Inside the witch's barrier, Madoka cried out helplessly, her voice trembling as the strange musical world around her twisted and pulsed.
Kyoko Sakura stood protectively in front of her.
The enemy in front of them… was Sayaka.
Or rather, the witch Sayaka had become.
The tension in the air was suffocating.
From her apartment, Saya sat frozen, hands clenched tightly in her lap. She had been waiting for this episode ever since Haruki warned her, "The story of love and magic… truly begins now." Knowing him, she expected heartbreak, but watching it unfold in real time was another matter entirely.
Onscreen, Kyoko fought bravely but was quickly overwhelmed. The witch's attacks tore through the barrier, and Kyoko was flung hard against the wall. Her breathing was heavy, her energy fading fast.
Still, she pulled herself up and glared at the monster that used to be her friend.
The witch turned toward Madoka.
Kyoko's voice cracked.
"Damn it… move…"
But she couldn't stand anymore. The pain, both physical and emotional, was too much.
Just then, purple light flashed.
Homura Akemi arrived.
She moved swiftly, lifting Madoka into her arms and escaping the witch's attack. Her timing, as always, was impeccable.
Kyoko stared at them, her eyes filled with relief and regret.
This was the moment.
"Go," Kyoko said quietly. "Just protect what matters to you."
Homura paused. Kyoko didn't look at her.
"I'll take care of things here."
Homura's gaze lingered on her, but she nodded. She carried Madoka away.
And Kyoko stood alone.
The scene grew quiet. No background music. Just the eerie sounds of the barrier humming softly.
Kyoko removed her Soul Gem from her weapon and held it in her palms like she was praying. She looked down at it for a long moment, then slowly raised it to her lips and kissed it gently.
From beneath her, a giant lance formed, lifting her high into the air.
Wind whipped through her hair. Her eyes were clear now. Not just determined, but... at peace.
"It's lonely, isn't it… being alone?"
The witch hovered below her.
"Alright. I'll go with you."
"Sayaka."
The music returned. Soft, mournful strings rising slowly.
Then:
Impact.
A blinding explosion.
Kyoko's self-destruction took the witch with her.
Light swallowed the screen. Then darkness.
Saori sat frozen, her heart caught in her throat. Her chest ached. Her whole body felt heavy.
She hadn't realized it, but she'd been holding her breath.
The ending theme began, with no dialogue or preview, just a black screen with white text:
"Kyoko Sakura: Eliminated."
The fan forums exploded.
"FUCK. That hurt. Even though I saw it coming."
"Kyoko... you idiot. You went out like that for Sayaka?"
"This show isn't playing around. Every week hits harder than the last."
Saya scrolled through dozens of comments as her phone buzzed nonstop.
In terms of views, the early lead had already been taken by Madoka Magica. With this episode, the gap would only widen, and ratings would spike again. Into the Abyss had been highly anticipated this year, but Haruki had released 5cm/s and now Madoka Magica. That meant Into the Abyss might end up in third place, and the thought made her anxious. She had believed his niche genre wouldn't be able to hold its ground, but she had clearly underestimated Haruki's influence.
How was she supposed to follow this?
Meanwhile...
Haruki stared at his screen, unmoving.
He'd known what was coming, of course. He had written it. But watching Kyoko's final scene again after all this time still tore through him.
He picked up his phone and opened Line.
One unread message.
It was from Ryuko.
"I hate you. I hate you so much.
But also... thank you."
Haruki smiled faintly.
He closed the app and leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.
Yeah.
This was the story he wanted to tell.
"Hey, what's happening? Why is my feed filled with Madoka Magica? What happened in the show? I don't really follow magical girl shows, I don't like the art style."
"You should watch it. I didn't like the art style either, but the story is peak, man."
"I had doubts about Madoka Magica. Would I like it? But it's become my favorite anime of the year. No one can convince me otherwise."
"I think after this, people will doubt Mizushiro less. He's made four anime, and not one is mid. Everything he touches turns to gold."
"I honestly thought this might be his first flop. Who even watches magical girl shows? Sometimes it's infuriating he has such talent as a mangaka, and he always chooses less popular genres."
...
"Do you think Into the Abyss still has a chance? Could it really take the title for best winter anime?"
"It's too soon to say. Madoka Episode 9 just aired yesterday, but the emotional impact had the entire net crying. That scene with Kyoko and Sayaka—it was brutal. Add in the production quality and pacing… no wonder the rating on AnimeOn jumped from 9.1 to 9.3 in just one day. Still, if this momentum keeps up and the rest doesn't crash and burn, it has a strong chance of becoming season No. 1. For anime of the year it's harder to say. 5cm/s is still standing strong. But Madoka Magica has done something new for its genre. 5cm/s is the clear winner for best romance and animation though. There's nothing comparable in visuals this year. That new art style is so soothing, I could stare at each scene forever."
"Still, 5 Centimeters per Second and The Voice of a Distant Star were shorts. They weren't that influential."
"I agree Madoka Magica should be anime of the year, but you can't just dismiss 5cm/s and Voice of a Distant Star because they're short. The production value sets them apart from the rest."
"What gets me is how long it's been since someone like Haruki showed up in the anime scene. The industry's been stuck in a formulaic rut. Even fans are tired of it. I hate the streaming services pushing generic shows while unique ones don't get attention and stop being made. Mizushiro is reviving less popular genres and doing something great. I'll support all his work, because no one else is experimenting. They're just repeating stories."
"If this keeps up, Madoka's average might break the 10 million mark. That would make three shows this year where Haruki is both screenwriter and investor, all breaking 10 million views. Even the old-school titans of the industry, the ones who haven't released anything in years, would be hard-pressed to match that."
"Alright, I'll admit it. I used to think 5 Centimeters just got lucky. It aired in a weak spring season with no major competition. But after Madoka? I've got nothing left to say. Mizushiro has turned a faded-out genre into the most talked-about anime in a season packed with powerhouse titles."
Shout out to BigDuckDonald for joining my p-atreon! your support means everything to me.
(TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-a-t-r-e-o-n.com/Alioth23 for 60+ advanced chapters)