Kamiyā Yuu had been working at an intense pace for an entire week.
During those seven days, he had only managed to get six hours of sleep on three occasions to recover his energy. To avoid resting at night, he had even resorted to various tricks to keep Kamiyā Sora from finding out.
In the end, Episode Seventeen of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' was delivered to the television station just barely before the broadcast deadline.
The moment he personally handed over Episode Seventeen, Kamiyā Yuu felt the burden in his heart suddenly lift.
All the pressure weighing on both his body and mind vanished without a trace.
At that moment, he truly wanted to shout at the top of his lungs and vent the excitement filling him.
The first thing he did after returning to the company was drag Busujima Murasaki out to the rooftop of the office building for a kendo match.
Naturally, both of them were wearing proper protective gear, so it would not put excessive strain on their bodies.
Exercise was the best outlet for stress.
Smack!
Smack! Smack!
Smack!
Sharp, crisp sounds of bamboo clashing echoed across the rooftop.
Each sound signified Kamiyā Yuu's bamboo sword striking heavily against Busujima Murasaki's armor.
Crack!
The high-quality shinai could no longer withstand the tremendous force Kamiyā Yuu exerted and snapped apart.
The remaining half in his hand instantly burst apart as its bindings gave way.
Busujima Murasaki, clad in full protective gear, was knocked to the ground by a direct downward strike.
Lying there, she stared blankly at Kamiyā Yuu's tall figure and felt the heavy impact that had just struck her armor.
For the first time in a long while, her body experienced a strange flutter.
"Are you alright?"
After removing his headgear, Kamiyā Yuu helped Busujima Murasaki up with concern.
"Yuu, your kendo has improved again."
Busujima Murasaki removed her own protective gear as well.
Her waterfall-like dark purple hair cascaded down.
Because of the intense match, beads of sweat covered her delicate cheeks.
After setting down her helmet, she habitually moved behind Kamiyā Yuu and helped him remove his armor.
Kamiyā Yuu let out a long breath.
His entire body felt refreshed, though he still wasn't completely satisfied.
After Busujima Murasaki helped remove his gear, he tossed the broken shinai aside and sat down heavily on the rooftop floor.
"Haa... haa... Rather than improving, it's more like my body is getting used to it again. I've recovered a bit of the feeling I used to have when practicing kendo."
By "used to," he meant the training he had undergone within the consciousness space.
For more than a month now, Kamiyā Yuu had often spent his lunch breaks practicing kendo with Busujima Murasaki on the rooftop.
The sensation of striking with a shinai and hearing the crisp bamboo impact was a uniquely satisfying experience.
"How about we rest for a bit?"
Having endured Kamiyā Yuu's relentless assault just now, even someone professionally trained like Busujima Murasaki felt considerable fatigue.
She reached behind herself and removed her armor.
The white business shirt beneath showed visible traces of perspiration.
Dampened by sweat, the shirt clung closely to her skin.
The slightly translucent fabric only made it more striking.
The rooftop floor had already been covered with a large, clean mat.
Both of them had removed their shoes before sparring on it.
After composing herself, Busujima Murasaki sat formally on her knees in front of Kamiyā Yuu.
She picked up a bento box from the side and opened it.
Inside was an abundant Japanese-style lunch, accompanied by barley tea kept warm in a thermos.
"Please enjoy."
Busujima Murasaki gracefully prepared a plate and tea for him before sitting quietly nearby, watching him with a gentle gaze.
Although Kamiyā Yuu had already eaten his own homemade lunch, he did not want to waste her kindness.
He picked up a piece of rolled omelet with his chopsticks and took a bite.
Japanese omelets tended to be sweet.
Soft and flavorful without being overwhelming.
After one bite, it was hard to stop.
Fortunately, he knew Busujima Murasaki prepared lunch for him every day, so the portions of his own lunches were intentionally small.
That way, he could leave room to enjoy this completely different kind of delicious food.
"The taste is as irresistible as ever."
Kamiyā Yuu picked up another cold side dish.
Combined with the warm barley tea, everything tasted endlessly enjoyable.
Busujima Murasaki smiled softly.
"Being praised by Yuu is the greatest recognition I could receive as a woman."
The way she spoke placed her own position very low.
In truth, the so-called traditional Yamato Nadeshiko ideals were often like this.
Put bluntly, it was little different from learning how to devote oneself to serving a man—and taking pride in doing so.
After eating and drinking his fill, Kamiyā Yuu lay down with his head resting on Busujima Murasaki's lap while enjoying a massage from her delicate hands.
Her massage techniques came from the same tradition as Miss Reiko's and were remarkably effective at helping someone relax.
Using a traditional Japanese ear pick she had prepared beforehand, Busujima Murasaki carefully cleaned his ears.
After finishing, she lowered her head and gently blew a warm breath near his ear.
A pleasant numbness spread through Kamiyā Yuu's body and mind.
He no longer wanted to move at all.
"You've worked hard these past days, Yuu."
Busujima Murasaki gently rubbed his ear.
Her voice was so gentle that it resembled that of a devoted wife.
She was probably the first person to realize that Kamiyā Yuu had fallen into a creative bottleneck and become increasingly irritable.
Compared to Kamiyā Sora's clumsy concern, Busujima Murasaki's care was meticulous and reassuring.
Burying his face against her lap, Kamiyā Yuu inhaled the orchid-like fragrance around him.
At some point, their relationship had gradually reached this level.
Even Kamiyā Yuu himself could not say when it happened.
Under Busujima Murasaki's relentless gentleness during these lunch breaks, it was hard to imagine any man remaining completely unaffected.
Kamiyā Yuu enjoyed the ambiguity between them, yet he had never taken the final step forward.
"Murasaki, I'm the one who should be saying that."
Kamiyā Yuu replied softly.
As he turned his head, Busujima Murasaki's lips met his in a gentle kiss.
...
That night, Kamiyā Yuu stayed awake.
He waited for 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' to air during the late-night television slot and for its simultaneous online release.
Completing the special scene in Episode Seventeen had given him the same joy and sense of accomplishment he had felt when he finished the very first 'RWBY' character trailer, 'Red — Crescent Rose.'
He could not wait to see the audience's reaction to Episode Seventeen.
Ever since Sakura Kyōko's introduction, 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' has devoted extensive attention to developing her character.
The approach was similar to how Fate had been handled in 'Magical Girl Nanoha.'
The story was shown through her perspective, with memories woven into the narrative to flesh out her character.
At the same time, her story became increasingly intertwined with Sayaka Miki's, creating a powerful resonance between them.
Everything before Episode Seventeen had been intensely oppressive yet captivating.
Through Sakura Kyōko's past and Sayaka Miki's gradual descent toward becoming a witch, the series redefined the meaning of magical girls.
It revealed the cruel truth that magical girls were little more than disposable batteries.
And as a result, QB became even more detestable.
Recently, Sayaka Miki's storyline had left countless viewers unable to think about anything else.
Tragedy, after all, was the act of tearing apart beautiful things for people to see.
At this stage, Sayaka Miki embodied that concept perfectly.
The wish she had made to QB became increasingly heartbreaking when contrasted with Sakura Kyōko's experiences.
If the massacre in Episode Seven had not been painful enough, then the changes within the pure-hearted Sayaka Miki truly brought viewers to despair.
One could sacrifice everything in pursuit of happiness—
Only to discover that the result might not be a happy ending at all.