[Multiple Viewpoints (Week 13 Sidestory)]
Somewhere in Hozuki...
"What do you mean, she's dead!?"
"
I mean exactly as I have said, Kagari Hinata. Suzune Amano died in Kamihama City."
An irate Kagari picked up Kyubey and squeezed him tight in her grasp. It might have hurt someone else, but the Incubators had no use for pain and couldn't feel it. Kyubey told her that choking him was pointless, but she was too incensed to care.
"Don't act like this was some accident! There was no reason for her to even be that far away! You sent her there, didn't you? We had an agreement!"
"
Suzune Amano chose to investigate that city of her own free will. Our agreement is between you and me, not her. If you wanted to control her more thoroughly, you could have done so easily."
"Oh, and I bet you never once suggested that she should check out that strange place, huh?"
"
A suggestion is not the same as an order. If anyone should be blamed for this happening, shouldn't it be you? She would still be in this city if not for your interference."
Kagari responded to that by crushing Kyubey's head in her hands.
"How dare you... you rat... she was my kill!"
There was a knock at the window. Another Kyubey. She didn't let him in.
"...alright, so who killed her?" she asked. "There's no way she died naturally."
"
Suzune had targeted that city's Coordinator, Mitama Yakumo. Her little sister, Mikage Yakumo, and a close friend, Kanagi Izumo, caught her in the act and intervened. Mikage dealt the finishing blow."
"A Coordinator, huh?" Kagari had heard of them – Magical Girls who survived by enhancing others in exchange for Grief Seeds. She had no need of their services, given her powers, and Hozuki didn't even have one. If those girls are boosted, it's no wonder why took out Suzune so easily... especially since she was convinced that Kyubey had set Suzune up, somehow. "Maybe I should go pay her a visit."
"
The city is distrustful of outsiders, especially nowadays."
"...wow, you think? I wonder why?"
"
Suzune is not the only one who went there to make trouble."
"I'm not going to make trouble. Not unless they make me."
Her real target now was Kyubey after all, and it looks like they hated him even than she did.
"
Very well, but while you are there, do you mind..."
"Nope. If you want information, get it yourself, rat. Now then, which train will get me there the fastest...?"
She was in one of the empty rooms of the family home, living as a squatter since no one remembered who she was. But that was fine. There was nothing here for her anymore now that Suzune was dead. So, she opened the door to leave and...
"!"
"Who... big sis!?"
"Gah!"
...why was Matsuri here!? Did that rat set this up too!?
Kagari immediately transformed and aimed her hands at her little sister, ready to wipe her memories once more. But before she could, Matsuri transformed as well, and dodged back, out of the way. Not wanting to get into a fight, Kagari used the opening to retreat down the stairs and escape.
"Kagari! Wait up!"
But Kagari used a choice placement of a chakram to keep Matsuri back, preventing her from making chase. Matsuri ran into the room, opened the window, and hopped onto the roof... only to find that her sister was too far away for her to catch up now.
"I don't understand..."
"
Kagari wanted to keep her existence a secret from you."
Kyubey approached her.
"
She is now headed to Kamihama City. You'll probably never see her again unless you go there."
"Kamihama... what's so special about it?"
"
Gather the others, and I shall explain. It's a long story..."
"Okay, let's hurry!"
The two of them leapt down from the rooftops – Matsuri eager to reconnect with her long-lost sister and not wanting to lose her again; Kyubey adapting to losing one pawn by recruiting others to take her place.
--
Somewhere in Mitakihara...
At first, Mami and Madoka had thought they would have to recruit Homura as a Magical Girl to help protect Mitakihara. However, the past few weeks had shown that they might not have to. Not only were Sayaka and Madoka improving in their skills, but two new Magical Girls had wandered into the city – Koito and Reihi. The two were from nearby towns and had migrated here – one to fight Witches, and the other to gain information. However, Reihi was still willing to help out with Witch hunts, which is what the five of them had just been doing.
As it turned out, Reihi was on the hunt for two specific Magical Girls as a request from another person. She was looking for Oriko Mikuni and Kirika Kure. None of the Mitakihara girls knew who they were, but Koito had been acquitted with Oriko in the past. Oriko had been missing for weeks, and there was even a reward for any information leading to her whereabouts, paid for by her politician uncle.
This was when Reihi brought up Kamihama, that mysterious city... perhaps the two had run there?
Mami wanted to return anyway – especially after recently hearing a rumor that Kyoko was there – and with someone experienced like Reihi by her side, she felt more confident about her chances. The time to visit would be sooner, rather than later.
But Reihi had her own plans...
She was posing as Homura's caretaker, made easy by the fact that the girl desperately needed one. It seemed that her family had abandoned her... when she asked Homura about it, the girl didn't want to answer.
"Are you sure we can't recruit Homura too?" she asked aloud while in the kitchen, making dinner for the two of them.
"I'm not opposed to it, but remember that Mami is the real prize," answered... the air?
"Alongside Oriko and Kirika, right? What are you going to do with them?"
"If we're lucky, we'll be able to take them in alive. Oriko's power in particular... imagine having that under our control."
"But they know we're coming, right? So how will..."
"Ummm..."
Reihi cut herself off and turned to Homura, who was standing in the doorway. "Yes, Homura?"
"Who are you talking to?"
"Ah, right, you can't see her. Boss, is it okay if you...?"
"No problem."
"Ah!" exclaimed Homura, as another woman – another Magical Girl – suddenly appeared in her kitchen as if she had always been there.
"Apologies for the disturbance. I'm just here to check up on Reihi."
"It's okay... but who are you?"
"My name? Kagami Kanpeki. But please, don't let me be a disturbance! The two of you should get to dinner... especially before it starts to burn."
"Huh? ...Ah!"
Reihi and Homura immediately went to save their dinner before it was too late, not noticing Kagami's sudden disappearance. Reihi later explained that it was just something her boss could do.
Homura couldn't help but wonder about all the different powers Magical Girls had... and if she'd be any good as one.
--
Somewhere in Futatsugi...
The city of Futatsugi is only a short train ride away from Kamihama, but despite that fact the two were quite distinct. While Kamihama was most recently (and still is) going through a Witch drought, Futatsugi was going through a glut of Witches. The typically hostile Tiger, Dragon, and Snake factions were finally able to put their differences aside and unite due to this... even if it may be brief, this peace was appreciated by all the girls of the city.
It had lasted all of a few weeks, as raiders from other cities invaded to take control for themselves. Most of them were easy to deal with, but some were quite a hassle and even a threat to the leaders of the All-Futastugi Magical Girl Club.
It was then that two odd Magical Girls, sent by someone named Kagami, appeared with an offer of help...
At the moment, those two girls were tagging along with the leaders of the club – Yuna from the Tiger faction, Ao from the Snake faction, and Juri from the Dragon faction. One of them was wrapped thoroughly in bandages except for one of her cold back eyes, and the other was in communication with flocks of birds, leading them to where a big group of raiders had taken shelter. By their estimates, the ten girls in question had pushed all the local Magical Girls out of the area.
Eventually, the bird girl led them to an abandoned warehouse.
"This is it!" she declared, as they hid some distance away.
Juri transformed. "Awesome! Let's get in there and bust some heads!"
"Hold it. Don't go in."
"Come on, Yuna! We can take them!"
"Yuna's right," Ao added. "There's no way our guests brought us here just to make us fight while outnumbered."
"Correct..." mumbled the bandaged girl. "I will handle this..."
"By yourself!? Not a chance! I'm gonna...!"
Juri then backed up when she noticed something. Beneath the other girl's bandages, thin threads were unspooling themselves and winding their way out of her and into the warehouse. They all waited in silence as the threads moved, likely making their way to the raider girls. After a few moments of silence, the threads became still, the bandaged girl brought out a large butcher's knife, and...
"AHHHHHH!"
...she stabbed herself with it. Once in the heart and once in the gut. She fell over, seemingly dead.
"What the hell!? What kind of power is that!?" exclaimed Juri.
"...what did you do to them?" Yuna asked.
"Got rid of them. They've been giving us trouble too," replied the bird girl, leaning over her companion. "You can get up now, you know."
"..."
The bandaged opened her eyes as if totally unfazed by her grievous wounds.
"Fine... it is done now."
Sure enough, they could all feel it... multiple Witches being born.
"So then, about that deal..."
The bird girl was interrupted by Yuna's weapon, a large iron club, nearly knocking her head off. She transformed as well, blocking the attack completely with a bird-like clawed hand.
"...I take it that's a no?"
"Indeed. Get out of our city, and never return."
The bandaged girl then got up from the ground.
"Suit yourselves... Off to Kamihama then...?"
"I think we have some other stops first? But eventually, yes. Oh, and tell Ao we said farewell."
"Get out of here already before we make you!" yelled Juri at them as they walked off while Yuna went to check up on Ao, who had fainted. "Honestly... Yuna, you should've let me fight them!"
"If I had, that would have happened to you. I made a promise not to let anyone else die pointlessly."
"But!"
"No buts. Now help me carry Ao back."
"Fine... say, should we warn those Kamihama girls?"
"...you just want to fight the girls there, don't you?"
"We can do both~!"
Yuna sighed. "I don't see why not."
"Awesome! Field trip~! Field trip~!"
"We need to take care of things first here, before we can go..."
And the two of them continued on like this as they departed, with Yuna later calling in the troops to harvest the Grief Seeds before anyone else could. After all, if they were the reason those girls died, they should be the ones to use their seeds, right?
--
Somewhere in Kamihama...
It might have looked like Oriko's plans were all for naught, with Kyoko and Yuma being recruited by Yachiyo, Sasara being freed, Felicia joining the ranks of the Magius. And if one didn't know that those events were what she wanted, then they would be right. For the truth was that pushing the Magical Girls of Kamihama City into each other's arms was her plan all along.
It was the only way they would be able to survive the challenges to come.
"Say 'Ah', Oriko!"
"Ahh... mmm, delicious. You've outdone yourself yet again, Kirika."
"Hehehe~! Anything for you, dear."
Soon enough those girls would come for the two of them... but that was fine. If it meant they could overcome the Incubator's plots, withstand the onslaught of Kagami's forces, and triumph over the looming Walpurgisnacht, Oriko would gladly sacrifice herself upon the altar. She saw Kirika surviving past her end, so if only she had to die, of course she would take that path.
It was part and parcel of saving the world, after all.
"What are we gonna do next?" asked Kirika.
"I wonder... I believe the next internal incident will come from the center, let's move there soon."
"Got it!"
Kirika beamed at her precious Oriko. She would do anything for her.
And if it meant going behind her back to make sure they showed her mercy, she would do that too...
QM Note: Next update will hopefully be on Thursday.
