Chapter 8: Choice

Choice

Mitaka-san's motorcycle crashed into the chair Sumire was sitting in. The chair was sent flying with a loud noise and crashed into the wall, but it didn't break.

The sound of the impact brings me back to my senses.

And then I realized my error in judgment.　

"Sumire!"

I ran over to Sumire.

For some reason, I couldn't imagine that Sumire would die even if the motorcycle had hit her from behind. My imagination was dull. There was something aloof about Sumire, she was hard to grasp. I felt that a mundane death like a traffic accident didn't suit her, so I overlooked it.

--But then that expression she showed at the end.

She was definitely human. And humans don't stand a chance when hit at high speed by an object with that huge mass.

Remembering such an obvious fact, I ran over to Sumire with all my might.

But--.　

"Sumire……?"　

The seats were empty.

As I stood there, stunned and confused as to what this meant, I heard a commotion in the distance. Mitaka-san had shook off the three people's restraints. Or perhaps the three had let go of her. She went straight ahead to check if Sumire was alive or dead, and pushed me away as I was in their path. Then, upon noticing that Sumire was gone, she grabbed me by the collar.

"You--"　

She started to say something and stopped.

She was probably trying to say something cruel to me, but then she swallowed it, realizing it was pointless.

Mitaka-san gently pushed me away so that I didn't fall, then looked away and muttered "Damn" to herself, not to me. She then sat down at the round table and began to smoke a cigarette. Mitaka-san remained silent the whole time. Still unable to calm down, she smoked two, then three cigarettes in a row.

A heavy atmosphere hung in the air.

I was lost in thought, gazing blankly at the smoke coming out of Mitaka-san's mouth.

What should I have done at that time?

If there was a mistake in judgment, it probably wasn't when I deactivated the magic tool.

It was when I couldn't trust Sumire.

At that moment, I made a mistake in judgment by not listening carefully to what she had to say.

I should have listened. To her true intentions. Instead of just flatly denying what Sumire was saying. And after listening carefully, I should have tried to persuade her if I felt that she was wrong. It's too late now to regret it, but...

I want another chance.

But now that the opportunity has come, will I be able to trust Sumire this time?　

To be honest, I'm not that confident.

I continued to question myself and hate myself.

The silence was suddenly broken.

"Tachibana is black."

Mitaka-san said after finishing her fourth cigarette.

My heart skipped a beat. The sentence seemed like a mistake on my part.

"That's just because Mitaka-san has become emotional towards Sumire-"

"There is evidence."

Mitaka-san interrupted Yuzuriha-san's rebuttal and continued.

"She had information we didn't know."

"It's just that we didn't know about it, but anyone could find out if they wanted to."

"That may be true. But she also knew about my past, something that only I should know."

"Is that the kind of ability it is?"

Asahina-san interjected.

“Look at this,” Mitaka said, pointing to the empty seat wrapped in chains, “Tachibana’s unique magic is teleportation—in fact, if there’s an invisible corpse here, it’s an invisibility magic.

And before, she had attacked Akabane in some way. Let's assume that is the ability of her magical tool. If she is gaining information through her unique magic, then she has three slots for abilities.

Unique magic and magical tools - we magical girls can only have one for each. In other words, the standards are different. Therefore, we can conclude that Tachibana is not a magical girl. She is something similar but not the same as a magical girl."

No one objected to that guess. In other words, everyone agreed that there was a high possibility that Sumire was the "Eighth." Still, Yuzuriha-san persisted.

"Even if Sumire is Black, we don't know if the 'Eighth' is out to wipe us out. She might not be our enemy."

"She never called himself the 'Eighth'. That's proof she has something to hide."

"In this situation! There is no way she can say that!"

Yuzuriha-san yelled.

Yuzuriha-san has been protecting Sumire for a while now. Maybe she likes her. When did they become so close?

I don't know what Yuzuriha-san is thinking in her mind, but I was envious of her ability to stand up for her beliefs and express her desire to protect Sumire so honestly.

I want to look at Sumire with the same clear eyes as her and believe in her completely.

"Anyway, even if Sumire is the 'Eighth', it's too early to start a conflict with her."

"So what should I do?"

"It is--"

Just as Yuzuriha-san was about to respond, Kaoru-chan raised her hand.

"Um, Alice hasn't come yet, has she? It's an important matter, so why don't we call her for now?"

•

•

As expected, Alice was furious.　

"Why didn't you call Alice right away?"

"But Alice-chan, you're still a child. I was worried it would be terrible if you got hurt."

"Don't treat me like a kid! Alice can fight too!"

"Whether you can fight and whether you should fight are two different things. I don't want kids to fight."

"That's why!"

"Hey, leave it there. That's what I mean when I say you're a kid."

"~~~!"　

When she was told that, it seemed she had no words to say. Alice's face turned red and she closed her mouth.

"What we are about to discuss is important. Before that, I would like to state the premise that the 'Eighth Person' is Tachibana Sumire. Does anyone disagree with that?"　

Yuzuriha-san looked down in frustration.

I also admit that, although it is not certain, this is the most likely possibility.　

"Looks like there isn't one. So, next. Is the 'Eighth' an enemy or an ally? That's the question now. What are everyone's opinions?"

"Of course she is enemy! That's obvious!"　

Alice puffed out her chest.　

"You know, there are six of you, so why did you let that woman get away? If Alice had been there, we would have definitely taken her down already!"

"Her unique magic is a pain. Well, next time, we'll definitely take her life—oh, I see, there are some people who just can't accept that."

"Yes. I don't think Sumire is an enemy. We should at least wait until we've confirmed that she's someone who means us harm before trying to kill her."

Yuzuriha-san had been on edge ever since. Her characteristic drawn-out tone had disappeared, and every word she said was filled with sternness.

"Harm us..."

Could her declaration that she will destroy the barrier be evidence that she views us magical girls as someone who harms her?

It could very well be. Surely it is such important evidence that even Yuzuriha-san wouldn't be able to fully cover it up.

I'm the only one who holds it...

It's very selfish to hide something so important.

Should I say it?　

While I was hesitating, the discussion continues.

"Is there any reason to believe she is not enemies?"

"Well... I don't have any evidence that will convince you all... But you are the ones who should be showing evidence. The presumption of innocence."

Sparks flew between the two of them.

While Mitaka-san wants Sumire to be condemned, Yuzuriha-san is determined to fight to the end. Both sides are demanding evidence, and there is currently no sign of a resolution.

But if my testimony is testified, everything will be turned upside down...

"Ummm~"

Asahina-san interrupted.　

"I'm an idiot so I don't really understand."

Everyone's attention is focused on her.

I braced myself. Perhaps Asahina-san knew something I didn't know, or perhaps she knew something about the barrier, and was about to testify about it. There was a chance that the situation could be turned upside down without me even bringing it up.　

Asahina-san said after a pause.

"Sumire said that she is not enemy. So she is not an enemy?"

"Stop being so stupid with that preamble!"

"Hehehe."　

Asahina-san scratches her head in embarrassment.

She took a deep breath.

"But, ​​I think I agree with Yuzuhira-san. It would be one thing if there was clear evidence that she was an enemy, but attacking her just because she's the "Eighth"... well, I guess I just can't do that."

“I think the evidence you’ve been giving so far is enough, that the Tower has summoned us. We were summoned because there was a crisis, right?”

"Ultimately, we don't know for sure. How we interpret what happened depends too much on our own interpretation."

"You guys are making so much noise! ​​No matter how you look at it, she's suspicious! That's the basis for the 1990s!"

"This is pointless..."

"Huh!?"

"Stop, stop. Calm down. We haven't listening to their opinion."

The three people Mitaka-san pointed to were me, Kaoru-chan, and Nemuri-chan.　

"I will obey everyone..."

Nemuri-chan said as she nodded and dozed off.

Kaoru-chan and I exchanged a confused look, then,...

"I honestly don't know....to be honest. It's certainly suspicious. But it would be emotionally tough to eliminate someone just because they're suspicious....What do you think, Koharu?"　

...and passed it at me.

I feel everyone's eyes on me.

Currently, there is a conflict of opinion between Mitaka-san and Alice-chan's faction and Yuzuriha-san and Asahina-san's faction. If this is a majority vote, the current situation is balanced. Kaoru-chan is undecided and will probably agree with my opinion, and if that happens, Nemuri-chan will side with the majority.

In other words, the policy is decided by my opinion.　

"I--"　

What should we do?

Considering the barrier incident, Sumire is the enemy.

But--that expression.

The sad expression on Sumire's face at the end is stuck in my mind and won't go away.

Is Sumire the enemy?

Is there no room for discussion?　

Besides, should I mention the barrier? If I tell them about it, she'll be completely considered an enemy, regardless of my opinion.

In other words, if I side with Mitaka-san, I should tell her about the barrier, but if I side with Yuzuriha-san, I'll have to keep it a secret.

Hiding something so important...that's just not acceptable.

But...

I don't want to make any more mistakes.

I want to believe in her.

If so, there is only one answer.

"I think we should talk to her first."

◇◆◇◆

Following Roy's advice, I cooled my cheek. The moment the ice water touched the affected area, it stinged, but gradually the sensation went away.

"So, what do you mean by destroying the barrier?"

I knew I would be asked, so I had an answer ready.

"You said you were trying to make them mistakenly believe you were the enemy, but that makes you really as an enemy."

"That was a bad way to put it. Well, it was on purpose. To be precise, what I'm trying to do is fix the barrier."

"Fix it? What do you mean?"

"To tell you the truth, the barrier is no longer viable."

I began.

The barrier protects this city from the threat of demons, but only a few people know the details of its creation and its nature. Not only are they limited, but I think I'm the only one who knows now.　

In fact, that barrier needs maintenance.

The barrier was created long ago by the "Magical Girl of Barrier". Its function is not limited to preventing the intrusion of demons, but also includes a mechanism to notify the magical girl in the unlikely event that a demon does invade.

This function is an eternal cycle of "Magical Girls" that will not end as long as humanity exists - in other words, it is deeply intertwined with the world's system, but in reality, a mere magical girl cannot interfere with the system that is the foundation of this world.

So why was the "Magical Girl of Barrier" able to interfere with the system? It was because she was a descendant of the "Magical Girl of Creation"

The "Magical Girl of Creation" is a god-like being who created the world and its systems from scratch. The descendants of this god are given the power to interfere with the world's systems.

However, the effect of the barrier is not eternal. If the magical girls of each generation do not continue to cast new barriers, they will eventually be lost.

Therefore, the descendants of the "Magical Girl of Barrier" - their families have produced at least one magical girl in each generation to maintain the barrier.

All of the magical girls born from this clan have the unique magic of "Barrier Magic.''

Of course, it is difficult for others to freely choose the unique magic that is strongly influenced by the spirituality of the magical girl herself. The magical girls of this family undergo personality correction from a young age in order to acquire the "Barrier Magic.''　

Artificially controlling the probability of unique magic occurring, which may or may not manifest - this extremely fragile thread has somehow been connected through a manual that has been woven over a long period of time.

In other words, this world was made up of such a distorted system.

And finally, the distortion reached its limit.　

The users of "Barrier Magic" have disappeared.

If the barrier is left as it is, it will lose its function.

That's why I have to repair the barrier.　

I explained this to Roy.

“There are a few things I don’t understand… Isn’t maintaining the barrier a job that can only be done by the descendants of a ‘Magical Girl of Barrier’? Are you part of that family?”

"Yes, I have no connection to that family. Their method of maintaining the barrier is to rebuild it from scratch. While I will strengthen the weakened barrier with 'Compensation Magic' to extend its lifespan, so I don't think it will interfere with the system."

"Prolonging life, huh? But that won't really solve the problem, right? What should the next generation of magical girls do?"

"I don't know. All I can say is do your best. In the first place, they managed to get by without the barrier a long time ago, so I'm sure they'll be able to manage somehow. I guess they'll just have to reconsider how they do their work."

"I see... That's certainly true. You're trying your best. But I'm concerned that the burden on you may be too great. Not only is it necessary to obtain this much information, but the cost of strengthening the barrier... How on earth will you use it? Is that plant really enough?"

"I haven't actually tried it, so it's just a feeling, but I feel like the effect of 'Compensation Magic' is much greater if I use my own body as a compensation, rather than using an object as a compensation."

"...No way."

A human would have swallowed their saliva. Roy thought of a certain possibility and was terrified by its horror. It's okay, Roy. I'm scared of myself too.

I grinned.

"It's just as you imagined, Roy. The price for the barrier will be my body. Maybe I should try my eyes or organs or something like that."

“I told you from the beginning that I would never ask you to make excessive sacrifices! Even if it’s for a noble cause, there’s no need for you to bear such a burden alone. You should reconsider!”

Oh dear, you still don't get it.

"Don't be silly. This is 100% for my own sake. If I'm going to cloud them over, then it's better to look completely injured. Visual impact is important. People will worry at a glance. Plus, sacrificing myself for everyone and getting completely worn out is a huge plus. I want them to feel sad when they see how painful I look."

"...You're speaking Japanese, but it feels like you're speaking the language of some far-off planet."

"I've always been like this, haven't I? That's why my unique magic is called 'Compensation Magic.' 'Compensation Magic' isn't a power that grants wishes. It's an ability whose purpose is to leave me completely worn out in exchange for a wish. So this is how it's meant to be used. Okay?"

"Listening to you talk gives me a headache... Let's change the subject.

You declared to Kisaragi Koharu that you would "destroy the barrier," but when I heard your explanation, I don't think there was any mention of destroying the barrier. What does this mean?"

“Obviously it’s a ploy to get her to mistake me for an enemy. I should explain that I’ll ‘destroy the barrier and recreate it’, but because I’m clumsy and not good at talking, I only end up saying ‘destroying the barrier’, and that’s the strategy to get people to think I'm the enemy.

I won't actually destroy the barrier, just disable it for a while, to make it seem like it's broken. They don't know how I'm going to fix it, so it's fine to just say I can't fix it unless I destroy it.

What's important is that the barrier will eventually be repaired, and in the meantime, those guys will mistakenly attacked me."

"My head is starting to hurt more..."

If Roy's limbs can move he would have had his hands on his head.

I felt a little sadistic and thought about telling Roy all the things I wanted to say to him to make him suffer even more, but I decided against it.

I felt reluctant to tell him that the conflict with the demons and the existence of the "Eighth" were all part of a grand scheme orchestrated by the "Magical Girl of Creation," and that the beginning and the end were merely part of the world's system. Even Roy would faint if he heard such a story.

"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:??? - 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: ??? - 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: ??? - Magical Tool: Chain

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