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

"chestnut!"

Nana Minato's shout rang out behind her, causing Hanzawa Kuriko to pause in her tracks.

"Yuuki Tamaki and I have nothing. We had nothing in the past, we have nothing now, and we will never have anything in the future!"

"But……"

Hanzawa Kuriko recalled that night, the night when Minato Nana ran out crying and stayed at Yuuki Tamaki's place all night.

That night became the fuse that ignited everything, the final straw that broke Hanzawa Kuriko's defenses.

That night marked the beginning of everything and the end of everything.

"I like you!!!"

Minato Nana shouted it out loud.

That shout seemed to transcend time and space, as if it had returned to before everything began.

It's as if Nana Minato there is still that sunny, clumsy, and hardworking band girl.

It's as if I'm still that clumsy, inarticulate girl in the band, who still loves the other person.

Everything seems to have happened a long time ago.

Everything seems to have never changed.

"Hanzawa Kuriko! Listen to me! Even though you've done so many terrible things to me! Even though you've done so many terrible things for me! Even, even so! I still love you! I only love you! I love you the most!"

"But...but..."

For no apparent reason, Hanzawa Kuriko felt a lump in her throat, as if it hadn't been properly used in a long time, and her throat, which had been sensitive to sensation, began to choke.

"I know that the possibility of meeting you only exists in my dreams."

Minato walked around the counter and hugged the girl who was a little shorter than her and was carrying an instrument.

"In my dreams, I will not lie to you, much less to myself."

"Chestnut, I like you, and I will always like you in the future."

"I will carry your dreams and your wishes with me and continue on this journey together."

"Say...say something so mushy..." Hanzawa Kuriko buried her face in the apron in front of Minato Nana: "If Nana says this, then I, who doubted Nana, and who did so many terrible things to Nana...isn't it all...all of the time my fault?"

"No, no." Minato Nana gently patted the girl's head in her arms: "It's because I didn't get into Kuriko's heart, it's because I didn't pay attention to Kuriko's thoughts sooner. I like you so much, and I didn't leave you even after you treated me like that, I should have realized it sooner."

"No! This...this isn't Nana's fault...it's not..."

"Isn't it my fault for not being able to perceive the feelings of the person I like? Love doesn't need to be based on any logic."

"But... if that's the case, how... how can I say goodbye to you properly! I clearly, I clearly made up my mind..."

"In that case, why don't you just leave, Chestnut?"

Minato Nana gently patted the girl's back, rested her chin on the girl's shoulder, and gathered the girl's long hair in her hands, letting it fall between her fingers, just as she had done countless times in the past.

Hanzawa Kuriko gently raised her head, cupped the girl's cheeks, and slowly moved closer, closer still, until she saw Minato Nana's eyes slowly close, until she could feel the other's breath, until she was about to touch the other's softness.

"No, no, that won't do." Just before they were about to touch, Hanzawa Kuriko gently pushed Minato Nana's shoulder, pulling her away from her embrace. "It's already the last minute, and I'm still thinking about this kind of thing."

The girl hesitated for a moment, then took a few steps back before finally clenching her fist, though that once all-powerful fist was now so powerless.

Then, the girl, choking back tears, spoke with a smile.

"Thank you for liking me. But, I have to say goodbye."

"There are still many things I want to do: play in a band again, open a coffee shop with you again, enjoy school life again, travel abroad with you, and build a small cabin in the countryside together."

"Life is so short, isn't it? If only we could live our lives multiple times, be born in different places, do different jobs, and go in different directions."

"And another thing." The girl put her hands behind her back, her tearful eyes slowly curving upwards, and tilted her head slightly: "I always end up falling for the same you."

On Nana's bedside table, a dim bubble, shimmering with a magical aura, quietly burst.

Minato Nana slowly opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling above her, which was illuminated by a row of light spots by the moonlight shining through the curtains.

The brief reunion, the heartfelt confession, and the image of the girl he had been longing for day and night all became increasingly blurry in his mind.

Only the damp pillowcase and the burning tears rolling down my cheeks proved that the now indistinct dream had indeed existed.

The dream eventually came to an end.

Having been tossing and turning in bed, Minato Nana reached for her phone and got out of bed.

Gently and slowly, Minato Nana walked to the balcony, put her arm on the window frame, leaned out the window, and took a deep breath of fresh air.

As expected, the weather at the end of October made her shiver as she was wearing only a thin nightgown.

But the cool air also cleared her mind considerably.

The phone screen suddenly lit up, and the rock music ringtone was exceptionally clear in the silent night, startling Minako so much that she almost shivered.

After a moment's thought, Minami picked up her phone and saw the name of an old friend she had recently reunited with on the screen. She hesitated for a long time before finally answering the call.

"Hey?"

An anxious yet delighted female voice came from the other end of the phone and reached Minato Nana's ears.

"Hey, it's me." Minato Nana turned around and leaned her back against the window, letting the cold wind take away the warmth from her body.

"Nana, Nana."

"Yes, it's me," Minato Nana replied, tilting her head as she took a deep breath of the cold night air, as she didn't smoke.

The coldness flowing into her alveoli made her thoughts clearer: "Why did you suddenly think of calling me so late?"

There was a pause on the other end of the phone.

"My sister, Xiaoyuan, is finally back."

I'm in a bad mood, really bad, so I took advantage of this bad mood to write this chapter tonight.

Although it's a bit sentimental to write an epilogue, and it's not really over yet, I'll just say a few words anyway.

This volume exposes more of the shortcomings of the bowl, such as pacing, plot, design, and foreshadowing.

The main storyline has been explored too much, so the viewing experience may not be very good.

Some readers have also commented that the writing is messy.

Well... there's not much to say. Thanks for reading this far.

Bowl will continue to work hard.

Chapter 222 For the Day I Wake Up from the Dream

"Pfft!"

Yuuki Yukino, having stepped out of the dream world, plopped down on the ground. As if that wasn't enough, she spread her arms wide in a starfish shape and took deep breaths of the fresh air.

Although there is no essential difference, the air in the real world just feels fresher and sweeter to Yuuki Eri.

The night sky was no longer an empty, dreamlike void. The twinkling stars, the bright moonlight, and the neon lights of the city below the Moon Sea Tower all adorned this otherwise empty night sky, making it unique.

All of this gave Yuuki Yuki an unparalleled feeling of being alive.

The gentle breeze carrying the scent of the city felt as comforting to Yuuki Yukino as a popsicle in summer or a hot milk tea in winter.

"Indeed, it's better to be alive."

For some reason, Yuuki Yukino suddenly uttered such a sigh.

Even though not much time had passed, Yuuki Yuki felt as if she had experienced so many things, so many that she could talk about them for a very long time.

So, exactly how much time has passed?

Yuuki suddenly seemed to remember something, took out her phone, and while still lying down, held it high above her head.

However, Yuuki Yuki pressed the button several times, but the phone screen did not light up.

"Out of power?"

Yuuki Yukino tapped the screen several more times, but the screen remained completely black.

Yuuki Yuen pondered for a moment, then pressed and held down the phone button until a low battery message popped up on the screen.

"Phew, that scared me to death. I thought I hadn't managed to escape."

Yuuki Yui breathed a sigh of relief and put her phone back in her pocket.

When Yuuki Yuki's phone wouldn't turn on, her first thought was that she hadn't managed to escape from the dream world yet.

"So, they should all have woken up safely by now, right?"

While Yuuki Yukina was thinking this, she was also very concerned about the condition of the others she had sent out of the Dream Realm.

She had complete confidence in her Nyarlathotep's abilities, which is why she sent the others away so directly, but she would always feel uneasy if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes.

However, the dead phone prevented Yuuki Yui from verifying her guess.

While checking on other people's conditions is a way to verify things, and it's usually one of the fastest and most convenient methods, it's a bit difficult for Yuuki Eri in the current situation.

The continuous battles and the torment of being imprisoned by Sumireko Yumehara for several days almost drained Yuuki Eri of all her strength.

Even she herself couldn't imagine how she managed to stop Hanzawa Kuriko despite her physical condition.

Having finally escaped from that series of events, as Yuuki Yukino's mood gradually relaxed, the pain and exhaustion surged towards her like a tidal wave, leaving her without even the strength to stand up.

Not only is the strength to stand up difficult, but even using one's brain has become a luxury for Yuuki Enishi.

It turns out that people really do become useless when they exhaust their potential!

I only managed to persevere through sheer willpower; it seems those characters in anime who risk their lives to survive are truly miserable.

She was already exhausted, and all Yuuki Yuki wanted to do now was sleep and nothing else.

Ah, never mind, I'll just rest for a while.

Yuuki En thought to herself, then slowly closed her eyes and curled up into a ball in the cold wind.

In a daze, she didn't know how much time had passed, but even the hard ground made Yuuki Yuki feel incredibly like a sorcerer.

After a long time, Yuuki Yuuki felt as if someone was calling her name and shaking her.

"Xiao Yuan! Xiao Yuan!"

"Hmm?" Yuuki Yuen mumbled a response, as if talking in her sleep, but she only turned over and didn't open her eyes at all.