Chapter 553
I hope you won't repeat my mistakes...
--I hope you can become...
--The only one to end it all.
--To become that one and only 'Hope's Light'.
"!"
Beep beep beep--
The alarm clock rang sharply, and Yu Muqiu, who was lying in bed, suddenly opened his eyes.
She stared blankly at the ceiling covered with cute cat wallpaper, and it took her a long time to sit up in bed.
Compared to the end of the third season, Yu Muqiu's physique has matured slightly, and his hair is a bit longer.
The long hair that hadn't been properly wrapped up before bed was now loosely draped behind Yu Muqiu, some parts even tangled together.
The girl, however, seemed oblivious to all of this. She simply covered her cheek with one hand, breathing softly, and murmuring to herself:
Is it... a dream?
Beep beep beep--
The alarm clock, which Yu Muqiu hadn't turned off, was still diligently working.
Yu Muqiu glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table, sighed, and casually turned it off.
The camera zooms in on the alarm clock; it's exactly six o'clock.
Then... the opening theme started playing.
Volume 6 <Magic Autumn> Season 4: Chapter 592 An Ominous Opening Suggestion
(Wait... who is that Magical Girls?!)
(Is this the Demon King? Why does he look different from the Demon King that Lesos sealed away? Is it the same person?)
(It doesn't seem like... it feels more like the First-Generation Magical Girls and the First Demon Lord? That Magical Girls's posture seems to be a bit more advanced than Xiao Qiu's...)
(What's going on?! Didn't Kelly and the others say that there wasn't Demon Lord in the first generation?!)
(Pfft, it feels like the history of Magical Creatures has been altered; at least no one knows what happened back then.)
(Even Lesos doesn't know?)
(Lesos is said to be the fourth generation of Magical Girls, but who knows how long it was between the fourth and the first generation?)
"So what exactly is going on? Is that Magical Girls named Lily really the first one?"
Aurora asked Kelly.
Of all the Magical Creatures, Kelly is undoubtedly the most knowledgeable and has the most understanding, so if you encounter anything you don't understand, asking Kelly is absolutely no problem.
Of course, this is on the premise that Kelly actually knew about these things.
But clearly, Kelly's answer to this was --
"... Sorry, I'm not sure either."
Kelly shook her head apologetically, explaining, "There are very few records about the first generation. After all... our records only date back to the second generation, and the second generation... as we all know now, the Magical Girls of the second generation are Magical Creatures..."
The history of Magical Creatures, specifically the first five generations, is inaccurate.
At first, Kelly and the others said that only the first, third, and fourth generations of Magical Girls possessed Shining Form.
But then Shining 2 form appeared, which even Kelly wasn't very familiar with.
Later, they learned from Lesos that the Magical Girls of the second generation were actually prototypes of Magical Creatures, and they could transform into half-human, half-beast warriors to fight.
After them, Magical Creatures began to appear and formed contracts with Magical Girls three generations later.
However, it wasn't until the fifth generation that the concept of 'becoming Magical Girls by signing a contract with Magical Creatures' became the core of this system.
Information on the first five generations is incomplete, so Kelly really doesn't know much about the first generation.
Anyway, the records say that the strongest enemy of the first generation was Pillar Rank enemy, but it is clear that... the enemy faced by that strange Magical Girls in the Sky Screen was definitely far more than Pillar Rank.
Yu Muqiu wasn't too concerned about whether the girl in the Sky Screen was actually the first Magical Girls; what she cared about was what the Demon King had said.
"That... Demon Lord." Yu Muqiu chose his words carefully, his tone grave. "... The Demon King, he said, 'As long as Magical Girls and Demons exist, this conflict will never end,' and...that mysterious voice mentioned..."
Yu Muqiu paused briefly at this point, seemingly recalling his earlier remarks.
Stella immediately added, "'When magic descended upon this world, good and evil began to materialize, and thus began this never-ending conflict...' That's what the first Magical Girls said."
Stella brought this up, and Xiao Chun also raised the most crucial question:
"Ultimately... what exactly is magic?"
Yes, what exactly is magic?
Since there was a First-Generation Magical Girls generation of Magical Girls, what exactly was 'magic' before that?
Why can only Magical Girls and Demons use magic? Why do Magical Girls and Demons have to fight each other? These are questions that Magical Girls seem to have never considered.
"Anyway, we should find out the answer this season, right?"
Stella looked up at the sky.
The opening sequence has officially begun, and the title of <Magical Girl Xiao Qiu ~The Final Attack~> is displayed across the Sky Screen along with the music.
The title did not appear immediately.
First, there's a musical prelude, then the camera zooms in rapidly, flashing past countless Magical Girls on both sides, before finally revealing the title against a backdrop of blue sky and white clouds.
Then the camera moves down from the title to the falling autumn leaves. The leaves land on the ground, and Xiao Qiu's feet step on them, revealing her face with a serious expression and no smile.
The camera then pans across the room again, revealing Chen Xiaoxia sitting in her own training room, bathed in gray shadows. This image lingers for a few seconds before quickly cutting away again.
Then came the figure of Xiao Chun, sitting in the shadows, holding an umbrella and standing in front of the grave.
Then, in the sunlight, there was Dongdong's figure leaning against the school wall.
After the main Magical Girls from the main story flashed by, the music suddenly slowed down.
A worn-out pocket watch is placed in the center of the picture, and the cracks in the watch serve as dividers, revealing glimpses of the Magical Girls from the spin-off.
Stella, Aurora, Luna... and the Magical Girls of the Eastern Ocean District, some of them are depicted in a grayish tone, while others are even covered by more fragmented cracks.
When the hands of the pocket watch completed a full circle and pointed back to the top 12 o'clock position, all the images shattered, and Xiao Qiu's figure reappeared in the center of the screen.
The music reached its climax here, and Xiao Qiu's figure was running, with Xiao Bai, Fang Ming, and the shadows of her relatives and friends appearing around her.
But Xiao Qiu's face showed no smile, because the figures of these people were immediately swallowed up by an even denser darkness.
A dozen or so blurry figures gathered around Xiao Qiu and began to fight Xiao Qiu.
Blue and green light Shine simultaneously around Xiao Qiu, fighting alongside Xiao Qiu.
But what's most eye-catching is the mysterious phantom behind Xiao Qiu.
The phantom merged into Xiao Qiu's body as if embracing her, and then, pink light suddenly burst forth, and chains and scythes replaced Xiao Qiu's weapons.
Holding a Xiao Qiu, Xiao Qiu walked slowly but firmly forward, pulled along by countless chains.
As the music ended, a small hand appeared on the screen, as if to keep her there, or as if to walk side by side with Xiao Qiu, grasping Xiao Qiu's hand.
The music stopped abruptly at that moment.
[OP ends.]
(Oh no! Kids! I have a very bad feeling!)
(Wait, wait, wait, what is the OP Suggestion?! It's definitely Suggestion something!?)
(Have you noticed that none of the characters appearing in the opening sequence have any smiles? Their expressions are either solemn or Pain.)
(You don't even need to tell me! This opening theme is completely different from the art style of the first three seasons!)
(No!! Xiao Qiu, please don't let anything happen to you!! I'm scared!!)
(I'm scared too!!!)
Let alone the viewers in the live chat being scared.
Fang Ming was also deeply saddened after watching this episode.
This kind of pseudo-spoiler behavior, similar to making certain Suggestion in the opening sequence, is actually quite common in the anime industry.
After all, the original manga has already ended in the world where <Magic Autumn> exists, and for fans of the original work, the future of the characters in the story has already been determined.
Therefore, if non-fans of the original work notice such Suggestion in the opening sequence, it won't matter. However, if fans of the original work see them, they will instantly understand the production team's subtle intentions, thus generating a sense of superiority as if they already know the ending.
Of course, this applies to the world in which the work <Magic Autumn> exists.
However, for the people living in the world of <Magic Autumn>, the Suggestion in the opening sequence do not resonate with them or bring them joy; instead, they evoke feelings of heaviness and worry!
Putting aside the difference in brightness between the previous images of the four Magical Girls from the Central Continent District.
Take the part about the pocket watch falling out, for example.
Among them, the character with the most severe rifts and the darkest visuals is Stella!
As for Stella's fate... Fang Ming already knows!
"So... so the Suggestion here is... is..."
Fang Ming's voice trembled slightly.
From beginning to end, there are no cracks, and the scene is bright with only four Magical Girls.
Song Niandong, Luna, Tottori Shiori... and Wu Huayin.
The scenes featuring Yu Muqiu are all situated between light and shadow, thus standing out from the crowd.
But considering the ending Fang Yunxing set for the Record Bear... Fang Ming was certain that even if Xiao Qiu survived in the end, her fate would probably not be much better!
So what the hell is this?!
If it's really like what the opening theme Suggestion, with countless lives sacrificed... then how can this be considered children's content?!
No, no, no... I can't scare myself like this. Maybe... maybe I'm just overthinking it...
Yes, I'm definitely overthinking it...
Fang Ming saw through everything, but he forced himself not to believe what he had seen.
Because if that's really how the world ends... it would be too heartbreaking.
Xiao Qiu and the others... they're still so young... they're still so young!
They deserved a brighter future; they shouldn't have died like this in the Sky Screen...
"So, this is what you wanted me to change by sending Sky Screen back in time, Xiao Qiu?"
Fang Ming looked out the car window, watching the scenery rushing past, and murmured to himself:
"And what about you, Xiao Qiu? If you really brought me here, then... how can I save you? And... how can I change this outcome?"
Can you tell me, Xiao Qiu?
Fang Ming asked softly, but there was no response.
--
Recommended song for this chapter: <The World Where You Disappear> (The World You Disappeared From) Artist: Isekai Joucho
And thank you to 'Silly Long Night Moon' for the continued generous donations of spicy snacks, thank you~
Volume 6 <Magic Autumn> Season 4: Chapter 593 Student Council Xiao Chun
"What does this OP mean?"
Chen Xiaoxia didn't quite understand what the comments were saying about composition; she just instinctively felt that the scenes in the opening sequence didn't seem very good.
Stella knew something about it, but she said nothing. She recalled the mottled cracks and completely faded colors when she appeared in the opening sequence, and she wasn't in a good mood.
If her guess is correct, and the somber colors and cracks in the opening sequence represent the death and exit of characters, then... will Stella, depicted in the Sky Screen, die at some point within the Sky Screen?
Will my future... become like the one depicted in the Sky Screen?
"... Anyway, let's keep reading."
Seeing the uneasy crowd, Xiao Qiu spoke softly.
What the future holds in the Sky Screen remains to be seen; perhaps... everyone's guesses are wrong?