Miri Dreamwell didn’t say anything more—she had most likely already passed out.
Eve Nightburn dragged Miri’s body with all her might, trying to force her way out of the sea of flames.
But her current speed was no match for the rapidly spreading fire, and the sounds of the monster behind them were getting closer and closer.
Eve panted heavily, wiping the sweat from her forehead.
Was her life going to end here?
Well, that was fine. If it ended, she wouldn’t have to worry about anything anymore.
“Mentor…” At that moment, Miri seemed to regain a bit of consciousness, though her voice was still terribly weak.
“I just remembered… the Bubble Chime… at my waist… I secretly stored a bit of magic in it earlier… Maybe we can use it… to escape the flames…”
After saying this, Miri fell silent again.
“Why didn’t you say so earlier?!”
Eve felt like she’d been screwed over. Whatever—now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.
As long as there was hope.
Eve set Miri down and took the bell hanging from her waist.
“This is the one, right?”
Not like she had a choice. There was only one bell to pick—how could she get a multiple-choice question wrong when there was only one option?
Raising her left hand, Eve gave the bell a shake.
As the bell swayed, the Midnight Rose Ring on her finger faintly glimmered.
Ding-a-ling~
With the sound of the chime, the flames throughout the area rapidly vanished—not extinguished, but erased—as if pushed back by an expanding boundary.
This thing was this effective?
At the same time, Eve noticed that the previously distinct footsteps of the plush rabbit monster had disappeared.
Meaning… they were safe now?
Then what was there to think about? Eve Nightburn, the escape artist, immediately hoisted Miri onto her back, put on her mosaic-patterned sunglasses, and fled the scene.
The moment they escaped the mall, Eve caught a glimpse of several Magical Girls soaring past overhead—probably here to eliminate the Calamity.
Eve didn’t dare make a sound. Pulling up her hood, she carefully slipped away through the back alleys.
Once home, Eve laid Miri down on the bed.
The journey back had been nerve-wracking but ultimately safe. Thankfully, she’d taken the side streets, so few people had noticed her.
Eve wasn’t sure if she’d been lucky or unlucky today. If she hadn’t gone to the mall, Miri would’ve likely been unreachable from tonight onward. But if not for that bell at the last moment, she probably would’ve died alongside Miri in that building.
Guess you could call it a blessing in disguise?
Seems like the heavens still favored her!
As for that giant plush monster? Not her problem. The Magical Girls would handle it.
Eve pulled out the medical kit from under her bed, grabbing some iodine and cotton swabs to treat Miri’s wounds.
But the moment she went to pull up Miri’s clothes, a sudden wave of shame washed over her.
As a virgin who’d never even held a girl’s hand, directly gazing at another girl’s bare body was just too much.
Slap!
Eve smacked herself to snap out of it.
“What am I afraid of? I’m a girl now too—nothing to be embarrassed about!”
“Yeah, that’s right!”
In the end, Eve decided to abandon her pointless sense of propriety.
After all, while dignity was precious, life was priceless.
She pulled open Miri’s clothes, revealing her fair but heavily bruised and swollen skin. Seeing this, any impure thoughts Eve might’ve had vanished instantly.
“This is bad…”
Thank goodness she was a Magical Girl. If she were an ordinary person, she’d have been long gone.
“G-Rank Magical Girl… more like Gone-Rank.”
Eve unscrewed the iodine bottle, dipped a cotton swab in, and gently dabbed it onto Miri’s wounds.
“Ngh… Ah…”
The sting of the medicine drew a faint whimper from Miri, even in her semi-conscious state.
Eve quickly slipped her left arm into Miri’s mouth.
“Bite down—it’ll hurt less.”
Miri seemed to understand, clamping her teeth onto Eve’s arm with force.
“Oww…”
For a moment, Eve wanted to cry from the pain, but she endured it as she continued applying the iodine.
Once the last wound was treated, she pulled Miri’s clothes back into place.
“There we go.”
Eve slowly withdrew her left arm from Miri’s mouth.
Actually, Miri had already fallen asleep and stopped biting.
But Eve was afraid she might wake up again from the pain, so she hadn’t pulled her arm away earlier.
“Rest well.”
She pulled the blanket over Miri, letting her sleep peacefully.
Eve had considered calling an ambulance, but she was flat broke. Even if it wasn’t too expensive, she couldn’t afford it.
If the Barefoot Doctor were still around, Eve might’ve dared to seek medical help.
Guess the thrill of being on the verge of bankruptcy… was real stimulating!
Eve propped her legs up on the computer desk and slumped into her chair. This trip outside had been exhausting.
Since the bed was occupied by Miri, she’d have to make do with sleeping in the chair.
“Mm… mew~”
With a soft murmur, Eve drifted into a deep sleep.
—
Eve walked across a land of pudding, gazing at the world made entirely of sweets.
The sun hung motionless in the sky. When she got tired, Eve simply lay down on the pudding, breaking off a piece to pop into her mouth.
“So blissful~”
Savoring the sweetness, she scooped up a cup of orange juice from the flowing river.
Instantly, the sugary explosion in her mind sent waves of euphoric pleasure coursing through her.
“Ah, it’s a shame Mr. Nightburn didn’t use the secret phrase I gave him.”
“Pfft—!”
Hearing this voice come out of nowhere, Eve spat out the orange juice she’d just sipped.
“Who’s there?! Can’t you see I’m snacking here?”
Annoyed, she turned around—only to see a Little Loli who looked exactly like her, standing beside a figure holding an umbrella, their face completely obscured.
The Little Loli smiled sweetly, while the umbrella-bearer shielded her from the sunlight.
“It’s you!”
Eve scrambled back, but no matter how much distance she put between them, it never changed.
“Why run away?”
The girl’s smile faded, replaced by a troubled expression.
“Y-You stay back!”
Here she was—the root of all Eve’s suffering!
“Sigh… I went out of my way to help you, yet you treat me like a sinner. How sad this world is~”
Tears welled up in the girl’s eyes, as if genuinely hurt.
“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have lost my job!”
Eve wasn’t in the mood for reasoning. No money? Then no talk!
