Kazumi Magica Chapter 10: Chi-Chin Purin

Picking up from the end of the last chapter, Umika explains that witches are the end state of magical girls. (While she's speaking Oktavia is briefly seen, as is Sayaka in silhouette). Umika tells Kazumi that they lied to her when they said that sometimes the Soul Gems of magical girls go out of control. Jubey grinning, explains that Soul Gems are the extracted souls of magical girls. Kaoru admits that they're like zombies, but it's preferable to dying to a witch in one shot. Jubey then says that the Pleiades refuse to fight without feeling pain. Kaoru responds by saying that if they do that they'll cease being human. Umika explains that the magical girls they capture are placed in a barrier that separates them from their Soul Gems and puts them in suspended animation, preventing them from becoming witches. Kaoru says they hope to find a way to completely clean the gems and turn them back into humans. Until then, they'll keep fighting. This is their "rejection" of the magical girl system. Niko then takes out a container that has the Soujus, their Soul Gems, and the Soul Gem and body of another magical girl. The bodies of the magical girls have been shrunk to the point where they can be picked up by one hand. Niko puts them into two new containers, saying they will keep on waiting for the day they can awaken. Kazumi asks when everyone found out about the connection between magical girls and wishes. Umika touches her forehead to Kazumi's, telling her they have to return Kazumi's memories.

The story flashes back into the past. Umika, Kaoru, Satomi, Mirai, Niko, and Saki are standing on a catwalk. They are all displaying a witch's kiss on their necks. It then shows the "despair" of each of the Pleiades:

• Umika wrote a draft for a novel that was taken by her editor and released under the authorship of a top idol to rave reviews. When the editor calls her to ask if they can look forward to her next work, Umika drops the phone in shock.
• Kaoru was injured in a soccer game that left her on crutches. The girl who injured her is then rushed to the hospital Kaoru was recovering in. It turns out that girl was bullied for ruining Kaoru's career and tried to kill herself. Kaoru screams when she overhears this.
• Satomi is given a cat on her third birthday, which she names Sare. Years later, she goes out and leaves it alone in her house, despite its protests. It's then seen in a veterinarian's office, dead. The vets say that if the cat was brought here earlier it might have survived, prompting Satomi to think that this wouldn't have happened if she had just listened.
• Mirai is shown at school wearing glasses. The other students want nothing to do with her. As she walks home, Mirai clutches her teddy-bear saying, she's not lonely because she has all of them. We then find that her room is filled with teddy-bears. As she begins sewing one of them, admits she wants friends and starts crying.
• Niko is shown as a little kid, playing with her neighbors and a loaded gun. She is promptly revealed to be the Japanese kid from the news article in Chapter 7. The gun goes off, the bullet bouncing off a vase and killing her neighbors. Niko cries.
• Saki is shown as a child. A girl Miyuki shows off her lily of the valley flower. Miyuki says her dream was to grow lots of flowers and use them as a bouquet in her wedding. Saki says that dream won't come true, because she thinks no man is good enough for Miyuki. Miyuki hugs Saki and says that she'll marry her. Years later, Miyuki and Saki are caught in a horrible car crash. Miyuki is killed by a piece of glass lodged in her throat. Saki can only say Miyuki's name.

The story then returns to the girls standing on the catwalk. They jump off, as a voice says, "Everyone should just die." The voice is cut-off by a familiar spell with ribbons wrapping around the girls, stopping their fall. Their savior is none other than Kazumi, who says, "Ciao! All you suicide cases!"

Trivia

• The original Japanese title is "Chichinpurin", which is a pun on “Chichinpui", a stock magical incantation in Japanese. In fan translations, "Chichinpurin" has been translated throughout the series as “Bibbity Bobbity Boo”. In keeping with the food puns in the chapter titles, “purin” means “pudding”.