Puella Magi Imperatrix Mundi, or: Wherein Half Of Japan Tries To Kill You

---

"I disagree," you declare. "There's one thing I still need to take care of first."

Maiko gives you a put-upon look. "Dare I ask what?"

"Sorry," you say quietly.

Maiko groans. "I'm not upset, just do whatever it is you--"

"No, I mean... I'm sorry, Maiko," you say, then grab her in a hug. "You're right, that was reckless and I'm sorry for scaring you."

Maiko stiffens, then just kind of... deflates. "No, I understand. You had a better grasp of the situation than I, and had to act decisively. You don't need to apologize because I'm being unreasonable."

"I thought it was the best option, and in hindsight? I still think it was," you say. "I'm not sorry because I think I made a mistake, I'm sorry because I hurt you."

Maiko doesn't seem to know what to say about that.

"And, I mean, things still could have gone badly. I was too focused on attacking to defend myself, what if she'd hit my gem by accident?" you say. "I promise I'll at least try my best to run plans like this past you in the future, okay?"

"That's... it's fine," Maiko says quietly. "I trust you."

You're... okay, yes, you are kinda gratified to hear that from Maiko, but on the other hand you're also a little concerned about why a woman your brother's age seems almost desperate to put her trust in the judgement of a middle schooler, never mind a middle schooler who acts like, well, you. It's always seemed odd on some level that Maiko accepted a complete novice stepping in as the replacement for her mentor, and you're becoming increasingly certain that Maiko is strangely opposed to being a leader of any sort.

But that's something to think about another day... so for now, you just hug Maiko a bit tighter and say, "I won't let you down, I promise."

You release Maiko, then glance down at Kyoufu. "So, uh. Anyway! We should... probably move her somewhere safe-ish?" you say.

Maiko just nods, still radiating discomfort.

You pick up Kyoufu gently... not because you're worried about hurting her, she seems crazy durable, but because you really, really, really don't want to deal with her fear aura again right now and not waking her up seems to be the best way to ensure that. Maiko apparently feels the same way, given that she sort of subconsciously sidles away as you shift Kyoufu into a princess carry because, weird magical emotion doll or not, she's still a cute girl and that's just how things are done, okay?

She's surprisingly light, even accounting for her scrawny frame and your enhanced strength. Your magic sense made it clear that her and Muhou's human appearance is literally only skin-deep, but carried in your arms she feels... flimsy, almost insubstantial.

Also, from up close and with her hood and hair hanging loose, you can see Kyoufu's face clearly and the resemblance to Muhou is unmistakable. You asked Muhou if they were sisters, and if not for the age difference you'd think they were identical twins. Given their shared ability to create unfamiliars and pinkish-red magic, when you think about their possible origins... you're starting to suspect their relationship may be even closer than that.

You consider leaving Kyoufu at a bus stop or the like, but you're pretty sure that a teenage girl in ratty clothing sleeping on a public bench would draw attention from the wrong sort of people... people like helpful police officers worried for her safety, who totally wouldn't deserve to get blasted by her fear aura and/or have unfamiliars extracted.

Given that Muhou is gone and the presence overhead is more interested in you and Maiko, you're not particularly worried about Kyoufu's safety, so you decide to just find an out-of-the-way spot in an alley to put her.

Kyoufu murmurs slightly as you walk, making your heart skip a beat as you and Maiko freeze nervously... but Kyoufu just sighs contentedly and cuddles up against you and sort of nuzzles your chest and oh god you are blushing so hard right now.

"Making friends again, I see," Maiko says dryly, sounding more like her usual self.

"I-- I don't, uh... what?" you stammer.

"You know, there's a famous quote in English," Maiko says, "that the only thing to fear is fear itself."

"...she's sleeping comfortably because she can sense I'm scared of her aura," you say slowly. "I don't know whether I want to laugh or cry at that."

"Whichever you pick, save it for after you settle her somewhere," Maiko says. "Because I am likewise considerably less than thrilled at the prospect of experiencing her aura again."

"...right."

You're lucky enough to find a patch of grass between a couple buildings, with some bushes hiding it from view of anywhere people are likely to be, so you lay Kyoufu down in the most comfortable position you can manage, then requisition some of Maiko's spooky office supplies to write a note to leave with her.

You decide to stick with what apparently works and start the note by apologizing that you were too scared of her aura to stick around and wait for her to wake up. Beyond that... hmm. "I want to ask her to stop creating unfamiliars, but I'm not sure how," you say. "I got the impression Muhou felt driven to do it more than she thought it was actually helping in whatever way, but Kyoufu calls hers 'friends'... though she also said something about there being no friendship for the forsaken, so I'm not sure what her deal is other than being kinda loopy."

Maiko frowns. "It... depends on how much conscious agency they really have, as opposed to running on instinct as is typical for living magic constructs."

"...those are common enough to have a 'typical'?" you ask.

"Familiars," Maiko clarifies. "The regular kind. Also, magical girls who animate independent minions or autonomous weapons, like Chou's plants or Rio's bombs."

"Ah," you say. "I am like, almost certain that's not the case here."

"Agreed," Maiko says. "At the risk of sounding cliche, perhaps you should stick with 'the power of friendship' here and not overthink it?"

"Huh? 'Not overthink'?" you say, in mock surprise. "Are you feeling okay, Maiko?"

She just rolls her eyes.

"'kay, right," you say, tapping your chin thoughtfully. "Let's see... blah blah, I understand that loneliness is scary, your friends are... no, not gonna act scared of them, that's a lie and also might encourage her, hmm... maybe just straight up ask her to not make more for now? Also, keep them away from people, add another offer of friendship with more nonspecific implied anxiety about stuff, aaaaand done." You glance up at Maiko. "Anything else I should add?"

Maiko frowns. "I... actually wouldn't mind talking to her myself, now that you've so clearly demonstrated how best to approach them," she says. "She wouldn't know how to reach me telepathically, though."

"Got it," you say, and add a postscript with Maiko's phone number and a request for Kyoufu to call when she wakes up. After Maiko reminds you that Kyoufu is not actually a human teenager and probably doesn't own a cellphone, you also leave some coins and directions to the nearest payphone (courtesy of Minami, who is even more helpful than Google Maps and only slightly more invasive of people's privacy, probably, you think).

"Now, I suggest we find somewhere comfortable--and comfortably far away from your unexpectedly cuddly new friend--so I can attempt to teach you how to heal yourself."

You grumble a bit, blushing. "There's a park downtown that should be kinda on the way home for both of us?" you suggest.

"That works," Maiko says. "In the meantime, you should consider alternative options in case you don't succeed immediately. You need to be home soon, and going home like that would be unwise."

"Right," you sigh as the two of you start walking. "I guess you can't just heal me yourself?"

"Healing other magical girls directly is... not something I've ever been skilled with," Maiko admits. "It requires finesse and practice that I lack to work with their own magic rather than fighting against it, and with the disparity in our magic reserves I'm not sure I could brute force the issue even if I wanted to. I do have healing devices that work on others, but they're necessarily specialized and none are applicable in this case."

"What about, like, super spooky illusion gadgets to hide the bruises?" you ask. "Oh! Or maybe super makeup skills to go with your 'responsible adult' cosplaying?"

Maiko rolls her eyes, then gestures to the 'sharp young professional' outfit she's still wearing. "Even in this, do I look like I'm wearing much in the way of makeup?"

"...you're just that good?"

"No," Maiko says. "Nor do I have 'spooky illusion gadgets' that would be useful. Haruka might be able to convincingly hide bruises with makeup--she managed to hide her gallivanting about in Witch barriers with Himari from her family somehow, and I know Himari's defensive enchantments aren't perfect--but we'd have to detour all the way back to Momoko's house to get her help."

You briefly consider pretending to stay at a friend's house overnight... of which only Asami is a viable option, and while that could work it's not something you could do too often without suspicion and you'd rather save that option for emergencies. It'd be better if you could just keep anyone from noticing that you--aha!

Hey guys! you send telepathically to Minami and Yumi, including Maiko as well. You're done meeting with the new girls, right?

Roger that, command, Minami says. Shall we give our report now?

Uh, in a minute? you say. Thing is, I got kinda beat up in the process of making friends with a magic doll person made of angry.

...what, Yumi says.

I saw, Minami says. Are you okay?

A little bruised, nothing major! Totes worth it to acquire a small angry friend, you say. Maiko's gonna try and teach me to heal myself but if that doesn't work I, uh, can't really go home like this.

I have a supply of makeup, Yumi says, but not really much skill with it. Not these days, anyway.

I was actually thinking, uh... Minami, could you maybe walk home with me and make my bruises seem like a not important thing if anyone notices? Is that something your magic can do?

Eh? That... y-yeah, I can do that, Minami says, somewhat awkwardly. I'll come meet up with you guys in a bit.

Thanks! you say. Now, the girls you met tonight, what're they like? Tell me, tell me!

Oh, you'll like them, Yumi says, amused. They're... interesting.

You know how Tomo doesn't talk? Minami says. One of these girls doesn't either. Not out loud, anyway. It's... a medical issue, I guess? Hana kinda brushed it off.

So... she talks telepathically, then? you ask.

Oh, does she ever, Yumi says.

She apparently kinda talks to herself mentally, Minami says. Like this incessant running monologue, and at first she didn't realize that my magic was picking it up as a broadcast.

Of all the times for stalkercam girl to not be snapping photos, Yumi sighs. The look on the kid's face when she realized that not only were we hearing her, we were hearing her? Hilarious.

After that she was super chatty, Minami said. She kept saying that she didn't want to impose on us, but we also practically had to pry her off with a crowbar to catch up with Reiko before she went home.

Definitely starved for conversation, Yumi adds. For understandable reasons, I suppose. She had a smartphone that she kept reaching for reflexively, so I expect she normally types things out to 'talk'. She was a bit cagey about her home life in a way that suggests it's not all sunshine and roses, though probably not in a dangerous way. Financial troubles or a single parent household would be my guess. Either way, she probably sees the magical girl life as an escape from--right, what's up with that face?

Um... Minami trails off indecisively. It's something like that, yeah?

I'm sure Hana will talk about her family when she feels comfortable, you interrupt. What about the other girl? Reiko, right?

Reiko Uesumi, Minami says. She's... yeah.

That's one way to put it, Yumi begins, clearly trying not to laugh. So first of all, it turns out she made a contract with Kyubey.

You furrow your brow. Uh. Isn't that part of the whole 'magical girl' thing?

You would think so, Yumi says, but also no, because you haven't met this kid yet.

Yeah, we don't mean like... Minami sighs. Here, let me just, uh... ah, there we go.

Maiko's phone buzzes. She pulls it out, stares blankly at it for several seconds, then slowly closes her eyes and rubs the bridge of her nose. She holds the phone out for you to inspect, and you see a photo of... what appears to be several pages of dense legal jargon ending with one traditional red ink seal and one red ink pawprint, Kyubey-sized.

...huh.

Well. Okay, then. Did you see what the contract actually said? you ask. Also, wait. She actually had it with her? Why?

Not in detail and I don't know, respectively, Yumi says. We only got a brief look at the actual contract before the conversation derailed.

Yeah, Reiko got a bit distraught when Yumi implied that there's probably stuff Kyubey never mentioned that she would have considered important, Minami says.

Distraught? More like pissed off, Yumi says. Don't think I've ever seen someone's opinion of Kyubey do a 180 that fast before. And then she started interrogating us about how being a magical girl works and what the rules and expectations are and so forth, like it'd be the end of the world if she didn't know exactly what she was supposed to do. She was kind of rude and demanding about it.

Though, it didn't seem like she meant to be rude, Minami says.

Oh, definitely not, Yumi says. It was more a 'I have lots of questions and the social skills of a sledgehammer' sort of thing. Trust me, I know the type.

Anyway, we kinda... well, shoved that part onto you two, Minami says. Sorry!

She'll probably have even more questions tomorrow, Yumi says. Good luck, I guess?

That's fine, Maiko sighs. Though I do have to ask, do you have any idea what prompted her to... take the approach she did? Whilst the idea of hauling Kyubey into court for breach of contract is objectively hilarious, demanding a written contract is not typical behavior for a teenager, even less so one of the sort Kyubey typically approaches.

Oh, that's simple, Minami says. Seems her parents are both high-powered contract lawyers who do very expensive work for very expensive, high-powered kinds of people like... er, um.

The name you are looking for is 'Saburou Aikawa', Yumi says. Yes, she mentioned him and a few others specifically by name.

Ah, you say, scratching your neck awkwardly. Okay, yeah, that's... that's definitely 'rich and powerful' territory, yes.

We didn't actually mention your family name, Yumi continues. It's hardly a secret, I know, but I felt like it'd be better for you to introduce yourself personally before bringing up your grandfather.

Yeah... yeah, probably, you sigh. Honestly, you don't even know your grandfather that well yourself. He makes an effort to see his family at least a few times every year, but it's clear he never really knew how to relate to his son and that his ability to deal with children hasn't improved over the years since then. Not to mention that he's a quiet, reserved, thoughtful type of person, much more like your brother than like yourself or even your parents. Honestly, you're pretty sure that the only reason your father and grandfather even talk at all is because your mother insists on it.

It also occurs to you that between Reiko, Koharu, and sorta maybe Shinobu, there seem to be a lot of new magical girls somehow connected to your family. You're not quite sure what to make of that, and--since you're hardly going to go through your father's address book looking for people with daughters your age in hopes of finding more magical girls--set the thought side for now.

---

A pleasant walk later, you and Maiko sit down on a park bench.

"Okay," Maiko says. "Watch carefully with your magic sense."

She rolls up one sleeve, placing her hand on the bench, while you transform again and focus carefully on her hand. Thin green tendrils of magic radiate out from her Soul Gem to pervade her hand, and you see some of them visibly withdraw. You're about to ask Maiko about that, only to notice that she has a knife in her other hand just in time to see her drive the blade through her hand.

You make a strangled noise and barely restrain yourself from shouting.

"Incidentally, I am suppressing all sensation of pain from the hand," she says blandly.

"R-right..."

"Observe that my magic reacts automatically to the wound," she says.

You nod, because you are an attentive student who is totally not freaking out, at all. This is fine!

"Now, watch how it changes when I'm no longer obstructing the wound," Maiko says, and pulls the knife out. ...yeah, that's a lot of blood. Magic blood, apparently?

"Your magic is still in the blood, too," you say. "And the magic is... tugging on it? And sort of tangling around the cut."

Maiko cocks her head, then nods. "The blood cells are still alive, and thus still part of me, so that makes sense. In any case, what you're seeing currently is the innate enhanced healing that most, if not all, magical girls have. Now, observe."

A pulse of magic leaps from her Soul Gem down some, but not all, of the strands of magic. It spills out around the cut and starts... cycling around and sliding through the tendrils reacting to the cut. Smoothing things over, straightening things out, making the whole process more organized and efficient. It looks... complicated, but there's also a sort of soothing intuitive pattern to it that you think you'll remember, even if you're not immediately sure how to replicate it.

Half a minute later, the process finishes, all the blood having been drawn back into the wound before it sealed, leaving Maiko's hand clean and unblemished, with no sign of the former injury.

"Even self-healing is expensive for those who aren't naturally inclined toward it," Maiko says, "and is generally too slow to be useful mid-battle without enough support to cover for you. Nevertheless, it is a useful skill to have available."

"Okay," you say. "Um. Let me try, uh..."

Maiko waits patiently while you attempt to coax your magic into the patterns you saw, answering the occasional question as you try to figure it out, but you still haven't succeeded when Minami arrives nearly half an hour later.

Maiko sighs. "Do you feel you're making progress, at least? Enough to figure it out overnight?"

"I... think so?" you say. "I, uh, might be super tired tomorrow morning though..."

"I do, at least, have ways to help with that," Maiko says. "Also, remember that we're meeting with Sae Shikimi after school tomorrow, and then taking her and Sayuki into a Witch barrier. Minami, you're welcome to come along to meet Shikimi as well if you'd like."

"Oh, uh..." Minami fidgets. "I may have implied that I'd get in touch with Hana and Reiko after school about setting up a meeting with Yui..."

Maiko frowns. "Introduce them to me over telepathy tomorrow, then, I'll sort things out," she says. "For now, we can call it a night."

"Oh, one last thing," you say. "You don't need to sleep tonight, right? Would you see if you can find anything in your grimoire about where Kyoufu and Muhou came from?"

"I... could," Maiko says, "though I was planning to spend the night working on something to block their auras. The way their individual entries are fragmented makes it very difficult for me to cross-reference them against each other to find their origin, as I normally would."

"Okay, yes, aura-blocking is also important," you say. "But, I mean... can you look for that information directly? Or at least try?"

"Yes, technically," Maiko says slowly, "but I'd need a basis to start from. Why? Did you figure something out?"

"Maybe. It's just a guess, but... okay, first of all, I'm nearly certain they're like... more elaborate, fancier versions of the unfamiliars," you say. "Second, Muhou was ranting at Kyoufu about stuff that totally didn't sound like something Muhou would have ever heard, seemed to instinctively dislike Kyubey despite not recognizing the name, and clearly knew a Soul Gem is vital despite probably never meeting a magical girl before... so, Muhou at least clearly has at least subconscious memories that don't fit her, while we know that unfamiliars take memories away from the people they're created from, so..."

"So you think Muhou carries memories of the person she was created from, and likely the same for Kyoufu," Maiko says, then frowns. "I... should have noticed the incongruity about Soul Gems myself."

"Third, they both have magic that does the same thing--creating unfamiliars--and appears in the same color, and their faces look identical except for the age. Which makes me think they were created from the same person, who I assume is a magical girl and has a stronger version of the magic they share," you continue. "Now, combine that with your grimoire describing both as being abandoned somehow and them both having strong views about being unwanted..."

Maiko sighs. "Not to mention the fact that they seem to instinctively dislike each other."

Minami winces. "That's..."

"I didn't even think of... oof, yeah," you say. "Point is, I'm guessing there is, or was, a magical girl with some sort of freaky wish magic involving souls, emotions, and memories, and she removed at least two significant chunks of her soul, probably out of some misguided idea of 'fixing' personality flaws, and unintentionally created Kyoufu and Muhou. And possibly others? And now she's either messed up like the people unfamiliars were spawned from only worse, or... or whatever she did went all the way and she doesn't even exist anymore except as fragments."

Minami stares at you with a mixture of horrified fascination and fascinated horror. "I know that's probably horrible for her if you're right, and maybe it's kinda ghoulish of me but is it bad that I'm really curious now?"

"I mean, it's also possible they're made from different people," you say, "or like... unfamiliars that got mixed together or something, or grew up the way familiars can turn into Witches or whatever, but... that doesn't feel right to me."

"No, your theory makes sense," Maiko says. "I'd been considering something along similar lines, in fact, but not as detailed. I'll wait a bit to see if Kyoufu calls me in hopes of probing her for more answers, then see what I can find in my grimoire."

"Great! Seeya tomorrow, then!"

Minami seems kinda fidgety as she walks you home. You have a sneaking suspicion this has something to do with it feeling like something that resembles a post-date scenario but if she's not gonna say anything, neither are you.

You get home quickly enough, and--after stopping briefly to let Minami boggle at the size of your house--head inside, Minami trailing behind you quietly. Although your parents are home, they seem to be in your father's office discussing something, which is fortunate because Minami gets increasingly awkward as you lead her through the house, and you have to practically drag her with you into your room.

Minami?

She startles. N-nothing! I wasn't, uh, yes? I mean... Her shoulders slump and she goes very red in the face.

Okay, so I would ask what's on your mind buuuut I am getting the feeling that wouldn't help me concentrate on learning to heal, you say.

Minami wilts further. S-sorry.

It's fine, you say. Anyway, uh, it's probably easier if you climb out the window rather than get lost trying to find your way out yourself.

She nods. D-do you, uh, will you need me to come back in the morning if the healing doesn't work?

I hope it will, but... you sigh. I'll let you know in the morning, okay? Thanks for your help, though, I really appreciate it.

You give Minami a hug, and will forever cherish the memory of the adorably surprised squeaky noise she makes.

R-right, she says. See you tomorrow, Yui.

You close the window behind Minami after she leaps out, then (eventually) manage to focus back on healing magic.

---

It's well after midnight when you finally succeed in healing yourself. You also have a persistent, nagging sensation that something is missing...


...but you're not sure what.

Regardless, after that it's a matter of minutes to clear up your bruises, send a text to Minami letting her know you'll be okay in the morning, and then just kinda... tip over and fall asleep on the spot.

---

Urrrghhh.

So tired.

You stumble out of bed and land face-first on the floor, change out of yesterday's clothing into your pajamas (worn inside-out), narrowly avoid taking a shower while dressed like that, forget to open your mouth when brushing your teeth and smear toothpaste all over your face, and generally fail catastrophically at the whole 'morning' thing.

Fortunately, your parents are busy enough already to not see you like this. Sleeping poorly would be an easy enough excuse, but still. Embarrassing.

...sooo tiiiiired...

You actually, seriously walk into a lamp post on your way to school. You didn't realize that was actually a thing that could happen in real life, but here you are.

Natsuki, being the best friend that she is, is immediately worried and checks to see if you're injured. You're fine, of course. Not really awake, but fine.

Natsuki, continuing to be the best friend that she is, proceeds to laugh at you the entire rest of the way there. Urgh.

...okay, so it was pretty funny, but still.

---

Asami liberates some coffee from the teacher's office for you. Natsuki, while professing absolute horror at the idea of you drinking that much caffeine, quickly concurs that it might actually be necessary. Just this once.

It helps!

Well, helps-ish. Something vaguely approximating a thing that might potentially resemble a concept roughly similar to help, at least.

Okay, no, you're just jittery and tired now. Drat.

---

Giving up 'paying attention' as a lost cause, you instead focus on your magic again, after (finally) remembering that Maiko implied exhaustion can also be healed.

It helps!

For about thirty minutes.

Sigh.

---

By the time the last class lets out, you've finally started to feel mostly awake.

Yui? Maiko sends telepathically. I am now fairly certain your guess about Kyoufu and Muhou's origins was correct, but unfortunately my grimoire still only gave limited amounts of information. Worse, there are apparently two more like them and both are far more worrying. We can talk about it later.

Wonderful, you say. In better news, I didn't fall asleep in class! I think. Things are kinda fuzzy about some classes, but I still remember stuff, like that the teacher was probably talking. I'm at least 60% awake now, though!

Maiko snickers. Keep up the good work, kiddo.

Yeah. So, calligraphy girl, right? Then Witch hunting with first-timers?

Change of plans, Maiko says. Witch hunting first, we're meeting up in thirty minutes though Minami might be running late. I'll text you the address.

'kay.

Your magic sense isn't as sharp while not transformed, but even so you couldn't possibly miss the concentration up ahead. You can see... six Soul Gems? It's almost hard to tell with them that close together. It's also rather more than you were expecting, so you're a bit wary as you jog toward the group.

Fortunately, your caution turns out to be unnecessary--not only is Maiko there already, Tomo is also present for whatever reason. They're both standing next to a very stiff, awkward-looking girl with dark hair in elaborate braids, wearing the middle school uniform from Koharu's school, and the three are engaged in what your keen social insight identifies as the third-most-awkward failure at small talk you've ever seen. Given that the two most-awkward-er failures involved sheltered rich girls attempting to flirt with your brother, it's pretty impressive! You overhear a bit of the unknown girl saying something in a painfully detailed way while Tomo fidgets with a half-written message on her smartphone before deciding to abandon Maiko to her fate. You're absolutely and completely 100% confident that she probably won't mind, much.

Meanwhile, a chipper-looking girl with light blonde hair in a well-worn hoodie is lounging on top of a block of ice that has a magic-calligraphy "warmth" kanji attached to it while a girl with unruly blue-gray hair holding a pad of paper paces dramatically, thinking out loud as she... composes a haiku about ice cream? Something about warm ice cream that doesn't melt and betraying the hopes of summer. You're not sure about the literary merit of her composition, but the subject matter speaks to you on a personal level, so when she finishes reciting her most recent composition, you start clapping.

A moment later, you're joined by thunderous applause and encouraging shouts. The poet--who you're pretty sure is the calligraphy girl, Sae--jumps slightly in surprise, looking around, only to spot Sayuki waving and grinning. You, on the other hand, startle so badly you nearly trip, overcorrect in reaction, and then fall on your butt. The blonde apparently finds this hilarious enough that she rolls off her iceberg laughing, though only a quiet wheezing noise is audible. Hana, apparently.

Sayuki waves her hands in front of her, the illusory sound stopping abruptly. "Sorry, sorry," she says, still grinning. "You okay there, kid?"

"I'm fine," you say as you stand up, then dust your skirt off. "I would say that only my pride and dignity were injured, but my dignity and I separated on account of creative differences, like, years ago."

Probably-Sae blinks, cocks her head, then nods. "Understandable."

But what about your pride? asks a voice you don't recognize but assume to be Hana, given that she's recovered from her laughing fit and is looking at you with bright, curious eyes.

"Ah, well, you see, my understanding is that a degree of clumsiness is popularly considered a cute, endearing trait in magical girl protagonists," you say, nodding sagely as you dispense wisdom, "and if that's what is necessary to uphold the obligations of my position, then I will be proud to continue falling on my butt whenever necessary."

"Heavy is the head that wears the glitzy magic tiara," Sae says gravely.

Hana dissolves into silent giggles again.

So, apparently your Witch-hunting party has expanded to include Tomo for some reason, as well as the two girls Minami and Yumi met last night, along with Sae, yourself, Maiko, and Sayuki. And Minami, whenever she arrives.

So... how are you going to do this?

[] Relaxed. Focus more on getting to know these girls than on the Witch hunting.
[] Hands-off. Let the newbies take the lead while you and Maiko hang back to bail them out.
[] Educational. Let Maiko take the lead, and help her coach the newbies through combat.
[] Go fast. Have Minami scout out as many Witches as she can find, then take the lead in combat so the newbies can get a sense for the sheer variety of Witches out there.
[] Go big. Let Maiko and Minami scout out one or two strong Witches, then take the lead in combat so the newbies can see what serious combat looks like.
[] (write-in?)

---

Given how long this ended up being, I trimmed out a few bits of interaction with the newbies and set them aside for the next update. So, expect a bit of fluff prior to starting the Witch hunt no matter what you vote for; if you want to add some stuff in the vote regarding interacting with specific characters pre-hunt, feel free.

Also, the beginning of this update presents a good example of how Yui's social intuition sometimes bends the literal vote-as-written to follow the intent; the goal was to comfort Maiko and while in most cases being analytical would keep things in her comfort zone in this case Maiko really wasn't in a good place to do an AAR on the Muhou encounter, and bulling through on the "here's what I could have done differently" would have resulted in Maiko doubling down on the self-confidence issues in a counterproductive way. This is the sort of tweak that I wouldn't generally do if the perspective character was e.g. Minami or Asami.