NOVEL NEXT Chapter 134
The time of the trial’s descent was upon us.
As black and red energies slowly began to gather in the sky, my companions gathered around me.
I exchanged glances with the Magical Girls who had come together.
Hana, in her yellow dress, scattered the energy of a small meteor.
Ichika brushed aside her green hair, fluttering atop her silver outfit.
“Hikari-chan! It looks like the sky has cracked!”
“Yeah, it seems so.”
“Huh, thinking about fighting those sticky ones makes me tired.”
Sumire, her limbs replaced with silver prosthetics wrapped in a lavender kimono, stood nearby.
Himari, her golden hair and eyes sparkling, donned a pristine white nurse’s uniform.
“Hikari-chan, it’s an honor to stand on the same battlefield.”
“Thank you, Sumire.”
“It seems I’ll have to take care of the delusional patients who are cloaked in the remains of the doomed world.”
Then Hecate and Yuki approached from behind me.
“This time, I will fight.”
“Yeah, I’ll fight in a way that won’t bring shame to anyone.”
I couldn’t help but smile; I felt so reassured.
With these companions, it felt like we could overcome any trial or world.
I wasn’t afraid of clumsy gods or the will of the stars.
‘Mother.’
I want to show you.
They are such reliable teammates.
They reached out to me beyond the stories of novels.
[Red atmosphere confirmed! The third trial is beginning!]
Gooooo—
Suddenly, the atmosphere changed.
The sky turned crimson.
Due to the ominous shift in the air, countless birds took flight from the surrounding coniferous forest, fleeing, and the middle of Siberia, which hadn’t seen a single bug until now, was filled with an unsettling stillness.
‘Now begins the curse of the goddess.’
Due to the trial, the barrier separating the will of the stars and the surface world weakened, allowing the Throne of Nihility to intervene. The three goddesses would twist and disrupt the principles of the world with their curse.
By casting a small curse, they would chain events to entirely obliterate their opponent—a method of the goddesses that was incredibly lethal.
“Everyone, beware of the goddess’s curse…”
Just as I was about to warn everyone once more.
Kuoooon—!!
A massive wave.
The ground shook, and the air quaked.
Even with most of the birds and bugs already fled the battlefield, at the impact of the great wave, everything except for the Magical Girls vanished.
From a massive crack estimated to be hundreds of meters wide, black and red energies surged and were spitting out huge structures. It looked like a colossal pillar or like slabs carved from gray stone.
‘Is it a construct of the [Plague] Magical Girl, like the war monument of Animus?!’
Thousands of identical structures were engulfed in golden-hued black starlight and were launched with an enormous sound, rising into the sky. The thousands of stone fragments swirling around a girl wrapped in black starlight.
Black dress.
Black crown.
Four black stars.
The [Plague] Magical Girl had transformed into a 4-Star Magical Girl cloaked in divinity.
The ominous energy emanated from her as she floated majestically in the sky, gazing down at us. From the crack opened behind her, fake Magical Girls were gradually emerging.
Thousands of stone fragments.
Thousands of fake Magical Girls.
I couldn’t even imagine what they were planning.
“[Plague]?!”
“My name is Erebus, the Magical Girl of [Greed].”
“…Erebus.”
“I am here to seize the gods and consume the world.”
“…What?”
God.
Goddess.
The three goddesses.
It seemed the [Greed] Magical Girl intended to attack the gods before humans.
‘Erebus was planning to attack the three goddesses. Even if incorporated into the trial due to the goddess’s curse, there’s no particular fondness… Rather, only hostility remains.’
Yet Erebus did not display any distinct hostility towards humanity either. The desire emanating from the thousands of pale, fake Magical Girls behind her was clear. They still wanted to steal this world, surpassing their own flaws.
Erebus chose a third path.
The will of the stars.
‘Seize the gods.’
In an instant, several images flashed in my mind.
Thousands of steps leading up to the Throne of Nihility where the utterly despairing Yuki climbed in the story’s climax. The three goddesses, unable to withstand the void, had escaped into the will of the stars after annihilating humanity, leaving behind fragments of the world.
The thousands of stone fragments floating around Erebus clearly resembled staircases.
“Are you planning to head to the Throne of Nihility with the help of the will of the stars?”
“……”
Erebus merely raised her pale arms to the sky with a sly smile. However, that action was a clearer answer than any words.
Guuuuuuu—!!!
From the crack, a wave resonated once again, unleashing golden starlight that poured over the thousands of stone fragments. No longer mere sad gray stones, they transformed into steps of desolation infused with chaos and the power of the stars.
“Leader!! What is that woman trying to do?!”
Ichika, sensing that something was going wrong, shouted urgently, and around her, Hana, Sumire, and Himari were also silently filled with unease.
“She’s trying to create a path leading to the Throne of Nihility, which only appears when humanity is completely annihilated after the last trial. She intends to absorb the three goddesses who spread curses there.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?!”
“Only if that thing isn’t hostile towards humanity.”
“Then that’s really bad!!”
“We have to stop her.”
“Got it!! Sato, let’s go!!”
“Okay! Hikari-chan, be careful!”
“Be careful too, Hana-chan!”
Paaah
Thousands of yellow meteors sprang forth in an instant, while a colossal green giant stomped forward, charging at Ichika and Hana, as thousands of unbloomed fake Magical Girls rushed toward them.
Because they hadn’t realized their true power in the ruined world, individual strength was painfully small and weak. But the jealousy and greed emanating from thousands of starlight were enough to seize the steps of the two blooming Magical Girls.
“Whoa?! There are so many?!”
“Ugh!! Don’t get in my way!!”
Thousands of weak starlights poured down.
Psychic.
Blink.
Basic magic spells that I had used more than anyone in this crumbling world.
Fragments of power far inferior to the brilliantly shining unique skills.
[We… we wanted to shine like that too!!]
[If only there were someone to show us how to shine!!]
[I’ll take it all!!]
[This world was originally ours!!]
The elegant golden girl stood in front of the thousands of rushing Magical Girls. With each step she took, she gracefully pulled out a golden chainsaw, igniting its engine.
Weeeeng—!
Weeeeng—!
“Truly, there are some delusions lurking here.”
Weeeeng—!
Weeeeng—!
“There are many who haven’t bloomed in the cheerleading team, but at least they sought out things they could do on their own.”
Weeeeng—!
Weeeeng—!
“The miracle that began with the [Start] Magical Girl has changed us. I acknowledge that.”
Finally, the unbeatable unique weapon of the Nursing Magical Girl was up and running.
Weeeeeeeng—!!
Gahuuuh—!!
“But the dreams of the Magical Girls who found their own paths in this changed world were achieved entirely through their own will.”
Himari, aside from the apostles and the girls of Elysion, held the greatest fate along with Sato Hana, blooming it splendidly.
Among the seeds I merely scattered, in a place no one could have imagined, golden flowers bloomed alongside Sato Hana.
“This world is not yours. Disappear.”
Chaarrr—!!
The hundreds of surgical tools that rose around Himari resonated with the will of the cheerleading team Magical Girls who had saved countless lives, exploding forth.
“I’m glad I could save people!”
“I’m glad I joined the cheerleading team.”
“It’s hard, but rewarding.”
The purest hearts of the girls who shone brilliantly.
The devotion to caring for others.
The blooming 3-Star [Nursing] Magical Girl represented the will of the thousands of cheerleading team members who had come here.
Amidst the golden energy resonating from the golden saw blades, Smire, wielding Nagikata and Katana in both hands, joined in, scattering lavender energy.
“Poor things, living locked in memories that aren’t even theirs. If that’s the life you must live, then I shall take that resentment for you.”
The massive starlight emitted by the four blooming Magical Girls shone brilliantly, piercing through the jealousy and greed cast by thousands of unblemished Magical Girls.
Yellow meteors fell, the green giant rampaged, and golden saw blades spun in the battlefield, while lavender violets poured down like blades.
“Yuki, Hecate!”
“Yeah!”
“Understood.”
Leaving the squad of blooming Magical Girls facing the fake ones behind, we charged towards Erebus, who was extending into space towards the Throne of Nihility.