Raising magical girls, and leave them with eternal regret?!

“Phase one… complete.”

After saying this, Ouja turned and walked over to the unconscious WuYue, lying on the ground.

He carefully lifted her and placed her under a nearby tree.

“……”

Once he finished, he returned to where “YouYu” lay and placed a hand on “YouYu’s” body.

“Shhh——!”

In the next instant, with a surge of dark mist, “YouYu” reverted from his plant-like negative beast form back to his original appearance.

Then, he collapsed motionless on the ground.

“…I didn’t expect you to master puppet-making so quickly… YouYu.”

At that moment, Mamba’s voice echoed from within Ouja.

“Well, it’s not exactly challenging. A little practice was all it took.”

Ouja nodded in agreement.

Indeed, the “YouYu” lying on the ground was not the real YouYu. This was a puppet crafted through negative emotions by YouYu himself, now in his guise as Ouja.

From the moment Night Demon had attempted to strike, YouYu had quietly swapped himself with the puppet, using teleportation and his mastery over negative energy to fool his opponent completely.

By rights, Night Demon, with its abilities, should have noticed the switch if it’d paid closer attention.

However… the current Night Demon operated primarily through a surrogate puppet, never personally entering the fray. This limitation reduced the range of its powers, making it possible for YouYu’s abilities to deceive it.

Not to mention, he had Mamba’s assistance as well.

“So, what’s your plan now?”

As YouYu leaned against a tree to rest, Mamba asked.

“Or are you going to continue with what you told me when you awakened me… acting solely under the guise of ‘Ouja’ for the next period of time?”

“Yes, exactly.”

YouYu nodded in confirmation.

Then, his gaze shifted to the unconscious WuYue beside him. “After all, I haven’t forgotten our original plan. One day, I’ll have to ‘die’ to ensure they carry an eternal regret.”

“While I can’t truly ‘die’ yet, a temporary ‘death’ should be possible.”

“And there are things I need to confirm.”

“So, you’re planning to leave the magical girls and go confirm these things?”

Mamba thought it over before asking.

“Mind sharing what it is? During my time dormant, I recalled quite a bit. I might be able to help you, YouYu.”

“Thanks, Mamba, but it’s something I’ll need to handle alone. For now, I just need to see something.”

YouYu shook his head.

“I need to know… if, after I leave, WuYue will persevere.”

“And… if she might transform into what Night Demon hinted at—a ‘Witch.'”

“A ‘Witch’… I’ve heard of them. They’re born when a magical girl’s despair turns inside out.”

“From what I’ve observed so far, YouYu, you shouldn’t worry too much. WuYue doesn’t seem that fragile.”

“Hmm, you’re right, but there’s always a chance. I want to be sure.”

“After all… this is related to my future plans.”

Clearing his throat, YouYu shifted his gaze from WuYue to the distance.

“In fact… since my talk with WuYue yesterday, I’ve been thinking about something.”

“Are these magical girls really as fragile as I’ve come to think?”

“All along, when it comes to WuYue… well, I’d say I’ve been coddling her. Even though I guide and correct her mistakes, most of the time, I’ve gone along with her wishes.”

“There are even things she could handle herself, yet I still did them for her.”

“In treating her this way… I’ve built this bias within myself, assuming that she just can’t manage without someone looking out for her.”

“But… if she truly couldn’t manage, then in the timeline where you existed without me, Mamba, how did she defeat you, time and again?”

“And how did she summon the resolve in this recent fight to try to ‘kill’ me?”

“……”

“I get what you’re saying, YouYu.”

After a brief silence, Mamba spoke up.

“You’re saying you want to step back for a while, to let her grow on her own?”

“But you’re still concerned, so you plan to observe her for some time?”

“Exactly.”

YouYu nodded, confirming Mamba’s interpretation.

“Overprotection and coddling… don’t lead to growth. If anything, they might harm someone.”

“Sometimes, you just have to let go. Let her do things on her own, learn on her own.”

“Only then can growth really happen.”

“Only then… could it be called ‘nurturing.'”

“……”

“I didn’t expect to hear this from you, YouYu.”

“Ah… so, to carry out this plan of ‘eternal regret,’ you first need to care for them genuinely, don’t you? I think I understand now.”

“…Don’t make me sound so noble. I know exactly what I am.”

YouYu shook his head, dismissing the notion.

“I’m a villain right now. If I truly wanted what’s best for them, I wouldn’t be doing any of this.”

“At the end of the day… It’s just a matter of keeping the bottom line of being evil.”

“Is that so…”

“……”

After hearing YouYu’s words, Mamba fell silent, lost in thought for a long while.

Meanwhile, YouYu lifted his rapier, inspecting it closely.

After a moment, he closed his eyes.

He was waiting.

“……”

“She’s here.”

After a while, YouYu opened his eyes, stepped away from the tree’s shade, and turned toward a direction.

There, he saw a figure in blue racing toward him.

Watching her approach, Ouja let out a mocking laugh and spoke.

“Well, well, Magical Girl Blue Night.”

“Seems like… you’re a little late, aren’t you?”