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

This is the last time; don't be timid anymore.

Hanzawa Kuriko gripped her battle axe tightly, lowered her body slightly, and prepared to fight.

"So, I have nothing to say if you really want me to leave something behind."

Hanzawa Kuriko watched as Yuuki Yuuki revealed a knowing yet somewhat conflicted expression, while still gathering magical power.

The unsettling magic grew ever stronger, as if the entire space would be unable to withstand this final blow.

Faced with such ominous magic, any magical girl should feel terrified.

But Hanzawa Kuriko was unusually calm at this moment.

She calmly raised her battle axe and calmly let out her final roar.

"Don't end up like me, Xiaoyuan."

Then, Hanzawa Kuriko watched as Yuuki Yuuki's figure flashed past her, and watched as her body, made of magic, was torn to pieces by Yuuki Yuuki's attack, which gathered all of her magic power.

Chapter 221 Love is an irrational attraction

As Hanzawa Kuriko's body dissolved into magic and vanished into the darkness, Yuuki Yuuki inexplicably felt as if something was blocking her chest.

That breath, unable to be exhaled or swallowed, lingered in his chest, making each breath incredibly difficult.

This has nothing to do with any magical girl battles; it's simply that Yuuki Yukino herself can't get over it.

I feel so frustrated.

So frustrating, so frustrating, so frustrating!

I had done everything I could and said everything I needed to say, but all Hanzawa Kuriko conveyed to me was one thing.

Either I help her put an end to this past story, or she puts an end to her own life.

Hanzawa Kuriko's final attack was serious; if Yuuki Yukino hadn't gone all out, she definitely wouldn't have been able to block it.

Therefore, she directly activated the transformation, the release of her true name, and finally the release of her godhood.

But it's so frustrating! I feel like I'm being led by the nose and played with!

Is that really the case?

If you want to change this situation, there are countless ways.

But in the end, Yuuki Yuki chose the method that Hanzawa Kuriko had wished for.

In fact, Yuuki Yukino herself wanted to help the stubborn Hanzawa Kuriko.

She had only heard about this person from other people's words, she knew nothing about her, and she was the one who had become who she was because of her.

But for no apparent reason, Yuuki Yukino just wanted to fulfill Hanzawa Kuriko's wish.

Perhaps Baqi was right back then; I was indeed too kind at times.

Forget it, forget it all.

Anyway, I have Nyarlathotep's power, and the Dreamland was destroyed in the battle just now, so I might as well go back soon.

Yuuki sighed, raised her slender hand, and gently slashed across the empty space. The darkness was peeled away like a piece of wallpaper.

Sumireko Yumehara disappeared, Kuriko Hanzawa is gone, the kidnapped companions have successfully returned, and the memories of the magical girls who made up the dream world have vanished.

I probably won't come back here again.

As Yuuki Yukino pondered this, she stepped into the rift she had torn open.

Beneath Yuuki Yuuki's feet, a tiny magical energy seemed to flicker suddenly.

……

It's time to close the shop again after a day of business.

As usual, Minato Nana washed each used cup clean, placed them upside down on the drainer, wiped each table, and finally wiped the bar counter in front of her.

This is something Minato Nana does every day; it has become a part of her daily routine.

How long did she persist in doing this, this daily routine?

Ten years? Maybe more?

How long will this continue?

Minato Nana had never thought about such a thing. Maybe she would continue until one day she wanted to give up?

Today should be just another ordinary day.

Today seems a little unusual again.

The wind chimes hanging on the door jingled and tinkled.

This familiar rhythm is rarely heard in the darkness of night.

A girl in a school uniform, carrying a huge instrument case, pushed open the glass door and silently walked to the counter. She casually pulled over a chair, the sound of the chair legs scraping against the floor tiles breaking the stillness of the night.

"Excuse me……"

Minato Nana turned around and politely declined the customer who had come to disturb her during her closing time.

But when she saw the guest's appearance, her heart seemed to clench for no reason.

Very similar.

Even after many years, Minato Nana could never forget that face, that expression that she knew all too well.

But that's not her, that couldn't possibly be her.

The girl with that appearance is forever etched in my memory from that night ten years ago.

After a brief moment of surprise, Minato Nana smiled, her eyes crinkling into a smile that was second nature to her: "We've already stopped operating."

thump.

The girl who walked in acted as if she hadn't heard Nana Minato's words and sat down on the high chair in front of the counter.

Then the girl ordered without even looking at the menu.

"An iced latte."

Minato Nana pursed her lips and looked at the girl sitting quietly in the chair, remaining silent for a long while.

"Okay, please wait a moment."

Nana sighed quietly, then turned around and stood on tiptoe to reach the coffee beans at the very top of the wall behind her.

"If you want ice, can I add seven?"

The girl's voice rang out again from behind Minato Nana.

Minato Nana's pupils trembled violently.

"no problem."

The old-fashioned clock that deliberately hung on the wall to match the size of the café ticked away. The sound of espresso being poured into cups and the clinking of glassware made up the entire rhythm of the café.

No one spoke to break the silence, except for the rhythmic, pleasant sounds of Nana's skillful movements.

"Sorry for the wait, here's your chestnut puree iced latte. Hope you like it..."

Minato Nana pushed the glass with the straw in it from the counter in front of the girl, her eyes trembling as she looked up at the girl in disbelief upon hearing the name, and called out the name she knew but had always kept silent about.

"chestnut……"

Sigh...

"Chestnut, have you ever thought about what we'll do after we stop being in a band?"

"As for me, I'd like to open a coffee shop."

"Huh?! A coffee shop! That sounds interesting!"

"But Nana knows nothing about coffee, right?"

"I can learn, I can learn! Anyway! It's a coffee shop! It's a deal! Not only will we open one, but it will be like a bar!"

"Like a bar? With a stage? With music? And a resident singer? A coffee shop isn't like that!"

"No! I mean, just like how bars name their drinks after people, each member of our band should have their own signature coffee. For Chestnut, well... let's say a chestnut puree latte!"

"Sounds good. Let's wait for Nana to study it slowly. But an iced latte would be better, wouldn't it?"

"Iced latte?"

"Yes, an iced latte, and only seven ice cubes."

Why?

"Because in 'Chestnut's' heart, there is 'Nana'."

……

"You actually remember such a childish code..." Hanzawa Kuriko looked up at the ceiling, a bitter smile curving her lips, a smile that was both more bitter and sweeter than the coffee.

"You started it first, didn't you?" Minato Nana pouted.

"Yes, yes, I started first." Chestnut picked up the cup of coffee on the bar, brought it to her lips, and took a sip: "It tastes good, you've improved a lot."

“Of course, I’m the owner of a coffee shop now, how could I possibly do a bad job?” Minato Nana sighed softly, looking at Kuriko who was bringing the coffee to her lips again: “Kuriko.”

"Ok?"

Chestnut, holding a steaming glass in both hands, peeked out with a pair of eyes that sparkled with confusion.

Minato Nana raised her hand and quietly placed it on the counter, less than a few centimeters away from Hanzawa Kuriko's hand, but she never went any further.

“I…had a very unpleasant dream. In the dream, everything was gone—the time we spent together, our beloved band, and you—everything was gone.”

"But that unpleasant dream is reality. The unrealistic dream is that we sit face to face like this, sipping coffee that exists only for you, right?"

The glass was gently set down, and the murky liquid reflected Hanzawa Kuriko's face, forever frozen at this age, under the light, now tinged with a faint sadness.

"I originally thought I had nothing to miss, and I even said some self-righteous things, but in the end, I still came back here, and I still came back to see you."

The chair was pulled out again, and the girl jumped down gently, clutching the straps of her instrument case.

"Well then, I'm leaving now. You and Huan, who have finally reunited, must make the most of your time together."

As Hanzawa Kuriko spoke, she turned around reluctantly yet resolutely, clutching the strap on her shoulder tightly, and slowly walked towards the shop door.