Magia Record Another Story Part 2 Chapter 9: Invisible yet Indelible
Chapter 9: Invisible yet Indelible
Summary is by TigerEye81.
Episode 1: The Will of the Universe and Resignation
Nayuta: “…I could hardly sleep since recalling everything Papa told me yesterday.”
Nayuta goes on a walk to clear her mind as she laments on her father’s words about the existence of Magical Girls, while also thinking about the Magical Girls from far past history. Although the impactful tales of these women were widely known, the claims that they were tied to magic were just regarded as personal stories. Thus, the stories of the historical Magical Girls would just be ended off from there.
She also brings up the news that Folklore of Zero was forced to put an end to their plans, which ended up concealing Magical Girls from the public. When asked of what could have been the driving force for this sudden change, her father suggests that this was probably done by the will of the universe itself, describing that without the existence of Magical Girls, the universe will eventually collapse in on itself. Nayuta however, isn’t satisfied with her father’s answer. She doesn’t want to be suspicious of him, but she believes that he may have become weak-hearted, due to the countless failures from over the years.
She sighs, as the stroll wasn’t helping her relax at all. She suddenly runs into Lavi’s mother, and thanks her for the temporary hospitality. Lavi’s mother says she’s only paying it forward, as Nayuta had welcomed her daughter into her home, after she was harshly bullied. It’s then that Nayuta remembers when she was kidnapped by some residents of Yukuni city, who are known to have a burning hatred for Magical Girls, and who have also admitted to tormenting Lavi and her group both physically and mentally. Lavi’s mother also revealed that Nayuta’s father played a major role in getting Lavi to safety, much to his daughter’s surprise.
Nayuta begins to realize that Folklore of Zero not only came to Kamihama for their initial objective, but to also get away from Yukuni city altogether. Hoping to repay the favor of having Lavi being such a supportive figure in her life, she offers to pay for the soy sauce that Lavi’s mother sets to buy, but the girls of Folklore of Zero rebuke her plans, as not only is Yukuni city dangerous for Magical Girls, but she literally was kidnapped the previous day. Nayuta suggests that there’s no going back now, as she already said she’d do it. The girls plan on how to make her stay, like playing Sasha’s harp to put her to sleep, but soon realize that Nayuta had snuck off.
The girls follow Nayuta, offering her protection, while also planning on taking care of any Witches that may have settled in Yukuni city, as the numbers have certainly increased overtime.
Together, the girls walk cautiously towards the city, while lamenting on how much they want to go back to their homes, but know that doing so would put their own loved ones at risk.
During the walk, Nayuta asks the group of what their goal is. It heavily revolves around Tasuke’s hypothesis. They talk about how the existence of Magical Girls was realized only through multiple tragedies, and that if they were controlled by the universe itself, it would seem impossible for them to be saved. So, they spread out to different cities to observe other Magical Girls, and although not everything went according to plan, they accepted that this was the most natural outcome.
Nayuta starts to feel disconnected, but Lavi tells her that the reason she cannot fully connect with them, is that unlike her, they no longer have any hope. Nayuta is left at a loss for words, as they finally reach the city.
Episode 2: The Past Allows No Recompense
Nayuta: “If I purchase soy sauce at this store, the errand will be complete!”
Nayuta successfully purchases the soy sauce for Lavi’s mother, but before they get far, the extermination group confronts them. The Folklore girls insist on retreating, as the errand is done, but Nayuta decides to stand her ground, and share her thoughts with the hate filled group.
She tries to defend the innocence of Magical Girls, but the extermination group is having none of it. They tell them to leave and never come back, or else ‘the Earth’s Cradle won’t be safe anymore’. Defeated, Nayuta reluctantly leaves with the Folklore girls, and accepts that the members of the extermination group are possibly worse than Witches themselves, and how the Folklore girls just accepted the vicious bullying that was dealt upon them. The group goes to a few sites where the tragedies of Ash Grey Revolution had taken place, and lead to them being hated, where they recount the traumatic memories of having their last strand of hope violently torn away from them. Urara also explained on how she was involved in the second incident, and became a Magical Girl to save her friend’s life, but instead of being thankful, her friend showed only hatred in return.
Because of this, the Folklore girls see the universe as a merciless and unstoppable force, and have since given up all hope for life.
Nayuta is moved to tears by their story, and imagines Touka describing their current behaviour as a defence mechanism. The girls immediately go in to console her, offering to make tea or even dance for her. Maybe they did give up on their hope, but they have not lost their kindness.
Nayuta refuses to give up her own hope, and wishes to bring back their’s.
Suddenly, a Witch is sensed. The Folklore girls eagerly get ready to fight, while Nayuta thinks of how despite everything they have gone through, they are still willing to risk their lives for Yukuni city, before declaring that she will be fighting as well.
The witch is quickly defeated, which motivates the Folklore girls to go Witch hunting, as they know that they will not be able to return for a long time. Filled with uncertainty, Nayuta tags along.
Episode 3: Someday, We Hope to Light Up Again
Alexandra: “That should be enough Witch exterminating, right? Shall we head home?”
The girls safely return home, where Nayuta presents Lavi’s mother with her soy sauce. After a well earned meal, Lavi prepares to clean up, while rejecting Nayuta’s offer to help her, as she claims it would only give her more of a mess.
Nayuta decides to go on a walk again to clear her head, but strolling through the town Lavi grew up in only saddens her, recounting all the horrors that the Folklore girls had to go through. She doesn’t believe that they should have to hold all the weight of those burdens, and give up on hope, because despite being Magical Girls, they are still someone with a life, and those that love them, magical or not.
Lavi then pops up to take Nayuta back inside, so that she doesn’t get a cold. The latter opens up about how this whole ‘giving up on hope’ thing has been stuck on her mind ever since it was brought up. She tells Lavi that she’s not giving up hope, because she wants all of her friends to be saved. The Folklore girls deserve love and kindness, no matter how cruelly they were treated, and Lavi willing to stay with Nayuta and Mikage was genuine, like she truly found her own place where she is accepted for who she is, not what she is.
Nayuta says that she will bend the universe’s ‘laws’ to her will, and that it is possible for Magical Girls to have a bright future.
Surprisingly, Lavi accepts this news and takes it seriously. Nayuta then asks Lavi if she truly has no piece of hope left, but Lavi dodges the question, and suggests they go back inside.
The next morning, everyone is going back to Kamihama, where Nayuta silently vows that the next time they return, the Folklore girls will be returning home beaming with hope, but this time, they quietly leave Yukuni city, with the extermination group glaring at them from a distance.
On the train ride home, Lavi watches over a sleeping Nayuta. Although not agreeing with her decision, she wishes for her to remain hopeful. Nayuta’s question from last night comes back to Lavi, as she begins to question what her ‘hope’ is.
She believes that Himena had gone too far with her actions, and although she wished to stop her, she believed that she wouldn’t be able to. Then, she begins to worry of the possibility of Kamihama one day ending up as Yukuni city, broken, and unforgiving, in which case, she believes all Magical Girls should be eliminated, as it would supposedly be their only chance at salvation, but she is most concerned about the chance of Nayuta one day despising them, just like all the others.