Chapter 11: Broken

Broken

Sumire had warned that she would destroy the barrier in a week, but she hadn't said what time she would arrive at the tower. Since I couldn't specify the exact time, we had to prepare to be on the lookout at the tower all day on the day she warned me.

Kaoru-chan and I both lied to our parents and said we were going to stay at Kaoru-chan's (Koharu's) house. We killed time outside during the day and headed to the tower two hours before midnight. We didn't know how long we'd have to wait, so we stocked up on food.

When I arrived at the tower, there was someone there already.

It's Yuzuhira-san.

I was surprised but not alarmed.

I remember that today was the day that Yuzuriha-san and Asahina-san were on guard duty. I was surprised that she had stayed behind so late, but her presence here was not unexplainable.

In fact, we may have been the ones who surprised Yuzuhira-san.

"Thank you for your hard work. Um... why are you still here until this late? Did something happen?"

"Nothing's happening. I'm just waiting for Sumire."

"That may be true, but..."　

My tone hinted at doubts about whether she should wait until this time for someone who might or might not show up.

"I know. Sumire will be coming soon. You two know that too, right?"　

The shock this time was incomparable to what we'd experienced before. Kaoru-chan and I were on guard, our nerves on edge as we listened to every word Yuzuhira-san said.

"What do you mean? She's coming soon? How do you know that?"

"Ufufu, how insincere... Weren't it the two of you who told me?"

""Eh?!""

"Sorry... I've been tailing you two for the past week."

Kaoru-chan and I looked at each other and asked each other, "Did you notice?" I shook my head. Kaoru-chan just stared at me awkwardly.

Regardless of me, I wonder if Yuzuki-san is capable of tailing Kaoru-chan so well that she won't notice?

"A week ago, after Sumire escaped. I thought the two of you were a little suspicious. I think Raika probably thought the same."

Could it be that when we were setting up the guard rotation? Just as Kaoru-chan saw through my lie, I wonder if Yuzuhira-san and Mitaka-san also noticed my lie. Kaoru-chan was suspicious of me because of whether or not there were actual plans, but the other two may have guessed that I was trying to adjust the rotation.

"My unique magic is called 'Illusion Magic', and it allows me to change the way I appear to others. So it's no wonder you two didn't notice."

"So, you were listening to that conversation too...?"

"Yeah. The zenzai there was delicious."　

Yuzuriha-san said with a smile.

It seems she had heard it all.

It was my mistake...

I told a poor lie, so Yuzuhira-san and Mitaka-san found out right away.

"So you knew that Sumire would be coming here soon, and that you had kept it a secret from everyone. Does Mitaka-san know too...? She never acted like it."　

If Mitaka-san knew about this, she wouldn't let us go, she would have quickly informed everyone and decided to target Sumire for elimination without question. We had met several times over the past week, but there was no sign of that happening.　

"Yuzuriha-san, what was your intention in showing up here?"

Kaoru-chan asked with a dangerous air about her.

Yuzuhira-san was met with a subtle murderous intent, but instead of going into battle mode, she just smiled broadly and eased the tension in the room. We were taken aback.

"Don't be so uptight. I'm on your side."

Yuzuhira-san said as she waved both her palms towards me.

"Ally?"

"Yes. First of all, to answer your earlier question, this matter has not yet been reported to Mitaka-san. Only we here know about it."

"I know I should say this, but why didn't you report it?"

Although Yuzuriha-san has always been a neutral side when it comes to Sumire's treatment, we thought that she might change her mind if she found out about the barrier. However, it seemed that her determination to protect Sumire was stronger than we had thought. She said firmly:

"To protect Sumire, of course."

There was no hesitation or embarrassment in those words.

"And I wanted to have a hand in what you guys were up to. I was suspicious of you two a week ago, but now I trust you quite a bit."

"Why?"

"I've been observing the two of you for the past week or so, and have come to this conclusion. The biggest thing is that you concealed the Sumire incident. If either of you was the malicious 'Eighth Person', then the incident with the barrier would have been good material to goad you into killing Sumire. The fact that you deliberately hid that means you're not the 'Eighth Person'. That's what I thought."

"I'm grateful that you trust us, but... what do you ultimately want to do, Yuzuriha-san?"　

Yuzuriha-san stretched her arm out to us and held up two fingers.

"You two have two goals. To stop the destruction of the barrier. And to determine from your conversation with Sumire whether she is truly an enemy. Right?

To do that, we need to neutralize Sumire. I want to help you with that."

"That's because... you also want to get to know her, right?"

"Exactly."

While Yuzuriha-san nodded in satisfaction, Kaoru continued to ask questions in a timid tone.

"But what if Tachibana-san was the enemy?"

It was a tricky question. But it's something I really want to clarify. To what extent will she protect Sumire? What will she do when she feels she can no longer protect her? Without this information, it will be difficult to cooperate.

The smile disappeared from Yuzuriha-san's face.　

"That's right... If we talk to Sumire and decide she's an enemy... or if we can't have a conversation, or if she actually destroys the barrier. In that case--"　

Yuzuriha-san's eyes shone mysteriously.

"I'll kill Sumire."　

Kill.

That's too heavy a word.

I felt like I'd heard this a few times recently, but when it came from Yuzuriha-san, who had been by Sumire's side until now, it felt like it had a different weight to it, and I had a bad feeling that it might actually become a reality.　

"Umm... You want to protect Sumire, right...?"　

I opened my mouth.

"Yes. However, if it's confirmed that she is the enemy, then the story changes. In that case, it would be dangerous to let Sumire live, and I don't want to let the hand's of the person I love become soiled any further. Rather than letting Mitaka-san or Alice-san kill her, I would rather do it with my own hands and..."

She didn't say what happened next.

But I had already heard what came next.

Both Kaoru-chan and I thought that this was the compromise.

When the time comes to actually lay hands on Sumire, we don't know if we'll be able to do it. But even if Yuzuriha-san, Mitaka-san, and Alice-chan were to witness the moment Sumire's life was taken—there's nothing we could do to stop it.

I hoped that she wasn't my enemy so that I would at least be allowed to continue protecting Sumire.　

◇◆◇◆

Kaoru appeared from the stairs and charged, stabbing me in the stomach with her sword.

When Kaoru pulled out her sword, fresh blood gushed out from my stomach, splattering everywhere and staining everything.

Ouch!!!

What is this? It hurts, it's hot, and I feel cold!

The wound was emitting heat as if a branding iron was being pressed against it, but it felt as if body heat was slowly being lost from my entire body through the wound.

This is bad, I'm going to die if this continues!

I don't want to die! Help meeeeeee!　

I thought about going out of character and screaming, but there was no need. Koharu came flying over and healed my wounds with "Recovery Magic."

Koharu's magic isn't the kind of convenient thing that can heal injuries instantly, but as long as it's not a missing part, it can heal even fairly serious injuries over time.

When I felt relieved, I almost lost consciousness.

No, no. No matter how much magic Koharu has, if I faint now I'll probably die.

"Now then~ I'm going to ask you a few questions, so please answer honestly, okay darling? Don't try to run away like you did before. Without Koharu-san's 'Recovery Magic', you'll die."

Did they seriously injure me to prevent me from escaping?

I thought about it...

I don't agree with that!

Well done!

"Why did you try to destroy the barrier?"

"…………"

"I feel so sad when you ignore me~ If you don't answer, I'll make you feel cute, okay?"

I don't know what exactly "making someone cute" means, but I continue to keep my mouth shut.

Suddenly, Yuzuki narrowed her eyes and pressed her finger into my wound. The pain that had been eased by the "Recovery Magic" suddenly became intense. My forehead broke out in a profuse sweat. Even while bound by chains, I struggled as hard as I could.

"Hmmmmmm! Argh, uuuh!"

"Hehehe, so cute~"

"Yuzuriha-san... Ugh, please, stop..."

Koharu pleaded, trying to hold back the urge to vomit.

That's right, say more to this sadist!

At Koharu's request, Yuzuki reluctantly removed her fingers from my wound. My whole body was covered in sweat, and I took a deep breath.

"Haa... haa... ugh, haa..."

"It's so sensual~"

"Hey, can we talk seriously here?"

Kaoru reproached.

"Ufufu, that's right. Let me ask you again~? Why did you try to destroy the barrier?"

"...Even if I tell you... you guys won't believe me. Haa... Why... you just suspect that I know and make me the 'eighth person'..."

"I see... I don't want to doubt Sumire. So... please don't make me doubt you."

The chains tightened.

"Ugh..."　

Yuzuki tried every trick in the book to get information out of me, but I dodged them by pretending to be dazed and confused by my injuries, buying myself time - enough time to recover enough that I wouldn't die even if Koharu's magic was cut off.

And then the time came.

Even though I've said come, it's just a feeling. Well, I had a feeling it would probably be okay. The wounds seemed to have closed up.

I invoked "Compensation Magic"　

The three of them seem to believe that the barrier cannot be destroyed unless I touch the magic circle, but that's not the case. Well, I don't destroy it.

I actually wanted to touch the magic circle with my hand and destroy it, but I can't move so I guess that can't be helped.

Even while I was tied up, I used "Compensation Magic" to temporarily suspend the barrier.　

It wasn't stopped, but paused. It was set to start moving again after five minutes if left unattended. Considering that I would have to pay the price for strengthening the barrier later, I wanted to keep the price here as low as possible.

A complete shutdown would be too costly, and I felt like I would have to pay the cost of restarting it too when the barrier was strengthened, so I paused it for only five minutes.

The price is... my right eye.　

At that moment.

My sixth sense sensed something like a warning. It resonated louder and more serious than when the demons had appeared—even when the "Eighth Person" had been discovered.

I'm not the only one. Koharu, Kaoru, and Yuzuki seem to sense it too. They're clearly shaken and searching for the source of the sensation.

The magic circle shone brightly, and the three of them realized everything.　

Fufu, I never thought the barrier would have such an alarm function!

What a pleasant surprise!

This will complete the cast, including Raika, Alice, Shio, and Nemuri, who are not here today.

"What did you do?! Did you destroy the barrier?!"

"Why?! Sumire, you--"

"We need to get out of here for now!"　

The three of them hurriedly dragged me to the ground, but it was too late.

The barrier was completely suspended.　

When we returned to the surface, the candle on the wall had suddenly lit up, illuminating the room. Perhaps the state reset occurred when everyone had gone underground and the observers had left. It was like a game field.

Yuzuki glared at me. But there seemed to be a hint of sadness in her eyes, which made me happy. It seemed like she wasn't just feeling hostility towards me. If that was the case, then those feelings would eventually grow into a great sense of guilt.

"Sumire... she was the enemy after all."　

It was as if she was somehow squeezing out hatred.

Next, Koharu spoke up.

"Why did you do this...? Is it because you're the 'Eighth'? Why is the 'Eighth' trying to intimidate us? Couldn't we have just worked together?"

That's not true.

You guys were the one who first brushed off the outstretched hand.

I just want to save everyone.

As proof, I'll strengthen the barrier from now on.

This time the price is a leg and my internal organs.　

I concentrated my mind in order to use the "Compensation Magic".　

"Ha...haa."

However, something suddenly protruded from my chest, interrupting my magic. I felt the urge to claw at my chest, but unfortunately my hands and feet were restrained.

All I can do is squirm and choke violently.

Soon, a large amount of blood came out of  my mouth.

"Why……"　

I should have recovered enough that he wouldn't need Koharu's treatment.

However, this is just my feeling. There is a good chance that I was wrong.　

No--.

Maybe the price wasn't enough?

What exactly did it take from me?　

My consciousness is rapidly fading away.

"Compensation magic" cannot be used...

I can't strengthen the barrier...　

Well, depending on how you look at it, this might actually be a good idea...　

No, it's no good...

I can't think about anything anymore...　

Roy, the rest... I'll leave it to you...　

◇◆◇◆　

"Why……"　

Muttering this as if cursing our lack of understanding, Sumire lost consciousness.

I sense something heartbreaking there, and I flinch for just a moment.

But suddenly, I was overcome with fear that if I continued like this, she might actually die.

"Sumire!"

I hastily took Sumire's pulse, put my ear to her chest, and held my hand over my mouth.　

"Is she alive?!"

Yuzuriha-san let out a shriek-like voice.

Sumire has a faint pulse, heartbeat, and breathing.

I nodded and continued to cast [Recovery Magic]

Up until now, Yuzuriha-san had shown that she was prepared to kill Sumire if necessary, but when she saw Sumire actually facing death, her resolve seemed to waver, and she allowed me to use "Recovery Magic'' on her.　

"I wonder if it's okay..."

Kaoru-chan asked me, and I couldn't say anything.

No matter how much "Recovery Magic" is used, Sumire does not wake up.

After about five minutes, Asahina-san arrived.

"Um... what is the situation?"

Perhaps sensing the heavy atmosphere, the usual brightness was gone.　

Kaoru-chan explained the situation.

After another 10 minutes or so, the group was complete: Mitaka-san, Alice-chan, and Nemuri-chan. Alice-chan and Nemuri-chan must have been woken up from their sleep because their eyes were slightly unfocused.　

"What on earth is going on... She too, Tachibana, what was that intense feeling we had just now?"

"That's because... Tachibana-san destroyed the barrier."

"The barrier?!"

Alice-chan seems to have woken up a little.

Mitaka-san rubbed her brow as if she had a headache.　

"Damn. You guys tried to stop her, didn't you?"

"Yes……"

Kaoru answered.

It was true that we had tried to stop her, but she hadn't said that we had known in advance that Sumire would destroy the barrier and had hidden it from her, so she felt guilty, as if she had deceived her.

No, it wasn't "as if" it was deceiving.

"It was a stroke of luck that she was defeated without my knowledge, but she ultimately manages to destroy the barrier... Hey, why were you using 'Recovery Magic'?"

"Well... because... if I left her alone, she'd die..."

"She's an enemy. Considering she destroyed the barrier, the theory that she's an innocent 'Eighth' is out of the question.

I understand the reluctance to kill her. I don't want to kill her either. But if you don't kill her, she'll kill us. Alice, lend me your gun. I'll shot her."

Mitaka-san reached out towards Alice-chan, but she didn't pull out her gun. Alice-chan had been so determined to eliminate the "Eighth Person," but she couldn't seem to accept Mitaka-san's proposal. Having actually witnessed Sumire's tragic state, her thoughts were probably wavering.　

"What up?"

"Please stop using the gun... No matter what... It's too cruel!"

"So what are we going to do? Crush her head with a motorcycle? I don't have any interest in making her suffer or dismembering her into a gruesome corpse! I'm saying that finishing her off with a gun is the quickest way!"

"Wait! If we use Alice's 'Absorption Magic', she won't have to suffer..."

Alice knelt down and placed her hands on Sumire's chest.

After much deliberation, I stopped casting the "Recovery Magic" on Sumire and removed my hands from her body.

That's when it happened.

"Wait!"

A voice called out, and an 'Agent' appeared

"I'm Roy. I'm Tachibana Sumire's Agent"

At first, I didn't know what to make of that fact.

All I could think was, "Sumire's 'Agent' has finally appeared."　

But...

Oh, that's...

Why did we decide that Sumire was the "Eighth"...?

That's right.

Because we couldn't see Sumire's 'Agent'.

But not that her 'Agent' has appeared.

In other words--.

"Calm down. Even if an 'Agent' has appeared now, it doesn't change the fact that this guy is evil. Everyone else has shown their 'agent', so it just proves that the 'Eighth Person' also has an 'Agent' with them."

Mitaka-san explained this to me, perhaps out of concern for my pale face.

Alice-chan also looked up at Mitaka-san with a worried look on her face, but as soon as she finished explaining, Alice-chan activated "Absorption Magic," and her hand on Sumire's chest emitted a yellow light. From the way Alice-chan spoke and the name of the magic, "Absorption Magic" was likely a spell that would steal the opponent's energy and make it her own.

Roy was still saying something. I didn't want to hear anything more from him. I wanted to cover my ears. I was already feeling uneasy about the current situation, and listening to his excuses made me feel like we were heading in the wrong direction, weakening my resolve.

"Wait. I want you to hear what I have to say. Sumire just wants everyone to--"

"Shut up. If this guy is Black, then her 'Agent' is just as suspicious. I'm not so foolish as to listen to what you have to say."

"But—"

"It's over."

Roy was trying to press on, but Alice simply told him that.

"She was really just barely surviving... Just a few puffs and she was completely drained of energy."

I looked at Sumire's face. Her expression wasn't calm, but she looked almost the same as before. It was true that Alice-chan's magic didn't cause pain to its target.

Try checking the pulse, listening to the heartbeat, and checking the breathing.

Sumire was completely dead.

I felt a huge sense of loss, like a huge hole had opened up in my chest.

I was so sad that a tear fell from my eye. But I held it in. Sumire's death was a decision we all made together. I made the decision by tacitly approving it. And yet, for me to be the only one shedding tears and showing sympathy... it was cowardly.

Everyone looked solemn as they pondered the gravity of a person's death.

Mitaka-san's trembling voice rang unpleasantly clear in my ears.

"Wh-what ... what is the meaning of this...?"

Follow her gaze.

There was a round table with seven chairs evenly spaced around it.

The interior as usual.　

--No.

It felt strange. The scene seemed familiar yet unfamiliar. I had the strange feeling that I was looking at a parallel world.

Eventually, I realizes the true nature of the discomfort.

There were not seven chairs there—there were six.

There's one chair missing.　

At that moment, Sumire's transformation was undone.

Her true self appears.

Nemuri-chan opened her eyes wide and said

"Ice cream... Onee-san...?"

"Magical Girls Killing Each Others" main characters list:

Black - Tachibana Sumire (MC who want to cloud everyone) - Agent: Ryo - Unique Magic: Compensation Magic - Magical Tool: Wires

Pink - Kisaragi Koharu (The original anime MC, 100% all support stats, no offense) - Agent: Rococo - Unique Magic: Recovery Magic - Magical Tool: Shield

Red - Akabane Kaoru (Koharu's childhood friend) - Agent: Ross - Unique Magic: Fire Magic - Magical Tool: Sword

Green - Mitaka Raika (25 years old biker Onee-san who smoke) - Agent: Rod - Unique Magic: Smoke Magic - Magical Tool: Motorcycle

Blonde - Alice (the pretend rich loli girl) - Agent: Rock - Unique Magic: Absorption Magic - Magical Tool: Gun

Orange - Asahina Shio (a real rich girl) - Agent: Loki - Unique Magic: Acceleration Magic - Magical Tool:???

Purple - Yuzuriha Yuzuki (tomboy) - Agent: Romeo - Unique Magic: Illusion Magic - Magical Tool: Chain

White - Tengai Nemuri (amnesiac girl) - Agent: Logos - Unique Magic: Time Magic - Magical Tool: Grenades