Fighting you is like being in jail.

Finally, she looked at Sakura Kyoko and asked in a hoarse voice.

"Is there something you need? Why are you contacting me so suddenly?"

"Yeah, a little. Are you alright?"

Looking at Mami's current state, Sakura Kyoko asked with some concern, a hint of confusion in her eyes, as she spoke again with a biscuit stick in her mouth, "I heard you've stopped hunting witches? Is that true?"

She looked at Mami Tomoe intently, her wine-red eyes trying to find something on Mami's face.

Upon hearing this, Mami Tomoe's shoulders trembled, her hands clenched tightly, her thumbs turning white. A profound, inexplicable loneliness flickered in her eyes, and her eyebrows furrowed sadly.

"Yes, I don't want to continue."

Finally, Mami Tomoe nodded, her answer full of affirmation.

"why?"

Kyoko Sakura stared wide-eyed in disbelief, her eyes trembling slightly, gleaming with a sense of desolation. She stared intently at Mami Tomoe, motionless, as if all her emotions had frozen in that moment.

Passersby walked along the electric walkway, while the two people standing there stared at each other without moving.

When the third fighting game console on the left flashes the start screen.

Mami Tomoe remained motionless and silent, but Kyoko Sakura lowered her wine-red eyes and looked at the game console screen beside her. It was a magical girl battle against monsters, and at that moment, the magical girl was punching and kicking the attacking monsters.

"If you don't want to talk about it, then don't. From now on, I'll take care of your Seed of Sorrow. After all, if you stop hunting witches, your Soul Gem will be corrupted."

Sakura Kyoko raised the corners of her mouth with a carefree smile, her wine-red eyes once again looking at Tomoe Mami, flickering with worry.

"No, no need... I'll figure it out myself." Mami's pupils contracted, and she nervously rubbed her neck, her whole demeanor becoming weak and fearful.

She didn't know whether she should tell Sakura Kyoko the truth, nor did she have the courage to do so. She felt mostly guilty; she was the one who taught Sakura Kyoko to fight, which meant she was the one who taught Sakura Kyoko to kill her comrades.

jingle!

The sound of metal clashing echoed through the air.

She looked up abruptly, and the image of the Grief Seed in the air was reflected in Mami's yellow pupils. Her pupils trembled the moment she saw it clearly. She stared blankly as the Grief Seed fell to the ground; she didn't catch it, nor dared to.

Jingle Bell……

The seed of lamentation landed on the white tiles with a crisp sound, even bouncing twice before rolling to Mami's feet and touching her toes.

I don't want this!

She looked down at the Seed of Sorrow, whose eyes trembled violently, filled with fear and guilt, and she even took a half step back in terror.

The next moment, a hand picked up the Seed of Sorrow in front of her.

When the Seed of Sorrow was slowly presented to Mami Tomoe.

Mami Tomoe felt a suffocating pain, and as she wandered around, a desperate lament writhed within the Seed of Sorrow that Kyoko Sakura handed to her.

Keeping her motionless.

Sakura Kyoko's hand, which was holding the Grief Seed, paused, a hint of desolation flickering in her eyes. Mami Tomoe's reaction revealed much; though she didn't know what had happened, Mami was clearly lonely and afraid.

She didn't inquire about what had happened, but instead smiled and said:

"Don't lose something this important."

As she spoke, she waited for Mami to take it, but Mami did not.

Then, Sakura Kyoko, holding the Grief Seed tightly, took Tomoe Mami's hand and placed the Grief Seed into Tomoe Mami's palm.

"Teacher, for my sake, use the Seed of Lamentation to live on."

“…”

When Mami Tomoe looked at the Grief Seed in her palm.

Anger drew his brows together, yet sorrow pulled them down at the corners. His yellow eyes were devoid of light, empty as if something important was missing, filled with grief.

The corners of his mouth twitched as if forced upwards with his fingers, filled with falsehood, squeezing out wrinkles of a smile, trying hard to force a laugh.

Her eyebrows were furious, her eyes were sad, and her mouth was smiling.

Why did you say something so cruel as to tell me to live?

Mami Tomoe stared at the Seed of Lamentation in her hand, her mouth trembling, but no amount of courage could pull the words stuck in her throat.

They could only watch and gaze silently.

After the fourth breath of silence.

Sakura Kyoko looked at her intently, her eyes full of seriousness, and then spoke up, asking what she wanted to know.

"Do you know what happened recently? I was attacked by a man who possessed inexplicable strength. Do you know what happened?"

"No, I don't know."

Mami Tomoe answered with trembling lips, her eyes darting away as she looked ahead. She knew, knew who it was, and knew a lot, but she couldn't explain it.

Because there are too many things involved, I can only say I don't know.

This situation and this answer made Sakura Kyoko understand a lot. She withdrew her gaze, which had noticed that Tomoe Mami was lying, turned her head, casually put her hands behind her head, and looked at the game console next to her.

"Well~! Leave the rest to me, I'll handle it."

As soon as she finished speaking, the corners of her mouth turned up confidently, revealing a firm resolve.

"I'm sorry... I have something to do, I have to go now."

Mami Tomoe lowered her head and spoke softly, her fingers trembling slightly as she held the Seed of Sorrow.

The moment Sakura Kyoko turned around and looked back, she left the arcade as if fleeing.

Kyoko Sakura was left watching her departing figure silently, her fist clenched, trembling almost imperceptibly.

"What happened...? Why did Mami become like this...? She was so confident and strong..."

.....

Meanwhile, when Homura Akemi arrived at Leng Changzu's laboratory with a large amount of stuff.

Leng Chang has prepared everything and is just waiting to start work.

Although the knowledge is complete, the operation is quite subtle.

There's a type of brain that, once it's mastered, will use both hands to declare "I'm fucking ready to unleash a Starburst!" and the resulting products will always have some subtle differences.

But it doesn't matter!

Experimental failures are allowed, just as explosions are inevitable in chemical experiments!

As long as you are fast enough, setbacks can't catch up with you.

After several days of nurturing, everyone's Kewpie was finally born!

Something just feels off.

"How strange! What went wrong?"

Leng Chang stared at the dark-skinned Cupid with the Cheshire Cat's wicked smile, lost in thought. He had rubbed his chin countless times, and his skin felt a little hot.

It looks exactly like Kyubey, which is obviously cute, but it's black. The adorable heart-shaped mouth has been replaced by a shark-like grin with sharp teeth.

Its blood-red eyes gleamed with an eerie aura, giving off an innate sense of evil with just one glance.

Homura Akemi, standing to the side, couldn't help but twitch her eye and mutter a sarcastic remark upon seeing the Black Kyubey that Leng Chang had created:

"This is all wrong from beginning to end!"

Something like this ↓

[Image: Black Cupid]

Chapter Thirty-Five: We'll take the benefits. The price, Cupid will pay!

"It's too ugly! Couldn't you have made it like Kewpie?"

Homura Akemi felt disgusted by the newborn Black Kyubey, and even avoided looking at it.

Black Cupid, on the other hand, sat obediently on the lab table, looking at Leng Chang with a completely bewildered expression.

"That's not a problem at all. After all, it's only just been born, and its future potential is enormous. Don't underestimate the diversity of life! I'll paint it and then tape its mouth back on, and it won't look ugly anymore."

Leng Chang picked up a white paint bucket from the side, holding the bucket in one hand and a brush in the other, intending to paint Black Cupid's skin.

When Homura Akemi sighed silently, crossed her arms, and looked at Ryou Chang with eyes full of concern for someone with intellectual disabilities.

Black Cupid's adorable voice rang out.

“Creator, there’s no need for that. I can infiltrate the Primarch.”

"Oh my? That's amazing?" Leng Chang paused upon hearing this, then peeked out in surprise, his eyes gleaming with astonishment, as if he were bewildered by a program that had encountered a bug but was still running.

Why didn't I, the creator, know that this feature existed?

Even Homura Akemi, who had initially been dismissive, looked up now, her eyes filled with curiosity. Ugly or not, as long as it could defeat Primarch Kyubey, it was a good Kyubey.

"Although I don't know how it happened, I have the ability to invade Primarchs and completely replace them. I'm like a virus; once I come into contact with a Primarch, I can infect all Primarchs."

Black Cupid sat adorably on the metal table reflecting the room, nodding obediently and earnestly, and wagging its tail.

"Yoshi yoshi yoshi yoshi yoshi yoshi! What a good child!"

Leng Chang's eyes lit up at the mention of this, and he enthusiastically rubbed the dog's head with encouraging hands. His hands were so soft and bouncy they seemed to rip through the air. It was a bit ugly, though.

“嘻

Black Cupid responded happily, but something felt subtly off; there was a feeling that he might suddenly stand up and croak!

At this moment, Homura Akemi came over and curiously poked Black Kyubey's face with her finger. After feeling a soft, fluffy texture, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.

"Tell me your opinion."

"About what?" Black Kyubey tilted his head and looked at Homura Akemi, while Leng Chang stopped rubbing his head.

"Which is more important, being a magical girl or saving the world?" Homura Akemi's gaze turned icy as she looked at Black Kyubey.

"None of them belong to anyone."

"Um?!"

This answer made Homura Akemi's pupils shrink, feeling incredulous. She looked at Rei Chang in confusion, wanting to know what was going on; something felt off.

Leng Chang grinned, rubbed Black Qiu Bi's head, and said earnestly:

"We must respect life. When a life gains consciousness, the world belongs to it. It needs to have its own choices, and it would be too cruel to deny a sentient being the right to make its own choices."

"Do you want another Cupid who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals to be born?"

Cold words made Homura Akemi's pupils shrink, and she realized that her mindset was wrong and that she shouldn't have viewed Black Kyubey as a tool.

Her cold gaze softened, and she looked at Black Kyubey with deep emotion. She reached out and gently stroked Black Kyubey's head, saying softly and lightly:

"Yes, you should have your own choices. You shouldn't be imprisoned because of our purposes."

"Thank you."

Black Kyubey sensed Homura Akemi's goodwill and responded accordingly.

Although it is far less functional than Kyubey, it has something Kyubey lacks—emotion.

Homura Akemi looked at Black Kyubey, unsure how to answer, and could only sigh slightly.

At this moment, Leng Chang's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he asked Black Cupid.

"If I wish that witches born in the past, present, and future could have their own futures, what would be the price?"

Upon hearing this, Homura Akemi's pupils contracted, and she looked at Leng Chang in shock.

This is to completely sever the existence of witches, preventing them from ever being born.

It was also Madoka Kaname's wish, but with some differences.

After a brief silence, Black Cupid's childlike voice rang out.

"Creator, you are not qualified. You cannot fulfill this wish."

"I can't do it?"

"We're all adults, let's speak frankly. This little reward is hard for me to accept." Black Cupid lay on the table, wagging its tail with an air of seasoned maturity, like a godfather.

"..."