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

Was that a question, or a self-deprecating remark? Helica couldn't tell.

If she couldn't figure it out, she couldn't answer, and she certainly couldn't solve this huge problem using her most proficient method—the method of messing everything up.

This is a huge problem, as big as Helica's inability to answer Yuuki Yuuki's question, and she can't solve it on her own.

It's almost winter, and the coffee shops that are open aren't hot at all. In fact, they make you want to wrap yourself up even more, especially the bar area near the entrance.

But Herika's forehead was covered with beads of sweat, which slid down her cheeks and soaked into a patch of water on her collar.

Every minute she sat there was torture for her.

But the other person just stood there, which made him give up the idea of ​​leaving.

Sometimes, the intention doesn't need to be expressed too obviously; just a vague premonition is enough for Helica to feel that her current situation is not good.

Right now, Yuuki Yuuki is like a cunning cat, looking at her with eyes narrowed to slits. She seems harmless, not yet showing her fangs and claws, simply because Helica hasn't made any move yet.

If I had any other reaction, then maybe...

Helica couldn't even imagine what would happen if she really left.

Four magical girl auras intertwined in the distance.

The two auras were those of the companions who had entered the store with Herika earlier that day, but then hurriedly ran out.

No, they are no longer companions. Whether it's Nijisanji or magical girls, it should all end here.

But Helica couldn't help worrying, and she couldn't resist the urge to rush out of the store to find out what was going on.

Herika looked pleadingly at the few remaining customers in the shop, the owner who was passionately playing and singing with his guitar, and the black-haired girl dressed in Halloween costume who looked at her with indifferent eyes.

And then there's her, facing me directly, squinting her eyes as she waits for me to put that steaming cup of coffee into my mouth—someone with whom I've had countless encounters, yet whom I've met again unexpectedly after almost missing each other.

Herlica's patience had long since reached its limit, and she couldn't feel at ease unless she saw what had happened with her own eyes.

"Yuki Yuuki, I..."

Unable to tolerate the situation where nothing was happening, Helica, the Thunder Goddess, leaned on the bar counter and was about to stand up.

"Shh-"

Her words and actions were interrupted by a barista standing behind the counter, who raised a finger to his lips.

"Don't rush to speak, come and taste the coffee I prepared myself."

Helica reluctantly sat back down, her fingers gripping the handle of the coffee cup but not lifting it, her expression growing even more somber.

The coffee swirling in the cup exuded a rich aroma; the sugar, milk, and juice were all perfectly balanced. Helica was certain that this cup of coffee was made entirely to her own liking.

But in Helica's eyes, the coffee was like a deadly poison, and the witch was using her sweet voice to sweet-talk her, just to trick her into drinking it.

If Helica drinks it, she might end up like the Little Mermaid who drank the witch's potion, unable to return to the sea—to her former life, with only the fate of becoming sea foam awaiting her.

Helica didn't want to drink it.

"You've been looking at it for so long, your coffee's almost cold. Don't you like the taste?" Yuuki Yui touched her lips. "But it's okay. Tonight, no matter how many cups you want, I'll prepare them for you."

As Yuuki Yuki spoke, she reached out her hand, as if to take back the cup of coffee that Yuuki Yuki had pushed towards her.

Behind the gentle and polite words lies the other party's ultimatum.

"It's alright!" Herica loudly stopped Yuuki Yukino.

It seemed that because Helica shouted those words so loudly, the nearby guests looked over with strange eyes, and the guitar music stopped for a moment.

Herlica's face flushed even redder, and she turned around to apologize to each of the guests around her.

This wasn't a library, and the guests wouldn't mind Helica's sudden excitement, but Helica still took a long time, as if she wanted to bow to everyone in the shop.

After a while, Helica turned back to the bar, but the girl behind the bar did not change her expression at all.

"It's ok."

Helica repeated her words, and after apologizing, her tone was no longer as agitated as before. She seemed to be talking to herself as she gripped the handle of the cup tightly.

"This one is fine, I'll drink it."

Yuuki Yukina's outstretched hand circled naturally in the air before returning to her side. With her palm outstretched horizontally, she gestured for Helica to follow, and then the girl, who was standing ramrod straight, put her hands behind her back.

Under the watchful gaze of Yuuki Yuuki's narrowed eyes, Helica mechanically picked up her coffee cup and brought it to her lips.

The warm liquid touched her lips, and a bitter taste spread from the tip of her tongue, but it wasn't actually that bitter. Normally, Herika would probably like this taste.

But not today, it really won't work.

No matter how delicious the coffee was, Helica had no time to savor its flavor. She tilted her head back and drank it down in one gulp, as if it were a hot carbonated beverage in summer.

The not-quite-cooled liquid flowed down her esophagus and into her stomach, causing Helica a slight, burning pain inside her body, as if she had been burned.

"I've finished drinking."

Helica wiped the remaining coffee stains from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand and exhaled a long, hot breath.

"Oh." Yuuki Yui remained noncommittal.

"I'm leaving." Helica stood up again, faster and more decisive than before.

The emotionless voice of the girl standing behind the bar reached Helica's ears again.

"What's the rush? There's still plenty of time before you reach the spending limit of the coupons the manager gave you. Don't you want another drink? I'll specially prepare a different flavor for you."

Herlica's legs, which she had intended to take a step with, felt like they were made of lead, and she couldn't take a single step.

What held her back was not the allure of the coffee, but the girl who brewed it for her.

That girl no longer intended to hide it.

"Or are you worried about them? Helica?"

Seeing Helica's expression change, Yuuki Yukino, knowing she had guessed correctly, smiled even more broadly.

This is not speculation; Yuuki Yuki must know that this is the only thing that could cause her distress.

"Don't worry, they definitely won't get through Halloween safely. You know, Halloween is the domain of my lovely juniors, and no one can escape it."

Yuuki offered words of comfort, but they were hardly reassuring.

"But what does this have to do with you?" Yuuki Yukino asked again.

“How could it not have anything to do with me… They, they are fighting against the corrupted magical girls, fighting against your good juniors, they will lose…” Helica gritted her teeth: “You can stop them!”

“But I’m at work.” Yuuki Yui said matter-of-factly, her refusal couldn’t be clearer.

Herika finally understood that everything that happened tonight was orchestrated by Yuuki Yukino.

Why would you do such a thing?

Herlica gritted her teeth. If she hadn't known that she had absolutely no chance of winning, Herlica would have definitely attacked her.

"Why? Is that even a question? I'm just doing what's appropriate for my position, what's the problem?"

Yuuki Yukino, however, seemed completely oblivious to the inappropriateness of her words, raising an eyebrow.

Was her behavior befitting her position, working diligently as a café server?

No, that's not it. Yuuki Yukino was referring to the chaos she brought to the city as a corrupted magical girl.

"You...you don't have even the slightest bit of affection for everyone in Nijisanji? Don't you remember all the time we spent together?"

"I remember, I really cherish the time I spend with everyone. There are five magical girls in Moonsea City, but I only have three targets, and you, who have already retired, are no longer among them. Isn't that a testament to our friendship?"

As Yuuki Yukino spoke, she tilted her head again, revealing an exaggeratedly questioning expression:

"Wait a minute, didn't you already retire openly? Didn't you sever all ties with Nijisanji? Why are you still concerned about magical girls? Wouldn't it be better to just sit here and have a normal cup of coffee?"

Although Helica didn't know what had happened during this time, Yuuki Yuuki had also undergone some kind of change, just like herself.

Now, Yuuki Yuuki's fangs have been revealed.

The fact that I can sit here drinking coffee with her peacefully is the result of my own escapism, and also a sign of Yuuki Eri's pity for me.

At first, Helica only had a bad feeling, but now she was completely certain: if she walked out of the store before things settled down, Yuuki Yuki would treat her as an enemy without any scruples.

"You demon..."

“Yes, that’s right, Pink Devil—that’s what you call me.” Yuuki Yuen had already started weighing the coffee beans for the next cup.

Upon hearing this, Yuuki Yukino subconsciously raised her hand to touch her hair accessory and deliberately shook the little wings of her Halloween costume on her back.

The grinder drawer slammed shut with a sharp click, as if putting another pair of shackles on Helica.

"Actually, when I think about it carefully, I quite like this nickname."

The coffee beans rolled slowly, like Helica in the present moment, helplessly, until they were ground into powder that could not be pieced back together.

Round and round, with rhythmic clattering sounds, it became smoother and more unrecognizable.

Yuuki Yukina, who was cranking the crank incessantly, looked at Tenrai Herika with an ambiguous smile and sighed softly, "After all, I am an absolute fallen magical girl."

Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Eve

Was Helica, the Thunder God, calmed down by her own bluff?

Of course not, if that were the case, she wouldn't be Helica the Thunder.

Yuuki Yukino knows Tenrai Helica very well.

It was precisely because of her understanding of Helica that she set up such a plan, waiting for Helica to take the bait.

Her understanding of her was merely the reason why Yuuki Enishi thought she could succeed, not her motivation for taking action.

What prompted Yuuki Yukino to take action was an unexpected push from behind.

To trace back to the beginning, we have to go back to before Halloween.

The day before Halloween, was the second day that Baqi and Li were helping out at work.

With the experience from the first day, and the fact that both temporary workers were very smart, they learned quickly, so much so that their work efficiency today was much higher than the day before.

The time spent recording menus and answering inquiries has decreased, the workload has been reduced, and the turnover has increased. From any perspective, this is a good thing.

Because the division of labor was so smooth in Thailand, when she had a little free time, Minako would hold her guitar and sing songs that matched the festive atmosphere or the atmosphere of the coffee shop for the guests.

Today's work also came to an end in a happy and fulfilling busyness.

"Miss Minato, you sing so well!"

Yuuki Yukino had just changed out of her Halloween devil bartender outfit into a regular Tsukimi Middle School autumn uniform when she couldn't help but mention the most surprising thing that had happened to her during the day's business hours.