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

Yuuki Yukino gestured with her hands pressed down a few times to calm everyone down a bit: "Uh, that's true. Actually, I don't remember much about what happened back then, so... it shouldn't be that bad, right?"

Since Yuuki Yukino has no memory of what happened before she suddenly woke up, it's unlikely that this would become a psychological trauma, so the idea was ruled out.

"Anyway, I was just mentioning it casually. As for the rest related to Xiaoyuan... Xiaoyuan is probably quite afraid of paranormal events, right?" Nishio Reki thought for a moment and continued.

"Why would I be afraid of paranormal events? That's impossible!" Yuuki Yui waved her hand.

"But Yuuki said that among the ordinary people who were attacked by Yumehara Sumireko, there was one who was afraid of insects and dreamed that he was taken away by the insect demon, right?" Nishio Reki turned back to refute Yuuki Yuuki by citing the fact that Yuuki Yuuki had mentioned.

"Uh... yes, that's true." Yuuki Yui had no choice but to admit it.

"Moreover, Xiaoyuan mentioned something to me before. Once, when Xiaoyuan was staying at home alone, she had just stepped out of the house when she saw a round, watermelon-like thing on the windowsill in the hallway."

"Uh?!"

"The bell on Xiaoyuan's protective charm started ringing for no reason. Xiaoyuan was terrified and kept running and running until she stopped after running a long way. She didn't dare to go back until the next day. When she got back, she found that there was no such thing on the windowsill at all."

"Do...do you have one?"

Yes!

Is this Yuuki Yukino's personal experience, or is it her personal experience in another world?

No one was home that day, so he went out to get something to eat when he ran out of food. He encountered something that looked like a head in the hallway, which scared him so much that he stayed at a classmate's house for the night before daring to go home.

Oh right, by the way, the amulet that suddenly rang with a bell had "Swift as the wind, steady as the POI" written on the front and "Yukikaze will protect everyone" written on the back. He bought it for twenty yuan at a doujinshi convention.

How could I have told Nishio Reki about something like this? How many other embarrassing things from my past have I revealed?!

“Yuan is really scared…” Baqi stopped mid-sentence when she saw Yuu's cold sweat-drenched expression, and swallowed the rest of her sentence, nodding repeatedly: “It seems she is really scared.”

"No!" Yuuki Yuuki shouted.

“Everyone has things they’re afraid of. Once we know that, we can better help you overcome your fears.” There was a Nishio Reki between Helica and Yuuki Yuuki, so Helica couldn’t pat Yuuki Yuuki on the shoulder, but she at least made a gesture in the air.

"I told you it's not like that!" Yuuki Yui covered her face in despair.

"Besides this, I remember Xiaoyuan also said that she saw a movie when she was a child. It was about three female warriors fighting an old monster who lived in the sewers, sucked up swamp gas, and kidnapped children. In the end, the old monster was blown up and only bones were left, but he was still walking around. I just couldn't find the name of that movie."

Haha, domestic films are definitely not easy to find, but back then, when I was young and ignorant, seeing monsters with flesh and bones running around must have left me with psychological trauma.

No! That's not the point! That's a childhood trauma!

"I've forgotten about that kind of thing. I'm not afraid of it anymore, and I won't dream about it!" Yuuki Yuen's mind was clear, but she was too ashamed to face anyone else, so she could only continue to cover her face and whisper her rebuttal.

“Indeed, Xiaoyuan was still young then, but now that she’s grown up, she’s definitely not afraid anymore,” Nishio Reki agreed.

Yuuki Yukino finally felt the conversation was going a little more smoothly for her: "Yes, that's it!"

But she seems to be overthinking things.

"But, isn't Xiaoyuan actually afraid of large animals?"

"I told you not to say it anymore!"

Chapter 121 Reunion in Sober Reality

Gradually, the discussion about Yuuki Yuki's weaknesses became increasingly heated, to the point that even Yuuki Yuki herself was unaware that she had so many weaknesses.

That's right, it's no longer just about what Yuuki Yuuki is afraid of; now it's turned into discussions about her shortcomings, such as "Yuuki isn't good at making noodles" and "Yuuki's makeup skills are still a bit flawed."

Oh right, there's also the "Xiaoyuan's weakness is actually her side waist"—a weakness that can't be discussed any further in any sense.

However, what they actually said was: "Xiaoyuan is afraid of having her side waist touched like this and that, otherwise she will surrender very soon."

From a certain point onward, the topic began to diverge from everyone's initial purpose.

"I mean... even if we're discussing what I'm afraid of, shouldn't we consider something more normal?" Yuuki Yui weakly raised her hand, having lost count of how many times she'd tried to interrupt the girls' enthusiastic discussion.

"Even saying I'm afraid of not having a starting point in my hand for six consecutive turns while playing a card game is better than saying I'm afraid of being attacked by this or that, right?!"

The countless interruptions finally paid off, and the topic was steered slightly back on track.

But it was only a little bit.

"Yes, we have indeed gone quite far off-topic." Baqi nodded in agreement.

Yes, that's it. They finally realized that the discussion was no longer about countermeasures against Sumireko Yumehara, but about their own embarrassing past.

Ba Qi suddenly slammed her fist down: "We can't just talk about Xiao Yuan, we ourselves are important too. You see, besides being afraid that Xiao Yuan might encounter some accident, I'm also very afraid of some very strange foods, like animal heads or insects?"

I already said that's not what I wanted to talk about!

“I understand. There have been a lot of videos like that online lately, exploring some strange foods and such. They sound really scary.” Nishio Reki immediately found common ground.

"What a strange thing!" Upon hearing the word "dream" (or "longer"), Yuuki Yukino immediately perked up.

She had either seen them with her own eyes or heard about them online. She seemed to have seen quite a few in the past.

For example, ice cream with chili oil flavor, strawberry-flavored Mapo Tofu, and chocolate chip stir-fried meat... just hearing about them makes me lose my appetite.

But there are also some rather peculiar things. For example, some fruits do have a unique flavor when dipped in soy sauce. Another example is the cilantro-flavored sundae that Yuuki En once ate. Although the proportion of cilantro was not large, it was actually quite delicious.

Originally intending to steer the conversation back on track, Yuuki Yukino felt it wouldn't be good to dampen the enthusiasm of the discussion, and besides, she also had something to say, so she joined the discussion and shared her own thoughts.

"But I'm more afraid of people deliberately eating things that can't be eaten, because just seeing it makes me feel physically uncomfortable. For example... never mind, it's better not to give examples."

"I understand, I understand. Going to eat that kind of thing on purpose is definitely just for attention, right?" Nishio Reki didn't act as impulsively as Tomoe, but he still suppressed his excitement and gently patted the sofa.

"But let's not even talk about inedible things. Even if it's something edible, seeing someone eating an enormous portion of food that doesn't match their appetite, or something as greasy as a pork knuckle, would horrify me. Some people even eat it with their hands! I can't even stand the thought of it!"

“That’s right, that’s exactly it.” Yuuki Yui also moved closer to Nishio Reki, deeply agreeing. Just thinking about those round, greasy webmasters made her shudder.

"And even ordinary food can leave a psychological scar! For example, eel rice! I can never accept eel rice!"

At first, she didn't know how to avoid what she feared. Later, she began to listen attentively as Baqi and Li talked about Yuuki Yuuki's gossip in front of her. Helica hardly said a word.

Hearing this, he muttered something under his breath, looking rather sullen.

"What's so scary about eel rice? I think it's delicious..."

Herlica didn't find the meal delicious, but rather the wonderful experience of suddenly encountering Yuuki Yuki far away when she was feeling down, and the strange encounter of eating at the same table with several people.

However, looking back after experiencing so much, Helica realized that she never imagined that Yuuki Yuki was actually a corrupted magical girl that magical girls had to eliminate.

She never imagined that after learning Yuuki Yuuki's identity, she would still be sitting here with others, working together towards a common goal of saving her comrades.

This feeling is really quite wonderful.

But after Yuki mentioned eel rice, Helica realized what she was really afraid of.

What she fears is loneliness.

Bands, magical girls, Nijisanji—everything Helica values ​​is, intentionally or unintentionally, a way of making up for the lack of companionship she missed during her childhood due to those experiences she doesn't want to recall.

But this is something that Helica, the Thunder Goddess, could never say aloud during a duel.

Let Helica, who so carefully protects the softest part of her heart, tell others how afraid she is of loneliness and how afraid she is of being hurt.

If I were to actually do it, it would be better to just be attacked, to fall into eternal slumber, and to hide this feeling that I don't want to show to anyone forever.

This is the only thing she will absolutely not compromise on!

Helica was lost in her own thoughts, unaware that the surrounding chatter had already ceased.

When she noticed that everyone was looking at her, she was really startled, shuddered violently from head to toe, and almost screamed.

Being stared at like that while thinking about such private things would definitely be scary!

"W-what's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?" Helica stammered as she looked at the three people staring at her.

"Didn't you hear me? What did I just say?" Yuuki asked Helica a question that left Helica completely bewildered.

“Oh, I heard you. You said the eel rice wasn’t very good and that it made you feel terrible.” Helica immediately replied, “I answered you right, I thought it was delicious.”

After Helica finished speaking, the way the people looking at her seemed to become even stranger.

"What's wrong?" Helica felt even more uncertain, filled with suspicion that something bad had happened.

It was indeed a bad thing, but that was only how Helica perceived it.

"Sigh, I knew you didn't hear me." Yuuki sighed. "I was saying, let's not go off-topic anymore. We've all said our piece, what about you? What kind of challenges might you face in your nightmares? What are you afraid of?"

“Huh? I…” Helica hesitated again.

She knew perfectly well where she fell short, and she also knew that if she didn't tell anyone, she would not only cause trouble for others, but might also fall into a deep sleep herself.

This is indeed not good, but Helica still can't bring herself to say that what she's truly afraid of is something as shameful as loneliness.

Herlica mentally crossed out the options presented, then deliberately put on a thoughtful expression. Whether others would see through her fake expression or guess what she was really thinking was beyond Herlica's control.

After that, Helica spoke casually and nonchalantly with an incredibly relaxed tone and expression.

"Shouldn't I be afraid of losing my companions? Like I am now?"

To be precise, Helica wasn't lying to anyone else; she was genuinely afraid of people leaving her.

Of course, there's also the fear of not being accepted by society, the fear of ending up all alone. Ultimately, it's the fear of loneliness.

"Well, anyway! Although it's only temporary, you're all my comrades now, and I don't want you to be defeated by Sleep and that Sumireko Yumehara!"

Helica spoke loudly and awkwardly, using this way of ending the conversation so that no one else would say anything more to her.

So after the short meeting, Yuuki Yukino suggested that everyone take a break.

Sumireko Yumehara doesn't necessarily attack at night; her several periods of slumber have occurred during the day. So, if Yuuki and her group are asleep during the day, they might still encounter Sumireko Yumehara's attack.

Because every second counts, resolving the issue sooner will put everyone at ease.

In addition, they really didn't get a good night's rest last night.

After Mizuno Yu fell into a deep sleep, the girls immediately transformed and secretly left. Otherwise, with the owner of the house in a deep sleep, they wouldn't have had the time or energy to explain this to others.

It's still unknown whether Mizuno Yu has been discovered to be in a deep sleep, since everyone at Yuuki Yuki's house has taken leave from school and is gathered together trying to come up with a solution.

Either they are high-achieving students or have already mastered the knowledge, so they don't need to attend these classes at all and can learn it by studying on their own after class; or they can't learn it even if they attend the classes, so taking leave is not a big deal for them.

In Mizuno Yu's dream, everyone has transformed and consumed magic power. For some unknown reason, even if magic power is consumed in the dream, it is also consumed in reality.

So everyone is exhausted, whether mentally, physically, or magically, and desperately needs a good rest. Going to class or working only adds to their stress.

If Sumireko Yumehara doesn't come, everyone's daytime rest will allow their magic and physical strength to recover to some extent, making them better able to face the impending crisis.

Yuuki Yuki's house only has one bathroom, and if everyone takes turns using it, it will take a lot of time. Since it's impossible for everyone to squeeze together, they can only take turns to wash their faces and brush their teeth before preparing to rest.

As the master, Yuuki Yukino was naturally the last to use it.

Yuuki Yui had just put down her toothbrush and rinsed off the cleanser and toothpaste foam from her face with water. Just as she was about to open the sliding door to go back, she saw Herika standing seriously in the doorway, staring intently at her with those incredibly serious eyes.