If you could have another life, and could make a wish to determine your starting point, how would you choose?
“Is that even a question?
Obviously, it would be to be immortal, possess enough power to change the world, and become a warrior of love and justice to enjoy my youth.”
…
Until, upon becoming a creature that was entirely white with red eyes, resembling both a cat and a rabbit, this original transmigrator looked at his reflection in a puddle and shut himself away for half an hour.
“Why did I transmigrate into Kyubey???”
He recognized what kind of creature his current body was, and precisely because of that, his mental state collapsed.
“Having the power to change the world and being immortal are correct, but does that piece of trash as a ‘warrior of love and justice’ deserve it?”
Kyubey didn’t care that it was now a Kyubey, but precisely because it knew, it had to curse even more.
As a mature adult, Kyubey calmed down after venting its emotions and observed the surrounding environment.
It was sunset, and the surrounding area was packed with skyscrapers.
The office workers and students passing by didn’t react at all to the Kyubey standing on the steps.
“This shouldn’t be Mitakihara, right?”
Kyubey tried to sense other ‘Kyubeys,’ but just like a phone with no internet connection, it couldn’t feel anything.
The prosperity of this city didn’t look like the Mitakihara from the Madoka Magica timeline; it looked more like Tokyo in 2020.
“Forget it, at least I don’t have to worry about being killed by that crazy woman Akemi Homura.
If I die again now, will I really be dead?”
Unfortunately, there was no way to verify this idea; he didn’t want to use his second chance at life to test it.
Staying here forever wasn’t a solution.
Kyubey left the steps and tried to move its body.
So light!
Accustomed to being human, after Kyubey got down on all fours, its running speed was something even real cats couldn’t keep up with, and its agility exceeded its expectations.
It easily jumped over a wall several meters high and arrived at an overpass to watch the setting sun.
“What amazing speed and agility.”
After experiencing Kyubey’s speed firsthand, Kyubey could better understand what kind of monsters those Magical Girls were.
Kyubey’s lack of combat power was only relative to true supernatural groups.
Its speed was far faster than those speed-limited cars; with this speed, not to mention combat, self-preservation shouldn’t be a problem.
And ordinary people couldn’t see it anyway.
“What exactly am I supposed to do after coming to this world?
Create Magical Girls?”
“No way, what’s the difference between me doing that and that piece of trash Kyubey?”
“I should see if there are any desperate girls instead.”
As for those girls who were already living well, let them continue living happily.
There certainly was no shortage of girls in the world who had been driven to desperation.
Helping those desperate girls fulfill their wishes could be considered doing a good deed.
…
“Dad, pull yourself together!”
Inside a dilapidated apartment, a girl with light blue hair and golden eyes looked at the disheveled middle-aged man who had passed out drunk on the floor again and nudged him.
She worked three jobs every day for the sake of this family and had tried her best.
Why did her dad still drink heavily every day, and why did she have to go to the police station every day just to bring him home?
“Leave me alone…”
The disheveled man had already passed out cold.
Seeing this, she could only tidy up the scattered trash in the apartment as she always did.
“Is that a cat?”
After Sakiko finished taking out the trash, she inadvertently saw a creature that was entirely white, its pair of red eyes staring right at her.
“Do cats look like that?
Why does it feel like it’s watching me?”
“It must just be an illusion.”
Sakiko just assumed she was so tired that she was hallucinating.
After all, she had to go to school every day, work part-time after school, and still take care of her father when she got back.
After a quick wash, Sakiko finally had some time of her own.
Looking at a series of messages on her phone from Nagasaki Soyo, she tossed the phone onto the table, appearing indifferent.
She turned around, ready to sleep.
When did the window open?
A cool breeze blew, and Sakiko turned back to look at the window, wanting to close it.
After seeing the white animal squatting outside on the window ledge, her movements stopped.
“Is it the animal from before?
How did it open the window?” Sakiko was certain that what she saw downstairs wasn’t an illusion, but she still felt puzzled.
Kyubey’s appearance was indeed pleasing, fitting the definition of a cute creature for most girls.
“My name is Kyubey.
Make a contract with me and become a Magical Girl!”
It spoke?
And what is a Magical Girl?
Is it those little girls in children’s shows shouting cute slogans?
“This isn’t someone’s prank, is it?”
“Of course not?
I truly exist.”
Kyubey jumped toward Sakiko, and after she caught it, she stroked its body.
So soft, with absolutely no mechanical texture, and the fluidity of its speech wasn’t something a mechanical product could achieve.
“You have the qualifications to become a Magical Girl.
I can grant you one wish, and that will count as signing the contract.”
Kyubey said, while enjoying the girl’s embrace.
Sakiko started to believe it a little, because Kyubey didn’t look like a species that could be born in the real world, but she didn’t believe there was such a thing as a free lunch in this world.
“Then, what is the cost?”
“I don’t believe there’s such a good thing in this world as getting a wish granted without paying a price.
You must be gaining something, right?”
Sakiko was no longer the soft, naive girl she used to be.
“A price does indeed need to be paid, but I cannot gain any benefits from it.”
“After becoming a Magical Girl, you will never be able to return to the life of an ordinary person.
You must face those man-eating monsters hiding in the shadows.”
“Wait!”
Sakiko heard this and felt puzzled: “Are you talking about the rumored Ghouls?
Aren’t there CCG to deal with those monsters?”
Along the way, Kyubey had not only encountered Ghouls but also a type of monster that had only recently appeared.
Fortunately, they couldn’t see Kyubey at all, but this also helped Kyubey find a new goal.
“What if the creatures that established that department are Ghouls themselves?”
“What?” Sakiko opened her mouth slightly, processing this secret hidden in the darkness.
“Do, do you have any proof?”
“You are a very smart girl.
Why don’t you think carefully about why, after all these years, Ghoul extermination campaigns have been launched time and time again, yet Ghoul cannibalism incidents haven’t decreased?”
Yes, even gangs should have been wiped out after being targeted by several major operations, yet Ghouls hadn’t decreased.
“So, making me a Magical Girl is just to fight Ghouls?” Sakiko still didn’t believe that was the only reason.
“That’s just a side effect.
As for why, it’s simply because I prefer girls like you.”
Kyubey answered truthfully; this was also its current thought.
“The cost is certainly not just that.
Most importantly, after becoming a Magical Girl, your soul gem will gradually become tainted.
When the soul gem is completely tainted, the Magical Girl will turn into a Witch and endanger the world.”
“And before that moment arrives, the only solution I can offer is release.”
After Kyubey said this, Sakiko was visibly furious.
She threw Kyubey toward the window:
“Sure enough, there is no such thing as power and wishes obtained for nothing.
What is the difference between becoming this kind of Magical Girl and someone with a terminal illness?
Don’t let me see you again!”
Kyubey landed safely and just watched quietly as Sakiko vented her emotions.
“However, having said that…”
After Sakiko calmed down, she didn’t drive Kyubey away, but held onto a thought:
“If I become a Magical Girl, could my mom come back to life?
Could my dad come home, and could our wonderful life from the past return, right?”
“That depends on your potential.
Potential is a complicated thing to explain, but in short, the higher your potential, the greater the wishes you can realize and the stronger you will be as a Magical Girl.”
Kyubey explained the settings it knew.
“It can actually bring people back to life?”
Sakiko felt a surge of hope upon hearing this, but hesitated when she thought of the price.
But she really wanted her mom to come back.
If that happened, none of this would have happened, she wouldn’t have quit the band, and she could go back to the way things were…
“Think about it carefully.
Just call me when you’ve decided.”
“Wait!”
Seeing Kyubey jump away, she went to the window, but Kyubey had already disappeared.
“Should I become a Magical Girl?”