Chapter 17: Before God

Before God

---

The true identity of the Magical Girl of Creation is not revealed in the original anime.

Her appearance was not even apparent in visual books, and everything about her, from her appearance to her purpose, was shrouded in mystery.

If I ever met her—an impossible scenario—there was something I wanted to ask her.

That's a question that every fans of "Magical Girls Kill Each Other" have.　

"Why..."

I said.　

"...you killed Magical Girls?"

To be honest, I wasn't expecting a response.

So mysterious. So great.

She was not someone who could be measured by human values, and it was unclear whether I would even be able to communicate with her.　

But she answered.　

Like singing.

"There is no meaning in the beginning, as there is no meaning in the ending."

"What do you mean?"

"Your world is said to have been born about 13.8 billion years before your time. Whose will caused the Big Bang?

...It's not anyone's will. It's just a phenomenon. It's the same with the end of the world."

Just as light creates shadow, there is no end without a beginning.

To begin means to end.

In other words, these are two sides of the same coin.

It is natural that the creation of the world also marks the end of the world - no, it would be unnatural if they were not a set.　

If we call her the "Magical Girl of Creation" because she created this world.

She is also the end, so she should also be called the "Magical Girl of the End."　

Therefore, she is the Alpha and the Omega.

She is the Genesis.

"You're saying it's just a phenomenon?"

There was no answer.

She coldly looks at me with the perfect features that every doll maker strives for.

Is there emotion in there?

Is there any will?

Has she long ago transcended such concepts?

Suddenly, a small smile appeared on her lips.

There was a tremendous beauty there that could be described as terrifying.

My whole body breaks out in goosebumps and I tense up.　

And...　

"Gyahahahahahahaha!"

The Magical Girl of Creation laughed until her stomach hurt.

Did she just laugh while holding her belly?

My eyes widened.

"Hehehe! What do you think, didn't I sound incredibly god-like just now? That was incredibly god-like right!? 'There is no meaning in the beginning, as there is no meaning in the ending.' -- that's what I said! Hahahaha! That doesn't suit me at all! Who the hell is that?"

"Um, um..."

I'm stunned.

Is this the Magical Girl of Creation?

The biggest mystery in the story, shrouded in a veil of mystery...　

This woman with her mouth wide open and laughing vulgarly?

"Well then, here we go."　

As she said that, I found her on a cushion. Speaking of which, before I knew it, both Genesis and I were in the room.

It's a dirty room littered with manga and discs.

In front of the cushions was an LCD TV. The TV stand housed several game consoles, with a tangled mess of wires running from it.

The room gave the impression of someone who was completely unconcerned about anything other than her hobbies.

"Why don't you sit down?"

She pat the empty cushion next to her.

I sat down timidly.

Next to God...

"I was watching your exploits from above. You're seriously creepy. You're so creepy it's funny."　

Well, I know I'm a bad person.

But it hurts when someone says it to your face.　

"I never thought someone like you would show up. It's because of unexpected things like this that I can't give up on being a God."

"Am I unexpected? Even though you're omniscient and omnipotent?"

"Well, it's no fun knowing everything. I'm just tying myself down so that people like me don't get to spoiled."　

Genesis picked up the remote and turned on the TV. A comedian was performing a stand-up comedy routine.

Seeing this, Genesis burst out laughing. If she knew everything, she wouldn't be able to laugh so carefreely.

"If the world is so interesting to you, why did you try to end it? It's like deliberately destroying your favorite toy."

"I'm tired of something funny."

The stand-up performance gets sharper and more exciting, and just as it reaches its climax, the channel changes.

"But that doesn't give you a reason to actively end it. Is pleasure your hobby?"

"Pleasure? Ah, that's what you mean. I don't have such vulgar hobbies. But when you're done playing with your toys, you normally put them away, right? It's the same thing."

"This room is dirty."

"Shut up!"

Genesis slapped me on the back.

It hurts.

“I said something similar at the beginning, but there wasn’t any deep meaning behind creating the world in the first place. I just did it because I had an idea. If that’s the case, then there doesn’t need to be any deep meaning behind ending it either.

But when I start or create something, it just feels natural to me to have an end in mind."　

...For that reason?

No, that's not even a reason.

"But that doesn’t mean I actively tried to put an end to it, you know? I simply prepared an opportunity for it to end. I’ve permanently set up the route to extinction in the form of demons, and if the world keeps dragging on and getting boring, I'll introduce the “Eighth Person", an activator of destruction. But even that can be avoided if you put in the effort. I just set up the ending when I created it, and the rest is up to you guys to decide on your own initiative. Just like that, that's it.

...Well, your creepiness was so fresh and amusing that I almost regret having to end it."

"I, I see..."

I'm not particularly happy about it...

"I'll find out why you're so creepy.

Mmm, omniscient and omnipotent beam~"

She said, making a circle with her fingers and staring at me through it.

"Beep beep beep beep... Hmm, you must be a reincarnated person from another world."

"Ah, yes."

"What?! This world is an anime?! Wow... so that means I'm just a bunch of lines drawn by an animator... sniff"　

What a meta statement.

I never thought she would realize she was a character in an anime... I guess she's indeed a god-like being in this world.

In fact, I wonder if Genesis in the original anime was aware that she was a character in the anime.

If she is set to be omniscient and omnipotent, it wouldn't be strange if she could perceive even meta-levels.　

When you think about it like that, it's kind of interesting.

What was the staff thinking when they created this character?

"Oh dear. There's no respect for this world at all in you."

"Eh?"　

What a sudden thing.

She crosses her arms and nods to herself as she continues on her own.

"I get that. To you, I, this world, and all those magical girls are just characters in an anime world. Knowing that, and looking down on everything, I can understand why you might think that you can even manipulate the fate of others... that you have the upper hand even over God."

Suddenly, she began to laugh.

It's a creepy, suggestive laugh.

"You're underestimating me..."

It gave me chills.

My brain was sending out danger signals. I felt a primal fear of being eaten.

Have I unwittingly stepped on the tiger's tail?

"But it can't be helped. You don't know about that thing. You are just a child, after all, ufufufu~"

"That thing? ... What do you mean, that thing?"

"Yeah? You want to hear it?"

Genesis was grinning.

Maybe it would be best not to ask, but she had already spoken, and there was no time to stop her.

"Okay, I'll tell you. It might be a bit shocking.

I mean, you believe in past lives, don't you? You believe in them, don't you? You must believe in them. Just say you believe in them! ...You seem to have found your identity in them, and you hold on to them dearly, but have you ever doubted that they're false memories that I implanted in you?"

My world was shaken.

The foothold I had believed to be secure crumbled from its foundation.

It was truly a cataclysm.

False memories, you say...?

The "me" from my previous life never existed in the first place...?

So, I'm just Sumire Tachibana from the start?

If that's the case, then who exactly am I?

"At first, I just wanted to try out some irregular memories. But then, you, not realizing that they were fake memories, thought you were meta-demonizing the others with non-existent knowledge of the original work - it was so hilarious, I couldn't stand it. It was a fascinating spectacle."

"No way-- I--"

The God looks at the shocked me with a grin of amusement.

I was made to understand the position.

She is the God of this world.

I'm just a Sumire.

As I was stunned, I heard a chuckle.

When I saw Genesis, she burst out laughing as if she couldn't contain herself.

Panting, tears in her eyes,...　

"Hahaha! I'm just kidding! You got fooled!"

...and stuck out her tongue.　

"Huh?"

"Because you keep underestimating me. Come on, give me a little more kick, don't just 'Huh?' Ahahahahaha!"　

My reaction must have been very funny for her, as she began laughing again, holding her stomach.

I regained some composure and looked at the god, thinking, "Oh dear, what a God who loves to tell nasty jokes. I wonder why the creator created such a mean God," when suddenly, with a frightening ease, the laughter stopped.

"So, please understand. No matter where you come from...."

There was no expression on her face.

"....Your tiny ego can be blown away easily depending on my mood."

She leans her face in close enough that our noses almost touch.

I stop breathing.

"Do you get it, you stupid kid? Don't get too cocky, dumb bitch. If you underestimate me, I'll kill you, you scum."

A cold sweat began to drip down my face.

The Magical Girl of Creation overwhelmed me with a death-defying gaze. Suddenly, her serious expression crumbled into a grin.

"Just kidding! You look pale!"

The Magical Girl of Creation shook me by the shoulders.

I managed to squeeze out some words.

"...Ah, yeah"

I felt like I had just come out of sleep paralysis. My heart was beating loudly.

"Well, actually, there's no such thing as the original anime you're talking about. The whole thing, including your exploits, is actually an original story, or should I say, a novel published on a novel posting site, Syosetu. Hey, are you all reading the comments section?"

As usual, Genesis waves her hands into thin air, grinning and saying things that completely turn everything upside down, making it hard to tell how serious she is.

There's so much nonsense in what she says that it's confusing to take her seriously. It's probably best to take everything she says with a grain of salt.

"Haha. I didn't call you here to intimidate you like this, Ore-kun. You have some regrets, don't you? I summoned you to make them come true."　

That's right!

"What happened to everyone after I died?"

"Hmm, don't be in such a hurry. I'll show you now."

She picked up the remote and changed the channel, and Koharu and the others appeared on the screen.

"It's the Cloudy Simultaneous Viewing Watch Party. Everyone cheers! Now, prepare my fish!"

Gensis began munching on her sunflower seeds.

I didn't care about the sunflower seeds. I stayed glued to the TV, intent on burning the images of Koharu and the others into my mind.

From the footage, it seemed I had barely survived after losing consciousness thanks to Koharu's "Recovery Magic."

However, Raika and her group arrived, and she had no choice but to end the "Recovery Magic." Then Alice's "Absorption Magic" dealt the final blow.

For a brief moment, everyone was overcome with a bad taste in their mouths and a sense of relief that was akin to fatigue, but the situation changed drastically when they noticed that there were fewer chairs.　

They realized that I wasn't the "Eighth."

The situation was completely chaotic. Koharu, Yuzuki, and Alice were particularly in shock. Nemuri continued to shake me bravely, which only made her look pathetic.

"Haha, ahahahaha! Ahahahahaha! I did it! I did it! It's a success!"

I look at Genesis with a big smile. Genesis's face is twisted and she looks taken aback. I don't care and ask for a high five. She obliges.　

"Yay!"

"Y..Yay..."

I focus on the screen again.　

The first clouding period ended and Roy's turn began.

He explained to the magical girls the excuses, or rather explanations, for my suspicious behavior that I had memorized to Roy, and made them feel guilty. Just as I had planned, everyone's expressions clouded over and they realized their own mistake.

Hahahaha!

See what I mean! The girl you ganged up on and cornered was a brave girl who was working hard for everyone! Did you see that, you bastards?

"Hehe, uhehe."

"You're drooling."

Oops, that's not good.

I wipe my mouth and witness the height of cloudiness.

Koharu remembered her memories with me.

A year ago, I met Koharu by chance.

Thinking that I could use this encounter to cloud her more, I deepened my friendship with her.

Then one day, I fight a demon that I would normally be able to defeat with ease, deliberately putting myself in a difficult position.

I then defeated the demon at the cost of Koharu's memories -- or so she thought, but I actually used "Compensation Magic" to take away Koharu's memories. Koharu lost her memories not as a price to pay, but as a result of the price I paid.

I also set it up so that if she sustained an injury severe enough to cause her to lose consciousness during the killing spree between the magical girls, Koharu's memories would be restored after a time lag.

The reason for the time lag is so that Koharu can experience the "Original Clouding Material" before she regains her memories. If she were to regain her memories at the same time as I collapse, there would only be one clouding. However, if I create stages with a time lag, I can enjoy her clouding twice as much. That was my original intention.

Roy was muttering to himself, "Why now-- ah, I see," probably because he'd only just realized my plan. Too late, Roy.

At this point, what they are doing is not so much clouding the whole picture as it is clouding Koharu specifically.

Everyone's eyes were filled with sympathy for Koharu.

But not yet.

Koharu and I still have a lot of potential.

Koharu's potential is not limited to this. We can aim for even greater heights.

Yes, that's the true identity of the "Eighth Person."

I had clearly explained to Roy the order of events leading up to the reveal of the "Eighth Person." A structure that would be most effective in clouding everyone at once.

And then, at last, Roy revealed the true identity of the "Eighth Person"!

"Woooooooooooooo!!!"　

I stood up quickly and clenched my fists.

It's the best... so perfect...

After Roy's confession, Koharu is stunned and unable to comprehend the situation.

And the moment her dumbfounded expression turned to despair, my excitement reached its peak.

"Beautiful..."

The words came from my heart.

I was able to enjoy the wonderful expressions that rivaled the final scene of the original anime, and I felt such satisfaction that any earthbound spirit would be able to rest in peace a thousand times over.

Ah, Kisaragi Koharu...

You are my masterpiece...

Thank you... thank you...　

I am so grateful that I was born...　

"That's so gross..."

Now I can ignore the rude words of those around me with a heart more tolerant than a bodhisattva.

The situation then became extremely chaotic due to the Nemuri's rebellion.

Nemuri tries to kill Koharu, but Shio helps Koharu escape, while Yuzuki, Alice, and Raika stop Nemuri.

She then helped Koharu escape from the Sousei Dome Tower.

The video then ends.

"--And that's about it. Are you satisfied?"

"Hmm. Ah, I'm satisfied. Now I can go without any regre--"　

Hey, wait!

I don't want to die!

"Um, what's going to happen to me now?"

"Well then, that concludes my service for now. Now then... get out of here and follow the normal route for the dead."

"The normal route of death?"

"Yes☆"　

Nooooooooo!!!　

I bowed deeply to the Magical Girl of Creation and spoke in a fawning, cat-like voice.

"Umm, I have a favor to ask of you, Magical Girl of Creation, in light of your divine tolerance..."

"Oh, you don't have to say it all. I can see everything without you having to say anything. You mean the barrier, right?"

"No!"

I want you to bring me back to life!

"With the barrier now in a state of reduced function, you're worried about the future after you're gone, and you can't die peacefully even if you die... Truly, what an admirable young spirit."

"No! I'm asking you to bring me back to life!"

"I know your true intentions! What self-sacrifice. You entertained me. If you asked me to bring you back to life as thanks, I would have gladly done so, but... you put everyone's worries before your own... I understand! I will repair the barrier in recognition of your kindness!"

"Barriers and all that shit are useless! Compared to me coming back to life, please!"

"Give up. I don't think you're special enough to bring you back to life as a service. I won't."

My consciousness is rapidly fading away.

"Well, don’t worry. I will really repair the barrier. My "Barrier Magic" is incomparable to that used by humans. The human world will be safe for a while.

The truth is, it doesn't matter if the world's destruction happens today or a trillion years from now. I am what I am now, what I was, and what is yet to come. For me, the creation and the end of the world are happening now, have already ended, and will only begin someday."

After hearing that mysterious monologue, my consciousness completely vanished.

---

◇◆◇◆

---

I slowly opened my eyes.　

Wait, I opened my eyes?

Haven't I returned to nothingness?

Or perhaps this is a second reincarnation?

It happened once, it could happen again.

As the focus gradually adjusts, I realize that the face of someone peering at me fills more than half of my field of vision.

Oh, is that my new mother?

Well then, I guess I'll just have to cry.

'Drip'

At that moment, a drop fell down my cheek.

It's not my tears.

The person peering into my face was Koharu.　

"Sumire!"

And I was hugged.

Koharu rests her chin on my shoulder and cries loudly.

What on earth is this...?

While I was confused, six magical girls appeared from the sky.

Everyone's eyes widen in surprise at my survival.

Of course. I'm surprised too. I thought I was dead.

Maybe Koharu did something about it?

Come to think of it, Koharu had put her wish on hold, so that may have been what brought me back to life. From what I recall, it seems like it's not possible to bring humans back to life (though if that were possible, Kaoru would have brought her younger brother back to life).

"Sumire, I'm so sorry! I couldn't believe you! I couldn't understand you!"　

Although I was confused, I played the role of Sumire that was expected of me.

"It's okay. It's in the past."

How about this, is this what you want?

As a thank you for bringing me back to life, I'll give you some extra treats.

"More importantly, I'm sorry for scaring everyone.

And—thank you.”

I rubbed Koharu's back several times to calm her down, and then I stood up. At that moment, Nemuri lunged at me with such force that I nearly fell backwards. I managed to hold on somehow, though.

Nemuri clung tightly to my waist and refused to let go. I had no choice but to leave her there.

Suddenly, my eyes met Raika's.

Raika looked embarrassed and looked away, but then she put her hand to her chest, took a deep breath, and then.

"Sorry!"

She apologized in a clear voice and even got down on her knees.　

Wait!

"It was my fault that you died—no, I killed you. You seem to have somehow returned to life, but that doesn't erase the sin of driving you to this point. Nothing I do can make up for it, but I want to make up for it no matter what."

"Oh, Alice too!"

Alice also joined in.

She didn't actually kneel down, but she bowed deeply.

"It was Alice who killed you! So it's Alice who has to pay!"

Well.

It's all a case of match-fixing, so of course I'm not angry, and since I'm not angry, there's nothing for me to forgive or not.

However, there was no way I could explain the circumstances. Since I couldn't explain it, they had made a huge mistake against me.

So I have to decide my stance too. Will I forgive or not? I need to declare it.

The question is which one has a higher clouding point.

If I choose not to forgive, they will live with guilt for the rest of their lives.

--Is that really true?

It's surprisingly difficult to maintain the same emotions. Let's say I reject them here and cause them psychological damage. But it will only be temporary.

At worst, if they choose to commit suicide as an act of atonement, their guilt will not last long.

It's better to forgive.

That way, they'll probably suffer from the guilt of having driven such a good kid like me into a corner.

It would be better to repair the relationship and continue to be in touch in the future so that I can enjoy new opportunities to cloud things over again.

Well, it's mainly a matter of character.

The "clumsy mysterious character" I aim to be is someone who lets everything go in situations like this.

"It's fine. The result was good. Besides, a world where everyone can live happily is what I was aiming for."　

Raika raised her head. Alice must have been very anxious, as she relaxed and could no longer stand after hearing my response. She fell to her knees. Raika tapped Alice on the shoulder.

Kaoru approaches.

This guy's apologizing too. Well, she did stab me with her sword.

She was about to open her mouth, so I preempted her by saying something.　

"You too, that's fine. I also slashed you with a magic tool before. So we're even."

"Oh, we're even! I stabbed you with my sword! Yeah!"

Well, well, next time she pull out her sword I'll pretend to be overly frightened and cloud her mood, so don't worry too much.

Even though I said I didn't need it, Kaoru apologized. If it makes her feel better, that's fine.

Suddenly, I notice that Yuzuki is not there.

I feel like she was here just a moment ago...

Perhaps seeing the apology followed by forgiveness made her think she didn't deserve to be forgiven, and that's why she disappeared. She seemed really attached to me after all...　

Then, Shio appeared.

With Yuzuki, who was supposed to be gone.

"Let me go! I have no right to meet Sumire--"

"If you don't face her now, you'll regret it for the rest of your life, fufu"　

I don't mind if you regret it for the rest of your life.

I face off against Yuzuki.

She seemed unable to make eye contact with me, and with her face bright red, she would occasionally glance at me.

"Ah, ahh, um, I, I..."

Good luck!

"I, I did terrible things to Sumire... I'm sorry!"　

Finally, she looked me straight in the eye and bowed her head.　

"Although we had many disagreements, I think you were the one who persistently sought dialogue with me more than anyone else. So, thank you, Yuzuhira-san"

Yuzuki looked up, tears welling up in her eyes. They began to spill out.

"Ugh..."

Yuzuki cried out loud.

Hmm. She was supposed to be the next big sister type after Raika, but... well, she must have been really worried.

Well, I think I've finished all the necessary settlements. The remaining salt was harmless until the end, so there's nothing else to settle.

Well, Roy, I managed to wrap everything up perfectly.

There's no room for complaint about this result.

Thinking this, I searched for Roy, but I couldn't find him.

Come to think of it, I feel like he wasn't there from the moment I woke up.

Curious, I asked without saying anything to anyone in particular.

"Where's Roy...?"