"To the girls in this class, make sure you never find a man who doesn't even know how to comfort the opposite sex..."
The woman standing at the podium rambled on about strange personal philosophies. Most students had an expression that said, "Ah, here she goes again," yet they couldn't help but smile. After all, this was part of their daily peace.
Kyoko Sakura, the red-haired girl sitting in the back row, hadn't been in this class for long and wasn't entirely used to this "routine." She leaned forward and whispered a question.
"Sayaka, did Kazuko-chan get dumped by her boyfriend again?"
Sayaka Miki, the blue-haired girl in front of her, gave a helpless smile.
"Eighty percent chance, yeah."
"Didn't she just say he was her true love because he was so concerned about her during the 'typhoon'? Figures. Men are just unreliable..."
Thinking of something, Kyoko glanced behind her and clicked her tongue.
Noticing the look, Sayaka expression turned bittersweet. She knew exactly why Kyoko was annoyed on her behalf, but she had actually made peace with certain things.
Because of the "Witch" incidents, Sayaka visits to the hospital had dwindled. In contrast, Hitomi Shizuki's visits had increased, and her relationship with Kyosuke Kamijo had blossomed into a close friendship. When the "unrest" happened previously, the two of them happened to be together...
Two days ago, Hitomi had asked Sayaka to meet her behind the gym with a serious face. Sayaka had been flustered, but Hitomi had solemnly apologized and confessed that she, too, loved Kyosuke. Only then did Sayaka learn that Kyosuke had protected Hitomi several times at the hospital and promised to wait for the right day to confess.
When Hitomi left, Sayaka heart was in knots. But when Kyoko suddenly appeared behind her to complain about the unfairness of it all, Sayaka found that seeing Kyoko fiery, indignant face actually made her own anger vanish.
In the end, Sayaka chose not to confess. Hitomi went to the hospital the next day after school; the two were now a couple.
"Kyoko, it has nothing to do with Kyosuke or Hitomi..."
Sayaka defended them. She truly had moved on. She felt a bit lonely, but she didn't hate them. But right then—
"Sayaka-san! Kyoko-san! I am trying to impart very important 'knowledge' here! Pay attention! Come on, tell me: what kind of man do you think is better?"
Suddenly called upon, the two were caught off guard. Kyoko stood up, her face turning slightly red as she thought of someone.
"A man who is... strong and gentle, I guess?"
Saotome Kazuko nodded with satisfaction but then began her "evaluation" with a stern face.
"A very classic view. But girls, be warned! Because of those traits, such men are very popular. And because they are gentle, they struggle to say no to the opposite sex, meaning they often have many female 'friends.' In those cases, you must be assertive!"
Kyoko nodded seriously at the advice, but then her expression became awkward as she muttered under her breath.
'But what if everyone is already friends...'
Fortunately, she spoke softly, so only Sayaka heard her. Kazuko's voice drowned her out as she turned her "target" toward Sayaka.
"And you, Sayaka?"
After an instinctive glance toward the back, Sayaka answered with the same uncertain tone.
"A man who is... strong and gentle?"
"Sayaka thinks so too? The same precautions apply! Alright, sit down and listen carefully..."
Sayaka lips twitched at the "same precautions." She sat down, whispering, "If only it were that simple."
On the other side of the room, Madoka Kaname was leaning on her desk with a mischievous smile.
"Heehee~ Homura, do you think Kyoko-chan was talking about Mr. Lancer?"
Homura Akemi, who had been dazing off, tilted her head.
"Probably... yes?"
After answering, Homura glanced toward the classroom window. She thought she had seen someone there, but even after Madoka snapped her out of her trance, she couldn't find anything unusual.
'Was it just my imagination?'
She shook it off and went back to whispering with Madoka.
The countless twisted timelines had finally converged into a single path. This world no longer had a "God," and naturally, it had no "Devil." The girls didn't need to save the world; they only needed to live their own daily lives.
'That's nice.'
A sigh dissipated into the wind as a man sitting in a sealed space opened his eyes.
"Was that my imagination? I feel like I heard someone talking."
Muttering to himself, he went back to his "toil" with a weary face.
Beside him sat a mountain of Grief Seeds. Even after days of high-intensity work, he had cleared less than half of the volume. But before finishing that, he had other vital tasks.
Using his "Lord of a Hundred Demons" ability, Lancer could wake the souls sleeping in the Grief Seeds and even grant them bodies. However, this was tied to the ability of a one-time item with a time limit. Without sufficient magic, once the "shells" protecting the girls vanished, they would be even more susceptible to negative emotions—perhaps even turning into "Oni." To prevent this, Lancer had prepared in advance.
The gems left by the "Law of Cycles" and "Devil Homura" were the core of the plan, and the sealed space he was in was the foundation.
After completely eradicating the existence known as "Kyubey," he had claimed the System's "Reward."
Control over the special space originally used to manufacture Kyubey bodies and hide its presence now belonged to Lancer. It was the perfect place to house those gems.
Even if someone were polluted by negative emotions, they only needed to return here to be purified. It was a perfect recycling system: the purified energy would nourish the space and restore the girls' magic.
As long as humanity existed, this place would keep running, even after he left this world!