On the big screen, the story continued.
The plot unfolded as expected. As the Nutcracker Witch continued to self-destruct, the main group, led by Madoka, made their entrance.
"Is that... the Witch?" Senior Mami, who had lost her memories of Witches, seemed startled.
Madoka turned to look at Sayaka.
"Don't be afraid," Sayaka said. "Don't let her appearance fool you. She's the one suffering the most."
"I can't bring myself to laugh," Kyoko said with a complex expression.
"Wait, that's Homura Akemi! Do you really want to fight your friend?"
Kyubey continued his usual manipulation, but Kyoko's voice cut in sharply, "You can talk?"
Senior Mami replied, "I'm afraid, Kyubey, but it seems we have to trust Bebe's words."
"Madoka, you can save Homura if you just realize your true power," Kyubey persisted.
But Sayaka said, "Ignore it, Madoka. It's okay. Just do what I told you earlier."
In truth, Madoka had indeed lost her memories as the Madoka God. However, it wasn't a true loss of memory; rather, she had stored her memories and some of her power with Sayaka and Bebe.
Having been guided by the Madoka God to redemption before their deaths, Sayaka and Bebe had become beings akin to "servants of the Law of Cycles," essentially becoming part of the Law itself. Kyubey's entire attention was focused on Madoka, so he never suspected anything was wrong with Sayaka and Bebe.
Led by Sayaka and Bebe, the main group of protagonists engaged in a massive battle against the Nutcracker Witch, the form Homura Akemi had taken.
As the climax of the entire series, the battle was incredibly spectacular, especially when paired with the high-quality background music, providing the audience with a dual feast for the eyes and ears.
However, because the opponent was the Nutcracker Witch, Homura's form, and Homura herself hadn't completely lost her selfhood due to her Witch transformation, the battle, though spectacular, didn't feel as satisfying.
During the battle, a conversation between Kyoko and Sayaka also felt a little heartbreaking.
The two stood back-to-back, leaning against each other.
Kyoko told Sayaka, "I had a terrible dream. In it, you died. But what if the dream was the reality, and this battle we're fighting side-by-side now is just a dream? What do you think, Sayaka?"
Sayaka remained silent for two or three seconds before replying, "It's not... quite sad enough to be called a dream. I thought I had nothing left to regret, but even so, we accepted this mission and came back. I guess... I still have some regrets. I shouldn't have... left you behind."
Though their bodies were back-to-back, their hands were clasped together, fingers intertwined. Recalling the events of Episode 9 of the original series, this scene carried a bittersweet, heart-wrenching feeling.
After an incredibly intense battle, the main group of protagonists finally shattered the Witch's Barrier, broke the Incubator's seal, and emerged from the barrier's world into the desolate real world.
The real world lay in ruins, its sky pitch-black.
Homura Akemi lay peacefully on a stone platform, eyes closed, hands interlaced. A black magical staff, topped with a flower, rested diagonally across her body.
Senior Mami placed Homura Akemi's already darkened Soul Gem on her chest, then turned to gaze at the sky and the moon with a wistful expression.
Meanwhile, Kyoko crouched on a ring of iron rod stuck askew in the ground, muttering, "Are they all gone? Sayaka, and your Bebe."
"No," Senior Mami replied. "I'm about to take her."
Kyoko stood up and looked toward the bright spot in the sky. "Is that Madoka Kaname?"
"Yes," Senior Mami said with a sigh. "She's the Law of Cycles who will one day guide us all."
In the heavens, the massive circular form of the Law of Cycles materialized, its path paved with flowers stretching straight toward the stone platform where Homura lay.
Madoka, now in her Madoka God attire, clearly had regained her divine powers and memories. "Yes, it's for Homura... I can't believe I forgot something so important..."
"Well, something else got in our way, so we took a slight detour," Senior Mami said.
"Honestly."
Sayaka and Nagisa Momoe followed behind in an elephant-shaped vehicle, keeping close. Nagisa, still full of childish whimsy, blew bubbles as she went.
On the stone platform, Homura Akemi opened her eyes, glanced around, and then focused her gaze on Madoka God.
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting," Madoka said gently, approaching Homura and extending her hands. "You've been working hard all this time, haven't you? Come, let's go. We'll be together from now on."
Watching this, Shiga Taka, sitting in front of the big screen, couldn't help but think: So, it's going to be the "happy reunion" ending where Madoka takes Homura away. Just as expected from Old Thief Lin's animation.
But then he reconsidered. After all, this was Homura Akemi, who had repeated the same timeline countless times just to save Madoka. When Madoka became a God and left her behind, everyone else forgot about Madoka except for her. That must have been incredibly painful for Homura, so it wasn't surprising she would eventually become a Witch.
Now that the climax of the story was over, only the epilogue remained. The only possible ending was Homura being taken away by the Law of Cycles.
Just as he was thinking this, the animation on the big screen suddenly took a divine turn:
"Yes, that's right. I... waited so long..."
Lying on the stone slab, Homura Akemi suddenly flashed a smile of triumph. With a swift movement, she grabbed Madoka God's hands.
"Homura?" Madoka God was bewildered.
"I finally... have you," Homura Akemi said again.
At the same time, something seemed to surge from her Soul Gem, transforming into a color more terrifying than any curse. Everyone was shocked.
"What is that? Desire? Obsession? No, that's not it, Homura—what have you...?" Sayaka couldn't help but ask.
"It's only natural you wouldn't understand. Yes, no one could ever understand. This feeling... it's mine alone, and it exists only for Madoka," Homura Akemi replied, her voice twisted.
Homura Akemi forcibly extracted Madoka God's human aspect from her divine form, splitting her into two parts.
Then, Homura Akemi bit her own Soul Gem to pieces. A new gem was born—unique and special, a Soul Gem that belonged only to her.
The world had been rewritten, and the universe had given birth to a new concept.
Kyubey was astonished. "What on earth happened? Homura Akemi, what did you interfere with? What did you alter? This is unbelievable! Your Soul Gem was completely stained with curses, and your soul should have perished, yet why...?"
"Because I remembered," Homura Akemi replied. "Everything I've endured, every wound and every suffering I've endured countless times until today, was all for Madoka. That's why I can now find even the pain itself endearing. What's corrupting my Soul Gem isn't even a curse anymore."
"Then what exactly...?" Kyubey was utterly baffled.
Homura Akemi's expression was joyful. "You could never understand, Incubator. This is the ultimate form of human emotion. It burns hotter than hope and runs deeper than despair... It's love."
"Who are you, really? You're not a magical girl, nor a Witch. What do you intend to become?" Kyubey was growing panicked.
As Homura Akemi transformed into a new form, she answered, "Yes, I'm no longer even a Witch. After all, I've contemptuously defiled something as sacred as God. Only a 'demon' could achieve such a feat, don't you think?"
The black clothes and black wings truly made her look like a demon.
Kyubey was genuinely terrified this time. "I understand now. Manipulating human emotions is too dangerous. We can't fully control such absurd outcomes."
With that, it tried to flee.
But Homura Akemi extended a hand and easily caught it. "To deal with the curses flooding our world, we'll still need you. I'll make sure you help us properly this time, Incubator."
She grabbed Kyubey and began to torment it at will, while the creature could only watch helplessly, unable to do anything.
In the rewritten world, Mami and Kyoko returned to their original lives. Sayaka and Nagisa Momoe, unable to return to the Law of Cycles, survived in the human world once more, though almost all memories of their past lives were erased.
In the classroom:
Madoka enrolled as a transfer student in her old class. Her fabricated backstory was that her mother had been on an overseas business trip, and the family had lived there for three years until returning to Mitakihara just last week.
During the break, Homura Akemi gave Madoka a tour of the school, and they had a conversation:
"How does it feel to be back in your hometown after so long?"
"It's nostalgic, but also... different. Strange."
"That's understandable. Three years have passed."
"No, it doesn't feel different at all. Rather, I feel like it's not this place that's changed, but me... Yes, I should have a different form, a different mission, but... why?"
As Madoka was lost in self-doubt, her eyes turned golden, nearly triggering memories of her time as Madoka God. Homura Akemi quickly embraced her, stopping her doubts and restoring her composure.
"It's alright. Without a doubt, you're still your true self," Homura whispered in Madoka's ear, then asked, "Madoka Kaname, do you think this world is precious? Do you value order more than desire?"
"Th... that... it's..."
Madoka stammered, then after a long pause, answered, "I... I think it's precious. We still can't just break the rules, right?"
"Is that so?"
Homura Akemi withdrew her hand. "Perhaps you'll become my enemy in the future, but that's alright. Even so, I still pray that the world will bring you happiness."
She untied the ribbon from her hair and tied it around Madoka's head. Looking at Madoka, her eyes welled with tears as she said, "After all, you suit it better."
The city's myriad scenes unfolded, each person appearing to live in perfect happiness.
On a half-moon night, Homura Akemi sat on a chair at the edge of a cliff.
Something moved in the grass nearby, revealing Kyubey's form.
Homura Akemi glanced at it, rose, and twirled in a dance-like motion before leaping off the cliff. She left Kyubey shivering on the ground, its body riddled with wounds and its fate utterly miserable.
The story ended, and the lights in the theater came on.
Shiga Takaoya, sitting in front of the big screen, couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.
"That was already brilliant, but I never expected such a divine twist at the end. Just as you'd expect from Puella Magi Madoka Magica Theatrical Film, which is always full of divine twists."
"The quality is too high. No wonder some call this the best theatrical film of a late-night anime—a movie you want to watch again and again. Even I want to watch it again."
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