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

Minato Nana suddenly remembered that night, remembered herself for not being able to do anything back then, and remembered the tragic past and future that people had experienced since then.

Even though she's no longer at an age where she's impulsive, she still wants to do something impulsively, even if it's just a futile attempt.

For Lin Jiezi, and even more so for the mediocre self of the past.

I don't want to lay a hand on you.

Yuuki Yukino, who had already arrived in front of Minato Nana, still had her hands behind her back and spoke coldly.

Minamoto remained silent, only holding Hayashi Kikuko in her arms even tighter.

“I’ll count to three, then let her go, or else…” Yuuki Yu spoke incredibly slowly, raising her hand with equal slowness, merely making a gesture as if demanding something from someone. But if Yuuki Yu wanted, even such a gesture could snatch something away in an instant.

Perhaps it was Hayashi Mustard in Minato Nana's arms, or perhaps it was something about Minato Nana herself...

"one."

Minato Nana forcefully shielded Hayashi Keiko, who was too terrified to utter a word, and looked at Yuuki Yukina with a resolute gaze, showing no sign of backing down.

Yuuki Yukino's expression didn't change at all, and then she extended her hand forward again: "Two."

Minato Nana could feel her legs, arms, and even her whole body trembling violently. The scenery in front of her was blurry, and she could hear her heartbeat clearly.

Her heart was racing, her blood was flowing faster, and she felt dizzy. Minato Nana felt as if her body no longer belonged to her.

But she still used her last bit of strength to pull Lin Jiezi back a little.

"Sigh." Yuuki sighed, counting the last number with utter casualness.

"three."

"do not want!"

Nishio Reki shouted at the top of his lungs, but he couldn't stop Yuuki Yukino's actions.

A katana suddenly materialized in Yuuki Yukino's hand, its blade slicing through the air and heading straight for Minato Nana's body.

Minato hunched her shoulders, using her back to firmly protect Hayashi Kikuko, and tightly closed her eyes, unwilling to face the final scene that might terrify her.

hum.

The pain and even death that Minato Nana had imagined did not come, but the dull thud, like metal colliding, made her eardrums ache, and her brain seemed to boil.

Minato's thoughts paused for a moment, and then she felt as if her consciousness could once again control her body. The fear that had reached its peak receded like the tide, and she was still standing there safely.

Minato loosened her overly tight embrace of Hayashi Mustard and slowly turned her neck to look behind her.

A musical instrument that looked incredibly familiar to Minato Nana blocked Yuuki Yuki's attack. The two struggled against each other, locked in a stalemate. Sparks flying from the axe blade and the katana blade protruding from the bass almost jumped onto Minato Nana's face.

Yuuki Yukino took a half step back, separating herself from the girl holding the bass.

The girl straightened her body, holding the bass-shaped battle axe in one hand, leaving only a petite back view and a not-so-clear profile against the light.

But that profile remained etched in Minami's heart, never fading even a little over the countless days and nights.

Ten years have passed, yet it feels just like the first time we met.

Chapter 282 It's past midnight

When the group of girls returned to Tsukimi City from Hoshimi City, it was past midnight.

The girls had to find a car rental company and pay them double the commission before they agreed to give them a ride.

Perhaps sensing the girls' urgency, the minivan carrying them sped along the way, catching up with their schedule in just a few hours.

However, within just a few hours, the situation in Yuehai City underwent some dramatic changes.

Despite the girls having some premonition and seeing on the news that Tsukimi City was in widespread chaos—far exceeding that of Hoshimi City—they were still shocked when they saw the current state of Tsukimi City the moment they got off the bus.

It wasn't as if Nishio Reki had described it, reduced to scorched earth, but the entire city was enveloped in a very eerie atmosphere.

Strange monsters either hovered in the sky, wandered in the middle of the streets, or curled up in some open space to rest for a while, while the entire city was almost devoid of human presence.

The collapsed utility poles, broken flower beds, fallen signs, and numerous scratches on the ground and walls all testify to the fierce battle or one-sided destruction that once took place in this city.

Looking at the enormous, unclosed portal in the sky and the monsters roaming the streets, it's obvious which side won.

Fortunately, they didn't see any trace of humans at first glance—at least no one was lying on the street. This meant that even though it was destruction, Yuuki Enishi, the instigator of all this, was controlling her strength and not launching indiscriminate attacks like Kuroba Reisei had done.

The girls couldn't immediately grasp the rest of the information. They were only on the outskirts of the city. When the driver who brought them back noticed the monsters lurking there, he decided not to go any further.

The driver, who later returned to Hoshimi City, said the following.

"You don't know, Moonsea City really is a city of demons. Monsters are everywhere, and there are signs of destruction everywhere, but you can't see a single magical girl. This is completely different from what we see on the internet! Seriously, I'm not kidding, that city is finished! Utterly finished!"

"I must have been out of my mind to agree to let those kids go to Yuehai City. Looking back now, it's terrifying. If I had the chance to choose again, even if the price doubled, no, ten times, I would never have gone!"

After saying goodbye to the driver, the girls continued towards the city center, but the closer they got, the stronger their sense of foreboding became.

It's common knowledge that these monsters possess Shubnigs's magic, but along the way, not to mention those that pounced on them, they saw quite a few just wandering around aimlessly. This number was clearly not something Yuuki En could create casually.

This made the girls even more convinced that Yuuki Yukino's decision was not impulsive, but rather well-prepared, and that the opportunity was brought about by the meeting between Tenrai Herika and Yuuki Yukino.

It's probably not appropriate to judge who is right and who is wrong now; the most urgent task is to find Nishio Reki.

From the moment they boarded the bus, Nishio Reki's phone was unreachable, possibly due to damage to his communication equipment, which is why Nishio Reki remained out of contact.

However, on their way back to the city center, they encountered another unexpected person.

The magical power emanating from Kuroba Ryouse and Seishine during their battle with the monsters undoubtedly attracted the girls' attention, so they changed direction and found the two of them first.

From Sheng Shiyin's words, the group learned what had happened earlier.

"Yuki Yuuki suddenly appeared in the sky above Moonsea City along with those teleportation portals, and the monsters appeared as well. Then Yuki Yuuki disappeared without a trace, leaving only the monsters to wreak havoc throughout the city. Although the extent of the damage was not very large, it still caused quite a bit of an impact."

"At that time, many magical girls or corrupted magical girls were mobilized. It was not difficult to deal with these monsters, but there were just too many of them. After ensuring that most people had returned to a safe place and there were few pedestrians left on the street, most of the magical girls retreated. After all, no matter how much they were cleared out, they would continue to emerge."

"However, it's not entirely accurate to say that Yuuki Yuuki has completely disappeared. She did appear briefly once. Although the entire Moonsea City was filled with chaotic magic at the time, I am, after all, a bishop of the church, and I have personally experienced the magic of the Primordial Darkness. So I immediately discovered Yuuki Yuuki's location. However, when I got there, it seemed that everything had already ended."

Inuyama Tomoe's previously low spirits instantly lifted, and she stepped forward, grabbed Seishin's arm, and pulled her towards him.

"What? You said you've felt Xiaoyuan's magic? Then hurry up and tell me where she is?"

Kuroba Laisei silently gripped the greatsword in his hand, but did not make any rash moves because of the buzzing sound of Koumori's chainsaw starting up. However, his anger at Inuyama Tomoe's disrespectful behavior towards her master was clearly written on his face.

Saint Shiyin was startled by Ba Qi's sudden pull, but having experienced many things, she quickly calmed herself down and shook off Ba Qi's hand with one hand.

"Yes, I have felt Yuuki Yukino's magic, but as for her location, I only know a general idea."

……

Even though Seishion only gave a general direction, the girls, knowing Yuuki Yuuki well, immediately guessed that the location Seishion was referring to was the coffee shop where Yuuki Yuuki worked.

Saint Shion and Kuroba Rise still had to clear out the monsters roaming the city, and besides, the two sides were not on the same side to begin with, so the girls' actions naturally wouldn't be with them. After saying goodbye to the two, the group of eight headed towards the coffee shop.

The girls had a legitimate reason for leaving Moonsea City, so they took the opportunity to check on their families. Fortunately, although their families were somewhat frightened, they were not actually in danger.

Upon arriving at the coffee shop, the girls realized something was amiss.

The coffee shop's roller shutter door was torn open like a piece of waste paper, and the glass windows inside were shattered all over the floor. The coffee utensils and the tables and chairs inside were unrecognizable, and there were several shocking cracks on the floor and walls.

Baqi tried to turn on the lights, but there was no response; the power in the store must have been damaged in the fight.

Indeed, no one doubts that a fight once took place here, and the one who fought was undoubtedly Yuuki Enishi.

However, the other party who could fight Yuuki Yuki like this is somewhat intriguing.

While using her phone for illumination, Baqi carefully examined the marks on the wall and pondered, "They are all marks from sharp weapons, but no one was injured. To be able to fight Xiaoyuan to this extent... could it be that nun from the Holy Temple who wielded the long katana?"

"Big sister, there's a broken phone here, but the SIM card has been removed. Could it be Nishio Reki's phone? Was Nishio Reki there when the battle happened?" Koumori squatted down and picked up a tattered phone with a completely broken screen.

“I don’t think it’s necessary to go through all that trouble. Since Yuuki Yukino is fighting here, why don’t we just go and ask her directly?” Helica said, looking around with her arms crossed.

"The person involved, do you mean the store manager?" Inuyama Tomoe asked. "I thought of that too. Since the conflict happened here, Minato-san must have been present. But Tsukimi City is so big, where can we find her?"

Helica patted her chest: "Ah, that's easy. Remember where I stayed until yesterday?"

……

Before this, Herika had always felt that it was extremely embarrassing to run away from home, go to Hoshimi City on her own, return in disgrace, and be taken in by Minato Nana for two days.

If Yuuki Yui really did take advantage of the opportunity of him going to see her to plan his return to Yuehai City, then he would feel even more ashamed and guilty.

But now that I think about it, if I hadn't been taken in by Minato Nana for a few days, the clues I had were probably lost forever.

So it's not entirely a bad thing.

Helica knocked on the door she wasn't particularly familiar with, and then joined the others in an anxious wait at the door.

They had initially considered splitting up, but that idea was ultimately rejected. Everyone wanted to know what had happened to Yuuki Yukino as soon as possible, and if the coffee shop manager knew, listening to him together would be a good option.

However, there were indeed too many people. Just standing in front of Minato Nana's house was crowded, and the last few people in the line even had to stand on the stairs to fit.

After a period of anxiety, footsteps sounded in the room, which relieved Herika's anxiety considerably.

The remaining half is either that Minato Nana was unaware of the situation, or that she was upset and therefore refused to receive everyone.

After all, she had dragged her into the world of magical girls once again, and given what had happened to Nana in the past, Helica wasn't entirely sure what to do.

Just as Herika was feeling uneasy, the door was pushed open, and Minato Nana, who had already changed her clothes, was standing in the doorway.

Upon seeing Helica and her group, Minato Nana's eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't say anything extra. Instead, she made way for Helica and her group to enter.

"Come in first."

"Excuse me." Helica gave a slight bow, then stepped into the room.

The lights in the room were still on, and you could see the living room clearly.

Just as Helica had expected, Nishio Reki was sitting on the sofa with his head down, confirming that Nishio Reki was also a witness to the incident, but because his phone was smashed, he was unable to contact everyone.

Not far from Nishio Reki, sitting on a sofa, sat a young girl whom Herika did not recognize. She looked to be no older than Herika, about the same age as Tsukimi Rie. The girl looked strangely familiar to Herika.

Helica didn't think much of it, assuming it was some magical girl who had helped Minato Nana and Nishio Reki, probably one of the magical girls awakened by Asahimi. She then took off her shoes, stepping onto the floor in only her socks, and stood aside, waiting for the other girls to enter.

Hearing the noise at the door, Nishio Reki also looked up, but did not speak immediately, seemingly waiting for the girls to file in.

Including the newly joined Miya Miyashita, all nine girls entered Minato Nana's house. Since it was a different place from a cafe, the girls were inevitably a little reserved.

Helica stood at the back and noticed that some of the people traveling with her had slightly subtle expressions, but the current situation was clearly not suitable for her to ask questions.

"Everyone, don't stand, come and sit down." Minato Nana walked through the crowd, but sat down on the floor near the sofa first.

The girls all agreed and then sat down on the floor, filling the living room to the brim.

After the girls were seated, Nishio Reki was the first to speak, but what he said made everyone's hearts skip a beat.

"Lin Jiezi was taken away by Xiao Yuan."