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

"Ah, I'm listening." Mizuno Yu immediately sat up straight and turned her wandering gaze back to Azusa.

Isn't this a complete lack of listening?

Niijima Azusa sighed with great distress, placed her hands on her lap, and began to speak very formally:

"After being classmates for three years, I can't bring myself to act like a superior student council president with Mizuno. We can just have a few words about violating school rules in the infirmary like this, but Mizuno has really caused a lot of trouble today."

"I'm sorry, it's my fault." Mizuno Yu lowered her head sincerely and obediently admitted her mistake.

It's only the first day of school for new students, and this strange incident is certainly embarrassing for the school.

If Mizuno Yu hadn't done something like this so early in the morning, it wouldn't have had such a big impact on the school. Although Niijima Azusa didn't say it, she must have put in a lot of effort to deal with it.

After all, Mizuno Yu had witnessed Niijima Azusa stepping in to restore order, and she understood the principle of standing up straight when being beaten.

“It’s not entirely Mizuno’s fault. The original itinerary for the campus tour didn’t include the archery club.” Niijima Azusa paused. “Mizuno made up that white lie under those circumstances so that everyone wouldn’t worry. You’ve really gone to a lot of trouble.”

“Mizuno is probably under too much pressure. Even though we’re classmates, I didn’t notice how Mizuno felt. I’m partly to blame. If you need any help, please let me know.” Niijima Azusa took a deep breath and then let out an even heavier sigh.

"I understand, thank you. I will take responsibility for my actions." Mizuno Yu nodded in thanks.

After saying all this, Azusa Niijima's already unpleasant expression worsened. She glanced back at the teacher on duty in the infirmary, lowered her voice, and spoke with increasing difficulty, as if there was something she couldn't bring herself to say.

But Niijima Azusa's words still had to be said:

"There's one more thing. After all, so many people saw Mizuno hanging herself, and the impact was quite negative. According to school rules, she should be punished."

"Discipline? Does it mean publicly apologizing in front of the entire school? Or is it being publicly shamed at the school gate as a warning to others? Or something else..."

Upon hearing the punishment, Mizuno Yu's eyes lit up immediately. Although her expression didn't change, her aura instantly transformed, exuding a hot, excited breath like a steam train.

"How could that be! Our school doesn't have that kind of strange punishment!" Niijima Azusa suddenly became excited. The embarrassment was completely ruined by Mizuno Yu's unexpected reaction. The words that were originally difficult to say could be said after seeing Mizuno Yu's strange reaction.

"According to the rules, Mizuno-san should suspend her studies and reflect on her actions!"

"Ah, I have to take a leave of absence from school." Mizuno Yu sighed dejectedly.

Niijima Azusa misinterpreted the sigh as having another meaning.

Niijima Azusa also felt that such a tough attitude was not good. She had never thought of using her position as student council president to order her classmates around, which was why she felt ashamed to speak up just now.

Did my momentary excitement make my tone too strong?

And I heard that Mizuno Yu was forced into this state by her bad relatives. How pitiful, Mizuno-kun.

Niijima Azusa thought for a moment and then changed the subject.

"Today is the first day of school for new students. After the first class, there will be the opening ceremony, which is expected to last until around noon. Mizuno-kun, why don't you take this opportunity to take a half-day off from school? Remember to come back to class in the afternoon. This way, you'll have something to report back to without missing your regular classes. Is that alright?"

Niijima Azusa was thinking of herself, and Mizuno Yu was well aware of this. If Niijima Azusa, or rather the student council, had been more resolute, it would have been perfectly reasonable for her to send him home for a few days.

A solution like this, which satisfies the school's demands, accommodates one's own ideas, and doesn't disrupt normal classes, is already quite a concession.

"Yes, no problem." Mizuno Yu nodded again: "Shall I leave now?"

"Uh, it sounds a little embarrassing, but that's really the case."

Niijima Azusa also had her own considerations. She wanted to keep Mizuno Yu away from the other students for the time being, so as not to make Mizuno Yu even more depressed. So, using the punishment as an excuse to let Mizuno Yu go out and relax was a win-win situation.

"During this time, Mizuno-san, please go and relax. Relieving some stress will be very beneficial for you. Oh, and if you don't plan to come back to class this afternoon, just consider it a day off. I'll help you with any missed classes."

Relieving stress? It's a little embarrassing to talk about, but doing this in the morning is one way to relieve stress.

It's better not to talk about these things.

So, before the school bell rang, Mizuno Yu stepped out of the gate of Tsukimi Middle School against the flow of people.

I've managed to get out, but where should I go?

Go to the shopping street? Have lunch? Go home? Or go back and hide in the deserted archery club for the whole morning?

The thought of having nowhere to go made Mizuno Yu feel even more lost.

Let's just take a walk.

Before she had gone too far, Mizuno Yu spotted a familiar figure on the other side.

Wearing a tacky T-shirt with an advertisement printed on it, he was handing out a stack of flyers to the people around him.

She was the corrupted magical girl and part-time job expert whom Mizuno Yu had met a few times but didn't know well.

Mizuno Yuu couldn't quite say what the other person's personality was like, but she wasn't a bad person, at least not like the corrupted magical girls she knew.

Her mind kept reminding her that Mizuno Yuu had to eliminate all the corrupted magical girls, but reason told her that now was not the time to do such a thing.

Moreover, Mizuno Yu couldn't do that either.

The Lava Mountain Lamp looks like it's working too, so let's not disturb it for now.

Let's save the greetings for next time.

Thinking this, Mizuno Yu quickened her pace to leave.

Her departing figure was spotted by Rongshan Deng at a glance.

Mizuno Yu had only taken a few steps when she heard hurried footsteps behind her. Before she could turn around, her wrist had already been grabbed by Lava Mountain Lantern.

Could it be... that they're going to start a war with me, continuing the conversation we had in the shopping district that didn't escalate into a fight?

The words spoken by Laughter Mountain Lantern startled Mizuno Yuya.

"Hey! Don't you have to go to school?"

Chapter Eleven: Lost

"What? Expelled for hanging himself? The school strictly prohibits suicide, and violators are expelled, right? Hahahaha! That's too funny."

Laughter Mountain Lantern patted Mizuno Yu's back so hard he was doubled over with laughter, and the thick stack of flyers in his hand was crumpled up.

"This is hilarious! I thought you were the kind of stubborn and serious young lady who would do something so stupid! Hahahaha."

“I didn’t commit suicide. This was part of my special training. And I wasn’t expelled either. I just took a half-day leave of absence.” Mizuno Yu refuted Lava Mountain’s claims point by point with a serious expression.

Mizuno Yu had no idea how funny this was that it would make Lava Mountain Lantern squat on the ground, clutching her stomach and laughing nonstop.

But after learning that Mizuno Yu had done this, the only person who found it really funny was Rokuzan Tou.

"Just kidding, this is just a joke." Rongshan Deng stood up from the ground, raised his finger and wiped away the tears that had come out of his eyes from laughing: "I thought you suddenly dropped out of school."

"What would happen if I dropped out of school?" Mizuno Yu asked.

“Dropping out of school is your right, but if you drop out without a reason, I should advise you to go back to school and study properly, so you don’t end up like me, working all day.” Rongshan Deng said, then changed the subject: “Wait a minute, even if a rich girl like you drops out of school, your family is still quite well-off, right?”

Mizuno Yu doesn't remember ever mentioning her name to Lava Mountain Lantern.

If you're talking about someone with a cool and aloof demeanor, Mizuno Yu is somewhat understandable—although she didn't act that way in front of Lava Mountain Lantern.

However, the image of a well-off young lady shouldn't be something that can be discerned from appearance alone, especially since Mizuno Yu's usual attire doesn't deliberately lean towards fashion and luxury.

Could it be that some of my information has been leaked?

Have some of our competitors made moves again?

Even though the possibility is slim, Mizuno Yuu cannot let go of this tiny possibility.

"How did you know?"

Mizuno Yu subtly and quietly pushed the conversation forward.

"What do you know?" Lungshan Lantern was still wiping away tears with his fingers, and handed a flyer to a passerby.

“Until I became a young lady from a well-off family,” Mizuno asked further.

"Wow, someone actually admits to coming from a well-off family? I underestimated you." Kouyama Tou's eyes widened in surprise, her tone filled with amusement. Before Mizuno Yu could ask further, she continued:

"That hot spring hotel I remember was pretty expensive, right? And that buffet too. Who else but me would go to places like that? Are there any other poor people?"

The answer from Rongshan Deng is both abstract and reasonable, and it is irrefutable. Thinking about it carefully, it is even a little sad.

But Laughing Mountain's answer also shows that Mizuno Yu was just scareding.

"Alright." Mizuno Yu's few remaining doubts vanished without a trace in just a few words.

Mizuno Yu glanced at the thick stack of flyers in Rokuyama Tou's hand, then at herself: "If there's nothing else, I won't bother you with your work."

Following Mizuno Yu's gaze, Rokuyama Tou also glanced around and grinned, revealing a very cheerful smile.

"It's alright, I won't bother you. Anyway, I didn't intend for you to leave so easily."

Even without using physical means to intercept him, the mere act of uttering those words created an invisible pressure that began to spread.

Mizuno Yuu has never forgotten Lava Lantern's identity; Lava Lantern is a fallen magical girl.

The group of corrupted magical girls cannot be judged by common sense; nothing they do is surprising.

So, it really is going to be a fight after all? Right here?

Mizuno, who was about to turn and leave, stopped when he felt the pressure spreading.

Fighting against the Lava Mountain Lamp with my own strength is like throwing an egg against a rock. Is there any chance of leaving this place?

No, I can't do it. If it's a lava lantern, I have no way to escape.

We have no choice but to tough it out.

Mizuno Yu's pupils reflected the image of Lava Mountain slowly raising his arm.

This simple action seemed incredibly long to Mizuno Yu.

Gently, slowly, as if lifting a massive boulder, it carried a powerful and oppressive force.

Mizuno Yu's calves began to tremble uncontrollably, and even though she tried to increase the force, she still couldn't stop the muscles from shaking instinctively.

It has nothing to do with courage; it's simply the instinctive reaction of a creature in the face of a more powerful predator.

The hand of the lava lamp had begun to slowly fall.

In the dim light, Mizuno Yu seemed to hear the sound of a massive hammer falling.

It's coming soon.

Mizuno Yu's transformation, which she had prepared in advance, stopped at the last moment.

"Hmm?" Even the usually calm Mizuno Yu's expression wavered when she saw the things that Kouyama Lantern handed to her.

Rongshan Deng handed himself a stack of flyers.

"Since you have nothing to do anyway, come and help me hand out flyers."