"Eriri, there's one last illustration left for the giveaway."
Eriri returned home and heard her mother, Sawamura Sayuri, remind her.
"No hurry, no hurry, there are still several days left, plenty of time."
Eriri, without looking back, hugged the light novel and went back to her room on the second floor, then closed the door tightly.
"This child…"
Sawamura Sayuri shook her head.
Eriri changed her clothes, leaned against the headboard with a pillow, and only after getting a comfortable seat did she place the light novel in front of her.
Just a fleeting glance before, she had already been amazed by the cover.
It wasn't that the drawing was exceptionally good, but rather that she was very satisfied with the character's image.
Standing in the galaxy in a sacred posture, dressed in a pink and white color scheme, her face, though different from before, was still recognizable as Madoka's image.
So, the question arose.
"Is this what Madoka looks like after becoming a magical girl? But it feels a bit different, isn't it too magnificent?"
Eriri's gaze was puzzled.
But considering that the protagonist would be a bit special, and it was normal for her to receive treatment that other magical girls didn't, this sense of incongruity was quickly overlooked.
Then, the focus shifted to the content.
The beginning of the fifth volume once again presented a cause-and-effect comparison.
Why did Kyubey keep urging Madoka to become a magical girl?
The potential to become a magical girl is determined by the amount of karma she carries.
But Madoka is clearly just an ordinary person, so where did this massive karmic thread come from?
"The time you have repeated, all the karma that has circulated within it, constantly turning, finally connected with Kaname Madoka—as the ultimate culprit."
"You've done well, Homura, you've helped me cultivate Madoka into the strongest Witch."
Kyubey delivered a condescending speech.
Seemingly praising, it was actually full of sarcasm.
It not only struck Homura's already unstable emotions but also generated another wave of resentment from the readers.
"Why isn't this Kyubey dead yet, damn it."
"I'm already fed up with Kyubey's trash talk, please, Old Thief, it's almost over, you can send him off."
"I really want to slowly torture Kyubey to death."
…
Madoka lay on the bed, her eyes devoid of light.
Because Sayaka's body was finally discovered today.
This made the girl's mood even heavier.
Compared to other ignorant people, for those who knew everything but couldn't change it, this was even more of a torment.
She wanted to hear Kyubey say something more, but his words still left her unable to understand.
Their perspectives and self-perceptions were vastly different.
"Although Kyubey makes a lot of sense, I just feel like something's off. It's probably because I'm human, and it's an animal."
Kousaka Kirino snorted when she read this.
She scoffed at every word Kyubey was saying now.
Madoka and Homura met again, exchanging words, and as the conversation deepened, Homura Akemi could no longer control her emotions, embracing Madoka and telling her own story firsthand.
Just listening to the words within it made people feel very uncomfortable.
To Madoka, she was a classmate who had transferred less than a month ago, but to Homura Akemi, she was the only light in this constantly repeating time.
Saving the other person was her initial intention, but now it had become her sole goal, preventing her from getting completely lost in this labyrinth.
The girl's tearful confession moved everyone with a God's-eye view even more.
"This is a confession, right?"
Kousaka Kirino chuckled.
It could be said that the current Madoka didn't understand as deeply as everyone else.
Although it was a bit sad, for some reason, she was also happy. For CP fans, the moment when hearts can be revealed is probably the most anticipated, right?
Thus, Homura Akemi ultimately embarked on this path of no return. But what awaited her was still helpless failure.
Facing the powerful Witch Night, the weaponry she used could only cause ineffective damage.
And this time, she finally wanted to give up.
Because starting over would only increase karma again, her actions would ultimately lead to only one outcome…
The despair-laden filth had gradually blackened her soul gem.
"That's enough, Homura."
At the last moment, the white moonlight in her heart appeared.
The gentle Madoka spoke, her face slightly flushed.
She had made her decision.
Make a wish, become a magical girl!
Homura Akemi found herself back in this familiar scene, her mind in a daze.
She hadn't been able to change the fact that Madoka became a magical girl, so was this truly the end?
This ridiculous ending!
Were all these reincarnations ultimately useless?
…
However, for the readers, this was precisely the long-awaited scene.
From the first volume to this final one, the accumulation of despair grew thicker and thicker; it was time for a rebound, wasn't it?
In everyone's minds, the plots written by the Old Thief occasionally had 'some' controversy, tormenting them to the point of pain, but at such a critical moment, the Old Thief surely knew what readers wanted to see.
Therefore, the turning point for this 'depressing' story to become 'healing' had arrived.
As mentioned before, due to Homura Akemi's continuous reincarnations, Madoka had accumulated an incredibly vast amount of karma, so much so that even Kyubey couldn't imagine its magnitude.
It only knew that if it could be collected, the metrics they needed would be entirely sufficient.
But precisely because of such karma, Madoka could use it to make a wish that would normally be impossible to achieve.
Homura Akemi, relying on her ordinary karma, was able to become a Time Traveler.
After learning all of this, Madoka also understood all the key points.
So, this time, she would stake everything to turn the tide!
"Believe in me, Homura!"
After comforting Homura Akemi, Madoka turned to face Kyubey.
"You, who contain the fate of countless worlds and have become a singularity of karma, can fulfill even the greatest wish, can't you?"
Kyubey remained composed.
"Really?"
"Then, Kaname Madoka, what is your wish, in exchange for your soul?"
In its view, the girl was just another human sacrificing herself for the universe.
"I…"
Madoka took a deep breath and took a small step forward.
"I want to eliminate all Witches before they are born, all universes, past, future, and all Witches, by my own hands…"
Yes, this was the correct answer she had found after much deliberation.
"If this prayer, if this prayer is realized…"
Kyubey's expression changed for the first time, and even its tone became hurried.
It seemed to have overplayed its hand!