Chapter 146 : Sky and Earth (2)

The first beauty that the goddess revealed from the chaos of stars was sky and earth.

The ground we stand on supported us firmly and gently, and the sky that rose above our heads led us vastly and freely.s live on the earth and live according to the will of the sky.

Stars and humans live together.

We live together.

The initial beauty that was forgotten from the moment humans called the land property and arbitrarily divided it, and called the sky fate and worshipped it. That was the truth that the goddess of [Beginning] considered most beautiful and the first ritual where humans became equal to gods.

A world living together with stars.

A world that disappeared due to the wound created by the first humans desiring death.

A perfect world that disappeared due to imperfection.

Clearly, the current world has strayed far from the perfect happiness that the goddess of [Beginning] wanted.

“…Even so.”

I looked back.

All those who had believed in me, loved me, and followed me until now were gathered in front of the white ark. Behind them, tens of thousands of people who wanted to believe in me one last time had gathered to watch the magical girls’ final battle.

“We will move towards tomorrow.”

“We love this imperfect world.”

“Because there is a tomorrow due to its imperfection.”

The time it takes for the Earth to make one rotation.

A time when darkness and light merely switch places once.

The time our star floats in space as we stand on it.

The world is imperfectly divided, and within it numerous times exist, and it exists splitting into numerous worlds.

“So.”

For the sake of tomorrow in the world I’ve come to love.

For the story of the people I love.

“I’ll definitely win and come back.”

Hearing those words, Master nodded with a hearty laugh.

He was supporting me unchangingly.

The Sato couple cheered for Hana and me as we went off to a great battle.

They were affirming our light.

There was a girl approaching between them.

A plain bespectacled girl with messy brown hair braided down.

She handed me a certain comic book.

Though not drawn as skillfully as a professional manga artist, it contained a story she had created with her own thoughts.

<The Legend of Magical Girl Hikari>

-A Tale of Love and Friendship-

On the cover of the comic book was a beautiful girl with narrow eyes and a suspicious look, dressed like a magician, surrounded by numerous starlight and smiling refreshingly. Beside her were cute mascot characters resembling a cat, crow, and dog showing off their adorable appearances.

It contained a girl’s interpretation of magical girls.

Narrow by being the reincarnation of the goddess of [Beginning] who plucked out her own eyes, but to represent a sly personality wanting to trick dirty adults in the darkness.

Magic containing a girl’s own shining dreams, not power to withstand the will of stars and demons.

Cute mascots guiding magical girls on the right path, not apostles who gave up on themselves or fought against the world in distorted fate.

“Shirogane-san.”

“Busujima-san.”

“It’s been a while.”

“Yeah. It really has… been a while.”

Haruko, whom I was seeing after a really long time, seemed to have a more mature face than last year.

Eyes sparkling while imagining shining stories, not an unconfident and timid expression. It was the talent of a storyteller who had shed hesitation and shyness in unfolding her own story.

The growth of a human.

The girl who called herself an unremarkable person and hid herself had finally fully bloomed her own sparkle from within.

“The Legend of Magical Girls… isn’t that too exaggerated?”

“Since Shirogane-san is a goddess, I originally wanted to call it ‘The Myth of Magical Girls’ but changed it.”

“A myth…”

“Because our story is not a story of gods.”

That sparkle was emitting some light different from the earthy color of Haruko’s glass star.

“A story believing in the sparkle of human magical girls and dreaming of tomorrow.”

“…”

“A story of girls’ hopes and dreams.”

Haruko grasped both my hands tightly.

“I’m going to keep drawing the beautiful story that Shirogane-san left behind.”

“A beautiful… story.”

“Yes.”

Magical girl

Dream

Hope

Love

Faith

Friendship

Trust

Responsibility

“Even if someone criticizes it as a childish and simple story, the sparkle I saw…”

Haruko’s eyes seemed to be recalling the dream of a rose she saw at Odaiba Broadcasting Station and the bright sky of Yokohama.

Because I too was recalling our beginning while looking at her face.

We met briefly and passed by each other.

Because of Haruko, I took the first step to start all stories.

Because of me, Haruko wanted to write down the story of shining magical girls.

“…Because it contained the most precious value above all else.”

“…I’m glad I met Busujima-san that day.”

“Fuhihi, so please make sure to win so that I can refer to it even if I run out of material while drawing manga.”

I carefully opened the comic book, then returned it to Haruko.

‘A story of girls’ dreams and hopes.’

Though it was a comic full of amateur-like clumsy composition, abrupt flow, and childish dialogue. It made me smile because it seemed to affirm my life.

“Yeah, I’ll definitely win.”

After saying goodbye, I looked around one last time.

The magical girls challenging the final battle had to be very strong because they couldn’t return to the battlefield if they died, and they had to have abilities to help other magical girls in the unfamiliar space of the moon.

‘And we need magical girls to protect people from the endlessly surging demons.’

I left behind Himari who had to lead the relief corps, Dorim who was virtually invincible against small demons, and Alisa who had to take care of dead magical girls.

Those gathered here now were the magical girls heading to the final battlefield.

Ichika was bumping fists with Kyoko and laughing loudly, relaxed as always.

Sumire was hugging the salon members and Kaede, quietly saying she’d be back.

Hana was vigorously making resolutions with the golden girls, breaking away from her parents.

Yuki was comforting her sobbing father, stroking his head.

Laura, Ella, Li Meilin, and Li Na were exchanging words of encouragement with the magical girls who approached them.

“Then I’ll be going.”

“Yes, Hecate-nim.”

Hecate left only a very brief greeting to Iris and was about to return to me.

Stop

But Hecate turned back and began to take off her hood in front of Iris. As the hood slowly came off, silver hair flowed out, and Iris was frozen in surprise at Hecate’s sudden action.

“Miss Hecate?! That’s?!”

“Take this.”

Swish

Swish

Hecate was wrapping the hood she had been wearing all along around Iris, the Magical Girl of [Wing].

Somehow I felt I knew the meaning.

I felt I knew the meaning of giving her the hood she had worn continuously since birth as a divine maiden to hide her identity.

Tears were gradually welling up in Iris’s eyes.

“…I can’t.”

“It has to be you.”

“Don’t say that. Please!”

“No, I spilled grape juice on the hood and it smells. Please wash it.”

“As if you’re sacrificing… What?”

“I accidentally spilled it while playing games… I’m asking you to do the laundry. Iris.”

Indeed, there was a clear purple stain on the inside of the dazzlingly white hood.

“Miss Hecate!!”

“Well then, goodbye.”

Hecate finally approached me with a relieved expression, and Iris looked at the stain on the hood, making a crying face before chuckling as if finding it absurd.

‘Is this Hecate’s way of being considerate?’

I started the engine to enter the white ark, and slipped in a word between the voices of magical girls still saying goodbye.

“…You’re really handing it over, right?”

“Shh. She’ll hear. I judged we should prepare for any situation.”

“You did well.”

We will definitely win.

But there were preparations we had to complete for those left behind.

‘It’s contradictory. But it can’t be helped.’

After saying goodbye, we boarded the ark. There, Chen Lihua, the Magical Girl of [Lightning], and Natalia, the Magical Girl of [Navigation], were already on board having finished preparations.

“Departure preparations complete.”

[This is Elysion Observatory. Please make sure to win and come back.]

“Of course.”

Not the final ark, but a massive ship to guide us across the sea of darkness to the land of gods.

For our final battle, for our first and last counterattack.

All the magical girls participating in this operation took their seats.

As I entered the engine power unit in the center of the body.

Slowly light was entering the massive white body, absorbing my white starlight.

Wooooong—!!

[Notice from Pollux, Good luck Hikari!!!]

[Notice from Bright Moon, Li Meilin!! Don’t be scared!!]

[From the European Union!! Laura, do your best!!!]

[Notice from the Supernatural Ability Countermeasures Team. Come back safely, unnie!!]

[Notice from the Russian Relief Team, you must return safely. Alisa sends her regards too.]

[The Relief Corps representative announces. We’ll definitely protect the Earth. Please return safely.]

Messages of hope and faith from all magical girls were arriving.

The dazzling white was filling the space we were sitting in, entering all the drive units and circuits engraved on the surface.

-From the fate threads. All magical girls from every domain are cheering.

-People’s support is continuing from each country’s relay broadcast stations.

“Then could you relay this?”

-Yes?

“That we’ll definitely win and return. Please believe in the goddess of hope.”

Faaaash—!!

The massive white ark was slowly rising into the air, shining like a lighthouse.

Let’s begin.

Our tomorrow.

A story full of hope.

* * *

That sight was like a sun rising over the red sky.

It was as bright as a sun splitting the ominous twilight and opening a hopeful morning.

People in the shelters couldn’t take their eyes off the screens broadcasting that sight.

A dazzling light advancing, dividing sky and earth.

“…Win.”

“Make sure to win and come back.”

Those words muttered quietly by someone in the shelter gradually spread through people’s mouths. Barely suppressing some emotion that was rising, they kindled one feeling in their hearts.