Chapter 86 : The Successor

Whoosh

Silver-white light shot up into the sky from the huge lighthouse visible beyond the square.

“Wow! It’s beautiful!”

The silver-white light fired into the clear sky scattered at the edge of the sky, spreading here and there, large enough to be visible even from space. The tens of thousands of people gathered in the square could be felt marveling at the sight, like a giant silver net spread out on a blue canvas.

“Can we start right away?”

“Of course.”

After hearing the Divine Maiden’s answer as she sat with her eyes closed at the top of the lighthouse, using her power, I focused my consciousness on my avatar in the square.

“Wow, what is that?”

“It’s amazing.”

Today I too was wearing the same white dress as the other magical girls, so no one paid attention to me standing among the thousands of gathered magical girls. They just tilted their heads curiously at the three lights shining from the Glass Star hanging at my waist.

‘That’s right.’

There was no difference between them and me.

I am not special.

I am not a goddess.

I am just like them…

“Hikari-chan!”

“Hello, Hana-chan.”

Sato Hana, who spotted me and came running, had apparently befriended some of the born 1-star girls who were residents of the island, bringing them along in a rush. Sato Hana, who used to be shy, had now become someone who reaches out first to people who can’t get along with others, after helping many people as a magical girl.

“Did your parents come?”

“Yes! We’re all going camping together today!”

“That’s great.”

I patted Hana’s head once and moved forward.

“Leader!”

It was refreshing to see Ichika, who always wore shorts except for her sailor uniform, wearing a skirt. With her performance shown in the friendly match and her achievements in China, Ichika had now become a martial arts magical girl more famous than Yuki, respected by many people.

“What are you going to show now? Huh?”

“Hehe, just wait and see.”

Thump

Ichika just grinned and gave a fist bump without saying much.

“Hikari!”

“Yuki, your dress isn’t much different from your magical girl outfit.”

“Hehe, that’s true.”

“…You’re just as cute as in your magical girl outfit.”

“The dress suits you too, Hikari!”

“Let’s do our best together later.”

“Yeah!”

Yuki and I smiled at each other for a moment. Yuki had recovered from the shock of the truth revealed by the Divine Maiden. Not all the wounds deeply engraved in her heart had healed, but at least she didn’t lose her bright smile in front of me and cherished her daily life.

“Eunbit unnie!”

“Dorim. You’ve worked hard.”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Since hearing about the star’s wounds, Kang Dorim no longer cared much about President Yang, but President Yang seemed to be under strong pressure, going so far as to forcibly separate the Supernatural Ability Countermeasures Team, including Oh Sanghyuk, into an independent organization. Oh Sanghyuk, who had been subtly trying to be friendly during the earlier meeting, was smiling slyly from afar, taking pictures of Kang Dorim in her dress.

Unaware of this, Kang Dorim and I gave each other an energetic high-five.

Slap!

I moved forward like that, one step at a time.

Step by step.

“Leader! It’s disappointing that you haven’t been coming to the cafe often lately!”

“Sorry, Kyoko. I’ve been busy lately. Please continue to take care of Master.”

Step by step.

“Wow, [Beginning] you! You were hiding such beauty under your mask? Comparing to me, I’m just barely one step above! Hoho!”

“What are you saying? Don’t talk nonsense. You’ve done quite amazing things, [Beginning]?”

“Li Meilin, Li Na. You’ve worked hard.”

Step by step.

Sumire just smiled and bowed politely, holding the hem of her skirt.

I too bowed politely in return to Sumire, who never shied away from difficult tasks for the sake of magical girls, holding the hem of my skirt.

Step by step.

“This city really suits the name Elysion.”

“Laura. Thank you always.”

Step by step.

“…”

“…”

The crowd, who had been excited by the beautiful silver light adorning the sky and the beautiful scenery of the miracle city, was quietly watching each of my steps.

They were surprised to recognize the faces of celebrities greeting me.

They were astonished as they caught the meaning in the greetings given to me.

When I finally walked to the front of the fountain, they realized my identity.

“Nice to meet you. I am a girl named Shirogane Hikari, or Kang Eunbit, and…”

For the first time, I greeted them without my mask.

“The successor who leads magical girls with kind lies in a world full of chaos, inheriting the will of one who shared starlight with humanity.”

My heart felt like it would burst as I revealed everything about myself.

I will make sure they no longer mistake each other for enemies and hurt each other.

I will no longer distinguish between each other and pretend not to know.

“And I am the one who became the king of magical girls, who will someday be forgotten, and who created a nation of magical girls to fight against the demons that transcendent beings threatening humanity have neglected…”

“…”

“…”

“…an ordinary magical girl just like all of you.”

“Ordi…nary?”

I heard some girl murmur after hearing my words.

“Just as you are someone’s daughter and friend before being a magical girl, I too am a small human living hoping for the happiness of those I love.”

“Really… are you really human, [Beginning]?”

“I am a human who knows a little more about magical girls than others.”

“What do you mean by kind lies?”

I looked at the silver net that had now completely covered the sky.

I couldn’t accept [Revelation], a born 3-star, as my subordinate, but if I combined her inherited power to change the world with my power, there was something I could do.

“…”

The many people watching me.

People seeing Hikari who wants to save this world, not the magical girl of [Beginning].

I was no longer a magician putting on a show asking them to listen to me, but someone who could make them listen to my words. The small step of the shabby girl who first set foot in this world on a rainy summer night was now moving towards a path greater than the goddess’s will.

‘It’s time.’

I had gained a presence large enough to exist wholly by myself, like the silver net completely covering the sky.

I revealed to the crowd staring intently at me after my momentary silence.

“I have been running towards a certain goal while telling lies to you magical girls all this time.”

“L-lies?”

“The reason magical girls need to become stronger on their own and receive dreams from people is not just to exist as magical girls.”

Then what are magical girls for?

I could feel everyone watching this place asking me that question.

I ran all this way to become someone who could say these words.

“Humanity will face a great threat starting this June. If we don’t overcome it, we will perish.”

“W-wait a moment, then…”

“Demons filled with endless malice towards humanity, which can only be destroyed by starlight, will pour down from the sky, and we will be caught up in the curses of transcendent beings who can disrupt human fate with a single word.”

“…”

“Magical girls were born to prevent this.”

“…”

Looking at the crowd silent with bewilderment at such an absurd statement, I raised my finger to the sky.

“You don’t have to believe it right now.”

“What?”

“I will always be preparing near you.”

Whoosh!

The dazzling rainbow-colored light that climbed up my hand spread into the spatial net that the Divine Maiden had spread in the sky, filling in between the silver frames.

Familiar scenery began to appear among the starlight dazzlingly filling the sky until it was no longer visible.

“Oh?! Isn’t that Beijing? And Shanghai next to it!”

“Huh? Seoul? Busan?”

“Wow! There’s the Eiffel Tower too!!”

“Brussels?”

Kaleidoscope.

The power to change the world and the power to distort the world met, becoming a kaleidoscope reflecting the images of cities where humanity lives.

A miracle that could be created by gathering the three successors left by the goddess.

“The Statue of Liberty? New York?”

“Oh! There’s Taiwan too!”

“Cairo?! Was there a magical girl self-governing body in Egypt?”

“Moscow is there too!”

The screens in the kaleidoscope completely covering the island were divided into thousands and tens of thousands of parts, showing even places not belonging to magical girl society.

Cities of various colors.

Your world and my world.

The living grounds of human life.

The world.

The kaleidoscope endlessly changed above the miraculous paradise created by the girls, showing the appearance of the world where humanity lives. And as silver-white starlight shone, numerous stars rose above the cities in the screens.

“I will stay here in the nation of Elysion and protect humanity from the threat of destruction.”

I carefully put the silver conch shell hanging on my belt to my lips and blew.

―――!

Rumble rumble

“Huh?! Is it really moving?!”

“It’s… gradually rising into the sky!”

“This is really amazing!”

The island, which started moving with a slight tremor, moved more quietly than expected. Some reporters, as previously instructed, got on silver gliders to film the rising island.

“We can go anywhere if you request help when attacked by demons.”

Although there was no intense confusion because everyone had been informed in advance that the nation of Elysion was a movable island, the sight of the island slowly rising from the sea visible below the huge kaleidoscope was overwhelming.

“Until that time comes, Elysion will be a playground, training ground, and treasure house for all magical girls.”

By the time the island, which had risen high enough to see Chiba Prefecture’s coast far below, stopped moving.

“It will be an observatory monitoring demons, an ark evacuating people, and a meeting place always open for everyone to gather their strength.”

Everyone turned their eyes from the sea to look at me.

“Elysion does not belong to any country, but will rush to help if any country requests assistance.”

I spoke with the brightest smile I could show them.

“…Just like magical girls.”

Swish

An elderly gentleman watching everything from afar raised his hand, trembling slightly, and asked me a question.

“W-who on earth gave you such power? A-are you perhaps an apostle of God?”

“…”

The goddess of [Beginning].

She was omnipotent enough to be called a goddess, but she didn’t want to be treated like one.

The daughter of the world always played alongside the humanity she loved.

“We became magical girls due to the sacrifice of the first… magical girl.”

I decided to remember her as a magical girl, not a goddess.

“I am the one who inherits the will of the first magical girl who loved people in the distant past and showed them miracles.”

I too will save this world as an ordinary person, not as the goddess’s successor.

“…”

After finishing all my words, I carefully approached them.

The girls wearing the same white clothes as me seemed somewhat scared.

‘I guess it’s hard to break down the sense of rejection even with such a show.’

I was about to smile bitterly.

“Hikari-chan!”

“Hikari!”

“Oh! Leader, you were cool!”

“Unnie, you have a habit of speaking meaningfully, huh?”

“Your Majesty!”

“Hmph, you were a little cool, I guess.”

People who knew me rushed towards me, chattering away.

Seeing this, others also relaxed their stiff expressions and gradually approached me.

“Um… can I call you Miss Shirogane?”

“I made a flower crown, please accept it!”

“Will you make a training ground here too?”

“I-I’ll definitely become strong!”

The magical girls didn’t panic immediately upon hearing about destruction, but just started asking questions they were curious about after hearing my words. And then tens of thousands of people carefully approached and watched us.

Some seriously pondered about the attacks of demons.

Some thought about the benefits they could gain by interacting with Elysion right away.

Some were just excited about the thought of playing with the magical girls they knew.

I smiled, wearing the flower crown someone handed me.

That’s right.

Little by little like this.

As if it were natural.

It was enough to just recognize being beside them without fear.

Because that’s what magical girls are.

“Because magical girls… exist to protect everyone.”