Chapter 587
Page 587
Is this considered a magical girl in Volume 4? Chapter 94: Love, World, and Magical Girl
It all started thousands of years ago, when a black plague, a stubborn disease, spread and took root in people's hearts, like a deeply buried seed, nourished by the greed and malice in people's hearts, until it sprouted and blossomed into a flower.
People in the past were once swallowed by this despair and darkness, swallowing the evil they themselves had sown, witnessing how the fruit of wisdom brought destruction and calamity that wiped out everything.
However, was this a chance misfortune that occurred thousands of years ago, or an inevitability that has existed since the birth of desire itself?
Eccentric people represent both desire and regret in people's hearts.
To satisfy insatiable greed and to unleash the malice they cannot suppress, people nurture these desires, shaping them into their own ugly mental constructs.
People have always thought so.
But it seems there's more to it than that.
Beautiful creations also emerged from these strange individuals, embodying human wishes and dreams, and radiating a dazzling light capable of achieving miracles.
Some people refer to desire as wish.
Before regret arises, it is because of the yearning for happiness.
Ugliness and beauty—human beings are inherently contradictory yet beautiful creations with two sides to each other.
From the embers of that catastrophe that once wiped out everything, wings for people to embrace happiness were also born.
Magic, miracles, dreams.
With this incredible power, it seems that any ideal world can be realized, an unimaginable utopia without suffering and darkness becomes within reach because of the existence of magic.
Where the world goes next depends solely on the choices made by those who hold the key and the wings.
Thousands of years ago, alchemists and kings were ultimately overwhelmed and destroyed by their own greed and desires.
The four Philosopher's Stones, which were meant to bring miracles and hope, ultimately became the source of evil that brought thousands of years of suffering.
Four girls sacrificed for a ritual, people who died from the monster disease, the destruction brought by the monster, and magical girls burdened with the destiny of battle.
All the misfortunes are now beyond explanation.
If we cannot avert all misfortune, if we cannot resolve all regrets, if we cannot resurrect all departed souls.
What should replace it?
What kind of magic can truly reclaim those colors that have been forever dimmed and lost?
"magic?"
In a soft, unblemished, pure white light, Kirishima Ai repeated Haibara's words in a daze.
Now, for some reason, she felt inexplicably relaxed, and looking at Haibara-sensei, she felt an incredible sense of peace.
But... what does the magic that makes the world bloom with flowers mean?
"Literally, it is a beautiful and interesting magic. It does not require all the magic in the world to cast, but only four Demon King Crystals as a medium."
Haibara spoke with unusual gentleness and patience.
Although his tone and expression remained somewhat cold and indifferent, they were no longer as icy and chilling as when he was the Overlord.
"Huh? Only four Demon King Crystals are needed? Then why didn't you activate this spell from the beginning, teacher...?"
Ai Kirishima, like a confused kitten, stroked the side of her neck in bewilderment, speaking her mind as always and asking questions when she didn't understand.
Since you only need four Demon King Crystals to activate it, why pretend to do something bad and fight them?
Upon hearing this, Haibara gave a helpless look, gazing at Kirishima Ai with pity—
"Of course, as I just said, the tyrant's obsession within the Demon King's Crystal has not been purified. If it is not cleaned up using the correct methods, it will erupt again, bringing about a disaster like that of thousands of years ago."
"Incidentally, I also can't smoothly cast the magic I want."
"Your reading comprehension is still as bad as ever, Kirishima-kun."
Even now, Haibara still can't understand why Kirishima Ai, who does quite well in all other subjects, only gets such terrible grades in her Japanese literature class.
This has led her to sigh with emotion now.
A faint blush rose on Kirishima Ai's cheeks. Her gaze flickered for a moment before she decided to change the subject.
"So... so really, it's this problem again. You never actually thought about casting a spell to resurrect everyone, you just wanted to cast this next spell from the very beginning, right? I'm absolutely right."
After all, it's hard to imagine that Haibara-sensei would want to do something so outrageous.
This time, Haibara didn't deny it like she had before when she was in charge of the fight. Instead, she nodded naturally and smiled gently.
"Unfortunately, I don't have such lofty ambitions."
"Even if the Overlord once sincerely longed to resurrect everyone, to me, the happiness of everyone is too far away."
She did not have the same enormous and greedy desires as Lilith.
Even though there are many regrets in the world, she can naturally accept this reality.
Therefore, when she recalls the sins and responsibilities she committed as a tyrant, and when she holds this power and miracle that is enough to change the world, even she has to think carefully.
How should we conclude this story, which is the miraculous fruit born from the misfortunes and regrets of the 19th century?
"Therefore, it doesn't involve any complicated, grand, or lofty ideals; it's just a small, good thing."
"Come and see this final magic with me, shall we, Kirishima-kun?"
Although there seems to be still a lot I don't understand.
However, when the woman reached out her hand, she also extended her hand, and finally, together they held the Demon King's Crystals and slowly gathered them in their palms.
These crystals were the beginning of everything.
It is both an unfortunate bitter fruit and a symbol of a miracle.
They nourish suffering, but also bring hope.
They come from desire, and they also come from wishes.
It is the scars left by all the ugly past, and all the longing and hope for a better future.
But for Lilith, these crystals contain countless voices from the past, and traces left by the unfortunate deceased.
What exactly does that mean?
Suddenly, Ai Kirishima felt an incomparably warm sensation in her hands, not just the temperature of a woman's hands, but a warmth of light that brought peace to her heart.
She saw her and Haibara's hands illuminated by light, a light so brilliant and vibrant, so clear and pure, more varied and incredible than any color she had ever seen, yet she felt no trace of grime or filth.
Unlike the pure white of the Primal Crystal, which is untouched by human desires.
She could see the hearts of many people, and the hopes and desires of many people, in this dazzling light.
This seems to be the image of the human heart, the light that shines forth from people's desires.
It's incredible.
She was so captivated by the beautiful light that she lingered there, momentarily lost in thought.
Then, the world of the heart, which was originally only filled with white light, faded away, and the light of the miracle conceived by people's wishes was also born in reality, filling the two intersecting worlds outside the heart.
For a moment, the world seemed to stand still from the chaos and gloom. Everyone was drawn to the light and subconsciously looked up, their eyes reflecting the indescribably beautiful scene.
The gloomy world seemed to suddenly regain its color. The incredibly deep and dense gloom that had previously obscured both worlds was now dispelled by this light, just as the long night was about to end and the dawn was rising from the end of the night.
Yes, everyone saw it.
Every corner of the world, even those obscured by heavy ruins, even those whose eyes had once lost their sight, were illuminated in this instant, allowing them to gaze at the boundless sky.
Everyone in the world finds that their souls seem to have been cleansed a little by this light, becoming calm and peaceful.
The scars that should have remained forever have healed.
The illness that had plagued the body for countless years seemed to vanish in an instant, and the body, tormented by the disease, was freed from its heavy shackles.
One miracle after another occurred.
The magical girls who were fighting, some of whom were covered in wounds and bleeding profusely, all their wounds were healed by the abundant magical power after being bathed in this warm light.
They were all incredulous, unable to understand what was going on, yet their hearts were overflowing with an instinctive happiness.
It sounds like... the sound and feeling of crystallization?
The same radiance also emanates from their crystals.
Then, they discovered that the strange people in front of them were shrinking and disappearing in large numbers, but they did not all disappear. Instead, from the remaining beautiful crystals, a tender and delicate flower bloomed.
The strange man turned into... a flower.
It seems there's no need to continue fighting.
Just as the story came to an end, a fairy tale came to a carefree close. In the world where people live, one after another bright flower bloomed, turning the originally gloomy world into a colorful and dreamlike place.
The world blossoms like a flower, and its fragrance drifts on the gentle breeze to every distant place.
Just like a witch from the past, who traveled to every place.
Wherever she went, miracles bloomed everywhere. Rain irrigated the parched earth, and the barren wasteland blossomed with seas of flowers. Polluted swamps and rivers became clear again, and people's souls were cleansed, and sometimes their disputes ceased.
Birds with pure white wings flew in flocks towards the distant horizon, chasing the rising dawn.
In the vast universe, countless stars twinkle and shimmer, like tears about to fall, carrying people's wishes and longings.
Thousands of years later, in today's world, all desires and misfortunes seem to have been conceived and blossomed into this beautiful picture at this moment, becoming a miracle that seems eternal in an instant.
All the strange diseases in the world, and not just strange diseases, but at this very moment, all the misfortunes in the world that can still be averted, are saved by miracles.
A magical girl from R'lyeh realized that someone had cast an unimaginable spell.
It cured diseases, injuries, and disabilities.
Misfortune blossomed into flowers.
—A miracle called "Flowers, Birds, Wind, and Moon".
Although it only concerns this moment, misfortune may happen again in the future, and people may have new desires and evil thoughts afterward.
But what people see now is a miracle, light, and hope.
"The weirdo... has turned into light?"
A magical girl noticed something even more incredible.
Their crystals, and the crystals of the monster, all emitted light, turning into brilliant specks of light that gathered towards the distant horizon, the very center of the fiercest battle between the two worlds.
Countless points of light, as numerous as stars, converged there, making it impossible to understand what else was being done.
The scene shifts back to Ai Kirishima, and naturally, she too sees the points of light. Only she can tell that the sheer number of these points seems excessive, exceeding anyone's expectations.
All she could understand was that these points of light came from all the crystals formed in the two worlds of Earth and R'lyeh.
But what exactly are they?
Once again, she asked because she didn't understand:
"Teacher, what are these?"
Haibara seems to be confirming those points of light.
As she gazed at the lights, she seemed to be searching for something, but she didn't seem to find it. Finally, she gave up and turned to answer Ai Kirishima's question:
"Perhaps... 'soul'?"
If what we'd seen before was already unbelievable enough, then this time Ai Kirishima was completely stunned.
She tilted her head:
"soul?"
All of these?
And this time, Haibara patiently discussed it:
"Deep within the crystals, those voices born from people's regrets contain their longing, memories, and desires."
“In my childhood, long ago, when people I cared about left me, I always wondered if souls really exist? If they do, will those people ever come back?”
"But, just like in a vast sea of flowers, I can't find the one that belongs to Luna."
"Finding fragments of those departed souls is like finding a needle in a haystack."
"Until I became the Overlord, I heard those lost voices again deep within the crystal."
So, they've always been here.