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chapter 97




—I’ve been bullied in the past .
I was the type of child that would sit in the corner of the classroom alone and draw manga .
And then, when I was around 6th year in primary school I was hospitalized for half a year due to lung disease .
It wasn’t a serious condition however, it was a bit of a complicated disease so to recover completely I needed to completely rest… Such was the step taken .
So, I always drew pictures in my sketchbook even in the hospital room .
I had nothing else to do so if I could just draw then it was fine, well it certainly was more enjoyable than going to school and being bullied…
And then, a certain day after two weeks passing from hospitalization .
“Oi, you . ”
A girl from the next bed to mine had called me out .
She was three years older than me… She was in her 2nd year of junior high school . She should’ve been one year younger than my Onii-chan .
“What?”
“Aren’t you tired of drawing every day?”
“I’m not tired . ”
“Fuun… Can you let me see it?”
She received my sketchbook, and flipped the pages that were filled with words .
“Anime sketchings… is it?”
“Strange, isn’t it? Everyone in class is saying it’s gross . ”
“No, I don’t think that . ”
“Why?”
“You like this, don’t you?”
“I do . ”
“I won’t berate something which people love seriously . ”
I felt my heart throbbing fast and it like it was grabbed by those words .
“But, I’m extremely clumsy and I’m being made fun of by everyone in class . ”
“Despite that, you didn’t quit drawing . You didn’t give up on what you loved . Am I wrong?”
After thinking for a bit, I said .
“Well, it ended up like that somehow . ”
She said with a huge smile to my words .
“I think that’s worthy of admiration . ”
“But, I’m extremely clumsy? I think that I have no talent either . ”
“Talent… Hey, what’s your name?”
I thought for a bit and then I told her my name .
“It is Morishita Maria . ”
“Hey, Maria-chan?”
“Don’t quit what you love . Isn’t that what people call talent?”
My heart was once again grabbed .
「……」
“Tears? Hey, what’s wrong?”
That’s right, somehow from her words I was filled with emotions and tears came out .
“Nobody had said that to me…”
“Un…”
“If I say my feelings honestly now… I think I’m happy…”
“Is that so?”
「……」
「……」
“Ehm, Onee-san? What’s your name?”
“Maki… Sakanoue Maki . ”
“Is it okay to call you Maki-ane from now won?”
There may have been a rise in my tension .
Truthfully, I was happy .
Anyhow, I said those words to Sakanoue .
After that .
Several days later, I found that Maki-ane has leukemia .
Her condition was considerably bad and then three months later she had to be placed in the ICU .
I can say that reality is stranger than novels because after several days of being discharged from the hospital I was met with a traffic accident .
I was hit by a truck and crashed my abdomen on the guardrail several dozen meters behind me .
I checked that my internal organs were broken and I was aware of death looming, and then—-
Before my eyes the God of Death appeared .
“Kishishi… I’m Domin, mokyu . If you become a magical girl then I can save the current you . ”
A bear mascot-like doll… No, there was clearly a mascot standing .
“Now, do you want to live, moki? Or do you want to die, moki?”
The mascot was smiling adorably .
I saw my own abdomen—My internal organs had been spilled out and it wouldn’t be long .
Now, this is disturbing .
What’s disturbing, it’s the numbness spreading from the abdomen without feeling pain .
Aah, this is not good .
I’ve already gone past where pain is the indicator that your life is in danger .
That’s why, numbness is being signaled to the brain .
Due to that goosebumps ran up my whole body .
Basically, I understood that certainly death was nearing .
While spitting blood I spoke .
“I want to live… I . . don’t want… to die yet . ”
“Do you understand that you’ll live as a Magical Girl?”
I don’t know at all what he’s talking about .
Even… If this is the devil’s contract .
I nodded clearly to the mascot that called himself Domin .
“I’ve heard and will fulfill your wish . From today onwards you’re a Magical Girl . ”
At the same time the mascot Domin finished talking my internal organs that should’ve been spilled out were restored in a blink of an eye, and then—
—I don’t understand how much time has passed but, a girl that appeared all of a sudden at the traffic incident and was looking at the collapsed me sadly .
“Maki…ane?”
“You came to this world, too . ”
“How? Maki-ane’s leukemia…”
*Furu, furu* Maki-ane shook her head left and right .
“Yeah, certainly to the public I’ve achieved a miraculous recovery . But, the reality is… I’ve survived in exchange for bargaining my soul away to the Devil… Is what it is . ”
“Devil?”
Maki-ane was looking at the Mascot Domin like it was filth .
“Haha, I’m the Devil? That is unthinkable . You do remember that I saved your life?”
“You appall me . Those who know the importance of life are why they are so attached to it . That’s why you scouted me when I was being sent to the terminal room . ”
“Hey, hey, rather than won’t you give a lecture to the new recruit?”
Maki-ane made an indescribable expression .
“There’s that, too . Welcome to the world of Magical Girls—”
Maki-ane shook her head left and right in acceptance .
“No, to the world of human shuras . ”
She said only that and laughed sadly .