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Chapter 143
Chapter 4 — Sleep, until your life is over • Episode 4–6 — Of Sleep ④
Translated by KaiesV
Edited by KaiesV
「What, was that…」
「It’s a video from the past. Let me tell you, it is not a dream. As a matter of fact, it’s a selection of the key points and turning points in his life that he has experienced.」
That is not what Elephant is asking. If she remember what Sylph has told her so far, she can predict that the images shown to her are probably what actually happened. The question is not why she could show such images or why she showed them to Elephant,
「What is with that person? Why did she do such a terrible thing?」
It’s not surprising that Elephant would voice her anger at the housekeeper in the video, as if she couldn’t stand her. She is always saying things to Ryōichi that denigrate his character, while acting like a good and decent person to others, and taking advantage of the fact that the grown-up Ryōichi doesn’t remember her past deeds, she acts as if she is on the same side.
Even if someone who didn’t know Sylph from Mizukami Ryōichi had seen the video, it would have been disgusting. If so, how could a girl who wants to make Sylph happy, Elephant who can even give up her own love for the sake of Sylph, not be angered by that?
「That person, she’s been saying such things to her for so long, that’s why Sylph-chan is…!」
「Yes. He hates himself, and I think the root of that is that imprinting. It’s not a mental pollution or anything, but a natural thought in the formation of a person’s personality that such stupid backward-looking ideas as “something is wrong with me” or “I am nothing” come first.
And he haven’t been able to get the free love that everyone would normally get, or rather, he mistakenly believe that he didn’t get it. That is why he seeks love.
At the same time, however, he feels self-loathing that he doesn’t deserve to be loved, that something of himself cannot be loved by someone else. His thoughts are carefully tuned to keep him from being happy, without requiring magical intervention. How does he do it?」
「That’s just awful…! Why did she have to go that far!」
「It was probably because of the conditions. He had the Black Heart Furnace, was young, and was in circumstances that could easily make him unhappy. You could say he was unlucky. If he hadn’t found you, he would have had a little better life. In that respect he should be thankful from being your friend.
Well, if he hadn’t found you, I might not have met you. Your presence must have been unexpected even for those pseudo-gods. That’s why they are now trying to tear the two of you apart with their magical intervention.」
「…That, you mean Saki-chan?」
She didn’t know what Black Heart Furnace is, or what it means to be thankful for being her friend, or anything else Lazy said, but she couldn’t help but hear the last word.
「No, not that way. He has been planted with a sense of purpose by magic to『return to being a man and start over with his family.』It’s possible that he actually comes to that conclusion from his true intentions, but at least it is not his intention to think that way now.
He said some contradictory things, didn’t he? He said that he wanted to be a man again and start over with his family, but now he doesn’t want to leave you as a girl. That means that you are changing the sense of purpose of that guy who were magically compelled by your approach, which is so embarrassing to watch. I honestly respect that.」
「Hold on, do you know all the things I did to Sylph-chan?」
「I told you, I’m a fan of yours.」
As Lazy snapped her fingers once more, replying with an unanswerable answer, the surrounding scenery returned to the opulent throne room.
Just as before the space switch, Lazy still sat on the throne, cross-legged and disheveled, with a slight smile on her face.
「Now, did you like it, my present?」
「…I didn’t feel good about it, but I knew there were people who needed to be blown away. Thanks for letting me know that.」
「That’s good to hear. However, that housekeeper doesn’t work for the Mizukami family anymore. It will be difficult to track her background. It is wise to let it go for now.」
「You would know that, too, wouldn’t you?」
「I understand, but I am not going to tell you that. Because you can’t win, at least not now.」
「I can’t win, with me now……?」
Elephant, who thought she had to hit one, metaphorically or otherwise, to get her mind off of it, was about to ask Lazy where she was, but the words he got back raised a question mark in her mind.
The opponent was a woman who didn’t even look like she worked out that much. If she were still a child in the flesh, she might be defeated, but if she transformed herself, she doesn’t think she would be defeated. In the first place, if she transformed and struck them, they would not be able to recognize her. Considering her age, it’s also unlikely that she’s a magical girl.
「You will understand eventually. More importantly, you have other things to do now.」
「Even if you tried to dodge it like that.」
「Look at this.」
Lazy, restraining Elephant from persistent pursuit, raised her hand into the void, and an image projected in the air like a hologram appeared, in which Tyrant Sylph in a black costume was fighting Magical Girls from Sakira Town and Junkoi Town.
「W–What’s the meaning of this!? What’s going on!?」
「He was originally subjected to one spell by the pumpkin-headed fairy that slightly guided his thoughts. It’s a very natural, easy to spot, and not very influential magic that is built into the Magical Girl system. The fact that that guy always speaks in honorifics and has no great refusal to dress in cute, girly outfits is mainly due to this. Something similar was used just before he became a Magical Girl…, but it looks like it’s been merged and replaced.」
As Lazy speaks this while holding up her index finger, a thin chain twirls neatly around a small Sylph doll that appears in the air separately from the image.
「Next, a magic spell to enforce a sense of purpose, cast on by the globe fairy after the fact, to make that guy who was never supposed to be happy bond with a Magical Girl and become impatient with the status quo. This is considerably more powerful than the one before it. It’s so much more direct and influential on superficial thinking.」
Following her index finger, she raises her middle finger, and this time a thick chain wraps around the Sylph doll, filling the gap between the thin chains and completely covering its figure.
「Finally, there are two magic spells that one Magical Girl cast under the influence of a fairy. It was a feat of strength to forcefully succeed in a fascination that should have been impossible to penetrate, by putting hypnosis between the two. But it was not a good idea.」
When the ring and pinky fingers are held up at the same time, two chains, exactly halfway between the first and second chains, forcefully wrap around each other, wrapping around the chains that were already wrapped, and gaps begin to form in some places. The Sylph doll, which had been completely covered up by the second run, are now showing its costume in places through the gaps in the disordered chains.
「Of course, witchcraft and magic that affects the psyche is a very delicate thing. If handled poorly, bang.」
With those words, she raised her thumb and opened her five fingers, and the Sylph doll exploded into four pieces along with its chains.
「And, well, this is how the heart is broken. Of course, once it is broken, it can never be restored. So far it doesn’t seem to be happening just in time, but because his mental structure is leaning heavily toward the negative, the negative emotions that have been suppressed are now being eaten up by the Black Heart Furnace and running amok. If we don’t stop that runaway sooner or later, sooner or later he won’t be able to bear the burden of the furnace, and bam!」
「～～～～!!」
「Oh, excuse me, I have a question for you.」
「What am I supposed to do!?」
「You seem to understand quickly.」
Elephant didn’t listen to Lazy’s long and drawn-out explanation of her own volition. She was forced to keep her mouth open, just as she had been when Lazy first started talking.
Elephant, who had been released to speak, had a number of things she wanted to say or ask, but anyway, she briefly raised a question, saying that the first priority now was to help Sylph.
「Physically stopping him does not make sense. Well, their fight is not in vain, since the town will be damaged if he wasn’t stopped, but it does not solve the situation. So what you’re going to do now is you’re going to go directly to him and stop his spirit.」
「Got it!!」
「It’s not worth explaining if you nod so frankly.」
「Just make it quick! I’ll never know when Sylph-chan is going to explode, you know!?」
「That’s for sure. It’s not my intention to see your sad face, so let me get to the point. I will use my power to connect your dream with his dream. Distance has nothing to do with dreams. And his dream is direct because it is connected to the spiritual world, destroyed for one reason or another. When you find him rampaging beyond your dreams, stop him as you see fit. It is the surest way. So, I wish you the best of luck.」
「Thank you, Lazy-chan!!」
As Lazy concludes the story, a jet-black gate as big as she is tall opens in front of Elephant’s eyes. The gate was not in the shape of a gate like the ones used by Succubus, but rather a longitudinal oval shape that swirled around.
The moment it was opened, Chisaki thanked her without the slightest hesitation and ran out into it.
「Straightforward and pure to the end. I can still guess. No wonder he likes her. Is she pure because she had the White Heart Drive, or was it bestowed because she’s pure? I hope she will change her fate. I don’t want to destroy this world with her in it either… Fuwah, I’ve been up a little too long. I’ll get, some, more sleep…」
In the throne room where Elephant had disappeared, Lazy mumbled to herself and fell asleep, though still in her dreams.