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

His deliberate actions should not have been able to hide them from Yuuki Yuki at all; he could tell just by looking at the subtle look in Yuuki Yuki's eyes.

Fortunately, Yuuki Yuuki didn't dwell on the issue raised by this casual remark.

"Under such a moon, something good is bound to happen."

Another sigh followed by a long silence.

Will Helica be able to settle down without Yuuki Yuki's interference?

Of course not, the thing that bothered her the most was never Yuuki Yukino.

Having decided to distance herself from the magical girls, she now finds herself worrying about their safety.

Because of the existence of that red moon, Helica was not the only one who felt uneasy about knowing its true nature.

Their understanding of that red moon was far more profound (7) [Hisaya was more thorough, and they were also able to perceive the danger before them more directly].

Even though the wand is named after the moon goddess, Mizuno Yu is unable to rely on her powers or strength to prevent the moon from being tainted with ominous colors.

The unsettling red moon posed no real threat; what truly endangered their safety was the girl who had stained the moon crimson.

At the moment, all Mizuno Yu could do was use words to remind her companions to be careful.

Be careful.

Red and gray black magic markings belonging to the two fallen magical girls detached from their bodies, shimmering with an otherworldly light, and continued to expand in front of Sakura Hanako.

"Senior, what is that?"

Lifted up by the storm of green leaves, Sakura Hanako, who had retreated from the raging torrent of magic before her, stared intently at the two brand marks, asking a question she already knew the answer to.

There's not usually any ability that can create such a large-scale event, unless that magical girl is completely liberated.

Sakura Hanako knew what it was, but if she didn't say anything to Mizuno Yu to distract herself, she felt that she would be overwhelmed by that unsettling magic before the battle even began.

"It is the liberation of the gods."

Mizuno Yu calmly answered the question that Sakura Hanako already knew the answer to, although the answer did not calm her down at all.

“I knew it…” Sakura Hanako murmured, her expression growing even more somber.

For magical girls, the liberation of a god almost means fighting to the death without regard for the cost.

Every battle involving the liberation of the gods is accompanied by destruction.

The astute tourists immediately fled the scene upon sensing the danger, ensuring that the residents inside the buildings were not harmed in the spacious Moonsea Park.

However, the two corrupted magical girls didn't seem to be interested in destroying any buildings, nor did they appear to have any interest in harming ordinary people.

Conversely, their purpose in using this power is obvious.

What they wanted to destroy was themselves as magical girls, and the senior who stood in front of them and shared the burden of their stress.

"How about we retreat first?" Sakura Hanako suggested.

When facing a formidable enemy, sometimes reckless advances will only lead to total defeat; it is the right choice to temporarily avoid their sharp edge and plan for the long term.

Mizuno Yu had already activated her divine liberation early on. Even if she couldn't defeat the enemy, she still had time to escape.

That's the most rational choice.

However, this senior colleague, who usually handles all problems calmly, acted against reason this time.

"I'm not planning to leave."

Mizuno Yu refused, very softly, so softly that only Sakura Hanako could hear it, yet also very softly, so softly that Sakura Hanako felt she could not change her mind no matter what.

Sakura Hanako was stunned; she never expected Mizuno Yu to suddenly say such a thing.

This feeling is unpleasant, and it reminds Sakura Hanako of some bad memories—the day she first fought alongside the entire Nijisanji, when she, weak as she was, could only run away from that dark magical girl.

Back then, a magical girl covered for him—and now, it will be no exception.

On the day of the festival, just running away made Sakura Hanako's heart pound in her chest. It was because of that experience that she practiced even more diligently afterward.

But before the results of the practice could be fully demonstrated, Mizuno Yu suggested that she run away alone once again.

Sakura Hanako was unwilling to accept this.

"If we don't give it a try, no one will know the outcome, right, senior?"

“No need, I can’t leave anymore.” Mizuno Yu shook her head, stepped down from her huge wand, and walked step by step down the ice crystal steps from mid-air back to the ground, returning to the same height as the two magical girls opposite her.

Before Mizuno Yu, the two radiant black magic patterns seemed to be quietly waiting for her arrival.

The unsettling marks formed by the distorted gestures were like two doors, blocking Mizuno Yu's way.

Behind that door, it seemed, lay another world.

The world of a hundred demons parade at night, a world called Hell created by a corrupted magical girl.

"But you will definitely be able to leave here, Hanako."

Since meeting Mizuno Yu, Sakura Hanako has had almost no chance to feel Mizuno Yu's emotions.

This time, however, Mizuno Yu's voice carried an indescribable emotion from Sakura Hanako.

Sakura Hanako wanted to find the true meaning of that feeling in Mizuno Yu, but she could only see Mizuno Yu's resolute back, watching her long, light blue hair become even more disheveled in the night wind.

That was a silhouette of someone who had made up their mind.

But what lies ahead is absolute hell.

How did things develop to this point? Just a moment ago, I was sitting in the shop with two other senior colleagues, drinking coffee and chatting. Why did it suddenly turn into a situation where I had to risk my life?

He was right about his own misconception; the one who covered the rear that time was Helica the Thunder, but now Helica the Thunder is gone.

This time, is it Mizuno Yu, his only companion and senior, going to leave him?

"senior?"

Sakura Hanako's tone became even more urgent.

"Hmm." Mizuno Yu nodded, without making any further reaction.

"senior!"

Sakura Hanako shouted it out directly.

But the current situation will not change at all.

"Hanako, listen to me."

As Mizuno Yu spoke, she took a firm step and used her back to completely shield Sakura Hanako.

"I witnessed a trial, the greatest trial of my life since I became a magical girl."

"It made me feel that I must try it, because it is mine, and it is something I must overcome."

"It makes me feel that it's time. I've been through so much to become a magical girl, and this is the day."

"Hanako, listen to me, listen to my request."

"Just this once, please indulge this incompetent senior's whims."

I don't know what's wrong with me. Mercury has been retrograde all month, so this month has brought a bad reading experience to all of you readers.

Apologize, kneel down.

Chapter Fifty-Two: A Eulogy for the Fading Moon

"Did you feel it? One of those four magical forces in the distance has disappeared."

Hearing Yuuki Yuuki say this, Helica pushed another drink in front of her.

This time it wasn't coffee, but a glass of lemon tea, with clearly visible green lemon slices lying beneath the dark red, clear liquid.

The liquid swirling in the glass made Herika very uncomfortable. She kept thinking about the red moon lying quietly in the night sky outside the door. The night sky, tinged with a special color by the red moon, was this color.

Helica accepted the cup of black tea; she had no right to refuse.

"By the way, that magic is Mizuno Yu." Yuuki Yui washed the shaker she had just used to make lemon tea for her, her voice muffled by the sound of running water.

Helica's throat bobbed a few times as she swallowed.

That couldn't possibly be the sour taste of lemon. She hadn't even tasted the drink in her cup yet; she had only just touched the cool glass with water droplets on it.

She, who once thought of severing ties with the magical girl, now has to rely on the magical girl's perception to sense the few lingering auras in a distant corner of the city.

One of the streams suddenly began to drift further and further away from the other three, and then not long after, the stream belonging to the magical girl also disappeared.

Herica could guess what had happened; Mizuno Yu was trying to stay behind alone to buy Sakura Hanako time to escape.

She should have succeeded, but Helica didn't want to think about the price she paid.

Then the corrupted magical girls moved, rapidly approaching the last remaining aura, which vanished before they could make contact.

It must have been Sakura Hanako who voluntarily deactivated her transformation. Magical girls continuously radiate magical power to their surroundings after transforming.

Sakura Hanako did the right thing to avoid being followed.

Are you worried?

Before Helica could think any further, she heard Yuuki Yuuki's inquiry again.

Yuuki Yukino leaned back against the counter, bending slightly and using her arm, which was resting on the counter, to support her face.

"But it's strange, isn't it? I only told you all this because you didn't want to continue being a magical girl, so why are you worried about them? You were the one who dumped them first, weren't you?"

Herika didn't want to answer a word, she just bit the straw stuck in her lemon tea, the crunching sound of the plastic echoing in her mind, as if that could drive Yuki Yuki's words out of her head.

At this moment, she focused all her attention on the lemon tea, sucking on the flattened straw with a squeaking sound.

Even if it's damaged, it's still a straw, fulfilling its original function.

"Never mind, never mind, where were we? Right, we were talking about the enemy we fought side by side for the first time, her. I haven't told you her fate yet."

Herika really didn't want to hear it. She already knew that the magical girl had disappeared forever and would never appear again after that battle with Yuuki Yuuki.

The girl who was helping Yuuki Yukino was now wiping the table after the guests left, while Nishio Reki, who had stopped her.

The entire magical girl world is like a giant cocoon, and all you can see beneath the layers of wrapping are familiar things.

Helica felt she had little chance of escaping.

Even though she has gone through so much and is getting further and further away from her original self, she is still a magical girl.

……