Unlimited Ambition

"...You seem a little excited now, Sayaka." I heard Sayaka half-jokingly mention signing a contract with me. I thought to myself: A deal has struck! But I refused aloud.

"Yeah, right. Hahaha... Just take it as a joke. Don't mind it—by the way, what are you going to do next?"

"I transferred there because Mami was in that school, so I could take care of her." I said, then felt a little sad. "So... I'll probably be dropping out soon."

"I see." Sayaka looked slightly disappointed. "So, will you still be living here?"

I nodded: "After all, there are many memories here. So... that's how it is."

"So, can we come here again in the future?" Sayaka, don't you think you're being a little too eager?

"Of course! Even though we're not classmates anymore, we can still be friends," I said.

"—Wright!" At this moment, Xiaoyuan, who had been quietly listening, suddenly called out to me.

"What will become of this city? Will it be ravaged by monsters and witches?"

"As expected, Madoka, you are a very gentle child." I couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke Madoka's head. "Don't worry, I will find a new and suitable candidate as a magical girl as soon as possible to protect this city."

"Is that so?" Madoka forced a smile. Sayaka, standing next to her, almost couldn't resist volunteering herself.

But Sayaka never said those words until the very end. Afterwards, I had the two girls stay at my house for dinner. Although the food was delicious, my forced smile made both girls feel uncomfortable.

And so it went. As dusk fell, the two girls thanked each other and said goodbye before leaving.

"You make it sound so true."

After that, Homura Akemi's faint, emotionless voice suddenly appeared beside me.

I didn't say anything, but silently took out the fourth teacup from the tray and poured her a cup of black tea.

"Speaking of which, black tea doesn't taste good when it gets cold, no matter how much milk or sugar you add. But that's all we can do, since you took so long," I said meaningfully.

Homura Akemi seemed to understand something, but she sat down opposite me without making a sound, picked up the black tea I poured and drank it all in one gulp, then frowned.

Indeed, it tastes awful.

"By the way, I actually put an anesthetic in it," I said.

"..."

"Okay, okay, I was just kidding." I shrugged, indicating my surrender: "Speaking of which, why did you want to kill me? I don't remember ever offending you anywhere."

“I’ll kill you because you deserve to die,” Homura Akemi said simply and directly.

Having endured decades of endless cycles of hell, Homura Akemi has become quite adept at hiding her emotions.

"At least tell me your name, okay?"

"Akatsuki Homura".

"Oh...is this your real name?"

"..."

"Alright, alright, I'm not one of your devils. I won't cast a curse on you after I get your real name. You can rest assured about that."

"...You think I'm a monster?" Homura Akemi said, frowning.

"If she possesses such power, she is not a magical girl who has made a contract with me. There is only one explanation for that."

"...Whatever." Homura Akemi didn't seem inclined to argue. She simply sat down opposite me.

"So, what exactly is your purpose in coming here?" I asked.

"..." Homura Akemi paused for a moment: "Don't lay a hand on Madoka Kaname."

"Huh?" I looked at her with a "you're thinking dirty thoughts" expression.

"So what I mean is, don't let you sign a contract with her and make her a magical girl."

"Why?"

"Because I can kill you."

"...Alright, alright, that's quite a convincing argument." I chuckled wryly. "So, I won't recommend Madoka to become a magical girl, okay?"

"No, it means don't sign a contract with her."

Indeed, it's true that even such a textual flaw could be spotted.

"Okay." I pretended to think about it for a while, then nodded and made that promise.

"I hope you remember what you said," Homura Akemi said finally, then stood up and prepared to leave.

"Wait a minute!" I called out to her.

"...Is there anything else?"

"Who exactly are you?" I asked, standing behind her.

"...What does this have to do with you?" Homura Akemi said before suddenly leaving.

Of course we're related, my lovely girl.

I couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Hehe, hehehehe... That's really funny, what a cute girl. Hehehehehehe...

The next day, I stayed in my room all day, sitting comfortably on my fishing platform, not fishing for fish or shrimp, but for girls.

"So, Xiaoyuan, I have something to do today and I need to go home first. Goodbye."

"Huh?! Sayaka, wait a minute—"

However, Sayaka showed no intention of waiting for the round-faced girl: "Goodbye!"

After saying that, Sayaka quickly disappeared from sight.

And so, the doorbell rang.

I walked to the door, then opened it, looking slightly surprised: "Sayaka?"

"Mm." Sayaka nodded, then walked in confidently, took off her shoes, and said directly, "I want to sign a contract with you and become a magical girl!"

Chapter Eleven, though the person was a bit silly.

So it's the blue-haired guy's turn this time, everyone remember to vote!

"Don't joke like that, okay?" I pretended to be a little annoyed. "Not everyone can be a magical girl. You have to be prepared to fight at any time, to be willing to sacrifice yourself in battle—and more importantly, to have a wish that you would want to fulfill even if it means death. Sayaka, I've told you before, don't make this decision on a whim, or you'll definitely regret it later."

"No—no." Seeing my feigned displeasure, Sayaka explained somewhat hastily, "Actually, there's been a problem that's been bothering me for a long time, and it makes me very sad that it can't be solved with the current level of technology. So... I want that miracle."

"Is that so-called problem really worth making such a big sacrifice for you?" I continued to ask.

“…Hmm.” Sayaka thought quietly for a while, then nodded firmly.

"Come in," I said, then turned and closed the door. The sun was already setting, but the room was still dark, as no lights were on.

"Please sit down." Because it was a formal matter, he put on a formal face, and his serious demeanor made Sayaka feel a little nervous.

"Well then, in closing, I'd like to tell you a little more about magical girls."

"Ah."

"Becoming a magical girl not only grants you one wish, but also grants you power far exceeding that of ordinary people. The nature of this power is unpredictable and varies depending on the personality of the girl who signs the contract. It could be a bow and arrow, a spear, a musket, or even other weapons. However, one thing is certain: it is very strong, extremely strong, incomprehensibly strong. So, if you really become a magical girl, please make good use of this power."

“I will.” Sayaka nodded earnestly.

“Hmm. There’s one more thing.” I continued, “There are still some costs to pay for being a magical girl. In order to unleash the magic power within you, I need to extract a part of your soul and create a Soul Gem.”

"...What?! A part of your soul?!" Sayaka was slightly frightened: "This...will something bad happen? Can't we not do this?"

“I’m afraid that won’t work.” I shook my head. “Besides, it’s a good thing, isn’t it? You have to understand that being a magical girl is an extremely dangerous profession. You never know when you might die—and at that time, the Soul Gem will be your only hope.”

"Huh?"

“That’s right, as long as the Soul Gem remains intact, there is hope for the magical girl to be resurrected,” I said.

"So... that's why you were so desperate to get that girl's Soul Gem back before this?" Sayaka asked.

"Yes."

"Resurrection...how does resurrection happen?"

"It takes thousands of years to accumulate magic and finally reshape a body. At the same time, the soul is repaired. After another ritual, it will be completed."

"What?! Thousands of years?!" Sayaka was slightly lost in thought. "Then, in that case... is that kind of world, a strange world where no one knows anyone, really what magical girls want?"

“At least it’s better than dying a tragic death on the battlefield,” I replied. “This is the only thing I can do for them.”

However, seeing Sayaka's expression of disapproval, I said, "If you don't want it, you can certainly refuse. After all, this isn't something you can force."

My statement made Sayaka feel a little embarrassed, since my actions could not be described as harming anyone.

At least on the surface, that seems to be the case.

"Hmm." However, Sayaka wasn't so shy as to give in just because she was embarrassed. So she nodded in the end and said, "Then, let's not form the Soul Gem for now." Then, as if afraid I would be angry, she quickly added, "Of course, I might change my mind in the future. Who knows?"

I nodded, acknowledging Sayaka's words, and then asked Higashi, "So, one last question. What is your wish?"

Sayaka closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled, as if making a final pledge of her conviction: "Kamijo Kyosuke, the boy receiving treatment at Mitakihara Hospital. Please help him recover his health."

"Is it...this one?" I continued, "You might think I'm being nosy, but please allow me to ask: Is he your boyfriend?"

"...Um...it hasn't progressed to that point yet." Sayaka said, a little shyly.

"No! We must get to the bottom of this—if you've made such a huge sacrifice for him, wouldn't it be too tragic to end up with nothing?"

"Huh?" Sayaka was slightly surprised, or perhaps because my words were a bit too blunt, which made Sayaka even more shy.

"Please tell me, did you tell him about this?" I asked.

"You mean, I'm going to become a magical girl for him?"

I nodded.

"How can I say something like this..." Sayaka continued to blush shyly.

I sighed softly: "Then, go tell him to come and sign the contract with me later, okay?"

“But if I do that, wouldn’t it be like I’m using his kindness to extort payment?” Sayaka protested loudly.

“Sayaka.” I sighed softly, then placed my hands on her shoulders. “You need to know that the world isn’t as kind and innocent as you imagine. There are times when you give a lot but get nothing in return. And countless naive girls get scammed and even have their money counted by the scammers.”

"……But……"