episode_0024

The girl enveloped in black light.

As soon as we saw her appearance, we could tell at once what kind of person she was.

A Fallen Magical Girl.

‘Is this case similar to… Esther’s?’

Unlike the girls we had seen previously who were rampaging, the Fallen Magical Girl before my eyes also seemed able to speak.

If it hadn’t been for the subtle black light emanating from her body from the start, I wouldn’t have even suspected.

The girl gradually approaching us.

The dark circles under her eyes and her lightless black pupils looked extremely ominous.

“Leave it to me, Mr. Counselor.”

Praype naturally pushing me back.

“Mr. Counselor?”

“Excuse me, but… you seem to have something to say to us.”

Refusing Praype’s touch, I stepped forward instead.

Even a Fallen Magical Girl is still a Magical `Girl` after all.

What’s more, the fact that she came all the way here…

‘Is this her? The one who made my senior graduate.’

The Magical Girl who got furious upon hearing about the marriage and made my senior graduate seemed to be the girl before my eyes.

What’s more, she herself seems to have even fallen…

“A Magical Girl…. and beside her, a Counselor. Hahaha… as expected. It wasn’t just me.”

I wanted to try having a conversation.

Both the Fallen Magical Girl named Esther I recently met.

And the girl who appeared before my eyes.

Could a Fallen Magical Girl be returned to her original state as a Magical Girl?

If we could communicate, maybe counseling or a return to positive emotions might be possible.

“Excuse me… may I ask for your name?”

“Chain… Magical Girl Chain.”

“Then, may I call you Ms. Chain?”

She frowned as if my words were unpleasant, but since she didn’t say anything, I took it as permission.

Magical Girl Chain.

The Magical Girl who was in charge of my senior.

What’s more, as far as I know, I remember her being an A-class Magical Girl like Ai.

Naturally, as an A-class, she must have been a Magical Girl with immense popularity and great fame.

‘Quite a bit of news came out after she went missing.’

After the day my senior graduated, she went missing.

A Magical Girl who disappeared like smoke without any trace.

It seems the TV talked about it quite a bit as a social issue.

Counselors like me were inferring to some extent.

Whether she had fallen.

Today, it was finally proven.

As expected, she had indeed fallen.

“First, how about we have a conversation? I’m quite curious about Ms. Chain.”

“……”

“And if Ms. Chain has anything she’s curious about…”

-Thud!

With a strange sound close to a roar, the atmosphere began to change.

The flow of air changed, and it felt like my breath was slightly catching.

“Liars… that brother too, and you. You’re trying to deceive me.”

“I truly just want to have a conversation with Ms. Chain.”

“Shut up! All, all of you said the same thing… that brother did too. And you! Counselors, those bastards, are all the same, aren’t they?”

‘Looks like she’s been deeply burned.’

Since she was dumped by the senior she had promised love to, her wound seemed deep.

Her gaze wasn’t one that hated a single person, but one that hated counselors themselves.

Chain soon grabbed her head, and her eyes gradually trembled unstablely.

“Right… now I know for sure. The monsters and demon beasts weren’t the axis of evil.”

“Huh?”

Chain’s trembling finger pointed at me.

“The real evil… is you counselors. Like the Magical Girl next to me, you who manipulate and deceive the hearts of us Magical Girls at will, you were the real evil!”

“…Please calm down first and take a slow deep breath or something…”

“I don’t want to listen!!”

At the sight of Chain gradually losing her reason, my body also trembled slightly.

Dangerous.

Instinct is warning me.

This woman is dangerous.

“Haha… realizing justice. Yes, I, I must protect the other Magical Girls.”

Now completely insane, Chain smiled a chilling smile while looking at me.

It was that moment.

-Flash!

A finger suddenly raised, and a shining black mass of light at its tip.

That light gradually took a single form and finally headed towards me.

‘At this range, avoiding it…!’

In a point-blank shot, no way to avoid it was visible.

However, I wasn’t hurt.

-Clang!

“You crazy bitch… How dare you.”

Praype, who guarded my front and knocked the mass of light away with her hand as soon as it appeared.

Praype’s eyes also showed killing intent as she glared at Chain.

“Do you… know what you’re doing right now? You’re being deceived, you stupid bitch.”

“…”

Chain spoke loudly towards her who was blocking her.

You are being deceived.

As I attempted to persuade her, in her eyes where madness was gradually rising, I sincerely tried to convince her.

“Do you think that man would love you? Yes, right now he might whisper ‘I love you’ and treat you well… But that bastard is the same. Far from love, he’ll just see you as a tool.”

At the sight of her glaring at me and expressing her true feelings, I gradually began to feel uneasy.

Praype merely stood silently, listening to all her words.

And I, watching from behind, began to feel anxiety well up.

“Praype…?”

“I too once dedicated everything to a counselor, starting with my body… and the end result was…”

“Shut up.”

As if her ears hurt, Praype dug her pinky finger into her ear and stepped forward.

Soon after, she looked down at the Magical Girl before her eyes and smiled.

“That just means you couldn’t hook him properly, you crazy bitch. And me, Mr. Counselor… no, I can’t live without him, you know? If someone’s gonna die, it should be you.”

With that one line, the persuasion came to an end.

The two people who realized it couldn’t be resolved with words.

“Fine… regret it to your heart’s content later.”

“I won’t regret it. If… then, we’ll die together.”

With those words, the two raised their hands.

Transformation.

Looking at the masses of light emanating from their bodies, I swallowed.

The black mass of light and chains emanating from Chain’s body.

Soon, they gathered together to form a single outfit, changing Chain’s appearance.

‘That’s… Chain?’

Her appearance was completely different from the Chain seen in broadcasts or advertisements.

It was a bit more aggressive, and the blood-like red marks on it were also terrifying.

“Brother… step back.”

“It might be dangerous. That Chain is…”

Chain was originally an A-class Magical Girl.

That is to say, she was a veteran Magical Girl who hunted down Class 1 and 2 demon beasts.

But what about Praype?

‘She might get seriously hurt like last time…’

A popular rookie Magical Girl.

At best, she was B-class.

I was afraid she might get seriously injured again, just like when she fought Esther last time.

But Praype pushed my chest away and smiled brightly.

“Just believe in me, brother.”

The mass of light gradually grew stronger and began to wrap around her body, like Chain.

The outfit gradually being put on her body.

“Huh…?”

Something was strange.

Praype’s Magical Girl appearance was originally her fiery orange hair and sharp impression. And an outfit with quite a bit of exposure, like shorts, like a fighter.

But the outfit wrapping around Praype’s body now was different from before.

A black dress with some frills.

Her impressive fiery orange hair was gone, and it was now black hair with a bluish tinge like this.

Praype, whose appearance had changed from before.

“Praype…?”

“What?”

“Hehehe, it’s been a while since I’ve seen the outside~.”

Praype turning to look at me.

And next to her, a small black mass of light floating around.

It was a Mascot.

“It’s been a while, Praype~.”

“Yeah… it’s been a while. For now, protect my brother a bit.”

“Okay~~.”

It was a series of sudden situations, so I was confused.

Praype’s suddenly changed appearance and a Mascot I’d never seen before.

-Thud!

But at the roar that stopped my thoughts, I had to step back.

Praype, who had somehow begun fighting Chain.

Contrary to my expectations, she didn’t get pushed back but rather began to press her.

It was still mainly close-quarters combat like before, but the power was on a different level.

‘Is she just hitting her while wrapping herself in magic?’

But that also looked incredibly strong.

“Mr. Counselor, sir~ seems surprised~, doesn’t he~?”

The Mascot who had somehow approached.

If you asked if it was strange, it was very strange.

Because it was the first time a Magical Girl’s appearance changed like this.

“Yes… why she suddenly changed like that…”

“Why, why else~? How can the person responsible not know~?”

“Are you referring to me? Ah……”

And as if gaining some realization, it lightly brushed past my mind.

Magical Girls use pure emotions as their driving force and their power.

What Praype had originally were fighting spirit and hope.

They were things like that, but as she got closer to me, those emotions would have changed.

Love, or perhaps dependence. Or possessiveness.

As slightly more fundamental emotions arose, she would have met a change as a Magical Girl.

“Heh. You realized it? I’m rather grateful. Thanks to you, I could come out again.”

“What… do you mean?”

I couldn’t understand the Mascot’s words thanking me.

-Bang!

-Swoosh!!!

However, it seemed their battle was about to end soon.

Praype’s blow that pushed the opponent back.

It ended with Chain, who was sent flying by the kick, opening a portal and escaping.

“Mr. Counselor!”

Praype slowly descending from the sky.

She stepped onto the ground, her black dress fluttering.

And….

-Thump!

“Ugh…!”

“How, how was I…? P-praise me, brother.”

Praype pushing her head forward and hugging me.

Since she asked for praise, I stroked her head until she was satisfied.

“Now that I think about it… Faye. Where were you? I was worried.”

“Hmm~ Ah. You were worried.”

“Of course. I was so surprised when you suddenly disappeared.”

“But I was always around you, you know.”

The Mascot pointed at Praype’s chest.

“Where?”

“In your heart…. Because… you were a child who couldn’t become a Magical Girl.”

Couldn’t become a Magical Girl? What does that mean?