You call this a love game?

“Apricot…” Bai Yu smiled helplessly, but did not break free from her hand.

Kaname Madoka watched the two of them nervously. The relaxed atmosphere suddenly turned tense, leaving her somewhat at a loss.

She could sense that Bai Yu's words had a hidden meaning, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong.

Seeing this, Sayaka quickly stepped between the two and pulled Sakura Kyoko away, saying, "Alright, alright, Dr. Shiro is probably worried about our safety."

She turned to Bai Yu, her sky-blue eyes filled with an unusual seriousness. "But we're not infants in swaddling clothes, so please feel free to entrust us with your care!"

"Of course I know." Bai Yu's gaze slowly swept across the four faces. "You are all very strong."

Mami Tomoe stood up, walked to the bedside, and gazed in the direction of the distant port area.

"We will definitely win in three days."

The girl's voice was soft, gentle yet carrying an undeniable firmness.

Madoka Kaname suddenly felt a lump in her throat.

She recalled the wish she had made, and the days when everyone trained and laughed together.

"I..." She took a deep breath, her pink eyes shining slightly, "I also want to create miracles with everyone!"

Sakura Kyoko grinned, revealing her sharp canine teeth, "That's more like it!"

She grabbed Kaname Madoka's shoulder and said, "Don't hold me back, you newbie!"

"Kyoko-san!" Kaname Madoka protested, blushing, but did not break free from her arm.

Perhaps this is what companionship is all about; it feels so good to have companions...

Seeing the harmonious atmosphere among them, Mami Tomoe couldn't help but smile from the bottom of her heart.

As Sayaka watched this scene, something suddenly occurred to her. "Oh right, that transfer student... will she also participate in the battle?"

Upon hearing this name, Mami Tomoe and Kyoko Sakura's expressions subtly changed.

"Probably, but she may have her own plans. Don't worry too much about it. We just need to cooperate."

Although that's what he said, Shiraha himself didn't know what Homura Akemi's plans were.

If the past few days were a case of Akemi Homura's addiction flaring up, relentlessly exploiting him every day, seemingly unwilling to stop for even a moment.

But now it's like he's entered a sage mode; he hasn't been intimate with the girl for several days.

It even evokes a sense of nostalgia and reminiscence.

Although it's said that there are only oxen that die from exhaustion, not fields that are ruined by plowing, with his physical strength, he could plow the field hundreds of times without dying from exhaustion; it would be the field that couldn't take it first.

However, prolonged lack of sleep, coupled with a highly excited state of mind during exercise, can easily lead to mental fatigue.

In short, he couldn't understand the girl's behavior at all. She offered herself to him and helped him get along with Xiaoyuan. What was her purpose?

I can't figure it out, I can't understand it.

All of this will probably only be revealed after he becomes a god, but by then he will probably be leaving this world.

In the end, I still can't bear to let go. These feelings, these bonds, will all vanish again next time.

----

As night fell, the living room of Mami Tomoe's house remained brightly lit.

Upbeat music blared from the speakers as Sakura Kyoko held up a juice bottle as a microphone, belting out pop songs off-key.

Sayaka clapped along to the rhythm, occasionally letting out a few shouts.

Kaname Madoka sat on the sofa, sipping a strawberry milkshake made by Tomoe Mami. She couldn't help but laugh as she watched Shiraha being awkwardly dragged up to dance by Sakura Kyoko.

"Dr. Shiro is so clumsy at dancing," she whispered to Mami Tomoe.

Mami Tomoe took a sip of her black tea, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Yes, he always seems so relaxed and collected, but he's even cuter like this now."

Suddenly, Sakura Kyoko shoved the microphone in front of Shiraha, "Hey! It's your turn to sing."

Bai Yu waved his hands repeatedly, "I'll pass..."

He still doesn't have the habit of singing in front of a lot of people.

"No way!" Sakura Kyoko insisted, forcefully pressing the microphone against Shiraha's chin. "No one can escape today!"

Sayaka chimed in, "That's right! Dr. Shiro, give us a song!"

Amidst the cheers and jeers of the crowd, Bai Yu reluctantly took the microphone. He cleared his throat, his gaze lingering on each person's face for a moment, and then he suddenly began to softly sing a tender love song.

The living room gradually quieted down, and as the moving piano accompaniment came from the stereo, Sakura Kyoko's eyes widened. She hadn't expected Bai Yu's singing to be so beautiful.

Kaname Madoka unconsciously sat up straight, her pink eyes fixed on him without blinking.

Mami Tomoe put down her teacup, her eyebrows curving slightly. She heard the emotions contained in the song, a confession more direct than words.

Like the last rays of sunlight gently falling on the barren land at the end of the world, carrying endless longing and reluctance, pouring all its passion and affection into it.

When the song ended, Bai Yu scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly, "I've made a fool of myself."

"One more song!" Sayaka was the first to react, clapping excitedly.

Sakura Kyoko pounced on him and hooked her arms around his neck, exclaiming, "I didn't know you had this trick up your sleeve!"

Kaname Madoka wanted to say something, but when she met Shiraha's affectionate gaze, she blushed and lowered her head, silently recalling the heartfelt singing she had just heard.

The party went on until late at night. When everyone else was exhausted and slumped on the sofa, Bai Yu quietly slipped out onto the balcony.

The night breeze was slightly cool, dispelling some of the effects of the alcohol.

“I knew you would come,” he said to the empty balcony.

Homura Akemi slowly emerged from the shadows.

Under the moonlight, her black hair shimmered with a faint blue luster, and her violet eyes were as deep as a pool.

Without saying a word, she stepped forward, cupped Bai Yu's face in her hands, and kissed him forcefully.

The kiss was delivered with an almost desperate force, as if pouring out all the emotions within it.

Bai Yu could taste the faint metallic flavor of blood on her lips and feel her trembling body. He gently wrapped his arms around the girl's slender waist and responded to the passionate kiss.

After a long while, Homura Akemi finally stepped back slightly, her breathing becoming somewhat rapid.

Her fingertips gently traced the corner of Bai Yu's lips, her voice hoarse, "Tomorrow... trust me."

“I’ve always believed in you.” Bai Yu looked into her eyes. “But can you tell me your plan?”

Homura Akemi shook her head, her black hair fluttering in the night wind. She didn't answer, but simply tightened her grip on his hand.

Bai Yu sighed almost inaudibly and did not ask any further questions.

Although the girl used to be insecure and introverted, she was surprisingly opinionated. Once she decided to do something, nothing could stop her, let alone her current personality.

So all he could do was trust her and believe that she wouldn't hurt him.

"Could you braid my hair again?" Homura Akemi suddenly asked, picking up a strand of hair, her purple eyes brightening slightly.

In a daze, he seemed to return to the shy look he had when he first met the girl.

"my pleasure."

Bai Yu readily agreed.

He took the hair tie from Homura Akemi and gently combed through her cascading black hair with his fingers, the movements as practiced as if he had done it a thousand times.

Under the moonlight, his hair shimmered like satin, flowing through his fingertips.

"Do you remember the first time I braided your hair?" Bai Yu asked softly, her voice filled with nostalgia.

Homura Akemi's eyelashes trembled slightly, her expression calm. "I remember."

Back then, she always kept her head down, and her voice was so soft that you couldn't hear it unless you got very close. But now... Bai Yu looked at the cold-tempered girl in front of him and found it hard to connect the two.

“You’ve changed a lot.” He carefully divided his hair into two large strands, and then divided one of those strands into three smaller strands.

Homura Akemi's body stiffened slightly. "You don't like me as I am now?"

"How could that be?" Bai Yu's fingers nimbly ran through her hair. "I'm just a little curious about what you experienced in those reincarnations."

Homura Akemi remained silent for a moment, a dark glint flashing in her purple eyes, "Many... many, many failures."

Bai Yu paused for a moment, then tied the braided pigtail with a hair tie. "This time will be different."

"Yes, this time will be different."

Homura Akemi turned around, the moonlight casting a silvery glow on her delicate profile. She reached out and touched Shiraha's cheek, her fingertips tracing his features as if trying to etch every detail into her memory.

"I will never let anyone take you away again, even if it means going against the whole world..."

Under the moonlight, her expression was both fragile and frantic, like someone walking on the edge of a cliff.

"Xiao Yan." He pulled the girl into his arms, feeling her rapid heartbeat. "I promise you, I will survive this time."

Homura buried her face in his shoulder and wept silently.

After a long while, she raised her head, having regained her usual composure, the night wind carrying away the tear stains on the girl's face.

"Go back now, they should be looking for you."

Bai Yu nodded, but was pulled back before he could turn around.

Homura Akemi tiptoed and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

"Remember...trust me."

As she disappeared into the night, Bai Yu touched the corner of her lips, where the salty taste of tears still lingered.

----

----

At dawn, the sky began to look strange.

The once clear morning sky was quickly swallowed up by dark clouds that seemed to come from nowhere. The thick clouds pressed down like lead, and the light in the entire city suddenly dimmed, as if a gray filter had been applied.

Pedestrians on the street stopped and looked up at the sky in confusion. Some took out their phones to check the weather forecast, only to find that the forecast, which should have been for a sunny day, had suddenly turned into a red rainstorm warning.

"Is it going to rain heavily?" The clerk muttered in confusion at the convenience store entrance, hurriedly putting away the promotional items displayed outside.

A muffled clap of thunder came from afar, causing the glass to tremble slightly. Pedestrians quickened their pace, mothers held their children's hands tightly, and office workers jogged to find shelter from the rain.

However, this was no ordinary storm.

The dark clouds swirled at a speed visible to the naked eye, forming a huge vortex. The air pressure dropped sharply, making people feel suffocated. Several sparrows fell from the treetops in panic, fluttering a few times on the ground before falling still.

The city alarm suddenly went off, its piercing siren shattering the oppressive atmosphere.

"Please proceed to the shelter immediately..." The voice on the loudspeaker was intermittent, mixed with static.

Meanwhile, Bai Yu and his group were standing at the highest point in the harbor area. The wind whipped up Mami Tomoe's golden curls as she squinted at the sky.

"coming."

Kyoko Sakura gripped her spear tightly, her red eyes burning with fighting spirit. "It's finally about to begin!"

Sayaka swallowed hard, her short blue hair whipping wildly in the wind. "This spectacle... is even more exaggerated than what I've seen in the videos..."

Kaname Madoka unconsciously moved closer to Shiraha, her pink twin tails becoming disheveled from the wind.

Bai Yu gently pressed her shoulder, "Don't be afraid, everyone is here."

His voice was calm, yet it inexplicably reassured Madoka Kaname. She took a deep breath and nodded.

Just then, the clouds were suddenly torn apart, and a huge black shadow slowly appeared. It was a deformed being made of gears, doll parts, and tattered cloth, as tall as a ten-story building. It emitted a shrill laugh, like a broken music box, or a cry, each sound shaking the air.

“That is… Witch’s Night…” Sayaka’s voice trembled slightly.

Bai Yu stepped forward, blocking the crowd, and said, "Proceed according to plan."

Mami Tomoe has completed her transformation. Golden ribbons flutter around her, and several flintlock pistols are ready to be fired at any moment, just waiting for the order.

She looked at Bai Yu, only to find that his gaze was fixed on the rooftop of a distant building.

There, a black figure stood firmly, Homura Akemi's long hair flying in the wind, her purple eyes flashing with a resolute light.

The Witch's Night emitted a deafening shriek, and countless familiars poured out of its body, spewing flames that threatened to burn everything on the land onto the surrounding buildings.

The battle has officially begun.

This time, he didn't make any tactical plans in advance. He simply let the girls cooperate and attack Witch Night while trying to protect their own lives.

He had already summoned the system panel and clicked the "Ascension to Godhood" button. He only needed to click "Confirm" again to become an all-knowing, all-powerful, and omnipotent god.