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

Yuuki Yukino just wanted to see Helica, that's all.

But they are really too cunning...

They've brought out something like this; they're incredibly cunning.

How can I possibly refuse Helica the Thunder God?

Seeing such a thing, Yuuki Yukino must have felt a mix of emotions, but as countless feelings surged into her heart, she didn't know what to do.

In that instant, Yuuki Yukino's thinking became sluggish, her mind filled with only one thought.

Just like that, I agreed to Helica's request, and I went back with her, together with everyone...

Yuuki Yukino clenched her fist tightly, her hand, which had remained in the same position when Helica tackled her, and her nails, which hadn't been trimmed for days, dug deeply into her palm.

The excruciating pain that pierced her heart brought Yuuki Yuki back to her senses.

Yuuki Yukino is not a very rational person. Although she often thinks rationally, she mostly acts on emotion.

But now, Yuuki Yuuki is facing a problem that can no longer be solved by emotion alone.

"I'm sorry," Yuuki Yui said sullenly, "This wish really can't be made."

Helica, who was riding on Yuuki Yuki's back, stopped moving. She remained in the same position, pointing at Yuuki Yuki with one finger and holding up the small piece of paper with the other.

pat, pat.

The raindrops falling from the sky completely soaked the small note in Helica's hand, which had been written by Yuuki Yuuki herself. The ink on it was so blurred that it was impossible to read what had been written on it.

Herika lowered her head, her face mostly shrouded in shadow against the dim light of the distant streetlamp, making it impossible for Yuuki to see her expression.

Yuuki Yui could only see Tenrai Herika's shoulders trembling slightly, the piece of paper in her hand completely soaked with water, limp and hanging wetly in Herika's hand.

Is Helica crying?

Yuuki Yukino couldn't tell, but she really wanted to cry right now, to wail and let all the grievances in her heart pour out.

But Yuuki Yukino knew that she absolutely could not do that.

Once you shed tears, your defenses will completely crumble, and everything you've done will truly be in vain.

I might just return to Moonsea City, maybe I'll see everyone again, maybe... I'll enjoy one last happy moment, and then we'll all welcome the grand apocalypse together.

No, absolutely not. This is not the kind of development I want at all. What I hope for is a perfect ending where everyone overcomes the difficulties together.

However, just looking at the expression of suppressed sadness in the shadows of Tenrai Herika, and feeling the slightly trembling warmth of Tenrai Herika pressing against her, Yuuki Yukina's thoughts came to an abrupt halt once again.

"Herika." Yuuki Yuuki softly called out the name of Tenrai Herika, then lowered her head slightly into the puddles on the ground. The sound of rain echoed in her ears, and Yuuki Yuuki heard it even more clearly.

Upon hearing Yuuki Yuuki's call, Tenrai Herika slightly raised her head, her expression on her water-streaked face completely unreadable to Yuuki Yuuki.

But no matter how many emotions are mixed in, the main feeling is still despair.

Yuuki Yukino has had enough of making these decisions herself.

This time, she will give the choice to Helica the Thunder.

"Herika," Yuuki called softly again, "If I use my power again, I might really lose control, so I won't resist."

Herlica's eyes widened slightly, and her sharp canines bit her lower lip, as if she were suppressing a soft sob. But in the pouring rain, Herlica's voice would easily be drowned out by the sound of the rain.

Yuuki Yukino's voice was even softer: "If you want to take me back, now is your only chance. Do what you want before the others catch up."

Ah, I said it.

The other party is Helica, the Thunder God, who has been working hard to find me until now. There's no way she would give up at this final moment, right?

Perhaps returning to Moonsea City wouldn't be a bad choice...?

After all, Helica had already taken out that kind of thing, and I had even seen Helica's expression. If I didn't soften my heart, wouldn't that be too much to ask?

Yuuki Yukino thought to herself silently and closed her eyes.

Herlica didn't move for a moment, but just looked at Yuuki Yuki with a complicated expression.

Immediately afterwards, Yuuki Yuki, whose vision had been completely dark, heard Helica's soaked clothes rustling as she rubbed against herself, and then the weight pressing down on her disappeared.

And then, nothing was left.

It seemed as if I was hearing footsteps, stepping through puddles on the ground as they gradually disappeared into the distance.

Helica, is she gone?

Yuuki Yukino raised her arm and pressed it over her eyes, obscuring her vision even more completely.

Silence, deathly silence. Apart from the sound of rain, there was no other sound around Yuuki Yuki.

He had already acquiesced, so why was Helica leaving? Why did she have to take him with her? He had finally backed down, finally softened his heart, and now she was taking him with her!

How could it have turned out like this? Just when I didn't want to go back no matter what, Helica suddenly came into my sight. After shaking my heart, she left without saying a word.

How did things turn out like this?!

Why does Helica, the Thunder God, always do things that are unexpected and completely contrary to her own thoughts?

Yuuki Yui slammed her tightly clenched fist weakly into the puddle, splashing up a large spray of water.

After so long, she could finally cry out loud.

……

Inside the coffee shop run by Minato Nana in Tsukimi City.

"What did you say? Xiaoyuan clearly said that! Didn't she want you to bring her back? At this crucial moment! You...you left her there and then left alone?"

Inuyama Baki's expression was exceptionally interesting; the cup of coffee she was holding almost fell directly onto Tenrai Herika's face.

Helica finally managed to gather everyone together, and this is what she's going to say?

"Correct."

Although Tenrai Herika was unaware of what Inuyama Tomoe was thinking, she still openly admitted it.

“You…sigh…” Baqi really wanted to say more, but as soon as she thought of how pitiful Helica looked a few days ago, soaked in the rain like a stray cat, she knew that saying anything now would only make Helica sad, so Baqi swallowed her words back.

"I don't know if I did the right thing, maybe I did the wrong thing? Bringing Yuuki Yukina back and having everyone work together to figure out a solution should be the best option, right?"

Herlica looked up at the dusty, thin wires on the ceiling that had been used to hang decorations for Halloween and hadn't been taken down, but her gaze seemed to reach into a much more distant place.

"But seeing Yuuki Yukino's expression at the time, how could I possibly bring her back?"

Even Nishio Reki, who doesn't usually interrupt, couldn't contain his curiosity and asked Helica, "Yuan's expression? What was her expression at the time?"

“Yuki Yukino’s expression.” Helica raised the corners of her mouth and gave a dry laugh, but what was hidden in that smile was a bitterness even stronger than the espresso on the table.

"That's the expression of someone who has given up everything, not someone who is ready to take a gamble, but someone who has completely given up everything and is ready to face the worst possible outcome."

Chapter 264 Before the Darkest Night

What exactly is the turning point that will transform Helica?

Perhaps it was because the weather was a bit too nice that day, or perhaps it was because I had personally told Yuuki Yuen that she should discuss any problems with everyone.

In short, Tenrai Herika suddenly had a change of heart that afternoon, so she first went to help out at Minato Nana's shop to repay the kindness of the other party in taking care of her for the past two days, and then explained the general situation to Minato Nana at the barbecue restaurant where Minato Nana treated her to a meal.

The next day, Tenrai Herika summoned everyone to Minato Nana's shop—"everyone" referred not only to members of Nijisanji, but also Koumari and Hyakki Senyu from Hijiri-Yū.

As Yuuki Yuuki's comrades-in-arms, and among the few intelligent people in the entire team who could analyze the situation from other perspectives, Herika had no reason to hide it from them.

Of course, this was done with Nana's consent, and after closing the shop, I recounted what I had seen and heard over the past few days.

In fact, most of the content was meaningless. Helica only briefly mentioned where she went and whether there were any clues there. Her words became a little more detailed after she met Yuuki Yuki.

But it certainly couldn't be a detailed account; things like the wish ticket he finally pulled out and Yuuki Yuuki's wavering were covered up by Helica.

Helica might have felt ashamed to say these things, but she also had her own selfish reasons; she wanted this memory to remain a secret between the two of them.

Although Minato Nana understood the whole situation, she decided not to interfere and let the magical girls solve the problem themselves; that was the best option.

Of course, Minato was undoubtedly surprised when she learned that everyone in the room was a magical girl. When she saw that they were actually chatting about a topic that she couldn't join in, her surprise only increased.

What Nana Minato is like has never been the focus of this discussion, and the focus has already been summarized.

The person who summarized it was Nishio Reki, who, as the only one who knew Yuuki Eri and was connected to Gyoken Mashiro, saw the whole thing most clearly.

"Xiaoyuan is currently living in Hoshimi City with Miyashita Mia and Tsukimi Rie; and Xiaoyuan said that the power in her body is not due to her own corruption, but rather that she has been brainwashed by the Primordial Darkness... no, controlled by it; also, the Primordial Darkness, which is Tsukimi Rise, aims to obtain all the Primordial Power so that she can regain her complete power."

As soon as Nishio Reki finished speaking, everyone else nodded in agreement.

However, some people have raised questions about this: "Nishio, your previous memories were all about being hunted down by the Primordial Magical Girl. Isn't she different from the Primordial Darkness? And didn't you notice the existence of such a power within Yuuki back then?"

"I have indeed seen Xiaoyuan go berserk, both in reality and in my memory. At that time, Xiaoyuan was like a completely different person, and the original magical girl at that time did give people a strange feeling. Now that Xiaoyuan has said these things herself, I think Xiaoyuan's deduction is probably correct."

Nishio Reki nodded repeatedly, then suddenly slammed his fist into his palm.

"That's right! That's exactly it!"

"Huh? What? What did you find out again?" Baqi was startled by Nishio Reki's sudden shout.

Nishio Reki calmed his breathing and then nervously rubbed his hands together.

"Remember what I said before, that the operation of which world line is determined by the marker point of that world line? Yes, that's it. The primordial entity that chased me and Xiaoyuan cannot determine where the timeline stops. What can truly determine it is Xiaoyuan's Nyarlathotep, the core memory of Tsukimi Rise that is sleeping in Xiaoyuan's wand."

Hong Moli clenched her fist and pressed it against her lips, rubbing it repeatedly: "No wonder, so whether the original possessed Lin Jiezi's body, appeared in a state of being constructed with magic, or replicated an unclaimed body, their target would always be Yuuki Yukino."

Amidst whispers, the first and most shocking clue that Yuuki Yukino had mentioned was unanimously accepted by everyone. Just thinking about it made the girls feel much heavier.

Previously, Yuuki Yui talked about completing her redemption, and one of her goals was to kill the original corrupted magical girl. Now, after so much time has passed, that goal has become a reality.

Such an incredible goal has now become something the girls must do to save Yuuki Yukino. It would be impossible not to be nervous.

“So… Yuuki Yukari said that she can no longer return to Tsukishima City, and that she must disappear with this power… Is that what she meant…” Herika lowered her eyelashes and sighed helplessly, having lost the focus of everyone’s attention after the discussion began.

One of them had to stay in a foreign land. Even if he secretly ran back to Moonsea City, he could only greet his former enemies. His goal was to disappear with all his power and use his own end to create a future for others.

Just thinking about these things made Herika feel as if her beating heart was being squeezed and kneaded by a hand, and then slammed heavily to the ground.

Helica blinked hard a few times to relieve the soreness in her eyes, not wanting to embarrass herself in front of everyone at this time.

However, Helica found that everyone was looking at her, and they were all looking at her with the kind of eyes that looked at an idiot.

Under everyone's gaze, Helica felt a little guilty and began to stammer, "W-what's wrong?"

"Yellow-haired dwarf... no, Heavenly Thunder Herika, are you out of your mind?" Inuyama Baqi asked solemnly, abandoning the usual nicknames they used when bickering and addressing Herika by her first name, as if asking an extremely important question.

When Baki asked her so seriously, Helica wasn't upset at all; instead, she was so angry she almost laughed.

As Helica was thinking this, she actually laughed out loud. She then hurriedly covered her smile with her hands. After a while, only hidden anger remained in Helica's eyes before she was finally able to speak.