After turning a few corners, Kousaka Kirino finally saw a familiar light novel store.
Because the bookstores around her home were quite outdated, they would usually only purchase a small quantity of a work after it had been popular for some time, completely just going through the motions.
When she entered, she found that the bookstore was already about to close. If she turned back now, the next bookstore would probably be ten minutes away, so she tried to negotiate.
Fortunately, the owner allowed it and also recommended a few works to her.
Unable to refuse his hospitality, Kousaka Kirino had no choice but to buy two or three of them.
She didn't read many light novels, but besides personal preferences, she was capable of a certain degree of appreciation.
For example, puella magi madoka magica really surprised her. The seemingly conventional beginning actually aligned with the subsequent plot. Reading the two volumes consecutively deepened this feeling, and coupled with the indiscriminate plot twists, it was indeed a very good work, regardless of whether it was a magical girl theme or not.
After looking at the opening plots of several light novels, she made her decision.
"fantasy demon blade chronicles and silver season? As expected, it's these two works."
The owner was not surprised by her choice, as these were the two best-selling works recently.
Sales equal strength, and the degree of everyone's liking.
After paying, Kousaka Kirino did not linger and returned home immediately. She put down her other books and focused first on puella magi madoka magica.
…
Sayaka's conflict with Sakura Kyoko was interrupted by Homura Akemi's appearance.
grief seed, soul gem—one setting after another was introduced, allowing readers to understand the true plight faced by so-called magical girls.
In order to not have to spare witches and to defeat Sakura Kyoko, under Kyubey's guidance, Sayaka embarked on the path of collecting grief seeds.
But Kyubey did not inform her of a very important issue, which was…
What would happen once a soul gem was completely tainted?
Later, from the conversation between Homura Akemi and Sakura Kyoko, readers also learned about the future existence of the Witch Night.
It was probably a final boss-like entity, which was not hard to understand. What everyone was focusing on now was the change in relationships between these magical girls.
Their entangled relationships, due to their respective stances, made mutual understanding difficult. Even though Madoka was sincere, a rift undoubtedly appeared between her and Sayaka.
After a smooth plot description, a plot twist immediately followed.
Sakura Kyoko provoked Sayaka again, and the two engaged in a fierce battle. The others also arrived one by one. In the chaos, Madoka accidentally knocked Sayaka's soul gem onto a car passing under the bridge.
As a result, Sayaka soon fell lifelessly onto her shoulder.
Then, Kyubey revealed a shocking fact.
"Even if your heart is pierced and all your blood is drained, as long as you repair your body with magic, you can move again immediately. As long as your soul gem is intact, you are invincible… Isn't this more advantageous for combat than a human body full of weaknesses?"
It turned out that the moment they made their wish, they were already 'dead'; their physical bodies were nothing but empty shells!
Their true selves had become soul gems, and they could not be more than 100 meters away from them.
This revelation made Madoka instantly collapse.
"You're always like this, always the same reaction after we tell you the truth…"
Sakura Kyoko was even more furious.
This made her feel deceived.
As humans, they naturally wished their bodies were normal, not like zombies.
Homura Akemi retrieved the soul gem, and Sayaka returned to her bewildered state. Compared to Kyubey's snarky remarks just now, it was an immense irony.
Kousaka Kirino , who was reading, was equally furious.
"…"
"That's really too much! This Kyubey, this scoundrel! You really are the worst! I had a premonition about this before! Mami was too indifferent when she died earlier, as if she had no emotions. There must be something wrong…"
This once again validated the two statements made by Mami Tomoe and Homura Akemi.
"Being a magical girl is not a good job."
"Once you become a magical girl, there is no hope of salvation. That contract is an exchange for your only hope, abandoning everything else."
It all matched up again.
Many previous conversations, and Homura Akemi's attitude, were now confirmed.
Moreover, from Homura Akemi's performance just now, she clearly knew these secrets and had been hunting Kyubey from the beginning. Her identity became even more thought-provoking.
"I finally understand Homura Akemi's reason for killing this scoundrel. She already knew this scoundrel was the mastermind…! But what can be done? They have already signed the contract, and even if they know this, besides indignation, there seems to be nothing they can do, right? Kyubey seems to be unkillable, right?"
After her anger, the girl was then filled with worry.
The magical girls' future was truly uncertain.
If the story continues like this…
"Could it be a complete annihilation ending?!"
Kousaka Kirino suddenly exclaimed.
If the author wasn't anyone else, but that Old Thief.
She already knew the origin of that title, and of course, she understood how ruthless the Old Thief could be; a complete annihilation ending wasn't impossible…
However, even though many died in his debut work, quite a few also survived, so a complete annihilation ending shouldn't happen, right?
Surely some will survive?
With this worry, she continued reading.
After understanding these matters, Sayaka and Sakura Kyoko no longer had any desire to continue fighting. Instead, they returned home and questioned Kyubey.
However, after Kyubey's words, she still fell silent.
If this was the price she had to pay to fulfill her wish, then she was willing to bear it.
Sakura Kyoko, who met Sayaka again, then began to tell her own story—a very sad story.
Although they didn't admit it verbally, the hostility between the two had gradually faded.
But for Sayaka, such a price was still too great; a mere empty shell of a body prevented her from genuinely facing the person she loved.
The girl's heart was broken.
It wasn't just Sayaka's heart that was broken, but also the readers'.
The atmosphere from the beginning of the third volume to this point was simply too sad and too powerless.
Sympathy for Sayaka, Sakura Kyoko, and the other magical girls immediately took center stage.