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

The two, seemingly blending into the night, observed the unfolding events as they exchanged words.

"Is it really okay to just let my older sister do this kind of thing?"

Hong Moli raised her finger and brushed aside the bangs that were covering her eyes, as if she wanted to record everything in her eyes, staring intently at the layers of surging waves below that emitted a faint glow.

"This is a step that my older sister has to go through."

Hyakki Chiyu, however, was more composed, as if she had no idea that there was anything wrong with the fact that the two were fighting. She succinctly gave her assessment of this pointless battle.

"Why are you so sure about this, Qianyou? Fighting someone you like is just weird, isn't it? Can you really convey your feelings through fighting?"

Hong Moli wavered. She only knew how to think about how things could develop to the answer that everyone expected, and she couldn't understand this roundabout and incomprehensible approach.

When Inuyama Tomoe thought she was about to lose Yuuki Eri forever, Koumari knew she should give Tomoe some time.

But when Baqi was struggling with something, she decided to take action against Yuuki Yuki, something that Hong Mali couldn't understand at all.

"This is my older sister's choice, so we should respect her choice. Otherwise, the two of us wouldn't be here."

In the short time it took for the two to exchange just a few words, the birdcage that imprisoned Inuyama Baki had been shrunk to a size of less than a meter wide.

Such a size is less like a birdcage for a young girl, more like a gift box for holding ornaments, and more like a cage for a canary trying to spread its wings.

Even from a distance, the faint glow emanating from the tentacles, the desire in Yuuki Eri's half-closed eyes, and the playful expression formed by the subtle curve of her lips, made Koumori feel uneasy.

If we let them continue like this, will it cause any harm to Inuyama Tomoe?

Inuyama Tomoe was one of the few people the two respected and trusted; otherwise, they wouldn't have called her "older sister" when they met her again after she left the academy.

Yuuki Yukino was the one who saved herself and Hyakki Senyu, giving them a future.

Hong Moli didn't want either of them to get hurt.

A blood-red, viscous magic began to flow from Hong Moli's fingertips, creeping around her slender fingers and spreading throughout her body.

The hand was grabbed by Bai Gui Qianyou, and the magic that had been shining like a nightlight was extinguished in the lifeless ashes, turning into ash and dissipating into the slightly cold air.

Hyakki Chiyou was trying to stop himself from interfering.

Hongmo understood what had happened, but she couldn't understand why Qianyou would do such a thing.

"But look! My sister is already at a disadvantage, she's been grabbed by Yuuki Yukino's tentacles! If this continues..."

As she watched the tentacles reach into the invisible cage through the gaps, Hong Moli grew even more anxious.

She couldn't judge whether this was a sign of weakness, but it was an anxiety that she only showed to Qian You.

"Mari." Qianyou simply called out, her gaze fixed on the cage where the explosion was growing weaker.

"Hmm?" The call brought her back to reality, and Hong Moli's eyes regained their clarity.

At this moment, Hyakki Chiyou asked a question that left Hong Moli stunned for a long time.

"How long did it take you to master the liberation of the gods?"

No matter how outrageous the questions about the Hundred Ghosts and Thousand Ghosts may be, Hong Moli will take them seriously.

This was a decision that Hongmo secretly made after she reconciled with Bai Gui Qianyou and after they reaffirmed their feelings for each other.

"It's been almost ten months, hasn't it? Why did you suddenly think of asking this?"

"It took me seven months to master the Divine Liberation," said Hyakki Senyou, fluttering her long eyelashes.

Hong Moli slowly lowered the hand that Qianyou was holding, and turned her hand over to interlock her fingers with Bai Gui Qianyou's cold palm.

"I know."

"But it only took my elder sister three months to master the liberation of the gods."

After Bai Gui Qian You finished speaking, he fell into a long silence.

"Mari, do you think my older sister is weak?" Hyakki Chiyu asked again.

“No.” Hong Moli shook her head.

“Big sister is not weak, on the contrary, big sister is very strong.” Hong Moli’s shaking of her head gradually weakened, until she was just watching the girl who controlled everything in the surging wave of tentacles.

"Yukyuu Yuuki is just as powerful. From that weak magical girl whom I could easily crush, she grew to the point where she could defeat Kuroba Reisei, whom I couldn't even fight back against, all in one summer vacation."

Hong Mo swallowed nervously, then continued speaking hesitantly.

"Furthermore... Yuuki Yukino mentioned that she's in constant danger of being corrupted by the Black Magic Mark. So I'm worried that she might harm my sister because of it... just like the aftereffects I experienced after my divine liberation..."

Hong Moli felt the force transmitted to her hand had become stronger.

It was big enough to put her at ease.

"Mari and Yuuki Yuuki actually have a good relationship, right?"

Hong Moli was slightly stunned.

When asked this question, Hong Moli would probably just let her imagination run wild as usual.

They might wonder if Chiyu doesn't trust them, if Chiyu thinks they have some kind of relationship with Yuuki Yuki, or if Chiyu will be jealous because of this.

It should be like this.

But at that moment, Hong Moli wasn't thinking about anything.

She simply nodded slightly, answering as she truly felt.

"Ah, yes."

“I believe in my sister.” Hyakki Chiyu said, leaning her body against Koumori’s shoulder. “Just as I believe in Mari, I believe my sister won’t fall because of this.”

"Mori should trust them more and believe that they will bring about the best outcome."

Click.

A very faint cracking sound came from the birdcage that Yuuki Enishi had constructed.

Reflected in Yuuki Enishi's suddenly shrinking pupils was the image of a cold metal blade piercing through the many restraints she had set up, only centimeters away from her eyeballs.

The cracking sounds, like a new life breaking out of its shell, became more and more frequent. Dense cracks spread slowly from the protruding spear blade to the entire birdcage.

Inuyama Hatsuki was never a canary that would fold its feathers and be content to be kept as a pet.

The cage created by Yuuki Enishi will never be able to keep Inuyama Tomoe by her side.

That fragile restraint shattered completely in front of Inuyama Tomoe.

But Inuyama Tomoe stood there, wearing her snow-white long military uniform, slowly lowering the blade of her gun.

In the beast-like vertical pupils, only the figure of Yuuki Yukino remained.

Just as Yuuki Yuki never took her eyes off Inuyama Tomoe.

A very faint smile appeared on Ba Qi's usually stern face.

If we describe Baqi in her daily life as the blazing summer sun, infecting everything with her liveliness, then Baqi now is like the warm winter sun. Although she doesn't assert her presence as forcefully, she still gives people that familiar warmth.

Even with a week's separation, Baqi is still Baqi, still the little sun beside Yuuki Eri.

"I like Xiaoyuan."

An abrupt statement.

Accompanied by a spear blade that, though clearly a swinging motion, was a slash like a claw meant to tear Yuuki Enishi apart.

"I struggled with this for a long time and worried for a long time. I worried that Xiaoyuan would hate me, that I would cause trouble for Xiaoyuan, and that I would not be able to stay by Xiaoyuan's side."

Explosive and sharp, two completely different attacks, were fused together on Inuyama Tomoe's spear blade. With each swing and each attack, Yuuki En's retreat space was compressed.

"So I did something really stupid, that's why I avoided Xiaoyuan, as if that would make Xiaoyuan happy."

Because Tomoe was her teammate, Yuuki Yuuki never had a clear idea of ​​how strong Tomoe was; she only knew that Tomoe was very strong.

But this compressed, terrifying destructive power, this beast-like fighting style that doesn't match its appearance, and that speed and strength that far exceed those of a typical magical girl—isn't that incredibly powerful?

"But that's wrong! I'm only causing trouble for Xiaoyuan! I'm only making her worry!"

Completely unable to withstand it, even though Yuuki Eri's current strength far surpasses that of the past, the pressure she faces in resisting Baqi's offensive is even greater than when she joined forces with Helica to hold off Kuroba Reisei.

"No matter what! I just love Xiaoyuan! No matter how Xiaoyuan sees me! No matter how Xiaoyuan treats me! I just want to convey this feeling!"

A slash brimming with love, a slash brimming with murderous intent—two figures, one black and one white, danced with the waves amidst the symphony of smoke and fire, pushing the stage to its climax.

"What?"

Yuuki Yukino murmured, backing away, arching her soft body slightly, looking at the person dancing with her with trembling eyes, and covering her mouth with her hands.

"What is this?"

The purple waves receded, and the red thread of love drew a new bond.

The massive shimenawa rope stopped the exploding spear blade, and the pink-haired girl dressed in a shrine maiden outfit with her long hair tied up landed in mid-air on wooden clogs.

"You made me worry for nothing, but you're perfectly fine!"

"Xiaoyuan, let's continue."

Chapter 40 will make your heart flutter even more.

What color is love?

Is it a light pink, like the heart of a young girl?

Is it as pure white as an immaculate lily?

Is it as red as a raging fire, or as red as flowing blood?

Or perhaps it is a colorful tapestry woven from a mixture of various sentiments?

Whether it's pain or happiness, all of this belongs to Inuyama Tomoe's love.

This is what Inuyama Tomoe wanted to show Yuuki En, and everything she could convey to him.

"Xiao Yuan kept such an important thing from me! And she even sneaked out! That's Xiao Yuan's fault! It's Xiao Yuan's fault!"

Slash, sweep, explode.

"I'm not afraid you'll worry about me! I don't want to embarrass myself in front of you again! No matter what, I have to be someone you can rely on!"

Piercing, whipping, entanglement.

The oversized white military uniform coat did nothing to hinder Baqi's movements; on the contrary, it stirred up gusts of wind as she repeatedly brushed past Yuuki Enishi's red thread.

Not only was a sharp, gust of wind whipped up, but also the cold, metallic clasp that danced with the moonlight, along with the trousers and robe sleeves fluttering in the breeze, and the gossamer-like red thread.