Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Homura glanced around the desolation of Mitakihara, a city now reduced to rubble.

She glanced down at the crippled body of a certain pinkette, gazing listlessly into the sky.

“Homura…”

The black haired time traveler looked back, preparing her shield once more.

The pinkette, unable to even maintain eye contact with her partner, smiled softly, “I wished, that you wouldn’t be alone.”

Homura’s eyes narrowed as Madoka’s eyes dimmed before the hourglass clicked and then jammed?

She didn’t even have time to comprehend the oddity before time swirled back, and she found herself returned to a battlefield?

She looked around and recognized herself in a witch’s barrier. And she wasn’t alone.

Three magical girls, one blue, one grey, and one black, were locked in an engagement against the witch and its familiars.

Homura observed from afar as the girls attempted to push their way through the waves of familiars. The blue one hacked and stabbed her way through the familiars while the black one pressed forward, bludgeoning with her enchanted pipe. The gray one provided support by hurling her chakram at familiars who flanked around her partners.

Homura had to admit, they had good synergy and teamwork that rivaled the work and efforts she had experienced when fighting under Mami’s leadership. However, in spite of their efforts, the witch’s familiars were slowly overwhelming the trio.

This must be a very powerful witch, to put three obviously experienced magical girls at bay. She debated moving to assist the trio but decided to wait for now. Some magical girls were very territorial about moving in on their kills and she had no clue where she even was.

Just then, it happened. The witch shot out a series of tendrils, catching the blue and grey ones off guard. The two were tangled in its grasp before they could react. The two squirmed but were unable to break free as the black one ran back to help them.

But as the black one ran, Homura observed the witch point its gleaming eye at the trio, charging up what obviously was some magical beam attack. If something didn’t happen soon, then all three girls would be toast.

So Homura decided to act. She immediately froze time, leaped towards the witch and in mid air, pulled out her RPG and fired off a rocket at its eye. Landing on the floor with a practiced roll, she took out her machine gun and fired a wave of gunfire into line of familiars frozen in their advanced towards the girls. To finish things off, she took her Desert Eagle and sent a precise shot at each of the tendrils pinning down the blue and grey girls. Satisfied with her results, Homura resumed time and watched the carnage begin.

The rocket smashed into the witch’s eye, causing it to shriek in pain as its attack ceased. The machine gun wave smashed into the familiars, shredding them into mincemeat. And the precision shots pierced the tentacles, cutting through their thin tendrils and freeing the girls.

“Huh?” The trio froze in complete surprise. It made sense, one moment they were trapped, doomed to be destroyed, the next they were free.

Homura rolled her eyes, “No time to explain, we need to finish that witch.”

The blue one nodded, quickly retaking control of the situation, “thanks for the assist, Mifuyu, it’s vision is blocked. Keep it that way. Kanae, see if you can break through its base. I’ll go for the head.”

She turned to Homura, her eyes flickering with curiosity, “I’m guessing you can handle the remaining familiars?”

Homura wasn’t used to taking orders, but she nodded and chose a pair of Uzis from her shield. The bluenette’s eyes widened but resumed focus on her job.

The rest of the fight was clockwork. Homura gunned down waves of Familiars attempting to flank them from their sides while Kanae (the black one) smashed her way through the front, recklessly bashing and bludgeoning her pipe into familiars without any resistance. Mifuyu (the grey one) seemed to have illusionary powers as she summoned a weird cloud of smoke and midst covered to cover the eye of the witch.

And the blue girl, she was a sight to behold. Summoning a literal staircase of halberds, she skipped her way up the spears, each one that she touched flying in their graceful arc into the head of the Witch. With her grace and sheer power, Homura caught glimpses of a elegant wave of death rain upon the witch, until the creature roared in fury before dissolving into dust.

Homura watched the barrier dissolve before returning her guns back into her shield. “That. Was. Most. Impressive”.

She turned to see the trio approaching her. The blue girl held out her hand. “My name is Yachiyo. This is Mifuyu and Kanae.”

“Hello!” Mifuyu waved. Kanae simply nodded gravely.

Homura shrugged. It wasn’t that big of a deal. She just happened to be in the right place at the right time. “Homura.”

She began to turn to leave when she felt something places into her hand. She looked up in surprised. It was the grief seed the witch had dropped.

Yachiyo smiled, “please accept it. You single handedly saved our lives out there. Giving you the grief seed is the least we could do.”

“But I’m on your turf though, aren’t I?” Homura protested. It wasn’t like she didn’t need the seed, but were these girls seriously this naive to let an outsider intrude on their turf and still get the grief seed?

Yachiyo chuckled, “I don’t know where you’re from Homura, but this is Kamihama City. There are lots of witches here and they are very strong. A grief seed is a meager loss to pay if it means our lives have been saved.”

Homura took in those two pieces of information. One, she was in a city called Kamihama. Two, these girls apparently didn’t know about the truth behind witches and grief seeds.

She tossed the seed back to Yachiyo. “Keep it. I was just on my way out.”

She turned to leave when Mifuyu interrupted.

“Ummm,” she said meekly, “I don’t like the idea of you saving us and us not doing anything in return. Is there anything else we can do? Maybe we can cook for you! Have you had dinner yet?”

Homura froze, turning back to the girl, a pleading look in her eyes. And then, her stomach growled.

Mifuyu’s eyes lit up. Yachiyo smiled softy. “I guess you haven’t. Would you at least allow us to treat you to dinner?”

Homura tried, she really tried. All would take was stopping time and running away from these girls and their worthless charity. But for some reason, she couldn’t. Maybe it was because she was all alone here, without any of her familiar surroundings of Mitakihara, much less her contact with Madoka. Spending one evening with these girls wouldn’t hurt, would it?

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt.” Homura finally conceded. “I was feeling a bit hungry.”

Kanae sighed, “it’s impossible to resist the power of Mifuyu’s puppy dog face.”

The grey haired girl pouted, “Mou, I don’t look like a puppy.”

Which only made her look more like a poor pitiful puppy.

Dinner was good. Yachiyo had brought her to a stately Victorian style house where a kindly lady, later introduced as Yachiyo’s grandmother, lived and cared for the three girls. That was new. Homura had never heard of magical girls living together in a dorm before.

And the food was decent. Not amazing like some of the things she had eaten at restaurants, but had a homely feel that in all her timelines, Homura had never been allowed to enjoy. And so she savored it, enjoying every last bite, and even asking for seconds. Something was here that she had never felt before. Something warm, but not like when she was with Madoka warm, but a different warm.

When the dishes were cleared and washed, and the grandmother had went upstairs to sleep, Homura found herself comfortably plopped on the couch across from the trio.

“Thank you for joining us,” Yachiyo said softly, nursing a freshly brewed cup of tea in her mug, “Sorry for all of our antics.”

“Not at all, it’s been a while since I’ve felt so cozy.” Homura blurted out. Wait, did she actually just say that? That felt totally off. She would never so willingly share such information, not even with Madoka.

Yachiyo glanced up at the clock and started, “Oh my, look at the time! I’m very sorry to have kept you so late!”

Homura’s eyes glanced at the clock. It was already 10 and the last trains were most likely long gone at that point. “I’ll be fine. I just need to make it to Mitakihara. I live by myself and-“

“Why don’t you stay here the night?” Mifuyu asked.

Homura started to protest but Yachiyo nodded, “yes, that would be an excellent idea! We have a few extra guest rooms and I’m sure my grandmother wouldn’t mind you crashing for the night.”

“Plus, to get to Mitakihara by taxi is dangerous at this time. If you’re not careful, Kanagi will get you.”

For some reason, the three girls shivered for some reason.

“Who is Kanagi?”

Yachiyo frowned, “Kanagi is the boss of the East-“

“Yach-chan is the boss of the West!” Mifuyu added in

“Kanagi is quite territorial and is a very strong magical girl in her own right.” Kanae finished.

“So I need to keep an eye out for this Kanagi?” Homura guessed.

Yachiyo put down her mug. “During the day, Kanagi doesn’t really mind us going about our day if we head into Daito or Sakae, but at night, she’s incredibly territorial and protective of her girls. Even if it’s just to pass through, Kanagi does not appreciate trespassers.”

Homura nodded, she had met girls like that. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t just stop time and leap through their territory. But...that sounded awfully troublesome, especially when she had just been offered lodging and rest for the night. Checking in on Madoka could wait till tomorrow.

And so she nodded, “I’ll take your offer then. Thank you for having me.”

A slight smile broke out on Yachiyo’s lips, “You are very welcome. Now, why don’t you choose a room and get settled. I’ll set the bath and some pajamas. You look to be a bit shorter than me, but similar in figure so some of my old pajamas ought to fit.”

An hour later, bathed and in fresh pajamas, Homura lay in a comfortable bed staring up at the wall papered ceiling. So much had happened today. So much had gone wrong. She had heard of Kamihama before, but why was she sent to Kamihama instead of her hospital bed in Mitakihara? Hopefully, tomorrow’s trip to Mitakihara would glean some much needed answers.

Chapter Text

She got answers alright. Oh she got answers. And they weren’t good ones. And she didn’t even need to leave the house.

Homura’s eyes widened as she glanced at the newspaper on the front porch of the villa.

April 8, 2009.

Which meant that she had gone not 6 weeks, like she normally did, but a full 3 years back! She quickly gathered her wits and dashed out the from door, roaming around until she found the train station. She didn’t even stop to buy a ticket, just freezing time until she was on the train. An hour later, she was in Mitakihara. Thirty minutes after that, she was at Mitakihara middle school. She searched the entire grounds but there was no sign of Madoka, Sayaka, Mami, or even their teacher.

Another twenty minutes and she was at the Kaname family apartment. She stopped herself before she rung the doorbell, electing to scale the fire escape and peer in from there.

And there she was. An 11 year old Madoka Kaname, curiously staring at her mother’s round stomach, with whom Homura knew was the yet to be born Tatsuta. Homura watched her closely from her perch on the fire escape before dropping down from her vantage point.

A block away, Homura sat on a park bench and considered her revelations.

One, Madoka was 11. She was not a magical girl and wouldn’t be approached by the Incubator for another 3 years.

Two, her apartment most likely didn’t exist at this point. Her parents had yet to pass and she probably was still in Tokyo at that catholic school.

Three, none of the girls she had known previously had contracted yet. Mami having contracted within a month from now. Kyouko would contract a year after that, and Sayaka three years. Well, at least assuming this timeline went as normal. So what was she to do?

She didn’t have a home, she didn’t have a territory, and she didn’t know anyone.

Or did she?

Her thoughts took her back the trio of girls in Kamihama. They had no idea who she was, yet had accepted and welcomed her without any hesitation. And they did let her stay with them for that one night. Maybe Yachiyo had some contacts who could help her get settled in Kamihama?

“There are plenty of witches in Kamihama, and they are very strong” Yachiyo had said. Now that was an idea. She could settle there and offer to assist in hunting witches in exchange for lodging. Mitakihara wasn’t that far away and she could keep watch on Madoka while developing an even stronger arsenal to defeat Walpurgisnaught. After all, she had three years to prepare this time!

Yachiyo considered the girl in front of her. Homura Akemi, as she had introduced herself, was a anomaly.

She had appeared out of the blue in the middle of a major witch hunt. Not to mention she packed a serious firepower, literally. And on top of that, she had saved their lives. That was nice and all, but something didn’t add up.

Homura didn’t know who she was. Yachiyo was fairly certain every magical girl from Shinsei to Minagi knew who she was. Or at least had heard of herself or Mifuyu. And for such a powerful magical girl to have come into Kamihama without her notice was almost unheard of.

Homura Akemi was a mystery, and Yachiyo’s detective side was determined to solve it.

So when Homura returned to Mikazuchi the following day asking for contacts and lodging, Yachiyo was more than interested.

“So, tell me about yourself Homura.” Yachiyo hunched forward, trying her very best to look cool, professional, and business like.

She most certainly hoped it was working, because Homura’s eyes were doing everything but making eye contact.

“I’m from Tokyo, but...due...to my previous health situation I was in the hospital for a heart condition. I made...contract for...to heal my condition. But I lost my parents to a witch.”

Yachiyo allowed a small frown of sympathy to crease her mouth, “I’m sorry to hear that. You have my condolences.”

Homura shook her head, “Thank you.”

An alarm bell went off in Yachiyo’s mind. For losing her parents recently, she seemed awfully unfazed by it. Maybe it was still shock. Or maybe there was something else.

“Anyways, I heard my uncle was going to take me in, but when I arrived in Mitakihara yesterday, I found out he had vanished and the apartment I was supposed to stay in was occupied.” Homura continued, “And now, I have nowhere to live.”

Yachiyo considered her story, “and so you need a place to stay...”

The dark haired girl nodded, “Just until I can find my own place and a job.”

It was very obvious that her story was fake, but it didn’t mean Yachiyo had to reject her. In fact, quite the opposite. If she let her go now, the mystery of Homura Akemi would never be solved. And Yachiyo never let a mystery go without taking a good crack at it.

“If you’re interested,” Yachiyo proposed, “I’d be willing to let you stay here indefinitely. You could live here, even fight alongside our team.”

Homura’s eyes narrowed, “Really?”

Yachiyo nodded, “Really. You’re a strong fighter and very resourceful. I could definitely use a girl like you in our team. You’re strong, resourceful, and cover the much needed range element for our team.”

She raised a finger thoughtfully, “On top of that, you’re mesh well with Kanae and Mifuyu. My grandma seems to like you, so convincing her to let you stay here shouldn’t be that big of an issue.”

Homura nodded, “So basically, you want me to fight for you.”

Yachiyo smiled, “Not just that, but being the boss of the West is a heavy responsibility and sometimes requires a bit of...let’s call it...intimidation to keep the other girls in the area in line.”

The black haired girl’s eyes widened. “You make it sound like there’s a lot of magical girls in Kamihama.”

Yachiyo raised her brow, “Oh yes, we’re a bit unusual. It’s probably because our city is so large, but we have over eighty magical girls in Kamihama. A good ten live here in Shinsei alone, with over a dozen in Mizuna, and several dispersed in Sankyou and Hokyou. And I have to manage and keep all of them in line.”

Homura considered the idea. “And you need some muscle.”

Yachiyo nodded, “I’m glad you’re following my thought process. I’ve been relying on Kanae in the past, but Kanae is still Daito in the end and she gets a bit of flak because of it. And as you can see, Mifuyu just isn’t terrifying.”

“I can see that.” Homura conceded, “Right then, what about living expenses?”

Yachiyo smiled softly, observing the one last thing this girl seemed oblivious to. “I might have a possible work offer if you’re interested.”

“What’s that?” Homura’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“Have you ever considered modeling?”

Two weeks later

“Wow Homura, you’re so pretty!”

Homura felt her cheeks heat up as the rest of Mikazuchi Villa’s residents gushed over the newest release of a fashion magazine.

Mifuyu flipped the page and squealed, “Ooh, you and Yach-chan look so pretty together! You just exude cool energy!”

Yachiyo nodded proudly, “I was rather proud of that shot. Homura is picking up my lessons rather quickly.”

Kanae frowned slightly, “They are rather pretty aren’t they?”

Mifuyu spun her head in disbelief, “Aww, Kanae, could it be that you’re jealous?”

The blonde looked away, “Of course not...”

Homura blushed even harder as Mifuyu slid her arms around Kanae’s neck. “Don’t worry, Yach-chan and Homura can be as cool as they want, but you’re my star.” She pecked the blonde’s cheek and nuzzled in a shameless display of PDA.

Even Yachiyo had glanced away uncomfortably. Homura could relate. The revelation that resident punk and puppy were dating was quite startling and their random displays of affection would take a while to get used to.

A hand rested on Houma’s shoulder. Homura turned to see the grandmother smiling softly. “I am so glad you chose to stay with us Homura. Yachiyo’s been rather lonely ever since Kanae and Mifuyu started their relationship. Please keep her company.”

Homura considered her words before nodded, “Of course Mrs. Nanami.”

For the first time, Homura felt a warm sensation in her chest, and she wasn’t quite ready to let it go so easily.

A month later

Homura stood alongside Mifuyu and Kanae, watching the Nanami family pay their respects to the freshly dug grave of Mrs. Namami.

Mifuyu clung to Kanae, sobbing into her shoulder, her tears staining the dark dress.

Homura simply watched, not a tear going down her cheeks, her fist clenched. She silently vowed, just as she had vowed to Madoka, that she would never leave Yachiyo alone. If she would be the devil to save Maoksa, then she would be Yachiyo’s friend.

Chapter Text

Three months later:

Homura put down her binoculars and considered her options. Having spent the last several months observing Madoka and Sayaka the best she could, she came to two conclusions.

One, Madoka had very little magical potential. That didn’t make sense. In all of her previous timelines, Madoka was literally a walking magical geyser of energy and potential, a shining light in the world of magical signatures. Yet at the age of 11, Madoka was barely appearing on her radar, much less an incubator’s radar.

Two, that did mean that the incubator would likely not approach Madoka any time soon. Such low potential targets were a low priority for the incubators and would only be approached if they were desperate.

Which meant that as long as she remained this weak, Madoka would never be approached by the incubator, much less contract to become a magical girl. For the first time in her life, Homura let out a sigh of relief. While her magical potential could definitely change at any time, she could afford to relax her observation of her and focus on dealing with her other situations; like dealing with Yachiyo and the girls in Kamihama.

She was just about to leave when her gem picked up the all too familiar signature of a witch’s barrier.

Homura sighed, might as well go deal with that and protect Madoka from that threat too.

“They’re too strong! What do I do Kyubey?”

“Try using channeling your magic into your weapons and using them to defeat the witch.”

“They’re just ribbons! How are ribbons supposed to defeat a witch?”

Homura froze as she encroached upon the arguing girl and incubator. The girl was shorter, with shorter hair and a more youthful face, but Homura would never forget her eyes, and her blonde hair. Tomoe Mami, age 12, was fighting her first witch, and was obviously a newbie. Her eyes were wet as she waved her ribbons out at the witch, who clearly was having no issue dodging such easily telegraphed shorts. The creature at her side was encouraging her, but clearly wasn’t much of a help.

Homura considered her options and then decided that helping Mami was more important than leaving her to possibly die. She pulled out a pair of eagles and took a running leap, sending her somersaulting over the blonde’s head and landing in a crouch before her.

“What?” Mami stuttered but Homura ignored her. This witch in particular wasn’t witched out magical girl, but rather a familiar that grew up, meaning they were significantly weaker than their mother witch.

She jumped forward, diving under a hail of chairs shot at her, and landed directly under the witch’s bottom. She pointed her eagles upward and let loose. A rapid succession of bullets put the witch out of its misery.

Homura grimaced to herself. Had she really gotten strong enough to take down witches without needing to use her time magic?

Or had her experience with the unusually strong Kamihama witches enable to breeze through Mitakihara witches with a few quick shots?

A question to ask for another time.

“Ummm...thank you very much!”

Homura turned around to the young blonde. She gazed up to Homura, a full head shorter, and bowed. “You saved my life! Again, thank you very much!”

“Ummm...you’re welcome...” Homura managed. Mami had never thanked her before. Most timelines, Mami was downright hostile to her.

The blonde pointed to herself, “I’m Tomoe Mami! And this is Kyubey! You were so cool right there!”

Mami had most certainty never told Homura that she was...cool...before either.

The kyubey gazed up at Homura. “So you’re the mysterious magical girl that we do not know of.”

Homura nodded, “my contracting was unusual. But I’m still doing my job, so it shouldn’t be a problem right?”

The creature took her words into consideration before diplomatically withdrawing. “As long as you continue to hunt witches.”

Mami glared at the incubator, “shush, like you were of any help today.” She turned back to Homura, “Umm...how did you get so good?”

Homura shrugged, realizing the answer could be very awkward. “I was mentored by a senior magical girl.” She decided tactfully. That was vague and said very little.

“Umm...” Mami paused, “would you...be willing to mentor me?”

Homura froze. This most certainly put an new twist on things. First Mami was thanking her, now she was asking her to teach her? What was wrong with this timeline?

“Well...” Homura started, “unfortunately I live in Kamihama. I was just in the area.”

Mami’s eyes darkened and her head dropped, “oh, sorry for bothering you...” she turned around and began to trudge off, “let’s go kyubey.”

Homura watched them take two steps, “wait.”

They stopped.

Homura sighed, “but I’m here pretty frequently and I guess I could give you a few pointers.”

Mami’s eyes glistened as she jumped up and down, “really? Yippee!” She whooped as she ran up to take Homura’s hand, “I will not let you down...umm...what’s your name?”

“Akemi, Akemi Homura”

Mami nodded, clasping both of her hands around Homura’s hand. “I will not let you down Akemi-senpai...no Sensei!”

Homura took one look into Mami’s innocent and adoring eyes and wondered if she would regret this down the line.

The next day

“-and so I will be going to Mitakihara once a week to train and mentor Tomoe.” Homura concluded.

Yachiyo nodded, “no problem. We should be able to hold down the fort when you’re away. But are you sure you can mentor her yourself?”

Homura nodded, “She’s very new and needs basic tactics and training. I have worked with a girl like her before and am...familiar with her style. It will simply be a matter of teaching her to emulate said style.”

Yachiyo pondered that. So Homura had worked with magical girls before them, but wasn’t working with them any longer. Interesting.

“I do have one thing to add though.”

Homura perked up, “yes?”

Yachiyo sighed, “why didn’t you bring her here? We could have helped you train her no problem.”

“Well, she lives in Mitakihara and-“

“-that’s no excuse!” Yachiyo interjected, “The next magical girl you agree to help, you must bring home!”

Homura looked very confused, “Ok?”

Two months later

Mifuyu walked down the halls of Mizuna girls academy, “Yach-chan has been acting strange recently.”

“Is that so?” Her underclassmen and friend, Tsukuyo queried. “I wasn’t aware Nanami Yachiyo could act strange.”

Her other underclassmate, a blonde by the name of Yukika joined them, “Since when did Nanami-senpai start acting like this?”

Mifuyu chuckled, “it was around when Homura joined our group. Yach-chan’s been very weird since then.”

“Maybe she’s found a new gambling game!” Yukika chirped in, “mom says sometimes gambling makes me weird.”

“That’s just you Yukika.” Tsukuyo chided her, “Nanami-senpai is the boss of the West. She would not be seduced to such a vile practice such as gambling!”

“Hey!” Yukika shot back, “Gambling isn’t vile! It’s a fun form of entertainment and excitement!”

“That drains people of their money!” Tsukuyo added smugly.

Mifuyu sighed, putting herself between the two, “now now you two. This is a prim and proper girl’s academy and I will not have my Kohai receive punishment for unladylike behavior.”

As she got the two girls to apologize, Mifuyu noticed another girl sitting alone in the corner of the lunch hall. She had messy purple hair in braids and seemed to be sulking in the corner, eating silently. But there was something else Mifuyu noticed about the girl. She nudged the pair. “Hey girls, do you see that girl in the corner?”

Tsukuyo peeked over the crowd of girls and shook her head, “What about her?”

Mifuyu shook her head, “try with your other sight.”

Tsukuyo and Yukika frowned but closed their eyes and focused. And then they too got it.

Mifuyu led them through the crowd and to the girl in the corner. “Excuse me.” Mifuyu introduced herself, “I’m Mifuyu, and this is Tsukuyo and Yukika.”

The girl peered up at them. “You talking to me?”

Mifuyu nodded, gesturing to a certain familiar ring on the girl’s finger. “That’s a very nice ring you’ve got there.”

The girl’s eyes narrowed, “I guess, what about it?”

Mifuyu put her hands up, “Oh, I wasn’t trying to take it. I just wanted to point out that it was a very nice ring. Did you get it from a white cat?”

The girl’s eyes widened, “How did you...”

“Allow me to introduce myself once more.” Mifuyu bowed, “my name is Mifuyu and my peers and I are all magical girls, just like you.”

Yukika and Tsukuyo gestured to their own rings, showing them off to the girl.

“Might I ask for your name?”

The girl nodded slowly. “I’m Hanna Sarasa.”

Chapter Text

Homura peered into the room. It was very spacious, with a variety of odds, ends, and furniture decorating the room. On one corner, a screen divided what must be the adjusting center.

“Ah, are you a customer?”

Homura spun around to find a silver haired young woman standing behind her. She seems to be a bit older than her and had a sense of grace and elegance to her.

“Oh, I was just checking the place out.” Homura objected, weary of the odd girl.

“I see!” The woman clasped her hands together, “I am Mitama Yakumo, magical girl coordinator.”

Homura raised her brow. “Coordinator?”

Mitama chuckled, “Oh, could it be you haven’t heard of us before?”

She took a seat on a chair and gestured for Homura to a couch opposite of her.

“A Coordinator is a neutral party that provides services to magical girl communities in the form of adjusting as well as an objective arbitrator.” Mitama explained, calmly reaching into her bag.

“Adjusting?”

Mitama pulled out a small notebook, “Yes, adjusting. You’re an experienced magical girl. Have you ever felt that your magic potential was...lacking? Or, there should be more that you can put out?”

Homura considered the idea. In previous timelines, she had felt like she could have pushed her abilities farther but hit a wall at some point, just around the time she began to augment her abilities with rifles and conventional weaponry. So a Coordinator could fix that?

“Yes...” Homura nodded slowly.

“Well,” Mitama continued, “When a coordinator adjusts your soul gem, we can break through those walls and help you fully unlock your magical potential. On top of that, we are fully qualified doctors and field medics, able to enhance your healing processes temporarily should your injuries go beyond what your normal healing can handle. All we ask in exchange is a grief seed.”

Homura’s eyes narrowed, “A grief seed?”

Mitama gave Homura a look. “Unfortunately while I am a fully capable medic, adjuster, and coordinator, my combat skills...are not the traditional type capable of hunting witches. Thus I offer my services in exchange for grief seeds to keep my topped off.”

Homura sighed, “I see.” That was concerning. A magical girl who couldn’t hunt witches? That was almost unheard of.

Mitama clapsed her hands together. “How about I give you a free sample if you would? Take it as...a gift to promote my services here in Kamihama.”

Well, if she insisted. Homura nodded. “What do I have to do?”

Mitama opened up her notebook, “let’s see here... ‘congratulations you have your first client, now tell them to take off their clothes, put them into the basket, and lie on the table’.”

Homura rolled her eyes, but reached for the hem of her uniform, glancing around to make sure there weren’t any other peepers.

Mitama watched with avid fascination as the black haired beauty peeled off her clothing, one piece at a time until she was in her undergarments. “Has anyone told you how beautiful you are?”

Homura glared, “I’ve done work as a model, get to the point.” She shot back, moving to the table.

Mitama conferred with her notebook, “alright, have the client lay on the table, inform the client that the stripping was a joke-“

“What?” Homura shot back, jerking up from her leaning posture.

Mitama chucked, “oh my, it appears that whoever wrote these instructions had a sense of humor. I’m adjusting your soul gem dear, clothes are irrelevant.”

Homura grabbed her uniform shirt and covered herself as she glared back. “It wasn’t funny.”

“Maybe it wasn’t. But it was quite the show. Now, back to business. Your soul gem?”

Homura hesitated but held it out slowly.

Mitama put her hands around the gem and closed her eyes. Homura felt an odd feeling begin to emanate around her gem before a sharp magic intruded into her soul.

Homura opened her eyes after what felt like an eternity. The silver haired woman still had her eyes closed and her brow was furrowed deep in concentration. When she finally opened her eyes, her eyes were glazed over and in deep concern.

“So, a time traveler?”

In an instant, the silver barrel of her Eagle was leveled at the girl’s head.

The woman didn’t even flinch. “Oh don’t worry, I respect full patient confidentiality! Your secrets are safe with me.”

Homura’s gun didn’t budge. “Still…how can I trust you?”

Mitama’s eyes remained steady as she slowly placed her hand on Homura’s wrist. “As a fully neutral party, it is my sworn duty to maintain peace and be an impartial arbitrator. A Coordinator should never break those rules. So your wish, your secrets, and your oath is your own business and none of mine. If you ever wish to discuss these things with me, then I will do what I can to support you, but my duty and charter has me serve as a neutral and unbiased coordinator.”

Homura considered it before slowly lowered her pistol. “Right then…”

“So, do you feel anything different?”

Homura paused before focusing her magic. Sure enough, she felt a bit lighter, and her magic seemed to flow slightly more efficiently. She turned back to the woman, “Actually yes.”

“That’s good to hear. Now I didn’t adjust too much, your body can’t handle a lot of adjustment at a time, but be sure to keep coming to me every couple of weeks and I’ll keep growing your magic potential.”

“Assuming I keep paying you?”

Mitama smiled, “Why of course! I’m a single little 15 year old coordinator! I need to pay my bills after all!”

Homura froze, “Wait you’re only 15?”

They were the same age!?

A few weeks later

Homura raced through the streets, her senses alert and honing in on the faint magical signature before her. She had been at a modeling gig when she had gotten a text message that Mami was coming into Kamihama for their weekly training. But after checking her phone’s gps, she realized that Mami was coming into Kamihama from the Daito side rather than the Shinsei side. Mami didn’t know that girls weren’t supposed to tresspasss into Daito side.

And so here she was, running through Daito as quickly as she could, hoping to intercept Mami before she ended up in some squabble with the Daito faction.

When she arrived at the scene, Homura realized she was too late. Mami was slumped on the ground of a roof top, her face a mixture of terror and fear. Standing over her, riding crop in hand, a petite white clad figure pressed her boot into the blonde’s rear end.

“So, are you ready to talk yet?” She asked in a soft but cool voice.

Mami shuddered but shook her head. “I will not betray my sensei!”

The white haired girl frowned, but her frown quickly broke into a smirk. “Oh? I like girls who have loyalty, it’s a good quality to have. But,” she pressed the heel of her boot into Mami’s rear, causing her to moan, “That’s not going to help you here.”

“That’s enough.” Homura interjected.

Kanagi looked up to see the black haired girl. “Oh?”

It wasn’t the first time Homura had encountered the white haired “boss of the East”. Working with Yachiyo for the better part of six months now meant that run ins with Kanagi were inevitable. Some girl in Shinsei or Daito would cross the line and Yachiyo or Kanagi would have to apologize and offer compensation for their mishap. Homura had at first been surprised by the girl’s short stature, but after seeing the girl weave in and out of attacks with speed and finesse before retaliating with the force equivalent to a speeding truck, the boss had immediately earned Homura’s respect.

Kanagi gestured to the squirming blonde beneath her heel, “I’m guessing you’re her sensei?”

Homura bowed, “I apologize profusely for any problems she’s caused.”

Kanagi nodded, “Apology accepted. Don’t worry, it wasn’t that bad. I did approach her out of the blue and she got defensive.”

She lifted her boot off of her rear, “Still, she’s got potential. You taught her how to make those muskets of hers?”

Homura grimaced. Yes, she had shown Mami how to make those muskets, but only because the previous Mami had taught her how to make them. So it technically wasn’t her technique. “Something like that.”

Kanagi nodded, “I got that much. She’s definitely on her way to being a force to be reckoned with. A pity you got to her before I did. You can go now.”

Mami imeediately scrambled up and fell at Homura’s feet. “Homura sensei, I’m so sorry! I failed you. I wasn’t able to live up to your expectations!”

Homura sighed, “Don’t worry too much. Kanagi is the boss of the East for a reason. Did she hurt you much?”

Mami shook her head, “Nothing I can’t heal. Though...”

Homura raised her brow. “What?”

Mami blushed as she gazed at the floor.

Homura peered back to Kanagi with her riding whip and her boots...oh...

Homura turned back to Mami, “Did she...do anything inappropriate to you?”

Mami shuddered, “No...not at all! It just…it just…she’s so…formidable…”

Homura glared at Kanagi. “What did you do to her?”

“She was cute and was resisting my questions. So I got...persuasive.”

Homura frowned. But Mami was still rambling, “She didn’t actually hurt me…it was more like…utterly embarrassing and humiliating. To be treated in such a manner…”.”

Homura sighed. “Is this what you do with all your Daito girls?”

Kanagi chuckled, “of course not. I treat every magical girl with respect and dignity.”

Homura’s eyes narrowed.

“Just the special ones that come around do I…play around with.”

Homura sighed, “alright, let’s go Mami.”

Kanagi waved a farewell. “Take care time stopper!”

A shiver ran up Homura’s back. She glared at Mami who shook her head. “I never said anything!”

“I apologize. While interrogating her, I was curious, so I took a look into her head. That’s how I figured out you trained her.” Kanagi explained.

That’s right. Yachiyo mentioned that Kanagi can read minds. And since Mami wasn’t exactly the most mentally resistant individual, Kanagi reading Mami’s memories shouldn’t be a surprise. But still, there were a few more people who knew that she could stop time than she liked.

Kanagi smirked, “Don’t worry, we won’t have a problem as long as Yachiyo keeps her girls in line.”

Homura sighed, “Let’s go Mami.”

Kamihama was becoming more and more annoying just it continued to grow on her as well.

Chapter Text

Three months later

Homura frowned as she adjusted her new Kamihama University Afiliated school uniform. It had taken a lot of work, but with her study ethic and a lot of assistance from Mifuyu (who had used to illusion powers to convince the adults that she was 15) Homura had successfully tested into Kamihama University Affiliated as a third year middle school student.

“To this day, you continue to puzzle me Homura Akemi,” a white furry creature walked up to her.

Homura glared at the incubator, “I guess my plan worked. You don’t recall how I contracted and I get to take that secret to my grave.”

The incubator gave its own equivalent of a shrug, “You have not done anything to merit any concern from us. You simply puzzle us, Homura Akemi. And we will continue to observe you, as we do all magical girls.”

“Why don’t you just go contract some new magical girls? There’s bound to be someone able to contract.” She shot back.

The incubator paused and then trotted away, “Very well then Homura Akemi, we will keep that in mind.”

Homura blanched at the incubator.

“I didn’t think you were serious.” She managed.

The incubator gave the equivalent of a shrug. “You said I should find someone of potential and I did.”

“Ummm,” the blonde girl looked up at Homura, “Are you also a magical girl?”

“Unfortunately...” Homura rolled her eyes.

“So, I do need to go.” The blonde scratched the back of her head, “I sorta made this wish so I could confess to this guy and I need to hurry so...”

Dammit, another god damn Sayaka! Homura sighed, took the girl’s hand, transformed, and stopped time.

“Huh?” The girl cried in surprise.

Homura didn’t even bother, “Where is he?”

“Oh umm, I think he’s on the field.”

“It’s my first day here, so show me.”

“Ok...let’s see here, go down this hall first...”

Homura watched the girl extend her hands to the boy, a taller jock obviously from the soccer team. She saw the boy put up his hands awkwardly, and then sigh. Homura immediately understood. The girl drooped but chuckled and scratched the back of her head.

Homura watched her bade the boy farewell before she walked up to her.

The blonde girl sighed, “He turned me down.”

Homura rolled her eyes, “yeah I figured.”

She sighed, but then straightened herself out. “Well at least I confessed. Well done, at least I tried.”

Homura shrugged. It wasn’t like she knew how that felt. She had been trying for timeline after timeline to save Madoka, but she had never given up “because she tried”.

The blonde extended her hand to Homura, “I’m sorry, thanks for getting me here on time. I’m not the best at getting to places on time. I’m Momoko Togame. And you are?”

Homura took the hand awkwardly. “Homura. Welcome to magical girl life I guess?”

Momoko chuckled, “I guess that’s right. I’m a magical girl now. That means I fight for peace truth and love right?”

Homura shot her a glare. Momoko groaned, “I figured. I’ve seen enough dark magical girl anime to know that’s not true. So umm, what do we do?”

Homura sighed, “If you’re free, why don’t you come with me? Yachiyo wants me to bring someone home so I guess I might as well keep my own promise.”

Two weeks later

Homura wasn’t what you would call a music enthusiast, but she did enjoy listening to a good tune. So when Kanae invited the girls of Mikazuchi villa to her band’s concert, Homura checked her schedule and when she confirmed it was clear, agreed to come along.

The concert was held in Sakae Comprehensive School’s auditorium, with a medium sized crowd of students, parents, and friends. Homura found a seat next to Yachiyo and sat down.

Yachiyo glared at her, “put on some shades will you? You’ll get recognized here!”

Homura reached for her shades, quickly covering her eyes, “Sorry...”

Yachiyo pouted as she returned her gaze to the stage, “You, Mifuyu, and I may be fine with it, but not everyone is fine that Kanae is associated with us, especially those amongst the Daito crowd.”

Homura frowned. This East West deal really puzzled her. Couldn’t magical girls choose who they teamed up with? She understood part of it, being a territorial thing where Daito/Kosho girls competed with Shinsei/Sankyou girls over witches, but the entire loyalty to a particular faction stuff was confusing and something Homura, who had never had to owe fealty to anyone beyond her own team, couldn’t get her head around. And wasn’t Sakae school under the West side’s jurisdiction anyways?

Her thoughts were interrupted as rock music began to fill the gymnasium. Wearing school uniforms, Kanae’s band strode onto the stage.

Homura silently listened as Kanae led the group with a blaring electric guitar solo as the drums, bass, and keys joined in tune. The crowd roared in excitement as glow rods and cellphone lights began to light up the darkness.

Homura turned over to see Yachiyo, Mifuyu, Hanna, and Momoko cheering on their friend. Well, Mifuyu and Momoko were cheering loudly while Yachiyo clapped along with the beat. Hanna saw fight to watch silently, her eyes closed as she let the music wash over her.

The first song ended and a peppy beat began to take over the gymnasium. Homura wasn’t a music specialist, but she felt like she had heard this particular tune before.

“Yeah! Fuwa fuwa time!”

Homura turned to her left to see a younger girl, maybe about the age of 12, waving her own pair of glow sticks up and down. She too was wearing a Sakae uniform, but she had shoulder length purple hair with two short pig tails sticking out from each side. But what really caught Homura’s attention was very familiar ring around the girl’s middle finger, or the very familiar white cat riding atop her shoulder.

“Greetings Akemi Homura!” The incubator greeted her with hallow cheeriness. “I see you are with your friends.”

The girl froze, her hands in mid shake as her head turned to face the sunglasses wearing girl. “Umm, Kyubey, what’s going on?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Homura mouthed, “After the song, let’s talk.”

The girl seemed to get it, before resuming her chant, albeit less enthusiastically.

“My name is Misono Karin!” The purple haried girl introduced herself, bowing, “And this is Kyubey, though I guess you already know him.”

Yachiyo and Mifuyu looked over the girl once and gave a quick smile.

“I’m Azusa Mifuyu,” the silver haired girl introduced, “And this is Yach-chan, the boss of the West side.”

“Boss?” Karin exclaimed in surprise, dropping to her knees, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t know you were the boss. I just made a contract a week ago and Kyubey hasn’t shown me the full ropes of magical girl stuff.”

“Don’t feel so bad,” Mifuyu chided quickly, “Yach-chan may look scary but she’s actually very nice. Oh and this is Hanna, and you already met Homura.”

“Yo…” Hanna chirped, uninterested.

Homura nodded, “Have you hunted any witches yet? What abilities do you have?”

Karin scratched her head, “Well, I fought a witch yesterday, but it was pretty strong so I had to…”

“Retreating is fine.” Homura interjected, “Go on…”

Karin fidgeted, “Well it was really strong so I ran away. I’m not very good with my scythe and I don’t know how to use familiar’s weapons and stuff…”

“What do you mean?” Yachiyo asked, now interested.

“Well…”

“Yes?”

“I can steal weapons from familiars.”

The group silently processed that. Hanna was the first to speak.

“Just familiars?” Hanna enquired, her eyes lighting up with fascination.

“I haven’t tried stealing anything else yet. But…I’m sure it’s more than that…”

Now that, was an interesting power. The gears in Homura’s head were turning as she considered the potential consequences of that. Karin could steal weapons from familiars, so she probably could steal things up to the size of a spear. What else could she steal? Money? Phones? Grief seeds? Soul Gems? Now that, was a scary thought.

She turned to Yachiyo and she could see similar gears (though probably not about the soul gems) turning in her head as well. And she was right, Misono Karin, if left unchecked, could be a potential loose cannon and could threaten the already fragile balance of power between East and West.

“Misono Karin,” Yachiyo made her best attempt at a charismatic smile, “While Kyubey is most certainly helpful in turtoring and training magical girls, he is not a magical girl himself. I have over 5 years under my belt and my team would be happy to mentor and train you, if you’re interested.”

“Really?” Karin’s eyes widened with excitement, “You’d really help me like that?”

Yachiyo smiled, “It won’t be for free of course. We’d be expecting you to help us with witch hunting and joining our team officially, but I’d say the benefits far outweigh the costs, wouldn’t you say?”

Karin’s eyes lit up, “Of course I’d join! Phatom Thief Misono Karin, reporting for duty!”

Homura’s eyebrows raised slightly at the phrase. “Ummm…”

“Ooh, sorry, that’s a phrase from my favorite manga. I’m a bit of a nerd on manga like that.”

Chapter Text

One week later

“Hiya!”

“Hey watch it!”

“Sorry Rena, I’ll stay on my side.”

“Ahh, there’s so many of them!”

“Are you useless too?”

“Hey can you be quiet for one second, I’m trying to focus!”

A quartet of girls plowed into a swarm of familiars, magic bolts flying in all directions.

Momoko swung her broadsword at the familiars, trying to force the familiars back. Rena, a blue haired friend Momoko had met at a idol concert, was jabbing at her own familiar but with little effect. Karin was using her scythe to little effect against the familiars as well. In fact, the only person actually doing damage was Hanna, her staff shooting magic bolts from behind the trio.

“Would it hurt for you to actually hit them?” Rena spat back at Hanna.

“Can you actually get them to stand still?” Hanna shot back.

“Guys?” Momoko spared a glance back at the bickering girls.

“Where’s my back up!” Karin shouted as she swung her scythe in pointless circles.

Their bickering was interrupted by a trio of explosions. The group turned around to see a blonde musketeer arriving on the scene. Whipping both muskets around her, she pointed at the familiars and opened fire.

"Get down and keep fighting!" Mami spurred the group on.

“What do you think?”

Homura put down her binoculars to look back to the trio.

“They’re definitely new. They have no sense of teamwork, coordination, or roles.”

Yachiyo nodded, “I thought as much.”

“Momoko seems the most leader like of them. But Rena and Hanna are at each other’s ears and Karin doesn’t have any special awareness. Mami has lots of potential, but also needs work learning how to work in a team.” Mifuyu commented.

Homura nodded, they reminded her of when she was a new girl and Mami was mentoring her and Madoka. How lucky she had been to have a mentor like Mami to teach her. And now, they were going to teach Mami. How ironic really.

“So,” Yachiyo asked, “who gets who?”

Kanae pointed at the blonde. “I’ll work with Momoko. Teach her some frontline skills and how to be the vanguard.”

“Rena’s ability to shapeshift definitely has potential. I wonder if it’s just shapeshifting and if she can take it even further.” Mifuyu commented, “I’ll see if I can nurture that.”

Yachiyo smiled softly. “Karin’s ability is definitely interesting, but only if she knows how to use the weapons she steals. She needs to learn how to fight a variety of styles and combat techniques. I’ll try teaching some fighting sense into her.”

Homura nodded, “Guess that leaves me with Hanna.”

“Wonder if she can stop time if she tries.” Yachiyo joked.

Homura glared, but then thought had occurred to her. Could Hanna actually copy her magic? What if she could travel back in time with that? The idea terrified her.

“So, should we go bail those girls?” Mifuyu asked.

Yachiyo smiled, “just like old times?”

Kanae gave a raised brow. Mifuyu chuckled. Homura sighed before pulling out a pair of eagles.

Karin ducked, rolled, and stumbled as another halberd struck her ankle. “Oww…” she groaned in pain as she willed her magic to attempt to reduce the pain. “Why do you always go for the legs?”

Yachiyo summoned a second halberd into her hands. “It doesn’t matter how much magic you have if your legs are broken.”

Karin glared, “Also, why am I using this?” she hefted her own copy of Yachiyo’s halberd. “My scythe should work just fine.”

Yachiyo sighed. “You have the literal power to steal any weapon within a dozen meters of you and use it. However, just because you can steal the weapon doesn’t mean you can fight with it.”

“Yeah, well can’t I just steal the weapon and then use my scythe?” The purplette protested.

Yachiyo shrugged. “Your scythe is dangerous weapon, but like any other weapon, it has a set reach, style, and weight. Your scythe is a situational weapon. On the other side, my halberd is much longer than your scythe and stabs rather than slashes. See how that could be useful?”

Karin groaned, “I see. So I need to learn how to use your halberd as well as my scythe.”

“Why stop there? Learn to use Momoko’s sword, Mami’s muskets, or Hanna’s staff. Try to steal familiar weapons and play around with them. You never know what type of weapon you’ll need for a certain situation.”

Karin thought for a moment. “I see. And what are we going to do then?”

Yachiyo smiled darkly, “You and I, are going to keep dueling until you learn to not get hit.” To emphasize her point, a dozen halberds began to materialize around her.

Karin gulped as she picked up her own halberd and took her place. Whoever taught Yachiyo that spamming death spears from above and aimed for the legs needed a serious talking to.

If there was a word to describe Hanna, it would be…awkward. Or at least that’s what Homura thought. The two of them sat awkwardly across from each other as Homura tried to figure out what to say.

“So…” Homura started.

“You were going to help me with my magic?” Hanna deadpanned.

“Right.” Homura corrected, “so you can copy personal magics. We’re going to see how many unique and different styles you can incorporate into your style.”

“Right.” Hanna nodded, looking over the black haired girl. “So…what’s yours?”

Homura squirmed. “Well, we’re not touching mine right now.”

Hanna raised a brow. “Really?”

“Yeah, we’re just going to experiment with your combat awareness and flexibility.”

Hanna shrugged, “Ok?”

“First we’re going to start with aggressive magic.” Homura gestures to the third member of the team.

Mami fidgeted awkwardly. “Hi Hanna…”

Hanna didn’t even bother responding. She transformed and then her body glowed faintly. “Right, copied.”

“Already?” Mami asked in surprise.

Hanna frowned as a red ribbon came from her back and into her arm. “Huh, ribbon magic.”

Homura gestured. “Mami will be giving you a rundown of her magic and you’ll practice against each other.”

“And how does this help me?” Mami asked in return.

Homura glared at her. “You get to practice fighting a mirror clone of yourself. Together you’ll learn both the strengths and weaknesses of your magic. Fighting yourself is a great way to find that.”

Mami sighed, “Right then, let me show you how to make the muskets.”

It was an hour later before Hanna got a hang of it. Homura raised her hand. “We’ll call it a day for now. But we’ll keep working on ways to better improve your ability to pick up and learn magics.”

Hanna nodded, “Ok, see you later.”

Mami panted. “Is she always like that Homura-sensei?”

Homura shrugged, “I guess we’ll find out in time.”

Hanna hopped her way down from the rooftop before glancing both directions. “Right then, time to try this new magic.”

She hadn’t meant to copy the black haired girl’s magic. It just was too good of an opportunity to figure out the Enforcer of the West’s secrets. She focused her magic before opening her eyes. The world had literally frozen. Hanna gazed around her in shock and surprise. “T-time stopping?”

Chapter Text

Two months later

“I’m telling you Kaede, you should come with us to our training sessions. I’m sure Hanna and Homura would be happy to help you get better.”

Kaede, a petite brunette, shrugged, “I don’t know. From the way you say it, they seem kind of scary.”

Momoko sighed, “Look, they’re not that scary…well…Hanna kinda stares into your soul…and Homura…ok…I take that back.”

“See what I mean?” Kaede pointed out. “When you first introduced me to your friends, they just seemed so scary and stuff.”

“Geez Kaede, will it hurt for you to grow a backbone?” Rena cracked, “You’re so wimpy.”

“Rena!” Momoko admonished.

“What? It’s how she is!”

“Maybe, but that’s incredible rude!”

“EXCUSEEEE ME!!!”

The trio stopped and turned around to see a single girl wearing their school uniform. She had brown haired tied in a side ponytail and big brown eyes.

“Yes?” Rena asked curtly.

Momoko was more welcoming. “Hi, can I help you?”

The girl gesture to their hands, “Are you guys magical girls?”

Momoko paused, she had been warned about people who asked you about your secret identity.

“So what if we are?” She asked hesitantly.

The girl beamed, “That’s excellent!”

She pointed at herself, “I’m Yui Tsuruno and I’m the mightiest magical girl!”

The trio stared at her.

“Never heard of you.” Rena deadpanned.

Momoko shook her head, “interesting? So you’re mighty?”

Tsuruno nodded, “Yep yep! I’m the mightiest magical girl…though” she added, “I’m new around here so I was hoping to see if people would duel me so I could see how mighty they are.”

Momoko sighed. “Look, I’m pretty new myself…so I’m not sure fighting would be a good idea.”

Tsuruno shrugged, “Come on! It’s not like any of us is going to get seriously hurt! I’ll even give you a grief seed!”

Momoko raised her brow. “A grief seed?”

“Yep yep!” Tsuruno smirked, “It would be unfair of me to not take care of all the girls I defeat on my path to becoming the mightiest magical girl!”

“So you assume you’re going to win.” Rena deadpanned.

“That’s right! I am the mightiest after all!”

“Ah huh…”

“But don’t worry!” Tsuruno gave a thumbs up, “I don’t want to fight you. I want to fight her!”

The trio’s jaws dropped as they followed the girls hand to…Kaede.

“M-me?”

“Yep yep! You! I want to fight you!”

“Why me? I’m the weakest here!”

“Appearances can be deceptive! You look like the nicest and sweetest one, thus you must be the most dangerous one!”

“Fuyuu?”

That was it. Rena transformed and pointed her trident at the brunette. “Now look here! You’re trying to fight the most dangerous one right? Then fight me!”

Tsuruno looked at her confused, but then lit up. “So you’ll fight me?”

“Yes I’ll fight you!” Rena shot back, “I make you eat those words about me being weak!”

“I never said that?” Tsuruno shrugged, “But who cares? Let’s go!!”

A few days later

“Homura sensei!”

Homura turned back to see her student running up to her. It had taken much getting used to, but now Homura couldn’t help but feel a sense of kinship and almost parent like feelings towards her former mentor. Her eyes harded when she saw her pupil’s state.

Mami looked like she had been through the toaster. Her clothes were slightly blackened and her normally luscious blonde hair was fringed and had burnt ends.

“What happened to you?” Homura asked in concern.

“I apologize sincerely!” Mami bowed stiffly.

Homura raised her brow, “For what?”

“I have failed you!” Mami stammered out. “I…I lost.”

So it was a fight huh?

“What do you mean?”

Mami shifted awkwardly. “Well, I was coming into Kamihama for our usual lessons when I met this girl asking if I was strong. I said yes, I was trained by the strongest magical girl ever, Homura sensei!”

Homura fought the urge to blush and compliment. She wasn’t that strong. Take away her time stopping abilities and she really wasn’t that powerful.

“But she said that she was the mightiest magical girl and of couse that’s an affront to you!” Mami insisted, “So I challenged her to a fight.”

“And you lost.” Homura finished, putting together the last pieces. “So Yui got to you too.”

“Yui? How do you know her name?”

Homura sighed. This was exactly why she wasn’t a good mentor. She didn’t warn Mami about Yui’s fighting spree. “Yui is a new magical girl from Sankyou. She’s got a pretty big ego and proclaims herself as the ‘mightest magical girl’. Personally I don’t mind, but she’s been challenging other girls to duels to gauge her own strength.”

“Really? I never thought there would be girls who just want to fight each other?” Mami wondered allowed.

“Normally it’s not that big of a deal…” Homura continued, “Problem is…Yui is actually a magical girl prodigy. For only having a few months under her belt, she’s abnormally strong and has yet to lose a match. She literally steamrolled through Momoko, Rena, and Kaede last week.”

Mami frowned, “She even beat them? Well I guess I could see that…”

“So how did she defeat you?”

Mami froze. “Well…I tried using those muskets you were helping me learn but she kept dodging and I couldn’t get a good lock on her. And when I tried to use my ribbons to pin her down, her flames incinerated them! Before I knew it, she was right on top of me and burned me to a crisp!”

Homura looked over Mami’s charred features. “Looks like she held back on the flames. But good job.”

Mami looked up in surprise. “What?”

“You forced her to close quarters. Most girls don’t even get that far with her. The fact that you engaged her at the level means you’ve been improving.”

Mami’s eyes lit up. “Thank you so much Homura sensei! I will cherish your words forever!”

Homura rolled her eyes. This constant stream of praises from Mami was…uncomfortable at times. “Anyways, I guess we should deal with her sooner than later.”

“Will you beat her sensei?”

Homura shook her head. “Wouldn’t be fair. Yui needs to be beaten by someone of her own caliber and fighting style. That would take her down a major peg.”

“I see,” Mami nodded, “So someone like Yachiyo or Kanae then?”

“I’m thinking Kanae as well. I’ll call her and see if she has time.”

“Kanae Senpai, where are we going?” Karin called, running after the taller girl.

“Homura texted me, asking if I could deal with the Yui situation.”

“The Yui situation?”

Kanae nodded, “A new magical girl is on a dueling spree and needs to be brought down a few pegs.”

“Oh,” Karin considered the odds. A new magical girl out there not fighting witches, but other magical girls? “Why is she doing it?”

“Apparently she wants to prove herself. She’s actually doing pretty well.”

“She is?”

Kanae shot a look at the newest member of the team. “Yes. She’s undefeated so far. Luck has literally blessed her with a talent for combat and literal flame powers.”

Karin frowned, “So what’s the problem? She’s strong I guess?”

“That’s the problem. She hasn’t lost and she’s beating up anyone she can convince to fight her. Apparently she literally steamrolled Monoko’s girls and even gave Mami a run for her money.”

Karin’s eyes widened, “Mami got beaten? That’s crazy!” Mami was the strongest magical girl in their group, having been personally mentored by Homura for over a year!

Kanae nodded, “It sounds like this Yui girl has a knack for tactics and got into her blind spot. Mami’s weakness is being unable to adapt to surprises, so naturally being hit in her blind spots will take her down pretty quickly.”

“I see…so you’re going to fight her?”

Kanae nodded, “Yep. Besides Yachiyo, I’m the most qualified to deal with her.”

The two traveled by train up towards Shinsei ward, sharing quiet talk when Kanae broke the chit chat.

“Karin, are you sure about joining the art club?”

Karin nodded, “Yep! I love drawing manga! And Yachiyo’s training have helped me improve my fight scenes immensely!”

Kanae nodded, “As long as you’re sure. Yachiyo was worried about balancing magical girl duties with school life.”

Karin was confused. “Doesn’t she work part time as a model with Homura?”

Kanae smirked, “Exactly. She’s so worried about everyone else that she forgets that she’s the busiest of us all.”

Karin giggled, “That sounds like Yachiyo, always momming us around.”

She smiled, “ It’s…nice to be cared like that.”

Kanae couldn’t agree more. “So, about that transfer student…”

“Oh Alina Senpai? I’m not sure what her deal is. She’s supposed to be this exquisite artist but all I see is cold hearted girl.”

“Maybe you’ll get to know her better.” Kanae assured her, “Ah here we are.”

The duo arrived at the scene just as another fight reached a close.

Karin watched as a dark blue haired girl in a white gi attempt to slash a brown-haired girl with her naginata. Said girl leaped back and landed in a crouch.

“Ah you’re just in time.”

Karin turned around to find a familiar white-haired girl standing behind them.

“Hi Mifuyu!” She greeted, “you’re here too?”

Nodding, Mifuyu turned to the fight in front of them, “Tsuruno Yui is most certainly a capable fighter.”

Karin started at Mifuyu in curiosity. “If you’re here, why don’t you fight her? Is she really that strong?”

Mifuyu chuckled, “Of course not. It’s merely that if I fought her, I would use illusions, smoke, and a giant chakram. While Tsuruno might accept defeat from that, it wouldn’t nearly be as effective on her ego as much as Kanae’s sheer brute force would. It’s better this way.”

“Are you sure you just wanted to see me deal with it?” Kanae deadpanned.

Mifuyu giggled, “Oh you know me so well. I can’t possibly pass up the opportunity to watch my knight in armor show off for me.”

She nuzzled against Kanae’s arm as Karin blushed. Even after watching them for over two months, Karin was still uncomfortable with watching the young couple flirt with each other.

The battle was reaching a close as the brunette ducked, spun, and leaped around the blunette’s attacks.

“Stand still!” The girl shouted at the brunette, “You cannot escape my fury forever!”

The girl side stepped her attack before pointing her fans at the bluenette. “Fire!”

Karin winced as the blue haired girl was covered in a stream of flame. For some odd reason, Karin could feel the heat wash over her as though she was the one being scorched.

The charred bluenette collapsed on the ground before untransforming.

The brunette skipped up to her. “You fought well, Asuka! But I am the mightiest!”

She held out her hand to the bluenette, who hastily accepted it. “You most certainly are strong. But I’ll get stronger too, or I’ll commit seppuku!”

Tsuruno‘s eyes widened. “Don’t do that!”

She helped Asuka onto her feet. “But let’s get stronger together!”

Asuka nodded before walking off towards Mizuna. The brunette turned back to the crowd watching her. “Anyone else want to challenge The Mightiest Magical girl?”

Kanae turned to Karin and Mifuyu. “Guess that’s my cue.”

She walked up to Tsuruno.

“I’m Kanae, and I’ve never heard of you, much less of your mightiness. Care to show me?”

The girl’s eyes narrowed. “You’re on then! For I am Tsuruno Yui, and I am the mightiest magical girl!”

Kanae transformed and hefted her pipe. Tsuruno prepared her fans.

Karin watched in avid fascination as the two girls faced off. And in the blink of an eye, they were off.

Tsuruno opened with several quick bursts of flame towards the blonde. Kanae tracked the fireballs and ducked, allowed the bursts of flame to pass right under her, just enough for her to still feel the heat.

Planting her feet into the ground, Kanae kicked off towards the brunette, her pipe swinging in an overhead arc.

Tsuruno’s eyes widened as she attempted to block the pipe with her fans, but the magically enhanced pipe smashed through the flaming fans and sent the girl flying back.

Tsuruno did recover quickly, Kanae had to give her that. She summersaulted backwards and landed on both feet. She shook her head as she grinned. “Wow, you’re so strong!”

“Thank you.”

“But just because you’re strong, doesn’t mean that you can beat the mightiest magical girl!” Tsuruno shouted as she leaped forward, sending several quick bursts of flame at Kanae.

Kanae watched the girl rushing towards her before taking one step back. Tsuruno flew past her only to receive a swift smack in the back by Kanae’s magic pipe.

“Oof!” She grunted as she crashed into the ground, but managed to roll out of the way of the second strike.

Tsuruno popped back on her feet, though swayed unsteadily as she tried to regain her balance.

Kanae didn’t hesitate as she strode towards the girl, pipe held in an overhead stroke.

Tsuruno saw the attack coming, as she raised her fans in a futile attempt to block the strike. But even then, Kanae feinted, dropping low to smash the head of the pipe into Tsuruno’s legs.

Karin winced as she could hear the audible crack of bone breaking, causing Tsuruno to collapse on the ground in a heap. Karin could almost feel the pain in her own legs as memories of being stabbed, slashed, and bruised by the professional leg breaker herself surfaced from the last series of months of ruthless training.

“Now that’s a Yach-Chan specialty!” Mifuyu commented aloud.

“Don’t remind me.” Karin pouted, “My legs…the pain…”

Kanae pointed her weapon at Tsuruno, “Yield.”

The brunette weakly nodded, “You’re way mightier than I am.”

Kanae shrugged, “I guess I was taught by the best.”

Tsuruno’s eyes twinkled. “Umm…like who?”

“A magical girl named Yachiyo Nanami. You’ll get to know her soon enough. She’s the Boss of the West and that means she’s your boss too.”

“I see, I see. Hmm…she must be very mighty!”

“She’s not the boss for nothing I guess.”

The next morning

Homura saw it coming from a mile away. She really did.

Yachiyo apparently hadn’t as she stared dumbfounded at the brunette kneeling before her at the school gates.

“Please accept me as your student Miss Nanami! No, Nanami Shishou!” Tsuruno begged as she clung to Yachiyo’s ankles.

Yachiyo stared incredulously at the brunette. “Why me?”

“I once thought that I was the mightiest magical girl but fighting Miss Kanae opened my eyes to the truth! I am but a weak magical girl with only sheer willpower and determination on my side. I lack experience, strength, and the intelligence to become the mightiest magical girl!” She stood up and held her hands out to Yachiyo. “I would ask Kanae, but she told me that you were the one who mentored her. Therefore, I humbly ask of you, take me as your student!”

Yachiyo looked over the bowing underclassmen and sighed, her cheeks reddening from the praise. “I…would be honored to mentor you.”

Tsuruno’s eyes widened as she pulled the blunette into a tight bear hug. “Thank you so much! I will not let you down Nanami Shishou!”

Homura managed a small smile as she watched the exchange. These girls weren’t Madoka, but they were growing on her, nonetheless.

Chapter Text

a month later

The witch screamed in agony as the trio stood their ground. Mifuyu turned to her two juniors, “Now follow my lead.”

The fiery brunette pumped her fist, “Right Mifuyu! Leave it to the mightiest magical girl!”

Hanna said nothing, but nodded.

Angry familiars rushed the trio, only to be forced back by bolts of dark energy from Hanna’s staff. Mifuyu summoned clouds of mist to obscure them from the witch before rushing forward. The witch’s own arms, giant appendages with thorns for fingers, swung at them.

Mifuyu swiftly leaped to one side before swinging her massive chakram down upon the arm, slicing cleanly through the dark appendage. The witch roared in pain, reeling back and trying to attack with its other arm.

Mifuyu jumped back and called out, “Tsuruno, blind the witch.”

“Right!” Tsuruno called back, and sent a wave of flame at the Witch’s face.

Hanna pointed her staff at the Witch and sent another wave of purple energy while Mifuyu leaped up and over the witch until she was clean behind the witch’s head. With a single swipe, the witch’s head tumbled to the ground.

Hanna allowed herself a breath before stooping to pick up the grief seed, the black item feeling fragile in her hand. As the labyrinth collapsed, Tsuruno and Mifuyu joined the purple haired girl.

“We did it Mifuyu!” Tsuruno cheered.

Mifuyu smiled, “well done girls. You pulled that off wonderfully.”

“Yep yep!” Tsuruno giggled before turning to Hanna, “You were awesome too Hanna!”

Hanna thought about it before giving a small thumbs up. “I guess it was alright.”

Mifuyu glanced at her phone, “Oh my, it’s almost 6. We’d best get going.”

She looked at Hanna, “You want to come? Yach-chan’s making udon.”

Hanna shook her head, “Sorry, I need to go home. Maybe next time.”

Mifuyu frowned, “Ok, see you next time then.”

Tsuruno waved, “Bye Hanna!”

Hanna walked back towards Mizuna, not once looking back. The road to Mizuna was quiet and comfortable. Hanna liked it quiet. It left her to her thoughts, and let her feel angry, mad, and cynical. Angry at her nonexistent parents. Mad at her classmates. Cynical of her magical girl life.

As she turned towards the orphanage, she looked up to see the head caretaker standing over her.

“Where have you been?” The woman demanded.

Hanna didn’t meet her gaze. “Hanging around”

The woman frowned, “I warned you repeatedly about breaking curfew.”

Hanna didn’t respond.

Slap! Her cheeks burning, Hanna didn’t even budge.

The woman scoffed, “Go get yourself cleaned up.”

“s’rry” she mumbled as she trudged past the caretaker and through the doors.

A few hours later, Hanna lay in her bunk, staring at the next bunk. The world was just a dipshit awful place and it could all go die for all she cared. Her pathetic parents. These awful caretakers. Her cruel classmates.

And…Mifuyu. The first human being who had ever extended a hand to her. Someone who had found her alone, uncaring, and new to magical girl life, and dragged her into the weird family that was team Mikazuchi.

And they sure were weird. Yachiyo was aloof and calm, but would just as easily go from cool classy model to overprotective mother. Mifuyu was kind, warm, and friendly, but she acted like a pitiful puppy from time to time who needed pampering. Kanae was cold, dark, and moody, but she was also kind, protective, and thoughtful. Homura was cool and collected, but it wasn’t hard to see how she was just as socially awkward as she was. Momoko was friendly…way too friendly. Kaede was pitiful. Rena was standoffish. Karin was way too invested in her comics. Yet this band made up the Mikazuchi family.

Could she really…did she really deserve to be in such a warm family?

“Yeah, that’s not happening” Hanna muttered before rolling over into the dark ravine of sleep, her previously anger and hatred all but vanished.

Mel Anna was having a wonderful day. She had woken up, pulled out her cards and discovered that she had “Good fortune”. That was such good news that she had hummed a happy tune while dressing and had left for school with a skip in her step. Nothing could possibly go wrong.

Mel Anna was having a terrible day. Everything had gone wrong. Almost immediately after leaving the house, she had stumbled into a witch’s labyrinth. Which was already terrible luck. But that wasn’t the end of it. The witch decided to fly and scoop Mel up with it. Now she was high in the air and had no idea where she was.

“This is absolutely the worst day of my life!” Mel muttered, checking her cards for something that could defeat the witch. No good. She would have to wait for the witch to land and then make a run for it.

Just then, a yellow ribbon shot out from the sky and wrapped itself around the witch’s horn. The witch hollered in rage but the ribbon only tighten its grip.

Mel looked up in time to see two figures drop in from the sky. Two girls, one with blonde hair and the other with jet black hair.

The blonde turned to the raven haired girl. “Master, allow me to show you how much I’ve grown.”

The other girl nodded, “Alright, but don’t get too cocky.”

To Mel’s amazement, the blonde stood up and summoned dual long barreled muskets from her sleeves.

“Woah,” Mel muttered as she watched the musketeer leap into the air, shooting out ribbons to allow her to swing around the labyrinth with ease. Firing shots with her muskets, the blonde gracefully dodged attacks while peppering the witch with attacks. Then she remembered something.

“Umm, watch out for the familiars!” She called out. The blonde turned in surprise as the witch’s head opened up, allowing familiars to pop out from its neck. Just as they popped out though, several of them exploded.

Mel turned around in surprise to see the black haired girl hoisting…a black round tube over her shoulder.

“Is…that…an…”

The black haired girl nodded, “It’s a rocket propelled grenade, or an RPG for short. Good catch.”

Now free from distraction, the blonde resumed her relentless harassment of gunfire. With the witch effectively weakened, Mel watched in sheer amazement as the blonde leaped backwards and summoned a giant mega sized cannon.

“Trio finale!“ she yelled proudly.

“What?” Mel managed as the witch was obliterated by the massive cannon shot.

The black haired girl appeared next to head suddenly. “Grab onto me. Mami, let’s go!”

The blonde, now named Mami, nodded, “Right sensei.”

She ran up to them and wrapped them with her ribbon. As the labyrinth collapses, the trio fell to the ground only for Mami to shoot out a pair of ribbons. The ribbons wrapped tightly around a set of antenna, allowing them to swing forward. A few short swings later, the trio landed safely on the ground.

The moment Mel’s feet touched the ground, she fell on her knees and clutched the ground, kissing it fervently. “Land, sweet land!”

The black haired girl shared a smile with the blonde, “Are you alright?”

Mel realized the position she was in and jerked back. “Yes, I am. Thank you very much for saving me. I’m Mel Anna.”

“I’m Mami Tomoe and this is my mentor and sensei, Homura Akemi.”

Mel’s eyes widened. “You’re Homura Akemi?”

The raven haired girl nodded, “You’ve heard of me?”

“Who hasn’t heard of you! You’re Homura Akemi, the famous model partner of Yachiyo Nanami!” Mel gushed, “And then, you’re also the infamous Enforcer of the West!”

Mami turned to Homura, “Do they really call you that?”

Homura nodded in regret, “It’s a mistake honestly. I just had to remind a few girls of their place and suddenly everyone is afraid of me.”

“Well Sensei, I can see how they might think you’re terrifying.”

Mel froze. That’s right. Homura was the enforcer of the West, and if they were here, that meant that…she was in West territory.

She immediately seizta’d. “Please accept my apologies!”

Homura raised her brow. “Huh?”

“I am in West territory as an East girl. I profusely apologize for you having to save me.”

Homura nodded, “Think nothing of it. You started the fight in the East but were moved West. So you didn’t break any truces.”

Mel let out a breath. “Thank you so much! And you guys are so awesome! Especially you!” She gesture to Mami. “You have all those guns and ribbons and that super cannon! You’re so amazing!”

Mami blushed lightly, “Ahh…well I have Sensei to thank for that.”

Mel sighed, “I wish I had such cool tools. All I have are my fortune cards.”

“You don’t have to be like that.” Mel looked up to see Mami placing her hand on her shoulder. “You know, I didn’t always have these guns. My original weapons were just my ribbons. But Sensei mentored me and taught me how to turn them from ribbons into muskets. So I believe with you teaching, you can become strong too.”

Mel looked into the blonde’s warm eyes, “Really? I can be badass too?”

Mami smiled in response, “Of course you can. Right Sensei?”

Homura frowned, “There’s a bit when it comes to your potential and latent power, but it is true that anyone can adjust their weapons if they wish.”

Mel realized this was her one and only chance. She bowed deeply. “Please mentor me too!”

Homura and Mami looked to her in surprise before Homura shook her head. “I am simply too busy to mentor a new magical girl. I’ve got too many things to deal with as it is.”

Mel’s head drooped. “Ok, sorry for bothering you. Thanks for saving me Homura and Mami.”

As she stood up, Mami interjected. “Hold on a sec.”

Mami turned to her Sensei. “Homura Sensei, perhaps I could mentor Mel!”

Homura raised her brow.

Mel’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yes!” Mami nodded, “I have been under Sensei’s tutelage for over a year now and I feel that I could pass on your teaching to Mel, if you’ll have me.”

Mel’s eyes lit up. “Y-yes! Of course!”

Mami beamed. “Well then…”

“Wait a moment.” Homura interjected, “You’re forgetting something Mami.”

“Huh?“

Homura facepalmed. “You live in Mitamihara. Mel lives in Daito from the looks of it. That’s even further away from where I live.”

Mami froze. “Oh…I’m sorry. I hadn’t considered that.”

Mel watched her shoulders droop and realized that yes, Mami had genuinely wanted to help her. Just like her fortune, someone was trying to give her good fortune. Mel seized the opportunity. “Umm…it’s not that bad. I can commute to Mitakihara!”

Mami looked up in surprise. “Mel…”

Mel took the blonde’s hand. “I really, really, really want to learn under you, if you’ll have me.”

Mami eyes sparkled. “Y-yes, I would still be happy to mentor you. I’ll come when I can and we can work out the rest! Isn’t that great Sensei?”

Homura watched the two girls while deep in thought. “Very well…I’ll see what I can do.”

The two girls who only met each other barely 30 minutes before squealed and hugged each other. “Mel we’ll have such a splendid time!”

“Yes Mami! I’ll take anything over being tortured by Kanagi!”

Mami’s eyes widened, “You too? You’ve been attacked by Kanagi?”

Mel nodded, “Not only attacked, but constantly harassed! She’s an evil taskmaster, dragging me to places I hate!”

“I know how you feel!”

“Truly, we must be sisters from different mothers! To celebrate our union against the cruelty that is Kanagi”

“Oh!”

“Oh?”

The duo froze at a familiar voice.

As one, the two teenagers turned around to find a petite white haired girl watching them with an amused expression, her arms folded across her chest. “So I’m an evil taskmaster am I?”

Mel glanced around, “Ah…Kanagi, how are you? What are you doing on this side of…of…”

“Minagi.” Mami supplied.

“Right, Minagi!“ Mel corrected herself.

Kanagi’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Searching for you actually. You never showed up at school and your home room teacher asked me to look for you. I heard about the witch that had crossed the ward lines and realized you might need assistance.”

Mel let out a sigh of relief, “Ah well thanks Kanagi”

“But not only did you not need saving,” Kanagi continued, “But you also fraternize with West girls and tell falsehoods about me.”

Mel’s body went stiff as Kanagi put her arm on her shoulder. “Come, we have already spent enough time away from school. We must be off.”

“Hold on a second.”

Kanagi paused to see Homura behind her. “Ahh, Akemi. I apologize for any problems this one might have caused.”

Homura frowned, “Actually, I was going to say that Mel actually made a good friend out of my pupil here. I was wondering if we could work out a way for the two to train together and improve their bonds.”

“Oh?” Kanagi raised her brow, “Is that so Mel?”

Mel nodded, “Yes, Mami and I are best friends now!”

Mami took Mel’s hand. “That’s right! I promised to mentor Mel, even if it means having Mel move in with me.”

Mel and Kanagi froze at those words. Kanagi frowned, “This is a lot of trust for someone you just met. I’ve known Mel for years now and she’s a terrible roommate.”

Mami shook her head. “I don’t know why, but I just feel this deep sense of kinship and friendship when I look at her. That’s why I want to grow our friendship however possible.”

Mel’s eyes shined, “Mami!”

Kanagi was about to respond when Homura interjected, “Actually, I might know a way to make that happen.”

Kanagi once more raised her brow, “Oh?”

1 week later

Mitakihara

“I can’t believe this is really happening!”

Yachiyo chuckled as she lifted another box through the door. “You can thank Mifuyu. She’s the one who set everything up.”

“It was nothing,” Mifuyu smiled, “Homura set up the account.”

Homura managed a small smile. Nothing was far from the truth. Using Mifuyu’s illusion abilities, Yachiyo had convinced Mel’s parents that Mel had won a scholarship to Mitakihara middle school. Homura helped provide some of the funding for the tuition while Mami took care of the food budget.

Kanagi looked around, “I must say. I am rather envious of your manipulation abilities.”

Homura frowned, “Mifuyu’s abilities are rather dangerous, but she’s shown maturity in using them wisely.”

The white haired girl nodded sagely, “Well you have my thanks. I haven’t seen Mel this happy in ages.”

Homura looked to the two younger girls decorating their new bedroom and managed a brief smile.

A year ago, she never would have considered doing Mami any favors. She would have written off Mami as a lost cause from the start. But training Mami from scratch had changed that view. She realized just how alone Mami had been before meeting them, how lonely it had been to trudge onwards alone, without anyone else to help. She had learned that lesson herself while working with Yachiyo, Mifuyu and the others. So when Mami expressed having another girl join her, the new Homura had decided to help however she could. If Mami could have another magical girl alongside her as an equal, then maybe she wouldn’t be so lonely…and maybe…just maybe…she might take the truth differently. She glanced around the lush apartment as the rest of the Mikazuchi team were helping move Mel’s belongings in. She wished that Madoka could see her now. She would have been thrilled at her new plethora of friends. This was nice. This was comfortable. And she wished deep down, that these happy warm days would remain.

Chapter Text

One month later

Kyouko Sakura just wanted to make her father happy. It was a simple wish, but the look on her parents’ and sister’s faces made it worth it. And now she was on her first witch hunt. Imagine that. This particular witch had been escaping her from her for quite a while now.

“Be careful Kyouko Sakura.” Kyubey, the white cat, warned her.

Kyouko didn’t mind it as she leaped and danced over the witch’s spear like arms. Setting up an illusion, Kyouko ducked and rushed around the witch to get a better vantage point. Watching the illusion collapse from attack, Kyouko dashed in and stabbed the witch’s head with her spear. Kyouko chuckled to herself. Hunting these witches weren’t so bad after all.

“Look out Kyouko, that’s not the witch’s core!” The white cat called out.

Kyouko looked up barely in time to see the witch raise its axe once more. Closing her eyes shut, Kyouko braced herself for the impact.

Crack!

The witch jerked back in pain, releasing Kyouko from its grip. Suddenly free, Kyouko dropped to the ground awkwardly and looked up to her savior.

Two girls, both clad in green stood before her. Kyubey seemed to recognize them. “Ah, Mami Tomoe! And Mel Anna! It is a surprise to see you here.”

Mel put down her revolver, shaking it uncomfortably. “Geez, that hurt my wrist.”

“It’s about handling the recoil Mel. You need to adjust your weapon to have less recoil.” Mami chided.

Mel pouted, “Hey, I just got a hang of turning cards into guns. Now you tell me that I need to turn guns into better guns?”

Mami chuckled, “that’s so you Mel.” She turned back to Kyouko. “Are you ok?”

Kyouko nodded, “Ye-yeah, thanks for saving me.”

Mel nodded. “No problem! That’s what we do!”

The green haired girl pulled out another card and focused. The purple card began to fold and twist until it had turned into a small silver revolver. She frowned, “Still can’t make ‘em as fast as you do.”

“It takes practice,” Mami assured her, pulling her own musket.  “Now we have a witch to deal with. Mel, keep the familiars off me. I’ll handle the witch.”

Kyouko watched with fascination as the two girls worked with synchronized teamwork. Mel swapped between her revolvers and tarot cards to send wide waves attacks at the familiars while Mami peppered the witch volleys of musketfire. In minutes, the witch collapsed into dust, leaving no trace other than a single grief seed.

Mami picked off the grief seed and offered it to Kyouko.

Kyouko accepted it gingerly. “Thanks. I’m Kyouko Sakura.”

Mami smiled, “It’s no problem. I struggled against my first witch too.”

Kyubey nodded, “It was quite the relief that Homura Akemi was nearby.”

Mami glanced around before offering a hand out to Kyouko. “If you’re not busy, would you be interested in joining us for tea?”

Kyouko considered the offer before nodding, “sure, why not?”

Going to be late, rescued another magical girl . -Mami

Homura put down her phone and pondered to herself. Wouldn’t Kyouko Sakura would have contracted around this time? And according to Mami, she had met Kyouko shortly after contracting…so…maybe? Rookie Kyouko most certainly would be an interesting sight. Under her and Yachiyo’s tutelage, Mami had grown in leaps and bounds compared to the Mami she once knew. Sure she wasn’t as powerful in sheer firepower, but a lot of Mami’s traditional weaknesses such as spatial awareness and team coordination had been trained against, leading Mami to become a much more well rounded girl. Imagine if Kyouko was trained under Yachiyo and Mifuyu; now that would turn her into an absolute monster.

“Homura!”

A body slammed into her back, shoving the raven haired girl forward. Homura cranked her neck to see a familiar brunette smiling at her.

“Hey!” Tsuruno smiled cheekily, “you ready for our training this evening?”

Homura shook her head, “Mami and Mel ran into some stuff in Mitakihara. They said they wouldn’t make it.”

Tsuruno frowned. “I see. But the two of us can still train!”

Homura frowned. “That’s not even remotely fair to you.”

She pouted, “are you saying that it’s only fair when it’s the three of us against you?”

Homura shrugged. That wasn’t wrong. Especially when Tsuruno’s sheer blitzing power and all round capabilities forced Homura to take her seriously each and every fight…which meant resorting to stopping time and throwing bombs at her, at which point the fight was already over. “Plus it wouldn’t be what you need help with. You can beat anyone in a duel, but you need practice working in a unit.”

Tsuruno sighed, “Good point. Well I guess it’s back to home and doing homework.”

Speaking of homework. “Well…actually,” Homura stammered. This was embarrassing. “I am a bit confused with our social studies assignment, so if you don’t mind.”

It was a sore point to Homura. In all the time she spent looping, she had never really bothered studying beyond her second year in middle school. Which meant that as a third year middle school student, almost all her courses were completely new to her. On the other hand, the brunette was an honors student with perfect attendance and near perfect grades.

Tsuruno’s eyes twinkled as she took the black haired girl’s hands. “I’d be happy it help! Leave it to me, the mightiest study-er!”

Yachiyo held her pose as the shutters clicked and flashed around her. Her eyes used to the bright lights, she counted to three before changing her pose, bring her leg back while twisting her body. The shutters flickered in response.

“Very nice Nanami!” The head photographer called out.

Yachiyo did not respond, but instead maintained her pose.

After another 10 minutes, Yachiyo finally sat down. As her hairdresser began to prick and fix her hair, her manager ran up to her. “Well done Nanami,” she smiled warmly.

Yachiyo responded quickly. “I couldn’t have done it without all your effort.”

“So humble Nanami,” the manager gushed, “anyways, I just got us a gig in Mizuna.”

Yachiyo perked up, “I see. What’s the gig?”

The agent smiled. “They want to promote the Tanabata festival in the castle town. The thing is, it’s a duo gig.”

Yachiyo nodded, understanding now. “So you want to know if Akemi can help out?“

“Pretty much.” The manager smiled.

“Let me ask her. I’m sure she should be available.”

Her agent bowed respectfully, “Thank you very much. You and Akemi are gaining popularity in the youth these days and connecting you with Kamihama historical culture would be an excellent way to reinvigorate interest in our history.”

Yachiyo chuckled, “I completely understand.”

“And so our manager wanted us to work together to help out for the Tanabata festival in Mizuna.”

Homura nodded, “Of course I’ll help out. Do you have any details?”

“Not yet. It should be just a simple shoot though.”

“I see. Then it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“That’s great. I’ll let the manager know. Also maybe Mifuyu and Hanna can meet us there.”

Homura ended the call and began to look up information on her computer.

“Hmm…the legend of the paper mulberry leaf.” She read a summary of the legend and pondered. No…they wouldn’t…would they?

They would.

“I’m sorry, a drama?” Yachiyo gaped.

The manager nodded, “That’s right. It’s a historical period drama based on the legend of the Paper Mulberry Leaf.”

Homura sighed, she really should have seen it coming. In short, it was a story about two martially gifted girls who were from opposing families who worked together to overthrow a corrupt lord amidst a famine. It was a period fairy tale targeted towards children while promoting local history.

Apparently Yachiyo didn’t get the memo. “I…can’t do this.” She responded quickly.

“Why not?”

“You didn’t tell me I had to act.”

Homura raised her brow. It was just a children’s play. It wasn’t like she needed to be a talented actress to pull off a play meant for children.

“I just can’t.” Yachiyo refused.

“You’re being irrational.” Homura frowned, “This is just another job. It will be good for the community and for the local kids. Why can’t you do this job?”

Yachiyo sighed, “I…I just…I can’t act.”

Wait that’s all? Wait…she can’t act?

As it turns out, she couldn’t.

“Chizuru…I…do not…want…to…”

Homura quietly cringed as Yachiyo stammered out her lines. It was worse than reading off a page, she legitimately was sounding like a robot.

“I can’t fight alongside you the way you are now.” Homura tried to put on her most defiant voice. It wasn’t that hard, she just needed to imagine Madoka and the words came naturally. It was interesting just how many parallels she could see between Chizuru and Madoka. Chizuru wanted to save her people. Madoka wanted to save everyone.

“Cut!” The director called, “Let’s take a break!“

Homura walked over to Yachiyo and extended a hand, “If you want, we can keep working on the lines over the break.”

The two of them sat down as Yachiyo handed Homura a water bottle. Grateful, Homura took it and gurgled some down, letting the liquid refresh her parched throat.

“Ah there they are!“

The two looked up to see Mifuyu, Hanna, and surprisingly Karin and Kanae as well across the room. The group walked up to them.

“How’s it going?” Kanae asked as they arrived.

“It’s going ok.” Homura tried the tactful approach but Yachiyo didn’t even bother.

“I’m doing terrible.”

“What?“ Karin asked in surprise.

Mifuyu sighed, “I should have known. Yach-chan can’t act.”

Kanae frowned, “Then why did you accept this role?”

Yachiyo sighed, “They were very insistent and well, it’s a special honor to do something so locally.”

Homura frowned, “it’s not that bad. You just need practice.”

“But I just can’t understand this character. Bad enough that I can’t act, but more so that I just don’t get her!” Yachiyo bemoaned.

Karin scrunched her brow in thought, “Can I see the script?”

Yachyio seemed too lost in pity, so Homura handed the purple haired girl hers. The girl glanced through the script and frowned. “Hmm…honestly I get it’s supposed to be a historical story, but honestly, this script isn’t making full use of its potential.”

“Really?”

Karin gestured to the script, “I mean, I get Tsuyu being Yachiyo, but you totally got miscast as Chizuru Homura.”

“I can handle it just fine,” Homura interjected.

“Well of course. You’re just a good actor, but Chizuru just isn’t written in a way that uses your full potential.” Karin pointed out, “Like I could see Mifuyu, Tsuruno, or myself being more in character with Chizuru than you.”

Homura considered it, then nodded, “I see that. I’m honestly quite different from Chizuru. But the roles have been casted and there’s not much we can do about it.”

The purple haired girl pouted cutely. “Fine…”

Mifuyu giggled, “It’s fine Karin. We know how much you care.”

Kanae smiled softly while Hanna gave a silent thumbs up.

“No... This is what... I have to do...”

Nothing had changed. Yachiyo still stammered through her lines like a robot. Homura sighed internally.

Off to the side, she caught sight of the director leaning towards the historian. With her enhanced hearing, their whispers were like shouting.

“Say, couldn’t we move some of Tsuyu’s lines to someone else? Maybe introduce a new character?”

“Maybe, I’d like to keep it as it is, but if it really comes to this…”

Homura nodded, that did make sense.

Apparently someone else didn’t think so.

“Silence!”

The room froze as a certain purple haired girl stomped on scene.

The director rose from his seat in anger, “Excuse me, what do you think you’re-“

“The question is, what do you think you’re doing!” Karin interjected. “You’re making a mess! That’s what!”

Homura fought the urge to facepalm.

Now the historian stood up, “What do you know about this play?”

“I may be an armature mangaka, but at least I know how to write a story with the hand I’ve been dealt! Instead of,” she gestured to the cast, “Whatever mess this is.”

The director clenched his fist, “How, how dare you?”

Karin stomped up to him briskly. “Listen to me. I’m not trying to insult you. I’m trying to point out that you have a lot of talent and skill here and the only thing holding them back is the script!”

The director paused for a moment, then gestured to the historian. “A moment please.”

Before anyone could respond, the director, historian, and mangaka were in a closed room.

Yachiyo glanced to Homura, who now was facepalming. Mifuyu was chuckling from the side with Kanae shaking her head. Hanna remained still.

Homura focused her hearing and started to make out loud voices.

“You’re just doing it wrong!”

“It’s how the legend goes!”

“But you do have creative liberties right?”

“Well yes…but…”

“You’ve got Yachiyo freaking Nanami and Homura freaking Akemi on your set and you’re not going to take advantage of that?”

“…”

“Well…”

“Think about it! Black on blue! ‘I need you!’ ‘Why won’t you listen to me?’ ‘Perhaps I need to use my blade dance…of the night!’”

“…”

“Go on…”

“And then…she does…”

“Yes yes, I can see that!”

“But what about the historical accuracy?”

“Look, do you want the kabedown or what?”

“…”

“That’s what I thought.”

The door opened and the three walked out. Karin was fine, but both the director and the historian had rolled up tissues jammed into their noses for some reason.

The director cleared his throat. “It has become apparent that there has been some issues with the script and thus requires reworking. Therefore, everyone is dismissed for today and we’ll resume tomorrow.”

The historian nodded uncomfortably. “Yes. We’ll be rewriting the script tonight.”

Karin grinned, “I’ll be helping!”

Homura stared incredulously. What had Karin done to get some absurd results?

Six months later

The blades whirled with deadly accuracy as the two girls clashed. Chizuru lunged forward only to be countered by Tsuyu’s parry. The bluenette pressed the attack, her sword slicing upward. The black haired girl leaped back and took up a defensive stance, her blade held in both hands.

“Why, why do you refuse to attack me?” Chizuru demanded.

Tsuyu frowned, “You wouldn’t understand. Come back when you’ve trained for a thousand years.”

Chizuru grimaced, hefting her sword before dashing into an overhead swing.

Tsuyu blocked and parried once more, as Chizuru’s wild slashes were easily countered by her precise moves. She sighed, “If you will not listen to me, then perhaps I need to discipline you.”

Tsuyu waited for Chizuru’s next leap, then with a precise cut, knocked the blade out of the black haired girl’s hands.

“Ahh!” Chizuru cried out as she backed up, trying to escape the reach of the bluenette’s blade. But the blunette showed no sign of letting her prey escape, slamming her elbow into Chizuru’s stomach.

Chizuru flew back and slammed against a wall. As Chizuru struggled to stand, the long shaft of a silver blade slammed into the wall, barely grazing her head.

“Well, well, well, so this is what happens when I get serious.” Tsuyu chuckled, her voice icy cold.

Chiruzu glared back. “Do your worst! But know I’ll always fight you. I’ll always resist! I’ll never surrender as long as he’s in control.”

Tsuyu’s frown softened, “is that so?”

To Chizuru’s surprise, Tsuyu pulled the blade from the wall and sheathed it. “If all you’re going to do is resist…I actually might find this…amusing.”

“Wh-what?”

A swift hand slammed into the wall next to her as Tsuyu towered over Chizuru. A cold and sinister grin crossed Tsuyu’s face as she placed her other hand on Chizuru’s chin. “You know, when you’re all fussy like this…you’re kinda cute.”

Chizuru’s eyes widened. “Wh-what?”

Tsuyu’s eyes twinkled with a malicious darkness. “You know, you may be right. That old man could be removed. The land could be restored. The people be made happy. On one…condition let’s call it.”

“Condition?”

Tsuyu lifted Chizuru’s chin until their eyes were inches from each other. “I keep you…as my prize, my little mockingbird.”

”ehh?”

Tsuyu smirked as she pressed her forehead against Chizuru’s. “You think you're a master of swordplay, but it’s time you learn why I’m the greatest swordmaster of the night!” 

Yachiyo turned off the tv in mild disgust. “Alright, that’s enough.”

Homura looked across the living room of the villa. Mifuyu was quivering nervously, her face red as a tomato. Kanae was watching Mifuyu in visible concern. Momoko had one hand covering her face and had her other hand covering Kaede’s…to absolutely no effect as the brunette was peeking over it. Rena and Mami were blushing furiously, their minds having completely stopped functioning. Mel was stone still, her tarot cards all but forgotten on her lap. But Tsuruno was pouting.

“Master! Why? We were just getting to the good part!”

Yachiyo glared at her. “The thought that you’re actually enjoying this absolutely dumpster of a show concerns me…immensely.”

And then there was Karin, who was happily munching a handful of popcorn, as satisfied as could be. “It was amazing!”

Homura wouldn’t give it ‘amazing’. When Karin and the director’s returned the new scripts, Homura and Yachiyo had no clue what to think of it and had initially refused, but somehow, Karin had convinced Hanna to put them into some sort of susceptible state where Karin convinced them that they had no choice but to continue the shoot. Note to self: they really needed to find a way to restrict her abilities. Useful as they may be, the fact that there Hanna was able to just ‘copy Momoko’s pep up abilities and make them go ham’ was very concerning and needed to be restricted.

The show had been both a hit and a failure. The movie got immediate attention, with critics dismissing the piece as a complete failure and disaster. But the growing fan base of both Yachiyo and herself had clung to the film and started an uprising, causing such a ruckus that their ‘masterpiece’ hit international news. Most concernedly was the fact that somehow Karin and that terrible director had managed to ensure the movie still remained PG and thus shocked a multitude of parents, who had taken their children to watch with no idea what they were getting their kids into. And now Homura and Yachiyo were at a level of international stardom that they had in no way deserved.

Needless to say, the magical girls of Kamihama completely saw them in a new light and would bombard the two with requests to reenact their “sword fight”.

Homura sighed and wondered whether she could still go back in time to wipe out such a troublesome existence.

“Sayaka, where are we going?”

Twelve year old Sayaka Miki pulled her best friend towards the theater. “Madoka, what have I told you? We’re going to see ‘Songbirds of Mizuna’. It’s the biggest hit right now and has all the reviews!”

“I still don’t get the appeal,” Kyousuke frowned, “Can I sit this one out?”

Hitomi chuckled, “Don’t be like that Kyousuke. You can get back to your violin another time. Let’s just all watch a movie together!”

“Woah…” Sayaka muttered as she exited the theater. “I…I can never look at swords the same way ever again.”

“Th-that’s…forbidden love!” Hitomi stammered, trying to blot the last two hours out of her mind.

Kyousuke offhandedly tried to jam another tissue up his nose. “I…there are no words…what’s…violins….who…swords…”

Madoka merely smiled softly. “They were so cool together, especially Chizuru!”

Chapter Text

Three months later

“And then mom showed me the tickets for Kyousuke’s concert.”

“Wow Sayaka, I’m so jealous!” Madoka exclaimed.

Hitomi sighed, “I wish I could attend, but I have other arrangements.”

Sayaka smirked, “Ahh, rich girl problems. I totally get it.”

“It’s not like that…”

Madoka giggled. “Well I’m going home. Oh and did you get it?”

Sayaka glanced around anxiously. “Yeah. It took a while but I managed to get a copy.”

Glancing around nervously, Sayaka opened up her bag and dug around a small package. “You have no idea how hard it was to get my hands on this.”

Madoka’s hands clasped on the small package tightly. “Is this the real thing?”

Sayaka’s eyes darkened. “The complete and unabridged edition of Songbirds of Mizuna? Yes. This cost me a literal fortune to get.”

Madoka reached into her bag and pulled out a plastic bag filled with wads of bills and coins. “I hope this covers it.”

Sayaka sighed, “I think so, but it’ll do. Plus…you’re going to share it with me right?”

Madoka nodded, “Of course! You’re my best friend Sayaka!”

Hitomi frowned, “I thought I was…”

As the three girls exchanged quips, a lone figure was watching them from above.

Homura shivered awkwardly. The discovery that Madoka had in fact seen the cringe of a movie was an uncomfortable realization that her early arrival had caused changes to happen, not just to Mami, but also to Madoka.

And in all of her timelines, never did she think that Madoka would like…*that* kind of material. That in of itself was uncomfortable. She shuddered at the thought of Madoka and Sayaka watching the infamous Chizuru vs Tsuyu duel and squealing like fan girls.

But as long as Madoka’s potential remained dirt low, the incubators wouldn’t go after her. And that was far worth any awkward feelings about Madoka’s newfound interests. Returning the binoculars to her shield, the raven haired girl spun around and headed to her next appointment.

Mel ducked and rolled under a pair of scissor blades. She could see her reflection on the dark sheen of the familiar’s blades before she jammed a revolver in the familiar’s face and fired. The creature didn’t make a noise as its head exploded. Mel shoved the creature’s corpse off her and shook her gun wrist uncomfortably. “Tch, gotta do something about that recoil.”

She looked around the labyrinth and observed the carnage.

Kyouko was engaged with several other familiars, dancing around their attacks and leaving illusions in her wake to stir up even more confusion.

Mami on the other hand, was engaged with a deadly dance with the witch. She weaved in and out of attacks, peppering the witch with a relentless barrage of musket fire, but the Witch only seemed to be enraged. Mel pulled a tarot card from her pouch and focused, transforming it into a silver revolver before frowning. Who should she go help?

“You’re right. It’s a tough decision.”

Mel spun around to find a certain raven haired magical girl standing behind her. “Wh-where did you come from!”

Homura’s expression didn’t change. “Kyouko seems to be able to handle the familiars just fine. Mami is the one who is struggling. Naturally, one would want to help Mami. But helping Kyouko would accelerate her progress and allow both of you to aid Mami.”

Mel frowned, “Well yeah. Also…I don’t know how much help I’d be to Mami. It’s been months and I still haven’t grasped how to use my guns.”

“You’ll grasp it soon enough. Thankfully, I’ll help you make your decision.” Homura reached into her shield and pulled a long tube from inside. Mel watched with fascination as the raven magical girl hefted the tube over her shoulder and aimed. Mel heard a faint whirring noise and a moment later, time seemed to glitch as a moment later, four rockets slammed into the witch causing it to roar in rage. Mel stared flabbergasted as she tried to grasp what happened when a hand clasped her shoulder.

She turned to see the raven haired girl glare at her. “Your choice has been made for you.”

Mel nodded awkwardly and rushed towards the redhead, her revolver taking aim at the nearest familiar.

Mami noticed the witch stumble backwards and immediately took advantage of the chaos. Leaping back, she summoned her biggest cannon she could and sent a ribbon out behind her. A moment later, the world greyed out and the witch froze. She didn’t need to glance behind her to know her master was holding onto her ribbon. She leaped as high as she could and pointed the cannon at the witch’s face. “Trio finale!”

In that moment, the labyrinth was filled with a brilliant light before time resumed. The massive explosion rocked the cavern, sending familiars and magical girls to the ground.

Mami landed with practiced ease and glanced around. The witch, or rather what was left of the witch, was splattered across a freshly formed crater, slowly turning to dust. The familiars too were dissipating across the dark labyrinth. She then saw Kyouko and Mel wobbly pulling themselves to their feet.

“Hey Mami, a little heads up before you go full tactical nuke ok?” Kyouko yelled.

“Why do I even try to help when you can do that?” Mel retorted.

Homura scooped up a grief seed from the dust. “She wouldn’t have been able to pull that off unless you were dealing with the familiars.” She handed the seed to Mel. “Take it, you earned it.”

Mel stared at the dark seed in disbelief, “Me? But I didn’t do anything.”

Homura gestured to the green haired girl’s soul gem. “You expended the most magic. You need it the most,” She pressed the seed against Mel’s gem. “I’m guessing that your problem isn’t your recoil, but your magic efficiency. Turning cards into guns must be more costly for you than for Mami. I’d suggest you meet with Mitama to see if you can find a work around for that.”

Taken aback by the sudden concern, Mel accepted the seed. “Oh, ummm… thanks.”

Mami smiled softly as Kyouko walked up to her. “She doesn’t look like it, but Homura really cares for us.”

“Ehh?” Kyouko stared at the raven haired girl. “I guess. She’s kinda rough if you ask me.”

“She is standoffish at times and doesn’t hesitate to do what’s necessary, but she takes care of us.” Mami explained, “It’s why she’s such a great Sensei!”

The quartet gathered together as the sun began to set. Mami turned to her teacher, “Sensei, would you join us for dinner?”

Mel grinned, “I’m making curry!”

Kyouko sighed, “I guess I can join you guys. Let me check with papa.”

As Homura watched the trio head back into town, she couldn’t help but feel a small smile cross her lips. Her plan was finally beginning to come to fruition.

After a year and a half in Kamihama, she had finally begun to draw up her plans for Walpurghistnaught.  Over the past year, she had been receiving consistent adjustments and expanded her arsenal. Her magic potential had never been higher and the time she could spend freezing time had grown to almost twice her normal limit.

In addition, she realized she needed a powerful team of magical girls to fight the witch. In the past, she had only ever fought with Mami, Kyouko, Sayaka, and Madoka, two of whom were absolute rookies. Now she has access to the fighting monstrosities that were Yachiyo, Kanae, and Tsuruno. She was personally training Mami and her team to compensate their traditional weaknesses. Not to mention the unique abilities Mifuyu, Hanna, Rena, and Karin brought to the team. If things went as planned, she would have a monster of a fighting force by the time the demon witch arrived. They wouldn’t even need Madoka’s sheer might.

Homura personally had mixed feelings about her new “friends”. She had sworn to become Yachiyo’s friend, to support her amidst her quest to save Madoka. But now, those feelings were quickly spreading to the rest of the “team” she had formed. She had never really felt like this before. This warmth of friendship she had never really felt during her 6 week loops with Mami, Sayaka, and Kyouko. Like…she had actually fought, struggled, and earned her place amongst these girls. She hated to admit it, but…she liked being with them. She had…bonded with them in a way she never really had with anyone but Madoka. She could…maybe…just maybe…she could trust them.

That’s when a shiver ran down her back. What was that about?

She felt a faint vibration in her pocket. She pulled out her buzzing phone silently to read the caller.

*Mifuyu Azusa*

She flipped open the phone. “Akemi.”

“Homura, oh thank god. Do you have a grief seed on you?”

“Yes, why?”

“How quickly can you get to Kamihama? We have an emergency.”

Homura didn’t even respond as the world greyed out and time stopped.

“And so Yach-chan asked if we could head to Banbanzai to help her.”

“Gotcha,” the blonde hefted her guitar over her shoulder, “So it’s, you, me, Karin, and Hanna?”

Mifuyu nodded, “That should be enough. Yach-Chan said she and Momoko would come as soon as they finished.”

The quartet walked through the Mizuna towards the station. Kanae and Mifuyu catching up on the day’s events, Karin had her head stuck in a manga, and Hanna trudging along behind them. Hanna paused as she felt her phone vibrating. She knew who that was. And they could screw themselves to the depths of hell and she would laugh and giggle as she would dance upon their corpses and-

“Hanna are you ok?”

Hanna froze as she looked up to see Mifuyu’s concerned frown in her face.

Hanna quickly put herself together and nodded, “Just fine.”

She pulled out her phone and held down the power button. She didn’t need that reminder right now. She was going to help that troublesome restaurant girl. And it wouldn’t help if she let those thoughts affect her when she was there.

As the quartet rounded the bend, Hanna suddenly felt a jolt of magical energy. She realized that the other three had stopped as well.

Mifuyu and Kanae had frozen mid stride, their eyes alert. Karin was shoving her manga back into her bag.

Kanae brought out her soul gem and checked the location. “Looks like a witch.”

Hanna nodded, turning her ring into its gem form and beginning her search magic.

The quartet rushed down the streets, heading further Eastward.

Kanae frowned, “If we go much further East, we’ll be entering Chuo ward.”

Mifuyu nodded, “I’ll give Hinano a text. But let’s keep pursuing.”

Karin paused, “That’s it!”

The group spun around. Karin transformed and summoned her scythe. “Hanna and I can go ahead and assess the situation. Then you can follow our magical signatures.”

Mifuyu nodded, “If you’re sure you’ll be ok.”

Hanna nodded, “We’ll be fine. It’s not like we’re actually going to fight the witch.”

Right?

Kanae agreed, “Right. Keep us updated.”

Hanna straddled Karin’s shaft and gripped it between her legs as Karin flew off into the sky.

The two flew towards the signal, the wind streaking against their faces. Hanna scanned the ground before pointing at an alleyway. “Let’s land there.”

The two girls hopped off the broom. Karin examined her soul gem.

“Looks like the witch is that way.” She pointed in deeper into the alleyway. “By the way, what abilities do you have copied?”

“Piercing magic, Kanae’s.”

Karin nodded, “Alright then, let’s find that witch.”

Karin led the way as Hanna began flaring her magic, beaconing for their teammates to find them. Only mere minutes after searching, Karin froze.

“What?”

“The…witch’s magic is gone. I can’t detect it any longer.”

Hanna nodded. That either meant the witch had left or had already been defeated. “So what are we going to do?”

Karin frowned, “Well if it’s been defeated, the Chuo girls might need help fixing everything. Let’s go anyways.”

The duo rushed through the alleyways. After a minute, Karin paused.

“It was just here.”

Hanna focused her own magic, expanding her senses outward. She gritted her teeth as she tried to filter out Karin and her own magic signatures until she thought she sensed something. But as quickly as she thought she found it, she stumbled as a weird sensation washed over her, trying to overwhelm her, whispering words into her mind.

‘There is nothing here’

‘You should move on’

‘You did not find anything’

Hanna frowned in annoyance. Something or someone was trying to make her forget something. And that was dipshit annoying. No one had control over her life. She flared her own magic, focusing her copied magic from Kanae against the wave. Kanae’s piercing magic normally was applied to physical force against armored or shielded targets, but Hanna had discovered she could use the same force in magic bursts. Could she do the same with her magic senses?

She channeled both magics against the wave of confusion and focused.

‘There is nothing here’

‘You should move on’

‘You did not find anything’

She grit her teeth. “Shut up.” She muttered.

Karin stared at her partner in concern. “Umm…Hanna?”

But the purple haired girl was ignored as Hanna scrunched her brow and forced her magic out.

‘TheRe is SOM-nOtHinG hErE’

‘YoU sHoUlD fIn-OvE Me’

‘yOu pLeAsE HeLp Me-mOvE oN’

“PLEASE SAVE ME!”

Hanna jerked out of her trance. “I found her.”

Karin nodded, “O-ok. Are you?

“I’m fine. We need to hurry.”

“Hold up!”

The duo turned around to see two familiar girls coming up behind them.

Kanae leaped into the air and landed cleanly behind them. Mifuyu was close behind.

Karin smiled, “Thank goodness you’re here. The witch is already defeated but-“

“-there’s no time.” Hanna interjected before leaping onto the rooftops. Hanna hit the ground running as she vaulted from ceiling to ceiling until she arrived at the scene, her teammates closely behind her.

A girl about her age was slouched against a rooftop. She had short light blue hair with two longer locks going down her chest. Hanna rushed over to her without a second thought. “Oi, you ok?”

The girl managed to pull her head up to meet her eyes. “Y-you…you found me.”

Hanna didn’t respond as she glanced over the girl’s body. She wore a Daito academy uniform and clutched in her hands was an indigo soul gem. Well…it’s what it would have been if it weren’t nearly pitch black. Hanna jerked her head back to her teammates. “She needs a grief seed.”

Kanae frowned and shook her head before turning to Mifuyu. She nodded as she pulled out her phone, “I’ll call for help.”

Hanna returned her gaze to the girl. To her surprise, Karin had joined her on the girl’s other side, taking her hands. “Hey don’t worry, everything is going to be ok.” She reassured her.

The girl weakly twisted her head towards the purple haired girl, her indigo eyes meeting her own. “It’s…too…late.”

Karin shook her head, “It’s never too late! We just gotta have hope!”

The girl’s broke into a bittersweet smile, “Please…just leave me. You’re…late…to handle…the truth…”

Hanna’s eyes scanned the soul gem before pulsating her own magic. In an instant, she a basic understanding of the girl’s magic and how it worked. But that could be saved for another day. She had a growing feeling she that this girl didn’t have much time left. “I’m…Hanna Sarasa, what’s yours?”

“Mikoto Sena.”

Their conversation was interrupted as Mifuyu’s voice called in. “I got a hold of Homura. She’s on her way.”

Kanae frowned. “I don’t think she’ll make it that long.”

“Why?”

Kanae shook her head. “Just a feeling.” She turned to Mikoto, “Is there anything we can do for you?”

Mikoto’s eyes began to glass over as she smiled on last time. “Just…tell…Kanagi…I’m sorry.”

With that, her blacked soul gem shattered, revealing a glistening grief seed. The air crackled as dark energy began to fill the rooftop. The grief seed rose into the air as the girls leaped back. Swirls of energy whirled into the seed until they found themselves inside the ever familiar dimension of a witch’s labyrinth. And in the center of it, hovering above the unmoving corpse of a recently deceased Mikoto Sena, a giant witch roared in despair.

Hanna stared up at the witch in disbelief. But slowly, that disbelief became understanding. When a magical girl expended enough magic to make their soul gem turn dark, then they turn into witches. Which means that the small gem on her outfit…was actually a grief seed waiting to hatch.

Of course it was. Of course this cruel joke of a world would have magical girls murdering former magical girls. It…it was so cruel of a joke Hanna didn’t know how to respond.

“Wh-what’s going on?”

Hanna suddenly was reminded that she had her teammates there. Mifuyu was clinging onto Kanae, the blonde watching the calamity unfold silently. And Karin…the little…’witch’, such a cruel turn now, was frozen, her body shaking u controllably.

Kanae spoke first. “So when our soul gems turn black, we turn into witches huh?”

“Kanae, what do we do?” Mifuyu whimpered.

Hanna was about to speak but another voice cut her off. “It appears I was too late.”

Hanna didn’t even turn around. Homura had arrived. And…from the sound of her voice, she knew.

Mifuyu turned to Homura. “What’s going on Homura?”

The raven haired girl sighed, “It’s exactly what it looks like. Magical girls who despair will turn into witches.”

Kanae nodded understandingly. “Homura, our team isn’t in a place to fight this witch. We need to retreat.”

The raven haired girl nodded before reaching out her hand. Kanae took hold and gestured to Hanna.

Hanna understood and took the hand while grabbing Karin’s. “Yo, we need to go.”

Karin’s eyes were still transfixed on the screaming witch but nodded slowly.

The world greyed out as the raven haired girl led the shaken quartet out of the labyrinth. As Hanna followed the group, all she could think about was how, in some twisted way, this was actually…quite hilarious.

Chapter Text

Yachiyo normally loved it when the girls of Mikazuchi were gathered around the combined kitchen dining room. It reminded her of the warm family she had come to love over the past years.

Today was not one of those days.

Today, the mood was somber and depressing. Across from her, Kanae was hunched over on the love seat, the other seat kept empty. Standing rather than sitting, Homura had her eyes glued to the floor as she silently leaned against the wall.

Yachiyo tried her best to read her girls’ expressions. Kanae’s brow was furrowed in concentration as she fiddled with a round object between her thumbs. Upon closer examination, Yachiyo could see it was her soul gem. Homura’s expression was black and glassy, as though she wasn’t even present, but instead her mind far away. Neither girl spoke, nor looked interested in speaking.

Just as the silence became unbearable, a white haired girl briskly entered the room.

“I left Hanna in my room if that’s alright.” Mifuyu explained to no one in particular. She sat down next to her blonde partner and sighed. “I just…I don’t think she’s ready to talk.”

“And you are?” Kanae spoke with concern.

“I…if I don’t speak up now, I’ll never be able to talk about it.” Mifuyu decided, “this is far too important to leave alone.”

Yachiyo nodded, “And what of Karin?”

“She went home.” Kanae spoke, “like Hanna, she was very shaken up. Heck, I’m shaking up, but we need to get this through.”

Yachiyo agreed, glancing to Homura. “You good?”

Still dazed, the raven haired girl nodded.

Yachiyo didn’t wait. “So…you went to fight a witch in Chuo ward…”

Yachiyo’s face was pale white as Kanae described the girl, the murky soul gem, and the transformation of magical girl into witch. “You’re not kidding. This is terrible.”

Mifuyu trembled as she tried to keep her mug steady. “It’s…just…a matter of time then…before…”

“Let’s not think that way.” Yachiyo tried to avoid the thought, “It’s something we need to be concerned about. That’s all.”

Kanae sighed as she rubbed her girlfriend’s back. “It’s the dark reality that we’re in now.”

“It’s all the incubator’s fault.”

Yachiyo suddenly remembered that Homura had been in the room the e entire time. She hadn’t spoken a word the entire time. “Incubator?”

Homura fiddled with what looked like one of her makeshift bombs. Normally Yachiyo would protest, but it wasn’t the time. “The Incubators. Or Kyubey as he calls himself. Think about it the In-“

“Kyubey-tors.” Yachiyo finished, understanding. “So that’s what they’re really called.”

Homura nodded, “Incubtors don’t tell us everything. They can’t lie, but they keep information from us like us turning into witches.”

Kanae frowned, “How do you know this? You weren’t surprised when that girl turned into a…a…”

“A witch.” Homura sighed her gaze glued to the floor, “I…I’ve known for a while. But..magical girls tend not to react well to the truth…so…I never said anything.”

Yachiyo nodded with understanding. This…made a lot more sense. Homura’s experience, her expressions, her protective nature over grief seeds, and her mysterious past. Yachiyo’s face softened. She had just been so concerned about herself and her old team, she had forgotten about Homura’s feelings.

She stood up and walked over to tue raven haired girl. Putting her hand on the girl’s shoulder, Yachiyo noticed a faint shudder to her touch. But she clenched the girl’s shoulder. “It’s fine if you don’t want to share everything. But…we’re here for you.”

Homura raised her gaze to meet the concerned look in her senior’s eyes. She then felt another hand on her shoulder from behind her. Kanae had her hand on her shoulder, a nervous but smiling Mifuyu next to her.

Yachiyo gestured to her teammates. “I can’t imagine what you’ve been through, but we’re here with you. We’re in this together.” Yachiyo smiled.

Homura paused. This…this was new. This was unlike any other time she had seen others react to the truth. Mami had never held her hand so. Kyouko had never been at her side. Sayaka had never given her even the time of the day. Only Madoka had, but even, then, it was so different. Maybe…more than maybe…this time would be different.

“I’m…the sole survivor of my original team.” Homura managed.

Yachiyo took that in. It reminded her so much of herself, the sole survivor of her previous modeling group. The survivors guilt. Making it when no one else did.

“Did…they…find out the truth?” Kanae asked, her face grim.

Homura nodded slowly, “They…died. Either by witching out…or by…killing each other. Our soul gems…they are our literal souls, so if you break them…”

That was enough. Homura felt a pair of arms grab her waist from behind. She looked down to see a white tuff of hair clinging to her. Mifuyu’s eyes were watery as she clung to the raven haired girl. “I’m…I’m so sorry…”

Kanae sighed and pulled the raven haired girl in a hug. “Look, we’re here for you ok?”

“We’re here for you, ok?” Yachiyo smiled as she also hugged Homura.

Homura squirmed under the intense pressure of the three hugs. This group continued to confound her. She felt warm. She felt loved. She felt…safe.

Homura waited for the three to release their hugs before sitting down on a couch. “I’m…ready to share what I know.”

And thus she began the abridged version of her story. Sayaka witching out. Mami shooting other girls. The mercy killing. The deception of the incubator. The truth of soul gems. She kept the names out, but before she knew it, the stories continued to flow. “And then…I was all alone.”

Mifuyu was still clinging to her waist, her sobs and tears muffled on Homura’s damp shirt.

Kanae silently listened, her body stiff but breathing slowly.

Yachiyo seemed to be writing notes, as to keep track of important facts.

When she finished, she was exhausted. She had been sharing for 20 minutes. But that’s when…she realized…her soul felt…ever so lighter. As though a burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

Yachiyo closed her notebook as she sighed. “We’ve got a lot to think about, but here’s the deal. For now, Tsuruno and Momoko are not to know. Not until we’re ready to tell them. And we will, but that will be for another day.”

Homura nodded. Those two were rookies, not ready to handle the truth just yet.

“Meanwhile, we need to help Karin and Hanna.” Yachiyo explained.

“Kanae and I will support Hanna.” Mifuyu volunteered, “There’s more to Hanna’s story than you realize.”

Homura wondered what she meant, but Kanae gave her a look equivalent to ‘drop it’. She did.

“Then, Homura and I will try to reach out to Karin.” Yachiyo decided.

The four girls nodded in agreement.

“Right, I supposed I should get started on dinner.” Yachiyo rose, but as she did, her phone buzzed.

Homura raised her brow as Yachyio checked the phone. “It’s Hinano.” Yachiyo muttered in confusion. She flipped open her phone, “Nanami.”

As a whinny and bratty voice spoke, Yachiyo froze. “I’m sorry, Momoko attacked who?”

Hanna sat in darkness, her thoughts in similar darkness. Magical girls turn into witches, only to be hunted down by other magical girls. What a cruel joke. It was so…hilarious how she had been convinced to contract to such a hilarious reality. If they were going to turn into witches, what was the point of fighting them? They were all going to just die horrible deaths anyways and she might as well…

Hanna’s eyes squinted as sheer light overwhelmed them.

“Hanna? You asleep? Dinner is almost ready.”

The darkness could shit itself as Hanna recognized the voice. She looked towards the door to see Mifuyu peeking in, a concerned look on her face.

“‘m fine.” Hanna mumbled.

Mifuyu’s eyes flickered to Hanna’s crumpled uniform and sighed. She entered the room and sat silently beside Hanna’s hunched form. “You’re really brave then Hanna. I’m not fine. In fact, I’m far from fine.”

Hanna raised her brow, “Oh…phooey for you then.”

Mifuyu rolled her eyes. “I’m just trying to say, it’s ok to not be fine.”

What? What was that? Not being fine was ok? Of course it wasn’t. You had to be fine. Otherwise someone would notice. And then they’d get mad and beat you.

Mifuyu continued, “I mean, how can I be fine after that revelation? I’m really shaken up. Seeing that girl turn…is going to haunt me forever.”

“Sena.”

Mifuyu turned, “I’m sorry who?”

“The girl’s name. Her name was Mikoto Sena.” Hanna shot back. How could Mifuyu act like she cared when she didn’t even know her name!

Mifuyu sighed, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“That’s right. You didn’t know.”

Mifuyu tried to reach out, “Hanna, I…”

“Just leave me alone!” Hanna swatted Mifuyu’s hand away. “You don’t understand anything! Stop pretending like you do!”

The white haired girl shirked away and gazed sadly before standing up. “Feel free to stay the night alright? I’ll call your caretakers.”

Hanna didn’t respond as the door softly closed. Lying on back, she brought her hands to her face in guilt. She had just shoved Mifuyu away. She was just trying to help. And now she had pushed her away.

She was the worst. She didn’t deserve their love. After that instance, they definitely would leave her. After all, everyone hated her. No one truly loved her. Her dipshit parents didn’t. Her shitty caretakers didn’t. And now, Mifuyu wouldn’t. So…who would care…if she were to vanish. She wished she could. No one would miss her right?

Karin lay on her back, gazing up at the ceiling. Her head against her pillow, the purple haired girl tried to count the bubbled ridges, jagging out from the drywall ceiling.

“You asked for me?”

Karin turned her head to see a familiar white creature, its tail flicking around. Now that she could see it clearly, those black beady eyes looked sinister, soulless, and cruel.

“You lied to us.”

The creature titled its head in curiosity. “I do not lie. Please elaborate.”

Karin shot the creature a look. “Magical girls turn into witches Kyubey. You never told us.”

“I have not lied.” Kyubey objected, “you never asked.”

Karin frowned. “You could have told us.”

“We have found that recruits tend to respond aversively when told about the conversions of soul gems to grief seeds.” The white creature responded.

“Well of course!” Karin shot back, propping herself up with one arm. “Of course we wouldn’t contract if we knew we would turn into witches!”

The Kyubey did not change its expression. “The energy released by the conversion is essential to prevent the entropy of the universe. Without it, the universe would collapse.”

She returned her glare. “What about all the other girls? So we’re just hunting our former friends?”

“You did not know them. Mikoto Sena’s witching has nothing to do with you.”

“Oh so, I’m just supposed to stand by and let magical girls witch out because I don’t know them.”

“As long as you keep your soul gem clean, you will never have to fear becoming a witch.” Kyubey explained.

“Ok, suppose I do that But what about everyone else?”

“I do not understand.”

“Say I can hunt witches, but what about those who can’t? What about those who are weak?”

For some reason, a certain pitiful brunette came into her mind.

“That is their fate.” Kyubey responded, “Those who cannot gather enough grief seeds will succumb.”

It turned its beady eyes on the purplette

“You however have surpassed our expectations Karin Misono. We had not expected you to last for several months, but you received assistance and training from Yachiyo Nanami and Homura Akemi. We most definitely see you surviving for a long while as a magical girl. You are competent and skilled and you are reaching your peak potential.”

Karin didn’t know how to respond. It was obviously a compliment, but…what was that supposed to mean?

“So…I’m strong then.”

The white creature nodded its head. “Yes, you are very strong.”

Karin considered the thought before looking towards the creature. “Tell me more. Tell me all about magical girls and the system of grief seeds.”

The creature paused, before nodding. “Very well then Karin Misono. What do you wish to know?”

Homura had met the Chuo Ward mentor and leader Hinano Miyako on several occasions but her short stature still managed to make her feel uncomfortable.

But let it be known that despite her short stature, the leader of Chuo ward could easily intimate anyone twice her size.

“You two have a lot of explaining to do!” The green haired boss shot as Homura and Yachiyo arrived on the scene.

Yachiyo bowed in apology, “we apologize for the inconvenience, but if you could please explain what happened here?”

Hinano gestured to the girl next to her. Homura didn’t recognize her. She had blue hair done in twin buns on the side of her head. Said buns had twin braids going down her back. The blue haired girl bowed respectfully. “Good evening, I am Meiyui Chun.”

Homura nodded, “Homura Akemi.”

The other blunette exhancged greetings. “And I’m Yachiyo Nanami. You say you were attacked?”

She nodded, “I was in a labyrinth fighting a familiar when I ran into the one you call Momoko Togame. She approached me and then attacked me.”

Homura frowned, “She attacked you. With her buster sword?”

The blunette nodded, “That is correct.”

“See? That’s stupid! I demand an apology and an explanation!” Hinano shouted.

Homura pondered when a thought occurred to her. “Did you win?”

Meiyui stiffened. “What?”

Homura shrugged, “I was just curious. Did you win? Momoko has been mentored by my team so I was curious how she fared in a fight.”

Hinano gasped in disbelief. “Are you out of your mind?”

Meiyui frowned, “I was a bit too shocked. All I did was protect myself.”

Homura looked over the girl. She probably was about the same age as her. “But obviously you could have won.”

Yachiyo nodded, “Good point.”

Meiyui seemed to catch their vibe. “Well of course I could have beaten her. Her movements were stiff, predictable, and telegraphed far in advance.”

“I definitely could see how you could have beaten that.” Homura agreed. “Momoko has some pretty terrible timing at times.”

Hinano stared at the three in disbelief, “what’s going on! Is there something I’m missing?”

Yachiyo seemed to be fiddling on her phone. “So what you’re saying is, while in a labyrinth, you found Momoko. Momoko attacked you with all her supposed might and strength.”

The girl nodded, “That’s about right.”

Homura glanced to Yachyio, who showed her phone. “Momoko has been helping out Tsuruno Yui in Sankyou ward for the last 5 hours. There’s no way she could have been involved in a fight.”

“On top of that,” Yachiyo added, “Momoko may be still learning, but I’d like to think she’s better than to just foolishly attack targets head on.”

Meiyui put a hand to her chin, “That makes perfect sense. Which means that the girl I fought-“

“-wasn’t Momoko Togame.” Homura finished, “More so, it’s probably some illusion or trick by a familiar.”

Meiyui looked at the raven haired girl. “You’re quite sharp.”

“I try to be observant.”

“You’re also calm in the midst of hearing an accusation of a teammate.”

“I’m very far from calm, but I do try to be analytical.”

Meiyui’s eyes met hers and she smirked. “I like you. Wanna grab a meal some time?”

Homura couldn’t help herself. This Meiyui girl had just told her she wanted to grab lunch, just like that. “Sure. I have a busy schedule, but I’m sure I could find some time.”

“That’s fine. I’m rather busy myself, but I’m sure if we exchanged information, we could find a free day.”

Homura pulls out her phone and opens her contact screen. Meiyui takes the phone and begins punching her number.

Meanwhile, Yachiyo managed to chuckle lightly. “My word Homura, just thirty minutes ago, we were discussing our despair and the erm…reality of our lives, and now you’re trying to get a date?”

Meiyui raised her brow, “You’re referring to the truth behind soul gems?”

Hinano stared at the group, “wait what?”

The raven haired girl stared at the girl. “You know?”

Meiyui nodded gravely, “It appears we have much to discuss beyond just a meal.”

“Agreed.”

Hinano couldn’t withhold her disbelief. “Weren’t we talking about Momoko attacking her?”

Homura shrugged, “Why? We already solved the case. Meiyui was attacked by a familiar posing as Momoko.”

Yachiyo nodded, “It does raise the disturbing question though.”

“There is a witch that can make magical girl familiars.” Meiyui finished, “That is very disturbing.”

“We need to alert everyone to the presence of this witch. Who knows what other magical girls could be caught off guard.”

Homura sighed, “I guess we better contact Kanagi and let her know as well.”

Chapter Text

Two days later

Never before had such a colorful building felt so grey and dull, Hanna realized as she trudged towards her home of the last year. To no surprise, a certain foul mouthed woman was waited for her.

“Where have you been?” The caretaker spat in her face.

Hanna remained silent as she shoved her way into the gates of the Azalea house.

Two hands gripped her shoulders and spun her around. The crass caretaker glared at her. “Answer the question Sarasa!”

Hanna rolled her eyes, “Places.”

“Miss Sarasa, you will answer me properly and with respect!”

Hanna was too tired to put up with the woman’s jabs. “Shut up.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said SHUT UP!!”

Hanna felt a sudden burst of magic flare from her and froze. She glanced around, hoping no one would notice and paused. That’s when she looked up at her caretaker…who had stiffened and straightened to attention.

That was weird. Hanna titled her head in confusion. Had the old hag just…listened to her?

“Umm…raise your arm up.”

The woman stiffly raised her arm.

Hanna’s eyes widened as she considered the possibilities. Come to think of it, she hadn’t really thought about Mikoto Sena’s magic up to this point. The ability to influence and control others. Her prior scan had indicated that Mikoto mostly used it on familiars, making them attack their mother witch. But…what if…you weren’t restricted to just witches? What if…you could use them on…people?

She glanced back at the Azalea house. Hadn’t she just wished that she could burn the damn place to the ground?

Now, that, was an idea. And it was a pretty damn funny one.

She took one step towards the house when she noticed something. She pulled out her soul gem and noticed the ever growing darkness creeping over the purple gem. Ahh…and she didn’t have a grief seed. Well that sucked. She was probably going to witch out if she didn’t find one soon. But…like…who would care? No one would miss her. And she would get to enjoy the greatest joke in her life! What a way to go out!

Once more, Yachiyo had found Mikazuchi’s living room filled with magical girls. On the loveseat, Kanae and Mifuyu were sitting close to each other awkwardly as a certain brunette had totally violated their personal space and crammed herself into the couch, turning the two person couch into a three seater. On the larger couch, Momoko and her squad sat comfortably. Momoko was calm, but Rena and Kaede were clearly nervous being in the presence of so many magical girls. Karin was slumped on an armchair, red circles around her eyes, probably from lack of sleep. Figures Karin would have a lack of sleep. All attempts she’s made to reach out to Karin had been met with no response. But she’d keep trying to connect to the purple haired girl.

Meanwhile, Homura stood on the far side of the room, conversing with the new blunette, Meiyui Chun. Honestly, while Yachiyo found the girl cordial at best, she had no idea what Homura saw in her for them to hit it off so quickly. But somehow, the raven haired model and the Chinese martial artist had hit it off well and had been chatting nonstop for the last two days.

She glanced around but couldn’t find any sign of Hanna. She turned to Kanae. “Where’s Sarasa?”

Kanae shrugged, “We asked her to come, but she said she needed to head home.”

“Apparently, she’s been having some conflicts with her caretakers.” Mifuyu chimed in, “Which is a pity, when I visited a few years ago, the Azalea house was a warm and cheerful place.”

Kanae frowned, “Apparently that must have changed.”

Mifuyu pondered for a moment, “Once we’re done here, I’ll check in on her.”

Yachiyo nodded, “Thank you.”

Mifuyu chuckled, but her smile wasn’t in it, “Of course Yach-chan. I’ve been meaning to visit. I’ve heard some interesting rumors around Mizuna and…I’ve been meaning to check it out.”

With that out of the way, Yachiyo turned to the larger group. “If I could have everyone’s attention.”

Conversations died down as Homura and Meiyui joined the group.

“I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors, but here’s the truth.” Yachiyo explained, “There is a witch that can make familiar clones of magical girls.”

She rolled out a map of Kamihama onto the coffee table. Taking a pen, she began to circle places in Kamihama. “So far, we’ve have incidents where magical girls have reported being attacked by other magical girls here, here, and here.”

Momoko frowned, “Looks like they’re all over the place.”

Rena shuddered, “I’d hate to fight that.”

Yachiyo sighed, “We’re going to find this witch and defeat it. And we’re going to work together.”

She gestured to Momoko. “I want you, Kaede, and Rena to scour Mizuna ward and ask the local girls about labyrinths and familiars in the area. Every time you find one, call me and I’ll add it to the map. If it’s a normal familiar, go ahead and defeat it. If it’s part of this witch, then retreat ajd call for help.”

She turned to Tsuruno, “You are going to do the same in Sankyou ward.”

Tsuruno nodded, “Leave it to the mightiest tracker!”

Karin frowned, “Just her?”

Yachiyo nodded, “Tsuruno should easily be able to handle herself in her home turf.”

“What if I fight a clone of myself?” Tsuruno pondered aloud. “That would be the ultimate test of my skills!”

Yachiyo sighed, “Please don’t. Avoid getting into unnecessary fights until we find the actual witch.”

Tsuruno pouted, “Fine.”

Mifuyu giggled as Yachiyo continued on. “Kanae and Mifuyu will be searching Sakae ward.”

“Hanna will be joining us as soon as we finish here.” Mifuyu chirped.

Yachiyo agreed, “Thanks. And Karin, you and I will be here doing map work. If anyone needs assistance, I’ll be counting on you for as our speed reinforcements.”

She turned to Homura and Meiyui. “Which leaves you two. I want the two of you in Chuo ward coordinating with Hinano and Kanagi. If we can get an estimate locations of where they’re being attacked, we might be able to pinpoint witch’s location.”

Yachiyo turned to the larger group, “I know there’s a lot going on. Everything is tense and honestly, a lot of us are very riled up. But there is a much larger threat out there, one that if left unchecked, it could destroy the balance of power in Kamihama.”

With the collection of nods and half nods, Yachiyo handed each often a copy of her map. “Then let’s get to work.”

Homura leaped back as a rubber mallet slammed into the ground where she once stood. Running off sheer instincts, she vaulted over the girl’s head and leveled her shotgun. With a single shot, the false magical girl’s head splattered. Homura landed on both feet before her senses gave warning.

She ducked and froze time. As she glanced around, she uncomfortably recognized the form of Mami Tomoe pointing her musket at where her head previously had been. She moved out of the gun’s trajectory and looked the girl over. It was unsettling just how perfect a copy the witch had managed to create. However, this wouldn’t be the first time she put down a Mami Tomoe. She leveled her shotgun at the false magical girl and pulled the trigger.

Only nothing happened. Her surprise was enough to lose focus, causing time to resume. The false blonde seemed confused at the lack of Homura in her sights, but she reacted quickly, creating another musket and pointing at the raven haired girl.

Homura cringed and prepared to take a hit when suddenly, a set of steel claws pierced through the fake’s chest, shattering the girl’s soul gem. As the corpse crumpled to the floor, Homura looked up to see the blunette walking up to her. “You alright?”

Homura nodded, checking her shotgun. Sure enough, the gauge was out of canisters. “Thanks, I seem to have…ummm…”

“You ran out of ammo?”

Homura blushed awkwardly. “This…normally doesn’t happen.”

“It must be rough depending on mortal munitions. How do you restock?”

Homura raised her brow. No one really had asked her those questions before. Everyone just assumed she had an unlimited stash of weapons and bullets, like it was some kind of video game. “I normally raid Yakuza hideouts and make an occasional trip to a JSDF base near Yokohama.”

The duo left the labyrinth and continued their journey towards Chuo Ward, leaping from roof top to roof top.

As they made their way, the blunette paused to catch a breath.

“Which Yakuza gangs?”

“Hmmm?”

“Which yakuza groups do you raid?”

“Why?” Homura asked.

She shrugged, “I was just curious. If you can focus on going after the Black Cinder gang or the Golden Daggers, my family would greatly appreciate it.”

Now that was interesting. “You’re new to Kamihama, but you’re familiar with the gangs in the area?”

“I’m the heiress of the Blue Seas Family.“ Meiyui answered matter of factly.

Homura had encountered the Blue Seas family before. They had a decent amount of influence in Sankyou and Chuo wards. But…

“They’re not really Yakuza though.”

Meiyui chuckled, “We used to be, but the Kamihama branch has turned legit and only do protection services now. We’re little more than just a neighborhood association.”

She flashed a slight smirk to Homura, “But if you weaken some of the other groups, I’m sure the Blue Seas family would be very grateful. And generous.”

“What are you suggesting?”

Homura was finding herself increasingly more intrigued with this blunette. Unlike some other blunettes she knew, Meiyui was pragmatic, street smart, and familiar with the world’s darkness.

“Let’s just say, the Blue Seas family of Kamihama may be nothing more than a neighborhood association, but our resources are still quite extensive, which may give us access to hardware…that your average Yakuza group doesn’t have access to.”

Homura returned the grin. She liked this girl. She liked her a lot.

“Hey…Yachiyo?”

Yachiyo put down her phone. “Yes Karin?”

Karin gazed uncomfortably at the floor. “Can..we talk?”

Yachiyo, recognizing the urgency, put down her pen and notepad as well. “Of course Karin. Actually I was hoping to talk to you.”

Karin’s shoulders jerked up in surprised, “Really?”

Yachiyo smiled, “You’ve been ignoring all of Homura and I’s texts for the last two days. Honestly, we were getting worried.”

“Oh…” Karin shifted nervously, “Sorry. I had…a lot of thinking to do.”

“I know. That’s why I was willing to wait until you were ready.”

“Well…” Karin sighed, “We’re strong aren’t we?”

“I’m not sure how to respond to that. But we do work hard and have an impressive set of abilities.”

Karin nodded, “So…that’s how we’re able to survive for so long.”

Yachiyo’s brow furrowed, “Where are you going with this?”

“It’s just,” Karin started, “We’re so strong. We have training, good teammates, and a large territory. We can defeat witches. Collect grief seeds, and remove impurities from our soul gems.”

Yachiyo frowned but nodded, “I suppose so. You’ve most certainly grown a lot in the year you’ve been with us.”

“I know. Thanks. But what about all the other magical girls? They’re barely making it by. They can’t defeat witches, and even when they do, they never have enough grief seeds.”

“It must be very difficult for them. It’s why I try to manage our territory to ensure everyone has enough witches to hunt and defeat.”

“But…that’s not enough isn’t it?”

Yachiyo frowned, “Karin…what are you implying?”

Karin was on a roll now, “There are plenty of magical girls who can’t fight, who can’t defeat Kamihama witches, and then they turn into witches themselves. It’s a terrible cycle and continues to bring grief and despair!”

Yachiyo nodded, “I don’t disagree with you, but-“

“But what?” Karin demanded, “There are girls who need our help! Girls who can’t fend for themselves. We need to help them. To prevent them from turning into witches!”

“I understand that Karin, but what are you suggesting? We give them grief seeds?”

Karin nodded. “That would be a start!”

Yachiyo’s face turned cold. “Karin. Are you suggesting that we become some grief seed distributing charity?”

Karin frowned, “Well just a few to help the weaker girls.”

Yachiyo sighed, “Look Karin. I sorta understand where you’re coming from. But the reality is, we don’t have the resources to do that. It takes a lot of energy, time, and resources to hunt witches and we barely gather enough grief seeds to keep ourselves topped off.”

She put her hand on the purple haired girl’s shoulders. “We can’t just give grief seeds away. We just can’t afford to. But I promise. I’ll do everything I can to help our girls survive.”

She smiled softly, “You know, why don’t we offer some training courses? Training some of the girls to be able to hunt their own witches.”

Karin frowned, “But that doesn’t solve the problem.”

“Karin, the problem is much bigger than a couple of grief seeds.” Yachiyo smiled, “I understand how you feel. But there’s only so much we can do. And honestly, all of our plans will be ruined if this copies witch keeps thriving.”

Karin sighed but nodded, “Ok.”

Yachiyo moved over to the purple haired girl and pulled her into a hug. “After we defeat the copies witch, why don’t we pick up this conversation again? We can bring everyone else in as well. And together, we can find a new solution.”

Karin didn’t move, but let herself be enveloped into the hug. “Ok…”

Yachiyo smiled and reached into her purse. To Karin’s wide eyes, it was a grief seed. “Now I’ve been saving this for the fight, but I think you could afford an adjustment with the coordinator.”

Karin reluctantly accepted the seed. “Thanks…I’ll be back soon.”

“Take care. And we’ll let you know when we find this witch.”

Karin exited the room and closed the door. As she gathered her belongings, an odd thought occurred to her. Didn’t the coordinator accept payments of grief seeds from all of Kamihama’s magical girls? And wouldn’t that mean, the coordinator was sitting on a literal stockpile of grief seeds?

Interesting…

Mifuyu pressed her face against her girlfriend’s back as the wind whipped as her cheeks. The roar of the motorcycle’s engine vibrated through her skull. But she felt safe. Kanae was driving and she wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

“Say, Kanae,” Mifuyu started, “Do you believe in rumors?”

She couldn’t see her face, but the annoyed tone told her everything. “No. Rumors are destructive tools that only hurt others.”

Mifuyu could relate. “Have you heard the rumors about Hanna before?”

“Can’t say I have. Is it connected to her past?”

“Yes. Hanna gets bullied a lot at school about it.”

Kanae’s back bristled in what Mifuyu could easily interpret as anger. “Is that so?”

“Hanna came from an abusive childhood. But suddenly, her parents committed suicide. Both of them, all at the same time.” Mifuyu continued, “It’s only thanks to their influence that she was able to attend Mizuna girl’s academy. But many are convinced she’s cursed and destructive.”

“What do you think?”

Mifuyu frowned, “I think it’s part of her wish. I think her wish caused the loss of her parents. And now she’s free…or at least she should be.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve heard of the Azalea house before. Used to be a wonderful children’s home with a great director. My parents used to donate funds to them. But a few years aback, something weird happened. The director passed away and a new director took over. But the director was nowhere near the quality of the previous director. Or so the rumor has it.”

Kanae’s back was stiff and hard as Mifuyu felt the tensing of muscles against her face. She continued, “I’ve heard rumors about abuse there and budget cuts. My parents were convinced to withdraw their own support of the place and many others did as well. So when I found out Hanna was there and with how she’s been treated at school, I’ve become very worried.”

Kanae nodded, “Then we’d better hurry and get to the bottom of this.”

Kanae revved the engine and the two drove off towards Sankyou.

The white and colorful walls of the compound loomed ahead of them as the two approached the house. To their surprise, there was a herd of children and teens milling about the entrance.

Mifuyu felt a sense of dread wash over her. “Kanae!”

The blonde understood, yanking on the breaks causing the motorcycle to screech to a halt. Mifuyu didn’t even wait for the bike to stop, sliding off the back and running towards the crowd.

“What’s going on here?” She called to the group.

The teenagers and children didn’t respond. They didn’t even look up at her. They just stood stiffly around the entrance.

Mifuyu frowned. She tired again, walking up to the oldest of the boys. “Pardon me, can you explain what’s going on?”

The boy just gazed ahead, a dazed expression across his face.

A pair of strong arms grabbed his arms and shook him. “Hey!” Kanae jerked him, “She asked you a question. What’s going on here?”

The dazed boy’s head rolled around but mumbled something under his breath.

“Huh?” Kanae frowned, “say it again.”

“M-must leave…m-must leave.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Mifuyu understood immediately. “He’s been brainwashed.”

Without hesitation, she took off in a dash towards the building.

Kanae put down the boy before chasing after her, “Brainwahsed? Mifuyu what do you mean? Wait for me-“

Mifuyu barely made it one step into the compound when she felt her magic senses flared up. She paused, looking up at the building in confusion.

“MIFUYU!” A body slammed into her, pushing her against the ground.

“KABLOOM!!”

Mifuyu felt a wave of heat pass over her as the explosion roared. As she looked upwards, her eyes widened.

The beautiful Azalea house had erupted into fire, the hot flames flying into the sky. Mifuyu tried to pull herself up but the body atop of her was still pinning her down.

“HANNA!!”

Chapter Text

“Hanna!!”

Kanae’s grip lessened as Mifuyu squirmed out from her gasp. Said girl rushed towards the burning building only to wince and shield herself as a wave of heat washed over her face.

She glanced around anxiously, looking for any sign of the girl not being in the burning building. As she did, she heard running footsteps. She turned around to see a familiar brunette in orange.

“I heard the explosion. What’s going on?” Tsuruno called.

Mifuyu felt tears well up in her eyes. “Hanna’s in there. I just know it.”

“We don’t know that for sure,” Kanae cautioned.

Tsuruno analyzed the fire with sharp eyes before nodding. “Leave it to me!”

“Tsuruno what are you doing?”

Tsuruno smiled, her eyes twinkling. “Saving a friend.”

She ran towards the burning building, her fans raised. “Kanae, I’ll need your assistance!”

Kanae was frozen in confusion but nodded, and followed. “Mifuyu, go calm down the crowd. And call Yachiyo!”

“Umm…right!!” Mifuyu called, and began to turn but paused. “Kanae!”

The blonde pause. “Yes?”

“Stay safe out there? And bring her home.”

Kanae nodded and smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll bring her home.”

Tsuruno continued to press towards the door, her fans covering her face and head. “I am Tsuruno Yui, the mightiest magical girl and I will never turn my back on a comrade in need!” She shouted as she forced her way through the heat until she reached the door. “Break down the door!”

Kanae, now closely behind, raised her pipe and bashed it into the wooden door. The pipe broke through the weakened wood with easy. A few more swings and the door had completely collapsed, leaving only its mental frame in its place. The two maneuvered their way through the empty frame and entered the fiery inferno.

Tsuruno looked back at Kanae, “which way?”

Kanae plucked her soul gem from her arm, and focused her magic.

Her senses washed over the area but frowned when she couldn’t detect anything. She was about to say she couldn’t find anything, when she thought it odd. It was odd that she should be able to detect traces of magic. After all, Hanna had been living here for over a year. But instead, she detected literally nothing. Which must mean some sort of illusion in place to stop her.

Kanae flared her personal magic, the ability to pierce obstacles. This illusion was most certainly an obstacle to her, so the magic smashed through the illusion with ease.

Almost instantly the building came alive with magic. The blonde almost staggered from the sudden burst of magic. She focused her senses until she found the biggest concentration of magic. “This way!”

Tsuruno nodded, plowing forwards. The brunette pressed forward, using her fans to wave away flames. Kanae followed, her senses continuing to analyze the situation. It was odd. She could detect Hanna’s magic. It was very clear to sense, but she also sensed some other magic. Not just one, but three other magics. They were faint, but the magic seemed to cover and envelop the entire building. Kanae decided to save that information for later. Hanna was the priority.

She stopped at an iron door leading to what looked like was a basement. She gestured to Tsuruno before raising her pipe. She hefted her pipe and smashed it at the handle. The handle broke with a single bash. Two more destroyed the hinges. “Your turn.”

Tsuruno nodded and raised her foot. With a mighty kick, the weakened door flew off its hinges to reveal a set of stairs. Kanae didn’t even wait for the door to finish falling before leaping down the steps. At the bottom, Kanae found a stunning sight.

Two people stood on the basement floor. One was a middle age woman wearing a faded dress. She stood stiffly and her eyes were dazed, similar to the children outside. And the other, was a purple haired girl in a scarlet dress. She held a wicked staff in her arms and had her back turned towards them. It was Hanna Sarasa.

Tsuruno arrived an instant later and didn’t even hesitate. “Hanna there you are!”

Hanna slowly turned around, “So someone actually bothered to show up.”

Her voice was cracky, soft, and a bit raspy. Kanae frowned.

“Come on Hanna, it isn’t safe here!“ Tsuruno called, “Actually, that furnace behind you looks dangerous and could blow up at any moment.”

She took a step forward but Kanae grabbed her shoulder. “Hold on Tsuruno.”

“What, but-“

“Hahahahahahahaha!”

The laugh was callous, mocking, and taunting.

Kanae frowned, “So you were behind this.”

Tsuruno turned to the blonde in shock, “What?”

“That’s right!” Hanna jeered back, “So I’m the one who started the fire. So what?”

“So this was your revenge.” The blonde guessed, “Your act of vengeance against all the wrong committed against you.”

“Ohh?” Hanna shot back, “Mifuyu told you bout that did she?”

Kanae nodded. “She told me you had suffered, and how she wished to free you from it.”

“Well now you don’t need to! I’m already free of this wretched damned place!”

“Look at what you’re saying Hanna!“ Tsuruno pleaded, “This isn’t like you! You’re a nice girl and you can still come back!”

Hanna paused as she sent a death glare at the girl. “Huh? You? Knew me?” She asked haughtily, “You actually think you know anything about me?

“You’re always this annoying do gooder who can’t read a room at all!” Hanna continued, “Mighty this! Mighty that! It’s so grating on the ears that I nearly go mad! Can you be any more lame? I bet you don’t even know why I’m doing this. Why it is utterly meaningless to keep going. Why it’s pointless to even try anything else! Our lives were forfeit the moment we made the contract with that damn rat!”

Tsuruno turned to the blonde, “What is she talking about?”

Kanae frowned, “Look, now is not the time. Hanna, you’re coming back with us whether you want to or not.”

She shot back a glare. “Oh yeah? And how are you going to do that? Are you going to fight me? I’ll have you know that-“

“Kablooom!!!”

The aforementioned furnace exploded, sending everyone flying in flame and debris.

Kanae was far enough to be up on her feet instantly and surveyed the wreckage. She coughed as she tried to get the smoke out of her lungs. “Tsuruno? Hanna?” She rasped.

“I’m here!” Tsuruno’s voice called out.

Kanae jerked herself head to see the brunette, with mild burns across her outfit and arms, but generally fine. The girl was limping towards her, a body slumped across her shoulder. “I’m fine, but she needs medical help.”

Kanae recognized the older woman and nodded. She surveyed the wreckage and noticed a shade of purple in the wreckage. “Hanna!”

She rushed forward and kneeled, pushing the wreckage of the destroyed boiler off of charred body. She barely could recognize the girl, but her hair remarkably had escaped the explosion. Kanae scooped up the body and checked her chest. She gasped when she saw a murky black soul gem, nearly fully corrupted.

“Tsuruno, do you have a grief seed?”

Tsuruno silently nodded, kneeling to lean the woman against the wall and pulled a black spinet from her pocket.

Kanae snatched the seed from her and pressed it against the gem. Almost immediately, the ruby red gem regained its color. Kanae let out a sigh of relief. “Alright, let’s go!”

Mifuyu fretted as she wandered back and forth. “Please let Hanna be ok, please let Hanna be ok.” She muttered.

Just then, she felt a familiar magical sense. She looked up to see two familiar figures. Tsuruno limped out of the building, carrying an older figure on her back. On the other side, Kanae exited the building carrying a small body in her arms. Mifuyu gasped as she rushed towards the two, “Hanna!”

Kanae cracked a small smile. “She’s pretty badly burned, but she’s alive and her soul gem is purified.”

The white haired girl nodded as she looked over her girlfriend. The girl’s outfit was torn in places but generally looked fine. “I’m just glad you’re all alive.”

“And so are we.”

The trio turned around to see yellow and orange uniformed men wearing yellow helmets. The first man took one look at the group and yelled back. “Hey Minagi, we need stretchers stat!”

The firefighter turned back to the party. “Do you kids have any idea how dangerous that was?”

Kanae flashed a slight grin, “We’re sorry.”

“Our friend was in there.” Mifuyu explained.

Tsuruno grinned, “And we can’t just abandon our friends.”

The firefighter groaned, “We get it, but please. Next time leave it to the professionals.”

A few minutes later, both Hanna and the older woman were on stretchers and being wheeled off towards the ambulance. Mifuyu put down her phone as Kanae, all bandaged up, walked towards her.

“Yach-chan said that we should accompany Hanna to the hospital. She’ll take over the mirrors witch hunt.”

Kanae nodded, “And what about the coordinator?”

“Mitama is being shuttled there as well. I’m going to use suggestion magic to bring her in as a fellow doctor.” Mifuyu explained.

Kanae let out a sigh of relief. “Right then…I guess what happens next is…dealing with the cause.”

The white haired girl frowned, “Is it true? Did…”

“Yes, she was behind it. I have a theory as to why, but what’s more important is how we’re going to deal with the authorities.”

“I’ll do what I can. Maybe we can convince them it was a gas leak or something.” Mifuyu assured Kanae.

Despite all that happened, neither of them wanted the purple haired girl to face public punishment for her wrongdoings. Magical girls take care of their own. And that includes fixing and covering for them when they make mistakes.

The two of them turned back only to hear a sharp cracking noise. Spinning around, they were met with a shocking sight. The Azaela house, which had been crumbling apart and in a fiery blaze, had changed. The fires vanished leaving not even a puff of smoke in its wake.

“What in the world…” one firefighter muttered in disbelief.

“Creak!”

Little by little, piece by piece, the wreckage of the ruined orphanage rose into the air. To the group’s astonishment, the house began to rebuild itself. Beams mended themselves, walls restored themselves, windows unshattered, and the front door reattached itself. Once reconstructed, the newly restored building landed back on its foundations, as though the fire never even happened.

Kanae watched flabbergasted while Mifuyu quickly regained her senses. She transformed and flared her magic out to the crowd of orphans, onlookers, and first responders. The group froze stiffly as she replaced the image of the orphanage with an illusion of the fire wrecked one.

“There was a small fire in the kitchen of the Azaela house!” Mifuyu explained, her voice calm, collected, and dominating. “You came to provide first aid. There was no major fire.”

The group of civilians nodded slowly before dispersing.

Mifuyu watched them load the girls onto the ambulance before canceling her transformation. “That…was harder than I thought.” She muttered.

She felt a pair of arms wrap around her. “Hey, you did good.”

Mifuyu giggled as she nuzzled her head in the warm, strong arms of her girlfriend. “Thanks.”

Kanae smile lasted a moment before turning back to the restored building. “Now…what happened here?”

Mifuyu frowned, “I-I don’t know. But there’s something magical that happened.”

Kanae agreed, “Yeah, when we were inside, I could sense a powerful magic embedded within the walls. But-“

“Ummm…Mifuyu? Kanae?”

The two paused to see Tsuruno standing behind them. “Umm…” she began, “Can I ask you some questions?”

Kanae nodded, “Of course Tsuruno.”

“Well…Hanna mentioned something about our contracts with Kyubey and I was wondering…if you were…not telling me something?”

Mifuyu froze, but had an inkling of what happened, “You’re right Tsuruno, there is something we absolutely need to talk about.”

She gestured to the ambulance. “But you mind if we talk about it on the way? I’m worried about Hanna.”

“And so you’re saying that you want information on these surprise attacks?” Kanagi asked.

Homura nodded, “That is correct. This witch is causing problems all across Kamihama and it’s imperative that we work together.”

Kanagi gazed at the map and nodded, “I see. Well, if that is the case,” she pulled a pen out of her bag and began circling areas on the map. “My girls have been attacked in these particular locations.”

Homura looked over the map and frowned. “You know, ideally I would say that the witch must be located here.” She pointed at a location in Chuo ward, “but if that were true, Hinano would have found it by now. So what if, it wasn’t in Chuo but down south in Sakae or Minagi wards?”

Kanagi nodded, her own brow furrowed in thought. “That is a fair assumption. Though Minagi ward is difficult due to its sheer size.”

“We could try scouring it. I’m sure that if we keep jumping around, we’d be bound to find it.”

“I dislike the idea of just guessing around to make things happen.”

“But do we really have much of a choice?”

“Umm…”

“It’s better to analyze the situation and formulate a proper plan of attack.”

“But do we even know we’ll find it in time?”

“Umm hello?”

“Do we even have the magical girls capable of finding it?”

“I’m sure we would have enough.”

“Excuse me you two bickerfaces!”

The two stopped to see a certain blue haired magical girl glaring at both of them. “If you guys would calm down for a moment, I have important information.”

Kanagi quickly recomposed herself, Homura a step after her. “Well what is it?”

Rolling her eyes, Meiyui gestured to her phone. “Momoko just called. They found the witch. It’s in Mizuna ward.”

The three arrived on the scene only 20 minutes later.

Yachiyo was already waiting. “What took you so long?”

Homura frowned, “We were-“

“-they were too busy bickering over how to best help you.” Meiyui cut in, her shoulders slump. “Homura, when someone says they want to help, just accept their help, ok?”

Homura sighed, “fine.”

Yachiyo paused, “Wait, you listen to her?”

Homura shrugged, “I guess?”

Actually that was a good point. Why was she taking this girl’s advice so easily? This wasn’t like her at all. Something to consider in the future.

“Sorry for the delay,” Kanagi apologized, “I thought it best to call for reinforcements.”

Yachiyo understood. “It’s fine. Momoko and Rena are currently watching for possible escaping familiars.”

Homura glanced around until she froze as a realization hit her. “Yachiyo. I know this place.”

Yachiyo raised her brow, “What?”

Homura shifted uncomfortably. “This witch, it’s in the location of where Mikoto Sena witched out.”

Kanagi spun her head around. “Sena witched out?”

“You knew her?”

Kanagi sighed, “She was one of my girls. I had teamed up with her before. To learn that this is how she met her fate…saddens me.”

Yachiyo remained silent, but Meiyui put her hand on the white haired boss’s shoulder. “I’m sorry for your loss. May her soul dwell in eternal glory.”

Kanagi raised her brow, “Oh?”

Meiyui chuckled, “It’s what we would tell each other in Hong Kong. Loosing friends and teammates is very hard, and if there was even a sliver of a chance that they would find happiness in the afterlife, we were willing to take it.”

Kanagi took her hand and held it saccharinely, “You have my gratitude Miss Chun.”

Meiyui blushed at the gesture. For some reason that she couldn’t explain, Homura felt like she wanted to shoot the Boss of the East, but she pushed down that feeling. “So I imagine this witch is going to be rough.”

Yachiyo nodded, “Honestly, I don’t want to tackle the witch until we’re at full strength.”

“Makes sense,” Kanagi agreed, “Where’s the rest of your team?”

Homura sensed a changed in the air as Yachiyo’s face darkened. “They’re unavailable at the moment. There was an incident in Sankyou that left the girls unable to fight.”

Homura sensed there was more to it than that but kept silent. “So how are we going to make up their numbers? If you think the seven of us can defeat that witch without casualties, you’re believing a lie.”

Yachiyo sighed, “I was hoping we could postpone the assault till tomorrow. Mifuyu and Kanae should be well enough to come tomorrow. And maybe even Tsuruno if I can believe her text about being mighty enough to recover in a day.”

Kanagi frowned, “I don’t like it. This witch is already dangerous as it is. Waiting till tomorrow is bringing up the possible risk of more attacks across Kamihama.”

“Then what do you suppose we do?” Yachiyo shot back.

Kanagi smirked, “I called for back up.”

Homura felt a multitude of magical signatures pop up on her senses as she turned around.

She recognized Hinano, the short leader of Chuo. Alongside her, four other magical girls accompanied her. In addition, Homura realized she knew the other two girls: Tsukuyo and Tsukusa Amane, the twins of Kamihama. Alongside there were at least four other magical girls. Homura did the math and realized that almost 11 magical girls had just reinforced their assault team.

Meiyui whistled at the sight. “Now we have a proper group.”

Yachiyo smiled warmly, “If you think they can handle it, then we can strike tonight. Let me just call Karin and we’ll be good to go.”

Homura nodded, picking up her phone to make a call. Kamihama truly was the city of magical girls. If one group is incapacitated, there was always four more to take up to fight.

“Big sis! Big sis! You’ve got to see this! The Azaela house is on fire!”

A blue haired girl put down her copy of the local newspaper and jerked her head to see the TV screen. Her eyes widened as she saw the building in flames. “But…that’s impossible.“ she turned to the bubblegum haired girl, “go get her over here!”

A moment later, three sisters sat on the couch, frozen in terror. The blunette turned off the tv in disgust.

“But how?” The tall blonde asked, “Our wish should have protected the building.”

“Apparently it doesn’t stop fires,” the blunette snarled.

The bubblegum haired girl turned to her older sisters. “So what are we going to do?”

The blunette’s eyes narrowed like a hawk’s. “Pack your things. It seems to we need to take a visit to Kamihama.”

Chapter Text

For the better part of the last year, Tsuruno Yui had called herself the mightiest magical girl. Contracting to save her family restaurant, Tsuruno wished to win the lottery, believing that to be the smart wish. Win the lottery, invest the money into the family business to renovate it, hire some extra help, pay for her older sister to go study business abroad, and maybe get her dad into culinary school (her dad was self taught and only had her grandfather as a mentor), seemed like a great and well thought out wish.

If only she could have foreseen just how shitfaced her mother’s side truly was. The shock when she came downstairs to find her father sobbing at the bar, holding a letter. Discovering the empty restaurant vault. Running to the airport only to watch the plane fly off. She blamed herself naturally. There was so many things she could have done. She could have deposited it instead listening to that black hearted grandmother’s insistence to keep it as cash. She could have invested it immediately rather than waiting for labor costs to lower. And yet she didn’t. And it was her fault. And sorta those greedy bitches who poisoned her family. Damned Tokiwas.

That one wish…the one wish to save her family…ended up destroying them. Yet Tsuruno pushed onwards. She realized, if she couldn’t restore her family with money, maybe she could restore their fame. Armed with nothing but her fans, her soul gem, and, well, a rather extensive background in close quarters combat as taught by her grandfather, Tsuruno decided to make name for herself as “the Mightiest Magical Girl”. She challenged every magical girl she could find. To her surprise, most magical girls she encountered barely understood strategy, stamina, and live combat. She began to have hope: perhaps she could be recognized as the mightiest magical girl. And then she would have them all be customers at Banbanzai! And the Yui’s would regain their fame, as a magical girl friendly restaurant!

That dream was crushed when she ran into the bosses of the West. Kanae, Yachyio, Mifuyu, and Homura each flattened her in seconds. But Tsuruno Yui wasn’t the “mightiest magical girl” for nothing! She recognized her faults and dedicated herself as their disciple, learning everything she could from them. Over the year, beating them became less important as finding a place where she could regularly interact with strong magical girls and destress a bit.

Being the mightiest magical girls meant being the mightiest friend as well. That was obvious! Homura was a loner but with enough mighty invitations, Tsuruno could feel the raven haired girl opening up. Yachiyo was firm but motherly. Mifuyu was the nice big sister that reminded her of her own sister. Kanae was cool and but kind and easy to get along with. And all the younger ones too. Momoko, Karin, Mami, Rena, and Hanna of course. For a wish that had been ruined by greed, she felt like this new group, this new “family”, was worth the wish.

That was…until today.

“Miss Yui, your burns are healing very nicely and we believe you’ll be good as new in a few days.” The doctor explained, handing her a jar. “Just apply the ointment once every 4 hours and you should recover without any scars.”

The “mightiest” nodded, taking the ointment. “And what about Hanna? And Kanae? And the other woman. Are they ok?”

The doctor glanced to the nurse, before signing, “Miss Yukino is fine. Her burns were much smaller than yours to be honest. Ms. Kihara is still in the ICU but should make a successful recovery. As for Miss Sarasa…she’s ok as well but her vitals are all over the place. She’s going to have to stay for a while longer.”

“Thanks Doctor. Is it ok to see her?”

“Yes. She’s just a few doors down. Your friends are with her now.”

“Thank you. I’ll go check in on them in a bit.”

“No problem.” The doctor smiled kindly, “You can stay here for a bit, but please clear the room soon.”

Tsuruno nodded and waited for the doctor and nurse to leave before letting out a breath. Slouching down, she cupped her face in her hands as she tried to process her new revelations. Magical girls whose soul gems corrupted turned into witches…who in turn were hunted by magical girls. It didn’t matter how mighty she was, or how good of a fighter she was. She was going to turn into a witch. What sort of wish was worth that?

Obviously Hanna didn’t take it well. She had tried to kill herself. Mifuyu seemed worried as well. Kanae was trying to tough it out, but Tsuruno wasn’t the mightiest observer for nothing.

“Mightiest.” The brunette spat out, as though the very essence of the word sickened her, “What’s the point of being mighty…if we’re just going to become witches?”

And then there was Karin. Her cute little Kohai looked like she was on the verge of exploding. The tears she wailed when she saw their bandaged friend hurt her so much. At least the coordinator had arrived and had immediately gotten to work healing the more magical side of Hanna’s wounds. And all she could do was just watch. Watch as Hanna destroyed herself, watch as Karin went rampant in despair, watch as Mifuyu clung to Kanae in tears. There was nothing mighty about just watching.

But then again, what’s the point of mightiness if it was never worth anything to start with?

She heard a knock at the door, but didn’t answer. When the knock repeated, she glared at the door. “Leave me alone!”

The door opened to reveal a familiar blonde. “Tsuruno?”

Tsuruno’s eyes darkened, “What?”

“Well…I was going to ask you if you were up to helping Yachiyo with the copy witch, but…obviously that’s not going to happen.” Kanae commented dryly. She turned to someone outside. “You’re good to go. Tsuruno is going to stay here.”

“Ok. Take care.” Karin’s voice called from outside.

Kanae watched the door for a minute before walking up to the brunette.

“Leave me alone.” Tsuruno murmured, curling herself in a ball.

“Not going to happen.”

Before Tsuruno could respond, a pair of strong hands grasped her shoulders and lifted the girl off the chair with ease.

“Hey! What are you doing?” The brunette protested but the blonde didn’t respond as she used her enhanced strength to throw the “mightiest” over her shoulder.

“Pu-put me down!” Tsuruno tried to free herself from the veteran’s grasp, but to no avail. She hated to admit it, but Kanae was much stronger than her physically and doing this with magical strength was as simple as lifting a sack of rice.

She glanced around in embarrassment as Kanae exited the room and paraded her down the hallway. Nurses and doctors paused their work to watch the spectacle to Tsuruno’s chagrin. She covered her face with her hands, “Just…make it quick.”

Kanae seemed to grunt in approval as her pace quickened. Tsuruno could only brace herself as she prayed the humiliation would end soon. The blonde seemed to pause at a door before opening it.

Tsuruno felt her body being lifted off Kanae’s shoulder and placed onto a chair like a sack of potatoes. She opened her eyes to see a very concerned white haired girl watching her.

“Hi there Tsuruno.” Mifuyu giggled, “thank you for dropping by.”

Tsuruno groaned as she recovered. “Mifuyu, your girlfriend’s shoulder is like a rock.”

“It is very firm.” Mifuyu agreed.

Tsuruno was about to retort when she heard a groan. She looked across the room to see a familiar violet haired girl lying on the hospital bed. “Hanna!”

The brunette rushed over to her side. The younger girl was covered in bandages, several of which were laced across her face. The girl’s eyes were closed but Tsuruno could hear the faint breathing from her nostrils.

“She’ll be fine.” Another voice explained.

Tsuruno turned her head to see the silver haired coordinator sitting opposite to the bed. Mitama’s eyes were drooping but alert. “The fire left quite a scar on her body, but this isn’t the first time I’ve put a magical girl back together.”

Tsuruno raised a brow at Mitama’s comment. Mitama gave her a bitter smirk. “It’s part of basic coordinator training. And you’ll be grateful that I have it when you’re cleaved in half and the only thing left is your intact soul gem.”

Normally, Tsuruno would put in her mighty face on and exclaim how amazing Mitama was. But the grim and forlorn look on the coordinator!s face indicated that this was not a moment to be joking. “Thank you. Thank you for saving Hanna.” Tsuruno bowed respectfully.

Mitama’s eyes brightened. “It’s no problem Miss Yui. In fact, I need to thank you. Had it not been for your grief seed, I would not have been able to save Miss Sarasa in time. The souls of magical girls are very fickle things and keeping them purified and cleansed does wonders to help me do my job.”

That’s right. Tsuruno’s grief seed prevented Hanna from turning into a witch. What a forlorn and depressing thought. She looked at the peacefully sleeping patient and wondered what would have happened if she hadn’t arrived there in time. All of her mightiness wouldn’t have done a thing to save her. Only a single grief seed could. A single seed, a single sacrifice.

She felt a hand seize her own hand. “Hey!” Tsuruno felt a circular object touch her ring. Suddenly her mood lightened, as though heavy clouds had been cleared from her mind. She snapped out of her daze and looked down at a grief seed touching her ring.

She found herself looking into a pair of very serious eyes.

“Your soul gem was corrupting itself.” Mitama explained, her tone dead serious. “When you feel bad and blame yourself, your negative emotions corrupt your soul gem and only hasten your witchification.”

Tsuruno gasped in surprise. “What?”

Mifuyu gasped in shock, “So when we feel upset or down, we’re adding to our corruption?”

Mitama nodded, “Which is why it is imperative that you deal with your emotions quickly, else it cost you another grief seed.”

She huffed with her arms crossed, “By the way, that was my extra grief seed. You’ll need to pay me for that.”

Tsuruno nodded jerkily. “Of course. Thank you. I don’t have a grief seed on me now, but I can hunt one for you soon.”

Mitama’s frown softened and she sighed. “Right then. Be sure that you do. Anyways, I’ve done all that I can for Miss Sarasa. Rest and time will be her best healer now. Take care.”

With that, the coordinator stood up and exited the room. Tsuruno watched her leave before turning to Mifuyu. “Umm…Mifuyu, Kanae?”

They nodded.

“I’m sorry.” Tsuruno bowed. “I was moody and angry.”

Kanae smiled bitterly, “It’s fine Tsuruno. We understand.”

“But we need to stick together ok?” Mifuyu added. “If you’re ever down, don’t hesitate to talk to us.”

Tsuruno smiled, feeling a sense of relief. “I guess even the mightiest need friends.”

Kanae and Mifuyu chuckled before they heard a light groan.

One look was all it took.

“She’s waking up.”

The first thing Hanna saw was a bright light glaring into her eyes. Her eyes squinted as she tried to block out the light. A pair of shadows blocked out the light as her eyes adjusted. She could make out two familiar faces.

“Hanna?” A white haired girl spoke, “Are you awake?”

The violet haired girl stared at the two in surprise. The last thing she remembered was standing before Kanae and the brunette girl before the furnace…exploded. So…she failed. She obviously wasn’t a witch. And Kanae and Mifuyu were there.

“I…You saved me.”

The blonde smiled, “Yes…”

Hanna felt a pair of arms grab her body. “Hanna!”

Hanna stiffly cranked her head back to see the ‘mightiest’ brunette. “Oh, you’re here too.”

“I’m not just here!” Tsuruno protested, “We were worried about you!”

Hanna stared at the girl incredulously. “But why?”

“Because you’re our friend!” Tsuruno answered, like it was obvious.

“But…I pushed you all away.” Hanna rationalized, “I even tried to blow up an orphanage. There should be no reason why you should be worried abo-“

“Will you shut up and listen to us!” Mifuyu’s voice interjected.

Hanna’s eyes widened as she twisted her head towards the white haired girl. The girl’s eyes were red and teary but a frown crossed her face. “You don’t get to vanish on us do you hear me?

“You’re our friend! You’ll never be able to push us away that easily!” Mifuyu yelled, “I’m appalled that you even think I would hate you so!”

“Just because you had a bad evening doesn’t mean we won’t stop being your friend.” Kanae added, “We all had a bad evening. This new reality we live in is a harsh one. You being upset is completely understandable. Please don’t think that we would stop caring for you just because you were upset.”

“And the orphanage unblew itself up.” Tsuruno added offhandedly.

Hanna’s eyes widened. “What?”

Kanae sighed, “We’re not too sure what happened ourselves. But the point is that everyone is fine.”

Hanna rolled her eyes, “So…it was all for nothing?”

Mifuyu shook her head. “You idiot. You made us worry about you and all you care about is whether you actually blew up the orphanage?”

Hanna frowned. “So what happens next?”

“You’ll be staying here.” Kanae announced. “Mitama saw to your injuries but you’ll need time to recover.”

“And when you get back, you’re going to have a big talking to by Yachiyo.” Mifuyu added, “You made her very worried.”

“That sounds scary.” Tsuruno muttered.

Hanna couldn’t help it. She chuckled. “I can’t believe you girls.” She should have died that evening. Everyone should have abandoned her. But now she was alive with three of her…friends…around her. They…cared about her.

Mifuyu and Kanae smiled warmly. “Welcome back Hanna. You’re here to stay.”

Hanna frowned. “So where is everyone else?”

Their smiles darkened. “Yachiyo found the copy witch. They’re fighting it was we speak.”

Karin dived through Shinsei ward, her hat billowing through the wind. Shielding her eyes, Karin squinted her eyes as she peered at her phone, the GPS guiding her towards her mentor’s location.

As she did, her mind raced. Only minutes after arriving at the coordinator’s, she had received that desperate phone call. Hanna had been involved in a massive explosion in Sankyou ward. Responding immediately, Karin had whisked up the silver haired coordinator and flew her across town to the hospital.

One look at the girls told Karin everything. Hanna was behind the explosion. Kyubey had warned her about that; that magical girls who learn the truth tend to act irrationally. And so Hanna tried to blow herself up. Karin shuddered as she wondered what else her teammates might do. But there was no time for those thoughts. The copying witch had been found, and they needed to defeat it before it caused an all out war in kamihama.

Up ahead, she spotted a large gathering of girls. Her magic senses were exploding with the sheer volume of magic emanating in a single zone.

Bringing her scythe down, the magical girl brought her flight to a slow descent, lowering down until her feet touched the ground.

Yachiyo was the first to notice her and wave out to her.

“You made it.” She greeted, “welcome back.”

The purple haired girl hopped off her scythe and nodded, “Hanna is making a steady recovery, but Kanae and Mifuyu are staying with her.

“Oh and Tsuruno too.” She added.

Yachiyo understood, “That’s fine. I think we’ve gathered a sufficient force.”

Karin looked around and realized how many girls had gathered. A total of 13 magical girls were gathered around the entrance to the labyrinth. Some Karin recognized, such as Momoko’s squad, Kanagi, Hinano, and Tsukuyo. But there were plenty Karin had only heard rumors of.  The silver haired beauty Masara Kagami, Tsukuyo’s twin Tsukasa Amane, and self proclaimed joker Ayaka Mariko. This must have be the biggest gathering of magical girls ever.

“There’s so many of us.” Karin muttered in disbelief.

Meiyui smirked. “This will truly be a exciting challenge.”

The plan was simple. Homura would use her shield to freeze time while leading the strike team into the labyrinth. They would get as close as possible to the witch before resuming time to gang up on the witch.

But as any plan is, the reality is much harder than what the plan suggests.

Homura for one, hadn’t realized just how taxing leading 13 magical girls in a frozen timescape would be.

“To think Akemi had such an ability,” Tsukuyo Akatsuki muttered, glancing around the labyrinth.

All around them familiars of the witch, taking a variety of forms, stood frozen within the labyrinth.

“Yes Nee-San,” Tsuaksa Amane agreed, “Akemi has definitely earned the title as the enforcer of the West.”

The two giggled slightly. “Née!”

Homura wanted to shoot a glare at the two but kept her mind focused on the task at hand. Any distractions would prove fatal and would ruin their plan.

Yachiyo caught the hint and glared back at the twins. “Homura needs to remained focused, so if you could shut your mouths.”

The sisters nodded and kept quiet. The slow train of magical girls continued their descent into the labyrinth. Homura glanced at her soul gem. The way her magic was being depleted, she wasn’t sure if they would make it to the witch. But if she could get them far enough, they could easily fight the rest of the way.

“So this magic stops time from working, but only so long as we hold hands?” Another girl muttered, “So if we let go, we would immediately be frozen in time.”

Yachiyo shot the girl a glare, but the girl payed no mind. “Which means, that if I was to let go and then reconnect over and over again, that would be a real time stopper! What a joke!”

Meiyui shot a glare at the girl, a black haired girl with her hair tied in twin tails. “What…what was that supposed to be?”

“Shush!” Yachiyo fired.

That’s when the two girls heard a chuckle from the front. Slowly the two blunettes turned around to see Homura Akemi, cool collected raven haired beauty, snicker. “T-time stopper. Hehe time stopper. If Sayaka had…time stopper!”

The two’s eyes widened in shock as they tried to stop her, but it was too late. Homura burst out laughing as she tried to contain her giggles. Almost immediately, the grey space began to colorize as time resumed.

The jokester Ayaka Mariko thrust her (rather nonexistent) chest in pride. “I did it! Someone actually laughed at my jokes! That proves I am funny Hinano!”

Hinano glanced around her as a roar broke out, the witch’s familiars noticing their presence. “Ayaka! This is the worst time to be funny! Now we’re all going to die!”

“But I was funny! Right?”

“Dammit Ayaka!”

Chapter Text

Yachiyo ducked under the magic brush attack before sliding past several familiars. The sarcophagus like familiar slammed into the ground where she had previously stood. Before the coffin could respond, Yachiyo summoned a spear and shot it towards the creature. The spear tore into the familiar, killing it instantly.

Satisfied, Yachiyo paused to survey the field. All around her, magical girls were engaged in combat against familiars. While this wouldn’t typically be a problem, several of these familiars were special. The witch was able to create almost perfect copies of various magical girls, which caused chaos and confusion amongst the girls.

She watched the flute twins engaging a magical girl familiar, their sound waves knocking the familiar back. Yet Yachiyo could tell the twins were holding back. They didn’t want to kill other magical girls, even if they were actually familiars in disguise.

Well at least most of the other girls had the same problem. The exception fell to four particular girls.

Naturally, Homura had experience in this area and had no hesitations killing the fake magical girls, shooting several fakes in the face. Yachiyo cringed internally at the thought of her using that on a real magical girl.

In similar fashion, Meiyui Chun also had no such reservations, slashing and ripping apart a false girl with her steel claws. Homura had mentioned Meiyui had a Yakuza background. Perhaps she had gotten her experience there.

She was mildly surprised to see Masara Kagami fighting without hesitation. The cold hearted beauty dashed in and out of combat, stabbing familiars and false magical girls alike. It was like watching a cruel and heartless dance of steel.

And finally, Karin Misono. Yachiyo was actually quite proud of her protégée. After all the training, the former coward and weakling had grown into a master warrior in her own right. The purplette slashed one with her scythe only to steal a fake girl’s hammer and slam it into the girl’s head before swapping to the next available weapon. Yachiyo watched the efficiency and creativity her protégée exhibited as she continued her deadly dance.

Regardless of their efforts, the team had yet to find the witch yet, only prolonging their fight. Yachiyo rushed over to Homura and sent a series of spears into the familiar the raven haired girl was fighting. “We can’t keep fighting here. We need to push forward.”

Homura nodded, glancing around. “Some of us should hold the familiars back while the rest of us go after the witch.”

Yachiyo found Hinano and set a series of spears towards her opponent. “Hinano, you and Kanagi take the other girls and cover us. We’re making a run on the witch!”

“Got it!” The smaller girl ran ahead to the others.

Yachiyo turned to Meiyui and Karin, who had just finished off their opponents. “Let’s go!”

Karin followed the girls as they delved deeper into the labyrinth. As glanced around the constant mirrored walls distorting her appearance made her shudder. It was as though the witch was watching their every move.

“Karin, hurry up.” Yachiyo’s voice called.

She shook her head to clear it and rushed after the group. She just hoped all the other girls would be alright by the time this was over.

She found Yachiyo crouching in front of a mirror.

“What’s that?”

Yachiyo frowned, “This room is a dead end, but I can sense the witch further below us.”

“Which means that there’s another way to go lower.” Homura concluded, “But how do we get there?”

Karin looked at the mirror Yachiyo was watching. Unlike other mirrors that were straight up, this one was tilted at a 45 degree angle.

“Hmmm…” Karin wondered as she tried to touch the mirror. When she touched the smooth surface, she had not been expecting for her hand to go right through. She had most certainly not been expecting the mirror to yank her arm through as well. Before she could even scream, her entire body had been sucked into the mirror. For a brief moment, her vision blurred as she fell through the mirror. When her vision cleared, she realized she was falling into a large chasm.

Immediately, Karin summoned her scythe and stuck it between her legs. Focusing her magic, she brought her fall to a halt 10 feet above the ground.

“Whew, that was close.” She muttered as she began a much more gradual descent to the bottom.

“Karin, are you ok?”

She looked up to see the rest of her team, jumping down using Yachiyo’s spears as steps.

“I’m fine.” Karin called out. “It looks like we found a portal.”

Meiyui landed on all fours before glancing upwards. “I don’t we found just any portal. I think we found the witch.”

Karin turned around and took a step back in surprise.

Before the four girls, a massive witch stood before them.

Yachiyo gazed up at the huge witch and gave a short whistle. The witch was the size of a small building, with two large rams heads, one on each side. Yachiyo wanted to bet the core was up there. She looked over her teammates. Karin’s steal ability wouldn’t be much use here but her scythe and flight ability were still invaluable. Meiyui was a loose canon, one that she wasn’t sure how to integrate. So far the other blunette was a brawler and assassin, both of which were less than effective against such a large witch. Finally, Homura was her critical tool. Her arsenal would be vital to taking down the witch. But in the end, Homura was still one magical girl and her magic was already quite depleted.

Yachiyo glanced around and made a plan quickly.

“Karin, use your flight to attract its attention. Meiyui try to find a weak spot on its legs. Homura, go ahead and set up, but don’t bring out the big guns yet. I’ll begin probing above!”

“Got it!“ the trio called as they sprung into action. Karin mounted her scythe and flew into the air, zooming in a direct path towards the witch.

The witch screeched and lashed out a tendril towards the purplette. Karin was ready though, ducking and diving in a series of tight maneuvers. Weaving through the attacks, Karin zipped past the witch and headed towards the back of the cavern. The witch roared as it turned its massive body to face the purple and pink fly. Yachiyo smirked as she gesture to Meiyui.

The bluenette nodded and two blunettes rushed forward. Yachiyo summoned spears to begin scaling up towards the witch’s back. As she did so, she hurled her spears across the witch’s rear.

Meiyui dashed around the witch’s legs, cutting and slashing the thick legs.

After a minute of barrages, Yachiyo frowned as she observed the carnage. Having taken several power attacks, the witch had its backside riddled with holes and slashes. But the witch barely seemed fazed as it continued it’s relentless swipes and attacks at the flying magical girl.

“Hey Yachiyo, any luck?” Karin’s voice resounded in the cavern, “I’m running out of room to maneuver!”

Yachiyo nodded as her mind formulated a different plan. “Karin fall back. I’ll take over baiting. Homura start peppering the witch’s frontside. Meiyui-“

“Actually I have an idea on how to occupy the witch!” Meiyui cut off.

Yachiyo wondered what she was going to do, but nodded, “Go ahead!”

The other blunette concentrated as Yachiyo sensed her flair her magic. The girl rushed forward, dashing underneath the witch while scraping her claws through its legs.

Yachyio watched as the witch roared as it changed targets to the blunette, giving time for Karin to fly away. It raised a tendril and shot it towards the girl. To Yachyio’s surprise, the tendril missed by several feet. And so did the next one, and one after that.

“Ahh, she’s using her magic.” Homura’s voice came from behind her.

Yachiyo spun around, “What?”

Homura didn’t seem to care. “Meiyui can alter perception. In short, she’s changing where the witch thinks she is and thus is able to avoid attacks.”

Yachiyo nodded as she took in that information. The ability to alter perception of her targets had a lot of potential. She quietly wondered just how far that perception alteration ability went. Yachiyo shook her head as she cleared her head. Those thoughts could wait. They had a witch to handle.

She sensed another girl drop in behind her.

“Yachiyo!” Karin called, “I think the witch’s heads are its eyes! If we knock out the heads, we should be able to blind it.”

So those heads were important. The blunette took that in mind as an idea began to take shape. “Karin, Homura, when I give the word, go low and go for its legs. I’ll take out the eyes!”

“Right.”

The trio leaped into action. Yachiyo summoned spears to scale the cavern until she was directly above the witch’s head. From there, she let herself fall. As she flew towards the ground, she came face to face with the giant witch’s heads. Smirking to herself, Yachiyo summoned a dozen spears and sent them flying point blank into the witch’s face.

The spears tore through the twin heads with ease. It’s vision blinded, the witch cried out in pain, flailing tendrils in all directions. Yachiyo summoned spears to counter the ones flying towards her but was knocked back into the back of the cavern, falling hard but relatively unscathed.

Thankfully, the work had already been done.

“Now!” The falling girl called out.

Working in tandem, Karin and Homura rushed forward, Karin using her scythe to make several deep cuts into the witch’s legs while Homura lodged bombs into the gashes. Their work done, the two rushed towards Yachiyo and Meiyui. Together, the four observed their work. The bombs detonated, blowing up the witch’s legs.

The witch screamed in agony before it fell onto its back, leaving its front and bottom exposed.

Yachiyo smirked, “Let’s finish it!”

Together, four girls charged one final time, running up the witch’s deformed legs and onto its chest. Karin and Meiyui slashed the exposed stomach, leaving deep cuts and gouges across its chest. Homura dropped another series of bombs across the body of the witch. Finally. Yachiyo rushed for the head, summoning the largest halberd she could. She took a running leap and raised the halberd over her shoulder. With a single swipe, the large bladed head cut through the witch’s neck, severing it from its body.

Yachiyo landed on her legs and one hand as the witch’s body detonated behind her.

Satisfied, she turned to her teammates. “Good work there.”

Karin nodded, panting hard. “That must have been the toughest witch ever.”

Homura frowned and Yachiyo could have sworn she heard her say “I’ve fought stronger.”

Meiyui held out a fist to Yachiyo. “We make a good team.”

Yachiyo turned back to the crumbling witch and ran towards the center. Scooping her hand through the deteriorating body, she pulled out a single grief seed. “All this effort, all this fighting, for a single burst of life.”

Homura nodded, “Tis the dark reality of magical girl life.”

Karin watched the two, a frown forming across her face.

To the relief of the team, the rest of the girls had survived, though several had taken serious injuries.

“Geez Rena, you just had to get hurt.” Momoko muttered as she helped the shorter girl limp out of the collapsing labyrinth.

“Shut up, it’s not my fault Kaede is so pitiful.”

“I-I’m sorry you needed to save me. And thank you Rena!”

“Ahh, Kaede! Stop it! Just because I have a broken leg doesn’t mean you can grope me!”

…

“Sister, you need to see a doctor.”

“But I’m fine Tsukasa. Really. It’s just a small bruise.”

“But that burn can become much worse if it’s not taken care of.”

Tsukuyo pulled Tsukasa in a tight hug. “I appreciate your concern, but all I need is your ever loving presence and I’ll be satisfied.”

“Née!”

…

“So like, I need to make plans! I gotta figure out tours, venues, locations! I’m going to go places I know it! I’ll be going, going, gone! You know, like Goingon!”

“You do know that this was all your fault.”

“Ahh Masara, you shouldn’t have to feel so bad! All you got is a few cuts and bruises. Some might even call it Masa-cussive!”

“…” Masara fought the urge facepalm.

“Get it? I’m so stoked! I’ve finally broken through the barrier and have achieved true comedy!”

…

Yachiyo walked over to the boss of East. “Thanks for covering us.”

The petite white haired girl nodded solemnly. “You did good work as well.”

She looked around at the night sky of Mizuna. “To think, we would be the ones to put down Mikoto Sena’s witch.”

“Were you close?”

Kanagi shook her head. “I wish. Sena had a complicated family background, one which makes mine pale in comparison. So she was very secluded and isolated. She never really got along with me and Tsukasa.” She sighed. “I just…I wish I had tried a bit harder.”

“You can’t change the past.” Another voice interjected. Yachiyo saw the even shorter Hinano walk up behind them. “There are plenty of girls I wish I had known better before I took out their witch. Least I can do now is work to ensure my Chuo girls are happy and content with their lives.”

Yachiyo nodded in understanding. “I guess you’re right. I’ve been wondering how I can live on knowing the truth. But your advice makes sense. The least I can do in make sure we live happy and fulfilled lives. That when we do make the change, we can go knowing we lived well.

“Perhaps,” Yachiyo added, “we should try to get along more. Our border conflicts have been going on for years. If we can cement some sort of official truce, then I think we can all rest easier.”

Kanagi nodded, “After what happened here, I would not be opposed to that.”

“I can work with that,” Hinano agreed.

Yachiyo’s phone buzzed and she glanced down to see a text from Mifuyu. She smiled before turning to the other two leaders. “Perhaps we can get started. I’ve just been told that Mifuyu, Kanae, and Tsuruno have been discharged from the hospital. Would you all be interested in joining us for a victory party?”

Kanagi raised a single brow. “Oh?”

To say that magical girls knew how to party would be an understatement. The reunited Mikazuchi team alongside the members of the strike force made for a lively celebration that went long into the night.

Even Homura opened up and had been enjoying a round of drinks with Meiyui and Kanagi, apparently sharing their most daring stunts.

Momoko and Tsuruno were engaged in some wild debate on comedy with Ayaka. Kaede and Rena were chatting about some obscure topic with the sisters.

Kanae found Mifuyu at the table, writing on letter paper. “Hey,” she wrapped her arms around her lover, “What’s going on?”

Mifuyu nuzzled her head into her arms, “I’m writing a formal complaint.”

“For the Azaela House?”

“Yes,” Mifuyu’s nodded, “If I can convince the right people, I can get some inspectors to check out the Azaela House on charges of abuse and neglect. And maybe even get that supervisor fired.”

Kanae smiled and gave her sweet, kind, and caring lover a chaste kiss on the cheek. “And Hanna?”

Mifuyu blushed at the affection, “Yachiyo said she would like Hanna to move here. If I pull the right strings I could even get her transferred to KMU, to escape the bullying in Mizuna.”

“Looks like you really thought this through.”

A small tear rolled down Mifuyu’s cheek. “Hanna has suffered so much even without the truth of magical girls bearing down on us. The least I could do is make her regular life as comfortable as possible.”

Kanae tightened her embrace before a voice interrupted them.

“Hey lovebirds, if you’re done flirting, we’re having a toast!”

The two looked over to see Momoko and Tsuruno calling them over. As they entered the living room, they found Yachiyo holding a glass of champagne. Upon seeing them, she smiled.

“Girls, it’s been a long evening and we’re exhausted and tired, but we survived. And we couldn’t have done it without the efforts of all of you. This was a team effort. Not just of the West, but of the East, Center, and West. This was a Kamihama effort. Kanagi, Hinano and myself have agreed to a official pact, sorting out territory, recruitment, and assistance, so that no magical should ever worry about being attack for going into the wrong district. And to celebrate the defeat of this witch I raise my glass.”

Homura raised her glass and smiled softly, “To Kamihama.”

“To Kamihama!” The girls cheered, but no one noticed the one abstained cheer.

The merrymaking continued far into the night. As the morning rays broke the horizon and the sun came up, a single girl arose.

Staring around her, she found over a dozen magical girl bodies slumped around the villa, sleeping on couches, chairs, and on a few poorly spread futons. Karin felt grateful she had found a comfy couch to crash on. As she glanced around, she noticed a single entity also wandering around the villa.

The white catlike creature looked up at her. “Ah, hello Karin Misono. I take it that you are awake.”

Karin’s eyes narrowed. “Hello Kyubey.”

“I see you have successfully defeated the Mirrors witch.”

“Is that what you called it?”

The beady eyes showed no emotion. “Yes, that is what we call Mikoto Sena’s witch. You and your team defeated the mirrors witch to satisfactory results.”

“That’s right. We defeated it. We gave Mikoto her rest. Now why are you-“

“Are you satisfied with the results?”

Karin froze. “What do you mean?”

“You saw Yachiyo Nanami, Kanagi Izumi, and Hinano Miyako discuss how to proceed with handling Kamihama magical girls. Are you satisfied?” The incubator swished its tail calmly.

Karin glared at the creature. “Why do you care?”

“The mental health and satisfaction of magical girls in our care is an important factor in our evaluations.”

Karin rolled her eyes, “You guys actually have evaluation forms?”

“Yes! The importance of bureaucracy is essential in maintaining an effective and efficient energy system.”

Karin sighed, “Never mind. Look, Yachiyo and Kanagi mean well. They have a lot to deal with and they really care about everyone. But like, it just feels a bit defeatist.”

“Defeatist?”

“It means that they won’t do anything to prevent magical girls from turning into witches. They just want to keep them happy until they do.” Karin muttered bitterly.

“And that does not satisfy you?”

Karin shook her head. “No it doesn’t. It makes me quite angry actually. Like they just decided to sit there and let people die.”

“But it is their fates.” Kyubey confirmed.

“To hell with their fates!” Karin shot back, “I refuse to accept a world where my fate is to just roll over and die. Not as long as I have a fighting chance.”

“I see. And so?”

Karin let out a breathe. “But in the end, Yachiyo is my leader and I’m still a rookie.”

“I do not perceive you as a rookie Karin Misono.” Kyubey interrupted.

Karin raised a brow, “You don’t?”

The creature hopped onto her shoulder. “You are strong Karin. You defeated the Mirrors witch. An ordinary magical girl would not be able to defeat such a witch.”

Karin frowned, “I guess I am pretty strong then.”

“Are you suggesting that strength be the determining factor in who lives and dies?”

“What? Of course not!” Karin interjected. “I’m a Kirinite, a follower of the Phantom Thief Kirin! She doesn’t cower because she is weak. Instead she steals from the strong to give to the weak!”

“Sounds like an interesting role model.” Kyubey commented.

Karin paused. “You’re right. And if Kirin could save the weaker ones. I can too! Watch out world, Phantom Thief Karin will save all magical girl kind!”

Karin clammed her mouth shut as she realized she had been shouting. “Sorry!” She whispered.

She then turned back to Kyubey. “You’re coming with me.”

And so she scooped up the incubator before tiptoeing her way out the door of the Villa. And with that, she was gone.

An instant later, Yachiyo’s eye jerked open. “Well that is troubling.”

Chapter Text

If ever asked, every magical girl in Kamihama had the location of the coordinator’s shop memorized. Nestled in the back pocket of Minagi ward, Mitama’s shop took the form of an abandoned warehouse converted into an expansive magical girl holdout. Mitama had fully remodeled the warehouse to include a large and comfortable waiting room, several treatment rooms, overnight living quarters, and even an recreation room. This made the shop a popular hangout spot for many a magical girl, especially those who lived further south.

That being said, it was on this rainy afternoon that Mitama decided to close up shop early. The silver haired coordinator pulled the warehouse doors shut and fished her keys from her purse.

Locking the padlock, Mitama returned the keys to her purse and traded them for a small extendable umbrella. With a quick press of a button, the umbrella formed its shell over her head.

Satisfied, Mitama looked both ways before running out into the rain, hoping to make the next bus towards Daito.

Unbeknownst to the coordinator, another watched her form retreating into the darkness. Satisfied with her absence, the figure dropped from her lofty stoop and landed quietly on the ground.

Rain pounded her tall witch’s hat, speaking the girl to the bone. But she didn’t care as she slowly made her way towards the now vacant warehouse.

“That’s far enough.” A calm but firm voice called out in the rain.

The figure paused, her shoulders slumping. Slowly turning around, Karin Misono came face to face with Yachiyo Nanami.

“Yachiyo, please don’t stop me.”

“Karin,” another voice emerged from the darkness. Mifuyu Azusa came out, holding a grey umbrella. “It’s not too late. Let’s just go home, ok?”

Karin frowned, “You don’t understand. I-I need to do this.”

“You don’t.”

She didn’t need to turn around to know the black haired enforcer was blocking her way to the shop. “You’re all so strong, so powerful. You’ve never had to struggle in the way we have.”

“And that justifies thievery and stealing?”

Karin chuckled, “Once a thief, always a thief I guess.”

“That’s a very unmighty way of thinking.”

The last figure hopped down from the rafters. Karin felt her heart melt. Of course Tsuruno Yui had to join the intervention.

“Karin, this isn’t the way to achieve our goals.” Tsuruno objected. “I want to help others just as much as you do, but what you’re doing is wrong. This isn’t right. This is not how the mightiest magical girl should act.”

Karin grimaced, “Well I’m not the mightiest. In fact, I’m far from it. And when you’re not the mightiest, you can’t afford to choose right and wrong.”

She turned to the group, “Please, I need to do this.”

Yachiyo’s eyes narrowed, “Karin, I cannot let you do this, both as the boss of the West, and as a friend.”

So that was it then. There was no turning back.

“If you won’t help me,” Karin summoned her scythe, “Then I’ll have to force my way.”

Homura sighed before transforming. “This is a pointless endeavor. You’re outnumbered and outpowered. Just give it up.”

“We can go home and have a nice chat over tea.” Mifuyu offered, “I’ll even make you your favorite!”

A tear rolled down Karin’s cheek as she smiled bitterly, “I’m sorry Mifuyu. I think we’re way past that point.”

She sighed as she took in the positions of the other girls. “You know what the problem is when you’ve spent the last year training me?”

Yachiyo frowned, transforming and summoning her spear. “What?”

Karin smirked. “I know all your weaknesses.”

She stretched out her hand towards Homura, “Steal!”

In an instant, she felt the weight of a magical buckler on her left arm. Without hesitating, she reached into the shield and pulled out a pair of guns.

Homura dived to the side as a stream of bullets tore through the warehouse door.

Homura cursed her lack of foresight as she dived out of harms way. Of course Karin’s ability could steal her shield. And would give her access to her arsenal; her full, freshly restocked, arsenal.

Yachiyo and Tsuruno recovered from their surprise and rushed forward. Yachiyo shot a pair of spears towards Karin’s stolen shield, but Karin ducked and sent a burst of bullets in her direction. She just barely had enough warning to back step as Tsuruno’s fireballs flew past where she just stood.

Homura grimaced. Karin was right. She hadn’t been personally mentored by them for nothing. She knew their tactics, their fighting styles, and their combat order.

The raven haired girl glanced around, looking for a weapon. That’s when she saw the impossible. Leaning against a shipping container, was a golf club. How that was even possible, she didn’t know, but Homura was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Grabbing the golf club, she poured magic into the iron driver, transforming it into a magical weapon.

Up ahead, Karin was holding her own against Yachiyo and Tsuruno, as she slowly inched her way towards the warehouse door.

Homura rushed forward before she too was forced to take cover. It looked like Karin found the bombs.

She definitely needed to find a better way to protect her shield.

Karin was beginning to run out of ideas. Sure she was keeping both Yachiyo and Tsuruno back, but they were getting closer and Homura had just rejoined the fight as well.

She needed a plan, something to get them off her back. She jammed her hand into the shield and found a pair of homemade bombs. She reached for the detonation switch when she realized there were more Yachiyo’s than just one.

Four pairs of Yachiyo and Tsuruno were attacking her from different sides. Karin’s eyes widened as she realized who was behind the attacks. Mifuyu’s illusions would harass her while the others would attack from her blind spot. She needed to act quickly. Swapping out her bombs with another device, Karin threw it onto the ground near her feet.

The smoke bomb exploded, sending smoke in every direction. Karin worked quickly, summoning her scythe and taking to the skies. If she couldn’t get close to the coordinator’s, then she would lose them in the city.

Homura waited for the smoke to dissipate before looking to the sky. “She went up.”

Yachiyo nodded, summoning several spears in the form of a stairwell. “Let’s go.”

Together, the three of them began their leap upwards. Yachiyo looked down to see Mifuyu hadn’t moved at all. “Mifuyu?”

The white haired girl smiled. “You girls go on ahead. I’ll catch up.”

Yachiyo frowned but resumed the chase.

Mifuyu watched the trio rush upwards until they had completely vanished. “Now then,” she sighed as she picked up her umbrella, “She’s heading north west so I probably could intercept her in Sankyou ward.”

Opening her purse, she pulled out a bus pass. “Now where was that bus station?”

Homura grimaced as she squinted through the rain. Up ahead, she could barely make out the flying troublemaker ahead of them. Personally, she was still fuming from the betrayal. Karin should have known better than to try to break into Mitama’s shop and steal grief seeds. Didn’t she understand the consequences of such an action?

It was like she had sworn to take on an impossible task with no hope of succeeding and still wanted to try. Wait…that sounded familiar.

Ok so Homura did understand a bit from where Karin was coming from. But she still didn’t agree with her belief in that stealing grief seeds would save magical girls.

Homura continued hoping from spear to spear as she felt as though they were making progress. That’s when she felt a sudden burst of magic up ahead. She turned to Yachiyo who nodded.

“Karin’s trying to lose us in a witch’s labyrinth.”

Tsuruno frowned, “Then we’ll just have to beat it faster than she can run!”

Yachiyo sighed but smiled, “Then let’s bring this little troublemaker home.”

The trio followed the purple haired girl into the labyrinth, immediately overcome by a large spherical labyrinth. Inside was a lizard like labyrinth crawling across the walls.

Realizing she was cornered, Karin pulled a long tube out from the shield. Homura’s eyes widened. “RPG!” She yelled as she dove for the bottom of the labyrinth.

The rocket fired from the tube with explosive speed. The explosive round flew towards Yachiyo, who braced herself with a spear made shield. Only for the rocket to be knocked off course by an orange fan.

Homura watched in sheer amazement as the rocket flew downwards, hitting a chair like familiar before continuing its flight past the labyrinth. She looked over at the ‘mightiest’. “How? You just swatted an RPG! How?”

Tsuruno shrugged, “I don’t know. I just thought, wouldn’t it be rather mighty of me to knock missiles off course? With a bit of trajectory calculations, it was easy to aim the missiles into the familiars!”

She saw Karin load a second rocket and smirked. “Watch!”

Homura and Yachiyo watched flabbergasted as the brunette knocked not one, but 2 more rockets out of the labyrinth. Tsuruno grinned, “Karin! You’ll need something better to stop the mightiest magical girl!”

Karin frowned before diving downward.

“Watch it, she’s trying to escape!” Yachiyo observed.

Homura looked around before pointing at the witch near the bottom of the labyrinth. “Aim for the witch.”

Yachiyo nodded, creating a spear stairway.

Meiyui and Homura leaped into action, hopping down the stairway. Up above, Tsuruno peppered Karin with bursts of flame.

Karin expertly weaved through the fireballs but failed to notice the two melee fighters.

Meiyui came hurtling at the purple haired girl in full force. Without hesitation, she slammed into the girl, knocking her off her ride. Before Karin could react, Homura leaped behind her and smashed her magically enhanced golf club onto the girl’s back.

“Ahhh!” Karin cried out as the force sent her flying through the labyrinth walls…and falling towards the city below.

As she fell, Karin noticed the semi busy streets of Sankyou Ward and winced. There were way too many witnesses in Sankyou this early in the evening. She needed to find a place to land without attracting attention.

Glancing around, she noticed a back alley that looked deserted. Yes, that would work. Focusing her magic, Karin summoned her trusty scythe and flew towards the alleyway.

With a quick hop, Karin jumped off her scythe and planted her feet on the ground. She winced as pain roared up her spine. Homura’s attack had clearly broken something. “That’s the last time…I underestimate Homura with a golf club.” She muttered, trying to ignore the pain. The lone purplette limped her way through the alleyway, hoping to find her destination.

When she finally found it, she knew they had caught up.

Yachiyo, Meiyui, Tsuruno, and Homura stood a couple meters behind her. Karin grimaced. She needed to bait em properly for this plan to work.

“So, you caught up with me?” She sighed, “Like, haven’t you beaten me up enough yet?”

“Speak for yourself,” Meiyui shot back, “I for one have several bullet wounds that would have killed me if we weren’t magical girls.”

Karin couldn’t make out their faces, but she was sure she felt the raven haired enforcer bow, “Sorry about that. I’ll see what I can do about procuring non lethal rounds.”

“Karin,” Tsuruno’s voice pleaded, “Please. Let’s just go home. It’s not too late to laugh and pretend this never happened.”

Karin was sure the brunette received several glares. “Ok, so maybe we can’t pretend this never happened, but I’m sure we can work something out.”

Karin chuckled, an action which sent pain up her spine. “I’m sorry Tsuruno. I think we’re way past that point. I’m not giving up. Magical girls need to be saved. And I am not accepting some half assed measure that pretends to make us all happy.”

“Even if it destroys everything we’ve fought to protect?” Yachiyo countered, “Karin it’s over. Please, give up.”

Karin smirked as she reached into the shield, “Hey Homura, why do you keep a truck inside your shield?”

“Why do you keep a truck inside your shield?”

Homura’s eyes widened.

“Get down!” She called as she tackled Meiyui to the side. Tsuruno and Yachiyo leaped back just in time for a full sized silver truck to blaze through the alleyway.

Homura sighed a breath of relief before a voice interrupted her. “Umm…you can get off of me now.”

That’s when she realized that she was still straddling the Chinese blunette. “Oh, sorry,” she muttered, standing up and offering a hand.

Meiyui took it gratefully. “Thanks. And…since when did you keep trucks in your shield?”

Homura felt her cheeks redden. Why was she suddenly embarrassed about this? “It…comes in handy.”

“Flirt later, chase now!” Yachiyo’s voice interrupted the two.

“Ahh!”

“Sorry!”

Karin didn’t know how to drive. The movies made it look so simple. So naturally she had no idea what she was doing, much less with a multiton truck.

She glanced back to see that the quartet of pursuers were catching up. She couldn’t let that happen, so she slammed her foot onto the petal.

Karin returned her focus to the front and freaked out. She was about to exit the alleyway and someone was in the middle of the narrow exit.

Karin screamed as she tried to slam on the breaks. Her right foot grasped around as she tried to find the breaks. But it was too late. Karin could only helpless watch as the civilian was knocked back by the front of the truck and smashed into the wall.

“I’m sorry!” She called out, trying to ignore what had just happened.

And with that, the truck tore out of the alleyway and onto the street, scattering civilians and debris alike. Karin winced as she tried steering the wheel to avoid hitting pedestrians when she noticed a lone pedestrian with her back turned to the truck.

Karin honked the horn as hard as she could, desperately trying to get the person to move. The person turned around and Karin panicked when said person…pulled out a giant chakram and hurled it at the oncoming truck. Karin’s eyes widened as the giant spinning blade split the vehicle cleanly in two, just barely missing her body in the strike. Having lost its balance, the dismembered truck spun in opposite directions before collapsing into debris. Karin stumbled out of the cab, wincing as she felt her magical healing slowly pushing pieces of metal out of her shoulder. Crawling away from the wreckage, Karin found herself face to face with a spear, a mere inches away from her face.

Karin slowly gazed up to see the darkened face of Yachiyo Nanami.

“H-hi Yachiyo. So umm…no hard feelings?”

She felt a pair of arms grab both of her own and heft her to her feet.

Another pair picked up her stolen shield. “I’ll be taking this back.” Homura’s calm voice cut through the still pouring rain.

“Quite a bit of trouble you’ve caused here.” Mifuyu’s silky but deadly serious voice began. So that was who cut the truck in half.

“Well…I thought it would work.” Karin tried to explain but she was cut off.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve just done?”

Karin winced at Yachiyo’s words. “Well…I…”

“Your little stunt nearly restarted a war.” Homura observed.

Karin’s eyes widened, “Wh-what?”

“I’m not sure if you thought of this, but technically Mitama is from Daito ward. Sure she’s the coordinator, but I’m not sure Kanagi would see it like that.” Mifuyu added. “So please listen when I say that by trying to steal Mitama’s grief seeds, you nearly restarted a conflict that just last night Kanagi and Yachiyo agreed to end.”

“Wh-wait, I was just…I just wanted to help!”

Homura frowned, “And not just that, but you also flew around the city, using my weapons and munitions irresponsibly.”

“Well…” Karin’s thoughts returned to the man who she had hit. “I…I didn’t mean to.”

“Look around you Misono!” Homura gestured to the streets of Sankyou, The ruins of the truck. Sankyou’s normally vibrant shopping district was filled with the wailing of sirens as emergency vehicles rushed towards the destroyed storefronts. Overhead, Karin thought she could see smoke and flames rising up from around the ward.

“I-I did all this?” Karin managed. It…she was just trying to help. Magical girls needed saving. “But…magical girls…”

“If we can’t protect this city’s inhabitants, then our fight, our strife to be mighty is meaningless.” Tsuruno interjected, her grip on Karin’s arm ever tight.

On her left, Meiyui growled, “In Hong Kong, if you pulled a stunt like this, the casualties would have been in the thousands.”

“But I-“

“That’s enough.” Yachiyo’s voice interrupted.

Karin clamped her mouth shut.

“I wanted to avoid conflict. I wanted to show you we could find a new future together.” Yachiyo spoke softly, “But you’ve given me no choice.”

Yachiyo took a deep breathe as Karin saw the older girl’s face harden.

“Karin Misono of Sakae Ward. You have been found guilty on charges destruction, arson, and robbery. As punishment for your actions, you are to be exiled from Kamihama.”

Karin gasped as her eyes widened. Exiled?

“You are hereby forbidden from hunting or transforming in Kamihama. You will have to hunt outside of Kamihama.”

“Y-Yachiyo…”

“Any violation of this decree will result in complete expulsion from Kamihama.”

“Bu-but…”Karin stuttered.

Yachiyo finally met her eyes. Karin could see the hardness, the anger, the pain. “Do you really want me to follow through with that?”

Karin’s heart sank. Yachiyo was serious. There was no going back from this.

And then, something snapped.

“So-so that’s how it’s going to be.” Karin muttered, a touch of bitterness in her voice. “I try to help and this now I’m exiled.”

Shakily, the purple haired girl shook off her captors. “Forget me being exiled. I’ll just leave. You’ll never hear from me again. I’ll be out of your hair.”

Karin looked westward and started to trudge forward.

“Hey wait.”

Karin paused to see Homura watching her, those raven eyes cold, but sympathetic. “Catch.”

Karin caught a small cylindrical object. She opened her hands to see a sole grief seed.

“You’ll need it.”

Karin shot Homura a look. “Thanks.” She scowled.

With that, the exile summoned her scythe and flew due west, heading towards the boundaries of the city.

Tsuruno could not believe what she had just seen.

“Did, that really happen?”

Meiyui sighed deeply. “It is a sad but dark reality. You made the right choice.”

Mifuyu sighed, “Tsuruno, Meiyui, let’s go. We got a lot of work ahead of us.”

As the three left, Homura looked up to the older blunette. Yachiyo stood proud, resolute, and tall. Only that wasn’t true. Homura could make out the tears pouring down her cheeks, the pain in her eyes, and hurt in her smile.

“Did I do ok Homura?”

Homura frowned. “Only time will tell.”

ARC 1: TRAMPLED INNOCENCE END.

TIME: 1 YEAR BEFORE MAIN STORY

Chapter Text

Karin felt the rain pelt her face, the drops of rain stinging her dirtied face.

She squinted and shivered as the wind penetrated her soaked outfit.

She had no idea where she was going. Only that she needed to escape Kamihama. Away from Mikazuchi, away from…Yachiyo, away from…her family.

Karin grimaced. She really messed up didn’t she? Her ideals of justice, of heroism, her model in Kirin, all of them…they didn’t help anyone. All it did was destroy everything she loved and cared about. Was being a thief of justice worth it?

Her thoughts were interrupted as a powerful gust of wind slammed onto her, knocking her off course. Karin struggled to regain control but the powerful wind sent her spiraling downwards.

Karin hit the ground hard, tumbling a good few meters before crashing against a trash bin.

Karin groaned as she tried to retain consciousness, reaching into her pocket for the spare grief seed. Karin hated it. The small back spindle felt so heavy in her palm. She slammed the seed into her soul gem and watched the corruption erode away. Letting out a breathe of relief, Karin felt her eyes droop as she felt her exhaustion finally catch up to her.

“Hey! You ok?”

Karin grimaced as the last thing she saw was a redhead looking over her.

To say that Nanaka Tokiwa was tense was to say that her flower arrangements were anything but perfect.

“Master Tokiwa, you are a wise man, but why won’t you acknowledge my achievements?” A younger man pleaded with her father.

“My pupil, you are my prize and joy, but you are not ready to take on leadership of this dojo.” Her father admonished, “you have skill, you have talent, but you have not shown that you embody the virtues and values of ikebana. To truly be a master of ikebana, you must embody those traits.”

The young man paused and Nanaka believed she saw him swear under his breath, but he bowed. “Forgive me master. I shall attain to embody the virtues of Ikebana.”

As Nanaka let out a sigh of relief, the younger pupil turned to leave. “I will become a true ikebana master, one that you can be proud of.”

The older man bowed in respect. “I have much faith in you my pupil.”

After the man left, Nanaka turned to her father. “He is lying. Surely you must know that Father.”

The older man nodded, “Of course I do. He has much lies and corruption in his soul. But that is not to say that one can change their ways.”

Nanaka frowned, “You suggest that one is capable of redeeming themselves?”

“Of course they can.” Her father chided her, “Even I was once a wandering soul lacking guidance. Ikebana builds heart, it builds soul, and it develops the mind. If ikebana can grow me, it can grow my pupil. And it can grow you too, my little cherry blossom.”

Nanaka felt her cheeks redden at the compliment. “Father, I do not deserve such praise.”

Her father chuckled. “But of course you do. You are developing into a blossoming flower and will be the pride and honor of the Tokiwa clan.”

Nanaka nodded slowly, “I will restore our honor. After the Yui scandal.”

“Y-yes.” Her father begrudgingly agreed, “Our reputation has most certainly been tarnished by the incident, so it is within our greatest interests to finally restore our honor.”

Nanaka nodded, “I see. And by restoring our relationship with the Yuis, then we can take the first step in restoring our honor.”

“You are truly a crafty one indeed my cherry blossom.” Her father smiled, “Though I hope your intentions are genuine and of honor.”

“Thank you father.” Nanaka bowed respectfully. “I believe I will take my rest for the evening. I have homework to be doing.”

“Good night Nanaka, my cherry blossom.”

“Good night father.”

Nanaka turned towards the opposite corridor and walked towards her quarters.

She had only walked 10 steps when she was thrown off her feet. Her ears drums popped as the roar of an explosion rocked the building. Nanaka pulled herself off the floor and turned around.

“Wh-what’s going on?”

Immediately, two kimono dressed attendants were by her side. “Lady Nanaka, are you unhurt?”

The cherry haired girl nodded, “I am unhurt, but what happened.”

The first attendant shook her head, “I do not know. But the main chamber has blown up.”

Nanaka’s eyes widened. “Father!”

“Wait!”

“Lady Nanaka!”

But the cherry haired girl was light on her feet and dashed towards the scene of the carnage. She rushed down the corridor but stopped when she saw the scene.

The once ornate and beautifully decorated main room was torn asunder. Fire danced across the walls and the bamboo floor, beautiful arrangements were destroyed, and priceless artifacts and vases shattered. Nanaka’s eyes caught sight of a familiar figure and rushed towards him.

“Father!”

Covering her mouth with her sleeve, Nanaka came to a halt next to his damaged body. “Y-you!”

“I-I’m sorry my blossom.” The father, bruised, battered, and bleeding for multiple wounds, sighed. “I-I don’t think even I saw this coming.”

Nanaka glanced around before something caught her eye. A large hole in the upper wall. “Th-this wasn’t just an accident. This was…this was an attack on us.”

“S-so it seems.” Her father croaked, his eyes still on his daughter. “Listen, Nanaka you must-“

“I will avenge you father. I will avenge all the Tokiwas. Our enemies will not even see us coming. Our vengeance shall be-“

“No.” Her father interjected, “Not vengeance…never vengeance. Justice. Nanaka…”

“J-justice?” Nanaka asked incredulously.

“Y-yes.” Her father clutched her hand, “Promise me Nanaka. Not vengeance. Justice. Whoever did it, see to it that they get what they deserve, not what will make you feel better. That, that is justice.”

Nanaka nodded earnestly, “y-yes father. Justice then. I shall pursue justice. I shall pursue justice as to your wishes.”

Her father smiled softly, “Good…so please…be good to your mother…and make us…proud.”

Nanaka waited a long moment before laying her father down and closed his eyes.

“Do you wish to pursue his wishes?”

Nanaka spun around to find a white cat creature.

“If you wish to pursue justice upon those who did this, I can help you.”

Nanaka narrowed her eyes, “Just who are you?”

“I am Kyubey. I appear to girls who have the potential to become magical girls.” The cat flicked its tail. “The attack on this mansion involved what is called a witch. A rocket and a witch struck this building at the same time.”

Nanaka’s frowned. “I see. And how do you know this?”

“I recruit girls to fight witches.” Kyubey explained. “You have the potential to become a magical girl.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“You can give me the power to bring justice.”

“Yes,” the cat responded, “So then, Nanaka Tokiwa. Will you make a contract with me and become a magical girl?”

Nanaka steeled her eyes and hardened her heart. “Then give me the power to find those who do wrong that I may bring them to justice.”

“Very well, then, your wish has been granted.”

When Konomi Haruka came to, all she saw was a world of fire. Pain wracked her body and she hurt all over. Grimacing, she tried to remember what had just happened. She was…at the blossom shop. She had just finished up for the evening and had just left the shop when she saw the weird light. And then…the shop had exploded.

Auntie! Auntie should had still been inside! Wincing in pain, Konomi forced herself onto her feet and dashed towards the blazing shop.

The storefront had been completely blown away, but Konomi persevered. She felt the flames and heat sear her body, but Konomi didn’t care. She wasn’t a cry baby anymore. She was a grown up now. And so she persevered.

“Auntie!?” She croaked, coughing immediately after as her lungs filled with smoke. She glanced around, trying covering her face from the flames.

That’s when she noticed a slumped body on a half destroyed desk.

“Au-auntie!”

Konomi rushed forward, stumbling over debris and wincing as she felt flames lick her legs. But that didn’t matter. Auntie needed her.

“Auntie!” She finally crawled over to the ruined desk.

Auntie was in bad shape. Her normal wavy hair was fringed and burnt. Blood was splattered across her normally earthly brown apron.

“Auntie, are you ok?” Konomi grasped the older woman’s shoulders.

The woman’s eyes slowly fluttered open, “Oh, my dear, y-you came back.”

“Don’t worry, I-I’m here. So you’re going to be ok.”

The auntie’s mouth curled into a small smile. “Ahh…I think it’s…too late for me.”

Konomi glanced down and gasped. The woman’s legs…or rather, what was left of her legs, were crushed under the broken desk. Konomi shook her head in denial. “No, you-you can’t die. I-I can’t let you go. I’ll call an ambulance, and you’re going to get better. And…”

“Konomi…”

The redhead froze.

Her auntie placed her hand on Konomi’s cheek. “It’s ok. So please, live on.”

Konomi’s heart could bear it no longer. Tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Konomi cried.

Minutes later, Auntie was gone. Konomi laid her auntie to rest and stood up.

That’s when she heard a weird slithering noise. She turned and saw a monstrous lizard roaming about in the shop. How she has never noticed it before she didn’t know. Konomi frowned as she tried to grasp the creature she had just seen. Perhaps it had something to do with the explosion?

“That’s called a witch.”

Konomi glanced down to see a weird white cat strolling up to her. “Wh-a witch?“

The talking cat flicked its tail. “Yes. It is called a witch.”

Konomi frowned. “Wh-what do they do?”

“They prey on people’s despair. This witch was involved in the destruction of this building. But you can stop them Konomi Haruna .”

“Wh-what?”

The white cat gazed up at her. “Konomi Haruna, you have the potential to become a magical girl. Make a contract with me and become a magical girl.”

Konomi froze. “Th-then I can…I can destroy that thing?”

The white cat nodded, “Yes. And all the others that cause disaster.”

It was in that moment when something snapped in the redhead. “Then…if I destroy it, I’ll avenge Auntie?”

“This is but a familiar though. The true witch behind the attack is not here.”

“So then, I’ll need to find it. Kyubey, how do I become a magical girl.

“You can make any wish you’d like and in return you will be a magical girl and hunt witches.”

“Any wish I’d like huh?” For a moment, Konomi considered saving her auntie. She could save the store. And everyone could go back to pretending this never happened. But…that wouldn’t stop the next witch from destroying their lives would it? No, it was better this way. It was better that she destroy every witch, to avenge her auntie, to avenge Blossom, to avenge every terrible deed these witches did. “Kyubey! I wish to have the power to prune this world of witches, the bringers of disaster.”

A minute later, the twitching familiar was a heap on the floor, having been bisected in two.

Magical girl Konomi Haruna inspected her new pair of enlarged gardening shears. “So…I can cut things with this.”

Kyubey perched itself on her shoulder. “Yes, and it looks like you have thorn and poison based attacks.”

Konomi paused. In the past, the concept of poison and violence scared her, it made her want to break down and cry. But now, all she felt was a sense of…peace. “Good. Now every witch will writhe and suffer at my fingers.”

She looked up at the evening storm clouds. “Now, to find that witch.”

Newly minted magical girl Akira Shinobu believed she had fought her fair share of witches and familiars. Only a week into the job and she had saved many civilians while hunting familiars around Sankyou Ward.

“Just another part of being the troubleshooter.” She muttered, running through the rain towards the fire.

She had been running home after helping the cooking club be their taste tester, the basketball club with their practice, and the literature club be their book carrier. All that helping had made her leave the academy late, but Akira felt it was worth it. After all, inaction was a sign of cowardice, her father would say. And so if she remained in action, she would never be a coward.

That was when she saw the glowing rocket fall from the sky. The rocket had impacted only a few blocks away and already Akira could see the smoke rising in the distance. Akira had no idea why a rocket had flown out of nowhere. Heck, she didn’t even know how the rocket had just materialized. But she was Akira Shinobu. She was the troubleshooter of Sankyou and now a magical girl. There was nothing she couldn’t handle.

She finally rounded the corner when she saw the carnage. The familiar used bookstore was completely ablaze. Akira glanced around at the crowd that had begun to form around the shop.

“Hey! Get out of the way!” She called, “this is dangerous!”

Akira saw the burning flames, but knew that there were people inside. Transforming, Akira took an enhanced leap and landed on the roof. “Sasara mentioned that I need to make holes for smoke to come out of.” She muttered, analyzing the roof. A quick scan of the roof with her magic indicated several weak points. Akira smirked as she ran towards those places and punched her fist through the weakened tiles. With relative ease, the tiles shattered, allowing smoke to escape the building.

“Now there should be better ventilation in the house.” The tomboy muttered, sliding down to an upstairs window and kicking the window in.

The magical girl popped through the window and into the burning room. “Hello? Anyone there?” She called.

To her joy, a voice called out to her.

“H-help! O-over here!”

“Hang on, I’m on my way.”

Akira smiled as she ran towards the voice, her enhanced hearing allowing her to pinpoint the direction of the voice. The tomboy found herself in a fiery study. She searched around until she saw a small green form buried under a fallen desk.

The small girl with green hair looked up at her. “Y-you’re not a fireman.”

Akira fought the urge to chuckle. “Nah, I’m just a troubleshooter. Now hang on.”

The magical girl took a stance before sending a powerful kick towards the desk. Her magically enhanced kick sent the desk flying off the girl.

“Wow” the green haired girl gazed up at her savior.

Akira smirked before picking up the green haired girl, bridal style. “Is there anyone else here?”

The girl shook her head. “Papa and mama are at a community meeting.”

Akira smiled, “Right then, let’s get out of here.”

With that, she took a running start before leaping out of the destroyed window. Landing on two feet, the magical girl looked down at the girl she had just saved. “You’re ok now.”

The green haired girl gazed up at her softly. “Y-you’re…a diviner.”

Akira raised her brow in surprise, “a diviner? What’s that?”

“Well-“

The duo was interrupted as a salamander-like creature approached them.

“So you’re the one behind the rocket attack. I guess I should have known.” Akira frowned and lowered the girl against a wall, “You stay here, I’ll take care of this.”

The green haired girl watched in awe as the short haired girl raised her fists and charged. “So that’s…a Diviner.”

“I’m surprised you’ve heard of that term, Kako Natsume.”

Kako turned her head to see a white furred cat drop from the ceiling next to her. “Oh, you’re the one they call Lord Kyube.”

“So you’ve heard of me as well. Though in these parts I go by Kyubey.” The cat flicked its tail. “Where have you heard of such things?”

Kako thought back to her past. “The legend of the Diviners, who are summoned by Lord Kyube, is a tale that’s been passed down in my family for generations.

“Though,” she admitted, “We barely know anything more than that they exist and they fight devils.”

Kyubey swished its tail in understanding. “I see. Here in Kamihama, Diviners are called Magical girls and devils are called Witches. Magical girls make a wish and in exchange can receive the ability to hunt witches.”

“I see. So she’s a magical girl.”

“Yes. Akira Shinobu is a newer magical girl but is already proving self as a capable warrior.”

“And…that devil…err witch…attacked my home.”

“So it seems. But you can restore it, Kako Natsume. You have the potential to become a magical girl.”

“I-I do?”

“The fact that you can see me should be proof you have potential.”

“I-I see.”

“So then Natsume Kako. Will you make a contract with me and become a magical girl?”

Akira grunted as she blocked the familiar’s tail with her arms. This may be one of the toughest familiars she has fought before. Which wasn’t saying much since she had only been fighting for a week, but regardless, it was tough.

“Just…die already!” Akira shouted, trying to get closer to the familiar. But every time she advanced, the damned lizard would swipe its tail at her, forcing her on the defense.

“I need another plan.” Akira muttered, “How do I get close?”

“Take this!”

A brilliant beam of green energy smashed into the familiar, knocking it off balance. Akira glanced back to see the green haired girl, now wearing a green and black outfit and holding a long spear in her hands. “Go! You’re clear!”

“Got it!“ Akira smirked, rushing towards the witch. Her feet slogged through the muddy puddles, but still kept pushing forward. With a mighty leap, Akira rose up and landed a mighty kick on the familiar’s head.

With a groan, the familiar collapsed, defeated.

Akira panted, her adrenaline fading, her body finally noticing she has soaked to the skin. She shivered but gave the green haired girl a thumbs up.

“Thanks for the save! Did you just contract?”

“N-no problem. I’m…really sorry about that. I…I just made my wish and well…”

The two looked back to see the restored bookstore, looking almost brand new. “I think…my wish was worth it.” The green haired girl smiled innocently.

Akira nodded, “I’m Akira Shinobu.”

“Kako Natsume.”

“And I am Kyubey.”

The duo looked down at the white creature and smiled.

“So…” Akira pondered, “This witch shot a rocket at your bookstore. Did it strike anything else?”

The duo looked at each other before nodding. “There might be other places that need our help!”

And with that, the new duo took off.

As the fires burned, the Kamihama emergency response teams across the city were rushing into action. Many times though, all the brave men and women of the Kamihama services would arrive only the find the carnage had already been dealt. And only tears were to be shed.

Seated inside one of the many ambulances dashing through Sankyou Ward, a lone girl lay crying over one such casualty.

Shizuku Hozomi had barely known the young college student who frequented her family’s coffee shop for long. All she knew was that he was a photographer and wanted to travel the world in search of the perfect place. And that, that sounded wonderful. The perfect place, a place where you would feel at easy, comfortable. A place where you would belong.

Sure, some might call it a teenage crush, but Shizuku wouldn’t call it that. More, it was two souls bonding over the same ideal. Two soul who connected over a similar wish. It’s why she never felt awkward around the man 4 years her senior. They just were place buddies.

So when she had gotten the message on her phone that her friend had been hit by a truck, Shizuku needed to be at his side.

And her stupid, idiot father wouldn’t let her! He said it was too late. He said she shouldn’t go out chasing men! He called her a child for saying that she was chasing a stupid crush!

Why didn’t he get that they weren’t like that? For damns sake, she was  into girls! Not that she would ever admit that to him, but, dammit.

And that’s when that white cat appeared before her, offering that wish.

Without hesitation, Shizuku accepted the offer and in an instant was by his side.

Just in time to see him pass.

And thus, in the pouring rain, Shizuku Hozomi said farewell to one of her only friends. As she asked around, she found out a tanker truck had appeared out of nowhere, rampaged through the streets before vanishing once more.

Shizuku Hozomi cried her soul out for her lost friend, as she silently swore to find the trucker behind this, and they would be on the receiving side of her new, razor sharp chakrams.

“Hey, she’s waking up. Go get the others.”

Karin slowly opened her eyes slowly as she groggily weaved through the cobwebs of her mind. When she came to, she found herself in a posh living room. She was laying on a red couch, covered in blankets.

As her eyes focused, she recognized a familiar face.

“Karin, how are you feeling?” Mami Tomoe asked concerned.

“Huh, Mami? Wh-where am I?” Karin managed. Last thing she remembered, she was flying out of Kamihama. Where was she now?

“You’re at my place. Kyouko found you.” Mami gestured to the redhead.

Karin realized that two other girls were in the room. She recognized Mel, but she didn’t the new redhead.

“Umm… thanks.” Karin thanked the new girl.

Kyouko nodded, “It’s no biggie. If it wasn’t for Mami here recognizing that poofy hat of yours, I wouldn’t have known you were their friend.”

Karin chuckled. Mel looked over at Karin in concern. “So like, why were you in Kazamino City in the first place? And in the pouring rain?”

“Well…” Karin muttered, realizing just what had happened. She had flown into Kazamino city, which led to Kyouko finding her and bringing her to Mami.

“I’ve sorta been kicked out of Kamihama.”

Chapter Text

Mikazuchi: 12 months before Main Story

Yachiyo once more found herself in the ever loved and filled Mikazuchi living room. This time, there were only four others with her. To her left, Tsuruno sat uncomfortably, fidgeting with her nails. Across from her, Momoko, Kaede, and Rena sat. Rena had a cast on her right leg and a pair of crutches leaning against the wall. Another example of the dangers magical girls faced on a daily basis.

“Thanks for coming in.” Yachiyo greeted the girls, “we’ve got a lot to talk about.”

Momoko nodded, analyzing the situation. “I’m guessing this has something to do with all the fires last night.”

Tsuruno chuckled nervously. “Heh heh, something like that.”

Yachiyo sighed before sitting down. “Before we get started about last night, there’s something we need to discuss concerning us, or rather, all of us as magical girls. It’s time we told you the truth.”

“And so, because of that Karin will not be working with our team.” Mifuyu finished explaining.

Hanna took a moment to take in the news. This…this was all her fault wasn’t it? Karin had seen what she had done and now she had tried to do something. And so she was guilty for getting people killed and destroying Kamihama.  And…

“Hey Hanna!”

Hanna froze as she turned to Kanae.

“I know what you’re thinking.” Kanae interjected, “But this is not your fault. This is Karin’s. And probably Yachiyo and I for not noticing her behavior sooner.”

“Oh Kanae, it’s not the fault of you and Yach-chan.” Mifuyu hugged Kanae.

She sighed, “I don’t think it’s anyone’s fault personally. It’s the Incubator’s fault.” She spat the word venomously.

“In the end,” Mifuyu concluded, “Karin is currently exiled and left Kamihama. I’m sorry.”

The trio took in the information. “I wish…I wish I could talk to her.” Hanna spoke softly. “She-she shouldn’t have to be alone.”

Kanae smiled, “I’m sure you’ll be able to see her soon. I don’t think Yachiyo has any intention to leave Karin unsupervised.”

Mifuyu smiled, “yeah, that sounds like Yach-chan. Being strict and stern with one hand, but being really concerned and motherly with the other.”

The trio chuckled lightly. Hanna paused as she realized she had chuckled with them. That was most certainly…new.

“Oh and by the way.” Mifuyu added, “Yach-chan and I convinced social services to let us house you while Azaela is being investigated.”

“Really?“ Hanna asked, startled by the revelation. “Azalea house is actually being investigated?”

Mifuyu chuckled, “Turns out, after I made my complaint from the Azusa family, many other families began sharing similar complaints they’ve heard from the house.”

“There were plenty of voices,” Kanae observed, “They just needed someone to take the first step.”

Hanna considered her situation, “I see. But is there enough space?”

Kanae nodded, “Yes. I’m moving out of my room.”

Hanna raised her brow. “You’re moving out?”

Mifuyu giggled, “yes! She’s going to be my roommate!”

Hanna rolled her eyes. But she felt a warm sensation pouring over her, like as though, for the first time, she belonged with the new family that she was invited to.

“So, why are we here?” Meiyui questioned the raven haired magical girl.

Homura sipped her tea coolly, “I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about? You did ask me to a meal before.”

Meiyui sighed, “Fair point, but why here?”

The Kamihama Tower restaurant was considered one of the most hip and trending meal spots in Kamihama, with a reservation list that typically required calling months in advanced. And now, two magical girls sat facing the gorgeous Kamihama skyline.

The two girls were already attracting whispers and stares as people recognized the two girls.

“I had a few favors the place owed me.” Homura responded offhandedly, “Yachiyo and I did a shoot here and did some promotional material for them on the side. A simple table for two was no problem in return.”

Meiyui gazed over the menu and read the contents carefully. “I see. Then I think I’ll get the carbonara with a side of garlic bread.”

“A good choice.” Homura mused, “I think I’ll get the braised sea bass.”

The two placed their orders and turned their gaze to the blinking lights of Kamihama.

“So…we should talk.” Meiyui acknowledged.

“That we should.” Homura agreed.

Meiyui allowed the silence to carry for a minute before sighing. “How about this, you ask me a question, then I’ll ask you one. Then we can go from there.”

Homura paused before nodded, “Alright then. You’re new to Kamihama. How long were you in China?”

“As in how long I was a magical girl? Three years. My entirety of middle school was spent  in Hong Kong though.”

“I see. Your turn then.”

“Very well. How long have you been a magical girl?“

Homura paused before answering, “It’s complicated. I’ve been in Kamihama for two years though.”

“I see. Next question?”

“W-what’s it like in Hong Kong?”

“Well,” Meiyui sipped her tea, “It was rough. Hong Kong has over three hundred magical girls at any given time.”

“That must make it rough to hunt for grief seeds.” Homura observed.

“Well yes,” Meiyui agreed, “But at the same time, we had an abundance of witches. Most magical girls do not last very long in Hong Kong. And thus-“

“They witch out and become prey for the veterans.” Homura finished.

“Exactly.” Meiyui responded without hesitation. “The smart and powerful ones form factions not to dissimilar from the ones you have here. Except for one small detail.”

Homura raised her brow, “Go on.”

“Magical girls in Hong Kong join the triads. The crime families of Hong Kong.”

“They work alongside the civilians?”

“I’d hardly call them civilians. But yes. The Triads have control of the night. They control all the comings and goings around Hong Kong. So it’s only natural that they would control the magical girl factions as well.”

“How does that work?”

Meiyui shrugged, “Exactly how you think it would. The Triads protect magical girl families and sponsor them. In exchange, magical girls do favors and jobs only they can pull off.”

Homura took that into consideration. “So it’s a mutually beneficial agreement.”

Meiyui sighed, “if only. The triads control a lot of the places where witches can be found, so most magical girls have to cooperate to even begin to hunt witches. Most of the time, they have us assist them with smuggling or even gang wars.”

“Magical girl gang wars?”

“It’s a regular occurrence there.” The blunette’s eyes darkened as she recalled the hundreds of fights she had participated in. “Many times, magical girls of different factions end up fighting each other to assist their sponsored triad.”

Homura’s eyes narrowed, “And the incubator allows this?“

Meiyui shrugged, “No one cares what the incubator thinks. Hong Kong is such a cesspool of despair that contracts are easy and they have an endless pool of recruits to take advantage of. That’s why magical girl life is so damn cheap there.”

“But you left.”

Meiyui didn’t even bother to respond, simply nodding.

Homura processed the new reality. To think that the rest of the world would be so starkly different from her own life in Mitakihara and Kamihama.

“Enough about you. Ask me a question.” Homura changed the topic.

“Well then…” Meiyui mused, “Why do you use normal fire arms?”

Ah, that was an easy one. “I have a lower than average magic reserve. To make up for this, I use regular firearms to supplement my lack of magic. I even made homemade bombs back in the day.”

“You don’t anymore?“

Homura rolled her eyes. “Yachiyo dislikes having my bomb making equipment in her house. I have to make them elsewhere but it’s just too inconvenient. So I am back to using grenades and C4 I can find at SDF bases.”

The blunette stifled a chuckle, “I see. To think the enforcer of Kamihama still has to obey house rules.”

The raven haired girl pouted. “It’s not like that. Yachiyo practically waives my rent, so the least I can do is follow her guidelines.”

“Say,” Meiyui smirked, “The Blue Seas Family has some old armories that you could do your bomb work in. If you’re interested?”

Homura narrowed her eyes, “What’s the catch?”

Rolling her eyes, Meiyui shook her head, “Oh it’s nothing like what you’re thinking. The Blue Seas Family of Kamihama has gone legit for years. Nothing that requires the muscle that you think we’d need. More rather, if you could increase your efforts in keeping dangerous and harmful weaponry off the streets, many of us would feel a lot safer.”

Homura nodded in understanding, “You want me to disarm your rivals and ensure they can’t gain enough strength to cause trouble.”

Shrugging, Meiyui sighed, “Something of the sort. I respect and admire you Akemi. You obviously are in this work to protect the people close to you, and are willing to go to less than legal extents to do so. I respect someone with that dedication. It’s only natural that I would want to support you in your efforts.”

Homura processed what was said…and what wasn’t said and gasped. “That’s a really round about way of telling me you want us to be partners.”

“What can I say?” The blunette chuckled, raising a hand to cover her face, “You’re sharp, clever, adaptable, and not bad on the eyes if I do say so myself. I cannot grasp why you’re not showered in love letters.”

“My manager takes care of that.”

“So do I need to go through your manager to-“

“Not at all. I’m capable of making my own decisions.” Homura quipped, before clasping her hands on the table. “You interest me Chun. You’re resourceful, snarky, and are not afraid to get your hands dirty. But you’re also honorable, honest, and are willing to call people out when they need it. I’ve met a few girls like you, but they’ve never interested me like you do now.”

The two gazed into each other’s eyes, searching for any sign of weakness before the two heard a faint click noise. The two spun around to see a young woman sitting across two tables lower a camera. Meiyui shot an annoyed look at the woman but Homura stopped her from getting up. “It’s a futile effort. She’s probably a paparazzi spying on me.”

Meiyui raised her shoulders, “The life of a celebrity must be rough indeed. Am I going to find my face on the next tabloid? ‘Akemi swings for the other team? Homura Akemi on date with blunette’?”

“Don’t underestimate their sources.” Homura pointed out, somewhat amused. “It’d be closer to ‘Akemi in debt? Fraternization with local Yakuza boss’.”

“How about this? ‘Akemi taking over the city? Model meets with family association heiress’.”

Homura couldn’t help herself, she laughed. “That…that was pretty good.”

Meiyui paused before grinning, “You should do that more often.”

“What?”

“Smile.”

Homura paused. When…when was the last time she had let down her guard enough to smile? The raven haired girl had to ask herself. There was something peculiar, something intriguing about the blunette that could so easily make her lower her guard. Meiyui Chun was as far from Madoka as possible, yet here she was, laughing and smiling in a way she had only ever shown Madoka. This…needed further investigation.

“What can I say?” She managed, “Your charming personality has won me over.”

The apartment was small, but cozy.

“It was the best I could do on short notice.” Konoha Shizumi protested.

“I was kidding Konoha,” Hazuki Yusa chided, laying down a packing box. “It’s just perfect for the three of us.”

“Hey hey, Hazu-nee! Kono-nee! It’s so nice! Do I get my own room?” Ayame Mikuri giggled in excitement.

Konoha sighed. “Yes. You get your own room. Konoha and I will share the other one.”

“Yay!” Ayame cheered.

Hazuki turned back towards the door. “I’ll go grab the rest of the boxes.”

Konoha nodded, “Thanks Hazuki. I’ll start unpacking here.”

As the three girls began the moving in process, only one thought resided in their minds. A single mission, a single goal. They would find the terrorist, the villain responsible for ruining their old home, and they would make them pay. To feel the wrath of the sister trio.

“You’re probably wondering why I called you all here together.” Nanaka Tokiwa observed the assembled magical girls. The five girls in her living room were all the girls who Kyubey had suggested come.

“That’s because each one of you were involved with the ‘rocket witch’.”

Akira Shinobu inhaled at the name. “You mean the attacks on Sankyou Ward?”

Nanaka nodded, “That’s correct. The ‘rocket witch’ launched the rockets at various sites in Sankyou Ward. The result was that our homes were hit.”

Nanaka could see the redhead, Konomi Haruna, narrow her eyes. “The witch killed people. It needs to pay.”

“Of course. I lost my father. You lost your aunt. This witch must find justice.” The heiress agreed. “And you lost your friend?”

Shizuku Hozomi frowned, “I don’t know if mine was due to a witch. Mr. R was hit by a truck.”

The girl seemed hesitant as to her involvement to the witch it seemed. Nanaka was about to respond when the green haired girl beat her to it. “Umm…I don’t know if you knew this, but witches can influence people to do things. They call it a witch’s kiss. So it’s very likely the witch made the truck driver hit your friend.” Kako Natsume volunteered. As the room turned to her, she cowered slightly. “At least, that’s what my books tell me.”

That peaked Nanaka’s interest. “Books? What kind of books?”

The green haired girl pulled out a series of older looking books. “It turns out, magical girls runs through my family. I’ve found several records detailing my ancestors being magical girls called Diviners who fought witches, who were called demons. This journal from my ancestor details the abilities of the demons that she fought.”

“No way!” Akira exclaimed, opening a book. “So you’re saying your ancestors were magical girls?”

“A-at least some of them. It’s strange though.”

“Why?” Nanaka asked, also helping herself to a journal.

“Well…” Kako explained, “The journals are incomplete. And most of them are over a century old. So we’re missing a lot of information and don’t have a good grasp of the bigger picture .”

Shizuku Hozomi browsed through one of the journals. “Do we know anything about this…Diviner village? Seems like something to check out.”

Kako shook her head. “Sorry, I checked all the records and there are no maps of where the village is.”

“I see. Anyways, I believe that it is in our best interest to hunt down and remove the witch responsible for this tragedy.” Nanaka proposed.

Konomi nodded, “Makes sense. If we all work together, we’ll find that rocket witch a lot sooner. And then I’ll get to tear it apart and watch it writhe in pain.”

“You and me both.” Shizuku agreed.

Akira looked back and forth between the two bloodthirsty magical girls before sighing. “And I’d better stick around to keep them from murdering someone before that happens.”

Nanaka smirked, “Then I believe we are in agreement. We’ll form a team, one capable of tracking and bringing the rocket witch to justice.”

Kako Natsume trudged home, her heart heavy.

“You seem troubled, Kako Natsume.” A familiar voice interceded.

Kako looked down to see a white tailed familiar. “Oh, hello Kyubey.”

“Is something the matter?” The cat asked.

“Why do you lie?”

“Pardon?”

Kako turned her bitter gaze towards the white creature. “Why do you hide the truth?”

“Truth?”

Kako frowned, “You hide from us the truth about magical girls.”

“Ahh…” Kyubey responded in a curious tone. “Where perchance did you find that out?”

The green haired girl pulled a worn hardcover book from her bag. She opened the book slowly and turned to a certain page. “When a magical girl has fully depleted their magic, when their soul gems turn pitch black, their despair will erupt and their gems shatter, and leave behind a single being: a witch, the very being they swore to destroy. And thus, the cycle of magical despair continues in never ending suffering.”

The two remained silent for what seemed like an eternity before Kyubey answered. “That is a very poetic way to describe the magical girl life cycle. Where praytell did you find that book? I was under the impression that book was no longer in circulation.”

Kako frowned, “I found it in the deep part of the school library. The book was recalled, but someone had hid a copy in our library. I only had heard rumors, but it turns out, Tatsuke Satomi’s ‘On Magical Girls: Their Hopes and Despair’ did in fact manage to sell a few copies before they went out of circulation.”

“It should be said, I do not lie. I only inform girls in a gradual pace, telling them what they need to know on a case by case basis.”

Kako frowned and turned to another page. “The incubator will often try to explain away its lies by claiming that magical girls are not told all the details for their own sake.”

“Ahh…this book is very interesting. It knows me very well.” The incubator admitted. “What will you do with this information, Kako Natsume?”

Kako sighed, “I’m…not sure. I could tell the others, but our fates are already sealed.”

“That they are. In fact, if you were to tell them, they most likely would become witches sooner.”

“The book mentions that too. Satomi mentions that the girls who live the longest are those who discovered the truth later in their careers and worked through it slowly.” Kako mentioned. “This book is very useful. I would have panicked and freaked out if I didn’t have it.”

“In fact, Kako Natsume, it would be in your best interest to keep this information to yourself.”

Kako glared at the incubator. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“What Nanaka and her friends do not know was that the labeled ‘Rocket witch’ they seek is in fact not a witch, but actually a magical girl who rampaged after discovering the truth. If they were to find out this fact…”

“-they would go on a quest for vengeance.” Kako understood. “Sure Nanaka might be more forgiving since she says she’s fighting for justice, but Konomi and Shizuku definitely would want blood.”

“Exactly. And thus, it would be in their best interest that this information never fall into their hands.”

“And in exchange for keeping this fact from them, you want me to keep silent.”

“This would be a mutually beneficial relationship. Kako Natsume.”

Kako frowned as tears welled up in her eyes. “Th-that’s not fair. They deserve the truth.”

“Even if the truth will hurt them and many others?”

The rest of the walk home was in silence and quiet sobs. 

Chapter Text

Mitakihara 11 months before main story

To say Karin was nervous was to say that Phantom Thief Kirin had no qualms using justice to rationalize thievery. Which was to say, of course she was nervous.

“Class, we’re going to have a new student transferring into our class.” The teacher introduced.

Karin nodded, writing her name on the chalkboard, “Hi, I’m Karin Misono. I like drawing manga. Please take care of me.”

Transferring to Mitakihara in the middle of the school year was…awkward to say the least. Though with a bit of Mami’s connections, enrolling in the school was no problem.

As Karin sat down, she asked herself whether all this effort was worth it. To completely move from Kamihama, to leave her family and friends behind…just to spite Yachiyo. She didn’t have to move. She could have lived in Sakae and just hunted in the outskirts. But…that just wouldn’t be fitting. She had something to prove.

“Misono.”

Karin Misono would prove magical girls could be saved. Karin Misono would find a way for magical girls to survive. Karin Misono would prove Yachiyo wrong.

“Misono?”

And to do that, she needed to be completely free from Yachiyo’s grasp. Which wouldn’t be easy, but moving away from Kamihama was a start.

“Hey, new girl!”

Karin jerked out of her thoughts as she looked around. The entire class had turned to face her. The purple haired girl realized she had just been called on…

“Y-yes!”

The teacher smiled softly, “Perhaps you could keep your head out of the clouds and return to the class.”

“O-of course.” Karin nodded.

A minute later, Karin slouched down on her seat in shame.

“Hey, new girl.”

Karin turned to see her neighbor, a shorter hair blunette, waving at her.

“Y-yes?”

“You ok? You seemed out of it.” The girl gave a concerned look.

Karin shook her head. “I’m fine. Was just thinking.”

The blunette gave a goofy grin. “Ok. If you need anything, feel free to let us know. Miss Health Rep over there will be happy to help.”

A pinkette next to the blunette waved. “If you’re ever feeling unwell let me know!”

Karin nodded, “Thanks. I’m Ka-“

“Karin Misono, we know.” The blunette smirked. “I’m Sayaka Miki. Miss health rep next to me is Madoka Kaname. Over in the back is Hitomi Shizuki and Kyousuke Kamijou.”

Karin smiled, “Umm, thanks for the offer, I think I’ll be fine though.”

How much she wanted class to be over.

“I’m so glad you made friends, Karin.”

Karin shook her head, “I didn’t make friends Mami, they’re just classmates.”

“Don’t be too tough on yourself Karin.“ Mel flipped through her tarot cards, “I’ll pull a fortune of friendship for you.”

The trio of magical girls sat together on the rooftop.

As Mel analyzed her cards, Karin opened her bento. “Thanks for making lunch Mami.”

Mami smiled, “Oh please, it’s the least I could do. After all, you’ve already done so much after moving in.”

Karin didn’t respond as she dug her chopsticks into her rice. Chewing slowly, the purple haired girl ate in silence.

A voice suddenly intruded.

“Ah, Karin Misono there you are.”

The trio turned to see an annoying white cat run up to them. Karin’s eyes narrowed. “What do you want Kyubey?”

“I am simply trying to welcome you to Mitakihara.” The incubator responded. “You have been highly resistant to my conversation attempts.”

“Oh geez,” Karin rolled her eyes, “It’s not like you convinced me to do the stupidest stunt in my life and got me kicked out of Kamihama.”

“But you were not kicked out. You chose to leave on your own initiative.”

“Potato’s Tomatos.” Karin shot back.

“Kyubey,” Mami’s eyes turned cold, “You aren’t welcome here. So I’m going to give you one warning before I make you leave.”

The white haired cat seemed to ignore her. “But it is in Karin Misono’s best wishes that she work alongside us to protect herself from her-“

Crack!

The cat’s head blew up before it could finish. Karin turned around to see not Mami, but Mel holding a smoking pistol. Mel glared at the smoking corpse before reverting her pistol back into a tarot card.

“That should teach that worm.” Mel muttered, somewhat satisfied. Then she frowned, “And that was your friendship reading too. Drats!”

Mami sighed, “I was going for something less loud.”

Mel shrugged, “It deserved it.”

She couldn’t help it. Karin laughed, “Thanks guys. But I’m fine.”

To think, only a month ago, all three girls were in terrible despair.

Karin’s thoughts were interrupted when the door slammed open.

“It was here, I swear i heard the noise here!“

Sayaka burst in, the blunette followed quickly by a pinkette and a brown haired boy.

Sayaka took one look at the trio before gasping. “Misono, you know the twin darlings of the second years?”

“Oh wow!” Madoka gasped on aww.

Kyousuke frowned, “Some darlings they are. More like nuisances.”

Mel perked up at the remake. “Oi, it’s not my fault you have terrible misfortune.”

“Tell that to my face you wretched fortune teller!”

“I am!”

Mami sighed, “Hello girls. Kamijou.”

Karin turned to Mami, “The Darlings of the second years?”

Sayaka jerked a thumb at the two older girls, “Tomoe and Anna are some of the most beautiful girls in the second year and are really popular!”

Madoka nodded, “They’re so pretty!”

Karin frowned, “I guess…”

“Mami might be,” the sole boy retorted, “But Anna is bad news.”

Mel pouted, “Hey it’s not my fault that you keep getting bad luck!”

“I broke my arm last week!”

“Not my fault! Haven’t you read my disclaimer?”

“Your disclaimer is bs!“

Mami leaned over to Karin. “What he doesn’t know is that I make Mel fix all his problems. Including his injuries.”

“Oh I see!” Karin giggled.

“Ahem!” Sayaka interrupted. “So how do you know these girls?”

Karin paused, “Well, actually I’m living with them.”

“You are?“ The blunette and pinkette asked in surprise.

Mami nodded, “Yes, Karin’s guardian was a friend of mine. So when she transferred here, I offered to let her stay with me.”

“So you get to live with Tomoe and Anna?” Sayaka’s eyes sparked. “Do you have parents live you?“

Mami shook her head. “No, I lost my parents as a child.”

“I’m on scholarship.” Mel commented, “My parents live in Kamihama.”

“I’m on scholarship too.” Karin added, “So Mami let me stay with her.”

“That’s so cool!” Sayaka awed, “Do you like, stay up all night? Or snack all the time?”

Karin thought about their evenings, regularly spent hunting witches and searching for clues about magical girls. “Well…there are some advantages, but it’s not what you think.”

The blue haired girl frowned before extending a hand. “Anyways, I’m Sayaka Miki! Let’s be friends!”

Karin paused before taking the hand. “Yes!”

That evening

“So you ended up making friends with Mel’s arch nemesis?” Kyouko asked.

The quartet of magical girls were perched on the Mitakihara Civil Center, one of the tallest buildings in the city. From there, the city skyline loomed before them, as far as the eye could see.

“Hey! Kamijou isn’t my nemesis! It’s not my fault every fortune I draw for him ends up being terrible misfortune.” Mel shot back.

Karin paused thoughtfully before adding, “Maybe he should run around screaming ‘such misfortune’.”

The quartet froze to stare their purple haired teammate. Karin shrugged, “What? You don’t know the reference?”

Mami shook her head, “Look, I’ve seen enough to know the reference, but…that’s ridiculous.”

Mel laughed awkwardly, “Yeah! That’s totally fictional! There’s no way that moron would actually be that cursed just because of his surname.”

“I mean, if it were true, would that make us all part of his harem?” Kyouko added.

The quartet took a moment to process the thought. Karin frowned, but shook her head. “Yeah I don’t see it.”

Mami laughed, “Yeah, he’s nice and all, but he’s kinda stuck up.”

Kyouko stared at the green haired girl. “You seem to be stuck? What? Misfortune got your tongue?”

Mel’s cheeks reddened, “What me? No of course not! I was just lost on the sheer stupidity of the idea! Me? Falling for that violin nut? Give me a break! I’d rather fall for Kanagi!”

Mami shuddered, “Yeah, no.”

The girls’ reactions varied from snickers to chuckles as the summer breeze blew past them.

“Ah there you are.”

The quartet turned to find a familiar white cat walk up to them. “I was worried when you refused to talk to me this afternoon. Perhaps you could elaborate as to why you wish to meet now?”

The mood changed instantly. Mami and Mel summoned firearms, Kyouko rolled back, her spear in her hands instantly, but Karin remained calm. “It’s alright guys, I asked Kyubey here.”

The white incubator turned its eyes onto the blonde, “You seem so stiff Mami Tomoe. Why, were we not friends a month ago?”

Mami’s eyes narrowed, “That was before I realized you had been using us.”

“Don’t talk to her, you damned schemer.” Mel added, her gun still trained on the deceiver.

“Guys!” Karin glared at her new teammates.

Slowly, the trio lay their weapons. Mami turned to Karin. “You get 5 minutes before I shoot it.”

Karin sighed, “Thanks Mami.”

“I see Mami is much more calm than previously. We were certain she would have caused the equivalent destruction and damage you did Karin Kisono.” The incubator commented.

Karin grimaced but forced herself calm. “Kyubey, we need information.”

“What sort of information Karin Misono?”

Karin took in a deep breath, “Tell us about the longest and oldest surviving magical girls.”

The incubator swished its tail. “Why you know several of them. Yachiyo Nanami, Mifuyu Azusa, and Kanagi Izumi.”

Karin paused to consider it. “That’s a good point. But they survived because they had good partners and teams. Tell me about the oldest surviving solo magical girl.”

The incubator gazed right into Karin’s eyes, making her feel incredibly uncomfortable. “Ahh, then you’re speaking of Mikoto Tsubaki.”

“Mi-Mikoto Tsbuaki?” Karin frowned, “I’ve never heard of her.”

“Yes! That is because she lives far north. But in Japan, she is the current oldest magical girl, having survived for 5 years solo and survived to the age of 20.”

Karin wrote that down, “So where can we find her?”

Kyubey dropped one of its ears. “Why do you wish to find her?”

“I cannot try to save magical girls on my own.” Karin sighed, “I was headstrong, and I didn’t realize how much I would mess up when I tried to fix things on my own.

“When I tried to fix it on my own, I caused huge problems. So now I want to try a different way.” Karin resolved, “I have a new team. New friends who are willing to help me on my quest.”

The purple haired girl thought of her new friends, Mami, Mel, and Kyouko. How they had handled the revelation, her own misdeeds, and her failures. They could have rejected her, but instead they resolved to help her on her quest. They weren’t the girls of Mikazuchi, but they had a very different feel. Unlike in Kamihama, where she felt like she was the rookie and underling of the group, in Mitakihara, she felt like an equal, like they were partners and colleagues.

“So with that said,” Karin stared the white haired menace in the eyes, “We’re going to find our own way to save magical girls! We’ll do our research. We’ll find allies. We’ll forge our own way to salvation, and we’re going to do it right. So then Kyubey, where can we find Mikoto Tsubaki?“

A few hours earlier, across from Mitakihara Middle School

Homura put down her binoculars. It looked like Karin had settled in nicely with Mami and the others.

When Yachiyo had suggested that Karin would hook up with Mami and her team, Homura had rushed to the city as quickly as she could. When she found them, she expected a bloodbath. Previous timelines had taught her this.

To her surprise, she had found the group in a cuddle pile. Not wanting to intrude, Homura spent the next few weeks camping out and observing the group from afar.

She was genuinely surprised that Mami hadn’t exploded. Had Mel’s influence really been that good to her? Homura just didn’t get it.

Not to mention, Kyouko didn’t seem to rampage off either. No one had isolated themselves. Homura felt a sense of relief amidst her confusion. Like with Yachiyo and the others, Mami, Mel, and Kyouko actually were taking the news differently from what she had known prior.

A month later, Homura perched atop a neighboring building as she peered into the trio of girls resting atop the school roof.

“So, looks like we had nothing to worry about.”

Homura didn’t turn, but spoke. “For now. They could still try something dangerous.”

Meiyui shrugged from her spot a few meters from Homura’s rooftop perch. “I mean sure, but as long as they lay low and get comfortable at the school, I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

“You sound like you know from experience.” Homura turned her head toward the blue haired girl.

“I am.” Meiyui pulled a blue and white tin from her bag and opened it, “Girls who work in teams and have good chemistry tend to handle the truth better than those who fight solo. From what you’ve told me, Mami’s biggest concern was her sense of duty and responsibility to her teammates. I’d go on a stretch here and suggest that because she has a stable group of teammates who see each other as equals, her sense of duty and responsibility was counterbalanced by the equal dynamics of their team.”

The blunette pulled a pair of chopsticks from her bag and plucked some of the tofu goodness from the tin. “Get over here.”

Homura reluctantly sighed as she hopped down from her perch and opened her mouth. The familiar tofu covered in orange and red sauce entered her mouth. As she chewed, Homura felt the numbing sensation of the mapo sauce on her tongue, which gave way to the savory flavor and soft texture of the tofu.

When she swallowed, she found another serving on the same wooden chopsticks waiting for her. The raven haired teen frowned, “You don’t need to feed me all the time.”

Meiyui shrugged, “But I only brought one pair of chopsticks. And since you need to keep watch on those girls, it’s more efficient this way.”

Taking another bite, Homura knew the blunette was amused at their dynamic. The blue seas heiress had made a point of accompanying the raven haired teen on each and every of her excursions to Mitakihara. A month later, Homura asked herself who really was in control of the new relationship they had forged.

She returned to her perch, raising her binoculars once more. Meiyui was right. They were fine. It had been a month and nothing has gone wrong. She could afford to relax a bit.

It was in that moment that she froze, nearly dropping her binoculars.

“O-oi, you okay?” Meiyui’s concerned voice called out.

Ignoring her, Homura brought her binoculars back to her eyes. Sure enough, she was spot on. A certain familiar blue haired girl and…a pink haired girl with pigtails had entered the roof.

“I-impossible.” Homura muttered, knowing that it was…in fact very possible. Karin was the same age as her. If she transferred to the same school, it would only make sense that they could be in the same class as her. But then…would they encourage her to contract? Or would they discourage her? Would they let Kyubey get close to them or would they-

“-Hey, you ok?”

Homura felt a hand jerking her shoulder. Looking back, she found a very concerned Meiyui grasping her shoulder. “You ok? You look like you saw a ghost.”

Homura shook her head, “It’s nothing.”

Meiyui frowned and ripped the binoculars from the raven haired girl’s hands.

“Hey! Those are mine!” Homura protested.

“Hmm…” Meiyui frowned, ignoring Homura, “There’s a couple of civilians with them. But there’s nothing unusual about that. You think Kyubey might go after them?”

Homura shook her head, “I know the incubator will go after them. Both the blue haired and the pinked haired girl have potential.”

Meiyui raised her brow, “And how do you know that?”

Homura shook her head, “It’s complicated. But I can’t let them contract.”

And without a second thought, the raven haired girl leaped off the perch and left, leaving a very confused blunette.

Chapter Text

The huge hound like witch roared before pouncing forward.

“Here it comes!” Kako Natsume shouted, diving to the side. She just barely made it.

The hell hound missed the green magical girl by a hair, instead diving past her and skidding to a stop several meters behind her.

Panting hard, Kako hefted herself back onto her feet. “Shizuku, you ready?”

The lavender haired magical girl remained silent but walked towards the witch. The dog like witch turned its snout towards the girl, reared its hind legs and charged forwards. Shizuku Hozumi didn’t even flinch, but merely summoned a portal. An instant later, the witch charged through the portal, vanishing from existence.

Kako turned to the teleporter. “So…where did you send it?”

Shizuku didn’t say a word, but merely pointed…upwards.

Kako looked up. Her eyes widened as she noticed the small blip in the sky, getting steadily larger. “Oh no…”

The witch smashed onto the floor of the labyrinth headfirst. Kako barely managed to dive and roll out of the way the falling witch. Coughing from the dust, Kako turned around. “Did we kill it?”

Shizuku, standing safely out of the way, shook her head. “Don’t worry, I called for help.”

“Looks like I made it in time.”

Kako turned around to see a familiar redhead. Konomi Haruna cranked her neck, audibly cracking with each crank. As she approached the witch, her left hand dragged her oversized shears lazily on the ground of the labyrinth. Kako tried to ignore the fact that the ground the blades touched turned dark and swollen, as though infected by a deadly disease.

Konomi looked over the witch as it finally freed itself from the ground. “So…are you the one, the ‘Rocket witch’?” Konomi maintained eye contact with the hound’s fiery eyes, “I doubt it, but it matters little. You’ll make excellent practice for my shears.”

The hound roared and dashed forward, its legs running at a blurring pace.

“Watch out!” Kako shouted. But the flower girl seemed unfazed, stepped to the side at the last second. The witch zoomed merely millimeters from the girl.

In that moment, Konomi took action. The redhead summoned a pair of dark green barbs and stabbed them into the witch’s hind legs. The barbs dug into the ankle of the witch’s leg, shredding through the muscle and tissue of the leg.

The witch roared in pain, gnashing its massive maw towards the red haired girl. Konomi barely responded indifferently. Half strolling, half skipping, the red gardener almost lazily danced to the other side of the witch, casually dodging the easily choreographed attacks from the witch’s jaw. Once there, Konomi summoned a second set of barbs and shot them into the witch’s forelegs. Once satisfied, the redhead withdrew beyond the witch’s reach.

Kako watched in horrified fascination as the poison did its work. The witch’s black fur was turning a sickly green as the swelling continued to spread from the points where the barbs puncture flesh. It was obvious the witch was in pain, thrashing about in a wild frenzy, trying in desperation to scratch the points of pain. As it did, the poison seemed to spread even farther.

Konomi frowned, “Hmm…you think I used enough barbs? I thought it would have died at this point.”

Kako stared at the girl in horrified shock. “You think you hadn’t used enough?”

The redhead shrugged. “It was supposed to decompose the internal organs and muscles while still maintaining the outer skin. I think I need to adjust the concentration of acid.”

Shizuku looked casually at the dying witch. “Let’s put it out of its misery. It’s obvious it’s not the rocket witch.”

Kako nodded vigorously. “Yes. Let’s finish it. I don’t want her to suffer any longer.”

The redhead sighed, “Fine. I guess you have a point. I got enough data anyways.”

Kako hefted her spear and pointed it at the witch. Focusing her magic, she sent a beam of green magic at the witch, aiming at the head. Despite being disabled and in pain, the witch managed to dodge the shot.

Letting out a huff of annoyance, Kako adjusted her aim. A gloved hand touched her shoulder. “Let me help you.” Shizuku offered.

The lavender haired girl summoned a set of portals. Kako understood and fired her shot into the portal. The energy shot into the portal and exited just above the witch’s legs, tearing the already wounded legs into shreds. Without its legs supporting it, witch collapsed onto the ground. Kako rushed forward, hopping onto the witch’s furry back. Raising her spear high, Kako looked down at the witch’s head. “I’m sorry.” She managed, before shutting her eyes and swinging the spear downwards.

Kako stared at the black spindle in her hand. The dark grief seed seemed to weigh an astronomical ton in the palm of her hand. Only a short while ago, this was the soul of a magical girl. Another living and breathing girl just like her.

Tears welled up as she clenched her other fist. “It’s just not fair.” Kako whispered as she touched the grief seed to her soul gem, cleansing the darkness from her gem.

She turned to her teammates, both completely oblivious to the dark reality they lived in. “Here,” she passed the seed to the two. “Use it.”

Shizuku shook her head, “I’m fine.”

Kako glared at the lavender hair teleporter, “Use it.”

The girl titled her head in confusion but accepted the seed.

Konomi picked up the seed after her and used it in an instant. “So…we still haven’t found the rocket witch.”

Shizuku frowned, “I guess we’ll have to keep searching. Wanna come to my place? I can make us a fresh pot of coffee.”

“Thanks!”

Kako watched the two girls walk off, completely oblivious that they had to taken another life. Staring at the half consumed grief seed, the green haired girl let the tears fall down her cheeks. “It-it’s just not fair.”

Shinobu dojo

Nanaka Tokiwa ducked under the outstretched fist and threw a retaliation punch. Her opponent twisted her torso and dodged the strike, grabbing Nanaka’s forearm. Nanaka let out a shout of surprise as she felt her arm being pulled forward before she was sent flying over her opponent’s shoulder and onto the bamboo mats.

“Oof!”

Breathing hard, Nanaka lay dazed as she tried to recollect how she ended up there. That’s when a firm and strong hand was offered to her.

“Not bad,” Akira Shinobu commented, extending her hand. “You’re improving your guard and your attacks are getting less choreographed.”

“I still lost.” The cherry haired girl rolled her eyes, accepting the hand.

Akira chuckled, pulled the girl up. “To be fair, you’ve only been training for a week. I’ve been training since I was 6. To have gotten this fair in just a week is already a sign of your talent and skill as an heiress.”

Nanaka shook her head, “But I need to improve. I need to find the rocket witch and put it down.”

Akira shrugged, “Look, I appreciate that you asked me to train you, but do you honestly think that learning Aikido and Jujitsu will help you defeat a witch? Witches aren’t generally human shaped.”

Nanaka shook her head, “It teaches me to be agile, flexible, and versatile. Also…”

“Also?”

Nanaka frowned, “My magic is to detect malice and danger in an individual. In the last month and a half of being a magical girl, I’ve discovered that the world is full of dangerous and sinister individuals. Our opponent for today may be witches, but there may come a time where our opponents are humans or even other magical girls.”

She kept out the fact that she detected malice from sources that weren’t even human. To think, she would detect malice in Kyubey, in her family, and even in those who she had seen as her friends. It had been a truly frightening experience. Nanaka’s eyes narrowed at the thought. “I must be ready and prepared for anything.”

Akira didn’t seem to notice, “Gotcha. Right then, you ready to go again?”

Nanaka smirked and hefted her fist. “Let’s go!”

Azalea house

“Is that everything?”

“Yes.” Hanna replied, “There wasn’t much anyways.”

“It’s no problem,” Mifuyu chuckled, picking up the duffle bag.

Kanae hefted a pair of suitcases and smirked, “Let’s go.”

“I’ll be right behind you.” Hanna called to the older two girls.

As the two girls departed, Hanna looked back at her room. The old and rickety cot, worn wooden wardrobe, and dim lighting. She thought about the past 2 years she had spent there, the suffering, the pain, the abuse. And realizing now, she was finally free. She was being given a fresh start. A change to start over, make new friends, have a new family, one free of pain and abuse. It was time to move past the hurt…and become a new Hanna Sarasa.

Hanna felt a weird expression cross her face and glanced towards the chipped mirror. Her face had an expression she had never seen before; the points of her mouth were pointed ever so slightly upwards, her eyes were less strained and droopy, and her skin seemed a tone brighter. She…she was smiling.

Hanna felt her fingers touch her mouth in disbelief. Confirming that yes, she was indeed smiling, Hanna felt her body shudder in excitement. Shaking uncontrollably, Hanna let out a small giggle and tested it on the mirror. Sure enough, the smiling girl responded.

“Hanna? Are you ok?”

The purple haired girl froze, “yeah I’m fine.”

“Ok, Kanae and I are waiting downstairs when you’re ready.”

Hanna pulled herself away from the mirror and picked up her own backpack. “I’m coming.”

Joining her seniors, Hanna followed them out of the building and through the field of beautiful azalea flowers. As they exited the gate, Hanna took one last glance at the colorful building. How odd, that such a warm and colorful building could be the instrument of so much pain. Yet now, she was going to a better place. A place filled with warmth and smiles.

She almost didn’t feel the magic until it was too late.

“Hanna get back!”

A firm arm yanked the girl back just before a small form wizzed past where she had just stood.

Hanna’s eyes widened but her body instantly reverted into a combat stance, her outfit transforming as well. A brief glance around indicated that Kanae and Mifuyu had both transformed as well.

Hanna’s eyes searched for the source of the attack but only saw a pair of butterflies fluttering about.

Wait, butterflies, at night?

She transformed and aimed a pair of bursts at the butterflies. The butterflies dipped out of the way, rising upwards.

“Look out, it’s coming back!” She called out.

“I see it!” Kanae affirmed.

The butterflies flew in sharp circles, sending a powerful wind towards the trio. Hanna was ready this time and side stepped out of the way, firing another pair of magic bursts. The butterflies didn’t seem fazed in the least, easily fluttering over them and before resuming their attack.

The trio of girls dodged and retaliated; Mifuyu hurling her chakram while Kanae rushed forward. Hanna kept her senses up and tried to read the area. The butterflies where very obviously emitting magic, one that…she swore she had felt before. And then…there was another!

“Look out!” She called out.

It took all 4 years of Kanae’s experience to respond to the sudden burst of red energy. She raised her pipe and caught the burst head on. The pipe and razor blade of magic were at odds for a moment before the blonde activated her piercing magic and broke through the attack.

Having successfully parried the attack, Kanae’s eyes searched for the source of the attack, her arms tingling from the opposing magic.

“You ok?”

Kanae nodded, “Yeah, thanks for the warning.”

Mifuyu frowned in frustration. “I can’t land a hit on those butterflies!”

“We need to retreat.” Hanna suggested, “We’re outgunned.”

“As if we’d let you!” A young voice called out.

The trio turned to see a young cherry haired girl wearing a red and white coat and an eyepatch appeared before them. The girl was holding a wicked axe sword in both hands and had it poised to strike the girls.

Hanna recognized her signature as the girl who had shot the magic attack at Kanae. Briefly she considered swapping magics or even…hey, she could probably manipulate the girl to leave them alone using Sena’s manipulation magic. But…for some reason, the idea caused an unsettling feeling in her gut. Using manipulation magic to forcibly make the girl do her bidding felt…wrong. So instead, she prepared her most powerful burst of magic.

Mifuyu frowned, “Who are you? Why are you attacking us?“

The girl cocked a finger at the colorful building behind them. “You’re from the Azalea house, aren’t you?”

Hanna opened her mouth to answer but Kanae beat her to it. “Why do you care?”

The girl frowned, “Ya see, recently the place was attacked! It was set on fire. And ya know, whoever would do something so terrible as to attack an orphanage is bad news am I right?”

Hanna froze, her body stiffening at the thought. They…were here for her weren’t they?

Mifuyu narrowed her eyes. “And who are you to decide that? I don’t recognize you at all. You’re obviously not Kamihama girls. And that fire happened over a month ago.”

The girl froze awkwardly, “Umm…well, who the heck are you to decide that too?”

Mifuyu felt a small smirk forming on her face. “I’m Mifuyu Azusa, second in command to the Boss of the West. I make it my job to personally know every magical girl in the west. And I’ve never seen you before. So…you must be an outsider. What’s your name again?”

The cherry haired girl took a step back in astonishment. “Ahh well…I’m-“

“-she doesn’t need to answer that!”

“Mifuyu!”

Mifuyu felt a hand yank her back as the butterflies returned and sent a strike at her previous position.

Hanna has ready this time. Her senses fully enabled, she tracked down the source of the magic to a pair of trees several meters away.

“There she is!” She called, sending the bolt of magic towards the target.

The small grove of trees exploded forcing their inhabitant to leap forward. The perpetrator now exposed, Hanna could make out an older girl with blue hair. The girl wielded a staff with a pair of butterflies on each end. “So Miss Butterfly finally reveals herself.” Hanna chortled.

Butterfly tch’d before taking a battle stance.

Mifuyu glanced at Kanae, who nodded. The time for talk was over. The only way they would get information about them was through combat. Or…was it?

“Now!” Kanae shouted.

Mifuyu raised her chakram high and released a powerful pulse of magic. The pulse came out a blinding light combined with a billowing cloud of mist.

The two attacking girls shielded their eyes from the light and sent bursts of magic at the mist. But when they recovered, the trio of girls were gone.

Grocery store

“Hmmm,” the girl compared the two brands of curry, “This one is the generic brand. But I know Ayame loves this brand…”

Hazuki Yusa, resident mother, big sister, house wife, and only 15 years old, sighed and put the generic brand back on the shelf. “Just this once.”

As she turned to leave, she collided with a body.

“Oh my, I’m sorry.” She bowed as she pushed forward.

“No way, Hazuki Yusa?”

The tall blonde froze. She slowly turned around to find a shorter blue haired girl…though not her blue haired sister.

She gasped, “Yachiyo Nanami!”

The resident model smiled as she gazed upward at the blonde. “My you’ve grown. I barely recognized you.”

Hazuki chuckled nervously. How did she know who she was? “Is that so? I must say, it’s been a while…”

“3 years I’d say.” The blunette nodded, “So when did you come back to Kamihama? I haven’t seen you since-“

“-that time you visited the Azalea House.”

The model nodded, “That’s right. It was so long ago. Have you heard from Ayame and Konoha? I haven’t heard anything about them.”

“Ah well,” Hazuki externally was calm, but internally her mind was running at breakneck pace. How did this model who chatted with them once 3 years ago remember them? Didn’t their wish remove all evidence of their existence at the Azaela house? “They’re fine. Actually it’s a long story, but we’re all living together…”

“Is that so? You had vanished all those years ago, I had assumed you’d all been adopted. It’s great to hear you’re all together.” Yachiyo seemed to buy it, “So when did you come back?”

“Ah,” that was an easier question, “We came back to Kamihama a week ago. See, we had heard about a fire at the Azalea house. We were worried.”

Yachiyo seemed to raise her brow in surprise, “Is that so? That was a pretty small fire.”

Small? How was a blazing inferno a small fire?

Yachiyo continued, “Actually I have a friend who was living there and she said it was contained rather quickly. But right now it’s not in a good place.”

Hazuki raised her brow, “Wait really?”

Yachiyo nodded, “Azalea house is under investigation for child abuse.”

“No way! I never heard about that.” That was not known. They had not heard anything about that in their initial investigation.

“Ah well, it would make sense. It’s pretty hush. I only found out due to a friend inside.” Yachiyo shrugged.

Hazuki’s breath was short. There was a lot they needed to investigate, and Yachiyo continued to unnerve her with this mysterious knowledge.

“Ah well, thanks for letting us know.” The blonde scratched her head nervously, “I guess things really have changed from our time. It was nice seeing you again. We should definitely catch up sometime.”

Turning to leave, Hazuki took too steps before she felt a buzzing from her skirt pocket. Reaching down, she checked the number and felt a shiver go down her spine. “Hello?”

Hazu-nee, they got away!

She glanced around towards the blunette, but she too was on the phone. Clutching the phone to her ear, Hazuki continued. “What do you mean?”

A more calm voice responded.

I’m sorry, we were tracking a trio of magical girls near the house and they got away.

Hazuki felt her eyes roll. They didn’t track them…more likely they attacked them. It wouldn’t have been the first time they initiated the fight, but this was the worst timing.

“And then what happened?”

One of them was good with big lights. She made it super bright and ran away! Ayame exclaimed.

Konoha was more observant. She claimed she was one of the leaders of the West faction. I think we need to relocate.

Hazuki felt the urge to facepalm. So not only did they jump the gun, but they also pissed off a faction leader?

“Ok, calm down. Let’s meet up and regroup. And then…”

Hazuki totally didn’t shriek. Ayame and Konoha were petty liars. Regardless, when a hand had grasped her shoulder, she reacted in a totally calm and mature manner.

She spun around and came face to face with the blue haired model.

“Excuse me,” Yachiyo smiled, the smile not reaching her eyes, “I’m sorry to bother you. But would you be willing to have that catch up a bit sooner?”

Hazuki’s mind froze as she nervously glanced around. “Umm…well actually I need to make dinner for Ayame and Konoha. So well…”

“Oh that’s even better. Why don’t you invite them too? I bought too much for just my family, so I’d be happy to have them over. We have so much to catch up on.”

“Ahh well…”

Yachiyo raised her right hand into Hazuki’s vision, where she noticed something she cursed herself for not noticing. A blue and silver ring on the girl’s middle finger. A magical girl soul gem.

“It turns out, my second in command just told me a very interesting story about a pair of girls with blue and cherry hair.”

Hazuki’s heart nearly stopped. “I-I see. Is that so?”

The blunette nodded and kept her grasp on the girl’s shoulder. Hazuki only now felt a wave of magic pass over her. A pulse of magic burning so bright, Hazuki nearly took a step back from the sheer intensity, “So I think…we need to have that catch up sooner than later.”

Chapter Text

10 months before main story

“Here they come!” Karin shouted as the spider familiars began to swarm.

Mami nodded, summoning a volley of muskets. The burst of musket fire tore into the familiars, but did little to deter their attack.

A look of annoyance cross the blonde’s face as she summoned another set of muskets. “Anything you can do to help me out?” She called out.

A series of explosions was the response. Karin reached into her bag of magical candy bombs for more. They were nowhere near the potency of the bombs in Homura’s shield, but they were still very deadly to the familiars. She was very grateful Mami had helped her figure out how to imbue candy with magic.

Throwing another set of explosives, Karin glanced across the web filled labyrinth to their teammates.

“Why? Why does it have to be spiders?” Mel groaned as she fired her revolver at the massive octuple legged witch. The creature blocked the attack with one of its massive appendages before sending a stream of webbing at the girl.

She turned to her redhead teammate. “Any luck?”

“Working on it!” Kyouko shouted back. The redhead in particular was wrapped up in a web cocoon, elevated several meters in the air. She struggled, wriggling around in desperation. “This webbing is the real deal.”

Mel sighed, “Well keep at it! I can’t beat this witch myself!”

Taking aim with her revolver, Mel let lose another set of magic bullets, but to little avail. Grimacing, Mel’s mind raced for a solution. The witch seemed to read all of her moves, and it wasn’t like there weren’t more of her…wait a moment.

“Kyouko, can you make some copies of me?”

The redhead paused but nodded. A moment later, Mel noticed a pair of girls standing next to her. Running forward, the trio of Mels leaped into action. The witch responded in kind, lashing out its legs in an attempt to stab the girls. Mel dived under the attack while the other two took the attacks head on. The two copies vanished in a puff of smoke, but Mel was in the clear. Rolling to a stop perfectly under the witch, Mel brought her revolver right up to the witch’s belly and pulled the trigger.

The witch roared in pain as the bullet smashed into its abdomen. Mel took another dive away from the witch. Satisfied, Mel let out a sigh of relief. The witch was tough, but with a bit of strategy, they could beat anything.

“Umm…Mel?”

Mel turned to the redhead. “Hold on, I’m coming.”

The redhead shook her head. “No, I’m fine. I mean, I don’t think you got it.”

Mel jerked her head back towards the witch. As the smoke dissipated, a very familiar dark shape emerged. The green haired girl felt a lump in her throat as the spideresque witch roared in triumph.

Transforming a pair of cards, Mel pondered whether or not she was going to beat such a ferocious witch. Taking aim, Mel sent a pair of shots at the witch, only to watch in dismay as the witch deflected the shots with ease.

“Mel watch out!”

Filled with dismay, she never even responded to the stream of web that caught her head on. Covered in webbing, Mel didn’t even try to resist. What was the point? All she could do was watch as her cocoon was reeled back towards the fangs of the witch’s mouth. Towards her doom.

Mel shut her eyes tight.

“Mel!”

A roar filled the room as a super powered cannon round smashed into the carapace of the witch’s back. Mel opened her eyes and found a familiar blonde girl standing over her, eyes focussed but enraged, a musket in each hand.

“How dare you threaten my teammates!?” Mami announced, pointing her muskets at the witch.

The witch, having taken the brunt of the blast, recoiled and roared in response. Mami took a step forward and pointed her muskets. A volley later and the witch’s forward legs shattered into fleshy pieces. Another volley, and the witch’s head exploded into goop.

Mel was so enraptured by the display, she nearly missed a purple haired girl rush up to her. “Hold still.”

Mel barely felt the scythe blade as it cleanly sliced through the webbing. The green haired girl accepted the outstretched hand as she turned to watch the blonde systematically obliterate the spider witch.

The green haired girl sighed as she considered just how far the difference in power there was between the two girls. Partners they may be, but equals…they were not. How could she even possibly earn her place with the team, made up of so many powerful magical girls?

The girl was so deep in thought she never noticed the purple haired girl walk up to her.

“Hey, good work Me-oh shoot!”

Mel had barely responded when she felt a firm hand grab her shoulder and a small round object touch her soul gem.

To her surprise, she felt her mind clear up, as though a fog she hadn’t even realized was present was had been lifted. The green haired girl looked up in surprise. “Wh-what?“

Karin’s face was one of concern. “Your soul gem. It was dark grey!”

Mel froze as she glanced down at her now purified soul gem. “Oh…”

“We over this Mel! Negativity darkens your soul gem and makes you feel more negative emotions!” Karin glared at the girl, “I know you struggled, but that’s no excuse to witch out because you feel weak!”

“Oh…sorry…”

“Geez!” She felt another pair of arms clamp over her shoulders.

“Don’t make me worry like that.” Mami chided, “If you needed the help, just say so.”

Kyouko sighed, “It was my fault. I thought we could handle the witch.”

Mami shook her head, “It was my fault. I misjudged the witch’s strength.”

“Would you all just shut up?”

The trio looked over to the purple haired girl, “It’s no one’s fault. Mami, you gave Kyouko the choice to take on the witch with Mel. That’s a good decision. Kyouko and Mel need the practice. You and I were the best suited to handle mass familiar swarms. It made sense that we handle them. Mel and Kyouko handled themselves long enough for us to arrive.”

Mami paused, before a small smile crossed her face. “You know, you sound just like Sensei!”

Karin’s eyes widened, “I-I did?”

Kyouko shrugged, “You’re a good leader Karin. Simple as that.”

Mel nodded, chuckling, “You’re caring and sincere. I’d follow you over Kanagi any day!”

The quartet shared a chuckle, watching the labyrinth collapse. A few moments later, the girls found themselves in once more in Hohzuki City.

Karin glanced around as she checked her phone. “Right then, let’s find our magical girl.”

“So…Hohzuki city…” Mel stared out into the wide expanse of city skylines.

“2.5 million people…” Karin stared at her smartphone screen, “That’s a lot of people to sift through.”

The resident redhead shrugged, “Why don’t we make ‘em come to us?”

Mel glared at the redhead, “How do we do that?”

Kyouko gave a grin that gave the green haired girl shivers. “Watch!”

The redhead picked up her soul gem, reverting it to its egg form. Focusing her magic, the girl sent several powerful pulses of magic across the city.

Alarmed, Mami grabbed Kyouko’s wrist. “What do you think you’re doing?”

The redhead shrugged, amused. “Sending my magic presence across the city? Not a bad idea right?”

“Every magical girl in the city will know where we are!”

Karin nodded, understanding, “Exactly…now they’ll come to us.”

Mami rolled her eyes, “But what if Mikoto Tsubaki isn’t the only magical girl patrolling the city? What if we run into another hostile group?”

Kyouko shrugged, “Then we beat them up, and ask where Tsubaki patrols.”

Mel groaned, “Could we find a way that doesn’t involve fighting people?”

Kyouko smirked, “Relax Mel, I got this. I’ll…negotiate!”

The trio of girls glared at the redhead.

Kyouko shrugged, “It was worth a shot.”

It only took thirty minutes to get results.

The quartet of girls were casually hanging out atop the rooftop. Karin flipped the pages of an old Kirin issue. “Any luck?”

Mel flipped another card, “Well, it says fortune will be upon us, but to beware of dangerous women.”

Kyouko cocked a grin nibbling on a pokey, “Dangerous women? That’s us.”

Mami sipped a cup of tea from her thermos. “I see, anyone else want some tea?”

“Sure.” Karin chimed, her eyes not leaving the page.

“Me too!” Mel reshuffled her deck.

“I would as well.”

Mami nodded, picking up the thermos before freezing. Sitting comfortably next to her, a tall woman wearing a red kimono held out a cup.

The trio noticed immediately.

Mel dropped into a roll, summoning a card. Before she could transform it, she felt something sharp prod her back.

“That’s far enough.” A cool and soft voice whispered into her ear.

Karin didn’t even hesitate. “Steal!”

An instantly later, the oversized dagger was safely in her hands.

Mel transformed the card and lashed out behind her. Behind her, she found a young silver haired girl wearing a light grey wind breaker. The butt of the gun struck the girl, knocking her on her back.

Kyouko had summoned her spear and lunged towards the older woman. The raven haired woman sidestepped before smacking her elbow into the redhead’s back. Mami took advantage of the moment to transform and send a pair of ribbons at the woman. The ribbons caught onto the woman’s wrist. The raven haired woman glanced down and Mami watched in frustration as the ribbons burned off wrist.

So she was another Tsuruno huh? Well, Mami hadn’t spent a year trying to counter the self proclaimed mightiest magical girl.

Sure, none of her tactics worked on her, but maybe this woman was different.

This woman was different all right. As Mami leaped back, the woman placed one forward, and then she moved. An instant later, the woman’s katana (when had she summoned that sword?) crashed into the blonde’s hastily made rifle block. Mami lost her footing and fell back…off the building.

“Mami!” Karin called, changing her focus. The purple haired girl rushed towards the edge, peering down. To her relief, she found her blonde senior hanging from a pair of ribbons, securely tied to a pair of drain pipes hanging below the ledge. Karin let out a sigh of relief, just as she felt the cold tip of steel at her neck.

Shuddering, Karin turned her head slowly to face the cold eyes staring daggers into her own. “Hi…you wouldn’t…happen to be Mikoto Tsubaki would you?”

“Actually, I am. Mighty nice way of introducing yourselves though. Now, tell your friends to stand down and we’ll have a very nice chat about territory.”

The two girls took the quartet of girls into a back alley nearby. Tsubaki gave the silver haired girl a nod. The smaller girl nodded and closed her eyes.

To their surprise, a set of four classroom desk chairs materialized before them.

“What the heck?” Mel exclaimed.

The silver haired girl smirked before gesturing with her dagger, “Take a seat.”

Kyouko wanted to protest, but Karin and Mami had already moved to sit down on the familiar metal and wooden seats. A moment later, she and Mel joined them.

A teacher’s desk and a pair of swivel chairs joined them as their captors sat comfortably down.

“Nice ability isn’t it?” Tsubaki somewhat boasted. “Suzune here has the ability to use the abilities of witches she defeats. The last witch we fought was a pair of legs that shot desks and chairs at us. Needless to say, we’ve made extensive use of that perk.”

Suzune blushed in embarrassment, “Tsubaki…”

The quartet watched in awkward concern as the older girl gave the younger one a gruff shoulder hug. “Awww Suzune, you’re embarrassed. It’s fine that I want to show you off a bit.”

“Ummm…not to interrupt the moment.” Karin tried.

The older girl froze, “I’m sorry.”

Placing both hands on the desk, Tsubaki gave the quartet a calculated glare. “So…where are you from?”

“We’re from Mitakihara, and we’re here to-“

“-why are you here?” Suzune interrupted, “Do you really think you can poach our territory?”

Karin shook her head fervently, “No of course not! We just wanted to ask you some questions and-“

“How are we supposed to believe you?” The silver haired girl shot back. “You really think Tsubaki’s going to believe that?”

“You know, maybe you could let her speak for herself!” Kyouko shot back, “All I hear is a small puppy yapping.”

“Shut it!”

Kyouko felt something small and hard strike her forehead. Mel glanced behind them.

“No way, you can also summon blackboard erasers?”

Mel’s eyes widened before a piece of chalk struck her own forehead. “Ouch!”

Suzune glared as she summoned a pair of erasers, “Wanna go again?”

“Enough Suzune,” a firm hand held the girl’s shoulders, “I can handle it from here.”

The silver haired girl sighed, but nodded. The chalk and erasers vanished as she slumped down onto her swivel chair.

Tsubaki gave the girl a warm smile before returning her gaze to the quartet. “So, who told you about me girls?”

“K-Kyubey did. He told us that you were the oldest magical girl alive.” Karin volunteered, “We wanted to know if you had any tips or tricks you could teach us.”

At the name, the older girl narrowed her eyes, “Kyubey did?”

Karin nodded, “That’s right. Kyubey told us about you.”

“We aren’t trying to steal your territory, we swear!” Mami pleaded.

“They’re right you know.”

The group turned in surprise to find a very familiar white furred creature waltzing up to them.

“Kyubey.” Tsubski’s eyes narrowed.

“Hello Tsubaki Mikoto.” The deceiver greeted, “I see you found Karin Misono and her friends.”

“So you did send them?“

Kyubey flicked its tail. “Yes. They asked who the oldest magical girl was and I told them. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“That will be all,” the older girl replied coldly, “You can go now.”

“Are you sure? I can tell you more about Karin Misono.”

“I said that’s all.” Tsubaki’s voice had ice in its voice.

The cat flicked its tail. “Very well, I’ll be off.”

After the creature had vacated the premise, Tsubaki let out a sigh of relief. “Suzune, you can free them.”

“But Tsubaki!”

“They’re safe. They’re not trying to hurt us.”

Suzune nodded, “Ok.”

A moment later, the chairs and desks dematerialized. The quartet stood up uncomfortably and massaged their legs.

“Those most have been the most cramped desks I’ve ever sat at.” Mel muttered, stretching her legs.

“Sorry about the suspicion.” Tsubaki apologized, “It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve had to chase others out of our territory.”

Mami nodded, “We perfectly understand.”

“I’ve had to chase a few stoopers off my turf before as well.” Kyouko shrugged.

The older woman smiled and pointed towards the exit, “There’s a small cafe nearby. If you would like, we can chat more casually there.”

Karin smiled as she nodded, “Sure.”

“Hey that’s Tsubaki isn’t it?”

“Is it?”

“Yeah, I think it is. What’s she doing with those girls?”

Further back in the alleyway, a pair of young girls peeked over at the interaction.

“Kagari, what are they doing?” The smaller girl asked.

The older girl peered further in, “It looks like she’s talking to them. And…they’re all sitting at desks? Where did those come from?“

“Ooh, maybe they’re magic!”

“Don’t be silly Matsuri, magic is made up!”

“But you said they’re wearing funny clothing.”

“Yeah, like they’re from one of those cheesy magical girl cartoons.”

Matsuri pouted, “Don’t call them cheesy. I think they’re cute.”

“Well they dress tacky.” Kagari shot back. “Still, why is Tsubaki talking to all of them?”

“Maybe they’re her friends?”

“Suzune Amano is.”

The twins spun around in surprise. Standing before them, Kyubey tilted its head. “Greeting Kagari Hinata. Greetings Matsuri Hinata.”

Matsuri tilted her head. “Who’s that?”

Kagari glared at the white cat. “A talking white cat with weird ears.”

“I am called Kyubey,” the cat introduced, “I am a magical girl familiar.”

“Wow, so magical girls are real?” Matsuri exclaimed in surprise.

“Yes they are.” Kyubey explained, “They make a contract with me and gain the powers to fight witches.”

“That’s completely nuts. Magic isn’t real. You’re just a dumb cat!” Kagari shot back.

“But it is. I grant any wish you like. After all, I granted Tsubaki Mikoto’s wish.”

Kagari paused. “Say that again?”

“Tsubaki Mikoto is a magical girl. She lives with Suzune Amano and patrols Hohzuki city.”

“Wow, she’s so cool.” Matsuri cheered.

Kagari was more hesitant. “So the reason why Tsubaki won’t marry papa is because…”

“-Tsubaki is currently mentoring Suzune Amano. Together they do an important job for Hohzuki city.”

Kagari’s eyes darkened. “Is that so? Say Kyu-bey?”

“Yes?”

“What are these contracts like?”

Back in Kamihama

Kanagi carefully eyed the scale as she scooped more ground pork into the bag. Once satisfied, she handed it to the customer. “2kg of ground pork. Anything else?”

The man shook his head. “That’s all Miss Izumi. Thanks so much!”

The white haired girl nodded, “It’s my pleasure Mr. Mao. Tell Himima I said  hello.”

“Will do Miss Izumi.” The man smiled warmly before turning his wheelchair. “Oh, and thank you for looking out for my girl. After my injury, Himika has done so much to help out around the house. I always worry for her you know? But knowing that you’re looking after the girls of Daito puts old folks like me at rest.”

Kanagi rolled her eyes, “I wouldn’t say I look after all of them.”

“But still, you do so much for this community.”

“If you’re really grateful, a tip would be appreciated.” Kanagi sent a sly snark.

Mr Mao raised his brow as he reached into his pockets before he found a few small coins.

Kanagi immediately put out her hands in protest. “Oh I was kidding Mr. Mao. Clearly you and your family need those coins way more than I do.”

She found the coins placed firmly in her outstretched hands. Her eyes met the older man’s. “Please, it’s the least we can do to thank you.”

Kanagi sighed before accepting the coins. “You make sure you get yourself home. I don’t want Himika calling me asking where you’ve been.”

“I’ll be fine Miss Izumi. Take care!” The man chuckled as he rolled out of the market.

Kanagi watched him leave before smiling softly. The good people of Daito struggled on a daily basis. But it was the warm and proud community that kept them together, united, and kept them going every day.

“Excuse me.”

Kanagi turned to greet her next customer, only to find a familiar green haired woman. “Ah, Ms. Anna, how can I help you?”

The green haired women handed a list over the counter. The white haired girl picked it up and read it. “Ah, two kilos of beef, and 2 kilos of ox tail? That’s quite a bit Mrs. Anna.”

The woman shrugged, “We’re having family over this weekend. It’s a decently large family gathering.”

“I see.” Kanagi nodded as she began gathering and weighing the meat. “Mrs. Anna, have you heard much from Mel recently?”

The woman shook her head, “Not much as of late. Actually I was hoping you had.”

Kanagi raised her brow, “Oh?”

“She doesn’t tell me much, other then that she’s happy and content in Mitakihara.” The woman sighed, “I worry for her a lot though. I just want to make sure she’s safe and ok.”

“I wouldn’t worry too much Mrs. Anna,” Kanagi assured her, “I know several of her compatriots and can assure you she’s in good hands.”

“That does reassure me a lot, thank you Kanagi.” Mrs. Anna smiled warmly, “And what about you though? How is Diviner life treating you?”

Kanagi froze, her tongs dropping. “Excuse me.” She picked up the tongs hastily. “What was that??”

The woman nodded, “How is Diviner life treating you? You are a Diviner am I right? Or what do they call it here? Magical girl?”

Kanagi’s eyes narrowed. “H-how do you know of magical girls?”

“Diviners have been in our family for generations. Several of my ancestors and even a couple of my cousins were Diviners.”

“I’ve personally never heard of the name Diviners.” Kanagi admitted, “but if you knew I am one, then that means-“

“I know my daughter is a Diviner as well?” Mrs. Anna concluded, “Of course I do. I knew the moment she became one. It’s kinda hard to hide a precious ring like that.”

“And you never said anything?” Kanagi felt a small temper rise within her, but quickly worked to suppress it.

The woman shrugged, “I figured it was a personal matter for her. And she’s been so well taken care of here in Kamihama. Since becoming a Diviner, Mel has been happier, more full of life, and has many friends.”

“Even if it means she’s fighting-“

“-against the demons?” Mrs. Anna surmised, “Yes. It’s a very dangerous job I know. I had friends who told me the dangers of the demons.”

“Your daughter is risking her life on a daily basis and you don’t feel anything?” Kanagi hissed.

Mrs. Anna shrugged, “I know she is. I know how dangerous her fight it. But I also know she’s protecting us. She’s keeping the demons from preying upon our people. I’ve seen what the demons do. If my daughter is using her abilities to protect our people, then I couldn’t be more proud.”

The white haired boss of the East fought the urge to vomit. How? How could she so frivolously be accept her own daughter’s fate as magical girl? How could she so willingly gamble her daughter’s life in the name of…defense?

“I can’t believe you. Surely you know how long magical girls I mean Diviners live.”

She sighed, “It’s a dangerous life. I understand Kanagi. If Mel was alone, I would most certainly be concerned. But when I think about her new friends, her teammates, and her newfound duty, I feel a sense of pride. She’s doing what’s right. She’s making us proud.”

Kanagi’s eyes narrowed, “I think you underestimate the suffering us ‘Diviners’ go through, Mrs. Anna. Do ask Mel. Ask her how she feels about ‘doing her duty’. I am interested to see whether she holds the same opinions as yours.”

She handed the woman her bag. “Here is your meat Mrs. Anna. Please give Mel my regards.”

Inside Kanagi’s mind, Kanagi logged down the word ‘Diviners’ as something to investigate.

Chapter Text

Yachiyo had to admit, these living room meetings needed to end.

Hanna, Mifuyu, and Kanae had gathered around the trio of intruders in a semi circle facing inwards. Homura, for some odd reason, was not present. Actually, she had been rather absent as of late, choosing to spend the majority of her time in Mitakihara observing Karin and the rest of Mami’s team. While the Boss of the West appreciated the assistance and concern, she sometimes wished to have the raven haired enforcer at her side, especially in moments like this. At least she knew the Chinese blunette was keeping an eye on her as well.

“You know, I think this is a huge misunderstanding!” The blonde of the trio, Hazuki Yusa exclaimed, “Right?”

“You attacked us.” Kanae stated, “What’s there to misinterpret?”

“Because you didn’t answer our questions.” The blue haired girl, Konoha Shizumi countered.

“Yeah!” The cherry haired girl Ayame Mikuri nodded, “What big sis Konoha said. You didn’t answer our questions! That made you SUS!”

The room froze as everyone turned an eye to the younger girl. Ayame looked at them in confusion. “What?”

Hazuki’s hands were cupped around her face and Konoha’s face was on her forehead. “Ayame, just…never say that again ok?”

Mifuyu cracked a small smirk, “We understand what you meant Ayame. But to be fair, you attacked us first.”

“We didn’t have a chance to even answer.” Kanae agreed.

Cue Hazuki’s glare at the two. Konoha’s head bowed shamefully, “Look, I’m sorry I attacked them without checking, but we thought we had them.”

“‘m sorry Hazuki…” the cherry haired girl admitted remorsefully.

The blonde sighed, “You should be apologizing to them.”

Ayame shot a glare at the girls surrounding her. “S-sorry.” She huffed out.

Konoha turned to the group and bowed as well. “My apologies.”

Yachiyo turned to Mifuyu and the others. The trio nodded, “Apology accepted.” Kanae held out a hand. Konoha hesitantly took it and the two shook.

Mifuyu smiled warmly as she stood up. “I think I’ll make us some tea then.”

Hazuki turned to the group, “So you were involved with Azalea house though?”

Yachiyo grimaced but nodded, “Yes. Hanna here lived at the Azalea house.”

“We pulled her out when we heard about what was going on there.” Kanae added.

Hanna remained silent but nodded. Konoha turned to stare the girl in question. “How bad was it?”

Hanna paused and thought about it before answering, “I…I was hit. A lot.”

Konoha nodded and sighed, “I’m sorry. The Azalea house wasn’t like that when we were there.”

The youngest nodded, “Yeah. The old director was super nice!”

Yachiyo sighed, “I must agree. When I met the old director, she was very kind to me. But based on what I’ve heard from Hanna and others, this new director is quite the opposite.”

“I see. Was the fire a month back connected to that?” Konoha inquired.

Kanae opened her mouth to speak but before she did, Hanna beat it to them. “I…caused the fire.”

Yachiyo, Mifuyu, and Kanae turned to the purple haired girl in surprise. But she kept going. “I was mad. I was angry. I sorta still am. But I was so…angry. I wanted to burn the entire place to the ground.” She bowed slowly and abruptly. “I’m sorry for burning the orphanage you were from. I have nothing else to say.”

Konoha, Hazuki, and Ayame turned to the girl with mixed reactions.

“Ummm…thank you for clarifying.” Hazuki ventured, her own head reeling from the revelation. “It’s…rather surprising for you to tell us this.”

She turned to the others. “I think we’ll need some time to think about this. But thanks. And Ummm…sorry about the attack earlier, I think we’ll be goi-“

“Hanna was it?” Hazuki froze as the visiting blunette interrupted. “You’re telling me you set the Azalea house ablaze.”

The purple haired girl nodded slowly. Yachiyo reached for her soul gem, taking a glance to see that Mifuyu and Kanae were reaching for theirs too.

Konoha stood up and walked over to the girl in question. “You…I’ll never forgive you for setting Azalea ablaze.”

Yachiyo transformed, summoning a spear, but found the blonde girl already on her feet, placing herself between Yachiyo and the two girls.

“I will never forgive you.” Konoha repeated, gazing down into the deep purple eyes. “But I…cannot be the one to deliver such justice.”

She placed her hand on the girl’s shoulders. “I too have felt deep rage before. I have wanted to destroy everything that ever hurt or ruined my family. I understand the rage the plagues us every time someone looks down on us, or treats us like we’re broken.

Her eyes stone cold and dead serious, she released grip on the Hanna’s shoulders, “I will never forgive you. But we we will continue talking. And we will see what you can do to atone of your crime. Vengeance will not be for today.”

Even the cherry haired girl looked up at the older girl and nodded, “You don’t seem so bad for someone who blew up our home. If Konoha and Hazuki say you’re fine, then I’ll go with them.”

Hanna didn’t know how to respond, only managing a “thanks.”

The group sighed a breath of relief as multiple girls released their transformations. Hazuki shrugged, “Helps that our wish kept the building intact.”

“So that was your magic then.” Kanae mused, “I sensed magic inlaid into the walls of the building.”

Konoha nodded, “Yes. Our wish was to protect the Azalea house and prevent it from being endangered.”

“Wait…” Hanna froze, “So you’re saying that it didn’t matter that I nearly blew up the Azalea house, since your wish would just put it back together?”

Hazuki flashed a smirk, “Yep.”

This was it. This was everything they had been fighting towards.  The lizard like witch crawled across the expanse of the spheric labyrinth. Its familiars swarmed the ground and walls.

Nanaka turned to her teammates. “Everyone remember the plan?”

Her four compatriots nodded, readying their weapons.

Taking a deep breath, the magenta haired girl inhaled slowly. For her father, for Konomi’s aunt, and for everyone else who had their lives ruined by the witch. They would be fighting for them. Drawing her sword, Nanaka raised it towards the witch. “Rocket witch, in the name of justice, we’ll put you down.”

The witch roared as swarms of familiars charged towards the girls. Shizuku quickly created a portal, making it wide enough for the team. The girls dived through it, coming out right behind the familiars, thus avoiding the charge.

Nanaka turned to Kako who nodded. Pointing her spear at the familiars, the green haired girl sent a series of magic bursts at the familiars. As the magic impacted the familiars, the swarm froze and turned their heads towards the girls. Nanaka prepared her blades in a defensive guard as she and green haired girl rushed the charging familiars.

Akira focused her magic at the salamander witch, her eye looking for weak spots. Around her Shizuku and Konomi peppered the witch with attacks; the blunette hurtling her chakrams and Konomi shooting her barbs. Despite this, the witch weaved through the attacks with ease.

Shizuku grimaced, trying to figure out the best way to hit the damn witch. Focusing, she created a series of portals and threw her razor blades through. But every portal she made seemed to be a second too slow for the swift salamander.

Her partner was faring slightly better. The barbs managed the graze the witch, failed to cripple to slithering witch.

Shizuku turned to Akira. “Any luck?”

Akira finished her scan. “Looks like the legs and the mouth. Legs should cripple it, while the mouth seems to be the soft spot.”

“How about how to hit it?”

Akira shrugged, “Dunno.”

Konomi frowned, “Need to slow it down somehow.”

“Maybe we can put some obstacles up?” Akira suggested.

“I can try,” the redhead responded. Focusing her magic, the redhead summoned pools of toxic acid around the labyrinth walls. In others, she summoned vines with poisonous thorns.

Akira winced at the sight of the bubbling vats of acid, but nodded. “Hope that will stop it.”

To their dismay, the witch only sped up! Dashing and zipping around, the witch expertly navigated around the pools of acid. The witch opened its mouth and shot fire at the vine patches, burning through them with ease.

“They shoot fire now?” Akira exclaimed in shock.

The witch, clearly annoyed by the obstacles, turned its focus onto the girls. A moment later, the trio dashed backwards, as a stream of fire struck the ground they had been standing on.

“They shoot fire now.” Konomi muttered, her eyes narrowing in annoyance.

The trio scurried around the labyrinth, leaping out of the way to avoid the streams of fire.

Konomi winced as a fire nearly grazed her hair. She pressed a hand against her hair, “This witch needs to die, now!”

Akira nodded, racking her brain for an idea, a stratagem.

“Are you alright?!” A soft but clear voicecame from behind them. Akira glanced backward to see the concerned face of Nanaka Tokiwa gazing at her.

Akira watched in awe as the heiress weaved through the horde of familiars, her twin katana whirled and swayed as part of a deadly dance. In spite of her dance of death, the sword woman had time to speak out to her.

“This witch is getting hard to hit.” Akira admitted.

Nanaka bisected a familiar, her face turned towards the tomboy with a thoughtful expression. “I see. Would you mind swapping? I have an idea we could try.”

Akira accepted gratefully. “Sure!”

Hefting her fists, the girl turned towards the heiress. A moment before she arrived, the magenta haired girl parried the attack and yelled. “Switch!”

“Got it!”

Akira rushed forward, dashing past the girl and sending a fist into the lizard familiar’s head.

The familiar’s head exploded upon impact. Akira smirked as she sent a jab into the familiar’s soft underbelly. She followed up with a powerful kick, sending the decapitated familiar across the labyrinth. Satisfied, Akira redirected her attention to the next familiar, hoping Nanaka had the situation under control.

…

Shizuku was beginning to understand how the rocket witch was responsible for such much destruction. Between Konomi’s acid pools and the witch’s fire breath, the labyrinth cavern was riddled with carnage.

And the witch still wasn’t slowing down.

A thought lingered in the back of her mind. Maybe they should fall back, regroup and come back with more girls. This witch might require an army to defeat.

But if they did that, the witch would have more time to thrive and destroy lives. And…avenging Mr. R just wouldn’t feel right if they weren’t the ones to defeat it.

“Shizuku, Konomi, to me!” A new voice entered the fray. The girl turned to see Nanaka running towards them, having clearly replaced Akira.

Konomi hopped down from her perch joined the duo. “What’s the plan?”

“If we can’t make the obstacles hit the witch, we’ll make the witch hit the obstacles.” Nanaka explained, a glint of amusement in her eyes. “Shizuku, make a portal ahead of the witch. I’ll do what I can to direct it towards it.”

The girl nodded, focusing her magic.

Meanwhile the girl before them dashed  forward, her blades still sheathed. The magenta girl’s eyes watched the witch notice her, it’s mouth opening to attack.

She felt a sudden jolt go down her back. Instinctively, the magenta magical girl dropped to the ground, diving forward. An instant later, a stream of fire passed where her head had once been.

Nanaka zipped past another attack, continuing her dash towards the oversized lizard. The witch roared in annoyance at the lack of effectiveness before going on all fours. With a powerful leap, the witch lunged forward at the swordswoman.

“Three…”

Nanaka watched the witch rush towards her with the speed of a truck, her eyes carefully calculating the witch’s trajectory.

“Two…”

The witch’s form grew dramatically larger as it sped closer and closer. But the heiress didn’t even flinch.

“One!”

A moment before the witch struck her, the girl spun to the side, revealing what she had been blocking: a large blue portal. The witch had no time to dodge before it flew through the portal…and into a thorny hedge half sunken into a vat of poison.

The witch screamed in agony, as the thorns pierced and the acid burned its skin. Its legs tried to writhe away, only to be more tangled in the thorny brush.

Nanaka pinched her nose at the scent of burning flesh. She turned to Konomi, who was panting visibly. “Good work.”

The redhead nodded, “Thanks. That took a bit of set up.”

Shizuku joined them, her face wrinkled in disgust. “Ugh, can you make it a bit less smelly?”

Konomi shrugged, “Honestly I find it quite nice. The power of plants being used to decompose witches is such a symbolic thing.”

She focused her magic and a row of daffodils began to grow across the thorny vines. The vines meanwhile continued to slowly entangle and strangle the witch as the poison and acid continued its own work. A minute later, the witch had stopped resisting, its half decayed form limp on the prickly vines.

Konomi turned to the team, now regrouped and smiled. “I think that does it.”

Nanaka narrowed her eyes, “What about the grief seed?”

A hand opened to reveal a small black spindle. “I teleported it out.” Shizuku explained.

Nanaka held the small seed. It was so small, yet so sinister. She could feel the malice emanating for the device. “This…this is for father.” She whispered, “Your justice has been delivered.”

Akira smiled, “I guess we did it. The Rocket Witch has been defeated.”

“Yes.” Kako nodded, “It’s over.”

Nanaka felt like the green haired girl wasn’t telling everything, but she left that for another day. As she cradled the grief seed, she envisioned her father’s face, his firm but gentle smile, his elegance. She had done it. They had done it.

“So…” Akira’s voice knocked her out of her daydream. “What’s next?”

“Good point.” Kako acknowledged, “We came together to defeat the Rocket Witch. Now what do we do?”

A small smirk crossed the magenta haired heiress. “Actually, I have an idea.”

“Tell me that again?” Yachiyo’s brow twitched as she tried to maintain her composure.

The cherry haired girl sitting across from her didn’t even waver, “I am requesting you secede your claims over Sankyou ward. My team and I will be managing the territory ourselves.”

So Yachiyo had heard correctly.

“Miss Tokiwa,” Mifuyu, sitting next to her, offered, “I’m not sure why you’re requesting this but-“

“-It’s quite simple actually.” The cherry haired girl took a precise sip of tea, her lips sipping the hot liquid with practiced elegance. “I inquired around and discovered that you were the boss of the west while Kanagi Izumi was the boss of the East.”

Yachiyo nodded, “That’s correct. And Hinano manage Chuo ward.”

“Yes, that she does.” The girl acknowledged, taking another calculated sip of tea. Yachiyo had to hand it to her, Nanaka Tokiwa had the elegance and poised that befit a girl of her status. Even Mifuyu, who had been raised in etiquette and elegance from a young age, paled in comparison to the poise, the dignity, and the composure of the Tokiwa heiress. Mifuyu just barely survived in the aristocratic life. Nanaka thrived in it. That being said, said heiress was now speaking to Yachiyo not as the Tokiwa heiress but rather as a fellow magical girl.

“That being said, I admit I am rather a new magical girl.” Nanaka continued, “But even I cannot ignore the ineptitudes of the current West leadership.”

“Excuse me?” Mifuyu spat out her own tea.

“Ineptitudes?“ Yachiyo gave the girl a calculated glare. “What are you implying?”

“Surely you are aware of the Tragedy of Sankyou two months back?” Nanaka raised her brow.

Yachiyo nearly jerked up but managed to keep her composure. “Y-yes. We are aware. It was truly a tragedy.”

“Yes, well, did you know that the tragedy was the result of a witch?” Even Yachiyo couldn’t stop herself from raising her brow in astonishment, “Excuse me, a witch?”

The cherry haired heiress nodded, “Yes. A witch. I’ve come to call it the rocket witch. A witch that caused catastrophic damage to Sankyou ward, killing many in its wake.”

Gulping, Yachiyo nodded slowly, “I see. I wasn’t aware of such a witch.”

Nanaka raised her own brow, “Is that so? To think the boss of the west wasn’t even aware of such a witch in her turf.”

“Hey now!” Mifuyu interjected, “Are you suggesting that Yach-chan is-“

“-but I am.” Nanaka’s gaze met the silver haired girl’s, who withered under her gaze. “If the esteemed boss of the West cannot protect Sankyou Ward from the devastation of the Rocket witch, then I would consider her quite incompetent.”

The cherry haired girl eyes met the older girl’s. “If you cannot protect Sankyou, then perhaps someone else ought to.”

“And you suggest you’re up to the task?” Yachiyo returned the challenge.

Nanaka clearly had been expecting the challenge and pulled a small spindle out of her pocket.

She understood immediately, “So that’s the rocket witch’s grief seed?”

The purple haired girl nodded, “Yes. My team has spent the last two months hunting it. After claiming it as our kill, would that not make us the more competent protectors of Sankyou?”

So that’s where she was going wasn’t she? “Sure, I will acknowledge you as the victor of the rocket witch. You have my thanks. However, surely you understand that managing Sankyou ward is far more than just defeating witches?”

“Of course. I would need to manage the girls who regularly patrol Sankyou.”

Yachiyo nodded, “Yes. Due to the popularity of the district as a major commercial district, many magical girls make Sankyou their territory despite not being from Sankyou. This has been the reason why I have I managed it in the past despite it being closer to Hinano’s turf.”

Nanaka nodded, “Of course. I have no plans to hinder their efforts, but more rather to maintain a closer eye and watch over the ward. Due to its commercial significance, many witches are drawn to Sankyou and having a more localized eye to watch over the ward and keep witches in check would be advantageous.”

Yachiyo considered the possibility, “So you wish to curb the population to manageable levels?”

Nanaka nodded, “I merely wish to avoid another Sankyou tragedy from happening. I have a large team and combining our resources with the local girls would ensure that the ward’s safety is maintained.”

Mifuyu turned to Yachiyo, “But what about…”

Yachiyo nodded, “I don’t see a problem with this. There is one thing though. You are not the only team trying to take Sankyou for their own. There are several other powerful magical girls who value their independence and have resisted authority.”

Nanaka raised her brow, “Is that so? I am opening to speaking and working with them.”

Mifuyu shrugged, “If you say so…First up is a trio in north Sankyou. They’re under Konoha Shizumi and are experienced veterans. We only recently became aquatinted with them. But a few misunderstandings have currently put them in conflict with us.”

“Konoha Shizumi…” The purple haired girl had fished a small notebook from her pocket and was scribbling down notes, “I see. Anyone else?”

Yachiyo gave Mifuyu a questioning gaze. Mifuyu nodded, “The last one is actually a member of our team. She’s based in Sankyou and has been our primary liaison for Sankyou ward.”

“Is that so? She must be very powerful.” Nanaka remarked.

“Indeed, she even calls herself the mightiest magical girl.” Yachiyo admitted, “Her name is Tsuruno Yui and she-“

The sound of a pen dropping interrupted Yachiyo’s thoughts. To her surprise, Nanaka had frozen and gone stiff. “Tsuruno Yui you don’t say?” This…this was interesting. “Yes. She’s been a magical girl for two years at this point. She’s a bit headstrong but she’s reliable. Why? Do you know her?”

Nanaka gave a cautioned laugh, “Knowing her would be putting it nicely.”

“I absolutely refuse!”

Yachiyo turned to Mifuyu in confusion. She shrugged before turning back to the brunette in question. “Could you please elaborate?”

Tsuruno pointed her finger at the purple haired girl sitting across from them. “Tha-that harlot! That bitch! I refuse to work with crooked and scandalous woman!”

“Tsuruno!” Yachiyo admonished the brunette, flabbergasted that such language was coming out of the brunette’s mouth. “First of all, language! Second of all, what has Nanaka Tokiwa done to earn this level of hatred?”

“You’ve never mentioned that you even knew her.” Mifuyu added, “Much less hated her.”

“I must apologize,” the girl in question bowed her head, “The fact is the Tokiwa family has had a hand in the recent predicament of the Yui family. Needless to say, we have fervently apologized and even offered them assistance and aid-“

“-as if we would ever trust the likes of you again!” Tsuruno shot back. “All you Tokiwas are wretched to the core. The moment we even think of accepting your ‘assistance’ we’d be left destitute by the time you crooks are finished with us!”

“I assure you, we would never do anything of the sort!” The Tokiwa protested, “We are genuinely appalled by the actions of Tokiwa Ayu and have exiled her from our clan. I do not know what else would help reconcile our feud.”

Yachiyo turned to the brunette, “I think Nanaka makes a good case. Can you at least try to work with her?”

The brunette huffed, “Master why? Why are you even letting her take your territory?! Heck, I didn’t even know Nanaka had become a magical girl. What was your wish anyways?”

Yachiyo froze as she felt a cold and deadly aura emanate from the purple haired Tokiwa. “What did I wish for?”

Tsuruno didn’t seem to notice. “Yeah, what’s your wish you freaking psychopath?”

“My wish…was to seek justice.” Nanaka’s cold voice pierced the room, “even as my father lay dying, struck by the Rocket witch’s deadly projectiles, he told me to seek justice, and not vengeance. And so to honor his wish, I swore to be an upholder of justice, a protector, and to see that witches will be held to the suffering they cause.”

Tsuruno froze. “Your father died to a witch?”

The purple eyes never blinked. “Yes. He died to the Rocket witch, the witch responsible for the Sankyou tragedy. It’s been over a month and his dying face still haunts my sleep. In fact my entire team is made up of girls who lost something or someone in the tragedy.”

“Yo-you don’t say?” The brunette’s eyes had paled in astonishment.

Nanaka didn’t seem to notice. “Yes. But we overcame it. We hunted the Rocket witch and defeated it ourselves, without any help or assistance from the ‘boss of the west’. Which is why-“

“Which is why I thought, you know, my territory is vast and difficult to manage. If Nanaka and her team is willing to uphold the same values I did, I see no reason not to let her maintain the peace in Sankyou.” Yachiyo interrupted. Her panicked eyes met Tsuruno’s, who nodded slowly in realization.

Nanaka Tokiwa was a victim of Karin Misono’s rampage. Probably her entire team was. And they thought a witch was behind the attack. Which means they didn’t know the truth. And judging by the intensity of her voice, it would be reasonable to say the others were just as fervent in their vengeance. It was vital for everyone’s sake that they don’t learn the truth.

Tsuruno gulped as she realized what she needed to do to make that happen. She lowered her head.

“Umm…I’m sorry to hear about your father.” Tsuruno stammered, “It’s…terrible that you lost family to a witch.”

She turned to Yachiyo, who nodded, “I’m…also sorry about what I said. I’m…I still won’t accept you as the leader of Sankyou but…I’ll help you learn the ropes.”

Nanaka looked the brunette in the eyes for what she felt was an eternity before nodded, “You…you are still hostile to me, but I sense the sincerity in your voice. Thank you.”

Before anyone else could speak, Mifuyu bopped in. “Now that that’s settled, why don’t we exchange contact information? Sankyou is a large ward with a lot of magical girls and you’ll need to know who regularly patrols there and who just hangs out there. There’s a lot of stuff to discuss and the sun is already going down.”

Nanaka smiled softly, “I believe you are correct. Very well then.”

She pulled out a small but worn cellphone and opened it. “What is your number?”

The trio stared at her incredulously, “Ummm that’s an old phone.”

The girl raised her brow, “Yes? I have had it since I was a child. I do admit it’s a bit old and outdated, but the Tokiwas have always preached that we should never replace what is not broken. My phone has been well taken care of and it’s a Nokia and has never broken once on me. I may not have one of the newer more fancier phones, but I assure you, I can call, text, and receive voicemail.”

Mifuyu and Yachiyo managed to withhold their snickering. Tsuruno didn’t. “What? That Tokiwa clan heiress doesn’t use a smartphone, but uses a relic, and a Nokia at that? Talk about stingy!”

The words clearly had an effect on the heiress, who glared back. “We are not stingy, but rather frugal. Spend on what lasts and creates beauty and joy. Our family has thrived thanks to this philosophy. You would do well to adhere that.”

“The Yui clan may be in a rough spot, but I ‘assure’ you, we at least can afford to use LINE.”

The Tokiwa heiress raised her brow. “LINE? As though we would need such costly devices to draw images.”

Mifuyu cracked. She snickered, leaving Yachiyo the sole composed one. She sighed, “Your device is perfectly fine Miss Tokiwa. I’ll share my contact info and we can help you get to know the rest of the Sankyou girls.”

Nanaka regained her composure and nodded, “Yes. From what you’ve told me, I have many girls to meet. Who knows? I hope they keep me amused.”

The trio watched the Tokiwa heiress leave the vicinity. Once out of sight, Yachiyo let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding.

“She’s going to be an interesting one.” Mifuyu commented, her shoulders having visibly relaxed.

“You can’t trust a Tokiwa.” Tsuruno muttered, “She may be acting all nice for now, but they’re a scheming and crafty bunch.”

“Tsuruno,” Yachiyo sighed, “I’m pretty sure that’s an exaggeration.”

“I may not know the Tokiwas personally, but their reputation precedes them as one of the most virtuous and honorable families of Sankyou.” Mifuyu added.

The brunette shook her head, “I still won’t trust them. They pretend to be all nice, but they’re a bunch of crafty snakes beneath that exterior. Nanaka is going to be the end of us, I swear.”

“But…you know that it was your rockets that started all this.”

Mifuyu shot Tsuruno a shocked look. “What?”

Tsuruno was equally flabbergasted. “What?”

“Rocket witch?” Yachiyo quoted, “‘A witch that shot rockets out of its labyrinth and into people’s homes’. They’re rookies, so they wouldn’t know, but witches don’t physically attack homes outside of their labyrinth. But someone deflecting physical rockets outside a labyrinth? That’s definitely possible.”

Tsuruno’s face grew pale, “Yo-you don’t mean…”

Yachiyo’s face was deadly serious. “Your little deflection stunt against Karin ended up causing Nanaka Tokiwa and her team to lose loved ones. Karin may have shot them, but if the Tokiwas are as vicious as you say they are, then I doubt they’d see you as a bystander if the truth got out.”

Mifuyu’s shuddered at the thought. She had sensed a whirlpool of power emanating from the heiress. Of such power were to be directed at Mikazuki? On top of the Azalea incident with Hanna? The entire stability of the West would come collapsing down.

Tsuruno crouched down, her hands clasped to her head. “No…tell me…it…it’s not my fault. Sure I don’t like the Tokiwas…but…I didn’t mean it like that. I mean…her dad was nice. I liked him. And…I…I…”

Yachiyo put her hand on Tusurno’s shoulders. “I know. It was an accident. And that’s why…to keep it like that, you need to get along with Miss Tokiwa and bury that hatchet.”

Tsuruno looked up at her mentor and nodded. “O-ok. I’ll try. For everyone’s sake.”

Yachiyo smiled, “It shouldn’t be that bad. You’re the mightiest magical girl after all. How hard is it to get along with an heiress?”

Chapter Text

“So how long have you been a magical girl?”

Having moved to a nearby cafe, both teams now enjoyed a more relaxed and casual atmosphere. “Well, I contracted when I was sixteen. Now I’m in my early twenties.” Tsubaki recalled, “so I’ve been fighting for around four to five years.”

“I see.” Mami commented, “That’s amazing that you’ve been around so long.”

Karin nodded, having a small notebook open and taking notes. “Do you know of Yachiyo Nanami? She’s a magical girl in Kamihama.”

“Yachiyo Nanami?” The woman’s eyes widened, “I see…”

“Isn’t she that model that you have on your magazines-“ her ward started, but was cut off.

“-that’s not important Suzune. So Yachiyo is a magical girl as well.” Tsubaki’s face remained calm, but Karin was pretty sure she had heard a note of adoration there.

“Yes.” Mami continued, “Yachiyo Nanami mentored us actually. She’s a six year veteran.”

“A six year veteran?” Tsubaki could barely withhold her disbelief. “My word, for someone like her to have survived for so long. Though…if she mentored you, I don’t know how much help I can be.”

Karin shook her head, “Well Yachiyo is in a very veteran team. And Kamihama is quite huge. I wanted to know how a duo team like yourselves have survived for so long.”

“Well…” Tsubaki‘s brow furrowed in concentration, “I find ways to reduce the magic I use. That way I use grief seeds less frequently.”

“How do you use less magic?” Mel asked in curiosity. “Like, I feel like I burn through a lot so quickly.”

Suzune nodded, “Tsubaki is a master kendo swordswoman. She’s been teaching me too.”

Karin’s eyes widened, “I see. So you use your kendo techniques with your sword instead of using magic.”

The woman nodded, “I like to infuse magic in my arms and legs to enhance my strength and occasional set my sword on fire, but otherwise I don’t use much magic.”

Kyouko gestured to the younger girl, “How about short stack here? Throwing chairs has got to use a lot of magic.”

Karin totally called it as a small bit of chalk struck the redhead square in the forehead.

The silver haired ‘short stack’ smirked, “I don’t need much magic to do that.”

Mel snickered at the interaction, only for a ribbon smacked her in the back of the head. A glance at Mami’s knowing grin told her everything.

“I think I understand now.” Karin sighed, “Anyways, how do you survive when they aren’t many witches around?”

Tsubaki sighed, “It’s rough, but we get by. We ration where we can and keep an eye on familiars who are on the verge of witching out.”

“You witch farm?” Mami raised her brow, a disapproving glare forming on her face.

Suzune shrugged, “Times are rough. But Tsubaki keeps an eye on them.”

Karin raised her brow, “Really? That’s pretty rough. But yeah, I can understand the witch farms.”

“I try to avoid it when I can. But sometimes, especially recently, witches have been scarce.” Tsubaki admitted, “So we make do when we can.”

“I still don’t like the idea of them.” Mami admitted, but sighed, “But if that’s what’s been keeping you afloat for so long, then I guess I can’t judge too harshly.”

Tsubaki didn’t respond, but instead looked over at her ward, sipping her juice. “Suzune here is pretty new and has a lot to learn, but she’s right now my greatest priority. If I have to witch farm to take care of her, then that’s what I’ll do.”

Karin put her hands on her cheeks, “That’s really admirable Tsubaki. I mean, not about the witch farming, but wanting the best for younger magical girls.” She corrected herself. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a dark spindle. “This was the witch we hunted in your city. We’re actually doing ok with our own hunts in Mitakihara. So I’ll return this back to you.”

Tsubaki cracked a small smile, “Thank you very much girls. It means a lot to us. Right Suzune?“

“Y-yes.” The silver haired girl nodded. “Thank you very much.”

Mel nudged the redhead beside her, “See? That ‘short stack’ has better manners than you!”

“Sh-shut it you doom teller!”

Tsubaki smiled, “I must admit, I haven’t been in a team like this since I was a rookie.”

“You were in a team?” Karin asked.

Tsubaki grimanced. “Yes…but they’ve all passed on.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Mami offered her condolences. “If there’s anything we can do for you, let us know.”

“Well…” The woman nodded, “Actually, if anything were to happen to me, would you look after Suzune?”

The crew looked at her in disbelief. “What?” Karin asked in surprise.

“What do you mean Tsubsaki!?” Suzune exclaimed, “You’re not going anywhere!”

Mami frowned, “That’s a rather abrupt request from people you only met.”

The woman had a distant look in her eyes. “I won’t lie. It is rather abrupt. But…I can’t deny the reality in front of me much longer.

“I’m nearly twenty one, making me one of the oldest magical girls in recent years. I can begin to feel my magic weakening, little by little. My conservation of magic helps mitigate it, but I can feel myself getting slower little by little, my fire burning less brilliantly.”

Wrapping her arm around her ward’s shoulder, Tsubaki pulled the girl tight. “I remember what it was like to lose my team. I remember what it was like to be alone. I don’t want that for Suzune.”

“Tsubaki…” Suzune’s expression soften, “I-I’m sorry…but I don’t want to leave you!”

The older woman hugged her with her other arm, “Oh Suzune, my dear little ginchō, you need to learn how to spread your wings and soar. You’ve got so much ahead of you. And for that, you need a team. A nest of good girls like these ones.”

She looked up at Karin, “You girls remind me of my old team. You trust each other, you argue and fight, you care about each other. When I saw you interact, I knew I wanted Suzune to join a team like yours. That is, if you would have her.”

Karin turned to Mami, who was in deep thought. “What do you think?”

“Of course it wouldn’t be now.” Tsubaki corrected them. “We’re doing fine right now. But I want her to have somewhere to go when, not if, when something happens to me.”

Karin nodded, “I get it. You want to spend as much time with her as possible.”

“I do too!” Suzune agreed, “Tsubaki is the most important person in the world to me. I can’t imagine being without her.”

“But what if we want her?”

The group spun around to find a pair of young girls, no older than twelve. The taller one had raven black hair while the other dark green hair. Standing next to them was a familiar little white cat.

“Hello there Tsubaki Mikoto.” The incubator greeted them.

“Kyubey!” Tsubaki’s eyes narrowed as she spat the words. “And Matsuri and Kagari. What are you doing here?”

The taller of the two frowned, “Kyubey told us that you’re a magical girl.”

The smaller of the girls, with pale white eyes nodded, “Kyu-chan said you’re fighting people.”

Karin had pulled herself out of her chair. “Hey now. Let’s calm down here. Tsubaki isn’t doing anything wrong here.”

Kagari with black hair glared at her. “Shut it outsider. You’re not a part of this.”

“Kyu-chan,” the girl with green hair asked, “Is it true? The reason that Tsubaki won’t live with us is because she’s a magical girl?”

“What? Of course not!” The woman protested, “It’s complicated and-“

“-Tsubaki Mikoto’s has her duties to Hozuki city but also to raise and protect her ward, Suzune.” The devious cat responded in a matter of fact manner. “Her prior commitments may be connected to her inability to accept your father’s proposals.”

“I see.” Kagari nodded, her eyes turning darkly towards the silver haired girl, “So you’re the obstacle.”

“What?” Suzune scowled back, “I’m an obstacle?”

“Yes!“ Kagari shot back. Turning to Kyubey, she made contact with its beady eyes. “I’ve made-no we’ve made our decision.”

“Now hold on here!” Kyouko and Mel had arisen from their own seats. “Don’t just make a wish on the whim here!”

“Kagari…” the younger twin took her sister’s hand. “If you want to do this, then I’m with you.” Kagari clenched her sister’s hand, “Yes. I know this is the right decision.”
Turning to the white cat, she announced, “Kyubey, I wish that Tsubaki will stay with us forever!” 

“I wish to be able to see Tsubaki with my own two eyes so we’ll always be together.”

Almost in an instant, Tsubaki vanished before their eyes.

“Tsubaki!” Suzune gasped in disbelief.

“What did you do to her?” Mel demanded.

“Kagari Hinata requested that Tsubaki Mikoto stay with the Hinata family. Thus it is necessary to separate Tsubaki Mikoto from Suzune Amano.” Kyubey explained casually. “If Tsubaki Mikoto does not know of Suzune Amano, then she has no commitments preventing her from joining the Hinata family.”

Karin stared at the cat, an abhorred look on her face. “You…fiend!”

The cat swished its tail. “You should not blame me for such things. It was the wish of Kagari and Matsuri Hinata who desired this outcome.”

“And the outcome was perfect.” The newly christened magical girl smirked.

“Kagari…I can see…” the green haired twin declared in awe. “You’re…you’re so beautiful Kagari!”

Kagari smiled warmly as she took her sister’s hand. “And you’ve always been my beautiful little sister. But right now, there’s some fiends who need to leave.”

Turning her attention to the girls, Kagari summoned a pair of spiky charkram. Matsuri found a pair of enlarged power gloves on hers. “Now then, if you could kindly scram!”

Karin transformed and rose to her feet, scythe firmly in their hands. “As if we would let you get away with this cruelty!”

“Karin.” Mami’s cold voice caused the purple haired girl to pause. The blonde stood up, transforming in the process until she had a musket pointed right at the raven haired twin’s face. “You take Suzune and go after Tsubaki. We’ll handle these two.”

Behind her, Karin could see Mel and Kyouko standing with weapons drawn.

Karin nodded, hopping on her scythe and holding her hand out to the silver haired girl. “Come on Suzune. Let’s find Tsubaki!”

The girl hesitated before taking the hand. “Let’s.”

“It’s down there.” Suzune pointed towards a large family home, complete with two stories, a backyard, and driveway. “That’s where Tsubaki works.”

Karin frowned but nodded. Sending the scythe into a downwards glide, she brought the two of them to the ground smoothly. “What does Tsubaki do here?”

“Tsubaki was a nanny here.” Suzune explained. “She looked after the twins.”

Karin nodded, “I see. Makes sense. Tsubaki seemed like a good mother figure. She’d probably be a great nanny.”

“Yes. She was. And she really loved the twins. She told me all about them.”

“Have you ever met them before?”

Suzune shook her head. “I’ve seen them before, but I…I was too shy.”

Karin raised her brow, “For someone who is talking so casually with me, you sure don’t seem shy.”

“You’re different. We’ve already fought.” Karin rolled her eyes, “Like that makes any difference. So…they mentioned Tsubaki rejecting their father’s proposals. Know anything about that?”

Suzune didn’t say anything. Karin tactfully chose to remain silent.

Landing quietly in a back alley, Karin helped the younger girl off the scythe. “So…how do you want to proceed-“

Suzune had already dashed for the house entrance. “Suzune! Wait up!”

The silver haired girl ran towards the gate and with a magically enhanced leap, pounced over the wall. Without hesitation, Suzune rang the doorbell.

“Coming!” a voice called from inside the house.

As the door opened, Suzune found herself face to face with a familiar woman, though dressed in a fashionable blouse and knee length skirt.

“Tsubaki!” She called out, “Are you alright?”

The woman gave her a confused look. Suzune looked back in hope, only to be dashed. “Do I know you?”

“I-it’s me! Suzune!” The girl pleaded, praying that it wasn’t true. “Don’t you remember me? I’m your ward! Your friend! Your partner!”
The woman frowned and shook her head. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Suzune!” Karin’s voice called behind her, as she finally caught up. “Hold up.”

“Tsubaki? Is there a problem?”

Suzune’s eyes widened to see a man wearing a casual T-shirt and khakis walk up to the door.

“Oh, hello there.” The man greeted the two warmly, “Are you friends of Kagari’s?”

Karin took control, nodding. “Yes we are. We were just wondering if she was home.”

The man frowned, “I’m sorry. Kagari took her sister for a walk. I offered to go with them but-“

“Oh honey, you don’t need to do that. Kagari is a big girl and is perfectly capable of taking care of Matsuri.” Tsubaki mock scolded the man.

“I guess?” The man frowned, “I just worry about them you know? Sorry girls. I’m sure you’ll find them in the park though. Matsuri likes listening to the sounds there.”

Karin nodded, “Thank you very much sir. Sorry for bothering you.”

“It’s not a problem.” The man cheerily responded, “I’m happy just knowing that Kagari has some dependable friends.”

“Thank you and come on by sometime.” Tsubaki waved.

The door closed, leaving the two girls alone. Karin turned to the silver haired girl and sighed. “I-I’m sorry.”

The girl shook her head as she turned around. “Let’s go.”

Karin expected them to head towards the alley, but instead the silver haired girl took her hand and led her to a small and peaceful park. Karin understood, pulling her phone and sending a quick text to tell Mami what they were doing.

The two sat uncomfortably on the bench. Karin watched the birds flitter to and from the trees as she let the other girl process.

In some ways, it reminded of her own experience sharing the truth with Mami, Kyouko, and Mel. Silence and listening.

“It’s not like he’s a bad guy.” The silver haired girl began. “Mr. Hinata seems to really love Tsubaki and respects and cares for her. Tsubaki would talk about how he pays her above normal wages and how he’s never made her do anything that made her unhappy. He even invited me to join the family with her.

“But…I just…I just couldn’t. When Tsubaki offered the deal, I…I just couldn’t. It was always supposed to be the two of us. No one else.” Suzune’s eyes began watering, “And now…now it’s just me.”

Karin frowned, “Hey, it’s not your fault. Those twins were twisted by Kyubey’s words. You know he’s not on our side right?”

Suzune nodded, “Tsubaki didn’t like Kyubey. Never told me why, but I wasn’t supposed to talk to it.”

“Well…I’ll explain later, but Kyubey tricked those two into hurting you. So…don’t hold it against them?” Karin tried to play negotiator.

Suzune nodded, “But…it’s my fault. This wouldn’t have happened if I just tried out being in their family.”

Karin pondered that thought. “Well…I don’t think Tsubaki said no just because of you. Magical girl life is rough and marrying that guy probably wouldn’t make it any easier.”

“Still…”

Karin slowly put her arm around the silver haired girl, “I know we’ve only each other for a few hours. But…I…I want you to know that we’re here for you, alright? We made a promise. And we’re going to keep it. You’re not alone ok?”

The silver haired girl turned to look the purple haired girl in the eye, “Really? Can you do that?”

Karin shrugged, “Sure we can! We all live at Mami’s house! Well, except for Kyouko. And guess what? It’s a penthouse! I mean you’d probably have to share a room with one of us, but you can stay with me!”

“A penthouse?” Suzune’s eyes widened, “Really?”

“Yes really. And you can transfer to our school. How old are you?”

“I’m twelve.”

Karin froze, “Oof, you’re actually younger than me. So…maybe you could stay with us and go to the elementary school, or maybe we can ask Mifuyu or Kyouko to help convince the school you’re the same age as us!”

“You’re doing a lot of planning for someone who hasn’t said yes.”

Karin gave the girl a playful nudge. “But you’re going to right?”

Suzune looked out at the park scenery, watching the summer breeze. “It’s not like I have a choice.”

Tsubaki is gone. Taking Suzune to chat. Can she stay with us?

Mami smiled at the message and sighed. “Looks like we’ve got another team member.”

“Her? Really?” Mel asked in annoyance, standing over the prone bodies of the twins. “Also…do you think we beat them up enough?”

Kyouko frowned, prodding the black haired girl’s head with the back of her spear. “Hmm…maybe we should kick em a bit harder.”

“Girls…” Mami shot an annoyed look at the two. While the twins were actually quite capable and had tons of potential, they were a pair of complete rookies against a trio of seasoned magical girls. No amount of illusions or even mental attacks could stop a pissed off musketeer. “Stop it. You’re already making me feel bad.”

Kyouko shrugged, “Was their fault, contracting and crashing our party like that.”

“Says the one who’s ass got kicked in by Tsubaki.” Mel smirked. She frowned as she picked up her foot and placed it on the dark green haired twin’s bum. Hearing a faint moan as she pressed her foot down caused her to pause. “So this is how Kanagi feels.”

“Mel…”

“I’m serious Mami. I get why Kanagi loves kicking my ass! If I had the power to kick rookie ass all day, I would definitely do it!”

Mami sent a glare at the green haired fortune teller, “That’s enough Mel.”

The girl drooped, “Fine.” She took her foot off and walked away. “Let’s go.”

Mami frowned sadly as she stared at the twins. Reaching into her pocket, she fished out a grief seed. Leaving it on their feet, she sighed, “I hope Tsubaki can teach you two to behave.”

As the trio left, Mel felt a vibration and fished out her phone. “It’s mom. Hold on a sec.”

Mami nodded and gestured to Kyouko. The redhead sighed and wandered off.

Wandering around, Kyouko paused when she noticed a familiar white cat. “Oi!” She called out, but Kyubey seemed to ignore her. Annoyed, she ran after the cat until she found it approaching a young girl.

“Rats.” She muttered as she ran up to the girl. “Hey!”

A pink haired girl glanced up at her. “Oh umm…are you talking to me?”

The incubator shook its head. “I believe it is talking to me. Hello there Kyouko Sakura.”

The redhead glared at it. “So what? You get Suzune to leave and then you just go and contract a bunch of newbies?”

The incubator titled its head. “I do not understand. Suzune Amano’s departure from Hohzuki city has nothing to do with my interactions with Arisa Narumi.”

Kyouko shot a glare at the girl, “Arisa huh? Why are you contracting? What’s your edge?”

The pink haired girl, now identified as Arisa, shuddered under her glare. “I don’t even know what’s going on! I’m sorry.”

“Wait…”

Kyouko shot a glare at the cat, who gave the tail equivalent of a shrug. “I have only begun my interactions with Arisa Narumi. I must thank you for speeding it along though.”

Kyouko swore under her breathe and sent the girl another killer glare. “Hey kid. Whatever that cat is offering you, don’t take it. It’s not worth throwing your life away.”

The girl froze as she looked down at the white cat. “I can offer you a wish of your choice in exchange for becoming a magical girl.”

“Except he doesn’t mention all the downsides of fighting for your life against witches.” Kyouko shot back.

“…can it make me strong?”

Kyouko froze. Her eyes fixed on the girl, her head lowered.

“I’m…not strong right now.” Arisa continued, “I’m weak. I’m pitiful. Everyone treats me like a victim case and won’t help me.”

“I can change that.” Kyubey offered. “Make a contract with me and I’ll give you the strength to defeat the bullies.”

Kyouko couldn’t answer. She couldn’t answer the girl. The girl noticed the redhead’s silence and frowned. “So…it does give me the strength. Kyubey was it? Tell me more about this contract.”

As she and the cat walked away, Kyouko stared aimlessly at the ground, unable to move. What was the purpose of strength? The girl wanted to be strong. And Kyouko knew strength all too well. They were strong after all. Karin, Mami, and even Mel. And they survived. In fact, the reason they were trying to help weaker magical girls was because they were strong, wasn’t it? So who was she to stop someone who wanted to be strong?

“Kyouko there you are!” The redhead looked up to see a group of girls running up to her. Sure enough, a certain silver haired girl was with them. “Took you long enough.” She muttered, casually strolling up to them. “So…the short stack is going to join us huh?”

A chair was in said ‘short stack’s hands but was stopped by Mami’s hand. “Now now. We don’t need a fight here.” Mami sent a glare at Kyouko. “I expect you two to get along.”

“Fine. As long as the-“

Kyouko found mouth covered by a magic ribbon as another dragged her after the blonde. “Seriously Kyouko. Let’s go.”

Karin smoldered a giggle as she offered her hand out to the silver haired girl. “Let’s go Suzune. Back to Mitakihara.”

It was late in the evening when they returned.

Karin let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding. “Welcome to Mitakihara, home of our team.”

“Cept me.” Kyouko rolled her eyes. “I’m going to head home. Don’t want to keep pops worrying.”

Mami nodded as she pulled a pair of slippers out of the cabinet. “Ok you take care. Let me know next time you can go hunting.”

“Should be fine. Kazamino’s hunting spots have been showing some fruit lately. Later!”

Suzune looked over to Mami, “You run witch farms too?”

Mami sighed, “Kyouko does. I don’t approve but…”

“It’s better than her waiting for others to witch out,” Karin added, “I don’t like it either, but then I found out Hinano and Kanagi run their own versions of those too and we realized we might need to as well.”

“Hinano? Kanagi?” Suzune asked in curiosity.

“They’re magical girls from Kamihama. Where Karin and I are from.” Mel explained, yawning as she trudged towards her room. “By the way, I’m spending the weekend with my parents. There’s a family event or something.”

Mami nodded, “Ok that’s fine. Have fun.”

She turned to Suzune. “So then, do you want your own room? Or are you fine sharing?”

“You can stay with me!” Karin volunteered.

The girl’s brow furrowed in thought, “Ummm…could I stay with you?”

Mami nodded, “That’s fine, but why?”

To her surprise, she found the girl press her body against her own, resting her head against…Mami’s developments.

“This…this is the closest to Tsubaki’s.”

The girls in the room paused, as every girl risked a glance downwards. Karin’s eyes watered slightly, “Th-that’s not fair.”

“I’m growing. I know I am.” Mel muttered in annoyance.

“H-hey guys!” The blonde in question protested, “It’s not like that I swear!”

Ignoring the shenanigans around her, Suzune felt the tiredness take over and relaxed her muscles, feeling a sense of rest and safety.

Kamihama

“I’m home.”

“Welcome home Mel!” Her mother greeted her, “You can put your things in the office.”

Mel glanced around the home. It felt like nothing had changed in the last few months. “Where are you mom?”

“In the dinning! Come on in.”

“Ok.” Mel called, opening the door, muttering to herself, “At least she could greet me herself…”

To her surprise, she found her mother and father standing in the dinning room before a table loaded with food, her favorites. Omurice and Hamburger steak, French fires and fresh salad, it was all there.

“Welcome home Mel!” Her parents greeted warmly.

“W-wow!” The green haired girl exclaimed in disbelief, “Th-thank you!”

“We missed you kiddo.” Her father smiled, “The least we could do is celebrate you coming home.”

“Bu-but this is…I’m just over for the weekend…”

“Mel,” her mother’s stern voice interrupted.

“Y-yes?”

Her mother’s frown turned into a resigned smile, “Just enjoy that we’re happy you’re home.”

“Y-yes mom.” Mel’s voice resounded.

The trio ate and enjoyed small talk.

“And then Karin set the cake on fire.” Mel exclaimed.

Her father gagged slightly, “No way, how did she do that?”

“I don’t think Mami would have liked that.” Mel’s mother commented.

“She didn’t.” Mel agreed, “Karin had to swear never to enter the kitchen again.”

“But how about you?” Her mother asked with a stare.

Mel puffed out her chest, “Actually I’m on the cooking rotation. I’ve been learning how to cook in home Ed and can make a few dishes.”

“Way to go kiddo!” Her father grinned, “So when do I get to eat some?”

“Mikado!”

“Eh…heh heh…sorry bout that kiddo.”

Mel shook her head, “It’s fine dad. I would love to cook for you guys! Ooh, pass me the salad!”

Her mother passed the bow before continuing, “Don’t eat too much. There’s going to be a lot of food at party.”

“Thrash wight!” Said Mel’s chewing voice.

“Mel, don’t talk while eating.”

“Swowy” Mel swallowed and sipped some soda. “So who’s going to be there? I assume the Ainos, but anyone else?”

Her mother paused, “Should be the Ainos, the Takezawas, uncle Towa, oh and the Hiroes.”

“The Hiroes? Like cousin Charu?”

“It’s Chiharu.” Her mother corrected.

“But that’s what everyone calls her.” Her father pointed out.

“Yeah, what dad said!“ Mel agreed. “It’s been ages though.”

“Yes. We’ll all be gathering tomorrow, so be sure to be on your best behavior.”

“Okay.” Mel acknowledged, “Wonder if she likes fortune telling.”

Kyouko looked down from her perch atop Kazamino Holiness chapel.

“I don’t recall a hunting spot here.” She muttered, “Why did it have to be here.”

Sighing, the redhead dropped from her perch and transformed, landing on the floor in a crouched position. Looking up at the small crucifix on the affixed to the chapel wall, she noticed the mark of a witch’s labyrinth. Chuckling darkly, Kyouko strolled over to the entrance, “What irony, a witch on the cross.”

The labyrinth was small, so it was a pretty young witch. Still, a young witch was no joke and was still dangerous. Plus, a grief seed was a grief seed.

Hefting her spear, Kyouko dashes at the witch, her spear twirling.

A few minutes later, Kyouko watches the labyrinth collapse, a grief seed in her hands. “Well that was easy. Nothing like that one is Hohzuki.”

“Kyouko?”

The red haired magical girl froze stiff, slowly turning her head. “Hey pops…”

Chapter Text

Shinsei Ward

Cameras flashed and flickered. Bright lights nearly blinded the girl’s eyes as she changed her pose. “Very nice Akemi! Now give me a turn to the left. And Nanami, turn right.”

Homura and Yachiyo twisted accordingly as the flashing lights intensified.

“Perfect!” The photographer clicked his camera.

An hour later, Homura pulled her uniform over her head, stifling a yawn. “So you’ve been dealing with this group of girls who contracted because of Misono?”

Yachiyo nodded, “Pretty much. We had to cede Sankyou to keep Nanaka Tokiwa and her group busy.”

“Seems like the right choice.” The raven haired model muttered, pulling out her phone and checking her messages. “We have to keep Misono’s situation under wraps after all.”

As she turned to leave, Homura felt a hand clasp her shoulder. “You know, I could really use your help here. Mifuyu and Kanae are helping, but they can’t replace having you as my right hand woman.”

Homura remained silent for a moment. “I’m sorry. Something’s come up. And…I just can’t ignore it.”

“And you won’t tell me?” Yachiyo frowned. “Meiyui has been pretty shut up about what you’re doing, but I’m guessing it has nothing to do with Karin.“

Homura inhaled sharply, but didn’t speak.

“What’s so important in Mitakihara that you can’t tell me about it? I would be happy to help you. Mifuyu, Kanae, Tsuruno, and Hanna too.”

“It’s complicated.”

“Complicated enough not to tell me. But it’s ok to tell Meiyui about it?” Homura paused, “It’s complicated.”

“Please Homura, let us in. Let us help you” Homura turned to the pleading eyes of Yachiyo. “I want to help you.”

Turning back towards the door, Homura sighed. “I’m sorry. I can’t. I need to do this…myself.”

The raven haired girl opened the door but paused. “Wait for me. I’ll come back.”

“I promise.” She added.

Sankyou Ward

“So like, you’re the new Sankyou boss?” The blonde girl looked up to the scarlet haired girl. “Like, that’s totes neat!”

Nanaka turned to the brunette next to her, “So she’s not a Sankyou magical girl?”

Tsuruno shook her head, “Emiri is technically a Chuo magical girl. But her counseling corner is based here and is the central hub for magical girls across Kamihama.”

Nanaka jotted down her notes, “Counseling center. Chuo ward. I see.”

“Ooh, and like, I get a lot of magical girls here! But like, we don’t hunt here. We hunt on Chuo ward.” Emiri Kisaki added on helpfully.

“I see. So who does hunt in Sankyou then?”

Tsuruno frowned, “Well…I think…”

“Meimei, Natsuho, Akichi, and those new girls.” Emiri helpfully supplied.

Tsuruno nodded, “Oh yeah, the new girls.”

“I see.” Nanaka considered, “You seem to be in the know of everything going on here don’t you?”

The blonde shrugged, “I guess? I just like chatting with people and listening!”

“Exactly. Can I get your number?”

“Sure!” Emiri scrolled through her phone before showing her screen.

Nanaka raised a brow at the barcode shown. “Umm…?”

Tsuruno laughed amusedly. “She’s asking for your LINE. Sorry Emiri, but Miss ‘Prim and Proper’ here doesn’t have LINE.”

The blonde shrugged, “that’s like totally fine! You have air drop? I’ll send you my contact.”

Tsuruno giggled, “Emiri, you don’t get it, Nanaka here doesn’t have a smartphone.”

“What?” The heiress felt a bit offended, “I have never needed one prior.”

“It’s like totes fine!” The blonde smiled, “You can like text right?”

Nanaka nodded, “Even my phone can do that much.”

“Then like, we’re like totes fine! Here, let me write down my number.”

A few minutes later, the two girls left the counseling center.

“Well that informative.” Nanaka observed, looking over her notes. “Miss Kisaki will most certainly be a very useful source of information.”

“I guess…” Tsuruno shrugged, “She’s part of Hinano’s group though. So I don’t do much with her group.”

Nanaka frowned, “I thought you maintained this area. But it seems you barely understand what goes on here.”

“Well…” The brunette paused, “Master’s policy has mostly been letting them do as they please as long as they don’t hunt in Chuo or Daito.”

“But that level of autonomy does not ensure that dangerous witches get taken down quickly.”

“That’s what I’m here for. They let Yachiyo know if there’s a strong witch and then we go and defeat it.” Tsuruno countered, feeling a little defensive.

“Yet you failed to stop the Rocket witch.” Nanaka retorted. “This is clear evidence that we need a more robust system in managing the wards.”

Tsuruno remained silent, before responding, “I guess you’ve got a point. What about the rest of your team though?”

“They’re waiting for us. If we hurry, we’ll make our appointment.”

“Appointment?” Tsuruno raised her brow. “With who?”

“The new trio here.” The scarlet haired heiress explained nonchalantly. “I had Akira make contact with them and work out a meeting for us.”

“Oh…well let’s hope this goes down well. Master said they are somewhat disagreeable.”

“Why here?” Tsuruno groaned.

Nanaka shrugged, “I admit, I had not foreseen that the chosen location would be Banbanzai.”

“Well, at least I’ll give you guys a discount.” Tsuruno muttered.

The heiress raised her brow, “A discount, to the heiress of the Tokiwa?”

“Not at all miss uptight. I give discounts to all magical girls here. That alone is probably the reason why we’re meeting here. Mind you, if you keep complaining, I’ll happily charge you full price.”

Nanaka shook her head, “I’ll keep that in mind. Now then, let’s meet these girls.”

“What? Why would we do that?“

Nanaka sighed as she sat across from the pair of magical girls. The taller one, Konoha Shizumi, had both hands pressed on the table as she glared at the heiress. “I refuse to acknowledge you as our boss.”

“What Kono-nee said!” Ayame Mikuri nodded, “Bleh!”

“Miss Shizumi, Miss Mikuri, I assure you, while I am not Yachiyo Nanami, I will do my very best to uphold the same values that she did.” Nanaka tried to appease the pair. “Please, if you’ll give me the chance-“

“-and if we do that, how do we know you’ll not just steal our witches?” Konoha shot back.

Tsuruno whistled, setting down a piping hot plate of rice. “She’s got you there *Miss Heiress*. After all, it’s not like your family hasn’t backstabbed people recently.”

“Guys, please, let’s try to get along.” Akira pleaded, sitting next to Nanaka. “We’re trying to work out a deal here.”

“Akira, you need to understand that Nanaka isn’t the most trustworthy person around,” Shizuku, sitting at the next table, commented, “They’re perfectly fine to feel suspicious.”

“She’s like a rose.” Konomi added, “It’s beautiful, but it’s hiding thorns behind it.”

“I’d much prefer to be a camellia,” The heiress protested, “They are much prettier.”

“The point is, we can’t trust you unless you give us some guarantee that we’re able to keep our independence.” Konoha stated flatly.

Nanaka frowned before another voice interrupted them.

“Hey, sorry I’m late. The teacher asked me to stay late for remedial classes.”

“Ah you made it,” Nanaka smiled, turning around, “You must be Hazuki Yusa…”

Before the Scarlet haired heiress, was one of the tallest and most gorgeous women she had ever met. With long blonde hair tied into two bangs down her face and a long ponytail behind her pale neck, the blonde’s green eyes sparkled like emeralds in the moonlight. Nanaka remained speechless as the girl joined the pair of magical girls.

“Took you long enough Hazu-nee!” Ayame grumbled, “These girls think they can just boss us around and tell us to obey them!”

“Now now,” the blonde sighed, “I’m sure that that’s not true. I’m sure if we talk things out, we can work out a deal that makes both of our teams happy. Right?”

“Yeah,” Akira agreed, “I’m sure we can work out something here, ain’t that right Nanaka?”

When the heiress didn’t respond, the group of magical girls turned to her.

“Umm Nanaka?” Kako asked, her eyes in concern.

“Oi! Tokiwa!” Shizuku grunted in annoyance.

Tsuruno, who had rejoined the group, frowned before elbowing the girl sharply.

“Ow!” Nanaka snapped as she turned to the brunette, “What was that for?”

“You’re spacing out.” Tsuruno deadpanned.

“Oh.” Nanaka quickly regained her posture. “I’m sorry. Yes, I’m sure that we can most certainly work out something that would make both of us happy. In fact Miss Yusa, if you’re free, I would love to meet together in the future so that we can…negotiate.”

“Negotiating huh?” Hazuki frowned as she considered the wording. “So you’re suggesting that I should negotiate to get a mutually beneficial deal?”

“Of course. I’m a Tokiwa.” Nanaka assured her, “We honor our deals. And if you’d be interested, we could negotiate in a much more, private setting.”

Hazuki’s eye glinted as she caught Nanaka’s hint and smiled. “Of course. It would be most enlightening if we were to meet again and nego-I mean discuss further details about this deal.”

Somehow, Tsuruno took a step back as she realized there was a sinister aura emanating from both girls as they smiled at each other.

“Wait a second, I’m the leader of the team!” Konoha interjected, “You should be discussing this with me first!“

“Umm…why am I feeling chills going down my back?” Akira commented awkwardly.

Konomi hid her growing blush behind her hands. “Oh-oh my. Has the camellia become thunder torrented?”

“Kono-nee,” Ayame tugged the older girl’s sleeve. “Hazu-nee is acting weird.”

“I-I need to step outside.” Kako abruptly announced as she stood up and ran outside to escape the smugfest inside.

As she turned to run, she collided with a large body.

“Oof, I’m sorry.” Kako apologized as she looked up. “Are you alright?”

As she looked up, she froze as she looked at a taller middle age man looking down at her. He had wavy and messy brown hair and a pair of spectacles over his eyes. She knew him. She knew him from the photos she had seen in her book.

“I’m quite alright my dear.” Tasuke Satomi replied, “Are you alright?”

Daito Ward

“So what’s it like living on your own?”

Mel raised her brow and shrugged, “Charu, I’ve told you, it’s nothing special. And I’m not living on my own. I’m living with other girls.”

“But you have no parents! That’s like, super cool! Right out of a murder mystery movie!” The younger green haired girl protested. Changing her voice, Chiharu Hiroe gave the narrator tone, “It was a dark and stormy night at the all girls dormitory! And then suddenly there was a shriek in the night! Who had done it! Who could solve the terrible tragedy? Leave it up to Detective-“

“Todoroki I know.” Mel sighed, “Seriously, you’ve got an addiction to that show…”

“He’s pretty cool though.” Mito Aino pointed out, sipping some juice.

The trio of families had gathered in the Aino’s (Mel’s mother’s cousin) new apartment to celebrate their moving. Mel had to admit, the Aino’s new apartment was quite lavish and nice compared to their small and cramped place, despite them both being in Daito.

“So, what do you do there Mel?” Mito continued the conversation.

“Well,” Mel paused, trying to think of the best way to not mention her magical girl life. “I hang out with the other girls there. I do some fortune telling too.”

“Wow!“ Mito explained, “You do fortune telling?”

Charu shrugged, “You’ve always been doing that though. What about other stuff? Do you solve any mysteries? Crimes? Get rescued by dashing men?”

Mel paused, “Rescued by dashing men? What?”

“You know, cool guys who are super serious and really smart!”

Mel frowned, as a certain image popped up in her head before shaking her head. Nope. There weren’t any cool dudes in her life. Just cool girls. Like Mami! “Why would I ever need someone like that? We’re badass already.”

As the chatter continued, Mel excused herself as she climbed the steps to the rooftop. “I forgot how chatty Mito and Charu are.” She muttered under her breath. “Still, it’s nice to see them again. Who knows when I’ll see them again…”

Feeling a sense of resignation, Mel pulled out her soul gem and checked its status. “Huh, so this isn’t grief induced. I’m just tired.”

“Indeed. While exhaustion can affect a soul gem’s state, purifying a soul gem does not automatically mean you’re going to feel better. You should strive to find other strategies to lessen stress rather than be dependent on grief seeds.”

Mel spun around but found no sign of the voice. “Kanagi?”

“I’m up here, Anna.”

Mel looked up to see a familiar white haired girl perched on the top of the apartment roof. “K-Kanagi. Hi.”

“Hello yourself Mel. Funny, I wasn’t informed of your return.”

“I’m just here for a family get together.” Mel protested, “I didn’t think I needed to get permission for that.”

“Family huh?” Kanagi seemed a bit off put by that statement, but Mel ignored it. “Still would have been nice to know you were in town.”

Kanagi added, “Actually this is perfect. Anna, I need your help.”

“My help?” Mel asked in disbelief. “Why would you need my help?”

“One of my witches got away. It’s in this area. I was going to try to call Himika or Tsukasa, but you’re right here.”

“Y-your witches?”

Kanagi shrugged, “It’s from my familiar farm in Kosho. Normally I have it under pretty good control, but one of the witches got free and now it’s all the way here.”

“I see.” Mel understood the uses of a familiar or witch farm, but like Mami, she still didn’t like the usage of them, how it preyed on regular people to grow them. But recently, her worldview had been expanded and she now understood the need for such methods over hunting witched out magical girls. “So…you need my help.”

Kanagi shrugged, “I would appreciate it, but you don’t need to. If you’re busy, I can call Tsukasa.”

Mel shook her head, “I can help. But…this is like…the first time you’ve given me a choice.”

Kanagi gave the green haired girl a smirk. “You’ve grown up Mel. I can feel the power radiating within you. You’re older, wiser, and more thoughtful. I can see that you don’t need my handholding any longer.”

Mel shot the Boss of the East a glare. “Since when did you ever hold my hand? You threw me into the deep zone!”

The two shared a light laugh as Kanagi turned to Mel, “Is Mami still afraid of me?”

Mel nodded, “Well yeah. After what you did to her. She still has nightmares where she sees your boot looming down on her.”

“Oh?”

“Don’t ‘oh?’ me!” Mel shot back, “I used to think the same. Anyways, where is this witch?”

Kanagi returned to business, “It’s here in the complex. Not sure where yet.”

Mel sighed, “So we’re looking for victims then. Great.”

“Mel?”

“Where are you Mel?”

Mel froze when she heard a pair of voices coming from below.

Glancing down, she could see a pair of girls shouting her name while wandering the complex.

“Friends of yours?” Kanagi raised her brow.

“Cousins actually.” Mel corrected, “Shoot, I forgot about them. We need to find that witch before they get hurt.”

Kanagi nodded, “Agreed. You head down and protect them. I’ll keep an eye from above.”

“Ok. And Kanagi?”

“Yes?”

“You’re a lot cooler when you’re not always kicking my ass.”

“Oh?”

“I can’t wait for you guys to meet my friends!” Mito exclaimed as she led the cousins through the complex.

“That’s nice and all,” Charu muttered, “But why?”

“Well,” Mito cobtinued, “Seika and Leila are my special friends! And they live right here.”

“Oh, so they’re both friends and neighbors.” Charu nodded, “So what are they like?”

“Seika is really shy but she is talkative once she feels comfortable. And Leila is a baker. She loves making cakes and cookies. She even said that she would bake some cupcakes for us.”

“That’s so neat.” Charu exclaimed, “Isn’t that great Mel?”

“…”

Charu turned to her older cousin, “Mel?”

The older cousin froze, “Oh sorry. Yeah sounds great.”

Mito turned to the older cousin, “Are you ok Mel?”

“You’ve been out of it ever since you came back.” The middle cousin pointed out.

“Oh sorry about that.” Mel apologized. “I’m just a bit tired I guess.”

Charu shrugged, “Ok. So where are we meeting them?”

“They’re supposed to be here.” Mito frowned, “Let me call em.”

Fishing out her phone, the youngest cousin punched in her friend’s number before bringing it to her ear.

A moment later, they heard a ringing noise. Mito frowned in confusion, “That’s Leila’s ringtone. But where is it coming from?”

”Maybe they wanted to surprise you?” Charu suggested.

“I don’t think so.” Mel took a few steps towards the noise before reaching down and picking up a red cellphone. “Is this her phone?”

Mito nodded, “But why would she drop it?”

“Hmmm…maybe this calls for…Detective Todoroki!” Charu exclaimed, “Isn’t that right Mel?”

But to their surprise, Mel was gone.

“So you suspect that your cousin’s friends disappearance  are connected to the witch?” Kanagi’s telepathic message came through clearly.

Mel nodded, “It makes sense. I don’t know someone would drop their phone like that unless they were under a witch’s influence.”

“That is correct.” Kanagi agreed, “So we need to find them before your cousins do. I’ll search from above, you can search from below.”

“Got it.” Mel shut off the telepathy and glanced around.

There were plenty of people walking around the complex, older folks dancing, children on the playground, young couples sitting on benches. But no sign of a witch. That’s when she spotted something. A small bag dropped carelessly on the ground.

Running towards it, Mel picked it up and looked inside. 5 cupcakes were awkwardly smashed inside the bag. Mel frowned; didn’t Mito mention her friend Leila was baking cupcakes? She looked around before pulling out her soul gem. Pulsing magic through it, she focused her senses around her.

“Ready or not here I come!”

“I’m tired of waiting…”

“…these young ems are truly spoiled”

“Let it go! Let it go!”

“I can’t propose. I just can’t.”

Mel frowned. No sign of the witch.

Sighing, Mel slouched onto a bench. How was she going to find this witch? It seemed to be an awfully cunning witch, being able to avoid detection. She began to wonder if she ever was going to find it. Maybe she just wasn’t strong enough.

That’s when she saw a flicker of white pass by her.

Glancing over, Mel froze when she saw a very familiar white tail flickering. “Kyubey…” Mel frowned as she stood up. That’s when it hit her. Kyubey would know where the witch was! Or at least have some idea on how to find it.

She chased after the cat, transforming while she ran.

A moment later, she caught up with the cat. “Kyubey!”

The white cat turned towards her. “Mel Anna. Just in the nick of time. There is a witch up ahead and it has caught a girl in its wake.”

Mel nodded, “Where.”

The cat flicked its tail upwards. “On the roof.”

Mel paused as she considered the 20 story building. “I see. Kanagi you get that?”

“I’m on my way” the cool voice telepathically resounded in her mind.

“You should hurry Kanagi Izumi.” Kyubey’s voice added in the telepathy. “There’s someone on the verge of jumping.”

Mel wanted to get annoyed at the cat for hijacking their telepathy, but put it aside as she searched around until her eyes caught sight of the fire escape. Leaping up the ladders, she scaled the side of the building quickly. A minute later, Mel’s feet hit the top of the flat roof.

The witch was there. She could see the entrance of the labyrinth swirling before her. In front of her, Kanagi stood talking with a girl with light blue hair.

“Hey!“ Mel called out, “Is this her?”

Kanagi shook her head. The blue haired girl frowned, “Are you with her?”

Mel nodded, “Yeah. Who are you?”

“I’m Seika. Leila went in there, but Miss Kanagi stopped me before I could follow her.”

“Good. Kanagi will get her. You stay here.” Mel agreed.

“Umm…ok. But please! Leila isn’t crazy. She’s a nice girl.”

Mel could tell this girl was trying really hard. “Thanks. I know. We’ll get her out no problem.”

She turned to the white haired girl, who had transformed. “Let’s go.”

The two girls entered the portal, leaving the blue haired girl alone…with the white cat lime creature.

“Hello Seika Kumi.” The incubator greeted the girl.

Mel found herself overlooking a vertical labyrinth. Peering over the edge, she could peer into a vast abyss without any sign of a bottom. In the center of the pit, a round creature hovered. Squinting, Mel could make out a cage hanging from the bottom side of the witch.

“I’m guessing Leila is trapped in that cage.” Mel inferred.

“I’d say you’re correct.” Kanagi agreed, “Which leaves up a conundrum.”

“How do we rescue her? Actually, how do we even get there?”

“Oh? You’re improving.” The Boss of the East complimented. “Your evaluations are spot on.

“I can shoot the witch from here. How about you?”

Mel shook her head, creating a revolver from her tarot card. “My guns don’t have the range.”

Kanagi raised her brow. “You make guns now?”

“Mami taught me. I’m still not great at it, but it still is handy.” Mel paused, “Lot of good it will do here.”

“Could you make a rifle or something with a longer range?” Kanagi suggested.

Mel frowned, “I’ve tried that before, but this is the most I can manage.”

Kanagi seemed to want to say more, but paused, “Then perhaps we should try to lure it closer.”

Raising her crop, Kanagi summoned an orb of energy. Pointing her crop, the white haired girl sent a beam of energy at the witch.

The witch roared as the beam grazed it.

Kanagi frowned. “Well, let’s see if that works.”

In response, the witch shot a pair of tendrils out at the duo.

The pair dodged the attacks.

The white haired boss grimaced at the witch, who hadn’t moved an inch. “Well then…ranged attacks it is.”

“Mel? Where are you?” Mito called out, searching around.

“Where could she have gone?” Charu frowned, “Maybe I should call mom.”

“Hello there Chiharu Hiroe and Mito Aino!” The pair spun around to find a white cat standing before them.

Chiharu looked down in confusion. “You know my name? Who are you?”

“I am Kyubey and I am-“

“How many times do I need to tell you,” Mito cut in, “I don’t want to die!”

With that, the younger girl stormed up to the cat, picked it up with both hands, and smacked her head into its head.

Charu watched in horrified shock. “What are you doing Mito?”

“I must say, this is normal between us.” The white haired cat assured her.

Mito dropped the cat. “This cat is a bad creature. It tells you to become a Diviner and save the world. But all that happens is you die.”

“That is incorrect Mito Aino,” Kyubey corrected, “While magical girl life is dangerous, it will most certainly not make you die.”

The cat flicked its head before tilting it. “What I mean to say is that I know where Mel Anna went. As well as Leila Izumi and Seika Kumi.”

The pair looked down in interest. “Where?”