Chapter 155: Conclusion

I laid down on the ground helplessly. Due to the lack of fundamental powers, I got ejected back into Earth. I can feel the stone-cold cement with my face as I couldn't even lift myself off the ground.

If not for my twintail braid being something that is creator-realm in essence, my long hair would've sprawled on the ground messily. As for the throne and this outfit of mine, it remained due to its <Permanence> concept.

I tried moving my fingertips, but to no avail. Even breathing became laborious as each time I do so, a painful feeling appears in my chest. Closing my eyes, I resigned myself into this state of mine.

While the system is converting the <Ancient God>-level loot, I asked it.

'System... How bad are my injuries?'

[Responding to that question: 74% Soul Damage, 99% Physical Damage which includes the failure of <Indestructible>, <Permanence>, and three <Creator> concepts, self-harm injuries, <Healing> factors...]

The report went as long as ten sentences long, but it simply ended up with: You're royally f*ck*d.

10% Soul Damage is something already terrifying, but this move of ours that involved [The Root] made us pay a large price. More than the majority of my soul being injured is the worst outcome that we had ever predicted.

I can feel my life slowly slipping away, to the point that I'm quite unsure if I would even survive. Thankfully, we prepared a countermeasure that can guarantee my life... maybe.

[Conversion complete. Awaiting your orders...]

'Activate the [Third True Magic—Heaven's Feel].'

As soon as I've made that command, I can feel my soul healing at a slow rate. Through this [True Magic] that gives complete authority regarding [Souls], I managed to partially heal my own soul. While it couldn't show its true capabilities due to my more-than severe injuries, sacrificing the energies from <Ancient God> entities is enough to use it temporarily.

[Current Soul Damage: 39%]

[Reserves Left: 20%]

Alright. Now that I'm done with myself...

'System, enact the plan for everyone else.'

[Understood.]

"Sigh..."

Through the remaining powers that it has, the system began doing what I've thought for the others. Perfecting my students' magical powers, Cardinal's invitation to the Chat Group, and so on.

Inviting Cardinal is way easier to bypass than interacting with it directly as it wouldn't trigger the slightly unstable portion inside of me. As to why I invited her... she would need it to develop herself. She needs to meet those trusty friends of mine so that she can see more of what the world can offer while "I" am gone.

...She also needs it during my disappearance.

I'm sorry.

The moment I relaxed, I felt relief, but at the same time, my weakness.

"-Huh?"

The several forces that facilitated the rewriting of this reality completed its job, hence it resumed its operations once more.

"Shiro..?"

Roman noticed my utterly pathetic state as soon as it did.

"Y-yo." I said shakily.

Sadly, it seems like we'll have to part ways for a while. I can no longer sustain myself into this world, and the only way to do so is to go to that world where its influence is the largest.

System... I will... leave... everything...

*****

"Huh? What?"

From his long years of experience, Roman is familiar with the scenario in front of him.

The materialization of the soul.

It is something that can be achieved by heroes who achieved immortality. In fact, the so-called Immortality is all about this. Heroes who have legends about it and reached "godhood" went through this.

"What did just..."

Right now, he saw his friend lying on the ground—her soul materialized. He also saw the devastating damage that's present in her right now, and the fact that something huge happened to her in a split second made him realize something.

'Did something happen just now?'

Just as he was about to come closer, he saw an incomparably huge aurora curtain that instantly swallowed the entire planet. The next second, Shiro disappeared on the spot.

'That was Shiro's [Aurora Curtain] just now?!'

Flap-!

Touka landed with a serious expression and asked, "What was that?"

While confused, Roman narrated the events of that few seconds to her clearly.

"Just now, I sensed an incongruency with everything... Is it related to that?"

"Incongruency? Come to think of it..."

All it took for Shiro's situation to be like that is a single second. It's impossible for them to be affected by a mere manipulation of time, so this left them with few guesses.

In the end, Roman sighed as he said, "I don't know what's happening anymore..."

He saw his friend on the brink of death, and now he disappeared without a trace. He fought some kind of serious battle and got severely injured, yet he didn't even know what happened!

In all his life, this is the second time he felt very helpless. The first is when he saw the vision of Goetia incarcerating humanity. As his wish backfired, he was left with nothing but his previous knowledge and his comrades to help him prevent the destruction of humanity.

"Where is he?"

A cold voice resounded behind them. When they looked, they are surprised to see another Homura in this place.

"Do you know what happened with him?!"

"...He fulfilled his promise. He used his incomparably vast powers to designate this singularity as the single true reality, removing the existence of the so-called parallel worlds. Through that, he removed the suffering that every Magical Girl in different space and time has to suffer."

""...""

The two went silent upon hearing it. They knew Shiro as someone who moves out of his own interests, but never had they expected that he would do all of this just to change the fate of this universe.

[Ding!]

[Virtual Librarian has joined the Chat Group.]

"Shiro..?"

At this moment, the brown-haired girl who wore her librarian's outfit woke up. She only has some vague recollections as to what happened, so she instinctively called out to him, thinking that she can break through the firewall of that mechanical suit.

Although, she soon noticed that there's something wrong. The sight that she's seeing right now is too realistic—even for an advanced technology such as what they've been using before. She felt the cold ground, the breeze of warm air, and the subtle shine of the moonlight.

"What is this?" She mumbled confusedly.

"You're awake. Are you one of Shiro's virtual assistants?" Touka asked.

Since Cardinal is in the form of a management system back in Aincrad, she didn't recognize her. Shiro also didn't say much about Cardinal since he respected her privacy. It's up to her if she'd wanted to show up before others.

"That's right... Where is he?!"

Seeing this, Roman took some time to think about saying the truth or not. But, Touka beat him to it and decided to tell Cardinal everything.

"Shiro... He disappeared and-"

"Roman-san! Takanashi-san!"

She was interrupted by Kaede who came here running. She panted heavily as she continued, "Tomoe-san disappeared!"

For a moment, they became even more confused than before.

*****

Side Story: Alina Gray

Alina Gray is an artistic genius. Before she became a Magical Girl, she'd already made artistic pieces that shook the world. That was a years ago, back when she's a 15-year old girl. Now that she turned 16, her life had changed completely.

After making a wish to Kyuubey, she became a Magical Girl whose duty is to eliminate Witches. However, what she did the moment she became a Magical Girl is something surprising.

She tried to commit suicide.

Of course, she failed as her body no longer contained her soul. Discovering this new fact, she soon got immersed into this new world of hers. She met a few interesting Magical Girls and formed a group in which they hunted Witches together.

Though, this group changed the moment they knew the truth behind each Magical Girls—that they'll turn into Witches someway in the future.

They tried many things to find a loophole and defy this fate of theirs, but to no avail. Even when their organization spanned the entire city, they still couldn't find the solution to their dilemma.

However, her obsession changed from that one fateful day... the day she met a perfect goddess.

Inside her atelier, dozens of portraits of a certain twintailed girl are hung in the wall.

"Not enough. I can't capture her perfect visage yet. Still..."

Since it is a blasphemy (for her) to throw away "her" portraits, she added it to collection instead.

"I want to see her again..!"

Unbeknownst to Shiro, he gained another fanatical believer once again...

*****

A/N: This closes the Madoka Arc. To be honest, I felt that I've done quite a good job with it. My skills in writing a dreary atmosphere got tested a couple of times, and the planned surprise of mine got executed well-enough (for me). The only regrets that I might have is that... I couldn't go in depth with Madoka and Sayaka's characters, though I did plan for their development to occur after this arc (Madoka through her Chat Group missions and Sayaka in the next arc). Still, I truly enjoyed writing this arc as this is one of the few Madoka Magica fics that I've seen. As for the next arc, y'all might be able to guess it after all the hints that I dropped so far...

Note: It's a very familiar world for most of us.

Ciao~!