NOVEL NEXT chapter 26
26. Hesitation
“Um… yeah, okay, no problem, I’ll head over right now.”
“Then, I’ll hang up first.”
“Beep beep—”
After hanging up the phone, You Yu let out a long sigh, gazing up at the sky, and couldn’t help but smile.
“The plan… has been perfectly executed~”
The Serpent Knight’s first appearance was complete.
The Serpent Knight’s first battle had also come to an end.
He had thought that if he were to carry out the first step of his plan, there might be a hiccup somewhere along the way.
He had been fully prepared for the “Contract Beast” to make its entrance.
But now it seemed he had worried too much.
“Hmm, you did indeed do well, You Yu.”
Nodding, the Mamba within You Yu agreed.
“Although I don’t understand the purpose of your appearance, it’s enough that you taught that guy a lesson.”
“…So, do I have to explain it to you again in the end?”
True, he couldn’t expect the Mamba to understand everything.
After all, in this world, he might be the only one doing things this way, so… the logic behind his actions might seem a bit abstract.
Well then, he would explain slowly.
In terms of time, there shouldn’t be any issues.
“I want to ask you a question, Mamba.”
“? What is it?”
“I don’t know if you have a saying there that means ‘both just and wicked.’”
“Neither doing just deeds nor evil deeds, but merely acting on one’s own thoughts, for one’s own ideals, and flipping back and forth between the two.”
“What I’m going to embody as the Snake Knight is precisely this kind of existence.”
“…I see, so you’re going to hop back and forth between ‘good’ and ‘evil’? At the same time, giving both sides a ‘lesson’? You’re quite the genius, Yuyou!”
“So, does that mean your ‘Snake Knight’ concept is finally complete?!”
After hearing his explanation, Mamba exclaimed excitedly.
“Yeah, you could say that. The main point is, I want to use this identity to occasionally do things that benefit those on both the ‘good’ and ‘evil’ sides.”
“And at some moment, when I confront the magical girls… or when I stand alongside them.”
“Being discovered by them, being misunderstood by them—”
“Then, the feelings of despair from being deceived, or regret and anger, will all erupt.”
“At that time, I’ll be able to gather a large amount of negative emotions.”
In truth, there were deeper layers of reasoning behind it, but to make it understandable for Mamba, what he said was already sufficient.
Although, it might be a bit thankless to do this, clearly having more choices yet opting for a method that could potentially mess up interpersonal relationships and emotions.
However… perhaps it’s because.
He somewhat enjoys this feeling?
Enjoying the sensation of others “regretting for a lifetime,” and deriving pleasure from it?
Well… after all, he is the villain, so that’s quite reasonable!
Of course, even so, he would still maintain a sense of proportion, not doing anything too harmful to them.
After all, he just wanted to gather some negative emotions to strengthen himself, not to kill anyone.
But he still needed to consider many factors for the future.
For now, he would just see how things unfold.
“Hmm! But… what about that ‘yandere’ situation? Don’t you care, Yuyou? According to what you said, such behavior could lead to the emergence of a yandere, which seems like it would seriously hinder your plans, right?”
“…”
“That’s why I said to just see how it goes!”
Alright, after a moment of mental chaos, he indeed remembered that this was a concern.
However… from the current situation, it seemed that only Wuyue had the potential to become a yandere.
So, as long as he could ensure his actions weren’t too extreme and didn’t provoke her too much, it should be fine.
With that thought, Yuyou hurried over to Wuyue and Baiyu…
————
And then… he arrived at the hospital.
“How is the situation?”
Looking at Bai Yu, who was frowning, eyes closed, and clearly unwilling to speak, You Yu turned to Wu Yue beside him and asked.
“I’m not too sure either.”
Shaking her head, Wu Yue replied.
“This guy… after she finished transforming, it’s like she suddenly lost all her energy, almost collapsing.”
“I’ve tried using my abilities to heal her… but it seems that only treats wounds, not her spirit.”
“So, I could only bring her here.”
“…I see.”
Nodding, You Yu began to understand the situation.
Well… to be honest, he had been relatively gentle before, not specifically targeting any one spot; he mostly just hit once and then talked a bit, giving her plenty of time to catch her breath.
It couldn’t be because of their fight… that she ended up like this, right?
Uh, that really makes him feel guilty…
But if we’re talking about the main reason, it should still be because he acted too late, which led to her getting hurt. After all, at that time, he thought Bai Yu could easily handle those guys, so he just stood by and watched.
Next time, he shouldn’t hesitate for too long.
Thinking this in his heart, You Yu glanced at her current state, then at the medical bills beside her, and said:
“Then I’ll go pay for you now; you just rest well here.”
“?! Wait…”
Hearing You Yu’s words, Bai Yu, who had her eyes closed, could no longer remain silent. She opened her eyes and said:
“I can still afford this little bit of money! You don’t need to help me!”
“…What are you talking about, Bai Yu?”
Hearing her words, You Yu replied, slightly speechless:
“You can’t even pay me back, and you’re still saying you’ll cover it yourself?”
“And this time, it’s because you fought those monsters that you ended up like this, right?”
“Although I can’t help you in battle, I can still contribute a bit in terms of finances and logistics. If you have to cover your own medical expenses after getting hurt, then I’d be pretty useless.”
“So just stop resisting and accept my help.”
Saying this, You Yu picked up the bill and walked out the door.
“If you need anything later, just call me or Wu Yue, either is fine.”
“Oh, and I’ll give you a half discount on the money you owe.”
After finishing his set of remarks, before she could react, You Yu left to pay the medical fees.
Leaving only Wu Yue and Bai Yu behind.
“Ah~ it’s just like this again, You Yu.”
Watching Yu Yu leave, Wu Yue sighed.
“Don’t be surprised, Bai Yu. He’s just that kind of person. Once he decides on something, it’s hard to stop him, just like me~”
“……”
After hearing Wu Yue’s words, Bai Yu fell silent for a moment before saying:
“But… you must have a reason to help me, right? Does he have a reason to help me? No matter what I become, it shouldn’t affect you, right?”
“……Ah? What are you talking about? Did you hit your head or something?”
“First of all! We’re not cold-hearted people. When we see someone suffering, we naturally want to help, no matter who they are!”
“Secondly, you’re a magical girl, our partner. Helping you is a perfectly normal thing, right?”
Upon hearing Bai Yu ask this question, Wu Yue stared at her in shock.
“Or do you have some… difficult-to-explain psychological issues? Is that why you’re asking such a question? That really is a bit dangerous, I can understand you!”
“……No.”
Bai Yu shook her head in resignation, denying it.
She… wasn’t saying she wanted to refuse their kindness or anything.
Becoming partners with them and fighting against those negative beasts was originally part of her goal.
It’s just that… she wasn’t sure whether she should let Yu Yu join.
“Yu Yu…”
She murmured this name softly.
Perhaps what Wu Yue said wasn’t entirely wrong.
At least now, after a brief encounter, she could still barely see why Wu Yue didn’t want to leave him.
But thinking back to what happened before, she still felt a bit hesitant.
Should she involve an ordinary person in a battle that shouldn’t belong to him?
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