CHIH 171-180 (Patreon)
Content
CHIH 171-180
Chapter 171: New Game Plan
"Unbeknownst, almost half a year has passed this year..." Glancing at the game store's reviews, flooded with praise, Bronie also breathed a sigh of relief.
Of course, Bronie had long been prepared to encounter negative reviews, but she never expected that such a simple game would still win over countless players.
How should she put it?
Is the music very pleasant?
Is the difficulty curve reasonable?
Or, just as Bronie originally thought, if the game is relaxing enough, it can earn praise from countless players!
"Indeed, sometimes it feels like time flies by quickly~ But being able to witness Bronie's gradual changes makes people feel that this beautiful time could last a bit longer~" Elysia sat next to Bronie, her little hand gently placed on her abdomen.
No, are you a pink elf or a pink succubus?
What is meant by gradual changes is the gradual crumbling of Bronie's little remaining male dignity!
Who knows why Elysia understands so much, she did this and that, making Bronie look like a bunny offered to a devil; Bronie only feels that the little bit of male dignity she has left is now shattered...
But is that shattering painful?
No, what Elysia brings is happiness, beauty, the kind of happiness that fills the whole body and mind!
So what about dignity?
It doesn't matter anymore~
"Alright, Elysia, we have plenty of time together, and recently I've had a burst of inspiration again, wanting to create some new games. Guess what it could be?"
"I guess, it should be a detective game, right?"
"Huh? How did you know!?" Bronie was a little surprised.
"Of course it's from the Plants vs. Zombies game! That big tree, once planted to a certain height, would give out the answer, right? I've played every game Bronie has made carefully! Only then can I truly understand Bronie, right?"
"Yeah, that's right..."
"So, can you tell me about Bronie's hometown? I think you must have other information that you haven't told anyone, right?"
"Well, there's really nothing much to say, it's just like the Night City, but the city where I lived is actually a Bubble World, and it can't even be called a parallel world!"
This is something Bronie doesn't often tell everyone, just saying that she is a traveler in the Sea of Quanta.
After all, the Bubble Worlds in the Sea of Quanta are more like shadows of certain periods of parallel worlds, and most of the things are false and can disappear at any time.
Just like some things in the Sea of Quanta are always in a superposition of existence and non-existence.
"Although technology has achieved self-sufficiency for the entire city, the actual situation is not much different from the Night City. The entire city is covered by a protective shield powered by an Ether Anchor, which looks like a giant cage."
"Then you escaped from that cage?"
"Yes, because I realized that the world might be false, so I had a strong desire to get out. Later, I realized that it was actually the world responding to my wish, or maybe the Sea of Quanta itself responding to my wish?"
"Responding to wishes?"
"Indeed, I only recently discovered that within the Sea of Quanta, collective wishes and individual desires can create special rules within the Bubble Worlds of the Sea of Quanta. Some people can manipulate them, while others may gain new abilities, like external organs capable of performing magic, for instance. I consider myself just slightly more fortunate."
"More fortunate? Why would you say that?"
"Strictly speaking, I'm not a native of that Bubble World; I come from another one. In that Bubble World, energy was scarce, and based on the desires of others for new energy sources, an Ether Anchor was formed. Initially, this core successfully generated new energy, but it also attracted more monster attacks."
"So wishes and miracles come with a price? Is this not really magic then?" Elysia thought magic would be something more romantic, but it seems to lack a certain charm now.
However, Elysia quickly thought of her own abilities.
Bronie mentioned that the power of the Herrscher of Human might be closely related to wishes.
She was also attracted to Bronie's tales of the World of Everlasting Bliss; perhaps there was something similar in Bronie?
"Indeed, it may not be considered magic, but for the civilization in that Bubble World, it was the only hope. I'm not sure about the specifics, but occasionally, I study my own body and have discovered something even more astonishing."
"What?"
"The final fate of the Ether Anchor of that Bubble World merged into my body!"
A crystal formed from wishes melted into Bronie's body!
Elysia was very surprised; her hand moved from her abdomen to her chest.
"No, isn't the Ether Anchor quite large? Where did this thing melt into?"
She shook Bronie's body while Bronie grabbed Elysia's restless hand.
"This is an astonishing discovery I made after studying other Ether Anchors. At the same time, the Ether Anchor also recorded some information from the original Bubble World. I only discovered this later. Perhaps it was my mother's doing. As for how I ended up in another Bubble World, I'm not sure about the specifics."
Hiss-
This mystery behind it was huge!
The mechanisms of the Sea of Quanta, the reasons for the world's destruction, and Bronie's lost homeland.
Although Bronie usually seemed cheerful, she carried an inexplicably heavy burden!
"So what's your wish now? My wish is to become human and then meet more beautiful girls~"
"You're already human, even more adorable and beautiful than anyone else, and as for that wish, go ahead and pursue it! As for my wish, I probably want to meet more people and then find an opportunity to venture into the universe and try out some new challenges?"
"I'll help!" Elysia suddenly said.
Bronie was stunned for a moment.
"I mean, I'll help! You support my dreams, and I'll support yours! Whether it's new challenges or meeting more people, we can achieve it together!"
"Yeah, let's do it together!"
Bronie happily responded to Elysia.
"For the detective game, it's probably that kind where you play as a detective solving cases, like reading a literary work. Before, Hua played Watson and followed Holmes to solve many tough cases."
"Wow, that's impressive!"
"Perhaps there's a bit of artistic license involved, like Watson directly asking the culprit about the modus operandi using Fenghuang Down?"
Hearing Bronie say this, Elysia responded indignantly, "That would ruin the whole point!"
"Sometimes reality is just cruel like that, but games are different. In detective games, although the clues may be more obscure, players can still experience the feeling of being a detective. If they feel they're not good at reasoning, the game can gradually guide them through the investigation as the plot progresses."
"Oh! Miss Detective, solving cases diligently~"
Saying this, Elysia somehow produced a beret and a pipe from somewhere, looking very much the part.
"Yeah, this kind of classic deduction is a bit outdated, so let's add a bit of a modern twist and a theme."
Saying this, Bronie projected a character.
It was a small bear.
However, this bear's left half was cute and white, while its right half was menacing and black.
It gave off a very eerie feeling.
"What is this? It's a bit... how should I put it, unsettling, yes, that's it!"
The sinister smile on the right half of the face gave a chilling feeling.
Although the design was simple, it was reminiscent of Mario's uncle, which made it deeply ingrained in people's minds.
Of course, it was just a black-and-white bear, nothing special.
"Haha~ This kind of dissonance, this slight hint of mockery, gives players a feeling of helplessness while facing it!"
"Aren't you planning to make a traditional detective game?"
Seeing Bronie get into it, Elysia knew Bronie's penchant for the macabre was starting to emerge.
In the corners of many games, such as Elden Ring, Bloodborne, or Getting Over It, lay traces of Bronie's dark humor.
Tragedy often leaves a deeper impression, Bronie said, and sometimes Elysia had to admit that Bronie was right.
While everyone appreciates a happy ending, having some regrets can also leave one feeling down for a long time.
"Hope's Peak Academy, where a group of high school students with special talents kill each other in a closed school, the struggle between hope and despair, the struggle of human nature, the confrontation with nothingness... Well, what else? Let's see how it goes..."
Then Bronie projected one character after another.
For the game, Bronie only planned to make the first two parts; the rest would depend on her mood.
What?
Is Haxxor Bunny finally planning a sequel?
No, Bronie just felt that Danganronpa 2 was the epitome of classics, so she wanted to share it with everyone.
As for the third part, due to mixed reviews and the denial of the previous plot, Bronie seriously doubted the stability of the producer's mental state at the time.
When she comes up with how to rewrite the plot one day, she'll also create more new murder cases and related deduction outlines.
As for whether this seems a bit unethical?
Bronie didn't really care; she could always make an anime out of it for everyone to enjoy.
And also fill in the plot gaps of the first two generations.
As for how to save a world plunged into despair?
That's up to the players to imagine.
Bronie always liked to show the best side of games to everyone.
However, due to limitations in technology and resources, the school setting in the first Danganronpa was a bit crude, and the mini-games were even more disappointing.
But would Bronie be the kind of person to leave such flaws untouched?
Of course not!
"Wow, cute girls! Oh, there are also guys here! Wow, Bronie, how did you come up with this design? It even feels a bit elegant!"
Elysia originally planned to collaborate with Bronie on making the game, but unfortunately, Bronie said if she knew the plot in advance, the game would lose a lot of its fun.
So Elysia could only watch as Bronie began creating character designs.
The tense and exciting school life, sixteen students killing each other, sounded very appealing even just to listen to.
Not to mention Bronie's skill in character design; every detail on each girl was optimized. Although the art style leaned towards the despair theme of Danganronpa, Bronie's unique touch was still evident. For example, some traditional accessories like leg rings were added to represent character personalities. Then Elysia saw a muscular man wearing a sailor uniform.
"What's this?"
"She's called Sakura. She exudes a strong aura of strength, right? Do you remember what I said? Each of these students has a very special talent, almost reaching the ceiling of their age group in the world's background setting."
"So what talent does this... Sakura have?"
"She's a martial artist. The contrast between weakness and strength is very attractive to players. Don't be fooled by her intimidating appearance; she was a very lovely girl in middle school."
Bronie projected the appearance of a young Sakura.
With her white hair, the girl's face was filled with a lively smile, making it hard to imagine she would grow up to be like this.
"Bronie! How could you be so mean!"
This was even more regrettable!
"Haha~ These are all parts of her pursuit of her dreams, wanting to prove herself as the world's strongest! This is part of her, her proud and important soul!"
Elysia, somewhat of a beauty enthusiast, after feeling sorry for a while, turned to Bronie's face for retaliation.
"Change it back! You just can't you show me Sakura's good side and then tear it apart for me to see? Hmm, hmm!"
"What?"
Bronie paused, slowly turning to look at Elysia. She had a bad premonition.
Elysia's fingertips slid slowly over her lips, her tongue lightly licking her lips.
"Tonight, you better set up more silent bunny drones~"
Chapter 172: Despairing High School Students at Hope's Peak Academy
To be honest, no matter how much Bronie calculated, she never expected Elysia to disrupt her game development progress to such an extent.
Her waist is still sore...
No, it wasn't about that or being disturbed during work or making text, but Elysia sitting on her own couch, eating her snacks, and watching her own lewd images on the computer which was distracting.
It was because Bronie often diverted her attention to Elysia, causing the imagined data image to frequently appear in the Genesis system.
Elysia in swimsuits, maid outfits, princess dresses, or even in a school uniform...
Furthermore, the Genesis system used for game development was a sensitive tool that directly translated Bronie's thoughts.
So, if luck wasn't on her side, and all the beautiful girls turned into images of Elysia, it added a lot of work for Bronie.
Besides having to delete those traces, there was also the task of saving the remaining pictures.
There wasn't any other reason; she just felt it was a shame to delete those images.
Wouldn't they be better used as phone wallpapers in the future?
As for the so called side dish? Please, Bronie gets the real thing almost everyday.
Despite some stumbling blocks, Bronie finally managed to complete the game. It included optimized versions of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc and Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair.
Bronie also took the opportunity to adjust the behavior patterns of each character, ensuring that the overall storyline didn't seem chaotic.
Due to character design issues, the first installment had somewhat of a chaotic feel throughout the story, with characters not fully utilizing their talents, leaving a subtle feeling of dissatisfaction.
The second installment solved this problem, making it a masterpiece!
Each character was so memorable, and every death left players deeply affected. Even the murderers evoked sympathy. Their motives weren't selfish acts.
["New game "Danganronpa: Hope's Peak Academy and the Despairing High School Students." In this school where geniuses gather, we hope everyone can find a glimmer of hope in the face of despair and overcome all despair!"]
The game as a whole wasn't large, with the main content focusing on text. However, the gameplay involved reasoning discussions and reenactments of the final murder methods, providing players with a very different experience. Even if players didn't use their brains throughout, just following the plot gave them a sense of solving the mystery themselves.
This guidance provided players with a strong sense of immersion, while the interplay of hope and despair in the story penetrated deeply into the players' hearts.
The first game released utilized the 3D-2D technology, making character modeling more refined, akin to watching an anime.
However, the gameplay mode remained largely unchanged, with players collecting clues in the first-person perspective, but with a bit more performance in the dialogues.
As for performances, Bronie had quite a bit of experience. Whether it was making animations or cutscenes, from zero experience to accumulation, Bronie had put in a lot of effort.
It could be said to be a very interesting interactive animation? Or perhaps a novel with mini-games stuffed into it?
In any case, this could truly be considered a next-generation mystery game, with significant differences from ordinary mystery novels or visual novels.
"All right, if it's about the second game, let's set the release for a week later. Also, send the anime script to the Haxxor Bunny Studio. With this, the Danganronpa series can come to a conclusion."
The subsequent anime scripts covered the events between Danganronpa 1 and Danganronpa 2, as well as between Danganronpa 2 and Danganronpa 3, and finally, the prequel to all the storylines. With three seasons of the anime, players could fully enjoy a world of confrontation between despair and hope, hoping they could discover more hope from it.
Stare—
"So, Bronya, is there something you want to tell me?"
From the release of the game until now, Bronya had been staring at her.
As for Elysia?
Elysia was playing with Aponia and the children.
Aponia couldn't help but want the children to behave, which sounded convenient but was prone to problems. In the past, Aponia often provided seemingly correct "Disciplines", but they often resulted in unexpected consequences. Although Aponia didn't give out too absolute "Disciplines" now, saying "please" so often still had a significant impact on the children.
After Sakura's sister died because of the "Disciplines", it was evident how much influence Aponia's "Disciplines" had.
Aponia used "Disciplines" to strengthen everyone's confidence in fighting against Honkai, so as not to enter a state of despair, but also led to a high level of hostility towards the Herrscher. After Rin was chosen as the Herrscher, she ended up in that state.
It was like countless coincidences forming inevitability.
The threads of fate hanging down from the Cocoon of Finality also had such power.
Elysia understood Bronie's concerns and occasionally helped care for the children alongside Aponia, giving Bronie more freedom to do what she wanted.
But did Bronya have something to say?
When she first entered the office, Bronie asked, and Bronya replied with a switch in her hand, saying she came to take a break.
Bronya put down the game console, her sharp gaze piercing Bronie like a needle.
"Bronya just feels that Bronie's smile is very, very sinister, like Monokuma. What made Bronie design a character like that?"
Well, It seems Bronya had significant objections to the image of Monokuma, especially when she saw Sin's strong liking for the character.
Bronya felt as if Homu couldn't defeat Monokuma.
Bronie understood that feeling—what if the character you loved became outdated one day, and people started making fun of it?
"Monokuma is clearly the antagonist, yet so popular. Is Sin fond of watching this kind of self-destructive drama?"
"Huh? Monokuma is the antagonist?"
Bronya seemed to have just realized.
"What? So, you only judged by appearances? But it does give off an antagonist vibe!"
"No, in 'Adventures of Homu,' even though Mysterious Homu seems like an antagonist, it's just a disguise. Bronya thought... hmm, the game is downloaded!"
Bronya handed Bronie the switch, showing the screen.
Cheerful music played as, before a cute Monokuma, a man was tied to a common school chair.
With a fearful expression, even though his eyes were covered, he conveyed a sense of despair.
Monokuma held a red rubber hammer and pressed a button in front of him, and the man was locked into what looked like a rocket.
He screamed in terror, but there was no sound, only the exaggerated realistic jaw dropping in the growing mouth on the screen.
The silent screams were deafening, and the slamming of the rocket door shut was thought-provoking.
The rocket ignited, ascending through multiple floors, rising into space alongside the sun...
The cabin turned crimson, then fell back to earth in an exaggerated somersault.
The door opened, and a pile of cute bone sprites flowed out, leaving a sense of satisfaction as if after watching a short video or reading jokes.
Wait! Something isn't right!
Someone died at the beginning!
In the most humorous style, the game presented all the ways a person could die to the player!
This indifferent attitude toward life, such a contrasting style, deeply shocked Bronya.
"Oh, and to make it enjoyable for children, the blood in this work has been adjusted to pink. Make sure to enjoy the game's fun~"
After Monokuma executed the first character, the game's title appeared officially, and this entry method brought Bronya a little shock.
"This is the opening method that Bronya has never seen in a game before. How should I put it... Bronie, Bronya is very worried about your mental state. Is it because of Elysia's issue?"
Well, the author who can write a plot like "Danganronpa" indeed has some minor mental issues.
During Bronie's game production process, even when writing text, she made it with an almost devil-may-care attitude.
Animations could indeed make scenes slightly humorous, but that unreal feeling hinted at real scenes for players.
And this association was very real for players.
The reason novels are easy to get popular is because the words bring associations to readers, making it easier for readers to get addicted.
And Bronie achieved the same effect with the execution scenes.
Then the protagonist's inner monologue unfolded, narrating the background of the entire world.
And then—
Unconsciousness.
"How can it be Elysia's problem, Bronya? You should know that different game themes require different styles of presentation to be interesting. And more importantly, this kind of game needs strong immersion, naturally requiring some big reveals to attract players."
"Well, one of the means to attract players is to use some big reveals? Bronya probably understands."
Although it's unclear what Bronya exactly understood, at this point, Bronie only needed to smile, right?
...
"This presentation style is interesting. The scene, which stands up like paper cutting, instantly transforms into 3D modeling, then rendered into 2D mode. It seems that Haxxor Bunny is trying to be unconventional, but wasn't this done in 'Plants vs. Zombies' as well?"
Welt's audience said that Uncle Yang had become a fan of Haxxor Bunny. Whenever Haxxor Bunny made a game, he would download and play it first.
Although he denied it and claimed he was just drawing on it, as players said, Uncle Yang today was so hypocritical.
As soon as the new game came out, Bronie just showed a opening animation, and Welt started broadcasting.
As for the incident where Haxxor Bunny got injured, Einstein and Tesla also inquired about it. The answer they got was an experimental accident that caused some injuries, but the results were very pleasing.
This confused the two scientists, but obviously Bronie didn't want to say anything, so they didn't ask further.
The point was to find a way to solve the Honkai.
As for how much progress they had, Bronie's evaluation was that they were far behind and couldn't catch up.
Tesla exploded in anger back then, but Bronie said the direction from the Sea of Quanta to the Imaginary Space was definitely correct, so how many results did Anti Entropy produced?
A new Titan?
A brand-new floating battleship?
The moonlight throne of the pre-civilization?
But unfortunately, these were not the focus. The focus was the Cocoon of Finality!
Clearly, Bronie had said that the authority of the Herrscher was the shadow cast by the Cocoon of Finality in the real world. If the Imaginary Singularities were active, it might be possible to locate the Cocoon and fundamentally deal with the Honkai.
But unfortunately, there were no results at the moment.
Clearly, there was still an active Herrscher in Anti Entropy who can help with the experiments.
Not pure enough, Bronie's evaluation was that the determination to fight against the Honkai was not pure enough!
Clearly, with so much information given, they were actually held back by a group of capitalists.
And when Elysia heard Bronie mocking Anti Entropy, she also thought of the state of the Fire Moth before. When the Great Purge occurred, Sakura was there, and she had also taken action.
Without determination, there was really no way to go.
Welt naturally didn't know so many twists and turns. Now he just wanted to rest well and see if there were any intelligence from Saint Freya Academy. If he couldn't find anything, he would go explore the Sea of Quants and collect more intelligence for the scientists in Anti Entropy.
And now Welt was enjoying the game immensely.
"In addition to the stylistic issues, there's also the scene where someone dies at the beginning. There's also a major issue with the decoration of this classroom; all the windows are sealed with iron plates, and the screws are on the inside, as if they're guarding against something from outside..."
Welt immediately thought of Honkai. If the Honkai were to come, these boards would have no defensive capabilities.
At most, they would delude themselves into isolating the Zombies outside, only to be completely destroyed by passing Chariot-class Honkai Beasts.
After exploring the first floor a bit, Welt also realized.
"It's actually a full-fledged 'Snowstorm Manor' mode... detective? This type of work is very difficult to produce, and usually such things appear in front of everyone in the form of novels or movies. Rarely do they appear in the form of games, but I didn't expect Haxxor Bunny to challenge a completely new genre this time!"
This was a field Bronie had never ventured into before. Although Bronie's storytelling abilities were indeed very impressive, but...
Detective genres often give people the feeling that they are completely different from other genres.
"So let's see what kind of story Bronie has prepared for us this time."
Chapter 173: Welt's Idea of Exploring the Sea of Quanta
What kind of story did the first part of "Danganronpa" bring?
As the game's title suggests, it's a battle between hope and despair.
Although the concept is relatively simple, both in terms of character design and murder cases, it's executed very well.
No, for Welt, this entire story brought him quite a few surprises.
From the methods of the crimes to the character development and the motivations behind each perpetrator, even the execution of the culprits, everything resonated deeply with the players.
Especially the style during the executions, while absurd, had a hint of reality to it. In that realism, there was room for imagination, allowing players to truly feel despair and search for hope within it.
Of course, in terms of storytelling, the motives behind the crimes and the final executions further enriched the characters' personalities. Welt thought this part was done quite well, and after each chapter, his thoughts surged like a fountain!
Then there were the discussion and investigation segments.
The clues provided during the investigation were all there, and with a bit of carefulness or extra thought, deducing the methods of the crimes posed no problem.
However, some crucial evidence would only be revealed during the discussion phase.
Some were motives for the crimes, while others were contradictory statements. But before these were revealed, players were already enjoying the pleasure of deduction.
In fact, Welt quite enjoyed this process of deduction.
During the discussions, one could continuously counter the opponent's arguments with evidence, like loading bullets into a gun. Whenever there was a contradiction in the opponent's statements, one could directly refute it!
Moreover, each character had their own thoughts, so during the discussion phase, the evidence turned into blades, engaging in verbal battles with each other.
The intensity of these debates, the clash of ideas, firmly gripped the players' hearts.
Until all the methods of the crimes were reasoned out, the discussion phase would reach a climax, where players needed to piece together the entire crime scene in the form of a comic puzzle, and then present how the culprit committed the crime in comic form to the players.
That final stage brought players a sense of achievement that can be said to be the essence of the entire game, as if players had truly deduced everything through their intelligence, picking up hope from despair and overcoming all obstacles with a refreshing feeling!
Every chapter was like this, and each had its unique concept.
Some people sacrifice their lives to unite their classmates, while others choose to endure and wait for an opportunity to break through despair.
And some people don't just sit around waiting to die; they choose to take proactive measures to find the weak points of their confinement!
As expected, they successfully break through the blockade of despair, uncovering the truth behind Hope's Peak Academy's transformation into its current state.
This leads to the emergence of a larger worldview.
The class problem ignited by someone extends to global riots and despair, with the possibility of brainwashing lurking in between.
How will the students who left Hope's Peak Academy rebuild a world full of hope?
Bronie left behind such a cliffhanger, even teasing a new release date.
The second part is set to be released a week after the first game!
"Haxxor has never disappointed players, and this game is no exception. I thought if it was a detective-type game, it might slightly diminish Haxxor's pedestal, but I didn't expect it to reach such heights."
Over the course of nearly five days, playing one chapter a day, until both the fifth and sixth chapters ended simultaneously, with student-on-student killings as the main plotline, interspersed with the entire story of Hope's Peak Academy as the background, if these plots were compiled into a novel, they would surely sell well.
But it's the Bullet system embedded in Danganronpa that elevates the detective game even further, enhancing immersion through interactivity, filling in the gaps with visuals, and conveying the emotion of despair through executions.
After everything was over, Welt couldn't help but marvel at how much Bronie understood in this type of thing.
["Genius! In every sense of the word, whether it's Teacher Yang or Haxxor!"]
["Most Importantly, Haxxor can even count now!"]
Bronie doesn't like making sequels; that's a recognized part of Haxxor's design.
At most, there will be some DLCs, and ironically, the game with the most DLCs released is actually the Civilization series!
That game is still releasing new civilizations and even new modes or mechanisms.
"You can tell that Bronie might be a bit dissatisfied with this work. There were many character handling issues in the first attempt at making a detective game, such as that super high school fortune-teller who practically walked sideways in front of the story the whole time..."
Welt controlled the game, transferring the focus to that fortune-teller character, whose only notable feature was their huge pigtails.
Even the glass ball used for fortune-telling became a murder weapon at one point!
Of course, slacking off wasn't limited to just one character; some characters would often cause chaos during the reasoning process.
Perhaps because they were labeled as geniuses from the start, their mistakes were magnified infinitely.
Welt could feel that dissatisfaction with the work's conclusion and the teaser for the sequel. As a creator himself, he understood that feeling of dissatisfaction with one's own work.
"So, the new game will be out tomorrow. Let's look forward to it. Perhaps this sequel will present an even more intense plot. It seems that our Haxxor is also dissatisfied with their own game. So, after accumulating experience from the first game, what surprises will Bronie bring us next?"
As he spoke, Welt ended his livestream.
After the stream ended, Welt couldn't help but start thinking about the hope born from despair.
The Honkai enveloped this civilization, and every time he was reminded of past injuries, Welt couldn't help but remember the nearly catastrophic feat of Sirin.
Although he did manage to overcome it at the time, in the face of Sirin's immense power, didn't he also feel despair?
Welt now has an impulse to explore ways to fight Honkai from the Sea of Quanta.
Bronie was really good at stirring up other people's emotions... Spreading hope, staying positive, from Undertale, to the game Persona, to the despairing high school students of Hope's Peak Academy today. It always brings a lot of educational significance.
Games, originally just tools for entertainment, now have so much significance.
It's all thanks to Haxxor paving the way.
To be honest, Welt really admires Bronie. He even wants Bronie to design a completely new Homu storyline, rather than this tasteless black and white bear.
But well, it's not easy to contact Haxxor now that he's undercover at St. Freya Academy.
So, it's time to play a round of Plants vs. Zombies~
Giving up on the storyline, Bronie still managed to produce such an excellent game, and this game is a perfect game to play while at work!
...
"Why don't you message me? Just because I didn't message you?"
After seeing Bronie off, Elysia entered her office. It's quite a coincidence. After breakfast in the morning, Bronie hadn't seen Elysia again, thinking she was either playing games or playing with the kids.
Or maybe she went to the World Serpent or something.
So Bronie didn't pay much attention to it.
The result? Well, it's a bit unexpected.
Why not message her? Just because she didn't message Elysia?
Bronie's face suddenly showed a puzzled expression.
"Sorry, Elysia, sometimes my feelings for you can't be conveyed through text messages. As compensation, I'll give you this!"
With that, Bronie lowered her head, seeming to be searching for something under the desk.
Then Bronie stood up. "Give me your hand!"
"Huh? What is it?" Elysia reached out, seeing Bronie offering her a bowtie?
Huh?
And it's a bit warm...
No wait, is this really a bowtie?
"It's a bowtie! You can use it as a hair accessory or put it somewhere else. Anyway... um, keep it safe!"
"But this is a bit... familiar?"
"Hehe, it's normal to find it familiar! But that's not important! The second installment is coming out tomorrow, and I've also released a new opening animation. Although I used the same lineup for the background music, I've invited some heavyweight voice actors for the character voices~"
"Voice actors? Who could it be?"
Elysia was still very curious about what Bronie had given her, then slowly untied the bowtie.
How should she put it?
It's a bit unexpected for Elysia, it's the new underwear Bronie wore today!
"The voice actor is, of course, the detective from Detective Holmes!"
"No way! Bronie, why did you give me this?!"
After untying the 'bowtie', Elysia reached out and covered Bronie's head. And Bronie also answered a little shyly, "Remember the affection system in the first game? It'll be the same in the second game."
"Um, so what?"
"As long as the affection is high, the protagonist will give you underwear! Whether it's a man or a woman..."
Elysia reluctantly took off the head cover and then asked, "Who taught you to do this? You should watch fewer Far East works in the future, okay? Both Persona and Danganronpa are games set in the Far East."
When studying, Bronie recommended learning the gameplay of the Far East people to Elysia.
Now it seems, isn't this gameplay a bit extreme?
"Um, I won't do this next time, I'm just slightly interested in the Far East."
Bronie extended her hand, ready to reclaim the underwear.
"I'll accept Bronie's gesture for now. In exchange, here's something for you."
What Elysia returned was a pink lace item.
Bronie's face flushed, regretting her bold move earlier.
"Um... what do you think of the game?" Bronie was still very eager to hear Elysia's opinion.
"The little Sakura's maiden heart... is really cute~"
Instead of mentioning Kyoko, it was Sakura!
"Haha! Surprised? Every girl has a very cute side to her! Super, super cute. And you, who stole all this beauty away from me, are really mean! But every story has an end. When everyone realizes how easily the beauty around them can disappear, they'll come to cherish everything around them even more, won't they?"
"Yeah, tragedies often resonate deeply. When a work can make everyone appreciate the people around them, that's the best. Protect the beauty around you and then transform this imperfect world into what you want it to be. Isn't that great?"
"Very good~ That's why I like Bronie. The way Bronie said that just now was so handsome!"
"Really? I-I'm just, um... nothing special..."
"Your shy look is also very cute!!"
Damn it, back to being at a disadvantage!
"Even though Kyoko Kirigiri's dialogue is so good, but when it comes to Bronie, it's hard to say, right?" Elysia tilted her head, thinking of how Kyoko spun around Naegi Makoto. It's quite a contrast.
Well, it's interesting that the cute rabbit thought she was so capable and rushed up, but ended up being naive and easily embarrassed like Naegi Makoto.
Quite interesting, right?
Bronie didn't expect to have such a side usually!
At first, Elysia thought it was Bronie's guard. Especially after playing Cyberpunk, she understood what state Bronie's lack of security was in.
When in a safe environment, Bronie showed her true self, though she tried very hard to express her feelings, there was always a sense of clumsiness
One hundred points in theoretical knowledge, almost zero in practical ability.
That's Bronie for you.
"Although it's a fact, it's still a bit sad to hear it said out loud, huh? Do we really have to communicate through a screen?"
"So Bronie wants to become Fujisaki, huh? A cute boy. There's even something like this on the internet recently~"
"No way!"
After all, cute boys are still boys! Not the same, can this be called yuri?
So Bronie retorted particularly loudly.
"Okay, okay, don't communicate with me through the screen! What I like the most is the most authentic Bronie! Whether it's the shy Bronie or the Bronie trying to challenge me, I like them all~"
Chapter 174 - Dating Invitation
The second game of Danganronpa was quickly put on sale. The speed of this release was beyond the imagination of all players. However, after seeing the reuse of music material, everyone felt that the speed of the sequel's release was very reasonable.
There is that subtle feeling again. Obviously, the graphics, modeling, plot, and even the dubbing are all brand new, requiring a lot of work. So, how did Bronie release a new game so quickly? Is this reasonable?
Many players began to discuss this, but amidst the discussion, some had already started playing the game.
"If the plot of the first game was about high school students generating hope in the midst of growing despair and fighting against it, the plot of the second game is the opposite: nurturing hope in the midst of absolute despair. So, it still feels very different, right?"
After releasing the game, the natural thing for Bronie to do was to search for her game's content in the net!
At first, she felt a little shy, but she soon got used to it and found it quite interesting. Some small bad reviews helped Bronie notice details of the game, while the good reviews boosted her confidence.
While searching for herself, Bronie showed off in front of Ellie.
"So from the beginning, Chiaki is dead!"
"Eh?"
I can't believe that's what I care about!
"At first, when I saw the super high school level gamer or something, I thought it was a new character modeled after yourself, but it turned out that I was playing around..."
"Playing around?"
"It feels like it's not modeled after you, but me..... It's kind of like looking in the mirror...."
Chiaki Nanami, before the start of the second game plot, was like the backbone of the entire class during their school life. Her talent could unite all the high-minded geniuses and create a deeper bond between them.
Perhaps, in the eyes of Chiaki, doing such a thing was as simple as playing a strategy game?
By treating all the things in life as a game, it was easy to cheat.
Such a setting immediately made Elysia think of Bronie.
But Chiaki's behavior was more like a mix of Bronie's traits and some of Elysia's affinity.
That's why Elysia felt a little weird.
It was as if it was another world's Elysia, the Elysia that everyone liked and who was fond of everyone. Chiaki Nanami was in that kind of position in the class.
"Mmmmmm, that's the kind of existence Elysia should be, someone who is loved by everyone and loves everyone at the same time!"
"Foul, foul oooh! Bronie, I'll be shy if you keep talking like that oooh~"
Even though what was said was the truth, Elysia was still very happy to be evaluated like that.
"Then how about it? This time, all of them didn't die and still decided to start a whole new future with their own will in the face of despair."
"But ...... they've done a lot of bad things too, right? Even though they were brainwashed by Enoshima Junko to do those things, where do they go from here?"
"The sins that were once committed won't go away, but death is nothing more than an escape. Do you know why I don't suggest that Otto just consume his own life when he launches his plan? It's because it would be too cheap for him."
It would take a few years of stepping on a sewing machine to do so, at least. Plus, Otto's abilities are still there, and if used in the right places, they can bring far more good to the world than they can cause damage. Though it did seem a bit inappropriate for lives to be directly measured against such things, and there was a sense of unfairness to the children at the orphanage, it is true.
Still, if someone wanted to take revenge on Otto, Bronie would never stand in the way.
"Indeed, it seems like it would be pretty awesome if Iwata could produce slightly more Bunnymi and then liberate productivity~"
When Elysia said that, Bronie also raised an eyebrow.
"Actually thinking of developing the world? It seems that my pattern is still small, but it's better to let the future Otto or Theresa take care of it. I don't understand the political side of things."
At the thought that it could be very troublesome, Bronie didn't want to get in touch.
Sitting in an office all day was enough just to do the games, and if she had to deal with any other paperwork or anything, might as well let herself die.
"You know what, though, what do people inside Elysian Realm say about it?"
"Eh? It's been a while since I've been in contact, and will the Elysian Realm get colder and colder?"
"Of course not. I still left a memory replica in the Elysian Realm, I'll go back and synchronize information with the memory replica when necessary!"
When Elysia said that, it was not unexpected by Bronie. Without Elysia in the Elysian Realm, it was as if the West had lost Jerusalem.
If Mobius was left undisturbed, I'm afraid she would do something earth-shattering again.
It's like when the Evil Within first came out, Mobius almost told Gray Serpent to grab someone and discuss whether she could really make something that interesting by forming his brain into a pile.
Then after Persona came out, there was another attempt to operate on the cognitive side of things, as it was more or less tied to Project Stigma. Every time Bronie produces a new game, it always arouses the curiosity of Mobius. After all, Bronie's knowledge base is extensive, and maybe one day the things in the game will become reality!
For example, the manipulation of the subconscious mind of a group, which could then transform into the manipulation of the entire human civilization's mindset, ultimately leading to the evolution of all mankind. This was something that Mobius was very interested in.
Connecting the brain and Project Stigma has a high degree of similarity, and as long as people exist, negative emotions will exist too. Mobius, in the initial formulation of the stigmata program, never thought about the contamination of others' thinking spreading to the entire stigmata space.
To be honest, it is really possible!
Therefore, this time, Hope Academy and desperate high school students, as well as Goodbye Despair Academy, once again aroused Mobius' curiosity.
"Mobius asked, do you have a particularly strong bias against Signet and Project Stigma? Why are you always making games in that area?"
"Huh?" Bronie cocked her head.
"It's about consciousness, cognition, or the brain... Although I can feel the ideas you're trying to convey in your works, Mobius doesn't know why you always choose that kind of theme... I'm curious about that too... Don't you have any plans to make games that are a bit more girly?"
A little more girly? Bronie hesitated slightly.
"In fact, I just want to use the game to convey a kind of attitude towards life: cherish the beauty around you, use your own hands to create your own future. A positive and sunny attitude towards life may be able to reduce the tragedy brought about by the Honkai, right? After all, many times the disaster of Honkai is not without warning, but some tragedies pile up."
Although the Cocoon of Finality has a certain ability to manipulate fate, which will ultimately lead to the inevitability of collapse erupting at certain moments, the existence of the game's plot might also serve as a ray of light. It could help depressed people step out of the past, face their wounds head-on, and then step into the future.
"Hmm..! I know! That's what I like about Bronie, but Mobius said she was very interested in the concept of Izuru Kamukura in the second part. After all, the so-called talent is somehow very similar to Signets!"
Hearing Elysia say that, Bronie was silent for a moment. In a way, it was really like what Mobius said.
"So? She wants to use Project Stigma to collect the talents of all humanity and then stuff them inside her own body or another body?"
Seeing the expression on Elysia's face, Bronie hesitated for a moment, feeling she had been told.
"Is she trying to mess things up again?"
"Ahaha, Mobius said that since Project Stigma has reached this point, it's a shame not to use it, so I thought ......"
This attitude of Elysia seemed a bit off. Generally speaking, some of Mobius' more outrageous experiments were always stopped by Elysia.
As for the method to use? It definitely would piss Mobius off. Elysia always found the right way to make Mobius give up her bad ideas.
"If we can have positive thoughts in the subconscious minds of all people, and ensure that individuals' wills aren't bound by their talents, a world where all people have special talents would be great. But is it really possible for something like talents to solidify and spread? This kind of vague concept, at most, can only be like an engraving in the subconscious mind to give people some experience. And this kind of experience must be right."
At first, Bronie was slightly persuaded. Because Elysia had a certain amount of padding ahead, whether it was the group subconscious modification of Persona or the kind of consciousness link of Evil Within, it seemed capable of controlling human ideology in the general direction.
But this was very dangerous behavior.
"Sure enough, it's you who's thinking more clearly. I was confused when Mobius told me all those technical terms, and in a diluted manner, it seemed like it could really work."
Hearing Elysia say that, Bronie couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth a little.
Had she actually fallen into a trap during the discussion with Mobius? Or had Mobius' persuasion improved so much that Elysia sought help?
"Humans' definition of something isn't absolute, so this artificially interfered evolutionary direction will make the future narrow. Just laugh at Mobius if her quest for unlimited life is so narrow. Or, don't bring these ideas of your own out to disgrace yourself."
"Then Mobius must be furious, right?"
Elysia felt that she was unlikely to say something like that out loud, and Mobius might actually go on a rampage.
"If it's Elysia, Mobius will surely forgive you. That was just a flash of insight Mobius didn't think much of, influenced by the game. Once you wake her up to that point, she'll be honest as well, right? Anyone else comment on my game?"
"Kevin said: cool~"
"Hahahaha! Looks like Kevin's humor really started to proliferate in that low-temperature environment. I didn't think I'd still be able to remember his cold jokes!"
Bronie was instantly amused.
"Eden is worried about your mental state, especially during the execution. It's very uncomfortable just to watch it."
"It's right to feel uncomfortable. This is normal artistic processing. To enhance the players' sense of immersion, this particular form of art actually exists within classical art as well."
"It's because it exists, and because the people who produced those arts weren't in too good of shape, that's why Eden is worried!"
"Foolish Elysia, you're just being concerned. How could I possibly go crazy if I have you by my side? I can still distinguish between the virtual and the real."
"Although I know this, I'm still very worried... so when you have time, come out and take a stroll with me, okay?"
Good lord, Elysia, your map of this country is too long but it's still ended up towards you!
"Since it's a date invitation from you, Ellie, how could I possibly refuse?"
"When the time comes, we'll have to discuss the subject matter of the next game! Bronie always likes to produce some tragedies for everyone to see, so I'll get involved in your new game and supervise that you don't create so many beautiful girls and then tear them apart bit by bit! Not even those of the level of Sakura!"
"Didn't I kind of have a happy ending for all in Persona? Every pretty girl has a bright future!"
"But the main character actually went to jail!"
Well, She didn't realize that Elysia cared about this, so it was rather distressing.
What kind of game could inspire everyone's teenage heart while still having a happy ending for all?
"Well, when the production plan for the new game starts, I'll slowly explain to you the ideas for the next production of the game, as well as the script. If it's possible, do you want to get involved?"
"Of course! In fact, I've wanted to participate in Bronie's game production for a long time now, but I'm a bit afraid that you, Bronie, will dislike me for being an amateur~"
"Generally speaking, as long as you don't make any outrageous plot holes, why would I dislike you? It's not possible for a villain to completely wash away his sins by changing his face after doing all the bad things, right?"
"Hahaha, if that's how Bronie sees me, I'll be sad too~"
"No, it's precisely because I believe that Elysia wouldn't do such a thing that I'm joking about it!"
"Then, you should prepare for the next date! What kind of clothes should I put on~"
Chapter 175: Date in Progress
Bronie never imagined that one day she would be agonizing over what to wear for a date. Normally, she would just glance at some fashion magazines or browse online for trendy outfits and then use her projection ability to replicate them. As long as she looked decent in the mirror, she wouldn’t worry about her attire for the next week, giving off a very lazy impression. However, being naturally beautiful, she looked great in anything she wore. Although her style might change a bit, she still outshone many people.
But when Bronie started caring about her outfit, she finally understood what girls thought about.
How to present the best version of oneself?
What kind of style should she go for? Would Elysia like this version of her? Did she have any flaws?
Bronie kept turning around in front of the mirror, feeling increasingly anxious.
Hmm… should she put on makeup? No, no, no, that's her last line of defense!
“Sis Bronie, you’ve changed twenty-five outfits since six this morning. What do you really want?”
“I’m going out with Elysia today, so I’m leaving the house in your care, Aponia and Bronya.”
Bronya immediately understood the situation.
Wow, going out with Elysia, huh? Does that mean she won’t be back at the orphanage tonight? And in about ten months, could she expect to see Bronie’s child!?
It’s not impossible!
But…
Bronya suddenly hugged Bronie from behind. “Sis Bronie, you look good enough already. You don’t need to worry about your outfit, and I think Elysia would appreciate sincerity more.”
Hearing the word sincerity, Bronie crossed her arms and nodded repeatedly.
That’s possible.
Summer was approaching, and Bronie wore a cool summer outfit: a pure white dress with lace trim, giving her an elegance she usually didn’t display. A pink bow on her head and a spiral ponytail added a touch of boldness to her elegance.
And a bit of eccentricity. But where exactly was the eccentricity? That was hard to say. At least Bronie couldn’t see it.
“Alright, when I get back, I’ll ask Anti-Entropy to make some limited edition Homu merchandise for you!”
“Can they make some Monokuma ones?”
Wow, Bronya’s aesthetic definitely has some issues!
Even though Bronya has been immersed in game development and has been around Bronie for a long time, she couldn’t change her tastes!
There’s even Monokuma now!
“Yes, yes, we’ll definitely release Monokuma merch, and I’ll also contact Anti-Entropy for other game-related merchandise.”
Sometimes Bronie felt that Anti-Entropy wasn’t a military organization but an entertainment company. Their money-making methods in the arms industry often resulted in losses, but they were consistently profitable in the entertainment sector. All the money they earned was invested back into developing Titans and researching the Sea of Quanta.
Bronie patted Bronya’s head and looked back at the still somewhat reluctant Bronya before leaving her office.
“I’m counting on you to take care of the house today~”
“Bronya promises to protect everyone!”
Bronie left her office and, after changing into new clothes, felt a chill on her thighs. Usually, Bronie loved wearing stockings; they were very comfortable.
However, today was different.
Today was special, and so was her attire. The specifics of why it was special would only be revealed when Elysia arrived.
“Hi! Did I keep you waiting?”
The agreed meeting place with Elysia was the orphanage's hall. Normally, Elysia and Bronie would stay in the same room, but Elysia wanted to give Bronya a sense of anticipation, so she stayed with Aponia for the night.
The anticipation was intense; otherwise, Bronie wouldn’t have agonized over an outfit for so long.
Thinking back, it was truly embarrassing! And she even considered putting on makeup! Was that reasonable? No! That was her last line of defense!
“No, I just got here too…”
“Wow, what a beautiful dress! Did you dress up just for me?”
Before Bronie could finish speaking, Elysia hugged her, her nose brushing lightly against Bronya's cheek, making it tickle.
“Yes, I dressed up just for you…”
“Hehe, you look great. How do I look? I dressed up for you too!”
Elysia stepped back and twirled around. She looked like a pink elf in her beautiful pink dress.
“You look great in anything, Elysia!”
“Thank you for the compliment! I gratefully accept it!”
“No, and this too!” Bronie tightly clenched her fist and placed it in Elysia’s palm. It was a button, connected to something unknown. Elysia, curious, pressed it, and Bronya gently pulled Elysia’s hand to her chest, holding it firmly.
This delicate, dependent Bronie made Elysia’s eyes light up.
“Let’s go outside first. There are still many children here, and it’s not suitable for them to know about these things.”
“Okay~” Elysia looked very happy and didn’t immediately turn off the button, instead leading Bronie out.
“Hey, Lilia, did I see it right? The usually strong and scruffy Sis Bronie is like this today... Am I dreaming?”
Liliya, hiding around the hallway corner, pinched Rosalia’s thigh hard.
“Ow!!”
“Looks like Rosalia isn't dreaming. Bronie has finally found her happiness... Maybe now the games she makes won’t have such terrible love stories.”
“Really?”
“It seems so!”
Watching Bronie snuggle with Elysia as they left the orphanage, Liliya felt confident.
…
“By the way, I haven’t really introduced you to the city where the children live, have I? Even though the orphanage is far from the city, making it feel isolated, I often bring the children here to play.”
“Hmm, it looks like a very peaceful city~”
“Russia has vast land and few people, especially after the pain of the Second Eruption. Those who wanted to cause trouble have long been driven out, leaving the peaceful ones behind.”
Their first stop was Central Park. There wasn’t much to see except for a large grass field, a lake, and some fountains. Despite its simplicity, the park was a popular spot for couples and families. Some children were playing with their dogs on the grass.
“Hmm… It would be nicer if there were more flowers~”
Elysia looked around, feeling that the park lacked something. There were small woods and bushes, and occasionally pigeons flew overhead, but aside from the green grass and red brick paths, it seemed a bit monotonous.
“We can add more flowers later, but look at this!” Bronie took a small bag of bread from her bag, crumbled it, and countless pigeons flocked around as if on cue.
“Seele loves small animals, and these pigeons aren’t afraid of people. Sometimes she comes here to feed them, and they’ve gotten used to her. You can even do something like this.” Bronie scattered some breadcrumbs, causing the pigeons to flutter like waves.
She then opened her hand, and the pigeons landed on her arm, pecking at the bread in her palm. “Watching pigeons up close, the symbol of peace… ah…”
A sudden movement startled the pigeons, making them scatter. Bronie blushed and glared shyly at Elysia.
“You're bad!”
“I just wanted to see a different expression on your face~”
“Hmm… I understand…” Bronie grabbed Elysia’s arm again, drawing closer, feeling both embarrassed and excited.
“Next is the amusement park, right? I heard from Anila that this city’s Homu Park was built entirely for children.”
“Well, that’s not entirely wrong. I invested some money and participated in the construction, enhancing the safety of the facilities to ensure the children can play safely.”
“Wow~” Elysia was a bit surprised by the numerous Homu-themed elements. She didn’t expect Homu to be so popular or for there to be an entire theme park dedicated to it, similar to Disney World in Bronie’s memory.
“Why is Homu so popular?”
“Probably because Homu has been a part of many people’s childhoods, with consistently exciting stories. Plus, as a comic character, Homu is very easy to draw…”
As long as the core story was engaging, many people would buy Homu comics. Welt used his creations to convey his ideas to the world, and apart from his stubborn use of Homu as a character, Bronie found everything else impeccable.
“Because it’s easy to draw? Well, let’s go and have a look inside~”
Elysia held Bronie’s hand and dashed in. Homu Park was more like Disney World, divided into zones based on different works, with most of the rides suitable for children. There were almost no height restrictions. They experienced everything from haunted houses to roller coasters.
Even though Bronie had brought the children here before, being with Elysia felt like a completely new experience, different from what she felt in the Sea of Quanta. Even riding the carousel was more exciting.
On the Ferris wheel, Bronie leaned her head on Elysia’s shoulder, blushing.
“Did you have fun?” Elysia asked.
“How about you?”
“I had a lot of fun! I felt your sincerity! This feeling… it’s amazing, something I’ve never experienced before…”
Elysia placed her hand on her chest, as if feeling her heartbeat.
“What you’re feeling is real, and the emotions you’re experiencing are also real. There are many more fun things for you to experience in the future. This feeling is proof of being human.”
“I’ll remember this forever! And Bronie, you were surprisingly bold~”
“Because I like you so much!”
“I like you too!”
The Ferris wheel reached its highest point.
“You know, Elysia, if lovers kiss when the Ferris wheel is at its highest, they’ll stay together forever…”
Before Bronie could finish, Elysia kissed her. Their fingers intertwined, and the slow, breathless kiss brought their emotions to a peak, both mentally and physically.
As they separated, Bronie, slightly breathless, held Elysia’s hand even tighter.
“Let’s not go back tonight, okay?”
“Where will we stay tonight? Wandering around the city, or in a quiet park? Is there a romantic flower field nearby?”
“Of course, a hotel! You’ve teased me so many times, stopping just at the right moment each time. Do you think it ends here? Before we go to the hotel, let’s buy some water. Tonight, let’s get really close~”
Elysia could almost see little red hearts in Bronie’s eyes, feeling a bit flustered.
“And what about the game theme? Have you decided what game to make?”
“Game? Right now, all I can think about is you, Elysia! What game? It’s all about you!”
“Then let’s enjoy each other’s deep love, and the real you. You weren’t like this at the beginning; have you changed because of me?”
Elysia might not have expected that once she opened up to Bronie, Bronie would become so dependent on her. This was the truest side of Bronie, a change brought about by Elysia.
She was so—
Cute~
“It’s all because of you!”
Bronie responded, and Elysia’s smile grew even brighter.
“I’m looking forward to seeing more of Bronie’s cute side! New dresses, new looks, and bolder actions—I’ll gladly accept them all!”
Chapter 176: Custom Anime for Elysia
As Bronya had expected, Sister Bronie and Sister Elysia had no intention of coming back that night. After each sent a brief message, there was hardly any communication from them.
Bronya asked Aponia about their whereabouts, but Aponia simply took out her cross and began to pray in a secluded area, not intending to give a detailed answer.
It wasn't until around noon the next day, after lunch, that the two finally returned. Their clothes had changed, and Bronie's hairstyles had shifted from a single spiral ponytail to double spiral ponytails. As for the pink bow? It was nowhere to be found.
Bronya was quite puzzled.
"Sis, did you and Elysia find any inspiration for the game during your outing?"
Bronie had used this as an excuse when talking to everyone. They all understood that Bronie had her own little thoughts. Publicly saying she was dating was indeed very embarrassing, especially if her romantic partner was also a girl, which could lead to some undesirable implications.
"Ah? Game inspiration?" Bronie, who seemed dazed upon her return, only reacted when Bronya brought it up.
Inspiration… There didn't seem to be much. Well, maybe a little. But that is a different 'game' overall...
"I noticed that many buildings in the city have a historical feel and are symmetrical."
"Uh-huh?" Bronya had a look that said, "keep making things up," clearly not believing that Bronie had really thought about the game during the outing. Elysia, on the other hand, looked quite expectant.
"So, what else?"
"I was thinking of making a game set in a historical era. What era should it be? The Age of Exploration? The Crusades? Or the American Frontier period?"
Three game ideas: Assassin's Creed Black Flag, the first Assassin's Creed, and Red Dead Redemption 2.
Why include Red Dead Redemption 2 among two Assassin's Creed games?
Because Bronie had long wanted to create something like Red Dead Redemption 2, even considering adding a DLC where the Stand Riders' storyline would be integrated as a side quest.
Although the comic and game formats might differ, potentially making character development seem odd, Bronie was confident she could merge the comic narrative with the game successfully. The Stand Riders had influenced her entire life, and she believed bringing such a story to everyone would be very interesting.
As for Black Flag, it was mainly the farming, sailing, and pirate gameplay that had left a lasting impression on countless players, including Bronie.
The first Assassin's Creed was purely a tribute.
Given the involvement of Otto and Fu Hua in the Crusades, there were many details she could delve into to create a unique Assassin's Creed game. However, due to the many elements involving Honkai, and the current stance of Schicksal towards Honkai, making this game would be quite troublesome.
So, three games, all potentially great, but with varying levels of difficulty. Given Bronie's extensive game-making experience, she was confident in her ability to modify and improve existing games.
"Or maybe a sequel to The Legend of Zelda."
"But Bronie, weren't all of these ideas you already thought of yesterday, right?" Bronya's question made Bronie break out in a nervous sweat.
"What are you talking about, Bronya? Bronie doesn't know anything~"
Alright, this made Bronya even more certain.
"The type of game to make is entirely up to you, Bronie. I'm not getting involved!"
With that, Bronya ran back to her room. It seemed she needed some alone time.
To be honest, Bronie hadn't thought about the game at all while out with Elysia.
"Maybe I did think about game content a bit, but visual novels don’t really count as games in my mind; they're more like novels."
Bronie thought of the plot in Plastic Memories. How to put it... It's a tragedy, all tragedies. Elysia would probably complain but also love it.
If she accidentally made Elysia cry, Elysia would likely find a way to make her cry too later, right?
That would be great!
Then, many great works started to flash through Bronie's mind. Angel Beats, Clannad, or Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
Oh right, Elysia particularly liked magical girls, so Madoka...
Bronie's smile became increasingly mischievous, which Elysia seemed to notice.
"What is it? Did Bronya do something? Why are you so happy?"
"No, nothing. I was just debating whether to make a game or an anime and considering whether a galgame should weigh more on gameplay or story."
"Did you come to a conclusion?"
When Bronie thought of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, she glanced at Elysia's face.
"Yes, I've reached a conclusion. Galgames certainly qualify as games, but in my mind, they lean more towards being elements of novels. So, I intend to produce a new anime, one centered around a cute magical girl like yourself, Elysia."
"Really? Is that okay?" Elysia was pleasantly surprised.
Initially, when Bronie first delved into the Elysian Realm, she created games for everyone there. Games like Spiritfarer and Undertale left a deep impression on everyone. After these games gained fame, the primary goal shifted naturally towards reaching a larger player base.
This didn't mean Elysia disliked the games after, but she felt they lacked a bit of romance. It felt like once the novelty wore off, Bronie no longer paid much attention to everyone. But now, Elysia realized she had overthought it.
Bronie wasn't neglectful at all!
"Yes, it's a form of tribute, to commemorate all that's beautiful. I've even chosen a name: Puella Magi Madoka Magica. The protagonist, Madoka Kaname, will have the same cute pink hair as you, Elysia."
"What's she like?" Elysia asked curiously, moving closer to Bronie.
"Let's discuss this back at the office. Like Cyberpunk, we'll release this new anime through Anti-Entropy's channels. This time, there won't be any R-rated content; it will be suitable for all ages."
"Okay~"
Back at the office, Bronie summoned the Genesis System and opened a new folder. She quickly sketched out Madoka's magical girl form. She had a pink bow, and her twin-tails looked very innocent.
"Is this Madoka?"
"She might seem a bit childish, but magical girls at this age are usually very innocent. So, the costume design matches her character."
"Mm-hmm! She's very cute!"
"I'm glad you like her…" Bronie continued creating character designs.
Next was Homura Akemi. Homura had two distinct states: one timid and the other cold and ruthless. Her overall design was black, even her magical girl costume was an enhanced version of her school uniform. She was originally a shy girl who transformed into a cold person.
"Interesting. Does the story depict growth?"
"Yes, she's the second main character and an important figure throughout the plot. Of course, magical girls have companions, like in most magical girl shows."
Kyubey's image appeared on the screen—a pure white body, fluffy ears, and a hint of pink, looking very cute.
Next came Mami Tomoe, Kyoko Sakura, and Sayaka Miki. The magical girl quintet was complete, but their costume designs seemed a bit ordinary, not very glamorous.
"That's strange. So, Bronie, you want to create a story with them as the protagonists? How much content are you planning to produce? Magical girl series often have many episodes."
"Twelve episodes."
"Huh?"
"For now, I only plan to make twelve episodes. I don't want the plot to drag on, so twelve episodes are enough. But we might release some movie-length specials, like animated films."
"I see. I can't wait!"
An anime about magical girls made for her would be incredibly romantic and fun!
"The production timeline will be a bit longer since we need to create music and voice acting."
"Oh, waiting is such a painful thing. You'd better make it up to me, Bronie~"
"Alright, alright. I'll make sure to prepare some merchandise for you after the anime airs. Handmade by me."
"Yay~"
Do you know what this compensation will be? Elysia loves anything pink, cute, or pretty. Her room is almost filled with these things, but she always gladly accepts anything Bronie gives her. Especially if it's related to magical girls.
With the preparations set and previous experience, starting from scratch wasn't difficult for Bronie. High-end graphics cards often use AI-rendered images to improve frame rates during high-resolution tasks, which can also be applied to animation production.
Bronie could check the animation herself and make any necessary changes. Overall, the production process was fast, but voice acting and music needed meticulous attention. Two sets of ending themes were also needed.
Initially, Puella Magi Madoka Magica was very harmonious and friendly, until the third episode revealed its true nature.
A sudden shift in the ending theme would definitely bring a 'smile' to Elysia's face.
Ah, it would be exciting to see how Elysia might react. Maybe she would do something more extreme to me in her excitement.
Hehe… I'm really looking forward to it...
...
"You know, Amber, if you keep giving me endless files, I might fall into despair and create a Valkyrie showdown scenario…"
After playing through Danganronpa 1 and 2, a wave of detective fever swept the internet.
The story was impressive, and some cases even amazed Otto. It seemed like Bronie was very familiar with investigations, crimes, and deductions.
"Master Otto, haven't you finished the game? Haxxor Bunny hasn't released any new works recently, and the Valkyries are an important asset to Schicksal. Please don't involve them in trivial matters."
"True, but don't you feel it? Haxxor Bunny's understanding of human nature reminds me of many things."
"…What?"
Amber didn't quite understand.
"It's that I've been calculated and manipulated. She used to plot through information gaps, but now it seems Haxxor Bunny is prepared for overt strategies as well. From the beginning, I've been completely analyzed and included in her plans."
"So, the experimental data Haxxor Bunny sent is actually fake?"
"No, it's all real. You've seen the research data. To achieve the effect I want requires power comparable to that of an Aeon, capable of directly manipulating the Imaginary Tree."
"What does Haxxor Bunny want, then?"
"A happy ending… In this world of despair, a hopeful ending. Everything has been arranged by her, and I'm just a clown dancing in her palm. The key is that she succeeded. She found my weak spot. Even if she ordered me to die, like threatening a Great God, I might just do it without hesitation~"
To think…
She forced the omnipotent Master Otto to this extent!
"But isn't it interesting? If I wanted to pass Schicksal to someone else, my first choice would be Theresa. But after all these years, she remains innocent and cute under my protection. If Bronie were to take over Schicksal, what do you think would happen?"
"How would it be… I think she wouldn't play political games, right?"
"She disdains playing them, so she might opt for a 'speedrun'. But what if Schicksal had people Bronie cared about?"
"What do you mean by speedrun? Would she just eliminate everyone she doesn't like?"
Amber seemed concerned about this.
Otto just smiled, "Something like that. Haxxor Bunny enjoys games and challenges. She'd probably end things quickly, not considering the consequences if another challenge seemed more interesting."
"And having people she cares about means…"
"Bringing K423 into Schicksal, gradually giving her status, and eventually making her a saint. If that happens… wait, a new update from Haxxor Bunny!"
"Is it another new game?"
Amber felt a hint of despair, wondering if she would be working overtime forever.
"No, it's not a new game. It's an anime. Bronie plans to release a new anime again, but it's not for promoting a new game; it's a completely standalone anime."
In the anime trailer, Otto sensed something different. It felt like it was made specifically for someone...
As for that someone?
It must be Elysia. Only she could make Bronie go to such lengths, pulling someone back from the Imaginary Tree.
Through their simple exchanges, Otto could gauge Elysia's personality. It seemed she indeed had a penchant for magical girls. He wondered how Theresa would react...
Since he can't watch this type of thing, Sending the trailer to Theresa was a good idea; she would surely love it!
Chapter 177 - Kiana, Long Time No See
After a long time, Bronie contacted Kiana again. After the production of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Bronie sent the anime to Anti Entropy for review and release.
This review will definitely take a certain amount of time, and during this review process, Bronie also began working on the production of the theatrical version of Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
But well, the closer the end of the year, the closer the Third Honkai Eruption will be. Bronie needs to judge whether Kiana is ready for it and whether her mind is still stable.
"Whew! Sister Bronie!"
It took a long time for the video communication to connect, and the moment it did, Kiana's sunny, smiling face appeared on the screen, putting Bronie's mind at ease.
"Sorry, Kiana, I've been working on the anime recently, so I'm a little late in contacting you."
Since the last time she contacted Kiana, it was actually after rescuing Elysia back from her awakening. What exactly happened Bronie didn't go into detail, but the two months of lost contact did make Kiana worry for a while.
"Hehehehehehehe, has it actually been that long? Sorry Sister Bronie, I haven't even reacted yet! Recently that stinky dad's figure has disappeared again; I can't find any trace of him!"
"Disappeared again? What are you going to do next?"
"I don't know, but I think I'm getting a little bit of a head start... Since dad disappeared because he fought the Honkai, then wouldn't it be fine for me to just follow the path of fighting against the Honkai as well!"
"Uh huh? So--"
"I'm going to get into the Valkyrie School! Before that, I might need to enroll to get a degree, and it just so happens that school starts in March, and I'll be able to get in right after I graduate in June."
Good lord, was Kiana so goal-oriented?
But it was really all her brain could come up with with what was left of it.
Immediately afterward, a tangled expression appeared on Kiana's face.
"But the other me seems to hate Dad very much because the act of abandoning me and running away directly without responsibility is something she dislikes very much."
"It can't be helped. Although your dad is fighting all the time, it's actually likely that he's already lost to Honkai in his heart. Too many of his precious things have been taken away by Honkai, and in order to protect the only thing he cherishes from being taken away by Honkai again, he had to leave."
"So if you just defeat Honkai, that's all you need to do, right?"
Hiss-
Kiana's flaw was that her mind was too simple, so simple that she thought defeating Honkai would bring her father back. Simple enough to think that Honkai was something so easy to destroy.
Of course, that's one of her strengths. Being simple-minded and somehow counting as treating people with sincerity, like Elysia, always built up a lot of bonds.
Still, Bronie felt he needed to mention it.
"Kiana, it's great to have the idea of changing this world, the idea of changing this world into something beautiful like this, but don't you forget to protect the beauty that surrounds you while you're doing that."
"Huh? Bronie-san's speech is so hard to understand, like inside the game plot too."
Well, Bronie was getting a little desperate for Kiana's brain.
But that's okay, surely she'll understand her words when she grows up. So just saying it was like planting a seed in Kiana's mind and waiting quietly for it to blossom.
"It's okay, it doesn't matter if you don't understand now, but if you usually eat, eat a little less instant noodles. Remember those recipes I got for you?"
"Well.... I forgot them all!"
Kiana answered with a straight face, and all of a sudden Bronie felt her blood pressure rising.
Closing her eyes, she held back her anger. Bronie used her own hands to gently drag her chest.
"Kiana, if you don't take in enough nutrition then you may never grow taller. More likely your chest will be flat as well. It's impossible to pick up a beautiful girl with a barren body and ugly face, so usually when you eat instant noodles, you should at least consider the nutritional mix."
"Wow! I get it!"
Well, when it came to picking up girls, Kiana instantly understood everything.
"And just be safe, always, always, always be safe. You remember the appearance of the really powerful Honkai Beast, right? That five-story tall height of the Honkai Beast can crush everything into crumbs."
"I'm taking good care of my nutrition! Even though it's instant noodles, I still add a lot of other things ooh! Alright, alright, Sis Bronie I'm busy here, and there are beautiful girls waiting for me to save them! So I'll hang up now!"
Saying that, Kiana directly hung up the phone on the grounds that the signal was bad. Leaving Bronie speechless as well.
Alright, Kiana hadn't even gone to Senba Academy yet, and there was probably still a while to go before the third eruption.
"Really unintelligent ah ...... Maybe it'll be slightly better if we go to school, I'll move the kids there after Kiana gets to St. Freya's Academy."
"The education of Kiana seems to be a little less successful?"
Elysia could relate to Bronie's feelings, a state that was even more worrisome than Griseo, as if she would be crushed by reality at any moment.
Especially the words that Kiana had said earlier.
Because the culprit that made Father disappear was Honkai, so by solving Honkai we can bring her father back. The mission of the Kaslana Family Knights was to fight against Honkai and become a great hero who would save everyone!
So if Kiana knows that she's a Herrscher now, and Kiana realizes that if she destroys Honkai, she'll have to destroy herself.
How big of a blow would that be for her?
That's why for Bronie's idea of relocating the orphanage to the vicinity of St. Freya's Academy, Elysia was still very understanding.
"It can't be helped, when she was a child Kiana's brain was still quite flexible, she always passed your online classes. In fact, if you had to say, she must still be very smart, she just isn't used to using her brain and likes to rely on others."
Said Bronie then dialed the phone, in a place not far from St. Freya's Academy, bought a piece of land, and even hired a construction team from Anti Entropy, ready to build a villa in the hills slightly farther away from the city.
It was going to be bigger than the Golden Courtyard and would have more rooms. Of course, Bronie also planned to leave more land to build a Golden Courtyard for the Flamechasers as a temporary place to live.
Thirteen Flamechasers, twenty rooms, all in all certainly enough. Of course, that would all be for later.
As for the issue of the land, Otto was still quite good at talking. In fact, even if she didn't give money, Otto would probably give up the land to herself. Simply put, it was probably because of her favorability is now high at Otto.
"This does make people feel very, very worried about it ...... Looks like we have to tell everyone to get ready to move, then the anime thing ......"
"It's still under review, of course if you want to watch it in advance, that's fine, want to watch it in advance?"
"Well ...... it seems a bit tempting, a slight sneak peek or something, I can still show it off to the viewers a little bit during the live broadcast, but if I accidentally show all of it, will it affect everyone?"
"That doesn't matter, because this is supposed to be an anime made for you! So you can do whatever you want, and the most important thing is, after watching the anime, would you really do something like spoilers?"
That's when Elysia had a flash of insight.
"Bronie, you wouldn't be doing something like a tragedy, right?"
"Eh? No! It's definitely an ending where everyone gets a bright future! So don't worry about it at all!"
"Then stay with me!"
"Huh?"
Bronie never expected that Elysia would actually give such a request. Even at this time, Elysia had already grabbed her own arm.
"Well, I've seen the anime long ago! So watching it again or something should be rather boring, right?"
"Oh? Really?"
"Really ...... really!"
"Look me in the eye and tell me again."
Damn it! Did Elysia find something!
"Alright, alright, I'll accompany you to see it then, I just hope you'll stick around to see all the contents in the evaluation."
"Well ...... it looks like Bronie seems to think that the plot inside will be a little controversial, but that's okay, I'll watch it properly before evaluating it~"
With such assurance from Elysia, Bronie felt like she couldn't escape. Forget it, let's take Elysia to the multimedia classroom!
Inside the multimedia classroom was a huge projector, and the experience was quite good if used to play a movie or something else. If you could find the original movie, it would be a great experience. It was a home theater to say the least.
And Bronie could still get in from Welt's side, after all, Anti Entropy's side definitely had the original movie of Alahatto. As long as she said she wanted to make giant robot-related works, then Old Yang definitely couldn't wait to personally come and explain the internal settings of those plots.
Empty classroom, pitch-black room, only the light brought by the projector vaguely illuminated part of the environment. Only to see Elysia stuffing a cup of cold drink into her hand, and when she looked at Elysia, Elysia revealed a bright smile.
"Let's see what kind of anime Bronie made for me~!"
......
Far away in the Far East, St. Freya Academy. The legendary older white-haired loli, the Schicksal S-Class Valkyrie, Theresa, was also in the midst of absolutely awesome reading session of her Homu collection in her office!
Just the sound of the door opening suddenly broke the tranquility of the academy president's office. Immediately followed by the sound of the Principal's office keyboard, then the sound of paper shredding.
"Principal, are you secretly playing games and reading manga again? St. Freya Academy will be graduating a new batch of Valkyries soon, have you assigned them positions yet?"
"Dang, sure! It's just that there's one child I'm a bit uneasy about ...... Well, very uneasy ......"
"Wow? What kind of student is it? It would make you all so distressed by it that you need games and manga to relieve your inner stress."
The semi-retired Valkyrie named Himeko asked so. As the Himeko who had been placed as an adjutant beside Theresa, she had already gradually familiarized herself with the rhythm of Theresa's office. Although she did seem a bit unreliable normally, if it was a serious matter, Theresa was still able to accomplish it seriously.
It was Himeko, who was worried that Theresa would lose her majesty in front of the students and get off to a bad start in front of them. After all, an S-rank Valkyrie was actually a touchy-feely monster or something, and if some of the students who worked hard but never grew in strength saw that, I'm afraid that they would deny the meaning of hard work. Even the belief in being a Valkyrie would collapse or something like that. Himeko was still very worried about the situation of these flowers in the greenhouse.
"It's a student named Wendy, she wants to go to the New Zealand branch, but the Valkyries over there didn't come out of St. Freya's Academy, and it seems like she wants to bring the philosophy of St. Freya's Academy to every branch of Schicksal."
No longer just fighting for the sake of Honkai, but as a person who sees fighting Honkai as life and not everything. This philosophy, inherited from Cecilia, was something that Himeko was equally moved by upon arriving at this school. Too many, too many Valkyries of Schicksal did consistently struggle to keep their sanity in the face of Honkai. And the reasoning that Wendy, a student, had written was indeed distressing enough. Because she could foresee Wendy arriving at the New Zealand branch and then being bullied and ostracized. Even if she did manage to change the atmosphere in there a little bit, it was really very difficult to change that completely.
If you want to describe the Valkyries of the Normal Schicksal branch, then it would be more apt to describe them as evil spirits who take revenge on Honkai. For the guys who wanted to stop them from taking revenge on Honkai, the other side would also eliminate them without mercy. So the path that Wendy had chosen was very arduous.
"So this is you turning on Plants vs. Zombies during your work hours and watching Homu's Adventure on the side? Even if you try to escape reality, the facts are still objectively placed there, and besides, the graduating students have long since grown up. All we can do is wish them well."
"No, it's not escaping reality, I'm just thinking if there's any other way to convince Wendy!"
Theresa's gaze then went back to the top of the computer. Because she had forcefully closed the process just now, this level was considered a complete waste of time, which made Theresa feel a little bit of heartache. But what was even harder was her own comics, all of which had become diluted under the Kaslana family's strange power. Theresa's heart was bleeding, but still pretended to be strong.
"So what, what's your decision?"
Himeko clasped her hands to her chest, with the air of punishing Theresa if she didn't give a good answer, and Theresa instantly felt like she was losing in the air. The next decision she made would most likely determine that child's future, and might get her ostracized and bullied by her coworkers as a result.
But looking at the paper overflowing with visions of the future and a firm belief in her goals, it was not like Theresa could make a decision to refuse, and more importantly she mentioned the game Persona. It was all because of this game that Wendy had figured out her future path, as well as her personal beliefs.
"Let's hope that child will contact us more in the future, that way we might be able to help as well, and I can also fish her back if she can't stay there, so let's decide!"
"Since you recognize that Wendy can do that kind of thing, I can't really say anything about it, but this decision was really well thought out by you right?"
"That's right! Well, the Archbishop sent a message over, so you can leave the office first, I'm still very concerned about the children's future."
"It's actually a communication from the Archbishop? Well, then after that Theresa you should stop playing games, the work at the academy has been piling up lately as well, I don't want to see the work papers piling up more and more when I come here tomorrow!"
Himeko left the bishop's office after saying that, and Theresa just happened to click on the message from Otto. There was only one connection on it, a connection to a magical girl anime.
No! Theresa had grown up!
Long gone was the guy who loved magical girls or even played one!
Wait, this was made by Haxxor Bunny?
Then it's okay for ...... to look at it a little bit, right?
Chapter 178: Watching Madoka Magica with Elysia
Do you still remember the opening of Puella Magi Madoka Magica?
The unique style of Kalafina's art, countless silhouettes, absurd scenes pieced together with stickers, the magical space composed of black and white, and Homura Akemi fighting against some giant monster.
Its distinctive art style, coupled with flashy battles, seemed to herald the extraordinary nature of this anime from the very beginning.
However, compared to Cyberpunk Edgerunners, Madoka's story has a slightly slower start because it needs to lay down the groundwork and then slowly ignite it, providing enough impact for the audience.
And the opening battle of Puella Magi Madoka Magica is also a foreshadowing.
The unfamiliar girl in the dream, the innocent and cute Madoka, the background no longer realistic but emphasizing the atmosphere—this also blurs the background of the entire world, like a fairy tale.
From Madoka waking up to introducing her family, the scenes filled with warmth everywhere couldn't help but make Elysia smile knowingly.
"So impressive~"
"What?"
"The expressiveness brought to the audience by these images, the cute art style, the heartwarming scenes, and the transformation of the cute girls in the opening song, I love them so much~"
Suddenly, Bronie became nervous.
"Ahaha... It's good that you like it!"
"There are also many details in some places! But this cosmetics is labeled with order, but I've never seen Bronie put on makeup..."
"After all, I'm beautiful enough without makeup, right? And I don't have any experience with makeup because if it smudges due to intense exercise, it's better not to wear makeup."
"Oh~ You've never put on makeup before~"
Of course! This was her final line of defense!
"Then I'll help you with makeup in the future, you definitely won't refuse, right?"
It Finally—
"Okay."
Crumbled.
The warm opening, centered around Madoka, begins to introduce the relationships around Madoka, and her carefree ordinary days seem to be about to transform into becoming a magical girl.
"Wow, meeting a girl from my dream, how coincidental and romantic~"
Homura Akemi appeared, although she seemed a bit out of place as a teacher, and even criticized men who only eat half-cooked fried eggs, but Elysia was quickly attracted by Homura Akemi's somewhat cool appearance.
Black, long hair, cool, with a hint of elegance.
"So, Bronie!"
"Yeah?"
What now!?
Bronie became nervous again.
"By the way, when you first came to Evernight Island, you also had that kind of feeling!"
"Huh? What feeling?"
"Confidence, elegance, with a hint of coolness, as if you knew everything, and also~"
In the pitch-black cinema, only when you get very close can you fully see Elysia's face, but Elysia tightened her grip on her hand, as if afraid she might suddenly run away.
"From the beginning, Bronie, you've been staring at me like Homura Akemi~"
So perceptive!
"Well... um, it's just a coincidence, art comes from reality, but transcends reality, there are always so many plots that are actually very similar!"
"Is that so~"
Elysia didn't say anything more.
Madoka's plot also gradually began to progress.
From meeting Homura Akemi, Madoka's ordinary life was destined to be disrupted.
And Homura Akemi's attitude towards Madoka seemed a bit strange, especially since the newly transferred student excelled in both academics and martial arts and was very familiar with the school environment.
This made people feel quite curious.
And that unique new camera movement, sometimes special camera language, always conveyed many different atmospheres and feelings.
With so much groundwork laid, before the audience could delve into the deeper meaning of the foreshadowing, an extraordinary life began to assail the protagonist Madoka.
"Wow! Why did Homura suddenly start chasing after Kyubey? Isn't Homura also a magical girl? Isn't Kyubey supposed to be a companion of magical girls? Like a mascot~"
"Even if you say that, there are more than just righteous magical girls on the market now, there are also antagonistic magical girls, right? So attacking the enemy's mascot is, to some extent, part of the information warfare strategy, isn't it?"
"Oh! The source of information about magical girls' enemies usually comes from mascots!"
As Elysia said this, she was also taken aback. Then the witch descended, conveying a discomforting feeling with its unique style, much like the execution of a black-and-white bear.
Images and colors can convey emotions.
And this emotion probably stems from the enemies of magical girls, the witches.
It's quite strange. In other magical girl anime, enemies are either mindless monsters without pain or reason, or they're evil organizations composed of weird people.
But this witch gives off a different vibe.
It's said to be without reason.
But occasionally, you can see unfamiliar words appearing on it.
It wasn't until the ending credits rolled that Elysia realized the first episode had ended.
There were many foreshadowings, and because of the core of its plot, it was difficult for the audience to delve deeper, just like in "Danganronpa," where there are foreshadowings scattered everywhere, but players are quickly pulled back into the case.
However, games can be paused, allowing players to slowly ponder the subplot, but anime is different. If paused midway, there's always a subtle feeling.
Then there's the OP and ED. The music sounds cheerful and warm, but the lyrics seem to imply something.
The second episode starts talking about witches and magical girls.
Girls always admire magical girls. Mami Tomoe appears as a very reliable senior, saving Madoka and Sayaka from danger.
Naturally, the two girls become interested in becoming magical girls.
The item for transforming into magical girls is called a Soul Gem, which looks like a beautiful gem. Furthermore, if you want to fulfill the contract to become a magical girl, you can also make a wish as compensation
.
Sounds lovely, right?
It seems that any wish can be granted, but as Mami Tomoe said, this is compensation for the cruel act of battling witches as a magical girl.
This compensation is quite something, but are Madoka and Sayaka the kind of people who would consider so much?
Actually, Mami Tomoe also warns them not to enter the world of magical girls lightly, but at the same time, she harbors some expectations, wanting to have companions to fight alongside as magical girls.
As witches born from curses continue to spread despair in the world, magical girls born from wishes bear the obligation to fight witches.
They also spread hope.
These inherent contradictions lay the groundwork for the whole story.
"Bronie really likes the contrast between hope and despair~!"
"Because after sinking into nihilism, despair follows, and everything becomes meaningless. Isn't our life always on the path of combating such things?"
"It's no wonder you were chosen by the Aeon..."
Elysia also understands what Bronie is fighting for.
But sometimes, there is indeed a void in the heart, so isn't there a need for battles?
If a person is not aware of the void, there may not be a need for battle, but such people may not necessarily perceive the beauty around them either.
Madoka is full of admiration for becoming a magical girl.
It's not about fulfilling a wish; it's about wanting to help everyone. Madoka is a girl who loves everyone and loves everything in the world.
Although she doesn't realize it at this moment.
After school, Mami takes the two girls to encounter witches, to observe firsthand what it's like to fight as magical girls.
Inducing suicide, devouring ordinary people, the malice of witches fills the entire witch's barrier, bringing distortion into this world, is a terrifying figure who does nothing but evil.
Seeing Mami's magnificent defeat of the opponent, Madoka indeed starts to think about becoming a magical girl.
But the words of Kyoko Sakura ahead make Madoka always hesitate.
Similarly, Mami's desire for companionship, although well hidden, also reaches Madoka and Sayaka's hearts.
The image of the confident and reliable senpai is established in the hearts of the two girls, as well as in the hearts of the audience
.
This is a reliable senior, right? If there's such a reliable senior as a guide when becoming a magical girl, there's nothing to be afraid of, right?
Everyone unconsciously had this thought, and the second episode came to a close.
"Wow, Mami's fighting style is really magnificent and interesting!"
Mami mainly uses muskets, firing one shot after another, combined with her flexible ribbons, her fighting style is very much like that of a magical girl.
Although it gives a feeling that's not quite the traditional magical girl fighting style, this novelty feels good, doesn't it?
"Do you want me to make one for you? A fighting equipment that fires one shot and then throws it away. With Ether Editing technology, as long as there's enough energy, similar weapons with the same effect can be made."
"Enough energy? Hmm, sounds interesting. I'll definitely give it a try in the future! But it's a bit strange, isn't it? It's already the third episode, almost the third episode, but still haven't become magical girls yet..."
The second episode mainly focuses on the story of Sayaka Miki. Because the boy she likes was involved in an accident and can no longer play the violin, Sayaka had the idea of saving him through a wish.
However, Mami pointed out whether Sayaka really wanted to save the person or just wanted to become their savior, making Sayaka realize her selfishness.
It's hard to say. Admitting one's selfish thoughts and the like.
So Sayaka temporarily put aside her wish to make.
"It's almost time, isn't it? Can I go to the bathroom? Hmm, I drank a bit too much cola..."
Seeing Madoka and Sayaka hesitating and encountering a witch while Mami wasn't around, Bronie prepared to leave.
But as Bronie got up, Elysia grabbed Bronie, then gently pulled, causing Bronie to stumble and fall into Elysia's arms.
Then, her hands went under Bronie's armpits and directly hugged Bronie's abdomen.
"What's wrong, what's wrong? You only took a sip of cola, lying isn't a good thing, you know~"
Elysia's voice came from beside, the breeze brushed past the ears, like an electric current passing through the whole body, Bronie nervously tightened her legs.
"Um, is this Mami's attitude... craving to have companions? Madoka is amazing, wanting to live with her head held high, realizing her dreams with her own hands, then there's Homura..."
The plot continued, Sayaka ventured alone into danger, Mami and Madoka were alone together, and Mami also had a hint of guilt inside.
Allowing Madoka to enter the world of magical girls without permission, the cruelty that magical girls have to face may be much more difficult than imagined.
Unable to love, and no one to listen to the inner pain.
"Um... we'll see what happens next."
Bronie responded in this way.
Mami's mood was unprecedentedly good when she heard Madoka wanting to become her partner.
The witch had already been born, and Mami arrived just in time.
["I'm so light. It's the first time I've fought with such a cheerful mood... I'm fearless!"]
Because of herself, she gained new companions again!
Elysia was also happy for Mami.
["Because I'm not alone anymore!"]
"That's right, Mami, go for it!"
Elysia hugged Bronie, cheering for Mami in the scene.
Finally, they came face to face with the witch.
["Sorry, but I'll finish you off in one go——"]
Elysia could understand that feeling, wanting to end the battle as soon as possible, wanting to greet her new companions as soon as possible, wanting to release the cheerful mood in her heart.
Then——
Everything came to a sudden stop.
["Crack, crack——"]
Although there was no blood in the scene.
But only the image of Mami's body, forever imprinted in Elysia's eyes.
The transformation was canceled.
The headless silhouette fell from the sky, landing in the soft cream on the ground, then was devoured by the witch in one breath!
The sudden turn of events, the cruel scene deeply shocked Madoka and Sayaka, as well as Elysia.
Even Elysia forgot to breathe, only able to hear the sound of the witch gnawing on Mami beside her.
["Remember it well, becoming a magical girl, this is the end result."]
Kyoko Sakura arrived in time, eliminating the witch in front of her, making the fight seem so easy, but that advice to Madoka seemed to be saying something.
"Bronie..."
Elysia's little hand started to move around.
"Um... Elysia, no, not here, no..."
"You must be secretly laughing at me in your heart, right!"
"How could that be... Haha, Elysia, don't, it's too ticklish here..."
The clothes started to become messy, Bronie wriggled against Elysia's body.
"Give me back my Mami~ Waaah~ my Mami~"
"Don't worry, Mami will come back. Isn't there a wish? Resurrecting someone, that kind of thing, must be easy peasy!"
Elysia stopped her little hand.
"Really?"
"Really! After all, magical girls are synonymous with miracles, right? As long as you make a wish for Mami to come back, it'll be easy peasy!"
But what Elysia answered Bronie was an even more restless little hand.
"Don't, Elysia, I really need to pee, don't... don't do this anymore..."
"This is punishment! Punishment for deceiving me!"
Chapter 179: Watching Sayaka with Elysia
After the third episode ended, the ED (ending) finally stopped pretending and switched directly from a warm art style to a dark one.
Normally, the magical girl series anime is for people with a girly heart, or for children. It promotes love and peace, encouraging children to make friends and spreading positive thoughts, hoping they will bear fruit one day.
Elysia used to be attracted to such beautiful magical girl anime, which is also the main reason she likes to display magical abilities. But what was the result? What did Bronie do?
Along with Mami Tomoe's head falling off, Elysia's girly heart fell too!
"It's 12+! The anime I made is 12+, definitely not for very young children. But I think it's okay to let them experience a bit of darkness early on and reduce a bit of naivety. At least it might make Kiana a bit more mature, right?"
"Really?"
Elysia couldn't quite believe Bronie's words. After all, the following plot would surely take a sharp turn into darkness, wouldn't it?
"Let's just keep watching! And I really need to go to the bathroom!"
This time, Elysia finally let go of Bronie, and Bronie left the scene looking sheepish, really seeming like she was going to the bathroom.
Before long, Bronie came back, and Elysia focused her attention on the fourth episode.
Just as she expected, all the beauty took a sharp turn for the worse. Even the dependable and cool seniors were completely ruined in the battles against witches. The harsh reality shattered their beautiful fantasies.
Sayaka, holding onto some sort of wish in her heart, seemed to have some thoughts. The turning point was her childhood friend Kyousuke Kamijou, who couldn't play the violin due to an accident.
When the doctor told him that he couldn't fulfill his dream of performing on stage, and he began to accept the despairing future, he lost control of his emotions after Sayaka brought him a new music CD and said some hurtful things.
Just as Mami Tomoe said, Sayaka was never clear whether her wish was to heal Kyousuke unconditionally or to become his savior. During her short time with Mami, Sayaka witnessed the justice of magical girls, admired it, and also rejected the unjust thoughts in her heart.
But after seeing Kyousuke's outburst, she didn't want to see the boy she liked fall into despair because of his condition more than she feared the battles magical girls faced. In the end, she chose to become a magical girl, deciding to fight silently in exchange for Kyousuke's ability to perform music.
Elysia realized that with such a mindset, the end would not be good. It was truly heartbreaking...
Meanwhile, Madoka was also in despair. Mami Tomoe died just like that, quietly, without anyone knowing she had ever fought, and few would remember her existence. After developing a fear of magical girls, Madoka thought about giving up becoming one. But if she gave up, would the witches leave everyone alone?
Madoka's friend was bewitched by a witch and nearly died. Madoka herself was trapped in the witch's barrier. If Sayaka hadn't arrived in time, Madoka might not have survived.
"Is it really okay?" Elysia asked.
"What?"
"Becoming a magical girl and all, there's a big problem with Kyubey's words. It smells like lies!"
"Strictly speaking, Kyubey doesn't lie. Everything it has said so far is the truth."
"But Kyubey is leading them into becoming magical girls!"
Watching the new episode, where Madoka worried about Sayaka's safety as a magical girl, but Sayaka reassured her that everything was fine. Sayaka pursued justice, hoping her magic could bring happiness to others, wanting to protect Mitakihara's peace like Mami and eliminate all witches.
"Yes, indeed. Kyubey's job is to make contracts with girls and create more magical girls. So it's not surprising, right?"
"That’s true..."
Madoka no longer needed to become a magical girl, and Mami Tomoe's duty to protect Mitakihara was passed on to Sayaka. On the rooftop at dusk, Sayaka watched Kyousuke Kamijou, who was happy to play the violin again, and she smiled, feeling content to protect him.
How could she regret making a wish for someone else?
Sayaka thought, as if she were a veteran general on stage making bold declarations.
A peaceful life wouldn’t last; Mami Tomoe's death was just the beginning.
Kyubey spread the news of Mami's death to other magical girls.
One named Kyouko Sakura came to Mitakihara, even letting a witch's familiar that Sayaka was chasing escape.
If the familiar consumed enough humans, it could turn into a witch, yielding more grief seeds, essential for magical girls to sustain their soul gems. Sayaka hadn't realized this until Kyouko pointed it out. It was like a food chain: humans were eaten by familiars, familiars were controlled by witches, and magical girls hunted witches.
Kyouko’s words shook Sayaka's sense of justice. To maintain her sense of justice and prove Mami wasn’t wrong, Sayaka fought Kyouko. Their conflict even escalated into a brutal fight.
Fortunately, Homura Akemi kept her promise and appeared before Madoka, temporarily resolving the conflict between the two magical girls.
"Isn’t Sayaka adorable?" Bronie asked mischievously.
"She’s really worrying… She seems to realize that she’s just an ordinary magical girl. Being a magical girl isn’t about justice."
"Yeah, isn’t Sayaka’s pursuit of justice adorable?"
"You're terrible!"
Elysia finally realized that just as they used Mami’s demise, now they were targeting Sayaka. Despite being a cute, ordinary girl, she bravely charged into battles where death was always a possibility. Elysia saw her forced bravery, as did Madoka, but neither could do anything about it.
As Madoka said at Sayaka's apartment door, Sayaka redefined her sense of justice. She wouldn’t spare any selfish magical girls, witches, or familiars! After another encounter with Kyouko, Sayaka declared she would never forgive her, while Kyouko challenged her to a fight in a bridge, where might would decide the victor.
Knowing she might not win, Sayaka still charged in, and Kyubey informed Madoka, who also rushed to the scene. In this episode, the cruelest aspect of being a magical girl was revealed through Kyubey’s cold, emotionless explanation.
To stop the fight and help Sayaka escape the responsibilities of being a magical girl, Madoka grabbed Sayaka's soul gem and threw it off the bridge, where it was run over by a passing truck.
The soul gem carried the soul, and without it, the body was meaningless.
Thus, Sayaka collapsed and died, shocking even Kyouko.
"Bronie~"
Elysia knew Mami’s death would reveal the anime’s true nature, but she hadn’t expected the truth about magical girls to be so brutal!
"Lies don’t necessarily hurt, but the truth often does. It’s really good that Madoka didn’t become a magical girl~"
But why is it still titled "Puella Magi Madoka Magica"? Elysia didn’t understand, and Kyubey’s cute image shattered in her mind. When the truth came out, she could only vent her frustration on Bronie.
Heavens! What kind of dark mind would create such a setting for magical girls? Souls bound to gems, giving up all hope for a single wish. Every battle afterward was to pay for that wish.
This is why Mami didn’t recommend making wishes for others. Knowing the truth, Kyouko’s attitude toward Sayaka softened. When they met again in an abandoned church where Kyouko once lived, Kyouko shared her past and her wish for her father, which destroyed her family, seeing her past self in Sayaka.
Sayaka would face immense despair, and Kyouko, having experienced it, wanted to warn her. Kyouko tsundere-ly expressed hope that Sayaka would choose a different path and not dwell in past sorrows.
Every magical girl who didn’t believe in love and hope once did, which is why they became disillusioned. Elysia felt for Kyouko and Sayaka, who said she didn’t regret her wish for others, believing her power could create more beauty. Mami was a role model in her heart, guiding her on the path of justice.
The next day, Sayaka pretended to be fine to avoid worrying Madoka. But fate can be cruel. Their friend Hitomi confessed she also liked Kyousuke and gave Sayaka a day to confess to him, or she would.
But how could a magical girl, with a body like a zombie’s, confess to her childhood friend? Sayaka even told Madoka she momentarily wished she hadn’t saved Hitomi. Emotional breakdowns happen in an instant, and Sayaka began doubting her justice, thinking her wish was for Kyousuke to like her.
Losing her prince, Sayaka clung to her sense of justice. In a witch’s labyrinth, she fought furiously, black despair tainting her soul. No one could help Sayaka, not even Madoka. The final straw was seeing Kyousuke with Hitomi. Sayaka descended into darkness, questioning if the world was worth protecting after hearing men talk disgustingly about using girls.
Despair consumed Sayaka, and her soul gem turned black, shattering into a grief seed before Kyouko.
"A magical girl… turned into a witch!?" Elysia covered her mouth in disbelief.
Though she expected Sayaka might self-destruct, Elysia hoped her friends could help her through it. Kyubey’s emotionless narration shattered her last hope. A girl in adolescence is a maiden; a mature magical girl becomes a witch.
The eighth episode ended abruptly, with the ED playing, unusually not skipped, as Elysia was too shocked to speak.
"Sadly, magic and miracles come with a price. The little mermaid sacrificed her voice for legs, and Sayaka did similarly."
"Why! Bronie! Isn’t this supposed to be about magical girls and hope? Why did Sayaka end up like this?"
"Because they’re just children, clueless, suffering because of their emotions, making them targets for Kyubey. The next episode will explain, but don’t be too sad. I promise a happy ending."
"A bittersweet happy ending?"
"No! Do you think I’m that cruel?"
Bronie was helpless. The plot had shocked her too back then.
Sayaka died, Kyouko followed, Mami died early, and in Homura's memories, everyone died. The plot deeply affected Bronie.
"But how can you resolve this? Everyone’s dead, and Homura said wishes can’t revive people, not even Mami!"
"Three more episodes, hang in there!"
"Okay… but don’t think a good ending will spare you! This isn’t the magical girl show I wanted!"
"But… I think you’ll like this story."
"The story isn’t over, so I can’t say for sure if I’ll like it… but I feel you’re implying something~"
Elysia stopped her restless hands and hugged Bronie tightly again.
"Just keep watching, and you’ll see."
Chapter 180: Elysia Discovers Bunny's Thoughts
Just by continuing to watch, Elysia finally realizes that the knives are getting sharper and sharper.
In Episode 9, Kyoko Sakura still harbors a hint of fantasy about Sayaka. It's like in a fairy tale, relying on friendship, bonds, and Madoka's call, perhaps they could bring back Sayaka, who had become a witch?
Unfortunately, reality is cruel. She even almost drags Madoka into danger.
Perhaps out of guilt or the need to protect Madoka, Kyoko is always on the defensive during her battle with the mermaid witch.
To prevent Madoka from falling into despair here, Kyoko ultimately chooses to sacrifice herself along with the mermaid witch. Just like the Little Mermaid dissolved into foam in the sea, disappearing completely with Kyoko.
Now, with four magical girls, three dead, one Madoka who hasn't made a wish yet, and Homura Akemi, who seems to harbor special feelings for Madoka, still on the edge continuing to fight.
In Episode 10 of the anime, the previously oppressive atmosphere takes a sudden turn, and a vulnerable Homura Akemi suddenly appears before the audience.
"Kyubey said that Homura Akemi is not a magical girl in this timeline, which means she can also be considered a time traveler, perhaps even a magical girl who has reincarnated several times in the same time period, right?"
Seeing this familiar opening scene, when Madoka, contrary to her usual self, approaches the timid Homura Akemi, Elysia suddenly understood everything.
There were more or less foreshadowing clues before, whether it was Sayaka saying that Homura Akemi didn't really want to save herself, but rather didn't want someone to worry about her, or Kyoko asking Homura Akemi why she knew the Walpurgisnacht would come there, and Homura Akemi's answer was based on statistics.
Plus, Kyubey telling Kyoko that he had no memory of contracting with Homura Akemi.
These aspects provided many hints.
And Episode 10 directly reveals the truth.
"Yes, the things Homura Akemi said to Madoka and Kyoko earlier, she probably said countless times before, but unfortunately, each time Kyoko's response would inadvertently hurt Homura Akemi. Those who play with time will eventually be played with by time."
"I always feel like you're implying something~" Elysia leans closer to Bronya, wanting to see Bronya's current expression in the dimly lit movie theater.
And Bronya pushes Elysia's face away with her hand. "Don't, time travel and such things, aren't as simple as you imagine. Perhaps only the Star Goddess can barely do this, so it's impossible for me to do any time travel, even the world bubbles in the Sea of Quantum, the so-called time loops are just false."
"I see, that's good, I thought you really did something like that..." Elysia breathes a sigh of relief, but her gaze remains on Episode 10.
Before meeting Homura Akemi, Madoka had already become a magical girl. The power of magic brought confidence to Madoka, allowing her to use her own power to bring happiness to others and to protect those around her.
Homura Akemi was also part of it.
Until Madoka died in the Walpurgisnacht, and in the second loop, Homura Akemi, Mami Tomoe, and the slightly less skilled Homura Akemi still couldn't defeat the Walpurgisnacht.
And after Madoka died in battle, her Soul Gem suddenly shattered, turning into the most powerful "Witch"!
This was also the first time Homura Akemi learned the truth about magical girls, realizing that their reality was far from the idealized image she had.
In the third timeline, both Kyoko and Sayaka become magical girls. With more allies, there seemed to be a chance to defeat the Walpurgisnacht.
However, when Sayaka turned into a witch and Madoka Kaname witnessed it, Madoka's spirit broke, leading her to kill Kyoko.
Homura Akemi almost met the same fate at Madoka's hands. If it weren't for Madoka's intervention to kill herself, everything might have ended there.
In the end, the two of them faced the Walpurgisnacht together and fell, with no hope of victory.
Their Soul Gems gradually became corrupted.
Homura Akemi almost gave up all hope and quietly awaited death with Madoka. However, Madoka did not give up and gave Homura her last Grief Seed, asking, "Can you save the foolish me who hasn't been deceived by Kyubey yet?"
She also asked Homura to kill her to prevent her from becoming a witch.
In the end, Homura shot Madoka in silent tears, and along with Madoka, the weak version of herself also perished.
From then on, Homura swore in her heart that no matter the difficulty, no matter the despair, even if no one understood her, she would definitely save Madoka.
After that, Homura experienced countless loops, traveling through time and space.
Kyubey also explained that a magical girl's potential is determined by the causality they are involved in. Each time Homura looped, she acted to save Madoka, causing the causality surrounding Madoka to grow stronger, making her a more powerful magical girl.
Finally, Kyubey thanked Homura. Through countless time loops, she had created a magical girl with such powerful potential.
Therefore, the energy generated by Madoka's transformation into a witch would usher in new life for the universe.
All the foreshadowing from earlier converged, and Kyubey's words blamed all the faults on Homura, trying to evoke despair in her heart.
Even if Homura gathered more power and looped countless times, becoming stronger, the Walpurgisnacht would also become stronger, and she alone was destined to be unable to defeat it.
"Damn you, Kyubey! Treating humans like cattle!"
The anime entered its final countdown. In episode 11, Kyubey's true nature was fully revealed to everyone.
"But you can't deny that Kyubey is indeed right, can you?"
"So, Kyubey is the enemy of humanit- no, the enemy of the entire human civilization, even if it's right!"
"That's true. Sacrificing human lives to prolong the universe is unacceptable. Even if we don't know, we should still have the right to resist, just like in the Cocoon of Finality."
Homura revealed everything to Madoka in the final room, including the time loops and every attempt to save her. Even though she gradually lost her way in the labyrinth of time, as long as Madoka was there, Madoka was her only beacon. Kyubey's words did deal a blow to Homura, perhaps this was her last loop.
"That's right, whether it's the Cocoon of Finality or Kyubey, they are enemies of humanity!"
Originally thinking that Kyubey was cute, Elysia now realized that a dead Kyubey was the cutest. "But Homura's way of fighting really resembles Bronya's! Bronya can do that too, right?"
"Yeah, except for time-stopping, covering firepower is quite easy. Don't you think it's very cool?"
"That's... true..."
Elysia felt like her tears had dried up. Homura still couldn't defeat the Walpurgisnacht in the end. When she wanted to go back to the past again, Kyubey's words appeared in her mind.
Going back was meaningless; it would only increase Madoka's potential, and Kyubey would never let Madoka go.
When she had this thought, Homura's heart was gradually consumed by despair. But at this critical moment, Madoka appeared before her.
She had convinced her family and harbored a wish she must fulfill. "All the universes, past and future, all the witches, I will eradicate with my own hands before I disappear!"
Bearing enormous causality and unprecedented potential, the power of countless parallel universes converged on one point.
No matter how great the wish Madoka made, it could be realized.
Kyubey couldn't stop any of this and could only watch as Madoka became a god. Her wish would reverse causality and completely change the fate of magical girls becoming witches. The threads of fate were severed, and Madoka became a god at that moment.
In that final void, Homura, as a time traveler, was able to witness Madoka's eradication of despair on a cosmic scale. The pure white dress, lovely pink, and the longbow turned into light. Madoka's godly form deeply attracted Elysia.
It was precisely because of the inexplicable despair and the miracles and hope created by Madoka that they were so dazzling.
The magical girl who represented love and miracles was fully displayed in Madoka.
Traversing causality, she met past companions again. Kyoko cheered for Madoka, and Mami asked Madoka about her true dreams, reaffirming her determination. Saying goodbye to Homura and going to save Sayaka, who had fallen into the deepest despair.
Finally, in the new world, no one remembered Madoka, and the fate of magical girls was no longer to become witches but to be taken away by the rules of the universe, thus disappearing from the world.
But Homura held the ribbon belonging to Madoka and wept bitterly for her departure.
Even though the witches disappeared, there would still be creatures born from curses of emotions, and Homura's way of fighting was no longer using military weapons but a longbow like Madoka's.
"You see, everyone finally got a happy ending, right?"
The tears that had dried up reappeared before Elysia.
"But... but Homura... sob... sob..."
"Yeah, if you don't remember, maybe it would be happier, but if everyone doesn't remember, then Madoka would be even more pitiful, right?"
"But if only Homura remembers... then wouldn't all her efforts be in vain..."
The ending song concluded, and Elysia suddenly realized that Madoka's solitary disappearance in this universe after making her wish was truly cruel for Homura.
And at the end of the ending song, Homura, carrying pitch-black despair walked forward alone, her Soul Gem already completely blackened.
A new chapter was about to begin, named "Rebellion," an upcoming movie.
"So the despair that Homura carries is deeper than that of any other magical girl..." Elysia said as she saw the final scene on the screen, with Bronie responding in agreement.
"Huh? There's more?" Elysia asked, surprised.
"Because miracles do exist. Even if they transcend time and surpass the rules of the universe, climbing to the top of the imaginary tree... God loves humanity, but loving everyone means loving no one. Homura realized this, which is why she despaired. Kyubey remains Kyubey, and humans remain humans. Almost nothing has changed, right?" Bronya explained.
Kyubey remains Kyubey. Hearing Bronie's words, Elysia suddenly understood something, and then she laughed.
"Why are you laughing?" Bronie asked, puzzled.
Elysia, who had been crying so much, suddenly stopped crying and even started laughing. Bronie's smile gradually faded.
"Because I realized some of my little bunny's thoughts~" Elysia said with a grin.
As Bronie felt a mixture of anticipation and a bad premonition, Elysia lunged at her like a tiger, hugging her tightly.
It felt like being enveloped in a soft ocean. After a brief instinctual struggle, Bronie gently hugged Elysia back.
"I won't leave! I won't sacrifice myself recklessly either! Because I've already sacrificed once, and this life of mine was saved by you! So I won't leave suddenly~" Elysia declared.
Love and hope, miracles and magic, the anime "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" may have a cruel setting, but as Nagito Komaeda said in "Danganronpa":
"The deeper the despair, the more it highlights the brilliance of hope."
Elysia felt this deeply.
Of course, a lot of it was also due to Bronie's small worries, right?
Originally, Elysia thought Bronya's talk about love was just teasing, but it turned out Bronie was genuinely worried that Elysia might leave just like Madoka did.
Elysia loves humanity and everyone, but Elysia is also merciless towards bad people!
Though she never mentioned this, so Bronie wouldn't know.
"Really?" Bronya asked, still a bit uncertain.
"Of course, Elysia will always love Bronie~ And I really like this anime! Thank you so much for creating it, Bronie~"