Just by continuing to watch, Elysia finally realizes that the knives are getting sharper and sharper.
In Episode 9, Kyoko Sakura still harbors a hint of fantasy about Sayaka. It's like in a fairy tale, relying on friendship, bonds, and Madoka's call, perhaps they could bring back Sayaka, who had become a witch?
Unfortunately, reality is cruel. She even almost drags Madoka into danger.
Perhaps out of guilt or the need to protect Madoka, Kyoko is always on the defensive during her battle with the mermaid witch.
To prevent Madoka from falling into despair here, Kyoko ultimately chooses to sacrifice herself along with the mermaid witch. Just like the Little Mermaid dissolved into foam in the sea, disappearing completely with Kyoko.
Now, with four magical girls, three dead, one Madoka who hasn't made a wish yet, and Homura Akemi, who seems to harbor special feelings for Madoka, still on the edge continuing to fight.
In Episode 10 of the anime, the previously oppressive atmosphere takes a sudden turn, and a vulnerable Homura Akemi suddenly appears before the audience.
"Kyubey said that Homura Akemi is not a magical girl in this timeline, which means she can also be considered a time traveler, perhaps even a magical girl who has reincarnated several times in the same time period, right?"
Seeing this familiar opening scene, when Madoka, contrary to her usual self, approaches the timid Homura Akemi, Elysia suddenly understood everything.
There were more or less foreshadowing clues before, whether it was Sayaka saying that Homura Akemi didn't really want to save herself, but rather didn't want someone to worry about her, or Kyoko asking Homura Akemi why she knew the Walpurgisnacht would come there, and Homura Akemi's answer was based on statistics.
Plus, Kyubey telling Kyoko that he had no memory of contracting with Homura Akemi.
These aspects provided many hints.
And Episode 10 directly reveals the truth.
"Yes, the things Homura Akemi said to Madoka and Kyoko earlier, she probably said countless times before, but unfortunately, each time Kyoko's response would inadvertently hurt Homura Akemi. Those who play with time will eventually be played with by time."
"I always feel like you're implying something~" Elysia leans closer to Bronie, wanting to see Bronie's current expression in the dimly lit movie theater.
And Bronie pushes Elysia's face away with her hand. "Don't, time travel and such things, aren't as simple as you imagine. Perhaps only the Aeon can barely do this, so it's impossible for me to do any time travel, even the Bubble Worlds in the Sea of Quanta, the so-called time loops are just false."
"I see, that's good, I thought you really did something like that..." Elysia breathed a sigh of relief, but her gaze remains on Episode 10.
Before meeting Homura Akemi, Madoka had already become a magical girl. The power of magic brought confidence to Madoka, allowing her to use her own power to bring happiness to others and to protect those around her. Homura Akemi was also part of it.
Until Madoka died in the Walpurgisnacht, and in the second loop, Homura Akemi, Mami Tomoe, and the slightly less skilled Homura Akemi still couldn't defeat the Walpurgisnacht.
And after Madoka died in battle, her Soul Gem suddenly shattered, turning into the most powerful "Witch"!
This was also the first time Homura Akemi learned the truth about magical girls, realizing that their reality was far from the idealized image she had.
In the third timeline, both Kyoko and Sayaka become magical girls. With more allies, there seemed to be a chance to defeat the Walpurgisnacht. However, when Sayaka turned into a witch and Madoka Kaname witnessed it, Madoka's spirit broke, leading her to kill Kyoko.
Homura Akemi almost met the same fate at Madoka's hands. If it weren't for Madoka's intervention to kill herself, everything might have ended there.
In the end, the two of them faced the Walpurgisnacht together and fell, with no hope of victory.
Their Soul Gems gradually became corrupted.
Homura Akemi almost gave up all hope and quietly awaited death with Madoka. However, Madoka did not give up and gave Homura her last Grief Seed, asking, "Can you save the foolish me who hasn't been deceived by Kyubey yet?"
She also asked Homura to kill her to prevent her from becoming a witch.
In the end, Homura shot Madoka in silent tears, and along with Madoka, the weak version of herself also perished.
From then on, Homura swore in her heart that no matter the difficulty, no matter the despair, even if no one understood her, she would definitely save Madoka.
After that, Homura experienced countless loops, traveling through time and space.
Kyubey also explained that a magical girl's potential is determined by the causality they are involved in. Each time Homura looped, she acted to save Madoka, causing the causality surrounding Madoka to grow stronger, making her a more powerful magical girl.
Finally, Kyubey thanked Homura. Through countless time loops, she had created a magical girl with such powerful potential.
Therefore, the energy generated by Madoka's transformation into a witch would usher in new life for the universe.
All the foreshadowing from earlier converged, and Kyubey's words blamed all the faults on Homura, trying to evoke despair in her heart.
Even if Homura gathered more power and looped countless times, becoming stronger, the Walpurgisnacht would also become stronger, and she alone was destined to be unable to defeat it.
"Damn you, Kyubey! Treating humans like cattle!"
The anime entered its final countdown. In episode 11, Kyubey's true nature was fully revealed to everyone.
"But you can't deny that Kyubey is indeed right, can you?"
"So, Kyubey is the enemy of humanit- no, the enemy of the entire human civilization, even if it's right!"
"That's true. Sacrificing human lives to prolong the universe is unacceptable. Even if we don't know, we should still have the right to resist, just like in the Cocoon of Finality."
Homura revealed everything to Madoka in the final room, including the time loops and every attempt to save her. Even though she gradually lost her way in the labyrinth of time, as long as Madoka was there, Madoka was her only beacon. Kyubey's words did deal a blow to Homura, perhaps this was her last loop.
"That's right, whether it's the Cocoon of Finality or Kyubey, they are enemies of humanity!"
Originally thinking that Kyubey was cute, Elysia now realized that a dead Kyubey was the cutest.
"But Homura's way of fighting really resembles Bronya's! Bronya can do that too, right?"
"Yeah, except for time-stopping, covering firepower is quite easy. Don't you think it's very cool?"
"That's... true..."
Elysia felt like her tears had dried up. Homura still couldn't defeat the Walpurgisnacht in the end. When she wanted to go back to the past again, Kyubey's words appeared in her mind.
Going back was meaningless; it would only increase Madoka's potential, and Kyubey would never let Madoka go.
When she had this thought, Homura's heart was gradually consumed by despair. But at this critical moment, Madoka appeared before her.
She had convinced herself and harbored a wish she must fulfill.
"All the universes, past and future, all the witches, I will eradicate with my own hands before I disappear!"
Bearing enormous causality and unprecedented potential, the power of countless parallel universes converged on one point.
No matter how great the wish Madoka made, it could be realized.
Kyubey couldn't stop any of this and could only watch as Madoka became a god. Her wish would reverse causality and completely change the fate of magical girls becoming witches. The threads of fate were severed, and Madoka became a god at that moment.
In that final void, Homura, as a time traveler, was able to witness Madoka's eradication of despair on a cosmic scale. The pure white dress, lovely pink, and the longbow turned into light. Madoka's godly form deeply attracted Elysia.
It was precisely because of the inexplicable despair and the miracles and hope created by Madoka that they were so dazzling.
The magical girl who represented love and miracles was fully displayed in Madoka.
Traversing causality, she met past companions again. Kyoko cheered for Madoka, and Mami asked Madoka about her true dreams, reaffirming her determination. Saying goodbye to Homura and going to save Sayaka, who had fallen into the deepest despair.
Finally, in the new world, no one remembered Madoka, and the fate of magical girls was no longer to become witches but to be taken away by the rules of the universe, thus disappearing from the world.
But Homura held the ribbon belonging to Madoka and wept bitterly for her departure.
Even though the witches disappeared, there would still be creatures born from curses of emotions, and Homura's way of fighting was no longer using military weapons but a longbow like Madoka's.
"You see, everyone finally got a happy ending, right?"
The tears that had dried up reappeared before Elysia.
"But... but Homura... sob... sob..."
"Yeah, if you don't remember, maybe it would be happier, but if everyone doesn't remember, then Madoka would be even more pitiful, right?"
"But if only Homura remembers... then wouldn't all her efforts be in vain..."
The ending song concluded, and Elysia suddenly realized that Madoka's solitary disappearance in this universe after making her wish was truly cruel for Homura.
And at the end of the ending song, Homura, carrying pitch-black despair walked forward alone, her Soul Gem already completely blackened.
A new chapter was about to begin, named "Rebellion," an upcoming movie.
"So the despair that Homura carries is deeper than that of any other magical girl..."
Seeing the final scene on the screen, with Bronie responding in agreement.
"Huh? There's more?" Elysia asked, surprised.
"Because miracles do exist. Even if they transcend time and surpass the rules of the universe, climbing to the top of the imaginary tree... God loves humanity, but loving everyone means loving no one. Homura realized this, which is why she despaired. Kyubey remains Kyubey, and humans remain humans. Almost nothing has changed, right?" Bronya explained.
Kyubey remains Kyubey. Hearing Bronie's words, Elysia suddenly understood something, and then she laughed.
"Why are you laughing?" Bronie asked, puzzled.
Elysia, who had been crying so much, suddenly stopped crying and even started laughing. Bronie's smile gradually faded.
"Because I realized some of my little bunny's thoughts~" Elysia said with a grin.
As Bronie felt a mixture of anticipation and a bad premonition, Elysia lunged at her like a tiger, hugging her tightly.
It felt like being enveloped in a soft ocean. After a brief instinctual struggle, Bronie gently hugged Elysia back.
"I won't leave! I won't sacrifice myself recklessly either! Because I've already sacrificed once, and this life of mine was saved by you! So I won't leave suddenly~" Elysia declared.
Love and hope, miracles and magic, the anime "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" may have a cruel setting, but as Nagito Komaeda said in "Danganronpa";
"The deeper the despair, the more it highlights the brilliance of hope."
Elysia felt this deeply.
Of course, a lot of it was also due to Bronie's small worries, right?
Originally, Elysia thought Bronya's talk about love was just teasing, but it turned out Bronie was genuinely worried that Elysia might leave just like Madoka did.
Elysia loves humanity and everyone, but Elysia is also merciless towards bad people!
Though she never mentioned this, so Bronie wouldn't know.
"Really?" Bronya asked, still a bit uncertain.
"Of course, Elysia will always love Bronie~ And I really like this anime! Thank you so much for creating it, Bronie~"