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

After an unpleasant farewell to Yuuki and Yuuki, Mizuno Yuu turned to Tenrai Helica.

"I have nothing to say, and nothing I can say."

That's stupid.

Helica herself knew that her statement was stupid.

There's nothing more foolish than hiding your enemy identity from your fellow magical girl.

Herlica cherishes everyone in Nijisanji, even the quiet and always-following-behind Hayashi, whom Herlica considers a unique treasure.

Of course, this also includes Yuuki Yuki.

Yuki Yuki might be more important to her, as she was Helica's first and only love.

Although, it is also very foolish to like someone, confess to someone, or suffer heartbreak on your own.

But Helica didn't want Mizuno Yu to confront Yuuki Yuki after she told her the truth, and for that to cause another conflict between them.

Helica cannot guarantee whether Mizuno Yuu will hold back against Yuuki Yuuki, and it is still unknown whether Yuuki Yuuki will go after them all.

Whether they are friends or people she likes, Helica doesn't want them to get hurt.

Therefore, thinking that I shouldn't tell Mizuno Yu the truth is incredibly stupid.

Silently deactivated her transformation, she found her phone, and the screen was immediately flooded with messages, all confirming Helica's safety and informing her of the location of the Moonsea Middle School team that had temporarily taken refuge due to the magical girl attack.

Among these messages was one sent by Yuuki Yuuki not long ago.

"Where are you? We're at a sixth-class hotel down the mountain. Our teacher is looking for you. Come quickly after you receive this message."

As if the magical girl who had just been confronting her wasn't her, Yuuki Yukino was still playing the role of the leader of the school trip group.

Although Yuuki Yukino was originally the leader of this group.

When the group arrived at the inn, Yuuki Yuki and Tomoe were already in the group.

The Yuehai Middle School team temporarily used the auditorium of the Six-Star Hotel. The students were already seated according to their groups and classes, waiting for the next steps.

As Herika entered the auditorium, she happened to overhear Yuuki Yuuki reporting to her teacher.

"Our plan for tonight was to go to Seiun Taisha Shrine to watch the sunset together, but we were attacked by magical girls. We got separated while we were escaping the scene. In the end, only me, Hayashi Keko from the next class, and Inuyama Tomoe made it back to the hotel safely."

Putting aside most of the details, Yuuki Yuki's statement is true and not easily arouses any doubt.

But what followed was a complete lie.

"Afterwards, I was worried about Nishio Reki and Tenrai Herika, so I went out to look for them. But while I was still outside, I heard that the hotel had been attacked, so I went to take refuge temporarily."

"It might be a signal problem that prevented them from contacting us, but I've gotten in touch with them now, and they're on their way."

Helica listened and thought with mixed feelings.

When Yuuki Yuuki is with the other members of Nijisanji, does she also calmly and confidently tell lies?

She doesn't have an answer to this question right now.

More than one person sneaked out during the night of the school trip, and it was fortunate that they were able to be contacted. When the teacher in charge saw that Helica and the others had returned safely, she only gave them a few words of criticism before letting them all return to the group.

What happened next was uneventful. Because of the accident directly caused by Helica, the school trip had to be terminated. The teacher in charge contacted the bus company overnight and took advantage of the darkness to send the students traveling to Rainbow Leaf City back to school.

"Our school is deeply sorry that this school trip encountered such an accident. However, it is fortunate that all the students here were able to board the bus home safely. We have tried our best to contact the parents of each student, and all students are also encouraged to let their parents know that they are safe."

Just like when they arrived, the head teacher held her megaphone and gave instructions to the students present.

Being affected by magical girls has become a daily occurrence in Moonsea City. The students' reactions were relatively calm, because due to cognitive barriers, no one could recognize who the two girls fighting on the ruins were.

Helica leaned back in her chair, with Lin Jiezi beside her, who no longer had her glasses and could only move with Helica's guidance.

At this moment, Lin Jiezi was leaning against the car window, her long eyelashes drooping, breathing evenly in a half-asleep state, as if all the previous destruction had nothing to do with her.

Herika still couldn't understand, and couldn't connect the current Herika with the magical girl who had previously displayed unparalleled power. Even though Lin Jiezi's warm breath occasionally brushed against Herika's cheek, it couldn't give Herika a sense of grounded reality.

On Helica's other side was Nishio Reki, who also had his eyes closed. After Yuuki Yuki left, Nishio Reki did not follow her back, but instead deactivated his transformation in front of Helica.

She didn't ask Nishio Reki anything, and even if she had, Nishio Reki might not have answered. From the day Nishio Reki stopped her, it was actually a subtle foreshadowing of Yuuki Yukino's identity, although Helica realized it too late.

But she now understands one thing: Nishio Reki is definitely on Yuuki Yuuki's side.

From her battle protecting Yuuki Yuki, perhaps Mizuno Yuu could guess Yuuki Yuki's identity, or perhaps not. Whether cognitive impairment would still affect Mizuno Yuu was uncertain to Herika, but she could only take it one step at a time.

As for Yuuki Yukino, she was talking to Baqi in the car at that moment, but because they were some distance apart, Herika couldn't hear her clearly.

Just hours ago, everyone was excitedly riding the same bus to various attractions in Rainbow Leaf City. The bus was just as quiet then as it is now, with only the whispers of the girls.

Helica never imagined that her state of mind would change so drastically in just a few hours.

It was past midnight when the bus stopped at the Yuehai Middle School campus.

Even so, the area outside the school was still crowded with anxious parents waiting.

The teacher in charge counted the number of students, told them to go back and wait, and then dismissed them.

"Let me take Lin home. She lives next door to me, so it will be more convenient for me."

"Okay, please."

Yuuki Yukino acted as if nothing had happened and spoke to Helica.

Helica, in a very ordinary way, entrusted Lin Jiezi's matter to Yuuki Yukino.

Although Helica knew that this might be the last time.

As it turned out, this ordinary, even purely communicative, exchange between the two was the last one.

What followed was like a road without streetlights, pitch black, and Helica was all alone.

The road ahead will probably continue like this.

Herlica started walking, passing through the bustling crowd at the school gate, and headed alone toward the road she passed every day, which was now completely different because of the streetlights.

"Herika? Herika!"

Helica vaguely heard someone calling her.

Maybe I was just hallucinating?

Who would care about me? Of course not.

"Herika! Don't go! Where are you going?"

A hand reached out from the crowd and grabbed Helica's wrist.

"What are you doing!" Helica instinctively tried to shake off the hand.

Until she saw the owner of that hand, and the owner's slightly startled expression.

“Mom…Mom? What are you doing here?” Helica was also stunned.

"What do you mean I'm here? I heard there was an accident at the hotel you were staying at! I took leave and was planning to drive to Hongye City overnight to find you, but the school said you were fine and everyone was on the bus back, so I came back from the highway."

"What...what could possibly happen to me? I'm fine!" Helica turned her head away, muttering to herself, all her previous assertiveness vanished.

"It's good that you're alright, Helica. Let's go back now."

As the mother spoke, she took Herika's hand and, like other mothers worried about their daughters, walked with the flow of people, gradually moving away from the school behind them.

Herlica never imagined that her mother, who was so engrossed in her work after the divorce and rarely saw her, would come to her with such an anxious expression.

She never imagined that she would fail to recognize her mother's voice.

While she was busy with her own feelings, her studies, and the various affairs of a magical girl, it seemed that something that had always been around her was being naturally overlooked.

If he had insisted on fighting to the death with either Genken Mashiro or Yuuki Yukino a few hours earlier, his mother might not be here waiting for him now...

也许是的。

Perhaps it would be better to relinquish this magical girl's responsibilities?

After a long time and having gone quite a distance, Helica finally gave a belated answer.

"Well, go back."

Chapter 18 The Socially Anxious Girl Next Door

The air in late autumn always carries a faint scent of fallen leaves. Walking down the street with slightly damp hair, you can still feel the chill that is unique to this season.

I pushed open the familiar door, neatly arranged the shoes on the shoe rack, and fumbled for the light in the dark to turn on the room.

This is Yuuki Yuuki's daily routine, except that today is a little different.

"Sorry to bother you."

The black-haired girl followed behind Yuuki Yukino, naturally taking off her shoes and placing them where they should be. It's unclear how many times she's done this before.

Nishio Reki was somewhat puzzled as to why Yuuki Yukino was cooperating with him so much today.

When Yuuki suggested going to a public bath together, Yuuki naturally agreed.

If Minato Nana is going along, and Yuuki Yuuki trusts her enough to agree, then Minato Nana won't follow Yuuki Yuuki to her house.

He had only asked Yuuki Yuki if he could go back with her, and she agreed.

It's a bit strange, yet it makes me happy.

“It feels like it’s been ages since I last visited Yui’s house,” Nishio Reki said casually, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere. “I came here once before when I was arguing with Inuyama Tomoe, right? Thinking about it now, I was really childish.”

Does Yuuki Yukino's willingness to bring him to her home mean that if something were to happen... it wouldn't be impossible?

"Indeed, it was incredibly torturous back then." Yuuki stretched. "Actually, it wasn't that long. Didn't I come once this month too?"

Yuuki Yui turned her back, took off her uniform jacket, and hung it on the clothes rack on the balcony. She then took Nishio Reki's uniform and hung the jacket on top of it.

"That was the day we took Lin Jiezi home together, right?"

“Indeed.” Nishio Reki sat down on the sofa somewhat uneasily, waiting for Yuuki Yuki, who had finished hanging up her uniform, to sit down a distance away from her.

The last time I sat here was indeed on the day my school trip ended.

……

“I’ll take Lin home. She lives next door to me, so it’ll be more convenient for me to take her home,” Yuuki Yuki volunteered, offering to go home with Lin Jiezi.

Lin Jiezi's glasses were shattered in the incident before she returned, and she is now partially blind. If no one is with her, it's hard to say where she might go.

Putting aside Lin Jiezi's sudden display of superhuman strength, no one would feel at ease if Lin Jiezi wandered off alone.

Moreover, Yuuki Yuki has some ulterior motives.