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

"Sigh, never mind, there's no point in telling you this. Anyway, what happened next was beyond my expectations. I learned the true name of the wand of the corrupted magical girl who defeated me, and I also witnessed the original magical girl manifest in the present world."

"Then, my target used the power of her wand and ran to a city I didn't know, and I was taken away with her. There, I couldn't access the cycle, let alone return to it, and it was impossible to go back to the dream world."

"Without a means to replenish my magic, if I continue to maintain my existence and continue to expend magic, my soul will not be able to hold on."

"After that, in order to preserve my power, I fell into a deep sleep. Then one day, for some reason, I was awakened, and my magic power was much more abundant."

Was it because we went to Nijiha City on a school trip?

If that cycle moves along with Hayashi Mustard, then what Yumehara Sumireko said makes perfect sense.

"Although I have regained my magic, I am still trapped there, unable to access the cycle or my dream world."

"Fortunately, she returned to Moonsea City, which allowed me to return. You know what happened next. I tried to infiltrate other people's dreams and temporarily take away their souls in a way similar to execution, stuffing them into the dream world."

"Making friends with ordinary people isn't impossible, but it would be too much trouble to send them back, so I didn't choose that option. I just tried it out with them."

"Then there are your companions. I gain friends, and they can avoid execution. Isn't that a win-win situation? That's what I thought, that's what my naive self thought. But the person standing in front of you knows that's impossible."

"Of course, my methods may be a bit crude, which is unavoidable. Using despair to make magical girls show weaknesses is the simplest and most convenient method. All I need to do is a little guidance—it's just that they, and you, won't have a good experience."

"My other self also retains some memories of the Three Pillar Gods, but they are vague. After witnessing your magic, I immediately recognized your identity, which is why I am so hostile towards you."

"By the way, weren't you curious about how your companions are doing now?" Sumireko Yumehara brought up another topic that Yuuki Yukino was also very concerned about.

"Yes, how are they?" Yuuki Yuen asked immediately afterward.

"They're perfectly fine, staying in a safer place with no restrictions on their freedom. They can even transform whenever they want. However, without my guidance, they can't get out of here," Sumireko Yumehara replied.

"Then, Koyomi... Nishio Koyomi, the one with black hair, where are the others?" Yuuki Yuen frowned.

"They're in a similar situation to us now. I pushed them out, and right now they're probably reliving someone else's memories. Don't worry, they're the safest. Once they've gone through it, they'll wake up in a clear-headed reality, right?"

"Hmm, but they are not us. They are neither the masters of the dream nor powerful outer gods. They should become part of this memory and experience it firsthand, right?"

Yuuki Yukino fell silent, a long silence.

This is a farce, an absolute farce.

A huge farce ensues, caused by the tragedy of a mischievous child and her misconceptions, drawing all the magical girls in Moonsea City into the chaos.

If I hadn't gone on the school trip, if I hadn't met Mashiro Urokin, if Mashiro Urokin hadn't returned to Tsukimi City...

No wonder even Xiao Li knew nothing about Yumehara Sumireko and Genki Mashiro.

No, there were no "what ifs" as I thought. Everything was inevitable. From the day I exposed Xiao Li's identity, it was like a butterfly flapping its wings, and everything that was bound to happen began to change.

Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, Yuuki Yuki currently has no way of judging.

All of this depends on the attitude of Sumireko Yumehara in front of him now, and her purpose.

"So," Yuuki Yui asked again, "what is your purpose in appearing before me now and saying so much to me?"

"Me? I just felt that you were special, and you were a little different from the way I remembered the Three Pillar Gods should maintain their appearance, so I just felt that I needed to tell you this, and I didn't have any other purpose."

Sumireko Yumehara smiled: "If I had to make a request, I do have one."

"What kind of request is it?" Yuuki asked nervously.

"Defeat me, and end this nightmare I brought upon you."

Because some readers said they didn't want to read the setting in a disjointed chapter, but writing 10,000 words would be too tiring, I decided to split it up and publish it separately.

Hmm... It's almost the end of the month! I should post a super-sized cup tomorrow!

I have to go out on National Day, and my train ticket back is for 2 a.m., so I guess I'll be unable to update.

Or try to write another chapter!

That's it!

Chapter 206: Everyone's happy, right?

“My soul has never actually been sent into that cycle. As long as I hide in the dream world, I am absolutely safe and it is impossible for me to be sent into the cycle.”

"But there's an easier way for you: just defeat me and end this nightmare."

As Sumireko Yumehara spoke, her tone was calm and sincere, almost making Yuuki Yuki subconsciously believe that what she said was true and to do as she was told.

However, Yuuki Yukino is not so naive as to completely believe that an enemy who was her foe not long ago would be so kind.

Although she had cooperated with Helica, who was her former enemy, on more than one occasion, that was based on the premise that Yuuki knew Helica inside and out.

However, Yuuki Yukino doesn't understand Yumehara Sumireko, and even if she has seen Yumehara Sumireko's memories, she cannot guarantee that they are true.

Even if those memories and accounts are entirely accurate, she cannot guarantee that Sumireko Yumehara doesn't have other motives.

Even if Sumireko Yumehara's tone was sincere, I still needed to find a reason that I could believe in before I could feel at ease.

No one would want to die, especially someone who was desperately trying to escape before being defeated. Yuuki Yuki couldn't believe that someone would suddenly want to give up their life.

"Why?" Yuuki asked calmly, her eyes fixed on Yumehara Sumireko's face, observing any micro-expressions that might appear on her face.

"Why...? Because everything here started because of me. If I were allowed to continue existing, it wouldn't be a good option for you or for Moonsea City, would it?"

Yumehara Sumireko tilted her head, speaking as if it were the most natural thing in the world, her performance flawless, leaving Yuuki Yui with no room for doubt.

"Whether it's the naive and lonely me who causes trouble for others because of my willfulness, or the corrupted god who liberates me with greater power and darker thoughts, both are trouble, and will bring more trouble."

Sumireko Yumehara continued, beckoning to Yuuki Yuuki with her finger: "From the perspective of maintaining stability in Tsukimi City, this is the best choice, isn't it?"

It sounds reasonable enough. As Sumireko Yumehara said in her self-introduction, she really is a troublemaker, and a huge one at that.

If Sumireko Yumehara were allowed to continue, it would be a minor matter if it triggered a huge crisis affecting all magical girls, but if it truly disrupted the cycle that existed in Tsukimi City, no one knows what the consequences would be.

After all, magical girls who touch the core, such as myself and Mashiro Urouge, have the ability to cause great trouble.

So if we could really get rid of Sumireko Yumehara here...

However, Yuuki Yuki still didn't want to trust Yumehara Sumireko that much.

Furthermore, since Sumireko Yumehara has proposed two different selves, the implication is that she is the different one.

"I haven't asked yet, what's going on with this version of you that's neither naive nor affected by corruption?"

"Consider it an insurance policy I've laid out. It's just a small fragment of my soul containing all my memories, meant to keep the situation under control as much as possible before I completely lose control," Sumireko Yumehara replied.

“Since it’s insurance, wouldn’t it be better if you were in control of the situation?” Yuuki asked.

“I possess very little magic power, enough to only temporarily control this body. In time, I will regain control.” Sumireko Yumehara pointed to the sky.

"So you must seize the opportunity when I regain control of my body and kill me without hesitation, destroy the bubble containing my soul, and everything will be over."

Yuuki Yukina frowned, believing Yumehara Sumireko's sincere words even more, but she still felt that Yumehara Sumireko had something waiting for her, so she continued to ask.

"If I really defeat you, what will happen to my comrades? What will happen to me?"

“You are a corrupted magical girl who possesses the magic power of the Three Pillar Gods, and your body has been dragged into the Dream Realm by me. In order to prevent your power from bringing more disasters, isn’t locking you up here the best choice?” Sumireko Yumehara raised her eyebrows.

"As for your companions, I'm sorry, but if I'm defeated, they won't be able to leave here unless someone can break down the barrier between reality and fantasy. Before that, she has to find this place first."

"Magical girls always have to pay a price for thinking of and doing these things, don't they?"

"Can't I just convince that you, either one of the two will do? Is that not possible?" Yuuki Yui pondered other possibilities that she might be able to reach.

"Of course you can, but this insurance is even harder to trigger than I thought. If you hadn't come into contact with my soul bubble and activated me, you would never have been able to see me now."

Sumireko Yumehara shook her head again: "You touched my soul with your own hands, and I briefly took control of my body. If you are confident that you can create such an opportunity again, you can try."

That's right. She had cleverly concealed her magical power and feigned weakness to trick Sumireko Yumehara into releasing her powers. If she had missed this opportunity...

No, no, that's not how it is at all. If my attack just now had really defeated Sumireko Yumehara, the result would be the same as it is now.

Then why...?

"Are you thinking, since you've already grasped the bubble of memory and should have victory in your grasp, why should I go through all this trouble?" Sumireko Yumehara saw right through Yuuki Yukino's thoughts.

Yuuki Yukino gave a cold snort without leaving a trace, without saying a word, but she did not hide the fact that her thoughts had been corrected by Yumehara Sumireko.

"Because magical girls all have to come to an end, what flows in my veins is not only the corrupted magic, but also the duties of a magical girl."

Sumireko Yumehara raised her eyes, staring at Yuuki Yuuki with an extremely serious and earnest gaze, her tone almost questioning: "Even if you have grasped the bubble that carries my soul, can you guarantee that you will definitely be able to defeat me?"

Yuuki Yukino still didn't know how to answer.

"No, even if you answer me, I cannot put that possibility into your hands."

"So you only have two paths before you: either defeat me and try to see if you can escape this dream world; or try to be hunted to the ends of the earth by me before you find a way to escape this dream world."

Yuuki Yukino's expression hardened.

Are you threatening me?

"No, I'm not threatening you. I'm just stating the facts. Constantly peeling my soul away from the cycle like this is itself a disruption of the cycle. I don't know what will happen if this continues. But it's definitely not a good thing, is it?"

"And you, you wield the wand of one of the three pillar gods. If you were to learn how to use your power, I wouldn't have a chance to imprison you. Yog-Sothoth, who can tear through space, is beyond my reach, and I don't know where the other one is. So this is the most profitable deal for me."

"That failed creation, the one even I find difficult to handle, with her keeping you company in the dream world, you won't be lonely, will you?"

After Yumehara Sumireko finished speaking, she sat down again: "Here we have almost unlimited time, you can take your time to think."

That's a brilliant three-pronged approach.

But Yuuki Yuki didn't know where to begin her rebuttal.

Sumire Yumehara may indeed be up against you, but this is based on Sumire Yumehara's self-sacrifice. No matter how much you say, it's useless when facing someone who doesn't care about their life.

Moreover, Sumireko Yumehara wasn't plotting against him with malicious intent; rather, she laid bare her scheme in his face, forcing him to make a choice.

If I don't defeat her, I'll have to find a way out in fear; if I defeat her, I can find a way out in peace—although with Hanzawa Kuriko still around, I'm not entirely at ease.

In that case...

"Okay, I understand." Yuuki Yui nodded with a grim expression.

"A wise choice." Sumireko Yumehara nodded, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Have you made your choice?"

They even need to double-check; they're really being cautious.

However, I have already made up my mind and will not change it even without Sumireko Yumehara's confirmation.

“I understand. I will purify your filth, right?” Yuuki Yuen said solemnly.

"Pfft." Sumireko Yumehara chuckled. "Purification? That's quite a... romantic word."

"unnecessary?"

"How could that be?" Sumireko Yumehara laughed for a while, then raised her hand to wipe away the tears that had welled up in her eyes. There seemed to be something else mixed in with the laughter. "Then, I'll leave it to you."