Toyokawa Shoko doesn't want to become a witch

“I know you’re curious about what this means, so I’ll explain it to you now.” She paused and continued, “I’ve mentioned before that our universe is made up of world lines, right? There’s only one timeline, and all the cycles repeat endlessly on that one timeline, just like a Möbius strip.”

"Yes...that's how it is."

"But when did we start receiving messages from 'other world lines'?"

“In my memory, Yan’s memories are all about that cassette tape,” Xiangzi said. “Yan said that her memories were given to her by something attached to the cassette tape.”

"In other words, Homura Akemi did indeed receive information about the new world, which is the B world we are in now, in World Line A, the world line where witches exist, right?"

"Ah."

"That should be impossible, because only one world line can exist at a time. When A switches to B, A will disappear."

“But the items and memories were indeed delivered, albeit through a transit station.” Xiangzi shrugged. “And the cassette tape hadn’t appeared by the time we reached the other side.”

“This transit station was born because of the lamp,” Del pointed to Xiangzi, “but ultimately, it is the power that transcends cause and effect that gave her, the power that was born because of you.”

"If we use it to return to World Line A, which should no longer exist, and change the future of World Line A to a new ending that is neither a cycle nor World Line B, then... what will happen in the future is beyond our imagination."

Del put his hands together in prayer position.

"The possibility of going beyond the Möbius strip is infinite."

"Xiangzi, you have truly created a power that can create miracles."

"Although I only vaguely understood it," Xiangzi sighed softly, "I roughly grasped that the key to this plan lies in whether it can change me at that time."

“Xiao Xiang has the ability to change the future… No, maybe everyone has this ability.” Chu Hua walked to Del’s side and raised the super causality in her hand. “But only Xiao Xiang can lead everyone to change this world, so I want Xiao Xiang to cheer up again… I’ve succeeded once, and I’m sure I can do it again.”

"For the past two years, I've been regretting what I said back then. If I had said something different, would Xiao Xiang have..." Chu Hua gripped the Super Cause and Effect tightly again. "So, I must go back and finish this task. Even if Xiao Xiang tries to stop me, I will fight to the end."

"To send someone back in time and change who I was back then..." Xiangzi lowered his eyes knowingly, "Is that your plan?"

"Such a naive wish, even though we both know it's an insurmountable obstacle, no matter how many times we try, the outcome is always the same, yet you just wishfully think that going back and using words to cheer me up will change the future..." Xiangzi clenched his fist. "You know perfectly well that the possibility of doing so is almost nonexistent, and even if you go back, you might not be able to return, and nobody knows what will happen in the end..."

As Xiangzi spoke, the air grew increasingly oppressive, until finally, the suffocating atmosphere threatened to engulf Chuhua—

"But I believe in you."

Xiangzi raised his head, a gentle smile appearing on his lips, his voice becoming clear and bright, like the sky after the rain when the dark clouds have dispersed.

“I believe you can do it, just as you have always believed in me.”

She raised her fist.

"If that miracle leading to the future truly exists, then it should be something we all do together. So, go back to the past, do what you want to do, and give that pathetic version of yourself a punch."

The Tale of Transcendence: Stars and Us: Chapter 830 Our Future

"If that miracle leading to the future truly exists, then it should be something we all accomplish together."

Xiangzi clenched her fists, as if the person in front of her was the very self she despised.

"So, go back in time, do what you want to do, and punch that useless version of yourself from the past."

Chu Hua was stunned for about a second after hearing Xiangzi's words.

Immediately, she realized what Xiangzi had just said, her eyes slowly widened, and a little starlight lit up in her eyes, growing brighter and brighter.

"Xiao Xiang... are you telling the truth?"

"Do I need to repeat myself?" Xiangzi scratched his face. "...I feel kind of embarrassed."

Chu Hua shook her head violently.

"I understand now, but... I can't quite believe that Xiao Xiang would actually let go."

“I can be flexible too.” Xiangzi smiled. “Since you’ve already made up your mind to try, there’s no need for me to do anything else.”

She sighed softly.

"But promise me, you must come back."

“That’s hard to guarantee,” Del said from the side. “Leaving aside the prototype MKI, I also have a simplified MKII on me that can help Chu Hua cross timelines. But even the improved MKII, as you know, is very unreliable.”

"Furthermore, we don't know what will happen to our B world line after the world line changes."

"I will try my best." Chu Hua lowered her head.

“It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter even if you don’t come back.” Xiangzi shook his head. “No matter where you are, at the ends of the earth, in other worlds, at the end of time, I will find you.”

"Then, it's settled."

"Yes, it's a promise." Xiangzi stepped forward, extending his little finger. "Pinky promise."

"Pinky promise." Chu Hua hooked her little finger on it. "We made a promise."

Xiangzi released his grip and took a few steps back. Chu Hua opened his palm, revealing the super-causality to everyone, his expression gradually becoming serious as he turned to look at Del.

"Del, what do I need to do?"

"Wait a moment." Del put the long, thin object aside, reached into the Soul Gem and rummaged around for a while, finally pulling out something the size of a briefcase and throwing it on the ground.

She stomped on the briefcase.

The mechanism inside unfolded, enveloping her entire body and turning her into a fully metallic iron man—of course, that's impossible; the briefcase simply transformed into something the size of a telephone booth and resembling one in appearance.

"The MKII-slim balances portability and performance, retains all the functions of the MKII, and can be driven externally using Hypercausality." She patted the phone booth—MKII—and said with great pride, "It is a product that embodies my hard work and is the ultimate masterpiece of time-jumping machines."

"But it's never actually been run?" Xiangzi tilted his head.

"Uh... well, there's no transcendence of causality after all." Del awkwardly tugged at the corner of his mouth. "It's not bad that we've managed to do this much."

"I knew it." Xiangzi rolled his eyes. "No matter how much you brag, it'll all be the same in the end."

"Can't you watch your mouth a little..." Del pouted, opened the door of the phone booth—MKII—and gestured for her to go first, "Ladies, please go first."

Chu Hua walked over, patted Del's head, and then went into the phone booth.

Goodbye, Xiao Xiang. If I really don't come back, you must come and pick me up.

"I promise," Xiangzi nodded.

But then she blinked.

"Wait, please go first?" Xiangzi noticed the odd wording on Del's part. "You're coming along too? Is this what you told me was your purpose for returning here?"

"Ah." Del scratched his head belatedly. "Oh, I forgot to tell you earlier, I'm going back with you too."

"why?"

“Same reason as you.” Del scratched his fluffy hair and smiled awkwardly at Xiangzi. “I also want to slap my past self and tell it what else I can do.”

She picked up the long, narrow object from her back, threw it into the phone booth, and asked Chu Hua to hold it for her.

“I told you I wouldn’t hurt you.” She turned to look at Xiangzi. “But even with that thought in mind, I still did many things that couldn’t be undone. Now that I have a chance to make amends, of course I have to try.”

Del had said this to Xiangzi more than once.

But Xiangzi's impression of her was deeply ingrained; he had never listened to her seriously before, not even now.

"You've made up your mind too."

“Of course.” Del patted his chest. “Determination, that’s a precious treasure that only humans possess, and now I have it too. And didn’t you say that if there’s a miracle, it’s the result of everyone’s joint efforts? I also want to contribute to that miracle.”

She paused, then blinked.

“Of course, you don’t need to worry about the technology,” Del said with a smile. “Before we moved to the other side, I left everything that might come in handy in the future, including the complete plan. Remember to make good use of them when you return.”

Del gripped the doorknob of the phone booth, then suddenly seemed to remember something.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing." "Well, there's something I've been wanting to tell you."

Del and Xiangzi spoke at the same time.

“Then you go first.”

"..."

"You two have quite a good understanding," Chu Hua said with a soft laugh, covering her mouth.

“Alright, I’ll go first.” Xiangzi shrugged and looked up at Del. “…Although I hated you before, I’m really grateful for your help during this time, De…”

"You actually called me by my name." Del grinned foolishly. "This is the first time you've called me by my name."

"..." Xiangzi blushed and turned his head away. "If you have anything else to say, say it quickly."

"Well...maybe we shouldn't say anything." After chuckling foolishly, Del looked regretful. "I...I'm afraid you'll get angry."

"I'll give you three seconds to rephrase your words."

"Ah, I'll tell you, I'll tell you," Del said, raising his hands. "I'll tell you, really..."

She took a deep breath and organized her thoughts.

"I lied about my wish." She gently bit her lip. "My wish wasn't to become human, but... to bring supercausality back to this world. I thought... with supercausality, I could help you, but my causality itself wasn't enough, which is why it ended up in... such a chaotic situation."

Xiangzi often blames herself for causing the war, but in reality, the one who truly brought the supercausality into the B-timeline that shouldn't have existed was her. This is also something that Del has always wanted to say, but dared not say.

“If…you hate me even more because of this,” Del closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, bracing himself for the scolding, “then I deserve it.”

However, Xiangzi's reaction was not as furious or angry as Del had imagined.

“Actually, I knew it a long time ago,” Xiangzi said calmly. “I guessed it a long time ago.”

"Then why did you-"

"Why don't you say it?" Xiangzi said. "Incubators don't lie; they only conceal crucial information, but you have lied."

Xiangzi shrugged, spread his hands, and gave a helpless smile.

"Congratulations, you have truly become a human being."

"......"

Del lowered her head, gripping the doorknob so tightly that the veins bulged slightly. She bit her lip hard, as if she was enduring something.

"......"

"......"

After a few seconds, Del's patience finally reached its limit.

“Wow—!”

Del's tears flowed like water from a pump; she gripped the doorknob, her whole body trembling so much that she could barely speak.

"I...I've always wanted to hear you say that!"

"I don't care about anyone else, but you're the only one I want to hear you say that to me!" She sniffed hard and shouted at Xiangzi, "Thank you—to hear you say that to me at the end of my life, I have no regrets!"

After saying that, before Xiangzi could react, she slammed the phone booth door shut and started the machine.

"Hey—! What do you mean by the end of life! Wait a minute!" Only then did Xiangzi belatedly realize what was happening and start running towards the phone booth.

Just as she was about to touch the doorknob of the phone booth, a super-causal, bright light shone from the top of the phone booth.

Xiangzi missed his target.

=============================

Inside the crater created by the violent impact, lay one person and sat another. Both had shoulder-length blonde hair, one with gold eyes and the other with purple eyes, and they looked exactly alike.

It was very quiet around them; there was no one else there.

Xiangzi gave Chuhua enough space to say goodbye to another version of herself.

"Doloris, what if one day I make the same wrong choice as you..." Chu Hua raised her head, looking up at the cloudless blue sky, "Will another Chu Hua come and wake me up?"

“If that’s the case… then she’ll have to come even earlier.” Dolores gazed at the sky, her pupils slowly dilating.

“Doloris—” Chu Hua turned her head, as if she wanted to say something. But all she saw was a pair of unfocused, diffused eyes. She raised her hand and placed it over Doloris’s eyes. “Goodnight, my other self.”

Doloris's body began to gradually dissipate into scattered magic.

Just at this time--

A flash of white light appeared, and a telephone booth suddenly appeared in front of Chu Hua. After the white light dissipated, the telephone booth landed steadily in front of Chu Hua.

Immediately afterwards, the door was pushed open by the cold-blooded man.

"Eh?"

Chu Hua stared wide-eyed at the person who walked out of the phone booth.

First, there was a short, cute little white-haired, red-eyed ball of fur carrying a long, narrow object on its back. It looked a bit like Xiangzi, but it was different from Xiangzi. In addition, it had a very familiar feel to it.