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

Sakura Nana's body rolled several times on the ground before crashing into a protruding lamppost on the side of the road, letting out a painful groan.

"Ooh!"

It wasn't as if she had been struck by a heavy hammer; the warhammer drawn with lines stopped right where Sakuragawa Nana had just been standing. It was obvious what had sent her flying.

Yuuki Yukino casually waved her hand, and the warhammer made of lines melted in the air, merging back into the darkness where the rustling streetlights couldn't reach.

"I said, go ahead and attack me."

"I don't understand what you're saying... uh!"

Sakuragawa Nana shook her head, only halfway through her explanation, when a tentacle rising from the ground struck her chin as she tried to get up, causing her to fall backward in pain.

What exactly does this pink devil want to do?

I can't understand any of it!

No, never mind, I have to get out of here quickly!

Sakuragawa Nana used all four limbs, tumbling and crawling as she ran away from Yuuki Enishi.

But a terrifying winged creature, resembling a snake but not quite, was already waiting for her there, its thick tail lashing out at Sakuragawa Nana's stomach like a whip.

Sakura Nana felt a sharp pain in her stomach, and her knees could no longer support her weight. Clutching her stomach, her legs gave way and she knelt on the ground.

"Ugh... I'm vomiting..."

Sakura Nana's stomach churned, and she dry-heaved for a long time without actually vomiting anything, but her face full of pain and tears of suffocation made her look particularly disheveled.

She didn't understand, she couldn't comprehend at all, why the pink demon would come looking for her at this time, and why the pink demon would do such a thing to her.

If I hadn't argued and run away, maybe this wouldn't have happened.

Why am I always the one suffering alone? Why am I always the one who encounters these kinds of things?

“Stand up, Sakuragawa Nana, fight fair and square like a magical girl, instead of slinking away like this with your tail between your legs.” Yuuki Yui smoothed her hair: “Even if you want to run away, don’t try to fool me with this stupid method that’s like a three-year-old chasing and playing.”

Yuuki Yukino's voice and footsteps sounded behind Sakuragawa Nana, getting closer and closer.

But Sakuragawa Nana couldn't stand up. Her legs wouldn't obey her commands at all. Whether it was from pain or fear didn't matter anymore; she just couldn't stand up.

Run away, run away, run away! How can I escape from the pink devil?

puff.

The serpentine creation raised its jet-black wings, and the outstretched wing membranes flapped against the kneeling girl.

"stand up."

thump.

"Stop kneeling."

boom.

"Fight like a magical girl."

Snapped.

"Use your brain and stop doing such boring things."

boom.

The various attacks from the terror hunter rained down on Sakuragawa Nana, making her roll around like a sandbag.

Yuuki Yukino's brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

Terror Hunters were easily killed off one by one by Mashiro Utsuro, who hadn't even shown her full strength, back in Nijima City. They weren't even good enough to be cannon fodder in battles between magical girls of her level.

But even with such a creation, Sakuragawa Nana didn't have the courage to stand up and fight back, which really disappointed Yuuki Yuuki.

Despite Yuuki Yuki intentionally slowing down the Terror Hunter's movements and making the intervals between each of its attacks very long, Sakuragawa Nana still didn't launch a single attack on it.

Sakura Nana kept begging for mercy, using her arms to protect her body and resist the clumsy but powerful attacks of the terrifying hunter, her voice already carrying a clear sob.

"Help...help! Please! Stop hitting me! What...what did I do wrong?!"

Hearing Sakuragawa Nana ask that question, Yuuki Yukino almost laughed.

Naïve, willful, and naive, how did Sakuragawa Nana manage to grow up so smoothly?

The more Yuuki Yukina thought about these things, the more she felt that Sakuragawa Nana's question was simply childish and ridiculous.

"What mistake did you make? Haha, you ask me what mistake you made? Think about your identity, Sakuragawa Nana. You are a magical girl, and I am destined to be your enemy. Do I need a reason to attack you?"

“You…” Sakura Nana was speechless for a moment. She barely managed to block the attack of the terrifying hunter by raising her arms in front of her. She took several steps back and struggled to get up, covered in dust and snow.

"Haa, hahaha, if I had to come up with a reason, it would be that you're really not up to par as a magical girl, are you? You talk about upholding justice and fulfilling your duties, but have you actually bothered to hone your skills? Someone like you who can't even defeat my creations calls yourself a magical girl? Don't make me laugh! Just seeing someone like you makes me furious!"

The terrifying hunter roared, opening its blood-red maw, which emitted a chilling aura, as if it wanted to swallow Sakuragawa Nana whole, and lunged at her.

If I don't fight back, I really will die!

But that's the pink devil... No matter how hard I try, it's meaningless in front of her!

No, I'm going to die! I'm really going to die!

Sakuragawa Nana gritted her teeth and steeled her resolve, conjuring the wand in her hand and thrusting it straight at the terrifying hunter's gaping maw.

It's blocked?

The terrifying hunter's gaping maw was completely filled by the upright lance, and its stuck upper jaw continued to exert force, but it could not bite off an inch.

It worked!

This greatly boosted Sakuragawa Nana's confidence.

"I... I did try!"

"Effort? That's laughable. You call it effort just because you blocked one of the Terror Hunter's attacks?" Yuuki Yuen scoffed, her index finger slowly falling as if pressing a computer key.

Following Yuuki Yuuki's movements, the terrifying hunter's enormous head continued to fall.

Click.

A crack appeared in Sakuragawa Nana's lance, and the terrifying hunter's scarlet beastly eyes looked down at Sakuragawa Nana, who was still struggling with her lance. In the beast's pupils, Sakuragawa Nana could actually see contempt.

"I gave you a chance. You could have become stronger. It's been so long, really, so long, and you haven't improved at all. It's so disappointing. A magical girl who wants to uphold justice but has no power has no reason to exist, right?"

The terrifying hunter's fangs fell, and the magic wand that Sakuragawa Nana was holding shattered into pieces.

Even though Sakuragawa Nana had retreated quickly, the Terror Hunter's sharp teeth still tore a large hole in her magical armor.

Yuuki Yukino's words just now gave Sakuragawa Nana an extremely strong sense of déjà vu.

She seemed to see herself in the image: the arrogant and domineering version of herself looking down on the group of incredibly clumsy band members practicing in the activity room, and then standing at the door of that band's training room spouting nonsense.

Yes, in my opinion, all the members of that band were probably as weak as the Pink Devil sees me today.

The so-called competition was just an excuse for me to thoroughly humiliate those arrogant and ignorant girls. Although that wasn't the whole story, it still played a significant role.

The weakness of magical girls, the weakness of bands.

The disqualification of magical girls, the disqualification of bands.

The mockery of magical girls, the mockery of bands.

The difference is that they accepted their challenge and have been working hard to overcome themselves, while I don't even have the courage to stand up and face the pink demon.

The difference was that even though those girls knew the huge gap in strength between the two sides—which they couldn't possibly not know—they still didn't give up until the very last moment and struggled desperately.

Should I also struggle until the very last moment...?

No, what would change if we did that?

I will still be defeated by the pink devil.

The current Pink Devil is playing a cat-and-mouse game that's not fun at all, treating himself like a toy to be manipulated at will.

The band competition is just embarrassing; if you lose, you lose your life!

Absolutely not!

"Tsk."

As the light that had suddenly ignited in Sakuragawa Nana's eyes gradually faded, Yuuki Yukina clicked her tongue in displeasure.

Has this guy completely given up?

This is so boring.

In that case, it's time to put an end to this boring game.

Yuuki Yuki turned around, casually waved her hand, and the Terror Hunter, having once again received its command, circled once in mid-air before swooping down towards Sakuragawa Nana.

This is just a Terror Hunter. At most, being hit by a Terror Hunter will only keep Sakuragawa Nana in bed for a few days.

But to Yuuki Yuuki's surprise, a magical power several times stronger than before erupted from behind her.

Yuuki Yukino slowly turned her head back, while Sakuragawa Nana, whose magical armor was tattered, gripped her brand-new lance tightly.

The terrifying hunter's massive head had been completely pierced through the tip of the lance, and was slowly reverting to its most primal magical form, dissipating into the air, as if weathering away.

"I...I know! I could never beat you! But...but, it feels so infuriating and upsetting to be looked down upon, mocked, and disregarded! I...I didn't realize I had done something so awful!"

Sakuragawa Nana raised her brand-new lance, lowered her center of gravity, and pointed it directly at Yuuki Yukino, who stood there with a calm expression.

"Those people! Those I once looked down upon, even under such pressure, even facing seemingly invincible opponents, even with incomprehensible thoughts, they persevered to the very last moment! They are truly admirable! If they can do it, I have no reason why I cannot!"

"so!"

Oh, that's more like it.

Yuki Yuki slightly curled her lips.

This guy isn't entirely useless, is he?

However, it's still a long way from the growth that Yuuki En wanted to see.

"Oh, so?" Yuuki Yuuki laughed.

Sakuragawa Nana, however, couldn't manage a smile at all.

The courage she had just mustered was largely extinguished by the terrifying scene before her.

Standing there ordinary, behind the pink demon, above her head, dozens of terrifying, snake-like monsters that she had just defeated were densely packed together.

The terrifying hunters roared and circled, spreading their enormous wings and looking at him with their scarlet eyes as if he were a worthless prey.