You call this a love game?

"is it?"

"Yes! Besides, Nagisa still has her mother, so even if she loses her father, she won't have any grievances."

Seemingly to ensure her resolve was strong enough, Hyakue Nagisa hummed in agreement and nodded twice to herself.

Seeing the girl's expression, Cupid could no longer resist and began to deceive her:

"You are currently being mocked by an immature society. For someone like you, becoming a magical girl is the best way to grasp hope."

Bai Jiangzhu subconsciously thought pessimistically, "...Xiao Zhu, Xiao Zhu definitely can't do it smoothly."

"How will you know if you don't try? I will support you to the best of my ability."

Cupid swore he had never met such a difficult person, especially one who was just an eight-year-old girl.

"Provide as much support as possible" is just empty talk. All it can do is get nearby magical girls to come and help, or even just make promises but not keep them. After all, once the contract is successful, the other party's fate is sealed.

However, it also needs to ensure the legitimacy of magical girls, and must ensure that regardless of whether they become magical girls or not, they will not be regarded as immoral people. To this, it can only say that humans are really too strange, why do they have to have such indifferent things?

"Then... if I refuse, does that mean Nagisa has done something wrong?"

"That's not true. It should be a matter of your free will to choose. No one can force you, and there is no punishment. However, in my experience, even if you refuse the contract, there are many cases where you will experience excessive mental pressure in the future. In your words, it's called 'regret'."

Kyubey walked ahead, leading the way for Nagisa Hyakue, and continued to recount stories from the past that were considered classic cases for humanity.

"By the time it takes for you to change your mind and then exchange your wishes for the fate of becoming a magical girl, your aptitude for becoming a magical girl has clearly declined... Such examples exist. Although your lifespans are but a fleeting moment to us, aren't they the same for yourselves?"

Bai Jiangzhu couldn't bring herself to say it, but she knew perfectly well that this was the truth.

Even if she can make a choice without regret, she believes most people cannot.

Hesitation and indecision arise because one feels they haven't made the best choice, and by the time they finally decide to act, they find they've already missed the best opportunity, or even lost it altogether.

"In other words, if you miss the opportunity to make a decision, there will be no chance to make up for it. You have the potential to become a magical girl. I'm just trying to help you understand the importance of the power you have because of it. That's why I keep coming back to you. Most wishes can be fulfilled if you want to. This is a miracle that people who don't do this can't achieve even if they spend their whole lives."

"However, Nagisa believes she possesses such power..."

She always felt weak, and the idea that she could possess something that others didn't should never happen to her.

"And Cupid, the route here is a bit roundabout."

"...Is that so? I didn't notice, I'm so sorry."

Although he apologized, Kyubey's usually slightly forced smile seemed to suddenly change.

"Huh? What is that?"

Seeing a grayish-white, twisted object suddenly appear on the wall in front of her, Nagisa Momoe curiously walked forward to investigate.

Before she could react, her vision suddenly shifted, the air itself seemed to distort, and the surrounding walls were covered in bizarre graffiti. Black vines and eerie roses were scattered haphazardly across the ground.

"What is this!? What's going on here?" Bai Jiangzhu was so startled by the sudden change that she took two steps back, almost dropping the cheese bag.

"It's a witch's barrier," Kyubey said calmly. "Looks like we've accidentally wandered in."

"Something's coming out!"

A cotton candy-like head with a mustache, supported by a strange butterfly, flew out from the corner and pounced on Hyakue Nagisa with scissor-like arms. She was so frightened that she closed her eyes and couldn't hear what Kyubey was saying.

"Those are the witch's minions, Nagisa, come with me—"

But the expected pain did not come.

All that could be heard was a sound like a blade flashing across a body, or the sound of tattered cloth being torn apart.

When Hyakue Nagisa opened her eyes, she saw a strange girl with a strange ring around her neck, a single horn on her forehead, and strange clothes standing in front of her.

The 'girl' was dressed in strange clothes and had strange makeup on her face. Her mouth looked like it had been torn open, and there were bright red scratches on both sides of her cheeks.

With a casual wave of her hand, pure white magic emerged from her hand, enveloping and binding all the terrifying-looking monsters. Eventually, like balloons unable to withstand the pressure, they burst and dissipated into starlight in the air.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Hyakue Nagisa exclaimed in admiration as she looked at the 'girl's' incredible abilities.

"Hey? Cupid? What are you doing here?"

After the girl finished dealing with the familiar in front of her, she turned around and saw Kyubey, who seemed a little unhappy.

"Are you... a sleepwalking ghost?" Kyubey looked her over and recognized the 'girl'. "I don't know if meeting you here is a good thing or a bad thing."

"Eh? Shouldn't you be thanking me even more?" The girl seemed a little surprised, but seeing the familiar rushing towards her again, she had no choice but to put aside those strange thoughts for the time being and focus on facing the familiar in front of her.

But she still took a moment to remind Hyakue Nagisa, "It's dangerous right now, so please don't move around!"

"Yes, yes."

Upon receiving this reminder from someone who looked very capable, Bai Jiangzhu naturally nodded in agreement.

Then he stood to the side with Kyubey, watching her fight the monsters with stars in his eyes and a look of envy on his face.

In no time, the monsters were wiped out, and the vision in front of them began to distort and spin, returning them to the normal world.

"Little girl, are you alright?" The girl looked at Hyakue Nagisa and asked with concern.

Bai Jiangzhu looked grateful and said, "Thank you so much for saving me!"

The girl waved her hand dismissively, "Alright, alright, we should help each other when we're in trouble."

"Um...may I ask what your name is?"

"My name is Yu, I forgot my last name, just call me Yu." Yu introduced herself, then inquired about Nagisa's identity, "You're with Kyubey, are you also a magical girl?"

"Hmm... I haven't decided yet."

“She’s still just a substitute,” Cupid explained.

"That's it."

Seeing Yu looking at her thoughtfully, Nagisa mustered her courage and asked, "Um, if Nagisa becomes a magical girl, I'd like to ask Yu to teach me in various ways!"

"Huh? Me, me?!"

Cupid: "...!"

"Nagisa, alright, we still need to be more careful about these things—"

Nagisa Momoe: "I'll think about it later. Right now, Nagisa is still in the wishing stage."

Yu frowned, looking troubled. "This is difficult. My level as a magical girl isn't high enough, and I'm not as experienced as I seem. I think it might be better if you ask someone else."

"Nagisa, what do you want to know? Is it about witches? Or about magic?"

"I want to know, why can Nagisa become a magical girl? Does Nagisa really deserve it? Nagisa hasn't done anything, she can't do anything, there are so many people smarter and more capable than Nagisa, and Nagisa doesn't even know what to wish for, so why was she chosen...?"

"Uh......"

Faced with a barrage of questions from this 'problem girl,' Yu's mind was momentarily blank.

Why did Yu become a magical girl? What wish did she make?

"Sigh...this is troublesome." Yu patted her head and said with some regret, "Actually, I have no memories of what happened before I became a magical girl. I can't remember why."

Then, as if remembering something, she took out a list she carried with her from behind her back and showed it to Hyakue Nagisa.

"And if I didn't have the list, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between good and bad people. How can you expect me to teach others? I'm not worthy of such an honor..."

"Ah! Come to think of it, I forgot something!" Yu exclaimed excitedly, flipping through the list rapidly, and asked eagerly, "Your surname! What's your surname?"

“Baijiang, my surname is Baijiang.”

"Yes, Nagisa Momoe, right..."

Yu flipped through the list, muttering to herself as she silently recited each name on it.

"It's not on the list. Baijiang Zhu is a good person."

Bai Jiangzhu looked puzzled. "A list? Good people?"

"Yes, this is a list that only records bad people. It just so happens to be over here, so all the bad people's names are written on it. Nagisa isn't on the list, so you must be a good person!"

Yu casually gave Baijiang Zhu a "friend card" and continued.

"I'm looking for and killing the bad guys on this list. Since Nagisa is a good person, I won't kill you."

"Kill!?" Upon hearing this word, Hyakue Nagisa reacted immediately.

She never expected that someone would casually utter the word "murder" and speak so recklessly about committing murder.

But before she could finish being shocked, Yu looked through the names on the list and said something else.

"Ah, although Nagisa isn't listed here, there are other people with the same surname, Hyakue, here." As she spoke, she beckoned Nagisa Hyakue over to look at the name on the list.

"Come here, look, this is her. Do you know her? I went to her house earlier, but it seemed like no one was home. The house was very dark and full of garbage."

After hearing Yu's description, Bai Jiangzhu's heart skipped a beat.

Although I hate to admit it, there is no doubt that Yu was talking about her family, and with the names on the list, it is undoubtedly her mother.

Maybe it's a misunderstanding?

Baijiang Zhu thought to herself, trying to find out why Yu wanted to kill her mother.

"...So, do you have a grudge against that person?"

"No, and I've never even met her. But I just don't have any grudge against her. I don't know about others."

Undeterred, Bai Jiangzhu pressed on, "Um, does this person have a history of abusive behavior, or something else?"

"Although I'm not entirely sure, the fact that they're written down on the list means they must be bad people!"

"Well......"

Seeing that Yu seemed unable to listen to her and stubbornly insisted on her own ideas, Bai Jiangzhu had no choice but to keep quiet to avoid revealing more.

"...I don't know about that person. Did they move?" Bai Jiangzhu lied, trying to deceive Yu. "They definitely moved. They went somewhere else."

Yu seemed unconcerned and chimed in, "Hmm, is that so? Maybe so?"

"But, but why do such a thing? Murder and the like... isn't that wrong?" Hyakue Nagisa frowned, staring wide-eyed at Yu.

"I have lost my memories of what it was like before I became a magical girl, but I feel like there is some important promise... As long as I fulfill the mission of a magical girl, I will definitely remember this one day. So right now I am constantly eliminating witches and bad guys."

"Aren't magical girls only supposed to defeat witches?"

"Yes, yes, we must defeat the witch properly."

"But humans are not witches."

"Huh? No? Isn't that right?" Yu seemed to be hearing this for the first time, and a different expression appeared on her usually smiling face.

"Ah, are you worried? It's alright, it's alright! We would never mistakenly kill an innocent person. We would confirm with the person before killing them. Oh, and the body will be disposed of properly. Before throwing it into the witch's barrier, we will sell any useful parts to those who need them. It's environmentally friendly, isn't it?"

Yu seemed to have fallen into some kind of frenzy, saying things that made Hyakue Nagisa feel horrified, especially about dismembering and disposing of the body. She couldn't imagine what she would be like if her mother were treated like that.

Kyubey seemed to have noticed something was wrong with the girl and stopped Nagisa Hyakue from continuing to question her.

“Nagisa, there’s no need to ask any more questions. She’s just acting a little strange. We’re not encouraging murder.”

"Enough!" Yu seemed even angrier. "Kyubi, you're still the same as ever, alien!"

She turned to look at Nagisa Hyakue, "Nagisa, although you don't quite understand my difficulties, even if I finally regain the ability to use magic, I might still die somewhere by accident. If you really want to do something for yourself, then do it according to your own will!"

"If Nagisa also becomes a magical girl, I think you won't need to endure it anymore."

Bai Jiangzhu asked, puzzled: "Endure?"

"Yeah, go and become free! Although I always felt that Nagisa was quite strong, it also means that you probably have a lot of worries and have endured a lot. Asking so many questions when we first met, even though I can't say anything impressive, anyway, it's just that I'll risk my life to fight the bad guys!"

"Now that we've finally gained the ability to use such incredible power as magic, shouldn't we be more free? Enduring will only make things worse; freedom is the most important thing!"

Yu clenched her fists and waved them in the air, seemingly to cheer on Hyakue Nagisa, or perhaps to vent her anger.

"free......"

Bai Jiangzhu muttered the word to himself, and then fell into deep thought.

It can grant any wish.

From the very beginning, Nagisa must have had only one wish.

But until now, Nagisa has never hoped for that wish, nor has she even considered the reason to fulfill it.

However, if Nagisa becomes a magical girl, she will become free, and a free Nagisa will definitely give up thinking.

free......

Nagisa who was free, Nagisa now, and everything about her now, can all be said to hate freedom.

Just as she was thinking that, the outline of her wish, a very bad outline, appeared in Nagisa's mind.