"Wait! Kyubey, and Mr. Su Mo, what were you just saying about saving the universe?"
Hearing the conversation between Su Mo and Kyubey, Mami Tomoe's eyes widened. She felt like something was wrong with her ears. Otherwise, why couldn't she understand a single thing?
What did they mean Kyubey had no emotions and was just simulating a human? And what did they mean by saving the universe? Why had the scale of things suddenly become so grand?
Homura was also incredibly surprised.
She knew Su Mo had spoken with Kyubey, and she knew that from just one conversation, he had grasped information she hadn't obtained even after a hundred loops.
But she never imagined their conversation would be on such equal footing—in fact, it even seemed like Kyubey was subtly asking Su Mo for help.
Something she had never been able to achieve with force, Su Mo had managed with just a conversation. What kind of intellect was this?
Faced with Mami's question, Kyubey thought for a second before quickly answering, "By cultivating magical girls, we can use the energy released from their emotions to delay the heat death of the universe."
Here, it still concealed some key information.
"So, not only were we magical girls born to fight witches, but we can also save the world from apocalypse?" Mami's eyes sparkled. She was clearly stunned. Was she really that amazing?
"It only postpones the arrival of heat death. We currently have no way to completely overcome that outcome," Kyubey said, shaking its head.
After explaining to Mami, it turned to Su Mo. "However, Su Mo-kun, last time you said this strategy was exceedingly foolish. Do you have a better way?"
Just as Su Mo had said, Kyubey had no emotions, and therefore no goodwill or malice. Everything it did was to prevent the universe from ending.
So, as long as it helped them achieve this goal, they were willing to listen to any suggestion.
The reason Kyubey placed such importance on Su Mo was that, in their previous conversation, they discovered he was the only human who could keep up with, and even surpass, their line of thinking.
Judging that Su Mo was the key to helping them achieve their goal, Kyubey naturally wanted to get more suggestions from him.
"Of course," Su Mo nodded. He didn't directly expose the truth Kyubey had concealed, but instead followed its line of thought. "Putting aside the fact that energy is neither created nor destroyed, and your so-called emotional energy is based on another level of fundamental material structure... even without considering that, if you truly believe cultivating magical girls is useful, you shouldn't be using your current methods, should you?"
"Hmm?" Kyubey tilted its head, a little confused. "Is there a problem with the current cultivation method?"
Adolescent girls were the best material it had found after extensive research. Girls of this age were the easiest to guide into becoming magical girls and also the easiest to flip into witches, releasing the most energy.
The cost-to-output ratio was the highest. It felt its choice was sound.
However...
"The efficiency is too low," Su Mo said bluntly. "If magical girls are truly so important, and if a large number of adolescent girls are needed as raw materials, why not try industrial mass production of magical girls?"
At these words, everyone was stunned.
"Huh?" Even Kyubey hadn't expected Su Mo to say something like this.
"Industrial mass production of magical girls?" Mami blinked, asking in confusion, "What does that mean?"
"The simplest method is to cooperate with school institutions to select suitable individuals to become magical girls, then hold extracurricular training classes for systematic cultivation," Su Mo said, glancing at Kyubey.
"With your previous methods, it takes one or two years to guide a single magical girl. In the end, due to competition, factionalism emerges among them, allowing only one magical girl per city. This directly limits the upper cap, meaning the world can only accommodate a few tens of thousands of magical girls at most."
"But with systematic cultivation and selection through cooperation with educational institutions, Japan alone would have over a hundred thousand suitable candidates annually. Globally, the number would be countless."
"And that's just the most basic method. With current technology, we could vigorously develop cloning technology. By endlessly cloning individuals with the potential to become magical girls, even if their potential deteriorates, we could easily cultivate millions, even tens of millions of them."
That was exactly what the Glamoth Iron Cavalry in the world of Honkai: Star Rail had done.
In fact, there were many other methods Su Mo hadn't mentioned.
Since the birth of magical girls was related to the number of adolescent girls, either increasing the total human population or increasing the proportion of adolescent girls would be highly effective.
Since Kyubey was an alien, a slight leak of alien technology would allow humanity to leave its home planet and journey to the stars.
With so many interstellar resources, the human population would inevitably surge to the hundreds of billions or even trillions.
With such a large base, how hard would it be to increase the number of magical girls by ten, a hundred, or even a thousand times?
In summary, Kyubey had only one problem. "Your methods are too conservative," Su Mo said, evaluating the creature before him.
"..."
Kyubey fell silent. It had thought a creature like itself, devoid of emotion, was already considered cold-blooded enough by human standards. It never expected someone could surpass it by a hundredfold.
As expected of the most special race in the universe. Truly terrifying!
"..."
Mami also fell silent. Even the most evil witch couldn't say something like that, could she?
"...Big Brother Su Mo."
Putting everything else aside, even Homura subconsciously grabbed Su Mo's arm, not knowing what to say.
In her eyes, Kyubey was already a beast, playing with people's hearts and deliberately letting magical girls fall into witchhood.
Its crimes were unforgivable.
But compared to the cold, industrial mass production of magical girls Su Mo described, even Kyubey's strategy seemed to have a hint of warmth.
Kyubey at least treated magical girls as a precious resource; Su Mo was treating them like a crop to be harvested!
You're much more ruthless than Kyubey!
"In short, if you truly value the potential of magical girls, shouldn't you be guiding the development of human civilization, increasing the population capacity, and raising the birth rate of magical girls?" Su Mo concluded.
"Su Mo, your opinion is indeed very valuable," Kyubey nodded after a few seconds of contemplation. "Although there is currently no evidence that a magical girl's potential has a decisive relationship with her genes, there are indeed some precious genes that should be passed down. Perhaps one day we can break through the obstacles of existing theories and completely overcome the end of the universe."
As it spoke, it glanced at Su Mo, then at the girls around him. "I think your genes are very important, Su Mo. If you want to increase the birth rate of magical girls and explore the relationship between genes and their potential... why not start with you?"
Kyubey suggested, swishing its tail. "If Mami, Madoka, and this strange magical girl were to have your daughters, we could verify the correctness of your theory."
Whether the daughter of a magical girl would have the potential to become one was something Kyubey wasn't sure about... after all, all the magical girls it had converted had died before they could become mothers.
Compared to magical girls, it felt that the genius genes of someone like Su Mo, who could provide it with guidance, were more important.
Therefore, if the genes of a magical girl and a genius could be combined, wouldn't that be a huge win?
The more Kyubey thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. "As a mother, a magical girl can only carry a few children at a time. But you, Su Mo, as a male, can provide over a hundred million genetic factors... In that case, perhaps without the participation of others, you alone could get all the magical girls pregnant!"
With its mind opened by Su Mo, Kyubey's words were becoming abstract.
There were less than a hundred thousand magical girls in the world at any given time. With Su Mo's power, he could easily satisfy them all!
That way, the mothers would all have excellent genes capable of becoming magical girls, and the father would have genius genes capable of theoretically breaking existing rules.
A powerful union, wouldn't that be wonderful? And, if one ignored strange human ethics, having those daughters bear more daughters would allow the number of magical girls to grow exponentially, wouldn't it?
"N-No! Absolutely not!"
As Kyubey was pondering this proposal, Madoka's face turned beet red and she immediately objected. This mascot was too wicked, trying to do something like that to Big Brother Su Mo.
If she had been hesitant when it was just her, Homura, and Mami, what came next was too much! With tens of thousands of magical girls, even if Su Mo could handle it, it wouldn't be their turn! There were way too many big sisters in the group chat waiting in line!
"Kyubey, y-y-you... that's so shameless!" Mami also subconsciously retorted, her gaze darting away from Su Mo. It was their first meeting. Even if Su Mo was really handsome, it was too soon to talk about such things!
"I do not agree!" Homura said coldly as well.
She had no problem with Madoka being included, and could reluctantly accept Mami, but who were all those others?
What's more, being a magical girl wasn't a good profession. She didn't want her and Su Mo's daughter to walk down this path destined for ruin.
"Eh? It's not okay?" Seeing all three of them object, Kyubey was a little confused. "According to your physiological indicators and heart rates just now, you should all have a very favorable impression of Su Mo. Why would you refuse a plan that is clearly beneficial to you? You humans' emotions are truly complex..."
Clearly, Kyubey did not understand the human heart.