Chapter 589
R'lyeh, on the other hand, looked innocent and dejected.
"We've been friends since childhood, haven't you forgotten? Childhood sweethearts. After you regained your memories as a human, didn't you think of me?"
The Moon Devil King blinked.
After a long silence, the Moon Devil King struggled to recall that when he was human... he seemed to have a childhood friend named R'lyeh.
They did have a pretty good relationship when they were little.
Only then did the Moon Devil King realize why this woman had always inexplicably clung to him when he was the Demon King.
"I... I think I remember now... uh, there seems to be such a thing."
"Uh-huh."
R'lyeh's eyes sparkled.
As for Kirishima Ai, recalling the various things she had seen in the past, and combining them with the scene before her, she seemed to suddenly understand something.
She tiptoed and whispered in Haihara's ear:
"Teacher, Miss R'lyeh, do you... have a little something for the Moon Devil King?"
She wasn't quite sure, but her woman's intuition told her it might be true.
Haihara also looked bewildered, her feelings as a former R'lyeh person quite complicated:
Don't ask me, I don't know.
After that, R'lyeh, who seemed to be in a pretty good mood, temporarily let go of the Moon Devil King was hostile to strangers, and walked step by step toward Haihara.
Even after seeing the legendary first Magic girl up close, Kirishima Ai felt it was truly incredible once again.
It turns out there really are people who possess a warm and bright temperament, like the sun.
---Completely different from the gloomy and eccentric Takanashi.
Moreover, she is quite beautiful, like a fairy from a fairy tale.
The first and the last Magic girl faced each other, gazing into each other's eyes.
"Thank you so much, junior. Even I never imagined it would end like this."
She flashed a relaxed, bright smile, which was truly radiant.
Haihara, who had recently been the Overlord of the cricket world and had just slept with R'lyeh herself, was now feeling somewhat guilty.
"No, no, you flatter me."
"Oh, right, I heard that my descendants became the royal family, and the current Her Majesty the Queen married you? How is your relationship? Have you had any babies?"
R'lyeh is a bit too traditional a Magic girl; her sparkly aura is somewhat dazzling to Haihara.
Until I heard about the issue of marriage.
Haihara pondered for a brief moment before replying:
"My marriage with her wasn't terrible, but it certainly brought us a lifetime of unhappiness."
"...?"
"But our child is quite adorable, so let's just say it's all my fault."
Haihara concluded with this statement.
Miss R'lyeh, who had never been married, never been in a relationship, let alone had children, immediately showed a confused and blank expression.
I don't understand.
Is marriage such a terrible thing?
R'lyeh simply blinked, then regained her energy and spirit, still unable to hide the joy and happiness in her heart:
"No matter what, junior, please help me persuade Anna. She has so many happy things she hasn't experienced yet. Because I couldn't protect her, I've regretted it from the past until now... Waaah, my Anna."
It seems that for R'lyeh, the Moon Devil King, her childhood friend from the past, is indeed of great significance.
Lilith had read documents about the four girls who were sacrificed to the Demon King. It seemed that the girls who were sacrificed to the Moon Devil King were kidnapped.
At that time, R'lyeh, who was also a child, must have been powerless to help.
"And what's your answer?"
In the end, Haihara looked towards the Moon Devil King, the girl who had refused to be given a name by her.
Regardless, the decision should ultimately rest with the Moon Devil King himself.
The Moon Devil King silently raised his hand and stroked his smooth, scar-free skin.
Her entire body had been torn apart countless times.
However, with the passage of time, not a trace can be seen.
What is the answer?
She looked at the woman before her, a woman who evoked complex emotions in her and, for a fleeting moment, a desire to be saved.
The woman before her had also betrayed her, plunging her into an even deeper hell.
Yet all of this was ultimately for this very moment, to save them all.
I want to try living again.
The girl said this calmly at the end.
The souls of four girls, cursed by fate and human greed, ultimately made the same choice.
They once again felt hope and longing for life.
R'lyeh was finally relieved and happily said---
"That's wonderful, Anna! Let's be childhood sweethearts again in our next life, and live together with marriage in mind!"
As expected of the ancestor of Magic girls, she effortlessly uttered words that later Magic girls could not.
However, the Moon Devil King showed absolutely no interest upon hearing this:
"No, I prefer Lily, and I've already kissed her."
R'lyeh's smile vanished abruptly.
She seemed to have instantly turned into a petrified statue, completely devoid of color, as if she were about to shatter on the spot.
Soon after, Haihara saw R'lyeh, who had just been so confident in her, now clenching her two little pink fists and glaring at her with resentment.
"Junior! This is outrageous! Why are you even trying to steal my Anna away?"
"... What? Do you want me to give that kiss back to you?"
Haihara will just pretend that this conflict has nothing to do with her.
At times like this, it's time to make a sacred break with the Overlord woman.
Miss R'lyeh is a lively chatterbox, and it seems she still has a lot to talk about after that.
After all, she didn't have many opportunities to chat and relax with people while she was alive.
However, just as her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, she suddenly sensed something, lowered her head, and looked at her own body. Her figure, which was originally made of light, was now gradually turning into sparks of light.
The other Demon King were no exception.
The short chat came to an end; it was time to say goodbye.
"Ha..."
After realizing this, R'lyeh smiled helplessly, her previously excited and lively face returning to a calm and still state, and she calmed down as well.
Above the world's sky, those sparks of souls, one by one, flew to their destined destinations. Some became flowers, some became stars in the Universe, some became Fairies in the wind, and some transformed into Asuka.
The four girls who were once Demon King also vanished into light after their farewell, and who knows when they will meet again.
R'lyeh is the same, of course.
She slowly, alone, faded away, and many years later, she became someone with a new face and a new name.
If we're talking about what's good, then there's nothing wrong with it.
But if we're talking about sadness, it does seem somewhat saddening.
So it was a helpless smile, happy yet a little melancholy. In the last moment, she looked at the world before her with longing, as if she wanted to take in all the sights.
Fortunately, in this final moment, the world before my eyes was incredibly beautiful.
Whether it's the hometown she once protected or the new home she created with her friends, the Kingdom named after her is beautiful.
In that case, there's nothing to regret, right?
Behind R'lyeh came the voice of the woman who had described such a world—
Finally, I have a question too.
What is it?
R'lyeh responded with a smile, somewhat curious.
Haihara also looked into R'lyeh's eyes and saw the same world.
There was a time when she also looked at the world in this way, pondering certain questions.
"R'lyeh, what do you think of this world?"
This is a question that Lilith had been curious about when she was Magic girl.
Perhaps I had thought about this as early as my childhood.
So, what was this original Magic girl, this special yet ordinary girl known as the light and miracle, thinking?
What kind of world is this to her that makes it worthy of her protecting it so much?
She said---
"It's beautiful, even though it always caused me pain, I love it, so it's wonderful that I persevered and made it this far."
Haihara found it strange and puzzling.
She looked at R'lyeh and asked:
"Then, why are you crying?"
In Haihara's black pupils, R'lyeh's current face was reflected. Unlike her happy and joyful smile, her clear crimson eyes were quietly filled with tears, which continued to wet her cheeks.
She said calmly, yet with a touch of sadness:
"Because I really, really... love all of this, so I don't know why I feel so incredibly sad."
"I see." Haihara wasn't sure if this was the answer she had imagined.
"Um.
R'lyeh simply replied with that soft sound.
It seems there are many contradictory people in the world, even the first and last Magic girls are no exception.
So, let's leave it at that for now.
The rest is up to the distant future.
"Oh right, lastly, I think I haven't asked yet, junior, what's your name?"
As night faded and dawn gradually rose, R'lyeh slowly transformed into brilliant light, just like the morning sun itself.
Her silhouette was tinged with pale gold, and her beautiful golden hair was scattered by the sound of the wind.
That initial figure is also about to depart—before the true morning arrives.
This time, Haihara answered the final question without hesitation or thought.
My name is...
----- Haihara Lily Chou
Then, the world welcomed a bright morning.
Volume Four Does This Count as a Magical Girl??: Epilogue - Everything About Loving You
Years later, people will still occasionally recall the miracle that happened all over the world that night.