"Hey... Sayaka. What kind of place do you think this is?" Yoshino asked with a somewhat complex expression, her back still to Sayaka Miki.
"Here? Isn't this just a Witch's Barrier? If you ask me what kind of place this is, of course, it's a terrible place! Staying here makes me feel completely uncomfortable, even the air I breathe seems to be wrong. Most importantly, the atmosphere here is too oppressive! I feel like if I stay here for too long, I'll go crazy!"
Although Yoshino's behavior was a bit strange, Sayaka Miki answered naturally, even making a disgusted expression. She knew how unpleasant she felt walking here earlier; that feeling of unease and fear made her feel like she was going insane!
"Is... that so? Is it really like that? Then, what kind of person do you think would create a space like this?" Yoshino's body trembled slightly, then she spoke as if nothing had happened.
"Yoshino, are you referring to the Witch? I think that anyone who creates such a terrible place definitely isn't a good person!" Sayaka Miki said, thinking about the things she had seen in the Witch's Barrier before. It felt like the residence of an anti-human, anti-social killer.
"...Sigh~ Even you think so? That's really bad..." Yoshino was silent for a moment, then sighed. She knew Sayaka Miki didn't understand what her question meant. Only Kyubey's eyes flashed with a glimmer of light; it clearly understood what she wanted to express.
"Sayaka... now, first look at what's written above this large door, on the nameplate." Yoshino pointed to the sign on the door and asked Sayaka Miki.
"Hmm? Hmm~ It seems to be... Operating Room? But that's right, there are two signs here, and the other one says... Cemetery?" Sayaka Miki looked at the signs above the door. One glowed green with the words 'Operating Room,' but the other was covered in gray dust, making the words almost invisible unless she looked closely. Upon closer inspection, she vaguely saw the words 'Cemetery' written on it.
"Generally speaking, the nameplate on a door usually indicates what's inside or the name of the person living there, doesn't it?" Yoshino lowered the hand she had placed on the door. She then slightly turned sideways, allowing Sayaka Miki to see half of her face. But Sayaka Miki saw that Yoshino's pupils were not the familiar sky blue, but crimson, just like Kyubey's.
"Do you know? An operating room can save lives or take them. Those who are critically ill can be saved here, and at the same time, they can lose their lives due to untimely rescue. So this place is also considered a cemetery. If I go in, where do you think I'll end up? A hospital that saves lives? Or a cemetery that represents the end of life and death?"
Yoshino's lips suddenly curled into a strange smile, and a cold gust of wind suddenly appeared, fully revealing Yoshino's face to Sayaka Miki. What now appeared before her was a face filled with tyrannical and aggressive eyes, sending shivers down Sayaka Miki's spine from a distance.
She looked exactly like the usual Yoshino, but the feeling she gave off was completely different. This Yoshino made Sayaka Miki feel a bit scared.
"Hmph!" Yoshino looked at the slightly trembling Sayaka Miki with her crimson eyes, chuckled softly, then turned around and pushed open the identical large door before her.
"Wait... wait a minute!" Sayaka Miki, startled by Yoshino's gaze, only reacted after Yoshino had stepped through the door, shouting at her. However, Yoshino ignored Sayaka Miki's call, and the large door slowly closed after Yoshino entered.
"Damn it! What's wrong with Yoshino? Why did she become like this? Was she affected by the Witch's Barrier? No, that shouldn't be; such a powerful Yoshino couldn't possibly be affected by this. But... those eyes really looked terrifying." Thinking of those crimson eyes, Sayaka Miki couldn't help but tremble. That feeling was just like the last time she saw Suzuya Yuriko; that terrifying sensation was really uncomfortable.
"And I was sure I saw those paintings just now, but why did they suddenly disappear? Why did Yoshino say I couldn't accept the story's ending?" She scratched her hair. In just a few minutes, so many questions flooded Sayaka Miki's mind, making her feel dizzy.
"Ah~ forget it! Sayaka Miki, you're just an idiot! Don't think about these brain-teasing things anymore!" She patted her cheeks, unconsciously calling herself an idiot. She hugged Kyubey tightly and looked at the somewhat eerie door before her.
"Yoshino went in, so it's fine if I go in too. With such an amazing Yoshino, Witches or whatever will be easy to deal with." After taking a few deep breaths, Sayaka Miki's expression became resolute. She opened the door before her and walked in.
"!?" Yoshino, who was tailing Mami Tomoe and Madoka Kaname, slightly widened her eyes after receiving news from her clone. She breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that Sayaka Miki was safe.
That clone was released after Yoshino entered the Witch's Barrier. Because the restrictions on clones were much less here, she sent a clone to find Sayaka Miki. However, the 'evil' consciousness entered this clone's body, which caused the clone's eyes to be crimson just now.
Just as Yoshino was about to tell Homura Akemi this news, Yoshinon, who had just reverted to her doll form, suddenly spoke.
"Homura Akemi, your magic should be constantly looping within one month of reincarnation. The reason you stop time is also because the hourglass inside your shield stops, which means, as long as all the sand in your hourglass runs out, you won't be able to stop time anymore, right?"
Looking at Homura Akemi's shield, Yoshinon asked. Homura Akemi relied on this shield through countless reincarnations because her wish to re-experience her encounter with Madoka Kaname granted her the power of time. However, it felt that Homura Akemi's Time Reversion wasn't quite like that; it seemed more like traveling to a normal world.
"Yes, that's right." Although Yoshinon didn't understand why she was asking, Homura Akemi honestly answered her question.
"Oh~ I see, I understand. But now I have a question I don't know if I should ask..." Nodding, Yoshinon pondered for a moment, resting her chin on her hand, then asked: "What if, and I mean *if*. This time we save Mami Tomoe, Sayaka Miki also lives, Madoka Kaname doesn't become a Magical Girl, and we successfully defeat Walpurgisnacht in the end, and the hourglass on your shield runs out by then?"
"Hmm, and then?" Homura Akemi nodded. The hourglass on her shield could probably maintain time for about a month, and her contract with Kyubey to become a Magical Girl also happened after Walpurgisnacht. If Walpurgisnacht was truly eliminated, then the hourglass on her shield should also be gone.
But why was Yoshinon asking this question? Was she implying that without her Time Reversion ability, she would become weaker? That wasn't necessarily true; she had accumulated a wealth of combat experience through countless reincarnations. Coupled with the amount of weaponry inside her shield, Homura Akemi was confident she could deal with those Witches.
"Ya haha~ Because I thought of Sayaka Miki's personality, you know. Sayaka Miki would definitely become a Magical Girl for Kyosuke Kamijo. If she survives and faces you without your Time Reversion ability, she'll definitely be very curious. By then, she should also know the secret of your ability. Hehe~"
Yoshinon laughed, seemingly having thought of something. Given Sayaka Miki's personality, she might actually do something like that.
"When you activate Time Reversion, you completely flip the hourglass on your shield, right? So, when you reach Walpurgisnacht, after Sayaka Miki knows you can't use your Time Reversion ability, would she, out of curiosity, manually help you completely flip the shield?"
"..." After Yoshinon finished speaking, the surroundings suddenly fell silent. Even their footsteps stopped. Yoshino looked at Yoshinon with disbelief. Homura Akemi, on the other hand, thought of the scenario Yoshinon described, and her face slowly darkened, emitting a frightening black aura behind her.
"If something like that really happens, can your Time Reversion ability be activated under someone else's control? If it really activates... does that mean you have to start all over again, Homura Akemi? If such a thing happens, how will you deal with it in the end? What would you do to Sayaka Miki?"
Watching the low pressure around Homura Akemi intensify, Yoshinon's mood improved. This question was actually posed by 'Good.' After learning the secret of Homura Akemi's Time Reversion and considering Sayaka Miki's somewhat scatterbrained personality, this question came to mind. It hadn't been thought of before due to Oriko Mikami's situation, but now it had just come up, making it a good time to ask.
"...Homura." Yoshino, who had finally regained her composure, called out nervously, looking at the gloomy Homura Akemi. If Sayaka Miki really did something like that, it would be like killing her own parents for Homura Akemi. What was Homura Akemi's purpose in so many reincarnations? Wasn't it to save Madoka Kaname? Although she had saved her in the last reincarnation, everyone else had sacrificed themselves except for the two of them. This time, they finally had a Happy End, but before they could even be happy, it was destroyed by Sayaka Miki.
"It's okay, Yoshino. I'm fine, this is just Yoshinon's conjecture. I can still distinguish between things." Looking at Yoshino's nervous expression, Homura Akemi reached out to stop Yoshino, who was about to say something. She took a few deep breaths, calming her somewhat agitated mood. If Yoshino hadn't called her just now, she probably wouldn't have been able to control herself and would have rushed to Sayaka Miki to blast her with a gun! Just to prevent such a thing from happening.
"Our main task now is to prevent Mami Tomoe from having an accident. You know, we're aiming for a Happy End, and we can't let Yoshinon's conjecture make us lose our composure." Homura Akemi said, brushing her long, thigh-length black hair, but in her heart, she was still secretly wondering whether she should save that guy, Sayaka Miki.
At the same time, Sayaka Miki, who was hiding behind a giant donut with Kyubey, suddenly shivered. She felt as if she was being watched by something.
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/SolyuraMT
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"