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

"Mmm." Yuuki Yui nodded, gently stroking the top of Baqi's head.

Ba Qi's voice became even more muffled: "Before Xiao Yuan started working, even though she had to eat there at noon, we could still go home together in the evening, and we could do things together on weekends."

"Later, even though Xiaoyuan went to work, she could still keep me company at lunchtime when she didn't have to eat with the short, blond guy. But now, at lunchtime, you either have to eat with the short, blond guy, or you go to see Xiwei Li. Although you do consider me, it's just..."

"Of course I know this is what Xiaoyuan would have wanted to see, and I'm happy for her; I also know that Xiaoyuan cares a lot about my feelings and made time for me. But, being alone... it's always a little lonely."

Yuuki then patted Baqi lightly twice, and put her hand on Yuuki's shoulder to end the hug, but her hand remained on Baqi's body.

Seeing Baqi's somewhat awkward expression, Yuuki Yuuki tilted her head slightly: "So you came to pick me up?"

Ba Qi pouted, her words muffled as if rolling around in her mouth: "I just want to see Xiao Yuan, because Xiao Yuan and I never have any time alone together."

Yuuki Yukina raised her hand and scratched the long hair behind her head.

"It's my fault..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ba Qi immediately interrupted him.

"It's not Xiaoyuan's fault! It's because I was too greedy!"

“No, it’s not that Baqi is greedy or wants to spend more time with the people she cares about. I understand that too.” Yuuki Yukina’s eyes crinkled into a smile.

Baqi pouted even more, effortlessly brushed Yuuki Yuki's hand away, and stomped her foot angrily at Yuuki Yuki, kicking the snow everywhere.

"Seriously! Stop comforting me like a child! I'm not an idiot like Yumehara Sumireko! I... I know! Yui is just that kind of pushover who likes to take on everything, but! I don't need that!"

Although that's what Baqi said, the way she kicked the snow really did look like a child throwing a tantrum.

Yuki Yui simply smiled as she watched Baqi vent her anger.

It's quite childish of him to come all the way to the shop where he works just for this reason.

"Okay, okay! It's nothing! It's nothing! I feel much better after saying it out loud!"

Finally stopping, Baqi tossed her hair and let out a long sigh.

That seems to be true; the oppressive feeling on Ba Qi's body has indeed been somewhat dispelled.

But it felt like it was only somewhat dispelled.

Yes, that was just Yuuki Yukino's intuition.

However, that's what Yuuki En felt. The dark cloud swirling around Baqi seemed to still be near her head, just waiting to return to its original position.

"Is there really nothing wrong?" Yuuki asked.

"I already said, it's nothing, nothing! I'm just suddenly in a bad mood, so I wanted to replenish my energy!" Baqi showed a bright smile like a little sun and gave Yuuki Yuuki a victory sign.

"Really?" Yuuki Yuen was still skeptical.

“Really!” Ba Qi answered instantly.

"Really? Really?"

"I already said it's true!"

"real……"

"Okay, okay, okay! Stop repeating it! No matter how many times Xiaoyuan asks, I'm fine!" Baqi quickly interrupted Yuki Yu's repetition.

"Well……"

Yuuki Yukino pondered.

I still feel like something's not quite right.

Baqi's previous words couldn't have been false. After spending so much time together, Yuuki Eri could tell whether Baqi's words were sincere or not.

But Baqi doesn't seem like the type to keep these things to herself. It's true that she came to find me because she missed me, but she should have told me that as soon as she found me, instead of only saying it now that I've caught up with her.

The only thing that could make Baqi suppress her emotions for so long is something several times more serious than this.

But what could be the reason that Baqi is still unwilling to tell Wu Qi to herself?

Yuuki Yuen stared at Baqi, and Baqi was also looking at Yuuki Yuen. They remained deadlocked for a long time, and Yuuki Yuen couldn't find any flaws in Baqi's expression.

If Baqi really doesn't want to talk about it, there's no way to force her to say it.

"Okay, I'm going back now."

After thinking for a moment, Yuuki Yukino prepared to say goodbye to Baqi.

"Okay, then goodnight, Xiaoyuan!" Baqi pouted and nodded.

After bidding farewell to Baqi once again, Yuuki Yukino turned around and, following the same footprints she had come from, slowly walked back towards her home.

That's right, even if I keep asking, Baqi will find a way to avoid it.

It would be better to wait until Baqi is willing to tell me about her troubles; then she will take the initiative to talk to me.

That's just Baqi's personality.

However, Yuuki Gen underestimated Tomoe's personality.

She didn't expect that opportunity to come so quickly.

A series of footsteps came from behind Yuuki Yuki, the sound of snowflakes being crushed by the soles of her shoes was particularly rapid.

Immediately afterwards, Yuuki Yuki found herself in a one-sided embrace.

Baqi hugged herself from behind.

"Xiao Yuan".

Baqi softly called Yuuki Yuuki's name and buried her face in Yuuki Yuuki's back.

"Please don't disappear, okay?"

Chapter Seven: Completely baffled

Yuuki Yuuki doesn't understand at all.

Even though she kept thinking about it after she got home, whether she was taking a shower, doing her homework, or even going to bed, she had absolutely no clue what to do.

Baqi's reaction just now was really strange.

……

A few hours ago.

"Xiao Yuan, please don't disappear, okay?"

Holding Yuuki tightly, Baqi buried her head completely in the coat behind Yuuki's back, speaking in a muffled voice with her mouth covered.

"Huh?" Yuuki Yuuki paused slightly, stopping in her tracks. She placed her hand on the back of Baqi's arms, which were wrapped around her, and slowly lowered her eyes to look at Baqi's trembling hands.

"Why would Bachi say such a thing?"

Next comes the part that Yuuki Yuki couldn't figure out.

"Because I care about Xiaoyuan a lot, I don't want her to disappear from my sight."

"I know I'm stupid and willful. I want to have everything Xiaoyuan has all to myself, even if it makes other people hate me. I still want to do it. I really want to."

"But doing this will not only cause trouble for others, but it will also make Xiaoyuan feel uncomfortable, right? I still don't want Xiaoyuan to feel uncomfortable."

"After we returned to reality from Nishio Reki's dream, I felt a wave of fear. I was afraid that Xiaoyuan would disappear forever, and that I would never see Xiaoyuan again."

"Only after experiencing that feeling can one truly appreciate that I can now hold Xiaoyuan in my arms, go home with her, and that every day I spend with her is a miracle."

“I…I know Xiaoyuan’s personality. No matter what, Xiaoyuan hopes that everyone can have the best ending. That’s why Xiaoyuan has been working hard.”

"But I'm very selfish... I don't know about the distant future, I just want to be by Xiaoyuan's side now, to be by Xiaoyuan's side as much as possible, that's all I want."

"I'm being really dramatic by saying this, but... I don't want the worst possibilities to become reality. I don't want to witness with my own eyes the kind of disaster that I absolutely don't want to see become a reality."

"That's why... I'm really troubled, I really don't know what I should do."

It sounds like what Baqi is saying now isn't much different from what she said before.

However, what Baqi is referring to now is not that she was taken away by someone else.

Baqi was afraid that the dangers and changes she might encounter on her future path to break free from corruption would separate the two of them forever.

This coincides with the advice Lava Mountain Lantern gave to Yuuki En earlier: "Don't pursue power excessively."

His countless returns, carrying fragments of Nyarlathotep's own soul, the warning of the Lava Lamp, and his own purpose of breaking free from the darkness.

With all the clues pieced together, it was hard for Yuuki Yukino not to consider that possibility.

In order to break free from his corruption, he made contact with the original corrupted magical girl. It was because of his contact with those untouchable things that he brought devastating damage to Moonsea City.

This action forced Li to search for the only solution through countless cycles of reincarnation.

However, this raises a problem.

Why did he risk his life to break free from the corruption, only to have Li return the corrupted part of his soul to him?

I can't figure it out, I don't understand it.

Yuki En could have asked Tomoe a few more questions, but the circumstances at the time did not allow it.

This had nothing to do with what Yuuki Eri or Tomoe were thinking or doing at the time; it was simply that an inconvenient third party had come to bother them.

To be more precise, the person who came to disturb them wasn't a real person.

The girl wearing glasses swayed unsteadily, taking mechanical steps, staring intently at Yuuki Yukino with a blank and dull gaze, approaching step by step.

Yuuki Yukino looked up at the light on in the house next door, then at the bespectacled girl who shouldn't have been there in the first place.

What it is is obvious.

……

The next day, at Yuehai Middle School, in the classroom.

"I've already told you, Xiaoyuan doesn't need to spoil me like that. Everyone just wants to have lunch with Xiaoyuan! But Xiaoyuan is really something, not only did she eat with me, she even made me a separate bento box, hehe, hehehehe..."

Although Baqi pouted and her words sounded like she was complaining that Xiaoyuan was taking too good care of her, the girl's smiling eyes and silly laughter did not hide her true feelings at all.

Yuuki Yukino expressionlessly picked up pieces of her own bento box from the desk with her chopsticks and put them into her mouth, feigning unhappiness: "I even made a bento for Baqi. So Baqi doesn't want to be alone with me?"

Even though she knew that Yuuki Yukino's current state was an act, Baqi's anxiety was genuine.

Before she could even put down her chopsticks, Ba Qi frantically waved her hands, frantically explaining, "How could that be! If I could, I'd want to be alone with Xiao Yuan every single day."

Baqi's shouts drew the attention of many students who remained in the classroom.