"Ah... hello..."
Nogi Sonoko, lying in the hospital bed, did not seem surprised by Red Ponytail's sudden appearance.
"You're that mysterious Magical Girl..."
"That's right. I'm the Magical Girl of love and justice who merely happened to pass by, Red Ponytail. Please treat me well."
Red Ponytail grinned and flashed a V sign, then leaned closer to Nogi Sonoko and carefully examined her.
"Hmm... but still, you really were in a terrible state. It wasn't surprising, though. As a mortal trying to wield a god's power, paying a price was only natural..."
"Ahahaha..."
"I-Isn't there any other way?!"
Yuuki Yuuna spoke up with a grief-stricken expression. A senior who had fought to protect the world just like him had been reduced to this state. He simply could not accept it.
"Miracles require a price. Even heroes... no, precisely because they are heroes, they sacrifice themselves to protect the world."
Red Ponytail shook her head, then chuckled softly.
"But Magical Girls are different."
"Huh?"
"Because Magical Girls are synonymous with love, hope, and miracles. If even Magical Girls lose hope and miracles, then... what would any of this mean?"
As she spoke, the girls saw Red Ponytail twist her right hand, then pull a pitch-black greatsword radiating an icy chill from thin air and drive it forcefully into the ground.
"Heroes are champions of sacrifice and tragedy, but Magical Girls exist to bring everyone happiness and hope. So, no matter what, Magical Girls will find happiness in the end."
As Red Ponytail spoke, streams of black aura were drawn out of Nogi Sonoko's body and sucked into the greatsword. Then, the bandages wrapped around the girl quietly fell away. At the same time, Nogi Sonoko seemed to notice something and widened her eyes in shock.
"The suffering Magical Girls endure because