Chapter 138 : Boundary Line (2)

Within the massive white trajectory advancing forward was contained the power of all the connections a girl had made and changed in this world.

The numerous dreams contained within shone so colorfully and brilliantly that even the power of [Greed], which could usurp even the authority wielded by the gods, could not approach them.

White

Red

Yellow

Green

Lavender

The lights of fate shining so brightly were so nostalgic.

The fate of the world newly pioneered after breaking free from the embrace of stars and gods was so warm.

The armies of [Greed] and [Plague], following Erebos’ orders, forgot even to advance towards the throne of nothingness and blankly reached out towards that light approaching to erase them.

[This is…]

Another Li Na, who had perished once but advanced again surrounded by pale black energy, saw an unbelievable sight within that light. She saw the figure of ‘Li Na’ living in the changed world.

A scene shown by lavender starlight.

A warm home. Friends’ laughter.

The sight of herself sitting at the dining table alongside friends she had once lost and the master who had given her strength.

-Puhahaha!! Kaede, you can’t even use chopsticks properly?

-Nyuhuhuh!! How embarrassing at your age!!

-S-Shut up. Be quiet before I get ‘jealous’.

-Pfft…

-Ah, Miss.

-Whoa, it’s the first time I’ve seen Boss laugh during a meal!

An ordinary everyday life.

An ordinary peace.

But to the dead who had lived in a world facing destruction, it was a light they had desperately longed for more than anything.

The warmth that the illusion, which had risen again as a delusion borrowing the body of an apostle, tried to steal.

[Ah…]

The fake Li Na tried to grasp it in a daze. But to her dirty and cold self, that light was hotter than the sun, and her body was melting away.

It was a light not permitted to the dead who had reversed fate, tainted by the fate of destruction and fallen into the quiet swamp of death, only to rise again leaving just memories.

Fssss…

A body slowly scattering, leaving behind not khaki starlight but black fragments.

She had ‘Li Na’s’ memories, but she was a different person from the girl in that beautiful scene.

[…]

Though she should rise again following Erebos’ orders and advance towards the throne of nothingness even at the cost of sacrificing her body. Somehow she felt like staying in that light a bit longer, and ended up refusing to be reborn again.

-Hahaha!

-S-Stop laughing!

-Puhehe.

[Army of Greed, rise again!! The throne of nothingness is right ahead!! Divide!! Multiply!!]

‘Just a little longer.’

Before she knew it, the girls who had finished breakfast had gone to their rooms to do their own things, and Li Na in a hoodie approached Sumire and Kaede, who were leaving for work even on the weekend, with a grin.

-Boss! Let’s go to work together today.

-Sounds good, Li Na.

-Hehe, isn’t it nice going together like this?

-Of course, we’re friends after all.

‘Just a little longer.’

[Army of… eed!! Do not be… luded…!!]

‘I want to see a little more.’

Not to steal, but just to see like this.

It’s too beautiful a scene to grasp in my hands.

‘Just like this…’

Fssss…

Fssss…

And so, one by one, one by one, erasing the disappearing armies of [Greed], the white trajectory advanced towards Erebos hidden within the wave made of countless magical girls.

Fssss…

Fssss…

The stains of greed that seemed like they would regenerate forever were slowly melting away in the warmth of dreams. Watching this, Erebos screamed as she felt the usurpation of divinity that had come within reach with her brilliant surprise attack slowly slipping away.

[Uwaaa!! No!! To be blocked like this after coming so far!!]

From the brilliant starlight swirling in the white trajectory, one green starlight broke off and reached the heart of a certain girl who couldn’t escape from within Erebos’ halo.

Laughter, friends.

In the heart of the girl who had only burned with fighting spirit in the world facing destruction, a warm everyday conversation was heard.

-Kyoko! This coffee tastes weird! It’s sour!

-Eeek?! Boss! That’s really high-class coffee, what are you saying!!

-Ichika, you have no taste!

-What did you say, Sato kiddo!

-Ow?!

Ichika casually sitting on a chair in an elegant cafe and Kyoko chatting cheerfully while wearing an apron. That scene seemed to shine more brilliantly than herself desperately swinging her fists. She ended up quietly closing her eyes.

[…]

Fssss…

The hatred held by the armies of [Greed] and magical girls of [Plague], which seemed like it would burn forever, melted away helplessly under the warmth of the brilliantly shining world.

The magical girls who were emptier than anyone, more deficient than anyone, and thus weaker to being filled than anyone.

In the warmth shown by the changing fate of the world created by starlight, they were slowly disappearing, forgetting even their own curses.

“This can’t be…”

Finally, what remained was Erebos who had fled down to the very bottom of the stairs. Though even the curse of division and multiplication placed on herself finally disappeared under the white miracle. But she couldn’t be happy about it.

She had brought an army that could threaten even goddesses to overcome the curse, but because she had absorbed even their desires, she couldn’t overcome the warmth of this world that shone brighter than those desperate dreams.

She had persuaded even the will of stars to gain power to overcome the goddesses, but had become a being that could not coexist with the people living in this world.

“…”

But it wasn’t over yet.

The stairs created through the miracle drawn from chaos were still intact.

Erebos, finally left alone, decided to focus on just one obsession she absolutely couldn’t give up.

What she held in one pale hand was the memory of destruction drawn from the will of stars.

* * *

After exercising the world’s miracle containing our dreams. I looked at the goddess of [Death] with only wavering remnants still remaining. Ridiculously, she was trembling in ‘fear’ before the overwhelming power we had shown.

I cannot attack the goddesses preparing some great curse inside the throne of nothingness, as I cannot receive help from the will of stars.

Yet she was afraid of me.

“I didn’t particularly protect you.”

[…]

“Whatever curse you’re preparing in there, however much you try to interfere with us.”

[…]

“We will overcome it all and live on.”

[Are you the goddess of Beginning.]

“No, my alias is [Hope].”

I proudly declared to the goddess’s avatar looking at us in a daze.

“A gentle lie illuminating tomorrow, and the beginning of today.”

[…]

“I’m the magical girl who will change this world… the world ‘we’ live in, to the happiest fate.”

[…Even so.]

We will return.

It seemed to sound like that’s what she meant.

The goddess of [Death] had finally completely lost the right to interfere in this world, and was being rapidly expelled despite not being the main body but an avatar. Through this, I could discover one important fact.

‘The power remaining to the three goddesses is feeble.’

A fallen god who had lost even the right to interfere with the world was just vast in the size of their authority.

The reason the three goddesses had such twisted hearts and used such vile methods was probably because even they themselves had become too weak to go against the fate of the world.

‘Weak enough that the goddess of [Death] had to hurriedly descend in an avatar form just to stop one advancing 4-star magical girl…’

As I was thinking that.

“Leader…?!”

“Hikari-chan!! In front!!”

Erebos approached with a crazed smile. As she approached, wrapped in the source of all the curses of [Greed] and [Plague], the fully bloomed 3-star magical girls froze for a moment. Even my starlight momentarily fluctuated, repeating being stolen and pushed back.

‘She intends to fight to the end.’

I charged at Erebos like that, swinging the white sickle. A white wave created by the flashing blade larger than a person. A chilling sharpness that seemed like it would cut even the soul the moment it touched rushed towards Erebos’ body.

Schwing—!!

Erebos didn’t avoid it, and her body was instantly cut in half.

Erebos with her soul, starlight, and even body shattered.

I was taken aback seeing that sight.

“What…?!”

“Just one thing.”

What Erebos, with only her upper body remaining, was looking at was the goddess of [Death].

What rose to her one remaining hand was golden energy.

“It’s enough if just one thing is achieved.”

Erebos quietly muttered and fired that energy towards the throne of nothingness.

Golden energy advancing in a straight line.

The goddess of [Death], slowly disappearing in the reforming boundary, was shocked to see it.

[No!!!]

Faaaash—!!

“Kugh?!”

The golden memory advancing smoothly despite my white starlight and the attacks of the fully bloomed magical girls who had broken free from the shock. It finally seeped in and disappeared under the throne of nothingness right in front.

“Puhih, hehehe!! I sensed a… cough… familiar energy inside.”

“What…?”

“Whatever you do… whatever you summon… the memory of destruction… will never help… the goddesses…!”

Erebos laughed like that while shedding tears.

“Curse… the goddesses… who cursed… us…!”

The final [Greed] disappearing while leaving black fragments.

Her ambition blocked so helplessly.

Throwing away everything, she tried to achieve just one thing.

The magical girl of [Greed] who tried to usurp this world.

What she staked everything to achieve was revenge.

The end of revenge.

The shadow of the goddess of [Death] and Erebos disappeared simultaneously.

“…”

-Notice from Elysion Observatory! The third trial has been defeated!

-Waaaaaah!!

The cheers of magical girls who had overcome difficult battles with demons could be heard over the radio, but.

We who had fought at the scene of the trial remained silent with an inexplicable uneasiness.