Restart Chapter 04

Chapter 04: Mysterious Candy

☆Shadowgale

“Even if a player dies, their items won’t disappear. Then, what would happen if a Magical Phone was broken? What about the items inside?”
「即使玩家死亡，道具也不会消失。那么，魔法终端设备遭到破坏的话，又会如何呢？在里面的道具会怎样？」

“When a Magical Phone is destroyed, the items inside return to their original place ~pon. If they were obtained through events, then the event will occur again. If they were bought from the Shop, then they will return to the Shop where they will be sold again on the shelves.”
「魔法终端设备遭到破坏时，里面的道具会回归原来的地方蹦。如果是透过事件得到的道具，就会再度发生事件。如果在商店里买的道具，则会回到店里，重新陈列于架上贩售。」

“Can items be carried without being equipped?”
「道具能够在不安装的情况下，随身携带吗？」

“All items are fundamentally just data, and they need to be installed into a Magical Phone before they can be materialized. Be they weapons or armor that you carry or wield, or utility items like Pots or Utensils, they all have to be installed first.”
「一切的道具毕竟都只是数据，必须安装到魔法终端设备里，才能具现化蹦。无论是穿戴在身上的武器或护具或是使用性质的锅具或餐具等物品，都必须先经过安装的程序蹦。」

Once it announced that dying in the game meant dying for real, and informed them that their group was an illegal gathering that had been cut off from the Land of Magic, the mascot character Fal had become more loathed than a tick or a cockroach. However, Pfle still pressed the Help Button and fielded  questions at the mascot in a matter-of-fact way, She did not ask questions like “Why are you doing this?” “Do you hate us?” and so on, but instead asked positive questions as a player who was intent on beating the game.
在它宣布游戏内的死=现实世界中的死，并且也得知她们这个团体本身是已被切断与「魔法王国」之间联系的违法聚会的如今，吉祥物法尔简直比壁虱或蟑螂更令人厌恶。然而，普芙蕾还是按下求助键，以一副理所当然的态度丢问题给吉祥物。她问的并非一些「这么做是有何目的？」、「你对我们有怨恨吗？」之类的疑问，而是以一名立志要破关的玩家身分，询问积极正面的问题。

She is a weirdo after all. Shadowgale was once more certain of this fact.
她果然异于常人，暗影叶尔再度认清这个事实。

Though it had only been for three days, the fact was that their bosom companion Masked Wonder, with whom they had worked together in playing the game, had died a terrible death, and moreover, they had learned the cruel truth that her demise was not simply an in-game fate. However, Pfle did not appear saddened, nor did she show any signs of shock.
虽然只有短短三天，但仍然以伙伴的身分齐心协力进行游戏的玛丝克德汪达死得那么凄惨，更何况还被告知她的死亡不只是在游戏内的惨痛事实。然而，普芙蕾却毫无一丝悲伤之情，或是受到打击的迹象。

Someone suggested trying to break through their present circumstances and inform the Land of Magic about this. Others thought of asking other Magical Girls for help, and still others raised all sorts of ideas. However, none of these ideas were workable, so in summary, it did not seem constructive at all. However, it was still better than obeying the gamemaster and being forced to play the game.
有人提议，想办法突破现状，将这件事传给「魔法王国」；有人想请别的魔法少女帮忙，也有人提出各式各样的意见。然而，这些提议都不可行，总结看来似乎毫无建设性可言。但是，总比乖乖受大使摆布，被强迫参加游戏好。

Someone suggested breaking down the barriers between parties and helping each other, and so the four party leaders met for discussions in the plaza, but Pfle ended her dialogue early and returned to her team. Currently, she was in one of the buildings in the Desert Town, facing Shadowgale from across a table. This building was more spacious than the others, and Pfle had ample room to move around even while seated in her wheelchair. Also, this building was unoccupied like the others, so they could spend all day here and there would be no owner to complain.
有人提议要跨越队伍的藩篱，彼此互助，因此四位队长聚集在广场上讨论，但普芙蕾却早早结束对话归队。现在，她在山岳城镇里的建筑物一楼，与暗影叶尔隔着桌子，相视而坐。这栋建筑物比其他房子宽敞，普芙蕾即使坐着轮椅，也能游刃有馀地来回移动。而且，也与其他房子一样没有人居住，就算成天泡在这里，也不会有发牢骚的主人。

“No more questions. Thank you, Fal.”
「我问完了。谢谢你，法尔。」

After going so far as to politely thank it, Pfle called up a screen from her Magical Phone. The Help Button screen vanished, replaced by the inventory screen.
甚至还有礼貌地道谢后，普芙蕾将魔法终端设备的画面跳出。求助画面消失，显示着道具的确认画面。

“There’s something strange.”
「有一点很奇怪。」

“What about the results of the discussion?”
「你还没有告诉我讨论的结果到底如何？」

“Before I tell you, there’s something more important.”
「告诉你之前，有更重要的事情。」

“Something more important?”
「更重要的事情？」

Fal had gathered everyone in the plaza of the Wilderness Town, and there he had made a shocking pronouncement.
法尔将大家聚集在荒野城镇的广场上，并在那里发表了惊人的言论。

When everyone had been at a loss and had no idea what to do, Pfle had dropped another bombshell--Masked Wonder had been murdered, her items and Candies taken, and the culprit was still out there.
当众人六神无主、不知所措的时候，普芙蕾又丢下一颗炸弹——玛丝克德•汪达遭到杀害，道具与糖果都被夺走了，还有犯人到底是谁。

Just thinking of the horrific way in which she died discomfited Shadowgale and made her vaguely nauseous. Masked Wonder might have been eccentric and did as she pleased, but even so, she was still a good person. She was a chronic do-gooder who had been taken in by the bandaged Pfle, a true “Magical Girl of Justice” who fought to protect the weak. There was no reason for her to have been murdered in such a cruel way.
光是想起那副妻惨的死状，暗影叶尔就会涌起一股隐隐作呕的不适感。虽然玛丝克德汪达是个怪人又我行我素，尽管如此，她也是个好人。她是看到缠了绷带的普芙蕾就上当的滥好人、为了守护弱者而战的货真价实的「正义魔法少女」。没有理由遭到那种残忍的方式杀害。

Masked Wonder’s inventory had been cleaned out by someone, so in that case, the person holding her Coin must surely be the criminal. Therefore, what happened was that Pfle asked everyone to help find the culprit, asking “please let me check everyone’s Magical Phone” right until they reached the last person. The samurai-motif Magical Girl refused to show her Magical Phone, and had then slashed the tokusatsu-themed Magical Girl who was trying to persuade her. She did not say “killed” here because the person who was slashed had vanished. Her teammates seemed to be looking for her, but the person in question had vanished without a trace, and they had not even found her corpse or heard anything from her.
玛丝克德汪达遭人洗劫一空，既然如此拥有她的金币的人，绝对就是犯人。于是，接下来的进展便是，请大家协助寻找犯人、请让我确认各位的魔法终端设备等等，一直到卡在最后一人。武士风格的魔法少女拒绝出示魔法终端设备，并砍了出言相劝的特摄片风格魔法少女。这里没有说「砍死」，是因为被砍的人消失不见了。同一队的人似乎正在寻找她的下落，但该名当事者却不见踪影，甚至连尸体都没找到，音讯全无。

The samurai had gone on a rampage, like a typhoon. She hacked and slashed everything in her line of sight, going so far as to cleave a building in two. Even Pfle herself would have been slashed to death had Shadowgale not helped her. The person who had been rescued seemed to take it for granted, without even uttering a word of thanks. If she had known, she would have kicked her away; it still counted as saving her, after all.
武士仿佛台风过境般大闹一番。视线之内的东西一律斩斩斩、砍砍砍，连建筑物都被砍成两半。甚至连普芙蕾也一样，如果没有暗影叶尔的帮助，早就被砍死了。被救的当事人似乎将此视为理所当然的事，连一声谢谢也没有。同样是救人，早知道当初一脚把她踹开就好了。

In the end, an abandoned building became the madwoman’s headstone. While fighting the Chinese-themed Magical Girl, just as she was about to kill the maid in front of her, she had been crushed flat by an abandoned building falling from above. Shadowgale shivered when she thought about how many Magical Girls there were in the world who could perform such terrifying deeds.
最终而论，废弃的大楼成为恶徒的墓碑。她与中国风的魔法少女交战，就在她差一点就要砍死眼前的女仆的瞬间，遭到从上方坠落的废弃大楼压烂。一想到世界上有众多能做出这种恐怖行为的魔法少女，就令暗影叶尔感到寒颤四起。

The abandoned building had been resealed into the Chinese-themed Magical Girl’s talismans, and in the center of the crater was… the Samurai-themed Magical Girl, in a state she honestly did not wish to recall.
废弃大楼重新被中国风魔法少女封印到符咒里，而地面凹陷处的中央则是……呈现让人实在不愿回想的状态的武士魔法少女。

Her Magical Phone was no longer in a usable state. Its protective film was torn while the LCD was cracked and crushed, so there was no way of verifying the state of her items. However, given that the samurai Magical Girl had refused to show her Magical Phone, had started slashing people without saying another word, and because nobody else had the Miracle Coin, she must surely have been the culprit. Thus, the search for the perpetrator had come to a halt.
魔法终端设备已经是完全无法使用的状态，保护膜裂开、液晶萤幕被压裂，因此无法确认道具。但是，武士魔法少女拒绝出示魔法终端设备，还二话不说拔刀砍人，既然没有人持有该枚奇迹金币，想必她就是犯人了。于是，搜寻犯人的活动到此告一段落。

Somebody had asked “What shall we do now?” and then they had arranged an environment for the party leaders to discuss things. The Magical Girls proposed all sorts of ideas in a back and forth, which only served to confuse Shadowgale and annoy her. Why had everyone changed gears so quickly, speaking as though they were of one mind? Three people have died already! More to the point, they’ve all been forced into playing this life-or-death game. Surely there should be more people wailing and crying and confused, right?! But they’re all calmly discussing their plans for the future; isn’t that strange? I’ll bet everyone’s just come together to trick me.
之后有人询问今后该怎么办，然后就淮备了一个让队长互相讨论的环境。魔法少女们你一言我一句地提出各种意见，暗影叶尔只觉得头脑混乱、烦恼不已。为什么大家会有志一同地转换得这么快？已经有三个人死掉了耶！更别说，她们还被强迫进行这个生死交关的游戏。应该要有更多人哭天喊地、精神错乱才对吧！尽是一些提议要讨论善后对策的冷静之人，太奇怪了吧。一定是大家联合起来骗我的吧。

When faced with Pfle, who had returned to her team early, that was what Shadowgale had told herself. Her mind was currently boiling over.
面对早早结束话题归队的普芙蕾，暗影叶尔激动地告诉她自己这些想法。暗影叶尔的脑袋正咕鲁咕鲁地沸腾着。

“Everyone isn’t as calm as you think. However, I am.”
「大家并没有你想的那样冷静喔。不过，我很冷静就是了。」

“I know you’re very calm, My Lady…”
「我知道大小姐你很冷静……」

“Of course. And if you calm down, perhaps you could be very calm too. See, that’s what our examiner for when we became Magical Girls… what was her name? Didn’t she say something like that? Once you become a Magical Girl, it’s not just your body, but your mind which becomes strong, and your sense of fear fades away.”
「是呀。如果你冷静下来，也许就能很冷静。诺，就是我们成为魔法少女时的考官……叫什么名字呢？算了。她不是也说过吗？只要成为魔法少女，不仅是肉体，连精神方面都会变强韧，恐惧感会变薄弱。」

“It doesn’t feel like it’s faded away to me…”
「我可不觉得有变薄弱……」

“The kind of Magical Girl which the Land of Magic desires are saints who will sacrifice their lives without any hesitation when something crops up. People who are too normal won’t be able to do something like that.”.
「『魔法王国』所期盼的像魔法少女的魔法少女，就是在事情发生的时候，能够毫不踌躇地牺牲自我的圣人。神经太正常的人，可做不来这种事情。」

While she had stated reasonable facts in a reasonable way, whether it could actually convince Shadowgale was in doubt.
虽然她把听起来颇有道理的事，说得颇有道理的，但是能不能说服暗影叶尔又另当别论了。

“The Shop in this town is selling an “Item Compendium” app. It’s like the Grassland Town Shop’s Monster Manual, but for items.”
「这个镇上的商店里，推出了一个名为『道具图鉴』的道具应用软体。是草原城镇的店所贩售的怪物图鉴的道具版。」

As she said, “Here, take a look,” she called up a list of item names from her Magical Phone with a swipe of her finger.
她说了一句你看这个，便叫出魔法终端设备里，一字排开的道具名称。

“These are item names. If you click them, they’ll display a picture. Objects labelled ??? are most likely items we haven’t obtained yet. Swipe right, and you can learn how to obtain them, their shop price, and their abilities.”
「这个是道具名称，如果点击的话，就会显示出图像。名称显示为『？？？』的物品，想必是我们还没得到的道具吧。如果向右滑，就能知道该道具的获得方法、商店的贩售价格以及功用。」

“What are these numbers?”
「这个数字是什么？」

There was a large number, and a smaller number within a set of parentheses. For instance, the Travel Permits displayed “10’000(4)”. At a glance, she had no idea what they meant.
有大数字，括号内还有小数字。举例来说，通行证是显示「10000」。乍看之下，让人摸不着头绪到底有何意思。

“Good eye. This number is very important. The big number is the maximum amount of that item, and the small number is the amount of those items currently in circulation within the game. That said, look here.”
「你眼睛满利的嘛。这个很重要喔。大数字是道具的上限数量，小数字则是现在流通于游戏内的数量。以此为前提，你再看一下这里。」

Pfle’s finger indicated an entry displaying “Miracle Coin”. Pfle moved her fingertip to the right, and it came to rest over the maximum amount and the amount in circulation. They read: “1(1).”
普芙蕾手指处显示着「奇迹金币」。普芙蕾的指头朝右移动，在记载着上限数与流通量的地方停了下来。那里显示着「1〔1〕」。

“Ah? What does this mean?”
「啊？这又怎么~咦？」

Shadowgale was puzzled.
暗影叶尔感到不解。

“The amount in circulation is… 1 of 1?”
「流通量为……一分之一？」

“Indeed. Don’t you find it strange?”
「就是这个。你不觉得很诡异吗？」

Pfle’s tone felt a little heated up, and she looked pleased.
普芙蕾的口气带着一点热情，表情显得愉悦。

“Once a Magical Phone is destroyed, the items within it will return to their original place. If it was an event item, then the same event will occur again. That’s what Fal said. If that katana-wielding maniac really did take Masked Wonder’s items, then when her Magical Phone was crushed by the building, the amount of Coins in circulation ought to have returned to 0, and then the event would occur again, right?”
「魔法终端设备一坏，里面的道具就会回归原处。如果是事件道具，就会再发生一次相同的事件。法尔是这么说的。如果那个狂挥日本刀的恶徒，真的夺走了玛丝克德汪达的道具，在她的魔法终端设备被大楼压烂的同时，金币的流通量应该会归零，然后再发生相同的事件吧？」

“Don’t tell me she didn’t install it onto her Magical Phone, but carried it on herself? Or did she hide it somewhere?”
「该不会是没安装到魔法终端设备里面，就随身携带了吧？应该是被藏在某处了吧？」

“That’s impossible. Firstly, it can’t be materialized unless it’s installed. I checked that with Fal as well.”
「这是不可能的。首先，不安装就无法具现化，我也向法尔确认过了。」

“What if Fal was lying?”
「搞不好是法尔说谎了？」

“Fal wouldn’t lie. Didn’t it say so already? Only the truth from now on.”
「法尔不会说谎。它不是说过了吗？从现在起只说实话。」

“How can you believe a pack of lies like that?”
「你怎么能相信那种鬼话连篇的谎言。」

“I…”
「我呀……」

The heat was rising rapidly.
热度正逐渐上升。

Pfle’s hands had originally been on the armrests of the wheelchair. At some point, they had gripped the tires tightly. The rubber deformed, the air had nowhere to go, and it seemed like it was about to leak out.
普芙蕾的手原本是摆在轮椅的车轮上，那手不知道什么时候，紧紧握住了车轮。橡胶歪斜，里面的空气无处可逃，似乎都快泄漏出来。

“I’m not a detective like Detec Bell. When I want to find a culprit, I don’t go out and gather evidence, and I don’t break alibis. Instead, I’ll listen around.”
「我跟滴答贝儿那种名侦探不同。当我要寻找犯人的时候，既不会去搜集证据，也不用破解不在场证明，不过还是会打听一下。」

“What exactly are you trying to say?”
「你到底想说什么？」

“Voice, looks, clothes, actions, scent, tone, saliva and sweat secretion. I lack these supporting factors when it comes to analyzing Fal’s words. However, even without these factors, that mascot character is easy to read. It detests the gamemaster, it dislikes the game, and it is on the players’ side.”
「声音、容貌、服装、举止、体味、语气、唾液还有汗水的分泌量。如果想用这些来判断法尔的话，又缺少了这些辅助条件。但是，它这个吉祥物即使没有这些条件也很好懂。它对大使反感、对游戏抱持不满，它是站在玩家这一边的。」

“What happened to being different from the detective?”
「与名侦探不同的话题是跑哪去了？」

“When looking for a criminal, I make my judgement based on their character. I don’t need any evidence or alibis. If I think that person is the culprit, then they must certainly be the culprit. The rule of man is above the rule of law; there’s no way you can go wrong with that as a pretext. I’m absolutely sure that I’m not mistaken; Fal will help the players.”
「寻找犯人时，我会以人物来下判断。我不需要任何证据或是不在场证明。只要我认为谁是犯人，那个人一定就是犯人。人治凌驾于法治之上，只需要符合一个前提，那就是绝对不会犯错的为政者。我绝对不会看走眼的，法尔会帮助玩家。」

Pfle’s hands released the wheels, and her lily-white hands were now a dirty black. Pfle reached her hands out to Shadowgale, and the latter took out a handkerchief and wiped her hands.
普芙蕾的手放开车轮，洁白光滑的掌心变得乌漆抹黑的。普芙蕾将手伸向暗影叶尔，后者取出手帕擦拭她的手。

“Fal was telling the truth. The coin is still in play. In other words, that implies the person who killed Masked Wonder and took her items is still alive. There’s no other possibility bsides that.”
「法尔说的是事实，金币还在游戏内流通。换句话话，这也意味着杀了玛丝克德汪达并夺走道具的人还活着。除此之外，无其他可能性了。」

After Shadowgale cleaned Pfle’s hands, the passion in her voice suddenly cooled. Pfle had returned to her usual self.
在暗影叶尔将普芙蕾手上的污渍擦拭干净后，言语中的热情突然一口气降温。普芙蕾恢复成平常的她。

“Yumenoshima Genopsycho seems to have vanished. Somebody is up to something.”
「梦之岛杰若疯子似乎是消失了。有人动了一些手脚。」

“Oh infallible judge, do you not know who that person is?”
「绝对不会犯错的为政者大人，你不知道那个人是谁吗？」

While those words were clearly intended to be provocative in nature, Pfle simply shrugged nonchalantly.
虽然是充满找碴意味的话，普芙蕾却一脸无所谓地耸了耸肩膀。

“I don’t know yet. It’s because I don’t know that we have to be careful about how the parties help each other. After all, we can’t be getting along with someone who might be an enemy, right?”
「还不知道。正因为不知道，所以对于跨队伍的互助模式必须更谨慎。毕竟我们不能与有可能是敌人的对手，肩并肩地融洽相处吧？」

☆ Detec Bell

After expounding the results of her investigation into Magical Daisy, she felt incredibly good. She was the very picture of a master detective; even when her own life was in danger, she had gotten smug and let the blood rush to her head.
在众人的面前发表魔女黛西现况的调查结果时，心情畅快极了。她简直就是名侦探，明明连自己的生命都面临危机，却还得意洋洋地不小心热血沸腾过了头。

The problem was after that, when the katana-wielding maniac had been done away with.
问题在那之后，在猛挥日本刀的恶徒被镇压以后。

The party leaders’ meeting had started with a band but ended with a whimper, without so much as reaching a conclusion. The meeting had finished early becaus Nokko-chan said she was looking for the missing Yumenoshima Genopsycho, while Pfle simply threw down the words, “Tell me once you decide on a direction” and had walked off like it was none of her business. This left Detec Bell, and the only thing she could do was say “we have to work together”, but considering her opposite number was the silent Clantail, Detec Bell had no idea what she thought of that.
队长之间的会议，别说是结果了，连前一个阶段都还达不到，就在虎头蛇尾的情况下结束了。因为小原原说想去寻找消失的梦之岛杰若疯子，会议便早早落幕，而且普芙蕾只丢下「决定方针之后，请通知我一声」，就露出一副旁观者般的表情离去。被留下来的滴答贝儿，则劝说即使只有我们也必须彼此互助，但是面对一直沉默不语的古兰迪儿，滴答贝儿实在推敲不出她脑袋中在想什么。

Even when they were both seated, the fact that Clantail and her horse’s lower body was facing across from her led to a situation where Clantail was looking down on her from above. That sense of silent oppression was quite frightening. At least she had nodded at the end, which might have meant that she understood. However, the meeting had not produced any concrete plans for the future, so that understanding was pretty much useless.
与下半身是马的古兰迪儿对视，即使两人都是坐着，却会形成被人居高临下、由上向下望的局面。那种无声的压力实在令人害怕。至少，她最后还是有点头，也许是明白自己的意思了。但是会议完全没有决定任何具体方针，所以那份明白似乎也毫无意义。

When a tired Detec Bell returned to the Wilderness Town’s Shop where her party was waiting, someone happened there which made her body go weak.
当滴答贝儿累瘫地回到队伍所在的荒野城镇的商店里时，那里又发生了令她感到全身无力的事态。

“It was there ~su! It’s true ~su!”
「我看到了！我是说真的！」

Lapis Lazuline was shouting at the top of her voice. Her neatly-trimmed black hair and brown-colored pupils made her seem gentle, but in contrast to her adorable exterior, she made noise and shouted at all times.
菈彼丝蓝金莉汀大声嚷嚷着。黑发剪至齐肩、浅咖啡色的瞳孔看似温柔的她，却与那楚楚可怜的外表相反，无时无刻不大呼小叫的。

“What did you see?”
「看到什么东西？」

“Yumenoshima Genopsycho .”
「梦之岛杰若疯子。」

Melville, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. She only looked stylish. In contrast to her peach-colored hair, which was the very definiteion of flash and was laced with purple roses, she was very soft-spoken and reserved.
梅尔维儿则完全相反，只有外表华丽气派。与那一头上面还分布着紫色蔷薇的橘色鬈发，俨然是华丽气派的化身的发型呈现两极，本人则是非常文静且说话木讷。

“Yumenoshima Genopsycho, who vanished from the Wilderness Town Plaza, was just looking at us from that corner.”
「从荒野城镇的广场上消失的梦之岛杰若疯子，刚才就从那个角落往我们这边看。」

Melville pointed at the shadow of a building.
梅尔维儿指着建筑物的阴影处。

“How could it be, Yumenoshima Genopsycho was clearly…”
「怎么可能，梦之岛杰若疯子明明就……」

--Killed in the Wilderness Town, Detec Bell wanted to say, but in the end she shut her mouth. Nokko-chan and @Nyannyan were still searching for Yumenoshima Genopsycho, and so her fate remained in question. Although Detec Bell felt that someone had hidden the corpse, she did not dare tell someone who believed Yumenoshima Genopsycho was still alive and was searching hard for her whereabouts that, “She’s dead, how could you possibly find her?”
在荒野的镇上被砍死了吧。滴答贝儿原本想这么说，不过还是闭上了嘴巴。小原原与@娘娘还在搜寻梦之岛杰若疯子的下落，因此目前算是处于生死不明的状态。虽然滴答贝儿认为有人把尸体藏起来了，不过她可不敢对认为人还活着、正努力寻找梦之岛杰若疯子下落的人说「人都死了，怎么可能还找得到」。

“There was a deep cut from her cheek, running down past her mouth, all the way to her chin. Isn’t that a sign that she got slashed ~su?”
「从她的脸颊经过嘴巴，直达下巴的尖端，有一道深深的伤口喔。那个不就是被砍到的痕迹吗？」

After hearing Lapis Lazuline say that, Melville nodded.
听到菈彼丝蓝金莉汀这么说，梅尔维儿点了点头。

“Mm, but the way that wound was stitched made her look like Frankenstein’s Monster ~su!”
「嗯，但是那个痕迹缝补的方式超级像科学怪人的！」

Lapis Lazuline shouted in a frightened tone of voice, and Melville nodded again.
拔彼丝蓝金莉汀带着恐惧不已的神情大叫，梅尔维儿也点了点头。

“But what of it? Did you greet her? Or did she say something?”
「那又如何？你们跟她打招呼了吗？还是对方说了什么吗？」

“She probably wouldn’t be able to speak in that state. Even her mouth was stitched up. And we were scared to death, who’d be in the mood to call out to her ~su?”
「她变成那样应该没办法发出声音了吧。连嘴巴都被缝起来了。而且我们吓都吓死了，哪有心思向她打招呼啊。」

In all likelihood, the only people who would make a racket were Lapis lazuline and Cerna Mouse. It was hard to imagine Melville screaming and shouting.
想必在这里大声嚷嚷的只有蓝金莉汀与切尔娜米奇而已吧。很难想象梅尔维儿大呼小叫、大声嚷嚷的模样。

“Speaking of which, where’s Cerna?”
「话说回来，切尔娜呢？」

“Genopsycho ran off, so she gave chase. Once she brings her back, you’ll know we were telling the truth.”
「因为杰若疯子一溜烟地跑掉了，她就追过去了。等她把人带回来，你就会知道我们刚才说的都是真话。」

“I don’t think you’re lying.”
「我并不认为你说谎。」

“Really? But I clearly smelled you being suspicious of us, Bellsie ~su.”
「真的吗？但是我很明显地感受到，从小贝儿的身上散发出怀疑的味道。」

There’s no reason for you to lie, but you might have been mistaken. The careless Lapis Lazuline or the slow-witted Cerna aside, if even Melville agreed as well, then that indicated that they had not been mistaken. In other words, Yumenoshima Genopsycho really had appeared there.
因为你没必要说谎，不过有可能看错。更何况，先不论粗心大意的蓝金莉汀或是神经大条的切尔娜如何，连梅尔维儿都同意的话，就代表她们没有看错。换句话说，梦之岛杰若疯子的确曾经出现在那里。

Since there were signs of stitching, that implied that it had been sewn up by herself or someone else. But why not use Recovery Medicine instead of doing that? Also, the fact that she was moving around on her own without contacting her team members was also quite unusual. There was no reason to do something like that, right?
既然有缝补的痕迹，应该就是她本人或是哪个人缝的吧。为什么不使用恢复药水，反而那么做呢？还有她没联络队员自己无恙却单独行动，也令人匪夷所思。没有这么做的意义吧。

Detec Bell shifted her line of sight from Lapis Lazuline, who was closing in while grabbing her own chest, and looked toward Melville. Melville nodded, indicating the other side of the Shop with her chin.
将视线从一把揪住自己胸口逼近过来的蓝金莉汀身上移开，滴答贝儿望向梅尔维儿。梅尔维儿点头，以下巴示意商店的对面。

“She’s back.”
「人回来了。」

A creature running on all fours jumped out of the gap between two buildings, and just before it hit Melville, it braked suddenly and ground to a halt. It left footprints on the ground, which in turn stirred up floating clouds of dust. Ignoring the coughing Detec Bell and Lapis Lazuline, the creature which had jumped out--Cerna Mouse--raised her right hand and reported “She’s gone!”
在建筑物与建筑物的分界处跳出一只以四肢奔跑的生物，在快撞上梅尔维儿之际，紧急刹车，停了下来。地面留下了足迹、扬起漫天尘土。无视于咳嗽不已的滴答贝儿与拔彼丝蓝金莉汀，那只跳出来的生物——切尔娜米奇举起右手报告：「人不见了！」

“Gone? You mean Genopsycho?”
「不见了？你是说杰若疯子吗？」

“She vanished so fast! I’m sure she must have been running super quick! Also also, I couldn’t smell her at all, it scared me!”
「她消失的速度简直吓死人！我想她一定跑得非常快吧！还有还有，居然完全闻不到她的味道
，吓我一大跳！」

“So it was a mass hallucination or something, then?”
「那果然是集体产生幻觉之类的现象吧？」

“I wasn’t seeing things! That’s because she left this!”
「才不是幻觉呢！因为她还留下了这个！」

Cerna swished her sleeve and something rolled out. The pockets in her sleeves were typically used to store her gigantic sunflower seeds.
切尔娜米奇甩了甩袖口，叩隆一声滚出某个东西。她的袖口附有口袋，平常是用来收纳巨大的向日葵种子。

Melville, Lazuline and Detec Bell pressed their faces close, looking at the thing which had fallen out.
梅尔维儿、蓝金莉汀、滴答贝儿三个将脸凑近，看着滚落地上的东西。

It was a stone with a piece of paper wrapped around it. When the stone fell out, the paper wrapping it had come loose, which was when everyone saw what was written on it. Th worm-like characters said, “Beware of traitors.”
那是被皱成一团的纸包住的石头。石头滚了出来，因此包住石头的纸也跟着摊开来，这时大家才看清楚里面。上面以仿佛蚯蚓般的字体写着「小心背叛者」几个字。

“What does it say?”
「上面写了什么啊？」

Nobody could answer Cerna’s leisurely question.
面对切尔娜米奇那悠哉的声音，没有人回答得出来。

Melville kicked the rock, and the paper, no longer weighted down, was blown away. Cerna Mouse went “Ah! It flew away!” and chased it.
梅尔维儿踢了一下石头，失去重量的纸被风吹走了。切尔娜米奇喊着「啊啊！飞走了啦！」追了过去。

“What came of the discussion?”
「讨论的结果如何？」

“Ahh, mm. We decided to proceed by helping each other out.”
「啊啊，嗯。决定要以大家互助的形式进行了。」

“I’m opposed to it.”
「我反对！」

Melville’s eyes were fixed on the stone by her foot.
梅尔维儿的眼睛仍然盯着脚边的石头不放。

“I don’t know who it is, but someone’s trying to do something bad. We can’t guarantee that person isn’t among them. It’s too risky, I won’t do it!”
「我不知道是谁，但是有人想干坏事。我们无法保证那个人不在那些人之中。太危险了，我才不干！」

“But, if we act on our own at a time like this…”
「但是，这种时候还分开行动的话……」

“We will proceed as we always have.”
「最好是按照之前的模式行动！」

In the face of this statement that allowed no reply, Detec Bell had nothing to say.
面对这句不由分说的发言，滴答贝儿也没办法再说什么了。

☆Nokko-chan

Although they ran all around, they could not find Genopsycho. Apparently Detec Bell’s party had sighted her, so she ought to be alive. However, Genopsycho had not appeared before Nokko-chan and the others.
虽然四处奔走，却仍然找不到杰若疯子。听说滴答贝儿的队伍有看到杰若疯子，所以她应该还活着吧。然而，杰若疯子并没有现身在小原原她们面前。

They thought of using the Map application to find her, but after they started it up, they realized her position overlapped with @Nyannyan. It would seem the map displayed the location of the Magical Phone and not the person itself. That made it quite useless.
为了想确认是否能透过地图应用软体找出她的下落，启动之后才发现她的位置与@娘娘的所在位置重迭。看来上面显示的，是魔法终端设备的位置，而非本人。还真是派不上用场。

Nokko-chan thought, since you’re alive, why not show yourself? That said, she might have thought it, but she did not actually say it. Ever since the fighting at the plaza was over, @Nyannyan had been almost completely silent. Every time Nokko-chan noticed, she found Nokko-chan staring blankly into the distance. Nokko-chan tried her best to broadcast happy thoughts to ther, but she did not know how effective it was. They had been forced to take part in a death game, they did not know where Genopsycho was, and although the person she had killed was a robber and a murderer, she had killed someone nonetheless. Perhaps all these things combined were threatening to overwhelm @Nyannyan.
小原原心想，既然人还活着，好歹也来露一下面吧。虽然心里这么想，却说不出口。自从在广场上的战斗结束之后，@娘娘几乎完全不说话，每当小原原察觉时，就会发现@娘娘只是一味地望着远方发呆。小原原拼命地将快乐又开心的情绪散播给她，但不晓得能发挥多大的功效。她们被迫参与联系着死亡的游戏、不知道杰若疯子身在何处、虽然对方是强盗杀人犯，但是她在战斗的最后杀害了人。也许就是诸如此类的种种事实，压得@娘娘喘不过气吧。

It would be good if Genopsycho would show up. I didn’t know you were so strong, @Nyannyan. We should work together to survive. She could not say any of these things, or anything else, for that matter. If she actually said them, they would dredge up bad memories for @Nyannyan; if she had bad memories, she would become even more depressed.
无论是杰若疯子来露一下脸也好，或是原来@娘娘的实力如此强大、大家同心协力活下去等话，她都说不出口。如果说出口的话，会害@娘娘想起不好的回忆；如果想起不好的回忆，意志就会更加消沉。

“Actually, I quit being a Magical Girl long ago ~aru!”
「其实我早就不当魔法少女儿了！」

She had heard her say that while eating, and it took her by surprise. At that time, they had been facing each other while eating their Preserved Food; @Nyannyan had said nothing and Nokko-chan had been quiet too, the two of them simply replenishing their nutrients in silence, eating without heed for the taste of what they consumed. @Nyannyan suddenly broke the silence and spoke of her own accord. It felt like too long since she had last heard her speak.”
那一天吃饭时听到她这么说，不禁令人吃了一惊。当时她们正面对面吃着存粮，@娘娘什么话都没说，而小原原也不发一语，两人只是沉默不语地补充营养，进行着食不知味的饮食。@娘娘突然打破那股沉默，主动说话。总觉得似乎许久没听见她的声音了。

“What did you mean by quit?”
「你说不当，是什么意思？」

“It’s exactly what it means, ~aru, I retired from being a Magical Girl a long time ago!”
「就是字面上的意思儿，我早就退出魔法少女了！」

“Who?”
「你说谁？」

“Me.”
「我。」

“Eh? You stopped being a Magical Girl a long time ago? Then why were you forced to join the game?”
「咦？娘娘早就退出魔法少女了吗？那怎么会被逼着参加游戏？」

“These things happen.”
「就是会有这种事儿。」

Nokko-chan hesitated over whether or not to comfort her. @Nyannyan did not seem to have brought up this topic in search of sympathy, but neither was this simple grumbling; she was speaking carefully. @Nyannyans face remained blank.
小原原踌躇着要不要安慰她。@娘娘看起来不像是希望得到同情，才谈起这个话题的；但也不像是纯粹发发牢骚，她只是细碎地说着话。@娘娘的表情仍然一脸茫然。

“Something I didn’t like happened ~aru, so I stopped being a Magical Girl ~aru.”
「发生了非常讨厌的事儿，所以我就不当魔法少女儿了。」

“Something you didn’t like…”
「讨厌的事是……」

She stopped speaking here. If she cause @Nyannyan to recall distasteful memories, it would only make her mood worse.
话只说到这里打住。如果让她回想起讨厌的回忆，只会让她的心情变得更糟而已。

“I can’t remember it at all. Something happened that made me want to stop being a Magical Girl, but I can’t recall what it was…”
「我完全想不起来。明明发生了甚至让我辞掉魔法少女的讨厌事，但是我却完全回想不起来到底是什么事情……」

@Nyannyan dug her incisors into the Preserved Food and nibbled slowly.
@娘娘只用门牙啃喔着存粮，慢慢咀嚼。

“Something I hated happened… then I quit being a Magical Girl… but in the end I’m still part of this game… it felt so natural… I didn’t find it strange…”
「发生了非常讨厌的事……然后辞掉了魔法少女……结果却在这里参加游戏……非常自然地……我也没发现这件事很奇怪……」

She seemed to have been possessed by something, or rather, like she was channelling something. In any case she did not look normal. @Nyannyan continued muttering quietly: “I cried on the building’s roof… I shed tears… because I killed someone… not someone I could go easy on… I knew that… but still…”
她看起来仿佛遭到某种东西附身一样，也像是神佛降驾般。无论如何，她看起来不像是处在正常的状态中就是了。@娘娘断断续续地继续低喃：「在大楼上哭了……流下泪水……因为杀了人……不是能手下留情的对手……明明知道这一点……但是……」

She raised her head. There were no clouds in the sky, neither were there any stars, and of course there was no moon. There was nothing, only an expanse of black that stretched into infinity, and that blackness was reflected in @Nyannyan’s eyes.
她抬起头，天空万里无云，连星星也没有，更没有月亮，什么都没有。只有一片漆黑延伸着，那片黑映在@娘娘的瞳孔里。

“The… the second time…? Since it’s the second time, I should do it better…”
「第……第二次……？既然是第二次，应该要做得更好……」

The trees moved, making the sound of leaves rustling against leaves. Nokko-chan was about to stand up, but @Nyannyan’s hand stopped her.
树丛动了，发出叶子与叶子的摩擦声。小原原正要站起来，却被@娘娘的手制止。

“Who goes there ~aru?”
「来者儿何人？」

Her eyes were filled with volition, and her voice contained purpose. Nokko-chan was more surprised by the fact that @Nyannyan had returned to normal than the fact that there was someone in the trees.
她的瞳孔里蕴涵着意志，她的声音含有意识。比起树丛有人，反而是@娘娘恢复正常令小原原更加惊讶。

“It’s me.”
「是我。」

It was the Magical Girl in the wheelchair and the Magical Girl nurse that pushed it. She remembered that the one in the wheelchair was called Pfle, and she had been a fellow party member of Masked Wonder, who had been killed. And the black nurse… what was her name? She was the Magical Girl attending Pfle, and when Pfle had almost been hacked to death, she had tackled her from the side and saved her life… but she still could not recall her name.
坐轮椅的魔法少女以及推着轮椅的护士魔法少女。记得坐轮椅的这位是普芙蕾，她与遭到杀害的玛丝克德汪达是同一队的成员，而那位黑色护士……叫什么名字呢？她是随侍在普芙蕾身边的魔法少女，当普芙蕾差一点被砍死的时候，从旁边扑过去救了普芙蕾一命……但还是想不起名字。

“Do you still remember us? I’m Pfle, and this is Shadowgale.”
「还记得我们吗？我是普芙蕾，她是暗影叶尔。」

She remembered. They were Pfle and Shadowgale.
想起来了。她们是普芙蕾与暗影叶尔。

“I came here to make a request of you. Are you  willing to hear me out?”
「我来这里是有件事情想拜托你们，愿意听我说吗？」

“You must be here to talk about stepping over party lines and helping each other out ~aru. If that request relates to our survival, there’s no reason not to listen ~aru.”
「你应该是想说跨越队伍藩篱，互相帮忙的事情呗。如果那个请求与存活有关的话，没理由不听儿。」

Nokko-chan looked at @Nyannyan. Power and determination radiated from between her eyebrows. While she was grateful that she had become so reliable, the sudden change made her feel a little uneasy.
小原原看向@娘娘，她的眉宇间散发着力量与决心。虽然很感激她变得可靠，但没来由地突然转变，也令人感到有些不安。

“Detec Bell’s team still seems intent on marking territory, so if we approach the hunting grounds the 30-meter tall Cerna will threaten us.”
「滴答贝儿的队伍似乎还在主张地盘意识，只要一接近狩猎场，就会遭到全长达三十公尺的切尔娜米奇威胁。」

In the game, doing anything required the use of Magical Candies. If their aim was to beat the game, then they had to gather as many as they could. However, if they fought each other for them, they would draw further and further away from their goal. The players’ unity was in chaos. Who would benefit from this chaos? Surely...
在游戏里面，做任何事都需要用到魔法糖果。以破关游戏为目标，当然就必须尽可能地搜集多一点。但是，如果互相争夺的话，就会离破关越来越遥远。玩家的团结力已经大乱。大乱的结果，有谁能得到好处呢？一定是……

“What are they thinking ~aru? Now’s not the time to look at each other as enemies ~aru!”
「她们在想什么儿呀！现在可不是彼此敌视的时候呗！」

Even Nokko-chan could hear the grinding of her teeth.
甚至连小原原都能听见她咬牙切齿的声音。

“I’m going to stop them ~aru! Whoever gets priority for the hunting grounds doesn’t matter at all ~aru! We should be focused on clearing the game ~aru!”
「我要去阻止她们儿！狩猎场的优先使用权根本一点都不重要儿，应该要以破关为目标呗！」

“Mm, indeed. However, that lot won’t listen if all you do is talk.”
「嗯，没有错。只不过，即使以口头劝阻，那帮人也完全听不进去。」

“It doesn’t matter, I’ve had enough of these life and death struggles ~aru!”
「无论如何，我已经受够了那种搏命争夺的行为儿了！」

“We won’t do that, and we don’t want to do that. For that reason, we need your strength.”
「我们不会那么做，也不想那么做。正因为如此，才需要你们的力量呀。」

☆Shadowgale

The latest of the unlocked areas was the City Area. Though it was called a city, it was not a contemporary city, and it was also uninhabited. It was a cyberpunk-styled city of the future, full of power lines and digital codes, messily laid out and with complex scenery that made the entire area look even more chaotic. Compared to the Wilderness, Grasslands and Mountains, it was much narrower, but the confusing, labyrinthine terrain required some for them to adjust to.
目前已经开放的区域中，最新的即为都市区域。虽说是都市，却非现在进行式，同样也无人居住。是走所谓的电驭叛客风格的未来都市风貌，充斥着电缆与数位代码，市容杂乱，复杂的造景令整个区域看起来更加混吨。此区与荒野、草原、山岳相较之下显得狭窄许多，但如迷宫般错综复杂，必须花上一些时间才能适应这块土地。

They bought better Weapons and Shields at the Shop here. Compared to the other shops, this place as at +5 levels, which was a good deal higher than the Shops until now. Shadowgale bought a +5 Weapon and summoned it after installing it. It turned out to be a wrench. She swung it a few times and found it surprisingly easy to use, obviously because it was made to measure for a player. The smooth sensation of twirling the wrench in her hands did not fade for a long time.
她们也在商店打点好武器与护具。这里增加的等级是15，比截至目前为止的商店还高出许多。暗影叶尔购买+5的武器，安装后叫出来，结果是扳手。试着挥了几下，发现武器意外地顺手，明显是为了玩家量身打造而成。扳手在掌中旋转的顺畅感久久不散。

The monsters who appeared were Guard Robots, similar to the robots that appeared in robot anime. According to the Monster Manual, they were divided into Attackers, Defenders, Shooters and Generals. They could use electric shocks, micro missiles, ramming attacks and similar combat methods. They were much stronger than Goblins or Skeletons.
出现的怪物是与机器人动画里会出现的人型机器人相当类似的警卫机器人。根据图鉴，有分攻击手、防御手、射撃手、将军，共四种。会使用电击、小型飞弹、冲撞等攻击方式。比小鬼以及骸骨强上许多。

Thanks to their high fighting power, they dropped a startling amount of Candies, and on top of that, about one in every hundred of them would drop a rare item. They were things like Arm Parts, Leg Parts, Body Parts, Head Parts and so on, all of which sold for a high price at the Shop. However, these parts were little more than vendor trash which sold for a good price… at least, to players apart from Shadowgale. Shadowgale’s Magic was to “modify”. She could use her wrench and scissors to remodel and improve objects. All this time, she had used her Magic to improve television reception, make cars more efficient, improve computer memory, and other unassuming things that nevertheless delighted people.
也因为战斗力强，掉出来的糖果数量相当惊人，再加上，它们会以一百具里面有一具的比例，掉出稀奇道具。手臂零件、腿部零件、身体零件、头部零件等等，这些零件都能在商店以高价卖出。然而，这些零件只不过是能够卖到好价钱的道具而已……对暗影叶尔以外的玩家而言。
暗影叶尔的魔法正是「改造」。她能够使用扳手与剪刀，敲敲打打改良物品。一直以来，她将魔法用在让电视的呈像更好、让车子更省油、增加电脑容量，如此朴实不起眼，却会令人开心的事情上。

Currently, Shadowgale was desperately working to modify Pfle’s wheelchair, using all sorts of parts. In turn, she had asked other people to help her gather the parts. When Pfle announced that she was going to duel Cerna Mouse, everyone immediately pledged their support. From there, one could tell how much that party was hated. Apart from asking @Nyannyan to help gather the materials, they also asked her to move the wheelchair around. Thanks to all the reckless remodelling, the wheelchair’s mobility had decreased greatly, and its operation time was very short. Thus, being able to save the trouble of movement was something she was very grateful for. The parts piled higher and higher, and she could not use them all up, and Shadowgale’s work showed no sign of stopping anytime soon.
如今，暗影叶尔正拼命地动着双手，以各种部位的零件为材料，「改造」普芙蕾的轮椅。零件则是请别队的人帮忙搜集。当普芙蕾一表明要与切尔娜米奇决斗，众人立刻答应相挺。由此可见，那个队伍有多么惹人嫌。除了请@娘娘搜集材料之外，也请她帮忙搬运轮椅。由于勉强进行改造的关系，改造后的轮椅机动力大幅下滑，而且运转时间缩得极短。因此，光是能节省移动的步骤就令人十分感激了。零件越堆越高，怎么用都用不完，而且暗影叶尔的工作似乎不见任何结束的迹象。

Pfle worked her Magical Phone. She seemed to be reading.
普芙蕾操作着魔法终端设备，似乎正在阅读。

“Ah…”
「那个……」

“What is it, Mamori?”
「怎么了？护。」

“How long will I have to keep doing this...”
「我要做到什么时候啊……」

“Until it’s satisfactory.”
「做到满意为止。」

Until who’s satisfied? Even if she asked, Pfle would not answer.
到底是做到谁满意为止呢？即使问了，她也不会回答吧。

“May I ask a question…?”
「可以问一个问题吗……」

“What is it?”
「什么事？」

“I’ve been thinking about a lot of things as I worked.”
「我一边作业一边思考了许多事情。」

“My, aren’t we capable.”
「没想到你这么能干耶。」

“About the culprit who killed Masked Wonder…”
「关于杀害玛丝克德汪达的犯人……」

“Hm?”
「喔？」

“I’m starting to suspect if it was @Nyannyan.”
「我在怀疑该不会是@娘娘吧。」

That ought to be one hell of a shocker, Shadowgale thought to herself. However, she did not expect Pfle to continue studying her Magical Phone with a nonchalant look on her face. Shadowgale hurriedly returned to her work. After it continued for several minuites, Pfle spoke.
这句话还真是语不惊人死不休，暗影叶尔本人暗自在心里这么想。然而出乎意料之外的是，普芙蕾仍然一脸若无其事地继续操作着魔法终端设备。暗影叶尔忿忿不平地回到手边的作业上。作业持续数分钟后，普芙蕾先开口了。

“Mamori… when you suspect someone, don’t you need proof for it? After all, you’re different from me.”
「护……怀疑别人的时候，需要证据吧？毕竟，你跟我不同。」

Just about everyone would be different from Pfle. Arrogance of her caliber required a talent of some sort.
大多数的人类都与普芙蕾不同吧。能够傲慢到这种程度，可是需要天赋的。

“Mm, yes.”
「嗯，是的。」

“Tell me, then. What basis do you have to suspect @Nyannyan? I’ll hear you out.”
「说说看，你怀疑@娘娘是犯人的根据为何？我姑且听一下。」

“During the battle with the samurai, she summoned up rocks and fought with them.”
「她在广场上与武士战斗的时候，召出岩石打斗了吧。」

“Indeed, that’s a handy Magic to have.”
「是呀，这魔法还真是方便。」

She had summoned boulders and a building, and in the end she had returned the building she had brought out back into her talismans. Buildings and boulders were common objects in the game. In other words, her Magic was the ability to seal objects into her talismans.
她从符咒中召出岩石、大楼，最后将召出来的大楼收回符咒里。大楼、岩石都是游戏中常见的东西。也就是说那是将物体封印在符咒里的魔法。

“After that, Masked Wonder’s head was smashed by a rock.”
「然后，玛丝克德汪达是头部遭到岩石砸烂的吧。」

“...That’s your evidence? Just because @Nyannyan used rocks? That’s it?”
「……这就是根据？只因为@娘娘使用了岩石？就这样？」

“Of course that’s not all. This is just one of the things which made me suspicious.”
「当然不只这一点。这只不过是怀疑的因素之一而已。」

“Oh~ and what’s the main reason, then?”
「喔〜那么主要原因是？」

“The Coin.”
「金币。」

Shadow Gale turned the wrench and cut with the scissors. She was not making these modifications with any knowledge of the principles which went into the construction, thus, while she worked, she did not understand the significance of what she did.
暗影叶尔转动扳手、用剪刀剪断。她并不是在知道原理构造的状况下进行改造，因此她在进行作业时，并不知道这些行为有何意义。

“@Nyannyan could seal a gigantic ruined building into a talisman. If she could do such a crazy thing, perhaps she could perform the incredibly difficult feat of sealing data into her talismans without going through the medium of the Magical Phone. So she could carry it with her without having to install it into a Magical Phone.”
「@娘娘将巨大的废弃大楼封在一个符咒里。她都能做出那么疯狂的事了，也许能办到在不透过魔法终端设备为媒介的状态下，将数据封印在符咒里的高难度技巧。能够不将道具安装到魔法终端设备里，随身携带。」

Magical Girls’ Magic ignored physics and the laws of nature. It was just like how Shadowgale could take the rare parts dropped by Guard Robots and use them for something besides selling.
魔法少女的魔法是无视于自然界的原理与原则的。如同暗影叶尔能将警卫机器人掉出的稀奇道具，用在抛售以外的用途上。

“If she’s not the culprit, then I have no idea what other way there is to carry an item with you without using a Magical Phone. In other words, she ought to be the culprit.”
「如果犯人是她以外的人，那我就不知道还有什么方法能够不透过魔法终端设备，随身携带道具了。也就是说，她应该就是犯人了吧。」

Like an elementary schooler who had finished a report on how she had felt, Shadowgale looked to Pfle, and found that her gaze had not left her Magical Phone.
仿佛小学生心得感想般下了最后结论，暗影叶尔看向普芙蕾，发现她的视线仍然不离魔法终端设备。

“Not a bad piece of reasoning.”
「还算是不太糟的推理。」

“Is it not?”
「没错吧」

“Come to think of it, I might have been underestimating you all this time.”
「话说回来，也许一直以来我似乎低估你了。」

What on earth did she take her for, anyway?
到底是被想成什么样子的人了。

☆Detec Bell

As long as she was active as a Magical Girl, there would be many chances to experience bizarre things--starting with herself. However, very few people had witnessed such a surreal sight.
只要以魔法少女的身分活动，以她本身为首，能够接触到不可思议事物、光怪陆离事物的机会也很多。然而，没有几个人能亲眼目睹如此脱离现实的光景。

She was clearly several kilometers away, but it still felt as though she would be caught up in the fighting, and it made her unable to rest easy. The slightest move generated a startling crash and sent a plume of dirt and dust soaring into the air as the 30 meter-tall Cerna Mouse and the 30 meter tall… well, how should she describe it? At a glance, it looked like a crab. Of course, it was not a real crab, because it was made of machinery from head to toe. Pfle had clearly said that it was a ten-legged tank.
明明距离数公里之远，却似乎还是会受到战火波及，实在令人无法安心。只要稍微动一下，就会发出惊人巨响并扬起漫天尘土，全长达三十公尺的切尔娜•米奇与总共高三十公尺的……该怎么形容才好呢？乍看之下，似乎是螃蟹。当然不是真的螃蟹，那东西全身上下都是由机械组成。普芙蕾刚才的确说过是十脚战车。

Cerna Mouse stomped the ground, throwing up dust clouds as she ran. She forcefully swiped forward, and the ten-legged tank caught the attack. The tremendous noise and impact of their clash reached all the way to here.
切尔娜米奇踏响地面、扬起尘土跑去。她激动地向前一抓，十脚战车承接住攻击。他们缠斗在一起时发出的巨响与冲击，传到这里。

The two arms and the two pincers refused to quit, and one of the remaining eight crab legs took advantage of the opening to attack Cerna’s side. Unable to keep her balance, Cerna fell. While she could not see what was going on due to the obscuring dust, Cerna rolled several times on the ground and managed to escape her bind. The abandoned buildings along the way were knocked over, smashed and crushed by Cerna’s massive body.
两条手臂与两只蟹脚彼此互不相让，剩下的八只蟹脚中的一只，趁隙攻击了切尔娜米奇的侧腹部。无法平衡的切尔娜米奇被推倒了。虽然因为尘土飞舞看不到状况，不过在地上翻滚了好几圈的切尔娜米奇成功脱困。中途经过的废弃大楼，倒的倒、碎的碎，被切尔娜米奇的巨大身体压得体无完肤。

Although Cerna had opened a distance between them, the ten-legged tank did not pursue, merely stayed where it was. The projections which looked like a crab’s eyes suddenly flashed, and the area in front of it exploded. It had fired a laser, which sent Cerna Mouse flying, and then rolling head over heels as she hit the ground again. Three buildings got caught up in this and collapsed, but Detec Bell’s line of sight was blocked by the tank, and she could not see what happened after that.
虽然切尔娜米奇拉开距离，十脚战车却没有追过去，而是滞留原地。做为拟榜蟹眼睛的突出部位光芒一闪，前方就爆炸了。它释放了雷射，切尔娜米奇被打飞，又叩隆叩隆地滚走。有三栋大楼遭到波及而倒塌，但滴答贝儿的视线被战车遮蔽，看不到之后的状况。

Even while looking from the top of a distant skyscraper, she could still see the full scale of the destruction. Melville arched her right eyebrow, while Lapis Lazuline was screeching every time Cerna was attacked, which was very annoying.
即使是从距离遥远的大楼上方眺望，也能看到破坏规模之大。梅尔维儿正微微随起右眼；菈彼丝蓝金莉汀则是在切尔娜米奇每次遭受攻击时，就发出尖叫，吵死人了。

Detec Bell could tell; the odds were overwhelmingly in favor of the ten-legged tank. Not only was it superior in its number of attack modes, its movements were also very swift, and it was fitted with a flight unit. While she had never thought that a Magical Girl could beat that Cerna Mouse, if this kept up, Cerna Mouse was sure to lose.
滴答贝儿已经看出局势，十脚战车有压倒性的胜算。不仅在攻击手段的数量上获胜，连移动也很迅速，还搭载飞射型道具。虽然她从来没想过有魔法少女能打赢那个切尔娜米奇但这样下去必定会败北吧。

While  Melville and Lapis Lazuline did not want Cerna to be defeated, Detec Bell felt that it would be fine if she lost. She even felt that she had to lose.
虽然梅尔维儿与蓝金莉汀不希望切尔娜米奇输但是滴答贝儿则认为输了也无妨，甚至还认为应该要输。

They had received the challenge letter this morning.
挑战书是在今天早上收到的。

***

“I wish to request a duel with you, without wagering our lives on the outcome.”
「我想用不以性命为赌注的方式，向你们提出决斗的要求。」

The people who had appeared before Team Detec Bell as they were having their breakfast were the wheelchair-bound Magical Girl and the black nurse--Pfle and Shadowgale. Starting off with a challenge filled Detec Bell’s mind with question marks, but what they said after that made their meaning clear.
来到正在吃早餐的滴答贝儿小队面前的，是坐轮椅的魔法少女与黑护士——普芙蕾与暗影叶尔两人。一开口就提出决斗的要求，让滴答贝儿不禁浮现满脑子问号，不过她从接下来的对话，弄清了对方的用意。

“If we win, we hope that you will stop monopolizing the hunting grounds. Since your practices are founded on force, then once you know our strength is superior, you ought to be willing to stop doing this, no? I believe Miss Melville herself said that the strongest are the highest-tanked, no?”
「如果我方赢的话，希望你们停止占据狩猎场的行径。既然你们的行为是建筑在武力之上，你们在得知我们的实力更强大后，就会愿意停止这种行为了吧？强者最伟大，那位梅尔维儿女士也曾经这么说过吧？」

And so, after arranging to reply at a later time, they asked them to go back first. Detec Bell knew that they could not fight amongst themselves in front of other parties.
于是，约好晚点回复后，便请对方先回去了。在其他队伍的人面前不能自己人起内讧，滴答贝儿也深知这个道理。

“Did you really chase the other parties out of the hunting grounds?”
「把其他队伍的人赶出狩猎场，是真的吗？」

“Yep.”
「真的啊。」

There was no sense of guilt or remorse coming from Cerna Mouse.
切尔娜米奇完全没有丝毫歉疚感。

“Why did you do that? Didn’t I say everyone had to work together?”
「为什么要做这种事？我不是说过大家要齐心协力吗？」

“I don’t care about that!”
「那种事我才管不着！」

In order to open the gate to the next area, they would have to enter the City Area’s police headquarters, and going in there would require a password. She had tried discussing the matter with the other parties before, but the response had been very poor, and they could not converse at all.
为了开放下一个区域的门，必须进入都市区域的综合警备总部前的事务所，而那里需要密码才能进去。她曾经找其他队伍的人商量这件事，但对方反应不佳，完全没办法对话。

She now knew the reason why.
她现在知道原因了。

“How can you not care about that? It’s still not too late, hurry up and apologize to everyone. And make sure to bring a gift along.”
「怎么可能管不着！事到如今还来得及，快去向大家道歉。最好带上伴手礼。」

“As if! Cerna did nothing wrong! If they want to fight, fine by me, I’ll take them out.”
「我才不要！切尔娜又没有做坏事，就算要决斗也可以，我来收拾她。」

There was no communicating with her, and she was not the sort who would go along obediently if force was used. Lapis Lazuline, on the other hand, had a look on her face which said, “Arguing is bad ~su” as she folded her arms across her chest and nodded. She was completely useless. Therefore, Detec Bell turned once more to Melville.
完全无法沟通，她也不是用蛮力就会乖乖就范的对象。蓝金莉汀则是带着「吵架真的很不好啦」的表情，双手环胸地点着头。这家伙根本派不上用场。于是，滴答贝儿重新转而面对梅尔维儿。

“Ask her to stop.”
「叫她住手。」

“It’s no good ~su”
「办不到咧〜」

Melville cast her eyes downwards, her eyelashes fluttering in the wind.
梅尔维儿倏地垂下视线，睫毛在风的吹拂下摇曳。

No wonder. The decision had not been made by Cerna herself. Cerna had always done as Melville said.
原来如此。这并不是切尔娜•米奇擅作主张而下的判断。切尔娜米奇总是对梅尔维儿言听计从。

“Isn’t there a bad guy among them? It should be obvious that it’s not workable with just a glance. Why don’t you get it?”
「不是有个坏家伙吗？想也知道办不到。你怎么还搞不清楚呀。」

“There’s bad guys mixed among us, so we can’t go around helping people. Melly said that, I think ~su.”
「因为有坏人混在我们之中，所以不能帮助别人。小梅尔是这样说的吧。」

“If we really do this…”
「如果真要这么说的话……」

Strictly speaking, there was no way to guarantee that the culprit was no within their own group… But she could not say it; this was something that could never be spoken.
如果真要这么说的话，也不能保证坏人不在这个队伍里面……但她说不出口，这是不能说出口的话。

Detec Bell bit her lip, and tasted the faint hint of blood.
滴答贝儿紧咬嘴唇，尝到了淡淡的血味。

Cerna Mouse’s Magic was simply “to become bigger.” It was simple, but very powerful. Being hit by a gigantic adversary hurt a lot, and attacking a massive foe was not very effective. She could show her overwhelming power when fighting monsters, and frankly speaking, as long as Cerna Mouse was there… perhaps it would be best to say that she would be “more than enough”.
切尔娜米奇使用的是「变大」的单纯魔法。虽然单纯，但很强大。受到巨大的对手攻击会非常痛，而攻击巨大的对手则不会起太大的作用。与怪物战斗时能展现出压倒性的强大，说实在的，只要有切尔娜•米奇一只……应该是说一人即绰绰有馀。

More to the point, the location their opponent had picked for the duel--the Wilderness--was also the place where Cerna could best show her stuff. Not only was it wide and open, but the scattered buildings would not get in the way.
更何况，对手这次指定的决斗地点为荒野，也是切尔娜•米奇最擅长大展身手的地方。不仅宽敞，零星散布的大楼也不碍事。

Cerna completely ignored Detec Bell’s pleas, and an hour after agreeing to the duel, she had enlarged herself, waiting quietly for the arrival of the foe. Detec Bell, Melville and Lapis Lazuline watched from the top of a distant building.
完全不听滴答贝儿劝阻的切尔娜米奇，在答应决斗一小时后，已经巨大化，静待对方到来。滴答贝儿、梅尔维儿、蓝金莉汀三人则是在远处的大楼上观望。

As Detec Bell thought, who would be capable of facing this monster with the Wilderness as a battlefield, @Nyannyan strode toward the location of the duel. Was she going to fight? She was strong, but that was surely too much. Just as Detec Bell thouight that, @Nyannyan tossed out a talisman and ran away. The gently-falling talisman exploded, and after the smoke cleared, a giant mechanical crab appeared.
当滴答贝儿思考着，如果以荒野为战场有谁够资格当这个怪物的对手时，@娘娘便朝决斗场踱步而来了。她要应战吗？她的确很强，但还是太勉强了吧。当滴答贝儿这么想时，@娘娘只丢出符咒后便跑远，缓缓飘落的符咒，砰的一声发生爆炸，烟尘消散后，出现了一具巨大的机器螃蟹。

Its body was round, and the places which should have been its eyes were gleaming; they were probably sensors of some sort. From its layered carapace, it probably had multiple layers of armor plating. Those looked thick and weighty enough to make it seem clumsy, but the ten crab-like legs sprouting from its body could move swiftly and nimbly.
圆滚滚的身体，应该是眼睛的部位闪着光芒，想必是感应器之类的东西吧。层层迭迭的外框，看起来似乎是迭了好几片装甲板，其厚重感给人一种笨重的印象，然而从躯体长出来的十只蟹脚，则能快速且灵敏行动。

Each leg had two joints, and the tip of each leg looked very sharp. Each tip was sheathed in an armor-like layer of metal. It emitted metallic, mechanical noises every time it moved, and gleamed with a black, metallic lustre. Its overall design did not have any corners, being spherical in shape. Unlike a real crab, it did not have any pincers; so leg count aside, it looked more like a spider.
一只脚有两个关节，脚的前端相当尖锐。前面被装甲般厚重的金属板包覆，每动一次，就会发出嗡咿喀锵、喀锵、喀锵的机器声，全身散发出黑色的金属光泽。整体而言，并无任何棱角，而是呈现圆形。不同于真正的螃蟹，没有蟹螫的部分，如果不论脚的数量，整体外形仿佛蜘蛛。

It was roughly the size of Cerna Mouse, and it might have been heavier. In any case, it could be summed up in a single word: “big”.
大小与切尔娜•米奇相同，重量也许超过她也不一定。总而言之就是一个字「大」。

With Pfle on her back, Shadowgale climbed up one of the legs and opened a hatch on the crab’s body. Then she literally kicked Pfle inside, closed the hatch, and then climbed down.
背着普芙蕾的暗影叶尔爬上脚的部分，打开位于螃蟹躯体部位的盖子，如字面上的意思般，将普芙蕾踢进去，关上盖子之后，爬了下去。

“Now then, let us begin.”
「那么，开始决斗吧。」

Her voice must have gone through an amplifier, being loud but 100% Pfle’s. Cerna Mouse was sirprised, but answered the challenge without fear, and the duel began.
声音想必是透过扩音器处理过，音量虽大但百分之百来自于普芙蕾不会错。切尔娜米奇虽然感到吃惊，却毫不畏惧地迎上去，决斗开始了。

***

Cerna Mouse was in a bad position, and she was having trouble. If this kept up, she would have no chance of victory. In all frankness, Detec Bell was hoping that Cerna would lose. Detec Bell had taken the initiative in asking for everyone to work together, but in the end her party had refused to cooperate. One could say it was a bait and switch of sorts. If they lost here, it might wipe away the annoyance in the other parties’ hearts, which ought to make them more tractable.
切尔娜米奇处于劣势，她陷入困境之中。再这样下去，绝对无胜算。老实说，站在滴答贝儿的立场，她希望切尔娜吃下败仗。率先提出希望大家合作的是滴答贝儿，结果自己的队伍却不肯合作，也可以说是变相的挂羊头卖狗肉。如果她就这样输掉的话，也能消除其他队伍心中的不满，想必会更愿意配合吧。

The crab’s eyes flared again, and something exploded. Cerna Mouse was blown away, her body trembling uncontrollably.
螃蟹眼珠再度发光，有东西爆炸了。切尔娜米奇被打飞，身体正颤抖不已。

She shuddered nonstop, like she had contracted malaria. Her body was bent low, and her arms were crossed in front of herself. It looked like she was protecting herself from further attacks. She did not look like she wanted to continue fighting, and it was a heart-rending sight.
她仿佛感染虐疾般，全身不住地颤抖，身体蹲得低低的，双手在面前交叉。看起来是在防御自己遭到攻撃。不想继续挨打的模样，令人看了心疼。

“Tell her to stop. Cerna’s already lost.”
「叫她住手吧，切尔娜已经输了。」

Detec Bell looked toward Melville, but Melville simply watched the battlefield without any concern on her face.
滴答贝儿望向梅尔维儿，却看到她一脸事不关己地面向战场。

“If things go on like this, the worst-case scenario is that Cerna might die. While the opposition said that they didn’t want us to kill each other, there might be an accident which results in her death.”
「放任事情继续发展下去的话，最糟的情形便是切尔娜会被杀死。虽然对方曾经说过不会自相残杀，但是搞不好会一时失手错杀呀。」

“Cover your ears.”
「捣住耳朵！」

Cerna Mouse spread her legs wide and stomped the ground, lifting up her waist at the same time and bending her elbows to spread her arms. After opening her mouth wide enough to take up a third of her face, she worked her throat.
切尔娜•米奇将双脚张得大大地踩住地面，同时抬起腰部，弯着手肘，将手臂延展开来。嘴巴张开到占整张脸三分之一的大小后，震动喉咙。

She roared. The heavy-looking tank wavered on its feet, then raised its head and hooked its claws into the ground to bear up against the shockwave. The nearby buildings shattered, throwing up roiling clouds of dust.
她发出咆哮。看起来沉甸甸的战车一个不稳脚步摇晃，仰着头向后弯，将爪子勾进地面，承受这波冲击。附近的大楼断裂破碎，扬起滚滚砂尘。

Detec Bell had only managed to cover her ears a split second before Cerna Mouse had roared. Her mouth was open as she fell to the ground. Everything nearby shook from the mighty sound. After Cerna roared, she looked even more worked up. This was something that had never happened before. Cerna brought her arms in front of her, then leaned forward and rammed the ten-legged tank.
滴答贝儿是在切尔娜•米奇咆哮前一秒，才捣住耳朵、张口嘴巴，趴向地面。周遭的一切因为巨响而震动不已。只见切尔娜在咆哮后，变得激动无比。这是之前从来没有发生过的现象。切尔娜•米奇双手摆在前面，以前倾的姿势，一头撞向十脚战车。

Detec Bell rubbed her eyes, sensing something was wrong. Cerna should have stopped, but she looked like she was getting closer and closer to herself.
滴答贝儿揉了揉眼睛，事情似乎不太对劲。应该已经停下脚步的切尔娜米奇，看起来似乎有越来越靠近自己的趋势。

The crab’s eyes glowed again, and the beams struck home once more. However, the explosions seemed smaller than just now. All they did was create a smudge on Cerna Mouse’s already blackened outfit, and it could not shake Cerna Moise.
螃蟹眼睛发光，光波又命中目标。然而，规模明显比刚才的爆炸小。仅仅在已经被熏成黑碳的切尔娜•米奇的布偶装上，制造出一个有如小小黑渍的爆炸，根本无法撼动切尔娜•米奇。

It was then that Detec Bell realised that Cerna Mouse had not come closer to her, and that the explosions had not shrunk. Rather, Cerna Mouse was growing larger and larger. Now she was two times the size of the crab… two and a half times… three times… and still growing. A black orb, roughly two meters across, launched out from the crab’s body, flying far to the rear where it landed and rolled across the ground. Before Detec Bell could guess what it was, Cerna took half a step forward and closed the gap, trampling the crab’s body flat.
滴答贝儿这时才察觉，切尔娜•米奇并不是越来越靠近她，爆炸规模也没有变小，而是切尔娜米奇越来越大。现在的她已经是螃蟹的两倍……两倍半……三倍……还在持续变大中。从螃蟹的躯体部位发射出直径两公尺左右的黑色球体，朝远处后方射去，着地，叩隆叩隆地滚远。在滴答贝儿来不及猜想那是什么东西之前，切尔娜米奇只跨出半步即拉近距离，将螃蟹的躯体踩得稀巴烂。

All Detec Bell could do was look to the heavens and sigh.
滴答贝儿只能仰天长叹。

☆Pechika

She had been tricked. Dying in the game meant dying in real life. However, she could not escape. All she could do was continue playing. There was nothing else she could do.
被骗了。在游戏内死亡的话，在现实也会死亡。但是，已经逃不掉了。她只能继续游戏，除此之外，没有其他可以做的事情。

After the City Area was the Underground Area. They came to a small room after passing through the gate, and after opening a hatch on the ground and going into it, an underground world spread before their eyes. However, it was not a man-made labyrinth, but a natural system of caves, riddled with holes like the proverbial Swiss cheese. Everything was damp and slippery, including the ground. Pechika slipped after lifting her right foot, colliding and knocking down Nonako--who was trying to catch her--and the heavy hit to her waist hurt so much she almost cried.
都市区域的下一个区域是地底区域。穿过门之后来到小房间，打开地板上的盖子进入其中，一片地底世界尽收眼底。但不是人工的地底迷宫世界，而是钟乳洞般的天然洞窟。包括地板的一切都又湿又滑，蓓蒂卡抬起右脚后滑了一下，与原本要扶住她的那子双双滑倒，腰部遭到大力撞击，令她痛到快流出泪来。

That said, it was called a cave system, but it was not cramped in the slightest. Instead, it was quite big. The ceiling was four times as tall as Pechika, and all the tunnels were largely the same size despite minor variations in width and length.
虽说是洞窟，里面却一点也不狭窄，反而相当宽敞。天花板甚至是蓓蒂卡四倍之高，还有深度与路宽虽然每条通道有些微差异，但都有一定的规模。

However, the caves were very cold and damp. Living here was most definitely not easy.
不过，洞窟这种地方真的很寒冷，而且又潮湿。在这里生活绝对不轻松。

***

The great clash between Pfle and Cerna Mouse had ended in Cerna Mouse’s victory. Pfle had only survived because she activated an escape system. Without it, she would surely have died. Pechika had only seen half the battle before being too scared to watch on, and she had only learned about how it ended from Miyokata Nonako and Rionetta’s explanations.
普芙蕾与切尔娜•米奇两大怪兽的世纪大对决，在切尔娜米奇获胜的状况下结束了。普芙蕾因为启动了逃生装置才得以留下一条性命，如果没有那个装置，最后的结果就是死亡。蓓蒂卡只观战到一半就害怕得看不下去，因此是在御世方那子与莉欧妮塔的说明下，才了解事情的始末。

Pechika felt that Pfle had done very well. Any other Magical Girl besides Pfle would not have dared bare their fangs at Cerna Mouse. They would have fled after a single kick. Gathering the parts was very tiring, but nobody reproached Pfle. Everyone told her “you did well”, “thanks for your hard work” and other forms of thanks, then dispersed. While they could not check the selfish actions of Detick Bell’s party, they had at least managed to get a little bit of payback.
蓓蒂卡认为普芙蕾做得很棒。如果是普芙蕾以外的魔法少女，根本不敢对切尔娜米奇张牙舞爪的，光是被她踢一脚就落荒而逃了吧。虽然搜集零件很辛苦，不过并没有人责备普芙蕾。大家告诉她，你做得很好、辛苦你了之类的慰劳话语后，就解散了。虽然没办法制止滴答贝儿队伍的自私行为，但至少报了一箭之仇。

The next day, the Underground Area had been unlocked, because Pfle had broken the code needed to clear the event. Pfle had had the time to clear the event while preparing for the battle with Cerna Mouse. At this point, nobody thanked her again.
翌日，地底区域被开放了，因为普芙蕾解读了开放都市区域的任务暗号。普芙蕾一边淮备与切尔娜•米奇的对战，还能一边应付开放任务。到了这个时候，再也没有人对她说出慰劳的话了。

***

The exploration team of Pechika and Nonako decided to travel with the combat team.
蓓蒂卡与那子的探索小组，决定与战斗小组共同行动。

It was not that the exploration team was useless. While they had not cleared any area unlock events, they had still managed to clear events, for which they had received items and Candies.
并不是探索小组毫无作用。虽然她们未曾达成任何一次开放任务，但也曾达成一般事件，得到道具与糖果。

By combat power alone, scattering their fighting ability would be very hard on them. The enemies in the Underground Area were very strong; Rionetta and Clantail aside, Nonako would have a hard time fighting if she had to cart around the handicap which was Pechika. While the weapons in the City Area were quite good, powering up with weapons alone was not very effectrive.
单纯以战力而言，分散战力也使得她们撑得很辛苦。地底区域的敌人很强大，姑且不论莉欧妮塔与古兰迪儿小队的状况，带着蓓蒂卡这个拖油瓶的那子如果要战斗，会感到些许吃力。虽然在都市区域购买的武器相当坚固好用，但光凭武器增强并没有太大的功用。

Rionetta had come up with that idea. In order to clear the game, all the players ought to work together.
这个想法是莉欧妮塔提出的。为了达到破关目的，全体玩家应该要团结一致。

Of course, some players refused to cooperate. Even so, their own team ought to be more united.
然而，却有一部分的玩家拒绝合作，既然如此，至少自己的团队要有强大的向心力才行。

As Rionetta delivered her spiel in a hot-blooded tone, Clantail nodded in approval. Then she swiftly approached Pechika and whispered into her ear:
莉欧妮塔热血沸腾地如此述说，古兰迪儿听了也赞同地点头，接着只见她迅速靠近蓓蒂卡，在她耳边低声说：

“Don’t worry, Pechika. I will take good care of you.”
「别担心，蓓蒂卡你就由我来保护吧。」

Miyokata Nonako, on the other hand, looked suspiciously at Rionetta.
御世方那子则是一脸狐疑地看着莉欧妮塔。

“Why are you sticking so close to her~?”
「你干么黏〜着她？」

“That’s none of your business.”
「与你无关。」

“Pechika is a fellow member of the exploration team with me. In other words, we’re sworn sisters~!”
「蓓蒂卡跟我是同一个探索小组的组员，也就是说我们情同姊〜妹！」

“What kind of foreign logic is that?!”
「这是哪一国的歪理呀？！」

The two of them still did not get along, and they would argue at the drop of a hat. Everyone was panicking because they knew that they might die at any time; they clearly did not wish to participate in this game, but they had no choice but to keep going on. Naturally, people would be agitated. Even so, Pechika felt that the current situation was better than before, because her reason for existence had been acknowledged by someone else. During their three mealtimes a day, Pechika finally became the star of the show. Even outside those times, the others respected Pechika, the main character of their meals. Rionetta would cup her cheeks with an expression of delight on her face with every bite she took, while Miyokata Nonako would sing an endless stream of English-laced praise. After seeing how happy they were, Pechika could not help but feel more motivated herself. They progressed through the underground and came to a huge, open dome-shaped cavern. There, they found a Dragon. That said, it was only two meters long and had a wingspan of only four meters. Compared to the dragons appearing in fantasy stories, the one before them was smaller than what they imagined. Still, it was by no means an easy opponent.
两人还是一样感情不和睦，动不动就吵起来。大家因得知自己有可能会死掉而焦虑不堪，明明不想进行这种游戏，却只能做这件事，导致人心浮动。即使如此，薛蒂卡认为现在的状况比之前好，也许是因为自己存在的意义受到别人的肯定。一天三次的用餐时间，蓓蒂卡终于能成为主角。即使不是用餐时间，其他人还是会尊重用餐时间的主角蓓蒂卡。莉欧妮塔每吃一口就会露出好吃到捧着脸颊的动作，御世方那子则是掺杂着英文赞不绝口。看到她们两人这么开心，蓓蒂卡也产生了干劲。在地底通道前进，来到了形成巨蛋状的开放空间。出现了龙。虽说是龙，不过只是身体长两公尺，翅膀长四公尺左右的尺寸。请想象一下奇幻故事里面会出现的龙，眼前的龙明显比想象中的龙还小只。话虽如此，但它绝对不会是理想的战斗对手。

Clantail fired translucent silk from her butt, tangling the Dragon’s wings. It literally squawked like some strange bird, and in its efforts to escape, the Dragon wildly dragged Clantail around. She used her eight spider legs to grab the rock, locking herself in place so as not to let it get away. As they pitted their strength against each other, Rionetta jumped in with expert timing, extended her right arm, swung her claws, and tore the Dragon’s neck apart along with the sturdy scales sheathing it. The green scales clattered to the ground, followed by a majestic-looking fountain of blood.
古兰迪儿从屁股发射半透明的丝，缠住龙的翅膀。如字面上的意思般，它发出宛如怪鸟的吼叫声，想要挣脱的龙不受控制地拖着古兰迪儿。她用蜘蛛的八只脚抓住岩石，稳稳站住不让它逃脱。在两股力量抗衡相抵，彼此动弹不得时，莉欧妮塔看淮时机跳出，伸长右手臂，挥舞钩爪，将坚硬的鳞片随着龙的脖子一起撕裂。青色的鳞片哗啦哗啦地掉落，紧接着便喷出壮观的鲜红血液。

Ever since they had begun fighting in the Underground Area, Clantail’s lower body had been in the shape of a giant spider. The yellow and black bands suggested it was toxic, while the rustle of its legs, its giant abdomen and the fur which covered it prickled Pechika’s sense of fear. Just going near it made Pechika want to give up without a fight. Her deer or pony form was much cuter, Pechika mused. However, in the slippery underground, the spider form was much handier compared to a hooved animal.
自从开始在地底区域战斗以来，古兰迪儿的下半身大多是变化成巨大的蜘株。黄黑相间的纹路看起来似乎带着毒性，喀沙喀沙窜动的脚、巨大的肚子，身上的毛发竖起的恐怖感，光是接近她似乎就会产生不战而败的念头。平常的鹿或是小马明明可爱多了，蓓蒂卡暗自这么想。不过，在容易打滑的地底，比起有蹄的动物，蜘蛛似乎方便许多。

A Dragon fell from the sky, crashing to the ground with a great impact. The two of them finished off the fallen Dragon, and then they changed their gear. After that, they turned to the Dragon Miyokata was restraining, and this time the three of them took care of it together. They fought the last Dragon in mid-air with a Dragon of their own, but after the three Magical Girls added their attacks, the balance of power collapsed, and it was defeated in short order.
龙从空中落下，在地面上撞出巨响后趴倒在地。两人给予坠落的龙致命一击，然后变更装备。接下来，转而面对御世方那子牵制住的另一只龙，这次由三人一起收拾掉它。最后一只龙则由她们派出去的龙进行空中作战，但在三位魔法少女加入攻击之后，原本实力相当的局面瞬间失衡，没多久便被打倒了。

Pechika had not fought, so she was an exception, but the others were not unhurt. Pechika used the Recovery Medicines clogging up her inventoru to heal their wounds, and the most heavily hurt was Nonako’s Dragon pet.
没有参与战斗的蓓蒂卡当然不用说，但其他成员并非毫发无伤。蓓蒂卡用塞满自己道具栏的恢复药水帮大家疗伤，其中身负重伤的，便是那子的龙使魔。

The Goblin which Nonako had doted on so much before had been fired after they had defeated the Dragon. Now, she had tied a ribbon around the Dragon’s body. After being released, the Goblin had made to flee right away, but it had instead been attacked from behind by the Dragon and had fallen over. When Nonako saw this...
原本那么疼爱的宠物小鬼，在她打倒龙之后马上被解除了职务。如今，她在龙的身上绑了个蝴蝶结。小鬼在被解除职务后，立刻作势逃跑，结果从背后遭到龙的攻击，倒了下去。而那子看到这个情况……

“Oh! Strong! Powerful! Cute!”
「喔！Strong！Powerful！Cute！」

...She was overjoyed. She did not seem saddened by the fact that it had been the Goblin she had doted on until that moment. Was this how they did things on the American continent? Pechika was not too sure herself.
则是欣喜无比。似乎完全不怜悯直到前一刻还那么疼爱的小鬼。这就是美洲大陆的行事作风吧？蓓蒂卡也不太清楚。

They worked hard to find traces of the Dragons, but after they found a good spot, they were chased away by Cerna Mouse. After leaving that place, they went to look for more Dragons, and after beating the Dragons, they found Candies and rare items, which they used to buy Recovery Medicines and other items. The Underground Area also sold Protective Charms. The red ones had the effect of improving their resistance to fire-elemental enemies and so on. Therefore, when dealing with Dragon types, the proper use of these Charms was very important.
她们努力地找寻龙的踪迹，找到不错的地点之后，就会被切尔娜米奇赶走，离开那里之后再去找龙，打倒龙之后，搜集糖果与稀奇道具，再以搜集而来的糖果购买恢复药水与其他道具。地底区域还有贩售护身符，红色的护身符拥有能增强面对炎属性敌人的抵抗效果等。因此针对龙的种类，使用护身符的小技巧也是必要的。

They gave up on exploration. If the four of them had to work together, then it would be more effective to hunt than to explore. Besides, the other teams would unlock areas, so they could leave that task to them. Nobody said it out loud, but they probably thought it. At least, Pechika did.
她们放弃探索了。如果必须四个人共同行动的话，狩猎比起全心全意致力于搜索还更有效率。反正别的队伍会开放区域，既然如此就交给别人吧。虽然大家都没说出口，但心里一定有种念头。至少蓓蒂卡是这么想。

They had to hand the important task of clearing the game to someone else, and they did not have the heart to band together and fight back against the people monopolizing the best hunting grounds, but it beat sitting back and doing nothing. Therefore, they searched for Candies with a negative mindset.
将游戏破关的重大使命交给别人、也无心共同抵抗占据极佳狩猎场的人，但总比什么都不做好。于是，她抱持着如此消极的心态搜集糖果。

Pechika was the best spokesperson for illustrating the difference between “better than doing nothing” and “doing nothing at all”. All she could do was essentially serve as an item mule, but nobody complained. In fact, rather than having people complain about her, she was treated with respect. Everyone looked forward to their meals, and the mood lightened considerably whenever it was time to eat. They had obtained eating utensils through [R], which meant that their menus had improved considerably, and so everyone ate happily and said it was delicious.
如果要把「总比什么都不做好」的「什么都不做」分门别类的话，蓓蒂卡就是最佳代言人。她只能以道具搬运员的身分活跃，不过没有人口出怨言。别说是怨言，她还备受礼遇。大家都对三餐充满期待，每每接近吃饭的时间，气氛就会变得明朗许多。她们透过「R」得到了餐具，因此料理的丰富性也大增，大家都开心地直说好吃、好吃。

--This is good. Just let things carry on like this, without any other accidents. This is good… This...
——这样就好了。继续维持下去，别再发生任何意外就好了。这样就好了……这样……

It was at this time that her Magical Phone’s text message alert went off. The time for the forced movement before logging out had come.
就在这个时候，魔法终端设备的简讯铃声响起，告知登出前的强制移动时间已然到来。

☆Nokko-chan

After three days, the Magical Girls were once more gathered in the Wilderness Town. The mood in the plaza was very bad. After Pfle had lost to Cerna Mouse, Detick Bell’s party had arrogantly flaunted their victory… well, they had not. Detick Bell stood apart from her party. Perhaps cracks had started to appear in their relationship.
经过三天之后，魔法少女们再度被聚集在荒野的城镇上。广场上的气氛相当差。普芙蕾败在切尔娜米奇手下，滴答贝儿的队伍正气焰嚣张地大肆歌颂着她们的胜利……并没有这么一回事。只有滴答贝儿独自站在距离队伍梢远处，也许是与队友的相处出现了嫌隙。

Pfle did not have her wheelchair. Apparently, the ten-legged tank had been made from modifying Pfle’s wheelchair. If that were destroyed, it implied that she had lost her wheelchair. However, she seemed to be in good spirits. Shadowgale carried her on her back, and the two of them were chattering away to each other. Pfle had been the one to unlock the Underground Area, and the capable, practiced way in which she had managed to prepare a weapon like that while unlocking an area at the same time was a little frightening.
普芙蕾没了轮椅。听说十脚战车是由普芙蕾的轮椅改造的，那个被摧毁的话，即意味着她失去轮椅吧。不过，她看起来精神很好。暗影叶尔背着她，两人正交头接耳地说着话。开放地底区域的也是普芙蕾，居然能一边淮备那种兵器一边开放区域，两者并行，如此精明干练的个性，实在令人感到恐惧。

As for Clantail’s party… Miyokata Nonako and Rionetta were arguing. She could not make out what they were saying, but given they way they seemed on the verge of blows, it was not hard to imagine that they were saying very unpleasant things to each other. Clantail and Pechika, on the other hand, completely ignored their dispute, as though nothing were happening.
而古兰迪儿的队伍嘛……御世方那子与莉欧妮塔正在吵架。虽然听不清楚内容，但是从她们都快打起来的模样看起来，便不难想象两人似乎都骂得相当难听。古兰迪儿与蓓蒂卡则是仿佛什么事情都没有发生般，完全无视两人的争吵。

@Nyannyan seemed to have regained a bit of vitality after the last time. While they still had not sighted Genopsycho, the fact that she might still be alive seemed to be enough. Even though the eyewitness report from Detick Bell’s part was vague and unclear, it seemed to be the last straw that kept her going. “Yumenoshima Genopsycho must have problems of her own,” @Nyannyan had said, and unlike how she had been sighing and moping in the past, she seemed to be in high spirits.
@娘娘从上次之后，似乎多少恢复了一些活力。虽然还是没见到杰若疯子，但人似乎还活着，光是知道这一点就够了。即使从滴答贝儿的队伍得到的梦之岛杰若疯子目击情报，充满着不确定性且暧昧不清，但象征着支撑她的最后一根稻草的重大意义。「梦之岛杰若疯子一定是有什么苦衷儿」如此解释的@娘娘，不同于之前哀伤叹气度日的模样，如今显得神采奕奕。

The monsters of the Underground Area were very strong, and even though Nokko-chan had the appropriate Protective Charms and a Mop +5 equipped, she still had a hard time fighting them. However, with @Nyannyan’s summoning and her overwhelming technique, they had managed to bring their two-person team this far.
地底区域的怪物很强，即使小原原持有变更攻击属性的护身符与拖把+5的装备，仍然陷入苦战。不过，有@娘娘透过召唤术与体术以压倒性的技巧打败怪物，她们才能勉强地以两个人的队伍架构走到这一步。

Just then, Nokko-chan thought of something. Two and two. If they joined up with Pfle’s party and formed a new party… at that point, she could not help but think of Genopsycho, and so she dismissed that notion. Genopsycho was still alive. She was not here, but she could not think of her as dead. Remove her from the party roster? Impossible. @Nyannyan was so obsessed about Genopsycho that she would never agree to that.
就在此时，小原原脑海中浮现一件事。两个人与两个人。如果她们与普芙蕾的队伍联手，重组为一个队伍的话……想到这里，她不禁想起杰若疯子，于是打消了这个念头。杰若疯子还活着。虽然不在这里，但也不能将她视为死亡。把她从队伍名单中删除？不可能。对杰若疯子那么执着的@娘娘，绝对不可能答应这件事。

There was a Magical Phone in the plaza’s fountain pool, screen side up. She did not know who it belonged to. She was used to it--though she did not want to be.
广场中央的喷水池里，摆着一具萤幕朝上、不知道持有者是谁的魔法终端设备。她已经习以为常了——虽然她并不希望习以为常。

After a while, the Magical Phone powered on, and the three-dimensional projection appeared in mid-air.
等了一阵子后打开终端设备的电源，立体影像倏地浮现。

“Thank you all for gathering here ~pon.”
「感谢各位在此聚集蹦。」

Fal, who had suffered a torrent of abuse the last time round, floated serenely in the air, as though it had all been a dream. Neither did anybody want to scold it any more. Doing so would not be constructive, or positive, or accomplish anything at all. However, the most important reason seemed to be that nobody had the strength to rebuke it.
上次被骂得狗血淋头的法尔，以一副那仿佛只是一场梦般的态度，一如往常丝毫不带感情地飘浮着。也没有人想要出声责骂它了。这么做一点建设性都没有，也称不上是正面积极，更无法解决任何事情。不过，总觉得最重要的因素，是大家已经没有力气去骂它了。

“Today is the logout day ~pon. You will all log out together at sunset, and after three real-world days of maintenance, you will log in again, just like before~pon.”
「今天就是各位一起登出的日子蹦。将会在日落的同时一起登出，经过现实世界三天的系统维护期后，便会再次登入，与之前的情形一样蹦。」

Fal spun neatly around, and golden sparkles scattered to the ground.
法尔俐落地纵向翻转，金色的鳞粉飞散开来。

“There will be a random logout event like last time. The event this time is…”
「这次也跟上次登出时一样，会发生特别的随机事件蹦。这次的事件是……」

Fal trailed off halfway. Everyone held their breath, waiting for it to continue, but Fal remained still and silent. Pfle had won an overwhelming victory the last time round. What would happen now?
法尔只说到一半。大家屏息以待后续，然而法尔却一言不发地动也不动。上次的事件中，普芙蕾获得了压倒性的胜利，不晓得这次会发生何种事件呢？

Fal’s image suddenly shrank, expanded, and filled with digital noise. Fal had no expression, but surprisingly enough, it looked to be in a great deal of pain.
法尔的影像突然缩小、扩大，产生杂讯，变得相当混乱。法尔面无表情，但不可思议地它看起来相当痛苦。

“...Please verify the amount of Magical Candy you have in your Magical Phones ~pon.”
「……请各位确认一下魔法终端设备里面的魔法糖果数量蹦。」

Nokko-chan checked her Magical Phone. She had 2651 Candies. Since they were a two-girl team, the candies were split among fewer people, but their fighting efficiency was inferior to the other four-girl teams. While all they had bought were Recovery Medicines, Monster Manuals, the changeable Protection Charms to protect against elemental attacks, Travel Permits, their respective weapons, teleporters and the minimum basic items, compared to the other parties, it still was not enough.
小原原动手确认起魔法终端设备。糖果的总数为两千六百五十一颗。因为是两人小队，所以平分的人数也少，但打怪效率想必也输给四人队伍吧。虽然只有购买恢复药水、怪物图鉴、变更攻击属性的护身符、通行证、各自的武器、空间传送器与最低限度的道具，但与其他队伍比较起来，还是不多吧。

“In 15 minutes from now, the player with the fewest Candies will die ~pon.”
「从现在开始十五分钟后，持有最少糖果的那一位玩家，将会死亡蹦。」

The plaza fell silent. After several seconds, agitated cries and curses filled the air.
广场陷入一阵死寂。经过数秒之后，激动的怒吼声、咒骂声交错飞来。

Miyokata Nonako and Rionetta started arguing again.
御世方那子与莉欧妮塔又吵起来了。

“I told you! I told you buying [R] was a waste!”
「所以嘛！我就说用来买『R』很浪费！」

“And who was the one shovelling food into her mouth and going ‘so tasty, so tasty’ hmm~?”
「大口大口吃着饭，还一直嚷嚷着好好吃的人又是谁〜呀？」

Their party members did not seem inclined to stop this, and the other parties did not even bat an eye at their antics as they surrounded Fal. However, Fal simply repeated the same thing.
队伍成员似乎也无心阻止，而其他队伍则无暇制止，激动地一味围剿着法尔。但法尔只是不断重复同样的话。

“Things being as they are, it cannot be changed ~pon. Everyone, please understand ~pon. I will repeat myself ~pon. In 15 minutes from now, the player with the fewest Candies will die ~pon.”

Nokko-chan was thinking. If Candies could be shared, then they could also be taken. In other words, they would be seizing them from each other. That was why the 15 minutes were given. This would surely be more than enough time for the strong to steal the Candies of the weak.
「事到如今已经无法变更蹦。请各位谅解蹦。我再重申一次蹦。十五分钟之后，持有最少糖果的一位玩家将会死亡蹦。持有最少糖果的一位玩家将会死亡蹦。」小原原在心里思考着。糖果有所谓的转让功能，也能反过来接受别人的糖果。换句话说，就是能互相争夺。所以才会设定十五分钟的时间。这个时间用来让强者抢夺弱者的糖果，想必是绰绰有馀吧。

She looked around. The arguing people included, everyone was talking within their parties. If they were going to steal Candies, they would probably prefer to strike at people from other teams. In that case, Nokko-chan’s team, who had a disadvantage in numbers, would be in trouble.
环视周遭。包括互骂的人在内，基本上都是在队伍内对话。如果要抢夺糖果的话，应该会找别队的人下手吧。这么一来，人数处于劣势的小原原她们的立场就不妙了。

She could not help but shiver, and dismissed that notion from her head. It was not that she was optimistic enough to think it could not happen, or that she did not want to face reality, but because she did not want to spread her shivering to others.
她不禁打起寒颤，急忙打消这种念头。她并没有乐观到认为这种事情不可能发生，不愿意面对现实，而是为了不让自己打寒颤的心情散播出去。

Surely someone else must have noticed the intention to have everyone fight among themselves. She felt that she ought to make a move before anyone else noticed. Pfle’s party was also a two-girl team, but Pfle had lost her weapon, and she was being carried by Shadowgale.
想必也有别人察觉出鼓励大家互相争夺的用意了吧。她认为应该在别人尚未察觉之前行动。普芙蕾的队伍也是两个人，而且普芙蕾还失去了武器，由暗影叶尔背着。

As she turned to look at Pfle’s team, she saw that Pfle was looking Fal eye-to-eye.
她将视线投向普芙蕾的队伍时，发现普芙蕾正与法尔面对面相视。

“Fal.”
「法尔。」

Despite the clamor around her, Pfle’s voice carried clearly through the air. Even Nokko-chan, who was standing some distance away, could clearly hear what Pfle was asking.
即使在如此喧嚣的环境中，普芙蕾的声音仍然听得相当清楚。连稍远处外的小原原都能听到普芙蕾问了什么问题。

“What do you mean by, ‘ the player with the least Candies will die?’ What if there are multiple players like that? Will it be a random selection? Or will those players all die?”
「持有最少糖果的一位玩家将会死亡，是什么意思呢？如果是复数的话会如何？随机抽出一个人吗？还是复数的玩家都会一起死亡？」

Fal paused for a few seconds, and then said:
法尔停顿了几秒，接着说：

“If more than one player has the least candies, then none of them will be picked ~pon. The event will end with zero deaths ~pon.”
「如果持有最少糖果的玩家人数为复数的话，任何人都不会被选上蹦。事件就会以死亡人数为零的状况落幕蹦。」

Pfle smiled wickedly as she heard it say those words.
普芙蕾听到这句话后，睑上浮现坏心眼的笑容。

“I sense that this relieved you, did it not?”
「我察觉到这件事，让你松了一口气吗？」

Fal ignored Pfle, but simply repeated itself.
法尔完全无视普芙蕾，只是一再地广播~

“Allow me to repeat myself. If more than one player has the least candies, then none of them will be picked ~pon. The event will end with zero deaths ~pon.”
「再重复一次。如果持有最少糖果的玩家人数为复数的话，任何人都不会被选上蹦。事件就会以死亡人数为零的状况落幕蹦。」

A wave of discussion broke out in the plaza.
广场上爆出一阵阵热烈讨论的声浪：

“In other words, all we need to do is make everyone’s Candies equal for a short time, then?”
「换句话说，只要暂时让大家的糖果数量一致就行了呗？」

“Eh, Cerna doesn’t want to lose Candies--”
「咦，切尔娜才不想要减少糖果——」

“After the event is over, we’ll return them to their original amount. That ought to be okay, right?”
「等到事件结束之后，再恢复成原来的数量就行了吧。应该允许这种做法吧？」

“Of course ~pon. After the event is over, the amount of Candies will have no further meaning ~pon.”
「当然蹦。等到事件结束之后，所持的糖果数量多寡就没有其他的意义蹦。」

“Wouldn’t it be better to reduce everyone to zero?”
「大家都归零会不会比较容易？」

“You mean by buying stuff until we’re out? Or throwing them all away? I won’t agree to either of those.”
「买东西买到归零吗？还是将魔法糖果全部丢掉？无论是哪一种我都不答应。」

“Why not just dump the Candies into someone’s Magical Phone?”
「只要把魔法糖果全部聚集到某个人的魔法终端设备里去就行了吧？」

“And vat if zat someone steals zem all? There’s novhere we kan safely stash ze Kandies!”
「被那家伙八走的话咧？这里呒郎阮放心将糖果沟吼伊！」

“Melly said, ‘it would be bad if someone else took the Candies and snuck away, and there’s nobody here who’s good-hearted enough that everyone could trust them with the Candies’ ~su. What if we moved the Candies out of the Magical Phones? Would that work ~su?”
「小梅尔是说『如果那个人带着这些糖果潜逃的话会很伤脑筋耶，在场的全员之中，并没有人的立场公正到大家能放心将糖果暂放在她那里』的意思。如果把糖果移出终端设备的话，会如何呢？」

“Ah, but the Candies are essentially just a pile of data ~pon. You cannot move them out of the Magical Phones, so please be aware of that ~pon.”
「唉，魔法糖果毕竟只不过是一堆数字蹦。因此，无法移出魔法终端设备外，请各位注意蹦。」

“In that case, all we need to do is divide them evenly and then distribute the Candies among ourselves, right?”
「既然如此，只要算出大家的平均值，再根据数字分配糖果就行得通了吧？」

“Let’s do that. Everyone, please state the amount of Candies you have. No more or less--please be honest. Also, don’t forget to check your companions’ Magical Phones.”
「就这么办吧。请大家申报糖果的数量。不能多也不能少，请诚实地申报正确的数量。还有，也别忘了要先确认一下身旁伙伴的终端设备。」

For some reason, that last line, “check your companions’ Magical Phones” sounded a little mean-spirited. Even so, the fact that there would not need to be a life-or-death melee was a relief.
总觉得最后补充的那一句「先确认一下身旁伙伴的终端设备」，话语中明显带着恶意。即使如此，不用互相争得你死我活的，令人松了一口气。

The sounds of cursing, shouting and wailing had all vanished, and everyone moved in silence. They did not need Nokko-chan to encourage that emotion in them, because Magical Girls were eminently practical beings. That had not changed, even if everyone used fantastic Magic and they were trapped in a game to kill each other. At any time, any place, no matter what kind of Magical Girl they were, as long as there was a straightforward path to follow, they would all work together and move in that direction.
痛骂、怒吼与哀叹的声音都消失了，大家默默地动了起来。关于这一点，并不需要小原原煽动情绪，因为魔法少女是很实际的实用主义者。即使众人使用着奇幻的魔法，被迫在游戏中自相残杀也不会改变。无论何时何地、无论是哪位魔法少女，只要有正面的手段，大家就会齐心协力朝那个方向迈进。

After everyone reported the amount of Candies, Pfle mentally calculated an even distribution, and in the end there were three left over. Therefore, it was decided that Pfle would have one extra. Besides, the only thing that mattered was the result, and multiple people were allowed to have the fewest Candies.
大家申报糖果的数量后，由普芙蕾以心算计算出平均值，结果多了三颗，于是决定由普芙蕾一个多拿。反正，只要最后呈现的结果，持有最低糖果的人数为复数即可。

Surprisingly enough, @Nyannyan and Nokko-chan had more Candies than the average amount. Unlike the parties fighting for hunting spots, they did not hunt monsters aggressively, and they did not use Candies for anything other than buying [R]s. In that case, perhaps the Candies had been used for unlock events or somewhere else.
令人意外的，是@娘娘与小原原的糖果比平均值还多。她们两个与争夺狩猎场的其他队伍不同，不会积极狩猎怪物，而且糖果除了用来买「R」之外并无其他用途。这么一来，搞不好事件任务或是其他的状况也会用得到糖果。

@Nyannyan also handed over Genopsycho’s Magical Phone. Genopsycho’s Magical Phone still contained her Candies from when they had completed the unlock event, and it had increased after they defeated monsters, so it had quite a few Candies as of now. Nokko-chan helped her work Genopsycho’s Magical Phone, making the appropriate adjustments with the other Magical Girls.
@娘娘也将杰若疯子的终端设备拿了出来。杰若疯子的终端设备里的糖果数量，仍然维持在达成开放任务时的数量，并在她们打倒怪物后持续增加，如今拥有的糖果也不少。小原原也帮忙她操作杰若疯子的终端设备，与其他魔法少女的数量做加减。

The plaza was filled with the sound of people working their Magical Phones. The Magical Girls gathered around the fountain pool, exchanging Candies as they kept an eye out on potentially suspicious people. Before long, they had evenly distributed the number of Candies, and everyone was lowest besides Pfle. There were still three minutes before the deadline Fal mentioned, so Pfle rechecked everyone’s Magical Phones from Shadowgale’s back. After making sure that she had not missed anything out, she raised her thumb and said:
广场上只有充斥着操作魔法终端设备的声音。魔法少女们围绕着喷水池围成一圈，一边互相交易糖果，一边监视着周遭是否有行迹可疑的人。过不了多久，大家平均分摊了糖果的数量，除了普芙蕾以外大家都是最低值。距离法尔所说的截止时间，还有三分钟半。被暗影叶尔背着的普芙蕾，重新巡视一遍众人的魔法终端设备，确认没有任何遗漏之后，竖起大拇指说了一声：

“OK!”
「OK了！」

The sound of people working on Magical Phones faded away, and someone started talking to their nearby friend. Although Pfle nagged them to “keep checking your companions’ Magical Phones!” the mood in the air had clearly lightened. Nokko-chan looked to @Nyannyan beside her, and their eyes met.
魔法终端设备的操作音消失，有人开始与隔壁的伙伴闲聊起来。虽然普芙蕾叮咛「要一直确认身旁伙伴的终端设备！」即使如此，气氛仍然显得相当和缓。小原原拾头望向隔壁的@娘娘，她们网目相对。

“This is wonderful ~aru!”
「太好儿了呢！」

“Mm, yes, it is.”
「恩，太好了。」

Everyone’s Magical Phones beeped at once. Time was up. Fal announced:
大家的终端设备同时发出哔的讯号音。时间到了。法尔宣布：

“And the person with the fewest Candies is… eh?”
「糖果持有数量最少的人是……咦？」

A Magical Phone hit the ground and bounced. The phone’s owner fell face-first shortly after. The way she fell was strangely slow; her sleeves fluttered, her hair flowed, and in the moment she collapsed, they could see sunflower seeds scattering in all directions.
喀沙一声，魔法终端设备撞向地面后弹起。机器的主人紧接在后，仰头倒了下去。倒下去的方式莫名地缓慢，只见她的袖子飞舞、头发流泻，在她倒下的瞬间，还能清楚地看见向日葵种子四散的情景。

The Magical Phone hit its owner’s body and fell, landing quietly beside her face. The light of the Magical Phone illuminated the side of her face. Her expression was one of confusion, of not realising what had just happened.
魔法终端设备撞上持有者的身体落地，静静地躺在她的脸旁。魔法终端设备的光映照着她的侧脸，那是尚未了解到底发生了什么事情的迷惘神情。

“The person with the fewest Candies is… Cerna Mouse… ~pon.”
「最少的人是……切尔娜米奇……蹦。」
Gamemaster’s Side 04

“I can’t take it any more ~pon. Someone died ~pon. I don’t want to keep going on ~pon.”
「我再也受不了蹦。有人死掉了蹦。我不想再继续下去蹦。」

Fal’s voice grew more and more strained.
法尔的声音越来越紧绷……

“Why is that? Don’t you think what comes next is the main event?”
「为什么？你不觉得接下来才是重头戏吗？」

However, the girl’s voice grew calmer and more relaxed. Her right hand left her glasses, and with a snap of her fingers she changed the image displayed on the screens.
然而，少女的声音却变得更加悠哉从容。少女的右手离开眼镜，啪嚓一声弹了弹手指，切换萤幕画面。

The countless monitors which covered the floor, walls and ceiling of the room showed the images of Magical Girls.
覆盖住房间地板、墙壁、天花板的无数萤幕，映着魔法少女们的身影。

Cerna Mouse, who had fallen down. Akane, who had been squashed by a building. Masked Wonder, collapsed with a rock nearby. Magical Daisy, a large hole punched in her body..
倒下的切尔娜米奇；被大楼压烂的茜；头部遭到重击、倒卧处躺着石头的玛丝克德汪达；身体被开了一个大洞的魔女黛西。

The monitors all displayed the pitiful corpses of the Magical GIrls who had died, putting the faces of the deaths next to each other.
大萤幕与小萤幕上都映照着魔法少女死状妻惨的尸体，将她们的死状排列在一起。

Fal’s round red and black eyes looked at the monitors, and then downwards. Its projection-body shuddered uncontrollably, its body filling with static.
法尔以那双圆滚滚的红与黑的眼睛，瞪向萤幕，然后垂下视线，立体影像的身体不住颤动，产生杂讯。

“That’s… enough… please stop… killing people…”
「已经……够了吧……别再杀……任何人……」

It was not just its image, but its voice which was laced with harsh noise. Its voice turned shrill, then bass, all in a chaotic fashion. The girl laughed.
不只是影像，就连声音也掺杂了刺耳的杂讯。它的声音一下子变得尖锐、一下子变得低沉，相当混乱。少女笑了。

“Haven’t you been paying attention? When have I killed anyone? Magical Daisy died from an accident, and the others ended up killing each other. I simply set the stage, and whether they chose to embrace or exterminate each other was all in the hands of those Children.”
「你怎么说不听啊。我什么时候杀人了？魔女黛西是死于不幸的意外，后来的人明明就是自己自相残杀起来的吧。我只是淮备舞台而已，在那里相亲相爱或是争得你死我活，全操之在那些孩子的手上。」

The noise vanished from Fal’s body, and it fixed its downcast eyes at the girl.
法尔身体上的杂讯消失了，它将垂下的双眼投向少女。

“You’re being too hypocritical ~pon! The one who made them want to kill each other and set up a place where they could do so was you, the gamemaster ~pon!”
「太虚伪了蹦！煽动她们自相残杀，创造出让她们自相残杀的场地的人，明明就是大使蹦！」

“That’s because this game is meant to test their abilities in this field. Even in these circumstances, shouldn’t real Magical Girls be able to not harm each other, band together and work hard to flee?”
「因为这个游戏就是在测试这方面的能力呀。即使面临这种状况，也能够不伤害彼此，团结一致努力逃脱，才是真正的魔法少女该有的姿态吧？」

“But Magical Daisy… how could putting enemies that could reflect ranged attacks at that stage be anything but malicious? It wasn’t an accident at all ~pon!”
「但是魔女黛西她……在那个阶段放置能够反弹飞射型道具的敌人，怎么可能不是心存恶意蹦！那才不是意外事故蹦！」

“You’ve gotten it wrong, Fal. It was simply that Magical Daisy was too dumb~”
「那是法尔你想歪了。纯粹只是魔女黛西不够聪明而已——」

Fal’s body suddenly flattened, distorted, extended, then shrank, like a ball which had fallen to the ground, and its artificial voice sounded very miserable. The girl ignored Fal’s suffering, and a wicked smile spread across her face.
法尔的身体突然一下扁平、一下扭曲、一下伸长、一下缩小，仿佛掉落地面的球般，人工的声音也发出似乎很苦闷的声音。少女完全无视于法尔的痛苦，脸上浮现不怀好意的笑容。

“...I just sent a message to the Land of Magic  ~pon. I’ve told them everything about what happened here and who made them kill each other  ~pon.”
「……我刚才传送简讯给『魔法王国』了蹦。现在这里发生了什么事情，以及是谁让她们自相残杀，全部都一五一十的报告了蹦。」

As she heard Fal, the girl simply replied, “Ahh~ really now?” Her face still bore that wicked smile.
听到法尔的话，少女也只是回应「啊啊〜是吗？」脸上仍然带着不怀好意的笑容。