A philosopher once spoke of a principle—
"One that moves without being moved, eternal in its nature, pure in its existence."
Many who ponder the cosmos have pointed toward the same conclusion:
A God.
Something that moves yet cannot itself be moved… truly, only a God fits such a role.
Now, I ask you, dear reader—
How are Gods made?
In the beginning, there was darkness.
And from beyond time, beyond rules, beyond even the concept of beginning, an entity willed:
"LET THERE BE LIGHT."
But do not misunderstand.
God was not made then.
He already was.
So again, I urge you to ask:
How are Gods made?
Fufu. The answer is simple.
In absence.
Light exists only because darkness first reigned.
Land, seas, plants, humans—God shaped them because the world was lacking, because without even one of these, creation would remain incomplete.
And so, my dearest—
A God is born in the spaces where something is missing.
A God ascends where movement is needed.
A God descends where purpose calls.
That is how a God is born into this world.
But alas, even if I urged you to think that I am one, that isn't so.
I'm just human—a perfectly imperfect human.
The warmth I feel as blood spreads across the floor beneath me proves it.
I'm mortal.
Though my vision is hazy and all I see is a tint of red, I can make out the mascots grinning, looking down on me.
I can't help but grit my teeth.
Unlike all of you, I'm no coward.
Unlike all of you, I would rather bleed and be pierced if it meant gaining power—
If it meant change.
You can't look down on me—you don't have the right!
I want to stand up, to strangle them, to break their bones, but my strength is gone.
My strength… is fading.
My vision… I can no longer see.
I'm scared.
I'm scared…
I can feel myself getting sleepy.
I shouldn't sleep.
I'm not done yet…
But…
Maybe a little nap isn't so bad…
As the young woman lay cold on the floor in her own blood, the youmas all laughed.
"「Most High」, this girl is way too dramatic."
A silhouette of a hyena laughed uncontrollably.
The black cat could only sigh and shake her head.
『I really do admit… as you've all said, she has a screw loose.』
The room erupted into even louder laughter.
"Where did you even find someone with such a God-complex? Where'd she get the idea she'd turn into a God if she took on all our powers?"
A shadow of a dog barked in annoyance.
The rest of the youma mascots nodded in agreement.
『I do not know. Perhaps that was simply her way of climbing the hierarchy.』
The cat settled down beside the dead body.
『Still… she is commendable.』
"To die?"
The hyena cackled.
"No, you dumbfuck. The 「Most High」 meant she's commendable for being as arrogant and prideful as she is—ribbit."
The silhouette of a frog hopped toward the center.
『That is right. We can only hope she survives taking on all our power.』
The cat smiled faintly.
『I know she will,』
the cat thought,
『because the alternative is that we have truly—for the first time—killed our only hope.』
The black cat watched as the youmas laughed at the once arrogant and prideful woman now lying dead on the floor.
-------------
[Meanwhile, somewhere far, far away—
A place no human nor youma could ever reach…]
When I opened my eyes, the pain that once gnawed at my body was gone.
My first instinct was to check for wounds.
But there were none.
My long sleeve was still torn from being impaled, yet the flesh beneath was whole.
No blood.
No scars.
"…Where am I?"
I murmured to myself.
I stood, dusted off my clothes, and let my gaze wander.
All I could see was pitch black.
Strange. I could see myself, my form, my clothes—yet everything else was swallowed by nothingness.
『Thou hast died.』
A voice echoed through my ears—no, through the very fabric of the void.
It was far and near, old and young, thunderous and whispering all at once.
"Apparently so."
I sighed.
『Speak, child of shadow… wherefore dost thou hunger after greater power?』
The voice questioned—not curious, but unimpressed.
"Because merely wielding shadows isn't enough."
I crossed my arms—defiant, yet honest.
『Then declare unto Me: what deemest thou to be "enough"?』
"When I have power enough to annihilate the magical girls with ease…
when I can make the entire world tremble—from the shifting of molecules to the crawling of beasts across the earth."
『Power thou desirest… yet power thou shalt never ascend into.
For thou art stained,
marred in thine own making.
And divinity is not born of corruption.
There shall not be two Gods in this world.
I alone am the First and the Last.』
My eyes widened—not in offense, but in sheer shock at the finality of His declaration.
"You're right. I could never be a God. I know that better than anyone.
But I at least need strength that rivals one."
『Boldness… or folly.
Hast thou not beheld the fate of the Morning Star?』
The void trembled as the voice thundered—like billions of souls screaming through eternity.
Yet I stood my ground.
"I know what happened to him. I know the price of rebellion.
But even so… that power—
I won't wield it without purpose."
I stared into the endless dark with unwavering eyes.
『And yet… thou persistest?』
I nodded.
"Yes. I need the world to understand that lies are lies, truths are truths.
If I must bear the image of a Devil to prove that—
then I will gladly crusade as one."
My hand curled into a fist.
『Pity… oh, pity.
How far hath the world fallen.
Once, one Savior sufficed—
the Lamb who bore the weight of all things.
But now the world crieth for another,
though the salvation it seeketh hath changed.』
The voice mourned—a sacred hymn trembling across eternity.
I looked away, then back into the void. I had a question I always wanted to ask the God of this world…
"…Why did you do all this?"
『It is not Me thou shouldst question, but humanity, My child.』
The voice answered plainly—yet the simplicity carried infinity.
"…What do you mean?"
『I am the Unmoved Mover—
the watcher,
and once, the actor.
Not all that unfoldeth is wrought by Mine hand alone;
others, too, weave threads into the tapestry.』
I fell into deep thought.
If His words were true, then God was not the only hand moving upon the board…
and the question of who tormented my mind.
"Who are we dealing with here?"
I asked, cold sweat sliding down my face.
**『My child… that I may not reveal unto thee.
Not for fear's sake,
but for necessity.
Yet hearken:
they sit in the high places of the earth.
Behold them with thine eyes—
for thou seest them oft,
and thine heart despiseth them.
Look closer…
and thou shalt perceive.』**
The voice spake, truth laid bare without comfort or cruelty.
"Then all the more reason I ask for power."
My impatience slipped through;
my absence had already stretched too long.
『So be it.
Power shall be bestowed upon thee—
yet not the power thy heart hath imagined.
For it shall rival the gods of the earth,
yet fall short of Mine own majesty.
Thou shalt exceed the Morning Star in his glory,
and become a savior whom the world shall fear.』
The proclamation thundered, shaking realms unseen.
『O bold and audacious young woman…
In the days of the old covenant,
surely thou wouldst have been smitten,
or turned into a pillar of salt.
But I am not a God of law,
nor a God of wrath,
but a God of Love.
I have beheld time from first dawn unto last dusk,
and the world hath entered an age
where salvation descendeth not by Mine hand alone.
I perceive well the sickness that consumeth this world…
and perchance—
thou art the cure appointed unto it.』
I looked into the void with my black eyes shining with appreciation
"Thank you, thank you! I knew you'd get where I'm coming from!"
I kept bowing at the void
『It is naught, My dear child. Yet mark this: the power thou shalt receive, thou shalt not wield as yet. Seek out the one most dear unto thee, and she shall be thy guide and aid.』
What?
"Uh..what? What do you mean??"
I asked in shock, I wont be able to use my newfound power yet?!
As I was about to open my mouth light started to erupt from my body, and the void I'm in started to shake
『Fear not, for thou hast Mine blessing. Thou shalt be feared, thou shalt be respected. Go forth, and do that which thou must.』
My eyes widened as a blinding light shined, forcing me to cover my eyes.
------------
[Back in the black castle]
A mere 10 minutes had passed, and everyone finally stoppee laughing.
"Should we bury her? Ribbit?"
The frog asked the 「most high」.
『Not yet』
The cat said, licking her paws.
"Why not? She's already cold, I don't want to deal with that shit."
A black silhouette of an owl flew across the room.
"As if you could carry a human in that form."
The hyena laughed, rolling on the floor.
However, much of the hyena's laughter came to a stop when he felt the floor shift beneath him.
"H-Hey, what's up with this? The castle's rocking?"
The hyena laughed nervously.
『No, something's happening』
The cat replied.
"An earthquake?"
The silhouette of a turtle asked.
The mascots were utterly confused. They began scanning the windows, but there wasn't a single anomaly.
The hideout itself didn't get earthquakes—and the fact that it was intensifying worried them.
"Hey, look… the woman!"
Every mascot turned to where Shizuka was—and all they could see were shadows twisting around something like a ball.
The black cat walked closer, each step heavier than the last. As a creature of evil, she was no stranger to negative feelings.
But each time she neared the shadows, a sense of dread clawed at her—a feeling she could not place.
The quake intensified. Paintings hanging around the walls crashed down.
Chairs toppled. Tables shattered.
And soon, the black ball erupted. The lights snuffed out, and all the youma mascots could see was pitch black.
"Shit, what is this?"
The silhouette of a dog barked in anger.
"I can't see!"
The owl panicked, bumping into a wall.
"Enemy attack? Ribbit!"
The frog alerted, as the rest ran into each other and collided with walls.
『No』
The black cat said, trying to remain calm.
『Fufufu』
A soft, calming voice cut through the chaos.
『As expected, a certain darkness is needed to quell stagnancy』
With a snap of her fingers, the lights returned.
The youma mascots blinked, adjusting their eyes.
The black cat adapted first. And when she did, her eyes widened.
『You…』
Descending at the center of the room was a beautiful young woman.
Her hair was long, flowing far back, the same vivid black—but now streaked with white.
Her black iris remained, but her pupils had turned white and shaped like diamonds.
Her smile was gentle… though it promised more than kindness.
As she reached the floor, the sound of her heels echoed through the room.
Her outfit had changed into a stunning black gothic lolita dress. The blood which once soaked her body now gone
As she twirled, a black umbrella with a golden handle—adorned with intricate designs—manifested in her hand, resting elegantly on her shoulder.
『Greetings~ yours truly has returned』
The young woman's smile widened as she winked at the shocked youmas.