Tokyo: Oreimo

On the television screen, Madoka Kaname took a deep breath, placed one hand on her chest, and expressed her wish.

"I want to eliminate all witches before they are even born."

"All the witches of the universe, past and future! I will personally command them!"

As soon as those words were spoken, all the company members in the banquet hall held their breath, and a dazzling light shone from Madoka Kaname's chest.

Then came the surprised voice of Kyubey, the contracted beast and the instigator of all the tragedies of magical girls.

"If this prayer were to come true, it wouldn't just be a matter of interfering with time; it would be a reversal of the law of causality itself."

"Are you really planning to become a god, Xiaoyuan?"

"Gods don't matter. To all those who have fought against witches up to this day, magical girls who once believed in hope, I don't want them to cry. I hope they can keep smiling until the very end."

"I will break and change the rules that obstruct this!"

"This is my prayer, my wish!"

"Come on! Make it happen, incubator!"

"So cool, Xiaoyuan!"

It's unclear who uttered this first, but it was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples.

The banquet hall erupted in chaos.

"Xiao Yuan!" someone shouted, trembling with excitement.

As creators, the characters they create are like vessels for their emotions. Even though they already know the ending, they can't help but speak up for Madoka at this moment.

It's as if doing so could change the future in the animation.

The music reached its climax at this moment; the ethereal aria seemed to come from another world, and every note struck the heart deeply.

Madoka Kaname, now a magical girl, floats in the air, a flower bud blooming from the top of the longbow in her hand, and a cherry-pink light emanates from behind her.

The arrows soared into the sky, unfurling countless rings that wove a magic circle that filled the entire sky beneath the dark clouds.

The scenes on the screen began to shift, countless timelines intertwined, and arrows flew towards each magical girl who was falling into despair.

Madoka Kaname's repeated appearances brought them hope.

Takashiro Ryouno's eyes had already reddened at some point, and she bit her lip tightly, desperately trying to hold back her tears.

"There's no need to resent anyone anymore, no need to curse anyone anymore."

"I will bear the consequences of my actions, so please, believe in yourself until the very end."

The Witch's Night is over, or rather, witches will never exist again.

"Based on the new laws brought about by the small circle, the universe has been restructured."

"Let's witness together the end of Madoka Kaname's existence."

"To fulfill that overly grand prayer, the price paid was an equal amount of curse, that is to say, it brought with it a despair enough to end a universe."

On the television screen, an extremely terrifying monster appeared, shrouding the entire Earth.

"It's alright, my wish is to eliminate all witches."

"If that really happens, then I'll have no reason to despair anymore!"

Watching Madoka Kaname's pink hair stretch across the starry sky, beneath her gorgeous white attire, she drew the longbow that could stretch across the universe.

"I drew this!"

Slightly tipsy, Inoue Rina was so excited she couldn't contain herself.

The original artwork for this ending was truly her work; heaven knows how many times she revised it.

"It's coming to an end. What a wonderful story."

"I feel very fortunate to have been able to participate in the production of this animation."

"How should I put it, 'cured'?"

Madoka Kaname rewrote the rules; she herself became an existence akin to concepts and rules, that is, she became a 'god'.

The Law of Cycles was constructed, rewriting the fate of all magical girls, but at the cost of erasing their existence in the real world.

On the television screen, I saw that, apart from Homura Akemi, all her former companions had completely forgotten about the pink-haired girl.

Ling Nai finally couldn't hold back her tears, which fell in a steady stream, but she stubbornly wiped them away, refusing to let anyone see.

"What?! To end it like this? This is worse than death..."

Unlike seeing the ending on a script draft, the impact of the complete animation is several times stronger.

Forgotten by her former friends, even her own mother doesn't remember ever having such a daughter.

Apart from Homura Akemi and her younger brother Tatsuya, everyone else in the world has forgotten Madoka Kaname's existence.

"Bastard! Bastard!"

In the banquet hall, after Ling Nai started it, many female members burst into tears one after another.

Ryosuke quietly looked at the screen and casually handed a tissue to Ayano next to him.

This guy is crying so hard he's completely lost his composure and just can't stop.

The final episode ended, and the ending theme song began.

There was a few seconds of silence in the banquet hall, and then... thunderous applause erupted.

It was heartfelt applause from the members, an applause that almost lifted the ceiling.

"marvelous...."

"This is a work we all completed together!"

The members chattered amongst themselves, some laughing, some crying, and some laughing and crying at the same time.

Rina Inoue was crying uncontrollably and was being comforted by her colleagues who patted her on the shoulder.

Ritsu Saito put his glasses back on, his eyes were red-rimmed, but he had a smile on his lips.

"We have fulfilled our mission and successfully concluded the mission, President." He turned to look at Ryosuke, his voice slightly hoarse.

This is his first time serving as an animation director, and he has poured all his heart and soul into this animation. Being appointed by the president in front of him is probably the luckiest thing that has happened to him in the past ten years.

For this, he has given the reward he deserves tonight.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica has ended.

Ryosuke raised his glass with one hand, gave him a thumbs-up with the other, and replied with a smile.

"Yes, a perfect ending."

Chapter 173 I was tricked

Puella Magi Madoka Magica has come to an end.

But the banquet had only just begun, and it quickly became lively again, with the atmosphere even more enthusiastic than before.

Some people started singing karaoke, some started playing rock-paper-scissors, and some started going around the room toasting people with their glasses.

The lights in the banquet hall were dimmed, and a karaoke video was projected onto the wall, with the lyrics scrolling by.

Several members crowded around the song selection station, scrambling to flip through the song list, passing the microphone around among them.

Ryosuke had been forced to drink several glasses, and his head started to feel a little dizzy. Every time a glass of wine was handed to him, he wanted to refuse, but seeing the excited faces of his fellow club members, he swallowed the words back.

His fingers, holding the wine glass, were a little numb, and the wine swirled around in the glass, almost spilling several times.

"President! Another drink, please!"

"No, no, I really can't drink anymore..."

Ryosuke gave a wry smile, covering the rim of the cup with his hand. If he kept drinking like this, he might really pass out here.

"That won't do! Today is a victory celebration banquet!"

In the end, it was Phoenix Inu Saori who stepped in to resolve the situation. She reached out from the side and gently pressed the wrist of the club member who was holding the bottle.

"That's enough. Don't forget your club president is still a high school student. Don't get him drunk."

"Eh~ Hououin-san feels sorry for the club president!"

The club members teased her, but Phoenix Saori wasn't annoyed. A slight blush spread across her face, and she simply smiled and waved her hand.

She tapped her fingers lightly twice on the edge of the table and gave the shower a meaningful look.

He immediately understood, took the opportunity to push open the sliding door of the banquet hall, slipped out, and then gently closed the door behind him.

The corridor was much quieter; the noise from the banquet hall was blocked by the wooden door, turning into a muffled background sound.

"We finally managed to sneak out; if we drank any more, we'd embarrass ourselves."

Ryosuke leaned against the beam in the corridor, his head resting against the wood, and let out a long breath.

A night breeze blew by, carrying the steam from the hot springs and the sweet fragrance of osmanthus blossoms, which helped to sober up a bit.

Ureshino River flows quietly in the night, and the lanterns on the opposite bank are reflected on the water, swaying gently with the ripples.

Footsteps sounded behind me, and wooden clogs made a crisp sound as they stepped on the corridor floor.

"It seems I've discovered one of your weaknesses, Shi Yuze."

Ryosuke turned around and saw Phoenix Inu Saori walking over with two cups of tea.

"Here, this will help you sober up."

"Thank you."

He took the teacup; the temperature was just right.

The two sat side by side on the corridor, looking at the Ureshino River in the night.

"If you can't drink, no member will force you."

"Because it's a rare occasion, I didn't want to spoil everyone's fun."

Ryosuke said, a wry smile on his face.

Who knew my body would have such a low alcohol tolerance?