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

Hanzawa Kuriko, who had been acting like a mad dog just moments before, was now displaying a calmness that was somewhat frightening.

Regardless of her current power or her drastically reversed attitude, Hanzawa Kuriko is now far more dangerous than before.

Hanzawa Kuriko gently exhaled a breath of warm air, and ultimately just spoke calmly to Yuuki Yuuki, without any further ado:

"So, in that sense, I'm pretty lucky to have been able to put an end to this matter myself, aren't I?"

So, how should I approach Hanzawa Kuriko?

Yuuki Yukino must have many thoughts in her mind.

The other party is the last enemy blocking the way in the dream world, the culprit who started all the stories, the wicked person who stole everything that belonged to him, and the most unforgivable enemy who hurt his closest people.

Yuuki Yukino wouldn't be surprised if she felt angry, sad, or even hysterical when facing such an enemy.

But none of those are true.

She hadn't expected to be so calm.

Those things that I personally experienced are just that—experiences. No matter what feelings or mood I have when facing Hanzawa Kuriko, what has already happened will not change.

Yuuki Yui had only one thing on her mind.

Defeat Hanzawa Kuriko, put an end to your past, and lead your companions, who are sleeping in the dream world, into a new day.

That's what Yuuki Yukino thought, and that's how she calmly took that step.

"Ah, yes." Yuuki Yui casually agreed, "This matter should be put to rest."

Hey.

The sound of her wooden clogs hitting the ground was the best answer. Whether it was the enemy opposite her with his eyes narrowed more fiercely, or her companions standing beside her, they all knew Yuuki Yukino's choice.

"Senior Yuuki, let us help you!"

“Yuki Yui, your injuries haven’t healed yet, and your magic power is very low. It’s too dangerous for you to be alone.”

Whether they were magical girls or fallen girls, they all spoke up, trying to dissuade Yuuki Yukino from walking alone towards the enemy.

"This is my battle."

Yuuki Yukino stopped in her tracks, revealing her confident and resolute profile to her companions behind her.

"It can only be my battle."

"Ha, haha, not bad, just what I wanted. You did a much better job than your cowardly older sister in this matter." Hanzawa Kuriko laughed, clutching her stomach.

Yuuki Yukino merely frowned slightly and raised her wide sleeves, placing them in front of her.

"Ha, ahahahaha, since you said that..." Hanzawa Kuriko laughed so hard she couldn't stand up straight, slapping her thigh as she let out a laugh that left people wondering what was going on.

Then, Hanzawa Kuriko's body disappeared from the spot.

Hanzawa Kuriko, who had disappeared, appeared in front of Yuuki Yuuki as if she had teleported, dragging her battle axe, and suddenly swung her wand.

At this moment, Hanzawa Kuriko's face was completely devoid of any smile; her eyes flashed with only a chilling coldness, making one seriously doubt whether she was the same person who had been laughing uncontrollably just moments before.

Hanzawa Kuriko's words, spoken in a tone as cold as winter, descended along with her equally chilling battle axe.

"Then let's begin."

Chapter 218 In the Cold Reality

"Whew! Whew! I was so scared! I thought we were going to be abandoned somewhere again. We're finally back."

Still shaken, Baqi patted her chest, trying to calm herself down.

However, this didn't seem to dispel Ba Qi's lingering fear. She simply plopped down on the ground, bracing herself with her hands and panting heavily.

Strictly speaking, this place cannot be considered to be on the ground.

The girls are currently at the top of the Moonsea Tower.

The traces of Yuuki Yukino's battle here a few months ago are still there, and for some reason, no one has come to repair it.

However, it doesn't affect the overall usability of the Moonsea Tower.

It was only because of this trace that Baqi had noticed that she was able to determine that after Nishio Reki's memories collapsed, the group of people were thrown into reality after a dizzying experience.

Baqi was almost certain that this was reality, but there were always people who wanted to argue with her.

"Are you so sure this is reality? And not some new dream world, like the kind of development you've been longing for, the kind of thing you dream about—being with Yuuki Yuuki? Hmm?"

Helica lay down on the ground as well, and before she could even get up, she pointed at Baki with her finger.

"Say less. Xiaoyuan and I have a relationship of mutual love and affection, which is different from you, a fool who causes trouble for Xiaoyuan."

Ba Qi took a few more deep breaths, then retorted fiercely, not to be outdone. Then, as if she had just remembered something, she suddenly sprang up from the ground: "Wait, where's Xiao Yuan?"

Before Helica could retort, her attention was diverted by what Baki said, and she shut her mouth.

As Baki and Helica fell back to reality from the darkness, Nishio Reki, who had been watching Baki and Helica argue for several minutes without saying a word, wiped the cold sweat from his brow and spoke in an exhausted voice.

"Xiaoyuan was taken away by Yumehara Sumireko in order to save us."

Helica turned her head to look at Nishio Reki, who was sitting on the ground with a gloomy face. She swallowed slightly and briefly considered how to start the conversation.

Everything that had just happened felt like a dream to Herika. She could vaguely remember what had happened, but it also felt like a dream with no sense of reality.

It was just a dream to her, but based on Baqi's words and Nishio Reki's final reactions, even if Helica was a little slow to realize that those were things that actually happened to Nishio Reki.

Yuuki Yukino's matter is important, and Nishio Reki's matter is equally important.

Moreover, Nishio Reki is closer to him.

"You're thinking about what you've been through, right?" Nishio Reki sighed heavily again, as if he could see right through what Helica was thinking.

Helica swallowed hard, the knowing look on her face betraying her true feelings.

Nishio Reki turned around, picked himself up from the ground, dusted off his pants, walked to the edge of the Moon Sea Tower, and looked out at the city lights.

“Those should be my memories. The specific principles are a bit hard to explain, but I know what Sumireko Yumehara did to us. She used my memories to expand a dream world, temporarily restricting our actions. This way, she can focus on dealing with Yui.”

Herika understood what it meant to focus on dealing with Yuuki Yukino.

Sumireko Yumehara needs to go through dreams to attack others, while Yuuki Yukino can pull others into dreams as well.

Without Yuuki Enishi, no one could stop Yumehara Sumireko.

Nishio Reki's words were also pointing out to the other two where Yuuki Yukino was most likely to be at present.

It is a dream space that they cannot reach.

“I can sense that most of what we went through together actually happened, but it’s different from my actual memories,” Nishio Reki continued, gazing into the distance. “It’s strange, isn’t it? I find it strange too.”

Nishio Reki was right; Tomoe was thinking the same thing.

From the beginning, Nishio Reki claimed to be a time traveler who had returned from the future, and he did many rather outrageous things.

However, when Baqi approached Nishio Reki about the school trip, Nishio Reki tearfully told Baqi that he didn't actually have the ability to travel through time.

It fits, yet it doesn't.

If what they just experienced was Nishio Reki's real experience, then why is Nishio Reki, who was defeated in other timelines, here? And how did Nishio Reki travel through time to the present?

If those memories are all false, then why does Nishio Reki have this memory? Are those plot points that can't be changed really just a nightmare?

Furthermore, why is that coffin containing the strange magical girl, the one that Nishio Reki carried when he appeared before, the one from which all sorts of magic wands can be taken out, placed in Nishio Reki's house, and even used as a coffee table for instant noodles and other odds and ends?

More and more things are becoming incomprehensible. Just thinking about it makes Baqi feel a bit confused.

Although they didn't gain nothing, on the contrary, they learned many things they had never thought of before.

For example, they learned where the underground cathedral of the Holy Ancient Academy was located, and they also learned that at the deepest part of the underground cathedral was a coffin that must never be opened.

These things are indeed important, but they are of no help in finding Yuuki Yuki.

Where is Yuuki Yukino now? And what is she doing?

Wait a minute, is this Yuuki Yuki?

When will this be?

How much time has passed since I entered the memories of Nishio Reki?

Baqi quickly pulled her phone out of her pocket and turned on the screen with her thumb.

However, to Baqi's surprise, the date on her phone screen clearly reminded her that only one day had passed.

In other words, it is now the night of the second day since they arrived at the Moon Sea Tower and were attacked by Sumireko Yumehara.

It wasn't very long, but it wasn't too short either. Compared to the nearly one year I experienced in the dream, it felt like a lifetime had passed.

That said, why has everyone suddenly fallen silent?

Nishio Reki is probably still confused because of her memory. He doesn't care what the short, blond girl is doing, but since she's not saying anything, is it a bit inappropriate for him to speak up now?

Never mind, Xiaoyuan's safety is the most important thing. If Xiaoyuan is trapped somewhere, the group should at least discuss how to rescue her.

"I said..."

Ba Qi had just opened her mouth, and before she could finish speaking, the screen of her phone, which she hadn't put back in her pocket, lit up again and started ringing.

Upon hearing Baqi's phone ring, Herika and Nishio Reki turned to Baqi simultaneously.

It's unlikely that someone from the school would call Baqi so late at night, and Baqi doesn't have many other social connections.

If it's not about Baqi's family, then it's almost certainly related to the things the girls experienced.

The girls watched as Baqi raised her phone, staring at the lit screen of the ringing phone, a look of confusion appearing on her face illuminated by the cold light of the phone.

Then, they saw Ba Qi answer the phone, frowning and greeting them with a puzzled look: "Hello, may I ask who you are...?"

Then, Baqi's eyes suddenly sharpened, and the doubt on her face vanished, replaced by naked anger.

"How come it's you?! How did you get my contact information?"

"What's wrong? Who is it?" Helica muttered to herself as she moved a little closer to Baki.

She had only taken two steps when Herlica noticed that Nishio Reki was looking at her with an incredibly suggestive gaze, and as if afraid that she wouldn't understand his meaning, he shook his head vigorously.

Herika opened her mouth, then obediently closed it, but still walked towards Baqi, straining her ears to listen to the sounds coming from Baqi's phone receiver.

“I have nothing to say to you!” Bachi’s attention was not on Helica, and she did not notice that Helica was approaching, but her eyebrows were furrowing more and more tightly.

Helica pressed her ear even closer, almost touching Baqi's phone.

"What did you say?!"