Toyokawa Shoko doesn't want to become a witch

During a casual chat with Mary at noon, Hailing asked how a child with a fever who had been in church the previous night was doing now.

Mary said at the time that the child had a fever because of another illness and had been taken to the hospital.

"Sister... will I get better...? You said... you'd definitely get better... right...?"

The familiar repeated the same sentence in the voice of a little girl.

Mary lowered her eyes, picked up the familiar from the ground, and held it in her arms.

"It will be alright, I promise."

The way she held the familiar was like holding a child, so tender it was almost heart-melting.

“What did you do, Father Ming?”

Xiangzi's face was so dark it looked like it could drip water.

"The child has the flu, and her mother died from the flu."

Mary held the familiar and gently rocked it like she was soothing a child.

“I can’t leave her in a crowded church. If I take her to the hospital, no one will pay for her. Besides, this child has never left Kabukicho since she was a child and doesn’t even have identification.”

"And then, you..."

Xiangzi's trembling eyes looked at the familiar in Mary's arms.

If a familiar can speak, it will only speak witch's language, but if it speaks human language, there is only one possibility.

Eating a person is equivalent to consuming that person's strongest emotions, and one will naturally carry memories related to those emotions.

If this familiar keeps repeating a certain phrase, it must be because that memory is particularly vivid.

In other words.

"So you fed her to the familiar?"

Mary did not admit it.

But there was no denial either.

She carried her familiar to the entrance of the barrier. An anthill-like entrance, which looked nauseating enough, suddenly appeared on the wall. Mary put her familiar inside, patted its head, and then closed the entrance.

This familiar, which is about to undergo metamorphosis, will crawl along the passage to the altar to complete its final mission.

The room was quiet again.

A deathly silence filled the small bedroom.

Beneath the deathly silence lay an anger permeating the air.

"I thought you still had a shred of humanity left." Xiangzi's chest heaved violently, making it difficult for him to even speak calmly.

"Of course I still have some, otherwise you wouldn't be in my room right now, you'd be on the altar."

Mary, leaning against the wall, opened her dead-looking eyes and asked.

"Is there any point in a child who might die tomorrow becoming an adult?"

This question isn't just about the children in Kabukicho; it's about all magical girls in the world.

Since it will inevitably lead to despair in the end.

Is there any point in them living?

"Still making excuses."

Xiangzi clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and his eyes became exactly like Hailing's, like an angry lion.

Although she had no power and no ability to resist, her lion-like eyes were at best those of a cat with its fur standing on end.

But Xiangzi has always been like this.

Even if she has nothing, she still wants to vent her unique stubbornness.

"Mari Ono, you deserve to die."

The Tale of Nirvana: Staying True to One's Heart: Chapter 96 Bloodshed is Coming (7k words including bonus chapter)

Kabukicho in the early morning is different from that at night. The sun has not yet risen, and the streets are pitch black, but there are many people walking on the road after get off work, looking exhausted.

The morning wind was cold, making me shiver.

When Xiangzi woke up, Mary was already gone.

She got up, searched Mary's desk thoroughly, and easily found her gun and bullets.

"strangeness."

Xiangzi frowned.

Why would Mary leave a weapon here so easily? It's almost as if she's telling Xiangzi, "Come find me quickly."

Could someone be that careless?

She disassembled the gun to inspect it, and after confirming that there were no problems, she put a bullet into the chamber and then loaded it into the full magazine.

“Is that strange?” Toyokawa Shoko stood to the side with her arms crossed. “She probably doesn’t take you seriously at all.”

Does this mean they're being looked down upon?

Xiangzi clicked his tongue, took out another pair of scissors from Mary's drawer, cut a slit in the hem of the dress he was wearing, and then tore the buttons along the cut line to almost the top of his thigh before strapping the holster containing the pistol to his leg.

After finishing these tasks, she spun around on the spot, her legs faintly visible through the tear in her skirt, along with a metallic sheen.

That's it.

Let's just go out like this.

Xiangzi took a deep breath.

Mary seemed to have no intention of caring about her at all, as if Xiangzi could run away whenever she wanted.

But Xiangzi won't run away; she needs to attend church, as the church is the best place for her and Chuhua to meet.

Incidentally, it's also the best place to settle this matter.

Pushing open the door, Xiangzi walked barefoot and quietly slipped through the corridor in the backyard of the church.

when----

The large bell at the top of the church swayed and collided under the control of a mechanism, producing a heavy sound.

Finally, the first ray of sunlight pierced through the crowded streets of Kabukicho, shining into the church through the stained-glass windows.

Xiangzi was like Alice who had stumbled into Wonderland, arriving at a solemn and majestic chapel.

The chapel pews were full of people.

The first two rows were occupied by the children Mary cared for, while the seats in the back were occupied by the children's single mothers, people working in Kabukicho, homeless people, and a few people who were dressed relatively well.

"I saw it last night."

Mary did not stand on the platform in front of the idol.

Instead, they walked down.

Among believers.

Looking up at the dome, arms outstretched as if gazing at a god in the sky, eyes filled with hope.

"I felt the breath of God permeate me and sink into my body."

The believers, especially the children, had their eyes fixed on Mary, and no one noticed Xiangzi's arrival.

"God told me that there are lost sheep."

Mary walked slowly to the side of a middle-aged man with bloodshot eyes—one of the few well-dressed people—knelt down, and took the man's hands in hers.

“Mr. Saito, my dear Mr. Saito…”

The man looked angry, resentful, and in pain; his features were contorted, sweat poured down his flushed face, and a strong, sour stench emanated from him.

But Mary didn't find it offensive. She held the man's hand in her own and asked softly in the gentlest tone, a tone so tender it was as if she were lying on a soft bed, allowing her to relax completely.

"You lost a lot of money last night, didn't you?"

The man nodded excitedly.

"How...how did you know?"

"God told me that the devil is controlling you, making you blind, impulsive, and unable to control yourself."

Mary squinted, her gentle expression like a spring breeze.

"Yes! It's all the devil's fault!" The man's eyes blazed with fury as he gripped Mary's hand tightly. "It's all the devil's fault! It was because of the devil that I was blinded! Sister Mary, everyone says you have a way to drive away the devil, is that true?!"

Mary easily pried the man's hand off hers, then cupped his face in her hands and slightly opened her eyes.

His tone became solemn, serious, and dignified.

"I will help you capture the demon, so that you will never be troubled by it again and will no longer have to face sins against your conscience."

The man stared at Mary with fervor, his face flushed, his blood surging, and he nodded frantically.

"Okay, okay! Hurry up! Quickly help me drive the demon out!"

"I want, too."

Mary looked helpless.

"But you are still dirty, I can't help you."

"Filth?! What filth!"

The man's eyes were so focused they could barely keep their eyes open; his pupils dilated and contracted repeatedly, and it wouldn't be surprising if his heart rate was so fast he could collapse at any moment.

Mary cupped the man's face in her hands and examined it carefully.

"You still have money. Money is the greatest filth in the world. Only by leaving money and becoming penniless can your soul be pure enough to eradicate the evil."

"I still have money... I've paid off some loans and plan to go again tonight... I want to win it back—"

"no!"

Snapped!

Mary slapped the man across the face, the loud sound echoing through the church dome. She opened her eyes, her eyes brimming with tears, her voice trembling as she looked at the man with pity.

"This is a demon influencing you... Quickly abandon the filth so I can help you exorcise it."

She lowered her voice and leaned close to the man's ear.

"Mr. Saito, how much did you borrow?"

"Ten million... ten thousand... 2% interest per day..."

"So much filth, let's throw it all away quickly."

"I...I'll return it later..."

"No, it's too late. Give them to me, and I'll get rid of them for you."

"But...but...that would mean all my interest would go to..."

“It’s alright, Mr. Saito.” Mary’s breath brushed against the man’s ear. “Having nothing is true freedom, isn’t it?”

"Having nothing is true freedom..." The man's lips trembled as he clutched his head. "Having nothing is true freedom..."

"Freedom is having nothing." The congregation in the church repeated in unison.

The man took the chips out of his pocket and handed them to Mary.

"They're all...all here."

"Thank you, Mr. Saito. I will cleanse you of this filth."

Mary lowered her head and pressed her forehead against the man's.

The church fell silent instantly; even the faintest sound of a silver needle dropping could be heard clearly.

Xiangzi, standing by as an observer, took in everything.

"I thought one night would be enough to understand her, but I didn't expect this," Xiangzi sighed.

"What didn't you expect?" Toyokawa Shoko raised an eyebrow beside her. "Didn't expect her to break the mold again?"