Puella Magi Falsus Magica (A PMMM Quest)

[] Speak to Kazumi some more and decide later... (1 option only)
-[] About the Pleiades Saints

You decided to hold up your hand and shake your head. Kazumi was noticeably embarassed having pulled her attack too early and dismissed the suit from her hand. You took a sip of your water before you chose to continue the conversation.

"I do have a bit to ask. The Pleiades Saints. What kind of group were they that they had access to these sorts of things?" You asked with a curious tone.

Kazumi raised her eyebrows at that before giving you a solemn smile, "Well, where should I start? They were a group of girls saved by an extraordinary Magical Girl. They became friends and things seemed to be going well enough for them until that girl died before their eyes. That was when they chose to resort to taboo and resurrect their friend through thick and thin. But I think they were just missing her a lot."

"I... See. There's some similarities then to our creation," you replied as you looked out the window.

"I never would have expected it. I knew Yukina-san myself during the incident with GriefBornes. I never would have expect her to become one herself," Kazumi observed as she stared at you in awe.

You bristled beneath her gaze and said, "Well circumstances can be the same for us. Being revived and all as something different out of love. The most we could do is fill that hole left behind by the people we were modeled from."

"The Pleiades thought the same," Kazumi admitted as she closed her eyes to remember, "But yes, they were a group of girls that became friends through their repeated experimentation and defiance of the magical girl system."

"Defiance?" You asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes. They discovered the true nature of Witches and sought to fix it. They made a stop gap method of erasing the Incubator... Kyubey, from their memories and had a replacement for cleansing their gems," Kazumi explained as she met your gaze, her tone more mature and serious than normal, "They weren't the first and until something changes, they won't be the last. In their fear of turning, they grew desperate and eventually created the freezer. While this was happening, they created me using their combined magic."

"A group of desperate girls," you frowned.

"It's amazing what you could achieve with fear and desperation. You're detached from such things but could be influenced by them so you might not understand well," Kazumi said as she smiled at you, "But they did it. They created life. They created me... But I'm the 13th iteration. The 13th Kazumi. They've done too much, killed so many, sacrificed their minds until they crumbled from within."

You listened closely as Kazumi stared at you. Your red eyes both bearing the same shade of rust red, an artifact from the taboo ritual which created you both. You couldn't imagine Yuri going through the same thing.

But the grief that Yuri felt, you were well acquainted with it. Lachesis showed you once. It was something terrifying. To think and consider the notion of Yuri being the same as the Pleiades...

Was she?

The thought scared you.

"So you said one of the members created the Evil Nuts?" You asked her as she raised her head.

"Oh. Yes. Well, I don't really understand. But that would be the case. Umika and Kaoru would know more," Kazumi admitted with a sad expression, "I wish I can help more in that front but they're still keeping a lot from me."

"Why is that?" You asked with a frown.

"They say it's for my sake," Kazumi answered with a difficult expression, "The Pleiades have done a lot of things. Things they're not proud of... And they want me to be spared from that."

"But do you think the Pleiades right now could do something like distribute the Evil Nuts?" You questioned her with a sharper tone.

"No. The Pleiades are gone. There's nothing of them anymore. Umika and Kaoru turned their backs on the group and... I'm the last legacy they have," Kazumi answered with a determined look, "I'm the only proof that they were here."

"I see..." You murmured as you closed your eyes, "You really are loved, huh?"

.....
....
...

Kazumi had left soon after but not before cooking you dinner. You finished up your plate as well this time while looking up the clock. The other three were sure taking their sweet time.

You cleaned up the dishes and saved the last left overs in the fridge. You're certain Sai and Reika would love the food Kazumi left them. You came upon the living room sofa and frowned as you picked up the suit.

It might look good on you but isn't it for men? You supposed that it would be a nice disguise. Umika knew what you looked like after all.

You waited by the sofa for your friends to return. You waited.... And you waited...

.....
....
...

You opened your eyes to find yourself lying on sand. Your entire body tensed up as your eyes widened. You dodged as a gear came crashing down where your head had been. You reacted and parried aside another that came for your head.

Invisible panels flashed around you as you defended yourself from an attack from all angles. They all bounced off before you pushed the kinetic force into the sand. Sand exploded all around you before you heard the sound of a spinning saw just as you used Nacht's shields before you.

A girl held the spinning saw and she was beautiful. No longer was she a statue bound upon an Iron throne. But she was moving and she had a more human appearance. Her eyes blazed with the despair of Witches which was the only indication of her true form.

Olga shattered your defenses and drove her saw into your chest. You kicked off the ground and flipped over her attack as she threw gears at you. You summoned your own gears and your projectiles both smashed together.

Landing on your feet, you gasped as you looked up at her. Dress in armor and deep blue, her long black hair swayed with the wind as she stared you down.

Was this what Nacht said about evolution?

"This body. It's my turn to use it," Olga rasped in her cracked voice before charging at you, "Mine."

You dodged and weaved through her attacks, getting in her guard to stop her swing and kick her. You punched her face once before knocking her into the air.

Grabbing her leg, you swung her through the air and into the hills of sand. You gasped for breath before you fell down your knees. So weak.

Olga got up as her body shined, "Mine. I'll make this body mine!"

You moved as you dashed towards her before she could react. You slammed into her face, knocking her into the sand. You then crushed her weapon in half before you kneed her stomach.

She swung her hand at you but you caught it and pinned it down. Her other hand went for your eyes but you held her wrist and snapped it.

Olga hissed in rage as her eyes swirled with despair and anger.

"Why are you so angry?" You asked her with a pointed look.

"Doesn't matter. Free. Set me free!" She hissed in anger as she tried to bite your face, "Free me! Give me my body! It's mine! Mine!"

"You can't. Beating me won't do anything either. Give up," you told her with a weak tone.

"No. Liar! I won't be like them. I won't be content! I want to live again!" Olga snarled at you.

"You can't," you insisted with a sad tone.

Olga hissed as she struggled beneath your strength, "Why? Why?!"

"Because it's not my body either. Not ours. We're only borrowing it," you told her as she breathed through her nose. Her grief ridden eyes stared at you like broken glass.

"Why... It's not fair," Olga growled with hurt in her voice.

"We're only borrowing it. We must take care of it," you muttered back as Olga looked pained.

"I want to live," Olga breathed as she fell limp, her breath shaky as she looked to the side.

[] "It'll be over soon. Once we catch the Assassin. We'll get to take it easy. Just a little bit more."
[] "I'll think of something. We'll live. I promise. Please don't cry. Please..."
[] "We won't give this body up. Something... We'll work something out. I refuse to die. I want to live too."
[] Write in...
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Between the Lines

• The more human looking a Witch becomes in the Nexus, their ability to influence Yukina grows. At the same time, their powers weaken.
• Witches have each of their own obsessions.
• The human appearance is dictated by Yukina's humanity affecting them. Yet they're still malevolent beings despite this.

[] "I'll think of something. We'll live. I promise. Please don't cry. Please..."

You slowly loosened your hold on Olga as she simply gave up fighting. You watched her body heal from your blows before you held up your finger to wipe her tear. Her eyes were like shattered glass of boiling grief as she turned her gaze at you. A Witch wearing a human skin but a Witch all the same.

Obsessed, miserable and hateful to the world. But she was afraid. Life did not end upon a transformation to a Witch, it continued but bringing none of the humanity with it. Even Witches feared annihilation. Everyone did in some shape or form.

From the most powerful girl you knew to the lowliest of Witches, death was something to fear.

Which was why you wanted to comfort her, even for a little bit. A reassurance would be appropriate. But would be enough? You're not sure. You can only hope that she could understand. Which was why you had her focus on you as you held her cheek.

She was warm.

"I'll think of something," you assured her with a determined look, "We'll live. I promise. Please don't cry. Please..."

Olga met your gaze as she had a difficult expression. Her grief ridden eyes welled up in tears before she covered them with her forearm. She choked back a sob before you knelt beside her then.

It was the first time you communicated with your Witch without doing anything drastic.

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....
...

Morning came and you were greeted by the sunlight coming from your window. You slowly got up before you noticed something again.

They haven't come back yet. The apartment was completely untouched. Your guess was proven when you came out of your room to find the living room undisturbed until you stepped in.

Nothing.

You pulled out your phone and found two messages. You opened them and found that they were from Kaito.

Hey Yukina, this may seem odd but is Sai there? I haven't gotten anything from her last night. Is she all right? If she's not there, she left me specific instructions to go there. She said something about back up.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

You checked the other message.

I'm coming over. Tell me where you are.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

You raised an eyebrow before texting him that you didn't know where you were and that Sai had been out for the whole night. You also explained that you were on house arrest for several violations. Maybe you can take Kazumi on her offer to go out.

But still, Sai, Reika and Madoka were powerful. If anything happened to them, it can't be an error on their part. Reika and Sai were Named ones and you knew just how much of a beast Madoka was in a fight. Something happened to those three.

Kaito's message came back.

Got it. I'll just trace your phone's location. I'm a civilian so I shouldn't come up on some MGs' senses. Stay right where you are.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

You never found him to be this tense. You wonder if he was worried about Sai or something. Well they were going out, only that you weren't interested enough to ask. You should assist him when you could.

You set down your phone after acknowledging his orders. You fell down on the sofa and sighed. You wondered where they were. It's not like them to go missing like this. You didn't have Kazumi's number so you couldn't call her for help.

You stared at the off television and sank into the sofa. You waited... An hour went by and still nothing. You were growing... Anxious? That's probably the word you want. You were anxious and worried. Were they going to be okay?

You stayed where you were as you looked up the clock. It was nearly lunch time. They were gone for a full 24 hours now.

Where could they have gone?

You heard a knock on the door, making you jump. You frowned before slowly creeping towards it. You could sense... Nothing.

The seal on the door was undone before you unlocked it. Opening it, Reika fell down the ground. She hit the floor with a thud making you tense up in alarm. You knelt down and felt she was... Cold.

"Reika..?" You muttered in confusion.

Almost like she was dead. You turned her over and there was no light in her eyes. You also saw a note stuck to her stomach.

You stared at the note before getting up and looking down the hall. You tried to sense using the assailant's grief but there was nothing. You knelt back down beside Reika and searched for her Soul Gem.

Except it wasn't anywhere on her.

You pilfered through her pockets and took out her phone. You opened it to find messages from Kaito as well in it.

"Reika... What happened?" You asked as you held her shoulder.

[] Go. Find the person responsible for this. You can figure it out.
[] Stay. Kaito told you to stay put until he got here. You will follow his orders and brief him of the situation.
[] Call. Get Kazumi here fast. She needs to know what happened and she's the only one you can rely on now. Reika has her number.
[] Alert. Raise the Asunaro Admins. This situation just escalated and you need help, damn the consequences. This was serious.
[] Write in...
[] Inspect. Search her body more thoroughly.