Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 18 - Chapter 2

Magician and Apprentice

Wednesday, September 8th

The woman who once called herself Magical Girl Rainbow Nana was rather petite. She’d always been slight of stature, but the artificial limbs she’d been given were imperfect, so her posture tended to be somewhat hunched over. It made her already small frame look even smaller, and combined with her slow movements, she gave off the impression of an elderly woman.

Her imperfect artificial limbs had come from the Magical Kingdom of Folsaria, which wasn’t known for its scientific advancements. Due to the existence of magic, science had fallen somewhat out of favor there. And since Folsaria had a limited amount of human capital, the advent of magic had inevitably stymied scientific development.

Magic could accomplish a great deal, certainly. But when it came to manufacturing prosthetic limbs, there was no substitute for medical and scientific knowledge. In order to make them effectively, one needed to understand how joints worked and muscles moved. Without that knowledge, the best a magician could do was make a limb that looked like a human appendage. Making it move naturally was all but impossible. As such, Nana moved slowly and awkwardly, almost like a puppet. But even then, considering what she was working with, it was something of a miracle that she could manage even that, and that was attributable to Nana’s extraordinary efforts in her rehabilitation.

“It’s nice to meet all of you. My name is Nana.”

Her voice was unmistakably that of an adult woman, but was endearingly cute. Nana was only in her early twenties, but hearing such a voice from someone who gave off the impression of an elderly woman with a cane was somewhat jarring.

“Thank you for always taking care of Yurika-chan.”

“Nana-san is my savior and mentor. Please be kind to her.”

Yurika offered the feeble Nana an arm. She looked like a young girl supporting her grandmother.

No wonder Yurika is so desperate. To think she’s just in her twenties... I feel so sorry for her.

Upon seeing Nana, Koutarou finally understood why Yurika, who was oh-so timid by nature, chose to fight as a magical girl. It wasn’t just because Nana had saved her. It was because Yurika—even as the cowardly girl she’d been back then—had seen what kind of effect Nana’s injuries had on her. It was more than just physical. Nana had had her duty as a magical girl torn from her, as well as all the satisfaction and happiness that came with it.

We definitely have to do something about this... both for Nana-san and for Yurika’s sake...

Realizing this only strengthened Koutarou’s resolve to help Nana. He didn’t know what he could do, but he would do anything in his power. When Koutarou shifted his gaze from Yurika back to Nana, he found she was staring straight at him.

“So it really was you...”

“Huh?”

Unsure what Nana was talking about, Koutarou was quite puzzled. She lifted her right hand to bunch together some of her hair. Several of her fingers were artificial, so they moved awkwardly to complete the gesture, but she finally managed to form a faux twintail on one side of her head.

“Maybe you can’t tell because it’s been more than ten years, but...”

“Wait...”

Imagining Nana with twintails, Koutarou recalled the mysterious girl he’d met eleven years ago. She’d matured and her face had changed quite a bit, but she still resembled her younger self.

“You’re... the girl I met in the mountains that night?”

“So you do remember. Nice to see you again, good necromancer.”

Pleased that Koutarou remembered her, Nana smiled. To her, their meeting that night had been special. She’d never forgotten it once, even after all these years. She had no idea if Koutarou felt the same way or not, but she was still happy that he remembered her.

“So you’re Nana-san...”

Koutarou had encountered Nana on the mountain the night he met Kii—Kiriha—and she had gone on to help them out when Kii was kidnapped. Koutarou remembered her quite clearly for all she’d done, and considering he’d been travelling through time when he met her, it had really only been a few months for him since he saw her last.

“Huh? Satomi-san, do you know Nana-san?”

“Not well, but... she helped me out eleven years ago when I was on my way back home. When Kii-chan... I mean, when Kiriha-san was kidnapped.”

Upon hearing that, Kiriha looked stunned. She rushed over to Koutarou and Nana in a fluster.

“When I was kidnapped... Do you mean she’s the one who saved you in that back alley, Onii-chan?!”

This was no small deal to her, and it was a rare sight to see the ever-calm Kiriha so shaken up. She’d even called Koutarou “Onii-chan,” which she never did in front of anyone but Clan.

“Yeah. She bailed me out and took care of the people controlled by Maya so I could go after you. Really, she’s our savior too.”

“Oh, I see... Er, no, excuse me. I had no idea. Please allow me to extend my thanks to you as well.”

“Could you be the little girl from back then?”

Listening in on Koutarou’s explanation, Nana realized who Kiriha was, and smiled even more broadly.

“Yes. Thank you very much for saving me.”

Kiriha smiled in return and bowed deeply. She hadn’t personally met Nana before, but she’d heard all about what she’d done through Koutarou. She was grateful.

“Think nothing of it. It was my mission, after all.”

Someone she’d saved was now living happily. To Nana, there was no greater reward. Even though she’d lost her power, she was still a magical girl at heart.

“Oh, that’s right, Sanae-chan. Nana-san is Kanae-san’s friend.”

“She’s my mama’s friend?! Now that I think about it, you seemed to know her too, Yurika... What gives?”

“Well, Kanae-san fought with Nana-san against bad people.”

“So, like what we do?”

“Uhuh.”

Hearing this important piece of information from Yurika, Sanae rushed over to Nana. And, unusually enough, she very politely bowed.

“I’m Higashihongan Sanae. Thank you for helping out my mother.”

“My... Sanae-san, you’ve grown quite energetic.”

Upon realizing who Sanae was, Nana was overjoyed to see her. To Nana, Kanae was sort of like a best friend and older sister rolled into one. So to see Kanae’s beloved daughter had made a full recovery was wonderful news—especially since Nana felt personally responsible about not being able to save her on her own.

“Yeah, Yurika and everyone else helped me out a lot.”

“Is that so?”

Sanae quickly shifted back to her usual casual self after politely introducing herself. But seeing the happy energy in her eyes, Nana preferred things that way.

“You’re my mom and Yurika’s friend, right?”

“Yes, they’re both very precious friends of mine.”

“Then let’s be friends too! Whenever you’re in trouble, just call for yours truly, Miracle Sanae! I’ll come save you.”

“Thank you very much. I’ll be counting on you.”

“Yeah! Leave it to me!”

Sanae’s earnestness was easy for Nana to accept. As far as she was concerned, since Sanae was Kanae’s daughter, they were already friends anyway. Once they shook hands and agreed to their newfound friendship, Sanae ran over to Koutarou.

“Koutarou! Koutarou!”

“What now, huh?”

“Hurry up and help Nana!”

“Weren’t you going to do that yourself?”

“I’m using my authority to recruit you for the mission.”

“That’s one way to go about it... But nevertheless, I want to help her too.”

Higashihongan Sanae was the resident housekeeper of the Satomi band of knights. With her authority and influence, she would be taking charge of Nana’s treatment.

“Honestly, Koutarou...” spoke up Theia, who’d been silent thus far.

“Hmm?”

“Taking everything into consideration, there is absolutely no reason for us not to help Nana either.”

Nana had saved Yurika, and helped out Koutarou, Kiriha, and Sanae. While Theia and Ruth had no direct connection to Nana, her apprentice—Yurika—had helped them out countless times. Maki, Shizuka, and Harumi felt the same way. Even if they didn’t owe Nana anything personally, they were all indebted to Yurika. So if she wanted to save Nana, they would all do whatever they could to help her. Theia wouldn’t deny her over something as petty as wanting to keep her futuristic technology to herself.

“Yeah, you’re exactly right, Theia.”

“I wouldn’t stand for anyone thinking we’re ungrateful.”

“So, Nana-san...”

“Yes?”

“Hearing all this, would you let us help you?”

The residents of room 106 were all in agreement. They would create the best possible prosthetics for Nana to help her get her life back. Even if she could never be a magical girl again, they at least wanted her to be able to live like a normal girl in her twenties. If they couldn’t give her the same sense of normalcy they all had in their daily lives, none of them would be happy either. So, in the end, this wasn’t just for Nana’s sake—it was for everyone’s.

“I’m touched... and I will gratefully accept your help. Thank you, everyone.”

After thinking for a moment, Nana nodded and quietly agreed. Deep down, she’d probably realized what this meant to them.

Roughly half of Nana’s body had been reconstructed with magic. In her fated fight with Darkness Rainbow, she’d overloaded her mana core to critical mass and allowed it to explode. It was the ultimate desperate attack, and she’d resolved herself to die in the process. Through some strange twist of fate, however, she escaped the grim reaper’s scythe and lived to tell the tale, but not unscathed. She lost the lower half of her body, including her mana core, and could no longer work as a magical girl. As such, she left Rainbow Heart and was now living a quiet life.

Nana was currently aboard Blue Knight undergoing a preliminary medical examination before any work on her new body began. She had changed into a hospital gown and was lying down on a large bed surrounded by all kinds of machines and devices.

“Her spine seems to be misaligned. Maybe it’s because of her mismatched artificial limbs. We’ll need to take this into account when we make the new ones.”

“Pardomshiha, let’s take complete three-dimensional data while we’re at it. We can compensate for the irregularities in her frame by comparing her specs to that of an average woman her age.”

“Certainly, Clan-sama.”

Clan and Ruth were in charge of the scientific side of things. They would be using advanced prosthetics from Forthorthe as a base to build new ones for Nana, which would hopefully give her a great deal more freedom and stability than her magically made ones.

“Kiriha, Nana’s spiritual energy flow is a mess.”

“That’s not good. That would be a hindrance even without artificial limbs, and she won’t be able to properly feel the effects of the surrounding hallowed grounds.”

The spiritual energy experts, Kiriha and Sanae, were in charge of the mystical side of things. Normally the two of them would be joking or playing around, but they were both earnestly at work right now. That’s just how much they wanted to help Nana.

“Karama, Korama, can you correct the flow using spiritual circuitry?”

“We should be able to, ho!”

“We can, Ane-san, but it will be expensive, ho!”

“Money is no obstacle. Take as much as you need from my personal assets.”

“How generous, ho!”

“That’s our Ane-san, ho!”

“Sanae, can you map out the distortions in her spiritual energy? At least the parts that Karama and Korama can’t pick up with their sensors?”

“Sure, let me give it a shot.”

It wouldn’t be all that hard to create proper prosthetic limbs using Forthorthe’s advanced science. But no matter how natural and real they looked, they would still only be mechanical. In order for Nana to feel a gentle breeze or the warmth of sunshine, they would need the People of the Earth’s spiritual energy technology. Moreover, they would probably also need some magical assistance. Eliminating the sounds of the internal machinery or changing the appearance of parts would be simple work with magic.

In short, the girls were trying to create a perfect substitute for Nana’s real body parts by combining Forthorthian and underground technologies with Folsarian magic. They didn’t want Nana to become a cyborg, but rather return to being a normal person. That was the common wish of all the girls gathered around to help her.

“While we’re at it... I’d like to work on some of the external elements as well. Maki, is it possible to keep skin cells healthy through magic?”

“It is. Healing magic can be cast on the whole body, but if it’s just the skin, it won’t take that much mana. I believe the mana provided by the spiritual energy converter would be enough.”

“Then let’s spread skin cells over the surface. It would be a bore if the artificial parts were peeping through. Help me out, Maki.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Theia and Maki were planning out how to make the artificial limbs look more human. The best solution would be if the artificial parts couldn’t be seen at all. It was purely an aesthetic change, but one that would make a profound difference to Nana. As girls, they wanted to help make sure that she felt beautiful again. And considering the delicate nuances of everything that was going on, both magica and science had equal opportunity to shine in this operation. That was why Theia and Maki had teamed up to take the initiative.

The remaining three girls—Yurika, Harumi, and Shizuka—were handling a similar problem.

“My outfit originally belonged to Nana-san, but I had to alter it, so Nana-san can’t wear it anymore.”

“Then let’s prepare a new one. We’ll base it on your outfit, but make it more grown-up.”

“Nana-san is in her twenties now, so she doesn’t have that magical girl feel anymore, after all.”

They were working together on a new outfit for Nana. With her current handicap, she could only wear clothes that were easy to move in. But since that would soon be rectified, the girls wanted to make something for her that made her feel special and fashionable. As members of the cosclub, knitting society, and home ec society, Yurika, Harumi, and Shizuka thought they could put their skills together to come up with something nice.

While the girls were all working away on things for Nana, the lone man on the ship was off doing something else. He’d donned an apron and was in the kitchen area preparing dinner for everyone.

“Blue Knight, why are you not joining the others in their work?”

Alunaya, who found the situation somewhat odd, spoke to Koutarou through the crest on the back of his right hand. Koutarou looked up from his cooking and glanced at the crest like one would at a wristwatch.

“Alunaya-dono, even if it’s mechanical, we’re still talking about a woman’s body. Don’t you think it would be rude for me to be involved?”

“I see... This is what you call tact, is it not? My niece always scolds me for my lack of it.”

Koutarou could sense Alunaya’s warm laughter through the crest too. When conversing this way, words weren’t necessary. All Koutarou had to do to communicate with Alunaya was think, but he still spoke out loud when they talked because it was only natural to him. He might never adjust to the idea of having a completely mental conversation.

“Yeah, that’s right. We mean to create a real body for Nana-san, after all.”

“Tact and obstinacy, huh? So that’s why you’re on dinner duty.”

“Hey, this is important work and someone has to do it.”

“That apron suits you well, surprisingly.”

“Ahaha, thanks, Alunaya-dono.”

Taking part in Nana’s medical checkup and creating her new artificial limbs would be incredibly intimate. It would be like seeing her naked. Knowing she probably wouldn’t want a man around for that reason, Koutarou had volunteered to do other chores instead. But that wasn’t all. Unlike the girls of Corona House, he was just an average high school boy. He didn’t think there was anything he could do for Nana even if he wanted to help.

“Okay, I’m getting back to it.”

“Yes, I’m sorry for interrupting.”

With their discussion over, Koutarou adjusted his apron and got back to work. Alunaya was watching over him through Shizuka’s eyes, and muttered to himself...

“He’s as overly serious as ever, I see...”

Koutarou didn’t hear him, but Shizuka—who he was currently residing inside of—did. She giggled, partly surprised and partly amused.

“You think so too, Uncle?”

“Indeed.”

“I don’t think girls mind so much when boys as considerate as him see them, you know?”

“Because he has tact, huh?”

“Yeah. But Satomi-kun stubbornly refuses to accept that. He’d go on forever about conventions or morality or whatever. Jeez, he’s so thickheaded...”

Shizuka smiled wryly and shrugged. Since Koutarou was well-intentioned and wouldn’t be doing it for any other reason than helping Nana, Shizuka thought him seeing her wouldn’t be any different than a doctor seeing her. Yet nevertheless, Koutarou had simply removed himself from the situation. He meant well, but Shizuka thought there were reasonable limits even to being considerate—nice guys finish last, after all. She couldn’t help being a little irritated at the helplessly awkward Koutarou.

“I don’t think it’s because of some preconceived notion about morals.”

“Oh?”

“He can’t accept the very reality that the girl you call Nana will never truly live a normal life. That’s why he doesn’t want to be involved. He would rather believe that you’re actually creating a real body for her—not just something that looks and acts like one.”

The link that Alunaya and Koutarou shared through the crest communicated even emotions. Thanks to that, Alunaya knew quite well how Koutarou really felt. It was true that he was being considerate of Nana’s situation, but mostly, he simply couldn’t accept Nana’s misfortune. In his heart of hearts, he desperately wanted to believe that they were giving Nana a new body, so he wanted to treat it like one and give Nana her privacy. He wanted to believe that what they were doing would help her live a happy and fulfilling life.

“Why are boys like that, I wonder...?”

Shizuka found herself unwittingly letting out a sigh over Koutarou’s earnest awkwardness.

“Despite that, you seem happy, Shizuka.”

“Yeah, I guess I am.”

Shizuka’s sigh quickly gave way to a smile. As awkward as Koutarou was, Shizuka loved him for it. She was happy to have fallen for such a considerate man.

“If I were to guess... is it because you wish to breed?”

“I have no intentions of that yet!”

However, because of Alunaya’s all too tactless comment, Shizuka’s happiness blew up into embarrassment.

While Koutarou’s cooking couldn’t compare to Kiriha or Ruth’s, everyone was grateful to be able to eat after finishing up their work. Because everything Koutarou had learned how to cook in past Forthorthe was meant to be eaten while travelling, it was all easy to eat—especially while on breaks.

After dinner, Koutarou was put in charge of the other chores so that the girls could go back to focusing on their work. Since he was notably lacking in useful skills or womanly sensibilities, he thought this arrangement was for the best and didn’t complain about his role. Moreover, since the housework was normally something Ruth and the others handled, he didn’t mind helping out once in a while. However, there was one matter the girls wanted to consult him on.

“Come here, Koutarou.”

“What?”

When Theia called to Koutarou, he put down his broom and quickly walked over to the girls.

“Are you hungry again? Or do you need some coffee?”

“No, it’s nothing like that.”

Koutarou was sure he was being summoned for another chore, but Theia shook her head. Instead, she pointed to the hologram floating in the air.

“We want your opinion on the combat system.”

Theia and the others had called Koutarou over because they wanted his opinion on the finer details of its system design. Whenever there was a battle, the girls all fought using their own power. But Koutarou was different. He fought using science, spiritual energy, and magic all at once. As a result, Nana would likely move similarly to how he did once her body was complete. That’s why his take on things would be valuable.

“I gotta say... a combat system seems unnecessary.”

While what Theia was saying made perfect sense, Koutarou shook his head. Nana had fought enough, so building her body with the expectation that she would continue to fight just seemed cruel. He thought it would be better not to include a combat system at all.

“I understand, but I doubt Darkness Rainbow sees it that way.”

Theia looked down with a despondent expression. She felt the same way Koutarou did, that Nana should get to live a peaceful life from here on out. However, if Darkness Rainbow ever caught wind that Nana had recovered, there was a high chance they might attack her. They would automatically assume that she still had the power to fight, and the odds would be unfairly slanted against her if she couldn’t.

“So they won’t leave her be...”

“Satomi-kun, this might sound strange coming from me, but defeating Darkness Rainbow is the best way to keep Nana safe... No, the best way to keep Nana-san from fighting. But until then, I believe she needs the means to protect herself.”

Maki, the former Dark Navy, agreed with Theia’s assessment of the situation. Having been a leader of Darkness Rainbow herself, she had a great deal of insight on the matter. And if she said so, Koutarou had no choice but to reluctantly accept it.

“Okay, so what do you want to know?”

“First of all, since her body will be strengthened by spiritual energy, in the event that she moves faster than your armor can...”

There, Koutarou joined in on the discussion. He wanted to politely avoid any talk about the details of Nana’s body, but since this was purely technical and combat-oriented, he didn’t feel too badly about it.

When Koutarou joined in, Yurika and Nana took their leave. With Nana’s medical checkup finally finished, Yurika wanted her to get some rest. Koutarou and the others were still discussing important things in the main room, so she decided to take Nana somewhere else for some peace and quiet.

“Here we go, Nana-san!”

“Yurika-chan, it’s dangerous to go so fast.”

“It’ll be fine!”

Yurika ran down the hallways of Blue Knight, pushing the movable bed that Nana was lying on in front of her. Yurika was scrawny and out of shape, but the bed was floating in the air thanks to advanced Forthorthian science, so she could still run at full speed despite pushing Nana along.

“The last time I tried this with luggage, it stopped on its own before hitting a wall.”

“So you’ve crashed before, have you? Heh.”

“I didn’t crash. Like I said, it stopped on its own.”

“Heh, of course.”

It probably would have scared any other bedridden patient to be wheeled around so recklessly, but Nana—a former magical girl of Rainbow Heart—was happily smiling.

“Here we go! High speed cornering!”

“Kyah!”

The two of them made quite a racket giggling and screaming as Yurika raced them through the halls, but they eventually—safely—reached their destination, the cabin. Yurika managed to lead them there successfully without getting lost not because she knew the layout of Blue Knight, but rather because there were lights on the floor guiding the way.

“This’ll be your room, Nana-san.”

“It’s awfully big.”

Yurika had brought Nana to one of the guest cabins reserved for special visitors. It was a rather spacious room decorated with exquisite furniture.

“Theia-chan is rich after all.”

“I think this is a step beyond that...”

Nana could tell at first glance that she was being put in an exceptionally luxurious room, and it took her a bit by surprise. Yurika, on the other hand, showed no sign of wonder at the sight of the lavish Forthorthe-style furniture, and boldly wheeled Nana into the room without hesitation. Nana thought her heart might stop every time Yurika nearly rammed her into something that looked expensive.

Does Yurika-chan have any idea...?

Nana had to wonder if Yurika was being so casual because she was so close with Theia, or if it was because the cultural gap was wide enough that she just didn’t appreciate the value of the things in the room. She feared it was the latter.

“Okay, let’s move you over to this bed, Nana-san.”

“Okay...”

Yurika wheeled Nana all the way to the bed in the back of the room and beckoned her to switch with a smile. Nana had to wonder just how much that bed was worth as she slowly shifted herself over. The movable bed automatically adjusted its height to match the bed in the room, making the transition easier for her.

“Good work, Nana-san.”

Yurika smiled as Nana laid down in the new bed, where she then tucked her in.

I didn’t realize Nana-san was this small...

It had been quite some time since they’d last seen each other, and Yurika couldn’t help thinking to herself how slight Nana seemed. She’d always been a petite girl, but in her weak and feeble condition, that impression was only exacerbated. Seeing her like this, Yurika’s smiled turned somewhat sad.

“You can take it easy for the rest of the day, Nana-san. It looks like there will be more tests and measuring, but not until tomorrow at the soonest.”

As pained as she was, Yurika didn’t want Nana to notice and tried to cheer herself up. Her efforts paid off, and her smile quickly returned to normal.

“Yurika-chan, there’s no need for you to be sad.”

Nevertheless, Nana had known Yurika for a long time. She didn’t fail to notice the glimpse of a bitter smile on Yurika’s lips.

“Nana-san...”

Yurika’s eyes shot wide open in surprise. It was a timely reminder that she’d never been good at keeping secrets from Nana. She was her master and her best friend. If Nana had been there, she would have been the first person Yurika went to during the scavenger hunt when she was tasked with finding a friend.

“But Nana-san... It’s because of me that you’re...”

Yurika bit her lip.

It had happened over a year ago. Yurika was taken hostage by Darkness Rainbow. With Yurika being used against her, Nana refused to put up any resistance and willingly walked into grave danger. That was what had pushed her to the extreme point of overloading her mana core and basically self-destructing. Darkness Rainbow hadn’t expected her to go so far for Yurika’s sake and took the brunt of the attack.

Fortunately, Nana and Yurika had both escaped alive, but at a heavy price. Nana lost several of her digits and limbs, and even with those parts replaced with magical prosthetics, her mobility and health were still severely compromised. On top of that, without her mana core, she could no longer use magic. In order to save Yurika’s life, Nana had given up a big part of herself.

“That wasn’t because of you. It was Darkness Rainbow’s fault for taking a hostage. It’s nothing you should be concerned about, Yurika-chan.”

Even though she’d sacrificed her body and her ability to use magic, Nana was still a magical girl at heart. There was nothing more important to her than the life of her dear friend. That’s why Nana didn’t regret anything about what happened and didn’t hold any of it against Yurika.

“Nana-san is right, Yurika,” a third party said upon entering the room. “If anything, Nana-san should hold it against me.”

“Maki-chan...”

It was the former Dark Navy. She wanted to speak with Nana, but because it would be difficult in front of Koutarou and the others, she’d waited for her chance to do so privately.

“Yurika, we of Darkness Rainbow were the ones that captured you. We were the ones that used you to corner Nana-san. That’s why I should be the one apologizing.”

When Nana blew herself up, Maki was still a member of Darkness Rainbow. She’d been lucky enough to be some distance away from Nana, so the magical explosion didn’t gravely injure her, but she hadn’t gotten off lightly either. It was all she could do to escape with her injured companions.

“Nana-san...”

Maki stood next to Yurika and looked down at Nana in the bed. Deep sadness and regret filled her eyes. It was as if Yurika’s sorrow from moments ago had been transferred to her.

“I’m sorry for doing such terrible things. Darkness Rainbow was... No, the me back then didn’t know what I wanted. That’s why I eliminated everything I didn’t like in a sad attempt to find what I did.”

What Maki truly wanted was love, but oblivious to that, she’d used the power of her magic to manipulate people’s minds in a forcible attempt to shield herself from getting hurt. She’d thought that if she could eliminate everything she found unpleasant, then all that remained would be something desirable. Blind to her true desires, Maki let her feelings run amok and devoted herself to her short-sighted, misguided stopgap solution.

“I got you two involved because of my own selfishness.”

That was the real reason why Maki had used her magic the way she did, and it could be said that the other leaders of Darkness Rainbow were letting their emotions run amok in similar ways. That selfishness was what made them hostile against Rainbow Heart, which Nana ultimately paid the price for.

“I know that it may not make a difference and I’m not asking for forgiveness, but I at least wanted to tell you myself... I am so very sorry, Nana-san.”

After meeting Koutarou and the others, Maki realized that what she truly sought was love. That was why she was always using her magic to shield herself from lies and betrayal—she was really just searching for people who would protect her and be honest with her. The current Maki knew better, and knew that she had to treasure the love that was right in front of her. She was a different person now. She recognized her past mistakes, and wanted to make them right where she could. Nana’s current condition was a sorry reminder of the terrible things she’d done to other people, which was why she’d come to her directly to apologize.

“Navy... No, Maki-san. I forgive you.”

Nana forgave Maki without an ounce of bitterness in her voice. If anything, she sounded happy. She was even smiling.

“Nana-san...”

Maki was dumbfounded by Nana’s smile. She’d been completely debilitated by Darkness Rainbow. Maki was sure that she must bear at least some lingering ill feelings over what had happened, but no... Nana was smiling at her, and Maki couldn’t understand why.

“I was a magical girl of love and courage. While I might despise wrongdoing, I don’t hate people. Love forgives all... In that sense, I’m still Rainbow Nana.”

Nana took pride in having once been an archwizard of Rainbow Heart and what she’d accomplished during her time. And even though she was retired now, her feelings hadn’t changed whatsoever. Nana didn’t regret the sacrifice she’d made. In her eyes, it was what she’d had to do as Rainbow Nana.

“That’s right, Maki-chan. You being here is proof that Nana-san did the right thing.”

“Yurika...”

The end result of what had happened that day was that Yurika met Koutarou and Maki was saved from Darkness Rainbow—arguably from loneliness. Nana believed that the ends justified the means in this case, just like Yurika said. She may no longer have been working as a magical girl, but she still thought like one.

“Nana-san...”

“Yes?”

“I feel like I finally understand why I could never beat you or Yurika.”

“Now that you do, I’m sure you could win against us both.”

“...That might be true...”

Maki wiped her eyes and finally cracked a smile. Yurika and Nana watching over her both smiled too. They all knew that Nana was right. Anger and hate didn’t play a part in this equation. Especially not now that everyone was working to help Nana recover.

“Nana-san, Yurika... Thank you for forgiving me...”

Maki had spent a long time walking the wrong path in life, but she’d come to an important crossroads. She’d be heading a different way from now on.

As things quieted down in the room, another visitor arrived.

“Nana-chan!”

It was Sanae’s mother, Kanae. She jumped into the room and ran right over to the bed. Since Nana was an old friend of Kanae’s, her eyes immediately filled with tears to see her lying helpless in bed.

“Kanae-san?! What are you doing here?!”

Nana, who had been smiling up until now, looked blatantly shocked. She’d never dreamed she’d run into Kanae here.

“I heard that you were here from my daughter and came running!”

Kanae ignored the other two girls in the room as she rushed to Nana’s side and took hold of her small hand. Kanae hadn’t spent all that much time together with Nana, but Nana was very, very special to her. She thought of her both as a little sister and a daughter, and this was the first time she’d seen her in a very long while. That was why the typically strict-about-manners Kanae had pushed past Yurika and Maki to get to her.

“What’s with you? If you were hurt and had to retire, you should have said so! You made me worry like that for nothing!”

Kanae’s biggest worry was that she hadn’t heard from Nana even once after she vanished. She’d long fretted that she’d died in battle.

“Th-That’s because if I carelessly contacted you, Darkness Rainbow would...”

Nana was borderline rambling. Her previously composed attitude had flown right out the window when she saw Kanae enter the room. Just as Kanae treasured Nana, Nana so treasured Kanae. Their bond was so strong that just being in Kanae’s presence was enough to render Nana a normal girl for a time.

“Quiet, you! What are you so scared of Darkness Rainbow for?”

“Because they’re dangerous—”

“You really are stupid! I’m way more concerned about whether or not you’re okay!”

Kanae tugged on Nana’s hand and pulled her closer to embrace her. That was just how dear Nana was to her. Even though it had been more than ten years, that hadn’t changed.

“Kanae-san...”

“You have something to say, don’t you?”

“I-I’m sorry.”

“Try again.”

“I, um... I-It’s good to see you again...”

Nana only reservedly whispered her answer after thinking on it for a long moment. She then tightly hugged Kanae with her right arm—her last remaining real limb. Responding to that, Kanae strengthened her embrace.

“It’s good to see you again too, Nana-chan. I’m so glad you’re okay...”

While they hadn’t been together long all those years ago, Nana was irreplaceable to Kanae. They’d shared great joy and great sorrow together. And now that they were finally reunited, Kanae was unable to hold back her tears.

“Yurika-chan, you didn’t tell Kanae-san that I was okay?”

“I did. I told her that you had been seriously injured and that I took over for you.”

“If you put it like that, it makes it sound like I’m either dead or dying!”

Nana, Yurika, and Kanae continued on chatting together. Maki watched over them for a while before realizing that it might be better for her not to be present. While Nana had forgiven her, she had still been their enemy once. There were probably plenty of things they wouldn’t want to talk about in front of her, so she slowly and quietly distanced herself from the group.

“Kanae-san, you worry too much.”

“At least tell me what’s going on!”

“Now, now, Kanae-san, calm down...”

Fortunately for Maki, none of them seemed to notice when she slipped out the cabin door. They simply continued chatting away. Maki took one last look at their happy smiles before silently making her exit. Upon entering the hallway, Maki leaned against the wall and lost herself in thought.

Old friends, huh...?

Darkness Rainbow was a group of magicians that had only allied because they shared a common enemy. There was no sense of camaraderie between them, and they had no scruples about using each other. But despite all that, there was still one member that Maki had thought of fondly.

I wonder if Crimson is worried about me...

Maki was thinking of Dark Crimson, who was easily the most straightforward member of Darkness Rainbow. Her only goal as a magical girl was to get stronger. Her simplistic way of thinking and straightforward desires had agreed well with Maki, who had no tolerance for lies and deception. The two of them got along well and respected each other. Maki didn’t really know if they could call each other friends... but she hoped so. That being the case, she felt badly thinking that she might be making Crimson worry.

No, how silly of me...

Crimson was a member of Darkness Rainbow. There was no way she had any real feelings for Maki. It was stupid to think that she felt the same way about her underneath the surface.

I don’t have any friends who would worry about me—

And just as Maki was about to mutter something sad to herself...

“Ha!”

She was suddenly attacked by someone.

“Huwah?!”

Someone grabbed her arm and twisted it upwards in a simple joint lock. Maki was a trained soldier, so she was ordinarily vigilant and alert. She should have noticed someone approaching. As an indigo magician, she was an expert at reading people, after all. However, the person that had put her in a joint lock had done it with so little hostility that they’d easily slipped past Maki’s defenses.

“How about it?! Do you give up?!”

“K-Kasagi-san?!”

Upon hearing the voice of her assailant, Maki immediately realized it was Shizuka. She also realized that she hadn’t noticed Shizuka’s approach, not just because she had no hostility within her, but also because she was an expert martial artist. Concealing her presence and sneaking up on an opponent for a surprise attack was child’s play to her.

“What’s with that gloomy look on your face, huh?! Take this and this and this!”

“Ow, ow, ow!”

Shizuka seemed strangely enthusiastic about tackling the gloomy Maki. But since she had no intention of actually hurting her, she restrained herself so that Maki only felt a small amount of pain.

“Wh-What are you doing?!”

“What? A girl can’t try out some moves on her best friend for no reason?”

“N-Not under normal circumstances, no!”

“Guess it’s a good thing we’re not normal then!”

“Ah...”

Hearing those words—“not normal”—Maki understood what Shizuka was doing. She’d gotten worried about Maki and come to look for her, only to find her brooding in the hallway. She meant well and was trying to lift her spirits, which was how she’d been able to sneak up on Maki without her noticing.

“Cheer up, Aika-san! Whatever’s got you down, we’re here for you!”

“Kasagi-san... No, I’m fine now.”

“...Really?”

“Really. How should I put it...? I was just a little embarrassed about my short-sightedness.”

She had just been thinking to herself that she didn’t have any real friends. But even if it had been true in the past, things were different now. Maki was surrounded by friends who cared about her, and Shizuka was proof of that. She’d come as an emissary for everyone. Maki no longer had a reason to be jealous of Yurika.

“Glad to hear it. Now... Take this!”

“Ow, ow, ow! Wh-Why, Kasagi-san?! A-Aren’t you done yet?!”

“Well, I was, but now you’ve got my inner martial artist curious. How are you going to escape this one, Aika-san?!”

“Allow me to demonstrate!”

A smile returned to Maki’s face as she defended herself against Shizuka. She had military training, and knew more than one way to get out of a basic joint lock. Freeing herself from Shizuka’s grasp...

Crimson and I probably could have had fun like this...

Her thoughts turned to her former ally. If things had played out differently, she might be smiling and goofing around with her like she was with Shizuka right now. When that thought crossed her mind, Maki’s smile turned somewhat lonely.