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

What is all this nonsense?!

Mizuno Yu and Herika were stunned for less than a second before pushing the books on the table toward Hayashi Mustard and chasing after him one after the other.

"What do we do next?" Yuuki asked in a low voice as she carried her as they ran.

"I don't know!" Baqi replied succinctly.

Fortunately, Baqi did manage to rescue herself, but she felt it would have been better if she hadn't.

Yuuki Yukino was being jostled around on Tomoe's shoulder, her eyes completely lifeless.

Chapter Thirteen: Getting lost in the woods is quite common, isn't it?

Yuuki Yukino was carried on the shoulder of Tomoe, who was running wildly. It felt like I had seen this scene before.

While being carried away, Yuuki Yukino was not idle either, and briefly explained the whole story to Baqi.

"So that's what Xiaoyuan meant by 'saving you'!" Baqi hadn't realized her mistake and was running wildly towards Moonsea Park. "But didn't I already rescue Xiaoyuan?"

"Is this considered a rescue?!" Yuuki Yukari was on the verge of tears. She couldn't think of how to explain to Baqi that her so-called rescue didn't mean this.

"Of course, I performed quite well on the spot, didn't I?" Judging from Baqi's tone, she actually felt confident.

Not good at all! Anyone could have done a better job with this kind of improvisation. What is kidnapping? What is eel rice? Even if you had made a scene at the door and waited for those two magical girls to transform before running away, it would have been a hundred times better than the current situation, right?

Yuuki Yui could only mutter a few complaints in her heart. She was also responsible for not being able to explain the cause and effect of the matter before simply sending a request for help.

Would a normal person think of such a way to save someone? No, normal people don't transform; magical girls are extraordinary beings in themselves.

Yuuki Yukino couldn't tell whether the problem was with Tomoe or with herself.

Yuuki Yukino has escaped from the family restaurant, so Nabaki's mission should be successfully completed.

Now is not the time to hold anyone accountable; the more important thing is to get Ba Qi out of trouble first.

"Anyway, they won't continue doing summer homework now that we're back. Why don't you drop me off and run away before they catch up?" Yuuki suggested.

"Won't leaving Yuuki like this arouse suspicion from others?" At this moment, Baqi's intelligence briefly returned, making it hard for Yuuki to believe that the current Baqi was the same person who had just impulsively carried her away.

"When you carried me out, didn't you consider that I might arouse suspicion from others?!"

In the end, Baqi carried Yuuki Eri all the way to Gekkai Park.

There were quite a few people at Tsukimi Park during the summer vacation, and a few people noticed Yuuki Yukino being carried on someone's shoulders.

"Mind your own business when it comes to magical girls" is an unwritten rule among the residents of Haishi every month, so everyone chooses to turn a blind eye.

In the end, Baqi placed Yuki Eri on the back hill of Moon Sea Park.

It's that back mountain where Yuuki fought with Mizuno Yu and ate barbecue. Yuuki doesn't know why a scene that's almost non-existent in the game has such a strong presence on her side.

"The important matter comes first," Yuuki Yukino straightened her clothes and reminded Baqi.

"I can't transform this time, otherwise it will be too easy to be exposed. You'll have to figure out a way to escape later."

"Don't worry! I've already made up my mind! I'll be right back!" Ba Qi patted her chest to assure her, then ran off in a flash.

If Yuuki Yui had known back then that Tomoe's plan was to block Mizuno Yui and Mizuno Yui from entering the mountains, she would never have agreed to it, even if it meant death.

Then Yuuki was left all alone in the back mountain. In the distance, she heard the thunder and explosions from the battle between Baqi and the other two. The sounds stopped after a while. Not long after that, Baqi sent her a message on her phone: "They escaped."

Ah, very good, Baqi has successfully escaped.

And what about me? I've been abandoned here! This place is in the mountains, far from the city, and there's no road here!

There are so many places to go, why did you choose this one?

If it were any other magical girl, Yuuki Yuuki would have felt that the other party was taking revenge on her, but the person who abandoned her here was Tomoe.

Baqi won't retaliate against herself; Baqi just has intermittent bouts of madness.

The area behind the mountain isn't particularly large; if you only look at the straight-line distance, you might think it's insignificant. However, considering the road conditions and complex environment, it could take several times longer to get out.

If he could transform, he could fly back in a short time by stepping on the magic book, but Helica and Mizuno Yu were nearby, so he absolutely could not transform.

Herika and Mizuno Yuu also sent messages to confirm Yuuki Yuuki's safety, so Yuuki Yuuki could only make up lies such as that after Tomoe put her down, she ran away while clamoring for eel rice.

Perhaps because Yuuki Yui was attacked by corrupted magical girls more than once, Mizuno Yui and the others probably believed Yuuki Yui's story.

Mizuno Yu also sent a message in the group asking if there were any distinctive features around Yuuki Yuuki.

“Trees,” Yuuki Yuuki replied.

"Can't you be serious for once!" Helica, who had split up, could no longer contain herself.

"Then look around you and see what you have?" Yuuki asked back.

"Tree." Helica sent her last message, and the group fell silent.

And so things have developed into what they are now. Even when it got dark and the stars filled the sky, Yuuki Yuki still hadn't managed to emerge from the forest.

There was summer, an evening breeze, the chirping of insects, and countless stars. Yuki was lost in the back mountains, following the city lights.

It was very quiet around, with only the chirping of insects and the rustling of leaves in the wind.

It was very dark all around, with only dappled moonlight filtering through the leaves and casting spots of light on the ground.

If Yuuki Eri hadn't gotten lost in the forest, wandering around such a place would actually have been quite an experience.

But all she felt was anxiety. It wasn't resentment towards others, nor did she want to vent to anyone. It was just a faint feeling, like a small pebble that had accidentally rolled into her shoe. It wasn't unbearable, but it continuously brought an unpleasant experience.

Yuuki Yukino, who always tends to overthink, wasn't thinking about anything at this moment. She just walked along, looking around, searching for the person who was also searching for her.

Maybe this feeling is loneliness?

It was the first time I had ever felt lonely since I came into this world, which was quite strange.

While accompanying Baqi and Helica in their antics, thinking that I was the one providing them with help, I actually gained a lot in return.

She continued forward, leaving the swaying branches and the starry sky behind her, getting closer to the glittering jungle of steel and concrete.

"Yuki Yuen?"

In a daze, someone called out to her.

Yuuki Yui was still walking blankly, as if she hadn't heard the call. After taking a couple of steps, she turned her head as if waking from a dream and looked in the direction of the sound.

Helica, dressed in her transformed magical armor, no longer surrounded by lightning, nor carrying her signature warhammer, flew through the air and accelerated toward her.

Herika landed beside Yuuki Yuuki. The shadows of the trees in the moonlight fell on her face. It was hard to see her expression in the dark forest without any lights, but her anxious tone revealed her urgency.

"Are you alright? That musketeer girl didn't do anything to you, did she?"

"No, she... just like I said, after leaving me here, she kept making a fuss about wanting to eat eel rice, saying that she didn't get to eat it last time because she was disturbed, and then she ran away."

Yuuki Yukino is still trying to cover up her previous lies to increase the credibility of her words.

"Phew, I'm so glad you're alright." Helica breathed a sigh of relief, her tone shifting from worry to harshness: "Honestly! How could you be so careless as to get kidnapped! Do you know how worried we were!"

"Ah, I'm sorry..."

"Tch, whatever. Be more careful next time. If something like this happens again, remember to hide first, because with someone like you, I can't even do my homework!" Helica complained unhappily, deactivating her transformation. From the beads of sweat on her face, it was clear that she hadn't been idle at all.

"Pfft."

Helica seems to be complaining, but she's probably actually worried about herself.

Thinking this, Yuuki Yukina couldn't help but laugh out loud, and all the inexplicable frustration in her heart vanished.

"What are you laughing at?" Herika felt a little uneasy at Yuuki Yuuki's sudden laughter.

"nothing."

Yuuki Yukino walked ahead, getting closer to the neon-lit city.

"Then let's go back."

Let's get some rest early tonight, everyone! Goodnight!

Chapter Fourteen: Even Ao Chen is withdrawn today.

"Let's go back."

Yuuki met up with Helica in the small forest behind the mountain. She didn't want to linger for a moment longer. She had been walking around for half a day and had used up a lot of energy. Going home early and getting a good night's sleep was the most important thing.

"Oh, wait a minute."

As Helica spoke, she took out her phone and dialed a number. The signal in the back mountain was intermittent, and Yuuki Yu could only make out the voice of Mizuno Yu from the intermittent sounds coming from the other end of the phone.

"Hello? I found Yuuki Yukino. Yes, that's right, she's alright. I'll take her home. Huh? Speak louder! Hello?"

Because of the poor signal, most of their subsequent conversation was pointless, and Yuuki didn't listen carefully. After Helica and Mizuno Yu exchanged a few more words, they hung up and then said to Yuuki:

"Alright, I've already spoken to Mizuno Yu on the phone. I'll take you home later, you troublesome guy."

After speaking, Helica put her phone back in her pants pocket and started walking without asking Yuuki Yuki's opinion.

When interacting with Helica, Yuuki Yuuki always paid great attention to her image. Apart from occasionally being unable to help but complain, she always played the role of a gentle girl with a slightly cunning personality.

In fact, she doesn't need to act cunning; she enjoys seeing Helica suffer and teasing Helica is one of her hobbies.

However, there's a right time to play pranks. Yuuki only wanted to avoid doing homework together, but Helica and Mizuno Yu had gone to so much trouble for their own sake, so Yuuki felt a little guilty about playing pranks on her.

Yuuki quickened her pace to catch up, walking side by side with Helica in the direction away from the back mountain.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Helica, still puzzled, continued walking, and without turning her head, casually asked, "Why are you apologizing?"

"Because of me, Tenrai and Mizuno made an extra trip for me, and I didn't do much of my summer homework."

Herlica's tone was very ordinary, and Yuuki Yuuki didn't seem to think before she spoke.

"Yuki Yukino, what do you mean by this?"

Helica stopped in her tracks.

Hearing Helica's angry reply, Yuuki Yuuki realized that she had inadvertently let something slip.

It's true that I planned the whole thing, but Helica was unaware of it. Instead, I said some things I shouldn't have said while I was relaxed.

It's indeed strange that Helica didn't know she had orchestrated the whole thing.

Moreover, the apology was merely a matter of courtesy, but what followed was rather unpleasant to Helica.

Helica did say things like she couldn't do her homework, but they both knew she was just putting on a show.

But when Yuuki Yuki said it, the meaning changed completely; it became a complaint, sarcastic remarks, and an overreaction... No matter how you look at it, she shouldn't have said anything.