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

“Then I’ll come too,” Ba Qi said immediately.

“Then I will too…” Nishio Reki also joined in.

Helica glanced at the group, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded:

"Alright, then I'll leave it to you."

After a day of climbing mountains and going through so many battles, the group was exhausted. It was only through Baqi's urgent call that a taxi was arranged to take all four of them back to Yuuki Yuki's home.

During the two-day school trip, Lin Jiezi developed some initial trust in Ba Qi and Li, and did not encounter too much trouble due to her social anxiety.

Without any further mishaps along the way, the group arrived smoothly at Yuuki Yuki's house.

"Um, oh, thank you for bringing me back. I mean, thank you so much."

Lin Jiezi stammered, gesturing wildly with her hands in the air as she expressed her gratitude.

"It's nothing. I would have been worried if Lin had come back alone. It's just on the way anyway." Yuuki Yui waved her hand casually.

“That’s true, it must be tough without glasses, right?” Baqi chimed in, offering no real support.

"Ah, um, well, goodbye..."

Lin Jiezi bowed deeply to express her gratitude to Yuki Yuki and her group. Then, like a robot, she stiffly took out her house key and inserted it into the lock under the watchful eyes of the three people.

As the key turned, the crisp sound of the lock being turned was particularly clear in the silent night, and the room door creaked open.

Lin Jiezi moved into the room with square, angular steps—undoubtedly due to nervousness—and turned to close the door.

Without warning, a hand reached in through the crack in the door, four fingers gripping the closing door tightly.

Lin Jiezi instinctively pulled hard, but couldn't budge the door.

The hand slowly exerted force, pulling the almost completely closed door open again.

From behind that door, Yuuki Yuuki revealed a harmless smile.

When Yuki offered to take Lin Jiezi back, Baqi and Li had some suspicions about whether she had other intentions. After prying open the door behind Yuki, the two of them suddenly realized something.

Even if Yuki Yuen didn't think anything of it, after all, Lin Jiezi had suddenly made trouble not long ago. The thought of Yuki Yuen going back with Lin Jiezi made the two of them uneasy.

"By the way, Lin, we're a little worried about you. May we come into your house to check on you?"

"No, no need, I'm fine, I'm fine!" Lin Jiezi shook her head like a rattle drum.

“But Lin-kun, it’s inconvenient to do anything without glasses, right?” Yuki Yukari’s smile widened.

"Really, it's not necessary. I'm fine." Lin Jiezi shook her head even more vigorously, making "oyster oyster" sounds as she shook it.

"Don't be shy~" Yuuki Yuen, who had a completely villainous face, had no intention of listening to Hayashi Keiko's opinion and pulled the door open completely.

This episode is arguably the one that best embodies the identity of a corrupted magical girl.

"Excuse me—"

The three people crossed the threshold one after another, speaking in unison.

Lin Jiezi tried to stop them to no avail, and could only watch helplessly as the biggest villain led his two bodyguards into her home.

Visiting Lin Jiezi's house was something Yuki En had planned long ago.

Despite having been a member of Nijisanji for so long, Yuuki Yuuki had never entered Hayashi Keiko's house, which made it hard for her not to suspect that there might be something worth investigating in Hayashi Keiko's house.

For example, just like where Li currently lives, the ground is covered with empty shells of mustard seeds.

Although doing this may not yield any results, it is an essential part of investigating Lin Jiezi.

Yuuki Yukino guessed correctly; she indeed gained nothing.

There was almost nothing worth investigating.

Lin Jiezi's home has basic furniture and facilities, but it has absolutely no sense of life.

If I had to use a metaphor, it would be like a show flat when buying a house; apart from the things that are supposed to be there, nothing else is there.

Whether it's decoration or furnishings that only have aesthetic value, they all simply don't exist.

This room gives Yuuki Yuuki the feeling of a minimalist dwelling built for convenience in a sandbox game, where the player simply places the furniture out.

"Lin, do you live alone?" Yuuki Yuen couldn't help but ask.

Because they are neighbors, Yuuki Enishi has a general idea of ​​what kind of people live next door to her.

But she had almost never seen Lin Jiezi leave the house, nor had she ever seen anyone other than Lin Jiezi enter the room.

"Yes, yes..." Lin Jiezi stood in the corner like a little punching bag, watching the trio of criminals looking around her house, but she couldn't do anything about it.

"What about Lin's living expenses?"

"They were all...they were all called..."

"Does Lin usually go out to buy clothes?"

"I... I can shop online... and besides, I don't like it... that's all..."

Although Yuki Yuki's main purpose was to investigate, she was using concern for Lin Jiezi as an excuse, so she couldn't go too far. Although Lin Jiezi was answering, she looked unwilling.

At first glance, Lin Jiezi's house seemed to be empty, and if there were any clues, they would have to be dug up to find them.

He pretended to care about Lin Jiezi, making sure she didn't need his help—though she didn't need his help anyway—before Yuki Yuki returned home with the other two.

That night, the three of them, exhausted from their work, went to bed at Yuuki Yuki's house without even taking off their clothes. Although they were separated into two rooms and shared a sofa in the living room, nothing happened that gave Yuuki Yuki a headache.

Perhaps it was because Baqi and Li were restraining each other that nothing happened, but it was a good thing for Yuuki Yuuki.

After climbing mountains, fighting, and trekking long distances, and being brutally ravaged by Helica in the hotel, Yuuki Yuuki felt that if she did it again, she would definitely die on the spot.

After that, we had a three-day break, which happened to be the last day of the school trip and the weekend.

When Yuuki Yuuki went to school again the following Monday, everything was back to normal.

Apart from Nijisanji.

In the first few days, Yuuki Yuen paid a little attention to Lin Jiezi's schedule. At that time, she had not yet found her current job, so she had plenty of time to observe Lin Jiezi.

The result of the observation was—no change.

However, some of the long-standing questions surrounding Yuuki Enishi have been answered.

Lin Jiezi wasn't in control of the game's perspective, nor was she a time traveler; she simply knew the identities of each magical girl.

She is a magical girl, not a corrupted magical girl. The reason is unclear, but Yuuki Yuki speculates that it is because the power within Hayashi Kikuko is that of the original magical girl.

It's perfectly reasonable that someone with that inner power knows things that others don't.

If this is the explanation, then Lin Jiezi's initiative to approach those magical girls can also be explained. It's as if those fragments with Lin Jiezi's appearance actively sought her out, and Lin Jiezi would also be unconsciously attracted to other magical girls.

These are still just speculations, and Yuuki Enishi cannot guarantee their accuracy, but at least they have resolved a question that has troubled her for a long time.

However, this school trip helped Yuuki Eri solve an even bigger problem.

The black demonic runes within my body that are on the verge of going berserk can be resolved.

The solution has always been right beside us.

Although I absolutely cannot do it.

But the path that Mashiro Gorgen ultimately told himself was absolutely correct.

"If the magical girl system can't be maintained, then all the troubles will be solved, right?"

The atmosphere in Chapter Nineteen seemed a bit awkward.

"Yuki Yuuki has always been very dedicated to her work, which is completely different from when you were her age. Are you two really sisters? How come there's such a big difference in your appearance?"

Minako gulped down half a glass of beer, let out a long, satisfying breath, and without a care for her image, picked up a skewer of chicken and scallions, biting off the chicken and the scallion in the middle together, chewing it and mumbling indistinctly.

“Of course, Yuan and I received completely different educations. My sister has grown up smoothly to where she is today, and I am very proud of her as her guardian.”

Wearing a pure white shirt, Tamaki Yuki's eating manners were much more restrained. When bringing the chicken skewers to his mouth, he would use a napkin to catch any sauce that might drip.

The neatly folded suit was placed on the chair next to her. She looked like she came from a completely different world from Minato Nana. If the two hadn't been sitting together, it would have been hard to imagine that they had come together.

"Tsk, it's been so many years, when did you become so ladylike? Where did the mad dog Yuuki who used to play the guitar go?"

Minato Nana pointed at Yuuki Tamaki with the bamboo skewer in her hand and teased him.

"You're still so carefree at your age. Your personality hasn't changed at all. You're not mature at all. In fact, you're becoming more and more like Chestnut." Yuuki Tamaki tilted his head and gave Minato Nana a meaningful smile.

The two, whose identities and personalities are now vastly different from before, do not seem to have developed much distance due to the passage of time.

"Why did you bring her up?" Minato Nana nudged Yuuki Tamaki's shoulder with her elbow and brushed it off lightly.

Some things shouldn't be easily forgotten, but others inevitably pass with time.

"I just thought of it." Yuki Tamaki picked up his wine glass again, gestured towards Minato Nana, brought it to his face, and took a sip. What he swallowed was not only the cold wine, but also some bitterness that had been lingering in his heart for many years.

“I never thought we’d be able to talk again after all this time.” Minato Nana raised her glass in response to Yuuki Tamaki’s toast. “I was really startled when you called me. I was a little emotional at the time, so I’m sorry.”

"I never expected Yuan to suddenly decide to work, let alone that she would come to your shop."

"But working for a boss you know well is better than her going to some random, shady shop, right?"

That's true.

"But speaking of this, can you not tell your sister about our relationship?"

“Yuan doesn’t like bands, and she wouldn’t understand even if I told her. But she has a friend who was a fan of our band before. Anyway, just say what you want to say. I don’t want Yuan to think that you only admitted her because of our relationship.”

"I already told you, my admission of her has nothing to do with you, although my rejection of her is because of you... ah, never mind, anyway, all you can think about is your good sister."

"Yes, I have nothing left but fate."

“Don’t you still have me by your side now?” Minato Nana rested her chin on her hand, the golden liquid in her glass shimmering. Through the flowing liquid, she looked at Yuuki Tamaki’s profile with an ambiguous gaze.

Yuki Tamaki paused for a moment, then used his wine glass to block Minato Nana's view: "Come on, you're this age, and you're still saying things that little girls would say. Aren't you ashamed?"

"Yes, yes, I know, I'm not joking, am I?" Minato Nana turned her head back and leaned back in her chair. "As long as those children don't repeat our mistakes."

"The things I cared about fell apart because of magical girls, feelings, and other such trivial things. Looking back now, it was really incredibly stupid."

Yuki Tamaki put down his wine glass, his gaze lingering on Minato Nana's face for a moment as she spoke, before closing his eyes and withdrawing that inscrutable look.

"Hopefully."

Meanwhile, at Yuuki Yuuki's home.

There were no chirping insects, no warm summer breeze, and no rustling of leaves in the wind.