The magical girl becomes the Fool.
After receiving abilities from the Fool, the Demon confirmed the connection was still active before heading toward the man Haruna calls NigoShiro.
(Hurry! Where is he now?)
Every second counted. The longer it took, the greater the burden on Haruna, increasing the risk of her death.
Impatient with the travel time under such conditions.
(―Is this the place?)
The Demon’s view opened up, revealing NigoShiro seated in a chair.
NigoShiro was watching Inie’s battle on a monitor while seated.
There was nothing around, only an expansive dark space.
“It seems you’ve arrived… I see. It appears the Fool has passed on.”
“Everything was entrusted to me. Why did the Fool do such a thing?”
Among the Arcanas, the Fool was always the most upbeat and the life of the party.
The Demon didn’t get along well with the Fool or a few other Arcanas.
However, some who had lost or seen someone die found solace thanks to him.
Though the Demon disliked the Fool, they acknowledged their competence.
Before fleeing, during a previous battle, they had argued and parted ways due to differing opinions.
That argument still lingered, preventing the Demon from forgiving the Fool.
“Yes, rather than just me, it applies to all of us. We’ve fought hundreds of battles over centuries without even one victory. Any normal person would have broken by now.”
“…Only four of us remain.”
If the Arcanas existed as systematic entities, perhaps the outcome might have been different.
But, fortunately or unfortunately, they were given human-like personalities and lived among humans.
As a result, emotions developed.
They battled and parted ways with contracted magical girls after losing.
It was something they couldn’t endure.
The Demon thought briefly about the Fool, though they were already gone.
What the Fool intended by entrusting everything to the Demon remained unclear.
But because of the Fool, the Demon might be able to save Haruna.
“Now that you’re here, does that mean you’ve changed your mind? After running away like that…”
“I… I just don’t want Haruna to die. I hate losing anymore… So please, reconnect my pass!”
NigoShiro met the Demon’s gaze and sighed.
“…There will be no second chances?”
“If Haruna dies, so do I. I won’t run away anymore!”
This was the Demon’s resolution.
In a reckless act, they had bestowed the body of a magical girl upon a random person they happened upon.
They wanted to spend their final moments with what mattered most to them.
They merely played around with Haruna, trying to fill the void within themselves.
But Haruna chose the path of battle, defying the Demon’s plans.
During the M·D·W incident, there was a slight wavering of the heart, and ultimately, a contract was formed, leading to unintended help.
While pretending not to care about witches with casual remarks, deep down, they were constantly anxious about when the witch might appear.
Since then, the Demon was influenced by various things from Haruna and decided to return to the battlefield.
If the Demon, the only Arcana remaining alongside their contractor, were to lose, NigoShiro and his allies would have no further options.
They could only watch helplessly as the witch discovered the primal world and perished alongside it.
“I see. Then once more, I shall bestow power upon you. May you become a beacon of hope.”
Magic circles appeared above and below the Demon, overflowing with light.
When the light subsided, the mark of a demon briefly appeared on the back of the Demon’s left hand before vanishing.
“Thank you.”
“Nonsense, I’m merely doing what must be done. If we can defeat the witch, the process matters little.”
“Hmph. Even if we beat the witch, it’ll be meaningless if we can’t take down that monster. Also, don’t think I’ll forgive you for making that weird contract with Haruna!”
With those words, the Demon disappeared through a gate to return to Haruna.
NigoShiro watched the Demon leave and returned his gaze to the monitor.
There, Inie was casting spells, creating four magic circles surrounding Mastidizaya.
“Well, whether we make it in time is uncertain. As long as she doesn’t break under his gaze, we should be fine… ”
If Inie were to lose, NigoShiro would have no options left.
Three remained: Eve, Hermes, and Sun.
The Arcanas no longer possessed the spirit to fight on their own.
How much longer the Demon and Inie could hold out after regaining their strength and incorporating the Fool’s power was unknown to NigoShiro.
Still, defeating Mastidizaya seemed unlikely.
But how would others react upon seeing Inie suddenly gain power and defeat Mastidizaya?
That was NigoShiro’s sole concern.
About 4 and a half minutes had passed since the Demon disappeared, and preparations were somehow complete.
There was one mistake, but otherwise, things went smoothly.
The left arm was severed again, but there was no time for regeneration; stopping the bleeding was all that could be managed.
However, using the severed left arm as a catalyst successfully bought the most needed time.
Magic circles were deployed around Mastidizaya in four directions and above and below, binding it with chains.
Even if only for a minute, that would suffice.
Chanting was already more than halfway done.
The only question was whether the Demon would arrive in time…
“An endless melody fills the world. The sorrowless devil reverses. The pitifully dancing angel pleads for forgiveness. The fallen feathers turn into swords, piercing the guilty. The encounter of contradictions distorts the gods, and judgment is passed.”
Centered on the chained Mastidizaya, five circular magic circles unfolded.
“To a world without order, bring salvation.”
The circular magic circles transformed, creating countless black magic circles.
Then, light descended.
Suddenly, a high-pitched sound like shattering glass rang out.
The magic vanished, and the world turned black.
A terrifying roar filled the air, leaving no doubt about what had occurred.
Finally, the face restraints came off, and Mastidizaya became serious.
Ah, battle is such a sweet thing. Despite its terror, which makes the body tremble, my heart races uncontrollably.
The right and left arms turned dark and ominous, the four wings increased to six.
Clad in armor-like attire, Mastidizaya resembled a knight of demons.
It’s probably better not to look at the face. Who knows what happens if eye contact is made.
Moreover, a sense of discomfort spread through the body, and mana wouldn’t coalesce properly.
This must be the debuff the Demon mentioned.
“Back already! Ah, the head restraint is gone… Wait, what happened to your left arm?”
(Made a mistake and got cut. No time to recover, so this is the state I’m in.)
Incidentally, the cause of the mistake was eliminating the black wings.
To conserve mana, they were dispelled, but that prevented timely evasion.
Never expected to lose both arms twice in one battle.
(So, what should I do now?)
“You need to wait another 20 seconds. With the combined abilities of two people, including the Fool, it’ll take a bit more time to adjust for Haruna.”
Twenty seconds… Already, there’s barely enough mana left to cast proper magic.
The currently deployed “Fryugel” will last about a minute. Any sudden movement will reduce that further.
First, I must escape…
—Attempting to put distance between myself and Mastidizaya, it quickly closes the gap.
Trying desperately to flee, but unable to react properly.
(Tch! Not enough time!)
“Shit! Haruna!”
“Guh… ka ha…”
Mastidizaya’s sword in the left arm pierced deeply into my abdomen, blood spilling from my mouth.
Trying to cast a spell, but the strength leaves my body.
And then, Mastidizaya’s face enters my vision.
Its red glowing eyes, smiling as if enjoying tormenting me.
Something feels like it’s entering my mind, awakening old memories.
Ah… yes… that’s right…
Very, very nostalgic.
The memory I sealed away, wanting to forget — the day my true sister, the magical girl, was killed by another magical girl.
Hatred and anger bubble up.
Monsters playing with people. Magical girls wielding excessive power.
Adults consumed by greed, fairies disregarding others.
And the world changing, breaking apart.
Let’s curse. Let’s resent. Raise voices of countless despair.
Let’s go mad. Let’s dance. To deliver the world’s lament.
My consciousness merges with theirs…
“Alright, it’s done! Haruna, stay strong! Please! Don’t leave me alone…”
Ah, I hear the Demon’s voice.
You’re still the same, always afraid of being lonely…
(Akuma, hurry and lend me your strength. It’s not over yet.)
Mastidizaya’s cannon aims at my face.
“Say ‘Number Zero, Fool Liberation’!”
The barrel slowly glows, ready to fire within seconds…
Seeing it charged up reminds me of my sister’s face back then…
She looked so… so kind…
—No. This isn’t me or her… it’s… mixed together?
“Number Zero… Fool… Liberation”
Summoning the last of my strength, I utter the words the Demon instructed.
The staff dangling from my right hand shines, encircling me with a magic circle.
Mastidizaya’s cannonball is deflected by the magic circle, simultaneously blowing Mastidizaya away.
The sword embedded in my stomach pulls out, scattering a little blood.
Mana rapidly recovers, healing wounds, regenerating the left arm, and restoring consciousness.
The white robe turns blue and transforms into a cape.
The vanished hood splits into a two-pronged hat, divided into yellow and blue halves.
The outfit changes drastically, resembling a jester more than a fool.
Perhaps this suits a false magical girl.
The wooden staff transforms into two crystal-like orbs.
Each floats near the shoulders, emitting a soft glow.
So this is my power as the Fool… quite impressive indeed.
—I see, the Fool bet on my potential and Akuma’s will. Truly, Arcanas are foolish and tragic beings, given selves and emotions…
“The current Haruna can last about two minutes. Beyond that, the body won’t hold up.”
(That’s plenty.)
Holding the two orbs forward, I deflect the lasers fired by Mastidizaya.
Endless projectiles are rendered meaningless.
Attacks that would have instantly killed me as a White Mage are now easily defended against.
These orbs alone can handle everything.
“Let’s select.”
The balls emit dazzling light, forming two magic circles.
“I am the Fool. A foolish dancer and laugher. My desire is the end. What I find is possibility.”
Judging that the cannon attacks are ineffective, Mastidizaya charges with its sword raised.
However, the two magic circles trap Mastidizaya between them.
Despite the earlier struggle, this feels fragile… Still, it’s nowhere near enough to match the witch.
“Tears fell from the dreaming Fool.”
Feathers erupt from one magic circle, petals from the other, covering Mastidizaya.
It roars in agony, struggling fiercely.
“WHY DO YOU FIGHT?”
The roar echoes in my head.
Is this Mastidizaya’s voice, or a hallucination?
For what reason… huh?
“There’s none for me. Just fighting is enough.”
The magic circles vanish, and the feathers and petals dissipate, revealing nothing remains.
The scenery, once darkened, clears, reverting me from the Fool to the White Mage.
Then, I return from the simulation to reality.
My pod is filled with copious amounts of blood.
Likely, the damage sustained during the simulation fed back into reality.
Truly, witches complicate things.
Due to releasing the Fool’s ability, the abundant mana I once had dwindled to roughly one-tenth of its usual amount.
Feedback didn’t need to go this far; now, proper recovery is impossible.
My body barely functions, and my vision blurs.
Exiting the pod somehow, I find all the fairies maintaining equipment have been killed, leaving no one around.
It seems the other magical girls haven’t awakened yet.
“Haruna, I know it hurts, but we’ll retreat for now.”
Yeah, that’s how it goes.
Initially, I planned to disappear after the New Demon War ended, but there’s no time for such leisure anymore.
My battle with Mastidizaya was witnessed by people worldwide.
A novice used an awakening-unlike power to defeat an SS-rank monster.
Already unpopular, I can’t predict what the higher-ups will say.
At worst, I might be condemned as an ally of the witch.
It’s best to lie low and assess the situation.
(Returning to reality…)
(Akuma… count on you.)
The first park where I met Akuma will suffice.
There, no one comes, and there’s a bench.
It’s a bit cold, but perfect for resting.
“Heal.”
Using the little mana left, I tend to my wounds.
There’s no time to clean the robe stained with blood, but it can’t be helped.
As my form begins to fade through teleportation,
a deafening explosion sounds, and the simulator room’s door blows open.
Just as the scenery shifts, I glimpse what seems to be Thalagong’s tearful face.
