Chapter 226: See You in the New World

Similar scenes were playing out in every corner of Kazenari Town.

Once the taut nerves finally relaxed, the city's vibrant, lively energy quickly surged back.

In streets and alleys, people wiped away tears of gratitude for the magical girls while already chattering about their future daily routines, as if the disaster moments ago had merely been a dream.

"We've gotta eat something good tonight! How about some barbecue?"

"Tomorrow our whole family is going to the amusement park. The little one has asked me several times already—this time I should finally say yes."

A suburban street.

Amidst the clamor, a girl under ten suddenly darted out from the crowd and started running, pattering footsteps echoing behind her.

"Huh? Where are you going?"

Her mother called out from behind, a hint of surprise in her voice.

"Mommy, I'm going to find Grandma!"

The little girl didn't look back, answering loudly in her childish voice, bounding happily toward a certain direction.

At the time of the incident, Grandma had gone out to buy groceries and wasn't with them—she'd apparently taken shelter somewhere else.

The whole city was in chaos right now, transportation had completely shut down, and trying to find a specific person did seem like a real hassle.

But.

The little girl actually knew a secret about Grandma.

—Every time monsters invaded Kazenari Town, when it was all over, Grandma would ALWAYS show up at that same place!

Ignoring her mother's helpless calls, the little girl ran as fast as her legs could carry her, racing toward the low hill on the outskirts.

She ran up the winding mountain path, leaves rustling softly in the breeze around her, and the air gradually carried a faint salty tang.

It was the scent of the sea.

Halfway up the mountain sat a small house with a wooden eaves, quiet and serene.

Though it looked uninhabited on ordinary days, it was kept spotlessly clean.

The little girl slipped around the side of the house with practiced familiarity, making her way to the backyard.

In the backyard grew a towering tree with lush, spreading branches. Beneath its shade stood several stone grave markers, silent and still.

She didn't know whose graves those were, because they weren't her family's.

But at that very moment, she spotted a familiar figure standing before the headstones.

"Grandma!!"

The little girl, having run all this way, spread her arms wide and called out, breathless.

The other showed not the slightest surprise. She turned, bent down, and with incredibly gentle movements gathered the little girl into her arms and lifted her up.

The little girl obediently nestled against Grandma's shoulder, gazing with curious eyes in the direction the young woman had been looking.

From this excellent vantage point halfway up the mountain, one could look down upon the long golden beach of Kazenari Town and the boundless blue sea stretching beyond.

At the far end where water met sky, though it looked extremely tiny, though its outline was still blurry...

That faint shape hovering there...

Was it an island?

Everyone in Kazenari Town—even a child just old enough to understand things like her—knew a basic common fact.

The sea before them, once you reached a certain point, was fake.

It appeared endless on the surface, an unchanging expanse of blue, but in reality its distance was very limited.

That was an uncrossable boundary, leading to the unknown "Outer Realm."

But now, that invisible boundary seemed to have vanished.

"Grandma."

The girl, nestled in her grandmother's arms, pointed toward that distant place—once unchanging, now showing an unfamiliar silhouette.

"What's... on the other side of the sea?"

The other said softly, "Grandma doesn't know either."

"But..."

"Someday, you'll be able to see it with your own eyes and confirm it for yourself."

The little girl wanted to ask more, but suddenly felt something glinting and flashing in the sunlight.

The blue gemstone bracelet on Grandma's wrist caught the light.

Actually, in her memory, Grandma had always worn this sapphire bracelet, and the girl had never thought it strange.

But at this moment, the little girl suddenly froze, hesitating: "Grandma, could you be..."

The other didn't answer directly.

She simply smiled and said, "Xiao Yi has grown up too."

The next moment, that pair of clear, beautiful eyes turned toward the several grave markers beneath the tree's shade.

The vegetation on the headstones swayed gently in the wind.

As if responding to her gaze, as if waving hello to this newborn world.

——————————————

Late night.

Happiness Peace Committee.

"Thanks for your hard work, Goddess~"

"Mengmengxiang, that song at the banquet was really amazing! Tell Me Tell Me~"

"Even if you go out into the wider world, it's bound to be a huge hit!"

"New world—don't forget to come to my place for some black tea."

"See you in the new world!"

Each girl left behind a sentence full of personality, their light footsteps carrying them into the night.

The young woman patiently watched their departing figures, nodding in acknowledgment.

Over ten minutes later, the last few magical girls wobbled out the door.

Forest Pixie's cheeks bore a tipsy flush, her smile warm and dreamy. With one hand pulling Blast Maul and the other dragging Shadow Blade, she swayed unsteadily out the door.

"We'll leave the rest to you, Mengmengxiang."

"See you in the new world."

"Then... *hic*... let's go crush some sand together..."

When their silhouettes had also melted into the streetlights, this lively and dreamlike banquet finally came to an end.

And likewise...

It marked the end of Kazenari Town's old era.

All the farewells, all the entrustments, had been spoken in full during this gathering.

Lin Guang, having obtained the complete Pride Domain, had effectively become the supreme deity of this world—the true Witch King awaiting birth.

Or rather...

The strongest magical girl.

[Comprehensive Rating: A- (Average person in the main world: F)]

Almost all the ritual procedures had been completed.

And so...

Only the final step remained.

In theory, only the original Pride Witch knew how this step should be done—even Airwen was unaware of the details.

But after Lin Guang obtained the Domain, the innate talent inscribed into her very existence let her naturally know everything.

And before completing the final step and departing this Utopia, creating a new world where everyone could be happy until the very end—that was something she could naturally accomplish as well.

It sounded unbelievable, but this was precisely the authority she possessed in this world.

She didn't need to truly understand or grasp any profound knowledge.

Even though Lin Guang remained an illiterate when it came to theoretical knowledge of the supernatural system, she only needed to "believe" it was so, and everything would bend to her will.

The Forbidden Species and A-Rank transcendent beings were undoubtedly formidable, but the reason wasn't merely that simple.

After all, before her birth, she couldn't yet be considered a complete existence.