Chapter 100 : Declaration of War

<Certificate of Degree Conferral>

-Degree: Doctoral Degree

“…”

Emily stood blankly in front of the station in Manchester at sunset, holding a single piece of paper.

‘It’s over.’

Now she had done everything she wanted to do.

It’s time to prepare to hand over her body to the superior inner being, waiting.

Not despair or frustration about her remaining time, but an objective assessment of her condition.

There was still some time left until the fateful day, but she was starting to feel like she was walking in a dream as her consciousness was gradually mixing with that of Animus, the magical girl of [War].

Some days she spent completely lost in sleep, and on others, she barely noticed leaks in her monstrous memory that never forgot anything once seen.

Emily was slowly dying. And the magical girl of [War] was being born based on the world she had seen.

A perception that sees everything, including herself, as victory and defeat.

A fool who merely affirms all emotions… joy, sadness, pain.

A madwoman who believes the most intense moments of life are in struggle.

A monster who has never lived truly with emotions.

While respecting the resolute Animus who dreamed of grand causes, she sometimes imagined what it would have been like if she had gone to another girl instead of herself.

But it was already too late.

“Animus.”

[…]

“Don’t you hate me? Because of me, you…”

[No.]

“Why? Everyone says my thoughts are strange when they hear them in detail.”

[Because I agree.]

“Hehe, thank you.”

[An apostle descending upon a madwoman understood by no one.]

“…”

[That is me. At least I affirm you.]

I affirm all humans.

I affirm the sins they committed.

I affirm the endlessly repeated struggles.

I affirm all fights.

Advance.

Do not stop struggling.

The end of humanity is not brought about by the whims of gods or the will of stars.

[Human evolution will also be achieved through their own chaos and fighting spirit. That was humanity’s past.]

“…”

[I will believe it to be more right than those who deny their scarred past in order to move forward.]

“If even a single handful of human will remains, continuing from the past.”

[That will be humanity’s victory.]

A girl answered the voice that had grown loud enough to spread faintly around Emily.

“I can’t agree with that.”

[Is that so.]

When Emily turned around.

The silver girl she had seen sometime before was standing there.

* * *

Only after experiencing everything could I finally understand the thoughts of the magical girl of [War].

She was certainly loving humanity in a very cruel and consequentialist way.

“Is it because of the mistake of the goddess of [Beginning]?”

[That’s right.]

The goddess of [Beginning] who only wanted all humans to be eternally happy in dreams.

The first humans suffered in happiness and led themselves to an imperfect world.

In the imperfect world, they fought and struggled endlessly, advancing forward. Humanity clearly blazed brilliantly after leaving the embrace of the gods.

[The mistake the goddess made was not showing the purpose of living for tomorrow.]

“That’s meaningless now. Humanity has already changed from back then.”

[No. Human history has extended from that huge explosion of starlight.]

“What’s wrong with overcoming the past and changing?”

[That is not overcoming, but escaping. They have fled into the remnants of the goddess.]

“…”

[…]

The magical girl of [War] and I were just running parallel lines.

Me, trying to use the legacy left by the goddess to go to a better future.

[War], trying to adapt humanity to a new world through their own evolution.

The delicate fragments of dreams that I worry about dropping even a little were nothing but junk to be discarded for survival to the magical girl of [War].

If the strategic objective of this war is the preservation of humanity, then issues like the survival of all humanity and the proper growth of magical girls were not worth caring about.

[Only after pulling infinite resources down to finite did humanity evolve to the next stage.]

[The way for humanity to not completely disappear while avoiding the curses of the three goddesses in the coming trials.]

[It is only through overcoming it themselves through struggle.]

[I affirm that figure writhing and crawling on the ground, surviving like insects.]

Because she was the only one who affirmed humanity in a world where goddesses and apostles were indifferent, the magical girl of [War] drove humanity into chaos more fiercely than anyone.

To sort out the very few humans who learned new ways of life through struggle.

“It’s different now. Because I’m here.”

[You too are nothing but a remnant of the goddess.]

“I’m a son who has run to change, and a daughter born to change. I’m a magical girl.”

[What is a magical girl?]

“A girl who protects everyone with dreams and hope.”

[…]

I deny the apostle who was the only one to look at humanity in the world before it changed.

I deny the magical girl who was the only one among all magical girls to affirm even sins.

I will change the world and twist even the unreasonable curses of the gods.

Because this world has already changed because of me.

[Do you intend to save humanity from the will of the three goddesses and the stars?]

“Yes.”

[What kind of apostle are you?]

“A stranger called from another universe by the goddess of [Beginning]. A guest who came to love this world.”

[So you weren’t an apostle.]

“My alias is [Deception]. One who carries on the lie the goddess told to save humanity.”

[…]

“An uninvited guest who peeked at the future of this world.”

Emily’s eyes were already clouded, and only the magical girl of [War] and I were facing each other in the quiet square.

Our two shadows, lengthened by the sunset, faced each other without overlapping.

She, who had been silent for a long time in the gradually setting sun, looked up at the sky for a moment.

The throne of nothingness.

The exile of the three goddesses.

The three goddesses don’t care about the evolution ritual left by the goddess of [Beginning].

They only wish for humanity to completely destroy itself.

[Then prove it.]

“Prove what?”

[Prove that I’m wrong through war.]

“Is there no way to do this without fighting?”

The magical girl of [War] shook her head.

[My essence is chaos cursed by the goddess. Chaos to mix everything and move on to the next.]

“…”

[The only thing I can give you, who has persuaded two apostles and seen the future, is trial.]

“Trial?”

[On the day the apostle descends. I will unconditionally advance to the land where the goddess’s remains fell.]

Japan

Shinjuku

[I will attack with everything I have, giving up all rights, pouring out all my power.]

“Why are you telling me this?”

[Because both you and I are thinking about the future of humanity.]

“It would be better for humanity’s future if we cooperated instead of fighting.”

[Don’t you know it’s already impossible?]

Scavengers.

There were already many who were hurt by the chaos she had unleashed before she knew me.

If we clumsily choose coexistence, everyone might scatter.

Even if we coexist, she will unhesitatingly drive humanity into chaos through radical means.

Because that’s how the magical girl of [War] loves humanity.

Because she couldn’t give up on herself because she loves humanity.

[Stop me with all your might. Defeat me. I will advance to conquer, not to flee.]

If I win, she will acknowledge that she was wrong and disappear.

If she wins, she will implement her method to preserve humanity.

“…”

[…]

This was a contract between me and [War], and a play to deceive the three goddesses tied to the throne.

However, the sword appearing in the play will be real.

[If you cannot even surpass me, your words will be nothing but empty.]

“Why are you going this far?”

[Magical girls are…]

But the magical girl of [War] couldn’t continue her words and firmly closed her mouth.

I instinctively realized that this moment was the only moment of compromise.

Even if I tried to annihilate [War] right now by leading Elysion and surrounding her with thousands of magical girls, with her abilities, she would break through the encirclement and escape.

And what I would face would be the sight of the utterly disappointed magical girl of [War] advancing while deploying all measures to stop me.

Trust that can be obtained only once.

A battlefield excluding all strategies and deceptions.

The greatest consideration the strongest apostle, [War], could give me.

Declaration of war

“Alright.”

[Prepare thoroughly during the remaining time.]

“Is that something to say to an enemy?”

[Hostile relationships were also a way of human interaction.]

The sunset had completely passed, and darkness came.

“…”

“…”

The magical girl of [War] disappeared, and Emily returned.

I spoke to the girl sharing thoughts with the apostle, remembering Alisa.

“I still can’t agree with your thoughts either.”

“I know.”

“I’m going to save everyone and make them happy.”

“I see.”

“I’ll lead everyone with dreams, not victory or defeat.”

Emily took off her glasses and showed a sad face for the first time.

Even that was just awkward and empty somewhere.

“I’m envious. Really.”

“…”

“But I still think Animus’s thoughts are more right.”

“…”

“…It’s a shame I can’t see the end. Still, I want to cheer for Animus.”

I turned around without saying anything.

A girl who affirms the apostle even while throwing herself away.

An apostle who believes that plunging humanity into chaos is salvation.

I didn’t want to argue about victory or defeat with them.

What I want is tomorrow.

And so, three months passed.