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

If becoming a teacher and striving for the happiness of children is Murakami's wish and the driving force that has brought her to where she is today, then her biggest problem is her shared understanding with Genken Mashiro.

Murakami's ideas are extreme—for the happiness of the majority, she can personally push some children to St. Yuu Academy, or make herself a sacrifice, and even agree with Genken Mashiro's plan to exterminate magical girls.

Yuki En and Nishio Reki had previously discussed the weight of life.

Life is not equal, or rather, its value cannot be estimated. Yet, Murakami uses it as a bargaining chip to weigh its worth, a behavior that many find incomprehensible and unacceptable.

"But the last thing Ms. Murakami said to us represented her entire attitude. She knew what Mashiro Gorogen was doing, but she did nothing herself. She was just fulfilling her duties as an ordinary kindergarten teacher and didn't actually push the children to Seiyuu Academy. That's the reality."

Baqi's attitude reflects that of most young girls.

The teachers in the village are indeed more complex than they imagined.

She knows the inside story, had fought as a nun in the Holy Church, and has all her memories.

When the former director, fearing Mashiro's retaliation, abandoned the children and ran away, it was indeed Teacher Murakami who took on the heavy responsibility, managing the entire orphanage by himself. He even refused funding from Seiyuu Academy, maintaining the orphanage's operation with very little money.

The fact that a kindergarten with such special circumstances and a past full of unspeakable secrets would recruit temporary workers and volunteers from the entire society speaks volumes.

Putting everything else aside, Murakami is indeed trying to "whitewash" this orphanage.

Judging by actions rather than intentions, there is absolutely nothing wrong with what Murakami-sensei did.

And what Baqi just mentioned, the last sentence Murakami-sensei said, was an assurance that made her believe him.

……

Not long ago, at lunchtime at the kindergarten.

"Could you please not bring the magical girls' feuds into this pure land?"

Anyone could tell what kind of emotion Murakami was conveying when he said those words.

I wouldn't call it anger, but there was definitely resistance and a sense of helplessness.

The previous calm and rational conversation between the two sides has come to an end. What follows is Murakami's final ultimatum to everyone.

In a sense, this ultimatum can be considered the final act of calm and reconciliation.

Moreover, Yuuki Enishi felt that Murakami-sensei had already done more than enough.

In front of a group of magical girls of unknown origin, when asked about magical girls, Murakami-sensei spoke candidly about his experiences without reservation, to the point that people wondered if he was hiding something or misleading others.

But whether it's true or false—or if Murakami-sensei wasn't hiding anything—those statements that could be pointed out if one were to nitpick actually seem more credible.

Murakami is not perfect, and it is precisely because she is not perfect that her ideological transformation makes it impossible for people to find any flaws.

He told the magical girls everything that Yuuki had asked, or might ask, about this place, not only because Yuuki might be curious, but also for another reason.

Now that I've said all that, please stop testing me.

The magical girls present were not stupid; even Helica, the Thunder God, understood what Murakami-sensei meant.

If everyone is just here to spend time with the children, then Mr. Murakami would absolutely welcome it with open arms.

But the idea that a group of magical girls would enter the special place that St. Yuu Academy used to select magical girls, just to do volunteer work and play games with the children, is hardly believable.

Although the warning had no deterrent effect, Murakami-sensei was no longer a magical girl and had almost lost contact with St. Yuu Academy. It was simply impossible for Murakami-sensei, who had now become an ordinary person again, to put on a brave face in front of a group of magical girls.

But in another, more explicit sense, as the true leader of this orphanage, Murakami-sensei is essentially issuing a permanent expulsion order to the girls.

This warning, which carries a double meaning, means exactly that.

Helica can understand, but that doesn't mean she can hold back from speaking.

"When did we bring the grudges of magical girls into this place?"

In this incredibly tense environment, a whisper in the surrounding silence is easily overheard.

Even though Helica wasn't really asking Murakami, he still answered.

"A group of magical girls came here to figure out these questions related to magical girls. I haven't wronged you, have I?"

Helica was very dissatisfied with Murakami's answer. She tried her best to remain calm and argued with him: "We didn't come here to ask questions. We're just doing volunteer work. We're here to play with the children! Murakami-sensei saw that, didn't he?"

"If you come to me without gaining my trust, do you think I will answer you?"

"We didn't have that thought. We genuinely played with the kids! We didn't come for any magical girl or Mashiro Urouge."

"But you asked, Yuuki Yukino asked, and you all saw it with your own eyes. I think I can consider this decision to be one that you reached a consensus on."

"We did ask, but that has nothing to do with what we're doing!"

Can you prove it to me?

"Of course...no, how do you expect me to prove it? We've been doing these things from the very first time! We haven't done anything else besides this, have we?"

When facing an elder, Helica was already trying her best to be polite.

However, the polite Helica was completely unable to handle the aggressive Murakami teacher.

Does Murakami really think the way she told Helica?

Yuuki Yukino doesn't necessarily agree.

As someone who has been through it all, Ms. Murakami felt that Yuuki could tell what everyone was feeling each time they spent with the children, and whether they harbored any ulterior motives.

Murakami has talked about these things with everyone more than once, and has expressed his sincere gratitude more than once. Now that he knows everyone's identities, does he think that everything in the past was false?

This is of course impossible.

But just as Murakami-sensei said, this place is a pure land that belongs only to children.

In the past, Ms. Murakami had always avoided this issue, including all the lies she told. In fact, she had only one purpose—to distance herself from St. Yuu Academy and even the entire magical girl system of Moonsea City.

Murakami's purpose in hiding the truth was that simple, but Yuuki Yuki only just realized it.

Therefore, when he started asking about magical girls, he had already crossed the boundary in Murakami's mind.

If things are handled smoothly like last time, or if both parties are aware of the truth but keep it to themselves, then of course everything will be fine.

But since Yuki himself broke through that barrier, it's no wonder that Murakami-sensei used such a forceful way to sever ties with him.

Before making the cut, in order to avoid further questioning from his side, Murakami-sensei made everything clear.

So, it's not that Murakami didn't understand, but rather that Helica didn't grasp Murakami's deeper intentions.

Although Murakami-sensei treated a group of girls who were also children in her eyes in this way, she was a little too serious.

Even Murakami herself felt a little embarrassed about doing this, but in order to maintain the integrity of this pure land and completely sever its connection with magical girls, she had no choice but to do these annoying things.

For example, as an adult, one has to go against one's own heart and argue with Helica, the Thunder God.

"Alright, Helica, stop talking and let's go."

Yuuki Yui also felt that the argument would go on forever, so she raised her voice slightly to drown out Helica's voice.

Helica's old habit of getting stuck on things when she gets emotional has resurfaced:

"Why leave? I don't want to leave. I want to make things clear. I want to prove that our feelings for the children are genuine! We didn't have any ulterior motives! Although we asked, it has nothing to do with the children!"

"Thunder." Even Mizuno Yu spoke up: "We don't need to prove anything. As long as we know what we're thinking, that's enough. Let's go."

"I'm not leaving! If we just leave like this, we won't be able to come back! We won't have a chance to explain things clearly! So I absolutely refuse to leave!" Helica shook her head vigorously.

That's right, once everyone leaves, they will never set foot here again.

The initial purpose of everyone doing volunteer work is for the activities of Rainbow Society. There is as much volunteer work as needed, and it is not necessary to go to the kindergarten.

In the final period of everyone's busy journey on the important path of life, club activities are not mandatory. Even schools are not so heartless as to require students to continue club activities while pursuing further education or job hunting.

Although a batch of zombie clubs are cleaned up at the beginning of each new school year, all the members of Nijisanji except for Sakura Hanako have graduated by then, and Nijisanji's historical mission as a magical girl base is completed.

So it's perfectly fine if everyone doesn't come to kindergarten.

Will there be any reluctance? The answer is yes.

The time spent with the children over the past six months has undoubtedly become an unforgettable and beautiful period in the lives of both the girls and the children.

However, choosing not to continue and being forced to stop are completely different in nature.

What Helica didn't want was that she didn't even have the right to set foot here.

The girls were trying to persuade Helica, and Murakami-sensei's slightly feverish mind calmed down.

If she continues to confront Helica head-on, it would be wrong of her as a teacher and senior.

"I'm sorry, that's all I can say."

Helica was still dissatisfied: "What do you mean by 'that's all we have to say'? You haven't accepted our explanation, so why are you compromising as if you have no choice? What do you mean by 'that's all we have to say'?"

"Hey shorty with blond hair, calm down, let's talk later, okay?"

"What do you mean 'we'll talk about it later'? Is there anything we can't say here?!"

Although it hasn't reached the point of arguing yet, if things continue like this, Yuuki Yuki has no doubt that it will eventually explode completely.

Just when everyone was thinking, or pushing, things were getting worse, the creaking sound of the cafeteria door being pushed open was like a pot of cold water, extinguishing everyone's anger.

The little girl stood at the entrance of the cafeteria, sniffling pitifully, her eyes brimming with tears as she watched everything unfolding inside.

Some people may not know the little girl's name, but they will all have some impression of her.

Yuuki Yukina couldn't possibly be unaware of this child; she was the one who always followed Yuuki Yukina around, calling her "Big Sister" the most enthusiastically.

"Sisters, teachers, are you arguing?"

Ruoshan sniffled again, her voice clearly trembling with tears.

"Arguing is wrong, please don't argue... okay..."

Chapter Fifty-Six: The Child's Perseverance

"Teacher... sisters... you can't fight, please don't fight, okay?"

The little girl, who was only as tall as the girls' waists, held onto the door she had pushed open, her eyes filled with tears as she looked at the girls still sitting in the cafeteria, immersed in the same atmosphere.

With such a gaze from Wakayama, neither the girls, who were locked in a stalemate, nor Murakami-sensei could maintain their previous attitude.

Where is this? This is a kindergarten.

Everything should revolve around these children.

Yuuki Yukino, who was the first to react, put down her chopsticks, took a few quick steps to the entrance of the cafeteria, squatted down and stroked Wakayama's little head, her tone of comforting her much gentler.

"No, no, why would my sister argue with the teacher? Yimeng, we were just chatting."

Murakami-sensei, who was also preparing to go and comfort the little girl standing pitifully at the door, was a step later than Yuki Eri.