Even if you're a corrupted magical girl, you still have to try to redeem yourself.

Even though it was no longer necessary, she still meticulously completed this final step.

Mizuno Yu took off her blue and white striped hospital gown with her back to the window. A few rays of morning light shone on her smooth shoulder blades and on her pure white undergarments that had just been fastened.

After the rustling sounds subsided, the girl in the hospital gown had changed into a more ordinary set of clothes that were more suitable for a young girl.

Mizuno Yuu returned to the hospital bed, pressed the button next to the bed, and the upper part of the bed slowly rose up to support her body, allowing her upper body to lean against it.

Mizuno Yu closed her eyes, and only after a long while, when a rhythmic knocking sounded on the door, did she open her eyes again.

The rhythmic knocking sounded again, and then the door to the ward was pushed open. The girl, whose long, purple-pink braided hair hung over her shoulders, carefully turned around and closed the door, making a very soft rustling sound.

"Senior." The girl, who was wearing a short-sleeved jacket over her dress, rubbed her hands behind her back, then brought them to the front, placed them together on her waist, and bowed deeply to Mizuno Yu, who was lying on the hospital bed.

Mizuno Yu picked up her phone from the bedside table, turned on the screen to check the time, and then put the locked phone back next to the calendar.

"You're here really early," Mizuno Yu said.

"Today is the day you are discharged from the hospital, congratulations." Sakura Hanako was flattered and bowed again, but the bow was much smaller than before.

"Also, I haven't been able to properly thank you for what happened before. Thank you so much, senpai." Sakura Hanako bowed for the third time.

After several attempts, beads of sweat appeared on Sakura Hanako's palms and forehead, but her nervousness actually subsided considerably.

“Don’t be so polite. It’s only right for magical girls to help each other.” Mizuno Yu held up her hand and pointed to the chair leaning against the wall: “Please have a seat.”

"Ah good."

Sakura Hanako agreed, then quietly moved the chair to Mizuno Yu's bedside, pulling it along the back of the chair. She walked around the chair for a full circle before sitting down, placing her hands on her knees and looking around, seemingly observing something. The atmosphere made her feel uneasy.

"Senior, is there anything you haven't finished? You should be able to be discharged now, right?"

Sakura Hanako's voice gradually increased in volume until the last few syllables when it returned to a normal volume.

In the quiet room, Mizuno Yu could hear it clearly.

"Wait a little longer, there's another person coming soon."

The sunlight streaming into the room through the window grew even brighter, and the footsteps in the hallway became more frequent. The birdsong and insect chirping that had been playing all morning were gradually replaced by human voices.

The ward door was suddenly pushed open, and a blonde girl burst in, wiping sweat from her wrist. Her voice, which she had deliberately kept low in the hospital, still sounded louder than everyone outside the window combined.

"Get up, get up! Why are you still lying in bed?"

Helica Tenrai stood with her hands on her hips in front of the hospital bed. The first thing she saw was Mizuno Yu, who had already changed her clothes and was lying on the bed. She then put her hands on her hips and looked at the girl on the bed.

She then noticed that there was a third person in the ward besides herself and Mizuno Yu, who was sitting in a chair staring at her with a surprised expression.

"Who is this guy? Your friend? Junior? Relative?" Helica gave a thumbs up and gestured towards Sakura Hanako.

Amidst the mechanical sounds, the hospital bed that Mizuno Yu was leaning against lowered back down. Still sitting, Mizuno Yu lifted her leg off the bed, placed the shoes that had been prepared by the bedside under her feet, bent down, and picked up the shoes.

"Let's go, let's talk somewhere else."

Half an hour later, at a family restaurant.

Fortunately, Yuki Yuki wasn't here today, otherwise she would definitely have been criticizing the family restaurant aspect in her mind.

"Tenrai, I was hospitalized because of a stomach ailment..." Mizuno Yu stood beside the seat, hesitating whether she should sit down.

“Don’t worry, I thought of that already. This place makes super healthy congee. A lot of people who visit patients in the hospital buy it from here.” Helica gave a thumbs up, sat down first, and then waved to the two people opposite her: “Sit down, sit down first.”

After Sakura Hanako and Mizuno Yuu sat down, Helica slung herself in her chair, propped her arms on the table, and nudged Sakura Hanako, who was sitting opposite her, with her chin.

"Is this girl a magical girl?"

After completing the discharge procedures with Mizuno Yu, Sakura Hanako didn't have much interaction along the way. One second she was in a tense state of not knowing what her senior wanted to say, and the next she was tense in a different sense.

Herika's voice wasn't loud; in a noisy place like a restaurant, people at the next table definitely wouldn't hear her unless they were listening carefully.

But Helica spoke very clearly, every syllable flowing into Sakura Hanako's ears. Hanako blinked her wide eyes, and when she opened them again, her eyes were filled with vigilance.

"Looks like I was right. Hey, hey, don't glare at me! I'm not stupid. Mizuno, you didn't even tell Yuki Yuki and Hayashi Keko when you were discharged from the hospital, and you even told me not to tell them. But you brought someone over yourself. I can't help but guess this."

Herlica rested her chin on her clasped fingers and stared intently at Sakura Hanako from head to toe.

Bathed in Helica's gaze, which was not malicious but always made her feel uneasy, Sakura Hanako fidgeted in her seat.

The wariness that arose when her identity was exposed vanished in an instant. Her senior had specifically instructed her to come here, so the blonde girl opposite her must also be a magical girl, in other words, her senior.

I just glared at my senior. Will that leave a bad impression?

Neither side spoke, so it was Mizuno Yu, the one who invited the two of them, who spoke first.

"Let's start with a formal introduction. My name is Mizuno Yu, and I attend Tsukimi Middle School. I'll be a third-year student after the start of the semester. When I transform, I can control ice and water."

Short and concise, it perfectly matches her icy beauty image.

"That's all?" Helica opened her mouth, her raised eyebrows forming a crooked "V".

Mizuno Yu had already shut her mouth, and didn't seem to have any intention of continuing to speak.

“I am Helica Tenrai, from the class next to hers, a magical girl, lightning attribute.” Helica’s statement was more concise: “Let me make this clear beforehand, I don’t completely trust you, but since you were brought by Mizuno, it’s not impossible for us to sit down and have a chat.”

Sakura Hanako's eyes widened again, as if she was still immersed in some surprise and hadn't reacted yet: "Mizuno, so you're the man from the news that caused a sensation in Tsukimi City a few years ago..."

Sakura Hanako's voice gradually faded, and finally she shut her mouth.

“Yes.” Mizuno Yu nodded: “The victims in the case that was reported in the news a few years ago were my biological parents.”

"I'm sorry..." Sakura Hanako swallowed hard, clenched her fists and hid them under the table, lowering her head to avoid Mizuno Yu's gaze.

Mizuno Yu answered calmly, her consistently cold expression making it impossible to tell whether she was upset about the matter: "It's nothing, it's all in the past."

Sakura Hanako felt a little embarrassed even though her senior said it was nothing because she had accidentally touched a sore spot.

"Hey, it's your turn. You haven't told us your name yet." Helica gestured with her lips, pulling Sakura Hanako back to reality from her self-doubt.

"Ah, well, my name is Sakura Hanako. I just graduated and am about to enter Tsukimi Middle School as a first-year student. I became a magical girl just before my exams. My ability is grass magic; I can use my magic to control the plants around me, making them grow, get bigger, or harder. However, plants that lose my magic will revert to their original state. Also, I can use grass-attribute magic to provide healing and accelerate recovery. Oh, and I can also detoxify. Oh, and there's more..."

Although Sakura Hanako's opening remarks were tinged with a lack of confidence, once she got into the flow, she spoke with more confidence and went into detail about herself.

"Look at her, and then look at you!" Herica's voice was much happier. She separated her two hands that were clasped together and put her chin on her hand instead. She pointed at Mizuno Yu a few times with her other hand, and then reached across the table to Sakura Hanako.

"Alright, you better not hold me back. If you can't help me, then don't be a magical girl anymore. Just be a normal person, understand? I won't protect you if something happens to you."

"Ah? Ah! Yes! Please take care of me, senior!"

Sakura Hanako was flattered and jumped up from her chair. She took Helica's hands in both and bowed deeply to her. If she hadn't controlled the extent of her bow, she would have definitely bumped into the table.

"Hey." Helica laughed, revealing her little fangs, and shook Hanako's hand twice. "Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you!" Sakura Hanako shook hands a few more times before sitting back down.

For Helica, having a junior for the first time and receiving such respect was an extraordinary feeling.

Senior...? I still can't help but think of my senior.

I'm sure I can be a good senior too!

"Ahem." Helica snapped out of her reverie, clearing her throat with a fist in front of her lips. "You still haven't told us why you called us here."

“That pink-haired magical girl did something unforgivable,” Mizuno Yu said. “I only found out the next day. On the very night they left the hospital, a nurse and a patient were murdered.”

Chapter 83 Being Targeted Without Knowing It

"Was it those two guys who did it?" Upon hearing that someone had been injured, Helica's eyes sharpened instantly.

“It’s almost certain, but to be on the safe side, I can’t stick to that. Let me first explain why I didn’t tell Yuuki Yui and Hayashi Keiko that I was discharged from the hospital.” Mizuno Yui’s icy expression didn’t change much, appearing even calmer: “Because I wanted to protect them.”

"Besides the attacks on nurses and patients I mentioned, there was a magical force swirling around the hospital the next day. On the same day, a battle between magical girls also took place not far from the hospital. I asked Sakura about it, and she said it had nothing to do with her. This series of events is too coincidental."

"Therefore, I believe that there may be a greater darkness hidden in that hospital than we thought."

"In that hospital, not only magical girls, but ordinary people were also subjected to indiscriminate attacks. It was extremely dangerous for ordinary people who had no ability to fight back. Especially for Yuuki Yukino, who had been targeted by the corrupted magical girls more than once, what if she was hurt by the pink tentacle woman who had already revealed her true nature..."

“I understand.” Helica rubbed her temples, closed her eyes, and took a few deep breaths, pondering what Mizuno Yu had just said. “Wait, wait a minute, I understand not letting Yuuki and the others come to such a dangerous place, but what happened next? You didn’t explain it clearly at all, tell me from the beginning!”

“Alright, let’s start from the day you came to visit me. What happened after you left?” Mizuno asked.

"Didn't I already tell you? Why are you asking again?" Helica snapped back, her gaze sweeping over Sakura Hanako, who sat next to Mizuno Yu with a bewildered expression. She puffed out her cheeks, her lips twitching slightly, and softened her tone:

"Fine, I'll repeat myself. That day I saw a corrupted magical girl sitting in the hospital courtyard. I was worried she might have some evil plans, so in a moment of panic I transformed and rushed over. Sigh... and then those guys thought I was about to do something bad."

Everything was going well until the mention of the reactions to others after Helica's transformation in the hospital garden that day made her furious. She looked around to make sure no one was near her seat, then began to grumble:

"Her black magic markings were right on her neck, I could see them clearly. Those idiots who couldn't see the markings thought I was going to do something bad, and they were chattering away beside me, it was so annoying."

Sakura Hanako's shoulders trembled in fright at Helica's reaction. Mizuno Yu, on the other hand, calmly continued the conversation, gesturing for Helica to continue.

"And then what?"

"Then, that tentacle woman with black stockings on her stomach came out. If she came and started fighting in the garden, she would definitely hurt innocent people, so I took the corrupted magical girl who never transformed and moved to another place. Then that damned tentacle woman found an opportunity to be rescued." Helica recounted what happened in a few words. Originally, everything happened very quickly, and there was nothing that needed to be explained in detail.

"After that, she brought the person back. I can't be sure if they exchanged any information, but what is certain is that the tentacle woman personally brought back the person you kidnapped," Mizuno Yu added, adding what he knew.

"What do you mean by 'kidnapped'? You make it sound so awful. She's a corrupted magical girl. Even if I take care of that magical girl, no one can complain," Herika muttered.

Mizuno Yu ignored Helica's few complaints and continued:

"Actually, I don't need to investigate this matter specifically; it's already spread throughout the hospital. The corrupted magical girl you abducted back then is the patient I just mentioned, one of the two victims."

"Who?" Herica called out in a broken voice, immediately attracting questioning glances from many diners. Herica waved her hands in all directions to dispel the annoying stares, and lowered her voice: "If those corrupted magical girls can still have such a good thing as killing each other, wouldn't that save us a lot of trouble?"

"Silence them." Sakura Hanako didn't think so; the word that came to mind slipped out of her mouth.

The other two girls turned to look at her simultaneously. Under the gaze of her two magical girl seniors, Sakura Hanako swallowed hard. A question caught in her throat: had she said something wrong?

Was I too talkative? It's my first time interacting with two senior colleagues like this, and it probably wouldn't be good to get carried away and say something inappropriate.

To Sakura's surprise, Mizuno Yu was quite satisfied with her guess. From Mizuno Yu's calm tone, Sakura Hanako sensed a hint of appreciation.

“Sakura is right, I also think this is a cover-up.” Mizuno Yu clasped her hands together and continued to Helica, “I sensed that two corrupted magical forces had entered the hospital’s inpatient ward. It was impossible to fight in the small indoor space, it would only endanger the patients. So I used the time I went to the restroom to transform and stopped them at the entrance of the inpatient ward. The hospital was in a mess at the time, and no one noticed me. Later, Sakura also arrived.”

In addition to Sakura Hanako's account, Mizuno Yu recounted the details of the battle that night.

"After the tentacle woman escaped, Sakura took me back to my ward, and we exchanged contact information. Then I went to bed early."

Mizuno Yu clasped her hands together and solemnly thanked Sakura Hanako.

"I am truly grateful to Sakura Hanako for helping me."

"No! It was you who saved me, senior! I should be the one thanking you, senior." Sakura Hanako returned the greeting with the same gesture as Mizuno Yu, but her gesture was even more exaggerated than Mizuno Yu's.

Helica listened for a long time, chin in hand, then pointed a finger at Sakura Hanako opposite her: "I say, your abilities sound pretty strong, and a place like the garden should be perfect for you. How did you get fooled by that damn pink-haired girl? Do you have absolutely no combat experience?"

"I'm sorry! This is my first time fighting an enemy." Sakura Hanako lowered her head in shame.

"Ah, it's understandable." Herika thought to herself that she didn't know how to use this power when she first became a magical girl, but her tone was still fierce: "Be careful in the future. If you want to become our partner, you'd better get stronger quickly. I don't have time to wait for you all the time. If there's anything you don't understand and you want to ask me, I can teach you."