-san, are you all right!?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just a little graze, that¡¯s all. Rather, just keep an eye on Hitsugi. If she made a box appear to break up the threads, she¡¯ll be able to escape from the restraints in no time.¡± Yukino said, her expression contorted as if she was enduring pain. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be careful. But ¨C why on earth¡­¡± As Tsugumi muttered this with a somber look, Yukino exhaled deeply to catch her breath and began to speak in a quiet voice. ¡°In my opinion, it¡¯s probably because of yesterday¡¯s Irregularity. I heard Hitsugi had inhaled the last of the black mist emitted by the Demonic Beast. I rushed to the government after hearing some unpleasant information from an acquaintance, but I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d have to fight the Hitsugi. ¡­Really, the enemy does nasty things too.¡± ¡°Is it due to Irregularity¡­¡± -An irregular Demonic Beast, out of the default frame. Tsugumi had also encountered it twice in the past. Originally, Demonic Beasts were full of malice and atrocity, but Radon and that Blue Oni were somehow different from other Demonic Beasts, giving him the impression that their malice was amplified. It was as if they had been tampered with. But he had no idea there was an entity that had this kind of influence even after they were knocked down. That was probably why he let his guard down without a detailed examination of Hitsugi. ¡°But I am glad you¡¯re here. My skills are good against Demonic Beasts, but when it comes to humans, the attack power is too strong.¡± ¡°Yukino-san¡¯s skills are [Air] and [Heat], right? ¡­Certainly, it¡¯s not suitable for restraint.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Nobody expected an interpersonal fight. Just in case, I told the lower-class Magical Girls to stay away when the fight started, and I was right. A normal Magical Girl can¡¯t beat Hitsugi. Even I turned out like this. ¡­Damn, can¡¯t Toono come out at a time like this? Really, she¡¯s useless in a case of emergency.¡± Tsugumi replied with a wry smile to Yukino who swore bitterly. Toono Sumire, who was ranked first, has been holed up in the festival hall since yesterday because of the festivities. She wouldn¡¯t be able to come out until tomorrow at the very least. She wouldn¡¯t be expected to be a force to be reckoned with. ¡°Anyway, I wonder if Hitsugi-san will be okay. ¡­Since a few minutes ago, she has been putting out boxes all the time to break the restraints. It would be easier if we could drive her to the depletion of divine power, but at this rate, we may not be able to hope for that. Right now I¡¯ve managed to get the thread to bind faster, but if it keeps going like this, I¡¯m going to be jittery¡­¡± In contrast to the box, which continued to buzz and cut the threads, Tsugumi devoted more than half of his mental energy to reassembling the threads in a zigzag manner. While Tsugumi was beginning to show signs of fatigue from lack of divine power, Hitsugi, who had been using her skills all along, didn¡¯t seem weakened at all. ¡­What is she compensating for the power that is clearly lacking? The thought of it made Tsugumi feel unspeakably uneasy. ¡°I¡¯m asking my contract God to check on her condition. Normally, such interference would be against the rules, but this is clearly out of the ordinary. As long as Hitsugi¡¯s contract God, who is supposed to stop her, tacitly approves of her outburst and channels divine power, there is a possibility that the entire contract God has been taken over by a Demonic Beast. ¡­You might want to be prepared for that.¡± When Yukino said this with a difficult look, Tsugumi had nothing to say. ¨CMagical Girls always live side by side with death. He understood that. But maybe he just thought he had understood. He had almost forgotten because of the convenience of Demonic Beasts, they were essentially ¡°invaders¡± against human beings. They were not just a convenient source of energy, they were also hostile to mankind with clear malicious intent. Perhaps for Demonic Beasts, this world was just a hunting ground, and humans were just a lower-class existence. Thinking that they could continue using them in their favor forever was overly optimistic. For the past 30 years, humans had been defeating Demonic Beasts as if it was their job, and it was only natural for them to become impatient with the war situation, which had not progressed at all, and to try a new approach. ¨CI have experienced Irregularities twice, I should have known that better than anyone else. Thinking about this, Tsugumi bit his lip hard. He understood well the danger of the current Hitsugi because he possessed Bell¡¯s power ¨C the [Gluttony] skill. He was now devouring the energy in her body at a tremendous rate. The words, ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time,¡± came to mind. Even if he could continue to restrain her, they wouldn¡¯t be able to save her unless the malice nestled inside Hitsugi was removed. ¡­If there were people who possessed dispelling skills, there might have been a way, but such unique abilities were difficult to find. It was because Magical Girls with non-combat skills were generally regarded as incompetent, and most of them were forced to retire after a short period of time. ¡­It could be said that this thorough meritocracy had backfired. Besides, even if there were Magical Girls with such abilities, would they really be able to come here while Tsugumi was holding Hitsugi? Would there be a guarantee that she would be saved? The more he thought about it, the more he got lost in a maze of thoughts. Then, as Tsugumi pondered this, he suddenly noticed Hitsugi¡¯s resistance was weakening. ¨CIs it because the divine power is running out? Thinking so, Tsugumi looked up toward Hitsugi. At that moment, he felt that their eyes met through the cloth that was supposed to be blocked. In the next second, Yukino¡¯s impatient voice reached his ears. ¡°Get away from there right now! ¨CThere¡¯s a big one coming!¡± When Tsugumi stared at Hitsugi, he felt the air in the vicinity expand. The air around Hitsugi seemed to swell up, and the dense presence of divine power was unintentionally pressurizing. ¡°¨CDamn it!¡± With a small curse, he let go of the threads binding her and hurriedly shifted from the spot. The moment he landed at a place about 50 meters away from Hitsugi, a large tornado occurred on her body. The tornado kept spinning, chipping away at the surrounding trees and rocks. ¨CThat attack was, no matter how he looked at it, beyond the capabilities of skills that could be used outside of the barrier. If they had stayed in that place, they must have been reduced to dust by now. ¡°¡­She¡¯s finally taken off the limiter, there¡¯s nothing we can do about it now.¡± ¡°Yukino-san! Are you safe!?¡± ¡°Ah. Because I put up a barrier as soon as I could. ¡­Unfortunately, I¡¯m about to reach the limit. I¡¯m not even sure I can buy any more time.¡± ¡°¡­If attacks like the one we just had continued over and over again, I honestly don¡¯t have confidence that I can shrug it off either. It¡¯s a tough call.¡± ¨CThe other side was aiming to kill, but Tsugumi had to fight without hurting Hitsugi as much as possible. With that handicap, it was safe to say that there was no way to beat her. Additionally, the further away from the target, the less precise the threads that Tsugumi manipulated. To restrain Hitsugi now, he would have to get a little closer to catch her. That meant putting himself in the attack zone of that tornado. The rotation was gradually weakening now, but if the same attack was repeated, again and again, there was nothing they could do. ¨COnce or twice, he might manage to avoid it. But surely not the third time. Perhaps it would be quicker for Tsugumi to collapse from exhaustion of divine power. In the meantime, the dust from the tornado was gradually disappearing. At the center of the box swirling around and around, the bloodied Hitsugi stood with a ghostly expression on her face, riding on top of a box that had appeared in mid-air. She must have been quite reckless in escaping from the restraints. The deep wounds on her limbs spoke for themselves. The wounds were so severe that she would normally be out of action. ¡­She might not have as much time left as Tsugumi had thought. ¡°I will attempt to restrain her again. ¨CIs there anything yet from Yukino-san¡¯s contract God on the results of the analysis?¡± When Tsugumi asked this, Yukino stared at the space next to her and gave a small shake of her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It seems the results will come out in a few more minutes, but it doesn¡¯t look good. I just need a little more time. ¡­If the worst happens, I¡¯ll take responsibility. If you feel your life is in danger, you can run away. ¨CPlease remember that.¡± ¨CWhat exactly does the worst-case scenario mean? Tsugumi himself was aware of the answer, but he quietly put a lid on it. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stand up. Tsugumi let out a small breath and focused his mind. For now, he should only concentrate on capturing Hitsugi. ¡°¨CI¡¯m going. Please be as quick as you can.¡± With that, he dashed forward. He prayed the result of the long-awaited analysis would be salvation. ¡ô¡ô¡ô As Tsugumi challenged Hitsugi again, someone was watching from the shadows of the building. Perhaps she had been running to come here, the person was breathing heavily, shoulders up and down. Confused and upset. With the color of deep sadness reflected in her eyes, the person said in a whisper. ¡°Hitsugi-senpai. Why are you doing this¡­¡± Hyuga Aoi, the Magical Girl who came running after hearing the news, looked up at Hitsugi in dismay with a face like she was about to cry. CH 80 Nostalgic Voice Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani While avoiding the attack that had gained momentum with a paper-thin edge, Tsugumi steadily approached Hitsugi. Since there was no time to reconnect the thread, he must refrain from using transportation to escape as much as possible. Sharpening his nerves, he avoided the box with minimal movement. The irregularly spinning boxes cut a thin slice through his skin, but not enough to hurt. ¡­He understood that he was in a hurry, but still, Hitsugi wouldn¡¯t wait. The thin thread was tucked under Hitsugi¡¯s feet and pulled from the opposite direction via a tree in the distance. He stretched out the thread to strike Hitsugi, who had lost her position, and somehow succeeded in twisting the thread around Hitsugi¡¯s arms and legs. ¡°¨CYosh, with this¡­!!¡± Just as he was about to tie up Hitsugi, Tsugumi was suddenly struck by a strong sense of dizziness. White spots flashed in front of his eyes, and he stepped on the ground. ¨CIt seemed that his divine power was depleting faster than he had expected. Tsugumi managed to knock his head out of his reverie and looked impatiently ahead. -He felt like Hitsugi was laughing in front of him. ¡°¡­!¡± His skin was awestruck by the feeling of boxes being deployed all around him. ¨CIf he transported quickly, he would definitely be able to escape. But if he did so, the restraints would be released. ¡­The momentary hesitation turned out to be fatal. ¨CAh, I can¡¯t make it. At the moment when the box appeared all around and another tornado was about to be recreated, a small shadow ran past Tsugumi. ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down at a time like this!¡± While raising her voice, the girl holding a red piece of paper in her right hand ¨C Hyuga ¨C leaped in front of Hitsugi. Then, she stuck the paper to Hitsugi with great vigor and shouted. ¡°Please [stop]! Come on, enough already!¡± Hitsugi, with the red paper stuck to her chest, stopped on the spot and remained motionless. On the paper on her chest was the word that Hyuga had just shouted ¨C the word ¡°stop¡± was written. ¨CHyuga¡¯s skills were [Tag] and [Sound]. Perhaps she used one of that skills. Looking at Hyuga running toward him with a scowl on her face, he fell to his knees. His body was heavy as if he were carrying a huge stone on his back. He had not expected that a loss of divine power outside of the barrier would affect his body so much. ¡°Excuse me. Are you all right?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m okay¡­¡± To be honest, he had a bad headache and every part of his body ached. Tsugumi exhaled a small breath as he thought about this. The divine power would gradually recover over time, but at this rate, he might not be able to move properly for a few more minutes. When Tsugumi replied with such words while holding his chest painfully, Hyuga looked worried and held out her right hand. ¡°Well, if we¡¯re dealing with that Hitsugi-senpai, maybe this ugliness isn¡¯t so bad. ¡­We¡¯ll move quickly. Even my Tag won¡¯t be effective forever.¡± ¡°Thank you, Hyuga-san. ¨CYou saved me.¡± ¨CIf Hyuga hadn¡¯t jumped in at that very moment, Tsugumi would surely have been seriously injured. He wasn¡¯t overconfident in his own strength, but he certainly misjudged the time to move. It could be said that he was truly fortunate that Hyuga was able to rush to the scene. ¡°I¡¯m not doing this for you. ¡­Let¡¯s hear from that Yukino chick, too. There may be something I can do to help.¡± Hyuga turned to Hitsugi with a difficult look. Contrary to her positive words, her eyes seemed to contain a resignation that could not be wiped away. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡°That¡¯s not good enough. That alone won¡¯t solve anything.¡± Yukino, who had joined up with Tsugumi, made that decision after hearing about how the tag in Hyuga¡¯s hand worked. Outside of the barrier, Hyuga¡¯s [Tag] could only be stocked five times, and she could only add one each day. Moreover, the words written on them must be set in advance and couldn¡¯t be changed later. The other four skills were [Heal x2] [Defense] and [Evasion] and were not expected to be effective in restraining Hitsugi for a long period of time. Even if she made a tag equivalent to ¡°stop¡± with today¡¯s production frame, it would only be a temporary solution and wouldn¡¯t lead to a fundamental solution. Additionally, her other ability, [Sound], was more of a powerful offensive skill and was too dangerous to use against people. Either way, they were still at a loss. ¡°So you¡¯re saying there¡¯s nothing we can do now.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. The effect of the tag is not eternal either. Perhaps the time of effect is only ten minutes?¡± Yukino told her so matter-of-factly, and Hyuga said in an exasperated voice. ¡°¡­It certainly only lasts that long. But then what are you going to do. You are no longer able to move. It¡¯s obvious that even if other weak Magical Girls come, they will be killed immediately. I can¡¯t even use my skills easily. Are you saying we should abandon Hitsugi-senpai?¡± ¡°We have to consider that as well. ¡­No matter how proud we are to be Jukka, there is only so much we can do. It¡¯s only natural that we pick the best choice¡± ¡°This cold-blooded woman!¡± In response to Hyuga, who was so enraged that she grabbed her by the chest, Yukino told her in a voice that seemed to suppress her emotions. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the truth, I¡¯m also considering killing Hitsugi. As long as there is no one who can stop her, it would be better to end her while no one else is harmed.¡± ¡°What? What are you talking about? Killing Hitsugi-senpai? Of course, I can¡¯t allow you to do that!¡± Kill Hitsugi. Yukino told her so, and Hyuga showed her obvious upset feeling. And it wasn¡¯t just Hyuga who was upset. Tsugumi, who was crouched on the ground, listened to their conversation in a daze. ¨CDetermination. Responsibility. Yukino had mentioned these words several times. He wondered if the resolve she was talking about was not a resolve to ¡®see Hitsugi die¡¯ but a resolve to ¡®kill Hitsugi¡¯. ¡­That resolution was too sad. ¡°I don¡¯t like this either. ¨CThink about it! If we can¡¯t stop her here, Hitsugi will end up killing a lot of people! Do you think Hitsugi wants that!? If that happens, Hitsugi will take her own life even if she survives. That¡¯s the kind of girl she is. ¡­If so, we let her die now, she¡¯d be happier. I don¡¯t want her, who worked so hard for others, to end up as a murderer.¡± ¡°But killing Hitsugi-senpai like that¡­¡± ¡°And I just got the results of the diagnosis from the contract God. ¨CHitsugi¡¯s current condition is extremely bad. Fragments of the Irregular magic nucleus have entered her body and are rooted all over her body. If only I knew the location of that nucleus, I could have done something about it, but I can¡¯t figure out where it is because of interference. ¡­Moreover, her contract God has been completely taken over and has become a machine that only supplies divine power. As long as she doesn¡¯t run out of divine power, Hitsugi can¡¯t stop until her body is completely destroyed. ¡­There is no other way, Hyuga.¡± Almost in tears at Yukino¡¯s admonishing words, Hyuga gently removed her hand from Yukino¡¯s chest. She stared at the ground with a pained expression on her face, biting her lip so hard that it bled. Then Tsugumi gently cast his eyes down, repeating Yukino¡¯s words in his mind. ¨CYukino is right. Even Tsugumi couldn¡¯t believe that Hitsugi would be willing to hurt people. As long as there was no solution, perhaps it would be better for Hitsugi¡¯s sake to end the situation before it got too big. ¡­But reason and emotion were different things. No matter how many theories and righteous arguments were given, Tsugumi wanted Hitsugi to live. He didn¡¯t want to admit that such a kind, serious, and talented person could die. ¨CAnd I haven¡¯t even handed over the letter from Yumeji yet. Even her little dream is only half fulfilled. And most of all, many people are still hoping for her survival. She is definitely a person who should be alive. She is not a person who should be used up by Demonic Beasts! ¡°¨CThink, don¡¯t give up. There has to be something, something we can do.¡± He looked and said this in a quiet voice that no one could hear. Think. Don¡¯t stop thinking. There must be something more. Sort out the cards in your hand. There must still be something you can do. While organizing his thoughts in this way, he explored the slightest possibility. The effect of the remaining cards in Hyuga¡¯s hand. What Yukino could do now with her lack of divine power. And ¨C what would be possible for the current Tsugumi. Holding down his head, which was aching, he desperately tried to think through the possibilities. ¨CAt that moment, he thought he heard a click in his head, like the sound of a lock opening. In the corner of his blurry vision, he could see a white girl. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. ¨CI¡¯ll help you a little.¡± Her voice, like the soft spring sunlight, echoed in his head. ¨CHe didn¡¯t know how to describe the emotion he felt at that moment. A nostalgia that made him want to scream, and a sadness that seemed to tear his heart to pieces. The emotions overflowing like wild waves turned into tears and wet his cheeks. Holding his burning left eye, Tsugumi smiled softly. The correct use of that eye was somehow in his head. Before he could wonder more about it, his heart was filled with joy. ¡°Thank you. ¨COneechan.¡± Why those words escaped from his mouth, Tsugumi didn¡¯t know. It just felt right. Tsugumi slowly stood up, wiping his tears with his cuffs. Covering his right eye with his hand, he looked at Hitsugi only with his left eye. ¡°A pitch-black seed fire in the right lung. A black flame is spreading throughout her body as if flowing out from there. If we can eliminate that fire ¨C the nucleus ¨C there should be a possibility.¡± Enduring the intense headache, he said so. This headache was probably a side effect of the increased precision on the magic eye. But it wasn¡¯t unbearable. Tsugumi stood between Yukino and Hyuga in unsteady footsteps and took their hands. He looked at their dubious faces, smiled a little, and bowed deeply. ¡°Hagakure? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I have a favor to ask of you two.¡± He spat out the words as if praying. ¨CIt would be a one-time bet. If he failed, it would be a disaster. But Tsugumi couldn¡¯t help but put his trust in that possibility. Tsugumi alone couldn¡¯t do it. But with the three of them, they had a bigger chance. ¡°Will you give me just one chance? ¨CPlease lend me your strength.¡± CH 81 Whereabouts of Persuasion Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CI want you to lend me your strength. Yukino took a small breath as Hagakure told her so with a serious face. The strong will to never give up, and the color of anxiety that sometimes appeared in contradiction to that. However, her eyes were firmly fixed on Yukino and the others. ¡°Even if you ask me to lend you my strength, I can¡¯t give you a reply unless I know the details. What on earth are you going to do?¡± When Yukino asked this question, Hagakure began to speak with a serious face. ¡°The first condition is to free Hitsugi-san from the control of the Demonic Beast. If we can remove the nucleus, Hitsugi-san will no longer be manipulated, right?¡± ¡°¡­It would be theoretically possible. If the magic nucleus is taken out and the path to Hitsugi is forcibly cut off, Hitsugi will no longer be manipulated. The contract God who is used as a tank of divine power via Hitsugi should also be awakened. If there is a problem, it is how much the erosion of the magic nucleus is spreading. If that part is deeply rooted, it may be necessary to cut out the surrounding flesh. But that method cannot be used if we don¡¯t know the location of the magic nucleus. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s true, but are you going to take a guess and cut out Hitsugi¡¯s flesh?¡± When Yukino asked in a strong tone of voice, Hagakure shook her head slightly. ¡°¨CI know the location of the magic nucleus nestled in Hitsugi. I also have a vague idea of the extent of its encroachment. As long as I can get close enough to touch it, I think the removal itself is possible.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t be stupid. Even my contract God couldn¡¯t locate the nucleus. How could an ordinary human being know such a thing? If you can do that, why didn¡¯t you tell us about it earlier? Are you trying to be coy?¡± Yukino frowned and said so. The name of Yukino¡¯s contract God was Nasatya ¨C the Indian God of medicine. It was hard to believe that a human being could make a diagnosis that exceeded that of the God of medicine. In addition, the timing of the declaration was too dishonest. It was impossible to trust her. After being accused in a strong tone of voice, Hagakure bit her lip as if trying to endure something. The red blood smeared on the lips. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t keep quiet on purpose. I can¡¯t explain very well why I know the location of the magic nucleus. This power is not something I can use at will. However, I am able to see it now. I will not make a mistake. Please believe me.¡± Hagakure gently stroked her left eye area and bowed her head again. Yukino¡¯s eyes narrowed in thought as she gazed at the appearance of Hagakure. ¨CIf she claimed to be able to ¡°see,¡± she might have some kind of magic eye. However, Hagakure¡¯s basic skills were [Thread] and [Transportation]. There should be no room for the skill of the magic eye. Very rarely-some people, like Yukino¡¯s relative, had powers beyond human knowledge. However, without exception, people with such abilities were not qualified as Magical Girls. This was because the vessel for receiving divine power was filled with different abilities. ¡­What does this contradiction mean? ¡°¨CI¡¯ve been bothered by this mess since a while ago.¡± As Yukino pondered this, Hyuga, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, said in a low voice. ¡°There is no need for more troublesome questions and answers. In the end, will Hitsugi-senpai be saved? Or not? Answer me. I don¡¯t want Senpai to die¡­¡± Hyuga¡¯s voice trembled slightly. Tears were pooling in the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill out at any moment. Her appearance, as if clinging to the slightest hope, was a far cry from her usual bullish image. ¡­Thinking about it now, Hyuga seemed to have opened up only to Hitsugi. To Hyuga, Hitsugi might have been a special person like an elder sister. ¨CHowever, nothing can be saved with feelings alone. Hagakure lightly said that she would ¡°save¡± Hitsugi, but from the looks of it, she didn¡¯t think the success rate would be that high. Considering the damage that would occur if she failed, it was a proposal that was completely out of question. Just as Yukino was about to spin words of rejection, Hagakure made a move. ¡°¨CI¡¯ll save her.¡± Hagakure said so clearly. Then, Hagakure put her hands on Hyuga¡¯s shoulders, and their gazes met firmly. ¡°I will definitely rescue her. ¨CI will never let Hitsugi-san die.¡± A large drop of water dripped from Hyuga¡¯s eyes. Then, with tears streaming down her cheeks, she said in a voice that sounded as if she was trying to squeeze them out. ¡°I believe in you. ¨CI will do anything, please save her.¡± Yukino let out a deep sigh as she looked at Hyuga, who said this with a small sob. ¨CIf I refuse this, I will look like a villain. But why? There was a mysterious charm in Hagakure¡¯s words that made her want to believe in them. Was it really a whisper from an angel or the sweet words of the devil? Either way, a conclusion must be drawn. After a moment of contemplation, Yukino opened her right hand, which had been clenched for a long time. ¡°Geez. I guess I¡¯m getting burnt out too.¡± With a small blur, Yukino approached Hagakure. ¡°Ah, it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll lend you a hand, too. ¨CBut I can¡¯t start anything unless you tell me what the plan is first. I am asking you, don¡¯t let me down, okay?¡± Saying this, Yukino laughed. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô When Tsugumi finished explaining the strategy, Yukino looked a little reluctant, but somehow he managed to convince her. He let out a small exhale of relief. Originally, he thought it would be more difficult to persuade Yukino than Hyuga. ¡°¡­That¡¯s pretty much the case. If anything, we might as well do it while Hitsugi is stuck, right? The stop tag should only last a couple more minutes.¡± ¡°No, it is useless unless it is against a moving Hitsugi. Otherwise, I can¡¯t read the flow of power.¡± Tsugumi cowered slightly as he said this. The movement of the muscles and the circulation of the blood. The root seemed to stay in the right lung as far as a quick look, but it was impossible to determine without a closer look. ¡°The tag is ready. ¡­Is it really okay?¡± Hyuga asked this question with an anxious look on her face. To this, Tsugumi nodded his head firmly. ¨CThe success rate was estimated to be 70 percent. He couldn¡¯t say it was flattering, but for some reason, Tsugumi had confidence. The elation and heat swirled in the depths of his chest. It was as if that white girl was pushing his back. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I am sure it will work.¡± He told Hyuga, as if saying that to himself. Then Tsugumi and Hyuga approached Hitsugi, who had come to a stop. The tag affixed to the chest had black cracks spreading across it, and it looked like it was about to tear at any moment. The moment it started to move, a large number of boxes might be deployed again. But measures had already been taken for that. ¡°I use ¡®defense¡¯ and ¡®evasion¡¯ tags on me, as you said, but is it okay for Hagakure-san to not do anything?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay. ¨CI can¡¯t say it well, but I¡¯m feeling great right now. I feel like I can avoid whatever comes my way.¡± Saying that, Tsugumi laughed softly. The headache had gone away before he knew it, and his consciousness was clear. The black flames that were entwined with Hitsugi and the red flames that were scattered all over the place. Somehow, he had a feeling that he should not approach those red flames. Perhaps, the red flames indicated the place where the box would appear next, or the place where he would be likely to get injured. In other words, if he could avoid the flames and identify the area where the magic nucleus was eroding, then he could say that the strategy was almost a success. Once the erosion area was identified, all that was left to do was to approach the area with transportation. ¡°The threads to reap the magic nucleus and the power to transport has already been restored. ¡­This is the crucial moment. ¨CNow, let¡¯s go rescue the captive princess.¡± ¡°Huh, don¡¯t tell me what to do? ¡­But well, I¡¯m relying on you.¡± Then he lightly patted her on the back and looked forward with a serious face. ¨CIt¡¯s clear what to do. Now, let¡¯s do what needs to be done. CH 82 You Bloody Guys Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CFor Hyuga Aoi, Hitsugi Airi was the only person worthy of respect among the many Magical Girls that existed. Having been active in the entertainment industry as a child actress since childhood, and having seen the ugliness of human beings to the point of disgust, Hyuga longed for Magical Girls who would fight for justice. The Magical Girls seen on the screen were always sparkling, and unlike herself, they seemed to know nothing about dirty things. This was very dazzling to Hyuga. With such feelings in her heart, Hyuga turned 12 years old and joyfully knocked on the government¡¯s door as a Magical Girl candidate. ¨CBut what awaited her there was a world as rotten as the one where she used to be. The candidates pulled each other down and mocked those who were not good enough. And as the saying goes, the one who stood out got hammered, and Hyuga, who had a certain level of fame as a child actor, was hated by the older candidates. This was probably due in large part to the rumor that God preferred beautiful and pretty girls. Feeling resentful of this unreasonable treatment, Hyuga was inspired. She studied hard and was the first of the candidates that year to qualify to meet with God. What awaited Hyuga, who was chosen by God to become a Magical Girl, was a harsh reality. Colleagues who looked like dead men. Jealousy and backbiting over Hyuga¡¯s strong and useful abilities. Frequent joint funerals and girls of the same age quitting due to mental illness. The discomfort and distrust of people slowly built up. The stress, which never dissipated, began to show itself in the form of irritability. ¨CShe hated everything: weak Magical Girls, government people who ordered her around even though she couldn¡¯t fight on her own, and everything else. Everything, to the point of wanting to destroy it all. And just when Hyuga had grown tired of living a life so far removed from the ideal she had imagined, she ¨C Hitsugi ¨C spoke to her. ¡°You¡¯ve been looking so gloomy lately, is something bothering you?¡± Whenever they met in the hallway, when she was eating alone in the cafeteria, or when she was in a dispute with another Magical Girl, Hitsugi would patiently accompany Hyuga¡¯s story. Sometimes she would scold her, sometimes she would get angry with her, but when she did the right thing, she would always praise her. At some point, Hitsugi Airi became a symbol of ¡°righteousness¡± in Hyuga¡¯s mind. ¨CHyuga believed that she was a true Magical Girl who had the right beliefs and aspirations. This belief remained unchanged even after she was chosen as a Rikka. Suzushiro and Mibu were natural and out of touch with normal human sensibilities, and Toono was somehow mysterious and terrifying. And Yukino, who became a Magical Girl after that, must have been under more intense scrutiny than Hyuga, but she always looked cool, as if she didn¡¯t care about anything, which annoyed her. And Hagakure Sakura, the newest member of Jukka, seemed to have a few screws missing in her head. Among these crazy Magical Girls, Hitsugi was the only one who remained the righteous person. I can¡¯t dislike her. ¨CBecause she was always kind. I respect her. ¨CBecause she couldn¡¯t be imitated. The first thing that came to her mind when she heard Hitsugi¡¯s rampaging in the government was denial. That person would never do such a thing. Hyuga ran with this belief, but what she saw in the garden with the sounds of destruction was too cruel to be the truth. Despite her confusion, Hyuga used her skill to stop Hitsugi from destroying herself and joined Yukino and Hagakure. At that point, Hyuga was still optimistic. ¨CShe thought that Hitsugi could still be saved. Therefore, when Yukino told her that she had no choice but to kill her, Hyuga became furious. She could not admit it. There was no way she could admit it. ¨CIt was wrong for such a righteous person to die. However, she understood what Yukino was saying, even though it annoyed her. Hitsugi hurt people indiscriminately ¨C that wouldn¡¯t be what she wanted. But still, Hyuga wanted Hitsugi to live. This was why Hagakure¡¯s words deeply touched Hyuga¡¯s heart. Hagakure vowed to help Hitsugi. She didn¡¯t look down on Hyuga¡¯s feelings like Yukino did. That alone was enough for her to believe. ¡°¡­It¡¯s amazing. She keeps avoiding all attacks without any assistance. It¡¯s like she¡¯s dancing.¡± While avoiding the storm-like attack created by the spinning box with the effect of the Tag, Hyuga let out a voice of admiration. Unlike Hyuga, who was wearing a stack of [Defense] and [Evasion] skills, Hagakure was going through the storm without taking any countermeasures. The dust storm had caused some abrasions, but not a single fatal attack. ¡­It could be said that her physical potential as well as her predictive ability was on par with Hitsugi¡¯s level. It was frustrating, but there was no doubt that Hagakure was excellent. ¡°¨CI see it¡­¡± Hagakure muttered in a faint voice. ¡°Hyuga-san! ¨CPlease take care of me!¡± With a loud cry, Hagakure disappeared from the scene. Then, in an instant, she closed the distance to stand right in front of Hitsugi and drove her bright red right hand¨Ca hand clad in threads like a glove¨Cinto Hitsugi¡¯s right breast. A gurgling, flesh-gouging sound could be heard. Hyuga gently turned away from the scene and ran under Hitsugi. ¨CThe storm had stopped. ¡ô¡ô¡ô The residue of the Demonic Beast¨Cthe consciousness aggregate made up of the remnants of the magical core¨Cwatched the scene from inside Hitsugi. The remnants of the Magical Girl, Hitsugi Airi, entered her lungs in the form of mist and settled in her right lung, and over time reconstituted the magical core. It then took control of Hitsugi¡¯s spirit and succeeded in taking over the contract God through her. Normally, it would have taken more time, but this individual ¨C Hitsugi ¨C had such a high affinity with the magic nucleus. Perhaps she had ingested other crushed magical nuclei on a daily basis. The Demonic Beast didn¡¯t know why she did that, but it was convenient. The only miscalculation was that the resistance from the host was stronger than it had expected. When it tried to use her skill ¨C the Magical Girl skills- to direct the attack at people, it felt a strong rebellion from inside her body. Every time it tried to use her skill on a person, there was a resistance that made her muscles tense. The remnants of the Demonic Beasts, unable to strike a decisive blow against the humans, were led by one Magical Girl to this uninhabited garden. And then an additional Magical Girl appeared. The remnants of the Demonic Beast were impatient and attacked with a fury that drained the life force of its host but still failed to reap the life of its opponents. The Magical Girls, no matter how many times they kneeled on the ground, stood up and came forward. While tasting the strong emotions directed at it, the remnants of the Demonic Beast were still trying to figure out which one would be the next host. ¨CThe thread user seemed to be the most resistant. The white-haired woman in the back was too small to be manipulated. Then, the brown-haired tag user would be the best choice. The remnants of the Demonic Beast thought so, and when it turned its attention away from the thread user ¨C Hagakure Sakura, it felt a piercing gaze. The body should be gone now, but it felt a chill that gave it goosebumps. ¨CI know this sign. The presence of absolute death. Golden glow like a beast and eyes filled with the flames of hell. When it saw those eyes, the remnants of the Demonic Beast felt doubt and bewilderment. ¨CWhy. Why. Why are you on that side of the human¨C! The moment it forgot itself in anger, roared and was about to attack the thread-user girl ¨C by that time, it was already too late. ¡°I am sorry. But I won¡¯t ask you to forgive me.¡± The girl appeared in front of it in an instant, muttered that, and took a stance like a piercing hand. Then, she vigorously pierced the host¡¯s right chest ¨C the right lung where the demon nucleus was nestled. The red threads entangled in her right hand crawled around inside the host¡¯s body, making a messy sound. With each stroke, it felt the connection to the host was being severed. The host spat out a drop of blood. The remnants of the Demonic Beast began to speak, borrowing words from the host¡¯s mouth. ¡°Hu, human, why¡­ ¨CWhy, using that person¡¯s eye¡­¡± ¡°That person? ¡­I have no idea what you are talking about.¡± The thread-user girl replied in a disinterested manner and gripped the detached right lung. At the same time, threads flew out from the palm and wrapped around the severed part. When a film of threads was formed on the right lung, the thread-user girl cast her eyes down and muttered. ¡°¨C¡®Transport¡¯ begins.¡± A moment later, the scenery changed. The remnants of the Demonic Beast did not have eyes to see things, but it could grasp the signs of the surroundings. Then it checked behind and saw the tag-user girl running up to the fallen host ¨C Hitsugi Airi. ¡­Apparently, they had been completely disconnected. The thread-user girl, perhaps having used up all of her strength in pulling the remnants of the Demonic Beast away from its host, was kneeling on one knee on the ground, out of breath. ¨CNow is an opportunity. It¡¯s not part of the plan, but it doesn¡¯t matter this time. The remnants of the Demonic Beast, thinking so, transformed the magic nucleus into mist again and tried to sneak up on the thread-user girl in order to get a new host. ¡°Ah. I already predicted this.¡± At the same time, such a voice echoed and the movement of the mist stopped. It struggled to move in all directions, left, right, up, and down, but it could not move at all. Looking around, it saw a sharp cold air gathering around the mass of threads from which the black fog was seeping. The cold air slowly increased in density, eventually becoming liquid and surrounding the magic nucleus. ¡°I knew if I separated you from Hitsugi, you would try to get a new puppet. I¡¯m not going to let you do what you want anymore. You should freeze there.¡± Saying this, the air manipulator cast a cold look toward the white water ball¨Cthe remnants in the chilled liquid nitrogen. ¨COh, it froze. Its existence was cracking. I haven¡¯t even killed a single human being yet!! It made a high-pitched scream like a metallic sound, but still the annihilation proceeded cruelly. Oh, it¡¯s not supposed to be like this. As if being scraped off, its consciousness faded away. With hazy vision, the last thing it could see was the thread-user girl sticking out her tongue and raising her middle finger behind the girl who manipulated the air. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô After confirming the disappearance of the magic nucleus through the entangled threads, Tsugumi lowered his finger and collapsed on the spot. He felt nothing while he was moving, but it seemed his body had been overworked more than he had expected. The muscles ached in various places, not to mention the knots. ¡­He hoped he hadn¡¯t strained his muscles. Tsugumi managed to get his breathing under control and slowly stood up, enduring the pain. ¡°I¡¯ll lend you my shoulder. Can you walk?¡± ¡°Thank you. Is Yukino-san alright? It seems you¡¯ve been making water balls all the time.¡± ¡°Oh. I¡¯m one step away from depleting my divine power too, but I can still manage. I¡¯m not going to leave it on the ground as it is and I have to store it just in case. ¨CI¡¯m sure they will eventually be sent for autopsy and all sorts of tests will be done. ¡­I feel a little bad for Hitsugi, but let¡¯s give up on that.¡± Yukino told him, saying that it couldn¡¯t be helped. Organs that had been eroded by a Demonic Beast might indeed be excellent research material for the research team. He didn¡¯t feel very good about it, but he guessed it couldn¡¯t be helped considering future countermeasures. This tragedy should never be repeated. After reaching Hitsugi and Hyuga with the help of Yukino¡¯s shoulder, Tsugumi called out to the sobbing Hyuga. ¡­She was crying so vigorously that he was getting more and more worried. He wondered if he really had made it in time. ¡°Hyuga-san, how is Hitsugi-san¨C¡° When Tsugumi asked that question, before he could finish all his words, Hyuga answered in a hushed voice. ¡°¨CShe¡¯s alive! Her heart is beating properly¡­ Oh, I¡¯m really glad¡­!¡± Hitsugi, lying in a pool of blood, had the tag ¡°heal¡± and a newly created ¡°purification¡± tag attached to her. The right chest, which was supposed to be pierced by Tsugumi, still had a thin red bruise, but the wound itself was closed. He squinted and looked at the inside of Hitsugi¡¯s body. The nerves that had been invaded by the magic nucleus still had a slight black flame, but it seemed to be fading away, perhaps due to the effect of the purification tag. The missing organ ¨C her right lung was still missing, but fortunately she had another lung. She might no longer be able to work as a Magical Girl, but she should have no trouble in her daily life. ¡°At this rate, unless her condition suddenly changes, she should be fine. ¡­Haha, I didn¡¯t think we could really manage.¨CThat¡¯s great, you guys.¡± Yukino exhaled reassuringly and muttered in self-deprecation. Maybe she was concerned about the fact that she suggested killing Hitsugi. ¡°¡­That¡¯s not true. And Yukino-san did nothing wrong. We were just being selfish.¡± When Tsugumi told her that, she smiled bitterly. It was true that Hitsugi survived, but the fact that Tsugumi took a bad gamble was not something to be praised. If it was a legitimate upper management, the ones to be blamed for this arbitrary decision would be Tsugumi and Hyuga. ¨CAh, but. ¡°Hitsugi-san, I¡¯m glad she¡¯s alive.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡± Saying this, they both looked at each other, laughed, and collapsed on the spot. He deliberately leaned on Hyuga¡¯s back, who was clinging to the sleeping Hitsugi with a peaceful face, and laughed again, giggling as she complained that it was heavy. In the center of the destroyed garden, four girls, covered in blood and sand and in an unbearable state to look at. The three who were awake were smiling innocently with clear faces. With a faint glow in their eyes. CH 83 A Letter From the Past Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¡°Is there still no reaction today? She¡¯s awake, right?¡± ¡°Yes. She is awake and conscious, but she doesn¡¯t respond to the questions at all¡­¡± In front of the hospital room where Hitsugi was hospitalized, a doctor and a nurse were having a conversation. Hitsugi listened to their voices in her blurred consciousness. ¡°The wounds on the body have been almost completely healed by the power of Magical Girls with healing-type skills, but the effects of the erosion of the Demonic Beast are still unknown. It is not surprising that some kind of mental disorder remains. ¡­I guess we¡¯ll just have to let time solve this one.¡± ¡°That may be the case. ¨CAnd, I¡¯ve received numerous requests for visits, should I decline? Some of them are from Jukka.¡± ¡°Hm. Meeting with colleagues may be stimulating in a good way. I will allow up to three visitors a day. I¡¯ll leave it to you to choose the person.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± With that, the doctor left. The nurse who came into the hospital room changed the IV connected to Hitsugi¡¯s arm, looking at Hitsugi painfully. ¨CWhat in the world am I doing? Such a question came to her mind, but no answer came out. She felt like she was forgetting something very important, but it felt like there was a fog hanging in her head and she couldn¡¯t think straight. While Hitsugi was thinking about such a thing in a daze, the nurse was gone from the room before she knew it. Apparently, the work was done while Hitsugi was thinking. ¨CThe flow of time here was very strange. The moment she closed her eyes, the color of the sky changed. Her consciousness was unsteady, fluffy, and fluttering It was as if her mind was refusing to recognize reality. She closed her eyes and opened them again. At that moment, she heard the rattling sound of a door opening. ¡°Hello, Hitsugi-san. How are you doing?¡± A girl with red hair sat on a chair next to the bed and asked Hitsugi with a lovely smile. ¡°Are you still unable to reply? ¡­You may not be able to hear me, but I¡¯ll just give you a report.¡± The red-haired girl ¨C Toono Sumire ¨C continued her words quietly. Toono told Hitsugi three major things. The first was that Hitsugi¡¯s outburst was treated as a ¡°gas explosion caused by aging government facilities¡±. The second was that Hitsugi would not be held responsible for this incident. The third was that it was almost impossible for Hitsugi to return as a Magical Girl in the future. ¡°The damage to one lung itself is not that much of a problem. However, in your case, the vessel that stores divine power has been almost completely destroyed by the erosion of Demonic Beasts. Once something is broken, it can never be restored. Unfortunately, you will have no choice but to retire as a Magical Girl.¡± Hitsugi tilted her head as she stared at the red-haired girl who was spinning her words in an indifferent manner. The girl¡¯s words should not have entered her mind much, but she felt a pain deep in her heart. ¨CI feel like I have lost something important. Her head hurt. She involuntarily held her head and grabbed her face. ¡°¡­I guess that¡¯s all for today. I will come back soon. I hope we can talk then.¡± Saying this, the red-haired girl stood up. Then, putting her hand on the door, the girl turned around and opened her glossy lips. ¡°Hitsugi Airi. You were a splendid Magical Girl. ¨CI am proud of you.¡± After saying that, the red-haired girl quickly left the hospital room. ¨CA splendid Magical Girl. As she repeated those words in her mind, a warm feeling spread in her chest. It was fluffy and somewhat unsettling. But ¨C it wasn¡¯t unpleasant at all. After that, many girls visited Hitsugi¡¯s hospital room, talked with her about trivial things, and left. Some laughed, some cried, some got angry, and their reactions varied, but in the end, they all said ¡°I will come back again¡± and left. Little by little, a small spark was building up in her heart. It felt like that. ¨CWhen Hitsugi could no longer remember how many nights had passed, as she gazed absent-mindedly at the raindrops streaming outside the window, a visitor appeared. She had long black hair and light-pigmented steeple eyes. A tall girl wearing an antique one-piece dress held out a small paper bag in front of Hitsugi as soon as she entered the room. It was a pretty paper bag with a green four-leaf design on it. The girl forced Hitsugi to hold the paper bag and sat down gently on the chair beside her. Then, with a difficult look on her face, she opened her mouth. ¡°¡­I had a strange dream yesterday.¡± The girl quickly pointed to the paper bag and urged Hitsugi to ¡°look inside¡±. She took the contents just as she was told. ¨CThere was a shabby brown envelope. On the front, the words ¡°Dear Hitsugi Airi¡± were written in blurred letters. ¡°The sender of the envelope¡¯s sister asked me to give it to you at the party a while ago. ¡­I was actually going to give it to you after you recover, but things have changed a bit.¡± Saying this, the dark-haired girl laughed. ¡°A girl a little older than the little sister who gave me the letter said to me in my dream, ¡®I want you to deliver that letter to Hitsugi-san¡¯. ¨CIt is strange, isn¡¯t it, that I have never met the girl herself?¡± Hitsugi silently stared at the dark-haired girl who said so. Strangely, her consciousness was clearer than usual. The envelope in her hand had a mark as if water had spilled on it, showing its age somehow. Then, Hitsugi looked at the name of the sender written next to it. ¨CYumeji Yotsuba. The name is familiar. It was an important person whom she could remember clearly even in her blurred thoughts. A cute junior who became the starting point of ¡°Hitsugi Airi¡± as a Magical Girl. ¨CI¡¯ll never see you again now. She felt a little sad and looked down. What is already lost will never return. She knew that herself. ¡°You can open that envelope later. ¡­I¡¯ll tell the nurse not to throw it away without permission.¡± The dark-haired girl let out a small sigh as she spoke. She looked a little tired. ¡°¡­Everyone seems to be wishing for Hitsugi¡¯s early return to work, but I don¡¯t think you deserve to be punished for taking it easy. Hitsugi-san was working a little too hard. Well, I¡¯ll leave you now. ¨CNext time, I¡¯ll bring you some delicious sweets.¡± After saying that, the black-haired girl left the hospital room. Hitsugi, who was left alone in the room, stared at the envelope, and then she suddenly ripped open the envelope¡¯s closure. The sound of the paper tearing echoed in the quiet room. She opened the envelope and tried to take out the contents. A small object fell on the bed. It was an indigo bookmark. ¨CThe moment the bookmark entered her eyes, she felt as if the world had turned a bright, young grass color. Behind her eyelids, a girl was smiling at Hitsugi, just as she had in the past. ¨CIt felt like she was called Airi-senpai in her ear. ¡°Ah, ah¡­¡± A muffled voice escaped from Hitsugi¡¯s throat. It was unmistakably a sob. From the closed box of her heart, emotions that had been dormant until now flowed out as if overflowing. Her heart ached, her pulse increased, and her chest tightened. With a hand trembling as if in a fever, Hitsugi opened the letter. Dear Airi-senpai. I believe that this letter will reach you and spell it out. I am really sorry that I have to break my promise. However, you are not to blame. It is all because of my weak heart. I am unable to bear the heavy responsibility weighing on me. ¨CI have been most fortunate in my life to have met Senpai. If I had not met you when I was a candidate, I would not have had a dream and would have chosen suicide much earlier. Only when I am with you, I could be just a [junior]. ¨CI can¡¯t tell you in words alone how happy that made me. So, at least, please live your life with your heart only as a senior. That is my only wish. The bookmark I put with the letter is the one I originally intended to give to Senpai. Please accept it if you like. Your inadequate junior, Yumeji Yotsuba. Hitsugi finished reading the letter and picked up the indigo bookmark. On the surface of the bookmark, there was a pressed four-leaf clover embedded. It seemed to be handmade. The bookmark was rough in places, but this made it look even more rustic. ¡°I-I wonder if I was really able to help you.¡± With tears streaming down her face, Hitsugi gently hugged the bookmark. ¨CAn important junior. Myself. What I have done. And the sins I have committed. Hitsugi remembered all of them. ¡°Hey, Yotsuba. I have worked hard all this time so that I can be proud of you. No matter how hard it was to kill the Demonic Beasts, no matter how scary it was, no matter how much work it took, I never whined. I thought it would be bad for you.¡± ¨CShe who was talented but could not become a Magical Girl, and Hitsugi herself who became a Magical Girl even though she was talentless. The two of them were in opposite circumstances, but they were strangely in tune with each other. When Yotsuba gave up on the path of a Magical Girl and said she would become a government employee, Hitsugi promised her, ¡°Then, I will become a splendid Magical Girl.¡± It was a light-hearted promise at first, but Yotsuba died soon after that. Hitsugi could not break the promise and continued to be a Magical Girl. Yotsuba¡¯s existence was that big in Hitsugi¡¯s mind. And when Hitsugi started to feel her limitation as a Magical Girl, she remembered Yotsuba¡¯s words. ¨CEven if I quit being a Magical Girl, if I could become a government employee in her place, her promise wouldn¡¯t be broken. That was what she thought. ¡­Now that she thought about it, it was just a terrible outlandish idea. But it seemed like the best thing Hitsugi could do at the time. Wiping away tears, she turned her head to the side and noticed a lot of gifts on the table. Perhaps they had been left there by her junior Magical Girls who had come to visit. ¡°Seems like a lot of kids came to visit me while I was in a daze. I don¡¯t deserve to have them worry about me anymore.¡± Working hard and running, Hitsugi tried to fulfill Yotsuba¡¯s wish. She was well remembered by the government and had good relationships with other Magical Girls. Everything was going well. ¨CBut what awaited Hitsugi, on the verge of retirement, was the terrible stigma of being a government assailant. ¡­Toono Sumire said that Hitsugi was not responsible. But not everything would be the same as before. Even the almost certain job offer from the government must have been rescinded. She only vaguely remembered the time when her consciousness was taken over by a Demonic Beast. But she did remember that she had cut through Yukino, Hagakure, and the others. The only thing that would not fade away was the red blood that splattered on the floor. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yotsuba. ¡­I failed at the end.¡± She muttered this as if in penitence. Covering her face with her hands and turning over to hold her knees. She didn¡¯t want to think about anything else. ¡°It¡¯s okay, senpai. Don¡¯t worry about your promise anymore. ¨CDon¡¯t be trapped by me, the dead one, anymore.¡± A small voice reached Hitsugi¡¯s ears, who was sobbing and crying. She looked up with a start. But there was no one there obviously. Hitsugi let out a disappointed sigh and smiled bitterly. ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. I must have heard wrong¨C¡± At that moment, she smelled the scent of fragrant osmanthus. It was the same scent as the scent bag she used to love. As if guided, she put her hand into the pocket of her hospital gown. A small object touched her fingertip. ¡°¨CAh.¡± An out-of-season golden osmanthus, broken into thumb-sized pieces. A tiny four-leaf clover was tied to the tip of its branch. As if to say, ¡°I¡¯m here¡±. ¡°Hu, uuh, uwaaaa!!¡± ¨CShe couldn¡¯t stand it. She let out a wild emotion as if she was screaming. A nurse rushed into the hospital room and asked, ¡°Are you okay?!¡± but even that fell on deaf ears. Nobody would believe her if she told them this story. But she would believe in herself. Yotsuba had cared about her, her senior, even after she died. That day, Hitsugi cried and fell asleep as if losing consciousness. ¨CWhether they meet in the dream world or not, only God knows. CH 84 Over Eating Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¡°¡­I¡¯ve had a hard time.¡± Tsugumi muttered tiredly and let out a loud sigh. After leaving Hitsugi¡¯s hospital room, Tsugumi was taking a rest in the hospital courtyard when he was suddenly surrounded by a group of angry doctors. When asked for more details, they said that Hitsugi had been acting strangely since he left the hospital room. For a while after that, he was interrogated and reprimanded for what he had said in the hospital room, but he somehow managed to get away with it thanks to Hitsugi¡¯s testimony, who had regained her composure. Am I that untrustworthy, he wondered. The doctors apologized, but he still didn¡¯t get it. ¡°I know they¡¯re worried about Hitsugi-san, but they didn¡¯t have to get so angry. ¡­Oh, this meat is already cooked.¡± Saying so, Tsugumi took a small plate of beef that was being grilled on the griddle pan. -After getting angry with the doctor, Tsugumi left the hospital and visited a yakiniku restaurant that had private seating. Bell, who had been watching the events in the hospital room from the sidelines, said she wanted to eat something, but above all, Tsugumi was hungry himself. While cleverly dividing the cooked meat between Bell and his own plate, he grilled additional new meat. The room was a little smoky because of the fast pace, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°Even so, I told Hitsugi-san as I was asked, but I wonder if that was really the right thing to do.¡± Saying that, Tsugumi sighed in melancholy. ¨CThings go back to a few days ago. After neutralizing the nucleus of the Demonic Beast, the battered Tsugumi was retrieved by government staff who arrived shortly after that and taken to the hospital. Out of the three who fought Hitsugi, Hyuga¡¯s wounds were relatively minor, but the injuries to Tsugumi and Yukino were quite severe. At one point, they were going to be hospitalized, but due to certain circumstances, emergency measures were taken and Magical Girls with healing abilities belonging to the government took care of them. Well, in Tsugumi¡¯s case, he was grateful not to have to be hospitalized, because he was planning to leave the hospital as soon as possible after getting first aid. If he had to be away from home for days at a time, Chidori would get suspicious. Just in case, it was necessary to go to the hospital for a while, but that would still be better than being hospitalized. While he was being treated for his wounds, a government official ¨C Tsugumi didn¡¯t know who he was, but he was probably a very important person ¨C came to talk, as soon as he entered the room, the official made a difficult face and bowed deeply. Apparently, according to the official, he was going to pretend that the incident was a gas explosion and leave the whole affair in the dark. Fortunately, the only direct damage was to the government facilities and the Magical Girls, one of them was Tsugumi. As long as the actual victims, i.e., Tsugumi agreed, it would be easy to cover up the fact that Hitsugi went out of control. A Magical Girl ¨C and one of the Jukka ¨C Hitsugi was manipulated and attacked at a government facility. No matter how unforeseeable it was, if this were to come to light, there was no doubt that it would cause excessive confusion and loss of public trust. ¡­The cover-up itself was not something to be praised, but it was understandable that the government took such measures. As for Tsugumi, he agreed that the case should not be revealed. It was not for the sake of the government¡¯s appearance, but for the sake of Hitsugi¡¯s honor. Even though the person herself was not responsible, there were a certain number of people who did not speak out. He thought it was too unreasonable for Hitsugi to be hurt by the words of such people. ¨CAnd there was still another problem. It was about Hitsugi herself. The wound itself was almost healed by Hyuga¡¯s healing tag, but her body was damaged more than expected. The most important thing was the vessel of the soul. The vessel into which she poured her divine power was cracked by the erosion of Demonic Beasts, making it impossible for her to use her skills in the same way as it was before. It could be said that it was her death as a Magical Girl. In all likelihood,retirement was inevitable. ¡­In addition to that, it seemed Hitsugi¡¯s mental condition was also not very good. According to Bell, there was a possibility that the wear and tear on her soul from resisting the erosion of the Demonic Beast was having an effect. Since the remnants of the Demonic Beast itself had already been removed, the tear itself was said to be slowly recovering, but it was meaningless unless the person had the will to heal. ¨CBut Hitsugi-san will probably be fine. Because she is a strong person. Tsugumi thought so and was optimistic about Hitsugi¡¯s condition, but then something happened that made it impossible to say that. ¨CMidnight, two days after the incident, late at night. Sensing a presence, he slowly opened his eyes in bed. Large, red eyes came into his sleep-deprived vision. Not just a pair of eyes, but more than a dozen of them, staring at Tsugumi from the ceiling. ¡°¨CHi!¡± A choked voice escaped from Tsugumi¡¯s mouth. It was probably a miracle he didn¡¯t scream out loud. The owner of the red eyes ¨C a giant spider the size of a human being ¨C confirmed that Tsugumi had woken up and approached Tsugumi by walking along a wall. He didn¡¯t feel any sign of evil, so it was probably not a Demonic Beast, but it was scary to look at. Physiological fear caused goosebumps to appear on his back. It was a different kind of horror than when facing a Demonic Beast. ¡°Eh, wa-wait¡­ Be-Bell-sama!! We have a guest!!¡± Tsugumi shouted in a quiet voice so as not to wake Chidori, who was sleeping in the other room. But Bell never showed up. In desperation, Tsugumi sat up and slid back against the wall, frightened, but not taking his eyes off the giant spider. The giant spider came up to Tsugumi and opened its mouth, snapping its sharp teeth. ¡°Never fear, Bell¡¯s Miiko. Tonight, I come for you.¡± A high-pitched, machine-like voice echoed through the room. Tsugumi leaned forward slightly in fear, and said, ¡°For me?¡± in a small voice. ¡°That¡¯s right. ¨CPlease, I want you to help me save my contract child, Airi.¡± With these words, the giant spider ¨C Hitsugi Airi¡¯s contract God, Hariti ¨C bowed down to Tsugumi. To Tsugumi¡¯s dismay, the giant spider made several requests. One was to go to Hitsugi¡¯s hospital room and give her the letter that Yumeji had given him. The other was to tell a lie in front of Hitsugi that he had dreamed of Yumeji Nadeshiko¡¯s sister, Yumeji Yotsuba. These two things. Tsugumi wondered how he knew about the letter, but he immediately shook his head and stopped thinking about it. The other party was God. Maybe it was only natural that she knew that much. ¨CBut why go to the trouble of telling such a lie? Tsugumi asked this question, and the giant spider dexterously cowered her shoulders and began to speak. ¡°What Noah¡¯s child needs now is a wedge to keep her alive. It will take a rough treatment to bring back to this world the spirit that has been lost. There is nothing for you to worry about. ¨CI will take good care of the rest.¡± With these words, the giant spider disappeared into the darkness of the night. ¡­He really didn¡¯t know what God was thinking. Immediately after that, he submitted an application to the hospital directly under the government to visit Hitsugi, but because so many people had applied to visit, it took more than a week before he could see her in person. ¡­During that time, every night the giant spider came to him every day and night asking, ¡°Have you done it yet?¡± To be honest, he had been a little sleep-deprived. He wished Gods would understand the procedure of things. But since Hitsugi¡¯s consciousness returned to normal immediately after that, what Hariti did must have been right. Even if it was a gentle lie. Bell, who had been listening to Tsugumi as she consumed the burnt meat one after the other, muttered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. She may have blundered once, but she¡¯s still an old God. ¨CIt should be easy enough for her to believe a lie of that magnitude.¡± ¡°Hmm? I am not sure, but if Bell-sama says so, it must be true.¡± Lies to the truth. There was no way she took the ghost of Yumeji Yotsuba directly under Hitsugi ¨C He didn¡¯t think it was true, but the scary thing was, the God might do that. ¡°In addition, it seems that Amaterasu¡¯s permission has been properly obtained for this case. ¡­I can¡¯t say that your report to me is an after-the-fact report.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Bell spat it out in a vexed tone, and Tsugumi smiled wryly. Interference with a Magical Girl who already had a contract God was forbidden without the mutual consent of the contract Gods. Essentially, contact with Tsugumi was against the rules. Bell, who came after Hariti had left, was terribly upset about the arbitrary visit, but if the permission of Amaterasu, who controlled the spiritual system of this country, was given, then she couldn¡¯t complain. ¡­Rather, he wondered how the true identity of Hagakure Sakura was being handled in the God community. From the looks of the Hariti this time around, the word might have spread to some extent on the God¡¯s side. The Gods probably wouldn¡¯t pass Tsugumi¡¯s information to other Magical Girls, thanks to a rule made by Amaterasu: ¡°Do not reveal personal information about a Magical Girl who has a contract God.¡± When Tsugumi asked Bell about that, Bell sipped her tea with a disgruntled look. ¡°¡­Well, those who know, know. Gods who have the power to detect true identity are rare but they exist. Besides, we already know from the beginning that we couldn¡¯t hide it completely.¡± ¡°About that, is Bell-sama okay with it? The other Gods know that Hagakure Sakura is a man.¡± ¨CBefore, Bell had blurted out that she would be made fun of if it was discovered that she had made a contract with a man. If so, isn¡¯t this situation unpleasant for Bell? When Tsugumi asked her apologetically, Bell laughed and said. ¡°Hmmm. If you were weak when you first signed the contract, there¡¯s no way you could say such a foolish thing about the gender of a contractor who has shown such high aptitude. After all, it¡¯s just the howling of a loser who can¡¯t find a good Magical Girl. There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± ¨CBell said that the reason why male contractors were ridiculed by other Gods was because male contractors were very unlikely to mature as Magical Girls. In other words, it seemed that Gods who made contracts with men were seen by those around them as daring to join forces with small fry characters. In Tsugumi¡¯s case, thanks to the [Gluttony] skill, the growth rate of the vessel was relatively higher than that of an ordinary Magical Girl. But if this had been a normal skill, he might have remained an ¡°inferior male contractor¡±, as the other Gods put it. ¡­In a way, he guessed he was lucky. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re out of meat. I¡¯ll order a few more plates for the time being, how much do you want to eat, Bell-sama?¡± ¡®Yes, again, end to end, please. And dessert, too. ¡­By the way.¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Tsugumi tilted his head with a question mark and Bell looked at him with quizzical eyes. ¡°No, I just thought you¡¯re eating a lot today.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. I¡¯ve been feeling strangely hungry lately¡­ I asked the doctor about it at one point, and he said it could be the result of a major injury. He said that even though the injury was healed, my brain remembers the fact that I was injured, so it¡¯s trying to get too much nutrition to compensate for it. Well, I don¡¯t really care because it hasn¡¯t affected my body so far.¡± Even though he kept eating, he was still somewhat unsatisfied. At first, he thought it might be Bell-sama¡¯s influence, but since the doctor said so, it had to be the case. He tried to refrain when Chidori was around, but if he wasn¡¯t careful, he ended up eating something. ¡­He hoped he could improve before he gained weight in earnest. With that said, Tsugumi extended his chopsticks to the roasted vegetables. The feast of the gluttonous eaters was far from over. ¡ô¡ô¡ô There was a girl in a pure white space. She was about five years old, with white hair, and was sitting on a large box-like object in the middle of the space. It was a transparent box, cloudy white in places ¨C from a distance it looked like a coffin made of ice. The girl was singing an out-of-tune song in a good mood while swinging her legs on the box. ¡°Eat lots of food, and grow big.¡± The girl continued, giggling and laughing innocently. The doll she once held was no longer in her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon, father of mine. ¨CI won¡¯t fail you this time.¡± Her red eyes became dark and muddy. It was like a flower blooming in hell. CH 85 Intention to Connect Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¡°Even though her life is saved, Hitsugi Airi will definitely retire. ¡­I already know that, but it makes me sick to my stomach. Who will be in charge of that thick lineup when she¡¯s gone?¡± A man muttered in the room where documents were piled up in a mess. In response, a red-haired girl smiled and opened her mouth. ¡°Oh well. I¡¯m sure we can work something out. Even if they¡¯re like that, many of them have a strong sense of responsibility.¡± ¡°All you have to do is take the initiative and lead the way, but I guess it¡¯s useless to say that anyway¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Because that is not my role.¡± The man sighed loudly and looked at the girl who was smiling elegantly ¨C Toono Sumire. ¡°Miko-sama is also having a hard time, huh. ¡­I¡¯m going to change the subject, you were the one who mentioned Hitsugi¡¯s disposition, weren¡¯t you? Even if she was just being manipulated, the blow the government took in this one case was huge. It is too unnatural for her not to be held accountable at all, even if you look at it in a favorable light.¡± ¨CHitsugi Airi was well-liked by the general government employees, but on the other hand, she was being watched with caution by the higher-ups. The person herself might not be aware of it, but Hitsugi Airi¡¯s centripetal force was outstanding. What would have happened if she had entered the government without causing any problems and had started to work with a clear intention? ¨CPerhaps a large faction would have been formed in the blink of an eye. Moreover, there were definitely a lot of Magical Girls within that faction. For the upper management, who did not like change, Hitsugi was like a ticking time bomb. However, the well-behaved Hitsugi couldn¡¯t be eliminated for unreasonable reasons. It was bad to say this but for the upper management, this incident must have been convenient for them. And yet, when the lid was opened, there was no punishment for Hitsugi and the job offer that had been decided on remained the same. In any case, the man could only think that some great power was at work. ¡°Hmm? How do you know it was me?¡± Toono answered the man¡¯s question as if it was nothing. In her mind, it was probably no big deal. ¡°The only people who can give their opinions to the upper management that oversees the Magical Girls are you guys from the Ministry of Divine Worship, who have the backing of the God Amaterasu. ¨CBesides, you bought Hitsugi. I knew you would move. ¡­Well, even for me, I wasn¡¯t convinced that Hitsugi would be disposed of because of that one incident. I¡¯m grateful to you.¡± When the man quietly told her so, Toono exhaled a little and made a sad expression on her face. ¡°Because Hitsugi-san has done so much for this country, and by extension, for Amaterasu-sama. I think she deserves a little reward. If she was a little more talented, she would have the qualities of a hero ¡­It¡¯s a shame, really.¡± ¡°Hero, huh. It¡¯s not like we are in the turmoil of 30 years ago, and Sakura Akane is enough as the existence of such an idol hero, right?¡± ¡°Oh, really? The time for a hero is probably not too far away.¡± ¡°¡­Perhaps, is this also an oracle? Oh no, you don¡¯t have to answer. I¡¯m sure it will be deceiving anyway. ¨CSo, why do you suddenly come all the way to my lab today? Do you come here to talk about nothing? Or does my resignation finally come from the top?¡± Saying so, the man ¨C Higoromo Yuki ¨C laughed cynically. ¡°I don¡¯t see how we can reduce our forces any further when Hitsugi is quitting. Please don¡¯t say something stupid.¡± When Toono said this in disgust, Higoromo¡¯s shoulders dropped in disappointment. ¡°I want to retire as soon as possible. Anything more would interfere with my business¡­ But it can¡¯t be helped if just for a while. After what happened, it would be a burden on the rest of us if I suddenly left too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised to hear you say such an auspicious thing. I thought you don¡¯t like to fit in? ¨COh, by the way, I heard you were having a lot of fun playing with the girls the other day. Perhaps, have you changed your mind?¡± When Toono said this in a teasing manner, Higoromo turned his face away in embarrassment. ¡°¡­That was the atmosphere then. Don¡¯t make fun of me too much.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s good for Magical Girls to get along with each other. I was a little worried about you because you and Hyuga were having a hard time. ¨CHey, Shizuku-san.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t blame them for being hostile to me. To be honest, I have no idea what kids that age think. I don¡¯t want to be asked for mutual understanding either. ¡­Haha. If only I didn¡¯t have a promise to God, I¡¯d quit being a Magical Girl in a heartbeat.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s bad luck that you let curiosity get the better of you for the sake of research. But who would have guessed that the renowned researcher Higoromo Yuki is really that Yukino Shizuku¡­¡± With a giggle and a small laugh, Toono narrowed her eyes and looked at Higoromo. Higoromo sighed deeply and loudly, as if uncomfortable, and opened his mouth tiredly. ¡°I never thought that a man could be a Magical Girl either¨Cuntil I was approached by God.¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¨CHigoromo Yuki was originally one of the students in the university¡¯s Magical Research Institute. Higoromo was approached by the government because of his innate excellence, and he continued his research while analyzing data on Demonic Beasts and Magical Girls, constantly producing better results. The reason why such a perfect researcher ended up working as a Magical Girl was solely due to Higoromo¡¯s curiosity and carelessness. ¡°You, yes you. The unhealthy-looking one with dark circles who seems to survive only on nutritional supplements. ¨CAre you interested in becoming a Magical Girl for a little while? Now you get the added bonus of health care, too, you know?¡± Attracted by the words of Nasatya, the God who approached him with such a silly claim, Higoromo, who was at the end of his fifth day of work, somehow shook his head. ¡­Soon afterward, he reconsidered and tried to withdraw from the contract, but it was already too late. The rules for stray Magical Girls basically stated that a contractor couldn¡¯t quit as a Magical Girl unless they obtained God¡¯s consent. The only exception to this rule would be if the government declared a suspension of activities, but that could not be expected unless he caused a major problem or broke his body or mind. Thus, Higoromo reluctantly ended up working as a Magical Girl For a while after making a contract with God, he was taken around Japan by Nasatya as a Magical Girl. Through twists and turns, he was able to defeat an A-class Demonic Beast in just a few months. The reason Higoromo was able to accomplish such a feat was largely due to the fact that his Magical Girl skills miraculously meshed with his brain. Originally, a Magical Girl¡¯s skill was often greatly influenced by her own perception. People like Mibu and Suzushiro, who lived by their sensibilities, deploy their abilities with their imagination without considering detailed theories. That sometimes produced a higher effect than thinking in terms of logic. In a sense, the slightly dim-witted ones were often the better Magical Girls. However, Higoromo easily overturned this assumption. His carefully calculated use of his skills produced an effect that could be described as an art form. From his point of view, the result of the battle might have been within his expectation, but from the public¡¯s point of view, it was definitely a great achievement. ¨CHowever, it could be said that Higoromo¡¯s hardships began from there. He had to deal with his research, which was his main job, and with the government and the mass media, who were trying to find out his true identity. As the number of problems increased, Higoromo began to feel the limit in his efforts to keep the identity of ¡°Yukino Shizuku¡± a secret. After much consideration, he came up with the idea of creating a collaborator within the government. The one who was chosen was Toono Sumire, the girl smiling in front of Higoromo. Toono Sumire was a person in a somewhat unique position within the government. She had strong ties to the upper management of the government because she often appeared on the stage as a Miiko dedicated to Amaterasu. Her contracted God, Yatagarasu, was the God who was originally in charge of the original Magical Girl, Sakura Akane, and some people were even proud of Toono, saying that she was the second coming of Sakura Akane. For this reason, Toono¡¯s opinion was quite high in the government, including the Ministry of Divine Worship, and she served as an advisor in a variety of settings. ¨CIf it was her, she might be able to do something about ¡°Yukino Shizuku¡± while concealing Higoromo¡®s existence. That was what Higoromo thought. He dared to enter the government by accepting the invitation to join Rikka, and immediately tried to make contact with Toono. While Higoromo was determined to negotiate with Toono, Toono maintained a calm demeanor throughout. ¨CIt was as if she knew what they were going to talk about beforehand. Higoromo still remembered that moment well. Toono, who smiled calmly as she listened to Higoromo¡®s outlandish story, seemed like a strange creature even to Higoromo, a researcher by nature. The negotiations themselves, fortunately, ended without any problems. After agreeing to a few conditions, Higoromo was able to obtain Toono¡¯s cooperation, and with the help of collaborators he met through Toono, he was now reluctantly continuing as a Magical Girl, while hiding his true identity from the world. Higoromo himself had planned to retire as soon as he finished collecting raw data on Magical Girls and Demonic Beasts, but because he was highly qualified as a Magical Girl, the collaborators did everything in their power to keep him from retiring. In a sense, that was the biggest miscalculation of all. ¨CEven so, Higoromo opened his mouth as he thought about it. ¡°I made a contract with God and now I know for sure that men are basically unsuitable to be the recipients of divine power. I myself would not have been a threat to God, but I have my own special circumstances. ¨CThe existence of Magical Girls is really interesting.¡± Tono looked at him with a face as if she was looking at something troublesome. ¡°Is this going to be a long story? I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not here to talk about research.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re the one who¡¯s been sidetracking me for so long. What do you want?¡± When Higoromo asked this question, Toono reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out a black USB. She put it in his hand and began to speak with a mysterious expression. ¡°I have a favor to ask you. ¨CIn this USB, there is data about the great fire of eleven years ago. I need you to find out more about the people involved in this case.¡± At these words, Higoromo raised one eyebrow and looked at Toono quizzically. ¡°The fire? ¡­I¡¯m sure that case is treated as a taboo even in the upper management of the government. My God ¨C Nasatya also said, unusually, ¡®You shouldn¡¯t get involved¡¯. But why do you need that now?¡± ¡°Because it has become necessary. Yatagarasu also seems to have finally lifted his heavy shoulders. No matter how much I look away, I can¡¯t escape the past.¡± ¡°Well, I owe you. If you ask me, I¡¯ll do it properly but why do you choose me? If you just want to do some research, you could ask government personnel to do it for you.¡± ¡°This is a job that only a Magical Girl can do. To be more precise, there is no doubt that there are some Irregularities involved in that big fire. Although the prefectural government has done a good job of hiding the fire, the area at the center of the fire is still barren, not a single blade of grass has grown there even after eleven years. The pollution caused by the fire was so severe. The contamination is not limited to the land but extends even to information related to the great fire. The data was originally collected by government officials at the time, but they all died after suffering for three days and three nights. ¡­The cause of their deaths was probably high concentrations of divine power contamination. They were ordinary people who were not resistant to the divine power, and it seems that they could not prevent the contamination. Having said this, you understand what I mean, do you?¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you ask Yukino Shizuku (me). It¡¯s true that as a Magical Girl, I have some resistance to divine power.¡± ¡°And your contract God is the God of medicine, right? And if it is not directly related to the fire, I will contact the government and bring you the information. So please do me a favor.¡± Saying this, Toono bowed deeply. Higoromo was stunned by this sight of her. It was the first time that Toono, who was always aloof and elusive, had ever shown herself like this. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll do what I can. But you¡¯re going to have to explain the details to me later. You are always too short of words.¡± When Higoromo answered, Toono looked up, relieved. ¡°Thanks. I can¡¯t move directly because of the circumstances. ¡­It really helps.¡± ¡°But even though there is some rough information on this USB, there are limits to what I, a mere researcher, can do in terms of research. Are you okay with that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I only know the person who is at the center of this case. I think you can look her up as the standard for your research.¡± Toono said this and took out a black envelope from her bag. Carefully opening the envelope, she pulled out a photo of a girl, burnt in some places, in front of Higoromo. ¡°Her name is Shikabane Sakura. She was the leader of the religious group that was based in the center of the fire, the ¡®Star of Dawn¡¯.¡± As she told this, Higoromo gazed at the girl in the picture. The young girl in the Miiko costume, with gentle wavy black hair flowing over her right shoulder, was smiling leisurely. ¡°¡­What kind of a joke is this?¡± ¨CThe appearance that bore a striking resemblance to someone Higoromo knew very well¨CHagakure Sakura. The gears of fate are accelerating in a place no one knows. Will the truth they arrive at be hope or despair? The time of collapse is approaching. CH 86 Unexpected Encounter Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani It was the rainy season, and the air was somewhat chilly. One day on a holiday, in the pouring rain, Tsugumi was standing alone in a garden where hydrangeas were beautifully changing colors. The garden was filled with blue hydrangeas, but there was one place where red hydrangeas grew in clusters. The vivid colors of the flowers looked as if they were made of blood. ¡°Beautiful, isn¡¯t it? Actually, there is a special fertilizer used only under those red hydrangeas.¡± As Tsugumi gazed at the red flowers, he heard these words from behind him. ¡°Uh, you wouldn¡¯t tell me it¡¯s a corpse, would you?¡± ¡°Haha. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re talking about under the cherry tree. ¨CThe correct answer is shells. The shells contain a component that prevents the hydrangeas here from turning blue. Isn¡¯t that neat?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little creepy, though. ¨CSo, what in the world is the reason you called me all the way down here today, Mebuki-senpai?¡± When Tsugumi said this in dismay, Mebuki laughed mischievously and said. ¡°Well, I just have a little favor to ask you.¡± Then Tsugumi began to walk along the garden path, following behind Mebuki, who was happily discussing her recent activities. Apparently, she was as busy as ever. At the end of the hydrangea path, an opulent antique-style building could be seen. Judging from its size, it might be a hotel or something. On the glass-walled caf¨¦ terrace next to the hotel, people with good taste were enjoying their time in their own way. The luxurious atmosphere made him feel a little self-conscious. As Tsugumi thought about this, Mebuki suddenly took his right hand and led the way. She then pulled his hand as if leading the way and walked to the hotel entrance. ¡°¡­By any chance, is this the place?¡± When he asked this question, she nodded her head as if it was natural. ¡°Yeah? That¡¯s right, but what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No, It looks like a luxury place. ¡­I¡¯m wearing normal clothes, won¡¯t they refuse to let me in?¡± When Tsugumi asked her that in a reserved manner, Mebuki looked puzzled and then began to giggle. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This place is not that prestigious, and it¡¯s owned by one of our affiliates. I have reserved a private room in advance, so there is nothing to worry about.¡± With a casual, celebrity-like remark, Mebuki steps toward the entrance of the hotel. ¡­What kind of unreasonable thing is this ¡®little favor¡¯ that you prepare this place so far? Tsugumi sensed a hint of trouble, but he was dealing with a senior colleague to whom he owed a lot. He was not going to turn down the offer without asking. Thus, Tsugumi decided to step into a coffee shop in the hotel. ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¡°Foreign student, is it?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. A few days ago, I received a call from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that a distant relative of mine has suddenly decided to go to Japan to study. It will be for about three years, and we are going to take care of her during that time. It¡¯s partly to keep an eye on her, but she¡¯s still my relative, after all. I want to help her as much as I can.¡± While listening to Mebuki¡¯s story, Tsugumi was poking the chocolate cake he had ordered. It was very rich and tasty, probably because it was made in a place like this. However, it was scary that the price wasn¡¯t listed on the menu. ¨CBut a foreign exchange student, huh. She had a lot of guts to come all the way to Japan. Japan was currently closed off from the rest of the world, but that did not mean that it had completely cut off all ties with foreign countries. There were some cases where foreign students were accepted, although they were very few. But they were limited to those who had a solid background, like Mebuki¡¯s distant relatives. However, even so, the public was still not kind to foreigners. Even though it was in the name of studying abroad, she probably would be treated harshly by many people. ¡°But why are you asking me? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything I can do.¡± ¡°About that, Tsugumi-kun. ¨CBecause this child is transferring to your class. She¡¯s the same age as you in your grade. Get along with her if possible.¡± ¡°¡­Are you insane?¡± With a scrunched-up face, Tsugumi asked back. Though he wasn¡¯t proud to say it, the class Tsugumi belonged to, Class F of the third grade, was a class of proven troublemakers. It seemed crazy to admit a foreign exchange student, who in many ways was a delicate being, into such a place. ¡°Don¡¯t say such terrible things. I really wanted to take care of her at my university, you know?¡¡But she was begging me to go to high school with kids her own age. Considering the alternatives and the commute, my alma mater was the only choice.¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean you have to go out of your way to choose my class¡­¡± When Tsugumi said anxiously, Meibuki chuckled and opened her mouth to speak. ¡°From Tsugumi-kun¡¯s perspective, class F may be a troublesome class, but that class is quite comfortable for an ¡®outlier¡¯ like me. At least the kids in F class in my generation didn¡¯t look at people with weird-colored glasses. That was enough for me.¡± When Mebuki said this and smiled gently at him, Tsugumi couldn¡¯t say anything. It was true that Class F got involved in strange experiments, pranks they didn¡¯t understand, and fought over trivial things, but there had never been anything that Tsugumi couldn¡¯t handle himself ¨C he had never been ridiculed for having no memories of his childhood or for not having parents. It was easy to forget this because of the stronger impression of being inconvenienced, but those important aspects of being a person were fairly decent. ¡°¡­Well, if I tell them in advance that she is a relative of Mebuki-senpai, they won¡¯t get involved in a strange way.¡± ¡°I think so, too. But, you see, in Tsugumi-kun¡¯s class, there is that, right? That¡¯s the only thing I¡¯m worried about.¡± When Mebuki said ¡°that¡±, only one person popped into Tsugumi¡¯s mind. ¡°Ah, I see, there¡¯s that guy Yukitaka. ¡­Ah-, don¡¯t tell me, this ¡®little favor¡¯ is¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha, thank goodness you¡¯re quick-witted. I need you to keep an eye on that Amari bastard to make sure he doesn¡¯t mess with the kid. Will you help me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not fair, I can¡¯t say no to your wish. ¡­Well, I¡¯ll do the best I can. Don¡¯t expect too much.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm. I¡¯m just happy to get a good response. I know it¡¯s short notice, but I¡¯m going to start school the Monday after next, so please do me this favor. ¨CAnd I¡¯ve seen her picture, and she¡¯s pretty cute. I guess in a way it¡¯s a perk, isn¡¯t it?¡± At the word ¡°cute¡±, Tsugumi¡¯s shoulders rose. It was an important piece of information that influenced motivation in holding on to troublesome matters. ¡°Heh, I guess her face looks like yours, Senpai?¡± ¡°Maybe our eyes are similar. I don¡¯t think she is good at sports because she looks like she has a thin body. The only thing that worries me a little is that she looks pretty calm in the photo.¡± ¨CSchool life with a girl who looked like a mature Mebuki-senpai. It might not be that bad. As Tsugumi was thinking this in his mind, he heard a knock at the door. A middle-aged man in a suit bowed and entered the room. ¡°Mebuki-san. There is a visitor here whom I was informed of in advance.¡± ¡°Ah, he¡¯s finally arrived. You may let him through.¡± ¡°Understood. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± Watching the man¡¯s back as he left the room, Tsugumi asked Mebuki. ¡°Do you have other appointments? If I¡¯m interrupting anything, I¡¯ll leave you alone.¡± Since it was the busy Mebuki. After her appointment with Tsugumi, she might have made plans to meet with someone else here. When he told her that with good intentions, she slowly shook her head. ¡°No, that¡¯s kind of a problem. It¡¯s more accurate to say that he¡¯s Tsugumi-kun¡¯s guest, instead of mine.¡± ¡°My guest?¡± He twisted his neck as he said that, but he couldn¡¯t imagine it at all. ¨CMaybe the distantly related girl she was talking about earlier comes to show her face? His senior liked to surprise people, so that might be possible. As Tsugumi waited with excitement, the door to the private room opened with a knock. When he saw the face of the person who came through the door, he involuntarily clamped his right hand over his mouth. ¡°¡­You¡¯ve booked a very troublesome place. I almost lost my way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The hydrangeas are so beautiful this time of year that I really want you to see the gardens here once. If I don¡¯t do this, Higoromo-san won¡¯t leave the lab, right? Everyone is worried.¡± Mebuki replied bluntly to the man who frowned, without taking offense. ¡­They seemed to be on a good term as far as he was concerned, but it wasn¡¯t the issue. Mebuki called this man ¡°Higoromo¡±. There was only one person associated with that name. ¨CHigoromo Yuki. He was a well-known researcher who had done extensive research on Magical Girls¡¯ activities and ecological theory, as well as on the efficiency of magical nuclei in converting energy. He was so busy that he rarely appeared in the media, but even Tsugumi knew his face. But why would such a person be here? As Tsugumi stared at them in stunned amazement, Higoromo, noticing his presence, approached and smiled gently. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re that ¡®Nanase Tsugumi¡¯. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard about me from Mebuki, I¡¯m looking forward to working with you today.¡± He looked alternately at the right hand offered to him and at Mebuki, who was smiling beside him. He had heard about Higoromo when he met Mebuki before, but he had never imagined that he would be brought together with her so suddenly. ¨CIt¡¯s a little too poor a quality for a surprise, isn¡¯t it? With that thought in mind, Tsugumi shook Higoromo¡¯s right hand. Since it already happened, it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°Um, it¡¯s nice to meet you too, Higoromo-san.¡± When he replied with a twitchy smile, Higoromo¡¯s eyes narrowed, as if he had seen something unusual. ¨CIt was as if he was looking at someone else through him. CH 87 Two People who are Similar Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani When Higoromo finished greeting Tsugumi and sat down opposite him, Mebuki, who was standing next to him, approached his side, put her hand on his shoulder, and said in a light tone. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll leave you to it then. Take care of the rest, Tsugumi-kun.¡± ¡°¡­What? Hey, wait a minute. Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re seriously going to leave me!?¡± Grabbing Mebuki¡¯s wrist as she was about to leave the room straight away, Tsugumi raised an impatient voice. It was one thing to be suddenly brought in to a researcher, but to be asked to have a one-on-one conversation with him was a bit unreasonable. As he looked up at Mebuki as if to cling to her, she lowered her eyebrows with an apologetic look. ¡°Even if you put it that way. Higoromo-san¡¯s research involves a lot of confidential matters, so I¡¯ve been asked to sit out this time. You see, there are strict regulations these days regarding the protection of personal information and such.¡± ¡°No, even so.¡± ¡°And, Tsugumi-kun.¡± To the reluctant Tsugumi, Mebuki said in a quiet voice as she put her face close to his ear as if they were having a private conversation. ¡°¨CHigoromo-san seems to be investigating the great fire that happened eleven years ago. Hopefully, you may be able to hear more about it.¡± The whispered words made his eyes widen involuntarily. Tsugumi didn¡¯t recall ever once telling Mebuki that he was ¡°investigating the disaster¡±. She would not have even pretended to want to know. ¡°You look as if you¡¯re trying to say, how did you know that? ¨CIt¡¯s easy enough to figure that out. You¡¯re surprisingly easy to understand.¡± Saying that, Mebuki laughed. When Tsugumi looked at Meibuki with an unsettled expression, she added in a small voice, ¡°Well, the truth is that my friend saw you silently looking up a newspaper article about it in the library.¡± ¡­As expected, there is no way to prevent that from happening. Tsugumi thought so, and let out a sigh. Not that he was doing anything wrong, but Tsugumi was trying to keep the fact that he was researching the great fire a secret as much as possible from acquaintances. Needless to say, the reason for this was ¨C because Chidori didn¡¯t look good. Whenever Tsugumi asked her about what happened eleven years ago, Chidori would give him a painful look and express her rejection. It was more like she was afraid of something rather than having a hard time talking about it. Because of these circumstances, he had not been able to act too openly, but in a sense, this was an opportunity. Higoromo, who was in a position close to the government, might know quite a bit about the situation. ¡°¡­Please keep this out from Chidori.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I know this already.¡± Mebuki cowered her shoulders and told him so, then turned her back to Tsugumi and turned toward Higoromo. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for ours when I leave. If Higoromo-san wants to order more, he can do it himself.¡± ¡°Ah, I know.¡± After saying that, Mebuki fluttered out of the room with a wave of her hand. Alone with Higoromo, Tsugumi felt somewhat uncomfortable and sipped the cold tea to cover it up. ¨CEven so, while thinking, Tsugumi looked at Higoromo¡¯s face. He had heard before that Yukino Shizuku was Suzune¡¯s relative. However, he had never heard anything about Higoromo. Maybe it was just that there was no need to talk about it, but it bothered him somehow. As Tsugumi was still in a daze, Higoromo, who had just finished spreading out the documents on the table, slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Actually, your situation was discussed once with Suzune Nagisa ¨Ca relative of mine. It¡¯s mainly about that magic eye. Well, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help you since I¡¯m out of the loop there. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Oh, no. In my case, unlike Suzune-sensei, there are more times when I can¡¯t use it. I don¡¯t really care that much about it.¡± ¡°Is that so? If you¡¯re not in trouble, that¡¯s fine. But you should be careful. In some cases, it can get worse. ¡­Especially that Nagisa, she¡¯s really painful to watch.¡± In the end, Higoromo closed the menu list and rang the doorbell at the side of the room. Then, as he ordered coffee from the waitress who came into the room, Higoromo asked Tsugumi. ¡°Is there anything else you want to order? Thanks for meeting with me. You can order whatever you like.¡± Being told that, Tsugumi wondered for a moment if he should refrain from ordering, but then decided that it would be okay since he was the one who asked for it, and pointed to the apple pie on the menu. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have one of these cake sets, please.¡± As he watched the waiter leave with a notebook of orders in hand, Tsugumi opened his mouth to speak. He had been a little concerned about this for some time. ¡°If Higoromo-san and Suzune-sensei are related, could it be that Higoromo-san is also related to Yukino Shizuku-san of Jukka? It was hard to tell with his tired complexion and large glasses, but Higoromo¡¯s facial features somehow resembled Yukino¡¯s. If he said that they were relatives, it would certainly be convincing. When Tsugumi said so, Higoromo laughed as if troubled. ¡°Yeah, well, we¡¯re like brother and sister. ¨CThere¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of, but we have our reasons. I¡¯d appreciate it if you wouldn¡¯t spread the word too much about this. ¡­Really, Nagisa¡¯s a bit of a light talker.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, I¡¯m sorry, I must have heard something strange.¡± ¨CSiblings who can¡¯t go public. At that point, he sensed deep darkness. ¡­He wondered if it was something like having different mothers. Although Higoromo himself did not seem to be particularly concerned about it, it would be safer not to mention it any further. While talking about such things, their orders arrived in the private room. As he pulled a plate of apple pie into his hand, Tsugumi asked Higoromo. ¡°So, what exactly did you come here to ask me today? I¡¯ll tell you everything I can.¡± The cake put Tsugumi in a good mood, and Higoromo opened his mouth as he looked over the material. ¡°Ah, first of all, I want to talk about your aptitude as a Magical Girl. ¨CDo you know why you, a man, have the aptitude to be a Magical Girl?¡± Surprised at the sudden nature of the question, Tsugumi answered in a troubled manner. ¡°No, I have no idea. I¡¯d rather ask that myself¡­¡± ¡°I have been informed of the Irregularity at the Amusement Park in February. I have reviewed your hospital records, including your fitness diagnosis, and found nothing unusual about your body. I can¡¯t help but wonder about that.¡± Saying so, Higoromo elegantly brought the coffee to his lips. ¡°There have been a small number of male Magical Girls in the past, but their existence itself has been concealed, partly because of their own wishes. But the men whose aptitude was extremely higher than usual ¨C they had some similar characteristics.¡± ¡°Characteristics?¡± When Tsugumi asked suspiciously, Higoromo nodded slowly. ¡°Yeah. Most of them, as documented, had a twin. Or in this case, they were supposed to. ¨CDo you remember the term ¡®vanishing twin¡¯?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t know.¡± He twisted his head at the unfamiliar words. Then Higoromo gave a small nod and continued. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll explain briefly. The vanishing twin is a case in which one of the fetuses that were supposed to be born is absorbed by the mother during its growth and disappears. There have been rare cases, though, in which one fetus has been absorbed by the other. In the latter case, some of the organs of the fetus that did not fully grow remain in one half. ¨CAnd in the body of the now confirmed male Magical Girl. I was able to find a small organ missing when I examined it. I have a couple of hypotheses on this.¡± Saying this, Higoromo held up two fingers. Then, bending them one by one, he continued his story. ¡°The first one. The missing half was originally supposed to be born as a woman. Second. Their aptitude as Magical Girls was the same as that of the other half that had been absorbed. In other words, their high aptitude could be considered as simply inheriting the aptitude of their twin siblings, rather than their original aptitude. I contacted the retirees and had MRIs taken, and every one of them had the same organ or bone fragments in their bodies that did not belong to them. ¨CIf that¡¯s the case, what is it about you that makes you so highly qualified when there¡¯s nothing unique about your body? It¡¯s very interesting.¡± As Higoromo smiled at him, Tsugumi turned pale and clenched his right hand. ¨CI¡¯d like to know that myself. He had no idea why he fit the job, no matter how much he thought about it. Even Bell, a God, couldn¡¯t figure it out, so it was troubling to be asked such a question. ¡°I have a twin sister. Perhaps I am just sharing some of her talents.¡± If Higoromo¡¯s hypothesis were taken seriously, this might be the closest to the truth. When Tsugumi answered, Higoromo narrowed his eyes and murmured quietly. ¡°Your sister ¨C Chidori-san, was it? I¡¯ve heard that she has no memory before the great fire just like you, is that true?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. What does that have to do with anything?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just checking. The two of you were taken in by a man named Nanase Yozuru after the great fire, I heard. Do you remember the exchange at that time?¡± Bewildered by the questions that kept popping up from Higoromo, Tsugumi opened his mouth. ¡°Hmm, I think we were at the shelter when Grandpa¡­ Yozuru-san approached us. He looked so stern that I remember Chidori was frightened. He left without saying anything at the time, but I was surprised when he took us both in a while later.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Because that person doesn¡¯t like me.¡± ¨CHe didn¡¯t care in the past, but now that he was older, he could understand. That person¨CNanase Yozuru¨Chad no interest in Tsugumi at all. In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that he was estranged. ¨CHe didn¡¯t need to be told anything, but the occasional look in his eyes was eloquent. When he looked at Chidori, he would show a gentle color, but when he looked at Tsugumi, he showed a somewhat cold color. It would be a lie to say that he wasn¡¯t sad, but he still owed Yozuru a great debt of gratitude. He would like to repay him someday. But more than that, he had doubts. ¡°I may sound ungrateful to say this with all the food, clothing, and shelter, but I don¡¯t understand why, aside from Chidori, that person took me in as well.¡± Did he think it was pitiful to separate siblings, or was there another reason? Now that he thought about it, Yozuru was relieved to see Tsugumi when they first met, even though he had a grim look on his face. Perhaps he had known Tsugumi before the memory loss. ¡­Yozuru wouldn¡¯t answer if he asked about it, though. It would be a waste of time. When Tsugumi said so, Higoromo looked pained, started to say something, and then kept his mouth shut. ¡°That¡­ No, I¡¯m sorry. I made you tell a terrible story.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t really mind. ¡­Ah, but please don¡¯t talk to my sister about this. She¡¯s the kind of person who gets bothered by this sort of thing.¡± He didn¡¯t know if Higoromo would go to see Chidori or not, but he nailed it that way just in case. Then, Higoromo smiled a little awkwardly and said. ¡°I won¡¯t tell about anyone¡¯s situation unnecessarily. Rest assured. ¨CThis is the last question.¡± Higoromo then took a small envelope from among the materials scattered on the desk. He took out a sheet of paper and gently held it out to Tsugumi. The paper was shown on the back, so he could not see what was written on it. ¡°Um, this is ¡­Huh?¡± Puzzled, he took the paper and looked at the front page. ¨CWhat he found there was something he didn¡¯t expect. ¡°Answer honestly. ¨CDo you know her?¡± ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡­ No, this is different. She is¨C¡° The girl with long, supple black hair and a soft smile. Her eyes were the same color as Tsugumi¡¯s. ¨CThe actual ¡°Sakura-oneechan¡± was there. CH 88 Shikabane Sakura Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani When Tsugumi was upset by the photo, Higoromo quietly asked him. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re familiar with it. ¨CPlease tell me what you know. This is important.¡± He looked at him straight in the eyes and Tsugumi involuntarily looked away. There was nothing wrong with it. However, talking to Higoromo about the girl in the picture ¨C ¡°Sakura-oneechan¡± was somewhat confusing. ¡­Thinking about it, there was something that had been bothering him ever since Yukitaka had shown him the photo before. It was about the attire. Goddess Amaterasu reigned at the top of this country. Therefore, the rank of a Miko, a person who was used by the God, was high, and without the proper qualifications, one was not even allowed to call oneself a Miko. Moreover, with the exception of Toono Sumire, the qualification was limited to those who had completed compulsory education and were at least 16 years old. However, the girl in the photo looked to be about the age of a junior high school student, and it was hard to believe that she has passed the certification test. And if he included the photo that Yukitaka gave to him, which was fuzzy to many people, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she had a dark background. The difference between the kindly ¡°Sakura-oneechan¡± he met in his dream and the disturbing impression he got from the girl in the photo. The gap between the two was something Tsugumi had never been able to accept well. ¡°¡­Higoromo-san, do you know about this person?¡± Looking down, Tsugumi asked this question. What Tsugumi did not understand more than anything else was why Higoromo was trying to get to know ¡°Sakura-oneechan¡±? It was that. ¡­The fact that he bothered to bring up the photo in this vein was surely related to the great fire. He felt a stirring in the back of his chest. ¡­The unpleasant premonition didn¡¯t seem to disappear. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯re going to answer a question with a question. Well, I can say that I know some things.¡± Higoromo answered in a calm voice. Apparently, he didn¡¯t intend to discuss the details at this stage. ¨CIn that case, it may be necessary to step in from here. ¡°This person¡¯s name is probably ¡®Sakura¡¯. I don¡¯t know the kanji, but¡­¡± ¡°Oh, so you still remember her?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember any details. I¡¯m not sure what her name is, but I vaguely remember it being something like that. ¡­I don¡¯t know anything about her. I don¡¯t even know if the name Sakura is really correct. ¨CThat makes me terribly sad.¡± Tsugumi replied quietly. After all, he didn¡¯t know anything about ¡°Sakura-oneechan¡±. He might have met her in dreams or been saved by her in a life-threatening situation, but he knew nothing about her. ¡­Tsugumi himself felt a blood connection to her, but he was not certain if they were truly related. The only thing he knew was that she had mysterious powers. That was all. As he raised his face, he stared at Higoromo and opened his mouth in determination. ¡°Please tell me, Higoromo-san. Who is this person? ¨CWhat kind of relationship did she and I have?!¡± In a trembling voice, Tsugumi said, clinging. Higoromo surely knew the answer that Tsugumi had been seeking for so long. If he missed this opportunity, he didn¡¯t know when he would be able to get the next piece of useful information. He couldn¡¯t care less about how it looked. And so, as Tsugumi bowed deeply, a loud sigh was heard from the opposite side. ¡°Look at me. I¡¯m not here to bully you. ¡­But then again, you really don¡¯t have any memory. I¡¯m a little off the mark.¡± Higoromo said in a muffled voice and held out a few papers to Tsugumi¡¯s eyes. ¡°Before we talk, there are a few conditions you must abide by.¡± ¡°What are these?¡± ¡°The contract. The matters related to the great fire are basically confidential. I can¡¯t tell you information about them because you are a civilian. ¨CSo I¡¯m thinking of reporting you to the government as my collaborator. The details are written in the document, so please read it carefully. And, this is a simple, but legitimate government document. Covenant spells have been applied. If you break the contract, I¡¯ll know right away.¡± At Hirogomoi¡¯s urging, Tsugumi took the document in his hand. The contract began with small, difficult words and went on to describe a variety of matters, from the obligation to keep the information obtained confidential to the punishment for breaking the restrictions. ¡­He had been aware that there were so many prohibitions, but it seemed that the fire was really a problem. ¨CHow come Sakura-oneechan was involved in such troublesome things. He was uneasy, but he couldn¡¯t start without hearing what he had to say. After spending a few minutes checking the contents of the documents, Tsugumi nervously wrote his name and contact information on the form. When Higoromo received the completed forms, he looked at him with a worried expression. ¡°You seem determined. To be frank, you¡¯re going to be shocked when you hear about this. ¡­Is that okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m prepared.¡± ¡°I see. Then it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Letting out a small sigh of resignation, Higoromo opened a page in the middle of the file and gently pointed at it. ¡°The real name of the girl you¡¯re calling ¡®Sakura-oneechan¡¯ is Shikabane Sakura. She was the only daughter of the operator of a religious organization. Unfortunately, you and your twin sister are not registered on Shikabane¡¯s family register.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. So Chidori and I aren¡¯t Sakura-oneechan¡¯s family?¡± Tsugumi was not convinced by Higoromo¡¯s explanation. ¨CSo what exactly was the existence of Tsugumi and Chidori? Aside from Chidori, Tsugumi looked so much like her. When Tsugumi asked this in confusion, Higoromo cowered his shoulders and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know that either. But it seems the religious group she belonged to had been doing some pretty shady things. It is possible that, for whatever reason, they did not declare their child born. In fact, there is a photograph of a young boy who looks a lot like Shikabane Sakura in the documents we collected, perhaps it¡¯s you. There is no doubt that there is some connection between you and her. To tell you the truth, I come to see you to confirm this. ¨CBut you have lost your memory. As far as I can tell, all of Shikabane¡¯s blood relatives died before the fire, and since we can¡¯t even get a DNA test, the truth is in the dark.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­ Um, What kind of things do you mean by shady things¡­?¡± When Tsugumi asked fearfully, Higoromo answered in a soft voice. ¡°As far as the government knows, some kind of magical experiments were being conducted at the religious organization, ¡®The Star of Dawn¡¯. Shikabane Sakura, who was 14 years old at the time, had replaced her parents, who had stopped showing up in public, as the head of the organization. She is considered, based on circumstantial evidence, to be a key witness in the outbreak of the great fire. ¡­Considering her age, it¡¯s obvious that an adult was pulling strings from behind the scenes.¡± As Higoromo told him to read the documents smoothly, Tsugumi raised his voice impatiently. The sheer volume of information was confusing, but there was one word that he couldn¡¯t miss. ¡°The reason for that big fire is Sakura-oneechan? ¡­That can¡¯t be true.¡± The white girl behind Tsugumi¡¯s eyelids ¨C Sakura-oneechan was full of compassion. She couldn¡¯t be associated with dangerous research that could destroy a single city. ¡°But that is the government¡¯s insight. I can only speculate now that everything has burned down, but given the circumstances, there is no doubt that the Shikabane girl was involved in that big fire. ¡­That¡¯s why I said you would be shocked.¡± ¨CEverything burned. Tsugumi¡¯s eyes fell to the ground as he realized the meaning of those words. ¡°¡­What happened to Sakura-oneechan after that big fire?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t track her down after that, and the place she was at is the fire ¨C or rather, the hypocenter. Not a body has been found, but at the rate the fire was going, she would have been burned to death. It would be wise to assume that she did not survive. I¡¯m curious as to why you and your sister survived unscathed, but let¡¯s talk about that next time. It¡¯s going to take a long time.¡± After saying that, Higoromo slowly began to put away the papers on the table. It looked like he was getting ready to go home. ¡°Wa-wait a minute. I still have questions to ask¡­!¡± What exactly caused the great fire? Had they found the photo of Chidori, rather than Tsugumi? There were still many questions to be asked. When Tsugumi said in a frantic voice, Higoromo shook his head quietly to refuse. ¡°Don¡¯t be so hasty, the details are in that file. You can take a good look at it when you get home. In your current state of mind, any further explanation would be futile. Do you realize it yourself? You look pale, you know?¡± Higoromo said so, handing the file he had opened earlier to Tsugumi. As Tsugumi took it, he said as if biting down. ¡°Higoromo-san, but I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stop for today. I¡¯ll be ready for the next opportunity. ¨CHere is my personal contact information. Call me if anything happens.¡± Higoromo said this admonishingly, ripped open one of his black leather notebooks and wrote a phone number in it without hesitation. He smiled as she held it out to Tsugumi, along with the file he had just received. ¡°And if you remember anything about your past memories, contact me first. It doesn¡¯t matter how trivial it is. ¨CThe file, by the way, can only be viewed by those who have signed the contract. It is unlikely to be stolen, but please be careful with it. Also, as I¡¯m sure you are aware, confidentiality must be maintained. Even if it is from your twin sister.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, understood.¡± Higoromo told him in a reminder and stood up from his chair with a clatter. ¡°I¡¯m warning you since you chose to be involved in the story of the big fire, you can never turn your back on the truth. And if the relationship between you and Shikabane Sakura becomes known, the people involved in the big fire may try to contact you. ¡­Be careful. The world is tougher than you think.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I will keep that in mind.¡± The fire left such a huge mark. If the world were to find out that Tsugumi and Chidori were involved in the fire ¨C and that they were on the perpetrators¡¯ side ¨C that alone would make it impossible for them to lead a serious life. To be frank, there were very few people who knew what was going on and still care about them as much as Higoromo did. ¡°Higoromo-san.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¨CThank you for everything. Now I am finally ready to move on.¡± There were still many things he didn¡¯t know about Sakura-oneechan and the great fire. However, it was fortunate that an informant had come forward like this. When Tsugumi bowed deeply, Higoromo opened his mouth with a slightly awkward face. ¡°¡­If you find yourself in a situation you can¡¯t handle, consider relying not only on me but also on Yukino Shizuku. That might help you.¡± ¡°Yes, I would be grateful for your help then.¡± Higoromo then looked at his old watch and said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have other business to attend to. ¨CI will contact you soon. In the meantime, I suggest you get your mind in order.¡± After saying this, Higoromo opened the door of the private room and walked out. Tsugumi gripped his right hand tightly, staring at the closed door. The blood on the palm was slowly seeping out. ¡°¨CHigoromo-san was a good person. But that man still has a lot of things he¡¯s hiding. It¡¯s surely not written in the file he gave me.¡± Saying so, Tsugumi let out a big sigh. Perhaps Higoromo, who had heard about Tsugumi from a relative ¨C Suzune ¨C felt sympathy for Tsugumi. Otherwise, he would not have bothered to register a small boy who did not have much information as a collaborator. He should be grateful for the information given to him. ¡°¡­The road is a long one.¡± Tsugumi muttered. Slowly, he stood up and stretched. The knots ached because of the tension. ¡°I¡¯m hungry, so maybe I¡¯ll eat somewhere before heading home. It¡¯s going to be expensive here. ¡­I¡¯ll look at this file when I get home. I¡¯d like to hear what Bell-sama has to say.¡± Saying so, Tsugumi left the hotel¡¯s coffee shop with the file in his arms with care. His steps were heavier than usual. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô ¡°Are you glad? You don¡¯t have to ask that child about Hagakure Sakura.¡± As Higoromo walked alone out of the hotel and through the hydrangea garden, such voices rained down from above his head. ¡°I don¡¯t need to ask that. Besides, the great fire I¡¯m looking into has nothing to do with the Magical Girl called Hagakure Sakura. Then it¡¯s fine to leave it alone. ¡­If he wants to hide it, it¡¯s kindness to keep quiet about it.¡± When Higoromo replied in a discouraged manner, the voice above his head chuckled. ¡°Hahaha! I knew you noticed that child is Hagakure Sakura! By the way, since when did you notice?¡± At the question from such a joyful voice, Higoromo opened his mouth in a troubled manner. ¡°I became convinced after Nagisa told me about Hitsugi. ¨COn the day Hitsugi went out of control, Hagakure was originally supposed to be off duty. And yet, she rushed to the scene before anyone else. The only person other than me who was told by Nagisa about the black threads entangled in Hitsugi¨Cthe prophecy of death¨Cwas that one person, Nanase Tsugumi. There are many other reasons, but all of them point to him being Hagakure Sakura. ¡­I mean, if they look that much alike, there¡¯s no doubt about it, right?¡± ¡°Oh well. It¡¯s funny how he¡¯s so stuffy, just like that arrogant Lord of the Flies.¡± ¡°¡­Do have a grudge against his contract God?¡± ¡°You see, I don¡¯t really like flies because I have this image of them carrying plagues.¡± ¡°You¡¯re also an unreasonable guy¡­¡± Nasatya, wearing what looked like a small white robe, said such things while flitting around Higoromo. If Bell had been here, she would have been furious. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. ¨Cbut you didn¡¯t tell him.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The results of the DNA test on that child¡¯s twin sister¨CNanase Chidori. Everyone was surprised by the results, right? You should have told him.¡± Nasatya told him with a smirk, and Higoromo gave him a glaring look. ¡°¡­It would still be terrible to tell him about this. And what kind of face should I have made when I told him? ¨CI¡¯m not sure how I could have said that your adored twin sister is a stranger, not even related to you by blood. On top of that, the result is beyond my control¡­¡± ¨CIn the pouring rain. Higoromo picked up the documents he had secretly pulled out of the file he had given to Tsugumi and let out a loud sigh. The document had this written on it. Nanase Chidori DNA Test result. Nanase Tsugumi (younger brother) ¨C no blood relation. Nanase Yozuru (foster father) ¨C related by blood. Possible close blood relatives Sakura Akane. Higoromo stared at the document in annoyance, then rolled it up into a mess and shoved it into his bag with frustration. ¡°¡­ That Toono bastard, instead of investigating the great fire, she¡¯s forcing us to deal with a ridiculous trouble.¡± Higoromo said this as if to throw up, and with a loud sigh, he began to walk along the path where hydrangeas spread out. ¨CThe rain isn¡¯t about to stop yet. CH 89 Blindfolds and Suspicion Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani The file given to him by Higoromo contained detailed information about the great fire. Starting from the scale of damage, the final number of deaths, speculatively the cause of the fire. ¨CIn conclusion, the government had determined that the fire was a kind of man-made disaster. The source of the fire was a religious institution, ¡°The Star of Dawn,¡±, which was the base of operations of a group whose leader was a 14-year-old girl. The reason for its founding was to ease the suffering of victims of Demonic Beasts through the prayers of a priestess who could hear the voice of God. Most of its followers were people whose family members or loved ones had lost their lives in a Demonic Beasts attack, but no particularly malicious damage had been confirmed. Unlike the dubious reason for its founding, the activities themselves were relatively straightforward as a religion, as they simply prayed sincerely and did not ask for excessive amounts of money or goods. However, despite the solid operation, there were records that some believers were acting strangely behind the scenes. Among the believers, there were a lot of occult researchers and former government officials who had quit due to mental illness. Higoromo¡¯s findings, which were handwritten in the middle of the document, suggest that these people might have manipulated the girl who was the head of the church to conduct research on Demonic Beasts with the help of the entire organization. Since there were almost no survivors at that time ¨C many of the followers died in the great fire, and even those who were lucky enough to escape the disaster died of an unknown illness within a few months ¨C the actual condition of the Star of Dawn was not known, but one thing was certain. In the memoirs of believers who happened to have remained unburned, an extraordinary fact was discovered. ¨CThey were trying to control the Demonic Beasts with human hands. ¡°At last we have found a way to control the dimensional rift. All that remains is to prepare to receive the Gods as the Miko instructed. ¨CAh, at last mankind can overcome the Demonic Beasts. In order to prevent any more victims like my wife, we must make sure that this ritual is a success. Yes, absolutely.¡± At the end of such a disturbing notation, the memoir was interrupted. Some of the believers were trying to summon some kind of [God] through Miko¡¯s oracle. ¨CBell¡¯s earlier guess was still correct. They were trying to ¡°bring down the Gods¡±. Tsugumi, who was involved with Gods in some small way, understood how reckless it was. ¨CFrom the beginning, the human race couldn¡¯t control Gods. Just what exactly was the ¡°control of Demonic Beasts¡± they were researching. He was curious, but there was no further information in the file. Then, as Tsugumi rolled up the file with a difficult look, Bell nodded her head in agreement and opened her mouth. ¡°I see. No wonder it smells so bad around there.¡± ¡°Eh, what?¡± When Tsugumi asked back, Bell began to talk uncomfortably. ¡°I had forgotten to tell you because it was so repulsive, but after I heard your story earlier, I was intrigued and went to the closed area you mentioned. But it smelled so bad there. If the fallen God descended on that place, then that smell is understandable. And with a disaster of that magnitude, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if it swallowed up a city or two. They did a foolish thing.¡± To Bell who said this in an exasperated tone, Tsugumi opened his mouth, troubled. ¡°I understand how they feel, though. If humans could completely control Demonic Beasts, the damage done to people could be reduced considerably. It sounds like a dream come true. ¡­Though, in the end, it seems to have failed.¡± -At least they were convinced of the success. But the result was too ruthless. As a consequence of irresponsibly reaching out to God, many lives were lost and the land died. It was most irredeemable that they had no ill will whatsoever. They must have been trying to control the Demonic Beasts with good intentions. ¨CSo that there would be no more sad victims like themselves. ¨CBut it wasn¡¯t the real problem for Tsugumi. If all this data was correct, then ¡°Sakura-oneechan¡± was a terrible sinner. In other words, her supposed brother, Tsugumi ¨C was a person on the perpetrator¡¯s side. Maybe this was what Higoromo was talking about when he said he would be shocked. It would be a lie if he said he didn¡¯t think it would have been better not to know. But he couldn¡¯t keep running away from the past forever. If this was the truth, he had no choice but to silently accept it. As Tsugumi raised his eyebrows, Bell laughed, as if she could see right through his thoughts. ¡°Hmm, you seem to have been born under a very nasty star. The people involved are almost all dead, but it doesn¡¯t mean that there isn¡¯t someone who knows about you. You¡¯d better watch out for blackmail at best.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Tsugumi replied with a grimace and let out a loud sigh. Regardless of Tsugumi¡¯s situation, the problem was with Chidori. As far as he could tell from the material in the file, there was no confirmed sighting of a girl resembling Chidori among the Star of Dawn. Was it more importantly hidden ¨C or did it not exist from the beginning? Tsugumi was afraid to know the answer to those two choices. ¡°But then again, your sister ¨C the contractor of the white rabbit ¨C is never confirmed. There are no traces of her being there, no photographs or testimonies. Why don¡¯t you just admit it? You really know what¡¯s really going on-¡° ¡°Shut up. Saying anything more, even if it¡¯s Bell-sama, is unacceptable. ¡­Please, don¡¯t say anything.¡± Saying this in a voice that stifled his emotions, Tsugumi held his chest with a trembling hand. He suppressed his agitation by feeling the pain of his clawing nails. Tsugumi did not doubt that Nanase Chidori was his sister. But the mounting evidence refuted that notion. As if to mock Tsugumi¡¯s naive thinking. ¨CWould it still be an escape if he didn¡¯t want to be given an answer? Even though they were twins, as long as they were separate human beings, he knew they would part ways at some point. But it was never this way. Therefore Tsugumi pretended not to notice without clear evidence. He hid his eyes, covered his ears, and abandoned his thoughts. ¨CBecause if he didn¡¯t, the soft parts of his heart would break. Bell stared at Tsugumi as if looking at a troublesome object and then let out a sigh. ¡°The creature known as a human being is truly incomprehensible. Even if the problem is postponed, the result will not change.¡± ¡°Unlike Bell-sama, human beings are weak. I am no exception. ¡­I just need a little bit more time.¡± ¨CI am much more afraid of being hated by Chidori than I am of taking on a Demonic Beast or appearing in front of the great government. Because the center of Tsugumi¡¯s world was always a girl named Chidori. Then casting his eyes down, as if trying to bear something, he heard a tinkling sound like the ringing of a bell. ¨CIt was the ringing of a government-issued terminal. ¡°An emergency call? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°You¡¯re off duty today. Ignore it. They¡¯ll take advantage of you if you¡¯re too nice to them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how it works. Um, the call is¡­¡± Tsugumi, calming down Bell who made a disgusted face, picked up the ringing terminal and, after a proper transformation, began the call. ¡°Yes, this is Hagakure.¡± ¡°Oh, thank goodness you picked up. It¡¯s Inaba from the Demon Beast Countermeasure Headquarters. I¡¯m sorry to bother you on your day off, Hagakure-san.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but what¡¯s going on?¡± When Tsugumi asked back, he felt tension over the phone. In a calm and quiet voice, Inaba cut in. ¡°In an hour from now, a B-class equivalent Irregularity is predicted to appear on Itsukushima Island in Hiroshima. ¨CAs the head of Demonic Beast Countermeasure Headquarters, I am requesting your help. Please, Hagakure-san. Could you please head for Itsukushima?¡± CH 90 The Goddess'' Arrogance Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¡°Are you asking me? I remember that Suzushiro-san, Hyuga-san, and Agatsuma-san are supposed to be in the government today¡­¡± It varied from day to day, but there should always be about three members of Jukka waiting in the government at any given time. Since there was no big news today, Tsugumi couldn¡¯t figure out why those three were unavailable. ¡°¡­Hagakure-san, do you know that there are three Goddesses on Itsukushima?¡± When Inaba asked him that, Tsugumi thought of the three Goddesses of Munakata. The three Goddesses were born from the sword that Amaterasu and Susanoo chewed up when they made a pact. ¡°Yes. You mean the Goddess who was born in the process of the oath between Amaterasu and Susanoo, don¡¯t you? What about it?¡± When Tsugumi asked her that, Inaba said in a terribly apologetic voice. ¡°I contacted the people at Itsukushima about this incident, and they told me that they had received an oracle from these Goddesses. They said, ¡®No matter how necessary it may be, we can¡¯t stand for Itsukushima to be overrun by Miko who serve the Gods of an outer land¡¯. ¡­As a compromise, they are willing to accept a Magical Girl who has a contract with a high-ranking God. I checked with the Ministry of Divine Worship and they said that the only people in Jukka who can meet that requirement are Toono-san and Hagakure-san¡­¡± ¨CIn other words, was it correct to interpret that as the three Munakata Goddesses descending on this world making reckless demands of the government? ¡­He heard that Gods with strong power often made troublesome requests to the government, but that seemed overkill. ¡°¡­As I recall, Toono-san, said that today and tomorrow are festivals.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. We, the Demonic Beast Countermeasure Headquarters, were thinking of refusing such a joke of a request, but there was an order from the upper management, so we have no choice but to contact Hagakure-san. What do you think? I would be happy if Hagakure-san would consider it, though I don¡¯t say it¡¯s unreasonable.¡± Listening to the story, it seemed Inaba was unwilling to make this request. The upper management of the government might not have wanted to offend the three Goddesses, who were Gods related to Amaterasu. He understood their feelings but it was a nuisance to those involved. ¨CWell, what should I do? If it was not compulsory, it would have been fine to refuse. From the looks of it, there seemed to be no particular penalty for refusing. Thinking about this, he looked at Bell, who was listening to the conversation beside him, and she clicked her tongue, not even hiding her displeasure. ¡°The Goddess associated with Amaterasu? It seems that they are taking advantage of the tiger¡¯s authority. Perhaps they will wake up once their roost is destroyed to shreds by the Demonic Beasts?¡± But, Bell continued. ¡°This time, accept the request. I guess I¡¯ll have to show these puny little shits how different they are from the rest of us.¡± Bell ordered Tsugumi with a grin. ¡­He sensed something disturbing, but there was no reason to disobey Bell, so Tsugumi slowly shook his head. Then he exhaled a deep breath and addressed the terminal in a firm voice. ¡°Inaba-san. I¡¯m going to accept your request. ¨CIt seems that my God is very much in favor of it.¡± ¡°Really?! Thank you, I will send you the coordinate as soon as possible. I would appreciate it if you could come immediately. By rule, we will send someone from Jukka as a backup, but please don¡¯t worry, we are not doubting Hagakure-san¡¯s ability. And¨C¡° Inaba thanked him for his reassurance, explained the personnel and support that would be meeting him there, and hung up the call. Tsugumi put down the terminal, which had lost its light, and scratched his head with his left hand. He didn¡¯t know how to put it, but it felt like he was getting himself into a lot of trouble. ¡°But then again, it¡¯s a B-class Irregularity. ¡­ I have to be careful.¡± There were examples like Radon, an A-class Irregular, and there was also the B-class Irregular that had taken over Hitsugi¡¯s body. He didn¡¯t know what characteristics the Irregular had this time, but he shouldn¡¯t let his guard down. In the past few months since he started going to the government as a Jukka, he had fought strong Demonic Beasts in the simulator many times. He¡¯d gained some confidence after having gone through a certain amount of battle patterns, but he was still worried. ¨CHowever, Bell didn¡¯t seem to hesitate and tell him to fight. Because she believed that he could win. He had to answer that trust. ¡°Tsugumi. You go to Itsukushima first. I have some business to attend to. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be there later.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, but what are you going to do?¡± When Tsugumi asked curiously, Bell wagged her tail in a good mood and said in a sing-song voice. ¡°I¡¯m just going to do a little negotiating with the three-legged raven. Look forward to it.¡± ¡ô¡ô¡ô ¨CThirty minutes after Inaba¡¯s call. Tsugumi, now transforming into a Magical Girl, was looking out over Hiroshima Bay from the worship hall of the shrine on Itsukushima. The residents and most of the tourists had evacuated the island by temporary ferry, and there was no one around the shrine, which was the predicted area where the Demonic Beast would appear, except for Tsugumi. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know how she got permission for that.¡± Tsugumi sighed and rubbed his hands together. The red torii stood offshore of the shrine grounds. He was standing next to it. There was a black leopard, ten times the size of the main gate, with six transparent wings like dragonflies on its back. On its head, it held a crown formed of flames, and its golden eyes were sharp as if they pierced everything. The terrifying creature stared at the place where Tsugumi ¨C Itsukushima Shrine ¨C was with a low roar. ¡°It¡¯s really scary. I can feel the intimidation that pierces my skin even here¡­¡± The massive divine authority that gave goosebumps and the water surface that rippled around Bell in proportion to her. Bell¡¯s appearance was just like the mythical Demon (God). Tsugumi that had contracted with Bell only got goosebumps, but those who had this hostility directed straight at them wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it. ¨CAfter parting with Tsugumi, Bell negotiated with Yatagarasu, Amaterasu¡¯s follower in the government, and obtained permission for the temporary release of God¡¯s authority. This included an aspect of punishment for the outburst of the three Goddesses who borrowed Amaterasu¡¯s authority. The fact that the permission was granted relatively easily was probably because Yatagarasu had his own reasons for doing so. Although there were some restrictions, Bell was standing next to the torii gate in a barely reinforced state that did not affect the barrier. If a human were to see this figure, confusion would be inevitable, so only those with a certain level of aptitude could see it, but anyone with good instincts would know that something terrible was coming down to earth, even if they couldn¡¯t see it. And even the Gods here were no exception. Tsugumi was sensitive to the frightening presence in the main shrine at his back. The three Munakata Goddesses were Gods who governed roads and navigation and had nothing to do with conflicts. He guessed they weren¡¯t compatible with the raging God of Storms¨CBell. ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t really matter to us, humans. God has God¡¯s reasons. ¡­But you shouldn¡¯t overdo it. I¡¯ll make sure to mention it to Bell-sama later.¡± As if to admonish him, Tsugumi looked up at the rainy sky. The sun was peeking through lightly, and a rainbow could be seen in the distance. The government personnel and the backup Magical Girl ¨C Hyuga ¨C were waiting at a nearby port and would respond immediately if Tsugumi lost. -The relationship between Hyuga and ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡± had improved a lot compared to before. Perhaps it had something to do with the retirement of the Magical Girl they had been close to ¨C Hitsugi. Although there were times when she got sarcastic, it was only to hide her embarrassment and it didn¡¯t bother him. They had become so close that government officials and other Magical Girls had heard rumors that ¡°Hyuga-san has become much more mature.¡± When she went to greet Hyuga before leaving for Itsukushima, she choked up at him for going out on an off-day, but also expressed her concern for Tsugumi. Hyuga might be worried about Tsugumi in her own way. ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡± was blessed. The government officials were all friendly, and there was much less scrutiny from other Magical Girls than he had expected. The people at Jukka, who dared to reduce interaction with people, were not afraid to talk to Tsugumi. Each time they did, a warm feeling gradually spread through his chest. It was both comforting and unsettling. ¨CIt felt like he had a lot more to carry than he did when he had fought Radon before. In the past, as long as Chidori was happy, that was all that mattered. Whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, Tsugumi couldn¡¯t decide. But¨C ¡°¡­Let¡¯s do our best. Because all I can do now is to survive.¡± With that determination, Tsugumi looked up at the sky. ¨CThe rainbow had already disappeared. CH 91 Shapeshifter Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CThe time has come. The view swayed and the scenery reversed. Watching the barriers being put up all over the area, Tsugumi let out a small breath and looked in the direction of the Demonic Beast¡¯s presence¨Cthe sky above the five-story pagoda. There was a black crack in the sky, and something was slowly falling through the crack. ¡°¨CIs that a black fox?¡± He muttered to himself, squinting. A black fox-like Demonic Beast floated in the air, swaying in the wind. Its tail was branched into many branches, and it was filled with a sense of disaster. The black fox landed on the roof of the tower, took one look at them, and spun around on the roof. At that moment, the fox¡¯s body was enveloped in a smoke-like black shadow. ¨CSome kind of attack is coming. Tsugumi braced himself for an attack of some kind, but what leaped out of the shadow was unexpected. A huge body over three meters long, with rough, hard-looking hair. A creature with large fangs that could be called a deadly weapon. ¨COver there was a big black boar. If he were to compare its strength, he would say that it was about the size of the D-class Boar. Despite the feeling of being out of sync, Tsugumi was on guard and ready for battle. ¡°¡­I guess it¡¯s weaker than what I expected of a B-class Demonic Beast. Well, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Fortunately, he didn¡¯t feel a strong force from the Boar. Judging so, Tsugumi approached the Boar, which was running down the red five-story pagoda while destroying it, through transportation, stretching out his threads as if to entangle it, and deftly sliced its body into small pieces. He was bewildered by how easily it happened, but for some reason, he had a bad feeling about it and distanced himself backward. Then the body of the boar, which was spewing blood, melted away. The pieces of the boar¡¯s flesh and blood turned black and gained mass, forming a new shape. ¡°I see. ¡­This looks bad.¡± A four-meter-tall mantis stood in front of Tsugumi, holding a sickle in its hand. The body of the big boar had changed. Apparently, this time the Demonic Beast had the ability to transform. ¨CThis may last for a while. Thinking so, Tsugumi readied his threads. ¡ô¡ô¡ô Starting with the Boar, then the Mantis, Gargoyle, Manticore, Wyvern, and other somewhat familiar Demonic Beasts appeared one after another, but Tsugumi cut them as if he were performing a monotonous task. He tried to attack when the black shadow was changing the shape of its body, but the thread just slipped through the shadow and did not seem to do any particular damage. Apparently, the attack couldn¡¯t go through until the transformation was complete. ¡­And, as he had suspected, it seemed that this Demonic Beast was imitating the form of an opponent Tsugumi had fought or encountered before. The techniques that the transformed Demonic Beast performed were almost exactly the same as the ones that he remembered. The tricks were uselessly detailed, as it purposely changed its appearance in order of class. If the transformation targets included virtual battles in the simulator, then after this, he would have to deal with dozens of A-class Demonic Beasts. And if he continued to defeat them in this order, he would end up with the Irregularity he once fought to the death ¨C Radon. The current Tsugumi was confident that he could win even against that Radon if he was in perfect condition, but after a series of battles with other A-classes, he didn¡¯t think his physical strength and divine power would be enough. With this concern in mind, Tsugumi felt the shadow of the Demonic Beast waver a little as he defeated the Demonic Beast that had transformed into its new form. Observing it from a distance, it seemed that when it exceeded a certain size, it lost its shape from there. This was just a speculation, but that black fox might not be able to transform into something that large. Thinking that made him feel a little better. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then it shouldn¡¯t be able to transform to most of the A-class and B-class because of the oversize. ¡­I may be able to handle this.¡± He muttered quietly and exhaled a little. Besides, the grade of this Demonic Beast¨Cthe Black Fox¨Cwas B-class, according to information from the government. No matter how strong this Demonic Beast was, it had limited resources of power. If it continued to use its power through transformation, there was a high possibility that it wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain its body and would disappear. ¨CIn other words, this was an endurance battle. Would Tsugumi fall first, or would the Demonic Beast run out of power first? It was a life-threatening chicken race. Tsugumi considered the pacing as well as the number and size of the Demonic Beasts that he had fought in the past and those he had fought in the simulator. There must have been some small A-class Demonic Beasts among the ones he fought in the simulator, but even in this series of battles, he had no intention of losing to a foe he had fought once. After deciding on a strategy, Tsugumi suppressed the number of transports and used his thread manipulation skills as much as possible to defeat the Demonic Beasts. Fortunately, the island of Itsukushima had many obstructions. It was the perfect place to conserve strength. ¡­Whenever a part of the shrine or the landscape of the city was destroyed, it felt like he could hear a woman¡¯s scream, but he didn¡¯t feel any particular sign of people, so he supposed he¡¯d lose if he paid attention to it. When the barrier was successfully lifted, things would return to normal, so if possible, please overlook this vandalism. ¡°This is the hundredth body! Ah, it¡¯s already pitch black outside¡­¡± Gasping for breath, he cut up the Black Fox that had transformed into an A-class Demonic Beast. The sun was setting and the visibility was getting worse, but it wasn¡¯t a problem because he knew where the Demonic Beast was through the threads he had stretched out. Fortunately, probably because of a problem with the original grade, the Black Fox did not seem to be able to fully reproduce its abilities even if it transformed into an A-class Demonic Beast. A good example would be the Minotaur. The Black Fox could reproduce the partial transport of limbs and darkening, but it couldn¡¯t create that huge labyrinth on the island of Itsukushima. The A-class, lacking in ability, was no match for the current Tsugumi. ¨CIt should be the end of the Demonic Beast¡¯s transformation, but would it really be the end? He had some power left just in case, but as long as he couldn¡¯t find a clear way to defeat it, he had no choice but to continue this endurance battle. ¡°¡­What do you think, Bell-sama?¡± As the Demonic Beast was transforming ¨C in between fights, Tsugumi asked Bell. Bell, who had reverted from her black leopard form back to that of a cat, squinted as she sat on Tsugumi¡¯s shoulder and said. ¡°Perhaps you are not wrong. The Fox is definitely weaker than it was at first. Really, thinking about its rationality, it would have been more meaningful to increase the reproducibility of A-class rather than playing by the numbers. What an idiot.¡± ¡°That would put a lot of strain on me. ¡­I don¡¯t like the idea of fighting a well-prepared A-class enemy over and over again.¡± He knew that monotonous endurance fights were boring to watch, but please stop trying to increase the difficulty. The mass of black shadows wriggled to change shape, undulating and crawling on the ground. ¡­It was a sight that gave him goosebumps, but there was no point in attacking it when it was in this state, so he had to keep quiet and watch. Just as Tsugumi began to wonder if it had finally run out of things to transform into, he felt a sharp pain in his cheek. ¡°Kuh! What the hell is that!?¡± He took a distance and looked at the spot where he was standing just a moment ago. The box was about the size of a baseball. The shape of the box gave him a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, and he reflexively shifted to higher ground, away from the box. ¨CA moment later, a cloud of dust rose from where he had just been. No, that was a tornado. The veil of sand that blew like a storm gradually faded away, and when Tsugumi recognized the black shadow, he clicked his tongue, unable to hide his irritation. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. ¡­Of all the people to turn into that person¡­¡± ¨CThe shadow that appeared was humanoid. She had a slender back and straight hair. Her face was obscured by shadows, but Tsugumi knew that resolute stance. He suppressed the urge of anger that welled up and positioned himself to run at a moment¡¯s notice. This was not a matter of forgiveness. Tsugumi glared at the Demonic Beast with a clear intent to kill. ¡°¨CDon¡¯t you dare to humiliate Hitsugi-san any more than you already have, Demonic Beast.¡± The words were spoken as if to vent his anger, and the Demonic Beast that imitated Hitsugi Airi¡¯s appearance was sneering like the first quarter moon. CH 92 Fake Shadows Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani The spinning black boxes scraped away at the ground and buildings. Its power was incomparable to when they fought in the government. In other words, this ¡°Hitsugi Airi¡± might be closer to a state where she was operating at full specs as a Magical Girl, rather than a recreation of that day when her power was limited. Hitsugi Airi¡¯s original range of skill was about 300 meters. He didn¡¯t know to what extent this Demonic Beast was able to reproduce Hitsugi¡¯s ability, but at worst, it was better to think that he was dealing with Hitsugi herself. ¨CBut in terms of ability, the conditions were the same. Unlike that time when he was limited in his physical abilities and skills, the current Tsugumi was in perfect condition as a Magical Girl. He was getting a little tired from the series of games, but he still had no intention of losing. Flying, jumping, dodging, and ducking. Tsugumi didn¡¯t attack and tried to run away, watching the opponent. Hitsugi-shaped beast had a dome of boxes around it, which rotate at high speed to create a kind of impenetrable wall barrier. The threads extended for reconnaissance were immediately cut off by the box, and couldn¡¯t reach the Demonic Beast at the center. It might be possible to break through that wall by applying the remaining force to strengthen the thread. But even if he went at it head-on, the Demonic Beast would probably respond immediately. He might be able to cut off at least one of its limbs if he tried hard enough, but as long as the Demonic Beast had no intention of moving from that spot, there was no point in cutting off its mobility. The challenge was how to approach it without being noticed. In addition, it would be a mistake to damage Hitsugi more than necessary. He had no intention of going easy on it since it was a Demonic Beast, but he didn¡¯t want to make it look as miserable as possible. In addition, the scene of a Magical Girl hurting a human-shaped object might be a bit irritating to the public. In some cases, he might receive irrelevant criticism. ¡­It was really troublesome. While avoiding the attacks coming from all directions, Tsugumi let out a small sigh as he watched torn pieces of clothes fluttering. Any more than this would only waste his energy in vain. ¡­He felt reluctant but that method might be safe after all. Thinking about this, Tsugumi squinted at the domed wall where the Demonic Beast was. When exploring the situation inside, there was only one strategy that came to mind. Ignoring the element of luck and Tsugumi¡¯s personal feelings, it was the best plan he could come up with. Even if it failed, he could always come up with another plan. The first stage in this operation. It was no exaggeration to say that this operation was almost a success if the skill to avoid being noticed by the Demonic Beast ¨C Invisibility ¨C could be strengthened a little more than it was now. Tsugumi stared at his hands and muttered a few words. ¡°¡­If possible, don¡¯t eat too much.¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô The Demonic Beast, transformed into the figure of Hitsugi Airi, was laughing and waving its hands in a good mood inside the safe defensive wall. As if it was commanding a large audience. This Demonic Beast had the ability to interfere with the memories of people nearby and actually transform itself into the form of something it perceived as a threat. As a being, it could be described as a youkai that embodied the concept of transformation. In a sense, it was the worst match for Magical Girls, who had to deal with a multitude of monsters. ¨CThe ¡°Magical Girl¡± appearance was much easier to use than one might think. It took a lot of power to transform, but it was more than enough to make up for it. In fact, the Magical Girl who should have had the upper hand just a few minutes ago was just running around, unable to move her hands or feet in the face of this spinning box wall. It would only be a matter of time before that Magical Girl ran out of power. Thinking of this, the Demonic Beast chuckled. It knew that the Magical Girl had the ability to transport. This defensive wall was both a barrier to protect it and a trap to hunt her down. If she used the threads in this small space, she would surely be bathed in the Demonic Beast¡¯s blood. That was what the Demonic Beast wanted. The flesh and blood of this Demonic Beast, which specialized in transformation, was a deleterious drug for humans. If the blood of a Demonic Beast, which was constantly undergoing a dizzying transformation, came into contact with the skin, cell erosion would begin in that area, and eventually, the same deformity would be transformed. But that Magical Girl was very careful. She kept a certain distance from the Demonic Beast during the battle and did not try to touch the gushing blood. Though, judging from the way she ran away from the Demonic Beast, she was probably just a coward. The Demonic Beast that was thinking about this tilted its head at the feeling of strangeness outside. ¡°¨C??¡± ¨CWhere did that Magical Girl go? No sign of the Magical Girl could be sensed from around the box deployed outside the defensive wall. Did she escape to a place outside the range of its skill? Judging so, the Demonic Beast smiled in mockery at her foolish choice. ¨CThe more you waste your time, the more you will be at a disadvantage, Magical Girls ¨C the Gods they believed in ¨C would never allow them to run away in defeat. People who could do nothing but run away miserably and in vain would be cut down sooner or later. In fact, there had been many cases in the past of Magical Girls who ran for their lives, only to be abandoned by the Gods and die due to a lack of divine power. After all, Magical Girls were nothing more than sacrifices for the Gods to pass the time. In that case, it would not matter if they died as food for Demonic Beasts. But that was also another pleasure. It might not be a bad idea to destroy this area until the Magical Girl was abandoned by God and ran out of strength. And just as the Demonic Beast was momentarily distracted from its search for the Magical Girl, she arrived. ¡°¨CI¡¯ve got you.¡± The words were suddenly heard from behind the Demonic Beast. ¡°¨C?¡± The moment the impatient Demonic Beast tried to turn around, the girl¡¯s arm was put around the Demonic Beast¡¯s neck. It was the so-called headlock. The face that came close as if to embrace it was softly scented with the sweet smell of blood. ¨CI don¡¯t feel any sign of her. No matter how much she flew here through transportation, there was always a fluctuation in the air just before the transportation. It was hard to believe that the Demonic Beast hadn¡¯t noticed the discomfort. But the Magical Girl was already here. The contradiction delayed the Demonic Beast from taking action. The arm around its neck was tightened in a firm grip. ¡°Goodbye. ¨CI hope I never see you again.¡± The arm, which was filled with strength, tightened around the thin neck of the Hitsugi-shaped Demonic Beast. The Demonic Beast imitated the same physical structure as the thing it was transformed into, so if the breathing and blood flowed in the neck were stopped, just like a human, it wouldn¡¯t be able to move easily. As it was, the strength of the arm gradually increased, and finally, a gurgling dry sound echoed from the neck of the Demonic Beast. The eyes of the Demonic Beast flipped to the whites of its eyes, and the strength of its body was drained. Then the Demonic Beast fell head first to the ground. The bones in its neck were bent in an impossible direction, and some vital nerves inside were severed. ¨CThe body can¡¯t hold out much longer. The Demonic Beast, having decided so, tried with its last ounce of strength to attack the Magical Girl behind it, but there was already no one there. Apparently, she had evacuated from the area. That was smart of her. With her skill, she got to the back of the Demonic Beast without it noticing she was there, and then break its neck to kill it without getting blood on her hands. ¨CIt was as if she had known in advance the threat of Demonic Beast¡¯s blood. ¡­No, there was nothing to think about anymore. Losing was losing. Besides, it had used up most of its strength so it didn¡¯t think it could transform anymore. The moment the limp Demonic Beast tried to catch its breath, the closed memory of the Magical Girl, Tsugumi, poured into its mind. ¨CA woman standing at the center of an altar surrounded by red flames. The crumbling ceiling. The sound of a young child crying out. The bloodied and mutilated image of someone important. And the terrible enemy that continued to smolder in the back of his mind even after he had lost his memory. As if dragged along by these painful images, the body of the Demonic Beast was transformed. The body dissolved, slowly taking on a new shape. As if guided by something. ?¨CThen, proceed once more.>> Such a voice echoed in the head of the Demonic Beast. In pieces, the boxes surrounding the Demonic Beast fell to the ground. ¨CThen a black shadow in the shape of a girl slowly stood up in its place. CH 93 Unreasonable Flame Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani After breaking out of the wall, Tsugumi observed the place where the Demonic Beast had fallen from a remote perch. He broke its neck so that it could not act, but that would not have killed it instantly. Tsugumi supposed he should have just stopped it, but he was hesitant to spread blood all over that small space. ¨CBecause he felt something disgusting in the red and black blood of that Demonic Beast. Unfortunately, Tsugumi¡¯s intuition was often right. It was best to be wary of them. In addition to that, Hitsugi who fought Irregular last time was hijacked by a Demonic Beast that took over her consciousness because she inhaled a poisonous mist. Then, it would not be good to touch the bodily fluids of this Demonic Beast which was also an Irregular, would it? He thought so. But fortunately, Hagakure Sakura¡¯s combat uniform was not very revealing, and there were few places where his skin would come into direct contact with the Demonic Beast even if he attached himself with it. He broke its neck because it was the easiest thing to do. ¡­The appearance might have been a little shocking, but it was much better than being cut in half with a piece of thread. He paid some price to get through the Demonic Beast¡¯s defenses, but it was still a satisfactory result. ¡°¡­My neck is tingling. Maybe I should have cut it more cleanly.¡± With side hair blowing in the wind and hanging down over his face, Tsugumi tousled his hair that had been messed up around his shoulders. And the other hand touching his hair ¨C his left hand ¨C was stained with a considerable amount of blood, and looking at it closely, it appeared that several fingernails had been peeled off. A thread tied around the fingertip seemed to have stopped the bleeding, but the fresh scars on the white hand were painful to look at. ¡°¡­From the looks of it, it seems you¡¯ve managed to tame it somewhat.¡± Bell called out to Tsugumi, who was holding his hair down in an annoyed manner. She tilted her head at an angle and crossed her arms, giving off an aura of ¡°grumpy¡±. Watching Bell like this, Tsugumi chuckled a little. ¡°Well, it¡¯s better than before. It didn¡¯t even take my soul. ¨CAfter all, [Gluttony] skill is very powerful.¡± This injury was not inflicted by a Demonic Beast, but by Tsugumi himself, in order to be offered as a sacrifice for the [Gluttony]. Since the battle against Radon six months ago, Tsugumi had been banned by Bell from using the [Gluttony] skill except after the battle was over. But recently, Bell has had her own thoughts about the instantaneous enhancement of his abilities ¨C as long as the offering could easily be repaired, like hair, nails, a piece of skin, etc. Tsugumi himself had been feeling threatened by the existence of Irregulars and other Demonic Beasts, and he had been experimenting several times with the use of [Gluttony], thinking that the more cards he had, the better. Needless to say, what was strengthened by [Gluttony] this time was [Invisibility]. ¡°Invisibility¡± was a very effective ability to get close to the enemy and set traps, but it often did not work on high-class Demonic Beasts. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t able to erase elements that could be detected by Demonic Beasts other than his appearance and presence, such as spatial fluctuations. It was the same with this transforming Demonic Beast. It seemed that the Demonic Beast had a rough idea of Tsugumi¡¯s movements that were moving through the transportation. To fool its detection, it was necessary to enhance Invisibility. As for Tsugumi, he was prepared to have all the nails on both hands taken away by this strengthening, but fortunately, it was only half of his hair and three nails. This level of injury was not particularly problematic, as it was automatically repaired when the barrier was released. ¨CBut, I am really glad that I succeeded. No matter how much control he had gained, this [Gluttony] was still unstable and dangerous. He still remembered well when he had his limbs fed into the mouth of [Gluttony]. The pain as if half of his body was shredded, and the feeling of elation and bliss that overshadowed it. The fear of having his body eaten away mixed with the sensation of losing his soul made him feel as if his brain was melting. It was enough to make him want to give it all up. ¡­The payment was physical, but if he was not careful, he could end up surrendering his soul as well. It was the only thing he needed to avoid. Because Bell also knew its danger to Tsugumi, she had banned the use of [Gluttony] until now. ¡°The signs of the Demonic Beast are slowly fading. It¡¯s almost over¡± At Bell¡¯s words, Tsugumi gently patted his chest. The long hours of endurance had already exhausted his body. Perhaps because the end was like a kind of deception, there was a sense of indigestion, but if this was how it ended, he was fine with that. ¨CThe moment he thought of this, his instincts rang like a warning bell. Quickly, Tsugumi grabbed Bell¡¯s hand and moved to hide behind a tree in the distance. He caught his breath as he held his right hand over his heart, which was making a loud, banging sound. ¡°Hey, what are you doing all of a sudden? You normally wouldn¡¯t be allowed to touch me without my permission.¡± At the same moment as the irritated Bell complained to Tsugumi, the view below burst into life. The entire coastline where the shrine was located was covered in a cloud of dust and smoke, and nothing could be seen. A beat later, the sound of an explosion reached his ears. ¡°¡­.Bell-sama. Didn¡¯t it have no power left?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it¡¯s supposed to be¡­¡± Tsugumi stared at the center of the explosion¨Cwhere the Demonic Beast was supposed to be. In the darkness, a cloud of dust cleared with a rattling sound. What appeared there was a reddish-black flame. Or, to be more precise, a flame-like object was surrounding the humanoid monster. The humanoid was swaying unsteadily from side to side, lighting up its surroundings with flames that burned itself like a devil¡¯s fire. ¨CIt¡¯s wrong. That¡¯s not the same Demonic Beast I was fighting before. The presence of the Demonic Beast was so different that it made him think so. Whether in the form of the Boar or Hitsugi, the underlying atmosphere of black malice was the same. However, he could not read any malice from that fiery Demonic Beast. Only pure fearlessness swirled around it. It looked more like a Demonic Beast makeover rather than a simple transformation. While he was staring at the Demonic Beast that looked as small as a grain of rice, a red flame flickered in the back of his field of vision. Unintentionally, he took a few steps to the right as if to avoid the flames. It was almost an unconscious action. ¨CBut it turned out to be the difference between light and dark. Tsugumi stumbled over an exposed tree root and floundered on the spot. Just as he took his eyes off the Demonic Beast for a moment, a strong wind suddenly blew, and he was blown away by it. The wind-driven momentum rumbled and rolled over the mountainside, but he managed to catch himself. ¡°Kuh, what in the world¡­¡± Holding down his confused mind, Tsugumi stood up on the spot. The red blood flowed unceasingly from his forehead, which had been cut by a rock. He bent his head and glanced to the left, there was a deep gash, like a valley. Then he turned his gaze further up ¨C part of the mountain rising behind him was broken into five pieces. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± The shredded remains of the mountain collapsed like a rock avalanche, making a loud noise. He could feel his body shaking, even though he didn¡¯t want it to. If he had moved to the left at that time, he probably would have suffered the same fate as this mountain. -This thing might be more aggressive than Radon. Sweat broke out on his body with impatience and fear. Tsugumi didn¡¯t mean to underestimate the power of the Irregulars. He knew in the back of his mind that there was a possibility they could be revived like the Blue Ogre at the Amusement Park. However, he had not expected that the Demonic Beast would return in such a powerful form. Desperate, such a word came to his mind. ¨CHis condition was terrible. There was little divine power left. However, Tsugumi was stubborn. No matter how unreasonably strong the opponent was, he would never give up living. It was what he promised to God. With this resolve in his heart, Tsugumi quietly concentrated his spirit, spreading his thin threads over a wide area. Round two had begun. CH 94 Butterflies Flapping Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Tsugumi was running for cover in the city where debris was rolling, avoiding a sudden slash ¨C probably a large air blade attack. Apparently, the Demonic Beast had some sort of ability to detect Tsugumi¡¯s location. He glanced at the Demonic Beast from a distance and saw that it had the body of a woman. Considering its ability to manipulate the wind, he wasn¡¯t sure who it was, but it might be based on a Magical Girl. He couldn¡¯t judge the person¡¯s identity because the whole body of the Demonic Beast was covered with severe burns. The burns, which remain so raw that one wanted to turn away, were still spewing reddish-black blood and the smell of burnt flesh. To put it bluntly, it looked more horrifying than in a bad zombie movie. ¨CWhat in the world did this Demonic Beast recreate in the first place? The Demonic Beast only changed its form to opponents that Tsugumi had encountered. But the Demonic Beast¡¯s current form didn¡¯t meet that condition. There were two possibilities. Either that burned figure was an exception, or Tsugumi had forgotten that the woman existed. If it was the latter, then that woman was most likely involved in the great fire. He did want information, but it didn¡¯t have to be at this point in time. Apparently, he was abandoned by luck. Judging from the appearance, there didn¡¯t seem to be any possibility of it being ¡°Sakura-oneechan¡±, but that didn¡¯t help at all. ¨CWell. The current situation was not very good. He had no problem moving around, but his injuries were bad enough as it was. Since his divine power was about to run out, it was difficult to fight an endurance battle. In other words, he had no choice but to strike out, even if it was disadvantageous. The Demonic Beast¡¯s attacks were flashy, but its body itself didn¡¯t look very sturdy. As long as at least a single thread could reach it, he would have a chance to win. With this in mind, Tsugumi kept his eyes firmly fixed on the road ahead. The footsteps of the Demonic Beast, transmitted through the detection thread, were slowly but surely approaching. He wondered why the Demonic Beast, whose main weapon was a long-range attack, would approach, but he was grateful to know the direction of its behavior. ¡°Apparently, in addition to the ridiculously powerful slashes, there¡¯s also an invisible wind surrounding its body. The threads that I sneaked in got cut off. ¡­It¡¯s probably better than Hitsugi-san¡¯s box, but I don¡¯t think a simple attack will get through.¡± If what Hitsugi had was the boundary of the box, this one was truly the boundary of the wind. All the threads that tried to tie up the limbs were repelled by the wind, and they were flying empty in the air. ¡­Considering the added value of the invisible wall, the poor quality might not be so different. ¨CBut if he knew the direction it was coming, there weren¡¯t any limits to how much he could do. It was just like usual. Nothing changed. Just think it through and find the best move. Thinking about it, he gave a small smile. Despite the situation, Tsugumi¡¯s mind was terribly calm. ¡°All right, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll definitely survive.¡± ¡ô¡ô¡ô Bell stared at Tsugumi with a stern face from above, out of reach from Demonic Beast¡¯s attack. She was not offering any advice but was simply quietly looking down at the devastation spread out below. ¡°Hmm, I didn¡¯t expect this struggle against a B-class. ¡­He said he has a hand, but I doubt it.¡± Bell said irreverently with a hard expression. She knew that the opponent was an Irregularity, but she herself had forced him to fight. Perhaps she felt a little bit bad about that. Tsugumi on the ground was running to guide the Demonic Beast toward the coast, where there was the large torii gate. A town was more convenient than a mountain, that was too wide for his skills, but to be honest, the Goddess¡¯s ranting was too loud in that area, and Bell had no desire to go near it. No matter how much it would be repaired later, it must have been hard for them to bear the complete destruction of the place where they were enshrined. She could understand the feelings of the Goddesses, but their high-pitched voices were irritating. ¨CAnd yet, I¡¯ve seen that Demonic Beast somewhere. The face covered with burns was ugly and unbearable to look at, but with the eyes of a God, she could see some parts of the original face. The face had changed somewhat, and the air it wore was different, but there was a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu about the face. She didn¡¯t think that person was especially important, especially if she couldn¡¯t remember, but it still bothered her for some reason. ¡­After this battle was over, she¡¯d have a talk with Tsugumi. Thinking so, Bell let out a small breath. No matter how formidable the opponent, Bell never doubted Tsugumi¡¯s victory. ¨CIt was undeniable trust. Bell believed that Tsugumi would defeat the Demonic Beast and return to her. Tsugumi had reached the coast and was busily threading his way around, avoiding slashes by transporting. Finally, the Demonic Beast appeared under Tsugumi. When Tsugumi faced the Demonic Beast, it seemed to be looking around, checking the debris and the placement of trees. There was no sign of nervousness or fear in that situation. But for some reason, the Demonic Beast seemed to be acting strangely. The Demonic Beast, staring directly at Hagakure Sakura, tilted its head and shook its body like a puppet. The moment it stopped shaking, the demon fire surrounding it turned from red to black. ¡°Ah.¡± ¨CIt was a small voice. The voice was hoarse, coming from a burnt throat, and a rough, unpleasant sensation traced its way to his ears. ¡°Ah, Aaah.¡± ¡°Give, back.¡± ¡°Mine.¡± ¡°Give it back.¡± ¡°Why.¡± ¡°Unforgivable.¡± ¡°Definitely.¡± ¡°Hard.¡± ¡®Hard.¡± ¡°Hard.¡± ¡ª ¡°Kill you.¡± The sound of grudges, as if the lamentations of this world had been boiled down, echoed on the shore. The monster, scratching its scorched skin, glared at Tsugumi with a terrible look on its face. Although Tsugumi had a bewildered look, he did not let down his guard. The Demonic Beast raised its right hand. A moment later, a huge surge of power swirled around its arm. With a meaningless roar, a blade of wind swung down. Yes¨Ca slash so mighty that it ripped through the mountains. ¨CTsugumi smiled a little when he saw it. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve been waiting for that.¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô Tsugumi, feeling the oncoming slash of the wind on his skin, pulled the threads on his right hand. At the same time, the threads through the trees and debris sent Tsugumi¡¯s body flying to the side, just in time to avoid the slash. His clothes were slightly torn, but he had no time to worry about it. The slash split the beach and the sea at the edge of his vision, but while floating in the air, Tsugumi gently shook his left hand which was soaked with blood. At the same time, the threads that had been placed in the sand to surround the Demonic Beast appeared. ¨CThe reason why he didn¡¯t dare to use the transportation was to keep the threads connected. And to make this attack go smoothly. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you. You only lose the wind shield when you attack. ¨CCut them down, my blade! Eat it all up!¡± He spun around and bent his fingers. The beast¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, but it was too late. The threads around it were strengthened by the power he had at disposal, and it pounced on the Demonic Beast. At this point, no more measures were needed. He manipulated the threads to the limit of his brain¡¯s processing and drove the Demonic Beast into a corner. ¨CBut still, the last move is not enough. ¡°Kuh¡­! I don¡¯t have enough power, I¡¯m so close, but¡­!¡± The threads had already caught the Demonic Beast. The wind shields were no longer meaningful as long as he was in close contact with the Demonic Beast. The threads were barely able to penetrate the skin, but they weren¡¯t able to cut through the flesh. ¨CShould I use [Gluttony]? Such a thought came to his mind, but he bit his lip to deny it. Gluttony was both a trump card and a curse that ate him away. Using it further could eat up his soul as well. His limbs were already in shreds, and every muscle in his body was screaming. Several bones were probably broken. But he still didn¡¯t stop. His sweat flow like waterfalls. Just a little more, just a little more strengthening of the threads, and it would be over. But that step was too far away. As he clenched his teeth and struggled to control the threads, a drop of water splashed onto his foot. Perhaps a slash from a Demonic Beast caused the wave. When he turned his attention back to his wet feet, he noticed something. ¡°¡­Is my divine power recovering a little?¡± It was only a small amount, but the divine power within Tsugumi had been restored. Then he remembered something. Before the battle began, Bell had released her mighty power on the sea. So it was no surprise that some of Bell¡¯s power had dissolved in the sea. ¨CThere is no choice but to take a gamble. Tsugumi looked up with a start and ran into the sea. As if following his back, the Demonic Beast moved its sealed hand to launch a medium-sized attack, which he continued to avoid using only his senses. Then Tsugumi arrived at the edge of the beach¨Cin front of the torii gate, where the water had completely receded. ¡­If he was lucky, he might be able to recover enough divine power to strengthen the thread. But if this didn¡¯t work, he¡¯d have no choice but to resort to Gluttony, no matter how risky it got. For now, he could only pray. With snarling feelings, he dipped his feet into the seawater. ¨CThe water was filled with divine power as it slowly seeped into his body from the place where it touched him. The warmth of the water brought tears to his eyes. ¨CIt¡¯s amazing. God¡¯s action really has meaning. If Bell had not released her power on the sea at that time, Tsugumi wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything. He knew it was just a coincidence, but that was okay. Over and over again, Bell had saved his life. Even if she didn¡¯t mean to, she always rescued him from despair. Even now. That kind of Bell, Tsugumi loved it. ¡°Thank you, Bell-sama. ¨CBecause of you, I can still fight.¡± The threads connected to Tsugumi softly swayed and began to emit a shimmering golden light. The light reflected diffusely on the surface of the sea, creating a fantastic scene centered on Tsugumi. While managing to keep his thoughts from flying off the handle due to the sudden divine intoxication, Tsugumi unconsciously opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. ¨CIt looks like I won this time too.¡± Turning around with his back to the torii gate, Tsugumi extended his right hand straight to the Demonic Beast and traced its outline with his finger. ¨CHis fingers waved down like a conductor¡¯s. Lines of light ran in all directions, and golden threads tightened around the body of the Demonic Beast as if winding a screw. For some reason, the resentful expression on the Demonic Beast¡¯s face remained in his mind. Tsugumi kneeled on the spot, confirming the crumbling figure of the Demonic Beast in his dim vision. ¡°¡­.Perhaps not yet. Don¡¯t close your eyes.¡± Struggling to open his eyelids, which were getting heavier and heavier, Tsugumi clenched the fingers of his left hand, peeling off his fingernails. The blurred vision no longer made sense, but as long as the disappearance of the Demonic Beast had not been confirmed, he couldn¡¯t afford to lose consciousness yet. And so, as Tsugumi crouched on the beach, a small shadow appeared in front of him. ¡°¨CThat¡¯s enough, you have done well.¡± Bell, who had descended from the sky, said in a calm voice. ¡°Bell-sama. What about the Demonic Beast¡­?¡± ¡°The Demonic Beast is dead. The [Glutony] is eating the wreckage right now. ¨CHmm, you are always tattered.¡± Bell¡¯s usual hateful tone made Tsugumi smile, relieved. ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m trying my best, but I don¡¯t change.¡± Bell gently placed her hand on Tsugumi¡¯s head, replying in a breathless voice. ¡°¡­You can stay as you are. Please don¡¯t change. ¨CSleep now, my Miko. For the night is short.¡± With those last words, Tsugumi¡¯s consciousness fell completely into darkness. His sleeping face was peaceful, with a small smile on his face. ¨CThe battle had lasted a total of 15 hours. It was the moment the long battle was finally over. CH 95 Creeping Collapse Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani [Jukka] The dedicated thread for Hagakure Sakura [Tenth place] 1: Anonymous This is the general thread for A-class Magical Girl Hagakure Sakura. Please feel free to chat, discuss, etc. Live Broadcast 13:48 ¨C ¡°Class B: Shapeshifter?¡± http:****~ ~~~ 444 : Anonymous It¡¯s finally over¡­ 445 : Anonymous I¡¯m really glad that Hagakure-san is alive! 446 : Anonymous I¡¯ve been watching the live broadcast for a while, but I feel like my lifespan has been shortened. 447 : Anonymous I think it¡¯s a pretty close win this time, isn¡¯t it? The injuries are pretty bad, too. 448 : Anonymous The government says that that Demonic Beast is B-class, but no matter how you look at it that¡¯s a fake grade. If she were up against a proper B-class, she normally wouldn¡¯t end up in such a mess. 449 : Anonymous Poor Hagakure¡­ 450 : Anonymous Well, she peeled her own fingernails, though. 451 : Anonymous >>450 No more. I wish Hagakure-san would stop hurting herself so thoughtlessly¡­ 452 : Anonymous What is that big mouth, anyway? To be honest, it looks like some kind of evil god. 453 : Anonymous According to some research, it¡¯s a strengthening skill that is activated by offering sacrifices. Maybe the contract God is something like that. 454 : Anonymous Did Hagakure-san make a contract with an Outer God? Is she okay? 455 : Anonymous She seems happy in her own way, so it¡¯s all right. 456 : Anonymous Speaking of the contract God, Itsukushima Island seemed to have a very bad atmosphere before the battle started. A psychic friend of mine who lives in a place where he can see Itsukushima says that he saw a black haze around the torii gate. I contacted the government to be sure, and they told me that there was a small dispute between the Gods. Thinking of the time frame, this is about the Hagakure-san¡¯s contract God, right? 457 : Anonymous Such a level of influence on this world, that¡¯s a very strong God. Amazing. 458 : Anonymous That¡¯s of high rank, isn¡¯t it? Maybe that stress is the reason she eats so much¡­? 459 : Anonymous Hey, stop it. Don¡¯t add a sickly attribute to Hagakure-san¡¯s cute hobby. I¡¯ll be sad. 460 : Anonymous By the way, this battle was a bit of a compilation. Maybe it¡¯s inappropriate, but the scene where she instantly killed the Demonic Beast that she had struggled with before was really exciting. 461 : Anonymous Hagakure-san is so beautiful when she¡¯s fighting that it makes me sigh. The way she instantly carved up the Demonic Beast behind her with just the movement of her fingertips¡­She really has a way of fighting that is meant to attract people. 462 : Anonymous I really like the shining beach at the end. If I could find a picture of that one, I¡¯d buy it for a price. 463 : Anonymous >>462 I know what you mean. I thought it was a scene from a movie. 464 : Anonymous But if you think about it, it¡¯s a terrifying Demonic Beast. According to the study group, it¡¯s the embodiment of the Demonic Beasts you¡¯ve fought and the things that left a strong impression on you, right? If it were a veteran, it would probably be a dead end. 465 : Anonymous I heard that some of the stuff she fought in government simulators and things like that came out. 466 : Anonymous It¡¯s definitely trying to kill veterans. 467 : Anonymous So it just happens that Hagakure-san, who has a short history as a Magical Girl, was the best choice? 468 : Anonymous For that matter, what in the world is with Hitsugi and the grotesque woman who came out at the end? They¡¯re not Demonic Beasts by any stretch of the imagination. 469 : Anonymous As for Hitsugi, you know, Hagakure-san said in an interview before that she was referring to her fighting style, so I guess she watched the battle videos many times and it left an impression on her. I don¡¯t know about the burned woman. 470 : Anonymous Maybe there¡¯s some secret human-to-human combat training going on in the government. Seems like things are pretty dangerous in foreign countries these days. 471 : Anonymous Yeah, there¡¯s been more news about illegal immigration and requests from foreign countries to withdraw their isolation. They always come on to us when it¡¯s convenient. We¡¯ve got our hands full dealing with these monsters. 472 : Anonymous I don¡¯t know which one of us is in hell. 473 : Anonymous The last girl with the burns¡­Didn¡¯t she look somewhat like Sakura Akane? And the technique she used is the same as the wind system. 474 : Anonymous What? They don¡¯t look alike at all, idiot! 475 : Anonymous >>473 Shall I introduce you to a good doctor? 476 : Anonymous Let¡¯s not talk about this. Legendary topics have a high probability of getting rough. 477 : Anonymous Okay, I¡¯ll change the flow. This time, her clothes were torn pretty badly, but to be frank, it wasn¡¯t very erotic, was it? Tell me, big man. 478 : Anonymous Maybe because it was a bloody wreck? 479 : Anonymous To be honest, Hagakure-san looks sexier in a kimono with no exposure at all. 480 : Nameless people >>479 How much do you think it would cost to put her in it one more time? I wouldn¡¯t mind going broke if I could see it live. 481 : Anonymous I want to see her in a frilly dress. 482 : Anonymous Oh, is that the trend now? Then I¡¯ll¡ª- ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô Inside a building in the mountains, a man was stirring a bottle of sake. He must have been around 70 years old. His face was deeply wrinkled, and every strand of his hair was dyed white. However, his body was unusually well-trained. The muscles in his arms and legs were raised like the knots in a tree, giving a rough impression. And his moderately tanned skin seemed to show the man¡¯s health. A closer look inside the man¡¯s room revealed the remains of a television set and large objects smashed into the floor as if there had been a brawl. The floor was littered with furniture debris and there was no place to step in. The man drained his glass of sake and slammed it on the floor in frustration. The sound of glass shattering echoed through the room. ¨CAt that moment, a melody echoed from the telephone installed on the nearby wall. The man clicked his tongue, stood up, picked up the receiver roughly, and opened his mouth. ¡°Who is it? Except for urgent requirements, you¡¯ll have to wait until later.¡± ¡°Haha, you¡¯re as rough as I thought you¡¯d be. By the looks of it, maybe you¡¯ve already been roughed up?¡± The voice through the receiver said ridiculously. The man let out a sigh that reeked of alcohol and said in a grave voice. ¡°Asakura, huh? What do you want?¡± The caller ¨C Asakura began to speak in a light tone. ¡°I¡¯m just worried about you as a friend. You were probably watching the live broadcast of Hagakure Sakura, too, weren¡¯t you?¡± Asakura¡¯s words brought a wrinkle to the man¡¯s brow. ¡°¡­What about it?¡± ¡°I thought that the cruel sight of your cute daughter must have been unbearable for you.¡± ¨CThe man¡¯s mind at that moment flashed back to the image of a girl with burns collapsing. His hands trembled, not from alcohol, but from clear anger. While enduring nausea rising up from his chest, the man said as if to spit it out. ¡°Shut up, Asakura¡­! Do you want to be strangled to death, you bastard¡­!¡± The man¡¯s telephone receiver creaked. Asakura, who had strong anger directed at him over the receiver, said in dismay. ¡°Hah, this is why I have a problem with brains. ¨CSo, what are you going to do now, Nanase? In that state, I¡¯d say that Nanase Tsugumi had already put his hand on the door of his memory. It would not be surprising if Chidori would remember the old days, too, if there was a chance. The truth that you want to hide will be revealed in the near future.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s.¡± ¡°This is my advice not as a friend, but as an accomplice, Nanase.¡± Then Asakura said in an admonishing tone of voice. ¡°You should properly talk to the government about the truth behind Sakura Akane¡¯s death. Including the truth about your daughter who disappeared after she pretended to have a run-in with a Demonic Beast.¡± CH 96 Behind the Hero Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Sakura Akane was the name of a great hero who pioneered the Magical Girl movement. However, her background before she became a Magical Girl remained a mystery even now, more than 20 years after her death. ¨CThe reason for this was the paralysis of the administrative agencies at the time. Just around the time when Sakura Akane started her activities as a Magical Girl, there was an incident in which part of the administrative system was destroyed by a Demonic Beast attack, and the family registers of millions of people were lost. Taking advantage of the confusion, she abandoned her original name and began a new life under the name Sakura Akane. Even after the government recovered its functions and Sakura Akane became a hero, she stubbornly refused to talk about her past. She kept her mouth shut when asked about her family, her relatives, where she lived as a child, and the school she attended. By that time, the government had begun to have doubts about Sakura Akane¡¯s origins, but since she was a peerless hero, the matter was never mentioned. ¨CBut why did Sakura Akane hide her origins? The reason for this was probably to create a place to escape to in case of an emergency. Asakura spoke to Nanase on the phone in a quiet voice. ¡°I¡¯m sure it started out as an act of pure justice. She wanted to save those within her reach, so she took God¡¯s hand. She even went to the trouble of changing her face in a hallucination so as not to cause trouble for her family. If only I had realized it right then¡­ No, there¡¯s no point in saying that.¡± Asakura continued to Nanase who was silent. ¡°That child¨CShe took on her mother¡¯s maiden name, Sakura, and threw herself into the battle against the Demonic Beasts. ¡­Foryou, it must have been a hell of a time.¡± Listening to Asakura¡¯s words, Nanase recalled the events of thirty years ago. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô ¨COne day, Demonic Beasts suddenly appeared in the world and began to overrun everyday life. Many were optimistic at first, but it was not long before it turned into despair. People were on the run, their hearts were gradually breaking, and the atmosphere in Japan at that time was like the apocalypse. Some wealthy people were making plans to escape from the muddy boat-like Japan. Nanase was one of them. Nanase used all the connections and funds he had as a businessman and managed to obtain the right to travel to the United States. As Nanase was on his way back to his family to tell them the good news, he found out the true despair of his life. When Nanase returned home, the first thing she saw was her wife lying on the floor covered in blood and her daughter¡¯s room, which had been destroyed to the point of destruction. There was so much blood everywhere in the room that he could only assume that his daughter, Nanase Akane, had been eaten by a Demonic Beast. Having lost his beloved wife and daughter all at once, Nanase gave up the idea of going abroad. There was nothing left that he wanted to protect by fleeing abroad. Therefore, there was no need to flee abroad¨Che thought so. Eight years had passed since then. Nanase lived quietly in a village at the foot of a mountain, avoiding any contact with people. The world was in an uproar over the death of the hero, Sakura Akane, and even in the quiet village where Nanase lived, there were strong signs of turmoil and sadness in the air. In the midst of all this, Asakura and a woman came to visit Nanase, who had retreated to his house to escape from the troubles. The moment Nanase saw the young woman, his faded vision turned colorful, a sensation he would never forget. ¨CThe woman who had been brought to Nanase by Asakura ¨C a woman who looked so much like his late wife ¨C uttered the word ¡°father¡± in a trembling voice. The moment Nanase heard those words, he stood up unsteadily and walked toward the woman. Then he slowly stood in front of the woman and embraced her with trembling hands. ¨CNo matter how much time passed, there was no way he could have mistaken her for anyone else. His daughter¨CNanase Akane¨Chad not died. ¡°Ah, I am so glad you come back¡­!!¡± Nanase forgot the presence of Asakura by her side, clung to the woman ¨C her daughter, whom he had not seen in eight years, and began to cry. After the daughter, who began to cry as if being dragged along, fell asleep, Asakura, with a mysterious look on his face, began to tell the story of how she came to be. Ten days ago. Asakura apparently found her standing there, stunned, in front of Nanase¡¯s former home ¨C a place that Asakura, who now lived nearby, managed. Her appearance was so similar to Nanase¡¯s wife that he thought it was impossible and asked her about it. She told him in an anxious voice that she was the daughter who used to live here, and told him her name. Nanase Akane ¨C the name of her friend¡¯s child. Asakura took her into custody when she said she had nowhere to go, and after much discussion, he decided to bring her to the house where Nanase lived. ¡°¡­When I first found her, she was in really bad shape. There were chronic dark circles floating under her eyes and she didn¡¯t seem to have any life in her. It breaks my heart to think of her loneliness over the past eight years.¡± ¡°Loneliness?¡¡Do you have any idea what she¡¯s been through?¡± ¡°Only a little. Akane-kun told me about it. ¡­Don¡¯t be too surprised to hear this. For the past eight years, that girl has been on the front lines as a Magical Girl. Under the disguise of her own name, Sakura Akane.¡± ¡°Sakura Akane? What are you talking about, Asakura? That girl and Akane have completely different faces, don¡¯t they? Besides, Sakura Akane died just recently. Don¡¯t joke with me!¡± Nanase shouted angrily and Asakura shook his head. ¡°It seems that her face had been transformed into another human being with the help of God. Sakura Akane¡¯s martyrdom was faked with the help of the contract God. -In the first place, the premise is wrong, Nanase. Sakura Akane died, that¡¯s why she was able to come here.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°Sakura Akane was rightly a ¡®hero¡¯. If Sakura Akane, as a hero, made a move, she would surely somehow take care of the situation, no matter how difficult it might be. We unconsciously thought so. The adults around her ¨C the people in the government ¨C probably thought the same way. No matter where we were or what we did, that sign always followed us. ¡­They don¡¯t even know how cruel that is. ¨CIt¡¯s repulsive. That expectation is what drove that kid over the edge.¡± The name ¡°hero¡± was just a fancy name. People¡¯s pure expectations turned into a heavy responsibility and became an inescapable chain that wrapped around Sakura Akane. Therefore, there was no other way for Akane to escape but to kill Sakura Akane. Nanase trembled with disappointment at his own inability to notice anything, but Asakura admonished him, saying. ¡°What she needs now is love from her family and enough rest. You¡¯ve finally been reunited. I¡¯m going to have to go home. Even though it looks like this, I¡¯m busy.¡± Asakura then left, saying that he would come back again soon. ¨CAnd a few days after the reunion. Akane, her daughter, began to talk to Nanase about everything that had happened to her. When she almost died, she made a contract with God and became a Magical Girl. She told Nanase that Sakura Akane was the form she had transformed into. That she ran away from home out of regret for not being able to save her mother and hatred for Demonic Beasts. Akane said in tears that she had been unable to come forward all this time because she was afraid that her father, Nanase, would hate her. Holding his daughter¡¯s thin hand, Nanase made a strong decision. ¨CThis time, he would protect his child. Several years had passed since the reunion of father and daughter, and Akane, who was spending her days peacefully, met a young man who had come to the foot of the mountain to recuperate. Although physically weak, the young man was gentle and kind, and became irreplaceable support for the heartbroken Akane. As if guided by something, the two were united, and a girl was born to them ¨C Nanase¡¯s only granddaughter. ¨CI just thought this happiness would last forever. ¡­he was thinking like that. The collapse began with the sickly young man¡¯s death who died of a worsening disease he had suffered from for many years. His wife, Akane, and granddaughter, Chidori, who was six years old at the time, were sad and devastated. However, no matter how much they cried, the dead would not come back. They knew that better than anyone else. A few months after the death of the young man. Nanase made a proposal to the mother and daughter, whose wounds had not healed yet, in the hope of providing a distraction. ¡°I got a call from an acquaintance of mine that his company has built a new playground for children. It¡¯s a little far from here.¡± The mother and daughter nodded hesitantly at Nanase¡¯s invitation. Perhaps they somehow sensed that Nanase was concerned. -Nanase still deeply regretted this choice. The last time he saw that mother and daughter together was when they went out holding hands and smiling at each other. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡°After that, Chidori went missing for a while, and Akane¡¯s body was never found, but it is certain that she died in the great fire. ¨CYatagarasu came all the way to your place and told you that, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, yes. Yatagarasu left a final message.¡± With these words, Nanase recalled the words of the God who had descended before his eyes ten years ago. [Akane went to the source of the fire to retrieve her kidnapped daughter, and was killed by the ringleader. Your granddaughter is at the shelter. You should go pick her up. ¨CAnd as for your granddaughter and the child she is with, take care of them together if you can. But¨C] The three-legged black raven bent his neck and declared in a cold voice. ¡°[Don¡¯t pry. If you¡¯re not careful, you¡¯ll lose your life]. ¡­Yatagarasu told me this. I disobeyed him and hired a detective to investigate Tsugumi¡¯s background, but there wasn¡¯t much information. I wonder who he really is.¡± Nanase said bitterly, his face contorted in frustration. ¨CThe beloved granddaughter, who was contacted by Yatagarasu and reunited with him at the shelter, had forgotten everything about her grandfather, Nanase, and her mother. The only thing she remembered was her own name and her false brother. The false brother ¨C the unidentified child who called himself Tsugumi ¨C acted as if he had been Chidori¡¯s brother from the beginning, and stood next to her as if it was natural. ¡­Although he was told so by Yatagarasu, Nanase himself had no intention of taking in Tsugumi at first. But there was a reason why he couldn¡¯t do so. If he tried to separate them, one of them would start crying and out of control. For this reason, Nanase decided to take Tsugumi in with her, even though he didn¡¯t want to. ¡­Chidori seemed happy, it was the only saving grace. Later, when he looked into Tsugumi, Nanase found out that he was involved in no small way with the religious group at the center of the great fire ¨C the Star of Dawn. Considering his age, he might be more like a victim who got involved, but even so, just the fact that he was a member of the organization that caused his daughter¡¯s death didn¡¯t make him feel any less disgusted. Therefore, it could be said that his response to becoming cold was unavoidable. Nanase then took Chidori and Tsugumi to a villa in the city instead of the house at the foot of the mountain. In doing so, he made some changes to Chidori¡¯s family register, registering her as an unrelated person. This seemingly meaningless act had a good reason. ¨CIf by any chance the world discovered Sakura Akane¡¯s true identity, her whole life would be ruined. Nanase thought so. Nanase guessed that the reason Chidori was kidnapped at that time was because information about Sakura Akane and Nanase Akane had been leaked somewhere. Fortunately, the kidnappers seemed to have died in the great fire, but Asakura warned him to be careful. Nanase kept his distance from them, trying to avoid suspicion and to have a minimum of contact with them. While leaving basic care to the housekeeper, he used to check on them regularly when they were young, but lately, he had been away from them completely. ¡­It was because Chidori looked a lot like his daughter¨CAkane. Whenever she smiled with a face that looked so much like Akane¡¯s, regret and lamentation cut deep into his heart. He didn¡¯t want to see her, even though she should be very important to him. This contradictory feeling tormented Nanase. But Nanase¡¯s troubles did not end there. Even though they mistakenly believed that they were sister and brother, two people of opposite sexes living together at the same age ¨C one of them being her own precious granddaughter ¨C he wondered if they should live together in the same house forever. The original plan had been to send them to boarding school when they entered junior high school and separate them, but unexpectedly, Chidori showed some reluctance. Nanase gave in to Chidori¡¯s pleas and reluctantly allowed them to continue living together, but that, too, must now have been a mistake. As a result of a certain amount of neglect, Chidori was surrounded by the government as a person with the ability to transport, and although he didn¡¯t know what went wrong with him, Tsugumi was engaged in Magical Girl activities under the alias of Hagakure Sakura. After the incident at the Amusement Park, Nanase finally learned of this situation when Asakura told him about it. ¡°Fortunately, Chidori-kun has no talent for fighting. The abilities she acquired are also suited for logistical support. But Tsugumi-kun ¨C Hagakure Sakura is different. If you¡¯re not careful, he may end up following in the footsteps of Sakura Akane. You probably don¡¯t care that much about Tsugumi-kun, but if the identity of Hagakure Sakura is revealed, Chidori¡¯s surroundings will become noisy. I want you to remember that.¡± ¡°¡­I know that.¡± ¨CFor the sake of Chidori¡¯s peaceful life, it was not a good idea to keep talking as it was. ¡°I guess we should contact Yatagarasu first. ¨CIt¡¯s that God who faked the death of ¡®Sakura Akane¡¯. I don¡¯t know why he has remained silent, but it would be a good idea to tell him a few words before speaking to the government.¡± The clumsy God who dragged his daughter ¨C Akane ¨C down the path of Asura and sent her back to her parents before she could be destroyed. Akane had expressed her gratitude at Yatagarasu whenever she could. In that case, there was no reason to hold a grudge. ¡°¡­I see. Well, I¡¯ll lend a hand. I have a certain amount of contacts in the government. I¡¯ll talk to someone from the Ministry of Divine Worship.¡± ¡°Ah, that would be helpful. ¨CI¡¯m really sorry for all the trouble I¡¯ve caused.¡± ¨CFor the past 30 years, Asakura had caused him nothing but trouble. Asakura, like Nanase, also had his wife killed by a Demonic Beast, but he was always concerned for Nanase¡¯s recovery, throwing words of comfort as if reprimanding him when he was in a depressed mood. After his daughter was found, he visited her regularly for diagnosis and went out of his way many times to visit her at the foot of the mountain. And even now, he still went out of his way to help Nanase in his time of need, offering him advice and support. Such a kind friend had always saved Nanase¡¯s life. The moment Nanase told Asakura this, he heard a gasp on the other end of the phone. As if nothing had happened, Asakura said in a cheerful voice. ¡°Don¡¯t concern yourself with it. ¨CI¡¯m worried about you and Chidori, too.¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡°¨CYes, there is no need to be concerned. I have my own purposes.¡± After hanging up the phone, Asakura muttered to himself as he sat deep in the leather chair in a dark room. ¡°There is no need for heroes anymore. ¨CFrom now on, the era when humans rule over God is coming.¡± Saying this, Asakura took out a photograph from his desk drawer. In the picture, next to a girl smiling cheerfully, Asakura appeared a little younger than he was now. Asakura gently patted the girl in the photo, smiled gently, and opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Just a little longer, Shikabane Sakura-kun. I look forward to seeing you again.¡± CH 97 Flowers on Both Sides? Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani The day after the fierce battle, Tsugumi woke up from his sleep and went to the government to make a report. After a checkup at the laboratory to see if there were any irregularities from the battle, he decided to have a late lunch at the government cafeteria. After ordering the daily set meal and pancake set at the reception desk, Tsugumi took an empty seat and recalled last night as he took a breath. ¨CThe reason for the Irregular¡¯s behavior. The unnatural resurrection. And the mysterious burned woman. There were just too many things he didn¡¯t understand. First of all, what exactly is an Irregular? As a result of the consideration by various intellectuals, he knew that irregular Demonic Beasts had a certain level of wisdom and malicious intent, and that they were likely to receive instructions from some kind of entity. But from that point forward, there was no information and it was a complete dead end. ¡­If only there was the cooperation of the Gods, he would be able to make more progress in the investigation, but at the present time, it was also difficult. He simply didn¡¯t have enough hands. Amaterasu had her hands full with maintaining the barrier and Magical Girl systems, and the subordinate Gods of Amaterasu were also busy assisting her, so they weren¡¯t able to investigate Irregularities. And while some of the Gods who didn¡¯t belong to the government might be aware of something important about the Irregulars, he couldn¡¯t expect much information from them. At present, there were various Gods visiting Japan in the box garden managed by Amaterasu, but there was no hierarchical relationship between the Gods. Amaterasu was just an administrator and didn¡¯t intend to stand above them. However, because they were equal, she had to prepare a certain ¡°price¡± in order to obtain some information from the other Gods. Depending on the nature of the ¡°compensation¡±, the balance of power, which was just barely maintained, might be lost. If they weren¡¯t careful, it could lead to the collapse of the barriers. For these compelling reasons, he had no choice but to give up information from the Gods. ¨CIt might seem a little heartless that the Gods were not lending a helping hand, but it was the way it should be. In the first place, Demonic Beasts were a problem occurring on the human side. The Gods¡¯ help was largely based on their good intentions. It would be a mistake to rely on them for everything. The problem of Demonic Beasts should be handled by humans. As Tsugumi was thinking about such things while sipping his tea, a voice called out cheerfully from behind him. ¡°Ah, Hagakure-san. What a coincidence! Are you having lunch now?¡± ¡°Yes. Agatsuma-san too?¡± When Tsugumi answered, Agatsuma gave a small nod, placed the tray with the food on it on the seat in front of him, and naturally sat down. Apparently, she intended to eat here as well. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear about yesterday¡¯s mishap. You were called out suddenly, weren¡¯t you? I wish the Goddess would be a little less selfish!¡± Agatsuma said as she dexterously wrapped the pasta around her fork. ¡°Oh, yeah. I¡¯m sorry, but I think we¡¯ve had some kind of misunderstanding.¡± ¡°A misunderstanding?¡± ¡°Yes. The staff of the Countermeasure Headquarters told me that the three Goddesses of Itsukushima thought that they had given an oracle [this time the enemy is troublesome, so it is better for Magical Girls who have made a contract with a powerful God to come]. Perhaps the priest who received the oracle didn¡¯t hear it well. ¡­I did something a little bad to Goddess.¡± ¡­They were giving advice with good intentions, but Bell behaved like she was trying to pick a fight with them. As it turned out, the misunderstanding saved Tsugumi¡¯s life, but it was still a rude thing to do. Bell aside, maybe Tsugumi should go to Itsukushima later to properly apologize. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that was going on. ¨CAnd what was with the woman at the end, anyway? She was so different from the others. Do you know anything about it, Hagakure-san?¡± ¡°No, nothing in particular. ¡­Frankly, I¡¯d rather hear about it myself.¡± As he answered, he let out a weary sigh. When he went to report on the battle, he was persistently asked about the woman with the burns, but there was no way he could reply about what he didn¡¯t remember. Agatsuma, perhaps unsatisfied with the answer, looked a little dissatisfied, but she quickly mended it with a smile and said. ¡°Hmmm, I see. If you find out anything, please let me know too!¡± ¡°Yes. At that time, I¡¯ll be sure to report it to Agatsuma-san then.¡± Tsugumi replied, and then he and Agatsuma parted without any major conversation. He was a little concerned about Agatsuma¡¯s disturbing atmosphere, probably because of the ¡°burn woman¡± thing. A situation where you get burns of that magnitude ¨C it could only be associated with the great fire. In hindsight, it was probably a good thing that Tsugumi did not sign an information-sharing agreement about the situation ¨C the great fire ¨C when they first met. It was only yesterday that he learned about the detailed circumstances of the great fire, but from a simple standpoint, Tsugumi was close to the perpetrator¡¯s position. To Agatsuma, who was the perfect victim, Tsugumi, the brother of the main culprit, might seem just as spiteful and evil. Even though he had no memory of it, the fact that his relatives caused that great fire would never go away. Thousands and thousands of people died in the great fire. Even if Tsugumi spent his life fighting for peace, it would never be able to match the weight of his crime. The woman with the burns might have been an illusion created by Tsugumi¡¯s guilt. The last slice of the pancake was popped into his mouth, and Tsugumi muttered in a small voice. ¡°Really, I can¡¯t help myself.¡± ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô Two weeks had passed since the battle with Irregularity, and although Tsugumi was depressed by what he had learned, he was slowly getting back to his normal self. After all, from the perspective of Tsugumi who had no memory, being told, ¡°Your sister is the culprit of the great fire!¡± didn¡¯t seem very realistic to him. Why did Shikabane Sakura (Oneechan) cause such an incident? Until he knew that, Tsugumi could never truly face the great fire ¨C or so he thought. Tsugumi knew this was an escape, but it was the best he could do right now. No matter how much he lamented, it didn¡¯t change the past. It would be more constructive to look forward and pursue the truth. Thinking like that, Tsugumi let out a small breath. ¨CEven so, the class is very noisy today. Is there some kind of event going on? There had been a sudden air of excitement in the school since Tsugumi arrived. This was especially noticeable in F class¨Cthe class to which he belonged. After taking his seat, Tsugumi put his hand on his chin and made a thoughtful gesture, then immediately nodded his head in understanding. ¡°Ah, by the way, that transfer student is coming today, huh. Hey, Yukitaka, don¡¯t cause too much trouble.¡± Looking sideways at his classmates, who were fussing about a new student they hadn¡¯t seen yet, he said to Yukitaka, who was sitting next to him. ¡°I¡¯m not interested. Because it¡¯s her relative, you know? As far as I¡¯m concerned, it¡¯s not a good person.¡± Yukitaka replied in a discouraged voice without taking his eyes off the phone in his hand. ¡­He didn¡¯t know what Yukitaka hated so much about Mebuki, but perhaps it might be convenient this time around. Since Mebuki asked him, it was his duty to protect the new student from Yukitaka¡¯s meddling. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why you¡¯re being so harsh with Mebuki-senpai. It¡¯s not like she did anything to you, right?¡± When Tsugumi asked that question, Yukitaka looked up and opened his mouth with a disgusted look on his face. ¡°There are some people in this world who are unacceptable to the core of their being. Tsugumi-chan, who thinks she¡¯s a saint, will never understand.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s a saint¡­¡± As he said this, Tsugumi tilted his head slightly. It was true that Mebuki was kind and caring, but she also had a strong side. Tsugumi thought of her as more of an endearing person, but he still felt that he was often used in a good way. Still, the reason why he listened to her requests might be because he liked her smiling face. When Tsugumi told him this, Yukitaka said in dismay. ¡°You know, you really shouldn¡¯t be so seduced by her face. Her types laugh and use people as if they are all good, yet they act like it¡¯s for the best. It¡¯s repulsive.¡± ¡°¡­Am I the only one who thinks that¡¯s an oversized boomerang?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Unlike her, I am fully aware of it.¡± While he was talking about this with Yukitaka, the time for homeroom had come. Along with the bell, Suzune entered the classroom with a tense expression. She arrived at the teacher¡¯s table and opened her mouth. ¡°Well, as you probably already know, there will be a new student in this class starting today. The new student is a little bit strange, but please get along well.¡± When Suzune announced this, some of the boys shouted that they could not wait to see her. ¡­The reason for this was because Tsugumi had told them in advance that a cute girl who looked like Mebuki-senpai would be coming. There was no better deal. In comparison, the female students were quite calm. If anything, they were looking at the rowdy male students with a look of dismay. The atmosphere seemed disturbing, but there was no need to worry. He had properly told the girls that ¡°A distant relative of Mebuki-senpai is coming¡±. They were also close friends of Mebuki-senpai. It was hard to imagine that they would do anything strange to that relative. Tsugumi stared ahead, thinking so. ¡°Then, Lake-san, please come in.¡± As Suzune announced this, the door opened with a clatter and a shimmering golden hair flashed in front of their eyes. The sight of it took the classmates¡¯ breath away. The person with beautiful hair similar to Meibuki¡¯s stood in front of the teacher¡¯s table and at Suzune¡¯s urging, smiled, and said. ¡°Nice to meet you all. My name is Azalea Lakes. I can speak basic Japanese, so please don¡¯t hesitate to talk to me.¡± The person who introduced himself as Azalea indeed looked a lot like Mebuki. But there was one point difference from Mebuki. Wearing the same black collar as Tsugumi, and black slacks instead of a skirt, he was not a ¡°pretty girl¡± at all, but a ¡°beautiful boy¡±. ¡°Hey, Tsugumi-chan.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Hey, Tsugumi-chan, didn¡¯t you tell me before that the new student is a girl?¡± Yukitaka poked at Tsugumi¡¯s elbow and muttered in a mocking tone. At the same time, the boys in the class turned their resentful stares on him. ¡°¡­No, because Mebuki-senpai told me she was a cute girl, so I thought¡­well, you know, I am sorry.¡± He tried to make such an excuse, but a boy in the class sent him a gesture mixed with anger, ¡°You, later, rooftop¡±, and the Tsugumi bowed his head. In hindsight, Mebuki¡¯s line at that time was probably an inducement to make the misunderstanding that the new student was a woman. ¡­Really, that person was naughty and annoying. And in contrast to the boys who were quietly frustrated, the girls cheered for the legitimately beautiful boy. Apparently, because they were not expecting it, their joy was greater. ¡­It seemed the deal was no different for boys and girls. ¨CEven so, I feel like I¡¯ve seen him somewhere before. It wasn¡¯t because he looked like Mebuki, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel as if they had met face-to-face. As Tsugumi tilted his head and stared at Azalea, their gazes suddenly met. Azalea smiled, his eyes narrowed, as if he had found something interesting. Zap, he felt a pain in his finger which had the proof of his contract with Bell. ¡°Well, Lake-san¡¯s seat is over there in the third row, at the very back ¨C next to Nanase-kun, please. Nanase-kun, raise your hand.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± He raised his right hand. His name was suddenly called out and he raised his right hand in a small gesture. Then, Azalea, who sat down next to Tsugumi just as Suzune asked him to, calmly opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about you from Kei-san. ¨CI¡¯m looking forward to working with you, okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to working with you, too.¡± With that said, the two greeted each other with a smile. However, there was no way to know what kind of expression Yukitaka ¨C the person to whom the Tsugumi had turned his back at this time ¨C was looking at them. CH 98 The Priest''s Poison Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani The transfer student from abroad ¨C Azalea quickly adjusted to the class, despite Tsugumi¡¯s worries. His kindly appearance, similar to Mebuki¡¯s, and his friendly, reserved personality might be suitable in some ways for this class with its strong quirks. He seemed to be somewhat distanced from the other regular classes with whom he didn¡¯t interact much, but since it didn¡¯t go as far as persecution, there shouldn¡¯t be any particular need to deal with it. Just in case, he had already spoken to the broad-minded Chidori, so if Azalea didn¡¯t cause any problems, he should be able to adjust to school in no time at all. And Yukitaka¡¯s behavior, which concerned Tsugumi the most, seemed to have been surprisingly uneventful. So far, as far as he knew, he hadn¡¯t seen Yukitaka talking to Azalea. It seemed that he had no intention of getting involved with Azalea, just as he had reported. When Tsugumi reported this to Mebuki, she let out a sigh of relief. Although he was a troublesome freeloader for Mebuki, she was probably still a little worried. ¨CBut there is only one problem. ¡°¨CI don¡¯t like it. It¡¯s disgusting. Damn Insect. Hey, can¡¯t you do something about that?¡± Bell, who had arrived at the school unusually on the sunlit afternoon rooftop, frowned in dissatisfaction. Her sharp eyes were directed at Azalea, who was chatting and laughing in the courtyard. While staring at Bell who was like that, Tsugumi muttered to himself as if to backtrack. ¡°¡­Ah, maybe that¡¯s the case for Bell-sama.¡± Although he didn¡¯t not specifically check, perhaps Azalea was a Christian, which Bell didn¡¯t like. He made a cross-cutting motion when he ate so that almost confirmed it. Tsugumi had nothing against religion itself, but for Bell, who had a lot of history with it, even the non-extreme believers might be the object of her hatred. He understood Bell¡¯s reluctance, but there was nothing Tsugumi could do about this. In the first place, there was no way that Tsugumi, as a student, could do anything about another student. Bell knew this, but she had to complain anyway. ¡°It¡¯s not something I can do anything about. Bell-sama basically doesn¡¯t come to school, so the only way is to pretend you don¡¯t see him¡­¡± To begin with, the two rarely had the opportunity to come in contact with each other since Bell and Azalea were in different living areas. In the first place ¨C it seemed ordinary humans like Azalea rarely perceived God outside of the barriers, so if Bell didn¡¯t mind, it was fine. Well, they said that the more you dislike something, the more you care about it. He supposed it was inevitable that she would complain. ¡°Tsk, you¡¯re useless. ¨CI¡¯m leaving now. Needless to say, be wary of him. There are no good people among His followers.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Bell clicked her tongue loudly and disappeared from the scene as if dissolving into the air. ¡­He supposed she really didn¡¯t want to stay in this place. Bell¡¯s dislike of religion was also hardcore. Exhaling a loud sigh, Tsugumi leaned against the rooftop fence and looked out over the courtyard. Azalea was still happily chatting with some of his classmates. ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem like a bad guy to me. Bell-sama is a worrier, too.¡± As Tsugumi muttered this, Azalea looked up, as if he felt his gaze. With a snap, bright green eyes looked at Tsugumi. Azalea looked surprised for a moment, but immediately smiled and waved a small hand toward Tsugumi. Seeing Azalea like that, Tsugumi waved back with a wry smile and moved away from the fence, feeling a little uncomfortable. Perhaps because he had heard so many complaints from Bell, he felt a little reluctant to face him. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to ask Bell-sama to be a little patient. ¨CEven so, Yukitaka really doesn¡¯t try to get close to him. Normally, he¡¯d be happy to mess around.¡± ¨CAlthough he was not acting particularly conspicuous at the moment, Yukitaka, who looked like that, was quite aggressive toward those he judged to be enemies. As long as Azalea was a relative of Mebuki, It was unlikely that Yukitaka would be friendly with him. In addition, Yukitaka seemed to be wary of something these days. This was unusual behavior for Yukitaka, who was always aloof. Tsugumi looked up at the cloudless blue sky and muttered to himself. ¡°¡­I have a bad feeling about this.¡± . ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô While Tsugumi was anxiously looking up at the sky, Azalea, in the courtyard, was still closely observing the place where Tsugumi had been, even after he disappeared from sight. ¨CNanase Tsugumi. Azalea¡¯s distant relative, Mebuki Kei, had given him assurance that he was the most reliable person at this school. Azalea himself was careful not to cause any problems, but it was Nanase¡¯s help that allowed him to integrate into the school so quickly. He might be a little careless, but he was certainly a dependable person. Compared to dealing with the raccoon dogs that roamed the organization Azalea belonged to, school life in a foreign country was a piece of cake, but even so, having a friendly collaborator made all the difference in the degree of difficulty. When he first learned about Nanase from the photo that Mebuki showed him, he was surprised at how much he resembled the girl he met on the cruise ship, Hagakure Sakura, but the signs she was wearing were completely different. Hagakure Sakura¨CHe couldn¡¯t forget that strong presence, as if she were wearing the moon that night. Although there were some things that bothered him, there was no doubt that they were different people. ¨CFirst, it was important to blend into the country and gather information. Azalea¡¯s goal ¨C the descent of God ¨C would require various preparations. Fortunately, the Mebuki family, a distant relative, was well trusted by the government of this country. If Azalea hid his fangs and played the cat and mouse, it wouldn¡¯t be so difficult to get involved in the inner workings of the government through the Mebuki family. The humiliation of having to tolerate infidels was something he would be willing to put up with for that purpose. ¨CBut it was not without its uncertainties. He had received repeated warnings from the distant relative, Mebuki, to be careful of Amari Yukitaka. Azalea couldn¡¯t say for sure since he didn¡¯t get involved much, but the person called Amari Yukitaka certainly wore too much of bad signs His atmosphere was a mixture of immorality and vice, as if to get on people¡¯s nerves. If the world were a different place, he would have been killed as a demon possessor. There were a certain number of people in this world who wear an evil presence, but most of them were usually felons who had done terrible evil deeds. It was hard to imagine that a mere student, Amari, was committing such a serious crime. When he probed his classmates, they all grimly spoke of the Amari¡¯s viciousness, but Azalea didn¡¯t think he was such a scoundrel bad enough to be concerned about. However, his intuition as a priest warned him, that guy was dangerous ¡­It might be necessary to investigate Amari separately. ¡°What, that Nanase guy is on the roof?¡± ¡°That guy, why would he go all the way to a place where there is no shade on such a hot day¡­ Is he an idiot?¡± ¡°Nanase is pretty much like that. He would never admit it, but he¡¯s a weird kid in a weird way. I guess that¡¯s why he can be with Amari with an unconcerned face.¡± Azalea¡¯s classmates next to him muttered such words. ¡°Are Nanase-kun and Tenri-san that close?¡± When Azalea asked, his classmates twisted their faces in dissatisfaction. ¡°¡­Well, he can hang out with him without any complaints, so I guess they¡¯re on good terms.¡± ¡°Even that Chidori-chan is keeping her distance from Amari. He¡¯s really a strange guy.¡± ¡°Chidori-san, if I remember correctly, she¡¯s Nanase-kun¡¯s sister. ¨CIsn¡¯t she a Magical Girl in the government?¡± Azalea said this with a smile, and his classmates began to talk with troubled looks. ¡°Ah, that matter is sort of an open secret. You shouldn¡¯t say too much about it outside. It caused a bit of a stir before¡­¡± ¨CThe ¡°before¡± probably referred to a previous incident involving a special Demonic Beast¨Can Irregularity. However, the relationship between heretical Gods and Demonic Beasts, which Azalea learned during his research, was also an interesting matter. Research would be needed in the future. ¡°Hmmm. ¨CBut I¡¯d like to talk with Chidori-san once. As Nanase-kun said, she seems to be a very kind person.¡± As he said this, Azalea thought of Nanase Chidori. A lovely girl with long, black, beautiful hair. ¨CThe familiar, dense night moon air that drifted from around her. Azalea narrowed his eyes as he gently held the corners of his mouth, which naturally rose, with his hand. ¨CIt seems that there are some very interesting circumstances. CH 99 Knife of Words Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¡°Hey, Tsugumi. If you want, why don¡¯t we go shopping together?¡± On the morning of a rare day off, Tsugumi was invited by Chidori to go on a shopping trip to the city. They were always together, so he wasn¡¯t really aware of it, but it had been a really long time since they went out together like this. Since the incident at the Amusement Park in February, Chidori had been busy helping the government, and Tsugumi had been busy dealing with Jukka. And since Chidori was busy with government work, simulator combat training, and helping out with the kendo club, she didn¡¯t have much time to go out. As for Tsugumi, he¡¯d like her to work a little less and take better care of herself, but she seemed to be enjoying it, so he couldn¡¯t say anything about it. ¡­Well, in terms of being busy, Tsugumi¨CHagakure Sakura was no different, but he was still better than Chidori because he was more flexible with his time. ¡°Where do you want to go next? Oh, a movie once in a while would be nice.¡± Grabbing the hem of Tsugumi¡¯s jacket and walking close to him, Chidori happily talked about her next plans. Looking at Chidori with such serenity, Tsugumi smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fine with wherever you want to go. ¨CEven so, it¡¯s rare that God isn¡¯t with you today. Normally, he would have come with you.¡± ¡°I think Shiro-sama wanted to come with us, but he has some business to attend to today. He looked so disappointed that I felt sorry for him.¡± Chidori let out a small sigh as she continued her words, ¡°I should at least buy him a souvenir¡±. It seemed that Shiro was very depressed by the looks of it. He really was an ungodly God. By the way, as for Bell, even when Tsugumi told her that he was going somewhere, she ended the conversation with a single ¡°Is that so?¡±. Bell basically didn¡¯t seem to be that interested in his personal affairs. But lately, perhaps because of the number of times he had been needlessly involved in trouble, he had been asked to report the situation regularly. ¡­In the end, thinking about it, the degree of overprotection might not be that different. After walking for so long, they decided to take a short break, bought some delicious-looking gelato along the way, and began talking about the movies playing in the vicinity while sitting on a bench in the shade. ¡°It seems mystery and horror are popular right now. There¡¯s a little bit of a grotesque element to it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of the blood¡­ I still can¡¯t seem to forget the big rat I knocked over the other day¡­¡± Chidori said so, then gently pressed her mouth shut, looking sick. ¡°Ah, the E-class Demonic Beast you mentioned. ¡­.You don¡¯t have to force yourself to fight, do you? It¡¯s not your duty, is it?¡± ¡°But if I don¡¯t do anything, I won¡¯t be able to move forward. It seems that once I have done a few actual matches, the range of what I can do will expand, so I want to keep working until then.¡± Looking at Chidori who smiled troubledly, Tsugumi let out a sigh. The other day, Chidori went into battle for the first time as a Magical Girl. This was because her wish to acquire the ability to protect herself matched the government¡¯s desire to strengthen her ability to transport. Tsugumi, who didn¡¯t want her to do anything dangerous, wanted to firmly oppose it, but he had to give in to Chidori¡¯s earnest pleas. The only saving grace was she promised not to fight with E-class and above. Chidori had trained many times in the simulator, and was assured that she would have an easy time fighting an E-class opponent before she was dispatched. Tsugumi later was shown a video of Chidori fighting, but toward the end of the fight, her face had turned blue. ¡°So all that¡¯s left are romances and comedies.¡± When he muttered this, Chidori¡¯s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and she said in a whisper. ¡°Um, if you don¡¯t mind Tsugumi, would you be okay with romance? I¡¯ve actually had my eye on it for a little while.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s do that. The earliest time is three o¡¯clock, so we¡¯ll have to kill some time until then. ¨CI don¡¯t know much about it, what kind of story is it?¡± When Tsugumi asked this question, Chidori¡¯s eyes wandered a little as if she was in a panic, and she smiled troubledly. ¡°I think it¡¯s more interesting to watch it without any advance information, so isn¡¯t it okay to wait until you see it? It¡¯s better that way, I am sure.¡± ¡°Really? Well, if Chidori said so.¡± Although he felt something was not quite right, he agreed with what Chidori was saying. While the two were engaged in a casual conversation, they saw a familiar figure walking toward them. ¡°Tsugumi-chan and Chidori-chan. What a coincidence.¡± ¡°Yukitaka. That¡¯s unusual, are you alone today?¡± Yukitaka approached Tsugumi casually and opened his mouth with a wry smile. ¡°That¡¯s terrible. I¡¯m not always with a girl.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t say that much¡­¡± ¡°Well, I just had some business in town today. I¡¯m done with my errands and I was just about to go home for the day. I saw some nasty things along the way.¡± Yukitaka cowered his shoulders as he said this. ¡°What, did you meet some of the guys from your class?¡± ¡°That¡¯s still better. I saw that transfer student on the other side of the street. I hope you don¡¯t give me a break until the vacation.¡± As Yukitaka said this with a sigh, Chidori, who had been silent, opened her mouth. ¡°The transfer student is the foreigner that Mebuki-senpai was talking about, right? I wonder if he comes to visit with someone.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know? From a quick glance, it looks like he were alone. Oh, but it looks like he was being talked to persistently by some ruffian. He seems like a bold guy. I wonder if he can handle that much. Well, it¡¯s none of my business.¡± The air in the room froze at these words, which were spoken so casually. ¡­He spoke lightly, but Yukitaka¡¯s story could be taken to mean that Azalea was in a lot of trouble. ¡­Normally speaking, it was hard to believe that Azalea, who had not been in Japan for very long, would be acting on his own. Aside from the busy Mebuki, it was too unnatural for him to have no one to accompany him. The possibility that he had strayed off and gotten lost couldn¡¯t be dismissed, but there was no use thinking about it now. ¨CMeibuki-senpai has asked me to. Thinking that, Tsugumi let out a small sigh. He wouldn¡¯t have minded if he didn¡¯t know, but now that he knew, he had no choice but to move. He knew it was a source of trouble, but he couldn¡¯t just turn a blind eye. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chidori. I¡¯m going out for a while. I¡¯ll be right back if everything is okay.¡± ¡°Yeah, I think it¡¯s better that way too. ¨CBut be careful. The number of dangerous people seems to be increasing these days.¡± With a slightly worried expression on her face, Chidori said this to Tsugumi. Nodding at her words, Tsugumi stood up from the bench. ¡°You¡¯re really going? Tsugumi-chan is such a nice person.¡± ¡°At least tell me you¡¯re being nice there. ¡­Don¡¯t mess with Chidori.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, go quickly. Time is limited.¡± Yukitaka then pushed Tsugumi¡¯s back with both hands and waved him off. ¨CHe was a little nervous about leaving Yukitaka and Chidori alone in this place, but he was sure that Chidori would be fine. Judging this to be the case, Tsugumi did not look back and continued to the other side of the street. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô Staring at the back of the running Tsugumi, Chidori let out a sigh of disappointment. She knew it was inevitable, considering Tsugumi¡¯s nature, but she still couldn¡¯t get rid of the feeling of dissatisfaction. It was a special outing. It would be strange not to feel disappointed. ¨CAnd above all, there is something that worries me. With that thought, Chidori looked up at Amari, who was standing right next to her. ¡­She had never told Tsugumi this, but Chidori didn¡¯t like Amari. He had a frivolous personality that liked to hurt people and was arrogant enough to swing Tsugumi around. And most of all, the look in his eyes, which he would show in a moment when Tsugumi was not around. It was a nasty look as if he felt sorry for Chidori and wanted to take pity on her. Chidori was unbearably uncomfortable with Amari¡¯s inexplicable attitude. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chidori-chan. It seems I have interrupted something.¡± ¡°¡­No. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± It was Tsugumi himself who decided to help the transfer student ¨C Azalea. Even though it was Amari who caused the situation, it would be wrong to blame him. However, it was hard to forgive him for bringing trouble. ¡°Come to think of it, were you two planning to go somewhere after this? Are you sure you have enough time?¡± ¡°We were going to see a movie. Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s still time before the show.¡± ¡°Oh, what kind of movie is it?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a romantic movie that started recently. I heard it has a good reputation, so I want to see it.¡± Chidori said yes, but there was another reason why she chose that movie. ¨CAlthough she had not told Tsugumi about it, the movie they were talking about was about a love affair between siblings. In the end, it was revealed that the two were not related, and she was just a little curious to see how Tsugumi would react to such a movie. It wasn¡¯t that Chidori wanted to have that kind of relationship with Tsugumi. If they could live as a normal family, that would probably be the best thing. But she couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious. This impatience made her test Tsugumi, even though she knew it wasn¡¯t a good idea. ¨CSometimes, she had terrible dreams. Tsugumi¡¯s real sister ¨C Sakura-oneechan ¨C gallantly dredged Tsugumi away from Chidori. Such a terrible dream. When Chidori answered in a nonchalant way, Amari looked at her with a troubled face. Chidori flinched a little at his dumbfounded gaze. It was as if she was being accused of something. ¡°¡­Oh, you mean that story about the brother and sister. Hm, I think it¡¯s better to stop.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¨CBecause you don¡¯t have to go out of your way to get hurt, do you?¡± Amari said this in a quiet voice, as if to announce the obvious. ¡°Eh, Amari-kun, what are you trying to say¡­?¡± ¡°No matter how much you love Tsugumi-chan, that guy will never give you back the same thing.¡± She choked up at the core of his words. ¨CHow could he know that? She had never told anyone, not even God, about her true feelings. As Chidori¡¯s face scrunched up and she froze, Amari looked down at her as if he were looking at something pitiful. ¡°It¡¯s true that Tsugumi-chan loves Chidori-chan, you probably love him and care for him more than anyone else in the world, but that¡¯s only because you¡¯re his family. ¨CIf you are not a part of that family, how much are you worth? Do you think Tsugumi-chan will still love you the same way he loves you now?¡± ¡°What, such a thing¡­¡± As if seeing through Chidori¡¯s mind, Amari slipped the knife of words. ¨CWhy, how do you know my anxiety, Amari-kun? Such a small question was drowned out by the words that stab one after another. ¡°Your wish will kill Tsugumi-chan one day. ¡­Ah. You don¡¯t know anything so you can be that cruel. I really feel sorry for you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡­. What do you want to tell me, Amari-kun? What do you know?¡± Her body shook with a clattering, incomprehensible fear. Amari in front of her seemed to be smiling peacefully, but at the same time, she felt a chill at the bottom of her heart. As if ¨C she was facing a mighty demon. ¡°¨CIn other words, what I am trying to say is, it¡¯s not a good idea to poke a snake out of the bush. Even you, Chidori-chan, want Tsugumi-chan to remain the same as always, don¡¯t you?¡± Chidori reflexively shook her head as she was asked this question. Then Amari suddenly smiled beautifully and gently held his left hand out in front of Chidori¡¯s eyes. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I talked a little too much because I don¡¯t have a chaperone. ¨CYou can forget about it. It¡¯s not the time yet.¡± As if the light was being stolen from in front of her eyes, Chidori¡¯s consciousness gradually faded away. And eventually, the weight of her eyelids became unbearable, and her consciousness was finally swallowed by the darkness. ¨CPan, a small sound rang in her ear, and Chidori opened her eyes wide in surprise ¡°Ah, huh? ¨CWhere did Tsugumi go?¡± Chidori said anxiously as she glanced around. ¨CTsugumi who was supposed to be with her had disappeared. They should have been sitting on the bench together just a moment ago. The sudden event confused Chidori, and then someone spoke to her. ¡°I don¡¯t like it. Tsugumi-chan just went to check on the transfer student. Have you forgotten already?¡± Amari, who she just met, peeked into Chidori¡¯s face with concern. Pale amber eyes stared into Chidori¡¯s eyes. Then, her consciousness gradually became clearer. ¡°Oh, yes, that¡¯s right. How could I have forgotten¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Amari-kun.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little hot today, so maybe the sun has gotten to you. You should drink plenty of water.¡± ¡°That might be the case. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Then, I¡¯ll be heading home now. ¨CPlease give my best regards to Tsugumi-chan.¡± Amari turned his back to Chidori and walked away. Apparently, he did not intend to stay too long. Chidori tilted her head curiously and mumbled. ¡°¡­Weird. I didn¡¯t find anything strange.¡± ¨CYes, nothing should have happened. But why does my heart ache so much? A piercing pain stayed deep in her chest. Ass if something very sad had happened. And when Chidori looked down at her feet, she noticed a small black feather had fallen down. Attracted by its fluffy loveliness, Chidori picked up the feather. ¨CI¡¯ll show it to Tsugumi later. Thinking so, she tucked the feather into her notebook and carefully tucked it away in her bag. ¨CTsugumi had not returned yet. CH 100 Self-Defense Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani After arriving at the street Yukitaka had mentioned, Tsugumi checked all the alleys in the area one by one. Then, from one of them, he heard a voice that sounded like someone was fighting. ¡­Maybe this is the right place. Thinking that, Tsugumi cautiously stepped toward the voice. What he saw there was unexpected. Just as Yukitaka had said, two bad-looking men were lying sewn up on the ground. ¨CThe one who created the situation was the gentle-looking blonde boy¨CAzalea. One of the men was stomped hard on the back with his foot, the other was on his knees with his arms twisted up, and both were moaning and screaming, their faces contorted in pain. ¡­Judging it simply, he was entangled in a situation but resolved it by brute force. Just as Yukitaka had ridiculed, a rescue might not have been necessary. Tsugumi wondered for a moment whether he should intervene, and then, eventually giving up, he strode deeper into the alleyway. Perhaps noticing the footsteps, Azalea slowly moved to the sound of the footsteps ¨C at Tsugumi. With a surprised expression on his face, Azalea raised his voice. ¡°Why are you here, Nanase-kun?¡± Azalea probably didn¡¯t expect to run into Tsugumi, either. Somehow, he was giving off an air of being batshit crazy. ¡°Uh, um, Yukitaka¨CI heard from a classmate I ran into earlier that Azalea was getting tangled up with some strange guys around here, so I came to check. ¡­Anyway, can you tell me what happened?¡± When Tsugumi forcefully asked this, Azalea opened his mouth, lowering his eyebrows with a troubled look. ¡°¡­These people suddenly started talking to me in a quarrelsome manner. Well, at first I ignored them, but then they suddenly became angry and grabbed me, so I had to restrain them.¡± Saying this, Azalea clamped down hard on the man¡¯s hands as he struggled to escape. Seeing the mercilessness, Tsugumi smiled dryly. ¡­Apparently, Azalea had a more extreme nature than Tsugumi had thought. ¡°¡­I see. I understand the situation.¡± When Tsugumi approached the men being held down, he crouched down, made eye contact with them, and said in a quiet voice. ¡°Are you all right? Yeah, there don¡¯t seem to be any noticeable injuries. ¨CI think you guys should pick the right guy to mess with. As you can see from this guy. I think it would be better for both parties if you don¡¯t take it too seriously.¡± It will be troublesome if you make a fuss, he told the men, threatening them in no uncertain terms. A case involving a foreigner required a variety of complicated procedures. Whether you were the perpetrator or the victim, it was just as complicated. Moreover, if Azalea¡¯s words were to be believed, they were the ones who made the first move. And since they didn¡¯t seem to be badly hurt either, it was probably safe to call it quit on each other. The man who was being held by Azalea might have come to the same conclusion, and while his face contorted in bitterness, he gave a small nod to Tsugumi¡¯s suggestion. And when Tsugumi urged Azalea to let go of his hand, the man stood up. He then clicked his tongue loudly, supported the other man who was being held down on the ground, and strode away, glaring at Tsugumi. As if to say, watch out now. ¡­He didn¡¯t think they had the guts to retaliate, but it would be a good idea to report this to Azalea¡¯s guardian, Mebuki, in case they did. As he stared blankly at the men who were leaving, Tsugumi let out a loud sigh of relief. ¡°You¡¯d better be careful. There are people like those guys who will try to get you in trouble even if you haven¡¯t done anything wrong. ¨CBut I¡¯m a little relieved. If you can fight back like that, you can protect yourself.¡± When Tsugumi said so, Azalea¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Azalea then asked him curiously. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you get disillusioned?¡± ¡°Huh? About what?¡± ¡°No, because when normal people see this side of me, they usually keep their distance.¡± At Azalea¡¯s words, Tsugumi opened his mouth and stared at Azalea. ¨CIt was indeed surprising that Azalea, who looked so calm, was able to fight off the thugs with such ease. But that was all. There were many people in Tsugumi¡¯s class who looked like frauds. ¡°If I keep my distance because of this, I wouldn¡¯t be able to talk with our classmates. They¡¯re still quiet now, but they¡¯re basically all weirdos.¡± There was no shortage of funny topics, such as the taciturn literary girl in the class twisting up a pervert with one hand, or the baseball boy who claimed his AI was his girlfriend. Compared to that, a gap of this magnitude was almost negligible. When Tsugumi said this, Azalea scratched his cheek with an indescribable wry smile. ¡°Haha. Just like Kei said, there are a lot of interesting people in that class.¡± ¡°They¡¯re a hassle, but at least you won¡¯t get bored. ¡­Anyway, is Azalea alone today? No chaperones or anything?¡± When Tsugumi asked him worriedly, Azalea gave a small nod and said. ¡°Yes. I forced the Mebuki family to let me come out here. I really wanted to walk the streets alone. ¡­But it might have been a mistake. Because it seems that foreigners are not looked at as well as I thought they would be.¡±. When Azalea spoke so dejectedly, Tsugumi lightly tapped him on the shoulder and said in a light tone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about those people. Some people may be a little sarcastic, but most people don¡¯t care that much. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so be more brazen.¡± It wasn¡¯t that the area was unsafe, but there were still a certain number of people like that. Magical Girls¨Cperhaps because they lived in a world where women were more respected, a lot of men were left out of society. Tsugumi thought they should work harder rather than rot like that, but he supposed it wasn¡¯t that easy. ¡°Is that so¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it is. ¨CEven so, what is Azalea going to do after this? The same thing probably wouldn¡¯t happen, but I don¡¯t think you should act alone anymore today. It would be troublesome if you run into those people again.¡± ¡°Actually, I wanted to look around a little more, but this time it can¡¯t be helped¡­ ¨CSpeaking of which, Nanase-kun, were you with anyone?¡± Azalea, who dropped his shoulders in disappointment, asked Tsugumi. ¡°Yeah, Chidori¨CI was shopping with my sister. I¡¯ve been keeping her waiting for quite a while now, so I should be getting back soon too¡­¡± When Tsugumi replied while looking at his watch, Azalea put his right hand to his mouth thoughtfully. Then, with a beautiful smile on his face, he opened his mouth. ¡°If it is all right with Nanase-kun, may I meet Chidori-san before I leave? I¡¯ve heard a little about her from Kei, and I¡¯d really like to talk to her.¡± ¡°With Chidori?¡± Since it was Mebuki, she probably boasted a lot to Azalea about her excellent junior colleague ¨C Chidori. Azalea probably had no other intention, and there was still time before the screening of the movie. Even Chidori would be willing to accompany if they could just talk a little. ¨CThe only concern was Yukitaka, but he was a very perceptive guy, so there was a good chance that he anticipated this development and left the place early. If that was the case, there was no reason to object. ¡°Ah, I think it¡¯s probably fine.¡± ¡°Really? ¨CI¡¯m glad.¡± Azalea smiled reassuringly as he said that. And then, leading Azalea, Tsugumi left the alley and walked to where Chidori was waiting for him. Azalea, staring at his back as if observing him, muttered in a small voice. ¡°Nanase-kun, you are a strange person¡­¡± ¡°Hm? What did you say?¡± Tsugumi asked Azalea as he turned around. Azalea shook his head and replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¨CTheir long day had just begun. CH 101 Vanishing Objects Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani When Tsugumi returned to Chidori with Azalea, Yukitaka was no longer there. ¡°No Yukitaka, huh? Did he say anything strange to you while you were waiting?¡± When Tsugumi asked this question while looking around, Chidori gave a small smile and shook her head. ¡°No, because Amari-kun left right after that. ¡­Um, Tsugumi. Perhaps the person behind you is¡­¡± ¡°Ah, let me introduce him to you. He¡¯s Azalea Lake, a distant relative that Mebuki-senpai mentioned. He wanted to meet Chidori, so I brought him here.¡± Saying this, Tsugumi pulled Azalea¡¯s hand, who was standing diagonally behind him and brought him out in front of Chidori. Azalea, who stepped in front of him, gave a friendly smile and greeted Chidori, holding out his right hand. ¡°Nice to meet you, Nanase Chidori-san. It is a pleasure to meet you. Actually, I¡¯ve heard a lot about you from Kei.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you too. Um, what did Kei-senpai say about me?¡± Chidori shyly squeezed Azalea¡¯s hand back and asked him so with an anxious expression. ¡­Probably, she was wondering what Mebuki had been talking about. ¨CIt was an open secret within the school that she was a Magical Girl, but not many details were known about her. Since it was that Mebuki, she would not have told him anything other than what was safe to talk about, but she was still worried. Despite their concerns, Azalea began to speak in a perfectly normal manner. ¡°¨CAs I recall, you are interested in foreign literature, aren¡¯t you, Chidori-san? If you like, I can lend you a book I brought in.¡± ¡°Eh, really!?¡± Chidori¡¯s face lit up at Azalea¡¯s words, and she asked happily. ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know what kind of books you like, so I will bring you a list next time. I speak English, German, and Italian to a certain extent, so if you have any phrases you don¡¯t understand, please feel free to ask me.¡± ¡°Wow, thank you! I¡¯m glad to hear you say that, because there were many things I didn¡¯t understand when I studied languages on my own.¡± Staring at Chidori, who was smiling and talking to Azalea as she said this, Tsugumi let out a small sigh. The Magical Girl thing was a groundless fear, but this was a complicated one. It was heartwarming that Chidori was honestly happy, but he felt a little lonely when she got excited about a story he couldn¡¯t keep up with. While Chidori and Azalea were talking congenially about their favorite genres of books, Tsugumi stared at his watch. ¨CThere were only 30 minutes left until the screening of the movie they were going to see. Considering the time it would take to get around and buy tickets, it was time to get moving. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chidori. It¡¯s time to go.¡± When she heard this, Chidori looked at her watch with a startled expression. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s true. ¨CThank you for talking with me today, Lake-kun. May I speak to you again at school?¡± ¡°Yes, with pleasure. ¨CWhere are you going after this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to the movies with my Tsugumi. And you, Lake-kun?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll just go home. And I¡¯m sorry for the trouble I¡¯ve caused Nanase-kun¡­¡± Seeing Azalea¡¯s shoulders slumped, Chidori¡¯s expression clouded with pity, and Tsugumi suddenly said something that came to mind. ¡°¨CIf Azalea is okay with it, why don¡¯t we go to the movies together like this?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, that¡¯s fine. I heard it¡¯s a romantic movie.¡± Azalea blinked in surprise at his sudden invitation, but Tsugumi tried to make it up to him. Thinking about it, there was no way that a normal high school boy would like to watch romantic movies. Even Azalea would be annoyed if he were invited. But Azalea, contrary to his expectations, smiled happily. ¡°Is it okay? ¨CFufu. Actually, this is my first time watching a movie in a theater.¡± Seeing Azalea laughing like that, Tsugumi exhaled with a sense of relief. ¡°I see. Then it¡¯s time to move¨CChidori? What¡¯s wrong?¡± When Tsugumi turned his head toward Chidori, Chidori¡¯s eyes wandered in the shaken wind, and she lightly crossed the fingers of her hands and twirled her thumbs in a circular motion. When Tsugumi asked this, Chidori opened her mouth with a troubled smile. ¡°No, um, don¡¯t worry about it¡­ I just thought it would be a little embarrassing to watch a romantic movie with a boy.¡± ¡°You were originally going to see the movie with me, so what¡¯s the big deal now?¡± When Tsugumi told her this in dismay, Chidori opened her mouth with a miffed look. ¡°Because Tsugumi is not Tsugumi. Oh, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like you, Lake-kun!¡± When Chidori said this in a flustered tone, Azalea burst out laughing. ¡°You two really get along. I envy you.¡± ¡°Even Lake-kun is making fun of me like that.¡± Seeing Chidori¡¯s cheeks puffed out as if he was unfaithful, Tsugumi smiled a little. ¨CYou seem somewhat depressed lately, but this seems to be working. He hadn¡¯t been able to pay much attention to Chidori because he had his hands full with Sakura-oneechan, but for a while now, Chidori had seemed to be troubled by something. Lately, even when she was smiling, there was an air of being somewhat overwhelmed, but he didn¡¯t see any sign of that in Chidori now. It¡¯s worth going out together, he thought, as he walked to the movie theater. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô It was a long walk. Wrapped in the cool, air-conditioned air, Tsugumi wiped the sweat from his forehead. It seemed that July sunshine was toxic to the body. After purchasing tickets and securing their seats, Tsugumi and the others looked at the movie poster and talked about trivial things. In the midst of all this, Chidori glanced at her watch, then approached Tsugumi and spoke to him in a small voice. ¡°Hey, Tsugumi. I¡¯m going to the restroom for a while.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll get you a drink in the meantime.¡± ¡°Really? Then I¡¯ll ask you to do it for me.¡± After saying so, Chidori walked to the restroom at the back of the movie theater. ¨CIt was already fifteen minutes since Chidori had left her seat. Tsugumi opened his mouth worriedly, looking at his watch. ¡°¡­It¡¯s taking quite a long time. Did something happen?¡± After buying the drinks, the two were quietly waiting for Chidori to return, but she didn¡¯t come back. Almost fifteen minutes had passed, and the movie would start in a few minutes. He tried to call her on the phone, but there was no sign of a connection probably because the signal was bad. ¡°Sorry, Azalea. Can I ask you to wait here? I¡¯m going to ask the receptionist to take a look inside.¡± Tsugumi told Azalea this and asked the female staff at the reception desk to check on her sister, since she had not come out of the bathroom for an extended period of time. ¡­Chidori would be embarrassed and angry if she heard about this, but it couldn¡¯t be helped at this point. Then he and the female staff member headed to the entrance of the restroom, and Tsugumi stopped just before the entrance. As expected, he couldn¡¯t go any further. ¡°Then, let¡¯s take a look. ¡­Oh, why is this thing here?¡± Tsugumi looked beyond the woman¡¯s line of sight. He noticed a small sign painted ¡®No Trespassing¡¯ in the middle of the road. ¡°Was it perhaps being cleaned?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s supposed to be cleaned at this time of day¡­¡± The female staff member looked puzzled and moved the sign to the side. At that moment, a girl of junior high school age came running from across the street with an impatient look. ¡°Excuse me!! Please help me!!¡± The girl raised her voice, clung to the staff in front of her while trembling, and began to speak in a tearful voice. ¡°Excuse me! My friend didn¡¯t come out of the bathroom for about 20 minutes! I thought she might have fallen down, so I got worried. I didn¡¯t see anyone around, so I climbed up and looked from above, but no one was in there! There¡¯s only a broken cell phone and a white jacket! Rio¨Cwhere is my friend?¡± ¡°Um, please calm down, customer!¡± The female staff tried to calm the girl down, but she just cried and squirmed, and she didn¡¯t seem to calm down. Tsugumi, who was watching the situation from the side, noticed something in the girl¡¯s words that stuck in his mind. ¡°White jacket?¡± ¨CToday, Chidori should have been wearing a white jacket. Chidori didn¡¯t come out of the bathroom. A white jacket that had fallen off. The strange coincidence sent a chill down his spine. Tsugumi approached the crying girl, grabbed her by the shoulders, and asked. ¡°Hey, tell me something. Did your friend wear a white jacket, too?¡± The girl¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, startled by the sudden grab on her shoulder. Tears were falling from her wide-open eyes. The girl was at a loss for words but answered Tsugumi¡¯s question. ¡°Uh, no. She was wearing a black hoodie¡­¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± After confirming the girl¡¯s words, Tsugumi quickly slipped past them and entered the women¡¯s restroom without hesitation. From behind, a voice shouted, ¡°Sir! Please wait!¡± but there was no time to worry about that. Tsugumi suppressed his impatience and manipulated a thread to unlock the private room. Slowly, with a prayer, he opened the door. ¨CThe private room was empty, just as the girl had said it would be. ¡°Chidori, why¡­¡± Tsugumi stared at the fallen object, muttering this in dismay. Two cell phones, their screens destroyed and sinking into the water, and a white jacket dotted with red stains ¨C exactly the same as the one Chidori was wearing ¨C were on the floor. CH 102 The Real Target Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani After being taken out of the women¡¯s restroom by the theater staff, Tsugumi was brought to the backyard with the crying girl. Apparently, they were told to wait quietly here. Sitting down on a round chair, he let out a loud sigh. ¨CThe bloodstained jacket and smashed cell phone. It was obvious that Chidori had been involved in some sort of incident. Attempted kidnappings of women had certainly been on the rise recently. He told Chidori that she needed to be careful, but he had never thought that someone would be kidnapped in broad daylight like this. Still, he couldn¡¯t rule out the possibility that she was still inside the theater, so the theater staff looked around the venue during the screening, but they could not find Chidori or the missing junior high school student anywhere. Currently, they had closed the restrooms where the crime scene took place and were waiting for the police to arrive, but it would be some time before they arrived. In reality, kidnapping cases like this could be solved more quickly with the help of the government¡¯s Magical Girls with special abilities, but there was some friction between the government and the police force in this area, and it seemed that the government could only intervene in the form of a request from the police. ¨CUp until now, he had thought that this was inevitable, but he had never imagined how frustrating it would be to be a party to this case. However, no matter how dissatisfied he was with the way things were handled, the rules couldn¡¯t be changed. He knew that if he got into trouble, it would only slow down the investigation. Tsugumi clenched his hands tightly and suppressed his smoldering passion. ¨CAt least for now, he needed time to calm down. He glanced at the girl next to him. The girl was still sobbing. ¡°Here, use this.¡± He handed the girl, who was wiping her tears with her cuff, a towel that the staff had prepared. The girl replied in a small voice, ¡°Thank you,¡± and looked up, gripping the towel tightly. She looked at him with unfocused eyes and began to speak in a hushed voice, as if in penitence. ¡°..I, it¡¯s my fault. Because that girl was scared, and I forced her to go outside.¡± ¡°Was she scared?¡± When Tsugumi asked this back, the girl nodded slowly with a pained look on her face. ¡°That girl said she felt like someone was watching her lately. I was worried at first too, but no matter how hard I looked, I couldn¡¯t find anyone suspicious, so I just assumed she was mistaken. ¡­She seemed depressed, so we went out to distract her, but I had no idea that this was going to happen¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± When Tsugumi said this to the girl with concern, the girl denied it in a loud voice. ¡°It¡¯s my fault!! Because I knew she had Magical Girl aptitude! Even though I was told to be careful with girls because things are even more dangerous these days¡­ I should have been more careful¡­¡± While staring at the girl who said this and buried her face in a towel and began to cry, Tsugumi put his hand over his mouth in thought. ¨CThis time, the kidnapper was definitely after her friend. If the word had somehow spread that she had an aptitude to be a Magical Girl, it would make sense that she was targeted. It was possible that the kidnappers knew about Chidori, but it was only an hour ago that Tsugumi decided to come to the movie theater. It was hard to believe that they could be ready to kidnap someone in such a short time. Perhaps Chidori was caught in the middle. ¨CChidori might be inexperienced, but she was still an accomplished Magical Girl. As long as her consciousness was clear, it should be easy for her to escape from her kidnappers. But there was one more problem. ¨CThe kidnapper¡¯s real target. She was probably kidnapped somewhere, just like Chidori, but it was hard to believe that Chidori would run away without the girl. It would be best if they could escape together using Chidori¡¯s ability to transport, but Chidori, still weak as a Magical Girl, would take some time before she could get out the door to transport. ¡­If the kidnapper was a professional, the time lag would be fatal. Failure could lead to the worst possible incapacitation. The kidnappers were after girls with Magical Girl aptitude. If this was the case, the kidnappers must be desperate for a real Magical Girl. Since Chidori was treated as a temporary worker, her name was not on the official government website, but if one wanted to look her up, they could easily find her face and name. ¡­He could only hope that the kidnappers were not that smart. ¡­If Tsugumi could get in touch with Shiro, it would be possible to locate Chidori through Shiro, but that would be difficult since he didn¡¯t know where Shiro was. When Tsugumi reported the situation to Bell earlier, he had asked her to tell him about the kidnapping if she saw Shiro, but it would be better not to expect too much. As he waited quietly, someone came into the backyard. When he turned his eyes toward the door, he saw Azalea standing there with a worried look. ¡°Nanase-kun, are you okay? ¡­I never thought this would happen.¡± Azalea said with an anxious look as he offered a drink, which had completely melted, to Tsugumi. ¡°The staff member over there was talking about a customer who saw a woman coming out of the restroom before and after Chidori-san disappeared, pushing a large cleaning cart. The woman went straight out the back door at the back of the building, and it was a wonder why she was there, but perhaps she was¡­¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± A woman pushing a cleaning cart. Perhaps she had placed a no trespassing sign in front of the restroom, and when no one was around, she took the opportunity to kidnap her. Not very useful information, but still better than no clue at all. Then, after gulping down his lukewarm juice in one go, Tsugumi got up and started walking toward the trash cans. On the way there, he bumped his foot on something big, and he crouched down. ¡°Ouch¡­! What is that, ¨C a no trespassing sign? Did you bring this here, too?¡± Saying this, Tsugumi glared at the sign. And then, he suddenly noticed something strange. The sign was not very big, but it was still large enough to catch the eye of a normal person walking by. It would have been strange not to be able to avoid it. Tsugumi looked at the sign with a curious look, and then he suddenly took off his thin jacket and wrapped it around his right hand. ¡°Nanase-kun? What are you¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. ¨CThere¡¯s something wrong with this.¡± He reached out with his right hand and touched the board with ¡°No Trespassing¡± handwritten on it. When he tugged on the corner a little, he heard the sound of the board coming off. Taking care not to touch the board directly with his hand, he gently put his jacket down on the ground. Azalea looked at the backside of the board and let out a surprised voice. ¡°This is probably a magic circle. Moreover, this language is a very old type. ¡­I never thought such a thing was hidden.¡± The backside was covered in reddish-black ink, with spell-like patterns written on it. ¡°I¡¯ve got a bad feeling about this. Tsk, I should have gone for an exorcism with Chidori.¡± Tsugumi venomously took his cell phone out of his pocket, found one person among his contacts, and selected her. Azalea was staring at the board as if he were looking at something hideous, and Tsugumi spoke quietly to him as he listened to the phone call. ¡°The police can¡¯t handle this one. It¡¯s a waste of time to wait for the police to make a decision when the case is going to be in the government¡¯s custody anyway. ¨CMochi is mochi. The occult is occult. ¡­I¡¯m so glad I got her card back then.¡± The moment Tsugumi said that, the call sound cut out. ¡°Yes, this is Inaba. ¨CWhat¡¯s wrong, Nanase? I can¡¯t believe you called me all of a sudden.¡± ¨CThe display on the cell phone that Tsugumi was holding¨Cit read ¡°Inaba Honoka, Demonic Beast Countermeasure Headquarters¡±. CH 103 At the Government Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani When Suzushiro, who was off duty that day, went to the government for combat training, she noticed a strangely tense atmosphere. ¡°Hey, hey, what¡¯s going on? Could it be another Irregularity?¡± When Suzushiro, who thought it was strange, asked this question to a staff member she knew, the staff member hesitated for a moment and then began to speak in a low voice, as if she was telling a secret. ¡°I can¡¯t say this too loudly, but I¡¯m actually dealing with a kidnapping case right now. ¨COne of the victims seems to be an active Magical Girl. Actually, the police were supposed to handle the case first, but they immediately switched it to a government case because of the danger involved. Thanks to that, we¡¯ve been very busy.¡± ¡°A Magical Girl is kidnapped? Eh, kidnapping means the person is a human being, right?¡± Suzushiro said this in surprise. An ordinary Magical Girl should have a physical capacity that easily surpassed that of an adult male. In addition to this, she also had the ability to use her skills, so it was hard to believe that she would fall behind an ordinary human opponent. The staff member shook her head with a wry smile at Suzushiro. ¡°The Magical Girl is not a regular staff member, but a child of the Transportation Management Department. She didn¡¯t have much experience as a Magical Girl in combat, so it¡¯s possible that she couldn¡¯t cope with the sudden turn of events. Well, the Emergency Response Headquarters is also working, so as soon as the Magical Girls make their move, it will be resolved.¡± ¡°I see, but I¡¯m a little worried.¡± The staff¡¯s words made Suzushiro let out an anxious sigh. Originally, Magical Girls in Transportation Management Department might engage in a certain amount of combat to strengthen their abilities, but they didn¡¯t fight Demonic Beasts any more than necessary. And among them, the fact that she was said to be even less experienced in battle meant that she had not been in the program for that long. Suzushiro could only say that it was bad luck. Thinking about it, Suzushiro felt like catching onto something. Belonging to the Transfer Management Department. A newcomer and had little combat experience. ¨CShe knew such a person, right? ¡°Um, could it be that the girl who¡¯s been kidnapped is Nanase Chidori?¡± When Suzushiro asked timidly, the staff member¡¯s mouth dropped open and she looked surprised. ¡°Oh, you know her well. Do you know her by any chance?¡± ¡°Yes, I do. ¨CHey, I¡¯d like to ask you something.¡± Suzushiro smiled mischievously, took a step closer to the staff member, and said in a low voice. ¡°Where is this Emergency Response Headquarters?¡± ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô After finding out the location of the Headquarters from the reluctant staff, Suzushiro headed for the meeting room she had been told to go to. When entering the meeting room, the staff member standing in front of the door refused to let her in, saying, ¡°Outsiders are not allowed¡±¨CShe insisted that she knew her from the incident at the Amusement Park, and further pushed with Jukka¡¯s power, and managed to gain entry. ¡­The staff inside looked at her with troubled eyes, but they didn¡¯t scold her that much because of her usual good behavior. It might be that they simply didn¡¯t have the time to bother with Suzushiro. While Suzushiro was being shown the documents, the staff of Headquarters were busily making contact with various departments. ¡°How is the search for the kidnappers going?¡± ¡°We are having Magical Girls with special skills search for them, but there seem to be some difficulties. ¡­As mentioned in the report, foreign sorcerers must be obstructing the search. We have requested that no ships or other vessels in the vicinity sail out, just in case, but if we wait too long, there is a good chance that they will escape. I wonder why they allowed them to enter the country at all. The Immigration Bureau needs to do a better job¡­¡± ¡°Oh well. Let¡¯s put that on the agenda for later. ¨CHave you been able to contact a Magical Girl who is strong with magic?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve sent images of the spell to the Ministry of Divine Worship and asked them to select an effective Magical Girl. There is a certain affinity for such things, you know. It is better to leave it to the experts rather than us.¡± ¡°Yes, I agree. ¡­And apart from the child for anti-magic. It might be better to bring a child with abilities suited for suppression. Some of them are hesitant to attack humans, so we have to choose them carefully.¡± While talking about such things, the staff members were moving around as if desperate. -According to the documents, the incident was discovered about an hour ago. The two victims were a junior high school student with Magical Girl aptitude and a current Magical Girl ¨C Nanase Chidori. Two smashed cell phones and a jacket with blood on it were found at the movie theater where the incident took place. Before the police received a request, the victim¡¯s younger brother contacted Inaba of the Demonic Beast Countermeasure Headquarters, and it was discovered that a Magical Girl had been kidnapped, and this kidnapping case was suddenly switched to a government case. Most likely, this ¡°victim¡¯s younger brother¡± was Suzushiro¡¯s friend, Nanase Tsugumi. He had met Inaba at the hospital at that time. It would not be surprising if he had been given contact information. ¡­Although she couldn¡¯t help but wonder for a moment why he didn¡¯t turn to her first, it was by no means a mistake to contact Inaba. As she held a relatively high position in the government, it would have been easy for her to take away the right to investigate from the police and set up a task force in this way. The people involved with the victims were still waiting in that movie theater, but they might be brought to the government soon. ¡­I¡¯m sure that Tsugumi must be quite exhausted from his sister¡¯s kidnapping. Thinking of this, she suddenly felt a sharp pain deep in her chest. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll be on my way to suppress the kidnappers. The kidnappers will be no match for me, no matter how skilled they are, right? I think that¡¯s a pretty good idea.¡± When Suzushiro said this in a light tone, the man who seemed to have the highest position among the staff opened his mouth thoughtfully. ¡°¡­That offer is certainly tempting. As a Jukka, you are obligated to respond immediately in the event of an A-class or Irregularity. It would make sense to ask for permission from the Demonic Beast Countermeasure Headquarters first. I could have spared you the trouble if you¡¯ve just come in here, but I¡¯m most concerned about you getting involved in something that you¡¯ve decided to do on your own.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but I was originally off duty today¡­¡± ¡°At least, our authority does not allow us to move Jukka without permission from the top. I¡¯m not saying this is to be mean. It¡¯s an organizational issue.¡± Suzushiro flinched at the man¡¯s calmly persuading words. She had come this far because she was worried about her acquaintance Chidori and wanted to help in any way she could, but she didn¡¯t have such deep thoughts in mind. ¡°Then, I just need to get permission?¡± ¡°Yeah. As long as you can get permission from the office and get permission to go out, we won¡¯t complain either. ¡­I¡¯m sorry. But the kidnapping case is too light to move a valuable asset like Jukka. That¡¯s how special Jukka is to the world.¡± At the man¡¯s words, Suzushiro bit her lip and shushed him. ¨CIt was frustrating that the kidnapping of an acquaintance was told to be too light. More than that¨Cshe was angry at herself for not thinking it through. ¨CI thought I knew my worth. The brand Jukka and the obligations that come with it. She had never thought it would be so suffocating. The pressure was especially heavy these days. ¡­Surely, up until now, such chores were mainly taken care of by Hitsugi. She had arranged the space so that the other members could move freely, and made various adjustments by discussing with the top management. It was often said that you learn to value something when it is gone, but the absence of Hitsugi was definitely a great loss for Jukka. Suzushiro shook her head to shake these thoughts out of her head, let out a big breath, turned straight to the man, and said. ¡°I understand. ¡­I¡¯m going to the Demonic Beast Countermeasure Headquarters now.¡± Suzushiro told the staff and was about to leave the conference room when the door opened by itself before she could put her hand on it. The light coming in from the corridor blinded her. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. ¨CIf you want permission to move that child, I took it with me.¡± The woman with the light on her back announced in a clear voice. She entered the conference room, her heels clacking, and she said softly, smiling beautifully, as she always did. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to keep you waiting. I am Toono Sumire, sent by the Ministry of Divine Worship. ¨CNow, let¡¯s talk about your job, shall we?¡± Jukka¡¯s number one. A treasured child of the Ministry of Divine Worship. The woman with a dazzling presence, bowed beautifully as she said so. CH 104 Fly Away Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¡°I wonder if I can get the materials too. I came here in a hurry, so I don¡¯t have all the details.¡± Toono said and gracefully sat down on a chair in the conference room. The staff members were surprised by Toono¡¯s sudden appearance but did exactly as they were told and prepared the materials. The atmosphere in the conference room seemed to revolve completely around Toono. ¨CA talent to make people obey. Toono had that rare charisma. Soon after, a staff member who had the materials in his hands ¨C the man who had been giving Suzushiro a hard time earlier ¨C asked Toono in a bewildered tone. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t doubt Toono-san¡¯s words, but just to be sure, I have to check with the Ministry of Divine Worship. Toono-san¨CI understand that you yourself strongly desire to volunteer to be in charge of this matter. If you don¡¯t mind, may I ask why?¡± Toono narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth with a small smile. ¡°It¡¯s not much of a reason. ¨CYatagarasu asked me to move. Even I can¡¯t ignore his request.¡± ¡°Yatagarasu-sama? Why on earth would he do that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. You will have to ask him yourself.¡± Toono answered in a curt manner, then turned to Suzushiro and gave her a small beckon. Then, as invited, Suzushiro sat down next to Toono. ¡°Um, thank you. You even get permission for me, too¡­ But how did you know I am here?¡± When Suzushiro said that, Toono smiled and answered. ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. I was just told by Yatagarasu to get permission for you as well. ¨CI didn¡¯t think you were really here, though. This girl¨Cwere you that close to Nanase-san?¡± Toono tilted her head in wonder as she said this, and Suzushiro returned a wry smile. ¡°I¡¯m not close to her, but I¡¯m friends with her brother. About Chidori-chan, Tsugumi-kun¡­ I¡¯d heard so much from her brother that I couldn¡¯t help but think of her as someone else.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ But I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here, Suzushiro-san. I¡¯m not very good at going easy on people, to be honest. ¨CIf I overdo it, you¡¯ll feel sorry for them, you know?¡± Toono said such a disturbing thing matter-of-factly. ¡­It was a little bad nature for a joke, but the scary part was that Toono could do it. ¡°Haha, Sumire-chan has firepower. ¡­Yeah, maybe it¡¯s good we¡¯re together.¡± Moreover, Toono was a genuine magician who possessed the power of a miko, as well as the power of a Magical Girl. The range of her attacks was immeasurable. What worried Suzushiro more than anything else was Toono¡¯s personality. Toono seemed to be a graceful woman who was both bewitching and elegant when she spent her time like this, but that all changed when she went out into the battlefield. Lovely and harsh. Arrogant and merciless. It was no exaggeration to say that she was a flower blooming in a sea of flames as she slaughtered without mercy those who seek to avenge Amaterasu. ¡°Now, I have a general understanding of the situation. What is the status of locating the kidnappers?¡± Toono, who had finished reading the materials, called out to the staff member. The staff member who was stopped shook his head dejectedly. ¡°I am sorry. The interference from the kidnappers seems to be so severe that we have not been able to locate them yet.¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯m not very good at lost property searches myself, and in this case, it¡¯s probably faster to deal with the interference.¡± Toono said this with a small sigh and slowly stood up in her place. ¡°I am going to go to the site now and trace the caster¡¯s connection from the remaining spells there and try to dispel the disturbance. Then the search will be trouble-free, won¡¯t it? As soon as I get back here from the site, I will leave for the enemy camp. It¡¯s an emergency situation ¨C and for them, it¡¯s a crisis within their own people, so I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll take care of it for once.¡± Toono said calmly. ¨CIf you are being obstructed, then you should just lift the curse. That idea was certainly correct. However, there was one disadvantage to Toono¡¯s proposal. ¡°Wait a minute, Sumire-chan. It would take at least an hour to get to the movie theater from here by car. If you go there and back, it will take more than two hours. Are you sure you can handle that?¡± If they set off the sirens and drove the car to the limit, they might be able to shorten the time a little, but it would still be a big loss of time. When Suzushiro voiced this, Toono opened her mouth with a small nod. ¡°Yes. ¨CI¡¯m going to use my secret weapon.¡± Saying this, Toono smiled mischievously. After giving some instructions to the staff, she took Suzushiro by the hand and got into the elevator that lead to the roof of the building. Apparently, the secret weapon was on the roof. ¡°Are you going to use a helicopter, by any chance?¡± ¨CThere was a helipad on the roof of this building. It was usually used only for transportation to defeat Demonic Beasts, but she wondered if it was something that could be moved so easily. When Suzushiro asked that question, Toono quietly shook her head. ¡°It will take a long time to get permission to move something that big. Besides, the area around the movie theater is densely packed with buildings, and there will be no place to unload the helicopter, right?¡± ¡°Then why the rooftop? I think there¡¯s only a helicopter there¡­¡± When Suzushiro tilted her head in wonder, a ding resounded as the elevator arrived. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the details as we go on. ¨CThis way.¡± Saying so, Toono unlocked a small warehouse on the rooftop. She beckoned Suzushiro to follow her into the warehouse. Standing alone in the warehouse was a bike. ¡°Bike¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. But it is not just an ordinary bike.¡± Toono gently stroked the back of the bike, and with a fascinated look on her face, she said. ¡°A magical device that combines the use of the magic nucleus based on modern science and the power of Magical Girls ¨C a dream magical device devised and realized by a genius in a certain laboratory at Teito University. A camouflage effect to prevent people from seeing you while driving. Collision avoidance to prevent unforeseen accidents. A magic engine to maintain high mobility and acceleration, and a gravity control device to drive on a slight foothold. ¨CIt¡¯s no exaggeration to call it a flying bike. The only problem is that the divine power used to control all of the abilities is so great that I¡¯m the only one who can handle it.¡± ¡°Uh¡­?¡± Suzushiro couldn¡¯t catch up with the sudden explanation, and a question mark appeared in her head. ¨CIs it a safe bike that can run around on a small number of footholds? With Suzushiro¡¯s eyes fixed on her, Toono continued. ¡°The maximum speed of this bike is 300 kilometers per hour. If we travel in a straight line along the road to the movie theater, we will arrive there in about five minutes.¡± ¡°In a straight line? Well, you know, that¡¯s not the way¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll ignore them. There are a lot of buildings around here, and if we use the walls as footholds, we can get there in no time. No one can see us while we¡¯re operating anyway, and there¡¯s no danger of collision, so there¡¯s nothing wrong with that, right? I¡¯ve done a lot of temporary runs now, and I haven¡¯t found anything out of the ordinary.¡± ¡­There would be plenty of problems. Traffic laws and all that. Suzushiro thought so, but Toono was too unconcerned that she couldn¡¯t anything. Perhaps the Ministry of Divine Worship or the government had something to say about it. Toono tossed Suzushiro an armored helmet as she looked sideways at Suzushiro, who took a step backward with a retreating look on her face. Suzushiro¡¯s eyes wandered around as she hurriedly accepted it, looking shaken. ¡°I knew we have to ride this one, too¡­¡± ¨CBecause of the nature of her abilities, Suzushiro¡¯s physical strength as a Magical Girl was not that high. Especially outside the barrier area, her physical strength was considerably inferior to the martial artists Mibu and Agatsuma. Clinging to a thing running at such speed was somewhat frightening. As Toono said, running on the wall of a building ¨C even if she should fall from it, Suzushiro¡¯s ability to cushion [Water] would help, but she was still afraid of scary things. ¡°I think it will be better if you¡¯re there since we are going to your friend¡¯s place. But if you don¡¯t like it that much, I won¡¯t force you to go.¡± ¡°¡­No, I¡¯m going. I just needed a little time to prepare myself.¡± With that said, Suzushiro put on her helmet, straddled the bike, and hugged Toono¡¯s waist. ¡°Then let¡¯s go. ¨CKeep your hands close.¡± Toono quietly started the engine and switched gears. At that moment, she felt a large amount of divine power being sucked out of Toono and into the bike. Without time to be surprised by this phenomenon, Toono twisted the accelerator pedal as hard as she could. With a jerk, the bike started to move forward, and in no time at all, the edge of the rooftop was in front of her. In the blink of an eye, the body of the bike was thrown into the air. ¡°¨CHyah!!!¡± It was a free slide from a height of several hundred meters. ¨CFor Suzushiro, it was the beginning of a terrifying time. CH 105 Amaterasu''s Miko Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Tsugumi, who had contacted Inaba, sat still in his chair with his hands folded in prayer and his eyes closed. Azalea, on the other hand, was looking at the signboard spell with interest, and the girl in the room with them was asleep on the sofa, tired of crying. The movie theater was currently closed by the police, and only staff and people related to the case were allowed to enter. The authority to investigate had already been transferred to the government, but the police were supposed to manage the place until the government personnel arrived. ¡­The police were very sarcastic about the fact that Tsugumi had contacted the government without permission, but when he showed them the pattern on the signboard, they agreed with him. The police officer who saw the sign seemed to have no tolerance for such things, especially for witchcraft and looked very displeased. Apparently, just looking at it was enough to harm an ordinary person. ¨CNow that the government had acted, there was nothing more Tsugumi could do. The search for the kidnappers and the rescue of the captives would be well done by Magical Girls who specialized in that. ¡­He had to believe so. But still, how curious. ¨CHow could Azalea know at first glance that the pattern was from witchcraft? After that, he looked as if he had just had an epiphany and smiled vaguely, saying, ¡°Actually, I have a sixth sense,¡± as if to make up for it. ¨CThis was purely speculation, but Tsugumi couldn¡¯t help but think that Azalea had a secret. He had said that the purpose of his study abroad was to study, but he didn¡¯t even know if that was true. ¡­However, Tsugumi believed that Azalea had nothing to do with this, at least in regard to this case. Azalea¡¯s visit to this movie theater was coincidental, and it was hard to imagine that he was in cahoots with the kidnappers. If Azalea was in cahoots with the kidnappers, he wouldn¡¯t have gone to the trouble of mentioning the pattern, as he had done earlier, which would have aroused suspicion. ¨CAzalea might be more suspicious of Tsugumi, who was the one that quickly detected the signs of witchcraft on the billboard and had connections to the government. He supposed they were both in the same boat when it came to secrets. ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± Tsugumi, who had been quietly waiting, looked up when he sensed a strange presence. ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to go get some air.¡± Tsugumi, who was about to go outside to check, said this, and Azalea stood up to follow. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°Hm? Well, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Saying so, Tsugumi headed for the entrance and exit of the movie theater. The police officer who was preserving the scene stopped them on the way out, but they managed to get out, insisting that they needed some fresh air, as it was depressing to be indoors all the time. At that moment, the cool air was instantly replaced by a hot and humid day. As he looked around, fed up with the heat, he saw a shadow on the ground approaching him with great speed. With a bad feeling, Tsugumi looked up at the sky and saw a red object moving as if it were weaving through the gaps between the buildings. ¡°¡­What¡¯s that?¡± ¨CA red motorcycle was running in the sky. To be precise, it was running along the wall of a building, but that movement, which seemed to ignore the earth¡¯s gravity, could already be described as flying. The bike gradually lowered its altitude and eventually landed gently in front of Tsugumi. There were two people on the bike¨Cboth of them appeared to be women. As Tsugumi watches the duo with a wary look, the woman behind the wheel suddenly removed her helmet. Her long crimson hair fell over her shoulders. ¡°It seems this is the movie theater. ¨COh my, are you the child who called the police?¡± Saying so, the most beautiful woman, Toono Sumire, smiled at Tsugumi. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡°Yes. This is the spell. ¨CIt¡¯s very elaborate.¡± Toono dismounted her bike and walked briskly into the movie theater, and as soon as she entered the staff room, she immediately stepped toward the signboard. As Tsugumi followed as prompted, he looked at the person clinging to him ¨C Suzushiro ¨C while Toono examined the signboard on the side. ¡°Really, I can¡¯t do it anymore. I¡¯m going to die if I fall in that thing. It¡¯s fast, it¡¯s windy, and Sumire-chan won¡¯t listen to me. ¡­I¡¯m sorry, Tsugumi-kun is the one who¡¯s having a hard time, but I keep saying all these things.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. ¨CI¡¯m a little relieved to know that Jukka is working on it.¡± With a half-crying expression on her face, Suzushiro held the hem of Tsugumi¡¯s clothes. ¡­It was just after Toono got off the bike that Suzushiro got into this state. Another person on the flying bike. That person wobbled off the bike and hugged Tsugumi with her helmet on. ¡°Wha, eh? Um, wait a minute.¡± Not being able to push her away because he was with a woman, not to mention he was a man, Tsugumi gave Toono a troubled look with his hands wandering aimlessly. Then, Toono squinted her eyes as if she were looking at something amusing, and said something unexpected. ¡°Oh? Suzushiro-san, you are very passionate.¡± ¡°Su-Suzushiro? And why is Toono-san from Jukka in a place like this¡­?¡± When Tsugumi said that, flustered, Toono opened her mouth with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s because we¡¯re part of a rescue team sent by the government. ¨CLook, we don¡¯t have time to stand around here and talk. Can you take me to the signboard?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. ¡­Suzushiro, look, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but let¡¯s go inside. It¡¯s a little conspicuous here. Really.¡± Even though the police had blocked off the street in front of the movie theater, it was not entirely deserted. People were starting to gather in front of the off-limits fence just because someone shouted that Toono was there, and if the world found out that a man was being held by Suzushiro, one of the Jukka, even though her face was hidden by her helmet, it would be a huge commotion. Tsugumi, while guiding Suzushiro who was pushing her helmet against his face, walked into the movie theater. Then he turned to Azalea, who hadn¡¯t moved at all since a few minutes ago, and raised a questioning voice. ¡°Azalea? What¡¯s wrong?¡± When Tsugumi called out to him, Azalea¡¯s shoulders shook with a startled look. ¡°Nanase-kun, don¡¯t you feel anything?¡± ¡°No, feeling what? It¡¯s true that Toono-san is a messed up beauty, but come on, that¡¯s not the point right now.¡± ¨CAs he had thought at the Jukka gathering, Toono¡¯s beauty was outstanding. The glossy red hair and fascinating appearance. In addition, even her body shape was proportioned as if she were the embodiment of a man¡¯s ideal. In Tsugumi¡¯s case, it was almost like admiring an exquisite work of art, but he couldn¡¯t help but admire it nonetheless. The moment he said that, the hands around his waist tightened even more, but he¡¯d leave that aside for now. When Tsugumi said that, Azalea spat out with a pained look on his face. ¡°I see. That¡¯s how she looks to Nanase¡­ To me, she looked like a lump of flame in human form. It is so strong that it can consume everything. ¡­.Sorry. That was a strange thing to say. I¡¯ll be waiting in the lobby, so please go ahead of me, Nanase-kun. I need to cool down a little.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. ¡­It¡¯s kind of tough being sensitive.¡± Toono¡¯s ability was certainly biased toward flames. The essence of this ability must have been seen by Azalea as the flame itself. Although it was not clear to Tsugumi, Azalea, like Suzune, might have special abilities. He heard that there wasn¡¯t much understanding of such abilities in other countries, and if that was the case, it made some sense why Azalea chose Japan as his study abroad destination. With Azalea¡¯s haggard appearance pulling back, Tsugumi took Suzushiro into the movie theater. They went straight to the staff room, accompanied by Toono, who was waiting at the entrance. ¨CAnd now. Suzushiro, who had taken off her helmet, let out a sniff and revealed her fearful experience. ¡­Indeed, clinging to the back of a bike as it traversed the wall might be a moderately hard experience for a girl. As for Tsugumi, he felt a little bit romantic about the flying bike, but alas, he would probably never ride it. As long as Hagakure Sakura had the ability to transport, there was no need for a tool to get around. The government would not give him permission to use it just because he wanted to ride it. ¡°I see. I understand it now. The effect of this is to get rid of people and attract the right kind of people. Moreover, it probably used the caster¡¯s blood. ¨CThis will get the job done quickly.¡± Toono, who had been staring at the signboard, looked up and said something like that. Then, she placed the sign on the desk and gently held out her right hand above it. The air in the room tensed up, and Tsugumi gulped from nervousness. He rubbed his arms, which were covered in goose bumps, and stared at Toono in awe. ¨CThis is Amaterasu¡¯s miko. For Toono, her beautiful face and her strength as a Magical girl were nothing more than accessories. To her, being a miko of God was the most valuable thing. ¡°Circle, circle, the dragon¡¯s truth. Trace, trace, trace the root¡¯s edge. Now, let us bring down the sanctions on the fools who have trampled on this land.¡± As Toono said this, the signboard shook by itself, and a black mist-like object appeared from the center of it. Toono gripped the black haze tightly and quietly opened her mouth. ¡°¨CBurn.¡± With those words, a pillar of fire shot up from the sign. Tsugumi looked at Toono impatiently, but she put her hand into the flames with a nonchalant expression. Apparently, she didn¡¯t feel the heat. When the flames eventually subsided, Toono smiled calmly and turned to Tsugumi. ¡°The caster who was interfering with the search should no longer be able to move. The government must have located the kidnappers by now. Come on, Suzushiro-san, let¡¯s get going.¡± ¡°Ugh, I understand.¡± When Toono said so admonishingly, Suzushiro regretfully let go of Tsugumi¡¯s clothes. ¡­Apparently, she was going to ride that bike back home, too. ¡°But still, I wonder what that girl¡¯s ¨C Chidori-san¡¯s contract God ¨C is doing. It seems even the government can¡¯t get in touch with him.¡± Toono said with a melancholy sigh. ¡°Chidori said that God was out on an errand. He hasn¡¯t been seen since this morning.¡± When Tsugumi replied, Toono¡¯s beautiful eyebrows furrowed and she opened her mouth with a disgusted look on her face. ¡°Is that so? ¡­Really, he¡¯s so useless at the critical moment.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± With that said, Toono headed for the exit of the movie theater with Suzushiro in tow. In the middle of this, Toono said to Tsugumi as she remembered. ¡°Come to think of it, you and that foreign boy. I¡¯d like you to take a cab to the government afterward with the girl who was sleeping in her room, and. Maybe within a few hours, we will be able to protect the victims, and then they will feel safer with their friends and family with them. The family of the other victim has been notified, and I would like you to follow the instructions when you get to the government.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand. I¡¯ll let them know as well.¡± When Tsugumi nodded, Suzushiro, who had been staring at him, ran up to him and squeezed his hand tightly. She looked at him with serious eyes and opened her mouth. ¡°Sumire-chan and I will definitely save Chidori-chan. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Yeah. ¨CThank you.¡± With a small smile in response to Suzushiro¡¯s concern, Tsugumi thanked her. ¨CIf these two moved, he was sure Chidori¡¯s rescue would go well. Still, the uneasiness that lingered in the back of his mind would not go away, but he could endure it. Watching Suzushiro leave with a wave of his hand, Tsugumi let out a small sigh. Now he had to wake up the sleeping girl and take Azalea to the government. It would take about an hour by car from here, but if the rescue was completed by then, he would get a call on his cell phone. ¡°¡­Chidori. Please be safe.¡± Tsugumi muttered quietly and began to walk toward the lobby where Azalea was. CH 106 Mysterious Letter Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¡°Road closed?¡± The road ahead seemed to have been blocked off because of a D-class appearance. It wouldn¡¯t be lifted for another 30 minutes, so it was a bit of a detour. Tsugumi, Azalea, and the junior high school girl were on their way to the government, as Toono had told them to. The cab driver told them this as they were getting into the car. ¨CThe traffic restrictions due to the appearance of Demonic Beasts are not particularly unusual. On a normal day, you experience it two or three times a month. However, the timing is too bad. ¡°¡­How long do you think it will take to arrive¡­?¡± ¡°Right. At this rate, it would be about an hour and a half after the detour. The train seems to be running, so if you guys are in a hurry, it might be better to go that way.¡± ¨CAs the cab driver said, it might be quicker to take the train than to go the long way around. However, taking Azalea, who was unfamiliar with Japanese roads, and the girl, who was exhausted, by train was somewhat difficult. As he wondered what to do, Azalea said in a concerned voice. ¡°It¡¯s okay if Nanase-kun takes the train ahead. You are worried about Chidori-san, aren¡¯t you?¡¡I¡¯m going to take the car with her. ¨CYou, too, would prefer that instead of the train.¡± Saying this, Azalea asked the girl who was looking down. The girl rubbed her red, swollen eyelids and gave a small nod. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine with me too. ¡­Because I can¡¯t get on the train with a face like this.¡± ¡­It would certainly be cruel to ask a girl of her age to get on a train with a swollen, tear-stained face. And, going separately had its advantages for the Tsugumi. ¨CBecause he could move around with transportation. Of course, if he arrived early, he wouldn¡¯t be able to move as Nanase Tsugumi, but as Hagakure Sakura he could probe the government¡¯s movements. There might not be anything that could be done, but it was still great to know the current situation in real time. Thinking this, Tsugumi bowed slightly, feeling sorry for Azalea and the girl. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll do that. ¨CDriver. Please take care of the two of them.¡± ¡°Yeah, leave it to me.¡± He asked the pleasant driver to take care of the two of them and handed him a few ten-thousand-dollar bills. The person in charge would at least pay for the cab when they got to the government, but just in case. ¡­It would have been best if the police who were there could have given them a ride, but they said they couldn¡¯t do that because they were under a different jurisdiction. Organizations were a real pain in the ass. ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you later at the government.¡± ¡°Yes, Nanase-kun, you take care too.¡± After exchanging a gentle greeting, Tsugumi left the cab and began to run toward a narrow, unpopulated street, pretending to go to a shortcut toward the train station. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô Azalea let out a small sigh as he looked at Tsugumi¡¯s back from the car¡¯s window. ¨CI thought he is just a good-natured guy, but he¡¯s still somewhat strange. He had a keen intuition to detect spells that even Azalea did not notice, but he had a dull sense of crisis that he didn¡¯t even move an eyebrow in the face of that fire monster ¨C Toono Sumire. At first, Azalea thought they had the same gift of psychic vision, but it seemed that was not the case. ¨CI wonder if the inhabitants of this country and I, Azalea, a servant of God, have different views of the world. It is very interesting, but let¡¯s leave that verification aside for now. ¡°¡­By the way, is Chidori-san going to be okay?¡± Azalea muttered in a small voice. It was not a tone of concern by any means but was laced with deep bewilderment. To Azalea, Nanase Chidori was a government official who was leading a double life by playing the role of ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡±. But even so, how could a person who had made a contract with the demon (God) fall behind an ordinary person, even if the other person was a magician?¡¡Azalea could never understand. At first, he only thought that she was deliberately trying to get caught and get rid of the kidnapper, but her brother, Tsugumi, seemed to be seriously concerned about her. It was possible that Chidori didn¡¯t tell Tsugumi the truth, but even if that was the case, Chidori¡¯s behavior was too lousy. The strange inconsistency of the situation bothered Azalea. ¨CIt was the same when Tsugumi took him to talk to Chidori. She was smiling as cheerfully as a spring sunbeam, even though she was clad in suffocating night air. At first, he thought she was successfully hiding her true nature, but there was no sign of that. On the contrary, she seemed to have accepted Azalea¡¯s presence without much caution. It was somehow a far cry from the image of Hagakure Sakura he had seen on the cruise ship that day. ¡­For Azalea, who had been in daily fights with people who hid their filthy true intentions behind their smiles, the Nanase siblings were a type of person he had never met before. Both were good people, but he couldn¡¯t see the bottom of their nature. It was just that, but somehow it sent a chill down his spine. Azalea thought as he gazed blankly at the scenery that had begun to move. ¨CIt seems that this country is a more magical place than I had thought. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô After secretly transforming into the form of Hagakure Sakura in a back alley and moving into the government, Tsugumi was listening in a corridor where people were rushing around. Apparently, Toono had already returned to the government and was planning to ride to the kidnappers¡¯ headquarters as soon as they were ready. While relieved to hear such a story, Tsugum¡¯s eyes shook with anxiety. Even at this very moment, Chidori could be hurt in some terrible way. Just thinking about it made him want to scratch his head in anxiety. ¨CHe knew that if he left it to Toono and the others, there would be no mistake. But was it selfish of him to still want to be the first to confirm Chidori¡¯s safety with his own eyes? As he leaned against the corridor thinking about this, a female staff member discreetly called out to him. ¡°Ah, Hagakure-san. May I have a moment?¡± ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± The woman handed him a flower-patterned envelope. ¡°Um, what is this?¡± ¡°I just received this from Toono-san. She asked me to give it to you if I saw you, Hagakure-san. I didn¡¯t expect to see you so soon. I thought you were off duty today, but did you have an appointment with Toono-san?¡± When the staff member told him this, Tsugumi opened his mouth with a nonchalant look, hiding his agitation. ¡°It wasn¡¯t anything like that¡­ Yes, it¡¯s from Toono-san¡­ Thank you, I¡¯ll check it out.¡± When Tsugumi thanked her, the official bowed her head and left. Then, Tsugumi stared down at the envelope and frowned with a puzzled expression. ¨CToono Sumire sent a letter to Hagakure Sakura? And at this timing? It was as if she knew that Hagakure Sakura would be here. It was fair to say that even within Jukka, there was almost no relationship between Toono and Hagakure Sakura. They would say hello to each other at gatherings and in the hallways, but there was no memory of any small talk or personal conversation. It would be quite unusual for her to hand him a letter like this. Feeling a little disconcerted, he opened the envelope and took out the letter inside. He opened the white paper folded in three. ¨CThere was a simple handwritten map with symbols and numbers that looked like coordinates. ¡°Eh¡­?¡± Puzzled, he looked up the coordinates on his phone and found that they seemed to point to a warehouse district in the port of Yokohama. ¡­Considering the timing of when the letter was given to him, it would be best to assume that these were the coordinates of where the kidnappers were. ¨CBut why would Toono give something like this to Hagakure Sakura? His true identity was known¡­ He didn¡¯t want to think like that, but the other party was a rare miko. He couldn¡¯t let go of the idea that it might be possible. When he looked at the letter again, he noticed that there was something written in very small letters at the bottom of the letter. He narrowed his eyes and stared at the letter. [Whether you come or not is up to you. ¨CPlease make a choice without regrets.] Tsugumi gasped at the words that seemed to see right through everything. Then, he muttered in a trembling voice. ¡°¡­What does she know? Tsugumi stared at the letter for a while, dumbfounded. ¨CWithout knowing that there was a black shadow observing him with inorganic eyes. CH 107 Non-negotiable Thoughts Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Inside a large shipping container in a certain warehouse district, Chidori was desperately trying to wake up her fading consciousness. ¨CThe time went back to a while ago. After telling Tsugumi, Chidori went to the washroom and encountered a suspicious person in the women¡¯s restroom. ¡°What in the world are you doing¡­!¡± When Chidori raised her voice, the suspicious person was in the process of pushing a middle-school-aged girl into a large cart. The girl was limp and did not appear to be conscious. -At this time, Chidori had two options. One was to hurry back and call for help. The other was to subdue the suspicious person herself. Chidori in the past¨Cif it was Chidori before she became a Magical Girl, she would have chosen the former without hesitation. Chidori knew that it was dangerous for an ordinary girl like her to face a suspicious person, no matter how much of an expert she was in kendo. However, this time, Chidori was lost. ¨CShe wondered whether it was okay for a Magical Girl to run away. Looking back, that was probably a mistake. Seeing Chidori¡¯s hesitation, the suspicious person closed the distance in an instant and unleashed a palm strike on Chidori that shook her brain. She didn¡¯t remember much after that. She remembered hitting her head on the floor as if she had fallen down, but what happened to her after that was completely lost. Probably, Chidori was taken by the suspicious person ¨C the kidnapper ¨C along with the limp junior high school girl and was locked in this warehouse. ¨CWhere did that girl go? Thinking this, Chidori looked around, shivering. Since her hands and feet were bound, she could not move very much, but she could move her head. A few meters away from her, she saw the girl she had seen in the restroom, lying on the floor in the same way as Chidori. The girl¡¯s chest was rising and falling, albeit slowly, and for the time being she didn¡¯t seem to be in a danger. Chidori exhaled in relief and moaned at the pain in her forehead, which began to throb and ache. She had not noticed it until a few minutes ago, but she had apparently suffered an injury to her forehead. She probably got it when she fell down. Gauze seemed to have been applied to the wound, but at this rate, she could not expect a satisfactory treatment. ¨CShe wondered where this place was. She could smell the sea, but it was hard to tell because the inside of the container reeked of iron. It would be best if she could somehow get out of the restraints and escape with the other girl, but in the current conditions that would be difficult. She didn¡¯t know why, but she couldn¡¯t think clearly. Delicate power control was required to open the door for movement. In such an unstable state, she would not be able to use her power as a Magical Girl. ¨CIf she had practiced fighting harder, she would have been able to save that girl. If Chidori had been stronger, if she had been able to respond properly in the first place, she would have been able to save that girl. Thinking so, Chidori bit her teeth. Although she had obtained the power that everyone longed for, she was unable to make the most of it. The members of the Transportation Management Department encouraged Chidori to slowly build up her power, but they probably didn¡¯t expect that she would soon find herself in this situation. ¨CEven though she had become a Magical Girl, she was still useless. As Chidori was sinking into self-loathing, the door to the container suddenly opened. With a flurry of footsteps, several people enter the container. ¡°Are they awake? Or are they still sleeping? ¨CWell, it doesn¡¯t matter. They don¡¯t have a choice.¡± One of them¨Ca slender, tall woman¨Csaid in an inorganic voice. Dressed in a black pantsuit, the woman ¨C a foreign woman with silvery-white hair ¨C carried the cargo into the container while giving crisp instructions to the people around her. ¡­She wondered if they were agents or something. Even within the government, there were rumors that such an organization had been working under the radar recently. Although she did not expect to be harmed so close to home, it might be a blessing in disguise that Chidori was not discovered to be a Magical Girl. The woman in the black suit crouched down in front of Chidori, who was pretending to be asleep and began to speak with a foreign intonation. ¡°It¡¯s a disaster for her, too. If only she hadn¡¯t come into the restroom at that time, she wouldn¡¯t have had to go through all this. ¨CIt was so sudden that I couldn¡¯t take it easy on her, but is her head okay? I¡¯d hate to see her die before she can be transported to our home country.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. There is a doctor on board the ship anchored offshore. ¨CBesides, even if it turns into a dead body in the worst case, we can still use it. You see, researchers are pulling their hands and waiting for the body to be donated.¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s scary. ¡­I hope that will make up for the loss of your precious caster.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be pretty pissed off. As far as I was concerned, she was a good-for-nothing old woman, but her power was real. ¨CI don¡¯t know how to report her death.¡± Chidori¡¯s body tensed up at the horrifying conversation going on above her head. ¨CThe transportation to the home country. A body donation. It was dimly apparent that these kidnappers were trying to send Chidori and the others to a foreign country. ¡­But now, even if she resisted, she didn¡¯t think she could win. As evidenced by the incident at the movie theater, they were better at martial arts than Chidori. If she moved too hastily, she wouldn¡¯t just be restrained this time. She had to find the right moment and somehow open the transportation gate, and escape with the girl when these kidnappers were caught off guard. She had to accomplish this before they went out of the barrier. If they left Amaterasu¡¯s barrier, her power as a Magical Girl would be reduced by half. Then there would be no way for Chidori and the others to escape safely. Despite thinking so strongly, Chidori¡¯s consciousness was already at its limit. The damage from the blow to the head and the sleeping pills injected before being carried to the container were taking away Chidori¡¯s consciousness. The kidnappers continued to talk without paying attention to Chidori. ¡°Nevertheless, God, huh. I can¡¯t believe I have to rely on such a shady thing. ¡­Even if it¡¯s for the sake of the country, it¡¯s depressing.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t complain so much. No matter how much we prayed to God, our situation did not improve. Then we should use them, even if they are demons. ¨CThat¡¯s why I infiltrated this ridiculous country as the first diplomat.¡± It took a lot of effort to get through to the government bureaucrats, the silver-haired woman said with a laugh. ¡°Haha, everyone is weak against pretty women, it¡¯s the same everywhere.¡± ¡°Hmmm, stirring the pot won¡¯t get you anywhere. But I¡¯m done playing nice. If we can find out more about these girls ¨C the ones with Magical Girl aptitude, we should be able to advance our research on the Magical Girl mechanism. Besides, they can be used simply as hostages. In exchange for them, we can ask them to take care of the Demonic Beasts that have appeared in our country. ¨CNow, let¡¯s get out to sea quickly before this place is noticed. We have a limited amount of time.¡± Saying so, the kidnappers were steadily making preparations. Inside the container, a variety of cargo was being carried in, perhaps for camouflage. Then, among them, a large box was brought in. The silver-haired woman opened the iron box at once and approached Chidori with a small nod. Then she slowly picked up Chidori and tried to put her down into the iron box, which was stuffed with cotton. The iron box was not likely to be destroyed by Chidori¡¯s strength. The transportation gate was not even close to being able to be opened in such a small space. Chidori, who was looking at it with her dim eyes, stiffened her trembling body. At this rate, she would not even be able to escape. ¨CNo, I have to get up. I can¡¯t end up here. ¨CBecause I haven¡¯t faced Tsugumi properly yet. Shaking off her blurry vision, Chidori bit her tongue. With the impact, the taste of iron slowly spread into her mouth. She had to make up my mind. ¡°¡­Wi¡­nd.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°¨CWind! Cut it up!¡± The moment Chidori announced so, an invisible blade cut through the surroundings. The silver-haired woman let go of Chidori, not expecting it. A moment later, Chidori cut the restraints on her arms and legs, turned herself around like a cat, and ran to the sleeping girl who was rolling over. She then picked the girl up and, with her back to her luggage, stared at the kidnappers in alarm. ¡°¡­I am surprised. You¡¯re a Magical Girl, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re noisy. I don¡¯t have to answer.¡± Chidori replied breathlessly. A red stream flowed from the corner of her mouth and nose. It was the price for forcing her body to move. ¡°Don¡¯t come near me! Do you want to be cut to pieces?¡± Chidori unleashed wind magic on the man who tried to sneak on her. Her whole body throbbed with pain each time she did so, but there was no way she was going to show her weakness to them now. ¨CIf she didn¡¯t persist here, there would be no more time left. She didn¡¯t have high hopes that someone would conveniently come to her rescue, but even so, she had to keep on trying. Because she was the only one who could fight here. ¡°Well, that¡¯s troublesome. I think the medicine I gave you was pretty powerful. ¨CWell, that¡¯s all right. If you resist, I have an idea.¡± The silver-haired woman let out an exaggerated sigh and fumbled with her hands to search inside her suit. Then, she took out a black mass and slowly pointed it toward Chidori. Then the mass ¨C the firing pin of the pistol ¨C was raised with a click. ¡°This bullet will pierce you before you can attack me. No, it won¡¯t kill you. It just hurts to death.¡± ¡°¡­Kuh, such a threat!¡± ¡°You want to give it a try? Unlike you a kind person, I don¡¯t hesitate at all. I¡¯m used to hurting people.¡± Chidori¡¯s face twisted in frustration at the words of the woman who pretended to be relaxed. ¨CIn that moment, this woman realized that Chidori was avoiding hurting people directly. But even so, there were some things that even Chidori couldn¡¯t compromise. ¡°¡­Just give it a try.¡¯ ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t give in to such a thing. I will never go abroad! Because, because I¨C¡° The girl was sleeping, and Chidori held her in her arms to protect her and told the woman with straight eyes. ¡°I have a place to go back to¨C!!¡± The wind blades flew as if she was squeezing out the little strength she had. Forget about hesitation and confusion, just for now. They were the enemy that must be defeated. She absolutely couldn¡¯t give in to them. However, the woman put her finger on the trigger, paying no attention to the raging storm. Still, Chidori didn¡¯t look away. And then the fateful moment arrived. ¡°Oh, dear. ¨CYou guys are a little too polite.¡± At that moment, a beautiful voice echoed through the container. ¡°¨CNo, no way, the gun melted down!?¡± With a plop, the reddened gun¨Ca hunk of iron¨Cfell to the ground. The woman, holding her burned right hand, stared impatiently behind her toward the entrance of the container. Then, from the entrance of the container, she heard the sound of someone walking steadily toward her. The owner of the voice was slowly making her way toward them, her face well-lit against the backlight. Gradually, the face of the person became clearer and clearer. ¡°¨CAh, you.¡± ¡°All human beings in this country are under the control of Amateresu-sama. Who do you think you are, a mere human, trying to snatch God¡¯s things?¡± Her red hair, which was covered with flames, swayed softly. ¡°¨CYou need to be punished.¡± There stood Toono Sumire, a woman with a ferocious smile that seemed to twist everything around. CH 108 Key of Memory Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani The red flame slowly spread from Toono¡¯s feet. The flames quickly invaded the container. The flames came right to Chidori¡¯s side, but strangely, she didn¡¯t feel the heat. ¨CBut the kidnappers didn¡¯t seem to think so. ¡°Hot, hot, it hurts!¡± ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t burn me!¡± The kidnappers were crawling around in the container with no escape, shouting such words in desperation. In the midst of such an aghast scene, Toono was standing in the center of the container with a gentle smile on her face. Her figure looked like the lady of mercy, but at the same time, she looked like a terrifying convict. Chidori stared blankly at the scene, only to be jolted back to reality by a familiar girl who ran up to her in the container, straddling the sea of flames. ¡°Chidori-chan, are you okay?! Ah, so much blood¡­¡± ¡°Suzushiro-san?¡± Suzushiro Ran, who Chidori knew well, looked extremely worried and gently wiped Chidori¡¯s face with a towel soaked in water. Seeing that the towel had turned reddish-black in no time, Suzushiro lowered her eyebrows sadly and rubbed Chidori¡¯s back in sympathy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late. If we had come a little earlier, you wouldn¡¯t have had to get hurt like this.¡± At Suzushiro¡¯s words, Chidori slowly shook her head. ¨CThis injury was caused by her own weakness. It wasn¡¯t the fault of the girls who came to help. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m more worried about her than that. That kidnapper was talking about how she was drugged with a drug that apparently rendered her unconscious. It seems I¡¯ve been dosed with the same thing, and to be honest, it¡¯s already hard for me to stay conscious¡­¡± Chidori said and looked at the girl in her arms. The girl showed no sign of waking up even in the midst of all this commotion. She didn¡¯t know what kind of drugs they used on her, but they certainly weren¡¯t good for her body. ¡°I get it. I¡¯ll have her checked out at the hospital after we get out of here. We will prepare a safe antidote depending on the situation, so don¡¯t worry! ¨CThat¡¯s all right, you just get some rest. We¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± Suzushiro told Chidori, who was still dizzy and somehow kept her consciousness, in a cheerful tone. ¨CSurely, she was acting cheerful on purpose to reassure her. She was so happy that she wanted to cry at her thoughtfulness. ¡°Yes, please, please¡­¡± The moment she said that and relaxed, Chidori fell down and lost consciousness. In fact, Chidori¡¯s body had already reached its limit. The medicine for her head injury. And the cost of forcing herself to use her ability was too great. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s dangerous. ¡­I know, it was hard for you too, Chidori-chan.¡± Suzushiro supported Chidori in time as she almost fell to the floor and let out a small, worried breath. The kidnappers were being plodded by Toono¡¯s fire ¨C a special fire that burned nothing but the objects designated by the caster ¨C and there was no room for Suzushiro. Toono was staring at the kidnappers as if she were looking at trash, while the gun in her hand ¨C a rubber bullet ¨C was mowing down their consciousness. She had prepared a fast-acting sleeping pill for the raid just in case, but that was wasted as Toono jumped into the container before she could. However, thanks to her quick action, it was fortuitous that the girls, the victims, did not suffer any unnecessary injuries. A girl¡¯s body didn¡¯t deserve big wounds. ¨CThey managed to find the girls before they were put on the boat. But the situation wasn¡¯t really good. These two needed to be taken to the hospital as soon as possible. But Suzushiro¡¯s physical strength was not enough to carry two people. Thinking so, Suzushiro used her ability to call a lump of water next to her. Then she dexterously manipulated the water into the shape of a hand and picked up Chidori and the other girl. As she was advancing toward the exit, avoiding the unconscious kidnappers, the man who had fallen down in front of her stood up with a yelp. He seemed to have some miasma-like wounds in some places, but they were not so severe as burns. Perhaps Toono was adjusting the heat so as not to cause too much injury. The man looked up with blurry eyes and saw the hand of water with bloodshot eyes. ¡°Wa-water? ¨CGive me that water!¡± It was probably an act of instinct. He began to run toward the hand of water that was carrying Chidori and the others as if clinging to it. ¡°It¡¯s okay, drink as much as you want. ¨CIf you can.¡± Suzushiro said, reaching out her hand toward the man and making a gripping motion. Then the air around the man shook, and a mass of water shot out in front of the man¡¯s face. The water wrapped around the man¡¯s neck and wriggled and choked him like a living creature. ¡°Ah, kuh, I can¡¯t breathe¡­¡± ¡°You can drink the water slowly after the interrogation. ¨CAh, I wish all those people who do terrible things to girls would just go away.¡± Looking down with cold eyes at the man who had collapsed due to lack of oxygen, Suzushiro strode quickly to the outside of the container. ¡°Hey, get these two to the hospital as fast as you can! They¡¯re injured and said they were drugged with some kind of strange medicine!¡± ¡°Yes, understood! What about Suzushiro-san and Toono-san? ¡°I¡¯ll accompany you to the hospital. Toono-san is still a little busy, and she said it would be okay to move ahead in case of an emergency.¡± ¡°I see. Then please come this way.¡± The woman in the Transportation Management Department showed a slightly agitated gesture when she saw the blood-covered Chidori, but she suppressed it and proceeded to prepare for the transportation in an unobtrusive manner. ¡­Certainly, it was unbearable to see an acquaintance in this state. Thinking of this, Suzushiro kept her eyes down, praying for a quick recovery for both of them. A magic circle floating on the ground carried Suzushiro and the others to the hospital. After the light disappeared, only empty space was left. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡°Well, I wonder if it¡¯s all settled with this.¡± Saying this, Toono lifted her hand and snapped her fingers. A snap sound was heard, and at the same time, the fire in the container was extinguished. Staring coldly at the kidnappers lying on the floor ¨C agents of some other country ¨C Toono let out a troubled sigh. ¡°But it was a little last minute to save them. I must reflect on that. Well, even if I had been a little later, you would have moved anyway. ¨CRight, Hagakure-san?¡± Tono threw such words toward the back of the container, where a tall wooden box was placed. That wooden box was the one that Chidori and the others had been standing on until a few minutes ago. Prompted by Toono¡¯s words, a figure appeared from behind the wooden box with a clattering sound. ¡°¡­Toono-san. How much do you know?¡± Holding her left eye as if enduring a terrible headache, Hagakure Sakura¨CTsugumi¨Csaid in a groaning voice. ¨CFollowing Toono¡¯s letter, Tsugumi arrived at this location and used transportation to sneak into the container, which was frequented by people who did not look like hardened criminals. But when he flew behind the crates, Chidori was already in the middle of confronting her kidnappers. Quickly, he stretched out his thread and twisted it around the silver-haired woman¡¯s right hand, who was pointing a gun at Chidori. If she pulled the trigger, he thought, he would cut off her hand along with the gun. ¡­Tsugumi was a little less than calm at this time. He had no hesitation at all in using his abilities to hurt people. But this plan was thwarted by Toono¡¯s sudden appearance. The threads entangling the woman with the gun were burned away by the flames, and the gun melted like chocolate. And while Tsugumi was staring around in surprise, Toono had subdued the kidnapper in the blink of an eye. Then, breathlessly, while Tsugumi sat on the floor of the container to quietly hide, he watched Suzushiro take out Chidori and the others. ¨CBut after seeing the scene of the fire around Chidori, the pain in his head just wouldn¡¯t go away. It was as if his brain was refusing to see the scene. In the midst of enduring such pain, he was approached by Toono, as if she could see through Tsugumi. ¨CIt was only natural for Tsugumi to be wary of Toono. ¡°I¡¯m not sure where to go with this. I¡¯m just following Yatagarasu¡¯s instructions. But yes, I feel sorry for you. Because I¡¯m sure you would have been happier if you don¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± ¡°Oh, dear, that¡¯s a scary face. You¡¯ve ruined your beautiful face.¡± When Toono said something incomprehensible, Tsugumi frowned and replied, I don¡¯t understand. However, Toono didn¡¯t pay attention to that and continued. ¡°The key to memory has already been opened. But you made the decision to come here, and you have no regrets, do you?¡± ¡°Memory? What are you talking about¡­kuh¡­¡± His vision shook as if his brain had been stirred up. The left eye, which was throbbing and radiating intermittent pain, was adding to the suffering. ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much, okay? I¡¯m not going to tell anyone about this. I have nothing to gain by doing so. See you later, Hagakure-san. I hope we¡¯ll continue to stay on good terms.¡± Toono told him one-sidedly and turned her back to Tsugumi. She then walked away without looking back. ¡°Wait, wait. I¡¯m not done talking yet¨C¡± ¡°I won¡¯t wait. ¨CGoodbye, miko. When you remember the sin dwelling in your body, we will talk again slowly.¡± With these words, Toono left. Tsugumi stared at the figure in dismay, then he felt the presence of another person from the entrance and hastily hid away. Apparently, a government official had entered to retrieve the kidnappers. No one should know that Hagakure Sakura is here. Thinking so, Tsugumi endured the pain in his head and transported to an unpopular place near the government. There, he released his transformation and began to walk toward the government with unsteady steps. ¨CWhat in the world was Toono saying? There were so many abstract expressions as if being wrapped in smoke. Moreover, that way of speaking, as if she knew about Tsugumi before he lost his memory. He felt nauseous, as if he was being unintentionally rolled around in the palm of her hand. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand why.¡± ¨CHe¡¯d like to talk to someone about it. He wondered if Bell would listen. If was about lost memories, then maybe Higoromo would be a better person to talk to. Or maybe he should talk to Shiro. Thinking about all these things with a head that was not spinning properly, Tsugumi finally reached the entrance to the government, He told the guard at the gate that he was a relative of the kidnapped Magical Girl and waited for a government official to arrive. ¡°Are you Nanase Tsugumi-san?¡± After waiting there for a while, a man wearing stern-looking glasses called out to him. He had a card hanging from his neck, indicating that he was a government official. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± ¡°Ah, thank goodness. I just received word that Nanase Chidori is safe and sound. She¡¯s at the hospital right now undergoing tests, and they say she¡¯s in stable condition. ¨CI¡¯m glad.¡± The man continued, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital together. I¡¯m sure Nanase-san will feel more at ease if her brother is there when she wakes up.¡± Tsugumi smiled and let out a sigh of relief. ¨CChidori is safe. She¡¯s alive. Oh, I¡¯m so glad. The moment he thought that, the pain in his head began to increase, as if he had lost his mind. The pain felt as if it was cracking him open, and he crouched down, groaning involuntarily. ¡°Nanase-kun? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No, my head hurts¡­¡± ¡°Your head? ¡­Could it be that the spell is having an effect now?¡± The staff grabbed Tsugumi by the shoulders in a hurry, but Tsugumi was unable to say anything back. His vision distorted and his consciousness faded. ¨CWorried voices could be heard somewhere in the distance. A rippling noise dominated his head. It was somehow comforting, and somehow terribly sad. ¡°¡­Ah. I¡¯m sorry, Oneechan.¡± With a small murmur, Tsugumi surrendered himself to sleep. ¨CThe key to the memory has been unlocked. He remembered Toono¡¯s words. Next time, the lid of memory will be opened. CH 109 The Sin of Ignorance Translated by LyraDhani In his slumbering consciousness, Tsugumi was dreaming. Before his memory was engulfed by a sea of flames, he dreamed of a time when he was still a young child. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô The earliest memory he had was of his older sister, Sakura, trying to touch young Tsugumi with a troubled look. He still remembered the way his small hand gripped his sister¡¯s finger as he reached out in a timid manner, and his sister, surprised by this, smiled with a very sad look on her face. Time passed, and by the time Tsugumi came to his sense, he and his sister were living in an institution surrounded by white walls. Looking back now, it seemed this was the Star of Dawn, a religious institution run by his sister. He remembered that the strange bills scattered on the white walls were frightening to him as a child. It was a very spacious facility, but for Tsugumi, the only impression left behind was that the place was extremely cramped. Unlike his older sister, who was free to move around the facility, he was only allowed to go out alone in the living space he shared with his sister. When he was taken out to the occasional festivals, he was forced to sit in the middle of the white altar and was not even allowed to open his mouth. He was not allowed to go outside, and even the people he talked to were restricted, so it was extremely boring for young Tsugumi. ¨CBut his older sister always took good care of him. It could be described as devotion. The language, how to eat, how to write, and basic common sense. She taught him everything he needed to know as a human being. For Tsugumi, his older sister, Sakura-oneechan, was his mother, his friend, and his teacher. In a way, she was the only thing that made his world complete. ¨CHe was dissatisfied, but it wasn¡¯t hard. Tsugumi at this time was definitely [happy]. But when he looked back to the past after learning about the outside world, many strange things came to mind. In those days, Tsugumi did not have a word to refer to individuals¨Cthe thing called a name didn¡¯t exist. His sister and his caretakers called him ¡°Tsugumi¡± or ¡°Tsugumi-sama,¡± and at first he thought that ¡°Tsugumi¡± was his name, but it turned out that was not the case. According to his sister, the name ¡°Tsugumi¡± was a temporary name, not his real name. His sister didn¡¯t give him a name ¡°to keep bad things away¡±, but he didn¡¯t know what the real reason was. ¡­Although his sister didn¡¯t tell the origin of the name ¡°Tsugumi,¡± he later heard the caretaker ladies talking about the origin of the name. ¨CKeep your mouth shut about the existence of that child, no matter what anyone outside asks. She had been telling her followers this since Tsugumi was a baby. And as he grew older, it became inconvenient for him not to have a temporary name, so she created the temporary name ¡°Tsugumi¡± as a reminder not to speak of him to anyone. ¡­To put it bluntly, it was a ridiculous reason. ¨CA nameless child who was not allowed to be let out. Just from that alone showed how unusual Tsugumi¡¯s situation was at the time. But Tsugumi did not dislike the name. It was true that at first he was dissatisfied with the odd origin of the name, but ¨C after a chance encounters one day with a young man who told him about the bird called ¡°Tsugumi¡± ¨C his impression of it changed. The young man wandered into the room where Tsugumi usually spent time while his sister was away, and with a surprised look on his face, he said, ¡°Are you the rumored ¡®Tsugumi-sama¡¯?¡± When Tsugumi complained, ¡°Maybe, but I don¡¯t really like the way I am called ¡®Tsugumi,''¡±. The young man sat down next to Tsugumi without hesitation that it was almost brazen ¨C and urged him to tell him why. Tsugumi was puzzled by the unfamiliar contact, but he spoke up and told the young man about his frustration. The young man made a thoughtful gesture, then smiled brightly and said. ¡°Tsugumi is also the name of a migratory bird. It¡¯s not very big, but it flies high in the sky, and some of them come to Japan across the sea from the continent.¡± ¡°Across the sea? But the ocean is huge, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s amazing. I can¡¯t go anywhere.¡± Tsugumi had never actually seen the ocean, but he knew how big it was. ¨CBut if a small bird could travel so far, why couldn¡¯t he even get out of here? The thought suddenly occurred to him, and he felt suffocated. As he stared dejectedly at the floor, the young man roughly patted him on the head and said. ¡°Ah, the sea is wide. In the past, people thought there was nothing beyond the sea. ¨CBut even birds like that are free to fly anywhere. So you, with the same name, will surely be able to fly far someday.¡± With these words, the young man consoled Tsugumi. He would visit his room several times to tell him stories and show him pictures of the outside, but then one day he stopped coming. Tsugumi felt sad about it, but he didn¡¯t say it. If he told his sister about it, he felt even the smallest of memories would disappear. She was not very happy about the fact that he was interested in other people. When she walked around the facility, she would never let go of his hand. It was as if she was afraid of losing him. Shortly before Tsugumi¡¯s seventh birthday, she began to move around a lot. The time she had to spend with Tsugumi was gradually decreasing, and when it was getting to the point where it was becoming a real pain to kill time¨Cthat girl appeared. ¡°This child is called Chidori. ¨CShe is your new older sister.¡± Saying that, the girl leaped in front of Tsugumi with her back pushed by his older sister, and smiled softly and innocently with blurry eyes. ¡°Nice to meet you, Tsugumi-kun. We¡¯ll be together from now on!¡± ¨CEven now, he didn¡¯t know how to describe the shock he felt at that moment. For the first time in his life, he was given a family member other than his sister Sakura. A human being that he could talk to freely. ¡­A friend who was the same age as him. ¡­It must have started since then. Ever since then, Tsugumi had been mistaken. After that, his sister stopped coming to the room more frequently than before, but Tsugumi was happy. His new sister, Chidori, was always in the dull room. She was a little absent-minded, but she was always kind to him. They talked about the outside world and the games they could play together. The interaction with a girl of the same age was too new for Tsugumi. ¡­However, Chidori would occasionally look up at the sky thoughtfully with a sad expression on her face. When Tsugumi asked her about it, Chidori didn¡¯t seem to realize she was making such a face. ¨CAs if she was being emotionally manipulated. But, unaware of this, Tsugumi was enjoying a happy life, despite his doubts about Chidori¡¯s condition. ¨CHe didn¡¯t know that his happiness was built on thin ice. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô Burning. Burning. The white altar burned with red flames. Tsugumi gazed at the scene with a hazy head. ¨CThe collapse began on the morning of Tsugumi¡¯s seventh birthday. It was the day of the fire of unprecedented magnitude. The sun had not yet risen. His pale-faced older sister shook him awake, and he did as she told him and drank the bright blue liquid. Then, as Tsugumi gradually fell into a deep slumber, his sister looked like she was about to cry and muttered to herself. ¡°¨CAt least, Tsugumi alone, I definitely will save you. ¡­I went to the trouble of preparing a replacement vessel for that purpose.¡± After that, the memory of what happened next was long gone. By the time he realized it, the altar where the ritual was about to take place was already surrounded by flames. When Tsugumi looked around slowly, Chidori was crying as she clung to him. And then he saw another one ¨C a girl covered in blood, leaning on her thorn knee. An alarm bell ran in the back of his head. ¨CNo, you mustn¡¯t know. But with a trembling hand, Tsugumi touched the fallen girl¡¯s head. With a twirl, the girl¡¯s face was revealed. ¡°Oneechan? What¡¯s wrong, you¡¯re so red¡­ Why don¡¯t you say anything¡­?¡± The light was already gone from the girl¡¯s eyes¨CSakura-oneechan, and it was obvious that she was dead. No matter how much he called out to her, she didn¡¯t say anything back. However, Tsugumi, who had never been exposed to the death of an animal, let alone a human being, could not understand the concept of [death]. As Tsugumi curiously shook his sister, a shadow suddenly appeared directly above him. Involuntarily, Tsugumi looked up and saw a woman standing there with burns all over her body. Seeing this, the frightened Chidori, who was standing next to him, nuzzled her face into Tsugumi¡¯s waist and hugged him. She must have been afraid of the woman¡¯s injuries. Seeing Chidori like that, the woman¡¯s face contorted in frustration and she let out a single tear. Then, she crouched down in front of Tsugumi, pointed at Chidori, and said in a hushed voice. ¡°What is this child to you?¡± ¡°Chidori is my older sister. She¡¯s an important family member and a dear friend. ¨CHey, Oneesan. Sakura-oneechan hasn¡¯t woken up since a while ago. What do you think I should do to wake her up?¡± The woman with the burns stared hatefully at his sister¡¯s body below Tsugumi¡¯s knees and spat out. ¡°Even your own brother is treated like this. ¡­You outcast. You left something troublesome until the end.¡± The woman slowly reached for Tsugumi¡¯s neck and began to squeeze harder. The woman brought her sore face close and quietly opened her mouth as Tsugumi moaned from the sudden suffocation. ¡°Listen to me, child of miko. You have sinned. ¨CYou have robbed a poor woman of her family. Therefore, I must punish you. As the one and only God.¡± As if in tandem with the woman¡¯s words, a burning pillar collapsed at the edge of his rattling, hazy vision. Red flames danced through the air, roaring and burning everything in sight. As if to purify the human karma. ¡°Protect the child. Protect Chidori. ¨CProtect Akane¡¯s daughter. That is the only reason for your existence.¡± Opening his mouth in pain, Tsugumi slightly nodded at the woman¡¯s words. The woman¡¯s words were not very clear to his depleted mind, but he did understand that she was asking him to protect Chidori. ¨CBecause it was natural for Tsugumi to protect his family. In his fading consciousness, he stared at the woman with the burns. But why? They didn¡¯t look alike, yet through his distorted vision, she seemed to resemble Chidori in some way. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô Tsugumi woke up with tears streaming down his cheeks. Apparently, he was traveling in a car. ¡°Are you okay?! We¡¯re almost at the hospital!¡± From next to his seat, he could hear the staff member he had just met saying something like that. But he covered his face with his hands without replying. The tears that flowed unceasingly soaked into the fabric of the expensive-looking car. ¨CIt¡¯s not like I¡¯ve recovered all my memories. But I can guess. ¡­The thing that his sister tried to call out. God¡¯s mess. Tsugumi was surely the vessel for it. That was probably why he had been kept alive and hidden. Thinking about it, that treatment made sense. The reason why Chidori was always in a daze was most likely because her memory was tampered with in some way. He didn¡¯t know how she got there, but it was definitely through a lousy method. There was no parent who would give up their own daughter, knowing that she was going to be sacrificed. ¨CHowever, his sister failed. She died for that reason. He didn¡¯t know what happened to that place. But the only family Tsugumi had left was lost forever. That much was painfully clear. ¨CAnd so was Chidori¡¯s family. Now that he had made a contract with God, he understood. The one who spoke through that burned woman¡¯s body was definitely a higher God. That God was concerned about Chidori to the very end. It was not normal for a high-ranking god to care about a child with whom they had no connection. In other words, the woman with the burns ¨C the woman with whom God had contracted ¨C was a relative of Chidori¡¯s, or perhaps her mother. Considering that she herself did not speak, she might have already breathed her last at that time. ¡°¡­Ah, I see. ¨CWas it all my fault?¡± Spitting out the words, Tsugumi muttered. Sin. Ah, even if it was a felony. How did his sister bring Chidori to him? What happened at the ceremony? Why did that God seal Tsugumi¡¯s memory? ¨CIt didn¡¯t matter anymore. If Tsugumi had died a quiet death as originally planned, becoming a vessel for the ritual, surely no one would have been hurt. If it wasn¡¯t a sin, then what was it? ¨CAnd what would be the point of meeting Chidori now? It was not even funny that the man she considered her only family was actually the cause of her mother¡¯s death. Tsugumi couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for Chidori. Meanwhile, the car in which Tsugumi was riding was slowly approaching the hospital. ¨CTo the place where Chidori was laid to rest, a place he knew nothing about. CH 110 Passing Thoughts Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani When Tsugumi arrived at the hospital, he was made to undergo a physical examination whether he met Chidori or not. ¡­He collapsed right in front of the staff, and he kept crying as if he was enduring the pain, so it was a natural step to take. In a way, he was grateful for that, because Tsugumi was not sure how he felt about meeting Chidori in his current state of mind. By the time he had completed several tests, including blood tests and an MRI, the sun had already set. ¡°Well, there doesn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong with your body. Does your head hurt anymore?¡± The doctor asked him as he looked at the test results. ¡°Yes. It seemed to be temporary, and now it doesn¡¯t hurt at all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. But if the pain appears again, it might be better to have a government surgeon take a look at it this time instead of a hospital. The effects of witchcraft are often impossible to determine with ordinary medicine. ¨CWell then, take care of yourself. I will send a nurse to take you to your sister¡¯s room later, so please wait in the waiting room on this floor.¡± ¡°I understand. Thank you very much.¡± He thanked the doctor and left the examination room. He was just about to leave the doctor¡¯s office when he saw a girl standing by the door, leaning against it. ¡°Ah, Tsugumi-kun. I heard from the staff that you suddenly collapsed.¡± Saying that, the girl with a worried face¨CSuzushiro rushed toward him. ¡°Ah, yeah. There¡¯s nothing wrong with me. Sorry for worrying you.¡± ¡°I see, I¡¯m glad!¡± Seeing Suzushiro patting her chest in relief, Tsugumi gave a small smile. Seeing her genuinely concerned about her friend, he felt his depressed heart lighten a little. At the same time, however, a heavy, painful feeling of guilt also passed through his chest. Suppressing these conflicting emotions, he opened his mouth. ¡°Thank you for everything, Suzushiro. I heard from the staff that Chidori and the other girl were also rescued safely. ¨CI¡¯m truly grateful.¡± Tsugumi bowed deeply as he said this. Suzushiro waved her hands in front of her chest, opening her mouth with a troubled look. ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me! It¡¯s only natural to help a friend in trouble!¡± ¡°¡®But it¡¯s true that I¡¯m grateful. ¡­.Uh, please tell Toono-san that I am grateful. Maybe there won¡¯t be another chance for me to meet her.¡± ¨CAt least not on this matter. As he thought about it, he lowered his eyes dejectedly. Tsugumi had a lot of questions for Toono about the memories he had recalled. Why did she know about Tsugumi¡¯s past or memories? Depending on the answer, he might have to reconsider his future plans. ¡­Now that he had remembered, he couldn¡¯t look away from the past. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll let her know. ¨CAh, by the way, I haven¡¯t been able to see Chidori yet because of the tests. Do you want me to take you to the hospital room?¡± Suzushiro asked him that, but he quietly shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. The doctor said that Chidori¡¯s consciousness hasn¡¯t come back yet. I¡¯ll wait patiently in the waiting room for the guide to come. ¡­Besides, I am not ready yet.¡± ¨CHe still didn¡¯t know what kind of face he should make when he met Chidori. The desire to see her face to face and confirm her safety, and a deep sense of guilt that made him want to run away. All of these feelings were clamping down on his heart. The current Chidori, who had lost her memory, probably wouldn¡¯t blame Tsugumi. But what if she regained her memory? Her gentle, soft eyes tinged with hatred and piercing him. A voice of resentment spewed out like sand. Calling him a liar and choking him. ¡­Tsugumi could imagine such a situation. Just thinking about it made his hands shake uncontrollably. Even if they were not related by blood, Chidori would still be more important to him than anything else. Even without God¡¯s words, even without the order to protect her, he would protect Chidori no matter what the cost. That was the one thing that would never change, no matter what. ¡°Tsugumi-kun, are you all right? You don¡¯t look so good¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, maybe I¡¯m a little tired from all the tests I¡¯ve been having. ¨COh, by the way, I wonder if my companion and the girl who was with me at the movie theater have already arrived at the hospital.¡± Towards Suzushiro, who asked that question with an uneasy look, Tsugumi felt bad, but he tried to cover it up and turned the subject away. ¡­He couldn¡¯t talk about this with his friends. Besides, even Suzushiro would probably be troubled by a confession of his sordid past. ¡°The foreign man and the junior high school girl? Yes, they were here. The girl¡¯s parents came to pick her up after visiting the other girl, so I think they¡¯ve already gone home. And, um, Azalea-san went away after he saw Chidori sleeping and had a difficult conversation with staff. I wonder what happened to him?¡± ¡°Hmmm? Well, I¡¯ll ask Azalea later.¡± He wondered what Azalea talked about with the staff, but he didn¡¯t have time to discuss it now. ¡°Also, all the kidnappers have been properly caught. The government will investigate the background of the kidnappers, but Chidori-chan should be careful from now on. The kidnappers were able to detect the aptitude of MagicalGirls in some way. Whether it¡¯s based on rumors, information, or some kind of witchcraft, it¡¯s still dangerous for girls who don¡¯t have the strength to fight.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll be sure to mention this to Chidori.¡± From now on, they must be wary not only of Demonic Beasts but also of fellow humans. Chidori, who was prone to getting into trouble, would need to be prepared for this. Tsugumi would move as much as he could, but there was always the possibility that, as in this case, she could be harmed while he wasn¡¯t looking. It was best for her to be careful. ¡°I¡¯m going to go now. I have to make a quick stop at the government. ¨CAh, and by the way, Tsugumi-kun.¡± Suzushiro, who approached him easily, gently wrapped her hands around Tsugumi¡¯s cold hands and said with a serious look. ¡°If you have any problems, I¡¯m here to help you. Don¡¯t worry about it alone. When Tsugumi-kun looks sad, it makes me sad too.¡± ¨CSuzushiro must have noticed a subtle change in Tsugumi. Even though Tsugumi thought he was acting like usual, he apparently couldn¡¯t hide the fact that he was feeling down. But seeing Suzushiro¡¯s sincerity made Tsugumi feel deep warmth in his heart. ¨CShe was just straight up worried about her friend, ¡°Nanase Tsugumi¡±. Not the nameless ¡°Tsugumi¡±, not ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡± but the life-size ¡°Tsugumi¡±. He was very grateful for that. ¡°¡­Yes, thank you. I¡¯m really lucky to have a friend like Suzushiro.¡± When Tsugumi smiled and thanked her, Suzushiro smiled with satisfaction. Then Suzushiro let go of Tsugumi¡¯s hand with a shy smile, waved her hand, and said, ¡°See you later!¡± and ran down the hallway. Staring at his right hand, which gradually warmed up, he muttered wryly. ¡°You¡¯re too good of a friend to me, who only lies, really.¡± Tsugumi looked down while mocking himself. Because Suzushiro¡¯s straightforward kindness was a little too dazzling for the current Tsugumi. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¨CThe day she was taken to the hospital, Chidori woke up in the middle of the night on the day she was rescued. She had a lingering sense of fatigue and a dull ache that lingered throughout her body. Her physical condition was not perfect, but as a result of forcing herself to move, it was probably on the lighter side. Chidori looked around the hospital room with a foggy mind and saw a black mass just beside the bed. Staring in surprise, she saw Tsugumi sitting in a round chair, leaning against the wall, asleep. Seeing that figure, Chidori finally breathed out a sigh of relief. ¨CShe knew that she had made it home safely. Chidori quietly slipped out of bed and approached the sleeping Tsugumi. The moonlight streaming in through the window faintly illuminated his sleeping face. His eyes were red, as if he had been crying. ¡­She might have caused him a lot of worries. Chidori felt sorry and gently traced her finger around the red, swollen eye. Then, perhaps feeling an itch, Tsugumi let out a small ¡°Hmm¡­¡± and loosely lifted his eyelids. The eyes, which seemed to be in a slumber, stared at Chidori. ¡°¨CChidori? Huh!¡± Tsugumi¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, and he twisted and fell from his chair timidly. Seeing him like that, Chidori couldn¡¯t take it anymore and giggled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so surprised.¡± ¡°You¡¯re awake. Um, are you feeling all right now?¡± Tsugumi asked Chidori with a clumsy laugh as if the spot where it hit the floor was painful. ¡°Yeah. I feel a little sluggish, but there¡¯s no other problem.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­Really, that¡¯s good. The doctor said that the wound is not too deep and the drug is something that will wear off soon, but I was still worried.¡± Seeing Tsugumi who said so with relief as he sat on the floor, Chidori was filled with guilts, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. ¡­If only I had been more careful, none of this would have happened. Besides, I¡¯ve caused so much trouble for so many people.¡± The kidnapping could have been prevented if only Chidori had taken proper action in the first place. She wouldn¡¯t have bothered the government or the busy Jukka. And Tsugumi wouldn¡¯t have any reason to cry. As Chidori was feeling down, Tsugumi opened his mouth with a wry smile. ¡°No, it¡¯s not Chidori¡¯s fault. Come on, let¡¯s go back to bed. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be busy tomorrow with interviews and all that, so you should get some rest while you can.¡± ¡°But¡­ ¨CNo, you¡¯re right. As Tsugumi said, I¡¯ll rest now.¡± When Tsugumi told her it wasn¡¯t bad, she tried to deny it hesitantly, but then she kept her mouth shut and agreed with Tsugumi. If they discussed this matter now, they most likely wouldn¡¯t get an answer. Tsugumi seemed to be tired, too, so it would be better for them to take the rest of the day off. ¡°Hey, how long have you been sitting there?¡± Chidori said, holding out her hand to Tsugumi, who was still sitting on the floor. But Tsugumi stared at her hand, looked away for a moment with a frightened look, and smiled as if to hide it. ¡°¡­I¡¯m heavy, and Chidori can¡¯t support me. Besides, I can even stand up by myself¨C¡° Before he could finish his sentence, Chidori grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. Just like that, she let Tsugumi stand up, and the two of them fall on the bed together with too much momentum. ¡°Whoa, hey, Chidori, what are you doing¡­¡± ¡°¨CHey, what are you so afraid of, Tsugumi?¡± Hastily clinging to Tsugumi who was trying to retreat on top of her, Chidori said in a quiet voice. ¡°I somehow know that Tsugumi has been hiding something from me for some time. It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m sure even family members have one or two things they don¡¯t want to tell. But I definitely don¡¯t want you to distance yourself from me like that. Because I only have Tsugumi¡­¡± Saying this, Chidori put a lot of strength into her arm that gripped Tsugumi. ¨CShe didn¡¯t know what Tsugumi was worried about, what he was afraid of. But only in front of her, she wanted him to be his usual self. Tsugumi¡¯s eyes widened in confusion, then he rested his head on Chidori¡¯s shoulder and spoke in a quiet voice. ¡°¡­Chidori, what would you do if I told you that I wanted to leave home and live on my own?¡± The words, spoken as if in penitence, shook Chidori to the core. Hearing her heart beating fast, Chidori opened her trembling lips. ¡°Why? Is there a reason?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I just thought it would be better that way.¡± Tsugumi mumbled and slurred his words. ¨CMaybe Tsugumi has recalled something from the past? This was what Chidori feared the most. Once the family ties were gone, there would be nothing to bind him to Chidori. As long as ¡°Sakura-oneechan¡± actually existed, Chidori, who had no proof that she was his sister, couldn¡¯t stay by his side. Even more so If Tsugumi remembered the truth. ¨CBut that was not a reason to support him living alone. ¡°¡­I¡¯m against it. I will never allow that.¡± Shifting her body on the hospital bed, facing him, she gripped his head with both hands and looked firmly into his face. The bright moonlight shone on Tsugumi¡¯s anxious face. ¡°For now, this is the happiest moment. I¡¯m so happy that you¡¯re with me, that we can spend every day laughing. ¨CEven if Tsugumi and I aren¡¯t really brother and sister, that feeling won¡¯t change ¡­Because we¡¯ve been living together as a family all this time. Are those ten years so easy for you? You¡¯ve come to hate being with me that much ?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it! There¡¯s no way I hate you¡­ But Chidori will surely regret being with me someday. That¡¯s what I¡¯m helplessly afraid of.¡± With a pained expression on his face, Tsugumi told her this, pouring out his feelings. Chidori looked at him and screamed in her heart. ¨CTsugumi was remembering something. That was probably why he was trying to get away from Chidori in this way. She didn¡¯t think she wanted to get her past memories back. She was curious about what Tsugumi remembered, but she was fine with it as long as Tsugumi didn¡¯t tell her about it. Because she loved the happy present more than the past, which she could never get back. Why couldn¡¯t he understand that? ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re worried about, but you worry too much. ¨CThere¡¯s no way I¡¯d hate Tsugumi.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Even if I end up regretting it, it¡¯s my own decision. I swear I won¡¯t blame Tsugumi. Then you don¡¯t have to worry about anything, right?¡± Saying that, Chidori smiled. She thought it was a bit aggressive, but she had to say this much to convince Tsugumi. Tsugumi, on the other hand, squinted his eyes as if he were looking at something dazzling and laughed helplessly. ¡°You¡¯re a fool, Chidori. ¨CYou¡¯re really terrible.¡± I can¡¯t believe you won¡¯t even allow me to run away. He mouthed this in a small voice, stroked Chidori¡¯s head with a giggle, and then slowly got up from the bed. ¡°I¡¯ll put living alone on hold for now. ¨CI¡¯m going to move to the nap room. I can¡¯t sleep in a chair all the time. You should go to bed soon, too, Chidori.¡± ¡°Oh, I have a big bed, we should sleep together.¡± When Chidori teasingly said this, Tsugumi opened his mouth with an exasperated look. ¡°Don¡¯t say weird things. Regardless of when we were in elementary school, we haven¡¯t done that once since we¡¯ve grown up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. ¨CGood night, Tsugumi. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow. If I oversleep, I¡¯d appreciate it if you wake me up.¡± Chidori gave a small wave of her hand while implicitly promising to come to see him first thing in the morning. Tsugumi let out a loud sigh ¨C and with just a slight smile of relief, he walked out of the hospital room. Now alone, Chidori collapsed onto her bed and looked up at the ceiling in a daze. ¡°Why can¡¯t anything stay the same? ¨CI don¡¯t want to change.¡± Muttering these words, she slowly closed her eyes. Tsugumi¡¯s feelings and Chidori¡¯s feelings. The two of them still cared for each other, but why wasn¡¯t this going well? Thinking of such things, Chidori drifted off to sleep. Unbeknown to her, she would wake up in the morning getting scolded by Tsugumi for not putting the futon over her head and going back to sleep. ¨CChidori, who had lived with a misplaced button called memory, was unable to remember the truth and understand Tsugumi¡¯s anguish, and Tsugumi, who was frightened of the future someday, was unable to understand Chidori¡¯s desire for the continuation of the status quo. The pathetic difference between them could only lead to a tragedy. CH 111 The Self-righteousness of Three Legs Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CThe time went back a little, just as Tsugumi was being examined at the hospital. A red-haired woman called Toono Sumire was walking briskly down the corridor of the Ministry of Divine Worship, which was located in a separate building of the government. Toono entered a room that had been specially designed for her, and leaning back on a leather sofa, she called out to the shadows behind her. ¡°The preparation was excellent. He did exactly what we expected. Just as you planned. ¨CI feel a little sorry for him, though. He had to relive those painful memories that he¡¯d forgotten.¡± Then the shadow behind her wavered, and a black mass appeared as if rising up. ¨CIt was a raven the size of a large dog. With glossy black feathers and three legs, the raven ¨C Yatagarasu, the servant of Amaterasu ¨C spun out his words cheerfully. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. I have ended my resentment by protecting his memory and Akane¡¯s daughter, but things have changed since then. ¨CI had no idea that there was a trace in that child.¡± As he said this, Yatagarasu recalled the events of eleven years ago. He was reminded of that terrible incident when he lost his contractor, Sakura Akane¨CNanase Akane¨Cand the tragedy that inflicted tremendous damage on a town. ¨CThe mastermind of the incident, Shikabane Sakura, was about to bring down a God into a human vessel. The preparations for the descent of God were so elaborate that no one was even aware of the organization, the Star of Dawn, until the incident occurred. But would a mere human girl really think of doing something so outrageous? It would be reasonable to assume that there was a mastermind behind the whole thing. However, Yatagarasu was convinced that the main culprit was that girl. There were some things that he knew only because he had met her directly that day. ¨CThe evil thing resided in Shikabane Sakura. ¡°Humans think that I descended first, followed by Amaterasu. ¨CBut there was someone who descended to earth before that. ¨CThe one who defined their existence as the absolute antagonist of mankind, a mass of malice manifested to call forth despair, sorrow, treachery, and chaos. These are the ones humans call the evil Gods. I thought we had hunted them all down.¡± Saying this, Yatagarasu looked up to the heavens. The rules created by Amaterasu apply to all the Gods who had descended to the lower realms. However, the rules did not apply to Gods who descended to the lower realms before Amaterasu. In other words, deportation for violation of the rule didn¡¯t work on evil God. This rule naturally didn¡¯t apply to Yatagarasu, but Yatagarasu was originally a follower of Amaterasu. Since there was no reason to go to the trouble of disobeying Amaterasu¡¯s will, there was no problem. However, he did do something that would make other Gods angry if they knew about it, such as telling his contractor Sumire information about another Magical Girl, Tsugumi, but that was just a minor violation of the rules. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve heard that story before. I heard it was hard back then because Amaterasu-sama¡¯s rules don¡¯t apply to Gods who came down before the barrier was created.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. If someone is outside the bounds of the rules, there will be complaints from other good Gods. I don¡¯t think the humans would have thought that the battle against the evil Gods was happening behind the battle against the Demonic Beasts, though.¡± Saying this, Yatagarasu let out a loud sigh. ¨CThe evil Gods were selfish and wielded their vices just by existing. Their way of being might be similar to the devil that people imagine. Fortunately, there were not so many of them, and most of them were later sent back to the darkness by Amaterasu¡¯s followers but there were some who escaped deportation. Some of the evil Gods offered their cooperation on a whim, and some of them still remained in the lower world, but they were only allowed to stay in the lower world with supervision and were not allowed to take any overt action. That should have been the end of the problem of the evil Gods. At least, this was what all the Gods on Amateru¡¯s side thought. ¨CBut the result of the oversight was the firestorm. ¡°Shikabane Sakura¨Cperhaps her mother had made some kind of contract with the evil Gods. She made a contract with the evil God, and in exchange, she gave up her daughter. ..Really, it¡¯s a terrible thing.¡± At that time, the contents of Shikabane Sakura had completely turned into something other than a human being. Otherwise, she would not be able to fight on the same level as Sakura Akane, who was the most powerful Magical Girl. ¡°Hmm? But you said before that it¡¯s not normal to succeed in bringing down the Gods. Both Sakura and Nanase-kun have the aptitude to be the vessel of a God, they must have had excellent bloodlines. As expected of the person you guys called the [shaman¡¯s son].¡± Yatagarasu slightly shook his head at Toono who said so with admiration. ¡°No, from the traits of the souls of the siblings, they may have been deliberately created for that purpose. They must have been adjusted since they were in their mother¡¯s womb, for the most part. ¨CThat¡¯s why she was able to steal my eyes at the last minute and pull off the great feat of sneaking the remnants into Nanase Tsugumi. The soul traits were too similar for me to notice at the time. ¡­A lifetime of ignorance.¡± One in her own vessel. And the other to make herself a usable vessel of God to rule this country from behind the scenes. ¡­He could guess what kind of being was at the core of the evil God inside Sakura. Considering the mighty power of that being, it was safe to say that it was truly fortunate that they were able to prevent God from descending that day. But if Sakura had not kidnapped Akane¡¯s daughter. ¨CIf she had not changed her mind to protect her brother, the ceremony would have succeeded and this country would have been ruled by chaos once again. Why did the evil God in Sakura ¨C known as the ¡°devil¡± in foreign countries ¨C try to save her brother, whom she had raised as a sacrifice, at the last minute? Considering what the evil God did in the end, it was possible that she wanted to keep him as a spare in case of an emergency. But if that were the case, why didn¡¯t the evil God take Nanase Tsugumi¡¯s body until now? Yatagarasu just couldn¡¯t understand it. When Yatagarasu said so with muddled words, Toono looked surprised and then smiled in understanding. ¡°I see. ¨CWhat¡¯s up with that? Then you¡¯re confused like me. Hmm, I feel a little closer to you. Ah, so that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t want me to look into the fire. That¡¯s so sweet of you. Did you think I¡¯d get hurt?¡± Toono laughed as if she had lost her it, and Yatagarasu gently lowered his eyes. ¨CTo Yatagarasu, Toono Sumire was the most pitiful child. She was a beautiful doll who had been repressed by a different vector than Nanase Tsugumi. Her condition was similar to that of the former Nanase Akane. This was why Yatagarasu took Toono¡¯s hand. He did it so that she would not kill her heart anymore. But in the end, it was only for Yatagarasu¡¯s ego. No matter how he tried, God¡¯s way of thinking was incompatible with human reason. ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine ¨CCome to think of it, I haven¡¯t asked you why you restored his memory. Why? If there is an evil God sleeping inside him, I don¡¯t think you should have bothered to provoke it.¡± When Toono asked this question, Yatagarasu quietly shook his head. ¡°The resistance level in case of an emergency will be different if Nanase Tsugumi has doubts about his sister Shikabane Sakura. ¨CIf he hadn¡¯t become a Magical Girl, this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± No matter how much the body of Nanase Tsugumi was adjusted, his physical characteristics would change over the course of ten years. The body that had been tainted by the mundane world should be less suitable as a vessel than it was when he was a child. ¡­That was how it was supposed to be As a result of becoming a Magical Girl and filling his body with divine power, the balance collapsed. Then, due to his life being threatened during the December Irregular¡¯s battle, the remnants of the evil God woke up. It was at that time that Yatagarasu recognized the existence of Nanase Tsugumi ¨C Hagakure Sakura. It was ironic for Nanase Tsugumi, whose life was saved as a result, but it was fair to say that his fate was completely decided then. -There was no way that Nanase Tsugumi, an ordinary human, could be a match for the evil God. The only question now would be how much time was left before the soul was eaten. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. In the end, you can¡¯t handle the fact that you¡¯ve involved me in this way. I even got Yukino-san involved under your direction, but did that go to waste as well?¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s not in vain. The contractor of that medical God also serves as a kind of watchdog. It¡¯s obvious that if you asked him about the big fire, he would immediately get to Nanase Tsugumi. Even if they didn¡¯t know what was going on, if there was any change in Nanase Tsugumi, they would notice it right away.¡± As long as he was not causing any problems at the moment, Nanase Tsugumi couldn¡¯t be disposed of. Moreover, his contract God was powerful. Even if she was bound by Amaterasu¡¯s rules in the lower realms, it would be troublesome if she got pissed off. ¡­He wondered why a God with that much power was unaware of the evil God inside Nanase Tsugumi, but it would be safer not to provoke her. ¡°Oh, dear. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to treat an unrelated person like a pawn in your own hands. You might get punished for it later.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. If I, as Amateru¡¯s follower, the existence of the sun, carelessly approach him, I will provoke the evil God. Then it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to assign the best personnel available at the moment. In the end, I and the other Gods are nothing more than pawns in Amaterasu¡¯s miniature garden. ¨CIf that is the case, then it is my job to keep that garden clean. I am used to being resented. If it leads to peace for you humans, so much the better.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that. God is so selfish. You won¡¯t listen to my opinions.¡± Toono¡¯s cheeks puffed out in exasperation, but Yatagarasu dexterously lifted his wings and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Even so, Akane¡¯s daughter¡¯s contract God¨Cwhat is that fool doing? He¡¯s useless at the critical moment, he¡¯s not worth being there.¡± Toono teased Yatagarasu, who muttered to change the subject. ¡°So? A low person like me wouldn¡¯t know what the Lord¡¯s younger brother is thinking. Why don¡¯t you ask him?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get a proper answer. ¨CReally, Tsukuyomi-sama is also in trouble.¡± Saying so, Yatagarasu gazed at the setting sun seen from the window. The red sunset was shining brightly as if it was turning the world red. ¨CIt was so beautiful that it seemed to obliterate the moon rising from the other side. CH 112 Accomplice in a Moonlit Night Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨COn top of a skyscraper at night, when the pale moon was rising, a boy was looking up at the sky. ¡°So the captive princess was rescued, the poor sacrifice regained his lost memories, and the sun miko began to move with a heavy heart. ¡­Well, it¡¯s going to be a little harder to move from now on. Even so, I don¡¯t have much time.¡± The boy, Amari Yukitaka-who had been sitting on the edge of the building, let out a loud sigh of discontent. He swung his legs in the air with an ease that seemed to indicate that he had no fear of heights. ¡°Now, what should I do next? I¡¯m not all-powerful either, so I¡¯m limited in what I can do. Ah, I¡¯m really getting sick of this. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s just a bunch of winged insects, I don¡¯t know why I have to hunt down my precious friends for no reason at all.¡± Yukitaka said, his shoulders slumped in wariness. He then took a black notebook out of nowhere, opened a page, and marked one of the items with a big cross. ¡°This time, I was going to take advantage of someone else¡¯s kidnapping plan to get rid of that Chidori, but as I thought, it haphazardly didn¡¯t work. She¡¯s the daughter of a hero, after all. Well, that¡¯s pretty messed up.¡± Yukitaka turned his quill around with his finger while muttering derisively. The raven-like feathers, with their suspicious glow, reflected the moonlight as they fluttered about. ¡°It looks like they¡¯ve started making various moves, but I think the government is mistaken about Tsugumi-chan¡¯s surroundings. They are all idiots. What¡¯s really scary is not Shikabane Sakura, but something else. Well, it can¡¯t be helped, she has the worst reputation in the human world. She deserves it.¡± Saying this, Yukitaka thought of a certain demon. A fallen angel with twelve wings and great power. She was considered a vindictive enemy of the world¡¯s largest religions and was a rebel against God and was synonymous with ¡°evil¡± at every turn. Her name was the great demon Lucifer. She was part of the spirit and an escapee evil God who also had the factor of a Demonic Beast. The demon took on the body of a human named Shikabane Sakura and, like Yukitaka, pretended to be a human and lived in the human world. By evading government scrutiny and deceiving her followers, she almost brought Demonic Beasts under her control. If only she hadn¡¯t had a last-minute change of heart, the world would be the hell itself. In that sense, Nanase Tsugumi could be called a hero who saved the world. But fate, as they say, didn¡¯t end there. ¡°Why didn¡¯t anyone in the government notice? Failed to bring down the Gods, the city burned down, and that was the end of it¨Cthat kind of thing just didn¡¯t happen easily.¡± ¨CThe [God] selected by the devil, who had a bad character and who she wanted to put under her control, couldn¡¯t be that simple. The remnants of that evil were certainly undermining the world. What she tried to summon belonged to the dark side, which was rooted in this far eastern land of Japan and still deeply worshipped, but never affiliated with Amaterasu. He was the highest-ranking God in this land of Gods, and among more than eight million Gods, he was the closest to a Demonic Beast. ¨CMishaguji, the God who controlled the boundary. He was truly an evil God who deserved to take control of the rift in the heavens. ¡°About Tsugumi-chan, Chidori, and the famous Agatsuma of Jukka? The Magical Girls who were wrapped in the red flame that day all have powers related to ¡®transportation¡¯. ¨CI can¡¯t help but think that it was the influence of the God who she was trying to bring down. I wonder if Amaterasu¡¯s people are also sunburned with a sense of peace. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter as long as they don¡¯t get in my way].¡± ¨CThe God who controlled the boundaries was nestled in their midst. Among them, the one who suffered the deepest erosion was undoubtedly Nanase Tsugumi himself. That he was closest during the ritual. And having been tuned as a sacrifice ever since his birth, he ended up functioning as a vessel of the highest order¡­he was supposed to. It had long been settled that there was only one end for those who had become vessels of God. Their souls were devoured, their original personalities were extinguished, their personal dignity and everything else was trampled on, and they became something completely different. This was why that great demon ¨C a stupid woman ¨C gave up her entire soul to protect him. All for the sake of one tiny human being. She covered Tsugumi¡¯s soul with her own at the moment the erosion of Mishaguji began and stopped the erosion by force. She knew that she would be annihilated by it. This was not something that could be done with ordinary determination. ¡°The one who was inside Shikabane Sakura was the spirit of Lucifer, moreover, it was a monster-like individual, distorted by the malice of others and their images. At least, that¡¯s what I remember. So what? Self-sacrificing for the sake of mere mortals? You think you¡¯re an angel now, huh?¡± Saying this, Yukitaka laughed mockingly. But in the end, her devotion was just a way of stalling for time. The protection she risked her life to build was now fleeting and fraying, and even the little ego she had left was being swallowed up by Mishaguji. A year at most, six months at the shortest. That was all the time they had left. If only Tsugumi hadn¡¯t become a Magical Girl, he would have been able to delay the tear on his soul a little longer, but the end result would be the same, it was just delayed a little longer. ¡°Ah, pitiful Tsugumi-chan. I can¡¯t believe you have to go through this just because you¡¯re born as that guy¡¯s younger brother. ¡­If it wasn¡¯t for that, I wouldn¡¯t have had to do this either.¡± Yukitaka, one of the evil Gods who escaped from the hands of the government and lived in a borrowed human body, looked down with a sadness that was hard to imagine from his usual self. ¡ªAttracted by the presence of a fellow being inside Tsugumi, he approached him out of curiosity. At first, it was just that. ¡­He wondered if it was because he was dragged along by the emotions of the person he was using as a container. It was too filthy to be called friendship and too pure to be called obsession. But there was one thing he could say. When Yukitaka realized what would eventually happen to Tsugumi, what he felt was definitely despair. This was why Yukitaka made a decision. Nanase Tsugumi was a dull and stupid human who called himself Yukitaka¡¯s friend, but if he were eaten and killed by the inhuman and turned into a creature he didn¡¯t know¨Cthen Yukitaka would rather end everything by his own hands. Because there was no other way. He tried to kill Tsugumi by playing tricks, changing his hands, and sometimes using the Demonic Beast factor swirling inside him to interfere with the rift in the sky. He also wanted to eliminate the humans who stood in his way, but all of these attempts ended in failure. Was he unconsciously cutting corners, or was it just pure luck on Tsugumi¡¯s part? Either way, Yukitaka would not stop until he found another way. ¡°I still think it would be safer to have more accomplices for the future. The current guy isn¡¯t bad, but more often than not our objectives don¡¯t match. ¡­I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll complain about this one too anyway. Ah, what a pain in the ass.¡± As Yukitaka held his head in his hands, he heard a sound like something small moving behind him. ¡°You messed with my contractor again. You never learn.¡± Hearing that monotonous voice, Yukitaka deftly arched his back and turned his head, then he said in a light voice with a frivolous smile. ¡°Haha, but you didn¡¯t stop me. You¡¯re so heartless, white rabbit-chan.¡± Tsukiyomi, the white rabbit, Chidori¡¯s contract God, did not reply to this question but threw an object in his hand toward Yukitaka: a black feather. ¡°It was mixed in with Chidori¡¯s belongings. A curse to manipulate bad luck. ¡­Don¡¯t abuse that thing too much. You must feel sorry for them living such a healthy life.¡± ¡°Healthy? That¡¯s just ignorance. ¨CAnd I don¡¯t want you to be the one who says that. You¡¯re using them for your own purposes. You¡¯re even worse than me because you¡¯re trying to be an ally.¡± When Yukitaka said this in a reproachful tone, Tsukiyomi opened his mouth with his eyes downcast as if he was trying to endure something. ¡°¡­It¡¯s all for a good cause.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really care. ¨CNow then, let¡¯s go over our objectives one more time, you crazy rabbit. What on earth do you want to do by deceiving your precious sister and teaming up with this hideous devil?¡± Tsukuyomi quietly looked ahead and answered in a firm voice in response to Yukitaka¡¯s mocking question. ¡°¨CRebellion, an accomplice. I will drag Amaterasu down from her current position. That is the only way to save my sister.¡± Saying this, Tsukiyomi smiled coyly. Was it love or madness? No one knew. CH 113 Things That Never Change Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani The night after being brought to the hospital, Chidori was diagnosed as fine in the morning of the examination and went out on her way to the government for an interview about the kidnapping case. After seeing her off in front of the hospital, Tsugumi slowly made his way home with gloomy thoughts. He didn¡¯t use transportation at that time, because he wanted a little time to think. ¨CChidori said she wanted Tsugumi to stay by her side. At least, that feeling wouldn¡¯t change while her memory wasn¡¯t restored. Because Chidori believed that Tsugumi was her true brother. He didn¡¯t know when her memory would return. It could be tomorrow, or it could be forever. Perhaps living in fear of that uncertain future was the punishment for Tsugumi. And so, after spending hours traveling by train and bus, Tsugumi finally arrived at the front of the house. From inside the house, he felt a familiar presence¨CBell. ¨CHe wondered what Bell would say when she heard about this memory. It really bothered him. Would she be appalled? Or would she scorn him? Or she might say she wasn¡¯t interested at all. But being abandoned was the only thing that scared him from the bottom of his heart. Now that his blood ties to Chidori had vanished, the only person he could truly cling to was Bell, his contract God. If the last support of his heart were to abandon him, Tsugumi who had managed to stand on his feet would easily break. Thinking that far, Tsugumi slightly shook his head. ¡°No. Only Bell-sama¡ªonly my God, will never leave me.¡± Clutching the top of his chest tightly, Tsugumi muttered in a small voice. Tsugumi¡¯s God was bossy, selfish, and always reckless. But, Tsugumi knew that such a self-reliant God was taking great care of him. ¨CLet¡¯s believe in her. I¡¯m sure only Bell-sama will be fine. Tsugumi took a deep breath and opened the front door with a serious look. Then, he heard an angry voice from the living room with tremendous force. ¡°You¡¯re late! You take so so long to call me!¡± Bell, who had just emerged from the living room, glared at him with an angry look. Relieved by Bell¡¯s usual words and actions, for better or for worse, Tsugumi chuckled and walked into the room. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Bell-sama. I was thinking about various things and ended up running late. ¡­Well, there is something I want to talk about with Bell-sama, is that okay?¡± ¡°Hm? Well, go ahead. I¡¯m generous.¡± With that, Bell simply gave her permission, plopped down on a large sofa, and urged Tsugumi to continue. ¡°Ah. Let¡¯s start with what happened yesterday¨C¡± Then, when Tsugumi told her what happened yesterday, the past memories he recalled, the truth about the great fire eleven years ago, and the true relationship between Tsugumi and Chidori, Bell held her forehead with her small hand and let out a deep sigh. ¡°In other words. You were a child raised as a sacrifice, and the contractor of that disgusting white rabbit is not your sister but a stranger caught up in the ritual. ¡­How could there be such a gathering of misfortunes in a time when there were so many Gods who had no time to impose trials on a whim?¡± ¡°¡­Even I didn¡¯t think I had such a big situation hidden from me, either.¡± After muttering this in a weak voice, Tsugumi turned his head down and stared at the floor. Although he had recovered enough from the shock of yesterday¡¯s incident to be able to give a normal response, the gloomy mood was still there. ¨CHe surely would have been happier if he didn¡¯t know anything about it. If he had just enjoyed the everyday life he was given without looking into the past, he wouldn¡¯t have had to go through such a painful experience. He didn¡¯t regret wanting to know about ¡°Sakura-oneechan¡± who lent her strength in a time of danger, but he still couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it. ¡°But it¡¯s odd. Why did Amaterasu¡¯s dog bother to revive your memories? What¡¯s in it for him?¡± Saying this, Bell shook her head in dissatisfaction. ¡°I don¡¯t know that either. ¡­But, the God who was borrowing the body of the burned woman at that time called Chidori ¡®Akane¡¯s daughter¡¯. There¡¯s only one Magical Girl I know with that name.¡± ¡°¨CSakura Akane. Well if you ask me, they do look-alike.¡± Tsugumi quietly nodded at the name Bell mentioned. ¨CEver since his memory returned, he¡¯d been thinking about that burnt woman. The mysterious woman who had appeared in the Irregular battle. The name Akane and the strange sign of the ability she was using. Normally, it would be quite impossible for a person who had long since died to appear, but something inside Tsugumi was saying it was the correct answer. ¡°Yeah. At least that¡¯s what I think. ¡­In that case, Sakura Akane¡¯s encounter with a Demonic Beast may have been a cover. And it would take a powerhouse of Jukka¡¯s caliber to fight outside of the barrier. There¡¯s a high possibility that it¡¯s Sakura Akane. In other words, that God is¡­¡± The God who once had a contract with Sakura Akane and who was now by Toono Sumire¡¯s side as Amaterasu¡¯s close aide ¨C Yatagarasu. That God was most likely him. And Yatagarasu, the second most powerful God next to Amaterasu, could easily have faked the death of a single person. Tsugumi didn¡¯t know what Sakura Akane, who was a hero recognized by everyone, was thinking when she faked her own death. But the responsibility for destroying her decade of peace, which she had obtained by deceiving the eyes of those around her, undoubtedly lies with Tsugumi and his sister. Thinking that far, Tsugumi tightly grasped his own hand to endure the pain in his chest. ¡°¡­I guess maybe I am hated. Because it would normally be unforgivable for someone who caused the death of his contractor¨Csomeone he cared about¨Cto be living happily ever after with the daughter.¡± When Tsugumi said this in resignation, Bell opened her mouth with a dubious look. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t understand what other Gods thinking. ¨CAnd besides, it¡¯s not something you should be so worried about. In the end, it¡¯s the dead people¡¯s fault. There is no reason for you, who survived, to hear their complaints.¡± To Bell¡¯s blunt response, Tsugumi replied with a wry smile. ¡°That seems a bit extreme, though.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? The losers are eliminated and the winners rise to the top. It¡¯s no different in God¡¯s world. There¡¯s nothing more pathetic than clinging to the losing side. It¡¯s funny that people like you care so much about the dead.¡± To Tsugumi who was confused, Bell crossed her arms and snorted as she continued. ¡°What do you need to be so depressed about? You are my contractor now, nothing more, nothing less. If you are so worried about such a trivial thing, just forget about it all and do more for me. You really are a troublesome person.¡± Tsugumi¡¯s mouth opened wide at Bell¡¯s self-centered words, and an unbearable laugh escaped from his mouth. ¡°Fufu, Bell-sama is really hopeless.¡± Was she saying that on purpose out of concern for Tsugumi? Or did she genuinely think so? ¨CIt was probably 50/50. Bell really didn¡¯t think that Tsugumi¡¯s past was that important. All she cared about was the ¡°present¡± Tsugumi. That refreshingly simple truth made him feel relieved from the bottom of his heart. Bell wouldn¡¯t give up on Tsugumi as long as he behaved. Even if Tsugumi was a great sinner, that wouldn¡¯t change. ¨CReally, this God was good at capturing people¡¯s hearts. ¡°Why do you start laughing all of sudden, it¡¯s disgusting. ¡­Still, I wonder what Amaterasu¡¯s dog is up to. Depending on his moves, it may be necessary for me to step forward. You¡¯re bringing nothing but trouble.¡± ¡°Ugh, I feel bad about that, but¡­¡± To Bell who looked annoyed when she said that, Tsugumi responded with an apologetic look, but Bell gave a small smile and said in a gentle voice. ¡°Well, this world is a bubbling dream anyway. It¡¯s not a bad idea to go through troublesome things for the sake of a pathetic servant once in a while. ¨CYou must try your best to keep me entertained.¡± ¡°I know, my merciful Lord. ¨CBecause of you I can stand up straight.¡± With that, Tsugumi reverently kneeled down in front of Bell. Bell looked down at him with a satisfied expression. Tsugumi really liked this kind of silly and sacred exchange. Things that change. Things that crumble. Things that break down. Even if he could only be at the mercy of fate, he still wanted to believe there were some things that would never change. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¨CThe play progresses slowly, centering on the singularity of Nanase Tsugumi. What choice will they make in the midst of all the intricate schemes? Surely, even God can¡¯t predict that. CH 114 Reunion After a Long Time Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Two weeks had passed since that kidnapping. The relationship between Tsugumi and Chidori¨Csurprisingly¨Chadn¡¯t changed. ¡­No, it would be more correct to say that they were mutually conscious not to change. They appeared to be behaving as usual, but behind their eyes, there was a fear of change that couldn¡¯t be hidden. Tension and soul-searching as if crossing over thin ice. It wasn¡¯t suffocating, but it was certainly uncomfortable somehow. On the other hand, he was worried about Toono¡¯s behavior. Tsugumi was bracing himself for some action from Toono, but after that day, Toono never spoke to Tsugumi¨CHagakure Sakura. Was she waiting to see how Tsugumi would react or was she too busy to deal with him? Either way, it was still creepy. ¨DIf it bothers you that much, you should go and ask Toono. But the reason why Tsugumi didn¡¯t do that was because somewhere in his heart, there was fear. That transparent gaze that looked through people. Tsugumi was afraid that the secret hidden in him would be further uncovered. He wasn¡¯t sure how much Toono really knew. He wanted to know, but he was too scared to ask anything. It could be said that he couldn¡¯t find a way to make a move. In response to the cowardly Tsugumi, Bell started to act, saying that she would investigate the Gods on the government side. Bell herself might have had some thoughts about Tsugumi¡¯s past. ¨CThose small considerations made Tsugumi really happy. Even if the feeling that Bell had was just sympathy, for Tsugumi, that kindness was a source of emotional support. ¡­Tsugumi understood that this was a trust close to dependence, but he couldn¡¯t believe that it was wrong to put his trust in his contract God. ¨CSo, Tsugumi spent the days with churned stomach, and the season quickly turned into a period of boiling hot days. ¡°As expected, I think the sea is the best place to go out. A beautiful woman in a swimsuit is the best, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°No, I definitely recommend an Amusement Park. The summertime is hot and humid, so there won¡¯t be many customers, I¡¯d like to have a lot of fun in a place like that once in a while.¡± ¡°Hey, hey. Summer is for mountains. Let¡¯s all go camping and play some survival games.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll melt in hot places. I prefer to play games indoors.¡± In the classroom after school, when his classmates were making a racket and talking about such things to their hearts¡¯ content, Tsugumi said in dismay. ¡°You guys are taking exams this year. You can¡¯t just keep making plans to play like that.¡± When Tsugumi said this discreetly as he prepared to leave, his friends opened their mouths to laugh. ¡°Haa, Nanase is really dead. It¡¯s the last summer of high school, you know? If you don¡¯t make a fuss, you¡¯re missing out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Besides, we are smarter than Nanase. We can get a good score even if we don¡¯t study hard. But Nanase, who couldn¡¯t even get above the average of the class, won¡¯t understand that.¡± ¡°¡­You guys are really pissing me off. I was above average for my grade, so I don¡¯t care.¡± Saying that, Tsugumi let out a big sigh. Due to a combination of work at Jukka and various other stressful situations, he didn¡¯t do well on the regular July test. Even so, he managed to exceed the grade average, but he couldn¡¯t exceed the class average, which was 10 points per subject higher than the grade average. The school itself was a reasonably advanced school, so it was good enough that Tsugumi, who tended to miss classes, didn¡¯t drop out. ¨CBut still, summer vacation, huh. He¡¯d been so depressed lately, so it might not be a bad idea to get out once in a while. He¡¯d received invitations from Mibu, Suzushiro, and his little friend Itadori to have fun during the summer vacation, but he hadn¡¯t made detailed plans yet. Jukka¡¯s job also allowed him to take time off in advance, and he would be able to manage a few days of travel. When Tsugumi thought about such things, the discussion seemed to heat up considerably. ¡°It¡¯s our last year, so let¡¯s invite everyone who¡¯s free and go on an outing. If you want, we can invite Nagisa-sensei or someone else to lead the trip.¡± ¡°No, Nagisa-chan leading the group? If left alone, she¡¯s likely to get lost.¡± ¡°Hey hey, let¡¯s stay the night anyway. I want a girl¡¯s night out!¡± ¡°Ah, my relatives have a villa and a private beach, so I¡¯ll ask them if we can rent it. I think it can manage about 20 people.¡± The girls in the class joined in the conversation, and plans were steadily being made. As he gazed at the scene as if it were someone else¡¯s problem, one of them turned around and said, ¡°Of course, Nanase is coming too, right?¡± Tsugumi had no particular reason to refuse, so he nodded. ¡­To be honest, he had bad memories of fighting dangerous monsters in the sea, mountains, and Amusement Parks, so he felt a little reluctant, but he guessed he had no choice but to put up with that. And a friend who probably wouldn¡¯t be invited ¨C Yukitaka¡¯s dissatisfied face crossed his mind, but Yukitaka preferred to be with someone he knew well rather than go out with a large group, so Tsugumi was convinced he wouldn¡¯t come anyway even if he invited him. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll contact you when the details are decided. Ah, do you want to invite Chidori-chan too?¡± To his friend who asked that, Tsugumi slowly shook his head. ¡°No, Chidori will probably help out at the kendo club¡¯s training camp during summer vacation.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m counting on you. ¨COh, by the way, you seem to be in a hurry, do you have any plans?¡± When his friend asked him with a curious look, Tsugumi opened his mouth with a meaningful smile. ¡°Ah. ¨CI¡¯m meeting up with a cute girl.¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¨CWell, when I say girl, I mean she is still in elementary school. Tsugumi, who quickly escaped from the noisy classroom and headed for the nearest station, smiled wryly as he thought about it. ¡­He didn¡¯t lie, but he felt a little embarrassed for showing off. When Tsugumi arrived at the south exit of the station, he spotted the backs of girls in familiar uniforms. One of them turned around, looked at Tsugumi, and shouted loudly. ¡°Ah, Tsugumi-oniisan! Long time no see!¡± The girl who came running up to him ¨C Itadori Kanae, smiled happily and hugged him. Accepting her hug without difficulty, Tsugumi squinted his eyes as if looking at something heartwarming. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. I¡¯m glad Kanae-chan is doing well.¡± Although they had occasionally communicated with each other by phone or message, this was the first time Tsugumi and Itadori had seen each other in person since the incident at the Amusement Park. Relieved to see Itadori looking healthy and uninjured, Tsugumi looked at the other girl. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right for a lady who attends Asuka Academy to hug a gentleman, no matter how much she owes him.¡± With those words, the other girl, Yumeji Nadeshiko, sighed as she approached Tsugumi. Yumeji averted her eyes uncomfortably as Tsugumi stared at her cheeky appearance¨Cshe had lost a lot of sharpness compared to when they first met. ¡°W-what is it? Is there something wrong with me being with you? ¡°No, I¡¯m just relieved to see you¡¯re doing well, Yumeji-chan. The last time we met, you were in a bad state.¡± When Tsugumi said so sincerely, Yumeji turned her head down, her face reddening. ¡­Apparently, clinging and sobbing to Itadori in the hospital room was black history for her. ¡°Don¡¯t tease Nadeshiko-chan too much. Oniisan knows that, right?¡± When Itadori puffed out her cheeks in anger, Tsugumi chuckled as he apologized lightly, saying ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± But it was true that he was relieved to see Yumeji. ¨CItadori¡¯s friend, Yumeji Nadeshiko, had family problems. Because of her high aptitude, her family had always wanted her to become a Magical Girl, and she had been taught that choosing any other path was evil. However, Yumeji¡¯s first encounter with a Demonic Beast at the Amusement Park and the damage it caused completely broke her heart. The deep trauma of the Demonic Beast caused Yumeji to give up on the idea of becoming a Magical Girl and she lost her place in the family. The tide turned after she gave a letter to Hitsugi. According to information from Itadori, since then, Hitsugi has visited Yumeji¡¯s house several times, and through discussions with Hitsugi, Yumeji¡¯s parents¡¯ way of thinking had gradually softened. Even now, things were still a little awkward, but it seemed to have gotten a lot better. As for Tsugumi, he was worried about Yumeji, so he thought it was good that things turned out well. ¨CBecause family is best when they get along. ¡°Anyway! I can¡¯t stay here forever so let¡¯s move. I will take you to the car, so please follow me.¡± As Yumeji said that, she turned her back, and walked quickly toward the outside of the station. As he followed her, puzzled, Itadori, who was walking next to him, spoke to Tsugumi in a small voice. ¡°I was actually thinking of going to a nearby family restaurant or something to talk, but Nadeshiko-chan objected. I was told that we shouldn¡¯t talk about important things in public places because things are so dangerous these days. You see, when we try to talk, we can¡¯t help but talk about that Amusement Park, can we?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true.¡± The government might have restricted information about the Irregular in Amusement Park, but if Tsugumi and the parties who were involved inadvertently talked about it, the information could easily be leaked to the public. The case was now under control, but it was better to be careful. That was how Tsugumi and the kids arrived at the car ¨C a luxurious recognizable car ¨C parked at the station. A stern-faced driver opened the back seat door politely. The driver¡¯s sharp gaze made him flinch as he climbed into the car, and he asked Yumeji in a startled tone. ¡°Speaking of which, where is this car going?¡± ¨CHe got into the car as he was told, but he still hadn¡¯t asked where they were going. When Tsugumi asked her that, Itadori smiled meaningfully and said while putting her face right in the middle of Tsugumi¡¯s ear as if she was telling a secret story. ¡°You know, we¡¯re going to visit Nadeshiko-chan¡¯s house. It¡¯s got great security. It¡¯s a beautiful house!¡± Tsugumi managed to reply with a twitchy smile at Itadori¡¯s words, ¡°I-I see.¡± ¡­So that was why the driver was staring at him. Going to a shop somewhere and visiting your parents¡¯ house had different implications for the people around. From that driver¡¯s point of view, Tsugumi might be seen as a shady man trying to seduce a cute young lady. However, for the girls, Tsugumi was nothing more than ¡°a slightly reliable older brother¡±. The driver¡¯s worries were unfounded. ¡­But, he would be careful not to say anything weird. It would be troublesome if he was misunderstood. With this secret determination in his heart, Tsugumi let out a small sigh. CH 115 Gentle Thorns Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Invited to Yumeji¡¯s house, Tsugumi was brought to a terrace overlooking an English-style garden. He was already aware of it from the presence of a full-time driver and servants, but as expected, Yumeji¡¯s house was very splendid, as one would expect from an old family. Tsugumi, who had similar senses to ordinary citizens, felt a bit nervous and uncomfortable. ¡°Hey, Oniisan, please follow Kanae¡¯s example and relax. This tea smells really nice, you know?¡± When the servants finished preparing the tea and left, Yumeji, holding a beautiful flower-patterned teacup in her hand, said this to Tsugumi with a laugh. ¡­Apparently, she found Tsugumi, who behaved like a borrowed cat, amusing. Following Yumeji¡¯s lead, he turned and saw Itadori happily chewing on a cookie. Comforted by Itadori¡¯s smiling face, Tsugumi smiled peacefully. ¡°Well, since it¡¯s a good opportunity, I¡¯ll have one too.¡± ¡°Yes, please feel free to have some.¡± They talked for a while about each other¡¯s recent situation and so on, but in the middle of that conversation, Itadori looked at him nervously. Perhaps she was finally ready to get down to business. Itadori put her hands on her chest, let out a small breath, and began to speak. ¡°Actually, there was something I really wanted to ask you.¡± ¡°What do you want to ask?¡± When Tsugumi tilted his head, Itadori nodded slightly and opened her mouth as if she had made up her mind. ¡°¨COniisan, do you know the news that the aptitude age for becoming a Magical Girl candidate has dropped?¡± ¡°Yeah. It was twelve years old, but now it¡¯s lowered to eight years old, right? What about it?¡± ¨CThe government had just recently announced that the testing age for prospective Magical Girls was lowered. The main purpose was to train young people to be able to deal with Irregulars, but it could be considered as a kind of ¡®protection¡¯. To become a Magical Girl, a high level of aptitude and qualities were required. Qualities couldn¡¯t be determined until they actually met God, but aptitude alone could be easily measured at government-approved hospitals. Girls who demonstrated high aptitude were encouraged by the hospital to take the candidate examination, and many of them voluntarily chose to take the test. However, there were many who failed the exam immediately, who had no interest in Magical Girls at all, who were worried about whether or not to become a Magical Girl, and who were too young to take the exam. Until now, this had not caused any particular problems, but recently things had changed. Yes¨Cthe increase in kidnappings. And it further highlighted the lack of protection for those who weren¡¯t or couldn¡¯t become candidates, as mentioned earlier¨CIn other words, those who had fallen through the cracks of the government¡¯s protection. ¡­If he was allowed to make an excuse, this wasn¡¯t the government¡¯s fault. No matter how highly qualified a candidate was, if she didn¡¯t belong to the government, she was no different from an ordinary person. In other words, even if the government valued ??people with high aptitude, as long as they were ordinary people, they couldn¡¯t be given special treatment. However, the government took this fact seriously and immediately did what they could. They lowered the age of aptitude for candidates significantly, promised support for several years even if they failed the exam, and asked those who had no intention of becoming Magical Girls or who were still unsure to join a class called the ¡°preparatory course¡± in name only and temporarily belonged to the government. They might have to live in somewhat cramped conditions for the sake of safety, but it would still be better than being kidnapped. ¡­It was certainly a somewhat aggressive move, but it shouldn¡¯t be wrong as a countermeasure. As for lowering the age of aptitude, only the testing age had been lowered, and like before, only those who had reached the age of 12 would be allowed to work as Magical Girls. There would never be a situation where a child whose age was single-digit had to fight. ¡°I was asked by a teacher at school if I would be interested in taking the candidate exam. I thought I¡¯d give it a shot since it¡¯s an opportunity. ¡­What do you think, Tsugumi-oniisan?¡± Itadori looked up at Tsugumi anxiously. In addition to anxiety, there was also a hint of hope in her eyes. Seeing her like that, Tsugumi guessed what she was looking for. ¨CShe probably wanted a push. She was probably hoping Tsugumi would say something like, ¡°You can do it¡±, or ¡°I¡¯m rooting for you¡±. If it had been someone he wasn¡¯t close to, Tsugumi would have laughed and cheered her on without a sense of responsibility. But Itadori was different. She was like a cute little sister to Tsugumi. This was why he couldn¡¯t answer lightly. During this silence, Yumeji silently gazed at Tsugumi, her expression more eloquent than her words. ¨CPlease stop her, her thoughts were vividly floating in his mind. ¨CThe person who was most afraid of Itadori becoming a Magical Girl in this place was undoubtedly Yumeji. She had seen the moment at the Amusement Park when Itadori was about to give her life to save hers. In other words, she knew more than anyone how dangerous Itadori was. Therefore, it would be hard for her to accept the idea of her friend becoming a highly dangerous Magical Girl. ¡­Although he thought about it in his mind, such worries were groundless, and there was even a possibility that Itadori would fail the examination. Even if she passed the exam, it didn¡¯t necessarily mean she would be chosen by God. Because being a Magical Girl wasn¡¯t something that could be achieved only by working hard. ¡­But Itadori would surely be chosen by God. She would be chosen. ¨CTsugumi had such a conviction. Tsugumi¡¯s bad premonition was almost always right. Once she became a candidate, her path to becoming a Magical Girl was almost assured. ¨CThen there was only one thing he had to say. ¡°¡­My sister is working as a Magical Girl for the government right now. Fortunately, it¡¯s not a department that specializes in fighting, so she¡¯s not in any danger, but I¡¯m still worried about her as a brother.¡± ¡°Oniisan? What are you saying all of sudden?¡± When he suddenly started talking about something else, Itadori tilted her head with an anxious look. Not caring about that, he continued speaking. ¡°If my sister were defeated and killed by a Demonic Beast, I would probably cry and lash out the government. I know it¡¯s just a random act, but I¡¯d still scream until my voice broke, and I¡¯d probably hate a lot of people. If I¡¯m not careful, my heart might break. ¡ªIt¡¯s such a painful thing to have someone important to you die.¡± Saying that, Tsugumi stood up, approached Itadori, wrapped both his hands around her cheeks, and firmly looked at her in the eyes. ¡°I am not against it. I¡¯ve told you before, it¡¯s a choice you have to make for yourself. But, Kanae-chan, if you really want to become a Magical Girl, you have to be prepared for one thing.¡± As he said this with a serious look, a loud thud echoed around the room. ¡°Wait a minute. Are you telling Kanae to make up her mind to die!? ¨CI will never forgive you for that!!¡± Yumeji¡¯s face changed and she stood up to yell at Tsugumi. Her face was stained with despair, as if to ask why he would do such a thing. ¡°No. Throw away your resolve to die in the gutter. ¨CWhat I want you to do is to be prepared to never give up no matter what.¡± Tsugumi thought that the desire to save lives was very precious. However, Itadori didn¡¯t seem to include her own life. ¨CYes, just like Tsugumi, who once tried to challenge Radon with the determination to defeat it. ¡°Prepared to never give up?¡± ¡°Yes. When you become a Magical Girl, there will be times when you will experience pain and suffering, times when you will want to give up on everything. Even so, you must never give up on life. Even if you¡¯re pathetic, even if you look uncool, even if you have to drag your limbs you must survive. ¨CYou don¡¯t want to make the people you love cry, do you?¡± Tsugumi said softly and gently turned Itadori¡¯s face toward Yumeji. Itadori¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. She clearly looked upset. ¨CHe wondered how her friend, who looked like she was about to cry, looked in Itadori¡¯s eyes. He sincerely hoped that this emotion could be a wedge for Itadori. No matter how hopeless the situation might be, if she had that, she would surely be able to stay on her feet. At least, Tsugumi thought so. After that, even though Itadori looked troubled, she said in a clear tone, ¡°Even so, I still want to be a Magical Girl.¡± Yumeji looked somewhat shocked at this answer, but when she realized that Itadori was determined, she gave a disappointed smile and said, ¡°I¡¯ll support you¡±. Tsugumi probably wasn¡¯t mistaken that Yumeji¡¯s face looked calmer than it had at first. After that, they talked for a while, and the tea party ended before dark. On the way back, Yumeji thanked Tsugumi, saying, ¡°Thank you very much¡± in a place away from Itadori¡¯s sight. It was clear that she was referring to the advice he had given to Itadori, but Tsugumi laughed to himself and shook his head, saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything¡±. ¡­After all, what Tsugumi said was nothing more than a gut feeling. No matter how much he prayed for her safety, it was ultimately up to Itadori whether or not she would survive. Embracing feelings that couldn¡¯t be expressed in words, he headed home and lay down on the sofa in the empty living room. If Chidori were here, he would be scolded for his bad behavior, but she wouldn¡¯t come back until night because of government work. As Tsugumi let out a loud sigh and stretched out his hands, he saw something round and slimy come out from under the couch. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You look pretty roughed up.¡± The round thing that came out ¨C Chidori¡¯s contract God ¨C put a small white hand on the edge of the sofa, brought his face close to Tsugumi, and asked curiously. ¡°¡­Niisan. Is it okay if you don¡¯t follow Chidori? You got scolded by various people, right?¡± ¡°A little bit is fine. Besides, it¡¯s not uncommon in the government, right?¡± Shiro responded in a strong tone of annoyance, but he didn¡¯t take it personally. ¡­Bell had told him that Shiro had been warned by the Gods on the government that he had been completely unreachable during that kidnapping, but he didn¡¯t seem to reflect on anything. Tsugumi scratched his head, looking at Shiro with a troubled look. ¡°If you¡¯re having a bad day. you can talk to this brother. It will help.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I am just pissed off at myself for talking to a younger girl about something great when I couldn¡¯t even protect myself as far as I was concerned. ¡­Really, I hate it because it¡¯s so pathetic.¡± He didn¡¯t mean to say anything wrong to Itadori. But he hated himself for saying that. ¨CTsugumi, too, had wanted to give up many times when he was almost killed by a Demonic Beast. Those who cling to a glimmer of hope and struggle to survive in the face of hardship and pain, and those who end up crushed at a moderate point. He know which one was easier. Tsugumi forced Itadori to go through the torture of surviving at all costs, an ordeal in which it would have been better to be dead. He couldn¡¯t help but hate himself. ¡°Besides, you don¡¯t want a brother who¡¯s full of lies. If it were me, I would have cut ties with him by now.¡± ¨CNanase Tsugumi¡¯s life was full of lies. The name, the past, and even his family were all lies. For such a person to talk about reason with an air of pride, the premise was wrong in the first place. When Tsugumi told him, Shiro scratched his head and said in a quiet voice. ¡°Is it wrong to lie?¡± ¡°Normally it¡¯s no good. At least, I think so.¡± When Tsugumi replied quizzically, Shiro gave a small shake of his head and said. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. If telling the truth hurts someone, it¡¯s also reasonable to lie and care about them. ¨CAlso, sometimes the Gods don¡¯t mind lying, you know? If that¡¯s the case, there shouldn¡¯t be any need for a human child to worry about such trivial things.¡± ¨CWhat Shirou was saying was a seemingly clean argument. It was a very God-like statement if it could be called that. But why? Those words sank right into Tsugumi¡¯s heart, and he felt that he could breathe a little easier. ¡°¡­I see, God lies too.¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose so. There are many strong old Gods. The best way to get around them is to use immoral ways.¡± Seeing Shiro¡¯s playful response, Tsugumi felt strange and laughed out loud. He threw words of concern to the depressed Tsugumi, admonished him with words of righteousness, and laughed with him ¨C somehow, they were really like brothers. He felt like such a fool. After a few moments of laughter, Tsugumi slowly got up from the sofa and stretched. ¡°I think you¡¯re a pretty good big brother, Shiro-sama.¡± After saying all that, he felt a little embarrassed. For Tsugumi, it was just a sibling relationship that was forced upon him as an afterthought of Chidori. And although there were times when he felt like he was being manipulated, it was going better than anyone around them would like. It was somewhat strange when he thought about it. ¡°Now, I have to cook dinner soon. ¡­Don¡¯t come to my feet when I¡¯m holding a knife like you did before. It¡¯s really dangerous.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± After saying that much, Tsugumi headed upstairs to his room to change. The white rabbit, watching his back, muttered in a small voice. ¡°Yes, even God lies. ¡­I wish it were something kinder to you.¡± ¨CIn the empty living room, the white rabbit¡¯s golden eyes shimmered. It was like the moon reflected on the surface of the lake. CH 116 New Job Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani One day near the end of July. While on standby at the government, Tsugumi was training to fight Demonic Beasts in a simulation when a high-pitched alarm suddenly rang out. ¡°¡­It¡¯s too loud. It goes right over my head.¡± Tsugumi frowned at the pounding sound as he glanced sideways at the Demonic Beast that had stopped moving. ¨CThe sound was an emergency call. This would mean that a situation had arisen where it was necessary to press it. Then he touched the electronic screen that had appeared in front of him along with the alarm. At the same time, his vision went black and he lost feeling in his limbs. With a tremor, he quietly closed his eyes. After regaining the sensation in his limbs, he slowly opened his eyes and the door of the room opened with a whooshing sound. Rubbing his eyes as he headed for the exit, he noticed a familiar figure standing outside the door. A face that looked a little younger than Tsugumi and messy black hair. With a sleepy, dazed expression on her face, the girl ¨C Kazaguruma Tokiwa, ranked ninth in the Jukka ¨C was staring straight ahead at Tsugumi. ¡°¨CKazaguruma-san. Is something wrong?¡± When Tsugumi asked this, Kazaguruma nodded her head without changing her expression. ¡°Orders from the Demonic Beast Countermeasure Headquarters. Hagakure Sakura and I have been requested to be dispatched. Details will be explained by the staff on site.¡± ¡°Understood. Where is the location?¡± ¡°Hmm, these are the coordinates. I¡¯m going to the Transportation Management Department to transport there. Go ahead of me.¡± When Kazaguruma briefly said so, she held out the document to Tsugumi. While thinking that she still talked strangely, Tsugumi received the document that contained the coordinates and the time when the Demonic Beast was scheduled to appear. Tsugumi nodded slightly, then turned to Kazaguruma and said with a smile. ¡°Understood. ¡ªThen let¡¯s meet at the site.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll see you later.¡± Kazaguruma replied, then turned her back on Tsugumi and walked out of the simulation room. She was probably going to the Transportation Management Department room. Although Tsugumi had never been in the care of the Transportation Management Department because of his own mobility, the idea of being transported by someone else was a little worrisome. Perhaps the sensation of movement might be different from his own. ¡­Well, as long as wasting transportation was not allowed, Tsugumi probably would never experience it. Considering that, Tsugumi¡¯s ability to transport was exceptional. Although it was limited to moving alone, the normal cooling time was only a few minutes, there was no limit to the distance traveled, and the amount of divine power wasn¡¯t so big either. It was a very useful ability. It could be said that Tsugumi was really lucky to have this ability. ¡­Maybe had used up all of his luck for it. While thinking such a thing, Tsugumi sent a message to Chidori saying, ¡°I¡¯m staying at a friend¡¯s house today¡±. It didn¡¯t necessarily mean that Tsugumi would fight, but when it came to A-class battles, the fight was sure to be a long one. ¡°¡­I hope nothing strange happens this time.¡± Letting out a loud sigh, Tsugumi flew to the designated coordinates. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡°An A-class promotion exam, is it?¡± ¡°Yes. In this A-class battle, we are going to have the B-class Magical Girls fight first. I will ask the two of you from Jukka to take care of things if anything goes wrong.¡± When Tsugumi went down to the designated place and went out to the temporary operation headquarters where government officials were gathered, one of the staff told him something like that. Tsugumi tilted his head curiously upon hearing this and the staff nodded, saying. ¡°Ah, I just remember that Hagakure-san is a stray.¡± According to the staff, government Magical Girls were given a promotion exam if they met certain conditions¨Cfight Demonic Beasts of that rank. In other words, Tsugumi¡¯s job this time was to deal with the aftermath¨Cin case the Magical Girl who fought first was defeated. After receiving the explanation, Tsugumi felt a sense of disappointment, but gave a small nod and sat down in a chair in the waiting area. Apparently, this time, if everything went well, he wouldn¡¯t have to fight. Then, as he picked up a drink that had been prepared beside the chair, he looked at a plain-clothes woman sitting in the distance. She was a strong-looking woman with beautifully dyed golden hair that was cut short, and she had fish eyes. Perhaps she was the Magical Girl who would fight first. Gazing blankly at the woman, his eyes met with hers as she turned around. The woman glared at Tsugumi in disgust and went away. ¡­He wondered if she was that uncomfortable being seen. While flipping through the documents with a drink in his hand, a black shadow suddenly appeared. ¡°She is Shiraki Ren, 21 years old. She has been a Magical Girl for five years. Her fighting style is spear attack. She is capable, but her personality is somewhat difficult.¡± ¡°Hyah!! Kazaguruma-san? Please, don¡¯t suddenly talk in my ear¡­¡± Not knowing what she was thinking, Kazaguruma made a disgruntled sound with no expression. ¡°Mm, that¡¯s unexpected. I told you because I thought you were curious.¡± ¡°I was indeed a bit curious¡­ Are you acquainted with her, Kazaguruma-san?¡± When Tsugumi asked that, Kazaguruma gently shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know her directly. I just remember seeing her in a document before. Besides, the back-ups are basically supposed to be people who are not closely related to the testers.¡± ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of it.¡± ¨CBut it certainly made sense. The death rate for moving up from B-class to A-class was quite high. Then what happened? Yes¨Cthe backup Magical Girls wouldn¡¯t be able to fight. No matter how strong she was as a Magical Girl, there was no way she could be in a sane state of mind after the death of a close acquaintance. Such measures were necessary to prevent secondary damage. ¡°She seems upset too. We shouldn¡¯t provoke her too much.¡± ¡°I was going to greet her, but I guess I shouldn¡¯t. She was glaring at me a little earlier.¡± When Tsugumi said this in an annoyed tone, Kazaguruma shrugged her shoulders and opened her mouth. ¡°For better or worse, Hagakure Sakura stands out. For those who are smoldering like that, they probably want to take it out on us. We have no choice but to give up and think of it as a side effect of being famous.¡± Tsugumi ¨C Hagakure Sakura ¨C instantly jumped over the path that the government¡¯s Magical Girls suffered through. What did it look like in their eyes? ¨CIt must have seemed terribly alien to them. ¡­But it would be unreasonable for Tsugumi to shy away from them here. Hagakure Sakura had been chosen by many to stand here. He must take responsibility for those expectations¡­ He laughed, thinking he couldn¡¯t keep with that. ¡°And I don¡¯t recommend that you actively try to get involved with Magical Girls other than the A-classes. ¨CYou¡¯ll only make it harder on yourself.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s, uh¡­¡± Kazaguruma told him quietly, and Tsugumi looked down, feeling awkward. Kazaguruma¡¯s words were not a mockery of lowly Magical Girls, but a genuine warning to Tsugumi. Perhaps she, too, had lost someone important to her. But Kazaguruma did have a point: the death rate was more than twice as high between A-class and other Magical Girls. It was simply because A-class Magical Girls were significantly stronger. ¨CIn the first place, there was a clear disparity between Magical Girls. High aptitude and the status of the contract God. The effectiveness of acquired ability skills and individual fighting sense. It was no exaggeration to say that the cards they dealt with were not equal, and the outcome was almost always decided at the beginning. If they weren¡¯t blessed with the ability, depending on one¡¯s fighting style and effort, they might still be able to defeat a B-class Demonic Beast, but when it came to the A-class, it was a different story. There was a wall of power between A-class and B-class that couldn¡¯t be overcome by petty strength or effort alone. Only a handful of people who broke out of their shells and smashed through that unreasonable barrier could become highly-ranked Magical Girls. This was why, like Kazaguruma said, trying to keep a distance from people other than A-class Magical Girls¨Cmaybe it was the right thing to do to protect their hearts. ¡°Thank you for your advice. Kazaguruma-san is very kind.¡± When Tsugumi said this, Kazaguruma said jokingly. ¡°It¡¯s only natural to care about talented juniors. The more talented people there are, the less work I have to do. In other words, it¡¯s a win-win.¡± ¡±Fufu, then I will do my best to meet Senpai¡¯s expectations.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be rooting for you.¡± Saying so, Kazaguruma smiled thinly. Tsugumi felt that Kazaguruma¡¯s mischievous smile was somewhat similar to Mebuki¡¯s. The two were very similar in the way they seemed to be strangely caring. ¨CI see, you¡¯re certainly a ¡°senior¡±. Thinking of this, Tsugumi also smiled naturally. CH 117 Living Natural Disaster Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani After a few hours of waiting, Tsugumi suddenly felt the sky shaking. ¨CThe sky was shaking, and an A-class Demonic Beast was manifesting itself. At the same time, under the instruction of the staff, the Magical Girl ¨C Shiraki ¨C rushed out into the blackened and distorted sky. In the blink of an eye, she had set up a barrier and disappeared into the mirrored world. After confirming this, Tsugumi and Kazaguruma moved to the mirror where they could see the battle with the Demonic Beast. Looking into the large mirror, Kazaguruma narrowed her eyes and muttered to herself. ¡°Is that an ebony-colored snake?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not a snake. ¨CIt is about 500 meters long, and swims leisurely in the sky. It has large horns and claws that sprout from a foot-like object. This Demonic Beast bears a striking resemblance to the ¡®dragon¡¯ often seen in Asian folklore.¡± The staff member observing the mirror replied to Kazaguruma¡¯s words while tapping on the computer. ¡°Is it a dragon? Does that mean it manipulates storms or causes lightning to strike?¡± When Tsugumi asked this question, the staff member opened his mouth with a difficult look. ¡°If it¡¯s according to the folklore, it¡¯s probably true, but we won¡¯t know for sure until we fight it. ¡­If it has a weakness like the lore says, it would be easy, but the opponent is an A-class Demonic Beast. There may be a lot of different aspects.¡± At these words, Tsugumi nodded his head in understanding. It was true that many A-class Demonic Beasts were based on folklore and mythology, but even their characteristics didn¡¯t always take after the folklore. A good example would be the Minotaur¡¯s Labyrinth, which Tsugumi once fought in a simulation. In mythology, that labyrinth was a vaulted structure with no ceiling, so it wasn¡¯t a dark labyrinth at all. In addition, although not many cases had been confirmed, there had been cases of Demonic Beasts combining creatures from completely different folklore. They needed to be vigilant. ¡°Shiraki¡¯s abilities are [Spear] and [Earth]. They¡¯re not compatible with flying beasts. ¨CWell, there might be some countermeasures.¡± ¡°Yes, she has improved her weaknesses in that area. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have gotten an A-class battle permit.¡± Lured by the staff member¡¯s voice, he looked into the mirror. There, the image of Shiraki running up to the sky using manipulated soil as a springboard was reflected. With nimble steps, Shiraki reached the air where the Dragon was circling, swinging a large spear much taller than she was. In response, the Dragon seemed to be counterattacking with wind and lightning created by its slow movements. It seemed that the ability of the Dragon was exactly as Tsugumi predicted. ¨CThe Dragon¡¯s attacks were less powerful than expected. At first, he assumed it would be a storm-like wind, but apparently, the beast wasn¡¯t powerful enough to change the weather. Well, he¡¯d heard that there were variations in power even among A-class Demonic Beasts, so maybe this Demonic Beast was not that strong. For the next few minutes, Tsugumi silently stared at the scene, but so far the battle seemed to be in Shiraki¡¯s favor. At this rate, it might not be long before she pierced the Dragon¡¯s reverse scale ¨C or the demon core itself. ¡°Hmm. At this rate, there¡¯s no room for me and Hagakure Sakura. Okay, let¡¯s get ready to move out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still early, Kazaguruma-san. But I¡¯m glad. It looks like it will end without incident.¡± Tsugumi replied with a smile. When he first received the order, he had a slight desire to fight an A-class Demonic Beast, but it would be better if no one had to die. Besides, once this battle was over, there would be one more A-class Magical Girl. Considering her strength, it was a pleasant prospect. ¡°Speaking of which, is there any type of Demonic Beast that you don¡¯t like, Kazaguruma-san?¡± Looking in the mirror, Tsugumi distractedly asked Kazaguruma a question. Regardless of the current state of the battle, he thought at least small talk would be tolerated. Kazaguruma looked dumbfounded at the sudden question, then shrugged and began to speak. ¡°I¡¯m not good with multiplying type and Demonic Beasts that require strange conditions to be defeated. My abilities ¨C [Smoke] and [Light] ¨C are good for disruption and single-point breakthroughs. Oh, and I don¡¯t like insects.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m not good with the multiplying type either. I¡¯ve had so much trouble with Radon. Fufu, even so, it¡¯s surprising. You don¡¯t like insects?¡± When Tsugumi made fun of her, Kazaguruma pouted her mouth as if he had betrayed her and said in a low voice. ¡°¡­I¡¯m still fine with the giant Demonic Beasts. I can¡¯t accept a swarm of dung beetles under a stone, or a large number of oil beetles clinging to the grass, or newly hatched praying mantis eggs, or any other swarm. I can¡¯t accept it physiologically. It gives me goosebumps.¡± ¡°Ah, it certainly feels a bit disgusting. When I was a kid, I used to touch them without any worries, but now I don¡¯t think I want to touch them that much.¡± When Tsugumi responded with a sigh, Kazaguruma stepped back with a drawn look and hugged herself, shaking her head. ¡°Right now, the distance between us has definitely increased. Hagakure Sakura is more mischievous than everyone imagined. I feel like crying because of the misinterpretation.¡± ¡°What an exaggeration. ¡­Ah, Shiraki-san cut off the Dragon¡¯s hind legs.¡± As he looked in the mirror while interacting with Kazagurma like a child, he saw the scene where Shiraki cut off the Dragon¡¯s hind legs. The legs separated from the dragon¡¯s body and fell to the ground. Looking at that scene, Tsugumi felt a slight sense of discomfort. ¨CThe Dragon was not bleeding. And it didn¡¯t even flinch when it lost its leg. Did it have no sense of pain? Many of the Demonic Beasts that Tsugumi had fought had bled when they had been cut, and it seemed they felt a certain amount of pain when a part of their body was cut off. But the Dragon had none of that. It was possible that the Dragon¡¯s body structure was just designed that way, but it really bothered Tsugumi. While he was pondering, Shiraki¡¯s onslaught continued, and finally, the tip of her spear sliced through the Dragon¡¯s neck, the part of the body where the power of the Demonic Beast was felt most strongly. With half of its neck cut off, the Dragon slowly fell to the ground as if it had run out of power. As it did so, Tsugumi felt the power concentrated in the Dragon¡¯s head disperse. Apparently, when the Dragon¡¯s head was decapitated, its demon core was shattered. ¨CA Demonic Beast with its demon core shattered couldn¡¯t fight anymore. In other words, Shiraki had won this battle. The staff members who were watching the scene murmured in relief. ¡°I¡¯m glad. ¡­It looks like the promotion examination will end without incident this time.¡± ¡°I guess so. There hasn¡¯t been a lot of good news lately, so I¡¯m sure everyone will be happy about this. I must send my congratulations to Shiraki-san as well.¡± But while the staff member was smiling cheerfully, Tsugumi was staring intently at the mirror screen. There, he saw Shiraki¡¯s happy gut-punch as she landed on the ground and the image of the Dragon as it fell down. The Dragon had completely stopped moving, not even twitching. ¨CBut what was this feeling of turmoils? As Tsugumi stared at the mirror with a serious face, Kazaguruma called out to him with a curious look. ¡°Did you see anything odd?¡± ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s just strange that the magic nucleus shattered even though the tip of the blade didn¡¯t hit it directly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that it was a bit fragile for an A-class. But as long as the magic nucleus is shattered, a win is a win. It¡¯s no use worrying about it.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡± After being persuaded by Kazaguruma, Tsugumi tried to take his eyes off the mirror in order to prepare to go home. Then, he saw a small insect-like object moving at the edge of the mirror. Tsugumi stopped moving and stared intently into the mirror. It was a small insect, so small that it was buried in the weeds. A winged creature with black and ebony colors mixing in, much like the Dragon lying on its side. Yes, it was just like a locust grasshopper. When Thrush arrived at that thought, he felt the blood in his body run cold. The remains of the Dragon had fallen to surround Shiraki, and she was right in the center of it. If his prediction was correct¨CShiraki could never escape. ¡°¡­No, run away.¡± ¡°Hmm? What are you talking about?¡± Kazaguruma called out to him, but he didn¡¯t hear it. Tsugumi¡¯s face turned pale, and although he understood that his voice wouldn¡¯t reach Shiraki, he shouted at the mirror. ¡°It¡¯s not a dragon! That thing is going to eat you alive if you don¡¯t get out of there!¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô Shiraki Ren laughed happily as she was surrounded by the carcass of an A-class Demonic Beast¨Cthe Dragon she had slain. No wonder. After five years of hard work, she was finally one step closer to her dream. ¨CIf she became an A-class, she would receive various kinds of support from the government, and she would also become much better known to the public. Like this, surely she would be able to reach Jukka. ¡°I¡¯ve always dreamed of this¡­! I wonder if I¡¯ve gotten a little closer to Sakura-san with this¡± Saying that, Shiraki looked up at the sky with blushing cheeks. Shiraki wanted to become a Magical Girl because she looked up to ¡°Sakura Akane¡±. When Shiraki was young, her mother had once been attacked by a Demonic Beast and Sakura Akane had saved her from danger. Her mother told the young Shiraki about it at every chance she got. It was inevitable that Shiraki became a Magical Girl, just like an imprint. Shiraki was in high spirits. ¨CThat¡¯s why she didn¡¯t notice it. The body of the dragon, ebony-colored with black spots, was falling apart. And the body of the dragon that had spread out on the ground ¨C or rather, the flying locust grasshoppers that made up the dragon¡¯s body ¨C flew up all at once with a rustle of their wings. ¡°¨CEh?¡± Shiraki looked up dumbfounded, but her vision was instantly filled with darkness. Before she had the time to scream, something hard jumped into her mouth. While feeling the pain of her flesh being gouged out from outside and inside her body, Shiraki thought. ¨CWhy? I should have won. Her consciousness was swallowed up along with the pain. Oddly enough, it was similar to the feeling she had before falling asleep. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡°¨CKuh, I¡¯ll get ready for the next barrier! All personnel, take your positions! The battle is not over yet!¡± Tsugumi hissed, staring sternly at Shiraki, who had instantly turned into an ebony-colored mass. ¡°W-what¡¯s that? A swarm of grasshoppers? I thought there was only one Demonic Beast, or is it an Irregular?¡± To the staff member who raised his voice in a daze, Tsugumi replied with a calm voice. ¡°I don¡¯t know. The thing is, it¡¯s only meaningful as a colony. It may be natural for it to appear in this way.¡± ¨CIndividuals in a group. A group as an individual. A living disaster that ate up all kinds of food and spread despair and fear. A loathsome enemy, a messenger of the devil, imputing sinful deeds to an innocent God. ¡°Locusts. ¨CA fearless demon created by nature.¡± Tsugumi said, scoffing. The reason it took on the form of a dragon was probably because it didn¡¯t have A-class status in its original existence. The dragon¡¯s characteristics were added to compensate for this. Grasshoppers were not supposed to eat meat, but they were Demonic Beasts in the form of grasshoppers. Even if they ate excessively, there was no sense of incongruity. And the fact that the nucleus seemed to have been shattered by Shiraki¡¯s attack was probably a fake. They faked the shattering of the nucleus by preferentially distributing the nucleus to several individuals and then moving those individuals at the moment of the attack. It seemed they were very devious. ¨CNo, such considerations are not important. The important thing is how to kill these pests. Thinking that, Tsugumi turned his head toward Kazaguruma who was staring at the mirror with a very pale face and her mouth shut. ¡­It might be harsh to ask Kazaguruma who really hated insects to fight this swarm of grasshoppers. He didn¡¯t think that Kazaguruma of Jukka would be slowed down by such personal feelings, but it would be safer for Tsugumi to leave here. ¡°Kazaguruma-san. I¡¯ll be out this time.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry for bothering you.¡± When Kazaguruma bowed her head apologetically after he said that, Tsugumi deliberately spoke brightly. ¡°In exchange, when I return safely, please take me out to eat delicious food. ¨CIt¡¯s a promise.¡± When Tsugumi said so, Kazaguruma smiled, embarrassed, and nodded slightly. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll reserve a very expensive place. Good luck¡­¡± Learn more Tsugumi nodded firmly at her cheer and called out to the staff, then dashed outside. The barrier was already distorted and in a state that would come undone at any moment. Tsugumi lowered his eyes slightly to mourn and thrust his right hand into the sky. At that moment, Tsugumi¡¯s figure shakily vanished. ¡°Barrier is redeployed. ¨CI¡¯m not going to let some imitation of [Gluttony] win.¡± CH 118 Trapped Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Rebuilding the mirrored barrier, Tsugumi landed in a place where there were relatively few grasshoppers. Then, looking around warily, he immediately created a wall of thread. The grasshoppers flew around in the sky, whipping up wind and creating a tornado of sandstorms that contained lightning. It seemed its abilities were scaled down from when it was in dragon form. ¨CHowever, in return, it became considerably more difficult to kill this Demonic Beast. When it was first disguised in dragon form, it seemed to be distributing more of its magic nucleus to some of the grasshoppers, but now that sign had completely disappeared. Perhaps the ratio of nuclei was redistributed when the dragon¡¯s form was broken. In other words, he couldn¡¯t use the strategy of targeting a small number of them and cutting down the magic nucleus. Even so, if he could destroy more than a certain amount ¨C about 80% of the demon core ¨C the remaining grasshoppers should also lose their lives in a chain reaction. It was a troublesome task for Tsugumi who didn¡¯t have firepower, but he still had to do it. ¡°Hmmm, it looks like a moving mosaic. ¡­I¡¯m horrified that these are all grasshoppers.¡± But even while looking at such a hideous spectacle, Tsugumi was surprisingly calm. He was a little bit shaken that a Magical Girl was killed, but it wasn¡¯t enough to disturb his spirit. ¨CAs far as he could remember, that was the first time in his life that he had ever seen a person die. Putting aside the fact that Magical Girl battle scenes could be watched in real-time with mirrors everywhere, if it was recorded as a video, the government would enforce censorship. In the case of real-time videos posted on the Internet, the moment the death scene was shown, the video would be deleted and processed so that it couldn¡¯t be viewed. And such direct scenes were prohibited to be shown on TV by law. But even in the face of ¡®real death¡¯, Tsugumi¡¯s spirit was still unshaken. ¡­It might be the right thing to do as a backup Magical Girl, but as a human being, he could only think that there was something flawed about him. Thinking that far, he shook his head. He didn¡¯t have time for that kind of question and answer right now. Above all else, he had to give top priority to defeating this Locust. ¡°A single one of them is about as strong as a plastic¡­ It¡¯s not a problem to cut them down, but it will be dangerous if they stick together and rush in. The wind could increase their speed and make them as powerful as bullets.¡± While cutting up grasshoppers that noticed his presence, Tsugumi checked the strength of the Demonic Beast. As expected of an A-class Demonic Beast, it seemed to be different from ordinary grasshoppers in terms of body structure. While analyzing the grasshoppers, he used the scattered threads to chop them up, while avoiding the storm. The target was small, but the number of grasshoppers was large, so the hit was significant. He calmly hunted the grasshoppers, but then he suddenly noticed something strange. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve killed quite a few, but the numbers aren¡¯t decreasing much. Rather, they are increasing? Why is that, hmm, that¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s how it is!¡± Grasshoppers that had been cut up and scattered on the ground were being eaten by other grasshoppers. At the same time, the grasshoppers that ate the carcasses laid large eggs, which quickly hatched. ¡­These guys are eating everything in sight and multiplying. Tsugumi frowned as he muttered this in his mind. The number of grasshoppers slowly increased as they fed on the growing plants, eating their dead relatives, and using them as nourishment to create their clones. It was truly a natural disaster worthy of the name. ¡°Really, it¡¯s a shame I don¡¯t have more firepower. ¡­Now, what should I do, I wonder.¡± The lack of firepower was the biggest challenge for Tsugumi¨CHagakure Sakura. Now that he had gained more power, he could probably drop a meteor in the Radon battle¨Ca simple large-scale attack of dropping something carried in the sky by transportation, but that wouldn¡¯t be very effective in this case. ¨CThe target was too small. Even if a part of the ground were gouged out and dropped from the sky, it probably wouldn¡¯t be enough to kill 80% of them. Moreover, the worst-case scenario would be for them to be encased in the ground. If they ate the corpses and increased their numbers again, the attack would be meaningless. Then what should I do? ¨CHe had no choice but to make a new decision. He had to devise a strategy combining what he could do now, what he couldn¡¯t do, and what he could do if he tried hard enough. Fortunately, some of the techniques had been tested in the simulator, and if he pushed himself to some extent, he should be able to use them in practice without any problems. Among the candidates for the technique, he would choose the most suitable one for this situation. ¡­It was a little risky, but it was probably the best he had. ¡°¨CAlright. Let¡¯s do it.¡± Tsugumi took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Then he slowly opened his eyes, dropped his stance, and began to run toward the group of grasshoppers. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¨CThe grasshoppers had no will to be individuals, only the instinct to [eat]. That¡¯s why anyone who interfered with that instinct¨Cthe Magical Girl¨Cwas an enemy to be eliminated and an important source of nutrition. The first Magical Girl seemed to know a little about fighting, but she was unable to see their true nature and quickly became food for their kind. By now, even a strand of her hair had long since been placed in their stomach, and she had become a source of nourishment for the creation of new brethren. And the other one ¨C the newly appeared Magical Girl in black, who seemed to be killing their compatriots in a nonchalant manner, stopped moving when she looked under their feet. Then, with a bitter expression, she moved away and put her hand over her mouth as if in thought. Perhaps she had realized that no matter how many she killed, their numbers wouldn¡¯t decrease. The number of compatriots was increasing as they ate various things in the barrier. As their numbers increased, their individual strength decreased, but this was a trivial matter. As long as they had the overwhelming advantage in numbers, she couldn¡¯t eliminate them with small thread-like attacks. It was only a matter of time before that Magical Girl became the new food. However, the Magical Girl slowly raised her head while brushing aside the attacking grasshoppers. ¨CHer steeple-colored eyes showed no sign of resignation. The girl suddenly crouched down and ran in the direction where a lot of grasshoppers were gathering¨Ctoward the tornado that contained the thunderbolt. ¡­She probably had gone crazy and tried to commit suicide. The Magical Girl seemed to be dealing with the tornado for a while, and then she slipped away and ran toward the next large army. They didn¡¯t know what she was trying to do, but from the looks of it, killing all of their compatriots was just a dream. ¨CStill, it didn¡¯t change the fact that she was being a hindrance. Thinking so, the grasshoppers moved a large army and closed in on the Magical Girl. Even if she tried to block the attacks of their compatriots, it didn¡¯t matter because she would get crushed by the sheer volume of their mass. Once she was driven into a space where she couldn¡¯t wield the threads that made up that defensive wall, all they had to do was eat her up slowly. The grasshoppers that had been flying around filling the sky flew one after another toward the dome-shaped wall of threads that the Magical Girl had created. The grasshoppers piled up like a big mountain, wriggling around as if crushing the things inside. Once this happened, the wall of threads meant nothing. If there was no way to escape, it was only a matter of time before the Magical Girl inside died. The grasshoppers, thinking of this, let out a distorted cry of joy. A high-pitched cacophony of sound echoed around the area. ¨CWithout knowing that they were on Hagakure Sakura¡¯s palm. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô Shortly before Tsugumi was crushed by the grasshopper. He was frantically running around on the ground. He manipulated the threads as he ran on the ground like a dancer. The threads were made of rubber to prevent electric shocks, but even so, they couldn¡¯t protect against the impact of the attack. Even with small burns and cuts on his limbs, Tsugumi ran through the swarm of grasshoppers. He intentionally didn¡¯t use teleport at the time. Because, in this case, the strategy was more likely to work if he didn¡¯t expose his cards. ¨CThese grasshoppers still didn¡¯t know all of Hagakure Sakura¡¯s abilities. In the first place, Demonic Beasts descended to the ground without any prior knowledge. This was clear from the battle record up until now. No matter how powerful the Demonic Beasts were, they were often unable to deal with tricky attacks at first sight. Some Magical Girls mainly used attack methods for killing at first sight. ¡­Maybe, these grasshoppers ¨C the Locust ¨C were a regular A-class and not an Irregular this time. It was hard to believe that they knew in advance about Hagakure Sakura¡¯s abilities. That¡¯s why there was a chance of winning. While ramming into the hordes of grasshoppers and reducing their numbers, he let transparent tiny threads drift along the flow of the storm. Far thinner than spider silk, these threads entwined with the limbs of the grasshoppers without any sense of incongruity. When he confirmed that enough grasshoppers had been entangled with the threads, he moved on to another large army of grasshoppers. This was repeated over and over again. Although the absolute number of grasshoppers hadn¡¯t been reduced, the increased number of grasshoppers was definitely taken care of. The grasshoppers, on the other hand, must have felt threatened by Tsugumi who didn¡¯t stop even if he was cut open or bombarded with electric shocks. While unraveling the tornado, a large army of grasshoppers moved toward Tsugumi. Their wings made a roaring sound. The threatening sound echoed. The sky, once bright, was now darkened by the shadows of the grasshoppers, a 360-degree swarm of tiny soldiers that quickly surrounded Tsugumi. The gaze of malevolent grasshoppers that only thought of eating people pierced Tsugumi. ¡­Some people might faint at the sight alone. Seeing such a hideous spectacle, Tsugumi covered his mouth with one hand and turned up the corner of his mouth in a smirk. ¨CYes, that¡¯s right. Come over here more. I¡¯ll show you which one of us is going to get eaten. Confirming that the grasshoppers were covered up, Tsugumi teleported into the sky. The wall of threads left on the ground was minimally maintained by the threads that were instantly reconnected. He then applied the invisibility skill to himself and stayed in the air while repeating the transportation. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about what kind of things the threads can reproduce.¡± Muttering this, he sent down an invisible web of threads to cover the sky from a place much higher than the grasshoppers. ¡°Cotton, nylon, wire, strong carbon thread. I can reproduce almost anything that could be called thread. ¨CExcept one.¡± He spun his words while moving his fingers. As if he was weaving. Invisible threads that landed on the ground tied themselves to the threads entangled in the grasshopper, gradually altering its form. ¨CThe carefully laid trap finally sprouted. The grasshoppers slowed down like toys that had lost their screws. Grasshoppers flying in the sky failed to flap their wings and fell to the ground, struggling miserably. Every time their body moved, their body was entangled by something and stuck to the next grasshoppers as if they had been sprinkled with glue. The more they struggled, the less freedom they had, and the more they became entangled. As if they were caught in a spider¡¯s web. ¡°The last one is the spider¡¯s thread. ¨CNow, which one of us will be the bait?¡± CH 119 The Last Gift Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Unfortunately, Hagakure Sakura wasn¡¯t able to fight like the other Magical Girls, who use their strength to overpower everything. Tsugumi understood this better than anyone else. But there were other possible ways to fight. ¨CIf you lack pure power, you can use the power of those around you to fight. Observe the enemy thoroughly with eyes that can see through their weaknesses, and create a stage that gives you an advantage by guiding the environment, the enemy¡¯s attacks and habits, and sometimes the opponent¡¯s actions. Yes, like a spider hunting its prey. ¡­From the point of view of an orthodox Magical Girl, it might be despised as a way of fighting for the weak, but this was the only way for Hagakure Sakura to fight her way through on the front lines. However, because of this strategic fighting style, it turned into a terrifying attack that could take down even higher-ranked enemies if suited well. ¡ªEven if the opponent was a Demonic Beast with enough power to lightly devour a Magical Girl, it was no exception. The more the grasshoppers struggled against the invisible attack, the more they were entangled in the soft threads, involving the compatriots around them. Even if they launched a wind attack to escape from the threads, they couldn¡¯t escape as the threads cut through them, and if they tried to use lightning to burn out the threads, they were scorched to black together ¨CThe attempts to use lightning to burn out the threads resulted in a scene of self-destruction. The grasshoppers that barely escaped from being caught tried to make new individuals by eating the trapped grasshoppers, but when they jumped on the bait, they were caught by the invisible threads, and the mass of insects snowballed and grew larger. Because they had a collective consciousness, they had little ego and didn¡¯t care about themselves. This was both their strength and distinct weakness. If their nasty attacks and inexhaustible reproduction as a group were blocked, these grasshoppers would be reduced to little more than hardened insects. Once that happened, there was nothing to fear anymore. All that remains was to crush every single one of the large cocoon insects that were lying around. Receiving a resentful gaze that looked up at him with resentment from the gap between the cocoon balls, Tsugumi raised his arm like wielding a baton and gently swung it down. The large cocoons filled with grasshoppers were twisting and turning, making a noisy, unpleasant sound as if in tandem with the grasshoppers. ¡­It was an indescribable sight. The only surviving grasshoppers that were flying in the sky fell to the ground as if they suddenly lost their power. Perhaps the number of magic nuclei he had destroyed exceeded the regulations. All that remained was to clean up the place. ¨CGeez. It was ironic that insects with little ego were much more terrifying than the Demonic Beasts with a will. Staring at the mouth of the ravenous creature as it swallowed the cocoons, Tsugumi gave a small chuckle¡­.Although it looked as if he easily conquered the Locust in the end, if he had misread them, he would have had to fight an incredibly hard battle. In the worst-case scenario, he might have to cut up himself again. ¡°I guess I should be glad that I got lucky this time. ¨CI¡¯m sorry about her, though.¡± As he quietly said this, Tsugumi picked up a hair clip that had fallen at his feet. It was covered in mud and blood and sadly had lost its original beauty. ¡°¡­Ah, I guess I shouldn¡¯t be a Magical Girl after all.¡± Tsugumi muttered in a voice so small that no one could hear him and lowered his eyes. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô After finishing his gluttonous meal and removing the barrier, he brushed the dust off his clothes and walked to the set-up area where the staff was waiting for him. The staff members who saw his return to the office were saying thank you for his hard work, but their expressions were very dark. It wasn¡¯t unreasonable that they were depressed. ¡­They had lost a Magical Girl who was said to be on the verge of A-class¨Can important friend that they had a long relationship with. It would be strange if they weren¡¯t depressed. Then, Tsugumi said, ¡°Excuse me for a moment,¡± and passed by the staff, heading to the one in the back who was holding his head¨Cthe person in charge this time. ¡°Thank you for your hard work. Hagakure Sakura has returned.¡± When Tsugumi announced this quietly, the staff raised his gloomy face. ¡°¡­Ah, Hagakure-san. Thank you for your quick response to our sudden battle. The entire staff is grateful. I am sure Shiraki will be rewarded as well.¡± Saying this, the man bowed deeply. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Shiraki-san.¡± ¡°¡­ Haha, that¡¯s right. We thought that she would surely win, so it¡¯s a shame.¡± The staff member smiled weakly and ruffled his hair with a sad face. ¡°She also worked as a Magical Girl for a long time, so she had a long relationship with the staff. ¡­At times like this, I feel ashamed of myself for not having the means to fight.¡± The staff member clasped his hands together as if regretting something, and his eyes were downcast with a somber expression. ¡­There was nothing that Tsugumi could say to him. And he felt like there was something wrong about offering words of comfort here. Those who fight and those who support them. The purpose was the same, but their positions were completely different. Their feelings were unknown to Tsugumi, just as Tsugumi¡¯s feelings were incomprehensible to them. So Tsugumi silently offered the thing wrapped in a handkerchief to the staff member. ¡°This is¡­?¡± The staff member who received the package fearfully opened the handkerchief and found a dirty hair clip in it. Tsugumi told the staff member, who was wide-eyed and at loss for words. ¡°I found it in the barrier. Please pass it on to her family.¡± ¡°Ah, thank you! ¡­I¡¯m so glad there¡¯s a little left over.¡± The staff member who held the hair clip carefully said so with tears running down the corners of his eyes. The way that grasshopper looked, he might have thought that there was nothing left. Tsugumi bowed slightly to the staff who thanked him, and slowly walked out. ¨CIn this place, it felt a little suffocating. Was it because of the gloomy air that filled the area? Letting out a sigh of melancholy, Tsugumi looked up at the sky. The sky was creating a beautiful sunset, paying no attention to what was happening on the ground. As he gazed up at the sky in a daze, he received a discreet tap on the shoulder. ¡°The staff member said, ¡®This is the end of your work for this time. Good work¡¯.¡± ¡°¨CKazaguruma-san.¡± Kazaguruma, who suddenly popped up, said so in her usual tone. No, maybe they were just fixing things up, but Tsugumi couldn¡¯t tell. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve forced you into a role you don¡¯t like.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Just this time, I was the better choice.¡± In response to Kazaguruma who apologized in an embarrassed manner, Tsugumi replied with a troubled smile. Although he suffered minor cuts, he eventually returned home without serious injuries. Looking at the result of the A-class matches, it was a good one. ¡°Then we¡¯ll disband here. What about you, Kazaguruma-san?¡± When Tsugumi said that, Kazaguruma tilted her head with a puzzled look. ¡°Hmm? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± When Tsugumi curiously asked back, Kazaguruma said like a child whose prank had succeeded. ¡°I told you. ¨CI¡¯d make reservations for dinner.¡± CH 120 Invited by Kazaguruma, Tsugumi took a cab and after an hour in the car, he arrived at a single ramen shop in an intricate alleyway. ¨CHe liked ramen. However, ordering a large quantity of ramen would cause trouble for the restaurant, so he rarely went there as Hagakure Sakura. Even if he went there, he usually stopped after about five bowls. On the signboard of the store, the name of the store was written as [Tasty Ramen Shop] and gave an indescribable impression. The lights were still on, but there was a ¡°closed for business¡± sign posted outside. ¡°Um, there¡¯s a sign saying this place is closed for business, is that okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I made a reservation in advance.¡± ¡­As he thought that ramen shops apparently could be rented out, Kazaguruma pushed Tsugumi¡¯s back and opened her mouth, looking slightly embarrassed ¡°Come in quickly.¡± ¡°Ah yes. I understand.¡± Puzzled by Kazaguruma¡¯s atmosphere, he passed through the curtain, which looked a little deserted, and saw a small, but more beautiful restaurant than he had expected. The owner, a young man with a mild air about him, invited Tsugumi to come in. Kazaguruma slightly raised her hand and said, ¡°I recommend two¡±. She sat down at a table in the back with a satisfied look. Perhaps the owner was used to it, he shrugged and turned away and walked to the kitchen in the back. ¨CThe owner didn¡¯t make a fuss when he saw Magical Girls. It was just a normal reaction. He wondered if this was a famous place that he didn¡¯t know about. With these thoughts in mind, Tsugumi took a seat in front of Kazaguruma and discreetly asked as he poured two cups of cold water into the cups on the table. ¡°Are you a regular here, Kazaguruma-san?¡± ¡°Mmm, I¡¯m not a regular; that was my brother just now. It¡¯s a small restaurant, but the taste is good. ¨CBesides, you don¡¯t have to worry about our conversation leaking out.¡± Kazaguruma began to speak haltingly, then said in a hushed voice. ¡°Sorry to say it¡¯s just my family¡¯s restaurant, but I hope you¡¯ll bear with me. ¡­.If you go to a high-class restaurant on the day someone dies, people will make a fuss. Better to stay out of trouble.¡± ¡°I see. That may indeed be true.¡± Indeed, on the day a colleague, a Magical Girl, died in front of her eyes, it would sound strange if they acted like usual. In Tsugumi¡¯s case, he separated work and private life, so it didn¡¯t bother him that much when people complained about him, but considering the future, he wanted to avoid lowering Hagakure Sakura¡¯s image as much as possible. He didn¡¯t know what the upper management ¨C Toono ¨C was up to, but it would be better not to make a bad mistake. Thinking about this, Tsugumi nodded solemnly. Then, looking around the warmth of the restaurant, he let out a small sigh. Perhaps it was because he had been in a fierce battle just an hour before, but somehow he felt very calm. Then, remembering the battle just now¨Cthe end of Shiraki, he opened his mouth, feeling a bit sad. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Shiraki-san.¡± ¡°It happens all the time. There¡¯s no point in worrying about it.¡± When Tsugumi muttered this, Kazaguruma said in a crisp voice and shook her head slightly. ¡°I know it¡¯s a little late for this, but how¡¯s your appetite? If you don¡¯t have much appetite, I¡¯ll tell them to cut back a bit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I can eat normally.¡± Witnessing someone¡¯s death made him somewhat discouraged, but it didn¡¯t affect his spirit that much. It was Shiraki herself who decided to fight an A-class. Regardless of the outcome, it seemed rather rude for a complete stranger to worry about it. In fact, he was hungrier than usual because of the fight with the Demonic Beast. When Tsugumi told her this, Kazaguruma smiled slightly with an air of exasperation. ¡°Hagakure Sakura is really bold. No, everyone at Jukka is like that. In other words, I am the only normal person. Good grief, this is a lot to bear.¡± ¡®Well, there are a lot of unique people in Jukka.¡± As for Tsugumi, he thought ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡± was a rather normal person among those members with strong personalities, but it would be better not to say that. He didn¡¯t want to poke snakes out of the bushes. ¡°No, no, no, I can¡¯t compete with someone who has become the cafeteria specialty. ¨CBy the way, this is a small restaurant as you can see, so don¡¯t expect such a large quantity. We won¡¯t be able to open tomorrow.¡± ¡°I-I can at least control how much I eat! Please don¡¯t tease me anymore.¡± In the meantime, the dishes were brought to the table. The menu included ramen, fried rice, dumplings, fried tofu, and other items that were typical of ramen shops. The amount of food was somewhat inadequate for Tsugumi, but it wasn¡¯t a problem, since not eating a lot of food wouldn¡¯t make him collapse. ¨CThis hunger was surely different from the body¡¯s fuel consumption. He was little concerned about it, but Magical Girls tended to be easily influenced by their contact Gods. There was no real damage so far, except for the cost of food, and Bell hadn¡¯t said anything in particular, so there should be no problem with just watching the situation for the time being. He held the bowl of ramen and picked up his chopsticks before the noodles got stretched. He blew the ramen to cool it down then took a small sip of the noodle. He took two bites, then three, and then Tsugumi stared at it in surprise. ¡°¨CIt¡¯s very delicious. Eh, this is really ramen, isn¡¯t it?¡± A light seafood soup with a mellow dashi aroma. The perfect balance between the char siu that melted in his mouth and the crispy noodles. It felt like sipping a high-class soup rather than ramen. ¡­He finally understood why some people often said that ramen was a beverage. With trepidation, he picked up some other snacks, but they all tasted more complex than they looked, and he never got tired of them. Kazaguruma smiled with satisfaction at Tsugumi, who was surprised but didn¡¯t stop eating. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. ¡­I was wondering what would happen when my foolish brother quit his job as a hotel chef and suddenly started a ramen shop, but if that Hagakure Sakura says so, he may be able to make it work. I feel a little relieved.¡± ¡°I see. I think this will definitely become popular.¡± ¡°But the price tag is unreasonably aggressive. The price is about five times higher than in a normal restaurant.¡± Saying that, Kazaguruma shrugged and let out a sigh. According to her, the cost of ingredients had increased because of the taste, and it wouldn¡¯t be profitable unless the price was around that level. Even if it wasn¡¯t the case, it seemed that the funds were always tight for buying ingredients to research tastes. ¡­He probably really wasn¡¯t suited for management. ¡°A bowl of ramen and a side dish alone would cost more than 10,000 yen. Well, you could lower the unit price or something like that¡­¡± As Tsugumi said that, he glanced at the owner, who crossed his head and shook his head quietly. It seemed that he never intended to give it up. ¡­ He didn¡¯t know what kind of target he was aiming for, but he couldn¡¯t see any prospects for it to go well. ¨CI like the taste, so I¡¯ll come here once in a while to make sure it doesn¡¯t go out of business. Thinking of this, he continued to eat with his chopsticks. After finishing the dishes at the table while chatting, Kazaguruma opened her mouth to mutter a few words as she ate the gelato served for dessert. ¡°Hagakure Sakura is a nice person, so I¡¯ll give a warning.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Be careful with Agatsuma Suo. ¨CThat thing has really disgusting eyes. Her eyes seem to simmer with stagnant malice. It¡¯s best not to get involved.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± He didn¡¯t understand why, and when Tsugumi raised his voice in bewilderment, Kazaguruma stared into Tsugumi¡¯s eyes and said. ¡°Hagakure Sakura is dull. ¨CShe¡¯s been looking at you that way for a long time. Did you really not notice?¡± ¡°¡­No, not at all. But, I see. Agatsuma-san was looking at me like that.¡± Saying so quietly, Tsugumi tightly grasped his chest with both hands. ¨CAgatsuma Suo was a victim of that great fire. She, too, was searching for the truth about the great fire, just like Tsugumi. Perhaps she might have found the truth, or a piece of it, through a different route. Just thinking about it gave him chills that made every hair on his body stand on end. ¨CHagakure Sakura¡¯s face bore a striking resemblance to the main culprit in the case, Shikabane Sakura. He didn¡¯t know how much of the truth Agatsuma knew, but that was a good enough reason to be hostile. ¡°Thank you for your concern. ¡­I think I will try to have a proper talk with Agatsuma-san someday. Whatever the outcome, I¡¯m sure it will be better that way.¡± ¨CHe didn¡¯t have the courage to speak just yet. Besides, many mysteries remained about the great fire. As long as those aspects weren¡¯t clarified, nothing he said would solve anything. He knew this was just procrastination, but Tsugumi couldn¡¯t afford it right now. Feel guilty for being a relative of the perpetrator, and feel victimized for being raised as a sacrifice. Even Tsugumi himself hadn¡¯t fully grasped the contradiction that slowly chipping away at his heart. Talking to the victim in such a situation was suicidal. ¨CHe still had a lot of things to do. The truth of the case. About Chidori. Toono¡¯s plan. He couldn¡¯t face Agatsuma until all of these things were settled, at the very least. But maybe someday they would have to talk. He would have to make up his mind by then. Tsugumi smiled wryly and scratched his head. Kazaguruma, who had been watching Tsugumi silently, let out a loud sigh and scooped up a spoonful of gelato, and popped it into Tsugumi¡¯s mouth. A sweet aroma filled his mouth. ¡°Mmmm!?¡± ¡°Haha, what a stupid face. ¨CI don¡¯t know what happened between you and Agatsuma Suo. Just move on and be satisfied with yourself. Hagakure Sakura is doing well enough.¡± Kazaguruma said this with a rare smile. Tsugumi swallowed the contents of his mouth, blinking his eyes as he stared at Kazaguruma. He could feel his cheeks slowly turning red from the straightforward comfort and praise. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, he looked away to hide his embarrassment and said in a sulky tone. ¡°What are you doing, treating people like children?¡± ¡°As long as I am tall, you are a child. You can take advantage of your Oneechan as much as you want. Here.¡± Kazaguruma spreads her hands mockingly, and Tsugumi said with a pouting face. ¡°Who is an oneechan? I¡¯m older than you.¡± ¡°Hagakure Sakura is, by all accounts, the youngest child. Besides, two years or so is like a margin of error. It doesn¡¯t make much difference.¡± Then, Tsugumi and Kazaguruma looked at each other and chuckled. The easy-going, mindless exchange was terribly comfortable. After that, they chatted about other things while eating their extra desserts, and then disbanded when the night was late. After thanking Kazaguruma and the owner, he left the restaurant and walked alone along the empty night street after transforming himself. He didn¡¯t eat enough to fill his stomach, but for some reason his stomach was full. ¡°¡­Come to think of it, I called Chidori to let her know that I¡¯m staying over today. Then I guess I can¡¯t go home today.¡± Muttering this, Tsugumi took out his cell phone. He then selected one of his contacts. ¡°Hello, Yukitaka? I have a favor to ask-¡° CH 121 Forbidden Fruit Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Tsugumi called Yukitaka on the phone to ask if he could stay for the night. At first, he thought about staying at a hotel, but since he was still underage, there was a high possibility he wouldn¡¯t be allowed to stay there alone. It was the same for karaoke rooms and Internet cafes. In summer temperatures, he probably wouldn¡¯t catch a cold after spending the night outside, but he was tired from the battle and wanted to take a good rest indoors if possible. Then, Yukitaka came to mind. Yukitaka lived alone away from his parents and had let him stay several times when they had fun together and missed the last train. ¡­He thought it was a little bit impudent of him to suddenly ask for help, but since Yukitaka usually bothered him, it should be fine to be a little selfish. With this in mind, he asked Yukitaka, ¡°Let me stay the night¡±, and he surprisingly said yes. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. But, please buy me something to snack on along the way. Fruit would be nice.¡± ¡°Fruit? I think I can buy some because some supermarkets are still open, but what kind of fruit would you like?¡± When Tsugumi asked again, Yukitaka replied in his usual tone. ¡º¨CRight, I like bright red apples the most.¡» ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô Having bought some bright red apples, as Yukitaka had told him to, Tsugumi stood in a room lined with high-rise apartments. He rang the doorbell and waited for the owner of the room to come out. Soon the door opened and Yukitaka appeared. ¡°Welcome. ¨CIt¡¯s unusual for Tsugumi-chan to stay the night. Did you and Chidori-chan have a fight?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t fight or anything. ¡­I told Chidori that I was going to stay somewhere because it looked like my business was going to drag on. Ah, I¡¯m sorry for being unreasonable this time. Thank you.¡± Tsugumi bowed his head and Yukitaka pulled his hand away and invited him into the room with a smirk. ¡°I¡¯m just doing a favor for a friend. See, I¡¯m so kind!¡± ¡°¡­Well, I guess you could say that¡¯s true for this one time.¡± Feeling somewhat dissatisfied, he followed Yukitaka, who seemed to be in a good mood, into the room after pulling out his shoes. ¨CIt might be surprising, but Yukitaka¡¯s house didn¡¯t have a lot of stuff. There was minimum furniture and appliances necessary for living. And there were a few books and video games left behind by Tsugumi who came to visit from time to time. He put the apples on the table and turned around to ask Gyoki. ¡°What should I do with the apples I bought? If you want to eat them now, I¡¯ll cut them for you.¡± ¡°Hmm, just a little bit then. Put the rest in the refrigerator.¡± ¡°Okay. ¡­Whoa, you only have water in your fridge. Are you eating properly?¡± When Tsugumi said this exasperatedly, Yukitaka opened his mouth in a troubled manner. ¡°I always eat out, so it doesn¡¯t matter. There are a lot of people who treat me without asking.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I envy you.¡± As usual, Yukitaka seemed to be spending his days being paid off by his followers. Tsugumi was a little worried that he might get stabbed someday, but he also had a mysterious trust that if it was this guy, he would be okay. Well, the person himself had no intention of changing his ways, so there was no point in saying anything. While exchanging these words, Tsugumi peeled an apple and brought it to Yukitaka. Yukitaka looked at the apple, which was cut into a cute rabbit shape, and said with a giggle. ¡°What, is this Tsugumi-chan¡¯s hobby? It¡¯s a strange thing to do when it¡¯s gonna end up in your mouth anyway.¡± ¡°Well, this is the way I¡¯ve been peeling for people lately, so I can¡¯t help it. ¡­Hey, don¡¯t laugh so much.¡± Looking away with an embarrassed look, Tsugumi gently picked up an apple and threw it into his mouth. The reason for cutting the fruit into the shape of a rabbit was simply because it made Shiro, Chidori¡¯s contract God, happy. Tsugumi was sometimes confused as to whether Shiro was a rabbit or a God, but he left that aside. ¡°Ah, Chidori-chan¡¯s hobby, huh. By the way, I heard that Chidori-chan collapsed and was hospitalized the other day. Was she all right?¡± ¡°¡­Well, for now. So far, there doesn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong.¡± Tsugumi replied, averting his eyes deceivingly. ¨CThe public hadn¡¯t been informed of Chidori¡¯s kidnapping. The school had been told that she fell ill, as Yukitaka said. If word spread, it would expose the government¡¯s ineptitude and possibly damage the reputation of Magical Girls. Due to these behind-the-scene circumstances, those involved were strictly told to keep their mouths shut. ¡°I¡¯m glad. I heard you were going to a movie that day after we met. ¨CI¡¯m really sorry.¡± Tsugumi let out a small sigh and stared at Yukitaka, who was artificially worried. It was wrong to ask Yukitaka to have decent emotions. ¡°Chidori doesn¡¯t seem to be in her best form yet, so don¡¯t get too involved. I¡¯m begging you.¡± When Tsugumi said this to him, Yukitaka pouted his mouth and said. ¡°How boring. Since that day, that transfer student has been absent a lot, so I thought I¡¯d ask him if something happened.¡± Tsugumi-chan won¡¯t talk to me, Yukitaka rested his chin and said that. Really, Yukitaka was sharp and tricky. Since it would be troublesome if he asked any more questions about Chidori, Tsugumi decided to divert the conversation. ¡°I think Azalea is a different story. I didn¡¯t hear the details either, but I heard that he has been in and out of the government¡¯s Ministry of Divine Worship? I don¡¯t think he¡¯d answer me over there anyway because of confidentiality or something, so I guess it¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± ¨CAfter Chidori was taken to the hospital, Azalea apparently spoke with a government official and was allowed to go in and out of the specialized department of the Ministry of Divine Worship because he had knowledge of exotic spells. He wouldn¡¯t give the details, saying that it was confidential, but he seemed to be doing well, so Tsugumi wasn¡¯t worried. When Tsugumi blurted it out, Yukitaka made a blatantly disgusted face and spat out. ¡°That obscure, occult ministry? Wow, it¡¯s a good thing I didn¡¯t get involved with him. You should keep your distance, too, Tsugumi-chan.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think Azalea is such a bad guy. ¡­Well, if you guys are that incompatible, maybe it¡¯s better for everyone around you if you don¡¯t have any contact.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t get involved even if you don¡¯t tell me. I hate people like him.¡± When Tsugumi said that, Yukitaka responded back unhappily. He didn¡¯t know what it was about Azalea that he hated so much, but there must be something about him that even Yukitaka couldn¡¯t give up on hating. As they ate the apples and spent time idly, Yukitaka suddenly muttered something while playing with a rabbit-shaped apple with one hand. ¡°¨CDo you know? I heard that apples are called forbidden fruit in mythology.¡± ¡°You mean the one that Adam and Eve ate? I¡¯ve heard of it, but what about it?¡± Tsugumi replied quizzically, and Yukitaka said with a smile while taking a bite of the apple. ¡°It was a sin, but they ate this fruit, defeated by their own desires. ¨CI love that anecdote because it is so human. It¡¯s so silly and cute, don¡¯t you think? If they hadn¡¯t eaten it, we would have been happy and not oppressed by anything.¡± Gazing at Yukitaka¡¯s profile, who was happily recounting the myth, Tsugumi let out a loud sigh. It was usual for Yukitaka to suddenly start talking about strange things, but today it was even more troublesome than ever. Tsugumi additionally mumbled as he munched on an apple that he had peeled round. ¡°Hmm. But thanks to that, we¡¯ve been able to eat such delicious food, so isn¡¯t it fine? Besides, a life where you can¡¯t eat apple pie and apple jam is lonely.¡± There were plenty of other dishes made with apples. There were many varieties of candy apples and apple cakes. It would still be more constructive to talk about the merits of what they had now, rather than to talk about the impossible alternative¨Cthat they didn¡¯t eat the forbidden fruit. When Tsugumi told him this with a serious face, Yukitaka looked at him with a puzzled expression and then burst out laughing. ¡°Fufu, hahaha! That¡¯s so stupid!! You¡¯re a glutton after all!¡± ¡°What? I didn¡¯t say anything strange.¡± ¡°No one else would be stupid enough to dismiss the proposition of the original sin with the statement, ¡®Apples are delicious, so there¡¯s no problem.¡¯ I wonder what that transfer student would think if he heard such a statement. It¡¯s kind of funny.¡± Yukitaka, who laughed until tears welled up in his eyes, pointed to the end of the corridor and said. ¡°Ah, my stomach hurts. Seeing Tsugumi-chan¡¯s face makes me laugh, so go ahead and take a bath. I¡¯ve left you a change of clothes and a towel.¡± ¡°¡­I get it. Also if it comes up, I¡¯m done talking about it. To be honest, talking about religion is troublesome.¡± Tsugumi said so in dissatisfaction. He didn¡¯t know what triggered Yukitaka, but he was sure that his excitement was about something that was in poor taste. ¡°Yes, yes, I understand.¡± ¡°Well, I won¡¯t hesitate to borrow this. ¨CThanks for everything.¡± No matter how disrespectful his words and deeds were, that wasn¡¯t a reason not to say thank you. Besides, it was a bonus that he let him stay here without complaining. With this in mind, Tsugumi bowed his head and thanked him, and with a wave of his hand, he disappeared down the corridor. ¨CYukitaka looked at Tsugumi¡¯s back and muttered with a pitying, yet frustrated expression on his face. ¡°Ah, Tsugumi-chan is really, really stupid. That¡¯s why you¡¯ve been taken advantage of by people like us. So direct, so cute, and so pathetic.¡± Saying that, Yukitaka stood up and slowly opened the cupboard. Then, he picked up a small box that was hidden inside, and let out a sigh as if he couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°I was actually going to use this for something else, but I¡¯ll lend you a special hand this time. Ah yes, let¡¯s talk slowly this evening for the first time in a while¨Cmy other half (Satanael).¡± Then, Yukitaka smiled with a sad look on his face. ¨COddly enough, the expression on his face seemed to be showing compassion for someone. CH 122 The Inhuman Devil Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani After getting out of the bath, Tsugumi had a silly talk with Yukitaka for a while, and since he would go out early tomorrow, he decided to borrow the sofa in the living room and go to sleep. ¡°¡­Anyway, I wonder what this scent is. That guy said it was some kind of relaxing incense.¡± Tsugumi said while sniffing the sweet scent. Yukitaka had said, ¡°This was a gift, but I¡¯m not interested in this kind of thing, so please use it and tell me what you think,¡± and left an aroma stand with a small flower-shaped incense stick on it. The smell wasn¡¯t unpleasant, but the sweet scent like sugar candy was somehow unsettling. But time passed as he thought about such things. Tomorrow he had school, so he had to leave here early in the morning and go home to get ready. In the morning, he could save some time with transportation, but it would still be better not to stay up late any longer. Thinking that, Tsugumi turned off the lights in the room and lay down on the sofa. Then he draped the borrowed towel over his belly and slowly closed his eyes. At the same time, he fell into a comfortable slumber. ¨CToday is another rough day. I¡¯m really tired. With these thoughts, his consciousness sunk into the darkness. And then, as if a thread snapped, Tsugumi quietly fell asleep. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¨CAfter Tsugumi stopped moving, a shadow crept into the living room where the lights had gone out. Yukitaka, wearing a white shirt and black slacks instead of a pajama, entered the living room, holding a small box in one hand. ¡°You sleep well. Well, it¡¯s only natural, since you inhaled the smoke containing sleeping pills. ¨CI hope you¡¯ll forgive me since it¡¯s the kind of medicine that doesn¡¯t leave a residue on your body.¡± Yukitaka looked down at the sleeping Tsugumi and gently reached up to his neck and touched his soft throat, putting in strength. ¡°I can¡¯t kill you myself. If I were to directly harm a person, the government¡¯s Gods (dogs) would find out about it. I don¡¯t want to play tag with them. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not very good at this.¡± Saying that, Yukitaka smiled and let go of his neck, pulling out a small bottle from the small box. The vial was filled with beautiful water that looked like red jade that had been crushed into a liquid. Yukitaka quietly opened the lid of the vial, brought it to Tsugumi¡¯s mouth, and slowly tilted it. ¡°Here, drink it. It¡¯s a pure power I¡¯ve accumulated over time. You¡¯ll get used to it.¡± Tsugumi¡¯s throat rose and fell as he gulped down the red liquid. After watching him drink up to the last drop, Yukitaka tossed the vial away and sat down. Yukitaka narrowed his eyes as he stared blankly at Tsugumi¡¯s sleeping face. ¨CWho would have thought that I would become so devoted to a mere human being. Thinking that, Yukitaka mocked himself. Basically, the human species hated, persecuted, and tried to keep away from ¡°things that are different from them¡±. This came from latent fear, and it was also a defensive instinct as a species. As they grew up, these cowardly instinctive people learned the definition of good and evil created by religious people and came to abhor what they themselves declared to be evil, while believing themselves to be right. ¨CBut this wasn¡¯t the case with Nanase Tsugumi. Even before he was born into this world, the human being called Nanase Tsugumi had his soul adjusted by Shikabane Sakura, the spirit of Lucifer. He was a vessel to accept the evil Gods. That is to say, the soul had been made not to abhor [evil]. In other words, as long as Tsugumi didn¡¯t suffer direct and terrible damage, he would tolerate evil like Yukitaka. ¡­The person himself probably never knew what a rare miracle it was. ¡°Me too, Lucifer (that person), in the end, we¡¯re in the same boat. We, who were once called Satanael¨CGod¡¯s messengers, fell into evil like a pre-established harmony. We¡¯re not allowed to live any other way, but it doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t have my own feelings about it.¡± ¨CBehind the scenes, Yukitaka was called a soulless angel. He always thought the name was odd. Because Yukitaka, an outsider living in human skin, was literally a failure of an angel. ¡°Belial¨CI was called the Evil One, and unlike that guy who was called the Bringer of Light, I had to do a lot of dirty work. In the current Satanic lore, I did more than she did. Ah, I guess that¡¯s why people hate me even if I put on human skin.¡± Yukitaka muttered and shrugged his shoulders. Even if he put on human skin and pretended to be human, he would still be hated by those who sensed the hint of evil that seeped out of him. Some people with weak hearts or people seduced by his beauty might come to him like fanatics, but they were very few. In addition, the Creator¡¯s blessing (curse) ¨C to be an enemy of mankind ¨C didn¡¯t change even when he took on human form. From the beginning, Belial had used a lot of power of Demonic Beasts when he came down to this land. With that in mind, it was quite natural for him to behave as an antagonist of mankind. Acting evil, unrestrained, spiteful, and trampling on people. Well, it was trivial enough not to be noticed by other Gods. And to begin with, the fallen angel Belial was incapable of acting in the best interest of mankind. Because it was what that inflexible Creator wanted of him. However, Yukitaka himself didn¡¯t think anything of it. For Yukitaka, human beings were nothing more than toys to kill boredom and pathetic sacrifices to be consumed for his own pleasure. But because of this, no one in their right mind would ever approach Yukitaka. Because they would see the evil behind him that they should despise. ¨CBut Nanase Tsugumi was different. He was the only one who truly saw ¡®Amari Yukitaka¡¯, not Belial as evil. He immediately realized that it was probably a result of Lucifer¡¯s adjustments, but it didn¡¯t matter. How could he describe the shock of that moment? Agitation, fear, and just a hint of hope and longing swirled through his heart. A new toy¨Ca feeling of exhilaration as if he had a precious treasure in his hand. Nanase Tsugumi was like a new drug for the demon. The new feelings and thoughts that only Tsugumi could sway from him. It was something new and unattainable for Yukitaka. The only person who had escaped from the wedge created by God. Yukitaka loved and cherished Tsugumi¨Cthat¡¯s why he wanted to kill him. The first time they met, he knew that Tsugumi didn¡¯t live long. The spell entwined in his soul was deeply rooted, and Yukitaka, in the body of a human being, was unlikely able to deal with it. The Demonic Beast that imitated the God of the outer law nestled in Tsugumi¡¯s soul and would eventually devour his soul and the soul of the Lucifer that protected it. Yukitaka couldn¡¯t allow that to happen. Therefore, Yukitaka decided to put an end to this wretched human being with his own hands. ¡­Well, in the end, it was closer to possessiveness than good intentions. If he was going to lose him anyway, he wanted him to die in the same soul (shape) that he loved. This was the only reason for Yukitaka¡¯s action. With such childlike motivation, Yukitaka invoked the power of the Demonic Beast within him, interfered with the cracks, and read the information on the appearance of Irregularities. Sometimes, with the help of his collaborator Tsukuyomi, he drove Tsugumi into a corner, but the attacks using the Irregulars failed again and again, and Tsugumi was steadily approaching the end of its days. ¨CAll this because there were people who got in the way. Frustrated, Yukitaka grabbed Tsugumi by the chest and squeezed it tightly. Cough, Tsugumi exhaled in pain. ¡°Hey, Lucifer. No, should I call you Sakura now? You¡¯re probably listening anyway. I went to the trouble of sharing my powers with you, so hurry up and answer me.¡± When Yukitaka announced this in a cold voice, Tsugumi¡¯s eyelashes swayed. Then his eyelids opened silently. However, the color of his eyes was reddish-black which didn¡¯t resemble Tsugumi¡¯s. ¡°¡­Shut up. Don¡¯t just touch what¡¯s mine. It¡¯s annoying.¡± Tsugumi-shaped creature announced this in a cute little girl¡¯s voice. Then, with a look of disgust, she brushed Yukitaka¡¯s hand away and sat up, looking down at him. Fiery reddish-black eyes stared at Yukitaka. ¡°So? Why did you bother to call me, cat burglar Belial-kun?¡± The girl¡¯s voice echoed in the dark room. ¨CThe secret encounter between the demons was about to begin. CH 123 Liar and Liar Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Yukitaka stood up, glaring at the fearlessly smiling Tsugumi¨CShikabane Sakura. ¡°You dare bark at the remnants stuck in Tsugumi-chan¡¯s soul. Aren¡¯t you ashamed?¡± ¡°Did you really go out of your way to call me out just to say sarcastic remarks? You have a lot of time on your hands.¡± As usual, the way she spoke was infuriating. Yukitaka felt bitter as he recalled that Sakura¡¯s words and actions resembled those of a person whom he was particularly incompatible with. Shaking off these thoughts, Yukitaka opened his mouth. ¡°Look who¡¯s talking. You¡¯re parasitizing on Beelzebub¡¯s authority, and you¡¯re stealing power from Tsugumi-chan.¡± Sakura interfered with Beelzebub¨Cthe Demon of Gluttony¨Cfrom within Tsugumi, breaking down the food Tsugumi ate in excess and transforming it into her own power. Using most of that power, Sakura barely managed to maintain her personality without being swallowed by the Demonic Beast. The reason why Tsugumi¡¯s contract God didn¡¯t notice was partly because she was simply too dull, but also because Sakura¡¯s soul was already too assimilated into Tsugumi that it was hard to distinguish between the two. She was more like a leftover from the original. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if she disappeared at any moment. This time, she came out due to the power that Yukitaka had given her, but she wouldn¡¯t be able to talk for a very long time. ¡°Certainly, I can¡¯t do much anymore, but I can help this cute child. I hope you won¡¯t put me in the same category as you, who thinks that murder is love. ¨COh, but I have you to thank for that. Belial¨Cyou messed with this child and I was able to stay afloat. Well, I hope it doesn¡¯t go any further. I want this child to live as long as he possibly can.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re the one who forced your cute little brother to take care of all the troubles and then left the scene in disgrace. You¡¯re the one who did everything you wanted and caused such a catastrophe, don¡¯t you feel at least a little sorry for Tsugumi-chan?¡± Yukitaka said scathingly, and Sakura, shrugging, opened her mouth. ¡°You say terrible things. This is why I don¡¯t like simple-minded devils. I¡¯m always working for the sake of this child. ¨CBesides, it¡¯s a bit misleading to say that I caused the catastrophe.¡± ¡°Is it wrong?¡± Yukitaka replied with a sense of suspicion, and Sakura replied with a smile. ¡°In the first place, the premise is wrong. Originally, on that day, at that time, at that place, Mishaguji ¨C the Demonic Beast in the shape of the evil God who controls the boundary ¨C was supposed to come down to that place as the first Irregularity. I was just trying to put it to good use. In other words, even if I had done nothing, that catastrophe would have happened. No, it could have been a lot worse, you know? So to blame me or this child for that is just wrong. I feel pity for the people who suffered damage, but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any reason for them to hold a grudge against me.¡± ¡°¡­I see. In other words, you had obtained information on Irregulars before me.¡± Just as Yukitaka, who was more similar to a Demonic Beast, could draw information from the chasm, it wasn¡¯t surprising that Sakura¨CLucifer, who was almost the same kind of being¨Ccould do the same thing. Knowing in advance the existence of the Irregulars with the abilities she wanted, Sakura was able to place her pawns in that place and proceed with the preparations. It was a very devilish move. ¡°But why would you want to control something like that if you were just going to leave it alone? Don¡¯t tell me you wanted to take over the world again?¡± Yukitaka asked her mischievously, and Sakura answered while scratching her cheeks with a troubled look. ¡°Um, I don¡¯t know what to say. It¡¯s close to that, but I was really planning to save this country. ¨CI came down to this land and made a contract with the child of the witch to escape from Amaterasu¡¯s pursuers and obtained a body of flesh, and I promised to follow my contract with them and create [a world free from the damage of Demonic Beasts]. If I could successfully place the power to control the boundaries in my hands, I could manipulate the boundaries of the sky at will!¡± Saying that, Sakura smiled like a saint, and Yukitaka held his stomach and laughed mockingly. ¡°That¡¯s very admirable, but are you serious about that? That worst fallen angel saves people? Haha, I can¡¯t believe that!¡± It would be impossible for that Lucifer (demon) to say that she wanted to save people, let alone if she were to use the power of a Demonic Beast to save the world. When Yukitaka told her so, Sakura quietly replied, touching her own black hair with her fingertips. ¡°Fufufu, the devils are faithful to their contract, you know. I was so excited, even though I didn¡¯t know what I was doing. Well, I used up the contractors in the process of making the wish, but I had no choice because compensating their lives wasn¡¯t part of the contract. ¡­It was a pity that the ritual failed, but it was still a lot of fun.¡± With a chuckle in her eyes, Sakura began to talk about those days. ¨CShe made her own parents into scapegoats from the time her body was very young and entered into the minds of those who had been hurt by the Demonic Beasts and manipulated them like her own hands and feet. She then prepared to take control of the evil God without getting her own hands dirty to avoid attracting the attention of the government¡¯s Gods. Just like a puppet master. ¨CIf only the Magical Girl hadn¡¯t interfered, I would have ruled this country by now. Yukitaka looked at Sakura who muttered this to herself regretfully. ¡°Trick them, make them crazy, make them dance, and finally throw them away in the end. Ah, it¡¯s exactly the devil¡¯s way. I¡¯m relieved to see that you haven¡¯t changed at all.¡± ¡°Ahaha, the essences don¡¯t change that easily. Neither you nor I can escape from acting as evil after all. Because we are such monsters from the beginning.¡± ¡°¨CBut then, why did you save Tsugumi-chan?¡± When Yukitaka asked her that, Sakura stopped moving with a smile on her face. Yukitaka, ignoring Sakura¡¯s condition, continued with his words as if to push her away. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just use him as a vessel for the evil God as you planned? That¡¯s why you made him, right? You went to the trouble of preparing another child at the last minute, and in the end, it failed. Why did you do that, when you think of human beings as nothing more than dust-¡° ¡°¡­I made it too well.¡± Sakura replied, interrupting Yukitaka¡¯s words and smiling with a hint of regret. ¡°To accept evil, one must be dull to it. Considering that I would later manipulate him, I wanted a soul that was human, yet not tainted by evil, not overly good, and still innocent. The result was an ideal doll that would never reject me, the devil. He always looked up at me with sparkling eyes, my cute little brother. ¡­Haha, a body of flesh is no good. Emotions pull my thoughts so far that I can¡¯t think straight.¡± Replying as if confessing her sin, Sakura bit her lip and lowered her eyes. Just like Pygmalion, who fell in love with a doll she had made, Sakura fell in love with the ideal brother she had created. ¡­Even though there was no way a Goddess would save them in the end like in that myth. ¡°¡­Well, I kind of understand the feeling.¡± Yukitaka nodded his head in agreement and said so. ¨CSakura, who wanted to keep Tsugumi alive out of her own ego, and Yukitaka, who wanted to kill Tsugumi because he couldn¡¯t allow him to be harmed by anyone but himself. Although their actions were completely different, they were very similar in nature. But perhaps it was because of the nature of the devil who was hated by fate that things didn¡¯t turn out the way they wanted them to ¨CBut this solved the long-standing question. This great demon was just a loser who couldn¡¯t win over human emotions. Even if Sakura¡¯s presence became a hindrance in the future, if Yukitaka thought of her that way, he wouldn¡¯t get angry. While they were talking about this, Sakura held her head with one hand and sighed painfully. ¡°I guess I¡¯ve reached my limit. Unfortunately, it¡¯s time to say goodbye for today.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you again. But I¡¯ve heard what I wanted to hear, so why don¡¯t you just leave Tsugumi-chan to me and quickly disappear?¡± Yukitaka said grimly, and Sakura opened her mouth with a smile. ¡°Fufu, you can¡¯t kill this child unless you face your heart properly. Besides, I am sure we will meet again soon. ¨CThe seeds we have sown will soon sprout. The roots will go deep into the earth, and we will build a tower that will reach to the heavens.¡± ¡°What? What the hell are you saying-¡° Yukitaka raised his voice, but he quickly put his index finger to his mouth and swallowed his words. Sakura¡¯s red eyes narrowed and she laughed like a clown, the corner of her mouth lifted up. ¡°I also have a collaborator. Do you think I didn¡¯t think about insurance against failure?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Everything is in the palm of my hand. ¨CI¡¯m the one who¡¯s going to have the last laugh, Belial.¡± Saying that, Sakura then she slumped down on the sofa. He hurriedly looked into her face and saw that she was taking small sleepy breaths. ¡­Apparently, she had completely dived into Tsugumi. Yukitaka hit the floor, clicking his tongue loudly in frustration. ¡°Collaborator? Insurance? What is she going to do this time?¡± Yukitaka muttered to himself, looking at the sleeping Tsugumi. Whatever Sakura¨CLucifer did, Tsugumi would definitely get involved in it. He couldn¡¯t help but feel terribly sorry for him. A pitiful young man became the eye of the typhoon just because he had been spotted by a bad-natured demon. And to Yukitaka, he was also an important friend. ¨CIn the end, what do I want to do with him? I should kill him rather than let other people hurt him, but I don¡¯t want to lose him. Various thoughts went through his mind, and Yukitaka spat out the words. ¡°Even so, I don¡¯t really want to see your pained face.¡± ¨CThat was the only truth that the lying devil said. Everyone pretends to be something they are not, and everyone is in the dark. What will they think when their true selves are all exposed? That kind of thing¨Cnobody knows. CH 124 Fate is Capricious Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Waking up early in the morning, Tsugumi called out to Yukitaka, who was asleep in his room, and left Yukitaka¡¯s house before the first train started running. ¡­It seemed Yukitaka was going to skip school, but he couldn¡¯t take care of him that much. He wandered around the nearby train station, transported home when the time was right, and went straight to the kitchen to start making breakfast. Tsugumi still hadn¡¯t gotten over the fatigue from yesterday, but unfortunately, today was the last day of school. Even if he took the day off, he would have to pick up his belongings later anyway, so it would be more efficient to force himself to go to school at least for today. As he moved his hand while thinking about such things, the door to the living room opened with a clatter. ¡°Fuah, ¨CGood morning, Tsugumi. You¡¯re back.¡± ¡°Yeah, I got the first train home. I made breakfast, do you want some?¡± When Tsugumi asked this question, Chidori nodded slowly, still looking sleepy. Then, Tsugumi quickly prepared breakfast and placed the plates in front of Chidori. ¡°How rare. I¡¯m surprised that Tsugumi made breakfast for me.¡± Chidori said while eating a piece of bread with a fried egg on it. ¡°Because usually, Chidori leaves the house before I wake up. As expected, I don¡¯t want to wake up early when I don¡¯t have anything to do.¡± ¡°Then how about coming to the kendo club¡¯s morning practice with me next time? You are always welcome to help.¡± ¡°No, your juniors are scary.¡± Tsugumi replied with a disgusted look. ¡­Sadly, Tsugumi was hated like a snake by Chidori¡¯s juniors. Tsugumi couldn¡¯t protect Chidori at the Amusement Park and she turned into a Magical Girl, and in the previous kidnapping incident¨Con the surface, she was suffering from heat stroke¨CChidori collapsed when she was with Tsugumi. They didn¡¯t like it. The younger members of the kendo club had no reason to blame him for the incident, but arguing with them made Chidori sad so he did his best to stay away from them. After talking about such things, Tsugumi saw Chidori off as she left the house, relaxing and getting ready to leave. Unlike the early morning before the first train, the moist sunlight pierced the skin. ¡°¡­Ah, I am tired.¡± Raising a hand to his sweat-soaked chest, Tsugumi muttered dejectedly. ¨CThe beginning of the long summer vacation was just around the corner. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡°Okay, that¡¯s the end of today¡¯s schedule! Don¡¯t get too excited just because it¡¯s summer vacation, okay?¡± Suzune concluded with a final chime, and Tsugumi stretched out his arms. Perhaps because he slept on the couch last night, his body felt heavy. Turning his head around, Tsugumi gazed at the empty seat. As expected, Yukitaka hadn¡¯t even come to school. Yukitaka¡¯s attendance was probably not a problem, but he was a bit worried about his absences. ¨CHe wondered which college that guy was going to. Yukitaka hadn¡¯t really talked about his career path, but with his ability, he should easily be able to get into the same university as Mebuki, Teito University, which was called the best university in Japan. Of course, Tsugumi didn¡¯t have that kind of academic ability, so his rank would probably drop, but he could still get into a decent university. In order to lead a decent life after he quit his Magical Girl career in the future, he needed to make a minimum effort, so perhaps during the summer vacation when he wasn¡¯t working as a Jukka, he would be immersed in his studies. If he didn¡¯t make progress at all, he might have to bow down to Mebuki and Yukitaka and ask them to teach him. With this in mind, Tsugumi began to pack up his luggage. It was just before the summer vacation, so there was a lot of baggage. The other classmates were talking more excitedly than usual, probably because of the feeling of freedom from the summer vacation, and they were making a lot of noise about where they were going to go out today. As Tsugumi idly watched them, Akiyama approached and called out. ¡°Hey, Nanase. Let¡¯s go shopping for clothes with those guys afterward!¡± ¡°Clothes? Why all of a sudden?¡± When Tsugumi tilted his head at the sudden invitation, Akiyama began to speak in high tension. ¡°We¡¯re going on a trip next week, right? We¡¯re going to spend our free time picking up girls, so I need some clothes that will help me win. Can you give me some advice? You have good taste, Nanase.¡± ¡­Come to think of it, that¡¯s what they were saying during their free time too. The trip planned by gathering volunteers was decided to be a trip to the sea after discussions that included physics. It seemed they¡¯d already booked a place to stay. In the four-day schedule, two days were group activities including events, and the remaining two days were free activities divided into groups. Tsugumi was going to be mixed with some group depending on the occasion, but at this rate, it might be better not to mix with Akiyama¡¯s group. Listening to Akiyama¡¯s impassioned speech, Tsugumi began to speak, dumbfounded. ¡°No, even if you ask me for advice, I¡¯ve always just bought what the mannequins wear. Well, I don¡¯t mind if you just go along with me.¡± Tsugumi wasn¡¯t in the mood to buy clothes, but he had been so busy lately that he hadn¡¯t gone out with his classmates much, so he thought this would be a good opportunity. Akiyama nodded happily at Tsugumi¡¯s agreement, and then exclaimed, ¡°Then, we¡¯ll be leaving in a little while!¡±, and ran toward his other friends. Well, I can get my luggage later using transportation. ¡­Thinking this in his mind, Tsugumi smiled a little. After all, it was fun to talk with friends. Then, as if dragged along by the momentum of Akiyama and his friends, Tsugumi was taken to a larger department store¨Cwhere he met an unexpected person. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô ¡°¡­It¡¯s no good. I¡¯m so hungry I am going to die.¡± After Akiyama and the others had finished picking out all of their clothes, Tsugumi pleaded to them, clutching his stomach. Akiyama looked at him quizzically and opened his mouth. ¡°Huh? Nanase, you bought steamed buns at a convenience store on the way, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been a little low on fuel lately. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just a growth spurt or something like that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re already tall enough, but you¡¯re still trying to grow. ¨CWell, that¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll look around some more, so go ahead and have something to eat, then we¡¯ll meet up and go to karaoke.¡± ¡°Oh, I am saved. Then, I¡¯ll go for a while.¡± At Akiyama¡¯s willingness, Tsugumi bowed slightly and turned down the offers from his other friends, then headed for the food court in the department store by himself. He got in line at a relatively empty burger joint and ordered a couple of drinks and a burger set. Feeling uncomfortable under the smiling stares of the waitresses who might have thought he was ordering for his friends as well because of his large order, he sat down at a table in the back of the food court. ¡°Phew. Let¡¯s eat quickly before anyone sees.¡± He whispered softly and wiped his hands. The moment he took a bite of his set of fries, he saw someone sitting down in front of him. Suspicious that the other person didn¡¯t say anything, Tsugumi looked up and saw an unexpected person sitting there. Staring ahead with astonished eyes, Tsugumi muttered in dismay. ¡°¡­Huh? Is-is this real?¡± ¨CWhy is she here? Dropping his half-eaten fries on the desk, Tsugumi¡¯s expression turned grim as he sprawled across his chair in surprise. The person sitting in front of him with both elbows on the table opened her dainty lips without breaking her unreadable smile. ¡°I was wandering around and saw a familiar face, so I came over. I¡¯m sorry, I startled you, didn¡¯t I?¡± Saying that, Toono Sumire narrowed her eyes and stared at Tsugumi. CH 125 ¨CWhich of the two did Toono mean by ¡°acquaintance¡±? Nanase Tsugumi, who happened to meet her at the time of the kidnapping, or the Magical Girl, Hagakure Sakura. Either way, it was bad. ¨CToono Sumire knew that Hagakure Sakura¡¯s identity was Nanase Tsugumi. Perhaps Yatagarasu, who noticed Tsugumi¡¯s existence as a Magical Girl, had told her. He didn¡¯t know why Toono approached him at a place like this, but it wasn¡¯t a good idea to talk about Hagakure Sakura here. The place was public, and Tsugumi¡¯s friend would be here in a while. If Toono met his friends, it would be a big problem. ¡­Everything he had hidden until now could be ruined. Pushing his anxiety aside, Tsugumi opened his mouth, trying to maintain a calm expression. ¡°¡­What do you want?¡± ¡°I told you earlier. I just happened to see you and called out to you. Hmmm¡­ But to meet someone like this, it is worth going out under Yatagarasu¡¯s watchful eyes. ¨CHagakure-san would agree, right?¡± Toono smiled elegantly as Tsugumi raised his voice impatiently. ¡°Don¡¯t mention that name here¡­!¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m thinking things through, too. I¡¯ve been using the perception blocking technique ever since I stepped outside, so no one cares what I do or what I talk about. It¡¯s like being invisible. Now that you are included in the scope of effect, no one will notice you unless you speak out loud.¡± When being told this admonishingly, Tsugumi glanced around and asked Toono in a small voice with an embarrassed look. ¡°Toono-san, how much do you know about me?¡± ¡°Well. About the fire, your background, and what you¡¯ve been doing for the past year?¡± ¡°¡­I see. You mean almost everything.¡± At this rate, he might have been on their radar a long time ago. Tsugumi thought he had been hiding his true identity, but in fact, he had been dancing in the palms of their hands. Thinking about it, he couldn¡¯t say anything. Tsugumi didn¡¯t know why they went to all that trouble to get his memory back, but somehow he had a feeling they wouldn¡¯t answer that question. A line had been drawn¨Cor rather, he felt the pressure that he shouldn¡¯t step in any further. But it was sort of natural that they saw Tsugumi as a problem. He didn¡¯t blame them. It was inevitable because Tsugumi¡¯s problems of origin and gender were too heavy. ¡­But being swayed by their actions like this for no reason was exhausting and a waste of time. Tsugumi wanted them to tell their demands quickly. As he thought about this, Toono laughed and said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t do anything unless you get into big trouble. ¨CBut it¡¯s a good thing. You have your family¡¯s memories back, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± ¨CWhat are you talking about? Thinking about this, Tsugumi clenched his hands tightly. Chidori and the flame¨CJust what was good about forcing people to recall their memories by stimulating their trauma. There was a limit to sarcasm. Perhaps sensing a dangerous atmosphere, Toono continued with a wry smile. ¡°Yatagarasu punished you by forcibly taking away your memory. In other words, the recovery of your memory is the end of your punishment. At least, Yatagarasu won¡¯t blame you anymore. I assure you of that. So, as long as you are contributing to Amaterasu as a Magical Girl, I too will treat you as an equal companion.¡± Tsugumi¡¯s eyes widened at Toono¡¯s words. Tsugumi had always thought that having his memory restored was part of the punishment. While figuring out Yatagarasu¡¯s true motives, Tsugumi always thought that Yatagarasu wanted him to suffer. Well, this opinion was only from Toono¡¯s point of view, so it wasn¡¯t certain, but since she was the one closest to Yatagarasu, she might not be that wrong. ¡°Is it really okay? You said it so lightly. Besides, isn¡¯t it a problem for a man to be a Magical Girl?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. There are other girls like you.¡± ¡°Eh? There are others?¡± Toono said it plainly and continued the story, ignoring Tsugumi¡¯s reaction. ¡­He wanted to hear more about it, but it might be better to hold back this time. ¡°Besides, if I mess with you anymore, I¡¯m going to get yelled at again by your contract God. It was kind of hard to cover it up after that, you know?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry for the trouble I caused you that time.¡± Tsugumi lowered his head slightly with an indescribable expression. ¨CAlthough Bell had taken a lenient attitude toward Tsugumi after Chidori¡¯s kidnapping case, she still couldn¡¯t forgive another God for messing with her contractor, so she went to the government ¨C Yatagarasu ¨C to protest. As a result, Bell got mad and tried to use her power, and in the end, she was sentenced to one month of confinement¡­ Well, it was better than being ordered to leave the country for picking a fight with Yatagarasu. Bell was currently sealed up in a reflection room in the government basement and was currently in a situation where she couldn¡¯t move at all. The contractor, Tsugumi, was allowed to visit, but she was getting grumpier and grumpier every day, it was difficult to get her in a good mood. ¡°In the first place, I was told by Yatagarasu not to get involved with you. If he knew that I went out by myself and met you here, he would be furious.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. You have some idea why, don¡¯t you?¡± When Toono asked him that, Tsugumi lowered his eyes thoughtfully¡­ There were too many things on his mind. The great fire, his origin, his sister¡¯s actions, and the fact that he was a man. None of that would be acceptable for the rare miko, the image girl of the government. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t surprising that Yatagarasu told her not to get involved. Then Tsugumi stared blankly at the burgers on the table. Most of the fries were already cold, and while not inedible, they certainly tasted bad. The hamburgers would also be cold and tasteless if they were left any longer. ¡­His stomach had been churning since he met Toono, but he didn¡¯t know if it was because he was nervous or hungry. As he thought about this, Tsugumi let out a big sigh, and Toono opened her mouth, staring at Tsugumi¡¯s hand with interest. ¡°Hey, is that a hamburger by any chance?¡± ¡°Eh? What about it?¡± Toono¡¯s cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she replied. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen that kind of thing before because I¡¯m usually stopped by my attendants. So I was a little concerned¡­ Sorry, that was depressing.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t mind. I guess, being a miko and all, junk food like this is forbidden?¡± ¡°The other miko tell me to eat as little as possible. I told this to Yukino-san once and she snickered at me, saying it was nonsense. She said it is a meaningless precept in this day and age. Yatagarasu also said that I can at least eat as much as I like, but if people look at me, I can¡¯t help but hold back.¡± Saying so, Toono lowered her eyes. ¡­Tsugumi didn¡¯t know much but as a miko, Toono might have more restrictions than he had first thought. Thinking so, Tsugumi somehow uttered a suggestion. ¡°Hmm. If there¡¯s no problem, would you like to try one? It¡¯s a little cold though.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± In front of Toono, who looked up in surprise, he held out a hamburger. ¡°But I wonder if it¡¯s really good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if the contract God doesn¡¯t say no. Well, if you don¡¯t like it, that¡¯s fine.¡± After saying this, Tsugumi opened a package for himself and took a bite of the hamburger. It still tasted cheap, but tasty in its own way. Then Toono looked at Tsugumi and the package, and her eyes wandered in an unusual manner, then she gently reached for the package as if she had made up her mind. TShe opened the package fearfully and slowly brought it close to her mouth. ¡°¡­It tastes kind of strange.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s full of chemical seasonings. ¨CDid it taste bad?¡± When Tsugumi asked her, Toono giggled like a child and said, ¡°It¡¯s not as delicious as I thought it would be¡±. And so, complaining about each bite, she finished off an entire package. ¡­Contrary to her words, she might have taken a liking to it. As the two of them poked their cold fries in an unfamiliar harmony that made it hard to believe that they were brutal to each other just a while ago, Tsugumi heard a voice calling for him in the distance. ¡°Ah, it looks like your friends have come to pick you up.¡± ¡®Well, I¡¯d better be on my way. ¡­That, uh, you really didn¡¯t have something for me.¡± ¨CIn the end, Toono didn¡¯t have much to say. No demand, No particular advice. ¡­Tsugumi was skeptical from the beginning, but this might really be just a chance encounter and a conversation. Toono nodded with a beautiful smile. Reassured by this, Tsugumi bowed his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I doubted you,¡± and left the place. Then, he approached his friends, who were looking around, and called out to them. ¡°Where were you, Nanase? We¡¯ve been looking for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I went to the restroom. Did you get what you were looking for?¡± Then one of his friends, holding a paper bag above his head as if it were a trophy, said in a loud voice with a giggle. ¡°Yeah! I¡¯ll put on a fashion show with everyone in the private karaoke room!¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to see you bastards change clothes live¡­¡± ¨CI¡¯d like you to give me a break, even if I have to pay for it. Seeing the look of disgust on Tsugumi¡¯s face as he said that, his friends laughed happily. And so, while teasing and making a fuss, Tsugumi and his friends left the food court. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡°¨CHow nice.¡± Toono, left alone at the table, gazed at the backs of the boys as they walked along happily, and muttered quietly. ¡°Even though we were born the same way, that boy looks so free and happy. I wonder why.¡± ¨CToono was a special human being who was tuned for a certain purpose. Since before she could remember, Toono had no freedom and had been under strict supervision and guidance in her every move. After signing a contract with Yatagarasu, she had a little more free time, but even so, the amount of surveillance didn¡¯t decrease. Watched, bound, and acted like a puppet as desired. There were times when she behaved without restraints as if her shackles had been lifted, but in the end, she never strayed too far from her path. That was the life of Toono Sumire. ¡­That¡¯s why, originally, meeting Nanase Tsugumi alone like this shouldn¡¯t have happened. Somehow, she wanted to get some fresh air. Without saying anything to anyone, she wandered off to a distant station. There, she found Nanase Tsugumi laughing with a group of boys around the same age. ¨CShe¡¯d found him. He had lived as a sacrifice since he was born into this world, his soul was invaded by an evil God, and he could die at any moment. For Toono, Nanase Tsugumi was nothing more than [a child more pathetic than her]. And yet, what about reality? He went to school, laughed with his close friends, and spends his time as if he were a normal human. Toono was shocked by this sight as if she had been hit on the head with a baseball bat. While wondering about the reason, she followed him around, and then, at the moment when he was alone, she spoke to him. That must have been a mistake. The expression on his face changed from one emotion to the next, and he easily forgave anyone if they were a little friendly. Even his words and actions were nothing like hers. And above all ¨C he was free. He took Toono¡¯s hand and pulled her along without restraint, something Toono had unconsciously failed to step over. The confusion of being new and the fear of breaking the unspoken agreement. The food she ate after desperately suppressing these emotions¨Cit tasted delicious and sinful. ¨CNo, no, no. They weren¡¯t the same. Toono Sumire and Nanase Tsugumi were overwhelmingly different. A black feeling slowly swirled in her heart. She couldn¡¯t stop envying him, wondering why it was only him. Learn more ¡°¡­ I wish I could replace you.¡± Toono muttered softly, then covered her mouth in surprise. ¨CI should never have thought of such a thing. ¡°Let¡¯s go home. I¡¯m sure the attendants are worried.¡± Toono casually stood up with her usual smile. Then she gently stroked the wrapping paper on the table with her finger, floated it softly, and lit it on fire. The blue flame, which burned without emitting any smoke, was quietly swaying. ¨CAs if reflecting Toono¡¯s heart. CH 126 Summer, Sea, and Swimsuits Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani The school had entered summer vacation, and Tsugumi, who had successfully snatched a vacation from the government, traveled with his classmates to a town far away by the sea. They planned to rent a cottage on a private beach owned by one of the participants and enjoy the trip for a few days. It was the summer of his third year in high school¨Cbecause it was the last long vacation before the exams, his classmates seemed to be going off the rails. When this summer was over, even the usually cheerful people would lose their time studying and getting along with each other. ¡­Well, he still thought they would find time to make a fuss, but that was all. Today was the third day after all the silly events¨Cit was the free time to move around individually. The other friends seemed to be out shopping at tourist attractions or, as mentioned before, picking up girls, but Tsugumi didn¡¯t have the mood. After turning down many invitations, he decided to go swimming on the beach, alone at the cottage where he was staying. It would be nice to just sit out in the waves and not be disturbed by anyone. As he opened his bag to get a change of clothes, he noticed a paper bag in the back that he didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°Hmmm? What¡¯s this¡­ who did this? Could it be Akiyama?¡± Curious, he took out the paper bag and looked inside, and found something unexpected. With a bitter look, he took out the contents. There was a black-colored woman¡¯s swimsuit¨Cthe so-called flare bikini with a lace pareo attached. ¡°¡­.¡± Tsugumi calmly put the swimsuit back in the paper bag and looked around warily. ¡­If anyone saw it, he would be slandered as a pervert. After confirming once again that no one was there, he let out a sigh of relief. It was too much of a surprise. Thinking this, he clicked his tongue loudly and noticed that a small note had fallen at his feet. Feeling ominous, he picked up the note and read it over. He looked at the note from one end to the other, and then, with a face like he was about to punch the wall, he muttered. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, you damn rabbit¡­¡± The note, crumpled in his grip, fell to the floor. The note read [As promised I¡¯ve prepared special clothes for the summer and I¡¯d love for you to wear them. p.s. It is preferable to take a picture with the sea in the background. From your brother]. In other words, it was that kind of thing. ¡°He said, ¡®I¡¯ll give you summer clothes¡¯ and I certainly nodded my head at that. But I thought it would be a yukata or something. I didn¡¯t expect a swimsuit¡­ And it¡¯s for women¡­ Damn it, I shouldn¡¯t have promised to wear it and take pictures when I received it!¡± Tsugumi howled in a small voice as he kneeled down and slammed his hands on the floor. The other day, Shiro suddenly fidgeted and said, ¡°I want to give my cute little brother some summer clothes,¡± and he felt bad about refusing, so he made a lighthearted promise which turned out to be a bad thing. ¨CShall I pretend I didn¡¯t see it? Even so, Tsugumi shook his head slightly as if he had given up. Even if Shiro wasn¡¯t Tsugumi¡¯s contract God, God was still God. Even if he felt like he was being tricked, there was no way of knowing what would happen if he broke a promise made to God. ¡°You¡¯re joking¡­ It¡¯s not the same as men¡¯s beach pants, you know? There¡¯s no way I could walk out the door dressed like this in my underwear, in my female form. I¡¯d still rather be gothic lolita¡­¡± There was a difference between walking around in cute clothes and wearing a swimsuit. That thing was no different from underwear. ¡­As a man, Tsugumi really didn¡¯t understand how women in the world perceived the difference between swimsuits and underwear in the first place. They were about the same in terms of exposure. With a blank expression, he raised the swimsuit in front of him. Fortunately, the frilly fabric hid the chest area, and the waistcloth hid the thighs to a certain extent. In exchange, the belly was fully exposed, but he could compromise. ¡­It was also disgusting that it attacked the very edge of what he could tolerate. ¡°I¡¯m going to wear this¡­ Ah, I really don¡¯t like it.¡± He¡¯d been with his post-transformation body for what seemed like almost a year now, so he wasn¡¯t going to say that he was embarrassed to change clothes in a woman¡¯s body now. However, he still resisted the swimsuit. ¨CThis was because his face post-transformation looked so much like Sakura-oneechan that it felt like he was forcing his sister to wear revealing clothes. ¨CBut I made a promise. It looks like it will be troublesome if I break it, so I guess I have no choice but to wear it¡­ While thinking so, Tsugumi slightly opened the curtains and looked outside. No one was swimming at the beach today, probably because they had spent the last two days playing on the beach. Apparently, everyone else went sightseeing in town or headed towards the beach where the public was. In other words, now was the perfect time to take pictures at sea without anyone looking. ¡°Haa, I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Saying that, Tsugumi let out a big sigh. Then he slowly got to his feet, grabbed his swimsuit, and walked into the bathroom. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡°¡­Even so, it¡¯s really unsettling.¡± Muttering this in a slightly higher voice than he did in male form, Tsugumi picked up the lace cloth wrapped around his waist and looked down at his own outfit which showed off his skin tone. He looked at the whole thing in the mirror and was annoyed that it looked reasonably good on him. He couldn¡¯t bear it anymore so he wore a thin men¡¯s hoodie on top, but he still felt uneasy. On top of that, his chest was thumping in an irregular heartbeat, probably due to nervousness and guilt, and he couldn¡¯t calm down. How will you take responsibility for me if I awaken a strange preference? So while chuckling to himself and keeping a cool head on the surface, Tsugumi went outside the cottage. He couldn¡¯t do it without making a joke. The glaring sunlight reflected off his white limbs. ¡­He didn¡¯t see anyone so far, but he still needed to be careful. Stretching out a thread and carefully searching for people around, he quickly ran to the beach. Perhaps, he might have searched more desperately than when he was fighting against Demonic Beasts. When he reached a rocky place where he could hide, he breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°¨CGood, there¡¯s no one here.¡± He murmured while sneaking around and taking a selfie with the sea in the background as instructed. He supposed it was a little amusing that his smile turned out to be a little twitchy. ¡­Why would Shiro want these photos in the first place? No matter how good his appearance was, a swimsuit photo of someone he knew was a man on the inside would be nothing more than a joke. ¡°No, I¡¯m sure he is simply the type of person who wants to preserve memories in various forms. His behavior is similar to that of a classmate who has a habit of collecting.¡± Unlike Bell, who preferred perishable items such as food, Shiro tended to focus more on memories. Like people, Gods might have a variety of personalities, but being so mundane might be a rarity. After successfully completing his mission, Tsugumi quickly changed his clothes and began walking along the beach to release his transformation, but he stopped dead in his tracks when he sensed the presence of someone in the distance. Hiding behind a rocky shore, he stretched his thread and picked up the sound from his fingertips. It was hard to hear, but he could hear the voices of several young men and women. ¡­Maybe someone was coming back to the cottage. The moment he thought of this, words like ¡°my acquaintances will find out,¡± ¡°in a swimsuit,¡± and ¡°social death¡± popped into his head one after the other¨CA temporary panic set in. Panicking, he shoved his cell phone into the pocket of his hoodie, and with a fluid motion, he jumped into the sea. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡­Thinking about it calmly, he could just return back with transportation. He swam desperately and got lost. Tsugumi thought about this with dead eyes as he swayed in the waves far off the coast. He ran away here in a hurry and had completely forgotten about his own skills. Even though he had never been this flustered against a Demonic Beast¡­ He dove deep into the sea, grunting with self-loathing. Perhaps his mind floated away because he wore an outfit he wasn¡¯t used to. At least, his cell phone was completely waterproof so it could be used underwater. If his cell phone had also been damaged, he would have never recovered. With a gloomy feeling, he turned around in the water and looked up in the direction where the light was shining. Tsugumi stopped moving when he saw that spectacle. ¨CHow beautiful! The surface of the water glittered and reflected the sparkling light, and fish of all shapes and sizes swam freely, paying no attention to Tsugumi. The painting-like scenery caught his eye. After gazing at the scene for a while, Tsugumi smiled wryly. When looking at the magnificent scenery created by nature, his own petty concerns became insignificant. ¨COh well. Now that he¡¯d accomplished my goal, he wanted to go home and change. This was the end of his troubles this time. He needed to switch things up and enjoyed the trip. Tsugumi took his cell phone out of his pocket, pointed the camera at the water, and took a picture. This was more valuable than a photo of him in a swimsuit. And just as Tsugumi was about to rise to the surface, a round shadow suddenly appeared above his head. He wondered and reached for it. ¡°Puha. What is this¡­ a girl¡¯s hat?¡± The true identity of the round shadow¨CTsugumi tilted his head at the cute straw hat in his hand. Then he noticed there was a cruiser a little far away. The cruiser was heading slowly but steadily toward Tsugumi. Squinting, he saw a woman with long hair and a little girl pointing at him with binoculars. Maybe that girl¡¯s hat had been blown here by the wind or something. ¡­The other side could see him so he couldn¡¯t just run away. But he didn¡¯t want people to see him like this, he pondered on what to do. As Tsugumi was worrying about this, he could clearly see the face of the person riding the cruiser. Tsugumi¡¯s movement stopped when he saw that face that he had seen somewhere. ¡­In a way, it could be said that the option to escape had disappeared. Then, as the ship approached while slowing down, the woman stared dumbfoundedly at Tsugumi and asked him a question, looking deeply puzzled. ¡°¨CUm, what are you doing in a place like this, Hagakure-san?¡± ¡°¡­As you can see, I am swimming, Hitsugi-san¡­¡± When Tsugumi answered with a twitching smile, Hitsugi Airi, formerly ranked sixth in the Jukka, asked ¡°In a place like this?¡± with a puzzled look and held out her hand to Tsugumi in the water. CH 127 Two Flowers Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Tsugumi, prompted by Hitsugi who smiled wrily, went up to the deck, got some water to wash off the sticky salt water, and let out a small sigh as he wiped his head with a borrowed towel. Hitsugi had returned inside to give instructions to the pilot, and now Tsugumi was the only one on deck. The weather was clear and cloudless over the ocean. ¡­He didn¡¯t think she was fooled by his excuse, but apparently, she didn¡¯t intend to pursue it. Well, even if rumors did get out, it would only increase the number of mysterious (and unwanted) episodes of Hagakure Sakura. As he was combing his tangled hair, a girl who had been standing next to him on the boat approached him with a rather nervous look on her face. Seeing the girl¡¯s face, Tsugumi was surprised, but instead of showing it, he smiled softly and spoke to the girl. ¡°You are Yumeji-san, aren¡¯t you?¡± The girl ¨C Yumeji Nadeshiko ¨C smiled happily as she said yes to Tsugumi. ¡­He thought he saw a resemblance when he looked at her from a distance, but he never thought it was Yumeji herself. In a sense, it was Tsugumi who made the connection between Hitsugi and Yumeji, so it wasn¡¯t strange that they were together like this. But he never thought that he would run into them by chance when they were together. What are the odds? ¡°I was a little worried when I didn¡¯t receive a reply to the contact information I secretly gave her at that time, but looking at this situation, Hitsugi-san must have been working on it.¡± When Tsugumi replied, more conscious of his acting than usual, Yumeji opened her mouth happily, as if the gloomy mood he had seen at the party was a lie. ¡°Thanks to Hagakure-san giving my sister¡¯s letter, Hitsugi-san was able to persuade my parents to let me go. Thank you so much!¡± Tsugumi narrowed his eyes at Yumeji who bowed deeply to him. ¨CWhen they first met in the back alley, he thought she was a really helpless child, but it was surprising how much she could change for the better depending on her environment and mindset. That thought deeply moved him. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t do much. It is because of your efforts to change the situation that we have the results we have now. ¨CReally, I am glad.¡± When Tsugumi gently told her this, she smiled softly. ¡­ They would have made a good picture if he wasn¡¯t wearing a soaking-wet swimsuit right now, but there was no point in saying that. Yumeji smiled in relief when she heard Tsugumi¡¯s response, and began to talk about her own recent situation. She told him that her relationship with her parents had improved somewhat. Hitsugi had come to check on her from time to time. She said that an important friend of hers was working hard to become a Magical Girl. Most of these were things he had heard before when he met her as Nanase Tsugumi, but he didn¡¯t show it and just kept on talking to her. ¨CTo the world, Hagakure Sakura and Nanase Tsugumi were strangers to each other. Their relationship shouldn¡¯t be revealed to anyone. He felt bad for deceiving her, but there were some things in this world that were better left unacknowledged. Even Yumeji wouldn¡¯t want to know that the older sister she respected was the older brother she knew. ¡°There¡¯s another friend of mine on this boat, and she¡¯s trying to become a Magical Girl! If she¡¯s fine, I want to introduce her to Hagakure-san, but she¡¯s not very good on boats and got seasick. ¡­She¡¯s lying down in the boat now.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­I hope she gets better soon.¡± ¡°Yes. So I was planning to return to land right away, but when I was retrieving that girl¡¯s hat that was blown away by the wind, I found Hagakure-san. Such coincidences do happen! ¨CI¡¯ll introduce her to you when we get back to land. She¡¯s a very nice girl!¡± ¡­That friend of hers was probably Itadori, but he had mixed feelings about it. Tsugumi wanted to avoid meeting anyone he knew on Nanase Tsugumi¡¯s when he was in this form as much as possible. They probably wouldn¡¯t notice, but it was still worrying. As they were chilling and talking together like that, Hitsugi came back from inside. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I kept you waiting. Nadeshiko-chan, did you say thank you properly?¡± ¡°Yes, I did. I was able to talk about a lot of things¡± ¡°Fufu, that¡¯s good. We¡¯re planning to return to land, but do you have any plans after this, Hagakure-san? If you don¡¯t mind, why don¡¯t we have a cup of tea together? This child too has more she wants to say.¡± When Hitsugi asked, he nodded his head in agreement, thinking it was natural that the event unfolded this way. He nodded deeply. ¡°Yes, I would be happy to.¡± ¡­He could have answered that he actually had plans, but if the guy who was drifting at sea said ¡°I have something to do¡±, it would sound like an excuse to say no. The girl was looking at Tsugumi with an expectant gaze¨CIt seemed unlikely that Tsugumi would be able to hurt Yumeji¡¯s heart. ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô After returning to land from the sea, Tsugumi met on the terrace of the villa next to the beach owned by the Yumeji family. When the boat arrived on land, the first building he saw was so magnificent that he thought it was the villa of an old family. He wondered if he could go out dressed like this, but he was relieved to see that he was taken to the terrace of a different house. Waves came near the terrace from time to time, wetting the white sandy beach. The two little girls and Hitsugi, who were dressed in swimsuits, were sitting on chairs in front of Tsugumi, one of them looking a little nervous after recovering from seasickness. ¡°Um, my name is Itadori Kanae¡­¡± Itadori, who opened her mouth in confusion, said this while grabbing Yumeji¡¯s hand anxiously, perhaps not fully understanding the situation. From Itadori¡¯s point of view, the moment she got off the ship, she suddenly had a face-to-face conversation with a Magical Girl of Jukka. It would be strange if she didn¡¯t get confused. ¡°Hello, Itadori-san. Do you know who I am?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. Hagakure-san is famous¡­ I am glad to meet you.¡± ¡°Fufu, thank you. Yumeji-san told me that Itadori-san is aspiring to become a Magical Girl, right? If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me anything. Well, I¡¯m a stray Magical Girl so I may not be much help.¡± As soon as Tsugumi said this gently, Itadori stuttered to ask a question. ¡°Um, a stray is someone who is scouted directly by God. What makes them different from government Magical Girls?¡± ¡°Hm, I suppose it¡¯s mainly the treatment. Strays have more freedom because they¡¯re not bound by the government, but they¡¯re not allowed to use government facilities, and the amount of reward money is lower. In terms of academics, it¡¯s treated as a part-time job, so even if you miss school to fight Demonic Beasts, it doesn¡¯t count as an official holiday.¡± ¡°I-Is that so¡­ It¡¯s kind of hard, isn¡¯t it?¡± Perhaps surprised to receive an answer that was more common than she had expected, Itadori nodded in bewilderment. ¡°The fact that you don¡¯t belong to an organization means that you don¡¯t have any backing. If there is no other circumstance, it is best to belong to the government. I can¡¯t do that because of God¡¯s will. ¡­Yes, and if there¡¯s another difference, it¡¯s your relationship with God.¡± When Tsugumi laughed in a troubled manner, Hitsugi, who had been silently watching them, opened her mouth in wonder. ¡°Relationship with God? Is there something different?¡± ¡°There is. The government¡¯s Magical Girls are chosen by God from among the candidates, but God doesn¡¯t interfere with the contractor¡¯s behavior, you know? Even when it¡¯s time to retire, the will of the Magical Girl comes first. ¨CBut for stray Magical Girls, God is overwhelmingly superior.¡± ¨CBell once said that ten percent of the stray Magical Girls were victims of Demonic Beast barrier accidents. In exchange for saving their lives, they offered their bodies to God. It was a contract between humans and God that had existed since ancient times, and it wasn¡¯t something that could be easily broken. Therefore, stray Magical Girls were forced to fight in high-ranking battles due to God¡¯s recklessness, and it wasn¡¯t uncommon for them to lose their lives. Bell (God), whom Tsugumi made a contract with, at first showed signs of that kind of outward behavior, but now he had no problem with it because he believed she was the best God. ¡°Most stray Magical Girls take God¡¯s hand in exchange for a wish. ¨CHence, a stray Magical Girl can¡¯t quit unless she has permission from God. A child who takes the wrong hand would be miserable.¡± ¡°Such a thing¡­ I didn¡¯t know that.¡± Tsugumi said with a wry smile to Hitsugi, who covered her mouth in shock. ¡°Magical Girls in the government basically have a good relationship with their Gods. It¡¯s not surprising that Hitsugi-san, who belonged to the government from the beginning, didn¡¯t know about it. Besides, your God was kind. Maybe she was trying not to let Hitsugi-san hear unpleasant things.¡± ¡°That may be the case. She loved me as if I were her own child¡­¡±. While looking at Hitsugi who had a few tears in the corners of her eyes, Tsugumi thought of Hitsugi¡¯s contract God¨CHariti in the form of a giant spider. ¡­That time when she stood by his bedside, he was honestly traumatized, but he guessed she was a good God for Hitsugi. ¡°Then, is it better not to accept scouts for strays?¡± When Yumeji asked this question with a blue face and a frightened look, Tsugumi shook his head slightly. ¡°Not all Gods are bad. Some of them are just not familiar with human society and don¡¯t know the limits. ¨CI¡¯m glad that I met the God I have now. I¡¯m sure that was the luckiest thing in my life.¡± Smiling happily, he thought of Bell. There had been many difficult and painful times during the past year, but surely the reason he had managed to overcome them all was because Bell had been by his side. Watching Tsugumi¡¯s gentle smile, Itadori muttered. ¡°If I make a lot of effort, will I be able to meet a wonderful God like Hagakure-san¡¯s God?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. Kind Gods are always watching over hard-working people.¡± He spun his words, hoping for them to be true. ¨CIt would be nice if the God who would take her hand could see the good things in her. He couldn¡¯t help but hope so. After a while, the girls listened to Hitsugi¡¯s comments on the battle with the Demonic Beasts and the reality of the candidates, and then, tired of talking, they ran to the beach for a distraction at Hitsugi¡¯s suggestion, since they had changed into their swimsuits. ¡°Thank you, Hagakure-san.¡± ¡°No, I enjoyed talking with those girls too. When I think of such an honest girl as a future junior, I can¡¯t wait to see what the future holds.¡± When Tsugumi said this sincerely, Hitsugi opened her mouth and shook her head slightly. ¡°That¡¯s part of it, but it¡¯s not that. I couldn¡¯t say it in front of them because they would be worried, but I haven¡¯t thanked you properly for what you did for me. Thank you so much for saving me. I¡¯m really sorry for the trouble I caused you.¡± Hitsugi took Tsugumi¡¯s hand and bowed her head as she said that. ¡°Hitsugi-san did nothing wrong. Besides, I am the one who wants to thank you.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°¨CThank you so much for being alive. Thanks to that, I don¡¯t hate myself.¡± ¨CIf he had chosen to abandon Hitsugi at that time, Tsugumi would never have been able to forgive himself. So, he was glad that Hitsugi was alive and smiling like this. Rather, he felt more indebted to her for robbing her of her future as a Magical Girl because he had crushed one of her lungs. Squeezing his hand, Tsugumi said as much to her. Then, Hitsugi narrowed her eyes as if looking at something dazzling and smiled troubledly. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re a woman. If you were a boy, I would have loved you.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s an honor, isn¡¯t it?¡± When Tsugumi answered, flustered by an adult woman¡¯s smile, Hitsugi laughed like a child who had just played a successful prank. ¡°Fufu, just kidding. ¨CCome to think of it, how¡¯s Hyuga-san these days? I heard she¡¯s getting along well with Hagakure-san.¡± ¡°Hyuga-san? I haven¡¯t seen her much in the government because she seems to be busy as usual. Oh, but we have an appointment to go visit other branches together next time¨C¡° ¨CAs they were talking, a chill suddenly ran down his spine. It was an unusually unpleasant feeling, as if a large number of caterpillars were crawling up from under his feet. As soon as he looked around at the strange sensation, he spotted it. Two red flowers blooming on the side of the terrace. The flowers, which looked like out-of-season tulips, leaned their heads around like living creatures and pointed their hollows toward Tsugumi and Hitsugi. A popping sound like a gunshot echoed around the area. The sound of people falling and blood flowing. ¨CThe curse that had been in effect for over eleven years had now blossomed. CH 128 Shot Through the Air Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¡°¨CWhat the hell¡­!¡± Hitsugi raised her voice in surprise while being hugged by Tsugumi for protection. Tsugumi didn¡¯t have time to answer. ¨CThe moment the flower turned toward them, Tsugumi reflexively kicked the table in front of him, knocked it to the side, embraced Hitsugi, and protected her on his back. He decided that it couldn¡¯t be avoided. If he were alone, he would have been able to avoid it with transportation, but it couldn¡¯t be helped now. In a hasty decision, he reinforced the table with thread to use it as a shield, but something penetrated it and hit him in the left arm. An object the size of a thumbnail ¨C perhaps a seed or something ¨C was lodged in the flesh of his arm, digging into it. While enduring the pain, he manipulated the thread with his unharmed hand and attacked the flower, but it was easily cut into pieces. ¡­The thread was too fragile. Feeling indigestion, he stretched the thread around the wound to entangle the seed, then held his breath and pulled it out at once. With a buzzing sound, something snapped, and he felt a sharp pain. ¡°Gggghh¡­ It hurts!¡± He yelped at the pain that felt like his nerves were being ripped out. When he looked at the seed he had pulled out, he saw a reddish-black, thread-like object flailing around in his arm. However, it seemed to lose its power the moment it was separated from the seed, and gradually stopped moving, finally disappearing into a faint light. ¡­He experienced hellish pain for a few seconds until the roots disappeared, but he managed to bite back his screams during that time. He wondered if it had grown roots in that split second. It was a good thing that he had pulled it out early. Tsugumi clumsily closed the wound on his arm with a thread and stood up, making a grim face and opening his mouth. ¡°Strange flowers. ¡­We¡¯re probably attacked by a Demonic Beast. Are you hurt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Because Hagakure-san protected me. ¡­But your arm. I¡¯m sorry, if I had been able to react quickly enough, you wouldn¡¯t have gotten hurt.¡± Saying this, Hitsugi stared at Tsugumi¡¯s arm with a pained look. It was as if she was blaming herself for her own inadequacies. ¨CThose who retired as Magical Girls gradually lost the power they had gained. They no longer had the superhuman physical abilities they once had, and they could no longer use the skills that were familiar to them. A lot of them become depressed due to the sense of loss. Although it was unlikely for her to end up depressed, being unable to move even though she knew an attack was coming might be a bit frustrating for Hitsugi, who had been working as a Magical Girl all this time. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, it¡¯s not as bad as it looks. I¡¯m more worried about the two people on the beach. I¡¯ll go pick them up, so please wait inside, Hitsugi-san.¡± ¨CThere might be some people still nearby. It would be better to evacuate them as soon as possible. Thinking this, Tsugumi looked at the beach where Itadori and Yumeji were. ¨CWithout knowing that it was already too late. Looking back, there were already warning signs. That they hadn¡¯t raised their voices or come near even though so much commotion was taking place on the terrace. And that memorable sound of bullets popping was heard twice in Tsugumi¡¯s ears. Due to the characteristics of a Magical Girl who could only fight alone, his judgment was lax in situations where there was someone he had to protect. ¨CTo put it bluntly, Tsugumi didn¡¯t have enough experience in fighting while protecting people. ¡°Why¡­?¡± When Tsugumi reached the place where they were, he heard a small groan along with the sound of waves. The first thing he saw was a girl lying down with scars both on her shoulder and stomach, and a girl crying as she clung to her. This worst possible scenario made him gasp. ¡°Why! Why did you protect me!? ¨CEven though you said you don¡¯t want to die like that!¡± Shouting out like that, the girl who was safe¨CItadori¨Clet out a sob while shedding big tears. Right next to her were two flowers that had been trampled on, and it was clear that they probably had been attacked by them. Then, while frantically reprimanding his stunned heart, Tsugumi rushed to the fallen Yumeji and kneeled down. ¡°¨CYumeji-san. Are you conscious?¡± Yumeji nodded her head, her face contorted in pain. She let out a pained sound and looked as if she was about to pass out. ¨CI let my guard down. I was close by, but I couldn¡¯t protect them¡­! He should have been more careful during the attack. It would have been easy to predict that the same flower that had targeted Tsugumi would go after Yumeji and Itadori who were nearby. Tsugumi clicked his tongue and clenched his own hands so hard they bled. There were two wounds. There wasn¡¯t a lot of blood, but the unnatural twitching of her body suggested that the roots might already be stretched throughout the body. Tsugumi hadn¡¯t felt that much pain because the seeds were removed early on, but removing the seeds in this condition would be too much of a burden on Yumeji¡¯s body. But this couldn¡¯t be solved just by seeing a doctor. He would have to contact the government and ask them to arrange for a specialist healer. ¨CWill I make it in time? No, I absolutely have to make it in time. Impatiently, Tsugumi gently picked up Yumeji¡¯s body. It would have been best if he could transport Yumeji to the government through transportation, but it wasn¡¯t possible with his transportation skill. ¡°I will rush Yumeji-san to a government-affiliated hospital. In the meantime, Itadori-san, you will be with Hitsugi-san-¡° ¡°Nadeshiko-chan protected me¡­! When the strange flower turned this way, she pushed me away¡­! Hey, it will be okay, Nadeshiko-chan will be saved, right!?¡± In the middle of Tsugumi¡¯s words, Itadori sobbed while shedding tears. At the same time, Yumeji in his arms looked up at Tsugumi with eyes that seemed to be latching into him. She was sure that this person would help her no matter what¨Csuch trust was in her eyes. An innocent trust in an active Magical Girl. Because he knew this, Tsugumi was struck with a sense of helplessness. His heart ached deep in his chest. With his abilities, he couldn¡¯t help Yumeji directly. The only thing he could do was take Yumeji to the hospital and ask the government to take care of her. But, he didn¡¯t care about that kind of sentiment. It was important that he could reassure them. Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry, I am sure it will work out. He could say irresponsible words like that. ¨CBut, as if ignoring such calculations, Tsugumi¡¯s mouth moved on its own. ¡°¨CI¡¯ll help you. I¡¯ll definitely help you, no matter what.¡± Before he knew it, the words came out of his mouth in a plain tone. Tsugumi knew best what he could and couldn¡¯t do. But there must be something that he could do to help. Then he should move. Offer to help in government and do what you can. Regret¨CIt would come later. ¡°Hagakure-san!! I¡¯ve called the government and an ambulance! They will be here in about ten minutes, so please carry her to the front of the road!¡± He heard Hitsugi¡¯s voice shouting from far away. Apparently, she had guessed their situation and moved in advance. Being thankful for Hitsugi¡¯s competence, Tsugumi let out a small breath and looked at their faces. ¡°As soon as I get Yumeji-san out of here, I will head to the government. ¨CHumans will never be defeated by this kind of Demonic Beast. So, please believe me and wait for me.¡± After carrying Yumeji to the street and entrusting her to Hitsugi, Tsugumi took out the blood-stained seed he had left in his pocket and whispered. ¡°¡­I hope these seeds will be useful.¡± CH 129 The Agony on the Backstage Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CJust as Tsugumi was carrying Yumeji, there was a commotion in the government, as if a beehive had been poked. ¡°Contact from Kyushu Branch! Three off-duty Magical Girls and six civilians have been taken to the hospital!¡± ¡°Also from the Tohoku Branch. It seems that no Magical Girls have been harmed here, but several civilians have been affected.¡± ¡°Hokkaido has also suffered considerable damage! But the area is so large that it may take some time to recover the victims! Can I arrange for a medical helicopter?¡± Inaba, the Head of Demonic Beast Countermeasure Headquarters, bit her lip as reports of damage came in one after another from the staff. ¡°A Demonic Beast whose presence is so small that it can slip through Amaterasu-sama¡¯s sensory barrier¡­ It¡¯s not that we didn¡¯t expect them, but even so, there are too many of them¡­!¡± ¨CYes, she could still be convinced that it was inevitable if there were just one or two. The number of confirmed Demonic Beasts, however, exceeded several hundred. The number of victims, as far as they could confirm, had already exceeded 200. They hadn¡¯t received any reports of deaths yet, but since they didn¡¯t know how to deal with it, it might be a matter of time. ¡°Have there been any reports of the Demonic Beasts?¡± When Inaba asked this question while suppressing her irritation, a staff member who was checking past data raised his voice. ¡°According to reports from Magical Girls who were on the scene, the enemy appears to be a flower-shaped Demonic Beast about the size of the palm of your hand. It is a parasitic type that takes power from the target by growing roots from planted seeds. It is similar to the mistletoe-type Demonic Beast that was previously reported in E-class, but¡­¡± ¡°Is the seed indestructible?¡± ¡°A Magical Girl who got hurt tried to destroy it because she couldn¡¯t bear the pain, but the moment she destroyed the seed, the roots went berserk, causing her whole body to go into shock and she lost consciousness. The doctor said that if she had done a bad job, her heart might have stopped. ¡­The victim¡¯s condition is said to be stable now, but it is dangerous to use that method against a civilian. Many of the victims are young children, and their bodies wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it.¡± ¡°¡­I see. Then we¡¯ll just have to think of an approach to deal with the root.¡± Just as Inaba was reviewing another document, the door to the Countermeasure Headquarters opened ¡°¨CExcuse me. I come here because I heard there was an emergency meeting.¡± Saying so, the two girls opened the door to the Countermeasure Headquarters and entered. Inaba let out a small sigh, switched her tone, and opened her mouth. ¡°Sobi-san, Mibu-San. Thank you for coming when you¡¯re off-duty.¡± When Inaba respectfully bowed her head, Sobi said in a troubled tone. ¡°It¡¯s an emergency situation, so don¡¯t worry about it so much. Besides, I still don¡¯t know if my power will be useful or not¡­¡± Inaba shook her head and said to Sobi, whose face was clouded with anxiety. ¡°No, this Irregular is a flower-shaped Demonic Beast. ¨CWe need your power to manipulate plants.¡± When Inaba said this, Sobi¡¯s expression, which had been anxious up until then, changed completely and she became emotionless, as if she had lost all emotion . Then she began to speak in an irritated voice. ¡°¡­I see. If flowers are involved, it can¡¯t be helped. I will cooperate as much as I can. ¨CWe have to get rid of these Demonic Beasts that mimic flowers.¡± Sobi spoke as if she had changed into a completely different person, and Inaba sighed deeply, thinking that she could never get used to this. ¨CSobi¡¯s contract God was the Goddess who controlled flowers. That¡¯s why Sobi loved flowers and hated anything that harmed them. Apparently, the flower-shaped Demonic Beast was also an object of hatred for Sobi. ¡­She looked a little uneasy but if she was motivated, it was a good thing. Thinking like that, Inaba turned to the other girl. ¡°Thank you for coming, Mibu-san. ¨CI was worried when I heard that you were attacked.¡± ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t have a single scratch! And it wasn¡¯t me who was being targeted, but the children who were walking in front of me. It happened in a flash, but I¡¯m glad I was able to protect them.¡± Mibu replied with a cheerful laugh. ¡­According to the report received in advance, Mibu instinctively sensed that the children walking in front of her were being targeted by the Demonic Beast, and the moment the seed was launched, she pulled out her sword and chopped the seed to pieces. This was a feat that no ordinary human being could ever pull off. ¡°As expected of Mibu-san. ¡­From Mibu-san¡¯s point of view, was there anything unusual about that Demonic Beast? For example, did it have a strange presence?¡± ¨CThe reason she called Mibu this time was because she wanted to hear her impressions after confronting the Demonic Beast directly. Mibu was a Magical Girl with excellent intuition, unlike theorists like Yukino. There might be a breakthrough out of what she felt. That was the reason why she called her. When Inaba asked this question, Mibu made a thoughtful gesture and then opened her mouth as if an idea had suddenly occurred to her. ¡°Right¡­ If I have to pick one, it¡¯s similar to a bee.¡± ¡°A bee, you say?¡± ¡°Yes. Its movement is not only mechanical but also doesn¡¯t have the ¡®I¡¯m going to torment you!¡¯ characteristics of Demonic Beasts. And like bees, they seem to have a queen, someone who directs them.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Inaba nodded her head, thinking it was a good point. Until now, she had thought that a large number of small Demonic Beasts had descended, but perhaps this flower was a kind of colony, as Mibu said. ¨CNo, that would be more convenient. If they could just kill the head, that would be the quickest way to solve the problem. There was too little time to deal with the seeds one by one. Thinking this, Inaba clenched her right hand tightly. Right now, the parasitic seeds drained the strength of their hosts and weakened them. What awaited them was a debilitating death. A lot of the victims were young children. ¡­Based on the progress reports of doctors, even if they could last long, they probably would only have a few hours to live. ¡ªUntil then, no matter how difficult it might be, they had to find a breakthrough. However, in the back of her mind, Inaba knew that it would be difficult to prevent anyone¡¯s death in this fumbling state. But it was also her job and the Demon Beast Countermeasures Headquarters¡¯ to make efforts to prevent that from happening. It didn¡¯t matter if they could do it or not. They had to do it. ¡°Inaba-san. Can¡¯t you get the actual flower or seed? If it is in the category of plants, I may be able to analyze it with my skills.¡± Inaba shook her head slightly at Sobi who asked that question. ¡°I¡¯ve sent people to the site and tried several times to retrieve it, but they all ended in failure. The flowers quickly withered and turned to sand when they spat out their seeds, and the seeds that didn¡¯t hit people dissolved into the air and disappeared after a few minutes or so. ¡­It is possible that once it has entered the body, the host¡¯s power could interfere and it wouldn¡¯t disappear, but we can¡¯t humanely try that¡­¡± Just destroying the seed that entered her body nearly killed a Magical Girl who was more resistant to pain than ordinary people. It wasn¡¯t something that could be easily granted. And worst of all, according to the report from the hospital they just came in from, the seeds changed shape over time, turning into a wedge-like form and entangling vital organs. Once that happened, there was no way to physically pull them out anymore. In other words, it was absolutely impossible to obtain the seeds without someone taking them out immediately after being shot. It was an impossible task. ¡­There was a Magical Girl who could partially transfer the target, but unfortunately, that Magical Girl was currently in a battle with another Demonic Beast. She wouldn¡¯t be back for at least a few more hours. The timing was so bad that it was frustrating, but there was no point in blaming bad luck. ¡°I see. ¡­I thought I could follow the signs as long as I had the object in question.¡± ¡®Would you like to go to the hospital and meet the victims? You may be able to learn something even if you don¡¯t touch the seeds directly.¡° Immediately after Inaba suggested that to Sobi, Mibu twitched her shoulders and stared at the door. ¡°Mibu-san? Is something wrong?¡± Sobi asked curiously, but Mibu kept her hand on the sword at her waist and didn¡¯t take her eyes off the door. Then, in a quiet voice, she whispered, ¡°It¡¯s coming.¡± The moment Inaba turned toward the door to see what was going on, the space in front of the door shook. With a snap, a person appeared in front of the door like a burst of air. The people in the room gasped at the sight. A bloodstained white hoodie with a bold slit and a black skirt that looked like a swimsuit. The person stood straight, her black hair tied up high and swaying. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for interrupting you so suddenly. ¨CI need to talk to you about the flower Demonic Beast.¡± The intruder ¨C Hagakure Sakura ¨C looked at Inaba with a serious face, paying no heed to the confused atmosphere as she said so. CH 130 Bloody Visitor Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani The one who appeared with an obviously bad injury was a girl whom Inaba and the other staff of the Countermeasure Headquarters knew well¨CHagakure Sakura. ¡°Wha, Hagakure-san?! What in the world is that injury¡­?¡± When Inaba asked her that, Hagakure made a puzzled face and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t Hitsugi-san contact you? Did we have a misunderstanding?¡± She nodded her head. ¡°Hitsugi-san? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well, to make a long story short, when I happened to meet Hitsugi-san at the sea, we were attacked by a flower-shaped Demonic Beast. Fortunately, Hitsugi-san and I were safe, but a girl who knows Hitsugi-san was injured. ¡­I come to the Countermeasure Headquarters to discuss something about her injuries, but are you guys actually busy?¡± Saying that, Hagakure¡¯s face clouded with anxiety. Inaba didn¡¯t know how she ended up meeting Hitsugi by chance, but she understood why she came here. She let out a small sigh and approached Hagakure, opening her mouth. ¡°In other words, Hagakure-san was present at the scene of the damage too.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean I was there ¡®too¡¯?¡± Inaba briefly explained the situation to Hagakure who didn¡¯t understand the situation. ¡°I can¡¯t believe there are so many other victims¡­¡± she muttered. Then she quietly raised her head, looked straight at Inaba, and opened her mouth. ¡°Um, if there is anything I can do to help, please let me know. ¨COh, and I wanted to give this to Inaba-san.¡± Gently, Hagakure put her hand into her blood-darkened pocket and held out a small black object in front of Inaba. ¡°It is the seed of the Demonic Beast. I was so pathetic that I couldn¡¯t avoid one shot and it hit me. I thought it would be bad to throw it away, so I brought it with me.¡± Everyone was at a loss for words when Hagakure said that in a slightly embarrassed manner. ¡­Looking at her closely, a small hole could be seen on the left side of the hoodie. It was probably shot there. But then why was the seed still here? ¡°Is this the seed you were talking about? I heard it hurt like hell if you take them out but were you okay?¡± ¡°Ah. Well, it hurt a little bit, but not that much because I took it out right away. The injury is also sewn up with threads, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¨CInaba felt a little horrified when Hagakure told them so with a smile on her face. Even an ordinary Magical Girl could die out of shock, but the way she said it with a face like it was nothing at all was too distorted. Perhaps it was because she looked so normal in times like these that Inaba felt this way. Inaba shook her head slightly to shake off her thoughts. ¨CAnyway, now that the seeds were in their hand, a breakthrough had been made. Now it would be important to have Sobi analyze the seeds and think about the next move. ¡°Thank you very much, Hagakure-san. I really appreciate your help.¡± Saying this, Inaba received the seed through a handkerchief so as not to directly touch the seeds, just in case, and handed the seed to Sobi. ¡°Please analyze the seed as soon as possible, Sobi-san. ¨CAnd Mibu-san, please take Hagakure-san to the infirmary. Even if her wound is covered up, I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s been treated properly¡­ Also, I think you should change your clothes if you can. That outfit is a little provocative.¡± As she said this, she looked at Hagakure¡¯s outfit. The blood spread on her hoodie has almost dried and turned a darker color, but her arm was still slightly red. Even if she wasn¡¯t that concerned about it, she should get proper medical attention. ¡­ Additionally, Inaba couldn¡¯t help but notice the white legs that had been unreservedly exposed since a few minutes ago. The person herself said that she was at the sea, so she probably came here without changing out of her swimsuit. Inaba was happy that she was too concerned about the time loss to change, but the staff members were starting to get restless, wondering whether they should point out that she was wearing a swimsuit. She really hoped that she would change her clothes soon, as it was a sight for sore eyes in a good way. Then Hagakure tilted her head as if she didn¡¯t understand her words, and muttered curiously, ¡°Provocative¡­?¡± She slowly looked down and stared at herself, then stopped moving. After a few seconds of silence, her face suddenly turned red and she put her hands together to cover her legs. ¡°No, this is because I was at the beach just now!! But I was in a hurry!! ¡­I¡¯m embarrassed, please forget it¡­¡± Hagakure shouted those words in confusion as her face turned red and hid her legs. She had apparently been so distracted by the incident that had occurred in front of her that she had forgotten her appearance. It was a rare sight for Hagakure who was usually calm and composed. While Inaba was wondering what to say to Hagakure who was miserably confused, Mibu quickly stepped forward and grabbed Hagakure¡¯s hand. ¡°Yes, yes, let¡¯s go to the infirmary quickly. It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s cute. It looks good on you.¡± ¡°Oh, stop teasing me¡­! Ugh, I¡¯m sorry to bother you. I¡¯ll be back after I finish my treatment¡­!¡± Then, Hagakure, who was dragged out by Mibu, left the Countermeasure Headquarters after saying that. It was a moment like a storm. ¡°Did anyone take a picture of that?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time for that right now, you idiot. I don¡¯t have time to take out my cell phone.¡± ¡°There are surveillance cameras in this room, so I¡¯ll pull some pictures from them later. We¡¯ll all watch it together after this case is solved.¡± ¡°Well, if you think about the aftermath, even if we stay up all night, it will be three days at the earliest before we can watch the video. I¡¯m going to do my best to keep the company alive until then¡­¡± The staff members were talking lightly after Hagakure left, but looking at their hands that didn¡¯t stop working, they seemed to understand the priority of things. It was only natural. When Inaba shrugged her shoulders, Sobi opened her mouth with a giggle. ¡°Fufu, Hagakure-san can make such that kind of face. It was a little surprising.¡± ¡°She¡¯s always so serious. She must have been embarrassed to be seen dressed so carefreely. ¨CSo, do you think you can analyze it from the seed?¡± When Inaba asked this, Sobi quietly closed her eyes as she wrapped her hands around the seed as if she was praying, and said. ¡°I sense several currents of power. It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t trace them, but there are more of them than I thought. ¡­Can you bring up a map of Japan, enlarged as large as possible? I¡¯ll check out the places where I felt the power.¡± ¡°I understand. I will have it prepared immediately.¡± After Inaba instructed the staff to prepare an enlarged map and asked Sobi to continue with the analysis, she looked at her computer, which was displaying a variety of reports. ¨CThe current number of victims was approximately 300. As far as they had been able to confirm, half of them were Magical Girl candidates. Considering the number of candidates in Japan as a whole, this was an unusual ratio. ¨CIn other words, this was an attack with a clear intention. However, Inaba thought. An irregularity that slipped through the barrier. The insidiousness of the attack that aimed at them. A seed that had been adjusted so that it couldn¡¯t be removed from the body. Unlike the Irregulars until now, this one seemed to know everything about their situation on earth perfectly. Has the Demonic Beast grown up? Or does it have the guidance of a third party¨Ca God or a human being-who knows the parts of them that they don¡¯t want to be poked at? It was still just a guess, but it might be better to consider the worst-case scenario and make a move. As Inaba was pondering this, a new report arrived with a small ping. Looking at the report, Inaba moaned. ¡°¡­Has a dead victim finally appeared?¡± The first reported death was an eight-year-old girl. She was walking with her older sister when she was unluckily got hit by two bullets and was rushed to the hospital, where she quickly weakened and died. In other words, the seeds of the Demonic Beast continued to suck up the host¡¯s power until they died. This was much worse than the Mistletoe. Inaba lowered her eyes in mourning and clenched her right hand into a fist in front of her chest. ¡°The number of deaths is probably going to increase in the future. It¡¯s going to be a race against time.¡± ¨CWill they find a way to deal with the seeds first? Or will the victims die first? The worst death race has already begun. CH 131 The Problem of Cutting Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Tsugumi walked down the corridor while being led by Mibu. ¡­Every time someone passed by and looked at him with a startled expression, he felt like he wanted to run away with teleportation. Actually, what they were paying attention to was the jacket¨Cthe bloody hoodie¨Crather than the swimsuit, but Tsugumi was so confused he couldn¡¯t tell. So, while being exposed to the public eye, he managed to get to the infirmary, which was not far from the Countermeasure Headquarters. ¡°Excuse me. I need you to look after an injured person.¡± Mibu said in a loud voice as she entered the infirmary. Tsugumi followed her, saying ¡°Excuse me¡± discreetly. ¡°Hmmm? Is no one here?¡± When they entered the infirmary and looked at the unattended table, they found a paper with the words, ¡°I¡¯m currently out at the third infirmary¡±. Apparently, the doctor was not in the office. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Let¡¯s disinfect your arms and borrow some clothes. I¡¯m sure they have at least a shirt and a skirt.¡± Saying this, Mibu began rummaging through the cupboards. She found the clothes she was looking for and threw them toward Tsugumi, who was standing behind her. Accepting it in a hurry, Tsugumi thought to himself, ¡°Mibu-san is so free¡±. What was tossed to him was a simple white T-shirt and a long, tight blue skirt. He was a little worried about whether or not it would fit, but it was something he could figure out only after he tried it on. With that thought in mind, Tsugumi sat down on a round chair at Mibu¡¯s urging and took off his hoodie, which was in a terrible state. ¡­It was his favorite outfit, but he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to wear it again. Holding a bottle of disinfectant in one hand, Mibu said admiringly as she gazed intently at Tsugumi¡¯s wounds. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s wrapped up neatly. But with this, I can¡¯t disinfect the back part of the wound. Should we open it up again and disinfect it?¡± To Mibu who said so casually, Tsugumi responded with a smile. ¡°Ahaha, it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t go that far. Mibu-san apparently can joke like that. ¡­It¡¯s a joke, right?¡± When Tsugumi asked her that just to be sure, Mibu stopped moving for a moment, smiled, and said, ¡°I¡¯m just kidding¡±. ¡­She probably meant it. As he smiled nervously while inwardly breaking out in a cold sweat, Mibu said, ¡°So it¡¯s okay if I disinfect it like this?¡± She then pulled the vial of disinfectant over the wound. A splash of cold liquid touched the wound. ¡°Hyah! It¡¯s cold, it¡¯s hot, it¡¯s still cold!?¡± The coldness of the liquid and the searing heat of the wound where the ethanol touched it. And almost at the same time, Tsugumi tasted a vaporizing cold that almost made him scream. ¡°W-what are you doing all of sudden¡­! You startled me! Disinfectant isn¡¯t meant to be used like that.¡± When Tsugumi raised his voice in protest, Mibu tilted her head with a curious look. ¡°I thought these things work better if you use a lot of them?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that kind of magic potion. ¡­It is enough to put the disinfectant on a cotton ball.¡± Thinking this was natural, Tsugumi gently told her so and Mibu nodded as if she was impressed. ¡°Is that so¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll be more careful next time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I know you didn¡¯t mean anything bad.¡± However, he was worried about the unusual smell of alcohol in the room, as if the disinfectant that fell on the floor had evaporated. ¡­If there was a spark, it could have exploded. With this thought in mind, Tsugumi pulled back the curtains and hurriedly changed his clothes. Fortunately, the clothes given to him fit perfectly and he didn¡¯t feel that uncomfortable. The cute sandals he had borrowed from Yumeji¡¯s villa were a little out of place with his clothes, but this shouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡­If he had one complaint, it was that the black swimsuit was a little transparent against the white T-shirt. It was hard to see unless one looked at it closely, but he wondered if this was really okay. Feeling a little uneasy, he opened the window of the doctor¡¯s office. The air cooled by the air-conditioner went out and in its place came the warm air. ¡­The window had to be left open to get rid of the alcohol smell, but he wondered if the doctor would be surprised when they came back. It might be better to leave at least one note. Then, after writing down the matter of disinfectant and the borrowed the clothes, Tsugumi turned and spoke to Mibu, who had been standing idly by. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to keep you waiting. Shall we go back to the Countermeasure Headquarters?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Mibu replied in a few words, and stood in front of Tsugumi, looking up at him with an emotionless expression. Beautiful round eyes stared at Tsugumi. ¡°Hey. ¨CAre you hiding something from me?¡± Mibu¡¯s quiet words made Tsugumi swallow his breath. ¨CHiding something. He had a number of ideas, but he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d made a mistake that got him discovered. He felt goosebumps. He wondered if Mibu sensed something. However, Tsugumi didn¡¯t show any turmoil and replied with a calm demeanor. ¡°¡­What are you talking about? I¡¯m not sure I understand what you mean.¡± With a troubled smile on his face, he tilted his head slightly in consideration of the usual ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡±. After staring at each other in silence for a few seconds, Mibu looked away as if she had lost interest and smiled lightly. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s enough. It was my mistake. Forget it.¡± ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s fine¡­¡± When Tsugumi said this while feeling relieved in his heart, Mibu said with a face that looked unsure. ¡°I thought I felt a strange presence, just a little bit. Like opening a box of rotten fruit. I wondered if there are still pieces of the Demonic Beast left in the wound, but I thought it was fine as long you were okay. Maybe it was the smell of alcohol that made my nose go crazy.¡± When Mibu said this and nodded her head, Tsugumi tilted his head curiously. He gently sniffed his arms and other parts of his body, but there were no strange smells or signs of anything. The alcohol must have temporarily affected her nose, as Mibu said. Tsugumi concluded and nodded in agreement. As the two of them were heading back toward the Countermeasure Headquarters, Mibu opened her mouth as if an idea suddenly occurred to her. ¡°I¡¯ve got a friend who looks exactly like Hagakure, maybe you guys are siblings who have been separated?¡± ¡°Hm, what¡¯s with the sudden question?¡± Hearing the sudden jab, Tsugumi choke on his own words and coughed. ¡°No, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask this but I just remembered it today. That kid is one year older than me, but he doesn¡¯t seem to remember anything from his childhood. I thought maybe you might know him, since you and that kid have some similarities besides the face.¡± Mibu asked this question lightly as if it were an extension of small talk, and Tsugumi pondered on what to do. ¨CPart of the government, people such as Toono, had already found out the true identity of ¡°Hagakure Sakura¡±. In that case, then it would be okay to reveal his true identity at least to his close friends like Mibu and Suzushiro. He thought so but he shook his head slightly in his mind. Even if he wanted to tell them, it was still too early. Tsugumi¡¯s purpose of hiding his true identity and getting into the government ¨C the truth about Sakura-oneechan ¨C had been reached, but there was still more work to be done. ¡­He felt guilty for hiding his true identity from his friends, but he didn¡¯t want to increase the uncertainty factor until Yatagarasu¡¯s true intention and the problem with Chidori were settled. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t remember having a younger brother.¡± ¡°¡­I see! Then it¡¯s all right. I¡¯m sorry for asking such a strange question!¡± Mibu smiled and said so, then quickened her pace as if saying that this conversation was over. Apparently, she was satisfied for the time being. Ha, Tsugumi patted his chest. Mibu and Suzushiro were also very important friends to him. There was a possibility that the two of them would be offended or hated him as a result of him telling this secret, but they still had to have a proper talk at some point. ¨CBecause the worst offender was the one who was lying. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¨CListening to the sound of Hagakure¡¯s footsteps coming up behind her, Mibu muttered in a low voice that no one could hear. ¡°Brother, huh? --No one has said a single word about him being a man.¡± A sense of distrust slowly crept in. ¨CHagakure Sakura was definitely aware of Nanase Tsugumi. But she didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of telling anyone about it. ¡°¡­Maybe I should talk to Ran-chan a little bit about it.¡± Saying so, Mibu lowered her eyes and let out a sigh. Apparently, a lot of problems were piling up. CH 132 Thoughts of Warriors Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani For some reason, the atmosphere became subtly awkward, but Tsugumi and Mibu made it back to the front of the Countermeasure Headquarters. They had been in the infirmary for about twenty minutes, so fortunately it hadn¡¯t taken them that long. Inside the Headquarters, it seemed that the staff was so busy that no one noticed Tsugumi had returned. In this case, even if he offered to help, it could be a nuisance if they spoke to them at the wrong time. As he wondered what to do, he noticed a huge map of Japan spread out on the table. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be an improvised map made up of several sheets of A1 copy paper. The map was dotted with red circles, and numerical numbers were placed beside them. In addition, some numbers were projected on a white wall by a projector. The current number was 5/286. As he stared at it wondering what it was, the sound of piano keys, ¡°ping¡±, echoed in the room and the number changed from 5 to 6. ¡­He didn¡¯t know what it was, but he had a bad feeling about it somehow. In the meantime, Sobi, who had noticed Tsugumi, came running up to them. ¡°Hagakure-san. Are your injuries okay?¡± ¡°Yes, there¡¯s no problem. I¡¯ve had them disinfected.¡± When Tsugumi responded, Sobi smiled in relief and said, ¡°If a doctor has examined you, then you¡¯re safe.¡± ¡­Well, to be precise, he hadn¡¯t been examined by a doctor, but he didn¡¯t feel any particular discomfort in his arm, so he should be fine. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Indeed, It was chilling to see you covered in blood.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for worrying you. But most of the blood on my clothes was from when I picked up the injured child. I really wasn¡¯t hurt that badly.¡± Saying this, he turned his shoulder and showed it to her. The threads that stitched the wound showed signs of twitching slightly, but with a Magical Girl¡¯s resilience, it should be almost completely healed in a couple of days. ¡­When he turned his arm around, Mibu gave him a reproachful look, but it must have been just his imagination. ¡°That¡¯s a big map, did you find anything?¡± When Mibu asked her that, Sobi made a thoughtful gesture, then quickly looked up and began to speak. ¡°I was able to identify the location connected to the Demonic Beast. That¡¯s the red dot written on the map. ¡­But there is a little problem.¡± ¡°A problem?¡± ¡°There are too many of them. There are over a hundred signs of the Demonic Beast in total. Most of them are probably dummies to fool our eyes. With the help of the Ministry of Divine Worship and the Transportation Management Department, we are continuing to identify and search for the main body, but we have yet to make any progress. I wish my search had been more accurate¡­¡± ¡°But no matter how many of them there are, you know where the Demonic Beast is, right? Then, I¡¯m sure we can solve the problem in no time if we just go through them blindly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have a vague idea of where they are, but there seems to be a margin of error of about 10 meters in radius. The Magical Girls and staff members who have gone to the area are searching frantically, but the search is proving difficult because of the small size of the flowers, including the dummy ones. If I could go there, it would be a little easier to find them, but¡­¡± When Sobi said this apologetically, Tsugumi nodded his head in understanding. He didn¡¯t know how many Magical Girls could transfer while bringing someone, but those with such abilities basically had a long cooldown time. Even Chidori, who could transfer multiple people, had to spend an hour per transfer. The same was most likely true for other Magical Girls. Considering the possibility of Irregularities in the worst case scenario, the Management might not be able to make a series of transportations so easily. Thinking so, Tsugumi strongly thought, ¡°I¡¯m glad I came after all.¡± There was no Magical Girl better suited to this situation than Tsugumi. Putting aside the repeated high-speed teleportation during battle, it didn¡¯t take much power to do simple teleportation. If it was about cost-effectiveness, there was probably no one better than Tsugumi. No matter how many times the transfer was repeated, his body wouldn¡¯t be burdened. Tsugumi took the hand of Sobi, who was upset, and opened his mouth, making eye contact to reassure her. ¡°But knowing the location of the enemy is a stroke of luck. Fortunately, we have an expert in transportation. ¨CDo you know the cooling time of my transportation skill?¡± Then, to inspire himself, Tsugumi continued with a deliberately fearless smile. ¡°It¡¯s about two minutes. During that cooling time, I will find the source of the signs. I¡¯ll fly as many times as I have to until I find the source of the Demonic Beast. ¡­So don¡¯t worry about it, Sobi-san. I¡¯ll take it from here.¡± ¡°Hagakure-san¡­ Thank you. I¡¯m a senior, but I¡¯m not worthy of it.¡± At Tsugumi¡¯s, Sobi smiled as if in self-mockery. Mibu chuckled lightly at her and said. ¡°I am the same, I was invited but I didn¡¯t play any role. Compared to that, Sobi-senpai must have done a great job even though you¡¯re in a different field.¡± Saying so casually, Mibu said, ¡°The rest will be done by Hagakure and the local Magical Girls. I¡¯ll wait and believe in you,¡± then she patted Sobi on the back. Sobi lowered her head to hold back tears and nodded. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll have to ask Inaba-san and decide where we¡¯re going. We have to hurry.¡± Saying this, Tsugumi looked around the room. Although he had said that to Sobi, the current situation wasn¡¯t good. The problem was the number of potential locations for Demonic Beasts. The number of places that had been checked was about 20. Even if he repeated the extermination and transported every two minutes, he could only destroy about 30 points per hour. He didn¡¯t know when he would hit the source of the problem, but at worst, at this pace, it would take several hours. ¨CI am not sure if Yumeji will be okay until then. Such worries were passing through Tsugumi¡¯s mind. While thinking about that, the sound of a piano rang out again. ¡°What is that sound?¡± He asked Sobi and she whispered in a sad voice, ¡°It¡¯s the report of death.¡± ¡°What you see on that wall is the current number of deaths and victims. ¡­I thought I was used to people dying, but it¡¯s still hard when it¡¯s clearly shown like that.¡± ¡°¨C¡­I see.¡± He heard the sound of his blood dropping. There were already casualties. The information was a shock to Tsugumi. ¨CHe should have just stayed here instead of getting medical treatment. If he had done that, he would have been able to visit several points during the time he spent in the doctor¡¯s office. He wished he had done that. Regret always came later. ¨CBut he still had to face forward. Because there was still something he could do. Tsugumi raised his head with determination and looked at Sobi and Mibu. ¡°I¡¯m going. ¡ªIn order not to increase the number of victims anymore.¡± ¨CEveryone did their job properly. Then it would be his turn next. When Tsugumi said so, Sobi bowed deeply and said quietly, ¡°Please, good luck.¡± Then Mibu approached Tsugumi and patted him on the back forcefully, calling out, ¡°Do your best!¡± With a slight nod, he headed straight for Inaba. He had to confront the flower-shaped Demonic Beast¨Cwhile keeping an eye on the time. CH 133 An Unexpected Collaborator Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani After calling out to Inaba, Tsugumi immediately flew to the location designated by the staff. The location was in the city center, an intricate area lined with houses. The evacuation order hadn¡¯t yet been issued, and he could see a few shadows of people here and there. Some of them look surprised at the sudden appearance of Tsugumi¨CHagakure Sakura¨Cbut there was no time to worry about that. Tsugumi told the children who approached him out of curiosity not to move too far from the spot because it was dangerous, and he looked around. ¡°A ten-meter radius from this base point. ¡­It sure is tricky.¡± Tsugumi muttered. An ordinary Magical Girl with exploratory abilities would spend a considerable amount of time just searching for a flower. But only if they searched around with their feet. So, thinking about it, Tsugumi lifted the corner of his mouth. ¨CIf it was just ten meters, the threads could reach it. No matter where the flowers were, as long as they were within range, he would definitely find them. Tsugumi took a small breath, stretched a thin thread in all directions to connect with the sensation in the fingertips, and waved his arm as if conducting it. Once, twice, three times, he swung the string at different heights, penetrating the smallest gaps in alleys, drains, and the interiors of houses, searching for any familiar signs. Fortunately, thanks to his injuries, his body remembered the presence of the Demonic Beast. Moving the threads to slip between walls and people, he searched for signs of the Demonic Beast while scrutinizing the enormous amount of information coming in through his fingertips. The extra information overloaded his brain and made him dizzy, but he bit the edge of his lip to awaken his consciousness. Even if he pushed himself too hard, he had to endure it for now. Listening to the ticking of the second hand on the wristwatch he borrowed from a staff member of the Countermeasure Headquarters, he silently continued his search within the area. Time was slowly ticking away, and his heart was racing against the time limit, but he couldn¡¯t let his impatience show. ¨CWhat he needed right now was calm judgment and meticulousness that wouldn¡¯t miss anything. As he repeated the process, he concentrated all his attention on his fingertips, and then Tsugumi stopped moving. ¡°¨CI found it.¡± The presence of a Demonic Beast containing unfathomable malice, transmitted through the threads. At present, he didn¡¯t know if it was a dummy or the main body, but it was better to cut it. Tsugumi grabbed a single thread as if pulling it in, and leaned over and put strength into his right leg. He moved like a bullet. He ran lightly over the fence and arrived at a dahlia-like flower about the size of a ping-pong ball. When he saw it on the beach, it looked like a tulip, but maybe the type was different depending on where it was. It will be better to put in a report just in case, thinking that, Tsugumi muttered in a cold voice, wrapping the thread around the flower. ¡°A flower that blooms by sucking the life out of others? ¨CNo matter how similar it may be to a flower, that¡¯s nothing beautiful.¡± With a snap, Tsugumi swung his arm aside and tore the flower to shreds the size of a grain of rice. The shredded flower fluttered to the ground, then dissolved into the air and disappeared. Staring at it intently, Tsugumi took out his terminal and connected it to the Countermeasure Headquarters. ¡°Hello? I just exterminated a Demonic Flower over here. Any change?¡± When Tsugumi asked that, the staff replied, ¡°No, nothing yet. ¡­It seems it was a dummy.¡± Then, he heard something being typed into the computer and the staff member continued talking indifferently. ¡°Then I¡¯ll show you the next site. Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes. I can fly anytime.¡± Although his spirit was somewhat exhausted by the search through the thread, his power itself wasn¡¯t consumed that much. Consecutive transportation and thread search would certainly be burdensome, but he¡¯d push it down. ¡°The location is around a shrine in the mountain of XX City, Ibaraki Prefecture. The coordinates are¨C¡° As he listened to the details of the location, he let out a small sigh. ¨CIt took him less than three minutes to get there. The pace was slower than he had expected but the more he got used to it, he should be able to shorten the time even more. ¨CBut he didn¡¯t have to be the one to defeat the original Demonic Beast. It could be any of the staff members, other Magical Girls, or anyone. So please, please erase the main body as soon as possible. Wishing this in his mind, Tsugumi flew to the next site. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¨CFifty minutes after Hagakure Sakura began to move. As more than seventy flowers were exterminated, the staff members continued their steady efforts in the countermeasure room. ¡°The mountain in Hokkaido at point 89, where Hagakure-san headed, is also a loss! Where the hell is the main body already!?¡± ¡°Shut up. I don¡¯t know that, that¡¯s why I¡¯m looking for it so desperately. If you¡¯ve got time to rant and rave, get your hands moving!¡± The phone calls of inquiries that never ceased, the flurry of instructions, and tearful whining. Although they had been steadily destroying the points indicated by Sobi, they hadn¡¯t been able to get to the main body of the Demonic Beast due to bad luck. ¡°The current number of dead is sixty¡­ The speed rate of the number is increasing. ¡­When are we going to find the main body?¡± Saying this, Inaba bit her thumb. They were steadily destroying the points, but they still couldn¡¯t find the main body of the Demonic Beast. ¨CIs there really the main body among them? Thinking this, Inaba shook her head. She didn¡¯t think Sobi¡¯s exploration was wrong. They also had other Magical Girls with exploration abilities and sorcerers from the Ministry of Divine Worship, and their opinions were almost the same as Sobi¡¯s. One hundred and eight red dots placed on this map¨Camong them, there was an Irregularity that caused the current disturbance. ¡­But what if it couldn¡¯t be found? What should they do then? Maybe they should think of the worst and plan the next move. As Inaba was calmly pondering, a girl approached her with clattering footsteps. ¡°¨CWell, you look like you¡¯re in a lot of trouble!¡± ¡°¡­Agatsuma-san?¡± The one who said that and looked into Inaba¡¯s face was Agatsuma Suo, one of the Jukka. ¡°Why are you here? I thought you were on vacation.¡± Inaba said suspiciously. Although Agatsuma belonged to Juka, she was in reality a stray Magical Girl, just like Hagakure Sakura. On days when she wasn¡¯t on shift ¨C in other words, on her days off ¨C she wasn¡¯t under the control of the government and couldn¡¯t be ordered to go out to work. Because of this, she didn¡¯t ask her to cooperate in the current disturbance. ¡°Hmm, I was coming to the government to use the simulator, but I thought it was kind of noisy, so I asked the other girls about it and they told me about this case! You need someone with the ability to transport, right? I may not be able to do much, but I can help you!¡± ¡°¡®Yes. ¡­That¡¯s true but is it okay with you, Agatsuma-san?¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± When Inaba told her that, Agatsuma tilted her head. She seemed to be saying she didn¡¯t understand what she was talking about. ¡°No, I thought that Agatsuma-san isn¡¯t really interested in this kind of thing.¡± Saying this, Inaba immediately covered her mouth. ¨CIt was a slip of tongue. At the very least, it wasn¡¯t something she should say to someone who had offered to help. However, Inaba¡¯s words also had a point. To begin with, Agatsuma Suo was the type of Magical Girl who didn¡¯t take much interest in this kind of thing. She might look and act like a bright child who was easy to get along with, but her true nature was quite the opposite. Although she seemed to hide it well from those around her, Agatsuma had a certain dislike for the government, or rather, for anyone related to Magical Girls. The expression on her face and the sneering attitude hidden behind her cheerful words spoke for themselves. Perhaps it was because Inaba had dealt with so many Magical Girls in her life that she had come to understand this. That¡¯s why Inaba thought it was strange. She had never paid much attention to the fact that there were victims, but suddenly she was offering her cooperation. She couldn¡¯t help but doubt her intention. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mind. ¨CWell, I thought it would be nice to do something like this once in a while!¡¡Hehehe, because I¡¯m a good girl!¡± Agatsuma said, smiling, and sat down next to Inaba. ¡­Anyway, if she was willing to help, there was no way Inaba would decline. ¡°¡­Thank you for your cooperation. By the way, how many transportations are left?¡± ¡°Well, about seventeen! Considering the return, I¡¯d like you to leave at least two times.¡± ¨CAgatsuma¡¯s transportation, unlike Hagakure¡¯s, had a limit to the number of times it could be used. It depended on the condition of the day, but generally, it was possible to make about 20 transportation in a day. The only difference was that Agatsuma¡¯s skill could also transport living being together. However, there was a condition for this accompaniment. ¡°Actually, I wanted Sobi-san to accompany you for search efficiency, but Sobi-san is a little bigger than Agatsuma-san¡­¡± The only living beings that Agatsuma could transport were things smaller than her. ¡°I¡¯m a little bit smaller, so it¡¯s hard for me to bring her along! ¨CSo, where do I go and what do I do?¡± Regardless of the reason, Inaba thanked Agatsuma for her cooperation, pointed to a map on her computer, and began to explain. ¡°Well, first of all, I would like you to fly to point 102 on this map¨C¡° After giving instructions, Agatsuma headed toward the site without any particular objection. ¡­She might have been overthinking from the very beginning. As the busy days continued, her mind became dull like this. It was a bad tendency. ¡°Please¨Cplease find the main body quickly. Before there are any more deaths.¡± Inaba knew that there was no time to pray like this. However, the regular sounds of reports of the dead only made her more impatient. Everyone was trying to bring the situation under control, but the results weren¡¯t encouraging. ¨CSomeone. Anyone. Please find the main body as soon as possible. Wishing so, Inaba prayed deeply. Unfortunately, her wish wasn¡¯t fulfilled until 30 minutes later. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô Thirty minutes after Agatsuma joined the investigation. The moment they finished exterminating all the flowers up to point 108 without hitting the real flower, the seeds in the victims¡¯ bodies vanished like an illusion. Perhaps they weren¡¯t dummies, but an army that shared the core of their existence, like the grasshoppers that Hagakure Sakura fought before. However, the Magical Girl who broke the last flower ¨C Hagakure Sakura ¨C said later in her report about this matter. ¨CEven though it is an E-class or lower-ranked Demonic Beast, it¡¯s very unresponsive. Is that really the last flower? But no one could answer that question. Because it was a fact that the seed disappeared with the extinction of the last flower. After the incident came to an end a short time later, a government report stated ¨CA certain day in July. A large number of provisional F-class Demonic Beasts are confirmed. The presence of the Demonic Beast is so small that it might have slipped through the barrier¡¯s prediction system. There are over 300 victims, mostly young women. Since many of the victims are Magical Girls and women with an aptitude for magic, it¡¯s recognized as an Irregular Demonic Beast that aims at girls with an aptitude. A plant-based Demonic Beast that shoots seeds into the body and grows by feeding on the power ¨C the life force ¨C that circulated through the body. The seeds are entangled in the nerves and travel throughout the body in an instant. The absorption of life force is stopped when the seeds are removed, but the moment the seeds and roots are removed, the victim¡¯s body feels pain as if their nerves are being torn apart, and most of them are in a state of shock and death. The individual¡¯s name is tentatively defined as [Mistletoe]. After analyzing the seeds brought in, the Countermeasure Headquarters determined that the flowers that attacked women across the country were the children and that by exterminating the Mistletoe flower, which was the parent of the mistletoes, the seeds spit out by the children would naturally disappear along with the roots. With the help of Magical Girls who are good at searching, the location of the parent flower (including dummies) was identified. At the request of the Countermeasures Headquarters, a Magical Girl with the ability to transport went to the site to exterminate the flowers and confirmed the disappearance of the Mistletoe flowers. Of the victims, about 30%¨C92 people¨Cdied. Among them were many young girls who were not yet of suitable age. CH 134 Harmony Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani When he cut off the last flower, a slight feeling of discomfort passed through his chest. ¨CIs this really the end? It was bad luck that he didn¡¯t hit the main body until the very last one¨Cit was almost impossible. From an ordinary statistical point of view, it would be an extraordinary probability that the winner would remain until the end of the game. In that case, the flowers so far might not have been dummies but it was the type that transformed the last flower into the main body. That would be more reasonable. But even so, the question remained. The last remaining flower was supposed to be the real one, but it didn¡¯t respond at all. The way it disappeared was almost the same as the dummy flower, and it didn¡¯t even drop a piece of a magic nucleus. ¡­Its rank might be so low that its magic nucleus didn¡¯t exist, but something still didn¡¯t feel right. As he pondered this with a difficult look, the terminal beeped. ¨CIs there a problem? Thinking about this, Tsugumi presses the call button. ¡°Yes, this is Hagakure.¡± [This is Inaba of the Demonic Beast Countermeasures Headquarters. What¡¯s the situation?] The caller was Inaba. On second thought, he probably hadn¡¯t included a report on the extermination of the flowers. Tsugumi opened his mouth as he reflected on the situation. ¡°I¡¯ve successfully exterminated the flowers. There are a few things I¡¯m a little concerned about, but I think they¡¯re completely gone.¡± ¡°I see! The hospital also reported the disappearance of the seeds and roots, and it seems that this will somehow be taken care of. Is it okay if you come back here at once? I have a lot of questions I want to ask you.¡± Inaba asked him that, but Tsugumi put his hand over his mouth thoughtfully, and lowered his eyebrows, feeling troubled. More than that, he was concerned about the condition of Yumeji who was injured. He had asked Hitsugi to contact him on the terminal if anything happened, but his anxiety still persisted. That¡¯s why, despite what Tsugumi felt about this, he said no to Inaba. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry I know I have to report to you in person, but is it okay if I stop by the hospital where my acquaintance is? I¡¯m really worried about her¡­¡± When Tsugumi apologetically told her this, Inaba said, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re certainly worried about her, aren¡¯t you?¡± and graciously allowed him to go to the hospital. ¡­That kindness was a bit distressing. For Tsugumi, as long as the seeds were taken care of, the case was over, but for the staff of the Headquarters, it was just the beginning. In such a situation, it hurt his heart a little to trouble them for personal reasons. The Headquarters and Tsugumi had done the best they could, but the fact remained that there were a lot of casualties. He didn¡¯t know how they would announce this incident in the future, but it was inevitable that they would face a lot of pressure from the public and from the higher-ups. Just thinking about it made him feel heavy. Tsugumi thanked them deeply in his heart and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back as soon as I check the situation. I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± and hung up. ¡°At any rate, the seeds are gone¡­ I hope Yumeji-san is okay.¡± ¨CIt had already been two hours since Yumeji was shot. The fact that he hadn¡¯t heard from Hitsugi meant that the worst hadn¡¯t happened, but he kept having a bad feeling. With this uneasy feeling in his heart, he flew to the hospital where Yumeji had been taken. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô Scuttling along the floor, Tsugumi made his way to the treatment room he¡¯d heard about at the hospital¡¯s reception desk. Calmly avoiding patients and visitors who shook his hand or asked for his autograph, he hurried to his destination. When he reached a corridor in a secluded area, he found someone sitting on a couch in the waiting room. ¡°Hitsugi-san?¡± She looked up slowly and muttered, ¡°Hagakure-san¡­¡± with an exhausted look. Then she turned her head down with a sad expression and said in a trembling voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I am sorry. While I was following you¡­¡± ¡°¡­Did something happen to Yumeji-san?¡± When Tsugumi asked that question, Hitsugi nodded slightly and hesitantly opened her lips. ¡°Actually¨C¡° ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô The time went back to 30 minutes before Tsugumi arrived at the hospital. ¨CI¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m going to make it. Feeling pain that tore through her small body, Yumeji thought so with hazy vision. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors performed all kinds of procedures, including stopping the bleeding and administering anesthesia, but that didn¡¯t alleviate this desperate pain. The discomfort of the writhing roots and the pain that felt like her nerves being scraped with a file. The pain was so great that she couldn¡¯t even faint. That must be the characteristic of this root. It prolonged the time she felt pain, feed on her negative emotions, and build up its strength. It really was a nasty Demonic Beast. Moreover, Yumeji had two seeds in her body. In other words, the pain she was suffering was twice as great. She did a good job enduring the pain for more than an hour, which would normally make anyone go insane. A respected Magical Girl, Hagakure Sakura, said she would definitely help her, but she wasn¡¯t sure if she would make it in time. Hagakure was a wonderful hero for Yumeji, but she wasn¡¯t invincible. No matter how hard she tried, something simply wouldn¡¯t come true. It was sad, but that was the reality. Hitsugi was not in this room because she was going to a place where the phone was working to report to the government. She said she would come back soon, but Yumeji wondered if she really would. ¨CI want to give up. I want this to end. She knew it would be easier that way. But the reason she persevered to this point was because she had a precious friend next to her. ¡°Please, hang in there, Nadekoshiko-chan. I¡¯m sure that Hagakure-san will help you¡­!¡± Sobbing, her friend Itadori Kanae held Yumeji¡¯s right hand and kept calling out to her. If it were not for this voice, she would have given up everything a long time ago. ¨CBut Yumeji wondered if she had done something wrong. At that moment, when she saw the flower that gave off a bad feeling, her body moved in an instant. Strangely enough, she didn¡¯t feel scared. For the first time in her life, she was able to protect a friend that she truly cherished, so she didn¡¯t regret a single thing. But she didn¡¯t want to make her cry like this. How would this kind friend feel if someone died for protecting her? She would surely blame herself and suffer. And as if to atone for her sin, she would choose the bad path of a Magical Girl. Such a future was easy to predict. But I don¡¯t want that, Yumeji thought. She didn¡¯t protect Itadori to make her lead that kind of life. ¨CShe just wanted her to be happy. From now on, Itadori was going to work hard as a candidate, be chosen as a Magical Girl, and engage in brilliant activities, such a dark shadow wouldn¡¯t suit her. But no matter how much she grieved, she would die soon. No matter how hard she tried to muster up the energy, her physical strength wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up any longer. ¨CThen I must act so that I won¡¯t regret it anymore. Thinking of this in a daze, Yumeji turned her face toward Itadori, ignoring the creaking of her body. Then, loosely clasping back the right hand she was holding, she removed the device on her mouth. ¡°Hey, Nadekoshiko-chan! What are you doing!?¡± Itadori and the doctor, startled by Yumeji¡¯s sudden action, tried to put the device back, but she gently restrained them with her left hand. Yumeji said in a hushed voice, trying to squeeze the words out. ¡°Um, you know. I want you to do something for me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it, you have to rest¡­!¡± ¡°Listen to me, please. ¨CMaybe this is the last time.¡± Seeing Itadori desperately try to soothe her, Yumeji quietly told her so. Then, a large tear slipped from Itadori¡¯s bewildered eye. ¡°Oh no, don¡¯t say that like it¡¯s your last will¡­¡± As she looked at Itadori, who continued to cry pleadingly, Yumeji smiled wryly. It looked as though she was being cruel to her. ¨CWell, that wouldn¡¯t be wrong either. Then Yumeji slowly opened her mouth with the last of her strength. ¡°I curse you, Kanae.¡± ¡°-Eh?¡± ¡°I will never forgive you if you don¡¯t become happy for me in the future. You¡¯re not allowed to blame yourself, be worried, or be in a hurry to die. ¨CI will not forgive you unless you live long enough to become a grandmother.¡± ¨CYes, these words were a curse. The lowest and the worst kind of curse that forced her to do what she couldn¡¯t do. Yumeji knew that it was a naive idea to think that she would be forgiven if Itadori lived long. But if Itadori kept living, something would surely change. Because there were many people in this world who were willing to lend a helping hand to a child in distress. Even if she were gone, Hitsugi, Hagakure, and that good-natured brother would take care of Itadori. So she wasn¡¯t that worried. All that was left was for Itadori to pull herself together. ¨CBecause Itadori was more important to Yumeji than her family. Itadori shook her head as if she didn¡¯t understand her words. ¡°No, no, no, don¡¯t leave me, please¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¨CI love you, Kanae.¡± She put her left hand on Itadori¡¯s cheek and said how she truly felt. She¡¯d been too stubborn to say her honest feelings, but she finally got to say it. Her friend who she loved more than anyone else. ¨CIf possible, I want us to grow up together. The sensation of pain disappeared from her body, and her consciousness faded. She couldn¡¯t even raise her eyelids anymore. But she felt somewhat calm. She took a deep breath and relaxed. Just as she was about to accept everything, a voice echoed in her head. ¡°¨CAre you sure you¡¯re okay with that?¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô While staring blankly at Yumeji¡¯s hand, which had slipped down as if losing its strength, Itadori stared at her with a dumbfounded face. ¡°Nadeshiko-chan?¡± Even when she shook her and asked her questions, her beautiful face didn¡¯t move a twitch. Normally, she would have angrily told her not to shake her violently. The doctors around her were yelling things that Itadori didn¡¯t understand, like ¡°Get the AED ready,¡± and ¡°What about her vitals?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡± ¨CShe already knew. Yumeji was pushing herself too hard. Even though it was painful, she had endured it desperately until now. So she felt sorry for not letting her rest until now. ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡± Yumeji said her last words were curses. But it must have come from her kindness. Yumeji was always worried about Itadori. ¨CShe was always more concerned about Itadori than about herself. ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡± Then she should answer. She would try her best to live so that Yumeji wouldn¡¯t worry about her. She would be happy, and live long enough to make up for her ¨C and she would do so. ¡°I don¡¯t want it. This kind of thing.¡± She spat out, clasping the hands that had lost their strength. ¨CI don¡¯t care what happens in the future. I just want you to live in the present with me. I just didn¡¯t want you to give up. That¡¯s all I wanted. ¡°Please, God, save Nadekoshiko-chan. Please, please, please¨CI don¡¯t care what happens to me.¡± She spun her words with trembling lips as she wrapped both hands around Yumeji¡¯s right hand in prayer. ¨CIf I really have power, why is it useless? Aptitude and talent meant nothing before fate. But still¨Cshe wished this voice would reach someone, someone (God). As if in response to such an earnest wish, the lights on the ceiling flickered. Then, a loud bang echoed, and the room was enveloped in darkness. ¨CMy dear child¡­ I think it¡¯s pathetic and stupid. Somewhere in the distance, she thought she heard a voice like that of an old woman. CH 135 Golden Goddess Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¡°¨CI wonder if it¡¯s really fine. The childish love of a child is also beautiful.¡± The voice echoing in Itadori¡¯s head said this in a somewhat admiring tone. In the pitch-black room, a shimmering golden color snatched the edge of her vision. ¡°W-who¡­?¡± Itadori let out a frightened voice. For some reason, the adults who had been there earlier were nowhere to be seen or heard. As she shivered, wondering what the hell was going on, a mysterious voice spoke softly to her. ¡°I am the God of love, death, and fertility. Yes, I shall call myself ¡®Volva¡¯ here.¡± Then the thing that called itself Volva appeared in front of Itadori in the shape of a golden sphere. The fluffy, baseball-sized sphere swayed as it spun its words. ¡°Your wish, I will grant it. No need to hold back. I am in a very good mood.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Itadori said as if she was about to be bitten by this suspicious proposal. The golden God replied, swaying vertically, ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°But there is a condition.¡± ¡°Condition?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll only ask you to do me one favor. Fufu, you don¡¯t have to be so self-conscious about it. I will only ask you to do something simple that even a young child can do.¡± Itadori was a little suspicious of this extraordinarily gentle voice, but this divine proposal was even more appealing. But that was understandable. When you want to cling to a straw and someone offers you a hand, anyone would grab it. ¨CNo matter how dirty that hand may be. If Hitsugi and Tsugumi had been with her at this time, they would have desperately stopped Itadori, who was about to make a contact, because it was all so suspicious. But even if they talked about what-if situations, there was nothing she could do about this now. Because she had made her choice. ¡°¡­Will you really help Nadeshiko-chan? Will you heal all her wounds too?¡± ¡°Of course. Come on, you can reach out your hand this way.¡± Saying that, the gold gently approached Itadori. ¨CNadeshiko-chan would be saved. She didn¡¯t want her dear friend to die. If her life could be guaranteed, she could do anything no matter how painful it was. Because she had already made up her mind. Itadori lowered her eyes and squeezed Yumeji¡¯s white hand. Then she looked up and slowly extended her own right hand toward the gold with determination. Just as she was about to touch the light, Itadori shouted out. ¡°I accept the conditions! So, please save Nadeshiko-chan!¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s make a promise to ¡®each other¡¯.¡± The smoldering uneasiness hadn¡¯t disappeared, but she still had no regrets. It was a decision she had made herself. But for some reason, she felt the sphere, which should have had no mouth, was roaring. ¨CAnd at the same time as Itadori¡¯s declaration, Yumeji also took the golden God¡¯s hand. No matter what unreasonable demands were made upon her, she convinced herself that it was better than dying. Thus, the contract was made. The girl who wished to live and the girl who wanted to save her friend no matter what. Their pure and sincere wishes were certainly received. ¨CBut in order to gain something, a price was required. Especially if it was the price of a miracle. The golden sphere ¨C Volva ¨C began to drop golden powder while spinning around Itadori. Then, Yumeji¡¯s breathing, which had begun to stop, slowly returned to normal. And her pale face turned a healthy shade of red. ¡°Nadeshiko-chan?¡± When Itadori gently touched Yumeji¡¯s wrist, she could clearly see that her pulse was beating strongly. ¡°I¡¯m glad¡­ I¡¯m really glad¡­!¡± ¨CAh, she¡¯s alive. Seeing Yumeji sleeping peacefully, Itadori sighed, deeply relieved. Perhaps because she had loosened up, fatigue suddenly attacked her whole body. As Itadori leaned against the bed, Volva softly approached her right to her face. ¡°Don¡¯t be so anxious. She will wake up tomorrow. ¨CNow, about my request¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Um, what should I do¡­?¡± ¨CGod¡¯s wish. What kind of things will she say? The moment Itadori prepared herself, her body suddenly stopped moving, as if she had been paralyzed. She opened her mouth and tried to speak, but only faint air came out and she couldn¡¯t make a sound. Itadori looked up at Volva, asking for help, but the golden sphere was smiling. A straight groove appeared in the sphere, and it was laughing with both ends raised up like a mouth. As if it were mocking a foolish insect. Volva approached Itadori and said in a whisper. ¡°Well, it¡¯s simple. ¨CLend me your body.¡± With that, Volva shrunk herself to the size of a marble and jumped into Itadori¡¯s mouth. ¡°¨CHmm, ah!?¡± Unable to avoid it, she swallowed the golden sphere. The sphere that had entered Itadori¡¯s body slowly heated up, and eventually cut off Itadori¡¯s consciousness. At the same time, the electricity in the room was restored and the doctors, who had been standing unconscious, began to move. Apparently, they had no memory of the time the power was out. The doctors, who had been in a daze due to the sudden blankness of consciousness, began to make a fuss when they saw Yumeji had completely recovered. While the doctors were puzzled, Itadori, who had fallen on the bed as if she had fainted, yawned and sat up silently. Then she raised her hands in front of her eyes, opened and closed them several times, and muttered. ¡°Hm¡­ ¨CNot bad.¡± Saying this, Itadori ¨C the God that had entered her ¨C grinned. It hurt her heart to trick a young child, but it was the child¡¯s fault for not checking the terms of the contract first. Well, I won¡¯t make you do anything bad, God chuckled. ¡°Considering the strength of the vessel, the maximum time of activity would be about three hours a day, but it¡¯s not a problem. This is going to be fun.¡± ¨CThe God continued to whisper as she looked at the sleeping Yumeji, ¡°Amaterasu won¡¯t be able to make a bad move now that I have a convenient hostage.¡± She made Itadori pay with her body and Yumeji with her life. If Amaterasu tried to eliminate the God ¨C the being who called herself Volva ¨C in violation of the regulations, Yumeji, whose fate of death had been twisted by Volva, would also lose her life. God laughed, saying it would be a heavy burden for the dim-witted Goddess who ostensibly pretended to be pure and innocent. ¡°I have been holding out until the contract is over, but I think it¡¯s time to move on. I¡¯ve done my duty, so I¡¯ll let you go first. ¨CBesides, it¡¯s just tactless. I wonder whose ¡®love¡¯ will prevail. I¡¯ll be there to witness it with my physical body.¡± Just as the whimsical God got up to go and get something to eat in this world, someone rushed into the room. Apparently, she had sensed the strange atmosphere that filled the room. The person who rushed into the room ¨C Hitsugi Airi ¨C stared at the thing in the form of Itadori and shouted. ¡°Kanae-chan! ¨CWhat did you do to those girls?!¡± ¡°¡­Oh dear, more trouble.¡± Looking at Hitsugi, who looked like she was going to grab her, Volva let out a big sigh, thinking it would be a long time before she could go out to play. ¡°Calm down, Hariti¡¯s miko. I have no intention of harming these children. Or do you need an explanation?¡± ¡°Do you expect me to believe your one-sided explanation? Don¡¯t make me laugh.¡± ¡°Then this conversation is over. It doesn¡¯t hurt to be harassed by a miko who has lost her powers.¡± ¡°Kuh, that¡¯s¡­¡± Hitsugi flinched as the thing looked at her as if she had lost interest. ¨CIf this wasn¡¯t a hospital, she would have been able to contact the government on the spot, but since the power was turned off, she couldn¡¯t do that either. She knew it would be better to turn on the power and contact the government right here, even at the risk of taking some risks, but she couldn¡¯t give up the possibility that the thing might escape with Itadori¡¯s body while she wasn¡¯t paying attention. Thinking so, Hitsugi sat down on a nearby chair reluctantly while hesitating. Laughing at the complicated expression on Hitsugi¡¯s face, Volva began to talk cheerfully. ¡°Now, where should I begin¨C¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô Volva then explained the circumstances to Hitsugi straightforwardly. Yumeji had run out of strength and was about to die. Volva made a contract with them with good intentions after seeing Itadori grieving. She explained that she had to receive something that matched the price of the miracle, and so on, mixing lies with impunity to suit herself. She didn¡¯t think she needed to tell the truth. Hitsugi, who didn¡¯t know such a thing, doubted Volva¡¯s words, but seeing Yumeji sleeping soundly, she began to believe that maybe ¡°this person is telling the truth¡±. Then, after a few exchanges, Hitsugi made a difficult face and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to cool my head a little. I don¡¯t trust you, but I understand that you are sincere. Please don¡¯t ever move from here until the treatment is decided.¡± and left the room. He probably realized that this matter was beyond her discretion and went to ask the government about it. Volva looked up with a troubled look as she watched her back and muttered in amazement, ¡°Oh dear, it¡¯s tough being a pet dog, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°My excitement is dampened. I¡¯m going to rest until that baby bird comes¡­¡± Volva muttered and closed her eyes, relaxing. ¨CWith this contract, I can interfere at any time. With that thought, Volva dove deep into Itadori¡¯s mind and dissolved, vanishing. Then, Itadori, who had regained control of her body, opened her eyes and looked around in a daze. ¡°What am I doing¡­? I am sure God¡­¡± Holding her blurry head, Itadori groaned painfully. ¨CShe couldn¡¯t remember anything from the time the golden light loomed in front of her. She called out to ask, ¡°God,¡± but there was no response, and she couldn¡¯t sense her presence. Wondering, Itadori gently touched Yumeji¡¯s hand in front of her. ¡°¡­Warm.¡± Feeling relief at her temperature, Itadori slowly laid her head down on the bed. She didn¡¯t know why, but she felt helplessly exhausted. Silently, she closed her eyes and let out a small sigh. ¨CWas it a dream? But long as Nadeshiko-chan is safe, anything is fine. Thinking about this in a daze, Itadori drifted off to sleep. ¨CA few dozen more minutes until Hitsugi asked for more details and a breathless Tsugumi rushed into the hospital room. It was the beginning of a small moment of peace. CH 136 ¡°No way, that kind of thing was possible¡­¡± Tsugumi, who heard the story from Hitsugi, was so stunned that he held his mouth shut. The God who had transferred into Itadori¡¯s body. The miracle that happened to Yumeji. And what shocked Tsugumi more than anything else was the fact that if God hadn¡¯t saved her, Yumeji would have died. ¨CIt wasn¡¯t just about making it in time or not. Without divine intervention, Yumeji would have died completely at that point when the Demonic Flower disappeared. A chill ran down his spine, and Tsugumi swallowed a scream. ¡°¡­What are they doing now? ¡°When I checked them earlier, both of them seems to be sleeping. ¡­I¡¯m so sorry.¡± When Tsugumi asked, Hitsugi answered so and bowed deeply. Seeing that, Tsugumi slightly tilted his neck. The reason why Yumeji almost died was because of the Demonic Flower, and the reason why Itadori became strange was because of God¡¯s whim. ¨Cif he had made it in time, Hitsugi had nothing to apologize for. ¡°I mean, there¡¯s nothing for Hitsugi-san to apologize for¨C¡° ¡°No¡­ I should have stopped her.¡± Hitsugi strongly denied Tsugumi¡¯s words. ¡°That God who calls herself Volva is dangerous. Ignoring Amaterasu¡¯s restrictions and offering a contract, she¡¯s not a good God. She acted tolerant in front of me, but depending on the mood of that God, in the worst-case scenario, both of us could lose our lives. ¨CI wanted that child to be saved, too. But that doesn¡¯t mean another child should be sacrificed. I can¡¯t help but regret that I should have remained in the hospital room at that time.¡± ¡°Hitsugi-san¡­¡± Matters not related to Magical Girls, and contracts with children who weren¡¯t even of the appropriate age, were basically restricted by Amaterasu. Whether it was with good or bad intentions that she lent her power to Itadori, there was no way a good God would break that powerful restriction. ¨CTo save one life, she put the life of another in jeopardy. The lives of people weren¡¯t something that could be applied to a simple calculation, but it was natural for Hitsugi to be concerned. Because she had a strong sense of responsibility, she tried to choose the best for each individual. From a supervisor¡¯s point of view, she was a dependable person with a strict public and private life, but Tsugumi thought her personality seemed hard to live with. ¨CShe didn¡¯t know what the purpose of the God that possessed Itadori was, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that Yumeji was saved by that God. At least Itadori wouldn¡¯t lose her life as long as she complied with God¡¯s request. That much was a relief. ¡°Hey, Hitsugi-san. I am still glad that Yumeji is alive. Isn¡¯t that fine for now? I¡¯m certainly worried about Itadori, but the experts from the Ministry of Divine Worship will be here later, right?¡± Saying so, Tsugumi crouched down in front of Hitsugi and looked into her face, Histugi¡¯s swaying eyes reflected Tsugumi as she gave a small nod. ¡°I¡¯m going to go to the hospital room from now on and talk to that God if possible. She may pull back if I negotiate with her. ¨CSo, when they wake up, please smile and say good morning to them. If you have a gloomy face, they will be anxious.¡± It was true that she could be blamed for Itadori¡¯s shortsightedness in making a contract without checking with God, but Itadori couldn¡¯t possibly choose to do so without thinking. At least, that¡¯s what Tsugumi thought. And, of course, Tsugumi was largely to blame for not being able to get there in time. She was hardly the only one to blame. When Tsugumi said this, Hitsugi smiled and said quietly, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to go to the hospital room for a while. What about you, Hitsugi-san?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait here. I have to wait for the Ministry of Divine Worship.¡± When Hitsugi replied, Tsugumi said ¡°I understand,¡± and stood up quickly. Then he bowed his head and walked toward the hospital room. ¨CWhile gazing at Tsugumi, Hitsugi¡¯s eyes narrowed as if she were looking at something dazzling. ¡°Really, what a kind person¡­ I wish there had been a girl like that around Yotsuba at that time.¡± Saying that, Hitsugi shook her head a little. ¡­There was nothing she could do if she thought that way. The loss will never come back. Then you should look forward. ¡°¡­ I have to protect that girl¡¯s sister and her friend this time.¡± ¨CSince they made a contract with God, those two would surely be placed under the control of the government. If possible, she would like to help. She was no longer a Magical Girl and had neither power nor authority, but she still had the groundwork and connections that she had cultivated up to this point. It would be possible for her to interfere with their treatment. With such determination, She clenched her hands tightly in front of her chest. She believed that moving forward would be a way to pay tribute to the junior who was important to her. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô Arriving at the hospital room, Tsugumi hesitated for a moment on whether to knock on the door or not and slowly opened it. Inside the empty hospital room, the two girls were sleeping peacefully. Apparently, the doctors had left the room because their lives were no longer in danger. Tsugumi approached the bed so as not to wake the sleeping Itadori and Yumeji, and gently reached for Yumeji¡¯s mouth. A soft, regular breath hit his finger. ¨CAh, she is alive. Relieved by the fact, he patted his chest. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± After muttering this, he felt a gaze nearby. The loud presence that he felt on his skin made him take a deep breath to calm his mind. ¨CThat¡¯s right, you can¡¯t make any judgment without hearing the story first. The God who made the contract with Itadori had at least saved Yumeji properly. In that respect, she could be trusted. Having made up his mind, Tsugumi gazed at Itadori who had woken up ¨C and at the God inside her. The aura was so thick that it made him want to bow his head. It was obvious that the God was quite powerful. But why? ¡­He knew that just having the Goddess out in the open like this was putting a strain on Itadori¡¯s body, but he didn¡¯t feel strangely disgusted at the fact that she was a God who had taken over Itadori¡¯s consciousness, breaking Amateru¡¯s restrictions and doing whatever she pleased. In fact, it even felt nostalgic. ¡°Hello, Gracious Goddess. ¨CMay I have a word with you?¡± The Goddess smiled elegantly when Tsugumi called out to her respectfully. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t mind. Fufu, that baby bird has developed a very good eye. If you didn¡¯t belong to someone else, I¡¯d be happy to add you to my collection.¡± ¡°A baby bird? I don¡¯t remember meeting you¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about it. You know, I just happened to see you when I went to see the husband of that fierce God of love. She¡¯s easily jealous even from the outside perspective, so you¡¯d better get around her to avoid any hard feelings, okay?¡± The Goddess said this with a giggle and a mocking smile. Apparently, the Goddess knew about Tsugumi and Bell. ¡­He didn¡¯t want to think too much about it, but he wondered if the Goddess of caustic love was referring to Anat, Bell¡¯s wife. Frankly, that God had such a nasty story that even her husband and brother, Bell, said, ¡°She is obedient to me but aggressive to others to the point that I don¡¯t understand her.¡± If possible, he didn¡¯t want to get involved with her. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± When Tsugumi responded with a bitter look, the Goddess laughed, squinting with satisfaction. ¡°So, what do you want? If you¡¯re asking me to get out of this body, I¡¯m not listening.¡± Tsugumi sighed in his heart as the Goddess told him without a break. He didn¡¯t know what purpose she had in taking over Itadori¡¯s body, but this God didn¡¯t seem like the type who would give up what she¡¯s got for no good reason. ¨CThat¡¯s why Tsugumi uttered the words that he had planned to convey in the first place. ¡°No, first of all, thanks. ¨CThank you for helping this girl, Yumeji Nadeshiko. ¡­ I couldn¡¯t have saved her. So, thank you so much.¡± Saying this, he quietly bowed his head in gratitude. ¨CThe Goddess in front of him was not a [good] God. If he genuinely cared about the Itadori, he should take a more resolute attitude. ¡­Nevertheless, this Goddess saved Yumeji¡¯s life. It was like the first time he met Bell. With that in mind, he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to criticize her. The Goddess looked at Tsugumi with a blank expression and said in an exasperated voice. ¡°¡­Haa, you really are horrible. Not satisfied with just those twisted people, you are now trying to entangle me as well? Greed is poison if it goes too far.¡± ¡°Huh, eh?¡± He just wanted to say thank you, so why would she say that? As Tsugumi was puzzled, the Goddess began to speak with an expression that said, ¡®Oh, dear¡¯. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do anything that will break this vessel. I love this darling in my own way. I will release her in a few years at the most. ¨CIn that time, I will have achieved my purpose.¡± ¡°Purpose?¡± ¡°Yes. I am here to see the end of the story. Those fools who long for an unattainable love, who seek it through their own ugly selves, even if it means trampling on everything in their path. When I see their end, I will return this body. Well, it would be different if this beloved child begs me to renew the contract, right?¡± Saying this, the Goddess looked at Tsugumi with a smirk on her face. ¡­He honestly didn¡¯t know what she was trying to say with so many abstract expressions, but it seemed that this Goddess had no intention of hurting Itadori. ¨CWell, unless this story was an outright lie. ¡°Then, can you make a promise?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I understand that God¡¯s values are different from those of other people. But please don¡¯t do anything that will deeply hurt this child¡¯s value, Itadori Kanae¡¯s. Because this child is truly gentle.¡± Saying this, Tsugumi stared at the Goddess. In the first place, Tsugumi didn¡¯t think it was easy to break the contract that God and a human had made. Then it would be better to look for a compromise. If this Goddess said that she would take care of Itadori, even if only in words, then she could make a promise to him. ¡­Well, she might refuse if there was no advantage to it but just saying it would cost her nothing. The Goddess made a slight thoughtful gesture and then nodded her head slightly. ¡°I want to avoid being hostile to Amaterasu. Even though I saved the life of a young child, they will have no choice but to move against me. I¡¯m willing to put at least one shackle.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. If you¡¯re worried, I¡¯ll cut off your finger. Here, give me your hand.¡± With that, the Goddess held out the little finger of her left hand toward Tsugumi. As Tsugumi reached out to catch it, the Goddess announced in a quiet voice. ¡°¨CBut I will take one price from you as well. Since I am making a promise for you, it¡¯s only natural, right?¡± Tsugumi¡¯s hands stopped. ¡°¡­I thought it would be like that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still being nice to you because I told you about it before we got into the contract. ¨CIt is not much of a price to pay. If you die in the middle of the road, I will invite your soul to my mansion. This is a great honor, you know. I am only interested in a brave warrior.¡± Hearing those words, Tsugumi understood what the Goddess in front of him was. He had a vague idea of what she was, but he didn¡¯t think it was really true. A Norse goddess who loved Einherjar, the souls of dead warriors, who was said to preside over love, death, and fertility. ¡­She was a big deal. ¨CBut even so, he couldn¡¯t afford to be afraid. Otherwise, how could he be the servant of that proud God? Tsugumi encouraged himself, let out a big sigh, and held out the pinky finger of his left hand, having made up his mind. ¡°Unfortunately, I have sworn to that person (Bell) that I will survive even if I have to vomit blood. I will probably never go to your mansion. ¨CGoddess Freya.¡± When Tsugumi told her so irreverently, the Goddess¨CFreya¨Claughed happily, as if she had seen something truly interesting. ¡°Fufu, I see. I¡¯m looking forward to it. That¡¯ll be fun. ¨CSo let¡¯s get the deal started.¡± Then Freya intertwined Tsugumi¡¯s finger with hers and uttered the words of the contract. A numbing sensation ran through his entire body. Perhaps this was the proof of the contract. ¡­He could see a future where Bell would be angry with him later for doing things on his own, but he hoped she would forgive him because he had no intention of doing what Freya wanted. Freya yawned softly and collapsed into bed. Seeing her sleeping so peacefully, it was hard to believe that she was the Goddess who had been so intimidating earlier. Tsugumi gently reached out and touched TItadori¡¯s small head. He patted it awkwardly and smiled sadly. ¡°I¡¯m not going to make fun of your choice. I would have done the same thing if Chidori was dying. No matter how heavy the price. I¡¯m really sorry I didn¡¯t make it in time.¡± Learn more Pause Unmute Without letting anyone hear it, Tsugumi said so in a low voice. ¨CThe Irregular Flower, the inadequacy of the barrier. And the sacrifice of ordinary people and the interference of the Goddess Freya. Remembering the events that happened in rapid succession, Tsugumi muttered to himself. ¡°I wonder what will happen from now on¡­ It¡¯s a little scary.¡± The circle of predestined destiny begins to spin as if scattered dots and lines are being connected. Who will be caught? The pieces on the board do not yet know where they stand. CH 137 In a room of an apartment building in a certain building district. A man was looking out at the night view below while talking to someone on his cell phone. ¡°¨CAh, I¡¯ve made arrangements for us to talk next Wednesday. I¡¯ve explained the situation to some extent, so you¡¯ll be able to talk to someone with a certain position. Well, I¡¯ll contact you later for the details.¡± [¡°I¡¯m sorry for everything¡­ Really, I am indebted to you.¡±] ¡°No need to thank me. It¡¯s only natural for me to help out a dear friend. Isn¡¯t that right? Nanase.¡± Saying that, the man ¨C Asakura ¨C laughed. Asakura hung up the phone and sat down in a leather chair with a shrug of his shoulders. He stared at the fist-sized stone on the desk, a pomegranate-like thing in the color of dried blood. ¡°The fruit of malice, created by the lives of nearly a hundred girls. If it were true, I could have added a little more power. I¡¯m having a hard time with the hard-working Tsugumi.¡± Saying this, Asakura smiled tiredly. -Attacks by Irregular Demonic Beast that caused many victims. It was a man-made disaster caused by this man as the main culprit. Eleven years ago, Shikabane Sakura sprouted the seeds of a Demonic Beast that she had hidden in a warehouse in case of emergency, and waited with vigilance for the right moment to finally blossom its malevolent intentions. The government probably thought that the flowers were just for attacking people with the right aptitude, but their real purpose was something else. Shikabane Sakura, the founder of the religious organization to which Asakura belonged, converted the girls¡¯ lives and pain into power, and the power stored in the flower was condensed and eventually became a large fruit. The stone, the embodiment of the girls¡¯ despair and pain, emitted a more sinister presence than a normal magic nucleus. ¡°Let¡¯s continue where we left off eleven years ago, Sakura-kun. This time, I will never make a mistake. ¡­I will go through it with my own will.¡± Asakura said this and gently traced a pomegranate-like stone with his index finger. The dark, shiny stone shimmered and emitted a bewitching radiance. ¨CAsakura was a blessed man. He was born into a wealthy family, had a good head on his shoulders, was destined to become a doctor quickly, married a beautiful woman, and had children. He had friends he cared about, and his life was smooth sailing until one day, his perfect life was shattered. The sudden attack of Demonic Beasts that began 31 years ago. The isolation of Japan. The anxiety of running out of supplies. Under such circumstances, Asakura continued his frantic activities as a doctor. ¡­At that time, Asakura was a sincerely good person who was able to devote himself to someone else. As a doctor, a responsible adult, and a father, Asakura lived unashamedly through those turbulent times. However, it could be said that it was inevitable that his upright nature became twisted in a sense. One day, after Asakura finished treating the injured, he returned home for the first time in a long while to find his beloved wife and child dead. His wife, torn beyond recognition, and his young daughter, her limbs torn off and bloodied to the point she couldn¡¯t move. It was obvious that they were dead. He didn¡¯t remember much about what happened after that. He remembered his friend who lived nearby, Nanase Yozuru, helped him with the burial, but the rest of his memory was fuzzy. In hindsight, the incident might have been the reason Nanase began to think about escaping from Japan. However, Nanase¡¯s efforts were in vain, and before he could leave Japan, his family was also attacked by a Demonic Beast. The house where they were killed was in the same horrible condition as Asakura¡¯s. Unable to accept this reality, his friend Nanase broke down. Asakura devotedly supported Nanase, who was depressed, to repay the favor he had done, but perhaps it was only because he saw himself in the image of his sick friend. Time passed, and with the rise of the Magical Girl¡¯s existence, life returned to relative peace, and Asakura was finally able to put his mind at ease ¨C until he encountered a ghost that was supposed to be lost. A girl with eyes like dead fish, standing in front of his friend¡¯s deserted house. The girl, who looked like a child he had seen in the distant past, told him her name was Nanase Akane. ¨CAt first, he was just happy. He was angry at the government¡¯s treatment of Akane, moved to tears by the sight of Nanase crying and rejoicing, and relieved to see Akane gradually smile. But at some point, he began to feel suffocated by their happy appearance. Whenever Nanase talked happily about his daughter, whenever Akane greeted Asakura with laughter, anger seeped out of him as if ink had been dropped deep into his heart. Having lost their wives and children and living in the depths of despair, he and his friend had to live with a pain in their hearts that would never go away. ¨CBut why was his friend the only one who looked saved and happy? ¨CHe just couldn¡¯t forgive him for that. Of course, Asakura himself knew that it was nothing more than jealousy. However, although he understood this in his head, he was unable to come to terms with it, and his hatred continued to smolder. It was at this time that Asakura was taken by a patient to a meeting where he met his destiny. Sakura, a miko of the Star of Dawn, saw through Asakura¡¯s problems in no time and invited him to come to the Star of Dawn. Asakura did as he was told and joined the Star of Dawn, and for the first time in his life, he realized what he had to do. He had to tolerate the existence of hateful Demonic Beasts in his daily life. Magical Girls were consumed unnecessarily. The government, supported by Amaterasu¡¯s self-righteousness, was corrupt and unreliable. It was wrong to live in fear of Demonic Beasts that might come to attack at any moment. ¨CIn that case, then good people like us who know the pain should stand up, Sakura said. ¨CThey would do their best to avoid unnecessary sacrifices in the future. Even if it looked wrong from the outside, it would be appreciated if it was accompanied by results. The people who had been sacrificed up until now, as well as his wife and child, who were cruelly killed by the Demonic Beast, would surely be pleased. Asakura certainly thought so. And those who were inspired by this idea gathered on the Star of Dawn under Sakura¡¯s leadership. They pushed forward with the plan for the ¡°ritual of the descent of the God¡±. The God who controlled the boundary was brought down to a human vessel and its authority was artificially exercised by binding it. Sakura told them that by doing so, it would be possible to suppress the appearance rate of Demonic Beasts and forcibly lower the rank of the Demonic Beasts that come out. And so, after much trial and error by the researchers, the descent ritual system was completed, leaving only the assimilation of the God a few months later. ¨CBut at what point did the shadows begin to fall on that glorious hope? Sakura, who always showed superhuman behavior, began to lower her eyes thoughtfully and became irritated more and more often. Asakura pondered about Sakura¡¯s behavior but concluded that she was probably nervous because of the upcoming ritual. However, on the day of the ceremony, Asakura found out that Sakura had done something quite unexpected. Sakura had changed her original plan and replaced Tsugumi, the original vessel for the ceremony, with Nanase Chidori, the grandson of Asakura¡¯s friend. Of course, Asakura objected. He had previously been begged by Sakura to tell her about his friend¡¯s situation ¨C Sakura Akane ¨C but he didn¡¯t tell her that so she could act irregularly. ¡­And no matter how much he hated them, the child was innocent. He argued that it was wrong to sacrifice the child, but Sakura shook her head and dismissed Asakura¡¯s opinion. Asakura still rebelled and was put in a warehouse away from the headquarters for the duration of the ritual, and he only knows what happened after that through hearsay. ¡­In the end, the ritual ended in failure. The ritual was carried out half-heartedly and caused an unprecedented catastrophe. Asakura, who was far from the center of the ceremony and in a high position in the organization, managed to escape without losing his life because Sakura¡¯s treatment had instilled in him a certain degree of resistance to the Gods. However, all that remained in Asakura¡¯s mind was emptiness. If this was the case, it would have been easier to just die. ¨CThe justice that he had aspired for was cruelly broken, and many people were killed. This helpless fact was too heavy for Asakura. Since then, Asakura spent his days as if he had died, acting as if nothing had happened around him. Monotonous days as usual. It was as if the past, which had seemed so bright, was a lie. ¨CThen, five years after the failed ritual, Asakura, now the deputy director of a major hospital, was visited by a young girl. The girl, who had the image of a young couple who had been members of the organization, turned her glazed eyes on Asakura and spat out. ¡°I just can¡¯t forgive what happened that day. So please help me, Asakura-sensei.¡± ¡°With this old man? I don¡¯t think I can do anything.¡± ¡°My God told me. You took the contents of the warehouse, didn¡¯t you, Sensei? Use it to gather the power to perform the ritual again.¡± ¡°¡­That thing shouldn¡¯t be used in the first place. Do you realize how much it will cost?¡± ¡°I know that!! But still, if someone doesn¡¯t make the ritual a success, it means my father died in vain! All his research, all his hard work, would have been for nothing! I won¡¯t let that happen!¡± That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to carry out the ritual no matter what the cost, the girl told him as if she had gone mad. ¡°If there is a cause, there¡¯s a meaning!! If the ritual succeeds, far more people will be saved in the end! ¨CEven Asakura-sensei, you, too, really regret what happened that day.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s work hard together once again. Fortunately, the original vessel is still alive. I need Sensei¡¯s help.¡± Her crazy but straight eyes made his heart flutter involuntarily. ¨CHe thought that all that was left was to end up in a state of nothingness. A life consumed in vain, without meaning, without significance. He already had a mountain of sins that he couldn¡¯t bear. Even if he increased those sins, if there were lives that could be saved, shouldn¡¯t he move on? If they used the legacy left by Sakura, there would be a lot of casualties. But if it saved lives, it was worth considering. A cause that should have been lost, and a sense of ethics that had worn out because of the incident. The balance, which was on the verge of breaking, eventually tilted to one side. ¨CAsakura took the girl¡¯s hand. While fully aware that this was not the justice he had once desired, but the thorny path of evil. As Asakura was reminiscing about the past, the door to his room opened with a clatter and a girl walked in. ¡°Sensei, I bought dinner for you. I made a pizza with lots of cheese.¡± ¡°¡­Do you know how old I am? I can¡¯t eat that much oily food anymore because it makes my stomach upset.¡± ¡°Well then, Sensei, please eat the salad that I brought. That would make it healthy, right?¡± ¡°Hmm, you are still treating me roughly. Today¡¯s MVP is you, Suo-kun.¡± ¡°Ehehe, of course, it¡¯s me!!¡± Saying that, the girl who belonged to the Magical Girl¡¯s side and who had completely deceived the government to retrieve the magic nucleus of the Demonic Flower¨CAzuma Suo laughed innocently. Their ultimate goal was the re-descent of the God who controlled the boundary. ¨Cin other words, it meant Nanase Tsugumi¡¯s substantial death. With the help of Agatsuma¡¯s contract God and the foresight power of the God Volva, who had appeared and claimed to be Sakura¡¯s supporter, they succeeded in creating the magic nucleus. The only thing that remained was to secure Nanase Tsugumi and made the ritual a success. ¡°I feel bad for Sakura-kun who tried to save that child, but it¡¯s going as originally planned. ¨CAccording to the Goddess Volva, her spirit is hidden inside Tsugumi. Yeah, I¡¯m looking forward to speaking with her..¡± Muttering this, Asakura smiled gently. The night of those who embrace the wrong cause just goes on and on. CH 138 A Thankful Sermon Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani After leaving the hospital and reporting to the government throughout the night, Tsugumi called his friend at the villa to pick up his belongings later and then headed downstairs to the confinement where Bell was. Perhaps because he had been up all day, he felt really sleepy. He was tired and had been up all night, so in a way, it was probably only natural. ¡­I guess he will get angry. I know that, but I still feel a bit heavy. With this in mind, he talked to the manager in the basement and headed to the confinement room where Bell was located. It was like a private room, so he didn¡¯t have to worry about how he spoke. He took a deep breath and put his hand on the door. As soon as he entered, Bell, sitting in a large chair, opened his mouth. ¡°¨CIt seems it was quite noisy up there yesterday.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, there was a sudden Irregular. I was helping with that for a bit¡­.¡± When Tsugumi hesitantly said this, Bell moved his face closer and said with a ferocious smile. ¡°I see. Let¡¯s talk about that unpleasant contract that surrounds you. What do you say, my contractor?¡± Then Bell pinched Tsugumi¡¯s cheek. ¡­He was definitely angry. ¡°Hey, it hurts, your nails are sticking in!¡± ¡°Hm? It seems that the injury on that arm is bigger than such a trivial claw mark, though?¡± ¡°I know, I¡¯ll talk properly¡­!¡± When Bell let go of him, he rubbed his cheeks and told him about what had happened today. As expected, Bell became even more enraged. ¡°Haa? Are you serious? I don¡¯t care if she¡¯s a Goddess or whatever, you¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡± ¡­Well, his anger was justified. The Goddess spat on his property while he was out of sight. It would be weird if he didn¡¯t get angry. And in this case, Tsugumi was at fault as well. Even if he had no intention of dying, Bell wouldn¡¯t have felt good about him making a contract with another God without his consent. With a sense of guilt, Tsugumi accepted Bell¡¯s remark with a solemn expression while sitting upright on the floor. ¡°¨CYou really don¡¯t learn no matter what I say to you. In the first place, there is no need to bow down to any God but me.¡± After spewing out a lot of frustration, Bell let out a loud sigh and stretched out his tail to smack Tsugumi in the face. It hurt. ¡°¡­It was indeed thoughtless of me to sign the contract on the spot without permission. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡°Well, you can say whatever you like. ¨CFreya, I¡¯ll remember her name.¡± Bell clicked his tongue loudly as he mentioned the Goddess¡¯s name. ¡­At this rate, it looked like he would go see Freya as soon as his house arrest was lifted. I don¡¯t want him to get suspended again, he thought, his shoulders dropping slightly. ¡°How dare you put yourself in so much trouble. I¡¯ve been aware of it for a while, but are you really that stupid?¡± Bell said in disgust. ¡°I don¡¯t want this to happen to me either¡­¡± The sin of Shikabane Sakura, his own sister. The relationship with Chidori. The repeated Irregularities and the recent incident with the flower and Freya. None of these issues could be avoided, but they were too heavy for a single person to handle. ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t do anything rash until I get out of here.. ¨CI¡¯ve got a bad feeling about this.¡± ¡°You think so too, Bell-sama? Honestly, I also think the Irregular this time was strange. I don¡¯t know what to say, but I felt someone¡¯s will more than usual. It¡¯s as if we are following some sort of plot.¡± ¨CIn the first place, was it really a coincidence that he met Hitsugi and his friends at that time? He accidentally encountered Hitsugi on the sea he ventured out to and was attacked by a Demonic Flower, and his ability to transport was essential to deal with that Demonic Flower. Considering the probability, it was too good to be true. Normally, Tsugumi would suspect the involvement of Freya, the most suspicious presence in this case, but in the first place, Tsugumi had no reason to mess around with that Goddess. Then it could be the one who urged him to go to the sea that day, Shiro, who had thrown him into the disaster of the incident¨Cat the thought, Tsugumi shook his head with a wry smile. ¡°No, as expected, I think too much about this. ¡­For now, I¡¯m going home today. Is there anything you¡¯d like me to bring next time?¡± ¡°Bring me something to eat. Anything is fine, as long as it¡¯s in large quantities.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll see you later, Bell-sama.¡± With that greeting, Tsugumi left the basement. Just as he was about to head home, he looked down at his outfit. ¡°¡­What should I do about these clothes? I hope Chidori isn¡¯t home.¡± Haa, he let out a sigh and picked at the edge of his skirt. ..He wondered if he should wash this and return it. ¡°I am really unlucky this time, with people seeing me like that. I¡¯ll have to complain to Shiro later.¡± Even if he put on a lot of hoodies, it was still a swimsuit. He thought to himself that it was good that nobody take a picture of him like this and began to walk away. ¨CThat¡¯s what Tsugumi was thinking, but he had no way of knowing that after this, a staff he knew would make an outrageous request. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô One week after the attack of the Demonic Flower, in a certain thread. [Jukka] Thread for Hagakure Sakura [10th place] 1: Anonymous This is the general thread for the A-class Magical Girl, Hagakure Sakura. Please feel free to chat, discuss, etc. ?For other magical girl topics, go to the dedicated thread ?No trolling or slander ¡«¡« 44: Anonymous Still, this incident is terrifying. Seriously, slipping through the detection system has to be a joke. 45: Anonymous Isn¡¯t the recent Irregular¡¯s murderous intent for humans too high?? 46: Anonymous Moreover, that flower seems to be F-class, which is below E in terms of rank. People are a little desensitized because they only see highly ranked Magical Girls, but regular humans can¡¯t even beat that level of Demonic Beasts without weapons. 47: Anonymous I knew it, Magical Girls are awesome. 48: Anonymous I used to think it was a pain in the ass to evacuate every time there¡¯s an E-class Demonic Beast, but I¡¯ve changed my mind. I don¡¯t want to die yet. 49: Anonymous But it¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve had an incident where that many people died. It¡¯s funny how everyone is laughing at the government¡¯s response here and there. 50: Anonymous >>49 Nothing¡¯s funny, scum. People are dying. 51: Anonymous But the government could have done a little more. It¡¯s too late to do anything about it. They¡¯re paid with our tax money, so they should work harder. 52: Anonymous If we take the dead out of the equation, isn¡¯t it better that it took only half a day to solve the problem? Compared to the great fire with no known cause, they did a fair job this time. 53: Anonymous I don¡¯t want to sound like I¡¯m defending my family, but my brother, who works for the government, had a mental illness because of this case. I talked to him when I brought him a change of clothes, and he was crying because he was so busy that he couldn¡¯t even take a nap. 54: Anonymous I heard that the working environment is also black. No wonder there are always black rumors. 55: Anonymous In a way, they¡¯re risking their lives just like the Magical Girls¡­ 56: Anonymous Complaining about the government is a slippery slope, so do it somewhere else. This is a thread to talk about the cuteness of Hagakure-san. 57: Anonymous Huh? She¡¯s not cute, she¡¯s beautiful. 58: Anonymous Your blood pressure is too low. Not enough calories in your brain? Learn from Hagakure-san. 59: Anonymous >>58 Some people have doubled their weight as a result of following Hagakure-san, so be careful what you say! By the way, I gained 20 kilos. 60: Anonymous I gained 13 kilograms 61: A Anonymous Play Unmute Are we having a pig fair here? 62: A Anonymous Because Hagakure-san always eats so deliciously. When I watch her past gluttony videos, I always end up eating between meals. 63: Anonymous >>61 Chill, dude. You¡¯re being rude! 64: Anonymous Come to think of it, there were a few sightings of Hagakure-san here and there in this case. You know, the ones where she wore tight skirts and jumped over the fence. 65: Anonymous It was talked about in the previous thread, but is it true that the movement was so flashy that you could see her pants? 66: Anonymous All I have left is a blurry photo, but I can confirm that it was black. As for me, it was more shocking that she showed her bare legs. 67: Anonymous >>66 Hagakure-san never shows her skin, right? 68: Anonymous To Hagakure-san¡¯s credit, I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s not underwear, but a swimsuit. My brother, who works for the government, told me that she came to help in her swimsuit when the incident happened. By the way, the shirt and skirt were provided by the government. 69: Anonymous Seriously! Why didn¡¯t your brother take a picture?! 70: Anonymous No, he would have been fired for doing that in that emergency. 71: Anonymous. You¡¯re right. That¡¯s for sure. 72: Anonymous >>68 So, by ¡°help,¡± you mean she came on her own? She must be a very nice person. 73: Anonymous I¡¯ve been thinking about this since the Radon battle, she¡¯s a surprisingly good person. How did she grow up to have such a perfect personality? I want my sassy little sister to learn from her. 74: Anonymous >>73 First, You¡¯d have to put high-calorie chocolate in your sister¡¯s brain. 75: Anonymous >>74 Enough of that trend. When the incident calmed down, it was discovered that there was a photo of Hagakure Sakura extracted from the surveillance camera footage. Then a staff member who was one of the people in the thread got down on his knees and asked permission from the reluctant Hagakure Sakura, and the photo was uploaded to the thread, creating a festive situation. CH 139 A Promise for the Future Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani After leaving the government, Tsugumi let out a sigh as he looked up in a daze at the sun rising high in the sky. His talk with Bell had taken longer than he had expected. Originally, today was the last day of the trip, and if nothing else happened, he would have planned to go to the seafood market for breakfast. By this time, everyone was probably already getting ready to leave. It was very disappointing, but for once it couldn¡¯t be helped. Tsugumi bought oversized unisex clothes at a random store, and then changed into them and returned to his male form. He didn¡¯t intend to appear in front of his friends in a skirt. Then, he placed the clothes he took off in the cloth bag that held his bathing suit and bloody hoodie. Then, he sewed the top part of the bag with thread so that the contents would not be visible. With this, the contents of the bag shouldn¡¯t be visible at a quick glance. ¡­But what should I do with the clothes I borrowed from the government? Even if he tried to wash it and return it, the shirt was soaked with blood and the skirt was torn off due to various violent movements. It would probably be faster to buy a new one and return it. With that in mind, he returned to the lodge where he was staying and met up with his friends. When he entered the lodge, Akiyama, who was getting ready to leave, came running up to Tsugumi. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Nanase. You made it back. ¨CYou got caught up in that Irregularity, didn¡¯t you? I am sorry to hear that.¡± ¡°Yeah. I only got my arm grazed a little bit but I had to be hospitalized for an examination.¡± ¨CHe told Akiyama and friends that ¡°I¡¯m going to be hospitalized overnight because I¡¯ve been involved in Irregular damage¡±. Well, it was still half true. When Tsugumi said so, Akiyama opened his mouth with a dumbfounded look. ¡°You idiot, that kind of carelessness is dangerous, you know? ¡­Anyway, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe. We were worried.¡± Akiyama laughed in relief. It seemed he had caused a lot of worries. ¨CHe should have told a more decent lie. He told them that he was involved in a case in which 30% of the victims were dead. Thinking about it normally, it would be strange if they weren¡¯t worried. To be honest, he didn¡¯t think that far ahead. ¡­It felt like his sensibilities were a little off, probably because he had too many things happen to him recently. Maybe he should be a little more careful. Tsugumi smiled vaguely as he thought about this. Perhaps because he had been repeatedly fighting on the edge as a Magical Girl, he felt that the line between danger and death was becoming blurred. He wouldn¡¯t go as far as saying that death was cheap, but if he continued to feel the same way he did now, his friends would become suspicious. His friends didn¡¯t know that Tsugumi was a Magical Girl. And he didn¡¯t intend to tell them in the future. This was partly because he was afraid of being discovered ¨C but more than that, he didn¡¯t want to lose the relationship he had now. Most of his days off and after school time were taken up by his activities as a Magical Girl, but he was able to be a ¡°normal high school student¡± during the rest of the time he was at school. Making fools of each other with empty conversations and laughing at trivial things without any pretensions. They didn¡¯t know how much those days helped Tsugumi. ¡°I wonder what everyone will be doing this time next year. We will be on different paths, and we won¡¯t get together like this as often as we used to, so I feel a little sad.¡± After they finished getting ready to go home, Tsugumi murmured. After this last high school summer vacation, his classmates, no matter how optimistic they might be, would be concentrating on their entrance examinations. Then there would be no more opportunities to make a silly fuss like this. By this time next year, they would be hanging out with the friends they made at the new place, and the friends he made in high school would soon be estranged. Thinking of this, he began to feel indescribable loneliness. Then Akiyama, who had heard his murmur, looked at him with a puzzled look and said. ¡°Hey, haven¡¯t I told you, Nanase? ¨CWe asked Natsukawa¡¯s father if we can rent the place again next year. I haven¡¯t received a reply yet, but even if it doesn¡¯t work out, we¡¯ll find another place. So, Nanase, please keep your plans open for this time next year.¡± ¡°¡­.Next year?¡± ¡°Yes, next year. Oh, you¡¯re not going to turn me down, are you? You were out of the group this time, so you¡¯d better make sure you join in next time!¡± Akiyama said and pointed his index finger at Tsugumi. Tsugumi opened his mouth in surprise and looked around. His other friends put on the pressure as if to say, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t refuse, would you?¡±. There was a hint of desperation in that situation. ¡°No, it¡¯s all right. I just think it¡¯s too soon.¡± When he answered with a tilt of his head, some of them looked away and some smiled wryly. As he wondered about the state of these friends, Fuyuno, who was watching this exchange from a distance, said in a persuading voice while drawing a sketch. ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea that we will all be separated by higher education or something. As long as we make an appointment ahead of time, we can see each other again, right? I want to participate in the trip with everyone again.¡± Tsugumi was a little surprised at Fuyuno¡¯s words. ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. But it¡¯s surprising that Fuyuno would say such a thing. I thought you weren¡¯t the kind of person who cares about that sort of thing.¡± His classmate Fuyuno was basically indifferent to anything other than drawing. This trip, too, was more for the purpose of painting beautiful scenery than for fun. In fact, Fuyuno was more active individually than in a group. He had assumed that she was the artistic type who was not very interested in people, but apparently, from the way she spoke, she was enjoying this trip in her own way. When Tsugumi said this, Fuyuno smiled thinly and opened her mouth. ¡°Well, do I look that way to you? I love this class too, you know? Because no matter what I do, no one makes fun of it, and no matter how good my drawings are, no one is jealous of me. ¡­There is no place more comfortable than here. Everyone probably feels the same way.¡± Fuyuno smiled as she said this. The other friends¡¯ faces were either frowning or looking away in embarrassment. ¨CCome to think of it, he¡¯d heard Mebuki say the same thing before. ¡°For outliers like us, it is comfortable to be in a class full of oddballs,¡± she had said. The F class, to which Tsugumi belonged, was the only class of the eight classes in the school year that didn¡¯t change classes. Perhaps because it was a class that attracted problem children, many students transferred in from other classes. By the way, the other classes were numbered from 1 to 7, but for some reason, class F was the only class that was named using letters of the alphabet. The reason for this was unknown, but there were various theories, such as ¡°F for delinquent¡± ¡°F for freak,¡± and so on, according to the graduating seniors. Personally, he preferred the ¡°F for Freedom¡±. In Tsugumi¡¯s case, he was transferred to F class with Yukitaka in June of his freshman year, and by the time he became a sophomore, the group had almost the same lineup of students as they did now. Some of them were prickly and harsh at first, but then they found themselves fussing with the others as if a screw had been removed from their head. The transformation of the group made Tsugumi wonder, ¡°Are these guys really okay?¡± but they seemed to be having a lot more fun than when he first met them, so he agreed that perhaps the situation was right for them. He was convinced. ¨CA genius is, by nature, a solitary creature. Ordinary people tended to fear what they didn¡¯t understand. Even if the other person was within the realm of understanding, if they were superior, anyone would feel jealous. No genius could escape the pure malice of such people. It was probably because the teachers knew this that they grouped together problem children into Class F¨Ca group of problem children with similar problems. That¡¯s why, Mebuki said that Class F ¨C a class that only consisted of exceptional students ¨C was a kind of salvation. It might be because most of the students in the class were over-the-top geniuses or out-of-the-box freaks. ¡­The only exception was Yukitaka, but he enjoyed the malice of others, so he had to be excluded. Remembering this, Tsugumi couldn¡¯t help but smile. In other words, they were as sad as he was about saying goodbye. Thinking about it warmed his heart a little. ¡°What the heck, you guys are lonely too, after all. You¡¯re usually aloof, but you have a pretty cute side.¡± Smiling, Tsugumi lightly poked Akiyama, who was closest to him, with his elbow. He knew the teasing was a bit mean, but since he was usually the one being teased, it was easy to get carried away. Akiyama wrinkled his eyebrows, then let out a big sigh and smiled brightly. But only his eyes were not smiling at all. ¡°¨CNanase, you know, sometimes you go into places that I don¡¯t want you to touch. Hasn¡¯t your personality gotten worse?¡± ¡°No, I just want you to know how I feel sometimes when I was being hit the moment I let my guard down. ¡­More importantly, Akiyama, your ears are red.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh, wait, you can¡¯t do that without saying it first! It¡¯s the injured arm! It hurts, it really hurts! Even if you want to hide your embarrassment, there¡¯s a limit!¡± With a fluid motion, his arm was taken and the joint was bent to the opposite side. The wound twisted and hurt like hell. The trick was firmly applied until he apologized, and when he was finally released, he rubbed his arm with tears in his eyes. ¡­It was really terrible. As Tsugumi complained, Akiyama looked embarrassed and opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. ¡­About Amari as well.¡± ¡°Did he do something again?¡± At the name that came out of nowhere, Tsugumi couldn¡¯t help but react. ¨CHe wondered if he was in trouble again. Thinking like that, Tsugumi waited for Akiyama to speak, but Akiyama shook his head in small denial. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that ¡­Next year, you know, you should bring that Amari guy. If Nanase invite him, even he would come, right?¡± Akiyama said this without hiding his expression of ruthless unwillingness. ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with inviting him, but is it really okay? Because you guys don¡¯t like him, do you?¡± Tsugumi would be happy to go on a trip with Yukitaka, but that¡¯s not the case for his friends. This time, he had asked Yukitaka to join, but Yukitaka refused, saying he was busy. He thought that was probably just an excuse, and Yukitaka probably didn¡¯t want to come because he knew he would get into a fight with them. ¡°I hate that guy. He has a bad personality and pisses me off. ¨CBut he¡¯s still an important friend to Nanase, right? If that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll make an effort not to fight with him once a year or so.¡± ¡°¡­Akiyama.¡± ¡°And he¡¯s been quiet lately. If he keeps it that way, we won¡¯t even bother him. As long as he doesn¡¯t try to mess with us in any weird way, we¡¯re fine with it.¡± Tsugumi nodded in agreement with Akiyama¡¯s words. He didn¡¯t know what Yukitaka¡¯s response would be, but he was glad to see that his friends were willing to compromise. ¨CBut it was true that Yukitaka had been quiet lately. He was strangely depressed, or perhaps, troubled. Thinking that far, Tsugumi mentally shook his head. Even Yukitaka had a problem or two. Unless he wanted to talk about it, it was not something he want to get involved in. Tsugumi looked Akiyama squarely in the face, bowed his head, and said. ¡°I¡¯ll call him when I get back. ¨CThanks.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing ¡­Even that guy is a classmate too.¡± After saying this, Akiyama turned away with a pout. Apparently, he had no intention of talking further. ¨CThinking that it would be nice if this opportunity could improve the relationship between Yukitaka and his friends, Tsugumi laughed. Afterward, the group took the train back to the local station and they split up there. Dragging his large suitcase, he dialed a number. ¡°Ah, hello. Yukitaka?¡± [¡°Yes, what do you want?¡±] Yukitaka picked up the phone after the first few calls, but he answered curtly. He seemed to be in a bad mood. After some small talk, Tsugumi cut to the chase. ¡°I was just talking with Akiyama and the others today, would you like to go to the beach with us next year, Yukitaka?¡± [¡°¡­Next year?¡±] ¡°Yes, next year. I know it¡¯s a little early. What do you think? I¡¯d be happy if Yukitaka come.¡± When Tsugumi asked this question, Yukitaka mumbled something in a small voice, saying, ¡°Next year¡­ I am not sure. I don¡¯t know about that.¡± But soon after that, as if he had regained his composure, he let out a cheerful voice and told Tsugumi. [¡°¨CWhen next summer comes, if Tsugumi-chan will join as well, I can come.¡±] ¡°Really?! I probably won¡¯t have any particular plans next year, so it will be fine.¡± The permission was obtained more easily than he had expected. With a sigh of relief, Tsugumi said to Yukitaka. ¡°Nothing has been decided in detail yet. If I find out anything, I¡¯ll contact you again.¡± [¡°Yes. ¡­Um, Tsugumi-chan.¡±] Learn more Pause Unmute ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± When Tsugumi asked Yukitaka, who seemed to be somewhat unenergetic, he hesitated and choked up his words, saying, ¡°It¡¯s nothing after all. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡¯ ¡°Is there something wrong? No, I don¡¯t mind if you don¡¯t want to talk about it. ¡­Or do you really hate the trip? It¡¯s okay to refuse, you know?¡± ¨CHe answered that he would go, but maybe he didn¡¯t want to go on the trip after all. Tsugumi was worried and asked about that but Yukitaka replied with a small laugh. [¡°It¡¯s okay. I was a just little annoyed by something else. ¡ªHey, Tsugumi-chan.¡±] ¡°What?¡± Then, Yukitaka said in a very kind voice, unlike his usual light tone. [¡°I¡¯m looking forward to next year.¡±] ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô After finishing the phone call with Tsugumi, Yukitaka silently slammed his cell phone against the wall. Clang, the sound of something breaking could be heard. Breathing heavily, Yukitaka scratched his head and sat down on the floor. Staring at the floor with dark eyes, he grumbled. ¡°There is no next year. ¡­There is no time left for you, Tsugumi-chan.¡± ¨CErosion by Lucifer. An evil God spilling out of the vessel. No matter how many times he estimated it, Nanase Tsugumi wouldn¡¯t last until next summer. In addition, Freya, the God of love who had been hiding in this world for many years, had made a contract with Tsugumi. Because of this, Yukitaka could no longer easily kill Tsugumi. ¡°If Tsugumi-chan dies, his soul will be taken by that whore. ¨CThat¡¯s not what I want.¡± When he got this information from a certain source, he was furious, but the timing was too good to be true. Then Yukitaka recalled his last conversation with Lucifer. The Irregularity this time ¨C the attack of the Demonic Beast that didn¡¯t go through the rift in the heavens. It matched what Lucifer had said last time. Perhaps the collaborator Lucifer talked about was Freya. She was that guy¡¯s collaborator, and her nature was twisted. He never thought she would go to Tsugumi in that situation. ¡­No, he was talking about that twisted Lucifer here. After knowing his intentions, she made Freya sign that kind of contract. In order not to let Yukitaka kill Tsugumi. ¡°¨CWhat on earth is she thinking? What is she going to do?¡± Not understanding what was going on, he punched the wall. He had no idea what Lucifer was thinking. If it was just about taking over Tsugumi¡¯s body, she didn¡¯t have to go through such troublesome things. At least, at the time, Lucifer didn¡¯t seem to act like she was planning to erase Tsugumi¡¯s personality. That¡¯s why Yukitaka decided to wait and see. ¨CBut now, here we are. Because of the contract with Freya, Yukitaka¡¯s goal of ¡°letting NanaseTsugumi die as a human¡± was now completely impossible to achieve. In other words, he was stuck. ¡°¡­What should I do now?¡± Do I think of a way to slip through the contract and kill Tsugumi? Or find another way ¨C a way to keep him alive? Either way, there was not much time left. Yukitaka lay down on the floor holding his head. Then he remembered what he had said on the phone earlier. ¨CGoing to the sea together. Tsugumi-chan can say that because he doesn¡¯t know anything. He made promises for next year as if it was natural and didn¡¯t even suspect whether Yukitaka would still be by his side until that time. Truly, he was a foolish person. But perhaps the truly foolish person was Yukitaka himself, who continued to wonder what he should do. ¡°¡­.All of them are idiots.¡± Yukitaka muttered to himself, tore out a page from a notebook that had fallen out, and wrote something down. He then folded the paper like a crane, placed it in his palm, and closed his eyes as if in prayer. ¡°Contact Tsukuyomi. ¨CI¡¯m not going to let Lucifer do what he wants. That thing, Tsugumi, is my friend (property). I will never give him up.¡± Saying this, Yukitaka looked up. ¨CIs it devotion or obsession? If Lucifer¡¯s love is a distorted familial love, what should Yukitaka¡¯s feelings be called? Surely Freya, the God of love, would say that Yukitaka¡¯s love is love, too. The malice of mankind, the play of God, and the prayer of the devil. Who will be the one to get the beautiful flower in the end? The roll of fate is still up in the air. CH 140 Troublesome Request Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani It had already been a week since the Demonic Flower Irregular incident. At this delicate time, with only a few days left before Bell was released from house arrest, Tsugumi was summoned by Higoromo ¨C Mebuki¡¯s senior ¨C and went to Teito University, where his laboratory was located. The university was less crowded than he had expected, perhaps because it was summer vacation. But the buildings and facilities were very impressive, as expected of a university that claimed to be the best in Japan. The university was not for Tsugumi who had an average grade, but Chidori and some of his classmates seemed to have this university as their first choice. In that case, there might be an opportunity to come back to the university sometimes for the school festival. While thinking about such a trivial matter, Tsugumi remembered his business this time. ¨CThe text of the email from Higoromo barely stated the reason for the call, but there might have been some progress regarding [Sakura-oneechan]. After Tsugumi regained some of his memories, he told Higoromo everything, except for Chidori-related matters, just in case, but there were still many things he didn¡¯t understand about the incident. ¡­Originally, he should have been more motivated to try to regain his memories, but he just couldn¡¯t find the energy to do so. It had to do with the change in his feelings for Sakura-oneechan. Recalling the past that should have been lost, Tsugumii¡¯s impression of Sakura-oneechan was drastically reversed. Sakura-oneechan was certainly kind to him, but he never understood what she was thinking when she caused such a thing. It was definitely his sister who had caused the great fire, kidnapped Chidori, and tried to summon a God with some kind of power. Whatever her intentions were, it was clear that she was insane. ¨CI want to know the truth, but I don¡¯t want to know. Such contradictory feelings were swirling in Tsugumi¡¯s mind. ¡­If he knew the truth, he would probably end up hating his beloved Sakura-oneechan. With such gloomy thoughts in his mind, he arrived at the designated room, relying on the map of the campus attached to the e-mail. He knocked lightly on the door labeled as ¡°Higoromo¡¯s private reference room¡± and after a few moments, a pale hand emerged from the door, beckoning him to come in. ¡­What in the world is going on? It was too suspicious. Even though Tsugumi felt suspicious, he called out, ¡°Excuse me,¡± and peeked into the room. The owner of the pale hands ¨C Higoromo ¨C answered bluntly, ¡°Come on in,¡± with a dark face, and turned to the desk by the wall. And just like that, he started working on something on his computer. ¡­Tsugumi was completely abandoned. Tsugumi, troubled by Higoromo¡¯s attitude, called out, ¡°Um, Higoromo-san?¡± ¡°Please sit down for a while. I¡¯m sorry to call you here, but I still haven¡¯t finished putting together the analysis survey that I was suddenly forced to do.¡± ¡°Um, even if you tell me to sit down and wait¡­ where can I sit here?¡± Saying that, he looked around the room. The room was about 15 tatami mats and was littered with documents, technical books, and other equipment that he didn¡¯t understand. There was no place to step, let alone sit. When Tsugumi intentionally said that, Higoromo clicked his tongue and said, ¡°Then clean up the room and wait for me.¡± ¨CWhile thinking that this person suddenly said something outrageous, Tsugumi stared at Higoromo in surprise. ¡°Put the papers in piles, separated by date, heading, and page order. Books should be placed in the corner. ¡­You can put the equipment anywhere as long as you don¡¯t destroy it. The equipment in this room isn¡¯t worth much.¡± When Higoromo said so, Tsugumi hurriedly opened his mouth. ¡°No, umm, I don¡¯t mind cleaning it up, but is it okay for someone who isn¡¯t a student here to look at Higoromo-san¡¯s papers without permission?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no problem. You won¡¯t understand the content even if you see them anyway.¡± When he was told such a thing so casually, Tsugumi groaned a little and held his chest. ¨CThat¡¯s true, but isn¡¯t that too harsh? Even though he was plainly hurt, he was unable to say anything back, so Tsugumi just quietly nodded his head. ¡°Do we have enough time? I¡¯ve got to finish this case in two hours.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, yes. Well, start cleaning up then.¡± Higoromo bluntly said so, and Tsugumi began to move his hands to clean up the room while asking himself, ¡°Why am I in this situation¡­?¡± The fact that he didn¡¯t storm out showed how serious he was. After spending an hour cleaning up the room, Tsugumi finally found a chair and sat down in it, waiting for Higoromo to free up his hands, then Higoromo let out a loud, tired sigh and muttered ¡°I¡¯m done¡­¡± .Apparently, the job was finally done. Seeing him completely slumped and weak in his chair, it seemed he was quite tired. ¡­It would probably be better to come out and talk about this at a later date. As Tsugumi stared at Higoromo¡¯s back while thinking about such things, Higoromo spun around in his chair and bowed his head with an embarrassed look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about all this. I don¡¯t want to make excuses, but I¡¯ve been up all night on an urgent matter and I¡¯ve been a bit preoccupied. I¡¯m sorry I took it out on you. Saying this, Higoromo scratched his head tiredly. Perhaps because he didn¡¯t have time to adjust his appearance, his slightly pigmented brown hair was losing its luster. ¡­With such a pitiful appearance, Tsugumi couldn¡¯t blame him even if he wanted to. ¡°No, I don¡¯t really mind. Besides, as Higoromo-san said, I really didn¡¯t understand any of the documents¡­¡± Hahaha, Tsugumi replied with a powerless smile. ¡­While he was putting together the document, he rebelliously looked at the contents for a bit, but he couldn¡¯t make sense of it to the point where he couldn¡¯t tell if they were really using the same language. He didn¡¯t mean to compete, but this was beyond frustrating. As Tsugumi was devastated, Higoromo stood up and walked toward the sink in the room. He took something like a cup from the cabinet, rinsed it lightly with water, and filled it with some kind of liquid from a pot. When he returned, he quietly held it out in front of Tsugumi. A small beaker filled with a dark green liquid. Yes, it was a beaker with a memory label attached. Tsugumi looked at it intently and fell silent for a moment, unable to grasp what was happening. ¨CIs this tea? He¡¯d seen it in manga, but did people really serve drinks in beakers? As he accepted the beaker while remembering his strange impression, Higoromo said with a wry smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I only have this. I don¡¯t usually have guests in this room, so I don¡¯t have any cups. Oh, don¡¯t worry, those are almost unused.¡± Tsugumi thought, ¡°What do you mean by almost?¡± but swallowed his words. There were some things in this world that he didn¡¯t need to know. ¡°I don¡¯t have a phobia of germs or anything like that, so I¡¯m fine with this. Thank you for your concern.¡± Still feeling a little uneasy, he gently put his mouth on the beaker. Then, a strange bitterness spread in his mouth. ¡­To be frank, it tasted really bad. ¡°It-it has a very unique taste. What kind of tea is it?¡± When Tsugumi asked this question while holding back a puke, Higoromo answered quietly, sipping his tea with dead eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a gift, so I don¡¯t really know. I think it¡¯s probably weeds picked from the nearby forest or something.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, it¡¯s been approved by a great doctor for its efficacy. There is nothing bad in it.¡± Seeing Higoromo gulping down the disgusting tea while saying so nonchalantly, Tsugumi became worried, ¡°Is this person really okay¡­?¡± Perhaps he had been up all night too long and his thoughts had gone haywire. Taking a closer look, he could see that his body was swaying drowsily, and his eyes were not focused properly. It was nice to come here to talk, but Tsugumi didn¡¯t think this person was in the right condition to have a serious conversation. ¡°Um, if you don¡¯t mind, would you like to change the date? You don¡¯t seem well, Higoromo-san.¡± When Tsugumi spoke worriedly, Higoromo lowered his eyes slightly and shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s better to talk now. ¨CIn this situation, If I slip up a little, it will spill all over.¡± Saying this, Higoromo rested his chin. ¡°The case I was involved in this time was the analysis of the Demonic Flower. In other words, it was a request from the government. The details were left to other research institutes, but in the end, I had to put them all together. It¡¯s too much trouble.¡± ¡°Um, that¡¯s hard, isn¡¯t it¡­?¡± When Tsugumi tilted his head at the sudden complaint, Higoromo continued talking without paying attention to him. ¡°To be honest, I have a lot of work to do besides this. I don¡¯t have time to look into the great fire.¡± ¡°¡­Does that mean the investigation is discontinued?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to jump to conclusions. ¨CI¡¯ve already done a rough outline of the great fire. However, I still don¡¯t have the information that the person who asked me to investigate wants to know. So, I can¡¯t get out of this investigation until I get this issue cleared up. Tricky, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I understand your reason, but why are you telling me this?¡± When Tsugumi asked him curiously, Higoromo smiled at him with a beautiful smile. The smile on his face reminded him of Mebuki when she asked him to do something crazy, and he couldn¡¯t help but shudder. ¡­He had a bad feeling about this. Then Higoromo looked at him meaningfully, and suddenly pulled a silver card out of his jacket pocket and held it out in front of Tsugumi. ¡°This is a security card for access to government documents. You should be able to use it once you¡¯ve registered with the administrator. Use it as you wish.¡± ¡°Hmm? I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± When Tsugumi said that in confusion, Higoromo spoke slowly. ¡°Nanase Tsugumi-kun. You will investigate the truth behind the great fire.¡± ¡°¡­ Huh?¡± ¡°For some reason, the investigation of the great fire has been entrusted to me. You may not be up to the task, but I think you are better suited for this matter.¡± ¡°Hey, wait a minute. When we first met, Higoromo-san said, ¡®Things related to the great fire are confidential and can¡¯t be told to ordinary people.¡¯ There¡¯s no way an ordinary person like me could do that!¡± No matter how much the person in charge¨CHigoromo¨Callowed it, there was no way an ordinary person could take over the matters that even had to be written into a contract for information management. When Tsugumi raised his voice, Higoromo narrowed his eyes and quietly opened his mouth. ¡°Yeah. If you are an ordinary person who has nothing to do with the government, it would be impossible for you to take over the job. But if it¡¯s Jukka, then it¡¯s a different story. Isn¡¯t that right, Nanase Tsugumi¨Cno, Hagakure Sakura-san?¡± Saying that, Higoromo said beautifully. LyraDhani''s notes: I said before that I would translate the side story but there''s a problem with the site so unfortunately, I have to delete it. It had happened before and I also deleted it then. I can''t even ask the guy in charge about it because he''s been busy. I am sorry. Next, the schedule for Hagakure Sakura changed from 09.30 am to 21.00 pm due to irl stuff. Now, enjoy the beginning of Volume 6 ?(^?^*) CH 141 Unable to accept what Higoromo had said to him, Tsugumi was at a loss for words for a moment. But he quickly came back to his sense and voiced his denial. ¡°¡­What are you saying? I¡¯m Hagakure Sakura? That¡¯s impossible. Even if I have the aptitude to be a Magical Girl, please don¡¯t make weird jokes about it.¡± Even as he said this, he couldn¡¯t hide the turmoil in his heart. ¨CWhere did he find out? He gritted his teeth, but couldn¡¯t think of anything at all. In the first place, there was almost no contact between Tsugumi and Higoromo, and this was only the second time they had met in person. They hadn¡¯t even talked about anything that would reveal Hagakure Sakura¡¯s true identity. So why? ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it as a joke. I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡°So what makes you think that-¡° ¡°Is it easier to understand if I say that I confirmed it with Toono Sumire? Oh, don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not like she¡¯s spreading some rumors about you.¡± Saying this, Higoromo smiled gently. But his eyes were looking straight at Tsugumi, and he didn¡¯t seem to be bluffing. Now that he thought about it, there was a section that felt suspicious from the beginning. The last time they had met face to face, Higoromo had told Tsugumi about a male Magical Girl. He was caught off guard at the topic of a male having the right aptitude, but perhaps he had been observing Tsugumi¡¯s reaction since then. ¡­Really, he had a bad personality. However, the fact that he had confirmed it with Toono meant that he had already verified it. There was no point in fooling him around anymore. Tsugumi let out a loud sigh and looked at Higoromo with a scornful look. ¡°So, if I am Hagakure Sakura, what are you going to do with me, Higoromo-san? You don¡¯t mean to tell me that you¡¯re only bringing this up so I can take over the case of the great fire, do you?¡± If so, it was too short-sighted. Even if he had realized Hagakure Sakura¡¯s true identity, there would have been no need for him to expose Tsugumi like this. If he had known Toono, he could have casually offered the job through her. Though Tsugumi didn¡¯t intend to, did Higoromo think he wouldn¡¯t be upset and use force? He was supposed to be a very smart researcher, but his behavior seemed too sudden and sloppy. As Tsugumi increased his vigilance due to his distrust of Higoromo, he sighed in annoyance. ¡°¡­You have a surprisingly stubborn streak. To be clear, I¡¯m not going to engage in any more meaningless questioning or bargaining. It¡¯s a waste of time.¡± Higoromo shrugged his shoulders as he said so. It seemed that no matter how badly Tsugumi denied it, they were going to continue the conversation based on the assumption that Tsugumi = Hagakure Sakura. ¨CIn that case, there was no point in being stubborn any longer. The moment Toono and Higoromo were connected, there was no way to win the argument. Tsugumi let out a sigh of resignation and quietly sat back in his chair. At any rate, the conversation couldn¡¯t proceed without knowing what Higoromo was thinking. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it at that for now. But, depending on what happens next, I may have to take appropriate measures.¡± When Tsugumi said this in distrust, Higoromo began to speak indifferently. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about it. I have no intention of threatening or harming you in any way. Well, your data is interesting, but I have a sample of a male Magical Girls close to me. You are not that high on my priority list.¡± ¡°Close to you¡­?¡± ¡°Oh. You haven¡¯t heard? ¨CThere¡¯s another male Magical Girl in the government.¡± Hearing that from Higoromo, Tsugumi remembered what Toono had talked about in the food court earlier. ¨CCome to think of it, Toono had said something similar. At that time, he wasn¡¯t able to hear the details and was swept away, but she certainly said that there was a male Magical Girl other than Tsugumi. Maybe it was a fairly well-known story among the higher-ups. ¡°I remember hearing something like that once. I don¡¯t know who it was.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve called you here to talk about the fire, but I¡¯m really here to talk about that Magical Girl. ¨CIt¡¯s someone you know well.¡± ¡°¡­.I know well? Me?¡± At Higoromo¡¯s words, Tsugumi tilted his head. Higoromo said that the male Magical Girl was someone that Tsugumi also knew, but he had no idea. In the first place, Tsugumi ¨C Hagakure Sakura ¨C didn¡¯t really get along that well with the government¡¯s Magical Girls. In fact, they were a bit distant from him. The only people who talked to him properly were the members of Jukka and the staff members of the Countermeasures Headquarters. A person Tsugumi knew within such a narrow circle of friends. If he had to take a guess, the most likely person would be someone whose profile hadn¡¯t been revealed. Thinking that far, Tsugumi lifted his face. Someone among the government¡¯s Magical Girls whose identity was unclear and who was also a friend of Higoromo¡¯s. He only knew one person who fit both of these criteria. Yukino Shizuku-a Magical Girl of Jukka, and Higoromo¡¯s sister. Thinking about it now, Yukino was somewhat boyish and her tone of voice wasn¡¯t very girly either. ¡°¨CI see. I understand.¡± Saying this, Tsugumi nodded with a satisfied look on his face. If it was something that related to Yukino, it wasn¡¯t strange for her older brother, Higoromo, to intervene this way. ¡°Hmmm? Did you find out anything?¡± At Tsugumi¡¯s words, Higoromo opened his eyes in surprise, and with a small smile, urged him to continue. ¡°Yes. Your sister, Yukino-san from Jukka ¨C she¡¯s actually your brother, not your sister. Well, I didn¡¯t notice that at all. That¡¯s amazing. She just looks like a normal, pretty girl.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Higoromo, who had been silently listening to Tsugumi¡¯s answer, tilted his head while resting his chin. He looked as if he wanted to say, ¡°How did it come to that?¡± Then, after a moment of contemplation, he began to speak in a troubled manner. ¡°Ah, what should I say. You look sharp, but you¡¯re pretty dull.¡± ¡°Eh, is that wrong!?¡± Tsugumi thought it was the answer that would cut straight to the heart of the matter, but apparently not. If it wasn¡¯t Yukino, the only other person who could be a good fit was Agatsuma, but he couldn¡¯t imagine her like that. Then Higoromo murmured, ¡°How do you miss it when you know this much? Is this the effect of preconceived misconceptions?¡± He gently rolled up the sleeves of his lab coat. Then he traced his finger to touch a little above his left wrist and let out a loud sigh. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not fair that I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s been silent up to this point. And there¡¯s also the main issue. It would be safer to have you take a look at it at this stage.¡± Higoromo muttered to himself, then got up from his chair and turned his back to Tsugumi. ¡°Do you remember the story I told you before? That every male Magical Girl who has ever existed has the remnants of a twin sister who couldn¡¯t be born.¡± ¡°Um, I do remember. It is because of that remnant that their aptitudes appear, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. Most of the twins are dizygotic ¨C in other words, even if the remaining male transforms, his face and body shape will be closer to the sister¡¯s elements, and there are far more cases where the male¡¯s face will be almost completely absent. Unlike you, who can look exactly like your male self.¡± In response to Higoromo¡¯s absurd words, Tsugumi replied, ¡°What does this have to do with this story?¡± At that moment, Higoromo¡¯s figure on the other side of the desk collapsed. As if crumbling, Higoromo¡¯s body became smaller and his hair turned completely white. Within a few seconds, the transformation stopped. Slender frame and white hair. He immediately knew who it was just looking at her back. Because it was someone so familiar. Tsugumi opened his mouth wide and muttered in a stunned voice. ¡°Yu-Yukino-san? Higoromo-san? Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.. ¨CHow is it, aren¡¯t you surprised? I am the only one of your kind.¡± Higoromo-no, Yukino Shizuku laughed like a child whose prank had succeeded, as she turned around dragging her big white robe. CH 142 Yukino''s Plea Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Fufu, in response to Yukino Shizuku, who puffed out her thin chest, Tsugumi covered his mouth with his hand to prevent himself from shouting out loud. The shocking truth aside, he was also rather shocked to see that the girl he was reasonably friendly with was a man he knew. Frankly, it was still hard to believe even though he saw the transformation right in front of his eyes. ¡°You have a weaker reaction than I expected.¡± Higoromo murmured, saying that Tsugumi¡¯s reaction was boring, and sat down in a chair in Yukino¡¯s form. It seemed that he had no intention of unraveling his transformation yet. ¡­His clothes were about to slip off his shoulders, but he didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°No, I am too shocked. I see, Higoromo-san is ¡­That¡¯s, yeah¡­¡± Tsugumi replied with stuttered words. To be honest, he wanted to spit out his feelings of disappointment, but he was in a similar situation, so he was reluctant to put it into words. Then, feeling somewhat more at ease, Tsugumi gazed intently at Higoromo¡¯s figure. He had a preconceived notion that Higoromo¡¯s face wouldn¡¯t look so different when he transformed into a girl because of the precedent of his own life. But while Higoromo¡¯s and Yukino¡¯s faces were a bit similar, it wasn¡¯t exactly the same as Tsugumi and Hagakure Sakura. He never thought that Yukino was actually Higoromo inside. ¡­He thought that even if Yukino was a man, he would be a cute little boy inside. The mental damage would be less. Then, Tsugumi suddenly remembered Hyuga who was also close to Yukino, and felt a little dreary. They had been reasonably close among Jukka since the incident with Hitsugi, but what would Hyuga think if she knew that two of them were men? He could see her getting angry and fired up. He had a feeling it wouldn¡¯t end with just an insult if she found out. While thinking like that, Tsugumi opened his mouth to regain his composure. ¡°Umm, why did you become a Magical Girl, Higoromo-san? Did you intend to use yourself as a test subject¡­?¡± Higoromo-Yukino Shizuku was originally a stray Magical Girl. This meant that God offered him the chance to become a Magical Girl, and he accepted. But he had no idea why he accepted the offer. Higoromo was a talented researcher. He had everything: position, power, and money. That¡¯s why Tsugumi couldn¡¯t find any reason other than research for him to become a Magical Girl. ¡­If that was really the case, he had such an amazing scholarly spirit. Tsugumi didn¡¯t want to imitate him. When Tsugumi asked him about it, Higoromo shook his head in plain disgust. ¡°No, that¡¯s not possible. I¡¯m not going to put my body on the line like that. The deal was just an accident.¡± ¡°Just an accident?¡± When Tsugumi asked back, Higoromo nodded with a disgusted face. ¡°When I was dazed after an all-nighter, I responded to my auditory hallucination partner and we had a contract. ¡­I didn¡¯t expect a God to speak to me at that time. I was caught off guard. ¡­Hey, don¡¯t look at me with those pitiful eyes.¡± ¡­Tsugumi didn¡¯t know what to say because the reason was more trivial than he had imagined. At the very least, he couldn¡¯t let children with dreams of becoming Magical Girls hear it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡± When Tsugumi told him this while averting his eyes, Higoromo opened his mouth, crossing his arms in frustration. ¡°Well, I know I did something stupid, too. But there¡¯s no point in saying that now, is there? The only saving grace is that the bounty has given me plenty of money for my research. I¡¯ve learned the hard way that you shouldn¡¯t act when your judgment is impaired.¡± Saying this, Higoromo gave a small yawn. ¡­As Tsugumi talked to him face to face, it seemed to him that Higoromo was also in a state where his judgment was impaired right now. He wondered if he was really okay. ¡°So, why did you become a Magical Girl?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I told you, so now it¡¯s your turn. Or what, are you still going to fall in love with me after all this?¡± When Higoromo said this with a look of dismay, Tsugumi let out a small sigh as if he had given up. ¨CThe other party had been so open and honest with him. Not facing him would be insincere. Thinking so, Tsugumi opened his mouth. ¡°I became a Magical Girl because¨C¡± After hearing all about his situation, Higoromo said, ¡°I see. That¡¯s a very common reason for being a stray. But it¡¯s still better than mine.¡± According to Higoromo, there were many cases where people got involved in barrier accidents and receive contracts without warning, although they didn¡¯t nearly die like Tsugumi. ¡­God¡¯s side was probably also aiming for the timing when they had the upper hand. It was unfair, but it couldn¡¯t be helped because even Gods weren¡¯t doing charity work. The government was taking measures to prevent barrier accidents from occurring, but apparently, it was difficult because each person was different for each barrier. ¡°Hmmm. I thought you became a Magical Girl is the result of some kind of intentional work. But from the looks of it, it seems to be a coincidence. From what I¡¯ve heard, I don¡¯t think your contract God is the type that does a lot of tricks. That¡¯s too bad, I was hoping we¡¯d make some progress.¡± ¡°¡­Higoromo-san, did you doubt Bell-sama?¡± When Tsugumi said this with an annoyed look, Higoromo replied with a wry smile. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m still a little skeptical. Ah, don¡¯t look so scared. Talking with you has cleared up a lot of my doubts, but I can¡¯t give you an answer unless I actually talk to your contract God. I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s just my nature. I try not to judge things that I haven¡¯t seen or heard myself. Information changes when there are people in it.¡± Higoromo shrugged his shoulders as he said this. When he said it like that, Tsugumi couldn¡¯t refute it. He let out a small sigh and lowered his eyes. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really care that much. Putting aside Bell-sama, it can¡¯t be helped if there are various suspicions in my case.¡± The fact that Tsugumi became a Magical Girl was just a coincidence, but in his case, there were too many dark pasts behind him, so he couldn¡¯t complain if he was being suspected. Rather, from the perspective of those who know Tsugumi¡¯s past, it would be more correct to think, ¡°What are you going to do next time?¡± Because he was dealing with Higoromo, this level of suspicion was probably mild enough. He shuddered to think what would have happened if it had been someone else¨Csomeone who thought that a suspicious person should be punished. ¡°Your upbringing is quite unusual, to say the least. You should do your own research and clear your suspicions. I¡¯ll take care of the transfer procedure, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s already been decided¡­¡± ¡°Of course it is. Do you want me to die from overwork? If that happens, it will be to the detriment of humanity.¡± Despite the light joke, Higoromo rubbed his eyes sleepily from time to time. Although he appeared to be speaking fluently, his drowsiness might be reaching its limit. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s right for me to say this, but shouldn¡¯t you be taking more proper rest, Higoromo-san? You¡¯re doing research at the university and attending Jukka¡¯s shift, right? You work too much.¡± It felt like this person wouldn¡¯t be able to do well if he didn¡¯t get enough sleep. Wouldn¡¯t it be better for him to hire someone to support his life? When Tsugumi said this in concern, Higoromo began to speak with a face that looked like he was chewing up a bug. ¡°If I could do that, I would have done it by now. I blame the government and Toono who know how busy I am and yet they keep giving me work to do. ¨CHonestly, I want to retire from being a Magical Girl right now, but even though I¡¯m with the government now, I signed my contract when I was a stray. It¡¯s frustrating that I can¡¯t quit until I get permission from the contract God.¡± Saying this, Higoromo tapped his desk hard with an irritated thud. He seemed very angry. Just as Tsugumi was beginning to wonder if he had been summoned here to hear him complain about his day-to-day life, Higoromo said. ¡°¨CNow you know how busy I am, what do you think?¡± ¡°No, even if you ask me¡­¡± Not understanding the question, Tsugumi tilted his head. ¡­He had a bad feeling about this. Then, Hogoromo took out a white envelope from the pocket of his white coat, which was crumpled up as if it had been squeezed by a strong force. ¡°What is this? Is it a letter?¡± ¡°Earlier this morning, before I contacted you, Toono brought this letter of command to [Yukino Shizuku]. Yes¨Cwhile I was frantically working on a government case, that woman was pushing additional troublesome matters on me.¡± Saying this in a voice filled with deep anger and vindictiveness, Higoromo tapped the envelope with his finger. Hearing this, Tsugumi thought that Toono-san was a bad person after all, and voiced a drawn-out ¡°Wow¡­¡±. Higoromo silently stared at Tsugumi and smiled beautifully. Then, with a smooth and natural motion, he took Tsugumi¡¯s hand and looked at him with clinging eyes, and spoke in a thin, pity-inducing voice. ¡°Do you feel the least bit sorry for me? Of course, you do. If you have feelings, you wouldn¡¯t have abandoned me, a poor pitiful thing.¡± ¡°Huh, no, why are you holding my hand?¡± ¡°Hagakure Sakura doesn¡¯t have any plans for tomorrow, right? ¨CNanase-kun. I have a favor to ask you. I¡¯m begging you as your comrade, no, a friend.¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t want it. I don¡¯t want to listen to it. ¨CDamn, this guy isn¡¯t letting go at all!! No way, that¡¯s the main issue you want to talk about?!¡± Sensing the presence of trouble, Tsugumi tried to shake off his hand, but the grip was stronger than he expected. Higoromo clung to him like a beast trying to catch its prey. Then Higoromo said in a stern voice like an angel announcing his death. ¡°Please. Tomorrow at twelve o¡¯clock¨Cfly with Toono to England instead of me.¡± CH 143 Beautiful Evil Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¡°So you¡¯ve come in her place. I¡¯m really embarrassed for Yukino-san.¡± The next afternoon. Toono, who was drinking tea elegantly in the conference room, let out a big sigh after listening to the explanation of Tsugumi¨CHagakure Sakura, who showed up a little earlier than the designated time. ¡­It was unreasonable of her to say that since she was the one who made the unreasonable request in the first place. ¡°But I don¡¯t think Yukino-san is the only one to blame.¡± ¡°Oh, did you say something?¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± In response to Toono¡¯s thorny words, Tsugumi looked away with a tired smile. He¡¯d like to defend Higoromo, but he¡¯d rather not be hit by a stray bullet when he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. But still, he looked down at the data in his hand, thinking. This morning he had received a call from Higoromo saying that he had already contacted all the relevant authorities except Toono, but Tsugumi himself still felt unsure. ¨CHe never thought he would be going abroad. In the end, he couldn¡¯t refuse Higoromo¡¯s plea, and he agreed to go to England. He had tried to refuse at first. But the antics of an adult in his mid-twenties¨Cthe same age as his teacher Suzune¨Cwere too much for a high school student to handle. He simply felt sorry for Higoromo and had no choice but to give in. ¡­And when Higoromo clung to him to persuade him, he felt nervous even though he knew it was a man inside. When he shouted at him for not having any pride, Higoromo said with a serious look, ¡°I threw that kind of thing when I started fighting in a fluttering skirt.¡± ¡­That answer could apply to Tsugumi too, so he wished he would stop. Due to such circumstances, Tsugumi, who reluctantly agreed to go abroad, came here after receiving an explanation from Higoromo. However, the biggest problem in coming here was the explanation for Chidori. If it was just a sudden overnight stay, that was just the same as usual, but unfortunately, he had an appointment to go out with Chidori on this day. It was unnatural for him to cancel the appointment at this time. Tsugumi was wondering how to explain to Chidori after parting with Higoromo, but coincidentally, Chidori also seemed to have been given an urgent task by the government and would be away from home for a couple of days. Saying it was a bit of a relief¡­would be too much, but it was nice to know that he didn¡¯t have to keep lying. ¡°¨CBut still, the subjugation of the Demonic Beast that appeared in London, England. I heard from Hitsugi-san before that there is a possibility of dispatching us overseas, but I didn¡¯t think they are really going to do it.¡± Saying so, Tsugumi looked at the documents in his hand. Toono and Yukino were chosen to pioneer the dispatch of Magical Girls overseas, which was made possible by a request from England. Well, Yukino pushed it onto Tsugumi. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard the details myself, but I¡¯ve been told that there have been repeated inquiries from over there. At first, the British Army faced them head-on, but apparently, things got out of hand.¡± Toono began to speak with a melancholy sigh. ¨CAccording to the reports, the same Demonic Beast began to appear in London about two months ago at a pace of once a week in the same place. The Demonic Beast had B-class strength in the beginning, and the military had been dealing with it until it disappeared, but the power of the Demonic Beast increased each time it appeared, and now the city had fallen into a situation where it had half destroyed the city. It must be a headache for the British army, who had no Magical Girls and couldn¡¯t even use barriers to repair the damage. At first, the Japanese government was reluctant to dispatch the Magical Girls, but after various political backgrounds and backroom deals, the dispatch was decided. ¡­For the Magical Girls, it was a complete hassle. He could endure it somewhat if he thought it would turn out to be good for the country, but his heart still felt heavy. Tsugumi let out a small sigh, shook his head, and began to talk to change the subject. ¡°But it¡¯s unusual to see a Demonic Beast in the same place. Do Demonic Beasts appear differently in England?¡± In Japan, such a case was uncommon. The location and the Demonic Beasts that appeared were basically random. When he asked her if this was a peculiarly British irregularity, Toono put her finger lightly to her mouth and said thoughtfully. ¡°Hmm? But according to the experts, there are residual thoughts left behind by the Demonic Beast that couldn¡¯t be defeated, and they said that a similar Demonic Beast might have appeared with that as the nucleus. Well, originally England is a region with a relatively strong magical element, so it is easy for Demonic Beasts to come down there. It wouldn¡¯t be so surprising if something different from Japan happened.¡± Toono said this and tossed the data materials onto the desk. Apparently, Toono wasn¡¯t that enthusiastic about this dispatch. Then she turned to Tsugumi and opened her mouth with a tilt of her head. ¡°Even so, it¡¯s good that you got the contract God¡¯s permission. Hagakure-san¡¯s God must have been against the overseas dispatch, right?¡± ¡°Christian countries only, though. ¡­This time, Yukino-san¡¯s maneuvering went well.¡± Saying so, Tsugumi scratched his cheek, troubled. ¡­Fortunately, and more prepared than ever, it seemed that Higoromo had already negotiated with Bell to get permission while trying to persuade Tsugumi. But there was no way that Bell would allow such things unconditionally. There must have been some kind of deal between Bell and Higoromo¡¯s contract God, but unless Bell told him, he wouldn¡¯t know what it was. Well, if the Gods were able to talk to each other, Tsugumi had no complaints. ¨CThe British Demonic Beast would appear early tomorrow morning. The plan was to hold a briefing session this afternoon, fly to a location designated by the British government in the evening, and spend the night over there to adjust for the time difference before attacking the Demonic Beast. By the way, visas, which were normally required when entering a foreign country, were exempted in the event of an emergency. Well, that area was out of his jurisdiction, so it didn¡¯t really matter. ¡°I am sorry to say this, but was I ¨C Hagakure Sakura ¨C the right person to take Yukino-san¡¯s place this time? If you chose Yukino-san, doesn¡¯t that mean that there must have been something that you needed her brain for?¡± ¨CAfter accepting the job, he thought about it carefully and wondered if it was really a good idea for him to take over. Surely, Higoromo would have been able to speak any number of languages with ease and would have had no problem communicating with the locals. If Higoromo was chosen for that kind of thing, there would be no room for Tsugumi. Perhaps an interpreter would come with him, but he hardly understood English, so he wondered if it would be okay. In the first place, learning a second language in this country, which maintained a system of national seclusion, wasn¡¯t really encouraged. He heard that there used to be English as a compulsory subject, but now that subject had been changed to something related to mythology and folklore. Unless one had an interest in foreign literature like Chidori, there was no opportunity to learn a foreign language. When Tsugumi asked this question with concern, Toono opened his mouth with a small laugh. ¡°Well, I would have preferred to have Yukino-san as a partner. But that¡¯s simply because she¡¯s stronger. Oh, don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m not saying Hagakure-san is weak. She¡¯s just exceptional.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really care about that. Yukino-san is second place in the ranking order.¡± It was true that Hagakure Sakura was ranked the lowest in the Jukka. He had no reason to be angry. When Tsugumi looked puzzled, Toono said, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± and began to talk. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re a Jukka or what your rank is. As far as I¡¯m concerned, there isn¡¯t a single Magical Girl outside the barrier who can compete with Yukino-san. ¨CIncluding me.¡± ¡°That Yukino-san?¡± Tsugumi said so and tilted his head. It was true that her ability to manipulate the air might be powerful, but he couldn¡¯t say for sure she was the best. Toono shook her head in small circles as she looked at Tsugumi who looked skeptical. ¡°Come to think of it, the first time Hagakure-san saw Yukino-san¡¯s power was during Hitsugi-san¡¯s incident. Yukino-san seemed to be struggling at that time, but if she had disregarded Hitsugi-san¡¯s life, the battle would have been cleared up in an instant. ¨CBecause that girl has no enemies when it comes to fighting against other people..¡± Saying so, Toono wrote something on the back of the document with a pen. It looked like a pie chart. ¡°Oxygen in the atmosphere is 21% and nitrogen is 78%¨CYukino-san can easily manipulate these concentrations. Did you know? If a person breathes air with less than 6% oxygen, they instantly fall into a coma. First of all, I can¡¯t win. Well, if she had used this on Hitsugi-san, who had a Demonic Beast nestled in her lungs, that would have been a life-threatening situation. You¡¯re lucky the worst didn¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°¡­I suppose so.¡± Tsugumi nodded quietly. He was really glad that Yukino moved to help Hitsugi at that time. ¡°And if Yukino-san wanted to, she could easily blow up a whole city with a gas explosion, even if she wasn¡¯t inside the barrier. ¡­The foundation where she stands is different from ours to begin with. The other Magical Girls are steadily working hard and getting stronger, but she¡¯s the only one experimenting with chemistry. It¡¯s encouraging to think of her as an ally, but it¡¯s frightening to think of her as an enemy.¡± Toono said and spun the pen in a circular motion. Apparently, this was the end of the explanation. ¡°I found out that Yukino-san is more dangerous than I thought. ¡­Certainly, if Yukino-san was here, the subjugation would have been easy.¡± ¡°She said she couldn¡¯t come, so I don¡¯t blame her. I¡¯m planning to have Hagakure-san work to make up for it.¡± Toono told him so and pointed to an open document. It contained precautions for this battle. The two most noteworthy notes were: ¡­These were very unsettling details. As Tsugumi stared at it in silence, Toono began to add. ¡°In this case, Amateru¡¯s barrier doesn¡¯t work. Skills within the barrier will be blocked, and the battle will be fought using only basic skills. In other words, it is the opposite pattern of the battle in Amusement Park. It will be a battle based on co-op. Fufu, let¡¯s do our best in our first joint work.¡± ¡°Toono-san, what is this enhancer?¡± Toono¡¯s teasing line was completely ignored, and Tsugumi asked a question. Toono pouted her mouth in dissatisfaction and said sulkily. ¡°You¡¯re so mean. Why can¡¯t you at least joke around with me a little?¡± ¡°Toono-san¡¯s jokes are a bit heartwrenching. ¡­Please do that kind of thing to your friends.¡± When he told her this, thinking that if this conversation leaked out, he would be attacked by Toono¡¯s fanatical fans, Toono smiled emotionlessly. ¨CThen, just like that, Toono said something outrageous. ¡°¨CI don¡¯t have a single friend.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°In other words, I¡¯m not even allowed to tell even one joke. I¡¯m so sad, I¡¯m going to cry.¡± Toono lowered her eyes sadly and said so with a lot of emotion. ¡°I often talk to Hagakure-san. I thought we would get along well. But was I the only one who thought so?¡± ¡°Um, what?¡± For some reason, Tsugumi got blamed for this situation and Toono traced the back of his hand with her finger and opened her red lips. ¡°Hagakure-san, do you mind getting along with me?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t mind¡­¡± ¡°Then will you be my friend?¡± ¡°No, but this and that¡­¡± ¡°What? I didn¡¯t hear you. Can you look me in the eye and say it properly?¡± Toono stared at him with a fervent gaze. In his heart, he called out for someone to help him, but Toono and Tsugumi were the only two people in the meeting room. He was practically stuck. After staring at each other for a minute or so, Tsugumi couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and gently looked away, answering in a small voice, ¡°Yes.¡± Tsugumi easily fell victim to the violence of Jukka¡¯s number one beauty. No matter how mysterious she might be, there was no boy who could resist the seduction of a sexy older woman. Then Toono smiled happily and said, ¡°Let¡¯s exchange contact information right away, shall we? We are friends, right?¡± and took out her cell phone. ¨CI wonder what you¡¯re planning this time. I hope it¡¯s not too much trouble. Thinking as though he had given up, Tsugumi took out his cell phone as requested. ¡­¡­Recently, he felt like there were a lot of pushy people around him. Learn more Pause Unmute He didn¡¯t mean to be so weak-willed, but it was hard to refuse a favor when dealing with a fellow member ¨C and a superior one at that. As they exchanged contact information, the door to the conference room opened with a bang. An unexpected person entered the conference room. Tsugumi stared at the person in disbelief. ¡°Hello. I¡¯ve been called here as an interpreter in England, is this the right room?¡± Golden hair and emerald green eyes. Dressed in Christian dress, Azalea stood there. CH 144 Witch''s Play Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Tsugumi looked at Azalea with a small sigh, not showing his agitation. He had heard that Azalea had been in and out of the government¡¯s Ministry of Divine Worship since the kidnapping, but he hadn¡¯t expected to see him while he was dressed as Hagakure Sakura. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Lake-san. You were summoned too? ¨CI wonder if your family cried for you.¡± Toono said with a laugh, tilting her head and looking at Azalea. ¡­Tsugumi remembered that Toono and Azalea had only met once at a movie theater, but did they have a chance to talk after that? Azalea, on the other hand, was hesitant to enter the room¨CHe was still smiling but his face looked a little pale when he saw that there were only Toono and Tsugumi ¨C Hagakure Sakura ¨C in the room. Tsugumi asked Toono, wondering what to do. ¡°Um, you two know each other?¡± ¡°Yes, we do. I spoke to him when I was interviewing him about the kidnapping case and asked him to come to the Ministry of Divine Worship as an advisor on Western magic. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have had a chance to talk to a Catholic priest.¡± ¡°A Catholic priest?¡± ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t know? He¡¯s a Vatican priest.¡± You¡¯re so close to him that you went to the movies together and you don¡¯t even know that? Toono whispered in a low voice that Azalea couldn¡¯t hear. ¡­He didn¡¯t know that at all. Looking back on it, it did look like Azalea had a strong belief in his faith, but there was no way Tsugumi would notice it if he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think you¡¯re lying when you say he¡¯s an advisor but is half of it for surveillance purposes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s easier to have him by our side than to leave him alone, isn¡¯t it? ¨CBut you don¡¯t have to worry about it. No matter how hard he tries, his true wish will never come true.¡± ¡°Wish?¡± ¡°Yes. But I think we¡¯re out of time for this conversation. He¡¯s coming in.¡± While Tsugumi was talking quietly, Azalea, who had made up his mind, came into the room with a slightly pale face. And as he slowly approached the table where they were, Azalea quietly opened his mouth. ¡°Hello, Toono-san. You are looking quite radiant again today. ¡­For a young man like me, it¡¯s a sight for sore eyes.¡± While saying such strange phrases, Azalea gently averted his eyes from Toono. ¡­Azalea had referred to Toono as a ¡°person like a mass of flame¡± before but perhaps he still saw her that way. It must be tough being too sensitive. Azalea then noticed Tsugumi ¨C Hagakure Sakura ¨C next to Toono and gave him a small nod. ¡°If I remember correctly, you¡¯re Hagakure Sakura, right? My name is Azalea Lake. I met you once before on a ship, do you remember?¡± ¡°On a ship? Oh, could you be the priest at that time?¡± Tsugumi said so while clapping his hands lightly. On the boat ¨C just the day before Hitsugi¡¯s incident, he saw two people dressed in priest¡¯s clothes at a boat party he attended. The impact of Hitsugi¡¯s incident was so great that he completely forgot about it, but it really might have been Azalea. ¡­In fact, he didn¡¯t remember it well until now. When he answered, disappointed with his memory, Azalea said with a small smile. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t greet you then. My companion wasn¡¯t feeling well.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it. But why would a clergyman go to the trouble of cooperating with a Japanese organization?¡± Currently, Roman Catholicism and Japan were somewhat hostile to each other. This was mainly because of their interpretation of God. While Japan accepted 8 million gods as ¡°God¡± as long as they had a certain amount of power, Catholics believed in only one God. It was safe to say that these ideas were parallel lines that would never cross. It was surprising that such a clergyman attended a boat party in Japan, but why did he go to the trouble of hiding his identity to attend school? Tsugumi would like to ask various things in detail, but he couldn¡¯t do it in his current state. Then Azalea gave a slightly troubled smile and said deceptively, ¡°There are various circumstances in the church.¡± Apparently, he didn¡¯t intend to talk about it here. While they were having such a conversation, people began to gather in the conference room one after another, probably because the time for the meeting was getting close. The number of people in the room exceeded a hundred, which clearly showed how important the government thought this expedition was. And then, Tsugumi noticed that among the last group of people to enter the room ¨C the Transportation Management Department ¨C there was Chidori. ¨CShe said she got an urgent job, but don¡¯t tell me I am going to go to England with Chidori too? Thinking of this, Tsugumi looked at Toono with a surprised face. Did Toono know about this? Then Toono said in a small voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t know about it either until she was here. Please don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± she complained. Apparently, she was uncomfortable with Tsugumi¡¯s suspicion. ¡­He supposed it was always worse to act suspicious. Tsugumi let out a small sigh as he touched his ear ¨C a hair ornament as a talisman given to him by Shiro just before he left ¨C to calm his mind, even though he was still not fully convinced. Thinking about it, it wasn¡¯t strange that Chidori was here. Considering Chidori¡¯s ¡°Gate¡± ability, it would be in the best interest of the country to have her accompany him. ¨CChidori¡¯s ability to transport was limited to places she had been to once when used outside of the barrier. Conversely, once she set foot in a place, she could enter the same place as many times as she wanted. In Chidori¡¯s case, there were a lot of people that she could transport at once, so it was predictable that she would be taken out for mapping purposes during such excursions. ¨CThere were a lot of people involved with Nanase Tsugumi here, but Toono didn¡¯t seem to know anything about it, so this might have really just been a coincidence. After the general members gathered, the conversation proceeded with confirmation of important matters, and the meeting ended without any eye contact with Chidori. After this, only those who had made preparations and been selected would fly to England. Well, even if they said ¡°fly,¡± it wasn¡¯t by plane, but through transportation, so he wasn¡¯t deeply moved. And during the preparation, they were handed uniforms prepared by the government for the dispatch, but how could there be clothes for Hagakure Sakura, who was not scheduled to go? At first, he was horrified that they might be sized to fit Yukino, but the clothes somehow fit Tsugumi even though he hadn¡¯t taken a measurement. On the contrary, it was frightening. After he was done changing, he asked Toono about it, and apparently, when the dispatch deal was first discussed in earnest, it was decided from the start that uniforms would be made for personnel of Jukka. It seemed the size could fit perfectly because the staff member with the skill to identify three sizes had read the sizes for all of them by sight. ¡­It was excellent, but they were just perverts. When he returned to the conference room while reaffirming that government personnel were in the magical realm, other preparations had already been made. The total number of people heading to the site was twelve, including Toono and Tsugumi. In addition, about 10 non-combatants and 10 Magical Girls who also served as their escorts were scheduled to be dispatched a few hours later. Incidentally, Azalea and Chidori were part of the second group. The Magical Girls escorting them wouldn¡¯t participate in the battle against the Demonic Beasts unless there was a major problem, so it would be just the two of them, Toono and Tsugumi, who would be doing the actual fighting. With Toono on the team, there was no way they would lose, but it was still a little discouraging to be fighting in a foreign land without Bell¡¯s support. As Tsugumi was thinking about this, Toono looked into Tsugumi¡¯s face and opened her mouth. ¡°Oh my, are you nervous?¡± ¡°¡­Well, in a manner of speaking. I never thought I would be going to a country where I didn¡¯t even speak the language.¡± When Tsugumi shrugged his shoulders and said so, Toono laughed. ¡°Fufu, even though you¡¯re strong against Demonic Beast, you¡¯re so afraid of unknown places.¡± ¡°Are you laughing at me for being a coward?¡± ¡°No, isn¡¯t it okay to be cute?¡± With such a lighthearted remark, she put her feet on the large carpet with the teleportation circle written on it. Those who were scheduled to be dispatched to England disappeared in an instant. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô At 8:00 a.m. local time in England, many diplomats had gathered in the hall of a hotel about 10 kilometers from London. Many of them had been recruited from countries other than the United Kingdom¨Cthe neighboring countries. Originally, it was planned that only British and Japanese staff members would greet the Magical Girls, but after so many discussions, it turned out like this. For other countries, Magical Girls who existed only in Japan¨CDevil Contractors¨Cwere both a threat and an object of interest. It was human nature to want to see them with their own eyes if there was any chance to meet. Of course, everyone had already undergone body checks, so there was little chance of an emergency case happening, but that didn¡¯t mean there wouldn¡¯t be any problems. England had increased its security and wasn¡¯t neglecting its surveillance of people from other countries, but if the Magical Girls who had been dispatched to England were harmed, they would not be able to count on them. Edgar Burton, who was in charge of this project, asked the man standing next to him, suppressing his anxiety. ¡°Will there really be human beings coming out of there, Yamabuki-san?¡± ¡°Yes, that is what I¡¯ve heard.¡± The man who answered Edgar ¨C Yamabuki, a diplomat belonging to the Japanese government, stared at the carpet in the hall without changing his expression. ¨CThe Demonic Beast that had been appearing intermittently in London. It was good that they installed the dispatch of Japanese ¡°Magical Girls¡± to deal with the problem, but the issue was how to move them. About four days ago, a man named Yamabuki Shizuru arrived in this country on a chartered plane for a preliminary meeting, brought a large carpet with a mysterious pattern on it, and asked for a hall large enough to hold the carpet. According to Yamabuki, the plan was to use this carpet to bring in experts of Demonic Beast¡¯s extermination to England. Edgar remembered being quite confused at the time because he had assumed that the other personnel would also come to England later on a plane. After a full day of discussion, he allowed the carpet to be installed in a hotel near London under pressure from Yamabuki. However, although he was satisfied at the time, when he saw the carpet in front of him, he began to wonder if he had made the right decision. Edgar thought so and spoke to Yamabuki. ¡°I¡¯m not doubting you, but I still think the plane would have been more reliable¨C¡° ¡°It¡¯s just about time. They are coming.¡± Edgar¡¯s words were interrupted by Yamabuki. At that moment, a chiming bell rang out in the hall¨Cthe carpet was instantly enveloped in a red pillar of fire. ¡°Hey!! What¡¯s going on!?¡± British personnel and guests from various countries who had gathered there screamed and tried to move away from the carpet. The only ones unmoved by the flames were those from Japan, including Yamabuki. On the other hand, Yamabuki approached the flaming carpet with a composed face and bowed deeply. Learn more Pause Unmute ¡°¨CWe have been waiting for you. Our beautiful flowers.¡± As Yamabuki announced this in a theatrical voice, the pillars of fire that had risen up around the carpet disappeared like a phantom. From the extinguished pillar of fire, a number of black figures could be seen. About ten adults in black suits and a pair of beautiful girls that gave off unique presences wearing military caps and one-piece military-style uniforms stood in the center, slowly moving forward. The more voluptuous of the two girls said in a high voice, clacking the soles of her high heels. ¡®Well¨Cwho should I say hello to?¡± CH 145 A Certain Rumor and a Dragon Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani The girl who said that¨Cthe woman who identified herself as Toono Sumire¨Cstood in front of Edgar, prompted by Yamabuki. ¡°Toono-san. This is Mr. Edgar Burton from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He will be in charge of the British side of this expeditionary mission.¡± ¡°I see. So you are the one who has forced us to go through all this trouble. Well, I look forward to working with you, even if it¡¯s only for a short time.¡± Toono brushed her hair off her cheeks with her fingers and said so with arrogance. Edgar should have been angry at Toono¡¯s careless response, but he was overwhelmed by her innate elegance. From her footstep to her facial expression, from the way she spoke to the way her fingers moved, the behavior of a champion was abnormally perfect. The pressure was weighing down on Edgar as if he were dealing with some kind of royalty. No, it wasn¡¯t only Edgar. Other staff members and even the thousands of fierce competitors from all over the world who were here on a tour of the place were unable to look away from this young woman¡¯s every move. And right behind her, a slender girl wearing the same clothes as Toono stood silently waiting for his words with a smile on her face. The darkness and emptiness in her steeple-colored eyes sent a chill down his spine. It was as if his head would jump off in an instant if he did anything even the slightest thing out of the ordinary. These girls were definitely in control of the situation. ¨CThis is Japan¡¯s best fighting force, the Magical Girls. It seems we underestimated them a little. Edgar broke out in a cold sweat as he thought about this. They chose to invite Magical girls from Japan on the strong recommendation of a certain source, but were these really the right creatures to invite to their country? Such regrets came to his mind. But Edgar managed to stifle his agitation, smiled, and began to speak in Japanese. ¡°Welcome to our country. We welcome the Japanese government. ¡­We apologize for summoning you here for our own reasons. But from now on, we have no choice but to rely on the miracles of your country¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need an apology. You should let Yamabuki, the negotiator, handle that sort of thing, not me. We¡¯re just here to kill the Demonic Beast ¨C that¡¯s all.¡± Toono told him so and turned away from Edgar with a stifling look. There was nothing he could do about it. Then Yamabuki quietly stepped in front of Toono and said protectively. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Burton. The girls are a bit nervous about being in a foreign country for the first time. ¨CThey are not used to being surrounded by strangers.¡± Saying this, Yamabuki looked around at the people around him. The foreign diplomats who were looking at him shook their shoulders in surprise at his gesture. ¡°The Ministry of Defense is going to give us a briefing on the Demonic Beast after this, right? I think it would be best if we move quickly before their mood gets any worse.¡± At Yamabuki¡¯s suggestion, Edgar answered with a sigh of relief. ¡°Ah, yes. Then please move to the conference room next door. I will guide you.¡± ¨CJust as Edgar was about to walk out, one of the young diplomats in the back of the hall moved. ¡°¡­.May I have a moment? I have something I really need to ask them.¡± The young diplomat ¨C Richard, a man who worked under Edgar ¨C said this and started walking toward the magic circle. And before Edgar could stop him, Richard stood in front of Toono and opened his mouth with a frown. ¡°There are rumors circulating in England about you people¨Cabout Japan. Are you aware of it?¡± ¡°Not really? I have no idea.¡± When Toono told him this with a smile, Richard glared at Toono. ¡°¡­It is rumored that this current situation in London is caused by a Demonic Beast sent by a Japanese witch. They said that after 30 years, you guys have acquired the art of controlling Demonic Beasts and are trying to take revenge on the countries that once abandoned you. ¨CWhat do you, a Magical Girl, think?¡± ¡°Yes. You are really stupid. How could anyone possibly control a Demonic Beast? I think it¡¯s just a silly rumor.¡± Making fun of Richard, Toono chuckled and narrowed her eyes. ¡­Edgar had heard of the rumors, but in the end, they were nothing but wild gossip. The citizens¨Cespecially the mentally exhausted Londoners¨Ctended to be easily swayed by such rumors, but if Japan could do such a thing, the world would have been destroyed long ago. As long as Japan was showing a willingness to cooperate with England in this way, it was highly unlikely. Well, the possibility couldn¡¯t be dismissed, but the current British army didn¡¯t have the power to defeat the Demonic Beast that appeared in London ¨C the Red Dragon. It wasn¡¯t by his own will that he called in Magical Girls from Japan, but there was no other way besides relying on the monster to defeat the monster ¨C that is, Japanese Magical Girls. Edgar sighed and walked up to Richard. ¡°Richard. That¡¯s enough¨C¡° ¡°¨CMy sister died in an attack by the Demonic Beast that appeared in London last month.¡± Richard shook off Edgar¡¯s attempts to quiet him, his voice stifled by his anger. ¡°When my sister was brought into the hospital, she screamed gibberish, ¡®A witch is there¡­¡¯ ¨CHey, is it really not your doing?!¡± It was a wailing cry of lamentation. He had heard that this young diplomat had lost his family in a Demonic Beast attack, but he had no idea that there was such a story behind it. ¡­He understood that it was tempting to believe the dying words of one¡¯s immediate family, but since no other sightings had come to light, his sister¡¯s words must be just a bunch of nonsense. Toono, on the other hand, didn¡¯t hide her displeasure, and in a cold tone of voice, she told him. ¡°I¡¯ve heard enough of your unprovoked insults. It¡¯s getting a little annoying to listen to you.¡± ¡°Are you unable to answer me? Or have I hit the nail on the head and you can¡¯t say anything?¡± ¡°Hmm? But no matter what I say, you won¡¯t believe me, will you? It doesn¡¯t matter what I say to someone who has already decided that I am black from the beginning.¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°I would rather go home than have such an unpleasant experience. After all, events in faraway countries are essentially none of our business. You can do as you please.¡± ¡°Tsk, you witch¡­!¡± In response to Toono¡¯s remark, Richard cursed in English and reached out his right hand as if to grab at Toono. At that moment, the girl who had been standing behind Toono took a step forward. With a commanding snap, she raised her right arm and swung it to the side. At the same time, Richard¡¯s body tilted sideway with a jerk. ¡°Gah, gah¡­!¡± Richard, who had fallen to the floor, let out a pained scream and clutched his right knee. For some reason, his legs looked swollen. The slender girl approached the fallen Richard, clacking the soles of her boots. Then, she stopped in front of the groaning Richard and said in a condescending tone. ¡°¨CReally, your misunderstanding is gross. Can you please stop with the ridiculous accusations?¡± Then, the girl moved her hand nonchalantly as if playing with her fingers. The girl moved her finger. Crack, and an unpleasant sound came from Richard¡¯s right shoulder, and his right arm sluggishly stretched toward the ground. The girl moved her finger. His left shoulder joint was dislocated. The girl moved her finger. His jaw joint disengaged and his mouth couldn¡¯t be closed. The girl moved her finger¨C ¡°You¡¯d better stop at that, Hagakure-san. People are vulnerable to pain. You don¡¯t want them to be broken by something like this, do you?¡± Interrupting the girl¡¯s action, Toono said this to the girl called Hagakure. Then, Hagakure slowly lowered her hand, looked around with inorganic eyes, and gave a small bow. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. He attacked out of the blue, so I overreacted. ¨CBut it¡¯s only a dislocated joint, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s life-threatening. Yes, if you set it back, there won¡¯t be any problem.¡± Hagakure said that indifferently, like a dog following Toono, and smiled softly like a doll. This gentle smile, which was out of place here, made Edgar¡¯s hands tremble. ¨CThe fact that she had destroyed a person without a single touch was one thing, but above all, the fact that her cruelty and calmness coexisted in the same mentality was terrifying. In this case, a mute weapon would be better. While Edgar was trembling with fear of the unknown, Yamabuki quickly stepped in front of him and said. ¡°I¡¯m troubled, Mr. Burton. You have to manage your subordinates properly. They are the most important human resources for us. It will be a problem if your men try to touch them without permission. This time, our side overdid it too, so I¡¯ll ignore it, but I¡¯d like you to be more careful in the future.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m going to tell him firmly. Um, well, I don¡¯t think you guys are going to leave like this¡­¡± Edgar asked timidly, and Yamabuki shook his head and said. ¡°I won¡¯t. I will do exactly what I was ordered to do. ¡ªHowever, instead of going to the conference room, we¡¯ll head to the waiting room first. We¡¯ll have a discussion about the Demonic Beast after that. Let¡¯s go.¡± Yamabuki told Edgar in disgust, then stood in front of Toono and the others as if leading the way, and walked toward the door to the outside with a group of people in tow. All the people from Japan walked out the door, and with a slam, the doors of the hall closed. Edgar muttered in dismay as he looked at Richard¡¯s lifeless form, who had fallen down and fainted. ¡°This sucks¡­ How am I going to explain this to the top¡­¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô On the other hand, those who entered the waiting room in another part of the building at a quick pace looked at each other and let out a small sigh. The person with the palest face among them ¨C Hagakure Sakura ¨C groaned with a face as if she had bitten a bug. ¡°I can¡¯t believe there are people who really wanted to pick a fight. ¡­ We¡¯re the ones who were called here, right? Is it really safe for us to stay here?¡± ¨CIt was said at the meeting beforehand that if they were unlucky, there would be a possibility of an attack from those who were opposed to them. That¡¯s why, from the moment he transferred to England, Tsugumi continued to be vigilant by stretching tiny invisible threads around the hall, but the result was that. Why should we be treated like this when we are the ones who were invited? I¡¯m worried about the future. As Tsugumi held his forehead thinking like that, Toono let out a melancholy sigh. ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s true that in case of an emergency, you were told to act as someone who could subdue the opponent without hurting them, but I don¡¯t think anyone thought that this would happen from the beginning. I think Hagakure-san went a little overboard.¡± Toono said so, and the staff around her shook their heads in affirmation and started saying, ¡°That was a little¡­¡± ¡°To be honest, I was a little taken aback,¡± ¡°Even though he deserved it, I felt a little sorry for him,¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t she just use a thread to restrain him?¡±. It was a terrible betrayal after all the hard work he had put in. But Tsugumi had a point. Tsugumi sat down on a chair, put his hands together in front of his face, and began to speak with a solemn look. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell anyone at the scene, but that man had a small pistol hidden in his left breast pocket. I destroyed the pistol so that he couldn¡¯t use it, but I still thought it would be better to disable him so that he couldn¡¯t move for a while. ¡­I avoided it because I didn¡¯t want to risk bloodshed.¡± Learn more Pause Unmute Even Tsugumi was a little hesitant to attack a human being, but if it was an enemy, that was a different story. He destroyed the pistol used as a weapon, but that didn¡¯t mean the man wouldn¡¯t attack them. There was also the possibility that he was hiding another weapon, and the easiest way to make sure he couldn¡¯t move was to dismount his joints. And since the joints were dismounted as cleanly as possible, he shouldn¡¯t have been in that much pain. Well, he still wouldn¡¯t be able to move properly for a few days. When Tsugumi said so, the staff looked down in silence and said quietly, ¡°Maybe we should have more guards for the second group.¡± Apparently, everyone realized that it wasn¡¯t just a skirmish, it might have been a life-threatening crisis. But Tsugumi agreed that increasing the strength of the escort was a good idea. To ensure the protection of the non-combatants ¨C Chidori ¨C he¡¯d like to see at least A-class or Jukka-class personnel added in. ¡®Well, whatever it was, it didn¡¯t change the fact that things have become a lot more difficult. It would have been better if he hadn¡¯t said or done anything to get on my nerves. Huh, I guess I should just abandon this country and go home after all.¡± Toono said this in disgust and let out a small sigh. Unlike her previous queen-like demeanor, she seemed to be quite relaxed. ¨CAt a meeting before coming to England, Toono and Tsugumi were strongly encouraged to behave as Jukka when they were outside. Well, in short, it was coercion against foreign countries. It was the decision from the higher-ups that they wouldn¡¯t be harmed prematurely if they had a visible force, but that response might have been a mistake now. Well, they could no longer change course at this stage. ¡°Don¡¯t say such nonsense, Toono-san. If we destroy the Demonic Beast in this country tomorrow, we can go home right away. ¨CBesides, the Pope is also involved in this matter. It would be best not to refuse.¡± Yamabuki, a diplomat on the Japanese side, reprimanded her, and Toono lowered her eyebrows in a troubled manner. ¡°¡­It¡¯s really troublesome. ¨CI¡¯ll leave the details of the negotiations to you. Please coordinate it well.¡± Toono waved her hand as she said this, and Yamabuki opened his mouth with a small nod. ¡°Yes, I will do my best. ¨CNow then, let¡¯s share some information before the meeting.¡± ¡°Information?¡± When Tsugumi asked that back, Yamabuki spoke in a quiet tone. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s about the Demonic Beast you two are going to fight tomorrow ¨C [Red Dragon of Wales].¡± CH 146 Reasons for Intervention Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¡°[The Red Dragon of Wales]? Isn¡¯t that the dragon from the Arthurian legend ¡­¡­?¡± Tsugumi answered that, but he wasn¡¯t too sure if he had it right. He had listened to a certain amount of myths and stories in compulsory education, but since Tsugumi wasn¡¯t that enthusiastic about studying at that time, he didn¡¯t remember the stories other than the main characters. Yamabuki answered with a small nod. ¡°Yes, as Hagakure-san said, it¡¯s the Red Dragon in the Arthurian legend. The enemy this time is the incarnation of Britain, which is said to have been buried underground in Wales with the White Dragon.¡± ¡°¡­How ironic. to be attacked by some kind of guardian deity.¡± Tsugumi replied with a solemn look. The Red Dragon was said to be the incarnation of Britain in the past. He wondered how shocked the people of England were to be attacked by a Demonic Beast that imitated it. From Japan¡¯s point of view, Amaterasu¡­ that would be too much, it would be as shocking as an incarnation of Yatagarasu going on a rampage. Just thinking about it was frightening. When he said this, Yamabuki let out a small sigh and opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure that¡¯s the case. When this Demonic Beast first appeared in London, it was just a small reddish-brown dragon. At that time, no one called it the Red Dragon of Wales.¡± ¡°Then how did it get the name?¡± When Tsugumi asked that question, Toono, who was standing next to him, muttered. ¡°They overlap. The brown dragon and the red dragon.¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right, Toono-san.¡± The two nodded in agreement, but Tsugumi had no idea what they were talking about. As he stared at the two in confusion, the staff member sitting to his left explained. ¡°Hagakure-san, I told you that this Demonic Beast has appeared in London many times in the same form. In other words, the people of England started to think it was the [Red Dragon of Wales] as they saw it over and over again. Well, if only the army had been able to slay the dragon, this might not have happened.¡± ¡°¡­This is the opposite of the Irregular in Lake Ashinoko, Hakone. Because the original legend was used by a Demonic Beast and overwritten by Radon.¡± At Lake Ashinoko in Hakone, Radon was manifested based on the legend of the nine-headed dragon that existed there. In other words, the red dragon was a monster created by the anxiety of the people of England. It was only natural that it got this strong. ¡°That¡¯s right. Well, Demonic Beasts tend to read people¡¯s fears and shape them. It is only natural that the Irregular, which have the characteristic of appearing in the same place as long as they are not defeated, begin to imitate the form of the Red Dragon, which is the fear that has gathered in London.¡± ¡®It¡¯s also bad luck that it was the dragon that came out first. I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m remembering this wrong, but I think the crest of London was also a dragon. ¡­Maybe there is a basis for the dragon to appear in the first place.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nasty¡­¡± As Tsugumi was dismayed by the explanation of the staff and Toono, Yamabuki coughed. Instinctively, he looked up. ¡°That¡¯s not the only problem, Hagakure-san.¡± ¡°There is more?¡± ¡°Yes. I also learned after I arrived here that it seems it was the Vatican that advised England to call us.¡± ¡°The Vatican? Well, is it because of the large number of Christians in England?¡± Tsugumi tilted his head, unsure. ¨CWhy is the Vatican, which has a hostile relationship with Japan, go out of its way to request Japan¡¯s cooperation in another country¡¯s affairs? He couldn¡¯t understand why the Vatican¡¯s intervention was necessary in this case. When Tsugumi wondered about this, Yamabuki¡¯s face became unusually expressionless and he looked bitter as he held out a photograph to him. The picture showed a red three-headed dragon destroying the city of London. ¡°I remember an old monster movie that had a dragon like this. I think it was King¨C¡° ¡°The head has increased.¡± ¡°Yes, it has.¡± Ignoring the mutterings of the staff member next to him, he spoke with Toono. It certainly looked like a shape he¡¯d seen somewhere, but there was no way it could be true. ¡°It¡¯s a little odd that it¡¯s modeled after the [Red Dragon of Wales]. I don¡¯t think there is any anecdote about that dragon having three heads.¡± When Tono said this curiously, Yamabuki said in a quiet voice. ¡°This is exactly why the Vatican intervened. They were afraid. They feared that this dragon would continue to transform and become the incarnation of Satan, the seven-headed red dragon of the Book of Revelation.¡± ¡°¡­So the characteristics of this Demonic Beast and the fact that there are so many Christians here backfired on them.¡± ¡°Defeat a serpent with a serpent. Pagan for pagan. And for the Demonic Beast, you get a Magical Girl¡­ Sounds like something they would think up.¡± ¡°I finally understand why they called us together without a second thought. ¨CIn other words, attack it before things get out of hand. Well, then our interests are certainly aligned. We don¡¯t want this dragon to evolve, destroy Europe, and then come straight to Japan.¡± Toono shrugged her shoulder as she said this. On the other hand, Tsugumi stared at the picture of the three-headed dragon with a slightly pale face. ¨CThe Red Dragon from the Book of Revelation. The dragon with seven heads and seven crowns was said to be the personification of Satan. If such a thing were to be manifested in its full glory, it probably wouldn¡¯t fit into the category of A-class. Even Hagakure Sakura, who possessed the power to kill immortals, might not be a match for it. Tsugumi agreed that it was best to attack while it was weak. And he didn¡¯t know why. ¨CThe words Revelation and Satan sounded nostalgic. Maybe there was a similar story in a manga he read a long time ago. Thinking about this, he opened his mouth. ¡°A Demonic Beast that reads people¡¯s fears and transforms into them. ¨CThis is truly a monster created by human karma. ¡­Really, this is why religion is so troublesome.¡± Tsugumi said. ¨CHe was so glad that Bell wasn¡¯t here. If Bell had been there, he would have laughed hysterically and made fun of a religion that had literally dug its own grave because of the doctrine it had spread. Toono, whether she knew his feeling or not, lightly patted him on the back and said. ¡°At any rate, as long as that Demonic Beast has even the slightest trait of being an enemy of God¨Cmy flame will burn it. You can rest assured. This nightmare that is buzzing around London will end tomorrow. ¨CI will extinguish it all.¡± Saying this, Toono gave a sly smile. ¡­She was reliable, but also a little scary. People would be evacuated, but he just hoped they didn¡¯t burn the whole city to the ground. ¡°That¡¯s reliable. ¨CAfter this, the military personnel on the British side will give us a briefing tomorrow. I don¡¯t think they will do anything strange since Hagakure-san made so many threats earlier, but each of you should remember to be vigilant. The protective talismans provided by the Ministry of Divine Worship will help, but I want to be careful just in case.¡± Yamabuki told them so casually, and Tsugumi tilted his head. ¡°¡­Wait. If there is such a thing, couldn¡¯t you have done something about it even if I hadn¡¯t moved at the time?¡± If there had been such a thing, even if he hadn¡¯t bothered to play the villain, they would have been able to do something about it if they got shot. When Tsugumi insisted with a scornful look, Yamabuki said without hesitation, ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to tell you. Besides, it will be easier to move if you show some strength.¡± That might be true, but if this case, he should have consulted with them from the beginning. They lost a lot of money by rushing ahead. As he was thinking about this with a pout, a staff member next to him asked Yamabuki. ¡°By the way, Yamabuki-san. We will stay in this hotel, but what about meals? I think it would be dangerous to have them prepare meals for us now that we know there are people with such hostile intentions.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. We are thinking of bringing in a second group of people who can deal with the poisons, but it would still be better to bring in food from over there. It¡¯s safer that way.¡± Yamabuki answered, but Tsugumi wondered. The hotel¡¯s transportation room was only available twice a day, so how could they possibly bring enough food for dozens of people from Japan to England? As he pondered this, he suddenly noticed eyes were focusing on him. ¡°Um, what¡¯s wrong?¡± When Tsugumi asked this with some trepidation, Yamabuki narrowed his eyes and said. ¡°No, I think you¡¯re a good match. ¨CHagakure-san, you were able to transport without distance restriction for non-living creatures, right? I will tell the home country to prepare a cart with the food on it, so could you go get it later?¡± Yamabuki told him straightforwardly, and Tsugumi replied with a wry smile. ¡°I don¡¯t dislike your attitude of using whatever is available. It¡¯s very rational.¡± When he said this sarcastically, Yamabuki laughed and said. ¡°I am honored by your compliment. Well, the one who eats the most out of all of us is you, Hagakure-san. If you don¡¯t at least help us procure food, everyone else will starve.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t always eat that much. And I know how to refrain.¡± Tsugumi looked away awkwardly. He was aware of the procedure. In a foreign country like England, he wouldn¡¯t eat endlessly like he usually did. ¡°I guess that¡¯s it then. All we have to do now is wait for that timid-looking diplomat uncle to come calling.¡± When Toono said that, Yamabuki gave a small nod and began to speak. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. After that, we will have a meal, and after welcoming the second group, everyone except for the office staff will go to the hotel to rest.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll do my best to keep things tense until then. Of course, with you too, Hagakure-san.¡± Saying that, Toono looked into his face, and Tsugumi reluctantly nodded. ¡°¡­I understand.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Oh, it looks like a customer has come.¡± At the same time as Toono said that, a knock on the door rang out in the room. Then a rather quiet voice said, ¡°This is Burton. May I come in?¡± ¨CIt seemed that the diplomat from earlier had arrived. CH 147 Baffling Room Assignments Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani After a casual meeting with British military officials, they decided to cancel the dinner party that had been proposed by the British side. The reason was to ensure the safety of the Japanese personnel. At first, they let their guard down, thinking that since they were the ones who had been called in, nothing would happen, but the first attempted attack had made them lose trust in the British. It wasn¡¯t that they hadn¡¯t been wary before, but they knew that even if there were people in this country, England, who had animosity toward Japan and Magical Girls, the other side would not move until the Demonic Beast was defeated. But unfortunately, that expectation fell apart. They had no choice but to raise the alert level. The Japanese side didn¡¯t think that they would be poisoned at this time, but they still felt uneasy about touching the food that the other side had prepared. The British side, on the other hand, seemed ostensibly willing to cancel the dinner party because of the problems caused by the British diplomat, but it wasn¡¯t clear what they were actually thinking. ¨CWhatever the case, both sides were united in their goal of winning tomorrow¡¯s battle against the Demonic Beast. If anything were to happen, it would probably occur after that, but they could just quickly withdraw from the area. If the Japanese side suffered any disadvantages, then the higher-ups would deal with it and do whatever they could to cross the border. It wasn¡¯t Tsugumi¡¯s job. With that in mind, Tsugumi went on to the next job¨Ctransporting the food. The dinner party was canceled, so for lunch ¨C which corresponded to dinner for Tsugumi ¨C he returned to Japan through transportation as ordered by Yamabuki, and went all the way to the government cafeteria to bring back a meal. He was worried that he might not be able to transport properly with the considerable distance between England and Japan, but it turned out, he was able to do it without any problems. Apparently, distance didn¡¯t have that much impact on his ability. It was still about five times more tiring than normal transport, though. But when you were able to travel between countries so easily, it was hard to appreciate traveling. He supposed he didn¡¯t need such things since he wasn¡¯t on vacation, but there were times when he wondered the meaning behind such things. But there were also good things for Tsugumi. When the staff, who were good friends with Hagakure Sakura, heard about her trip to another country, they prepared a lot of extras for her. Tsugumi who ate a little more than others was really glad to have a reasonable amount of food to satisfy his needs. The time for the next dinner¨Cit would be quite early in the morning in Japan time, but Tsugumi left Japan after promising to come for dinner with a large group of people again around that time. This was just a little side note, but after lunch, Toono blurted out, ¡°Pets are like their owners, aren¡¯t they?¡± Perhaps Bell, who was quarantined in the government basement, had been binge eating and drinking in his spare time. By the way, she didn¡¯t even have to mention which was the pet, Bell or Tsugumi. After surviving lunch, Tsugumi and the others gathered again in the hotel¡¯s hall to welcome the second group. This time, there were no diplomats from other countries, just a few British diplomats. They must have thought that it would be a bad idea to provoke the Magical Girls any more than they already had. The second group consisted of Magical Girls, including Chidori from the Transportation Management Department, and people from the Ministry of Divine Worship who could use barrier techniques. Those in charge of interpretation, and the Magical Girls in charge of escorting the second group. And about ten staff members to take data on the Demonic Beasts, for a total of about 40 people newly set foot in England. Although it might seem like a big project, most of these additional personnel were not involved in tomorrow¡¯s battle, so the atmosphere wasn¡¯t that gloomy. Especially for Chidori and the other Magical Girls from the Transportation Management Department, the visit was half like a game since they were here for transportation purposes. Well, it would be best if there was no danger. And among the Magical Girls who were hastily added to the escort, there were also familiar faces ¨C Suzushiro and Kazaguruma. Suzushiro, in particular, was probably called in to take countermeasures against poison, as discussed during the meeting. ¨CThe skill to manipulate poison had a slightly negative image among the public, but depending on how it was used, it could be a very useful skill. In a sense, it was a rare skill that excelled in both offense and defense. With her being here, even if anyone was poisoned, she could easily detoxify the poison. It was safe to say that the danger of this expedition had been greatly reduced. Suzushiro probably noticed Tsugumi¨CHagakure Sakura¡¯s gaze, and she smiled and waved her hand in a small gesture. While being soothed by Suzushiro¡¯s appearance, Tsugumi quietly listened to Yamabuki¡¯s explanation. ¡°Then we will be going our separate ways from now on. The members of the Transportation Management Department will act according to their own restrictions. The observation team will go to the London area to set up the equipment with the local staff. Those from the Ministry of Divine Worship will be responsible for the protection of the hotel. The Magical Girls who will be escorting the hotel will be assigned to their own groups.¡± ¡°Ah, what about us?¡± Toono, whose name wasn¡¯t called, asked Yamabuki. ¡°Toono-san and Hagakure-san will be escorting the Ministry of Divine Worship until the evening, and then you can get some rest early. The real show is tomorrow, after all. You need to be well rested.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand. ¨CHagakure-san, Is that all right with you, too?¡± ¡°Yes, I have no problem with that.¡± Tsugumi nodded in agreement. In other words, after escorting the Ministry of Divine Worship, as long as the transportation of dinner was finished, Tsugumi¡¯s work for today was probably over. That much was easier to understand. ¡°Then, we will disband here at once. If there is any problem, please contact me.¡± Each of them nodded in agreement to Yamabuki¡¯s words. Well, they had originally discussed their movements after coming to England while they were in Japan, so as long as nothing out of ordinary happened, there should be no problems. Just as everyone was about to start moving, a staff member from the second group took out a stack of papers and shouted. ¡°Oh, everyone, just one thing to do before we move. ¨CI¡¯ve prepared the room assignments, including the additional personnel, and I¡¯ll distribute them to you now. Please check it over.¡± With these words, the staff distributed the papers one after another. As he gazed at this busy scene, Tsugumi put his hand over his mouth thoughtfully. ¡­I¡¯ve heard we¡¯re staying overnight but there¡¯s no way I am sharing a room with anyone, right? Thinking this, Tsugumi broke out in cold sweat. Or rather, in Hagakure Sakura¡¯s case, incidents would occur no matter who he shared a room with, regardless of gender. There was no other option but to room alone. In the worst-case scenario, he could probably just transport home for the night, but he didn¡¯t want to act selfishly when he was being forced to act as a group. ¨CBut since male Yukino was originally scheduled to come on this expedition, her replacement, Hagakure Sakura, should also be assigned to a room alone. Tsugumi optimistically checked the room assignments from the bottom to the top. Basically, the rooms were shared by several people, and the non-combatants and the Magical Girls were assigned in pairs. As he checked, he found Chidori¡¯s name, which had been bothering him for some time. It seemed Chidori was sharing a double room with Suzushiro. Seeing this room assignment, Tsugumi tilted his head inwardly. ¡­In Chidori¡¯s case, she had a history of being kidnapped, so perhaps that was taken into consideration when she was placed in the room with Suzushiro, who was a strong Magical Girl. Incidentally, since the male staff members couldn¡¯t stay with Magical Girls, they were supposed to stay in a room with a large number of people, and they were supposed to take turns watching over the room just in case. ¡­Why do we have to be so cautious when we came all the way to a foreign country to help defeat a Demonic Beast? Perhaps this level of caution is normal in foreign countries? Growing up in an isolated country, he couldn¡¯t understand it at all. Tsugumi checked the list indifferently, but when he saw the column with his name on it, his face twitched. Then, with a pale face, he grabbed the sleeve of Toono¡¯s dress and asked in a quiet voice. ¡°Ah, um, Toono-san. Are you sure this is okay?¡± ¡°Oh, we get a large suite, right? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°The problem isn¡¯t with the room, it¡¯s with the roommate¡­!¡± With a whisper, Tsugumi pointed to the room assignment sheet. There was a room number and a detailed description of the room followed by the words ¡°Tohno Sumire & Hagakure Sakura¡±. In other words, Tsugumi¡¯s roommate was Toono. ¡­Normally, anyone else would think, ¡°I¡¯m so lucky to be spending the night with a beautiful woman!¡± But the other person was Toono. If he carelessly made a move, he would be extinguished in an instant. He was too scared to spend the night with her. But Toono, whether she realized his feeling or not, made a puzzled face, tilted her head, and said. ¡°Yes. It means staying in the same room with Hagakure-san, right? There¡¯s nothing to fuss about.¡± ¡°¡­But there¡¯s actually something to fuss about. Are you serious?¡± Tsugumi said that and nudged Toono in frustration, but Tohno tilted her head with a question mark floating on her face. ¡­Is this person really okay? In the first place, it was strange that a young woman¨Cand a human being in a special position as a miko¡ªhad no hesitation in spending the night with a man, even if said man was a Magical Girl. It was completely incomprehensible. Tsugumi looked at Toono with a disturbed look, but Toono just smiled quietly and didn¡¯t say anything. He wasn¡¯t sure what Toono was thinking, but he put it aside for the moment and went to the staff member who had given him the room assignment. ¡°Um, sorry. Regarding this room allocation, is it possible to have a single room?¡± When Tsugumi asked that question, the female employee looked apologetic and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We have increased the number of guards and other personnel on short notice, so we don¡¯t have enough rooms to accommodate them. No, to be precise, the room itself is available, but the effect of the barrier will be less effective if the areas are spread out too much. Besides, in Hagakure-san¡¯s case, it is assumed that you and Toono-san will be escorting each other, so it would be more helpful if you could stay with us if possible.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± If you say it like that, I can¡¯t possibly refuse. ¡­Thinking that he might have to sneak back to his room in the middle of the night, he let out a small sigh. ¡°Are you done talking?¡± Saying that, Toono smiled and looked into Tsugumi¡¯s face. ¡°¡­Well, for the time being.¡± ¡°It seems you couldn¡¯t get yourself a single room. ¨CThat¡¯s fine. We¡¯re friends.¡± Toono happily talked about her plans for the evening, saying things like, ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to our secret talks at night¡±. Seeing Toono¡¯s state of mind, Tsugumi let out a loud sigh. ¡°Friends aren¡¯t a universal indulgence, are they?¡± He said this with a sigh of defeat, his shoulders slumped. ¨CEven now, he was already worried about nightfall. CH 148 Amateurish Friend Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani After that, Tsugumi and Toono were assigned to escort the Ministry of Divine Worship. ¨CThe Ministry of Divine Worship was a ministry based on an institution that existed in the past that was in charge of rituals and administration and was now a special organization that handled Shinto rituals centered on Amaterasu and shamanistic arts such as binding and protection. They were the so-called experts of the Japanese occult. Basically, with the exception of Toono, people from the Ministry of Divine Worship rarely came out into the open like this, but it seemed this time the Ministry of Divine Worship made a move. Well, since Toono, who was a treasured child of the Ministry of Divine Worship, was on the front line, perhaps this was only natural. The technique that Toono used when Chidori was kidnapped was also a basic technique taught there. Tsugumi also got a little explanation about its principles in his spare time while escorting ¨C but it was too difficult to understand any of it. ¡­No, this didn¡¯t mean that Tsugumi was stupid. Apparently, the people in the Ministry of Divine Worship were all geniuses in some ways. ¨CThe only thing that bothered him a bit was Toono¡¯s relationship with the people sent from the Ministry of Divine Worship. Toono herself was behaving as usual, but the people from the Ministry of Divine Worship seemed indifferent¡­ Or rather, it looked like they were trying to stay out of Toono¡¯s life. Even if they belonged to the same organization, they acted too much like strangers to each other. Perhaps Toono¡¯s activities as a Magical Girl might have caused some friction with the Ministry of Divine Worship, but it was hard to tell from this little exchange. In any case, Tsugumi and Toono confirmed that a barrier had been installed in the hotel¨Ca system to detect the approach and attacks of malicious humans¨Cand left the space far from harmonious. ¡­He wouldn¡¯t go so far as to say that all people who deal with sorcery were dark, but the atmosphere was certainly gloomy. After that, the dinner was carried just like it was for lunch, and Tsugumi and Toono headed to the designated room. It was unfortunate that he couldn¡¯t see Chidori or Suzushiro because the timing was not right, but since they had taken so many precautions in advance, he didn¡¯t have to worry that much. While thinking about such things, Tsugumi arrived at the front of the room. A massive, expensive-looking door welcomed them. Tsugumi unlocked the door with the card key given to him and entered the room with a pained expression and looked around the room. Then, after checking out the interior of the room, Tsugumi put his hands on his face and let out a big sigh. ¡°¡­ Why is the bathroom completely exposed? Is it necessary to make it like that?¡± He said this plainly and lowered his head down. The suite was a large room and bedroom in one, with two double beds, so he could guess that it was originally meant to be a four-person room. The problem was the bathroom on the opposite side of the bed. The bathroom had a glass wall that was common in expensive rooms. ¡­It would have been a good source of laughter if he had come to stay with his male friends, but it was not funny at all when he thought that Toono was next to him. In fact, it could be said that it increased the level of hell. ¡°Wow, the night view is beautiful. The bed is spacious, and I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll sleep well.¡± Toono, on the other hand, was happily walking around the room, paying no attention to Tsugumi. ¡­Maybe it was time to get mad at her. Tsugumi pressed his eyebrow to hide his irritation and began to speak in a voice that sounded emotionless. ¡°Hah¡­ I¡¯m going to leave this room in a little while and go home to get some sleep, so please spend some time here, Toono-san. Of course, I will be back by morning.¡± Leaving Toono alone in this room was probably not a good idea from an escort standpoint, but he didn¡¯t think Toono wouldn¡¯t be able to handle an attack from a foreign assassin¨Can ordinary person. And no matter how much Hagakure Sakura was perceived as a woman by those around her, in the end, she was Tsugumi inside. Ethically speaking, Tsugumi should not stay in this room. When Tsugumi said so, Toono made a strange face and opened her mouth. ¡°Why? Why don¡¯t we stay in this room together?¡± ¡°¡­Toono-san, you know my real gender, right? Don¡¯t be reckless. What if something happens?¡± Then Toono spoke up with a slightly sour face. ¡°Because it¡¯s my first time sleeping with someone. It¡¯s okay to have a little dream, you know.¡± ¡°Saying this is the first time is such an exaggeration¡­ If you live a normal life, you¡¯ll have a lot of things like school trips and things like that.¡± Toono lowered her eyes and shook her head. ¡°I was enrolled in school, but I never attended. They said that it was a bad thing to be involved in the mundane world. Fufu, If I hadn¡¯t been discovered by Yatagarasu-sama, I would probably still be locked up in a dark room.¡± ¡°¡­Um, is it really that difficult to become a miko? Do other people do such harsh things?¡± Confused by the sudden confession, Tsugumi responded. ¡°No, it¡¯s just me. ¨CI¡¯m the only one, the only special one, that¡¯s why I was isolated. I¡¯m sorry, I know you don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m talking about.¡± ¡°No, that¡­¡± When Tsugumi was at a loss for words, Toono smiled and said. ¡°Well, since I turned 20, their restraints have weakened in various ways. It is also thanks to Yatagarasu-sama¡¯s suggestion.¨CBut I am free in my own way now, so don¡¯t worry so much. It makes me sad to see you, my friend, looking at me like that.¡± Saying that, Toono smiled as if mocking herself. ¨CAt this moment, Tsugumi could see a kind of string that bounded Toono, who until now had seemed freer than anyone else¡¯s. He had no idea that Toono had such a past. Listening to the dark circumstances of Amaterasu¡¯s miko, he couldn¡¯t hide his agitation. ¨CShe didn¡¯t go to school, and as she said before at the department store, she was restricted by other miko and treated as a special existence. Such disregard for human rights was something that Tsugumi had no understanding of, but if this was true, how sharp of a blade did Tsugumi¡¯s earlier statement ¨C ¡°If only I lived a normal life¡± ¨C become for Toono? Thinking about it, he felt crushed with guilt. ¡°I, well, I didn¡¯t know anything¡­¡± When Tsugumi bowed his head with regret, Toono opened her mouth and said lightly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. This kind of talk is not allowed outside the Ministry of Divine Worship. I am not sure why I told you. Maybe I wanted you to know. ¨CBecause you are with me.¡± Saying this, Toono smiled beautifully and said, ¡°This conversation is over. I can¡¯t tell you anything more.¡± The fact that she said ¡°I can¡¯t talk about it¡± rather than ¡°I won¡¯t talk about it¡± suggested that there might be some restrictions on continuing this topic. Tsugumi thought so, and nodded reluctantly, despite his unconvinced feelings. ¨CHe¡¯d always found Toono to be secretive, and he was getting more and more used to her withholding information. This must be her style. Tsugumi put his hand over his mouth in thought and quietly closed his eyes. ¨CIf everything Toono said was true, then her story about not having any friends until now might not be a lie at all. In other words, Toono had a habit of acting like a predator, but she didn¡¯t have much experience with friends, or even with people of equal status. He didn¡¯t know why Toono dared to choose Tsugumi as her first friend, but something about Tsugumi must have tugged at her heartstrings. Otherwise, she would never have called such a suspicious person a friend. Besides, she had lived as a miko since she was young¨Cif she was confined in a sacred place, then he could somewhat understand why she didn¡¯t know the distance between men and women. ¡­That didn¡¯t mean it was okay to spend the night with a man, but he could understand Toono¡¯s feelings. ¨CIt was a natural human reaction to be overjoyed with your first friend. Even if that human was Toono. Tsugumi let out a loud sigh, then turned to Toono and opened her mouth. ¡°¡­I can stay in the room until Toono-san goes to bed. But I can¡¯t go any further than that.¡± Tsugumi laughed helplessly. It didn¡¯t mean he sympathized with Toono. It was rude for Tsugumi, who didn¡¯t understand anything about the situation, to think that way, and more importantly, as long as Toono didn¡¯t tell him the details, he couldn¡¯t get involved. ¨CBut it wouldn¡¯t hurt to make a friend¡¯s little dream come true. Tsugumi fooled himself like that. He always had a soft spot for women. This result was only natural. When Tsugumi answered, Toono smiled. ¡°Really!? I¡¯m so happy!!¡± ¡°What, wait, close contact is troublesome¡­¡± Tsugumi gently turned his face away while escaping from Toono, who embraced him with her words. In the end, Toono was a friend. He couldn¡¯t afford to have any strange feelings toward Toono. Toono¡¯s awareness and emotion toward her friend were probably on par with that of a little girl. He had to be very careful. Toono, who had lost the embrace, puffed out her cheeks in frustration and grabbed Tsugumi¡¯s hand with both of hers, and said in a sing-songy voice. ¡°You¡¯re so mean to me, Hagakure-san. ¨CAh, but since we¡¯re friends now, it¡¯s not polite to call you Hagakure-san. Then, can I call you Tsugumi? Of course, I¡¯ll call you Sakura when we¡¯re outside. And please call me Sumire, not Toono. And please remove the honorifics¨C¡° ¡°Ha, it¡¯s too fast, it¡¯s too fast to close the distance¡­!!¡± ¨CTh-this person is more energetic than I imagined. Tsugumi slightly regretted his choice as he turned away from Toono, who kept pressing him. He never thought she would look like a child, even though she looked like perfect beauty. ¨CBut I guess you¡¯re much more human now. For some reason, Tsugumi thought so. She was much more emotional and adorable than she was when he first met her at the conference, when she acted so leisurely. Well, maybe it was rude to think of an older woman like that. After this, Tsugumi left while Toono took a bath, and returned to his room with his hands full of snacks. It should be noted that before Toono got into the bath, Toono said, ¡°You¡¯re in a girl¡¯s body now,¡± and there was a brief argument, which was a secret. CH 149 Secret Night Conversation Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani After sneaking back home, changing into a hoodie, and returning to the room where Toono was waiting with sweets, Toono and Tsugumi talked about many things while picking up sweets that caught their attention. He was visibly shaken by Toono after the hot bath, but Tsugumi kept his composure by desperately telling himself, ¡°She is a little girl, she is a little girl¡­¡± She was even more annoying than Mebuki, who knew how attractive she was and kept messing with him. Incidentally, as for the name he was told to call her, he settled on ¡°Sumire-san¡± after a discussion. He asked to hold off on removing the honorific until further notice. In the first place, Tsugumi had no experience in being on a first-name basis with the opposite sex outside of Chidori, who was his family. No matter how much the person herself asked for it, he still felt embarrassed and uncomfortable. When Tsugumi told her this, Toono tilted her head curiously and said, ¡°Since you and Chidori are not related by blood, you guys are not family, right?¡± He received a painful comment. ¡­It was true, but he didn¡¯t need to be reminded of that right now. With such a bitter feeling, Tsugumi insisted, ¡°Even so, Chidori is still family to me¡­¡± Regardless of what Toono and Yatagarasu¡¯s associates might think, Chidori was still an important family member to Tsugumi. That would never change, no matter what. Toono looked a little dissatisfied when Tsugumi told her this, but she eventually dropped the subject, as if she had lost interest. Well, it was probably just a trivial question for Toono. After that exchange, Toono coaxed Tsugumi to talk about his daily life. Toono was content to listen to what happened at school, his idle conversations with his classmates, and his interactions with his male friends. Tsugumi thought it would be boring to hear about such things, but judging from the way Toono seemed to be enjoying listening to him, it didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Toono laughed when he told her about an incident in the past where he ran around the school from a senior student after an incident involving Yukitaka. She laughed and said, ¡°Fufu, you have a lot of interesting friends. So, what did you do after you jumped off the second floor to escape?¡± ¡°I was sent to the hospital because I sprained my leg badly. Later I found out it was a misunderstanding and the upperclassmen apologized, but in the end, the person who caused the commotion just laughed at me.¡± He shrugged his shoulders. He didn¡¯t have a lot of interesting stories, but he had plenty of tales of mishaps involving Yukitaka. If he could make her laugh at a story like this, it might be worth all the trouble. As the night progressed, Toono yawned softly. Apparently, she was finally getting sleepy. No wonder. Including the time difference, she had been awake for 20 hours. If she didn¡¯t go to sleep soon, it would affect her tomorrow. ¡°You should go to sleep now. You have to wake up early tomorrow.¡± Toono lowered her eyes sadly and opened her mouth with regret. ¡°But we were having such a good time talking.¡± ¡°You can talk to me anytime you want. We¡¯re friends, so if our schedules allow, we can hang out together.¡± ¡°¡­Is that fine?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s fine. Ah, but please stop acting unreasonable like you did with Yukino-san. Even I would be in trouble if you suddenly summoned me.¡± When Tsugumi added that, Toono¡¯s eyes widened, and then she began to giggle. ¡°Fufu, yes. ¨CWe¡¯ve got all the time in the world.¡± Toono said and got up, saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to brush my teeth.¡± Apparently, she was in a better mood now. Tsugumi cleaned up the remains of the snacks and thought about leaving the room after seeing Toono getting ready for bed, but just as he turned around to leave, he felt a jolt. When he back again, he saw Toono in bed, holding onto his cuffs. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Sumire-san?¡± Tsugumi thought it was strange and called out to her, but Toono looked at Tsugumi and said sulkily. ¡°You promised to stay with me until I go to sleep, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­No, I certainly said that. But isn¡¯t it hard to sleep if someone is awake next to you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. That¡¯s why¨Chold my hand until I go to sleep¡­ That¡¯s all.¡± Toono looked up at him pleadingly. At that moment, he almost thought, ¡°You¡¯re begging like a child again¡­¡± but then he looked into Toono¡¯s anxious eyes and changed his mind. ¨CToono Sumire might be much more of a [child] than Tsugumi thought. She spent her childhood locked away and her behavior controlled by adults. It was very similar to Tsugumi¡¯s circumstances in his childhood. ¡­Ah, maybe that¡¯s why Toono is so unguarded around me. Thinking so, Tsugumi slightly bit his lip. Toono knew about Tsugumi¡¯s past. For Toono, he was a friend who had been through the same thing. That¡¯s why she carelessly approached him. Like a child who hadn¡¯t yet grown emotionally. ¨CChidori took Tsugumi¡¯s hand, but he wonder if Toono had someone like that. Thinking about it, his heart ached as if he had been stabbed with a blade. It was as if¨Che was looking at his other self. So Tsugumi took Toono¡¯s hand. ¡°¨CI understand. I¡¯ll stay with you until you sleep, Sumire-san.¡± Saying this, he smiled to reassure Toono. ¨CHe didn¡¯t care about ethics or anything else. He was going to stay by her side as her only friend. If his hand could help someone just as Chidori did to him that day, that would be the best. With this thought in mind, he sat down on the floor and looked Toono in the eyes. Then Tohno narrowed her eyes happily and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Their hands, held together discreetly, were gradually heating up. Enjoying the heat, Tsugumi quietly closed his eyes. There were no words between them, only the tick-tock of the clock echoing in the room. Tsugumi didn¡¯t mind the silence. Tsugumi suppressed his presence and kept the same pose until Toono was breathing regularly in her sleep. It was only fifteen minutes or so, but his body ached a little. Tsugumi smoothly pulled his hand out of Toono¡¯s hand and gently brushed her hair away from her face. The figure of her sleeping peacefully like a child was far from her usual dignified appearance. Seeing Toono¡¯s figure, Tsugumi let out a small sigh. It seemed he was finally out of the job. He could have gone home right now, but he felt the need to cool off a bit. ¨CEveryone had a past that they didn¡¯t want to be heard about. But even so, Toono¡¯s situation was too pathetic. But that didn¡¯t mean that Tsugumi could do anything about the past. The best he could do was to listen to her from time to time. Tsugumi scratched his head while mocking himself for his uselessness. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s take a look around the courtyard for a bit.¡± Saying that, he went out onto the veranda with a plastic bottle filled with water. From the rooms on the upper floors, he could see a beautiful, glittering starry sky. Below that, he could see a beautifully landscaped courtyard. Tsugumi checked out the situation below and then jumped off the balcony lightly in his slippers. Then, using the thread as a pulley and cushion, he descended silently. To the casual observer, he might have looked like an American comic book hero. Then, after landing in the courtyard, Tsugumi looked around the courtyard and walked toward the fountain. CH 150 Miko''s Monologue Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Toono slowly opened her eyes after Tsugumi disappeared from the room. It wasn¡¯t that she had fallen asleep¨Cit was simply that she hadn¡¯t slept well. The fact that Toono would be awakened by the faint sound of the window opening must have been unexpected for Tsugumi who had left. Toono, staring blankly at the window with sleepy eyes, muttered. ¡°That child is really sweet. He¡¯s a softy, a pushover, and can¡¯t shake off a hand that grabs him. ¨CAnd yet, why should such a righteous person have to die?¡± Then Toono lowered her eyes sadly. Nanase Tsugumi was a decent person who knew how to live a normal life. That¡¯s why Toono felt sorry for him. The remnants of the evil God that existed within Tsugumi. It was predicted that one day it would eat through his body and bring destruction and chaos to this Earth. No matter how it would turn out, Tsugumi wouldn¡¯t live long. ¨CYes, just like Toono Sumire. ¡°I still have four years to live. Once that passes, I must retire from Magical Girl and fulfill my original duties. ¨CAs the next generation¡¯s vessel of Amaterasu.¡± Saying so quietly, Toono clenched her hands in prayer. Toono Sumire was a vessel for Amaterasu¨Ca design baby adjusted to be a sacrifice. This was a high-ranked secret within the Ministry of Divine Worship and only the higher-ups of the Ministry knew the details of the process. This was against humanity, but it was all for a good cause. Amaterasu¡¯s power had been raised by the power of the people¡¯s faith and she had become more powerful every year. Therefore, the temporary body ¨C the low-strength spirit entity ¨C was no longer able to control her enormous power. If her alter ego was destroyed, the barrier would shatter, and another era of chaos would descend upon Japan. In order to prevent this, the first temporary flesh vessel was conceived. By covering the spirit entity with a body of flesh, the sorcerers of the time thought of creating armor that would shoulder the damage. Amaterasu¡¯s subordinate Gods, on the other hand, were delighted with the plan of the sorcerers. For the old Gods, mikos were servants who did their bidding. To use a miko as a disposable vessel was praised as an honorable act, but they didn¡¯t feel sorry for the miko. This inhumane project began about 25 years ago. ¨CWhen Sakura Akane was still publicly alive, the sorcerers planned to have Sakura Akane play the role of the honored sacrifice¨CAmaterasu¡¯s vessel. It wasn¡¯t because they had any ill will toward Sakura Akane. It was because they believed that it would be the best honor for the hero. In a sense, it was a flailing of good intentions. But Sakura Akane escaped. And most of all, with the help of Yatagarasu, Amaterasu¡¯s confidant. Amaterasu made no mention of the matter. Did she forgive him or did she not care? Toono, a mere mortal, didn¡¯t know. The problem was there were people who were affected by her escape. One of them was the second candidate for the vessel of Amaterasu. A beautiful woman who was an excellent sorcerer and an exceptionally talented Magical Girl. ¨CShe was Toono Sumire¡¯s genetic mother. After giving birth to her modified child, Toono, she immediately ended her life as a vessel of Amaterasu. ¡­No, her body was still alive, but if her personality, soul, and everything else had been painted over by Amaterasu, then she could no longer be called alive as a human being. And Toono, the daughter of that vessel, grew up thoroughly controlled by miko who knew the secrets. She lived in a small world where she was not allowed to question being a sacrifice, was taken advantage of for her good looks, and was forced to assist in politics even though she didn¡¯t want to. Thanks to this, she learned how to behave toward adults, but Toono had always been lonely. She was praised as a noble person and was raised apart from children her own age to prevent her from harboring strange ideas. The only people who were around Toono as a child were Amaterasu fanatics with mechanical smiles and filthy adults seeking profit. Among those people, she couldn¡¯t forgive anyone. Perhaps taking pity on Toono, Yatagarasu asked her to become a Magical Girl when she was fifteen years old, just as ordinary people were graduating from junior high school. ¡­Yatagarasu must have felt guilty toward Toono for letting Sakura Akane escape. The miko in charge of monitoring her told her to refuse. Even so, she overcame the opposition and took Yatagarasu¡¯s hand because she wanted to know about the outside world. ¨CHowever, the world that she had so gleefully ventured out into was harsher than she had expected. On a daily basis, her colleagues¨CMagical Girls¨Cwere dying and leaving with broken hearts. There were girls who spoke with her from time to time, but due to the differences in their upbringing, they were never able to become friends. ¡­No, to be more precise, she was jealous of them. Unlike her, these girls were able to choose their lives as they wished. Although they were almost the same age as her, they looked so dazzling to Toono, who was already on a predetermined rail. Toono spent a limited amount of time acting free and uninhibited while harboring gloomy thoughts. It was during this time that Yatagarasu ordered her to contact Nanase Tsugumi, a task that changed Toono¡¯s mindset. Like Toono, he was an unfortunate boy who was born to be a vessel of God. Although he wasn¡¯t aware of it, his circumstances were similar to Toono¡¯s, even the fact that his life would be scattered in a few years. There were too many similarities to be called a coincidence. It was only natural that Toono would be interested in Tsugumi. ¨CWhen she talked to him at the movie theater, he seemed like an ordinary boy. ¨CWhen they met in the food court, she envied him for living a normal life. ¨CWhen they talked in the conference room, she refrained from saying that both of them were going to die in the near future anyway. She called herself a friend, forced her longings on him, and acted selfishly. It didn¡¯t matter if he hated her. No matter what Tsugumi thought of her, they would both be dead in a few years anyway. So it would be better to live without regrets. ¨CBut then, Tsugumi took Toono¡¯s selfish hand. That made her really happy. A friend with a deadline. A short relationship until one of them died. If he was unlucky, Toono might have to kill Tsugumi, who had been consumed by an evil God. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t really want to die, but I can¡¯t do anything about it.¡± She spilled out in a small voice. She would never say that kind of line when the mikos were watching, but there was no one here now. It was not that Toono didn¡¯t want to be Amaterasu¡¯s vessel. Being a vessel itself was a great honor, and if it was for the good of this country, then she was convinced that it was the right thing to do. But that and the heart were two different things. ¨CShe wanted to experience the normal life of going to karaoke with friends after school, going on trips, talking about other things, and so on, just like Tsugumi was talking about. She wanted to live freely without being bound by a mission. But it was still a dream that wouldn¡¯t come true. ¨CBecause it was just a dream, it looked so dazzling. ¨CTsugumi was so so kind, Toono was sure he would do anything she asked. But it wasn¡¯t because Toono was special. It was simply because he was a good person who was kind to his friends. Toono was fine with that. For Toono, Tsugumi was her only friend, but it wasn¡¯t the case for him. It was a little sad, but it wasn¡¯t surprising that he didn¡¯t put her first. On the other hand, Toono¡¯s dislike for Nanase Chidori, Sakura Akane¡¯s daughter, was, in a way, inevitable. Because of Sakura Akane¡¯s escape, Toono¡¯s fate was decided even before she was born. In fact, it was admirable that she didn¡¯t take it out on the daughter of the woman who caused it. ¨CBut she was not happy about it. She was just one of many, but only Nanase Chidori was special to Tsugumi. He wasn¡¯t even related to her by blood, and yet he was so brazen about it. It was because of this dissatisfaction that she said bitterly to Tsugumi earlier, ¡°But Chidori-san isn¡¯t your family, right?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not good with that girl. Because it¡¯s unfair that she lives happily alone.¡± ¨CI wish she would have taken over the role. Her parents were originally going to be the vessel anyway, so why not the daughter this time? Toono thought so, but she didn¡¯t say it out loud. She knew that if she said it out loud, she would lose the reason for her existence. ¡°In the end, there is nothing I can do about it now. Ha, I¡¯m sick of it.¡± No matter how much she lamented, Toono¡¯s fate wouldn¡¯t change. And also Tsugumi¡¯s fate, the vessel of the evil God. ¡°But I¡¯m relieved that I¡¯m not the only one suffering like this. ¨CEven if we both die at different times, I am sure we will meet in the Underworld soon.¡± She wasn¡¯t the only one who was being forced to endure unfairness. Just thinking about it lightened her heart a little. That¡¯s why, Toono thought. In the limited time available to them, it would be fine if they loosened up a bit. Both of them would die in the near future anyway. Until then, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have fun like children. ¡°Fufu, I wonder what I should do next time. I¡¯m really looking forward to it.¡± Muttering these words, she crawled under the covers. It had been a long time since she closed her eyes with such a peaceful feeling. As if slipping down, her consciousness sank to the bottom of the water. It didn¡¯t take long for Toono to fall asleep. ¨COn the other hand, as Toono fell asleep again, Tsugumi went down to the courtyard and ran into an unexpected person. CH 151 Encounter at Night Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani As Tsugumi walked through the garden, he saw someone by the fountain in the center of the courtyard. As he got closer, he saw a boy with golden hair that shimmered in the moonlit night and wearing black clothes like a cassock ¨C Azalea ¨C sitting on the edge of the fountain with a melancholy look. ¡°Lake-san? What are you doing so late at night?¡± When Tsugumi unintentionally called out, Azalea turned around with a surprised face and gave Tsugumi a strange look. Then Azalea looked Tsugumi up and down as if confirming, and with a curious look, he said, ¡°Uh, you¡¯re Hagakure-san, right? I¡¯m sorry, your clothes are so different from usual¡­¡± ¨CTsugumi¡¯s current appearance was very simple, a large hoodie he brought from home with a pair of loose, three-quarter-length trousers. In this outfit, it would certainly be hard to notice that he was Hagakure Sakura, who was always dressed cutely. Because he had just been with Toono, who knew his situation, he had forgotten about these small details. While complaining in his mind that he had made a mistake, Tsugumi smiled deceptively ¡°Oh, sorry for the confusion. I meant to go for a walk before bed, so I came out in my off-duty clothes. ¨CI¡¯m a little embarrassed, so please keep it a secret from everyone, okay?¡± Tsugumi told him as he put his index finger to his mouth. It might seem a little fake, but this kind of brusqueness was more effective for deception. Above all, it was difficult for the other party to get too deeply involved. ¡­It did cause some damage to his own heart, though. Then Azalea nodded calmly with a small smile. Apparently, he didn¡¯t care about Tsugumi¡¯s outfit. ¡°Toono-san is not with you?¡± When Azalea asked, Tsugumi shook his head. ¡°Toono-san is already resting in her room. Fufu, would you have preferred Toono-san here over me?¡± Azalea¡¯s face tightened as he replied, ¡°No way!¡± Then Azalea let out a loud sigh as he lightly rubbed the goose bumps on his arms as if he had imagined that Toono was nearby. ¡­It was hardly a believable response to the number one Magical Girl. He suspected it from the movie theater, but it seemed Azalea really didn¡¯t like Toono. As Tsugumi smiled wryly, Azalea looked up and said as if to fix his words. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. About Toono-san, I am not good with her¡­¡± ¡°Well, it depends on each person. But please don¡¯t be too mean to Toono-san, okay? She may be a bit of a bully, but basically, she¡¯s a good person.¡± ¡°¡­Haha, yes. I will do my best.¡± With words that sounded like a refusal, Azalea looked at Tsugumi as if to cut to the main point. ¡°I¡¯m with the Japanese government¡¯s Ministry of Divine Worship, but I haven¡¯t had much opportunity to talk to Magical Girls. Hagakure-san, if you don¡¯t mind, would you like to sit down and talk?¡° In response to this request, Tsugumi was a little at loss with what to do. He had to wake up early tomorrow morning, but it was still too early to go to bed. It should be fine to stay up for a little while. ¡°¨CYes, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Besides, Tsugumi was interested in Azalea¡¯s story. He usually talked to Azalea as a classmate at school, but this was the first time he had spoken to Azalea as a religious person. With this curiosity in mind, Tsugumi said so and slowly sat down next to Azalea. Then Azalea laughed in relief and opened his mouth happily. ¡°Thank you! I¡¯ve been wondering about the Magical Girl system¨C¡° For a while after that, they talked about Magical Girl-related matters, and then Tsugumi talked about things like what Azalea thought when he first came to Japan, and what he would think if he actually confronted a Demonic Beast. Among the topic that came up, there was a complaint that all the personnel of the Ministry of Divine Worship were researchers and peculiar people, and the atmosphere of the place was heavy, Azalea must be having a hard time so Tsugumi sympathized with him. As they talked, the conversation suddenly stopped, and Azalea clenched his fists tightly as if he had decided something, and opened his mouth while looking at Tsugumi¡¯s eyes. ¡°¨CHagakure-san, what did you think when you heard about the Demonic Beast that appeared in this country?¡± At the ambiguous question, Tsugumi tilted his head. ¡°Even if you ask me¡­ It¡¯s tough. In the countries across the sea, Demonic Beasts don¡¯t appear much, and if you can¡¯t create a barrier, it will be hard to deal with it, right?¡± That was all Tsugumi could say. But he also wondered if countries without Magical Girls would have such a hard time with a single Demonic Beast. Perhaps his unspoken thoughts were seen through, Azalea looked down sadly and clutched the rosary hanging on his chest. ¡®Yes, that¡¯s right. You girls, who are protected by the Goddess Amaterasu, have the means to defeat Demonic Beasts. But we don¡¯t. I¨CI¡¯m not happy about it.¡± Azalea continued speaking, his face contorted in frustration. ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe it at all. ¨CGod only gives people trials that they can overcome. But this has already reached the point of disaster. So why does our God remain silent?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s¡­¡± Azalea believed in one and only one God¨Cthe Almighty God. At present, no manifestation of a similar God had been confirmed in Japan. There were various reasons for this, but for Azalea, ¡°not appearing¡± itself was a problem. ¡°Unlike you, who have so much power, we are limited in our ability to deal with the Demonic Beasts. Why is it that we cannot get salvation?¡± While repeating the word why, Azalea said bitterly. ¨CThere was no Magical Girl system outside of Japan. Azalea understood that, but as a servant of God, he probably had mixed feelings about it. ¡°I heard that the Gods of your country sent a spirit entity for the believers living in Japan. If so, why doesn¡¯t our God, who has billions of believers, show Himself to us? I thought that if I could come to Japan, I would have a clue. But the result is this. ¡­This defeats the purpose of my arrival to Japan.¡± Azalea ruffled his hair in annoyance. Hearing this, Tsugumi had a thought. The reason Azalea came all the way to Japan to study was to learn how to fight Demonic Beasts. In that case, it made sense why he would go to the Ministry of Divine Worship even at the invitation of Toono, who he was not a fan of. Then Azalea, perhaps thinking he had spoken too much, looked up and held his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to say this to Hagakure-san. I guess I was getting a little sentimental. ¡­Please forget it.¡± Saying this, Azalea made a regretful face and lowered his eyes. While listening to Azalea¡¯s spitting monologue, Tsugumi tilted his head in doubt. ¨CThinking about Azalea¡¯s story carefully, there was something a little strange about it. Azalea was lamenting the fact that the God he believed in wouldn¡¯t appear on earth, but such a thing, no matter how hard he tried, was impossible. Tsugumi thought so, and quietly opened his mouth. ¡°The only God that Lake-san believes in is that One, right? ¡­Then I don¡¯t see how it would be possible for Him to manifest. At least, I think it is absolutely impossible.¡± When Tsugumi simply told him so, Azalea looked at him with wide-open eyes. ¡°¨CWhat are you saying?¡± Azalea stood up and took a step closer to Tsugumi. He could hear his voice mixed with anger, as if he thought he was being mocked. ¡­Additionally, his pupils were dilated, which was a bit frightening. Tsugumi didn¡¯t mean to say anything strange, but apparently, he had offended Azalea. ¨CThis may require a proper explanation. Thinking so, Tsugumi let out a small sigh. And just as Azalea¡¯s outstretched hand was about to touch Tsugumi, he pointed a plastic bottle of water at Azalea and said. ¡°I will explain the reason properly from now on. So, um, please calm down.¡± CH 152 A Lamb in Distress Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Tsugumi cut off the top half of the plastic bottle he was holding with a piece of thread and used the remaining bottom part to draw water from the fountain. Then, placing the improvised cup on the edge of the fountain, he quietly opened his mouth. ¡°The Gods in Japan are manifested on Earth by pouring the power that is generated from the rift in the sky into temporary vessels called ¡®soul entity¡¯. In other words, this water is like the power and the cup is like the body. Only when these two are properly aligned can God obtain a body. Do you understand so far?¡± Saying this, Tsugumi looked up into Azalea¡¯s face. Then Azalea nodded slowly, looking dissatisfied. Seeing this, Tsugumi continued his story. ¡°The shape of the body and the amount of power that is poured into the body changes depending on the Gods, but the theory of manifestation is the same for all Gods. Incidentally, the shape of the body tends to be somewhat influenced by the image people on Earth have of the Gods. The God I contracted with is also of that type.¡± Well, to a certain extent, the direction of the figure could be specified by the will of the God, but the influence of the image still remained. The God that Tsugumi was contracted with¨CBell¨Cwas particularly noticeable in this tendency. In Bell¡¯s case, he had the wings of an insect, based on the image of the demon Beelzebub. And the cat-like body, which was the basis of his body, was probably derived from one of the anecdotes about the demon Baal, who he was equated with. In addition, the tail was shaped like a lizard, perhaps because the image of demons often seen in paintings was somewhat reptilian. Incidentally, another God¨CHariti, Hitsugi¡¯s contract God who had previously invaded his room, had the appearance of a giant spider. Perhaps, she was shaped like that due to a mixture of anecdotes about her ability to produce more than a thousand children and her cruelty in devouring other people¡¯s children. Well, it was said that some mother spiders sacrificed themselves to their children to keep them from starving, so perhaps it wasn¡¯t wrong that she was painted as a mother spider. When Tsugumi said so, Azalea looked suspicious and frowned. ¡°¡­So, what are you trying to say, Hagakure-san?¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? This is one of the reasons why your God can¡¯t come down. ¨CYour religion basically forbids idolatry, right? Since there is no fundamental image for the vessel, there is no way for Him to come down.¡± Saying that, Tsugumi shrugged his shoulders. ¨CThe prohibition of idolatry led to the denial of temporary vessels. Moreover, the deeper one¡¯s faith, the stronger their awareness of it. Once this happened, it was already a dead end. No matter what form their God might take, the sense of faith deeply embedded in human beings would deny that form. When that happened, a hole opened up in the vessel. If that case, no matter how much power was poured into the vessel, the power would only leak out and the God wouldn¡¯t be able to manifest. In other words, it was human beings¡¯ own fault that their God couldn¡¯t come down. When Tsugumi calmly explained this, Azalea trembled slightly and covered his mouth with his hand. ¡°The people at the Ministry of Divine Worship didn¡¯t tell me that.¡± ¡°In Japan, the basic theory of the soul entity is taught during compulsory education. But Azalea-san is from a foreign country, so it¡¯s not surprising that you don¡¯t know. The people at the Ministry of Divine Worship probably didn¡¯t take that into consideration.¡± Tsugumi answered that, but inwardly, he suspected that the Ministry of Divine Worship knew about it and kept quiet. They were probably trying to suck out the knowledge of Western witchcraft and Catholicism that Azalea possessed while sprinkling out information that wasn¡¯t valuable. ¡­It might not be wrong for a national organization to do that, but their characters were too nasty. ¡°So our God can¡¯t even reveal Himself on earth?¡¯ Azalea muttered to himself, his face turning blue, and Tsugumi nodded quietly. ¡°At least, it would be impossible with the system used in Japan. It may be possible to create a temporary form based on another anecdote and suppress the power accordingly, but that wouldn¡¯t satisfy you, right?¡± Even in Japan, a single haircut of a manga character could cause a fight, saying ¡°It¡¯s a misinterpretation!¡± and a fight broke out. For the world¡¯s largest religion, this was nothing compared to that. If things went wrong, a war could break out. Azalea responded to this by gripping the rosary on his chest tightly. ¡°Yes. ¡­The devout will not be satisfied with that. For us, God is the one and only guide. There should never be any flaws.¡± Saying this, Azalea lowered his face painfully. ¨CFor devout believers like Azalea, [God] was an absolute being. Therefore, they would never be able to recognize a God who was not omniscient and omnipotent. Tsugumi who grew up with polytheism couldn¡¯t quite understand this, but perhaps it was similar to the feeling of having excessive illusions about idols. ¡°Secondly, even if you could prepare a vessel, I don¡¯t think you would have enough power resources to embody omniscience and omnipotence. This is my guess, but even if you eliminate all the Gods in Japan and gather all their power, it would still be very insufficient for the manifestation of your [God].¡± Tsugumi said plainly. In the first place, in order for [God] to manifest in the perfect omniscient and omnipotent mode that they imagine, it would require limitless power, so the power that leaked out of the rift wouldn¡¯t be enough. It was next to impossible for them to have God manifest in the form they desired. In a sense, it could be said to be a side effect of deifying the existence of [God] too much. ¨CBy the way, the reason why Tsugumi knew so much about other religions was because he got it from his friend Yukitaka. Yukitaka always criticized the religious views of various countries, so he somehow remembered each of their issues. ¡­Tsugumi never thought there would come a time when the knowledge would be useful in this way. ¡°Those are the reasons why God can¡¯t manifest. Do you understand?¡± Tsugumi concluded and looked at Azalea with concern. It must have been a little hard for Azalea, but it should be much better than suffering without knowing anything about it. Perhaps later the Ministry of Divine Worship would complain to him, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about unnecessary things,¡± but Tsugumi resolved to accept it. If it hadn¡¯t been Azalea ¨C not a friend, just a religious person ¨C he wouldn¡¯t have explained everything from scratch like this. He said all this because he considered Azalea his friend. After a few moments of silence, Azalea let out a long, deep breath, and then looked at Tsugumi with a troubled smile. There was no more anger floating there. ¡°It¡¯s frustrating, but I understand. ¡ªNow that we know there is no God¡¯s salvation, in the end, we can only rely on you Magical Girls forever¡­ It¡¯s really pathetic.¡± Saying that, Azalea looked up at the sky tiredly. ¨CHe didn¡¯t know what Azalea was thinking right now. But Tsugumi felt a sense of fragility as if something important had been broken. Feeling uneasy about that atmosphere, Tsugumi began to change the subject. ¡°Even if the God Himself can¡¯t come down, there is always another way. For example, we could borrow a portion of God¡¯s power.¡± ¡°A portion of it?¡± ¡°Yes. There used to be a time in Japan when we were looking for a fighting force other than Magical Girls. Instead of making a contract directly with God, we tried to expand our forces by borrowing some of their power¨Chaving them give blessings on weapons and tools. In the end, it was more efficient for Magical Girls to fight, so that plan was abandoned.¡± Saying this, Tsugumi let out a sigh. The plan was to turn non-worthy individuals into a fighting force by having the Gods bestow blessings on weapons and tools and grant buffs like special abilities and physical enhancements to the users¨Cthe name of the plan was ¡°Divine Weaponry Project¡±. This plan was not well-known to the general public, but Tsugumi remembered most of the details because Mebuki frequently talked about it. The Ministry of Divine Worship and the government tried that plan for about ten years, but the plan was currently frozen because it was not very efficient considering the cost of power, the inability to form barriers when using sacred weapons, and the variation in power depending on the compatibility of the sacred weapon and the user. If the research being conducted by Mebuki could make a progress, these problems might be solved, but that would probably be a long time in the future. However, for a foreign country that wasn¡¯t yet powerful enough for God to descend, that method might be more suitable. The blessing itself was the will of the God¨Ceven if He wasn¡¯t manifested on Earth as a soul entity, it could be granted as long as there was a small amount of power to interfere on Earth and a vessel that could withstand the blessing. All that remained was for the user, who was compatible with the divine weapon, to fight the Demonic Beast. Well, if they obtained a divine weapon, it might upset the balance of power a little, but since the ¡°Divine Weaponry Project¡± was not under a gag order, there was no reason for Tsugumi to be blamed for telling Azalea about this matter. Besides, no matter how many divine weapons Azalea and his team were able to create, it was hard to believe that they could compete with Magical Girls. After all, Magical Girls were a special existence. ¨CTomorrow, everyone in this country would realize that. After explaining all this, Tsugumi gently pointed to the rosary Azalea was wearing. ¡°The vessel of blessing can be anything. As long as people believe it has a special power. For example, that one rosary is special to Lake-san, right? Then it must be well qualified. Even if it isn¡¯t, there are plenty of relics in the Vatican church, aren¡¯t there? I don¡¯t think you¡¯d have any trouble finding a vessel.¡± In the previous experiments, blessings were granted to mere old dolls. In short, it depended on the mind of God. ¡°But how can I get the blessing? If praying doesn¡¯t give me the blessing you say, then I¡­¡± Azalea said, his eyes shaking with anxiety. ¨CEven if he had hope, what if he didn¡¯t get that blessing? Thinking like that, he couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy. ¡°Hmmm, I don¡¯t know all the technical details either, so you might want to ask someone from the Ministry of Divine Worship for more information. ¡­Lake-san may not like it, but I will try to talk about this matter with Toono-san. I¡¯m sure if you make a sincere request to that person, she won¡¯t hold it against you.¡± Tsugumi broke off there, holding Azalea¡¯s anxious hand and quietly opening his mouth. ¡°¨CAsk, and it shall be given to you.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s pray. Strongly, deeply, honestly. God will save us. When people believe it to be true, God will answer their prayers. ¨CFortunately, the existence of Amaterasu-sama proves that people¡¯s faith gives power to God. So, I am sure everything will be fine.¡± Then Tsugumi smiled. ¨CHe didn¡¯t know what would actually happen, but if their God was willing to save people, He would surely make a move. At least, that¡¯s what Tsugumi believed. Azalea looked at Tsugumi¡¯s face, his eyes wide open in surprise. Then when he looked like he was about to cry, he looked down and said in a small voice. ¡°I wish I had talked to you sooner.¡± Then Azalea looked up quietly and gave a small smile. ¡°Thank you. I feel a little better now.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t do much.¡± When Tsugumi said this and removed his hand, Azalea brushed the area that Tsugumi had touched. ¡­Perhaps he didn¡¯t want to be touched directly. Feeling a bit of awkwardness in the air, Tsugumi opened his mouth with a deceptive smile. ¡°I will talk to Toono-san about this. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll take care of it later. ¨COh, is it that late already? I should get back to my room.¡± As he was about to leave, Azalea opened his mouth softly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard very meaningful things from you, Hagakure-san, so I¡¯ll tell you a secret. Now we¡¯re even.¡± ¡°A secret?¡± ¡°Yes. You may have heard from the Japanese side that there was a request from the Vatican for this case, but the truth is the opposite. The Vatican was approached by the Church of England, the most powerful denomination in England, to act as an intermediary. Even though they belong to different sects, they are fellows who respect God and share the same origin. There are plenty of horizontal connections.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to say.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very simple. The Church of England, in other words, Her Majesty the Queen, asked us to persuade the British government, which did not want to bow down to Japan. Otherwise, this country will be destroyed. Isn¡¯t it strange? Although we appear to be enemies on the surface, we surprisingly have high regard for you Magical Girls. We can¡¯t talk about this kind of thing with believers who honestly believe in God.¡± ¡°¡­I mean, didn¡¯t you just want to pit monsters against monsters?¡± When Tsugumi said so sarcastically, Azalea smiled mischievously and took a step closer to Tsugumi. Learn more Pause Unmute ¡°There are some people above me who think so. ¨CBut I would never consider a beautiful woman like you a monster.¡± As he said so, Azalea gently took Tsugumi¡¯s hand and kissed it lightly. When Tsugumi went stiff, Azalea smiled and said, ¡°Well, good night,¡± and then he dashed away. After Azalea was no longer in sight, his stiffness was gone, and Tsugumi muttered in dismay. ¡°He¡¯s a real ladies¡¯ man! S-scary¡­¡± ¡ô¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ô ¨CWhile Tsugumi was muttering such a thing. Azalea, who was walking through the hotel, stopped dead in his tracks and said in a small voice. ¡°She¡¯s really a funny person. ¨CIt¡¯s a bit of a shame to let someone like that serve a pagan God.¡± Azalea smiled wryly as he said this. ¨CThe two of them had bonded over a conversation that lasted only a few dozen minutes. After the kidnapping of Nanase Chidori, it was good that he was able to successfully infiltrate the government organization, the Ministry of Divine Worship, but it wasn¡¯t good after that. He was repeatedly questioned, and his information was contantly exploited for days. No matter how much he tried to extract information from them, they always managed to avoid him. On top of that, this expedition was like sitting on a needle in a haystack, and people around him were skeptical. No matter how strong Azalea¡¯s faith was, he couldn¡¯t deny that his heart was exhausted. Perhaps that¡¯s why he let out his heart to Hagakure Sakura, a girl he met while secretly sneaking out. Above all, Hagakure¡¯s face was all wrong. Her face, the air around her¨Cit was wrong that she looked so much like his friend Tsugumi. That¡¯s probably why he was a little bit distracted. ¡°But thanks to that, I got some useful information. ¡­When I get back to my home country soon, I¡¯ll have to do a lot of experiments.¡± Saying this, Azalea quietly walked away. ¨CIn the near future. No one knew at this point yet if there would be soldiers fighting with blessed relics in Europe. CH 153 Disturbing Girls'' Party Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CTime goes back a bit. Just as Tsugumi and Toono were goofing around and discussing the bath, two girls who had finished their supper meal entered their assigned room. ¨CThe girls¡¯ names were Nanase Chidori and Suzushiro Ran. Oddly enough, both of these girls were closely related to Tsugumi. Incidentally, it was only by chance that these two girls ended up in the same room. If there had to be a reason, it was simply because it was a combination of a person who could fight and a person who could escape through transportation in case of emergency. ¡°I¡¯m tired. I¡¯ve never been to a foreign country before, but it feels so gloomy. People outside stare at me with cold eyes. You think so too, don¡¯t you, Chidori-chan?¡± Entering the room, one of the girls ¨C Suzushiro ¨C sat on the bed by the window. ¡®Well, basically England is a rainy country. ¡­But I don¡¯t really like the way the locals look at me either.¡± Chidori answered with a wry smile. ¨CIt had already been five hours since they came to England from Japan. During that time, they drove around the cities in the vicinity of London in the name of inspection, but as Suzushiro said, it was not a very pleasant journey. The strange and wary eyes that turned on them when they stopped at traffic lights or got out of the car. She didn¡¯t say it at the time, but Chidori also felt uncomfortable. ¨CThere were no Magical Girls in England. Therefore, the Japanese, who had undergone this peculiar evolution, might seem strange to them. Chidori knew this in theory, but she couldn¡¯t quite understand their feelings. Just like the foreigners didn¡¯t know about Magical Girls, Chidori also didn¡¯t know about a world without Magical Girls ¨C or a world without a God who lend them strength. It was only natural that they couldn¡¯t understand each other. When Chidori answered that, Suzushiro nodded and said, ¡°Right,¡± before opening her mouth. ¡°Well, the one who faces the real challenge is Sumire-chan who will fight tomorrow. I don¡¯t think those two will lose, but if they destroy the town, it would be troublesome. I¡¯m glad I wasn¡¯t chosen. With my abilities, the damage to the city would be too great.¡± Saying that, Suzushiro laughed cheerfully. Chidori also smiled, but when she thought about it, Suzushiro¡¯s words weren¡¯t very funny. Suzushiro¡¯s main abilities were poison and water. If a poison that could harm a Demonic Beast were to fall on the city, London would surely become an uninhabitable danger zone for the next few decades. If all they wanted to do was to show off their power, that might have been fine, but Japan had no intention of picking a fight with England. This time, they were here with the intention of helping to exterminate the Demonic Beasts. In that aspect, Toono, who could designate the objects she burned without destroying the city, and Hagakure, who wouldn¡¯t cause any environmental damage with her abilities, might be an ideal combination. Wondering what the battle would be like tomorrow, Chidori shook her head in resignation ¡­She didn¡¯t have much experience in fighting big monsters, so her imagination didn¡¯t work. Chidori cleared her throat with a small cough and spoke to Suzushiro. ¡°I remember that tomorrow we are supposed to finish getting ready by 5:00 a.m. and meet in the hotel¡¯s hall. I heard that half of the people are going back to Japan at that time, but we, the remainder of the group, are to stay there until the battle is over. ¡­I wish there was something I can do to help.¡± In the first place, in Chidori¡¯s case, her objective ¨C marking the spot for teleportation ¨C was almost completed the moment she stepped onto British soil. To put it bluntly, there was nothing more to do. When Chidori gloomily said so, Suzushiro tilted her head and muttered to herself. ¡°Our rear units will probably retreat immediately after the battle, so you might want to prepare for that, Chidori-chan. You see, as the superior said, there is a possibility that we will be attacked and told that we are no longer needed after the battle is over.¡± ¡°¡­But would anyone really do such an unfair thing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. But since we were told to be careful, we have no choice but to be careful, right?¡± Suzushiro shook her head in annoyance. ¨CIt sounded harsh, but Suzushiro had a point. No matter what Chidori thought about this, in the end, things would turn out like that. In that case, it would be better to be careful so she could protect herself properly. The reason why Chidori was supposed to stay until the end was so that when the time came, she could use the gate of transportation to let many people escape. ¡­If possible, she hoped such an opportunity never came, but as Suzushiro said, they should be vigilant. As they talked like this, they took turns taking a bath and getting ready for bed. Incidentally, the room where Chidori would stay this time was a very ordinary twin room. She heard that the two members of Jukka who were going to fight in the main battle tomorrow were staying in a better room, but she didn¡¯t envy them that much when she thought about how hard it would be for them after this. Then, just as when Chidori thought it was time to go to sleep since she had to wake up early tomorrow, Suzushiro, who was sitting on the edge of the bed and adjusting her hair, suddenly began to speak as if an idea had just occurred to her. ¡°You know, Chidori-chan, you can speak to me casually, instead of using honorifics. We¡¯re not strangers, and you¡¯re his sister, so you¡¯re already a friend.¡± ¡°No, I appreciate your concern, but I¡¯m at work at the moment¡­¡± Chidori answered politely, but inwardly, she felt complicated. To be honest, Chidori was a little uncomfortable with the girl who spoke happily in front of her¨CSuzushiro Ran. Although she and Suzushiro met once at an Amusement Park and exchanged contact information at the hospital, Chidori was soon assigned to the government¡¯s Transportation Management Department, so due to the difference in their positions, Chidori rarely contacted her. Besides, she originally didn¡¯t have a good impression of Suzushiro due to the incident at the Amusement Park¨CTsugumi who had worked with Suzushiro at the time was in danger. ¡­On the other hand, her younger brother, Tsugumi, had become friends with Suzushiro and Mibu without any qualms. According to what she had heard from Tsugumi, he still sometimes hung out with Suzushiro and Mibu to have fun together. Recently, he told her that they all went to see penguins at the aquarium. It was a pretty cute outing. Still, if they were satisfied with their relationship, it was fine, but as an older sister, she felt a little complicated. ¡­No, in the first place, even if it wasn¡¯t because she was his older sister, she might have been somewhat dissatisfied when it came to girls who were getting along with Tsugumi without her knowledge. ¨CNo matter who Tsugumi got along with, whoever he went out with, it was up to him. But it was probably naive of her to wish that he would prioritize his family member (Chidori) first. ¡­She knew it was an unbearable obsession, but she couldn¡¯t do anything about this feeling anymore. With such complicated feelings, Chidori drew a line between her and Suzushiro. However, Suzushiro, who knew nothing of Chidori¡¯s confusion, continued to speak. ¡°Chidori-chan is so serious. All you have to do now is rest, so you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± ¡°¡­ I am sorry. Besides, Suzushiro-san is a Magical Girl of Jukka. Even if I heard about your everyday life from Tsugumi, I¡¯m still a little nervous.¡± Chidori said apologetically, and Suzushiro looked a little dejected. ¡°I understand. I don¡¯t really care about that kind of thing, but it¡¯s not good to force people to do it. But I¡¯d be happy if you can talk to me normally someday!¡± Seeing Suzushiro smiling brightly as she said this, Chidori¡¯s conscience hurt a little. ¡­It was almost like she had said something mean. Thinking that far, Chidori suddenly relaxed her shoulders. After all, Suzushiro had done nothing wrong. Rather, the problem was with Chidori, who was stubbornly trying to keep her distance, even though the other side was showing a willingness to compromise. ¨CIf this is school, I can behave more normally. Thinking this, Chidori sighed inwardly. In any case, when it came to matters involving Tsugumi, her mind got distracted. It was true that she felt uneasy about her relationship with Tsugumi, but causing trouble for people who weren¡¯t involved would be a mistake. She had to reflect on this. Chidori lowered her head and laughed self-mockingly, then quickly looked up and said to Suzushiro. ¡°I think I¡¯ll get used to it gradually, so please give me a little more time. I also have a lot to talk about with Suzushiro-san. ¡­I also wonder if Tsugumi is causing trouble for you.¡± Saying this, Chidori smiled shyly. Suzushiro made a blank face, but immediately smiled happily and nodded broadly, ¡°Yes!¡± She nodded her head. Although they were supposed to be the same age, she reminded her of her junior. Just a little bit, her dislike faded. ¨CAh, I was just worrying too much. Thinking of this, she made a small apology to Suzushiro in her mind. However, she felt as if her mind had finally been cleared. ¡°Can I ask you a few questions about Tsugumi before I go to bed? I don¡¯t know much about him outside of the house.¡± When Chidori said so, Suzushiro nodded in agreement. ¡°Since you¡¯re an older sister, you¡¯re worried about your younger brother, right? Well then, let¡¯s talk about Tsugumi-kun until we get sleepy!¡± ¡°Is that okay?¡± ¡°Of course! In return, I¡¯d like to hear about your everyday life, too.¡± Saying this, Suzushiro smiled happily. CH 154 Maidens in Love Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¡°Tsugumi is very quiet at school. But he has a lot of mischievous friends, and it seems his teachers often scold him.¡± ¡°Hmm? Are there a lot of delinquents at Chidori-chan¡¯s school?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a preparatory school, but Tsugumi¡¯s class is a little bit special¡­¡± Chidori chuckled as she said this. The students in F class, where Tsugumi belonged, were not bad people, but they all had strong personalities. Chidori herself got along reasonably well with the students in F class ¨C she received birthday presents, brought sweets to class, and maintained a friendly relationship with them, but her classmates didn¡¯t want to get involved with F class. According to them, the F-class students¡¯ personalities were too unique and difficult to get close to. Under such circumstances, Tsugumi, who had normal sensibilities, often got involved in troublesome situations. As far as Chidori remembered, one of his classmates once begged him, ¡°I want to use supple human hair for making bisque dolls, so please grow it out starting today. I just need about 50 centimeters!¡± After that, a boy who came to school wearing a girl¡¯s uniform told him, ¡°I think I¡¯m being stalked, so come to school with me for a while. Please play the role of the boyfriend, Tsugumin.¡± By the way, she heard that he tearfully refused the case of the hair, but he accepted the boyfriend role reluctantly because he couldn¡¯t refuse, and on the third day he caught the stalker and was safely released from his role. But despite his complaints, he seemed to be enjoying his time with his classmates, so he must be getting along well with them. When Chidori told her about such things, Suzushiro burst out laughing. ¡°Pfft, haha! I heard that there are a lot of strange people there, but it¡¯s true. I thought Tsugumi-kun is just making things up.¡± Suzushiro said as she wiped away tears that had come from laughing too hard. ¡­Indeed, it was something that normally didn¡¯t happen. ¡°I thought so too at first, but after listening to the story, it seems to be true¡­ Tsugumi said, ¡®This much is bearable,¡¯ but he didn¡¯t want to talk about it much.¡± Chidori let out a small sigh as she said this. She heard rumors at school about a late-night tour of haunted places (Tsugumi was forced to participate) and a search for buried treasure using a map bought at an antique store, but she didn¡¯t know how much of it was true. When Chidori said this in a troubled tone, Suzushiro smiled enviously and opened her mouth. ¡°But I am kind of envious because your school looks like a fun place. I talk a lot with my classmates, too, but I can¡¯t go to school very often because of my work. The studies are difficult, and I have to do my best to keep up with the classes! I don¡¯t know how you can manage club activities and school.¡± ¡°I work half part-time, so compared to Suzushiro-san of Jukka, I have a lot more time on my hands. Tsugumi also helped me with various household chores.¡± As expected, she washed her own underwear, but perhaps if she asked Tsugumi to do it, he might actually do it for her, although he would be puzzled. It was a little embarrassing so she wouldn¡¯t ask him to do it. When she told her that, Suzushiro put her hand over his mouth in surprise and said. ¡°Eh, Tsugumi-kun can cook? That¡¯s amazing!¡± ¡°He¡¯s very skillful for a boy. Recently, he¡¯s gotten better than me at cooking. I¡¯m very grateful for that, but as his older sister, I feel a little complicated¡­¡± Saying that, Chidori smiled wryly. It seemed that Tsugumi had become addicted to cooking, and in the past few months, the lineup of dishes served for dinner had increased considerably, and whenever he had time, he made strangely elaborate dishes. In fact, he had developed a talent for cooking, and the dishes that used to be so tasteless and bland were now served with delicate flavors and beautiful colors. The food was delicious and she had no complaints. But this was a matter of honor, not only as an older sister but as a woman. ¡°I¡¯m not a good cook at all. Even if I look at a recipe, I can only make something that tastes subtle. ¡­I see, so he cooks.¡± Suzushiro then paused for a moment and opened her mouth, bringing her face close as if to speak privately. ¡°Um, does Tsugumi-kun hate girls who can¡¯t cook? You see, Tsugumi-kun seems to like homely girls¡­¡± Chidori stiffened involuntarily when Suzushiro shyly said this. ¡°T-that Tsugumi? Um, I wonder¡­? He doesn¡¯t seem to care much about it¡­?¡± Chidori answered in dismay, but her heart was full of confusion. ¡°Really? But I guess I should be able to do at least one simple home-cooked meal.¡± Suzushiro¡¯s red cheeks, the embarrassed expression on her face, and her eyes shaking with anxiety, no matter how you look at it ¨C she was a maiden in love. ¨CCrack, she could hear some part of her heart creaking. Chidori tried hard to control her trembling voice and quietly asked. ¡°¨CSuzushiro-san, do you like Tsugumi?¡± Suzushiro then covered her face with her hands in embarrassment and nodded slowly. ¡°Ugh, I knew it would be obvious if I asked a question like that¡­ I love your brother, Chidori-chan. Ugh, this sounds like a confession, so embarrassing!¡± Chidori involuntarily held her breath when she saw the blushing Suzushiro. ¨CShe couldn¡¯t express in words how shocking Suzushiro¡¯s confession was. Chidori had subconsciously recognized Suzushiro ¨C a Magical Girl of Jukka ¨C as ¡°a superior existence.¡± So, no matter how close Suzushiro¡¯s friendship with Tsugumi was, Chidori never thought that she would ever like Tsugumi, an ordinary human being. Suzushiro fanned her face with her hands to cool off the heat and began to talk to hide her embarrassment. ¡°Well, I think he probably only thinks of me as his little sister, but at least I want to know what he likes¡­.I don¡¯t have the courage to confess yet, but I hope you¡¯ll support me.¡± Chidori couldn¡¯t say anything to Suzushiro, who told her so while changing her expression. When Suzushiro told her straight up that she loved Tsugumi, a heavy feeling built up in the pit of her stomach. ¨CSuzushiro was an honest, cute, and talented Magical Girl. There was no reason to object to her going out with Tsugumi. Besides, Tsugumi used to complain so much about wanting a girlfriend, so he would be happy to have one. Rather, as an older sister, she should be happy that such a wonderful person loved her younger brother. That¡¯s why she felt this way ¨C even though it was absolutely wrong to think that she didn¡¯t want anyone to take Tsugumi away from her. With such contradictory feelings, Chidori bit her lip and turned her head down. Because she didn¡¯t know what words would come out of her mouth. ¨CWhile Chidori was silent, Suzushiro tilted her head to look at Chidori, who suddenly turned pale. Suzushiro didn¡¯t mean to say anything particularly strange, but perhaps the love stories related to her own family member were offensive. ¨CI¡¯d like to be friends with Tsugumi-kun¡¯s sister if possible. Did I do something wrong? With that kind of anxious thought, Suzushiro asked, ¡°Chidori-chan? Are you okay?¡± Chidori looked at Suzushiro with a surprised face. Then she smiled awkwardly and shook her head. ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay. I was just a little taken aback.¡± When Chidori said so, a mixed expression of emotion appeared on her face, and she gently pressed her chest as if to suppress it. ¨CSuzushiro felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu when she saw Chidori¡¯s face. She had a feeling that she had seen something similar somewhere recently. Her eyes shook with passion, and her face suppressed her emotions. It was just like an actress in a romantic drama she had recently seen on TV. The woman, who came out as the protagonist¡¯s childhood friend, had the same face as Chidori did now when she heard that the protagonist was going out with her best friend. In other words, if Suzushiro¡¯s prediction was correct, Chidori had feelings for Tsugumi that went beyond familial love. Thinking that far, Suzushiro nodded her head in agreement. No wonder she didn¡¯t look so good. It wasn¡¯t normal to support your enemy of love. ¡°Chidori-chan also loves Tsugumi-kun, huh. Does that make us rivals?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± When Suzushiro said so with satisfaction, Chidori looked up in surprise. ¡°You like him, don¡¯t you? I also listen to my friends¡¯ love stories, and I can tell that much when I see Chidori¡¯s face. Because Chidori¡¯s eyes are the eyes of a girl who is struggling with love.¡± ¨CEven if you fall in love, it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean you will be rewarded. But still, the feeling of being in love cannot be buried. Suzushiro once saw a person who cried out in pain after saying that. However, Suzushiro couldn¡¯t help but wonder why Chidori made such a face even though her love wasn¡¯t broken. ¡°What are you talking about? T-Tsugumi-kun and I are brother and sister, you know¡­?¡± Chidori looked at Suzushiro with a puzzled look on her face and said so, as if to persuade herself. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a matter of legality, but what¡¯s wrong with that? I think we¡¯re free to fall in love with anyone.¡± ¡°B-but¡­¡± ¡°In Japan and Egypt, there used to be a lot of sister-brother marriages. Are there any problems with that? If not, you should at least be mindful of your own feelings.¡± Suzushiro thought that there was no need to be so concerned about it since blood marriages had been repeated for generations. Moreover, family marriages were common in ancient Egypt, the birthplace of Gereg, the contract God whom Suzushiro adored. Therefore, it wasn¡¯t something to be avoided. Suzushiro didn¡¯t know what other problems Chidori was facing. But she didn¡¯t think this was a reason to give up on love. Suzushiro got up from the bed and sat down next to Chidori with a thud. Then Suzushiro slowly opened her mouth. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with a girl falling in love with a boy? It¡¯s fine, if you like him, you like him. ¨CBut love is war. You can¡¯t complain if someone else takes your place while you¡¯re waiting for the right moment!¡± Like us, for example! Suzushiro looked into Chidori¡¯s face from below and said so as Chidori¡¯s eyes gradually filled with tears. Then, as if enduring something, Chiori grasped her hands tightly and exhaled deeply. However, she still couldn¡¯t suppress the feelings that had been born inside. In no time, clear drops were spilling from Chidori¡¯s eyes and drenching her clothes. ¡°¡­¨Canyone.¡± ¡°Hmm? What?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t give Tsugumi to anyone¡­!¡± When Chidori said this in a tearful voice, she began to wail like a child. It was as if her previous appearance as an honor student was a lie. ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone take him away from me. I¡¯ve always been there by his side.¡± Seeing Chidori sobbing with every word, Suzushiro laughed a little and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I don¡¯t intend to lose either.¡± ¨CBut, Chidori-chan is my opponent. I¡¯ve got a very strong rival. Thinking of this, she let out a small sigh. The opposite sex that came up most often in conversations with Tsugumi was undoubtedly Chidori. It would be extremely difficult to wrestle Tsugumi¡¯s attention away from her. ¨CBut I have no intention of losing. Learn more Pause Unmute No one is allowed to interfere with a maiden in love. Even if that person is God. Anyone who stands in the way of someone¡¯s love should be kicked by a horse and turned into a star. ¨CIn the end, as long as the two of them share the same feelings, they are bound to clash at some point. If that were the case, it would be better to fight head-on, fair and square, so there would be no repercussions. At the very least, they should face each other seriously, as two people who fell in love with the same person. At least, that¡¯s what Suzushiro thought. Then, when Chidori had calmed down, Suzushiro muttered. ¡®Well, then, no matter who wins, there will be no hard feelings! Well, I¡¯m afraid that in Tsugumi-kun¡¯s case, there may be other rivals. ¡­Chidori-chan, do you know anything about them?¡± ¡°¡­A senior and a junior in my club seem suspicious.¡± ¡°Eh, Tsugumi-kun is popular!? Isn¡¯t it dangerous?¡± While lying down on their bed, they talked about such things. It might not be quite the same as being friends but Chidori had put down her guard. Did she give up or did she just shrug it off? Suzushiro couldn¡¯t tell which it was, but she vaguely thought it wouldn¡¯t turn out bad. And so the night went on for the maidens in love. Bonus A brief summary of Tsugumi¡¯s classmates who have appeared so far Amari Yukitakai: The inhuman devil. Azalea: A transfer student from abroad. A fanatical Christian. He hides it well but he is a good fighter. Akiyama: Tsugumi¡¯s close friend. He is a good-natured guy. He is actually a member of the baseball club and is good enough to almost always get on base when he is in the batter¡¯s box. However, his defense and pitching sense are garbage, so he can only play in games as a substitute batter. Fuyuno: A punkish-looking girl who belongs to the art club. She has an outstanding talent for painting. One of the most decent people in the class. Taciturn Literary Girl: A woman who can twist up a pervert with one hand. She reads mostly medical books. There is a section where she tries to efficiently destroy the human body. A boy who claims his own AI as his girlfriend: A type of genius that does no harm to those around him. He says it is pure love. However, he talks about his imaginary (AI) girlfriend at every opportunity, so people other than his classmates think he is sick. A man who makes bisque dolls: He has enough common sense not to ask girls to provide him with materials. His sculpting skills are beyond professional. He calls all the dolls he makes his sisters. A man who dresses up as a woman: He looks like a cute girl. However, his voice is a bit of a baritone, so when he talks, people are disappointed. He doesn¡¯t mind at all. Committee class rep (from the light novel bonus): The class rep who takes good care of the class. In his secret backstory, if you violate a certain amount of rules, he will use his joint techniques on you without mercy. When it comes to the rule penalty, he treats both genders equally. In addition, there are many other strong characters such as a loli who forces students to call her ¡°mama,¡± a fortune teller who demands an exorbitant amount of money, and an unlucky detective apprentice. It would be possible to write a whole book just on the episodes with the classmates, but the latter half of the story doesn¡¯t involve them much in the main story, so I probably won¡¯t write about them. CH 155 Exotic Morning Glow Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani After a night spent with mixed feelings, the fateful morning arrived. The city of London, which he visited early in the morning, was dimly lit, perhaps because the sun had not yet fully risen, and an unseasonably thick fog was hanging over the city. There was a sense of gloom in the air. Around the area where the Tsugumi was, the streets were lined with exotic brick buildings, but the damage here and there showed the extent of the damage. Gazing blankly at such a spectacle, Tsugumi¡¯s eyes narrowed in relief when he spotted Chidori among the people gathered there. Chidori¡¯s eyes were a little red, perhaps because she didn¡¯t sleep well, but she seemed to be relatively fine. Tsugumi himself was a little sleepy because he had arrived at the site a little earlier than the others. It didn¡¯t interfere with combat, but he had to be careful not to accidentally let out a yawn. ¡­As expected, if he did something like that at this timing, he would get scolded by various people. While that in mind, Tsugumi tightened his expression. ¡°¨CSakura-san. Do you remember what I taught you beforehand? It¡¯s different than usual, so you have to be careful, okay?¡± Toono said as Tsugumi quietly gazed at the London cityscape. He nodded slightly at her words. ¨CThis battle was different from the usual. First of all, it wasn¡¯t possible to protect buildings and the land with barriers. In other words, destruction in the battle would directly result in damage to the city. Although they weren¡¯t obligated to, they were told not to destroy the city too much during the battle. Still, they were allowed to give priority to their own safety so that they could respond flexibly. Second, instead of using clothes woven with divine power, they wore highly durable clothes made of magic stone developed by a research institute. Simply put, these clothes were like the military uniforms they were made to wear yesterday. Other Magical Girls in the area also wore clothes made of the same material, although the design was different. These clothes were surprisingly easy to move in spite of their tight design. They said it helped to suppress the waste of divine power. ¨CIn the past, when fighting Hitsugi who was controlled by a Demonic Beast, Tsugumi deduced that the reason why he had consumed more power than he had expected was because of the maintenance of his battle uniform. As a result of conveying this view to the government, it seemed that these clothes were made based on it. ¡­It should have been only two months since the incident, but they worked too fast. Perhaps the idea of ??a Magical Girl uniform had been around for a long time. The third was doping in order to exercise power without restrictions outside the barrier¨Ctaking medicine made from magic stones. They said that there would be no aftereffects ¨C only muscle aches and pains, but this hadn¡¯t been proven yet, so he was still concerned. Well, it was less accurate, but the skills that could only be used inside the barrier ¨C such as invisibility ¨C were said to be usable for a little while due to the effects of the medicine, so it should be enough for a combat force. However, he had to be careful not to get injured. Since they didn¡¯t receive benefits from the barrier, their injuries would remain even after the battle was over. There were Magical Girls with healing skills standing by, but even so, it would be best to be careful. Well, when it came to combat, both Toono and Tsugumi were basically long-range attackers, so as long as they didn¡¯t get too close to the Demonic Beast, they wouldn¡¯t easily get hurt. But still, he thought, as he turned around and looked at Kazaguruma behind him. For some reason, Kazaguruma was holding a large broom under her arm and had a large video camera in one hand. Noticing Tsugumi¡¯s gaze, Kazaguruma approached him and opened her mouth in her usual nonchalant manner. ¡°Does it bother you?¡± ¡°Yeah, really.¡± She left out the subject, but he could understand what she was trying to say. So, when Tsugumi returned it in the same straightforward manner, Kazaguruma laughed. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to film and comment on the battle scenes between you guys. This broom is provided by the research institute. I don¡¯t know what it is, but it¡¯s supposed to be able to fly powered by a magic stone attached to the handle. It feels a bit like being a witch, so I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± ¡°Um, I don¡¯t know where to start¡­¡± ¡­The information was impossibly jam-packed. If Kaguruma¡¯s words were taken seriously, it meant that she would be on a flying broom to film Tsugumi fighting, but he wondered if she was really being serious. When Tsugumi looked at Kazaguruma anxiously, she gave a small nod and opened her mouth. ¡°It will be fine. I stream video games as a hobby, so I¡¯m good at commentary. Just pretend you¡¯re on a crab boat.¡± ¡°But wouldn¡¯t that make a mud boat much better?¡± ¨CI would like to ask you to stop using the story of the boat as an example. It was too much of a bad omen. Talking about a sinking ship would be better. When Tsugumi sighed and said so, Kazaguruma laughed deceptively. ¡­Her gesture was cute, but her words weren¡¯t cute at all. ¡°¡­Aside from that, please be careful, Kazaguruma-san. Even if your role is to play as a photographer, you are still approaching combat territory.¡± He didn¡¯t doubt Kazaguruma¡¯s evasive ability, but there was something about Kazaguruma that made him think she was going to do something reckless in order to get good footage. He couldn¡¯t afford to take his eyes off her. When Tsugumi told her this, Kazaguruma shrugged and said. ¡°No problem. In fact, the chances of me getting hurt are pretty slim, because I¡¯m taking my medicine, too. I¡¯ll just turn my body into smoke and run away.¡± After saying this, Kazaguruma held her right hand in front of Tsugumi and turned her hand into a smoke-like substance. ¨CKazaguruma¡¯s main skills were smoke and light. Although they seemed to be conflicting abilities at first glance, they could be used in clever ways, such as showing illusions and playing tricks on Demonic Beasts by refracting smoke and light. ¡°And I¡¯ve got orders from the higher-ups to hide the inconvenient parts. Either way, I wouldn¡¯t go too deep. If the two of you do try anything, we¡¯ll smoke you out, so don¡¯t worry about the fight.¡± Kazaguruma smiled as her hand returned to its normal shape. Thinking about it, this might be the reason why the top management appointed Kazaguruma as the filming crew. It was safer to ask a Magical Girl who could disguise the images from the beginning to take videos than to have the British side send a drone to take whatever pictures they wanted. ¡­But why is the government so extreme in its use of Magical Girls? It seemed that the conservatives who wanted to maintain the status quo and the innovators with their crazy ideas were fighting each other. He couldn¡¯t say anything since he didn¡¯t have any jurisdiction in this area, but it seemed both factions were giving them a hard time. He looked up at the sky, thinking that he would refrain from working for the government in the future. At any rate, some mistakes would be covered up by Kazaguruma, so maybe he didn¡¯t have to be so concerned. ¨CHe was lectured on historical structures that shouldn¡¯t be destroyed beforehand, but honestly, it didn¡¯t sink in very well. He remembered it reasonably well right after the lecture, but after one night he could only remember the clock tower named after the queen. ¡­Humans really lose their ability to learn when it comes to things they are not interested in. With this thought in mind, Tsugumi said to Kazaguruma, ¡°Let¡¯s do our best for each other,¡± and returned to Toono. ¨CBecause it was almost time for the Demonic Beasts to appear. ¡°The Demonic Beast will appear in about five minutes. Are you ready?¡± ¡°Of course. ¨CI¡¯ve already done the preparation.¡± At Toono¡¯s quiet question, Tsugumi nodded with a mischievous smile. ¡°This fog-filled city is already my sole domain. A mere flying lizard will be dragged down to the ground right away.¡± Like a villain, Tsugumi narrowed his eyes. ¡°Fufu, I am counting on you. ¨CNow it¡¯s time to start the hunt.¡± Toono looked up at the sky. ¨CThe sky was shimmering with a swirling purple haze. CH 156 The Battle Begins Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani The sky in the distance split and a huge body slowly descended from the gap. There was a red dragon the size of a large airplane with four necks¨Ca creature that he didn¡¯t even know what to call anymore. ¡°¡­The number of heads has increased again. Well, I don¡¯t mind.¡± While muttering that, Tsugumi let out a small sigh. It had too many superfluous parts to be called a Welsh Dragon, and not enough necks to be called the Red Dragon of the Apocalypse. As a Demonic Beast, the figure was pretty half-baked. However, it was a different story if they considered that it was still in the middle of an evolution. A Demonic Beast that took a form that corresponded to people¡¯s fear¨Csuch a thing could only be described as evil. More frightening. More terrifying. All the negative emotions of the people who saw the Demonic Beast¡¯s appearance¨Cthey became food for the Demonic Beast. ¡­If the visit to England had been delayed, this Demonic Beast would have become a considerable threat to Japan as well. ¨CBut there was no point in ¡®what if¡¯. The fate of this Demonic Beast had already been decided once it came face to face with a Magical Girl. ¡°¨CThen, let¡¯s go.¡± Tsugumi called out to the staff behind him and transported to approach the Red Dragon. Tsugumi¡¯s first task was to stall until Toono arrived at this spot. The prediction of the Demonic Beast¡¯s appearance coordinate was somewhat blurred. So, Tsugumi thought of the contingency¨Cthe possibility that the Demonic Beast might appear at the place where the supports were gathered, and waited at a little distance with them to serve as an escort. As a result, the Demonic Beast appeared in the center of London, which was fine. In this case, it was important that no one was harmed. The distance from the waiting area to the place where the Red Dragon was located was somewhat far, but it wouldn¡¯t take Toono a long time to arrive here. ¨CHowever, it wouldn¡¯t be a good idea to waste Toono¡¯s stamina just for something like this. ¡°Well, waking up early also served as preparation for that.¡± Saying that, Tsugumi moved his fingers. Then some of the threads that had been stretched around became taut and changed to a thick rope. The ropes led through a tall building nearby to where Toono was. When Tsugumi waved his hand lightly, Toono hooked something like a handle on the rope, held it in her hand, and started to run with it. Then she leaped into the air with a thump as she gathered her momentum. ¨CFrom there, it was like watching an Amusement Park attraction. Toono slid along the rope as if hanging on a pulley, avoiding obstacles as the single rope danced. Toono, who moved in the blink of an eye, landed right in front of Tsugumi. ¡°Fufu, that kind of thing is surprisingly fun, isn¡¯t it? I wonder if we can do it again when we come back to Japan.¡± Tsugumi shook his head at Toono who said that in amusement. ¡°Please don¡¯t be unreasonable. If you do something like that in the city, you¡¯re going to get a lot of people upset.¡± The government would probably scold her if she did something like that on the street, even if it was an emergency. When Tsugumi said that, Toono shrugged her shoulders and said, ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, I¡¯ll let you ride on the back of my motorcycle instead. That way you¡¯ll have stealth and won¡¯t have to worry about anyone else.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s the flying bike you were talking about, isn¡¯t it? Well, I was wondering about that .¡± At the laboratory at Teito University-the flying motorcycle that used the core of a Demonic Beast was said to have been designed by Mebuki Kei, Tsugumi¡¯s senior. Perhaps the flying broom that Kazaguruma would be using today was also designed by Mebuki. It was a dream vehicle for a boy of his age but when it came to Toono¡¯s driving, his anxiety increased at once. Even that Suzushiro whined about it. He had a bad feeling about this. While having a relaxed conversation that didn¡¯t seem like the kind of conversation you would have when facing a Demonic Beast, he looked up at the sky above. The Demonic Beast didn¡¯t seem to be paying much attention to them, perhaps because it wasn¡¯t trapped by the barrier. ¡°Is there any change in the operation?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just as ordered from higher-ups. We are going to screw that thing over in a spectacular and overwhelming way. Let¡¯s show them our power so that they won¡¯t sell us a lousy fight.¡± Saying this, Toono smiled beautifully. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô British Expedition Live Report 3 Official live link: https:// **~ 100: Anonymous Whoa, finally, the streaming has started. Good luck with the commentary. 101: Live commentator >>100 Copy that. Kazaguruma in a witch robe is talking to the camera. Kazaguruma: Come on, the battle against the fearless Red Dragon has finally begun! On the other side are two beautiful Magical Girls dressed in military uniforms. They may be a little different in appearance, but their abilities are well-documented! I can¡¯t wait to see what kind of battle these two will put up! The camera shifted to Hagakure and Toono. Hagakure was wearing a long coat military uniform with a slender body line, while Toono was wearing a military uniform that emphasized her body¡¯s curves like an SM queen. She would look good with a whip or something. 102: Anonymous Who came up with that awful design? Her sexuality is too sharp. 103: Anonymous Sumire-sama is so erotic! It¡¯s the best! 104: Anonymous Government-chan, will you please stop stomping on the accelerator from the start? 105: Anonymous When Hagakure and Tono stand side by side, it¡¯s kind of like this. In a sense, they are opposites. 106: Anonymous A friend of mine in the government said that all Jukka have different designs. It seems that they searched for the design that best suited that person. 107: Anonymous So Mibu-san has a samurai-style look. I understand. 108: A Anonymous Maybe Yukinon will have a gothic lolita style or something? 109: Anonymous Poor Hagakure-san, no matter what she wears, people make fun of her breasts¡­ Even though she¡¯s so good-looking and cute¡­ 110: Anonymous Kazaguruma-san is very talkative in the video. Her image is having a blunt way of speaking, but is she always like this when she¡¯s live? 111: Anonymous >>110 It depends on the mood of the day. As expected, she¡¯s using words like that today because it¡¯s a public broadcast, right? 112: Anonymous What is that bamboo broom in your hand? Is it a prop to match your clothes? 113: Live commentator Kazaguruma: ¡°This time I was told that I am free to say whatever I want, except for the words that are banned from broadcasting. In addition, please send any complaints to the government¡¯s beep (regulatory sound) that we have allowed¡î¡± *All expressionless so far 114: Anonymous Hey, don¡¯t try to give out personal names carelessly. 115: Anonymous Seriously, why did you ask this girl to do the live broadcast? Hey, is the government crazy? You know that Kazaguruma-san¡¯s videos always catch on fire, right? Are you okay with that? Won¡¯t this become an international problem? 116: Anonymous So far, everyone has nothing but anxiety. 117: Anonymous >>116. Because she¡¯s one of the top 3 (according to the Internet) senior Magical Girls who should not be allowed on live TV. Learn more Pause Unmute I can¡¯t help but feel anxious. 118: Anonymous By the way, here are the other rankings First place: Changchun Hana (A-class) She has a strange intuition and is able to detect and inadvertently say things that others are hiding without malicious intention. ¡°Ah, Mr. A and Mr. C have the same ear shape! Could it be that they are relatives?¡± *Actually, C was A¡¯s illegitimate child. Second place: Yukino Shizuku (Jukka) ¡°Scientifically speaking, this enzyme is effective against skin problems. But I don¡¯t think this amount of enzyme will have any effect. Isn¡¯t it a little inappropriate to make such a big claim?¡± *The product was flooded with criticism and sales were discontinued. To be frank, Yukino-san did nothing wrong. Third place: Kazaguruma Tokiwa (Jukka) ¡°Only crazy people are left in the world of Magical Girls so normal people shouldn¡¯t try to become Magical Girls. You¡¯ll die surprisingly quickly.¡±. *According to her, it was a light dark humor. In addition, Mibu Yurie is not listed in the ranking because she had publicly stated that she would never appear on live broadcasts. 119: Anonymous I feel like I can¡¯t comment on it, since no one has any malicious intent in what they say. 120: Nameless Nation. >>Only crazy people are left in the world of Magical Girls In other words, Tokiwa-chan said nothing wrong, right? 121: Anonymous No, even among Jukka, Sobi-chan and Hyuga-chan are the only cute girls with normal sensibilities 122: Anonymous Sumire-sama is an angel who has come down to this world, so she doesn¡¯t fall into that category. 123: A Anonymous What about Hagakure-san? 124: A Anonymous Hagakure-san is a Hayato person at heart, so she¡¯s in the crazy category. 125: A Anonymous But I like Kazaguruma-chan¡¯s commentary. Besides, I don¡¯t mind the commentary as long as it¡¯s interesting. 126: Live commentator Kazaguruma straddled the bamboo broom in her hand and floated in the air. The message read [Magical equipment under development at Teito University: not for sale]. 127: Anonymous Huh? The broom floated? 128: Anonymous What is this, a witch girl? 129: Anonymous Huh, brooms nowadays can fly? 130: Anonymous Tokiwa-chan faces the camera with full smugness. To be honest, I don¡¯t know if she wants to show off or something. 131: A Anonymous What is Teito University aiming for? 132: Anonymous The message ¡°Not for sale¡± was followed by the words ¡°We ain¡¯t selling it, so don¡¯t ever contact us, okay? You know that, right?¡± I feel strong pressure from the message. 133: Live Reporting Continued Kazaguruma: I don¡¯t know the details myself, but it seems that the Demonic Beast is based on Welsh legends and Apocalypses. I can¡¯t eat lizard meat either, but Hagakure-san seems to be able to do it in one shot (laughs). By the way, at first glance, that Demonic Beast¡¯s class seems to be about A-. In other words, it¡¯s not that strong. We¡¯re practically winning already! The camera showed Kazaguruma¡¯s peace sign as she said that. Then the screen shifted to the four-headed dragon. The Dragon was flying slowly, moving its heads as it looked around. 134: Anonymous. I can¡¯t keep up with the rush¡­ 135: Anonymous No, even Hagakure-san wouldn¡¯t eat a lizard. 136: Anonymous >>135 But with her skill, Hagakure-san can munch on her own limbs¡­ 137: Anonymous If that nasty beast¡¯s mouth devours a defeated dragon, that¡¯s going to be a problem. At least the kids would cry. 138: Anonymous >We¡¯re practically winning already! Don¡¯t raise any unnecessary flags. 139: Live commentator Kazaguruma: The two who were watching the Dragon have started to move. It seems that Hagakure-san is going to use transportation to approach the Dragon first. The theory is to restrain the Dragon with a thread, right? But if we drag that huge body down, it might get angry from above, don¡¯t you think? We¡¯re told not to destroy buildings too much. The camera showed Hagakure¡¯s figure as she moved. Several glistening threads could be seen around her. 140: Anonymous. >> Don¡¯t destroy too many buildings. Another black government case? 141: Anonymous They just succumbed to pressure from the British side anyway. That side can¡¯t even exterminate the pests themselves, and all they can do is make demands. 142: Actual situation Kazaguruma: Hmm, we have received additional information. They say that during the battle, some destruction is permitted. Then, since it¡¯s already troublesome, Toono-san is going to set London on fire in a flashy way¨Coh, that¡¯s not allowed? I see. Kazaguruma said with a slightly disappointed voice. Apparently, someone had warned her. Kazaguruma flew up high on her broom, and the screen moved in the order of Toono, Hagakure, and the Dragon, and finally, the whole picture of the current London was shown from the sky. Although the buildings themselves remained intact, they were a far cry from the beautiful cityscape of London that was previously seen on television and in documents. 143: Anonymous Wow, looking at it, it¡¯s pretty much destroyed already. 144: Anonymous We have barriers, so no matter how many Demonic Beasts run rampant, it¡¯s no use, but in a foreign country, there aren¡¯t even Magical Girls. 145: Anonymous It¡¯s the power of Amaterasu-sama. 146: Anonymous ¡­Hey, didn¡¯t you see a strange shadow on the building at the end? 147: Anonymous Huh? Was there such a thing? 148: Anonymous No, I saw it out too. It¡¯s in the building and alley on the far right, right? 149: Anonymous I zoomed it out to see the part that caught my attention. It sure looks like something small is moving. 150: Anonymous Hey¨Cis it possible that there are still people left in the area? 151: Anonymous ¡­Seriously? CH 157 Angel''s Circle Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¨CThere is one intruder. Lead them to the safe zone. After receiving the command from the communicator in his right ear, Tsugumi let out a small sigh and looked around. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s move the main body first for now.¡± Each head was releasing fire, ice, electric shocks, etc., but the movement was faltering, probably because the number of heads had just increased and they were still uncoordinated. They were still in the process of developing as a high-ranked Demonic Beast. Therefore, it was basically safe to stay out of its attack range, which was about 10 kilometers away. With this in mind, he kept the four-headed dragon under control and guided it toward the river where there were few buildings. It was not out of consideration for the city, but simply to reduce human casualties. ¡­To put it bluntly, no matter how careful they were, they knew that people would come in. The city of London, the center where the Demonic Beast appeared, was surrounded by a number of cities in a row. Evacuation orders had been issued for the entire city of London, but there were still many people who hadn¡¯t evacuated to the suburbs. In other words, the more the Dragon moved, the more human lives might be threatened. In such a situation, no matter how much the British side tried to restrict people from entering, if there was no fence or anything, it was easy for them to invade. ¡­As someone who had come to fight the Demonic Beast, it was a real nuisance. ¡°It¡¯s a really troublesome job. I¡¯ll have to complain to Yukino-san later.¡± While complaining, Tsugumi moved the fingers of his free hand. The threads wriggled in tandem as if alive. Perhaps it was because of the medicine Tsugumi had taken before the battle¨Cpills extracted from the energy of the magic nucleus-that the thread operability was not so different from its accuracy in the barrier. With this, the thread would be able to reach a radius of at least 30 kilometers. After only a few seconds of moving his finger, he located the intruder, probably a reporter of some sort, and pulled the thread with a jerk, twisting it around the man¡¯s arms and legs. At the same time, the man began to run in the opposite direction of the Demonic Beasts with trotting footsteps. ¡°You¡¯ll have sore muscles later, but you¡¯ll have to forgive me. ¡­Well, I guess you deserved it.¡± The man¡¯s movements were so comical that Tsugumi smiled wryly. In other words, this thing was like a simple marionette. The entangled threads interlock with the legs, incorporating the command to move in a specified direction while avoiding obstacles. The man seemed to be shouting, not understanding what was happening to him, but Tsugumi didn¡¯t want to bother explaining. The man was probably just trying to get the scoop on the intrusion, but once the battle got into full swing, he had no time to worry about it, so that man better get the hell out of there quickly. ¡°¨CThe Dragon will be moved to the northwest, so please retrieve the man in the meantime.¡± Tsugumi contacted the operations center and turned to the Dragon. The selfish intruder was a distraction, but that didn¡¯t necessarily mean Tsugumi wanted him dead. If there was at least one human being within sight, he was going to help if he could. Fortunately, he was not the main combatant, so he had enough time to look around. ¡°I hope there¡¯s no one else around anymore¡­ I don¡¯t think I can be bothered from here on out.¡± With that, he kicked the ground. ¨CIf you want to confirm the presence of people, it¡¯s best to check from above. Thinking so, Tsugumi glided along the threads he had stretched out and landed on the dragon¡¯s back as if it was natural. It would have been fine if he had moved through transportation, but it was unexpectedly troublesome to adjust the axis of coordinates to a moving object. As he made a spectacular turn as if walking down a runway with the wind blowing in his face, Tsugumi muttered to himself. ¡°This view is amazing. The transportation is convenient, but I envy the kids who can fly.¡± Looking out at the historic cityscape from the Dragon¡¯s back, Tsugumi laughed quietly while making light remarks like that. The Dragon noticed something on its back and tried to move its head to turn around, but the threads wrapped around its neck prevented it from doing so. Rather, the assertion of each dragon¡¯s neck was too strong, and the range of motion of the neck was decreasing. Well, it was a good thing that it had too many heads. Tsugumi walked leisurely on the Dragon¡¯s back and checked all around the river. At least, there was no sign of anyone within a one-kilometer radius. ¡°It looks okay so maybe it¡¯s time to go. Sumire-san must be getting a little bored.¡± ¨CThe current wind was a headwind. The wind was blowing from the opposite direction now, which was more convenient for what was about to come. With this in mind, Tsugumi waved his arms wide as a final touch. At the same time, a spider web made through several large buildings sewed the four-headed dragon right above the river. The Dragon suddenly writhed and twisted, trying to escape the restraints of the threads, but there was no sign of the threads coming off at all. It would be quicker for the building where the threads were routed to collapse than for the Dragon to go berserk and shook off the threads, but this was a different story. This would keep the Dragon from moving properly for a while. ¡°The target is fixed. Temporary restraint time is 30 seconds. ¨CPlease take care of the rest.¡± This was the end of the work entrusted to Hagakure Sakura. The rest was up to Toono Sumire. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô ¡°As expected of you, Sakura-san. You¡¯ve positioned yourself perfectly.¡± Toono Sumire muttered to herself as she gazed at the River Thames from a spot about a kilometer away from where the Dragon was being held¨Cat the top of a clock tower bearing the queen¡¯s name. The dragon was about 100 meters in length. But even so, it looked small compared to the vastness of the river. Thinking about how pitiful it was for a foreign country to have trouble with a Demonic Beast like this, Toono pointed her gun finger at the Dragon. At that moment, Hagakure Sakura, who was riding on the Dragon¡¯s back, waved and disappeared from the scene. Perhaps she had moved to a place where the damage wouldn¡¯t reach. ¡°The request from the top was to make the event as beautiful, gruesome, and dynamic as possible. ¨CIn other words, it¡¯s business as usual, isn¡¯t that right?¡± Saying that, Toono smiled and narrowed her eyes. ¡°But it¡¯s too bad. If it had been nighttime, my flames would have shone brightly against the night sky.¡± ¨CToono¡¯s two skills as a Magical Girl were [Fire] and [Gun]. In some mythologies, ¡°fire¡± was said to have been given to mankind by the Gods, and was also said to be a symbol of life. ¡°Gun¡± was a weapon designed to attack the enemy. ¡­Ironic as it was, it would not be an exaggeration to say that it truly represented Toono¡¯s upbringing. ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s time to wrap this up.¡± Toono announced quietly and snapped her fingers, and a large number of roaring, red-hot guns were generated in a circle directly above the Dragon. From modern firearms to flintlocks and muskets, the crystallization of human wisdom from all ages, both ancient and modern, lined up above the dragon like a circle. It looked like a circle of angels. ¡°It may be a famous monster here, but in front of me, it¡¯s just the same as any other creature around here. A Demonic Beast¨Cit¡¯s so arrogant.¡± Toono then raised the pistol that had appeared in her hand directly above herself. At the same time as Toono held out her hand for the pistol, a dull clattering sound echoed from above the Dragon¡¯s head. ¨CThe gunfire had been triggered. The Dragon, sensing the presence of an attack above its head, struggled with a cry of rage, but it was unable to escape from the firm restraints placed on it by Hagakure. Toono heard the Dragon struggling and smiled gently, and without hesitation pulled the trigger on the Dragon. ¨CA moment later, the guns howled like a roar. A wave of red-hot bullets struck the Dragon, and a beat later, a roar echoed through the area as if the Dragon had been hit by a massive bombing. The bullets that fired from all directions quickly ate through the Dragon¡¯s hard scales, turning its physique a bright red. The bullets that remained inside the Dragon¡¯s body became hot as if on fire, and the Dragon was soon consumed by the fire while floating in midair. The threads that bound the Dragon were burned off and fell like a bead of flame. ¨CThe Demonic Beast, which had taken advantage of the weakness of the human heart and was about to transform itself into a monster in the image of God¡¯s enemy Satan, was, oddly enough, swallowed by fire and sulfur, just like in John¡¯s Revelation. Perhaps this, too, was the fate of the Demonic Beast that looked like a mighty monster. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that bad considering the previous information. ¡­Hm?¡± As Toono muttered this to herself, from the other side of the river ¨C a tall building farther away than the Dragon ¨C she could see Hagakure Sakura looking impatiently toward the bridge in the distance. And then, as if she had immediately transported, Hagakure¡¯s figure disappeared from the scene. Toono tilted her head and said while looking at the situation curiously. ¡°¡­Did something happen?¡± CH 158 Hungry River Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Just as the dragon was being surrounded by many guns, Tsugumi was watching the scene from a little distance away¨Cfrom the top of a tall building shaped like a pyramid extended upward. ¨CThe guns floating in the air had a clear intention to kill. The holy bullets, filled with purifying fire, would pierce through any evil. There was no Demonic Beast that wouldn¡¯t be wounded by this. As a skill against Demonic Beasts born from the embodiment of malice, there was no better performance. Above all, there was something thrilling about firing a volley of bullets. It was every boy¡¯s dream. To be honest, Tsugumi, who had few decisive moves, envied that. After all, a battle was only possible with flashy blows. ¨CBut unlike the previous A-class promotion match, he felt comfortable because he could watch her fight without anxiety, He didn¡¯t mind a crazy fight, but he was more comfortable watching a fight that his side could win. But thinking about it, it might have been inevitable that Toono would monopolize the top rank among the Jukka. Her overwhelming talent and skill as a fighter. Her unparalleled beauty. Her position as Amaterasu¡¯s Miko. And her charisma as a Magical Girl. She was first-class in every way. There was no way she wouldn¡¯t be popular. While thinking about Toono like that, he looked at the Dragon in the sky above to his left, who was about to be shot at any minute now. If it were to be shot by that many guns, it would die and fall to the ground without any means of escape. That was almost certain. The only concern was what would happen after the fall. They had led the Dragon up the river at the British side¡¯s request, but if a huge body over 100 meters high were to fall from that height, it would have some effect on the river flowing below. At the very least, it would definitely cause waves big enough to swallow bridges and buildings on the shore. ¡­The inside of the buildings in the vicinity would be soaked, but they wouldn¡¯t get destroyed, so it might not be that big of a problem. With this thought in mind, he looked at the Dragon being set on fire with the roar of gunshots. The Demonic Beast which was unbeatable against the British army was shapeless against the pinnacle of Magical Girls. ¡­It looked like a big roasted chicken, and he was hungry just looking at it. He felt like eating something like fried chicken for lunch. Thinking that far, Tsugumi turned his head down in embarrassment. Even though the Demonic Beast was already defeated, it was embarrassing to immediately think of food. Tsugumi cleared his throat and turned his attention to the scenery around him to distract himself. Behind him, to his right, a flat arched bridge caught his eye. It¡¯s a simple bridge, but it looks like it has a long history, he thought to himself. As he observed the bridge, wondering if it would soon be flooded, he saw something stirring in the alley near the bridge. ¡°¡­Hmm? Maybe the wind blew.¡± He muttered to himself and stared at the spot where he felt a sense of discomfort. ¨CThen he saw two figures wearing brown robes. The moment he saw the long robes, he remembered the rumors of a ¡°witch¡± that the British diplomat had talked about. But staring at the figures, Tsugumi gasped. ¡°Children who failed to flee?¡± Judging from the height of the buildings around them, the figure was less than a hundred centimeters tall. ¨CIn other words, they were young children. With despair in their eyes, the children were looking up at the burning dragon mass with trembling hands clasped in prayer. They seemed to be frightened by the scene before them. ¨CThe order to evacuate should have been given long ago. Children of that age should normally evacuate with their parents. And even Tsugumi had checked early in the morning to see if there were any people left. But why? The children¡¯s appearance from a distance was not pretty, and their limbs looked thin and unhealthy. He didn¡¯t want to think too much about it, but maybe the guardians had left the children behind during the evacuation. Why they were not protected by the police or military until now was a question, but it was dangerous for them to stay in a place like that. With that thought in mind, Tsugumi strengthened the threads restraining the Dragon. He couldn¡¯t let the Dragon fall into the river, at least until the evacuation of those children was complete. If the Dragon¡¯s huge body fell from that height, it would cause a tidal wave. Then what would happen to those children? ¨CThere is no need to think about such a thing. ¡°Emergency call. There are children who have failed to escape in the alley on the north side of the bridge behind the Dragon. Please rescue them quickly.¡± When Tsugumi told the terminal, a bewildered voice jumped into his ears. [I¡¯m sorry, Hagakure-san. I checked and I don¡¯t see any bio-signs in the alley north of the bridge, are you sure there are people there?] ¡°Huh? Even now I can see them over there¨C¡± Saying this, he unintentionally pointed his finger at the children, but there was no way they could see the view from here. While they were exchanging words, time was still passing. The strength of the threads had been increased to hold the Dragon in the air, but at this rate, the building it was based on would collapse before the Dragon fell. ¡°I understand. We¡¯re running out of time, so I will go there myself.¡± [¡°But it could be a trap. We don¡¯t want Hagakure-san to overdo it¡­¡±] The operator said anxiously. From their point of view, they must be worried that a Magical Girl had insisted on going down to a dangerous place for the sake of the existence they couldn¡¯t confirm. Tsugumi didn¡¯t know why they couldn¡¯t see the children, but he didn¡¯t think it was some kind of hallucination. ¨CAt the very least, it would surely be traumatizing for him if he didn¡¯t check and pretend he hadn¡¯t seen anything. So, Tsugumi made up his mind and said quietly. ¡°It¡¯s alright. If there is no one there, I will immediately transport to a safe area.¡± The operator quietly gave permission in a voice full of suppressed anxiety. [¡°¡­Please return as soon as you confirm them. Please be careful.¡±] ¡°Yes, I understand. Oh, and¨C¡° Tsugumi paused and opened his mouth, troubled. ¡°¨CLet¡¯s run away together. How do I say that in English?¡± ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô After finishing his conversation with the operator, he quickly moved to the other side of the bridge. ¨CWhy are you still here? Thinking of this, he softly landed behind the children and called out to them softly so as to not frighten them. ¡°Um, Let¡¯s run away. It¡¯s not safe here.¡± He said the sentence that the operator had given him roughly. He wasn¡¯t confident in his pronunciation, but it was enough to get the message across. ¡°¨C!¡± But perhaps startled by the sudden call from behind, the children of the foreign country let out an inaudible scream and looked up at Tsugumi, trembling. Maybe they were a little intimidated because he was currently dressed in military uniforms. ¨CBut he couldn¡¯t afford to consider their feelings anymore. If he had more time, he would have asked the operator to persuade them directly from the terminal, but right now, every second mattered. With that in mind, he approached the children with a smile on his face, trying to appear as calm as possible. ¡°¡ª!¡± ¡­They probably said something like, ¡°Don¡¯t come,¡± but he wasn¡¯t sure. Looking closely at the children, Tsugumi thought that the dirty brown robes were actually white. What were they doing until their white coats became like this? He noticed something round and embroidered on the ends of the children¡¯s robes and wondered if they had names written on them, but he didn¡¯t have time to worry about that now. Their identities would have to be checked by the British government after they were taken into custody. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, I know it¡¯s scary. But it¡¯s really not safe for you to be here.¡± Saying this, he reached out to the two children. He couldn¡¯t transport with them, but he could get them out of the danger zone in less than ten seconds with the help of a thread. The moment he picked up the two children with both hands and held them as they tried to escape, he heard a crackling sound in his ears. At the same time, he felt a chill running down his spine. ¨CThe threads have disappeared¡­? He couldn¡¯t feel the threads that should have been wrapped around his hands and feet. Even the signs of the threads that used to stretch all over the city had disappeared. On the contrary, he was unable to use his strength properly to produce a new thread. ¡°How could this¡­ No, if the threads are gone¨C!¡± While holding the two children, Tsugumi looked up impatiently. ¨CThe huge, burning body was crashing down. The time it took for an object to fall from a height of 500 meters was about ten seconds. It would be impossible to escape with two children in that short period of time without his skills. The image of being swallowed by a wave and having his whole body hit by it flashed through Tsugumi¡¯s mind. Forcibly suppressing his agitation, Tsugumi held the children firmly in his arms and tried to run away from the river. ¨CAt that moment, a voice echoed in his head. ? C a n I e a t i t ?¡¡? With his power drained from the depths of his heart. Tsugumi couldn¡¯t bear the sudden feeling of weakness and involuntarily fell to his knees. ¨CIt¡¯s not the time to crouch down like this. Tsugumi thought so, but the discomfort stirring in his gut made it impossible for him to move his body. At least I have to help these kids. While thinking that, the moment Tsugumi desperately tried to stand up, a gaping black hole opened in the river. ¡°¨CNo, that¡¯s not it.¡± ¨CIt wasn¡¯t a hole. Only Tsugumi knew what it was. It was something that had been by his side ever since he became a Magical Girl. A dry laugh escaped his throat. What the hell. How much of a predator are you to jump over the rules and even show up here? It wasn¡¯t a black hole. That thing¨Cit was just a predator¡¯s big beastly mouth. ¡°Okay, eat it. It¡¯s not my prey but I¡¯m sure Sumire-san will forgive me.¡± The Dragon fell into the river and was swallowed straight into the beast¡¯s mouth. The beast¡¯s mouth closed with a snap and disappeared without a single wave. ¡­To the viewer, this one might look more like a monster. Learn more Pause Unmute [Gluttony] could only be used within the boundaries. It was the rule. He didn¡¯t know why it could be used outside now, but it really saved him this time. Gluttony could be useful sometimes. ¨CI have to ask the children about a lot of things. Tsugumi stared at the profiles of the children, who were staring at the river in amazement, and let out a small sigh. Perhaps, they were the cause of the thread being cut. ¡­It was not yet the time to go back to Japan. CH 159 The Fairy''s Prank Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani Watching as the black mouth completely swallowed the Dragon, Tsugumi sat up and let out a big sigh. ¡­Really, he thought, this time would be useless. Feeling strangely full, Tsugumi gazed at the fainted children, who had fallen limp and unconscious after the beast¡¯s mouth disappeared, and slowly lowered them to the ground. They saw a scene like that. No wonder they fainted. ¡­He felt a little sorry for the young children laying on the hard ground, but it wasn¡¯t a good idea to touch these children too much. As soon as Tsugumi stepped away from the child, the effect began to show. ¡°As expected, touching these kids was the reason I couldn¡¯t use my ability¡­¡± Saying this, he manipulated the threads entwined in his fingers. The threads moved as if the earlier malfunction was a lie. When he checked the screen, the children were properly reflected. ¡­They showed up in the picture, so they weren¡¯t a God or a ghost. Then he sent the picture to the operations center, leaning against a nearby wall and putting his hand on his chin thoughtfully, ¨CWhat will happen to these children now? If he touched them, he would lose the ability to use his powers as a Magical Girl¨CIt was the biggest threat to Magical Girls. Moreover, these children belonged to another country. In some cases, there was a very high possibility that they would become an enemy of Japan. As Tsugumi was worrying about this, he received a call on his terminal. ¡°Yes, hello?¡± [¡°This is Yamabuki. ¨CHagakure-san, I¡¯m going to cut to the chase, where have you been?¡±] ¡°Eh?¡± He asked Yamabuki for more details after that, and it seemed that between the time when Tsugumi picked up the children and the time when he put them down, Hagakure¡¯s bio-signs suddenly disappeared, and they couldn¡¯t find him. Moreover, a huge hole suddenly opened up in the river and the Dragon¡¯s corpse disappeared, so there was a big commotion at the scene. Maybe just as these children were unrecognizable to people, he might become unrecognizable when he touched them as well. ¡­What a nasty ability. As for the photos sent by Tsugumi, only a few people could see the children, and the rest of the people seemed to just see a picture of the ground. Incidentally, none of the personnel on the British side could see the children, and they thought it was a bad joke. After listening to such a little scary story, Tsugumi briefly explained what had happened after going down near the bridge and he also explained that touching them made him unable to use his abilities. ¡°I¡¯m going to send a car to pick you up, and please take the children with you. Wait there for about 15 minutes.¡± It seemed that various things had to be considered after returning to the waiting area. Tsugumi, who suddenly had nothing to do, vaguely looked at the river that had returned to normal and muttered. ¡°¡­It was really not worth the work. I knew I shouldn¡¯t accept requests from people.¡± As he renewed his resolve to complain to Yukino, he heard a voice right behind him. ¡°¨CIt sounds like you¡¯ve been through quite a lot¡± The sudden voice startled him and he turned around with a start. ¡°Who¡¯s that?! Oh, it¡¯s you, Nii¡­ I mean, Shiro-sama. What are you doing in a place like this?¡± There he was, the white rabbit with golden eyes¨CShiro, Chidori¡¯s contract God. Since Chidori was in England, it wasn¡¯t strange for him to be here, but he didn¡¯t expect him to talk like this. ¨CHe looked around, thinking that Chidori might be nearby. As he did so, Shiro approached Tsugumi¡¯s feet and said in a whisper. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s not here. Of course, I have made sure that neither my appearance nor my voice is visible to anyone else. Fufu, it¡¯s adorable how my little sister is worried about me.¡± ¡°Um, I¡¯m not your little sister.¡± ¡­He had agreed to be a brother at that time by giving up a hundred steps, but he definitely didn¡¯t intend to be a sister. When Tsugumi replied with a disgusted look, Shiro floated and clung to Tsugumi¡¯s chest. He hurried to support the underside of the fluffy ball of fluff to keep him from sliding down. It was like a cuddling position. Apparently, his curt response had offended Shiro. ¡­He didn¡¯t know which one of them was the younger brother anymore. Shiro sat in Tsugumi¡¯s arms with a satisfied expression, then looked down at the children who were unconscious and said with admiration. ¡°¨CStill, it¡¯s amazing that such a unique relic has survived to the present day. It¡¯s also of high quality. I wonder if it has gained strength recently.¡± ¡°A relic, is it?¡± ¡°The clothes have a hint of mystery that has taken root in this land. It is most likely a relic that was made in the past and given to the children on a whim by a fairy or some other entity that manifested in the aftermath of the Demonic Beast¡¯s power.¡± Fairies¨Cfor ordinary Japanese people, the first image that came to mind was that of beauty and cuteness, but in reality, they were quite malicious. According to Chidori, who loved to collect foreign books, fairies were said to be a form of a fallen God of indigenous beliefs, not so different from the origin of Japanese yokai. Therefore, there were still many anecdotes of their viciousness that harmed people. He didn¡¯t know why fairies gave the children mysterious clothes that could make them disappear, but considering the current state of the children, who were thin and dirty, he didn¡¯t have a very good impression of fairies. ¡°Then the mysterious power to make their figures disappear is not their ability but the effect of that robe.¡± Saying that, he patted his chest in relief. If the power to disappear was due to this robe, there were many ways to deal with it. At worst, if he secretly burned it, it wouldn¡¯t pose a threat. With this thought in mind, Tsugumi continued his question. ¡°Is the fairy who gave them the robes still with them?¡± ¡°They are gone. The power that fills this land is too weak. Perhaps they gave these children a cloth that would conceal or shift the boundaries¡­and then quickly disappeared. They basically don¡¯t know how to adjust. I¡¯m sure they didn¡¯t mean any harm, but it¡¯s a problem.¡± ¡°¡­What a nuisance¡± Tsugumi said so in disgust. It was beyond irresponsible to give young children something they didn¡¯t understand, and then quickly disappear. They should learn from Bell, Tsugumi thought angrily and asked Shiro a question. ¡°Shiro-sama, do you know what effect this has?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to figure it out once you see it. This is a relic that has the effect of dragging those who touch it into a pseudo-astral world, hiding their existence from the present world. It¡¯s what we call an invisibility robe.¡± ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s invisible to others. But still, a ghost world? It¡¯s like a small-scale barrier.¡± Tsugumi nodded his head in agreement. By creating a dimension out of alignment, it was made invisible to the outside world ¨C in other words, it was a system similar to the Magical Girl¡¯s barrier system. But how could Tsugumi see the children who had disappeared? Thinking that, Tsugumi opened his mouth. ¡°But why is it that some people can see this child and others can¡¯t? And I¡¯m also curious as to why I suddenly lost my powers.¡± When Tsugumi asked this question anxiously, Shiro said in a slow tone. ¡°The only way to be able to see these children is by having a near-death experience. For those who have had a glimpse of the real ghost world, this kind of concealment will not work. The reason why the connection with Bell was cut off is because the distance between you and the contract God was too wide when the effect of the concealment ¨C the shifting of boundaries ¨C was triggered. In addition, the fact that Bell-dono hates this place is probably one of the reasons why the connection has faded. The God is extremely incompatible with Western countries. Well, this situation could have been prevented if Bell-dono had been closer.¡± ¡°Eh, is that so?¡± It was a shocking fact. In other words, if the person standing here was another Magical Girl ¨C someone working together with their contract God, they could have used their ability without any problem. ¡­He never thought that Bell¡¯s restraint would have an adverse effect in a place like this. Tsugumi said in a weak voice as he slumped his shoulders in disappointment. ¡°I understand. It was just a bad time for me that I lost my ability. ¡­.Huh? Then why was I able to use [Gluttony], then?¡± The connection was temporarily severed ¨C then why was the [Gluttony] skill activated? When Tsugumi asked that question, Shiro answered with a blank look. ¡°Perhaps the skill was deeply connected to the soul. The fact that you were able to use your powers outside of the barrier may have been due to your body¡¯s mistaken belief that you were inside a barrier because you were close to the world of ghosts. In a way, I guess you were lucky.¡± ¡°Ah, that certainly makes sense¡­¡± Tsugumi put his hand on his chin thoughtfully. Shiro¡¯s argument certainly made sense. The connection between [Gluttony] and his soul¨Cthe number of times he had sacrificed a part of himself was outstanding. It wouldn¡¯t be so strange if the skill was triggered on its own in the contractor¡¯s crisis. ¨CBut why did he feel like something was still bugging him? Maybe he was just a bit preoccupied because of this near-death experience. At any rate, the question had been answered. He was a little worried about the children¡¯s futures, but he should leave the rest to the higher-ups. Having made that decision, Tsugumi let out a small sigh and stared at Shiro. ¡°Thank you for going out of your way to explain everything. I was worried about a lot of things, so it helped.¡± When Tsugumi said that and lowered his head, Shiro narrowed his eyes and smiled. ¡°Fufu, you don¡¯t have to worry about it. Since your guardian can¡¯t come here, it¡¯s only natural for me, your older brother, to help.¡± He jumped down from Tsugumi¡¯s arms. ¡°Now, I think it¡¯s time for me to go back to our sister. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s worried about me right now, since I came out without telling her.¡± ¡°¡­Please don¡¯t make Chidori worry too much. Unlike me, she¡¯s delicate.¡± When Tsugumi told him this, Shiro lowered his ears as if he had hit the nails in the head and left the place, dissolving into the air. ¡­It seemed, there was still some self-awareness in him. Tsugumi shrugged his shoulders and glanced at the sleeping children. Perhaps they were siblings. Their faces were very similar. Their hair, spilled out of the brown robe, was dull blonde and unevenly long as if they had cut it themselves at random. Their body was also very thin, it was hard to tell their genders at a quick glance. If, as Shiro said, these magic robes were given to them by accident, then surely these children were not in any danger. It was better to leave their future to the government now. ¨CBut more importantly, he and Azalea talked about relics yesterday, and this robe might be the closest thing to that. It was a perfect model for relics¨Csomething from the past that had been altered by fairies who had manifested. ¡­Things are going to get a lot rougher from here on out, Tsugumi thought, but the rest should be discussed by people on top. There was nothing more that Hagakure Sakura, a low-ranking soldier, could do. As he thought so, the sound of an engine reached his ears. ¡°¨CIt¡¯s the sound of a car.¡± Apparently, a lot of time had passed while he was talking with Shiro. ¡ªAnyway, this seems to be the end of the story. Tsugumi waved his hand at the car coming toward him, dodging the debris. CH 160 Moonlight''s Devotion Watching the car carrying Tsugumi drive away, Shiro¨CTsukiyomi muttered. ¡°Hm, I think my explanation was unreasonable, but it seems he believed me. ¨CReally, my little brother, you¡¯re honest and cute.¡± Nanase Tsugumi didn¡¯t have suspicions about those who were once invited inside. While this was normally a virtue, it was also a fatal flaw. Tsukiyomi wondered how he was able to grow up with such a good-natured personality without being distorted. ¡°It was a coincidence that the connection to Bell-dono was severed at the time, but the activation of [Gluttony] was artificial. ¡­Hmm, apparently the erosion has advanced more than I thought.¡± The God that nestled in Nanase Tsugumi¨CLucifer¡¯s spirit¨Cwas interfering with [Gluttony] and snatching up the resources of the thing that had been eaten. The Demonic Beast that imitated Satan, which was likened to Lucifer, must have been a good source of sustenance. ¡°I¡¯ve been fooling around based on the contract, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll question it soon enough if things continue like this. But for now, luck is with Lucifer. In that case, the day is near when I will have to make a move.¡± Saying this, Tsukiyomi lowered his eyes. ¨CThe Gods who manifested in this world before Amaterasu came down from the heavens, and weren¡¯t meant to be worshipped. Most of them were eliminated by Amaterasu¡¯s followers, but some of them remained in this world, evading the followers. Tsukiyomi was one of them. To be precise, he showed his reverence to Amaterasu before the battle with her followers, so it could be said that he was in a state of tacit approval. The reason why he wasn¡¯t bound by her authority at that time was simply because Tsukiyomi was strong. Considering the compensation of the land, Tsukiyomi was the second most powerful God in Japan after Amaterasu. Even if Amaterasu herself appeared, if Tsukiyomi were to get serious, her followers would be no match for him. Because of these circumstances, Amaterasu¡¯s side decided to tolerate Tsukiyomi¡¯s presence to avoid unnecessary conflict. ¨CThey did not care what Tsukuyomi was thinking. Remembering this, Tsukuyomi smiled sadly. ¡°¨CNow that I think about it, my sister was always like that. If I show up, she¡¯s frightened, and if I don¡¯t move, she treats me as if I¡¯m not there. ¡­I just wanted to be close with my sister as a family.¡± Tsukiyomi, born as the second God after Amaterasu, had always lived in secrecy, hiding in his sister¡¯s shadow. He believed that this would lead to his sister¡¯s peace of mind. Even so, he could not help feeling vague loneliness. It was then that a rift in the sky with enormous power appeared. Tsukiyomi descended to the lower world on a whim and saw a country being destroyed by evil monsters. He didn¡¯t particularly enjoy it, nor was he saddened by it, but simply continued to watch the scene. For Tsukiyomi, the country of his birth was of no importance. But the moment he saw Amaterasu reign over this country again for the sake of the people, for the first time in his life, Tsukiyomi felt desire. ¨CI want you to look at me. I want you to smile at me. I want you to talk to me. If I am not even allowed to do that, at least I want to carry your burden for you. Such a thought stuck in his head and wouldn¡¯t go away. ¡°¡­Yeah, I know. I know that the current state of affairs is not your intention. The excessive faith of the people, the unavoidable sacrifices, and even the control of numerous Gods were not what you wanted.¡± Saying this, Tsukiyomi quietly closed his eyes. -Even though she was about to be crushed under the weight of the responsibility of being entrusted with the country by her father, she was a proud older sister without showing any pretense of such a thing. The older sister, whose pride was as high as a mountain, but who was so sensitive that she would shut herself away over trivial matters. The poor sister who was afraid that she would be replaced by her equal, Tsukiyomi, at any moment. He wanted to lighten that burden, even if only a little. ¡°I swore that day that I would do anything for that. ¨CEven if it meant joining forces with an evil God.¡± The first person Tsukiyomi approached after descending to the lower realms was Lucifer, the August Star of Heaven. Fortunately or unfortunately, Tsukiyomi and Lucifer¡¯s interests were aligned. Lucifer wished to usurp the right and sovereignty that included the rift in the sky, while Tsukiyomi wished to free Amaterasu from her heavy responsibilities. Whatever the outcome of this would be for the country, it was none of Tsukiyomi¡¯s business. From then on, the two Gods¨Csometimes disguised as people, sometimes getting help from other escapees, sometimes interfering in the rifts in the heavens to extract information, and sometimes under Amaterasu¡¯s watchful eye¨Cworked on their plan over a long period of time. ¡­But in the end, the plan failed. It was a good plan to seize control of the God who governed the boundary and seize real power over the Demonic Beasts and the divinity leaking from the rift, but it failed at the very end. The cause of the failure was, needless to say, Lucifer¡¯s love for her human. For a demon who made fun of humans and played with them as toys, the cause of her defeat was very ironic. Tsukiyomi, who had been cooperating behind the scenes for so long, felt that the plan was ruined for such a selfish reason, but more than that, he was shocked by Lucifer¡¯s action. Although they were related by blood, it was only a temporary body, a child with no connection to Lucifer, and yet Lucifer still tried to save the sacrifice. Even such an evil God without blood and tears cared about her brother. Words couldn¡¯t express how much of a shock this was to Tsukiyomi. The love of an elder sister for her younger brother had kicked the Gods¡¯ plan to the curb. That fact alone weighed heavily on Tsukiyomi¡¯s heart. A mysterious feeling of envy, loathing, and salvation. A sense of relief, as if he had finally reached the stars reflected on the surface of the water. Tsukuyomi was convinced that no matter what form it took, the older sister was still thinking of her younger brother. But in the end, a failure was still a failure. Since Amaterasu¡¯s time was running out, he couldn¡¯t take much time like he had done with Lucifer. At worst, even if it was unreasonable, he should usurp Amaterasu¡¯s throne. Tsukiyomi¡¯s mind changed when he saw the Nanase Tsugumi who had escaped. The devil that lurked on the dark side of the moon, retaining her original personality but taking in the God of boundary, was the remnant of Lucifer, the demon that nestled in the soul of Nanase Tsugumi. Although her power was weakened, it was enough for Tsukiyomi to decide to continue with the plan. ¨CThe power of the God of the boundary was already in their hands. Then all that remained was to prepare a new vessel to exercise that power. However, in order to move to a new vessel, Lucifer¡¯s power must be restored first. Tsukiyomi decided so and quietly waited for the right time. Ten years had passed since the great fire. The frail child had grown up and become a fine boy. But even if he was raised as a vessel, Tsugumi was still just a human being. There was a limit on keeping the God of Boundary and Lucifer in his soul. At this rate, the vessel would be ruined before Lucifer could fully recover. Tsukiyomi decided to turn to the demon who had been obsessed with Nanase Tsugumi¨CBelial. He lent him a little help and showed him Nanase Tsugumi¡¯s current state, and the rest would be as good as a rolling stone. The demon, who preferred a meaningful end to a soulless prolongation of life, was willing to lay his hands on Tsugumi. Without knowing Tsukiyomi¡¯s true goal. A vessel grew the most when they wandered between life and death. The spirit of trying to crawl up the abyss of death was the source of growth. ¨CAnd Belial couldn¡¯t kill Nanase Tsugumi anyway. Love was the most uncontrollable emotion in the world. It didn¡¯t matter if it was God or the devil. While he was still wondering whether or not to kill Tsugumi, Belial wouldn¡¯t seriously do it. He couldn¡¯t directly touch him, that much was obvious when he chose such a roundabout way. But even so, Tsukiyomi could never let his guard down. There was always the possibility that Belial might accidentally kill Tsugumi. Although he was going to take advantage of him, for Tsukiyomi, Tsugumi was a cute child he had been watching over since before he was even born. He was so attached to him that he didn¡¯t want him to die. Tsukiyomi thought that if Tsugumi was going to die, he would secretly lend a helping hand, but so far his plan was progressing smoothly. ¡­Well, it was a bit of a miscalculation that Tsugumi became a Magical Girl. Since it was difficult to monitor him because of Bell, Tsugumi¡¯s contract God, he took advantage of the opportunity and offered a contract to Chidori, Tsugumi¡¯s adopted sister, but now he could say that the choice was a brave decision. Playing family with them wasn¡¯t so bad for Tsukiyomi. Tsugumi and Chidori. A brother and sister who were not related by blood. But their bond was real. ¡­The surveillance was just a pretext, and in reality, he just wanted to be a part of a close-knit family. But even such affection was nothing in front of his real sister Amaterasu. Even if it hurt his heart to use them, Tsukiyomi would do anything for Amaterasu. Tsukiyomi believed, without a doubt, that this was the proof of love from brother to sister. ¡°All I have to do now is wait for Lucifer¡¯s power to fill up. At least she will know how I¡¯m going to move. I have to finish my preparations before then. ¨CYes, all because of my love for you, my sister.¡± Saying this, Tsukiyomi¨CLucifer¡¯s true collaborator¨C smiled quietly. CH 161 Remaining Sadness Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani After Tsugumi took the two children back to the operation center, their stay in England was extended for a week to discuss the treatment of the children and their robes. ¡­He couldn¡¯t help but think that if it was going to be such a hassle, he should have just kept their existence hidden and taken them to Japan, but that would not be the humane thing to do. Hagakure Sakura, especially, wouldn¡¯t return until after the discussion was over because she could see through the effects of the robe¨Cthe art of concealment. ¡­Even though he had no choice on the matter, he wondered just what these people think about his precious summer vacation. By the way, Toono, Suzushiro, and Kazaguruma already returned home. This was too cruel. But fortunately, Chidori was able to recognize the children as well, so she couldn¡¯t return to Japan along with Hagakure Sakura, and so Tsugumi¡¯s absence was not noticed by Chidori. Perhaps Toono had helped, but it was a very last-minute arrangement. Well even if he had gone back to Japan, it would have been difficult. ¨CIt was because the scene of the Demonic Beast falling into the river was broadcasted to the public. At that moment, Tsugumi only thought, ¡°Oh, they finally saw it. Will it damage my image?¡± But it was not that simple. The moment the mouth of the predator preyed on the beast, Tsugumi was in a place that had shifted from the boundary. When that happened¨Cwell, to ordinary people, it would look as if the Demonic Beast had disappeared the moment it fell into the river However, some people¨Cthose who had wandered the borderline between life and death due to accidents or illnesses¨Ccould clearly see the mouth of the beast that ate up the Demonic Beast. Incidentally, Kazaguruma who was in charge of filming couldn¡¯t see it, so the video was released uncensored. It was the completion of some sort of horror video. The video was very controversial among those who could see it and those who couldn¡¯t, so he might be asked to explain it when he returned to Japan. For that matter, the disclosure of the effects of relics was also relevant, so he would need to coordinate with the government. ¡­Just thinking about it was depressing. Well, leaving such trivial events aside, let¡¯s return to the story in England. When he spoke in detail with the two protected children ¨C brothers Arthur and Kay ¨C he learned many things. They were born and raised in London and lived with their parents, but after their house was burned down by a dragon attack, their parents died in a riot that broke out afterward, and they had to hide in an alley to escape the riot. While the two brothers were wandering alone, avoiding adults, a short old man handed them a white cloth with apples embroidered on it. The old man said, ¡°As long as you wear this robe, no one will find you,¡± and left. The brothers, who were afraid of being caught by adults, obediently believed what the suspicious old man said. At that time, armed soldiers were walking around to give evacuation orders, and the brothers might have been clinging to straws. However, there was only one robe, so they decided to split it in half and use it separately. Perhaps because of this, the concealment effect could only be used when the two were together. The two brothers continued to run away from the adults and the military and stayed in empty London. He didn¡¯t know whether they were simply afraid of adults or didn¡¯t want to leave the place where they were born and raised. Finally, they couldn¡¯t find any food, and when they walked down to the river in a daze, they were discovered by an Asian dressed in black ¨C Hagakure Sakura. He already knew what happened next, so he skipped it. The British side, who initially protected the two, was suspicious of the children¡¯s disappearance, but when Yamabuki instructed Tsugumi to remove the robe, the children suddenly appeared in front of them, and the adults screamed harshly, but that wasn¡¯t important. By the way, the discussion turned into a dispute. Well, it was only natural. Although it had no combat power, this relic was of a class that could deter Magical Girls, Japan¡¯s battle weapon. Depending on how it was used, it could easily assassinate important people in various countries. No one would give up the right. Its only weakness was that it could only be operated by Arthur and Kay, but still, its effectiveness was high. ¡­If it could be used by anyone, it would have been a blood feud. Moreover, when the two children¡¯s family registers were traced, it was discovered that all of their relatives were deceased and, worse, that they had been baptized Catholics, not Anglicans, so the Vatican brazenly insisted on taking the children. Once this happened, having a proper discussion was impossible. Nevertheless, they managed to come to terms with each other¡¯s positions, and it was decided that the two children who were contracted to the robes would be temporarily transferred to England, one of the robes would be kept in Japan while the other one would be kept in the Vatican. He heard that there was a lot of political wrangling going on at that time, but he had no idea what was going on, so he didn¡¯t hear much about it. He thought there would be another full-fledged meeting in the near future, but he didn¡¯t think Hagakure Sakura would be invited to the next meeting, so he decided not to worry about it anymore. ¡°I can finally go back to Japan¡­¡± As Tsugumi let out a loud sigh and muttered this, Yamabuki, who had large shadows under his eyes, opened his mouth with a dry smile. ¡°We diplomats still have a lot of work to do, though. ¨CWell, be that as it may, thank you for your hard work this time. Please leave the rest to us. I¡¯ll try to make the deal as beneficial to Japan as possible.¡± Saying this, Yamabuki¨Cthe man who had grabbed possession of half of the robes in the name of inspection and research¨Claughed. This might not sound like a big accomplishment, but since the art of concealment couldn¡¯t be used unless two children and two robes were present, it was a good thing that the danger of assassination had been eliminated. Rather, it was amazing how he could negotiate without legitimate ownership. ¡°Thank you for your hard work. ¡­But still, a country with a long history is still scary. Even if it was affected by the residual effects of the Demonic Beast, I can¡¯t believe that a relic like that would suddenly appear.¡± ¡°This country has long had a reputation for its wealth of magic and fairy legends. ¨CAccording to experts, that robe is very similar in design to one of the 13 treasures of Britain in British lore, so it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if something else turned up. ¡­Haha, though I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll die of exhaustion if that happens.¡± When Yamabuki looked far away as he said that, Tsugumi averted his eyes and gave him a vague smile. ¡­No matter how well-paid and elite the job was, Tsugumi sincerely thought that he would never want to work for the government, seeing as he had to work until he was on the verge of collapse like this. ¡°¡®Then again, maybe it¡¯s because of their names that the fairies chose those kids to be relic users.¡± ¡°Names, sir?¡± ¡°Yes. The thirteen treasures of Britain belonged to King Arthur. The fairy who gave them the robes must have wanted to help the boy who has the same name as the king.¡± To Yamabuki who said that with a smile, Tsugumi looked at him with a surprised look and said. ¡°Yamabuki-san is surprisingly romantic.¡± ¡°I usually pretend to be a rationalist. ¡­But I used to try to be a hero in the past. Now I only have good memories of that.¡± Recently, there had been a trend toward female heroes in favor of Magical Girls, but good old action movies still featured male heroes. In Yamabuki¡¯s childhood, that must have been more mainstream. This thought made Tsugumi smile a little as he thought, ¡°This person also had a cute childhood.¡± It made him feel a little closer. Then, Tsugumi said something that suddenly came to mind to Yamabuki, who had spoken with sentiments. ¡°From my point of view, Yamabuki-san, who works hard to the point of exhaustion, looks like a great hero.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Yamabuki looked puzzled at Tsugumi¡¯s reply, and Tsugumi tilted his head as he continued. ¡°Because a hero is someone who can fight to protect something important, right? I thought that¡¯s how it works.¡± After Tsugumi said that, Yamabuki went blank and fell silent. Feeling awkward, Tsugumi forcefully ended the conversation by saying, ¡°Well, it¡¯s time for me to go and pack my bags.¡± ¡­Thinking about it, the other party was a diplomat with a thousand mountains. He was probably tired of hearing such childish compliments. He might have been taken aback. Thinking about it made Tsugumi feel embarrassed. Turning away from Yamabuki who went silent, Tsugumi escaped from the place while regretting that he had said something unnecessary. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô The man, Yamabuki Shizuru, was once a male Magical Girl chosen by God with miraculous probability. The God with whom he had contracted in the past had forbidden him to tell anyone about it, so there was no one who knew about it except Yamabuki himself. When he first signed the contract, Yamabuki believed he was special, but unlike Hagakure Sakura and Yukino Shizuku, Yamabuki was not gifted in battle, even though he had the aptitude for being a Magical Girl. Yamabuki, who began his activities as a stray Magical Girl under a false name and appearance, quickly ran into a wall. The skills he was assigned were mediocre, and his fighting sense was far inferior to that of higher-ranked Magical Girls. His final rank was D-class. Moreover, he was only able to win by sheer luck after suffering a serious injury. Being chosen as a Rikka would be a dream come true. On the contrary, it was impossible for him to even make it into the top-ranked Magical Girls. Yamabuki, who didn¡¯t have the courage to challenge the C-class, gave up on his dream early on. At that moment, for the first time in his life, Yamabuki experienced deep frustration. He had only been active as a Magical Girl for one year. It would be difficult to find someone who remembered him now. Yamabuki hadn¡¯t met the God who chose him since he canceled the contract. He felt a little sad about it, but it couldn¡¯t be helped since he didn¡¯t live up to his expectations. But Yamabuki didn¡¯t rot because of that. As if using the frustration of his setback as a springboard, he devoted himself to his studies and succeeded in gaining a place in the government¡¯s elite course that would have been the envy of everyone. ¨CYamabuki was proud of who he was today. But the frustration of being a Magical Girl remained as an indelible lump in his heart. ¡°I look like a hero, huh? ¨CI never thought the day would come when my former goal would say that to me.¡± Yamabuki muttered and stared at the ceiling. ¨CThe person who had so easily overcome a barrier that he had never been able to overcome in his former life called the current Yamabuki a hero. He knew that it was just a social commentary. But wasn¡¯t it too simplistic of him to feel so saved just by such words? He didn¡¯t know what Hagakure Sakura meant by saying such a thing, but he certainly felt lighter. ¡­I¡¯m not an adolescent kid, he smiled wryly at himself. ¡°¡­But it looks like I¡¯ll be able to drink some delicious sake today.¡± He felt like instead of sleeping pills, he could enjoy the unnecessarily expensive alcohol that he kept in stock, just for today. Suddenly, he recalled the backward glance of Hagakure Sakura, who left in an embarrassed manner. He felt a little sorry for not reacting well and making her feel awkward. ¨CBut more than that, Yamabuki thought, she was a truly frightening child. From inside the government, he had heard that Hagakure Sakura had an unusual reputation among the staff, but he had never thought it would be this much. Hagakure Sakura was able to behave in the way people wanted her to as if it was natural. It wasn¡¯t that she was an all-around beauty, but she had her own opinion. Without being noticed by anyone, she took up a position with favorable impressions and spoke words that easily penetrated the gap between the heart and mind. She wasn¡¯t flirtatious at all, but she instinctively read people¡¯s subtleties and unconsciously adjusted them to the extent that no one felt uncomfortable. ¡­Even if it was a natural talent, he was too familiar with it. Depending on how one would perceive it, it was like a sweet, deadly poison. ¨CBut depending on how it was used, it could also be the greatest weapon of all. Considering the current situation, troublesome exchanges with other countries would surely increase. Depending on the situation, it would only be a matter of time before the isolation of the country was lifted. In that case, it was essential to educate diplomats who could behave under pressure from other countries. However, in Hagakure Sakura¡¯s case, she would be able to move immediately as an immediate asset if she overcame the language barrier. It would be a shame to lose contact with her. ¡°I wonder if we can somehow pull her over to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after she retires as Magical Girl¡­¡± Yamabuki chuckled, thinking that if she heard it, she would turn pale and refuse. ¨CSo it seems I also have been poisoned in a way. ¡°But with that personality, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she gets stabbed in the back at any time. I¡¯ll give her some advice to be careful the next time I see her.¡± Yamabuki nodded quietly, thinking that if this continued, there would be people who would misunderstand and become attached. ¨CWell, even with that kind of advice, it goes without saying that it¡¯s already too late for a lot of things regarding Tsugumi¡¯s relationships. CH 162 Although many problems remained, Tsugumi was released from his long period of restraint and returned to Japan one step ahead of the other members. It was only a short-lived freedom until the next job came along. Tsugumi felt like it had been a long time since he had set foot on Japanese soil, but in reality, he had returned to Japan through transportation at every mealtime, so he was not that emotional about it. But he had been in the hotel room because Toono left first, so it had been a long time since he¡¯d been home. ¡­Well, he deliberately didn¡¯t go home because he didn¡¯t want to go home alone to a deserted, empty house. Thinking about such things, Tsugumi let out a sigh and slumped his shoulders. ¡°Ah, there are ten days left for summer vacation. ¡­This is bad, I haven¡¯t made any progress in my studies at all.¡± Unlike Chidori, who was aiming for a difficult university, Tsugumi planned to take an average university nearby, so he didn¡¯t have to study hard, but it was bad not to study at all during a long vacation. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll bow down to Yukitaka later and ask him to make a study plan for me. ¡­My body feels so heavy.¡± He blurted out, taking off his military uniform on the floor, and after undoing the transformation, he lay down on his bed as if he had deflated. If Bell saw his current appearance, he might get angry with him for being sloppy. But without Bell¡¯s nagging, it would be so lonely so he felt complicated. Tsugumi stared at the clock in his room, thinking that he wouldn¡¯t be in good shape without Bell. ¡°There¡¯s still some time before Chidori comes back. ¡­I¡¯m not really interested, but let¡¯s take a look at the reaction to [Gluttony] that Yamabuki-san mentioned.¡± Tsugumi lazily raised himself up after saying that and opened the computer on the desk. The mouth of a black beast that hadn¡¯t been exposed until now¨CHe wondered what the world thought of the existence of the [Gluttony] skill. Well, he didn¡¯t really care what people think, but it would be a bit troublesome if it affected Hagakure Sakura¡¯s future activities. British Expedition Occult Videos General [39]. 19: Anonymous Is there anyone here who was able to see the predation scene in the example video? 20: Anonymous The one where the black object that appeared in the river swallowed the Dragon? 21: Anonymous There¡¯s been a lot of talk about this, but I don¡¯t see any footage of it anywhere. 22: Anonymous No matter how you look at it, it¡¯s a spectacular fishing expedition. 23: Anonymous I know the Dragon disappeared as soon as it landed in the river, but there was no black mouth. Maybe it¡¯s a hoax? Or a collective hallucination? 24: Anonymous I think one person told a horror story and everyone got in on it. It¡¯s just like the Samejima Incident. 25: Anonymous It¡¯s about time the government got mad at the hoaxers. Is the person who said he could see a black mouth okay? Isn¡¯t he going to get banned? ¡«The controversy that denied the existence of the black mouth continued for a while. 564: Anonymous ¡­Other people really can¡¯t see it. That¡¯s more surprising to me. By the way, I can see it. If you have any questions, I¡¯ll answer them. 565: Anonymous >>564 Any proof? 566: 564. I don¡¯t have any. Because I see things differently from you guys, there¡¯s no way to prove it. 567: Anonymous Yes, dismissed. That was a waste of time. 568: 564. I mean, why can¡¯t you guys see that thing? It¡¯s such a clear image. 569: Anonymous Huh? Are you trying to stir things up? If we could see it, we¡¯d want to see it, too. 570: Anonymous I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a lie or not, but what did it look like to >564? Let¡¯s talk about it anyway. 571:564 In a nutshell, here¡¯s what it looked like ¡ý ¡ý ¡ý Maybe you guys don¡¯t see 2 and 3 in this? 572: Anonymous That¡¯s kind of annoying, but you¡¯re right. 573: Anonymous Rather, you¡¯re the heretic for being able to see it. 574: Anonymous Most of the sightings on social networking sites are like that, too. There are also accounts that post pictures, but do you see >564 the same way? 575: 564 http://~ This picture is pretty close to the real thing. 576: Anonymous Ugh, that¡¯s the most grotesque-looking image picture I¡¯ve ever seen. 577: Anonymous I think I¡¯m going to dream about this one for a bit (shudder) 578: Anonymous The comments on the picture are ¡°This is exactly what I was thinking!¡± and ¡°It¡¯s too perfect (lol)¡±. I wonder how many people are actually seeing this. 579: Anonymous To be honest, I still think it¡¯s a massive fishing expedition, but with so many eyewitness testimonies, I¡¯m starting to get worried. 580: Anonymous But the fact that the government still hasn¡¯t officially denied it makes me think they¡¯re serious. 581: Anonymous If it¡¯s not a mass hallucination, maybe it¡¯s a system that only those who meet the conditions can see it. See, it happens all the time in comic books and such. You know, the kind of phantoms that only people on the verge of death can see. 582:564 No, that¡¯s not a beautiful phantom. If you look at it for a long time, it looks like it¡¯s going to make you lose your sanity. But I think I¡¯ve seen something like it somewhere. 583: Anonymous Yeah¡­? Do you recognize that thing that looks like it¡¯s going to cut down your sanity just by looking at it? Wouldn¡¯t that be worse? 584: Anonymous Most likely you saw it in a Cthulhu Mythos book. I¡¯m sure there are plenty of black tentacled creatures around. 585: Anonymous I didn¡¯t post this before because people would think I was lying anyway, but a friend of mine saw the black mouth. They said that it was a big version of the black shadow thing that Hagakure-san sometimes used that swallowed the Dragon like this. I guess that might have something to do with it. 586: Anonymous >>585 My Grandpa is saying the same thing. I didn¡¯t really believe him because he was suffering from dementia, but this sounds serious. 587: Anonymous So you¡¯re telling me that Hagakure-san created that awful Cthulhu black mouth¡­? 588: Anonymous That was also part of the meal¡­? (Confused) 589: Anonymous No matter how much she eats, it¡¯s still a pity to treat it that way. 590: Anonymous But now that you put it that way, it¡¯s true that the imagery is similar to Hagakure-san¡¯s skills. The effect between smoke and shadow is especially similar. 591: 564. Oh no, I just watched the video again after you said that, and I noticed that on the bridge on the right side, you can see someone who looks like Hagakure-san. And I think she¡¯s staring at the river. 592: Anonymous ¡­Could it be we have arrived at the hidden truth? 593: Anonymous What, but isn¡¯t that the thing from Hagakure-san¡¯s buff skill that costs self-injury as the price? 594: Anonymous >>Buff skill At least that¡¯s what we saw against Radon. I¡¯ve never seen it attack a Demonic Beast before. 595: Anonymous People are so quick to try to add new attributes Hagakure-san (¡ä¡¤¦Ø¡¤`) 596: Anonymous List of Hagakure¡¯s attributes 597: Anonymous Even without the last one, her personality is already jam-packed¡­ 598: Anonymous I noticed that the time between the end of the battle and the release of the barrier is a little longer than the others. I mean ¨C I wonder if she¡¯s been feeding Demonic Beasts to the black mouth? 599: Anonymous What? That¡¯s scary! 600: Anonymous This has suddenly turned into a horror thread. 601: Anonymous As expected of Hagakure-san, I think I might have a stomachache (laughs). 602: Anonymous ¡°Eh, is this something you shouldn¡¯t eat at all?!¡± 603: Anonymous That¡¯s a comment made during a TV gluttony contest when a person ate a very large amount of food without hesitation. 604: Anonymous >>602 ¡®Seriously¡¯¡­ The look on the staff¡¯s faces and the look of disbelief on the faces of those whose main occupation was being a binge-eater were honestly hilarious. 605: Anonymous Come to think of it, the way the black mouth ate without making a mess was just like Hagakure-san (laughs). 606: Anonymous Hagakure-san eats at a fast pace, but her movements are so beautiful. 607: Anonymous She must have been raised well. 608: Anonymous But I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if there was such a secret, since Hagakure-san¡¯s growth rate is quite fast. Maybe it¡¯s a skill like the more you eat, the stronger you get? 609: Anonymous I don¡¯t care if it were another Magical Girl, but strangely enough, because it¡¯s Hagakure-san, the image of ¡°food¡± is directly connected to her, so it doesn¡¯t feel so strange that she¡¯s a predator of Demonic Beast. 610: A Anonymous Well, in the ranking of the lines that Hagakure-san would say, ¡°Will that Demonic Beast become edible if it¡¯s roasted?¡± ranks high on the list of the most likely lines to be uttered by Hagakure-san. 611: Anonymous It¡¯s true, she¡¯s a Magical Girl, so it¡¯s not surprising that she has those skills. The picture is very grotesque, but it¡¯s not like she¡¯s the one eating it. It¡¯s just the skill that eats it. 612: Anonymous Wait a minute. I have no idea why some people can see the video and others can¡¯t? 613: Anonymous It¡¯s already troublesome, so you should wait until the government officially announces it (appropriate) Seeing this sequence of events, Tsugumi quietly closed his computer and opened his mouth with a serious look. ¡°No, yeah. I guess it¡¯s better than being rejected, but is that the image the world has of Hagakure Sakura? Eh, it¡¯s plain shocking.¡± Just looking at the threads, it felt like she was just a gluttonous character. Tsugumi thought he had been acting cool, dressed up and ladylike. He didn¡¯t understand it at all. ¡°But well, if it¡¯s not a big problem, it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ve explained my skills to the government, so I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± Given the state of the threads, he didn¡¯t think that disclosing the effects of [Gluttony] would be that much of a fuss. He had a feeling that her characterization of being gluttonous would accelerate, but there was nothing he could do about it so he gave up on that. It should be much better than being dismissed as a heretic. Thinking so, Tsugumi rested his chin. While he was in England, he paid a lot of attention to his posture, so he felt very comfortable here thinking that he didn¡¯t have to worry about anything for a while. While relaxing his body, Tsugumi opened his mouth in a whisper while staring vaguely out of the window. ¡°Come to think of it, the period should be over by now. I wonder where Bell-sama is right now.¡± The moment Tsugumi said that, he felt a popping sensation behind him. With a start, he turned back to where the bed was. ¡°¨CIt looks like you¡¯ve had a lot of trouble. Huh, it¡¯s stupid to get involved with a country where heartless people gather.¡± ¡°¡­Bell-sama?¡± A body like a black cat and a tail like a lizard. It fluttered its wings like a dragonfly¡ªTsugumi¡¯s God was there. CH 163 Till Time Do Us Part ¡°Bell-sama, you¡¯re back! If you had told me, I would have come to get you.¡± ¡°Hmph, you went overseas so you couldn¡¯t have come even if I called you anyway. ¨CIndeed, I am amazed that they have abused my contractor so much in my absence. I¡¯m so embarrassed by the incompetence of the government.¡± Bell said that with his usual brazenness to Tsugumi, who smiled when he saw Bell released from the government. ...Apparently, his dislike of the government had accelerated even further. ¡°If Bell-sama had called me, I would have come back even if I had to push myself. But I¡¯m really glad that the house arrest was lifted¡­ It was originally Toono-san¡¯s contract God¡¯s fault, but he¡¯s really brazen.¡± Tsugumi said this with a sly smile. Bell¡¯s period of house arrest in the government was about a month. The government had forbidden Bell to leave the basement, but Tsugumi was free to visit him, so they frequently kept in touch. But it had been a long time since he¡¯d seen Bell in his room like this. That made him feel a little bit emotional. ¡°Hmph. Just because I was trapped by the government doesn¡¯t mean that I have been defeated. I could have done anything I wanted with the Far East¡¯s subordinate Gods, but I let them off the hook this time.¡± Bell grumbled, and Tsugumi laughed, saying that he never changed. ¡°Ah, yes. Bell-sama is in the main God class, right? If only there were no restrictions, you would be stronger than most Gods¡­ I asked Toono-san about it, and she said that she would tell her contract God not to interfere too much in the future, so I shouldn¡¯t worry about it anymore. I feel like I¡¯m the one missing out on something if I¡¯m the only one who gets angry.¡± When Tsugumi said so to calm his anger, Bell snorted and said. ¡°You are no good because you keep trying to get things done properly like that. You have to be angry with unreasonable people. If you keep on being lenient, they¡¯ll go easy on you.¡± ¡°¡­That may be true. I thought about it during the British expedition, there¡¯s nothing good about being looked down upon.¡± Tsugumi didn¡¯t know all the details, but it seemed that face was especially important in a place like that. Making himself look bigger might be necessary. ¡°Hmph, a country that worships that usurper is no good. If you have learned your lesson, don¡¯t help them.¡± Listening to Bell¡¯s words, Tsugumi smiled wryly, thinking that it was Bell in the end who authorized the expedition. He didn¡¯t tolerate others¡¯ unreasonableness, but he didn¡¯t think his own words and deeds were unreasonable at all. Because he was such a free God, he didn¡¯t like Tsugumi. Fufu, Tsugumi smiled slightly. The casual exchange made him feel lighter, as if his heart, which had been exhausted from various things recently, had been lightened. ¡°¡­Hey, what¡¯s with that face? Was it really that hard living abroad?¡± ¡°Huh? It¡¯s not that it was hard. ¡­Why am I crying?¡± Regardless of his will, a few tears trickle down. It was as if his lacrimal gland had malfunctioned. Fortunately, the tears stopped immediately, but the fact that he had cried didn¡¯t disappear. Wondering the reason, he wiped the tears on his cheeks with his hand messily, and when he looked up and saw Bell¨CTsugumi finally understood his feelings. The God in the form of a black cat, sitting on his familiar bed, looking as if he owned the place. It was a sight that had been commonplace until about a month before Bell¡¯s house arrest. ¨CWhat¡¯s this? Did I miss Bell-sama? Such a thought came to mind. Apparently, Bell¡¯s absence was more painful than he had thought. I act a little kid, Tsugumi thought as he opened his mouth. ¡°¡­You know, Bell-sama.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t do anything that will get you suspended again. I know that Bell-sama was angry for my sake, but even so¡­ I still feel lonely when Bell-sama isn¡¯t by my side.¡± When he encountered the Demonic Flower, when he confronted the Goddess, and when Higoromo discovered his true identity, Bell was not next to him. ¡­In retrospect, he might have been really lonely all along. Before being sentenced to house arrest, Bell had always been behind him, watching over him no matter what kind of enemy he was fighting. At the time, he didn¡¯t think anything of it, but after Bell left, he realized just how much Bell¡¯s existence had become his source of emotional support. And it wasn¡¯t just in battle, but in everyday life as well. Until now, Tsugumi had always resisted the idea of relying on anyone. Perhaps, he had a strong awareness that he shouldn¡¯t cause trouble to others. ¡­Maybe he subconsciously realized that his own existence was a heresy. ¨CNanase Tsugumi was living in the present by repeating a layer of lies. No matter how many beautiful things he said, that fact would never change. In that kind of situation, Bell consistently didn¡¯t change his attitude even when he learned about Tsugumi¡¯s dark past and circumstances. On the contrary, he was always the same, no matter what he said, to the extent that it puzzled Tsugumi. ¡­Although he never said it out loud, Bell probably didn¡¯t have much interest in Tsugumi¡¯s past. The only thing Bell wanted from Tsugumi in the first place was his aptitude as a Magical Girl and his will to fight. The past attached to Tsugumi was probably unimportant as long as it didn¡¯t become a nuisance. It was open-minded in a good way and God-like in a bad way. But to Tsugumi, Bell¡¯s indifference was more precious than anything else. ¨CThe guilt of lying to Chidori would never go away, no matter how inevitable it might be. There was no way he could talk about such a serious situation to his friends, and even Higoromo and Toono, who knew a little bit about the situation, would never have gotten involved if Tsugumi had been an ordinary person with no past. To put it bluntly, the world¡¯s perception of Hagakure Sakura herself was nothing more than a false image. But Bell was different. Only in front of Bell, Tsugumi¡¯s God, he could be himself without pretense. He could be allowed to be just ¡°Nanase Tsugumi¡±: Only Bell, who would never change no matter what, seemed like salvation to Tsugumi. But even if he honestly revealed such shallow feelings, it would only be annoying from Bell¡¯s point of view. To tell the truth, he was a little hesitant to even mention that he was lonely. It wasn¡¯t Tsugumi¡¯s intention to cause Bell any trouble. ¡°I see that you have become quite spoiled after being away for a while. Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Well, if I have to explain, I¡¯d say that I¡¯ve come to understand how pets feel when they¡¯re away from home. Once you pick up a pet, the owner has to be responsible for taking care of it.¡± Bell looked serious as Tsugumi said this mischievously. ¡°¡­Hmm, I am sure you¡¯ve eaten some bad food in the land of the evil invaders. I told you not to randomly eat anything you see.¡± It was a terrible thing to say. Moreover, Bell was not joking and seriously thought so. He muttered in a low voice, ¡°Should I prepare some kind of medicine¡­ I just got a contact.¡± ¡­Maybe Bell mistook Tsugumi for a kid or something. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t randomly eat anything I see.¡± ¡°I wonder about that. ¨CAnd you¡¯re my property in the first place. I¡¯m going to use you until the day you die. Don¡¯t talk nonsense to me.¡± Bell laughed scornfully, and Tsugumi also laughed with a relieved look. ¡°¨CYes, I¡¯m glad to hear that. That¡¯s just how Bell-sama is, right?¡± He had a bad way of saying it, but to summarize what Bell said, that would mean that he didn¡¯t intend to let go of Tsugumi until he died. That was clear from the very first contract they made. The contract that was made when Tsugumi was rescued from the brink of death, a contract in which he would be the price of his own life. From Tsugumi¡¯s perspective who was forced to absolutely obey Bell, it looked like a one-sided contract, but because it was a contract that put his life on the line, its binding power was extremely strong. It couldn¡¯t be broken without the mutual consent of both parties, totally different from the stray Magical Girl contracts in general, which could be one-sidedly broken by God. ¡­The first time they met, he thought it was a tricky contract, but now it was more convenient. Normally, there were a few cases in which a subordinate like Tsugumi didn¡¯t want to break a contract, so the decision on whether or not a contract was right or wrong was left up to the higher-ups. But there were always exceptions. ¨CEven if the higher-ranking person, Bell, wanted to break the contract, the contract couldn¡¯t be broken without Tsugumi¡¯s consent. Tsugumi couldn¡¯t imagine letting go of this hand that had been extended to him. The only thing that the cowardly Tsugumi could do was to try not to be unwanted by this benevolent God. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. You¡¯ll have to put up with me for a while, Bell-sama.¡± When he laughed and said that, Belle said in amazement. ¡°I don¡¯t think there are many people who can replace you. Well, I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡± The answer was curt, but it still seemed to reflect a certain trust in Tsugumi. At least, for Tsugumi, it was a good enough answer. ¡°Haha, I appreciate you saying that.¡± Saying that, Tsugumi placed his right hand on his chest determinedly. ¨CLet¡¯s make an effort. To become the ¡°Nanase Tsugumi¡± that Bell can be proud of. If he did that, he probably wouldn¡¯t be thrown away. Even if the time comes for me to quit being a Magical Girl for some reason, I hope I can still be by his side in some other way. ¨CHe couldn¡¯t help but wish so. Bonus from Author in their notes: Bell From Bell¡¯s point of view, Tsugumi is the most beloved pet. He doesn¡¯t dislike the fact that he can be a bit brash and a bit of a handful (tsundere). If Tsugumi had been the type of person who didn¡¯t want to fight or who was addicted to power, he would have cut the deal early on. He especially likes the image of Tsugumi happily fighting. He is a rather arrogant God, so he is not really interested in what people are going through. In other words, he only evaluates things as he sees them, so you could say he is fair in a sense. Basically, he thinks that humans should respect him, so no matter how unreasonable he may be, he thinks he will never be hated by his contractor (Tsugumi). (However, out of concern for the burden on Tsugumi, he refrains from being selfish.) if his contractor was not Tsugumi, he would have gone bankrupt early on, so in a sense, he is the luckiest God. Tsugumi From Tsugumi¡¯s point of view, Bell is somehow a gentle owner. He is a revered God, an absolute Lord, and in a sense, a father figure. The people around Tsugumi are sweet to him for some reason, so it is quite refreshing to have Bell around to scold him for various things. There is no reason not to miss it no matter how it turns out. He strongly believes that once you pick up a child, you have to take care of it until the end. However, if he were to be abandoned, he would take Bell¡¯s feelings into consideration and silently withdraw from the situation. He can¡¯t become a yandere no matter how hard he tries. He is used to Bell¡¯s unreasonable behavior because of his relationship with Yukitaka, so he doesn¡¯t mind it too much. He is the type of person who would say something if someone is being unreasonable to him, but he¡¯s vulnerable to pressure, so he often does things reluctantly. CH 164 Definition of Friend Translated by LyraDhani Edited by LyraDhani ¡°¡­You seem to be in a good mood.¡± Toono was humming in her office in the government, looking at the documents at hand, when Yatagarasu suddenly said that to her. ¨CShe was in a good mood. It might be true. Ever since her return from England, Toono had been spending her free time sending random messages to Tsugumi, enjoying his reactions. The replies, which at first were fearful, became more relaxed and easygoing after a week, and the exchanges became more like those of a true friend. The content of the exchange itself, which was neither poisonous nor healing, was about what they ate today and the dreams they had, but it was inevitable that Toono, who had longed for such things, would get carried away. Thinking about this, Toono looked at Yatagarasu. The three-legged raven, whose expression was unreadable, was staring at Toono with a slightly dissatisfied look. Toono sighed in her heart, thinking that he was just pretending to be a guardian. ¨CToono and Yatagarasu had a Magical Girl contract, but their relationship was a cold one. ¡­It was just Toono¡¯s subjective opinion. Yatagarasu himself might think that he was protecting a poor baby bird. But Toono always looked at him with cold eyes. If Yatagarasu hadn¡¯t advised Toono to be revealed as a Magical Girl, she would have remained locked away in the back of the Ministry of Divine Worship as a vessel of Amaterasu. In that sense, it would be fair to say that Yatagarasu was a benefactor. However, Toono felt neither debt nor obligation to Yatagarasu. Toono, who had learned information and knowledge from the government and the Ministry of Divine Worship, was well-versed in backstage affairs. She knew why she was born, what happened to her mother, and everything else. That¡¯s why she understood that Yatagarasu¡¯s actions toward Toono were just a compensatory act. Toono¡¯s genetic mother became Amaterasu¡¯s vessel because the woman who was supposed to become her vessel ran away. Yes¨Cbecause Yatagarasu let Sakura Akane escape, the destiny of the mother and daughter was twisted. Yatagarasu had always been bothered by this. Apart from that, Toono didn¡¯t think anything of her mother. Even if her mother hadn¡¯t become Amaterasu¡¯s vessel and lived a normal life, she couldn¡¯t imagine that a person exactly like Toono would be born, and above all, she even thought it was nonsense to think about ¡°what ifs¡±. ¡ªIn the end, people cannot escape from reality. A small human being can only live desperately in the present. Yatagarasu had never expressed his feelings about Toono¡¯s mother. However, it was obvious from the outside that Yatagarasu felt somewhat guilty toward Toono. However, no matter what Yatagarasu thought about it, he couldn¡¯t change the fact that Toono would be the next vessel. So, at the very least, let her spend her time freely until then ¨C that¡¯s probably why Yatagarasu made a contract with Toono. That way of thinking was very God-like and self-indulgent. Toono was sacrificed as a result of his own favoritism and although he told her to live freely, in the end, he wanted her to act as a puppet for his convenience. ¡­There was nothing more unbearable to watch than an egoist pretending to have good intentions. Hiding such disgust behind a smile, Toono opened her mouth sarcastically. ¡°Oh my, is there something wrong with dolls looking happy?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. I just don¡¯t understand why you are so attached to that person.¡± Yatagarasu then turned to the desk. There, information about Nanase Tsugumi, gathered in secret, was crammed together. It was almost insane. Toono, ignoring Yatagarasu¡¯s puzzlement, replied straightforwardly. ¡°We¡¯re friends now. It would be rude not to have a certain amount of information about him in my head.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s a little too much¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m not bothering anyone. And since he¡¯s such an important friend, why shouldn¡¯t I at least be allowed to care?¡± ¡°Friends, huh? I am not against you making friends. But you don¡¯t have to choose that one. ¨CHe will reach his limits in the near future. And when he does, you will be the one who suffers.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. I know that very well.¡± Even Tono was well aware of that. The events that happened to Hagakure Sakura during the expedition also reached Toono¡¯s ears. ¨CThe time left for Nanase Tsugumi was running out. In addition to unintentionally activating his ability, he also used his power in defiance of the contractual rules laid down by Amaterasu. Neither of these would have been possible under normal circumstances. In other words, it indicated that an extraterrestrial force was at work. Tsukiyomi, another Magical Girl¡¯s contract God who happened to be watching the scene, plausibly explained that it was due to the influence of a holy relic, but the government Gods were of the opinion that what Tsukiyomi was saying couldn¡¯t be fully trusted. ¨CIn times like this, bad predictions never go wrong. Just as a large tree that had been eaten by insects on the inside would suddenly fall one day, the things that lurk within Nanase Tsugumi would eventually eat through its shell and come out into the open. This incident was nothing more than a prelude to that. The reason why Nanase Tsugumi hadn¡¯t been disposed of was simply because he had made a contract with another God. No matter how justifiable the reason, they couldn¡¯t escape criticism from the other Gods if they messed with another God¡¯s handiwork. That¡¯s also true¨Cthere was nothing more frustrating than a body coming out in the open. In the worst case, even the Magical Girl system would be in danger of collapsing. In addition, Baal, Nanase Tsugumi/Hagakure Sakura¡¯s contract God¨Ccalled Bell by his contractor¨Cloved his contractor dearly, which was unusual for the violent God. Therefore, as it had already been proven in the previous house arrest, making a contact with the contractor hastily would provoke his anger. The last time he was suspended, he reluctantly backed down, but if Nanase Tsugumi was killed at the hands of the government, it was easy to foresee a future where he would go on a rampage without regard to the penalties. ¡­There was a proposal to inform the contract God about Nanase Tsugumi¡¯s current situation before that happened, but it was dismissed as dangerous. The government had no way to save Nanase Tsugumi. In other words, no matter how things turned out, the government would have to kill Nanase Tsugumi. Depending on the contract God¡¯s degree of attachment, he might go crazy if he was informed of the situation. The government was truly at a loss. ¨CBut it was a matter for the Gods of the government to worry about, not for Toono. Thinking about it, Toono laughed bitterly and said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t have much time left either. So I am the same.¡± Toono¡¯s words shook Yatagarasu¡¯s shoulders. ¨CYou¡¯re not going to help me. She was about to continue, but she held her tongue at the last moment. Even if she said this kind of sarcasm, nothing would change. ¡°It¡¯s just a joke, so don¡¯t overreact like that. It¡¯s rather annoying.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Ah, but if you¡¯re so concerned about me, there¡¯s one thing I¡¯d really like you to do for me. Is it okay?¡± Toono announced this in a voice that sounded as if the had just occurred to her. Yatagarasu slowly raised his head. ¡°Tell me. I can¡¯t give you everything, but I will do what I can.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Toono smiled slightly at Yatagarasu as she answered. ¡°Then, I will not hold back. ¨CWhen Nanase Tsugumi becomes a harmful monster, please let me fight him. I don¡¯t want to give him up to other Gods or Magical Girls.¡± That was something Toono had been thinking about ever since she returned to Japan. If Nanase Tsugumi transformed into a monster, a subjugation team would be formed immediately. When that happened, Toono was going to be the first to volunteer for the subjugation. Seeing Toono¡¯s serious face, Yatagarasu gave a small nod while looking deep in thought. ¡°¡­Are you sure that¡¯s what you want? Nanase Tsugumi is a friend to you, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Because he¡¯s my friend, I want to stop him.¡± Toono said as she gently put her hands on her chest. Hagakure Sakura/Nanase Tsugumi was a good person. That¡¯s why Toono believed that if one day his existence would be transformed, his will and everything would disappear and he would fall into a beast of destruction, it was true kindness to end him gracefully. And Tsugumi was Toono¡¯s first precious friend. Since they wouldn¡¯t be together for long anyway, she wanted to at least end him with her own hands. She didn¡¯t want to give him up to someone else. This was Toono¡¯s only selfishness, having lived her life as if she had given up on everything. Realizing that Toono wouldn¡¯t give it up no matter what he said, Yatagarasu opened his mouth with a small shrug. ¡°I can¡¯t give you permission depending on the strength of the thing that comes into being. However, I will do what I can to accommodate your wishes. This is all I can promise you for now.¡± ¡°¡­You can¡¯t let me die, right? But that¡¯s enough. Thank you.¡± Even Toono fully understood the role she should play. She had no intention of putting her life on the line. ¨CBut even so, she should at least be allowed to take care of her friend¡¯s final days. Even if she was not allowed to fight, she should at least be allowed to watch from afar. If she stayed in a safe place, she should be allowed that much. ¡°I will inform the government¡¯s subordinate Gods. Until the time comes, do not make any moves.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± With these words, Yatagarasu left the room. After that, Tono, now alone, quietly picked up Tsugumi¡¯s file and said in a whisper. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be happier fighting with me than in the hands of another Magical Girl. We¡¯ve only known each other for a short time, but no one understands his situation better than I do. ¨CFufu, we sound like close friends.¡± ¨CToono knew information that not even Nanase Tsugumi himself could know. In a way, she understood him even better than he understood himself. In other words, it was no exaggeration to say that she was his closest friend. ¡­If Tsugumi had been here, he would have modestly denied it, saying, ¡°That¡¯s not quite right, is it¡­?¡± But unfortunately, no one was there to correct her. ¡ô ¡ô ¡ô Thus, the ¡°Vessel of Calamity¡± and the ¡°Amaterasu¡¯s Miko¡± are all present. The opponents are ¡°Wicked Vile,¡± ¡°Rebel of the Dawn,¡± ¡°God of the Night¡±¨Cand ¡°Battle Avenger¡±. What will the ¡°Daughter of Hero¡± think when she learns the truth? The time to choose is near. Author¡¯s Note: The man who calls himself Tsugumi¡¯s best friend ¡°I¡¯ll kill you first so that you can die human.¡± VS. The girl in a box who already thinks she¡¯s Tsugumi¡¯s best friend ¡°When you become a monster, I¡¯ll finish you off and kill you so you don¡¯t hurt anyone.¡± Both have 100% good intentions.