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

"There was no point in continuing the standoff with her, so I let her go."

"You already said that... never mind, never mind, go on."

"As I just said, she works at that live house. I strongly suspect that she has some personal grudge against Minato Nana, and it may not be as simple as just Ms. Minato arguing with her manager."

"Hmm."

"She has such a strong obsession with Miss Minato, she probably won't give up so easily, so I let her move freely to see what she's planning to do, which is why I don't want you to make any rash moves."

"Hmm."

"It was indeed a bit ill-considered to do this, but letting her have direct contact with Ms. Minato is the simplest way. With you here, we can also ensure Ms. Minato's safety. So this is the final choice I made. In this emergency, this is all I could think of."

"Hmm."

"Anyway, she's not strong, so let's just give her the initiative and deal with whatever she says as she goes."

"Hmm."

"Stop 'uh-huh'ing! I've finished!"

"Okay, so what?"

"Even if she doesn't come now, I think she might show up later. Why don't we go and protect Miss Minato a little?"

"Do you think Miss Minato will agree?" Helica frowned. "Or are you planning to secretly lurk near Miss Minato's house and wait for her to come to you?"

Yuuki Yui glanced at Minato Nana's back, which had now fully recovered: "Just tell Minato-san that we need to discuss the band first. You can make a few noises as usual, and Minato-san won't refuse."

"Who's causing trouble? Who's causing trouble like usual!" Helica was about to explode when she saw Yuuki Yuki looking at her with a "I knew it would happen" look, and realizing she was in the wrong, she swallowed her temper.

Seeing Helica's amusing reaction, Yuuki knew that Helica had realized it, so she quickly added fuel to the fire: "Besides, our band also needs Nana's help, right?"

"Alright, alright! I know!" Helica angrily kicked the snow on the road several more times.

Helica is a fan of Minato Nana, and Yuuki Yuuki knew that she would not refuse him.

Moreover, Minato Nana had no reason to refuse.

Just as Yuuki Yuki had predicted, after listening to the two of them, Minato Nana hesitated for a moment, then agreed after saying that they shouldn't go back too late.

This is not only because Herika was sincerely begging, and Yuuki was also persistently pleading, but also because Yuuki knew that Minato Nana wouldn't refuse her concern.

Yuki Yukino's suggestion to discuss the band had multiple meanings. Besides genuinely wanting to discuss the band, there was also the deeper reason of waiting for something to happen. In the middle, she wanted to spend some time with Minato Nana to show her concern.

Minato Nana should realize the underlying meaning; Yuuki Yuki has never liked to think of people as stupid.

After all, ordinary people can't tell from appearance whether a magical girl has been corrupted or not. Minato Nana does have some trauma from magical girls, and now that she's been attacked by one, no one can guarantee that her past trauma won't resurface.

Using the discussion of the band as a public pretext cleverly avoids the shadow of Minato Nana, providing an excuse that everyone can accept.

Therefore, if Minato Nana were to realize this, she wouldn't let herself and Helica's good intentions go to waste.

However, Yuuki Yuki felt that the chances of the other party coming were probably not that high.

When Yuuki deliberately let the person go in the first place, she intended for her to go directly to Minato Nana to continue her revenge.

Even if I tried to stop her, that magical girl was frantically trying to find a way to break through my limits, let alone let her go.

But there was one thing Yuuki Yukino forgot to consider.

The pressure I put on that magical girl was too great, causing her to completely lose her will to fight.

Of course, Yuuki Yui had no idea that she had just exerted more than just pressure; that absolute suppression of power had become the girl's nightmare.

……

A while had passed, and the three people sitting in the coffee shop chatted idly, mostly reminiscing about tonight's performance, with almost no mention of the new band.

As expected of a reliable older sister, Minato Nana, who had a fight at another live house and was later attacked by a magical girl, acted as if nothing had happened and chatted and laughed with Yuuki Yuki.

Minato Nana's behavior was certainly partly due to her not wanting Yuuki Yukina to worry, but even if it was an act, it was still impressive that she could act so naturally.

The group chatted for a long time, until Yuuki Yuki was running out of things to say.

Yuuki secretly took out her phone and glanced at the time under the table. Usually, by this time, Yuuki would already be in bed playing on her phone.

If the magical girl hasn't appeared by this time, could it be that she doesn't know where Nana's house is, or that she simply won't come?

If that's the case, for Nana's safety, Yuuki Yuki will have to find time to go to that live house again and get to the bottom of this.

But that would be much more difficult.

As Yuuki Yuki was thinking this, and at the same time signaling to Helica with her eyes to find another topic, the wind chimes on the door suddenly rang.

No matter what, this is Nana Minato's coffee shop. Since it's still open, even if it's late, there are bound to be customers.

Just as Yuuki Yuki was about to get up to help entertain the guests, she saw the faces of the two people who had arrived.

Two people who are not strangers to me.

Platinum Rei, and that magical girl whose name I don't know.

Yuuki Yukino, who had half-raised herself, sat back down.

Assuming no one transforms, this is a personal feud between Minato Nana and Shirogane Rei, and Yuuki Yuki cannot overstep her bounds.

If it really requires Yuuki Yuzuru's intervention, she is 100% certain that the magical girl won't be able to touch a single hair on Minato Nana's head. Besides, with Tenrai Helica nearby, there's nowhere safer than this place.

After sitting back down, Yuuki quickly exchanged a glance with Helica, signaling her not to make any rash moves, but it was unclear whether Helica understood the signal.

In short, none of the three of them moved, all staring intently at the two people at the door, watching them come to the table together.

"Come on, let's begin, just like we said when we came here."

Shirogane Rei was speaking to the magical girl next to her, but her expression looked even worse than Nana's at that moment.

Seeking revenge?

Was it his own words that made this magical girl realize that the Pink Demon and Minato Nana were connected?

If neither of these applies, then this combination is truly baffling.

But in any case, it wasn't a good thing, that's what Yuuki Yuki's intuition told her.

Yuuki Yukino's ability to think so much is thanks to the magical girl's continued silence.

"Didn't we already agree on this?" Platinum Rei's tone became more serious, and she even sounded a little angry.

“But.” The magical girl lowered her head, her eyes fixed on the floor. If Yuuki Yuen wasn’t mistaken, the girl’s shoulders were trembling slightly, as if she were making some incredible decision.

Shirogane couldn't bear to watch any longer. She stopped looking at the girl beside her and turned to Minato Nana, but the person she was talking to was still the same girl who was struggling behind her.

"Or, should I speak for you?"

"No need!" The girl's voice grew louder; this was the first time Yuuki Yuki had ever heard her voice so loud.

"Then you tell me yourself," Platinum Rai said without turning her head, her tone becoming even more stern.

This tone made Yuuki En think of the way an elder would scold a junior, completely exceeding the scope of a boss speaking to an employee.

This is just a job at a live house. Even if Shirogane really acts that unreasonably, the staff still need to be able to accept it.

In Yuuki Eri's previous life, there were many bosses who thought too highly of themselves and treated their employees in extremely inhumane ways, while then whitewashing their actions.

However, unless someone has some weakness, most employees wouldn't tolerate such an excessive person.

That girl doesn't seem to have any weaknesses.

To be honest, it's more like a child's fear of their elders after making a mistake.

Moreover, although Yuuki Yuki had little contact with Shirogane Rei, she felt that Shirogane Rei didn't seem like that kind of person.

Wait, no way?

Yuuki En thought of a possibility that would make her unable to laugh at all.

If it's really as Yuuki Yukina thinks, then the situation is much more complicated.

Chapter Twenty-One: I Just Don't Want to Owe You Anything

Platinum Raven's voice was like a heavy boulder; even though it didn't actually press down on those around her, it made them feel the genuine pressure contained in her words.

As the bearer of that boulder, how much weight did the nameless magical girl actually bear? Perhaps no one but herself knows.

Even Minato Nana, who initially seemed clueless, couldn't stand it anymore.

"Platinum Rei, if you have something to say, come at me! Don't bully a child!"

"Sure." Bai Jinling agreed quickly, and the invisible pressure emanating from her body seemed to vanish the moment she answered.

"No need!" The girl, who had been agonizing behind Shirogane for a long time, shouted to stop her: "Let me tell her!"

interesting.

Yuuki En had just witnessed Shirogane's attitude once before.

Even after transforming into a magical girl, the anxious girl remained composed and dignified when facing herself.

(3') In terms of imposing presence, Shirokin Rei did not overpower Minato Nana at all, and did not give people a heavy feeling, but he also did not show any intention of bowing down to Minato Nana.

Sure enough, the relationship between these two people was not an ordinary employer-employee relationship. Yuuki Yukari could see the shadow of Shirogane Rei in that magical girl.

They were practically like a family.

This makes Yuuki Yukino's earlier guess seem even more plausible.

"Minato Nana." The girl called out Minato Nana's full name, her face as dark as the night outside the door.

Being addressed by her first name, Minato Nana raised her eyelids in surprise.

Not only was the other person being impolite in calling her by her name, but Minato Nana was also surprised at how the other person knew her name.

Years ago, Minato Nana wouldn't have had this attitude. Back then, she was the lead singer of a band, with enough fame and a considerable number of fans, so naturally there were people who didn't like her.

But things are not like they were many years ago.

A look of vigilance flickered in Minato Nana's eyes, her eyebrows furrowed slightly towards her brow, and she clenched her hands tightly under the table without making a sound.

"Let me introduce myself first." The girl looked away as if she didn't want to meet Minato Nana's gaze at all, her lips silently biting down: "Sakuragawa Nana, you shouldn't have no impression of this name, right?"

Yuuki Yui had only ever seen Minato Nana act somewhat erratically, such as during the argument just now, and the time when she had run away in a fit of madness and was dragged to her sister's house.

But Yuuki Yuki had never seen Minato Nana so bewildered. The image she had built up seemed to have been destroyed the moment that name was uttered, leaving her only with a bewildered, childlike panic.

Because Yuuki Yuki was sitting very close, she was able to clearly hear what Minato Nana was saying.

He was supposed to be answering the other person's question, but his guilty voice was so soft it sounded like he was talking to himself.