Infinite Journey: Dark Souls

“The difference is huge. This means that there is Homura Akemi who ‘wished to gain new power because she did not want to forget Madoka’, and there is Homura Akemi who ‘accidentally brought out the curse that Madoka was carrying.’ You are not the only one.”

The waves of braided hair continued to roll, but they couldn't compare to the turbulent waves that Ash Flame's words stirred in Ribbon Flame's heart.

"This! Could it be that demon?!"

"She's probably collecting these things. In the same way we encountered, using you guys who have awakened powers similar to her as bridges, she's traveling to various worlds to collect the curses that Madoka carries. You know, I'm special too, because I witnessed the birth of a demon. So I can guess why she wants to collect these curses."

"Why……"

"Because, her demonic nature only reached the level of being able to imprison the human portion of the Law of Cycles. She is indeed terrifying, able to interfere with everything in the Silver Garden, but only with everything within the garden. Compared to the Law of Cycles, which covers the entire multiverse—and even extends to other unrelated worlds as long as a magical girl leaves this world—she is far from sufficient."

The waves of braided hair carried them to the edge of the wilderness, where the entity of the curse hung high in the sky.

"So, she must have already gone to great lengths just to keep the human portion of the Law of Cycles within the Silver Garden. Judging by her dark circles, the situation is probably even worse. In such a dire situation, she must need something else to control the Cycles. So, what could be more useful than the curses that the Law of Cycles has overlooked?"

"Yes... there really isn't any."

The ribbon flame raised its head at the edge of the wilderness.

She stared directly at the "black sun," responding heavily to Ashflame's rhetorical question.

The "Black Sun" is the physical manifestation of the accumulated curse. Normally, curses, being intangible and formless, shouldn't be called a physical entity, but the curse was so intense that the final despair of countless witches coalesced into the distorted face of the "Black Sun." That face was rejoicing, calling out the name of the newcomer.

"...Xiaoyan...you...you've finally come to see me!"

The voice was distorted and unclear, like a curse, and just listening to it made Ribbon Flame reaffirm her danger.

"In that case, how should we seal this thing?"

"...Xiao Yan...why are you ignoring me?...You...are you going to seal me away?"

"Ah, the solution is quite simple. Since your shield can preserve her until the monster removes the curse, my shield should be able to do the same."

"...Little Flame!...Don't seal me away!...I am...I am...Who am I?"

"In that case, there's only one problem left—how to fit her inside."

"...Who am I?...Who am I?...That's right, I remember now...I am..."

"This is where I need your help."

“...I am...Xiao...Lu...Mei...Mu...Yan...Yuan...!”

At the edge of the wilderness, two Homura Akemis leaped toward the black sun.

The end of a certain period of time for the final act of destiny.

ended.

The Ashen Ones' lives in this world have come to an end—whether it was a mission or a wish.

None of them, including Homura, saw how the braided witch was destroyed.

All they knew was that after the shield opened and sucked in the two Homura Akemis, the witch remained motionless. A considerable amount of time passed, and the entrance opened again, but instead of expelling what had been sucked in, it began absorbing the braids flowing out. The braids, cursed with a curse, were absorbed back, causing the witch to return to her small shield.

Finally, before the shield hit the ground, the two Homura Akemis, much more disheveled than when they entered, returned to this world.

Ashflame caught the shield that was about to fall into the ruins. The slash marks left on it had spread into huge cracks. Not long after Ashflame caught it, it shattered completely, turning into fragments scattered all over the ground. And after Ribbonflame took one last look at it, Ashflame also collected it into her own shield.

Now, all the Ash onlookers knew the problem was solved, and they cheered as they rushed towards their former captain. Warm hugs and enthusiastic tossing were showered upon Ashflame. They celebrated their victory and their reunion with their former captain. The boisterous atmosphere completely masked the desolation of the city center ruins.

ended.

The problems that plagued the magical girl—whether giant monsters or dangerous invaders—were all resolved.

Asami, supporting the weakened Kyoko, watched with a smile as the Ashes celebrated their joyous revelry.

Unable to resist the lively atmosphere, Ribbon Flame squeezed out as well. Several magical girls gathered in this way. It was quite strange that they, who should have been overjoyed at the end of the battle, weren't the most boisterous group. But in the current atmosphere, no one cared about that anymore.

The lively celebration continued, and the festive Onion Knight even brewed an elemental soup on the spot, distributing it like wine to everyone as a celebratory drink. The celebration thus transformed into a banquet, with cups of elemental soup clinking together, splashing out golden hues of joy. Oak and Patch, naturally not wanting to be left out, were also invited in, along with the sand and magical girls.

The cheers and laughter dispelled the miasma that shrouded the city.

ended.

The world's catastrophe has ended.

————————————————————————————————————————

It was several days later that the citizens in the stadium were able to return to the city streets.

While expressing their dismay at the various signs of battle on the streets, they also began rebuilding their homes, spreading rumors about the inside story of the disaster. Apart from the person in charge of disaster relief, that fat-headed guy, probably no one noticed that the Ashen Ones who had maintained order in the stadium during the disaster had all disappeared overnight.

That's normal. In a normal circular world, all that's needed is for magical girls to maintain the balance.

However, only two magical girls remain in this city.

Asami and Kyoko actively participated in the reconstruction of Mitakihara. In the gaps of their fulfilling and peaceful lives, they would occasionally recall the great chaos that had occurred not long ago. They also pondered what kind of alternative lives their magical girl colleagues, who had left this world, were now living.

Yes, Ribbon Flame eventually left this world.

But instead of going to Lordran with the Ashes, she went with the Ashflame to other timelines covered by rings.

Homura Akemi's team has grown again, with Ribbon Homura, who is missing an arm, officially joining Homura Ash's squad, and they begin to fight for their shared ideals. It remains to be seen how many more different versions of themselves they will encounter on their journey to fight the demons and save Madoka.

Surprisingly, the trio of Onion Knight, Oak, and Patch caught up with Ashflame and the others again.

According to Patch, he had no intention of returning to Lordran because he could find more treasures in worlds different from Lordran. As for Davos Seaworth, he did want to return to Lordran to fulfill his promise. However, he couldn't resist Patch's persuasion and inexplicably embarked on another journey through the Ringworld with the Oaks.

As Ash's objective, Sand couldn't just wander off like the other three. She was brought back to Lordran by Ash and, as a key figure in the Survey Corps' next conquest mission, participated in yet another thrilling battle alongside them.

Of course, what happened after Ash returned to Lordran is another story, which we will leave aside for now.

The mere fact that citizens discovered some green fungi in the ruins during the city's reconstruction, and the goblins that hatched from these fungi, is enough to make the world lively again.

When Xiao Da saw the news report about goblins, he excitedly told his parents that he had seen these green sprites.

Ever since the little guy was brought back by the ashes, he has been telling his parents about his amazing experiences along the way. At first, Kaname's parents simply listened to what their little guy was sharing as innocent childish talk, but after seeing the report in front of them, they didn't know whether they should believe all of Tatsuya's experiences.

In short, that's how it is. After the ashes left, the world changed as always.

What will the future hold for this place?

PS: Yunxi: 744486102 Yes, this volume has come to an end, and this book will also come to a temporary conclusion.

PS1: As mentioned before, the author will be preparing a new book in about a week. As for this book, I may fill in the gaps later.

PS2: An announcement will be made in the book review section when the new book is released. Please give it your support.

PS3: Well then, everyone, see you in the next book!