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

Black mud flowed down the building's exterior walls, but the liquid did not follow the laws of gravity. Instead, it climbed upwards in a way that defied common sense, forming countless twisted columnar structures before breaking apart.

Now, they look more like slimes.

Yuuki Yukino was also able to see clearly what it was.

To put it simply, this is a sanctuary, extremely similar to the one Yuuki En saw at the Sacred Yū Academy, which was destroyed in the battle with Sacred Shion.

But the feeling she got from it was completely different.

The old cathedral could at least be called sacred, or at least associated with something religious.

But now?

This thing looks more like a strange temple dedicated to an evil god. Just by looking at it, one can't help but think of fanatical believers, twisted deities, and some mysterious rituals that are unheard of and unseen before.

When most of the black mud on it was removed, and the general appearance of the sanctuary was revealed to Yuuki Yuen, Yuuki Yuen could feel even more strongly that this thing was abnormal.

The stained glass—the one that, if broken, reveals the large coffin containing the Holy Prayer—was not static at all. Instead, the parasites that Yuuki En had seen before danced within it, and the twisted human figures writhed on the glass, emitting silent screams.

The rose window above the main entrance resembles a giant compound eye, with countless pupils turning simultaneously, gazing upon this polluted land.

It was as if it were not a sanctuary, but a gigantic creature slowly crawling.

But it is also still, standing right in the center of the black mud, waiting for challengers to take a step towards it.

Just looking at this eerie sanctuary, Yuuki Yuuki seemed to hear whispers in her ears. They were not any kind of human language, but rather a mixture of countless sounds.

Yet, Yuuki En felt a strange sense of familiarity with what they were praising.

It was as if that name was right there in his throat, ready to fall to the ground the moment he opened his mouth.

It was as if... the power within him was reacting to that name, receiving a strange call, wanting to embrace it.

What exactly is that thing?

Whatever it may be, Yuuki Yukino knew that she absolutely could not continue to sit idly by and wait for her doom.

Chapter 172 The End, the Turning Point, the Beginning

Yuuki Yui sat on the railing at the top of the Moon Sea Tower, the dim moonlight shining down from above vaguely illuminating the girl's gloomy profile.

The surrounding air seemed to freeze, so heavy that it was hard to breathe. Although magical girls were standing all around Yuuki Yuki, not a single one of them made a sound.

Even the sky seemed to be affected by the somber atmosphere among the girls, with distant rumbles of thunder foreshadowing an impending storm.

Yuuki Yukino unexpectedly gathered people together at this time, either because of a major breakthrough or because their actions encountered significant obstacles.

Judging from Yuuki Yukino's expression, the girls knew without even guessing that it must be the latter.

Yuuki Yukino's fingers tapped lightly on the metal railing, producing a dull echo. She then slowly turned her head, her gaze sweeping over everyone present. Her comrades, who had once fought alongside her, still stood with her, yet remained silent for a long time.

Yuuki Yui took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound firm and strong, but her words only made the others feel even heavier.

"The Dreamland has been taken away."

These words were like a bombshell, shattering the silence among the girls. Gasps and whispers immediately filled the air, but no one dared to ask Yuuki Yukino about her current situation.

The literal meaning of that sentence alone leaves one wondering how to respond to her.

"Xiaoyuan, what does this mean?"

After a long while, Inuyama Tomoe, who was one of the closest to Yuuki Yuki among the group, asked the question that everyone was very concerned about on behalf of the others.

Yuuki Yukino flipped over and jumped down from the fence, letting out a long breath through her nostrils as if she were sighing.

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out; she seemed to still be hesitating.

"I'll answer for her."

A small cluster of tentacles on Yuuki Yuuki's shoulder twitched and transformed into a small jellyfish, which then climbed onto Yuuki Yuuki's head.

This voice is familiar to everyone; it's Sumireko Yumehara's voice. It seems she's not currently inside Yuuki Yuuki's handheld device, but rather attached herself to Yuuki Yuuki and has come here with her.

"The Dreamland has been attacked. Genken Mashiro and Asahimi used the corrupted magical girls that Yuuki Yui and I captured and brought into the Dreamland as the key to open the path to the Dreamland. They also moved the entire Grand Cathedral there and intend to use the inseparable relationship between the Dreamland and the magical girl cycle to bring the magical girl system of the entire Moonsea City under their control."

Upon hearing Sumireko Yumehara's words, everyone's first reaction was to freeze in place.

What Sumireko Yumehara said was really too far-fetched, and every step was hard to understand.

However, they still understood the core content, which was not difficult for them at all.

Genken Mashiro and Asahimi have taken action, and this action is a devastating blow to these magical girls.

Knowing this is enough; there's no need to elaborate further.

……

A dream world.

Black mud, resembling boiling magma, rolled around the gray-white sanctuary, occasionally creating waves that crashed against the rough walls, continuously staining the sanctuary, which stood there solitary like an island, with a dark hue.

Asahimi, who was in the main hall of the cathedral, opened her arms and looked up at the arched dome of the cathedral, which was composed of ever-changing stained glass, and admired the masterpiece they had created with satisfaction.

“We succeeded. Just like you said, the wedges I drove in beforehand really worked, and we really got here through them.”

Genken Mashiro remained silent, sitting on a bench at the back of the sanctuary, her hands tightly clasped together, her swirling eyes fixed on her fingertips, leaving Asahimi unable to fathom what she was thinking.

Asahi walked over and sat down next to Genjiro Mashiro, leaning back in his chair and stretching out. He quickly glanced at Genjiro Mashiro's face out of the corner of his eye.

However, Mashiro Urouge didn't seem to react at all, maintaining her previous posture and still thinking about something that Asahi Miya couldn't even imagine.

She couldn't see through Mashiro's heart, but she hoped to understand him better.

"Mashiro, aren't you happy? We really succeeded!" Asahimi pouted slightly.

"Yes, I'm so happy, we really succeeded. Just like I expected, just like all the countless experiments I've done over the years."

A breath of warm air quietly escaped from Genki Mashiro's lips, making Asahimi feel as if she were sighing.

"She's a gentle girl and will definitely do everything she can to help everyone she can. The most suitable place to separate them from their owner is here. Until she finds a way to separate them, she can only imprison them here temporarily. All of this is within our expectations."

"They could never have imagined that our ultimate goal is here, the place closest to the origin. Here, nothing can stop us. My plan will be flawless."

“We will definitely succeed. No god will answer our wishes, but if it is your wish, I will definitely be able to make it come true.”

Asahi Mi's eyes flickered.

“It is our wish.” She corrected Genken Mashiro’s statement.

Gen Kenma was momentarily stunned. Her slightly open mouth seemed to be about to utter something, but after a few seconds, she swallowed the words back. Her eyes, which had been slightly wide open, dimmed even more.

“Yes, that’s our wish.” Genken Mashiro nodded, seemingly talking to herself, “They will all come true.”

"What are you thinking about?" Asahimi asked again.

“It’s nothing important.” This time, Mashiro Konnokami shook her head.

"Alright." Asahimi sighed somewhat dejectedly, her sigh was stronger than that of Gen Urobuchi Mashiro, and she made no attempt to hide it.

Then, Asahi squinted and winked at Gen Ken Mashiro: "Tell me about what happened between us, just like before."

"you……"

Genki Mashiro hesitated. If Yuuki and her group saw Genki Mashiro now, they would definitely be surprised by her unfamiliarity.

Genjiro cautiously probed, as if afraid of touching a sore spot, yet also as if unable to resist the urge to ask the question.

How much do you remember?

Asahimi tilted his head to one side.

"Not much, very little. I am a new human being, how could I remember what happened to me before? Everything is new to me now, everything is new. So, please continue to tell me what happened to us afterward."

The sound of Mashiro inhaling seemed to become more pronounced, as if some difficult choice was being made in her mind, but Asahi still couldn't understand it.

After a long wait, Gen Ken Mashiro sighed helplessly again.

"Hmm... okay."

……

Are you... avoiding me?

Saint Prayer stood in front of the girl, somewhat awkwardly hiding his hands behind his back to conceal his clenched fingers due to nervousness.

"No, I didn't do that. On the contrary, why are you keeping such a close eye on me, an ordinary church nun?"

Genki raised her empty eyes, which seemed devoid of anything, and the deep vortex within them made it difficult for Seiki to read what she was thinking.

However, not being able to see through the other person's thoughts does not mean that the two parties cannot communicate.

Sharing the same language, living under the same sky, breathing the same air, and being able to see each other face to face at this moment, people are connected in countless ways, and she can also create more connections with this girl.

“You are not an ordinary nun, but the youngest nun in history, a nun who awakened her power on her own without going through our rituals.”

"Because my power was not directly bestowed by Him, the Holy Maiden is not at ease with me."

Genken Mashiro continued to summarize on her own, not even using a rhetorical question, but rather stating it as if it were a given fact.

“Every magical girl’s power is directly bestowed by Him; you are no different from them.” Seiki gently shook her head, denying Genki Mashiro’s statement, and expressing her true feelings in the process: “I just hope to understand you a little better.”

"You can see all my information and know what my desires are. If you want to know more about me, feel free to ask, and I will answer to the best of my ability." Genki Mashiro nodded slightly and lowered her head.

This gesture of submission made Saint Prayer somewhat uncomfortable. The other girl was the same age as her, yet she always acted like those rigid adults, or like those nuns who had the same starting point as her but were destined to go down different paths.

"Who taught you such an old-fashioned way of speaking? The nuns? They're not like that at all."

Seiki frowned. She really wanted to tap Genki Mashiro's head with her finger. Although even if she did that, Genki Mashiro probably wouldn't react, it would be impolite and wouldn't convey her thoughts to him.

Saint Prayer had no other thoughts.

She really just wanted to understand the other person.

Just like everyone she wanted to understand and help.

Chapter 173 Before the Battle

under night.

Seiki quietly walked over to Genki Mashiro, who was sitting on the artificial turf with her knees drawn up to one side, patted the spot next to the girl, and slowly sat down beside her.

Genjiro Mashiro acted as if she hadn't seen anything, still gazing at the distant night sky, but Seiki felt that the night sky didn't exist in her eyes.

It wasn't just the night sky; it was as if nothing existed in her eyes.

Thinking this, Seiki shifted her gaze and followed Genki Mashiro's line of sight to the sparsely lit sky under the moon.

Time passed by, and after a long while, it was Gorgen Mashiro who spoke first.