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

What?! Isn't Baqi super strong?!

It was absolutely the right decision not to abandon Baqi.

Bage can summon a magic wand, but what about herself?

Yuuki Yui pondered for a moment, then tried to summon her wand again, but the result was exactly the same as before; she couldn't sense anything related to the wand.

This is strange. Summoning a wand should be a basic ability for every magical girl. Every character in the game naturally takes out a wand, but she just can't.

It's not that Yuuki Yukino is incompetent, but rather that she herself is incompetent. Yuuki Yukino's wand appeared before the storyline involving her and Nishio Reki.

Is it because of the corruption? Or did I do something wrong somewhere?

Whatever the reason, this is not good news; going into battle without a wand is no different from going in empty-handed.

If I can't do it myself, I'll really have to rely on Baqi if something goes wrong.

Yuuki Yukino made up her mind, grabbed a handful of charred wood shavings from the ground, and crushed them into powder with a slight crushing motion in her palm: "How many times can I fire like this?"

"once."

Baqi tossed the matchlock gun aside, and the gun disappeared in mid-air as it scattered into specks of light. But in Baqi's other hand, a new matchlock gun was already in her grasp.

"This gun is useless after firing one shot. You'll need to summon a new one to fire it again. What's wrong?"

How could you summon a second gun so quickly?

She discovered that Inuyama Tomoe's adaptability was surprisingly strong; it seemed that she could use all magical girl-related abilities with ease on her first try. According to her previous statement, the restraint trap she used during her duel with Mizuno Yu was also learned and applied on the spot.

Is it possible to go even further?

"Then do you know the name of the wand?" Yuuki Yui didn't answer Baqi's question, but instead posed a new one.

"The name of the wand? Should we name it?" Baki examined the newly appeared matchlock gun from all angles.

“It doesn’t need a name from its owner. It already had a name when you became a magical girl, you just might not know it yet,” Yuuki Yui explained. “Why don’t you try to find out its name?”

"Find its name? Like summoning it?"

Seeing that Yuki nodded firmly, Baqi closed her eyes, gripping the matchlock gun tightly in her hand, her brows furrowed, clearly deep in thought.

Yuuki Yui didn't disturb her and waited silently. If it really succeeded, her safety would be largely guaranteed.

Ba Qi's expression grew increasingly dejected. She clenched her fists, still wanting to try, but after a moment, she finally opened her eyes in disappointment. She knew without asking that the outcome was not optimistic.

“What’s the use of knowing the name of the wand?” Bage sighed.

“The name of the wand is not important. What is important is the meaning behind the fact that ‘the magical girl knows the name of the wand.’ Achieving this means that the true name can be released, thereby truly unleashing the power of the wand.” Yuuki Yui explained in a language that even Tomoe could understand.

It really didn't work out? It's just too difficult for someone who's only been a magical girl for a week to reach the True Name Unlocking stage.

Although it was unrealistic to expect Baqi to achieve this, her sense of disappointment was very real.

In games, this feature is only unlocked as the story progresses, so it's a bit premature to reveal it now.

"Oh! Then I'll try my best!" Baqi's disappointment vanished, and she clenched her fist with renewed vigor. "Has Xiaoyuan already reached True Name Unlocking?"

Of course she achieved that in the game, even reaching the ultimate form of the magical girl after the true name of the wand was released, but she can't even call out the name of the wand now!

Unwilling to admit defeat, unwilling to acknowledge that she was weaker than Tomoe, Yuuki Yukino stubbornly persisted:

"Of course, of course."

We can't let Bachi keep asking like this. It would be too embarrassing if it were revealed that she couldn't even summon a regular wand.

At this point, it becomes necessary to bring up the previous issues again to change the subject:

"How many shots can you fire with your current magic power?"

"I don't know." Baqi tossed the matchlock gun in her hand, tapping the barrel against her palm. "But why don't we try and see?"

"Wait a minute—" Yuuki Yui tried to stop her, but it was too late.

The matchlock gun was firmly in Baqi's hand, but this time the muzzle was pointed at the ground, and Baqi pulled the trigger again without hesitation.

Bang! Boom!

The sounds of the bullet leaving the barrel and exploding rang out one after the other, and irregular craters blasted open in the soil appeared on the ground.

The recoil from firing the gun caused the muzzle to rise high. Using the force of the shot, Baqi released her grip and tossed the gun high into the air. A new matchlock gun appeared in her other hand, its muzzle aimed at the same spot.

Boom boom boom.

Gunshots rang out incessantly, the muzzles spitting fire and kicking up clouds of dirt as Inuyama Tomoe relentlessly unleashed her firepower on the ground until her magic was exhausted.

"Phew—out of magic! Not a drop left!" After firing her last shot, Baki tossed the matchlock gun aside, and her magical outfit and wand vanished, returning her to the same attire she had worn when she left the house.

Yuki Yuki, who had failed to stop him, was keeping track. Not counting the first shot, Tomoe had fired a total of seventy-three shots, which was Tomoe Inuyama's limit.

How should I put it? This number is quite subtle. It's not exactly small, but enemies in battle don't just stand there dumbfounded. It's hard to say how many shots will hit them or how many shots will be needed to break through their defenses.

Now is clearly not the time to think about the future. Large sections of the ground where the two were standing had been blasted beyond recognition. What was once a relatively flat area of ​​soil had been rolled up and turned into a series of pits and craters. To call it a scene of utter devastation would be an understatement.

Although the back hill of Moonsea Park is sparsely populated, it is still within the city limits. Firing more than seventy shots in the city and knocking down a tree... Yuuki Yuuki doesn't even dare to imagine the consequences, whether it's being discovered by a magical girl or being held accountable by the environmental protection department.

This is exactly the kind of destruction a corrupted magical girl would cause!

Chapter Thirty-Three: The Girl's Confession

Neither of the two people participating in the special training were really focused on it. Baqi's magic was also exhausted, and they had caused such a commotion that the training had to come to an end.

Ba Qi also donated her pocket money to Yuehai Park for repairs, but that's another story.

Even though the damaged area wasn't large, the repairs would still be quite expensive, and it would only cost a small amount of pocket money, which prompted Yuuki Yui to complain about it.

Later that evening, the two girls sat facing each other in the barbecue restaurant.

"Whew! That's great! Barbecue is the best!" Baqi downed the drink in her glass in one gulp and let out a long, satisfying sigh.

“Indeed.” Yuuki Yui was also immersed in the world of food, holding her cheeks and chewing on the slice of beef in her mouth.

After repeating to herself countless times that she was now a cute girl, Yuuki Yukino resisted the urge to devour her food and slowly ate in rhythm with Baqi.

She never imagined that barbecue could be so delicious. It was just beef with salt, but the natural flavor of the ingredients was enough to make her crave it.

The finest ingredients often require only the simplest cooking methods. Today, she finally understood the meaning of this statement. The Maillard reaction produced by heating fat and muscle fibers is so blissful that it makes you want to melt.

Wait a minute, do pretty girls really sit together happily eating barbecue?

Although the meat quality is indeed very good and the store's decor is very sophisticated, it still feels more like a gathering place for middle-aged office workers after get off work.

Perhaps it's more like a banker in a TV drama plotting to transfer someone to another location.

Never mind, as long as the barbecue tastes good, that's enough.

"I never expected Inuyama to bring me here for barbecue. I thought there would be a housekeeper to cook for me."

"Oh, I've already messaged the chef in charge of the night shift not to come today."

Huh? There really is one?

But Baqi's behavior was nothing like the stereotypical image of a young lady who always talks nonsense. She had none of the reserve of a young lady, but she also lacked the arrogance of one.

"Is Xiaoyuan saying this because she thinks eating barbecue is inappropriate? I find it strange too, that she would invite a girl who is visiting her home for the first time to a barbecue restaurant."

When this topic came up, Baqi seemed a little uncomfortable, and as if afraid that Yuuki Yuuki would misunderstand, she added, "Because I don't know what Yuuki likes to eat, and I've never invited anyone my age to my house... so I don't know how to entertain her."

"I really like it, the barbecue is the best." Seeing that Baqi was a little down, Yuuki Yuuki quickly said.

"But Xiaoyuan didn't seem to eat much."

No, there isn't.

Did I not eat much? I was just embarrassed to eat! If someone had treated me like this before I time-traveled, I would have definitely eaten two large plates by now.

Worried that she had upset Baqi, Yuuki quickly picked up a few slices of meat and stuffed them into her mouth.

This was the first time Yuuki Yuen had felt that girls were quite troublesome, as she had to maintain her composure during meals.

It seems like this isn't the first time. The first time was when I was afraid my skirt would expose me, the second time was when my bra would hurt from being too tight, and the third time was when washing my long hair took too long...

Even though Yuuki Yukino did that, Tomoe was still very depressed.

"Oh right, we haven't finished talking about what happened at school. Did what we said at the coffee shop that day have any other meaning?" Whenever this happened, Yuuki Yui would awkwardly change the subject.

When the topic came up, Baqi's mood improved somewhat.

"You mean that? It didn't have any other meaning. It's just that even though Xiaoyuan knew my surname, Inuyama didn't seem surprised at all. I felt that Xiaoyuan was different then. After all, even if people in Yuehai City don't know our family, they must know that we make stationery, right?"

The stationery from the Inuyama family seems to be displayed in the most prominent place in various stationery stores, with stationery bearing the dog logo. So, it turns out that those are products of the Baqi family company?

Wait a minute, that brand practically monopolizes the entire stationery market in Yuehai City, right? Aren't they incredibly wealthy?

I'm sorry, I was blind to her true worth. Was I too casual with Ba Qi before? She's incredibly wealthy! I should have shown her more respect!

"Although I do have friends, I always feel that there is a barrier between me and other people. It's as if everyone approaches me with an ulterior motive. It's like: 'Ugh, this is so annoying. Why is no one genuinely trying to be my friend?'"

Taking advantage of her slightly down mood, Baqi opened up and suddenly began to tell her what was on her mind.

Baqi has always been true to herself, but she has never told Yuuki Yuen these things. This made Yuuki Yuen involuntarily give up her wild thoughts and listen attentively.

"But Xiaoyuan is different. Xiaoyuan is the first person I've ever met who is truly selfless and treats me as an equal. That's the feeling I got the day we met at the coffee shop."

"I was the one who did a lot of bad things to Xiaoyuan first, and I even shamelessly invited Xiaoyuan out, but Xiaoyuan was so nice to me. She taught me a lot of things I had never heard of before, and even told me how to protect myself, hehe."

"At the end of that day, Xiaoyuan was probably saying goodbye to me, right? Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm actually quite perceptive! I had a feeling that if I didn't do something, I'd never see you again. So... hehe."

As Baqi continued talking, for the first time she cupped her cheeks in her hands like a young girl, her face beaming with a silly yet happy smile, as if she were lost in thought, making one reluctant to pop the dreamy bubble that seemed about to burst.

“You know what? I’ve always listened to my family and tried to be a good kid, studying, taking etiquette lessons, piano lessons, and countless other things. I was going crazy.”

"So one day, I was thinking—why should I do these things? Why should I listen to you? Can't I do what I want to do? But it was just a thought. I didn't dare to rebel against my family because I didn't know what awaited me at the end of the rebellion."

"At that moment, the person who made me a magical girl appeared. She told me that as long as I helped her complete that task, I would gain the courage to break the status quo."

Yuuki Yukino felt a chill run down her spine, but still didn't interrupt.

"So I agreed. After that, I cut my hair short and bought a lot of clothes in styles I'd never worn before. Later, I even had a big fight with my family about transferring schools. Of course, I also became a magical girl, albeit a fallen one. But that's how I met you. Actually, it wasn't so bad, was it?"

"However, there's something wrong. What truly gave me courage wasn't becoming a magical girl, but rather Yui, who didn't care about my identity at the time and was willing to lend me a helping hand."

Chapter Thirty-Four: A Night Attack!

"Haha... Am I really that amazing?"

Yuuki Yukino lay in the bathtub, her mind replaying Tomoe's words, and a not-so-bright smile appeared on her face.

Although it is true that she is lying in a bathtub, it is actually the bathtub in Baqi's house.