It would be easy to say it was just a continuity error but going back and double-checking every chapter the author has been 100% consistent in having it be diamond = past Hane and spade = present Hane. So while i'm about 80% sure this whole chapter is set in the past I just really can't figure this one part out.

This is a great observation! I don't actually have a satisfying answer for this. The only thing that came up is that maybe diamond / spade represents power levels at the time. If we take the chapter at it's words in regards to their big fight resulting in Floral Knights being much weaker (assuming this isn't Junna's dream sequence) then it could be that diamond!Hane is her initial starter or stage 1 form. Spade!Hane is her full power or evolved form. Think like Super Saiyan -> Super Saiyan 2 kind of deal. (I think there is a magical girl equivalent) Again, I am just spit-balling here if it isn't a continuity error.

Edit: Great, now I went back and reread the entire series just to get a look of the visual difference between Spade!Hane and Diamond!Hane. Another thing I want to add is that Junna's magical girl? form in the previous chapter (Chapter 25) also displays diamonds. (again, it could mean anything lol)

Edit 2: Ignore the part about Junna having diamonds meaning anything because it's more so a reference to her evil general form which also incorporate diamonds.

@Itsy Bitsy Spooder

Thanks for the compliment! I am happy you found it helpful.

last edited at Oct 12, 2026 3:40PM

As mentioned by rudtud at the end of the chapter (and a note in the pixiv upload) this entirely takes place in the past from Junna's perspective this time. The assumption here is that it basically happen right after Junna was defeated. We get the scene of her recovery and then sometime after that, Floria Knights gets wrecked by this cur as a result of the fight with Junna taking such a toll on them.

I did want Junna's past to be explored but I guess it became a monkey's paw especially since the series kinda runs on dropping bombshells.

I do like the callback to chapter 5. As for the first love line, I'll give the author the benefit of the doubt in the sense that Hane isn't exactly confessing persay. There is something to be said about properly confessing vs implying someone was/is their first love they want to protect after just wanting to be regular friends earlier, it's hard to explain so you can crucify me for it.

The pain point the cur uses is that if Junna loses to Floral Knights, then with her being so "weak", then the Floral Knights aren't such a big deal. Junna's pride on both her loss to Hane and her love for Hane seems to fuel what would become the Junna we see in the present last chapter. One who helps the Floral Knights as the anti-hero halfway magical girl seeking to get a rematch with Hane someday.

The whole concubine line is just cringe that will probably get the cur killed next chapter (implied with the strawberry charm being the starting point for Junna to recover her powers) but he also mentions that the lord of evil group is looking for a new body after the previous was destroyed, with Hane being a potential canididate which I guess there is that potential setup for later.

I'll let my soul be stained in black if that's what it takes

last edited at Oct 12, 2026 1:45PM

RenMerry in our year of 2026~

I'll never forget the pair that eventually lead me down the path of yuri.

Oh okay, I guess they are in the roommate territory (the whole "more than friends, less than lovers") but it seems clear they are basically dating in any sense except actually saying they are. Haru is a bit too pure while Asahi has the comedy filter so even though they do L.S. alot, they still haven't quite crossed the dating line.

Also nice! We got a side-couple with Shigaccho and Yan-chan~

last edited at Oct 11, 2026 11:28PM

Library assistants + already girlfriends + perverts for each other.

What a combo.

Asahi response to "I do L.S. everyday" with "'Course you do!" made me laugh upon rereading after initially being confused about their relationship.

last edited at Oct 9, 2026 12:28PM

It is a shame it's ending at Chapter 15. It feels like there is alot more to explore with Hayami and Ayumu as if the author struck gold but was unable to move it out.

I am not too privy with Yasaka Syu's previous work aside from hearing about the controversial ending, so a part of me feels a little relief that it's ending before it could trip but man, Hayami and Ayumu have so much charm together that I really want one more cycle of date -> drama/angst/introspection -> romance sort of deal before it's over.

Kinda sweet the Insomnia series ended with Natsuno falling asleep right besides Hotaru.

Well, I am glad they will be together in the future.

Somebody gotta make a character/lore diagram cuz im stupid & lost

The diagram in Page 6 of Chapter 22 spells out the core mystery and relationship dynamic. We have only just learned a little bit about the other Floral Knights magical girls and their desires, and very little on Junna's former workplace of Barren Hollow's Demon Maze beyond their attempts in recapturing Junna through monsters of the week with their goons.

Hane essentially "frees" Junna from the shackles of being an evil general by killing her, allowing her live her life without carrying any of that burden all the time. We might be getting a story where the thing goes full-cricle, with Junna killing Hane in the same way she was killed. It might also be commentary on the ultimately predatory nature of being a magical girl, and the whole system itself being corrupt. Junna is freed through death from the shackles of her evil organization, but that isnt the only system shackling people, the magical girl deal itself is similar in its burden, or that kind of theme at least.

I really like this theory. It could also be possible given the context that OEk said that there is something that Junna wishes more than just being the only one to kill Hane in a lover-suicide. It could also go double if Junna ends up being the older magical girl so she would also know what being the magical girl entails assuming she recovers her memory.

I didn't get to mention it but I also like the theories that Junna is driven by self-esteem issues in being Hane's lover which is why she lead off with breaking the ice on Hane's possible misunderstanding.

The core dramantic irony is how Junna is going to get that duel too (or if she will at all) since it's very clear that Hane would rather die or fight the world instead than to hurt Junna ever again. Maybe that's why she immediately tries to seperate herself from the older magical girl (regardless if they are the same person) because then Hane would feel like she got duped and be willing to fight her (highly unlikey to work though, Hane's love for her is too strong, perhaps monstrous so).

「The Only One Allowed to Defeat You」trope in full effect but now with a touch of Yandere love (the excuse so that she can keep helping Hane).

I do find the green underling's comment interesting because given though I am sure Junna was offended by the whole "hate them so much" because she loves Hane so much she wants to kill her by herself, she could inadvertently be sowing discord through Hane's overwhelming love for her.

Like, not random random. You could take the previous chapters and say that this situation doesn't contradict anything that was done before. But it also doesn't feel like a natural follow-up to the story.

On one hand, I don't disagree because the story up until the last few chapters seems a bit more light-handed like we swerve from cutesy yet dramantic romantic pining to full-on psychological yandere. If there is one thing is that I feel if we were a little more privy to Junna's side before the leadup, I think it could have been more natural especially when everything has been all on Hane's side (understandable, she is the more popular one?). It does feel like the author is taking the dive to keep up the shock and swerve.

But on the other hand, well it is already addressed but because it doesn't contradict the previous chapters, I think it's mostly fine. It seems kinda clear the author is writing this on their feet so certain aspects have likely changed as they kept going. I think it's going alright so far. Even the swerve kinda works because it's a hard turn from Hane to Junna's perspective.

I am pretty excited to see what is next. Obviously, I think both Junna and Hane will try to pretend that everything is fine but it seems things will get awkward pretty soon.

I agree, Natsuno. Hotaru is very cute.

lmao, Marth!Hane.

"Man, I'm jealous they seem to be in love and getting along" Meanwhile, Hane is having the worst time.

"Things have gotten complicated recently." You can definitely say that.

Sou is suffering from heartbreak!?! Wait...with who? Junna? Hane? Someone else? Hmm, Lemon is the oldest of the group and seems to be searching for someone. The obvious guess would be the same older magical girl atm but it really could be anyone. Anyway, I am definitely okay with the Sou x Lemon route though~

last edited at Sep 21, 2026 7:07PM

I mean Juuna is kinda correct though...Hane still thinks her and the magical girl are the same person and even if Juuna has clearly fallen for Hane she also has had to deal with being totally aware of this fact which resulted in this response. Now this isn't exactly going to be good for Hane who is already consumed by guilt on multiple fronts and this probably just added another layer to that but still

I agree with this. Even if Junna ends up being the older magical girl who is brainwashed, she is also a different person at this point. Hane should at least know that despite the fact that she is going to be shattered by it.

We have been seeing things from Hane's perspectives for the last few chapters so it's real nice to see that Junna was very much keeping tabs on Hane. Like Hane is alot more mature from a year later, but she is still (at her core) the obvious yet strongest magical girl. I do believe that Junna could have easily known from Hane's lovestruck yet guilt-ridden behavior and a little bit of background check.

Now, as we've seen Junna can get quite jealous and possessive about Hane (any day now we'll need the Yandere tag). If she's right about the magical girl being someone else, could she be trying to break Hane's spirit, just to make sure she's her One and Only?

Kinda agree here too. I think Junna's intention is basically this in twofold. She does absolutely want to break the magical girl but her response to Hane's love is genuine (if twisted with the first intention).

What an awesome chapter and subversion of the firework tropes. Like I really thought from last chapter, we were going by the books but I really like that we just get the big bombshell even after the biggest fireworks would have drowned out Hane's confession. Instead, the distraction came from the magical girl side where some monster ended up causing a ruckus which gave Hane an out to avoid confronting what Junna said.

I really hope the next few chapters switches to Junna's perspective to explain how she got the infomation, her perspective from being saved by Hane, and how she sees Hane in comparison. I get the feeling (established by Chapter 0 and 1) that Junna's view of Hane is placed on a high pedestal (strongest magical girl) that she wants to build to the highest point before tearing it down.

last edited at Sep 14, 2026 7:59PM

What if Junna killed the purple magical girl? Wouldn't that be fucked up? (Wearing my Sickos shirt)

That's fucked up. (I love it)

This is so sweet.

anyways, i don’t know if this was already discussed since i don’t feel like going through the whole comment section for this manga, and i might just have missed it but what does junna keep meaning by “i’ll defeat you one day”? she’s not the evil general anymore, nor does she seem to be trying to go against the magical girls. so what is she trying to defeat her in?? fucking uno??

The most literal reading atm is wounded pride mixed with a confusion of love/respect ((The Only One Allowed to Defeat You trope)). Even though Junna was saved by Hane, there is a part of her that ultimately resents the fact that she lost to the magical girl. If RandomFanZ's theory is correct that Junna was one of the strongest within the Barren Hollow evil group (likely confirmed given that they kept trying to kidnap her back), then that goes double to her pride. To be beaten by the strongest (dumb) magical girl only to be saved by her. Junna is grateful to be alive but likely as a rival with alot of pride in her power, she is also insulted somewhere deep within. That gets mixed with her love and respect for Hane which morphs into The Only One Allowed to Defeat You trope.

The trope itself also leads to alot of excuses for Junna to justify helping Hane during Hane's moment of weakness (something shown in Chapter 1 and her protectiveness against jerks and creeps). Only SHE can beat Hane. Only SHE knows Hane. Hane belongs to her! and of course, potential drama is she does make good on that desire once she regain her powers.

((just a little clarification, the trope itself may not be as serious as I made it out. It is possible the "i'll defeat you one day" is simply the excuse for Junna to help Hane to avoid thinking deeply about why she wants to stick by Hane's side and eventually it gets dropped once she realized her feelings but I love a good angst drama))

I had speculated other reasons a while back but that was under the assumption that Junna would end up knowing about Hane's guilt.

last edited at Sep 12, 2026 1:24AM

Thanks Raru Buran for giving us a chart on their relationship as well as confirming a whole bunch lmao. ((Junna still wants that rematch established in Chapter 1 huh.))

That being said, I am interested in the possibility that Junna isn't the magical girl especially when there is also subtle hints from the last chapter (Chapter 21) that she could have been the younger sister (or clone?) of the older magical girl. It would make Hane's despair even worse lol. (I'm sorry).

I could also see the potential that Junna was also inspired by the older magical girl if they end up not being the same person or related. Like young Junna was captured/or a young demon officer in training, the older magical girl came to save her or to fight an evil general in Barren Hollow, didn't succeed, either died, dropped the charm while running away, or managed to give them to Junna. Junna was absolutely enamoured by her and copied her hairstyle while keeping the charm as a keepsake but she obviously didn't know her and eventually she just forgets her (or brainwashed afterwards).

In either case, Junna eventually becomes an evil general whether she is the older magical girl who disappeared and got brainwashed or she is a different person (brainwashed or otherwise) entirely to just happen to resemble the older magical girl while having the charm somehow.

I would tell Hane to go for it...but this is the summer festival after all. An infamous time to confess especially when involving those...fireworks. Yeah, she's cooked regardless if Junna doesn't end up getting whisked away in the crowd by the hooded figure last chapter.

Hane's appeal really lies in the gap where she is the typical innocent (dumb) main magical girl on one side vs lovestruck locked-in guilt-ridden magical girl who grew too fast in a year. ((Please don't abuse your fellow strongest magical girl's most precious/trauma response? to have her lock-in. /j ))

last edited at Sep 11, 2026 8:17PM

I really like Ruka's new hairstyle. Very mature and also differentiate her from Ren.

Still sad it ended. I kinda wanted more hijinks and maybe Sunna getting a little bit more development but it is what it is. It did seems like it ended with most of what it wanted to tell.

Are there any jp vtubers that talk about 3 kingdoms

I assume that if there is a prominent one, they might already be featured by Koei and such. But as far as I am aware, not yet? Or at least if there might be someone, that person is very unknown and probably not on Youtube.

Nijisanji JPN has collabed with Koei to put their Vtubers as bonus officers though so maybe Kuzuha, Sister Claire, and Debidebi Debiru might have some knowledge on three kingdoms.

But like direct deep dive podcast style or even a novel reading with a vtuber? Still an untapped market. The only prominent JPN history channel I come across present them with Yukkuri Reimu/Marisa UTAU text to speech, and that branches out to other Chinese/East Asian/Europeon history too.

I assume China might have one?

Anyway, go off Shirataki~ You are probably going to lose the Romance of the Love Triangle to Gerry though. :(

Did not expect this crossover. Shino just destroyed that Bacteria.

Junna ponders on big sister huh? Still too little to tell but you can probably make alot of guesses. It might also just be a red herring and is more-so pointing towards Junna's desire for a proper connection/friend/family that she doesn't get in Barren Hollow's Demon Maze compared to the now with Hane.

I did wonder if the title had become an artifact at this point. Perhaps the original concept was going to have alot more moments similar to Chapter 0 and Chapter 1 where Hane would cause Junna to swoon but it seems quite clear that Hane is the main draw of the series with her fast growth/change of demeanor contrast within one year being the appeal. Coupled with the author wanting to try having the two protagonist occasionally switch on who is the dominant one, and thus we have a string of Hane tripping herself over for Junna while she is none the wiser. I guess to be fair, it has been 21 chapters in snippets and given that we will have an antagonist coming up (likely a former coworker in Barren Hollow's Demon Maze), there is many opportunities to return back with Junna crushing more obviously on Hane.

I do have one outlandish theory if maybe it would end up being reversed. That given how Hane is willing to bear the sins for Junna, that she could end up becoming the evil general while Junna might rediscover herself being a magical girl before, and thus it's another cycle...but yeah, it's falls apart if you think even a little bit about it.

Nice supportive elderly couple. Hane has been called out twice now. Their yukatas are very pretty.

Meanwhile, Sou had to resist the temptation to go full Amakusa Shino. Nice call on lowering the mike there, Yunna.

Daw, good friends/wingmates for Hane's festival date/and protecting Junna from her former coworkers from trying to bring her back to Barren Hollow's Demon Maze. It's nice to know that they know Junna is a former evil general and support Hane's efforts in helping/getting together with Junna.

It is kind of amusing to see Junna be the dense one. It's not new of course, usually her archetype tends to be the one who wants to go with just the two of them since she may not get along with the dense heroine's friends/rivals/etc. The teasing by Tenkai and Hisuigura was effective in getting Hane to be honest.

Make sure your legs are healed before you get down to it~ (unless you and your partners are okay with it)

Huh, I thought they were dating already. Reading all the chapters back there were some where they were just friends, but others where there was an implication of dating, but I guess it was ambiguous.

Yeah, Junna refers to them planning to go to the cafe together as a date but it seems like they haven't actually confessed yet which I guess is why the title refers to crushes even if I agree with the person a while back that Hane is the one who crushes harder although I do think it's more about Junna slowly coming to terms with her feeling for Hane while Hane is already all-in but held back by her guilt.

Also, Junna as the top moment~

last edited at Aug 18, 2026 2:42AM