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Sleeping deep within those crystals.

It remains in people's wishes and longing.

Through the miracle of magic, through these crystals, Lilith can retrieve all the souls and regrets she lost or missed in the past.

What Haibara wants to do is actually very simple.

May the Demon King Crystal fulfill the original purpose people hoped for, answer the questionnaire that has been shelved for thousands of years, cure all the strange diseases in the world, and let the souls of girls who have been corrupted into demon kings by desire find peace.

Aside from that, according to her own desires, should she do a little more?

Just like right now.

"These are all the souls that perished in people's regret after the emergence of the strange disease."

"Rather than resurrecting everyone."

"Wouldn't it be better if, decades or centuries later, those who have passed away began a new life with new faces?"

Even if you feel lonely, even if it feels fleeting.

"However, after a long journey, two lonely souls will meet again at some point in time, by fate."

Perhaps a hundred years? A thousand years? Or even further into the future?

But as long as there is a future, anything is possible, which makes people willing to believe in hope.

Lily Chou-Chou Haibara remembers that when she was a child, she and her mother would occasionally discuss terms like "reincarnation".

She sincerely hopes that the soul and reincarnation truly exist.

Otherwise, if there is only nothingness and darkness after death, it would be too lonely and sad.

Therefore, Haibara wanted to make that longing and desire a reality.

These sparks of light from the soul will fall to the earth, blooming into flowers, which will eventually blossom and bear fruit, giving birth to a newborn cry.

"This is the magic I wanted to weave, what do you think?"

"Hmm...it sounds like a fairy tale?"

It sounds unreal.

But it's impossible not to yearn for it.

In short, she didn't dislike this ending; in fact, she liked it very much.

Everything had settled down, yet, in the end, Haibara and Kirishima also saw that among the glimmers of light from those past souls, several phantoms in the light appeared exceptionally clear.

Ai Kirishima was somewhat surprised when she saw their appearance.

She recognized two of the men.

One is Tachibana-san—the Flower Demon King in the form of a human female.

The other is the image of a blonde, red-eyed girl who appeared in the dream created by the Overlord.

There were five figures that appeared in front of Haibara and the others.

It was the origin of everything, the four demon kings, who were the souls of a girl when she was human.

And—the first magical girl, R'lyeh.

Is Volume 4 considered magical girl?: Chapter 95: The Beginning and the End

Before all of this came to an end, Haibara and Kirishima met five special figures.

The story began with these five figures, and it seems it has finally come to an end here.

Four demon kings who brought the end of the world.

And the magical girl who initially fought against them.

They gazed at each other, some looking dazed, some seemingly understanding what Haibara was doing, and others recalling the past and the truth, their expressions complex.

Besides R'lyeh, there are four Demon Lords... or more accurately, the souls of four girls who were sacrificed as offerings in the past, and they are still unsure whether they are Demon Lords or humans.

When they were demon lords, they had no memory of their past as humans, and now that they remember everything, they can't say for sure whether they really committed all the crimes they committed in the past.

In Haibara's view, she truly did not believe that all the misfortunes and sins of the past should be attributed to these girls who were corrupted after the sacrifice.

But it is indeed impossible for me to make a judgment or explain it clearly.

So let's leave everything to hundreds of years from now.

Let them, and all those who suffered in the past, have a chance to start anew.

"I... this is... Lilith?"

Among them, the one who was most bewildered and hesitant was Airu, who thought she would never open her eyes again.

Of all the demon lords, she seems to be the only one who has retained the appearance of a mature woman.

"Hmm, Airu, the nightmare is over."

Haibara said with a light laugh.

The nightmare that tormented the souls of young girls for thousands of years has now come to an end.

The woman, as beautiful as a flower, gradually came to her senses from her daze.

Ai Lulu's eyes swayed, and she tilted her head slightly, as if the happy reality was like a dream, lacking any sense of authenticity.

Moreover, even though it was the happiness of being a real human being that she had once dreamed of, she felt that it wasn't what she wanted most, and thus revealed a complicated expression.

"........."

"What's wrong?" Haibara asked, puzzled.

Will I... ever see you again?

Airulu wore a sorrowful expression.

More than the chance to be human again, she cared about being able to stay by Lilith's side.

This is no different from when he was the Demon King.

For her, happiness had always been Lilith, the only love she had given during her long period of suffering.

The rest are meaningless.

"...Hmm, I might not live that long?"

Haibara looked slightly troubled.

This time, she planned to live an ordinary life as a mortal.

And when I am reborn as a human being again, I don't know how long it will take.

If we meet again in this long span of time, when will it be the next time?

"Then I might as well just die. I don't need reincarnation. I just want you."

Airu remains as extreme and volatile as ever, her opening remarks echoing those of Sakaki Chika, accompanied by a similarly beautiful yet gloomy expression.

Ai Kirishima felt the vortex of this immense pressure.

It seems that R'lyeh was not joking at all.

So, with no other choice, Haibara sighed softly:

"I understand, I understand... Then reincarnate soon and try to meet me again while I'm still young, okay? I'll go look for you too."

It seems like Ai Haibara's youth is almost over.

But it seems that because of this promise, Airu was immediately satisfied.

The woman wore a blissful expression she had never shown even when she was the Demon King—an expression remarkably similar to that of Sakaki Chika.

"Then I believe you."

It seems that the possibility that this was something to say to a child was completely overlooked.

As for Camilla, the bird-type demon king, and Eve, the wind-type demon king, who were initially a bit dazed because they weren't usually very bright, they immediately chimed in after hearing Elulu's statement, "I want to do that too."

Haibara reluctantly agreed, her expression grim.

Ai Kirishima noticed that only the Moon Demon King remained silent.

Even when Haibara looked at the Moon Demon King, the girl, as pure, serene, and beautiful as moonlight, revealed a very gloomy gaze. The resentment in her expression still lingered, and she seemed completely uninterested in everything.

"Looks like I'm not a good fit for the group again, Lily."

Unlike the other girls whose souls, as remnants of the Demon King, have been completely cleansed and restored to purity, the Moon Demon King still harbors an unresolved obsession.

Is it because they still haven't realized they were originally human?

That doesn't seem to be the case.

"I don't need resurrection or reincarnation, I'll just disappear like this."

In response, Haibara asked:

"What's the reason?"

The Moon Demon King's answer was simple.

"I cannot let go of my resentment towards humanity, nor do I expect my ugly soul to continue, and no one in this world needs me."

Of all the girls, only the Moon Demon King was filled with hatred for humanity even before she became a demon king.

She indeed suffered the most inhumane torture and the deepest pain among the four demon kings.

The madness and pain of that time still linger to this day, unforgettable.

The Moon Demon King lowered his eyes and said calmly:

"...And Lily, you probably don't think I deserve to be saved, right?"

"After all, you were the one who hated me the most in the past."

The former Moon Demon King did not even accept the name Lilith gave him.

Even now, she identifies more with herself as the Demon King than with humans.

"I don't know, but perhaps, rather than tormenting yourself endlessly with hatred, I would prefer you to start over and find your own happiness."

"After all, you've already taken revenge on everyone who hurt you, haven't you?"

And now, this resentment has become an obstacle to his path to happiness.

The Moon Demon King remained silent for a long time.

Finally, she whispered:

"Then... if I become a better person again, will you forgive me?"

Haibara answered calmly—

"To forgive you, I have retrieved all the souls that were trapped in misfortune in the past. This is the repayment we made together, and I think it should be enough to answer part of the question. And we can try again in the future, can't we?"

After all, Lilith herself had made some very serious mistakes.

Isn't this what they're trying to repay now?

At this point, it seems that all of the Demon King's questions and contradictions have been answered.

Just as the Moon Demon Queen was about to give her answer, she suddenly felt herself being hugged tightly by someone next to her, causing her to completely lose her mind.

"—Oh my God, Anna, I never dreamed I'd see you again!"

It was the voice of an incredibly excited and thrilled young girl.

She gives the impression of being the most energetic girl in the class, the kind who likes to jump around.

Haibara, Kirishima Ai, and the other Demon Lords all stared in shock at the blonde girl who was hugging the Moon Demon Lord.

———Luluye.

Why would this original magical girl suddenly hug the Moon Demon King, her mortal enemy? And why would she look so excited that she's about to cry?

Is that correct?

Even the Moon Demon King himself seemed completely bewildered.

"Get away from me! What are you doing? And who is Anna?" The Moon Demon King pushed Luluye away with a look of disgust.