The story doesn't end with Kyoko and the Mermaid Witch perishing together; there's a brief epilogue.
Outside the Barrier:
Homura Akemi cradles the unconscious Main Character in her arms. The screen goes black, and only her soft whisper can be heard: "Kyoko..."
Later, in the church, which serves as Homura Akemi's home:
Homura Akemi sits alone when Kyubey suddenly appears.
"Is there really any hope of saving Sayaka Miki through Sakura Kyoko?" Homura asks without looking up.
"How could there be?" Kyubey replies curtly. "Of course not."
This statement directly contradicts what he told Kyoko earlier, though neither was technically a lie.
Unaware that Kyubey had spoken with Kyoko, Homura asks, "Then why didn't you stop her?"
"Of course, I would have stopped her if it were a pointless sacrifice. But this time, her departure is highly meaningful," Kyubey explains. "With her gone, you're the only magical girl left to face the Walpurgisnight. Naturally, one person stands no chance, so to protect this city, Madoka must become a magical girl."
I have to admit, that guy is truly black-hearted.
He'll do anything to achieve his goals, no matter the cost.
Homura Akemi clearly hadn't expected Kyubey to come up with such an idea. She looked up and declared with unwavering resolve, "I won't let you do it! Absolutely not!"
After this scene, the episode concluded with the ED.
The ED for Episode 9 had changed, replaced by a song called "And I'm Home." The accompanying visuals featured an exquisite illustration personally drawn by Lin Zhiyan:
Kyoko, dressed in her magical girl attire, stood with her red hair tied back by a black ribbon. She gripped Sayaka's left wrist, her left hand clasped tightly with Sayaka's right. Facing each other, they gazed into the eyes of the blue-haired Sayaka, a faint smile on Kyoko's face.
Sayaka, wearing her school uniform with a red bow tie, had two yellow hair clips in her left hair. Her eyes were closed, her mouth slightly ajar.
Water droplets or bubbles surrounded them, and combined with Sayaka's unconscious, drowning-like expression, the scene evoked the feeling of being submerged in the deep sea.
Considering Sayaka's transformation into a Mermaid Witch, her aquatic setting makes perfect sense.
The main story depicts Kyoko failing to save Sayaka from becoming a Witch, ultimately perishing alongside her. In contrast, the ED illustration suggests that Kyoko succeeded, now taking Sayaka home and feeling joy in this outcome.
The song is performed by the voice actors of Kyoko and Sayaka, Nonaka Ai and Kitamura Eri, respectively.
Their sweet voices and the relatively upbeat melody and rhythm create a warm and healing atmosphere, just as Lin Zhiyan described earlier:
In the silent world of a rusty heart, what are you looking at?
I've been searching endlessly for a face that can bid me farewell.
Suddenly turning back, I see a solitary figure weeping behind me.
In this place that feels so bittersweet and lonely, I want to take your hand.
How many times have I felt this way?
Even if this warmth is a mistake, it doesn't matter as long as you're by my side.
The sound of tears, the hues of sorrow
Now, in this moment, I am certain.
"In this daily life that feels like a joke, I want to see, I want to see, the future..."
Around 12:30 AM, Episode 9 finished airing.
Netizens immediately jumped into the discussion:
"Episode 9 was really sweet and heartwarming, but it also made me cry so much. Especially with that ED, it broke me. Waaah~"
"It was sweet, but it was also so heartbreaking. I really thought Kyoko would make it to the final episode. How could Old Thief Lin do this to such a cute and precious girl?"
"Kyoko was my favorite! That damn Old Thief Lin, give me back Kyoko!"
"Just saying it's sweet and heartwarming completely ignores the soul-crushing despair. Old Thief Lin, you're something else."
"Whatever, I feel completely deceived. That Old Thief Lin bastard is just a liar."
"If only they could have saved Sayaka. As expected, there are no miracles with Old Thief Lin. All we can do is find some comfort in the ED... Waaah~"
"For the first time, I realized the red and blue pairing is actually so perfect together."
"Sayaka's really gone now, and Kyoko's gone too. I'm starting to suspect the story might end with a total wipeout."
Lin Zhiyan didn't check the online discussions until the second day.
After getting a general understanding, he posted this on the forum:
"Still calling me a liar? I'm truly wronged. I never deceived anyone. At most, I withheld a few key details.
Episode 9 was indeed sweet and heartwarming, and I never claimed it wouldn't be depressing or that no one would die. You never asked, so how can you blame me?
In Episode 8, I said it would be depressing but without deaths, and that was also correct. Sayaka didn't die in Episode 8. After signing the contract, she was practically dead anyway. Let's just say she was alive as a magical girl, and her true death came in Episode 9, not Episode 8.
As for my claim before Episode 6 that the next few episodes would be depressing, that was even more accurate.
Oh, and when I promoted this animation as a healing-genre magical girl anime before it aired, that was also perfectly valid. It is a healing story at its core, I just never said the middle parts wouldn't be depressing.
Going back even further, with Gurren Lagann's promotion, I was even less deceptive. I only ever said it would be completely different in style from Death Note and Lelouch. I never promised it wouldn't have its share of suffering or deaths.
In short, I'm innocent! I've been wrongly accused! I don't mind if you call my animation cruel, depressing, or me "Old Thief Lin" or "not a good person," but to say I lied? That's just absurd!
I, Lin Zhiyan, have never lied!
He felt so wronged, so unjustly treated.
Because he truly hadn't lied—at most, he'd withheld a few crucial details.
A few minutes after posting this, he made another post:
"It seems no matter what I say, you'll all think I'm lying. In that case, I won't be making any more previews from now on. Enjoy the remaining three episodes and try to guess what's coming—or don't. Even if it gets more brutal or depressing, I won't be giving you any warnings to prepare yourselves."
The tenth episode's flashback didn't count. The main plot wouldn't have any more deaths, and the story's direction was already fairly clear. There was no need to continue this game of wits with the audience.
To prevent the audience from overthinking, he decided to post this preemptive statement.
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