I'll kill you after I finish this game!

Little Tohka also looked at this older sister, feeling a sense of novelty. Adults older than her usually had very complex eyes, but Mary's eyes were clear and innocent, just like a child like herself.

From the moment they met and from following her heart, Tohka already had a strong liking for Mary.

Lei Zhe also understood why Mercury was infatuated with Mary. Mercury was inherently gloomy and murky, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was a villain behind the scenes.

The other party is an extremely narcissistic person who likes to plot and cause trouble from the shadows.

I say, "Relying solely on external forces is my forte."

They are very cunning in their dealings with others, taking the lion's share of the profits, and they often disrupt other people's daily relationships.

In the original story, on the day of divine wrath, apart from the golden beast, almost everyone who knew or recognized the Mercury Serpent hated him.

Aside from the Golden Beast, only Mary, who was still innocent and naive like a pure child, was willing to get close to the mercury.

However, this close bond was limited to Mary's childlike innocence and Mercury's willingness to communicate with her despite Mary's curse of decapitation. Only then would Mary become close to Mercury.

"Zhe~~~"

Although she didn't recognize Tohka, Mary's face lit up with a joyful and pure smile when she saw the familiar Raiji bringing the children here.

"Mary." Looking at Mary, who was running over with her skirt lifted up, Rei Zhe's face showed a doting smile, just like when he looked at Tohka. Although she looked mature, her inner qualities and temperament were not much better than Tohka's.

"Zhe, I've learned another great song! How did I sing it?"

Like a child showing off to a friend or elder, Mary's face beamed with a pure smile like Tohka's as she spoke to Reiji.

"That sounds great! I'll teach you an instrument sometime, it'll make your singing even better."

Without any pretense or false praise, Mary's singing was naturally beautiful; even when humming the abhorrent guillotine song, it possessed a chillingly strange charm.

He praised her and placed his hand on Mary's head, patting her head like a child would. Mary showed an innocent, childlike expression of pleasure.

Little Tohka, standing to the side, blinked at the older sister who sang so beautifully. Praised and patted on the head by her father, she seemed hesitant and shy, wanting to speak to her.

Rai Zhe could also see that Tohka beside him had a high level of affection for Mary, whom she had just met, and she didn't get jealous even when he praised Mary to her face.

He also pushed Tohka out from beside his thigh and introduced her to the curious Mary.

“Mary, this is my daughter, Yatogami Tohka. Just call her Tohka.”

"Hello, big sister, I'm Tohka, nice to meet you."

Tohka spoke very politely to Mary, and even imitated her father by shyly extending her little hand to shake hands with Mary.

Upon hearing that she was Razer's daughter, Mary felt happy, thinking she would have a new friend.

But when she saw Tohka's outstretched hand, she knew what it meant, and this time she looked somewhat embarrassed and hesitant.

Having received common-sense instruction from Rezer, Mary now naturally understands that beheading is sometimes wrong.

Beheading means death, and death means the inability to move again. If Mercury and the other party cannot communicate with her, Mary will feel lonely now.

Rezhe naturally noticed Mary's current growth and predicament, and said with a light laugh:

"It's alright, Mary. Tohka is someone you can get along with. How about you make her your friend too?"

Hearing what Reiji said, Mary's eyes lit up immediately. Trusting Reiji completely, she reached out and took Tohka's small hand, saying happily:

“I am Mary, Margaret Bruy, that’s my name.”

"Sister Mary, you sing so well!"

"Caliostro and Azhe taught me all of that. I can teach you if you'd like."

A small child and an older child are happily chatting, perhaps because they are both extraordinary beings who are innocent and pure.

Little Shi Xiang kept calling Mary "older sister," which made Mary feel very happy and pleased, as she had never been in the role of an older sister before.

Perhaps it was because of the compassion she already possessed that she preferred this feeling, and Tohka was the third person she met on this sunset beach.

As a fellow woman and younger than herself, Mary naturally adored Tohka.

"Mary, I'm entrusting Tohka to your care for now. As the older sister, you must take good care of your younger sister."

"Hey!? Dad, are you leaving?"

Before Mary could reply, Tohka pouted and looked at Raiji. Although she liked Mary, her initial attraction to her father, whom she had known since birth, was nothing compared to that of her father.

Thinking that Raiji had something important to do and hadn't taken her along, Tohka felt a little unhappy and disappointed.

“Daddy is only leaving temporarily.” Rei Zhe squatted down, stroked Tohka’s head, and spoke softly to the little girl who hadn’t grown up yet. “Isn’t it nice to stay with Mary? I’ll take you to play after I’m done with my business.”

"Hmm... You keep your word."

Little Tohka is quite sensible; she agreed to Raiji's request and then cutely extended her little finger, wanting him to pinky swear.

Rezhe chuckled and did as instructed, then looked at Mary, whose expression held a hint of anticipation, and said:

"It will be ready soon. Cagliostro and I have made a promise to you. Someone will take you to see the wonderful world and teach you many songs."

Because Mary's common sense has grown a lot since she was a child, Reiji and Mercury naturally tell her many interesting stories when they talk to her.

Mary was a girl who loved to wander, and after hearing her good friends Caliostro and Reiji tell stories, she naturally became curious about the various worlds her friends described.

I want to go out, leave the singularity, and see for myself.

Even children are restless, so Razer and Mercury naturally prepared, or rather arranged, a prequel-level trip for Mary.

"Can I make new friends again?"

Hearing Rezer's assurance, Mary smiled expectantly. She had very few friends to talk to, and even fewer close friends to get to know.

Caliostro, Reiji, and now Tohka—every additional friend brings Mary such joy.

She no longer liked wandering alone in loneliness or being a drifter. With Mercury and Razer by her side, she felt happy.

However, Razer and Mercury want her to find and understand happiness, so they are working hard towards that goal.

"Yes, then more friends will appear around Mary."

Looking at Mary's innocent and hopeful smile, it's hard to imagine that anyone would dislike such a smile. Rei Zhe doesn't dislike it, but he dislikes the fact that people with such smiles ultimately cannot find happiness.

The original Madoka was like this, and the original Mary was like this too. Even though Reiji had his own motives, his wish for Mary to be happy was genuine.

"------!"

Suddenly, Razor's sense of touch received a signal from the main body, and a spiral of twilight-colored light appeared in Razor's palm.

Under the curious gazes of Mary and Tohka, a flower bud gradually forms or blossoms on a branch.

As the six mercury-silver scales rotated, its flowers bloomed and its branches stretched out, transforming into a divine bow powerful enough to shake multiple dimensions and shatter the vast world.

“This is…” Mary asked, puzzled.

"This is a gift for you, Mary."

Reiji received the message from the main body and smiled knowingly. This bow was made from a branch of the World Tree, making it a top-tier relic.

He and the Mercury Serpent had said that they would not let Mary become a powerless goddess. Even though they could protect her, they did not want her to always be a hothouse flower.

Even so, it was so beautiful, so beautiful that one didn't want to destroy it.

"Hmm...For me? But I can't shoot arrows."

Mary accepted the longbow, its design perfectly suited for a lady. The moment the bow was in her hands, the contract took effect, establishing an unbreakable bond between Mary and the contract.

The longbow transformed into a streak of light, encircling Mary's snow-white wrist and becoming a floral wreath bracelet.

"It's alright, how Mary uses her is entirely up to her own wishes."

Rezhe's figure gradually faded away with a smile. He still had a lot to do, including Mary's matter and other follow-up arrangements.

His figure gradually began to become illusory, as if it were about to disappear like a bubble.

Just before leaving, Mary opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something but then suddenly clenched her fist.

Under Lei Zhe's rather surprised gaze, she suddenly came closer and hugged him, an action that surprised him somewhat.

"Although I don't know what Cagliostro and Azhe are busy with for me, please don't work too hard. I'm happy to have you with me."

"It's so great to have met you all. If I hadn't met you, I would still be just a simple child. Although that would be happy too, I prefer every moment now."

Mary can assert that she doesn't know why she has such a strong urge to hug and spend more time with her friends.

She didn't know what Cagliostro and Reiji were doing for her, so there was always a sense of distance between her and the adults.

Mary didn't like that, so she wanted to convey her thoughts in her own way.

And this thought did indeed reach its destination; before disappearing completely, Lei Zhe smiled easily.

Even if you cherish every moment of the present, you can't give up your aspirations for the future. Just like you in the past, if you don't want to move forward, you'll never imagine what you're like now.

Mary is changing every moment, moving towards a better and brighter future. Even if she likes everything now, there may be even greater glory in the future, so she cannot give up.

When Mary came to her senses after hearing Rezer's meaningful words, the sensation in her arms had already disappeared along with Rezer's figure.

Mary's delicate face broke into adorable dimples, and she smiled sweetly as she answered the question in front of everyone.

"I want to grow and become the person everyone expects me to be."

------

"My dear friend, are you planning to create a parallel world?"

Within the Hyperdimensional Throne Singularity, a colossal silver serpent coils its enormous body. Reiji's sense of touch arrives before the true form of the serpent, and he speaks his request.

He plans to create a parallel world to build a stage and to create actors from his memories.

Therefore, he wants to ask the Mercury Serpent for a territory under his rule.

The Mercury Serpent would naturally not refuse; Rezer brought or created countless unknown cosmologies to the territory he ruled.

Asking for a parallel world of the main universe he governs is naturally not a big deal.

If other domineering gods were to utter such words, it would sound like a declaration of war or a demand for the gods to cede land.

Mercury Serpent was quite curious about what Razer was planning to do with a parallel world, but Razer just smiled and gave him a hint.

"Let's make the stage and the actors' drama a little funnier. You're good at horror, and I'm good at comedy. It will be very interesting when they collide and blend together."

Reiji's words hit Mercury Serpent's strike zone hard. He loves the unknown and immediately understood Reiji's hint, and gave a gloomy laugh.

"Hmm, comedy and horror? Misfortune and fortune, happiness and despair, these opposing themes are indeed quite interesting."

Having said that, the Mercury Serpent raised its hand without hesitation, and the enormous, divine serpent coiled behind the throne twitched.

The divine power surged and interfered with the parallel universe, separating it and freeing it from eternal calamity to return to a peaceful world, which was then directly given to Raize.