CHAPTER 44: THE HEART OF THE FUTURE

Thus, Mimi was now panicking hard!

FUCK! DAMN IT!

I STILL HAVEN’T FOUND THE RIGHT SPHERE!

What do I do?!

What do I do now?!

"Uwaaaaaa...!" She clutched her head, which suddenly felt as heavy as steel, like it was being crushed by an invisible weight.

Am I really gonna fail here?

ME?

Is this really... my destiny???

The more she questioned herself, the worse it got. The dread in her chest grew heavier and heavier, pressing her down, suffocating her. It was like falling into a bottomless pit—endless, hopeless, dragging her deeper and deeper into despair.

She knew she had to act fast. She had to get out. Because nothing was more important than her own life—she knew that much!

All she needed to do was grab a random sphere, dive into it, and accept whatever future it gave her. That way, she’d be pulled back into her real body, safe from the collapsing realm.

...But her heart ached.

Because... for some reason... she didn’t want to!

Because if she failed now—

She would stay weak like this, forever.

She wouldn’t be able to help Emilia.

She wouldn’t be able to help Siamelumis.

She wouldn’t be able to help the goddesses Fauveline and Necrosia.

She would be nothing more than a cute, fluffy, useless black cat.

Sure, her master would still love her. That girl’s heart was so pure and warm, there was no way she could ever hate Mimi for simply being what she was: a Noctifelis.

But...

Is that really the future I want?

A future where Master and I are looked down upon?

A future where I can never meet Marshmallow ever again?

A future where I can never fight, never grow stronger, never experience all the wonders and beauty that this new world has to offer me?

Her claws dug into her fur as her chest tightened.

No...! That can’t be it!

...

DAMN ITTTT!!!

Mimi gritted her teeth, her whole body trembling as tears spilled from her astral eyes. The glittering drops floated helplessly into the void, drifting away into the endless dark where nothing could reach them.

But still...

I already tried my best. I already tried!

I’ve looked into over ten thousand spheres already!

It’s just... fate doesn’t want me to succeed.

It’s just... I’m not meant to be a hero.

Then—

"WHAT THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!"

"TELL ME! WHAT THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!"

Her scream tore out of her throat, ragged and broken, trembling so much it barely sounded like her own voice. The words echoed through the collapsing realm, bouncing back at her like cruel mockery.

She didn’t want to accept it.

But...

"NYAAAARRRGGH!"

The ringing sound swelled into a piercing shriek, splitting her ears, drilling into her skull. Around her, the realm cracked apart like a mirror shattering in slow motion, fragments of light and darkness scattering through the void.

Her body convulsed with agony, her form glitching as if invisible claws were raking her flesh, ripping her apart pixel by pixel.

AAAAA! I have to get out—NOW!

Desperate, Mimi reached out toward a final sphere. From the outside, it looked no different from the rest. Ordinary. Unremarkable. Nothing special at all.

And yet...

Somewhere deep in her chest, a tiny ember still flickered. A stubborn, fragile hope.

Hah... what am I even kidding myself with?

There’s no way... no way the very last one... would be the one.

...Right?

****

And so, her paw was just about to touch that sphere.

Just 0.0001 centimeters away.

But then...

Wait.

Why does this... feel familiar?

A sudden spark jolted through Mimi’s mind, like lightning striking out of nowhere. Images from long ago flickered before her eyes, memories she hadn’t thought of in years.

Right...

RIGHT!!!

Who would have thought—at this exact, desperate moment—she would finally understand what Marshmallow meant by "using your heart to feel the desired destiny!"

Back when Mimi was still in high school, curled up on the couch with snacks and a blanket, she used to watch an anime called Duel Monster Magician Sugi Oh.

It was a dark anime where people ’duel’ each other with their own decks of cards, and sometimes, whoever loses would be sent to the shadow realm.

The story featured a boy named Sugi—an ordinary kid who, through courage and belief, would later rise to become the King of Games.

Sugi had faced countless terrifying opponents, each stronger than the last. But he always relied on the same thing: the deck of cards passed down to him by his beloved grandpa. And no matter how bad things got, no matter how close he came to losing everything... at the very brink of defeat, the impossible always happened.

By some miracle, he would draw exactly the card he needed—right at the very moment he needed it most.

People would call it coincidence. Or luck.

But... How can "luck" happen so many times in a row?

The King Of Games, he couldn’t be the King of Games just because of luck!

And true to that, the answer was simple: It wasn’t luck!

It was something else. Something the anime called...

The Heart of the Cards!

In truth, there was no randomness in those battles—not really. What mattered was whether Sugi could truly feel his deck.

Because he believed in it.

Because he trusted it.

Because, more than anything, he yearned to protect his friends and fight for victory.

And in response to that unshakable faith, the cards would always answer him.

The final piece of Exodia... would always come to him.

***

Well, for some reason... she really did feel like Sugi right now!

Mimi’s eyes blazed with fiery determination once more.

And deep in her heart, she forced herself to believe.

Just like how Sugi believed in his cards, Mimi believed in herself—

Not just that she could find the correct sphere...

No.

That the correct sphere was already there. Right in front of her. Waiting for her.

"COME ON!!!"

Just before her paw touched it, she poured everything she had into that single thought. Every ounce of hope. Every desperate wish. Every fragment of her heart.

She imagined it so vividly it felt real—what it would be like when the skill finally succeeded.

Yes!

Marshmallow’s face would light up, so happy, so proud!

With this... she’d finally be able to rewrite her fate—no, to craft a new future!

A future where she, Emilia, and Marshmallow could laugh together.

A future where they could stand proudly at the very top of the world.

A future filled with joy, where every day would be an adventure!

They would have fun—so much fun!!! They would eat delicious food together, travel everywhere, and see all kinds of wonders!.

And Mimi would be friends with every magical beast they met along the way!

There would be no weakness, no despair.

Only a future brimming with light!

...

And then—something miraculous happened.

As she believed in the Heart of the Sphere, the Fated Destiny meant for her, the countless spheres floating around her—so dazzling, so overwhelming just moments ago—began to flicker and fade.

One by one, their light dimmed, as though bowing down to her choice. Threads of radiance streamed out from them, flowing across the void like rivers of starlight. Then, all of it... every last drop of brilliance... converged into the sphere right before her.

And then—shiiiiiing!

It burst forth, shining brighter than the sun.

So bright Mimi had to squint, yet so warm and alive it filled her soul with certainty.

She could feel it.

Yes.

This was it.

A future overflowing with hope.

A future overflowing with happiness.

Her destined future!

"PLEASE... MANIFEST! MY FUTUREEEEE!!"

With a desperate cry, Mimi thrust her paw forward.

The instant she touched it, her entire body sank into the blazing sphere, swallowed by its brilliance.

______________

[DING! Congratulations! You have successfully learned the Divine-Tier Skill: Divine Curse Reversal!]