Chapter 96: Final Act – Toward a Happy Ending (5)

“This child is…?”

“She’s a child I rescued on the last mission. She couldn’t go back anymore, so I brought her here. Just put her in a spare room that’s not being used, and assign her some appropriate tasks.”

“Understood.”
​
As the Queen spoke with a snap of her fingers, two expressionless agents guided me to a room.

And soon, the sight of a room, both familiar and unfamiliar, came into view.
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‘Just how much time have I spent here.’
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The room’s structure wasn’t much different from Ianna’s.

Even the placement of the toilet and bed was exactly the same.
​
“Alright then… rest for today. You haven’t forgotten your goal, have you? I’ll say it again, I can annihilate all of you without lifting a finger. Don’t get any funny ideas and stay true to your goal.”

“…Alright…ma’am.” 
​
The moment I answered hesitantly, the Queen’s eyes widened, and she approached me.
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“Have you decided to be obedient now? Your tone of voice has already changed.”

“…It’s not particularly that I’ve decided to be obedient. It’s just, I don’t know why, I unconsciously used polite speech.”

“Is that so? Well, there’s no need to dwell on it. Haa… I too wonder why your face is so perfectly to my liking. Though not as much as Anna’s, of course.”
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The moment the name Ianna was mentioned, I clenched my teeth.
​
‘That’s not a name you should be uttering.’
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Since I had sworn to protect Ianna, I was prepared to do anything if it meant I could shake off the Queen’s evil grasp.

Fortunately, the Queen smiled faintly and left the room.
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‘I need to keep my wits about me. This is just the beginning.

Seduction… I need to turn the Queen’s attention towards me with that, and then make contact with Ianna.’
​

***

“…Name?”

“Yes. Your name. Since I made your body, it seems right that I should decide it.”

“Am I being treated like a pet?”

“Mhm, precisely.”
​
I puffed out my cheeks and glared at the Queen.

The Queen continued speaking with a smile of inscrutable meaning.
​
“So, how about ‘Vixen’? I think it’s quite good. Your face slightly resembles a fox, doesn’t it? I’ll call you that from now on.”

“…It doesn’t matter. A name you gave me holds no meaning.”

“Alright! Vixen. From now on, everyone inside the Bureau will ‘recognize’ you as such.”
​
I made a face that clearly showed my displeasure.

‘Vixen’ as a name… what kind of sense is that?
​
‘…More importantly, has she already brainwashed everyone in the Bureau?’
​
In a way, it was almost comical.

To think that she, who possessed the power to instantly annihilate not only the Bureau’s magical girls but also the majority of the world’s population, was engaging in such absurd child’s play.
​
And all for her own insidious desires.

‘The Queen probably doesn’t even realize that I’m tutting and sneering at her.’
​
‘I should have struck before the Queen was born….’
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I couldn’t tell where things had gone wrong.
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“Haa, Vixen. Wear this choker around your neck. It will slow down the decomposition of your body. It won’t change the fact that you’re dying anyway… but it will buy you enough time to seduce me.”
​
What the drooling Queen handed over was a choke collar that anyone would think was a dog leash.

There was no time to think about shame or anything like that now, so I put the choker the Queen handed me around my neck.
​
“Keh, keheuk…!!!”

“That choker will automatically tighten around your neck whenever I want it to. There’s no particular reason, I just added that function because I wanted to see your flushed face and your expression as if you’re about to lose your breath. I’m satisfied now, so I’ll stop.”
​
‘Crazy b*tch.’

I had momentarily forgotten that the creature was a monster queen.

As I gagged and collapsed, the Queen let out a shallow moan and left my room.
​
“Well then, I’ll go meet Anna and rub and stretch and poke her soft cheeks… Anyway, I’ll be expressing my affection to my bride, so move as you see fit. If you want, you can even meet some other magical girls.”

“…”
​
The mention of Anna snapped me to attention.

I couldn’t predict what on earth that creature would do.
​
‘…In this situation.’
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‘I should follow her.’
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Hiding my footsteps, I began to cautiously follow the Queen….
​
“Hey, you!”

“…Me?”

“Yes, you. What are you doing here? The control room requested additional personnel. Get your ass down there, now!”
​
A magical girl with sharp-looking eyes snatched me up with one hand.
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“Vixen, even if you’re a newbie, I won’t tolerate slacking off! Do you even know what we’re fighting for?”

“Ah… uh… yes.”

“Then hurry down to the control room as you were taught! It seems like a pretty big incident has occurred.”
​
The name really… I couldn’t get used to it.

I’d rather use my original name….
​
‘…’
​
What was it again?
​
“Why do you look so pale? Don’t tell me, are you sick somewhere?”

“Ah, no… that’s not it. I’m just a little flustered… I’ll go down right away. Thank you.”

“Save your thanks. Listen carefully, Vixen. The Bureau doesn’t show mercy. Whether it’s a magical girl or an agent, the Bureau won’t give special consideration……”
​
The girl’s voice didn’t register in my ears.

When was it, since when did I stop remembering anything?
​
Had I also fallen victim to the Queen’s brainwashing, or was it an issue beyond common sense, like cognitive alteration?

My body… it definitely doesn’t feel familiar.

The feeling that it was artificially ‘made’ is too vivid.
​
‘…Am I even alive?’
​
More accurately, can I even say that I’m alive?

What’s the difference between me and a robot or a doll?
​
My most precious memories, memories I shouldn’t forget, were starting to fade, little by little.

‘Was this how Ianna felt…?’
​
My body began to tremble slightly.

I wasn’t afraid of dying or being in pain, but forgetting was the only thing I feared.
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Someday, what will happen if I lose all my memories?

The memories I’ve built up until now, the memories that engrave the will to return, and… even the memories with Ianna.
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If I forget everything, all of it.
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What on earth will happen…?
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‘…No.’
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Dying is fine.

I’ve already prepared for it.

And it’s something that won’t be long now anyway.
​
However, I couldn’t die meaninglessly.

Since I had one chance, I had to tell Ianna everything.
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So that the horrific future wouldn’t repeat itself.
​
So, at the very least.
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Let’s not forget this memory.
​
It’s fine if I forget my name, my family, my hometown, everything.

But the memories with Ianna, never.
​
I resolved not to forget.
​

***

Jet-black hair, a face that looked as cold as ice, and a relatively short stature compared to other magical girls.

And yet, pretending to be mature, sitting on a personal sofa, sipping tea, and reading a book of high culture.
​
It was quite different from the Ianna I knew.

But still, it was Ianna.
​
For now, I was just watching secretly, but someday, I had to tell her the truth.
​
‘…Still, there’s no harm in getting acquainted.’
​
My rank within the Bureau was the lowest of the low.

Delivering documents or cleaning was pretty much the entirety of my daily routine.
​
Since I had basically come in through brainwashing, I didn’t have high expectations.
​
Nevertheless, if I could make a connection with Ianna…….
​
“U-Um….”

“Yes… you are.”

“Th-Thank you so much… for saving me… last time…! M-My name is Vixen… and my age is……”
​
‘It’s not embarrassing. This isn’t embarrassing at all.’

I repeated it to myself countless times in my mind and acted.

Worriedly, I looked around to see if the Queen was nearby, but I soon realized there was no need for such concern.
​
Because that creature would know whatever was happening here anyway.

Moreover, there was a very high probability that she was watching even this appearance of mine from somewhere.
​
So I wouldn’t tell Ianna the ‘truth’ yet.
​
“Mhm, I see…? First, calm down… Why is your face so red? Do you have a fever or something?”
​
Ianna placed her small hand on my head.
​
“That’s not it…! Um, there’s something I’d like you to accept……!”

“Could that be… a present…?”
​
A present?

Well, something like that.
​
Why did she emphasize the syllable ‘present’ so much? It sounded a bit like her voice cracked.

Ianna, as if showing off an adult’s composure, tossed her long hair back and looked at the ‘present’ I had prepared with an expectant expression.
​
‘…It’s just a simple snack, this… Did I prepare too little?’
​
Ianna likes sweet things.

And, she even hid sweet things in various places throughout the Bureau.
​
I had taken out some simple snacks from one of Ianna’s hidden snack stashes, located in a rather remote place.

And now, I was handing them to Ianna.
​
Ianna’s expression changed dramatically upon receiving the ‘present’ I handed her.

Seeing her eyes widen in apparent surprise….
​
‘Don’t tell me she realized it’s the snack she hid herself…?’