*
"Hey... Why did you only spare me at that time... Or rather, why did you kill Myuu and Paridia?" (Kaede)
A solemn atmosphere spreads. The nonexistent air is heavy, but this was coming no matter what. One of us has to die... Why? Why don't we fight the Demon King together?
"You guys... Were so insignificant at that time. Wonderful magical girls who have reached A grade and potential to grow more, but not people who could bear being gods." (Zedicia)
Are there things she cannot do, even with the data in Akasha's library? What was she trying to accomplish here?
"Bear being god... What does it entail?" (Kaede)
For now, I should hear her out, but... It wouldn't stop bothering me.
"... I think this was her role. Hey, Kaori. Was I a good magical girl? I... Really tried my best.
To avenge Hitomi, I wanted as many people to die as possible, but in the end I built an underground empire that worked for the benefit of the people with the government. Of course, it being the underworld inevitably hurt many.
Even so, it was government regulated. So you can also chalk it up to Himei's incompetence. But that would just be me running away since I still ran the operation. People who got hurt cannot be unhurt. It's too late. " (Zedicia)
Unlike Hikari, Zedicia was the opposite. She could kill me at anytime, but she chose to give her life. In the end, Hikari was my failure. I couldn't finish her off. Despite ascending into an SS grade magical girl, I still cannot achieve my wish. Zedicia pleads, was she really going to die now? Even though I was the one killing her, it doesn't feel real. It doesn't feel right...
"You... Still want to be a good girl, don't you? Because after everything... You understand I can't hate a magical girl... Who merely tries their best. I can't even hate the world, only myself who cannot save anyone in time. You clearly sought some praise from me...
But that's why, I promise you. You foresaw The Great Disaster returning after the first one that wrecked modern civilisation, and even akasha, end world environment or charisma cannot defeat Hikari right? So you trained me up to fight better, placing your bet on me...
So for all your hard work so far. Thank you. Leave it to me. Definitely... I'll definitely save everyone, including you. After all, I am the saviour of saviours, the first ones I'll save... Will be you magical girls. "
I give her my last blessings, all the while choking back my own feelings. I must send her off properly...
"... Thank you... Go to De Lan, she's been waiting. She will bring you to Himei. Goodbye, say hi to Himei for me. Or is it goodbye? Hah... " (Zedicia)
...?!
I nearly let out a silly sound as I took in her words right before she vanished. Her likeness faded into nothingness instantly. It was especially quiet in this space now, pulpable and heavy, enough to crush my heart. In any case it's been a while since I've have time to breath. I wonder how it is outside... Most likely, there was no one left alive.
The Dragon god and pope saintess may engage in battle for eternity, but if there are only 4 people left in the world, what's the point? Hikari has the resolve to wipe out all of humanity. Maybe next time, I will not hesitate. In the first place, did I hesitate? Was that what lead to this? I don't remember anymore, the battle with Zedicia was too taxing.
I should move on, get De Lan to use her world travelling skill and bring me to Himei, then find out about what Zedicia meant. I walked towards De Lan.
"Did you know the whole time...?"
There was no need to communicate the subject. Because the answer would be the same for everything. Knowing Zedicia's plan, her regret, her tossing her job to De Lan and Himei...
"No. I just heard just as you did. Let's go. You want to save them all as fast you can, don't you?" (De Lan)
I walked into the border of her magic, still superimposing the tiles from Himei's throne over this space.
"Let's go."
"...[That which rule will see]." (De Lan)
After a bit of time passed, she activated her skill, likely to search for Himei. Himei's final skill was to make herself the sole observer of the universe under the standard of subjective idealism, in other words the universe is everything she perceives and only someone who could observe the entire universe at once could activate this skill. As such, if she simply doesn't see something, then it would stop existing.
This attack was reflected back at her, so that would erase her own existence as a state of 'nonexistence' is superimposed over her. But this can be circumvented if she is simply moved to another universe, for example, through De Lan's skill. But that was likely not what happened.
"This... Place... It's a really messed up way to say, but this must be why I was born. It's more accurate to say, this role has always existed, and I was coincidentally born into it." (De Lan)
"...? What's going on, nothing has changed... What do you mean it's your role? You keep saying that for a while now, but I don't understand what you mean... "
The world was still grey, we were in the same realm. Did her skill malfunction?
" Sorry. Looks like I can't head in any further. Coming here was already pushing it.
Anyway, Zedicia knew my role because our skills are similar, my final skill[Serration of all that is] cuts off a person's destiny, in other words they die. Or they become nonexistent. You'll meet Himei on the other side.
I'm... Just going to die without a destiny, but you can persist on as a god magical girl. For my first skill to activate and bring us to another world, I have to be included. So I'll do once we cross the boundary, it's all up to you now. " (De Lan)
"..."
" Hahah... You really are a good girl aren't you? We haven't met for long, but you're already making a face like a family member of yours is going to die. " (De Lan)
"... Of... Course... You've done nothing but help me so far... I can't... Thank you enough... Even with your sacrifice... I'm not sure I can save everyone... "
*SLAP!!!*
A vivid warmth spreads across my cheek from the impact as my tears drop subsequently, as if her slap destroyed my ear ducts. The tears come crashing down like uncontrollable little meteors, I could feel my nose heating up and getting clogged while hiccups began to arise in my chest.
"Heuk!..."
"That's not how you send off someone. Come on. You're Kaori aren't you? Didn't you promise Zedicia? Then simply do the same once more and you'll be alright." (De Lan)
She displays a gentle smile, like a mother mollifying her child. Is it fine? I'm basically less than a year old, so it's fine to wish for a mother or older sister figure right? She was there to help us hold off that enemy in the demon castle's hallway. She was there to bring me here. Because of her strictness, Barius didn't die to Zedicia and could protect me all the way up till now. I owe her a lot. I'm scared. I'm scared that I won't succeed and humanity loses.
"Mhmm...! I'll do it. You too, everyone will be returned from death. After all that is the only plan left after what has transpired. Let's go, and thank you. I'm leaving transport to you."
I put on a front for her sake, for my sake. I feel something warm, slightly scalding envelope my heart. It's burning. I don't know what it is, but it feels like something is coming. Soon, something will happen. For some reason god magical girls can survive having their destiny cut off. I'm guessing she'll use both skills simultaneously.
"Mhmm. [Serration of all that is]." (De Lan)
True to her word, I was teleported into a black space. There was absolutely nothing here. This was the sub dimension of nonexistence, like the trash bin where files on a computer go. Whatever is superimposed comes here and breaks down into nothing. But God magical girls being spiritual bodies with infinite magical particles can continue to survive here, maybe they could even return to the normal world after some time. Zedicia was defeated normally, so she no longer exists. This is not the world of the dead, just the underside of the world. In other words 'non-existence' magic does not work on god magical girls. It only sends them away for the foreseeable future, they remain alive.
A short distance away, Himei was there. Just by being here, her fate was severed as well then... That's it, the warm feeling is enveloping me further. What is this? It gets more intense the closer I get to Himei who has her back turned to me. It was a comfortable warmth that soothe me, but my mental fatigue was still present. I see. I can figure it now. This was a phenomenon similar to when Kaori first transformed huh. That means this is something important. I tapped on Himei's shoulder.
"Kaori, Zedicia is gone. What do we do now."
She spoke without turning around. It filled me with a slight sense of dread, but I chose to ignore it. It felt like I would lose something important if I turned her around, so I put up with my anxiety.
" Looks like severing your fate was the last condition. You finally reached the peak of your life. Yeah, we were sort of betting on it. The unlocking of your- my final skill." (Himei)
So was what the warm feeling was. But it's still just a warm feeling... The unlocking is only halfway...
"... It's time isn't it? To return to our rightful bodies. " (Kaede)
" I see... Maybe it's time. Is that the last condition? I guess our contract is null in this space, here grab my hand. This should do." (Himei/Kaori)
She turns around at long last, her skin was slightly reddish under her eyelids. Was she crying? Regardless, this was the promised moment. I grabbed her hand and a bright light consumed us.
When the light subsided, I was now in Himei's body. There was nothing dramatic like hundreds of years of memories flooding in. It was completely devoid of any sensations. It felt like slipping a battery into a tool. Like everything was back to normal... But... What has transpired thus far... I cannot forget it... It still feels vivid.
What appeared in front of me... Was Kaede in her base form... Ah, now it should be back to Kaori. Kaori had returned to her body, but she wasn't in the wedding dress any longer.
"I'm sorry, it must have been hard living as me. You're tired right? Leave it all to me now. The final skill has unlocked." (Kaori)
A deep purple flower made of light is conjured right below us, it was big enough to be an entire continent. It was also on the verge of blooming, which would make it far larger. It might have been the size of the moon.
" I'm sorry it isn't anything too flashy. In the end... I made you work so hard and you even helped me ascend into a God Magical girl. Truthfully it feels like I'm stealing all of your hardwork." (Kaori)
A smile blooms on my face before it did on the giant flower. The tension on my face and muscles get released, refreshing joy is plastered over my facial muscles.
" Heeheeh! Good! Feel complicated and conflicted! Feel extremely so and deliberate over it. But... It's fine. After all, everything I did... It was for you in the end."
What am I saying? It sounds like a confession, but I think it sounded good. Sure enough, a faint blush crept up her cheeks as the heat got to her face.
" Here come closer. We have to transform you back into a god magical girl, you have to get used to this additional transformation. It's like converting yourself into a character on a screen. But spiritual."
I hug her from the back. Ah... I haven't been in this body in what felt like forever, despite it actually being a relatively short time. Unlike Kaori's body, my chest was slightly more ample and got in the way... Whatever, the more skin contact the better. I need to help her gain the sensation of manipulating magical particles and spiritual conversion. Since she was in my body before and there is some muscle memory leftover, it should be no problem. Sure enough, a white aura exploded and her wedding dress burst forth as her default combat dress dissolved into her body.
"Now use your final skill. You should have a grasp of it now after all this time now, right? Your time as Kaede, we both remember it."
"Yeah. Thank you very much, Kaede. You did it. With this... You saved the world. Final skill. [Idealism of a magical maiden's transient heroism: panta rhei] " (Kaori)