Raise Magical Girls and Leave Them With Eternal Regret

67. I’m Sorry, Yu Yu

……

“Boom!”

“Thud!”

“Ugh!”

Vines slashed through, and the ground cracked.

Time and again, Wu Yue was unable to mount any effective resistance; she could only stretch out her hands to shield herself, enduring the damage from the plant-type negative beast before her.

Clearly, with her current strength, this plant-type negative beast was not strong at all for Wu Yue… yet, she had no thoughts of offense, merely defending against its attacks unilaterally.

Finally, during one of her defenses, she couldn’t hold on any longer; distracted, a vine from the negative beast struck her in the stomach.

Thus, she was sent flying, landing some distance away before finally stopping.

“Cough cough!”

Crashing against the barrier, coughing a few times, Wu Yue touched her stomach and lifted her head, looking at the plant-type negative beast in front of her. For a moment, she stood frozen in place, her eyes slightly dazed, unsure of what to do.

“……”

“Why… Yuyu, why have you become like this?”

After a long while, Wuyue finally bit her lip and stood up from her half-squatting position, her voice tinged with a hint of sobbing as she spoke.

“How could I… possibly move my hands…”

The negative beast before her had transformed from Yuyu.

For reasons unknown, through some means, he had been turned into this by the Night Demon.

From the moment she realized that Yuyu had become a negative beast, her mood had undoubtedly plummeted to the depths, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that she felt utterly hopeless.

But… she still thought that if she could find an opportunity to capture that Night Demon, then perhaps Yuyu could come back.

However… in the current situation.

“……”

Shifting her gaze away from “Yuyu,” Wuyue looked behind him—at the Night Demon, which was surrounded tightly by three giant ants.

In this situation, attempting to bypass the four layers of protection to forcibly capture that Night Demon was undoubtedly a fool’s dream.

Yet, for the sake of this sole possibility, she fought for a long time.

Again and again, she tried to weave through “Yuyu’s” attacks to seize the Night Demon.

And then… time and again, she was pushed back by “Yuyu’s” merciless assaults.

Slowly… time began to stretch.

Wuyue’s mindset at this moment gradually became somewhat numb and despairing.

“…So, have you not made a decision yet? Magical Girl.”

Watching Wuyue stand up, the Night Demon asked calmly:

“Have you still not decided? To kill the enemy before you.”

“If this drags on, it won’t be beneficial for you either…”

“You should understand this, right? Magical Girl.”

“……”

This point, of course, she understood…

Watching the black barriers gradually fade away, Wuyue thought.

That Night Demon… in order to obtain his so-called “experimental results,” had devised a method to force her to make a decision by lowering the black barriers.

Those black barriers would soon completely disappear, and afterward, with the outside world isolated, they would be able to intervene.

To put it simply, after these black barriers completely vanished, those who should not have been involved in this battle would be dragged in by “Yuyu.”

“……”

“What should I do… Yuyu.”

Looking at the plant-like negative beast rampaging before her, Wuyue fell into a deep silence.

Now she truly didn’t know what she should do.

She had tried, by recounting memories to “Youyu” in hopes of bringing back his sanity, but the result was only a more violent attack from him.

She had also attempted to see if she could purify him with a small amount of magical power, hoping to make “Youyu” return to normal, but the outcome… was his even more desperate screams.

Slowly, her actions had begun to become timid, and now, she could only defend herself unilaterally, doing nothing at all…

Continuing like this was definitely not an option.

For now, there were barriers surrounding them, which meant that no matter how much “Youyu” rampaged, he could only hurt her.

But soon, once those barriers disappeared, the targets of his attacks would no longer be limited to just her.

If it were just her personal desire, she could accept Youyu’s attacks without retaliating.

However, once the barriers vanished, if he were to harm ordinary people, she might no longer be able to indulge her own desires.

Because…

“Youyu, perhaps you also… wouldn’t want to see this point, right?”

Wuyue smiled bitterly and shook her head.

Now, she recalled the time shortly after she had become a magical girl, when out of curiosity, she had asked Youyu a question—

……

〖Youyu, you said that if those negative beasts were transformed from animals in nature, then is it possible for us humans to also become negative beasts?〗

〖Hmm? Regarding your question… I think it is possible, after all, humans are also part of the natural world! So, it’s possible for someone to become a negative beast!〗

〖Oh~ is that so? Then… I really hope that’s not possible. If it were true, then that person might not be saved, and I wouldn’t want to be the kind of person who takes one life for the sake of a group of lives!〗

〖…I understand your feelings, Wuyue. If it were me, I definitely couldn’t do that either.〗

〖But… if that person who becomes a negative beast is me, then I hope you can put an end to me.〗

〖Huh?! Why are you suddenly saying such things, Youyu? It’s so strange to bring up this topic now?!〗

〖Well… don’t take it too seriously. You can think of it as me trying to act cool or being a bit melodramatic. In short, what I want to say is—〗

〖Compared to my own life, I actually care more about others.〗

〖…If my question causes the death of others, I might regret it for a lifetime.〗

〖So—if, I’m saying if, if that time really comes…〗

〖Please, Wuyue, stop me with your own hands!〗

〖Even if you have to kill me, it doesn’t matter!〗

〖Hmm… and remember, if it really comes to that, don’t despair because of it. You have to believe that the future is still bright…〗

〖…What you’re saying!〗

〖How could such a time ever come?!〗

〖Whether it’s you or anyone else, I will definitely protect you all!〗

……

The memories came to an end.

Coming back to her senses, she looked at the black barrier that had completely vanished, gazing at “Yuu” who seemed restless. Wuyue clenched her fists tightly and took a deep breath.

Then, with her right arm, she wiped away the tears on her face.

“I’m sorry… Yuu.”

She looked at the cake that lay on the ground, its shape now unrecognizable.

She gazed at the flowers that had withered, broken into several pieces.

Wuyue whispered:

“Right now… I no longer have the ability to uphold the promise I made back then…”

She had broken her promise, once again.

She had clearly vowed to protect Yuu, promised to celebrate a proper birthday today.

To ensure no one got hurt, to allow everyone to have a happy ending.

But… it had turned into the current situation.

So… now she could only adhere to the promise she and Yuu had made back then.

Even though she didn’t like it… and didn’t want to fulfill that promise.

But…

“……”

“Perhaps this is the only thing I can do now.”

Saying this, Wuyue slowly raised her right fist, engulfed in flames.

Then, she leaped forward, instantly jumping in front of “Yuu”—

And then…

“I’m sorry, Yuu.”

The fiery fist swung forward.

————————————————–