Ch.169169. Before Epilogue – Reminiscence

“Eek?!”

“That’s… the light of magical power, could it be…?”

“What is it, Ellie…! This is strange…!”

“A magical girl has appeared! This can’t be…! How…? Could such a coincidence exist…? An eligible candidate in that pile…? This is impossible…”

“Ellie…? W-what should we do, huh?”

“Obviously, we need to go down there right away! To think a magical girl would suddenly appear…! We need to stop her now! Since we couldn’t prevent the awakening, we need to stop the monster from being defeated… Ugh, Vine doesn’t have any field experience.”

“Whaaat…?”

“What should we do in this situation…! Ah?!”

The sparkling light from below stopped.

Then. Sparkle again-!

KWAAANG!!!

“Hieeeek?!”

“Vine, are you okay?”

“W-what just happened…!”

“The magical girl attacked the monster… Since she’s still a weak magical girl, I wonder if it’s okay for Vine to step in…?”

“Eh…?”

“Vine… don’t go down there yet, okay? You understand? Since we don’t know the risks, even a newly awakened magical girl’s danger level is vastly diff—”

The monster I carefully selected…?

The one I painstakingly, painstakingly…

Searched through those filthy dimensions desperately to find a monster that was just perfect…

And how hard it was to find a monster at my level…?

It was incredibly, incredibly difficult…?

And now, someone attacks that monster…?

Who the hell.

Oh, a magical girl…?

A newly awakened magical girl is attacking my monster.

My monster…

My monster…!

MY MONSTER!!

“Eeek!!! I can’t stand this!!! How dare she attack my monster that I searched and searched and searched and searched through dimensions to find?! Ellie, I’m going down there right now, don’t stop me!”

“Vine!! Wait!”

“Ellie, don’t stop me. I’m really angry, okay?!”

“If magical girls from the western district come to support, it’ll definitely be difficult…! So, wait a little!”

“No, I can’t wait! I’m going down there right now to cut that magical girl’s throat!!”

“Vine, calm down! The monster hasn’t fallen yet, and the energy collection—”

Ellie checked her device,

“W-wait…? Why is the energy collecting less than expected…? Don’t tell me they’re feeling hope…? Because a magical girl appeared…?”

“What are you talking about! I’m going dow— KYAAAAH?! No! Dinosaur Squad #3!!!”

“Wait, Vine!”

In the end, the monster was defeated.

I was helplessly… unable to do anything but watch from behind the magical girl…

Whether the magical girl defeated it with difficulty.

Or thanks to our Dinosaur Squad’s efforts.

Phew, I need to stay calm.

It’s a magical girl, right…?

Phew…

Phew, mind control…

Mental cal…mness…

While I was doing that.

The snow-white magical girl started approaching me.

Not knowing my feelings.

So, she could approach without thinking…?

But, I’m really holding back right now…?

Really really really really really really really holding back…?

“Excuuuse me…?”

“Wait! I sense unusual magical power from that girl…!”

“Huh…!?”

“Seriously!!! How could you! That monster was so hard to find! And you just defeated it like that! Ugh… we couldn’t even collect despair energy!!!”

I blurted it out.

“Hey! Magical girl! Do you know what you’ve done!? My monster…! My monster!! Couldn’t even collect proper energy! And it was its first deployment!”

“…?”

She looked at me with a puzzled expression.

Well, I’m confused too!

But that snow-white magical girl.

“…What’s your name?”

She asked my name with such composure.

While pointing her wand at me.

…Is this…

That kind of situation…?

Oh my…?

Oh my my…?

Right, I, I should introduce myself…!

My introduction…!

“I am the 2nd Division Head of the great secret organization ‘Eden’, the dark vines covering the world, Vin— ‘Vine’!”

Ugh…!?

My, my tongue got twisted…!

W-why ask so suddenly…!

Of course I’d be flustered in this situation…!

It’s the magical girl’s fault…! It’s all the magical girl’s fault…!

“…Oh, Vine… is it?”

“That’s right! You magical giiiirl…!”

“How… could such a child control monsters…?”

“What did you saaay!? I’m not a child, you know?! How old do you think you a—!?”

I thought we were about to have an argument.

But from behind, Ellie appeared and said.

“The monster is down, and reinforcement magical girls are heading this way. Vine, let’s retreat. And… you, magical girl? Sorry, but this is goodbye for today!”

Ellie set off a smoke screen and opened a portal.

I had no choice but to retreat with regret.

Really…

I’m so frustrated, so frustrated…!

* * *

“Ellie. Stop patting my head.”

“Why? Didn’t you used to like being patted?”

“…T-that’s from a long time ago!”

Seriously…

Why bring up stories from before I gradually regained my memories.

My self before regaining memories…

To be honest, it’s embarrassing.

Those were just childish thoughts…

From throwing tantrums like a child… to crying loudly like a child… and then, unable to resist my desires…

Well.

Even though Ellie helped me a lot, I still have a lot of personal embarrassment.

“Tsk… Come to think of it, Vine was really cute before all her cuteness flew away. Back then, it was ‘big sis, big sis’ and…”

“H-hey, hey!”

“Tsk… Now it’s just ‘hey, you, Ellie’… that’s all.”

Seriously.

Even Blanc talks about this, so you can imagine how serious it is…

For example.

“Vine, have you grown up a bit? In the past, you would have fallen for this kind of provocation right away?”

Or.

“Vine… you can’t be lured with candy anymore.”

Thinking about it now, I wonder why I fell for such temptations back then…

…

Honestly, even now it still hurts to remember allowing an attack because I was distracted by the candy Blanc was holding.

To think I would fall for something like that from my arch-nemesis.

“So, where are we going today?”

“The park, we’re going to the waterfront park.”

“The river?”

“Yes.”

“Then maybe… where they’re holding the fireworks festival?”

“There are too many people there. I’m thinking somewhere a bit more remote.”

“Hmm… Vine, you really hate seeing people die.”

“…It’s more efficient that way.”

“Even your concerns are so like you.”

“What does ‘like me’ even mean?”

“It’s a thing. Something only I know.”

* * *

“Phew, that’s what happened, Blanc.”

“Haa, haa… Is this the time to talk about that?”

“Well… I was training hard to keep up with you, and suddenly this happened.”

“Well… I do remember when you, that bra—I mean, childish girl, started changing gradually.”

“Gradually, you say.”

“Do you know how surprised I was when you suddenly started speaking formally to people?”

“That was years ago.”

“Anyway, is this the time for us to be reminiscing?”

“I suppose not.”

The sword in my hand hums with an ominous black light.

The battle begins again.

This time, truly, truly by the narrowest margin.

A decision victory.

Phew.

I need to devote myself more to training.

* * *

“Vine?”

“What is it, you?”

“Well… I don’t understand why I can’t go out this time. You said I could go last time…?”

“It’s nothing special, just go play with Ellie. I’m trying to save you from those fools who claim they want to rescue you.”

“Huh…?”

“I’m trying to prevent them from leading you, a ‘reformed magical girl,’ back to the path of corruption.”

“…Um, is that what this is about…?”

“You should know. You might fall for their sweet persuasion… and ruin the Boss’s ideals. If that happens… there won’t be another ‘salvation’ from Eden like this time, right?”

“I-I guess so…?”

“So, play with Ellie. The day you face them will come soon enough. Until then, strengthen your mental power and the new power bestowed upon you by the Boss.”

“B-but… Ellie is… a bit, um…”

“Pardon?”

“N-no, nothing… B-before you go…”

“Speak.”

“J-just tell the kids I’m doing well… A-and please come to your senses and join us. I’m begging you. A-and… tell Ellie that I’m not feeling well today, so, um…”

“Yes… Well. It’s been quite some time since you came here. Of course I’ll deliver that message. And to Ellie?”

“U-um… tell her to go easy on me…”

“Is Ellie training you or something?”

“S-something like that…?”

“Then I’ll relay that. Overexerting yourself… well, you of all people know how meaningless that is now.”

“Y-yeah…”

“Okay. Go on now.”

“T-thank you, Vine…”

The pink-haired magical girl in a ‘black dress’,

A fallen magical girl, carefully returned to her quarters.

* * *

“Hey.”

“…”

“Hello.”

“…”

“Not even looking at me now? Well, well.”

Something flies at me.

Just like back then.

…

It’s karma.

This is karma.

“Finally looking at me. Is this a zoo? It’s so hard to see the face of a villain like you, isn’t it?”

“What is it?”

“‘What is it?’ Really? Are you crazy? Have you lost it? Fine. Shall we go for a ‘shower’ again today?”

“…Ugh.”

“Or do you want some ‘exercise’? If not that, then maybe ‘confession’?”

“Can’t you just leave me alone?”

“Well, well. Even in solitary confinement, even for a hardened criminal like you, our Department of Justice requires ‘daily activities’.”

“Bullshit.”

“What?”

“Just talking to myself.”

“Bullshit, right… Bullshit. Bullshit? Isn’t the bullshit what you’ve been doing? Considering all the crap you’ve pulled over the past decade or so, isn’t this treatment actually quite mild and gentle? Right, your schedule for today has been decided. Don’t think about escaping. I’ve specially arranged with the other guards. I’ll be in charge of you all day—morning, afternoon, and night. Look forward to it, okay?”

Really, this crazy woman.

This too…

Is karma.

Haah…

Seriously.

On the hard floor of the solitary cell,

Cold, so cold.

This time that feels like a nightmare, where I’d rather be on a floor so cold it tries to freeze me.

But this is all my karma.

The karma for what I’ve done.

If I’m a defeated villain.

If I’m someone who couldn’t achieve their ideal.

If I’m a member who couldn’t fulfill the cause.

If I sacrificed the few for the many, but failed to achieve the cause.

Leaving only the sacrifice of the few behind,

That karma…

I…

Must bear it…