Confringentur, Mk.2; a Madoka Magica / Fate/Stay Night crossover

[SVS]

[X] Offer to cooperate in eliminating Assassin
-[X] Neither party will kill or maim the other. At some point in the future, Bazett will meet with Akemi's cabal of Mages in order to coordinate against Assassin.
[X] Question Archer of what he recalls of the Grail War, and explain what she knows of it as a counter-point to Archer's experience (such as the continued existence of almost all Masters and Servants from the Fifth Grail War). Briefly describe the happenings of the Hollow Grail War and how she came to be after supposedly being killed in Archer's rendition of things.
​

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"And likewise, helping make my mission easier might earn your master brownie points with the Association, if I put in a good word for her." So far, things look like they have reached an acceptable ground. You still want to know how an unknown mage like Akemi living in some city the rest of the Association has never heard of could have access to magecraft like innate time control, but right now you don't think the time is right to press the matter. "Though presently, I believe Assassin to be a greater threat to the Association than either her or the other masters. Perhaps cooperation is in order."

"That's up to my master to decide." Archer's sword vanishes from his grasp, and in a flash of gold he's changed out of his servant garb and into civilian clothes.

"The situation with you is murky, McRemitz-san," Akemi says, hiding her firearm behind a small metal shield strapped to her arm. "You have given me no reason to believe you are who you say you are, and even if I were to take you at face value, that would mean allowing a dangerous outsider into our ranks. Normally, people are supposed to die when they are killed, so you can understand my hesitation in dealing with someone who should be dead."

"To be perfectly honest, I'm a little murky on the whole "I'm supposed to be dead" thing as well. Maybe if Archer told me where he got his info from I'd have a better idea of what's going on."

"Records of the Fourth and Fifth Holy Grail Wars, by Lord El-Melloi II and Tohsaka Rin," comes Archer's response. Curiously, Akemi's face takes on a strange and curious appearance at her servant's mention of the Lord El-Melloi's name. "Compiled from both her first-hand accounts of the War, as well as post-war records she had access to while studying at the Clocktower, she determined that the original master of Lancer had been an Association Enforcer by the name of Bazett Fraga McRemitz, on the recommendation of Kotomine Kirei, the overseer of the war who betrayed and murdered her for her Command Seals."

"Interesting..." You've read your own copy front-to-back several times in your effort to understand the time that had been stolen from you, and not once can you ever recall reading anything about your own death. You're pretty sure you would have noticed such a glaring editorial oversight as that. You take off your glove, and roll back your sleeve as far as it can go, revealing your elaborate and realistic prosthetic. "You're right on all accounts, up to the part where Kotomine actually succeeded in murdering me."

"I don't imagine that a man as twisted as Kotomine would have given you medical treatment after chopping your arm off. How did you survive?"

"I was given a second chance at life by... A friend, I guess you could say. It wasn't until six months later that I even became aware of my survival, and at that point he had trapped me inside a repeating simulacrum of the war I had missed while I was being nursed back to health. When I found out, I..." You clutch at your arm, returning your sleeve and glove to their proper place. "I didn't want to leave, in part because I was afraid that I would die if I left, and in part because I knew that if I did, then this man... My friend, would have been returned to the nothingness he came from. But eventually, his desire to see me return to the real world won out."

"I left the simulacrum he had created for me, and was allowed to live my life again. I replaced the arm Kotomine had taken from me, and went right back to work as an Enforcer as soon as my rehabilitation was over. That was six years ago."

Written on the faces of Akemi and Archer are a myriad of questions you can tell they both have for you. But what comes next isn't a series of inquiries, but rather, a hand. "Give me your hand, McRemitz-san," Akemi says. You do as she asks, holding out your hand as she grabs hold of both yours and Archer's. In an instant, the world around you goes grey, and you can no longer feel your heart beating.

You try to pull your hand away, but Akemi's grip is iron. "What... What is this? This... This isn't just magecraft, this... This is true magic. Akemi Homura... Just what are you?"

"What I am is the person who has figured out why there is a discrepancy between your version of reality, and Archer's." You can't pack away your mounting concerns about Akemi's true identity just yet, but you'll keep them silent until she gives her answer. "Archer, you said that you experienced multiple iterations of the same Grail War, correct?"

"That's correct; three, to be precise. ... I think I see what you're getting at, master."

"Right. If it's possible for you to have experienced three iterations of the same Grail War, then is it possible that you only experienced those iterations in which McRemitz-san died, while she experienced the iteration in which she lived?"

"It's possible. It's also possible that she survived in at least one of my iterations without my knowledge. Given what she described, I doubt anyone involved would have noticed that she wasn't really dead until long after the war was over." Archer turns to you, while your mind still reels as you try to process what's going on. "What do you think, McRemitz? Does any of this sound plausible to you?"

"... It's extraordinary, but I suppose it's not outside the realm of possibility. You were there in the Hollow War inside my head, and an Archer servant matching your description did serve Tohsaka Rin during the Fifth War. It's possible that we missed each other, or that you only experienced iterations of the Fifth War where I died."

"Nurse Ortensia also made mention of a Hollow Grail War," Akemi says. "But according to you, the Hollow Grail War was an artificial construct of your friend, so how could she have participated? And, what did you mean that your friend would have been returned to nothingness? Just who was your friend?"

"Ortensia was unaffected by the simulacrum because she wasn't originally a participant of the Fifth War. She came to Fuyuki to replace the now-deceased Kotomine as overseer, which is where she found my body and helped to nurse me back to health. Actually, it was around the time that she arrived that the simulacrum started, but because she had been absent during the events it was trying to replicate, it was unable to affect her."

"As for my friend, he... He was a servant, an irregular class called Avenger. He would have expired without binding himself to a master, and I would have died without him keeping me alive. It was an... Odd, friendship, but by the end we really did come to care for one another."

"So, that's why you were asking about unusual servant classes..." muses Akemi.

"One of many reasons. The presence of an irregular class might also indicate that something about this War was dangerous and might require intervention."

Colour returns to the world, and you can once again feel the beating of your heart in your chest. You blink, allowing the real world and the passage of time to inform your senses once again. Akemi lets go of your hand, saying "Intervention will not be necessary, McRemitz-san. The others and I are more than capable of handling Assassin without outside help."

"So, regarding the possibility of cooperation, is that..."

"I shall let you know my decision at a later date, McRemitz-san."

[ ] Wat do?​

 

[SVS]

[X] Confirm with Archer if they are in agreement that he is but another copy of himself from the Throne of Heroes, and not the Servant that served Tohsaka Rin in this continuity's Fifth Holy Grail War. Also give Akemi Homura the number of one of her burner phones and ask for her number in return in case anything comes up. Inquire about any threats she should be on the lookout for or be wary of during her stay here, such as any particular Master and Servant pairs she should assume hostile and/or avoid.
[X] Get briefly acclimated to her Hotel room, set up a standard security Bounded Field, and patrol Mitakihara after dark. Try to look out for activity in the Residential District, before moving further into the city.
​

---

"I shall let you know my decision at a later date, McRemitz-san," Akemi says, as her strange second outfit burns away in a peal of violent flame, returning her to her school uniform. "Until then, you are free to continue your mission in Mitakihara as you see fit, as long as you intend to remain impartial and unobtrusive to the actions of either myself or the other masters."

"Just so I'm clear about one thing," you say, directing your words not to the master, but to her servant. "You are in fact a different copy of Tohsaka Rin's Archer servant, and not the one that served her in this continuity's Fifth Holy Grail War, correct?"

"To be perfectly honest, I'm not really sure myself," Archer replies. "However, based on how you spoke earlier, it sounds as though the Tohsaka Rin you know didn't relinquish her Archer at the War's end. I have no memory of serving her beyond the war's conclusion, so in that case I suppose I would be a different iteration of her Archer."

"I see. Thank you then, Archer. You've helped clear things up a bit and given me a slightly better understanding of the situation." It'll be getting dark soon. Is there anything else you need to take care of? Yes, yes there is. "Oh, Akemi, one more thing-" Discussing some private matter with Tomoe, Akemi turns her attentions back to you, as you hand her a scrap of paper with a few numbers written on it. "My cell number, as well as the number for the hotel I'm staying at. If you'll give me yours, we can keep in touch in case anything comes up that the other might need to be aware of."

With some nudging from Tomoe, Akemi relents, sending a text message to the burner flip phone in your pocket. "Thank you. If there's anything else in particular about what's going on that you feel like sharing, I'd be most appreciative."

"What sort of things?"

"Anything particularly dangerous I should be aware of, masters or servants you're not on friendly terms with; that sort of thing."

"Just two things, really. First, I strongly urge you not to go snooping around Mikuni Oriko's mansion again. Neither she nor Kure Kirika are particularly stable individuals, and if you value your life you'll refrain from pushing up against them any more than you already have. Second-" Akemi turns to leave with Tomoe, shooting you one last parting glance over her shoulder as she says "Stay indoors after nightfall. This city will eat you alive if you aren't prepared."

As she, Tomoe, and Archer make their way into the church, you find that you can still make out their conversation. "... Akemi-san, did you really have to scare her like that?" Tomoe asks.

"I told her exactly what she asked. You know as well as I do what a witch can do to someone caught unaware." This city has witches, too? Mages, servants, a previously unknown magician, and now witches? What else is this city trying to hide from the Association? "Now, what of Kyouko's needs to be carried out, and how do you plan on approaching doing so?"

"Well, Sakura-san has a futon, and a heater and a minifridge hooked up to a portable generator. I figure that if we strap everything to the futon, the three of us should probably be able to carry it back to my place."

"Are you sure about letting her move in with you?"

You are unable to hear Tomoe's response, as the three of them have moved out of audible range, likely heading down to the basement by the slight change in footsteps just before you ceased to be able to hear them.
​

---

It's almost dark by the time you return to your hotel room. You place an order for dinner with room service, and immediately get to work setting up a basic Bounded Field as you acclimate to what will be your base of operations for the next several days. It's an unassuming room, with two beds facing a television, a small table with two chairs, a window looking out onto the city, and a kitchenette and bathroom flanking either side of the foyer. It's serviceable for your purposes.

You set your attaché case down on the table, opening it up to look through your documents once again. You set on a pot of coffee, and proceed to get to work while you wait for dinner. Pencil in hand, you mark down each of your printouts with the day's observations, occasionally muttering aloud to yourself.

"There's still something that I'm missing," you say to yourself. "Those rings... What are they, really? And how did Akemi's disappear when she changed into that second outfit? What was that? Is it somehow related to her status as a magician?" Listen to yourself; this all sounds crazy!
[ ] "You've finally done it, Bazett. You've gone completely crazy. There's no way Akemi could be a magician without the Association knowing about her."
[ ] "It doesn't make sense. It's like I'm stuck in one of those stupid magical girl shows. There's got to be another explanation... But what am I missing?"

The knock of the bellhop at your door breaks you out of your ruminations, and you resolve to tackle the matter at hand only after you've eaten.

Once you've eaten, it's time to get back to work. Akemi said that this city was dangerous at night, did she? "Well..." You roll one of the leaden spheres around in your hands, before placing it back inside your over-the-shoulder canister. "Then I suppose it's a good thing I came prepared."

Hefting the canister over your shoulder, you make ready to head out. "Alright. Time to get to work."

Mitakihara under the cover of nightfall is a much different city than it was in the daylight, though with a coven of witches apparently roaming the streets at night it's hardly surprising that the citizens would lock their doors and stay inside. Even if they don't know what transpires in the moonlit world right underneath their noses, they must sense it somehow.

You had planned on making the rounds in the residential quarter first, before moving north to examine the rest of the city. But as soon as you step out of the hotel and into the night, you feel it again; the sensation that you're being watched.

Do you
[ ] Continue with your investigation
-[ ] As planned
-[ ] Take a different route
--[ ] To where? (write-in your new location(s) )
[ ] Halt and try to identify who's watching you
[ ] Other (write-in)
?​

 

[SVS]

[X] "It doesn't make sense. It's like I'm stuck in one of those stupid magical girl shows. There's got to be another explanation... But what am I missing?"
[X] Halt and try to identify who's watching you
​

---

As soon as you step out of the hotel and into the night, you feel it again; the sensation that you're being watched. You immediately halt, and take a moment to glance around your surroundings. You see nothing as you peer out into the darkness; nothing, save for the familiar shape of that bushy-tailed stray from earlier. It sits atop a nearby garbage can, swaying its tail back and forth as it stares at you with its unblinking cherry-candy eyes. Aside from being an albino, there's nothing out of the ordinary about this stray.

However, you'd be stupid not to take notice of the bushy-tailed stray all the same. This isn't the first time you've felt like you were being watched. Before, that sensation vanished once you reached Mikuni Oriko's mansion, and you saw this same stray depart from the Bounded Field surrounding the mansion.

[ ] The cat is Mikuni Oriko's familiar, and your investigating has put you on her list of suspicious people
[ ] The cat is, inexplicably, one of your missing masters, perhaps even an otherwise unknown master to Assassin
[ ] The cat is a Dead Apostle; with everything else this city has crammed in, it wouldn't surprise you at this point
[ ] Other (write-in)

"Just what are you?" you ask the stray. It cocks its head to the side, staring at you almost as if it understands what you've just said, but it says nothing back. Geez, listen to yourself. Of course it's not saying anything. It's a cat. Cat's don't talk, full stop. Maybe, and this is a pretty big maybe, a chimera made from a cat and a human might be capable of limited speech, but a regular old stray cat? Even if it's somehow involved in all of this, there's no way a cat can talk back to you.

Still, it's hard to deny that the sensation of being watched is coming from this stray cat. Whoever or whatever it is, you'll have to be cautious if you see it around in the future.

You continue your investigation of the residential quarter, stopping only when you sense the presence of a servant near a certain house by the lake. It's Archer. He and his master are performing a patrol of their own, it seems. You would guess that Akemi and Tomoe are allies, so she can't be out looking for a fight with the blonde. Kure and Mikuni are possible enemies she might be looking to remove, but at the same time there seems to be some sort of uneasy agreement between them. You think that the elder Sakura - Kyouko, you think you heard was her name - is a master, but if she's moving in with Tomoe you'd bet that their relationship is solid.

So, who could they be looking for? Is the elder Sakura not the fifth master after all? Or are they looking for something else entirely? Are they looking for you, perhaps? Did they come out here with the plan to intercept your investigation, or to have Archer take you out from afar?

Their attentions turn towards you, and in a flash, Archer has drawn his bow onto your position. Yes, that's the one, then. Your gloves shine a lime green as you charge your strengthening runes, preparing to punch his arrow out of the sky.

Archer fires.

The shot was never aimed at you.

The pair jump down from the roof, and you turn your head towards the thing behind you that Archer shot. To try and describe it would fail your words. The closest you can come to describing it is something formed from wrapping paper, with a blue tassel head encased in a wire-frame cage. It wiggles slightly, until it is silenced with a second arrow.

"Bloody hell..." You continue to stare at the remains of the wrapping paper construct as its composite materials rapidly deteriorate, leaving no trace of its presence save for Archers two arrows.

"McRemitz-san, I thought I warned you to stay inside after dark," Akemi says to you. You notice that she has once again changed into her second outfit, a white short-sleeved tunic with a lavender-grey collar and skirt, adorned with like-coloured ribbons. She's holding a bow of her own, an ebony construct studded with amethyst diamonds similar to the one adorning the back of her left hand. "You could have been seriously injured."

"Right, but what the hell was that?"

"I strongly recommend that you return to your hotel room, McRemitz-san. I cannot guarantee your safety if you decide to follow me on my patrol."

"Right, I understand; but what the hell was that? Just what is going on in this city? What are you patrolling for? Who are you? What are you?"

"McRemitz-san, I will not ask you again. Return to your hotel room immediately."

Do you​

[ ] Leave the residential quarter and
-[ ] Return to the hotel as Akemi instructed
-[ ] Go investigate somewhere else in the city, despite her warnings
--[ ] Where do you go to investigate? (write-in)

[ ] Continue pressing her for whatever information she can give you
-[ ] How do you accomplish this? (write-in)
[ ] Try to convince
-[ ] Akemi to let you join her patrol despite her warnings
-[ ] Archer to allow his master to join her patrol, despite her warnings
--[ ] How do you accomplish this? (write-in)
[ ] Other (write-in)
?
​

---

NEW
Minor character unlocked!
​

Spoiler: Harold

​

Minions of the witch of stuck-out ears. Their role is to adorn. Minions who frantically scurry about, searching for cute things with which to decorate the witch and gain her favor. Upon finding a desired item, they bring it back to the witch and dress her with it, but since she'll tear them apart if she doesn't like it, they're always putting their lives on the line. Even if these minions catch sight of you, if you throw some pretty wrapping paper or so forth at them, they'll pick it up and run back to the witch at full speed.​

​

 

[SVS]

[X] This entire situation reeks of one of the Wizard Marshal's pranks and his fetish for Magical Girls. If the former is true then this creature may be a familiar or some other sort of artificial construct meant to press the prank, as its obviously not natural.
[X] Try to convince
-[X] Archer to convince his master to let you join her patrol, despite her warnings
--[X] Since Archer is so knowledgeable about modern Mages, have him explain to Akemi just how capable a Sealing Designate Enforcer has to be in order to do their job. Add in that she's confident that she can take on a lone Servant given her current capabilities and her bloodline.
​

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"McRemitz-san, I will not ask you again. Return to your hotel room immediately."

That's when it hits you. This isn't real. None of this is real. Everything that's going on in this city is just one giant prank put on by that old bat, a fact that you should have realized as soon as it dawned on you that this all seemed like something out of a magical girl show. It's him; it's got to be him. He's probably sitting in some lounge chair somewhere, laughing it up at the expense of you and everyone else in this city right about now.

Well, if you want to laugh, then sure; I'll play along.

"While I appreciate your concern for my well-being, Akemi, I'm fairly confident that I can handle myself, so long as you tell me what it is that you're hunting for." Akemi stares at you, completely dumbstruck that you would cal her bluff. While she sorts herself out, you turn towards her servant. "Archer, if you would please, explain to your master that I am perfectly capable of handling myself in a fight with whatever it is that your master is hunting, so long as I am made aware of what it actually is."

You look back at the patch of ground where the strange, almost dreamlike creature had lay as it died and vanished into nothingness. "Because right now, I'm completely lost on what that thing was supposed to be."

Archer and Akemi stare at you, but from the look on their faces you can tell that it isn't you their attentions are on. Seconds pass, turning to minutes. Minutes feel like hours as you wait for the pair to finish their deliberations. Finally, Akemi speaks. "While Archer is willing to vouch for the quality of your training as an Enforcer, I am not so easily convinced. I see no weapon of any sort on you, while the enemy we are hunting will not go down so easily using bare hands alone. Unless that metal canister over your shoulder contains a weapon I doubt you'll be much help to us in combat."

"Actually, while there is a weapon inside this old thing, my hand are my primary weapons."

"You saw how her gloves shone green right before I fired on the familiar?" So, that thing was someone's familiar. It makes sense, in a way. Only a fellow mage could have come up with something so garish to be their familiar, and were humour the old bat's desire an improbable oddity such as that would certainly lend its existence to a few laughs. "She was probably activating one of her combat spells. With a bit of Alteration applied to the material of her gloves, she could easily turn a simple punch into something as strong as a cannonball. When I said that Enforcers were trained for combat, I wasn't kidding. If anything, her fists are probably just as dangerous as any of your firearms."

Even with Archer vouching for you - twice now, apparently - Akemi remains unconvinced. Perhaps marginally more convinced than before, if her statement that "You may tag along, but as I said before, I can make no guarantee of your safety should your fists prove to be an unworthy weapon" is anything to go by. She'll accept you, it seems, though she still remains in doubt of your combat abilities. Still, even if her acceptance of you is marginal, marginal acceptance is still acceptance, and with Akemi's blessing you agree to tag along on their hunt.

Akemi's wanderings are aimless, and her patrol frequently takes her by three residences in particular. The ultra-modern two-story by the lake where your patrols first crossed paths, a more traditional but still no less expensive-looking two-story, and an upscale apartment complex close to the river bank. But between the three residences Akemi remains unable to find her quarry.

"So, who exactly are you looking for?" you ask, at some point during the patrol when the minutes had turned to hours. For a time, the only response of your temporary cohorts is a pair of uneasy glances back and forth between the two, until at last Akemi responds.

"Not a who, but a what. We're looking for the witch that spawned that familiar."

"Shouldn't you have found her by now, then? You've been going in circles for God only knows how long."

"The signal keeps moving. Whenever we find where the entrance to its labyrinth had been, it's already moved on to a new location."

Finally, after what feels like an eternity spent meandering about the residential quarter, Akemi stops. Finally, you hear the words "We've arrived," escape her mouth. You stand back, staring in awe as she tears open a hole in reality, before vanishing into the rippling nothingness. Archer joins her, hesitating for only a moment to ask you one question.

"Well, are you coming?"

You don't know what awaits you on the other side, but you steel your mind and body for whatever may come, and take your first hesitant steps into the nothingness.

Inside, you find a Reality Marble.

[ ] Wat do?​

 

[SVS]

[X] Freak out a little and ask them if they know how this Reality Marble is affecting local reality and if it won't boil their blood or something esoteric like that. Ask if this Witch is a Dead Apostle, as only they have such a messed up mindset to be able to manifest a Reality Marble. Explain what a Dead Apostle is if Akemi lacks the knowledge of them.
[X] If they continue onward, let them take the lead and supplement their combat strategy whenever possible as you're flying blind here. Ask what kind of capabilities enemies may have here. Kill all enemies with deadly proficiency and prove to Akemi how much of a mistake it is to underestimate a Sealing Designate Enforcer.
​

---

Nope nope nope nope nope.

You take it back; there's no way this is some prank by the old bat. This is a Reality Marble. A real, honest to God Reality Marble. It doesn't matter who you are, Reality Marbles are no laughing matter. "You're looking pale, McRemitz-san," Akemi remarks. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Am I feeling alright? What about you?" you snap at Akemi, earning a look of confusion from the strange girl. "Leading us right into a Reality Marble like this? Do you have any idea how this is affecting the local reality? How can you be sure that we're not going to, I don't know, have our brains combust, or something?"

"Calm down, McRemitz, the labyrinth isn't going to cause your brain to explode, or anything of the sort." Archer tries to assuage your fears, but you can still feel your heart pumping at an elevated rate.

Labyrinth. Labyrinth. Labyrinth. Right, that's what they call this place. Only, whatever they think a labyrinth is, this isn't it. "This is a Reality Marble..." you mutter to yourself, drawing a stare of confusion from Akemi. "This witch that you're hunting... Is she a Dead Apostle? Is that why she has something as twisted as a Reality Marble at her disposal?"

"McRemitz-san, calm yourself, and remember that I do not understand when you use the terminology of your world."

You tightly clench your fingers against the bridge of your nose as you compose yourself and your thoughts. "Right, right, sorry. It's just difficult to adjust to the fact that someone of your level doesn't even know basic established terminology. A Dead Apostle is... Well, they're vampires, basically, but it's much more of a codified system than what you might see in some stupid horror movie. It's also a lot more terrifying than anything you'll see in a movie."

"And Reality Marbles? What are those?"

"They're basically the same as a labyrinth, only... Not quite." Archer takes the lead from you in answering his master's question. "Believe me, McRemitz, I thought the same thing when I saw my first labyrinth. And to be honest, I'm still not entirely convinced. For all we know, the two might actually be the same thing. But you needn't worry; despite their appearance, labyrinths are generally pretty safe places by themselves..."

"Safe places," Archer says. As a horde of wrapping paper familiars march over the rolling hills of the quilted mattress floor, you find yourself strongly doubting that this place is safe.

"... Of course, the things inside a labyrinth generally aren't." Right; the three of you didn't come here to talk about the difference between established vocabulary and Mitakihara's own unique dialect. "Look alive, McRemitz, these things are a lot tougher than they appear."

You tug your gloves snugly against your hands, and with the activation of a few strengthening runes they shine lime green as you assume a fighting stance. "What's the plan then?"

Archer has exchanged his bow for a pair of short swords, and stands back-to-back with his bow-wielding master, carefully eying the approaching band of familiars. "Their primary means of attacking is to ensnare the target with their wrapping paper arms," Akemi informs you, taking the shot into the first of several ranks of familiars. "They have incredible grab strength and a fair amount of variety in their grappling attacks, so I'd advise not letting yourself get caught if you can manage." It takes several more arrow from her just to bring that first familiar down.

Despite being quite literally paper-thin, these familiars are apparently rather durable. "Understood."

An arm of sparkly patterned paper shoots forth, ensnaring your prosthetic arm just as Akemi finishes telling you not to get caught. You can't see the familiar that attacked you, but you don't need to. You grab hold of the paper with your unencumbered hand, and give it an authoritative tug. The offending familiar is flung straight into your fist, and a solid punch tears right through it.

The majority of the familiars are too far away for your blows to strike at. For your allies, Akemi is shouldering most of the ranged combat, with Archer providing close-range support against any familiars that wander too close or who try to snare his master from afar. His blades are sharp, making quick work of any who try, but for the number of familiars pressing the attack you can tell that they'll be overwhelmed in short order. Immediately, you can see the best avenue by which to approach this fight.

"I'll get up close and keep them occupied," you say to Archer, who nods in affirmation of your plan. "With their attentions fixed on me, there should be fewer familiars able to get into a range where they can harass your master. That way, you can switch to your bow and provide additional ranged support."

Akemi glares at you, but before she can offer any commentary, Archer intercedes with an "Understood."

Quickening runes at your feet rocket you into the thick of battle with only a single bound. A familiar tries to ensnare you while in mid-air, but you brush its arms aside, positioning yourself to land with a devastating kick that crushes its head-area. Kicking the corpse like a football, you lob it into the throng, clearing a path for you to proceed onward as others are knocked aside. Thick in their midst, the familiars surround you on all sides, but a flurry of kicks, punches, and jabs make short work of any familiar that attempts to grab you.

With quick, decisive strikes you thin the ranks of familiars before they are able to advance, while Akemi and Archer pick off the stragglers and keep you from being overwhelmed. In short order, the throng has cleared significantly. You shake the remains of your latest kill loose from your fist, when you hear Archer call out "McRemitz, fall back!" The crimson flame of Archer's bullet is all the warning you need to pay his words heed, and you kick backwards against one last familiar as a mushroom cloud erupts only a few meters from your former position.

The Reality Marble labyrinth has fallen silent. Your eyes dance around the wide-open expanse of quilted fabric, spotting not a single familiar remaining. That was good work, between the three of you.

"We're not through just yet," Akemi says, just as the floor is rocked by a tremendous quake. Another quake comes, and now you can see a pair of pink obelisks poke up over the quilted horizon. The quaking does not stop, and soon, the obelisks reveal themselves to be the ears of a giant creature- A massive pink stuffed rabbit, garbed in a garish assortment of coloured cloth, whose frayed stitching spills tufts of cotton with each step.

"Oh, bugger me."

[ ] Wat do?
​

---

NEW
Minor character unlocked!​

Spoiler: Candy

​

The witch of stuck-out ears. Her nature is a princess. A witch who keeps a collection of her favorite adorable things within her barrier. This witch believes herself to be the very embodiment of cuteness, and loves to have her appearance complimented or beautifully adorned. Thus, if you lavish her in compliments and affection, she won't bare her fangs. However, if she senses even the slightest negative implication towards her cuteness, she'll immediately throw a tantrum and go on a rampage, so one must maintain the utmost caution when flattering her. Also, her capricious personality means that no matter how pleased she seems to be, she may suddenly bite or playfully skewer you, so one must never let their guard down.

 

[SVS]

[X] Try and catch this thing's attention and have it chase you; tell Archer to take it out while its distracted with her
​

---

Staring at the creature - a massive pink stuffed rabbit, garbed in a garish assortment of coloured cloth - as it thunders over the horizon, watching as its frayed stitching spills tufts of cotton with each step, you can say only one thing. "Oh, bugger me." Without a doubt, that is the ugliest familiar you have ever seen.

"Any idea what this one is capable of?" Archer asks Akemi, who responds by shaking her head.

"Nothing. I've never seen this one before." For a creature made of wrapping paper to attack by attempting to ensnare its prey with grapples at least makes a modicum of sense, for as far as a witch's logic might be concerned; but your mind is drawing a blank as to how a giant stuffed rabbit might launch an attack.

"Alright," you say, cracking your knuckles as you stare down the giant of a familiar. "Then I'll draw this thing's attention. While I have it distracted, have Archer take it out with whatever he can muster up."

"Are you mad? You don't even know what it's capable of, yet you're going to charge in like it's a cluster of familiars?" Akemi's warning falls on deaf ears, as once again Archer steps up to vouch for you.

"If we stand around and waste time deliberating, we cede the advantage to our enemy," he says, a sentiment you can readily agree with. "Enforcers like McRemitz are bona-fide monsters. One oversized witch shouldn't be too much of a problem for her." Wait, so this is the witch? What, did she get so absorbed in her fairy-tail witchcraft that she turned herself into some stupid fantasy creature?

If that's the case, you almost don't want to know what the other witches in this city have done to themselves. "Besides, if things do get too hairy for her, you can always stop time and extract her before she gets seriously injured."

"Very well. Akemi, Archer, your power is unmistakable. I shall entrust my back to you." If this is the witch, then you'll have to go all-out; no room can be allowed for any errors. Runes activate, your gloves and shoes shine their lime-green once more, and additional rings of runes encircle your wrists and ankles. "Let's get started."

Boosted by runes of quickening, you rocket forward with eyes fixed on the witch. Its massive head slowly turns towards you, fixing its pincushion eyes onto your approaching position. They flash silver, and spikes jet upwards from the quilted ground beneath your feet. No, not spikes, you realize, as you weave through the attack, sewing needles. A needle is shot at you from the side, tied to a spool of thread somewhere in the distance. You leap, tearing the thread in half with a downward kick before continuing.

You've reached your destination. Now to distract the witch. The top of your head barely comes up to the waist of this twisted thing, but a difference of height isn't going to stop you. All looks well as you reel your arm back to strike, but then-

A sharp, searing pain shoots through the space between your radius and ulna as one of the witch's needles pins you in place. A second later, and another needle has pierced through your other arm as well. "McRemitz-san!" Akemi shouts to you, but for all her concern this is hardly the worst situation you've been in.

You duck just as a third needle narrowly misses your head, going spread-eagle and allowing the strengthening runes at your feet to tear through the needles at their base. Thinking fast, you use the needles still embedded in your arms to slash at the witch's legs, tearing open wide gashes in both of her thighs. In response, the witch kicks you, sending you flying into whatever this place would consider a wall. For a creature apparently made of fluff, it certainly packs a wallop.

You pull yourself up just in time to see Archer's attack collide with the witch. Loose stuffing catches fire in the resultant blast, but the witch simply sheds her incendiary innards as she lumbers forward. Archer's attack has torn a large chunk from her head, but that does little to slow the witch down. You'll have to get back to it.

The witch is wise to your tactics now, and you are forced to dodge wave after wave of needles in order to reach the witch. The needles come not from below this time, but from behind. Fortunately, just as the witch has grown wise to you, you have grown wise to the witch, and the needles shatter against your blow. Reeling back your arm, you this time manage to complete the strike you had previously intended. You reach into the opening you had previously made, tearing a long strand of fluff out as you withdraw your hand, beating a tactical retreat with the strand of fluff you pulled from the witch's leg still trailing behind you.

The witch continues to attack you with needles, and as before you weave in and out as they come at you from all directions. But you aren't just running; you're encircling. Through a combination of the witch's needles, as well as her own fluff, you've created a fence around her and trapped her in place. But still, that doesn't seem to be enough. Rather than try to attack you with more needles, the witch finally decides to do something different for a change. The wound which Archer's attack carved out is split wide, revealing a bony pelvis where its teeth should be.

"Is this your last futile attempt to stop me?" you ask, expecting no answer in kind from the witch. "Very well. Archer! Hit it while its mouth is exposed!"

Archer and Akemi chime in with identical cries of "Understood!", and the pair loose their attacks as you beat your retreat. Little remains of the witch's head after that second blast, save for a few tufts of burning fluff where the neck should have been. With her legs already weakened from your previous attacks, the witch is torn from her lower appendages as she falls to the ground. As fire wracks her fallen body, the labyrinth vanishes, leaving no trace of her presence behind save for a small, pointed black seed, which Akemi hastily recovers.

You breathe a sigh of relief, only now allowing the pain in your arms to be shown on your wincing face.

[ ] Wat do?​

 

[SVS]

[X] Use a simple healing Magecraft to close your wounds.
[X] You're getting the idea that between Akemi's lack of knowledge of the Moonlit World and what you've just encountered, that a Witch to you is an entirely different thing to Akemi. Ask her for details about what they just fought, if all of these "Witches" have Reality Marbles/Labyrinths, how common they are, and their origins if possible (as this all could be the results of a crazy Mage that needs to be dealt with swiftly). Regardless, these Witches pose the threat of exposing Magecraft to the world, and thus is a threat to the Mage's Association.
​

---

Fire wracks the body of the fallen witch, and with her demise the labyrinth vanishes, leaving no trace of her presence behind save for a small, pointed black seed, which Akemi hastily recovers.

You breathe a sigh of relief, only now allowing the pain in your arms to be shown on your wincing face. A rune of stitching applied to the puncture site should be enough to prevent further blood loss, even if it does little for the internality of the injury itself. That should take a bit longer to heal. "Are you alright?" Akemi asks, gazing at the thin rivulets of blood dripping from the sleeves of your suit jacket.

"I should be fine, yes. This is hardly the worst injury I've faced on the job. You should see what happens when they actually try to resist."

Her eyes linger on one arm in particular, and you think you know what's coming next. "I was under the impression that one of your arms was a prosthetic. So, how is it able to bleed?"

"There's a certain doll maker I know who excels at making prosthetics that are virtually identical to the limb they're replacing. The outsides aren't picture perfect as I've already shown you, but on the inside they've got bones, muscles, and nerves, and can even bleed." As you speak, you massage the puncture wound in your arm, flexing each finger and joint to make sure there is no internal damage. "I try to go to her for maintenance or replacements whenever possible."

"And, how often do you find yourself needing a replacement?"

"Often enough, unfortunately. Because my prosthetic isn't attached to a natural anchor point like my real arm is, it doesn't disperse applied force throughout my entire body the same way my real arm does. I'm ashamed to admit it, but more than once I've ended up shattering it because I'll crank a strengthening rune too much and punch with more force than the prosthetic can support." Akemi's gaze lingers on your arm awhile longer as you shake it a few times for good measure. "Well, I suppose that's why it's only magecraft, and not true Magic. Not like what you have..."

The image of that thing that Akemi called a witch still lingers in your mind's eye, refusing to leave, and you ask "You know, speaking of magecraft, just what was that thing back there? You called it a witch, but that wasn't anything like any witch I've ever known."

"First, tell me what a witch is to you, McRemitz-san."

"Where I come from, a witch is a female mage who practices a certain discipline of magecraft. They're very much like your typical, storybook depiction of what a witch should be like, though I can't say I've ever met one that ticked all the boxes at once. Nothing at all like... That."

"I see..." Akemi ponders your words a moment, occasionally sharing intermittent glances with Archer, until finally she says "In this city, a witch is the conglomerate of negative human emotions." So it seems that in this city, what would be called a "witch" is closer in form to what you would call a wraith.

"How common are these witches?"

"This city is swarming with them."

"Do they all have Reality Marbles... Labyrinths, whatever you call them?"

"Yes. I have yet to encounter a single witch that did not possess a labyrinth."

"And, you're sure you can't tell me any more about where these witches come from, correct?"

Akemi shakes her head. "McRemitz-san, as you have seen for yourself, things in Mitakihara are very different to what you, or what I imagine any other mage of your world, are familiar with." That's an understatement, to say the least. "You represent the possibility of a greater intervening presence into a world that I have worked hard to keep safe, and I am currently unsure of how far I may trust you with any given piece of information. I am willing to work with you as long as our goals do not come into conflict, but if I cannot tell you something understand that I have my reasons for keeping that information from you."

There is definitely more to the story than Akemi is letting on, but you've learned by now what a troublesome brick wall her stubbornness and secrecy can be. The look on her face tells you that she expects an affirmation of your understanding, and when you do not give her one she adds "Does that pose a problem for you, McRemitz-san?"

"Not to me, particularly, but given everything else surrounding them they pose the risk of revealing one or more elements of magecraft to the normal world. This makes them a threat to the Mage's Association, possibly to the point where more... Forceful intervention is required to contain the situation."
​

Akemi visibly tenses, and Archer cocks a cautious eye in your direction."That is something I cannot allow, McRemitz-san."

Do you
[ ] Force Akemi to explain herself in greater detail
[ ] Resolve to try and find the answer on your own

Regardless of your decision, do you
[ ] Continue your investigation
-[ ] with Akemi and Archer, if they allow it
--[ ] What do you do otherwise? (write-in)
-[ ] in another part of the city
--[ ] Where do you go to look? (write-in)
[ ] Head back to the hotel and call it a day
-[ ] Is there any other business you need to take care of before retiring for the night?
--[ ] If no, what are your thoughts about the first day of your investigation? (write-in in detail)
[ ] Other (write-in)
?

 

[SVS]

[X] Continue your investigation
-[X] with Akemi and Archer, if they allow it
[X] Explain to Akemi that if what she says is true, and this city is swarming with Witches with something almost assuredly aiding in their creation (otherwise the Mage's Association would've encountered them before elsewhere in the world), that should anything happen to her or her cohorts, be it a year or even decades from now, what's to stop these Witches from eventually overflowing out into the rest of the world and wrecking havoc upon it, to the point that the Mage's Association is unable to completely contain the threat? Tell her that you wouldn't be surprised if the Counter Force would eventually send a Counter Guardian to deal with this mess, which is typically bad news for everyone. Try and appeal to her pragmatism and say that if they can snip this in the bud, taking out whatever is spawning these entities, then the Mage's Association shouldn't have to intervene, should Akemi and her friends mop up the rest of the remaining Witches afterwards.
​

---

"That is something I cannot allow, McRemitz-san."

What sort of War rages in this city, where children like Akemi care more about their mission than about living their life and having fun? Akemi should be worrying about romance and fashion, not about keeping the city safe from monsters born from the worst of humanity.

"No." You have to stop Akemi before she says anything else. "I understand your unwillingness to compromise the security of your mission to a potentially untrustworthy outsider, but I need you to consider your position to the world at large. If this city really is swarming with witches the way you claim it to be, what is there to stop them from spreading to other cities if something happens to you or your friends? To other countries? You claim that they are the conglomerate of negative human emotion, so why have they not yet appeared en mass in other cities just as miserable as this one? The only explanation I can think of is that someone, some rogue mage hiding out in this city, is either wholly responsible for, or aiding in the creation of these witches. As such, it is my job as an Enforcer to eliminate them. So while I do not have a problem with the fact that things operate very differently in this city from what I am used to, the fact remains that there is an element inside this city that I do have a problem with, and who the Association will absolutely have a problem with if they are allowed to continue."

Akemi stares at you as you take a moment to catch your breath. "I have no reason to be your enemy, Akemi, but your unwillingness to cooperate for the sake of your mission will eventually make you an enemy of more than just myself if you insist on being stubborn. And not just from within the Association. If things in this city get to the point where witches start to spread to other areas, it wouldn't surprise me if the Counter Force decided to intervene. Forget what a team of Association Enforcers would do, this city would be razed to the ground if a Counter Guardian were to be sent in."

"That talk we had with Mikuni the other day, do you remember what I said about the World's immune system?" Archer speaks up as Akemi looks on your use of unfamiliar terms with a confused face. "If the Counter Force is like the World's immune system, then a Counter Guardian would be like a white blood cell."

You nod, uttering an affirmative "hm" with Archer's explanation. "I respect that you want to see your mission through to the end," you say, placing a hand on Akemi's shoulder. "But, you're still just a child. And it's okay if you need help from an adult from time to time." Akemi stares up at you, wearing a look on her face that you are unable to identify. "I can help you, if you let me. Tell me what I need in order to do my job, and I'll nip this whole witch business in the bud before it can spread to outside the city. Afterwards, if you and your friends can finish mopping up the stragglers, the Association should have no reason to intervene."

"That's the best deal that I can offer you. You can take it, and have the assistance of someone who knows how to fight rogue mages better than anyone else in the world; or you can leave it, and potentially risk losing everything you've worked so hard to protect."

Akemi's fists are trembling by the time you're done speaking. And until she opened her mouth to speak, you had seriously thought that she was about to cry. "It's not a mage," she says, her voice a low whisper. "I'm not sure what the crossover word would be for you, but, it's not a mage."

Under your mistaken assumptions about this city, you had persisted in calling witches by female pronouns even when Akemi had used "it". This time, her use of "it" does not go unnoticed. "It calls itself Incubator... Kyubey, for short. It's the one responsible for turning the negative emotions of this city's inhabitants into witches."

Incubator... If nothing else, it's a fitting moniker for a creature that transforms negative emotions into something concrete. "What is Incubator? Where can I find it?"

"The Incubator... It looks like a small, white cat, for the most part; but it's easily identifiable by a second, longer pair of ears and markings that no cat should have. It wanders the city as it pleases, and I don't believe it has a concrete hiding place you could locate."

"So all I have to do is find the Incubator, kill it, and then there won't be any more witches after you and your friends have taken care of the ones that already exist."

"It's not that simple." You don't like the sound of that. "The Incubator is only one of many identical bodies. Kill it as many times as you like; it will always come back. I don't even know if there is an "original" you could kill to prevent it from coming back."

Akemi might not think there's a mage at the end of this rainbow, but a legion of cat-shaped puppet bodies strikes you as something only a mage would concoct. The question then is, who's the one behind it all? And how would you be able to go about finding them at their source?

Well, those can be questions for another day. For now, you'll focus on what's right in front of you. "If you were planning on looking around for another witch, I'd be more than willing to assist you and Archer, if you'd let me."

Akemi glances to the amethyst jewel at the back of her left hand; inside, you can see a shifting mass of blackness that hadn't been there before. "Usually I'm only able to manage one witch a night," she says, quickly hiding her hand once she notices your stare. "If you have business elsewhere in Mitakihara, I would suggest taking care of that instead."

[ ] Ask Akemi about the black mass inside the jewel
[ ] Don't ask; she'll tell you when she's ready
​

Regardless of your decision, do you
[ ] Continue your investigation in another part of the city
-[ ] Where do you go to look? (write-in)
[ ] Head back to the hotel
-[ ] Is there any other business you need to take care of before retiring for the night?
--[ ] If yes, what else needs to be taken care of? (write-in)
--[ ] If no, what are your thoughts about the first day of your investigation? (write-in in detail)
[ ] Other (write-in)
?

 

[SVS]

[X] Enetious
​

---

"If you have business elsewhere in Mitakihara, I would suggest taking care of that instead," Akemi says, hiding the amethyst jewel at her hand when she catches you staring. It's developed a black mass of some sort; it's nothing too large, but it's shifting, rather like it's a liquid than a solid you might expect a mass to be.

"What is that?" you ask, pointing to the hand that Akemi has hidden. "That liquid mass inside your jewel; what is it?"

Akemi is silent, meeting your stare with one of her own. There is a tenseness in the air, as she and Archer no doubt share their thoughts about your question amongst themselves. Finally, she speaks. "You might consider it a limitation on my use of magic. If I use too much in too short a time, then that mass exists to ensure that I stop."

It's a stranger sort of limitation than any you have seen before, but the logic is sound. If not limited in its use, True Magic has a tendency to draw the attention of the wrong sets of eyes. Whether it's a self-imposed limitation, or it has something to do with the nature of this city's magecraft as a whole, you cannot say, and you find it likely that Akemi will not say either.

"Alright, thank you for telling me," you say. "Since you're done for the night, I suppose this is where we part ways. Be it another witch, Assassin, or whatever else is troubling you, I look forward to working with you again should you decide to accept my offer."

Despite a rather rocky patch at the outset, you and Akemi part on cordial terms, which is probably the best you can expect from her for the moment.

You can see nothing as you make your way back to the hotel, but all the while you can feel the presence of cherry-candy eyes watching you. A prank, you chastise yourself for the folly of your earlier thoughts about that damned stray. You should have known something was up from the moment you laid eyes on it. With those red eyes and that white fur, its resemblance to an Einzbern homunculus is uncanny. A prank... That damned thing's probably been watching me ever since I set foot in this city.

And yet... There's a chance you might be able to use this to your advantage. They know you're investigating this city. They know an Enforcer is investigating this city. Like so many rogue mages do when they catch wind of an Enforcer, they'll get overly cautious; they'll make obvious changes to their routine in order to obfuscate you; sooner or later, they'll slip up. That's when you nab them. You'll wait for the perfect moment, then nab one of the Incubator's bodies and interrogate it. Make it spill everything it knows about its master.

If you do that, then you'll have put away a rogue mage that the Association doesn't even know about, and Akemi Homura and her friends can stop fighting a war that shouldn't be theirs, and go back to their normal lives.

All is quiet in the hotel lobby when you return, with only the night manager to greet you as you make your way to your room. Your tie is the first thing to go as you cross the threshold, tossing it casually onto the little round table. Your jacket and shirt are next; these you lay out on the folding ironing board stashed away in the closet. You'll clean the blood off of them tomorrow, when you get the chance. Shoes, socks, and pants come next, with your undergarments only coming off moments before lowering yourself into the bathtub. You let your body soak in the warm water as the day's events replay in your mind.

Everything about this War leaves you feeling unsettled. Children no older than the youngest participants of the Fifth War, being pressed into the role of masters, and for what? As far as you can tell, there isn't even a Holy Grail to be fought over this time around. If they aren't fighting each other, then who are they fighting- A rogue servant turned serial killer, and a mage turning negative emotions into reality-warping "witches". To say nothing about the kind of children that this War's orchestrator has chosen. Akemi, Tomoe, and Sakura are all orphans, while Kure's only respectable parent lives barely above the poverty line and is clearly at her wit's end.

What sort of monster would have chosen children so vulnerable to fight in this War? Why? Why couldn't adults have been chosen for that role, and not children who should have remained uninvolved? You had been twenty-three at the time of the Fifth War, with three years of field experience, and two years of practical knowledge and professional training already under your belt. You were an adult, and knew what you were getting yourself into when you summoned your servant. What did these children know at the time? Nothing, you would guess. Akemi gets her information from Archer, meaning there's no way for her to have known what she was getting herself into beforehand.

Still, having seen the situation on the ground, you're feeling like you've developed a decent picture of Akemi Homura as a person. Half a lifetime spent on the brink of death from heart failures, combined with the loss of her parents only a year ago, would certainly have engendered a person so unwilling to trust the adults around her. Why should she, when the only adults in her life have either been failures or have left her when she needed them the most. This little cabal of unorthodox mages she's scrounged up is probably the closest thing she has to a reliable and trustworthy presence in her life, and even then she seems to hold them at arm's length, if her treatment of Tomoe and her attitude towards Kure and Mikuni are any indication.

Mikuni is the one mage involved in this affair that you know the least about. She is exceedingly wealthy and probably just as powerful, and likely comes from a long lineage of mages if her wealth and power are any indication. If she's anything, she's probably this city's Second Owner, though you doubt the other mages of Mitakihara know enough about mage customs to know what that means. She's in a relationship with Kure, and Akemi has a moderate-to-severe distrust of the two for an unexplained reason. Maybe Akemi will tell you at a later date, but if not you'll have to do some digging into the matter when you get the chance.

An hour passes, maybe two, and the water has gone cold by the time you finally emerge from the bathtub. You dry yourself off, brush your teeth, and don new undergarments and a bathrobe provided by the hotel as you pull up a chair and get to work writing out your thoughts and findings of the first day of your mission. There are certainly a lot of them, and you'll have plenty of time to record them all as you work off the jet lag.
​

Day 17 Complete​

 

[SVS]

Day 18 Begin
​

The broken corpse of the blonde girl lays before you, blood staining her uniform, her Soul Gem shattered in a frame that hangs barely attached to her injured head. Try as you might, you find that you cannot stop the tremors wracking your body.

"I'll keep going, then," Madoka says, trying to offer comfort with her voice, despite knowing that none can reach you.

"But... Tomoe-san just died..."

Madoka stares at you, a look of determination on her face. "That's exactly why." High above, far, far above the darkened rainclouds, the ominous figure looms over the city, laughing maniacally, as the slight "tick-tock" of its geared undercarriage echoes to infinity with each rotation. "Walpurgisnacht still needs to be stopped... And I'm the only one left."

"It's impossible!" you scream, as tears cloud your vision. "You can't win! Let's run away together! Nobody would blame you if you did!"

"Homura-chan..." Madoka's smile - your one source of joy in this world since the death of your parents - fails to alleviate your sadness, even as she offers it to you tenfold in warmth. "I'm so happy that you and I became friends. It's a point of pride for me, that I was able to rescue you. I think it's so great that I got to become a magical girl."

You can barely stand to watch now, and only the faint whisper of your words "No... Don't go," escapes your mouth as Madoka vanishes from your sight.

"Good-bye, Homura-chan!"

You awaken drenched in sweat, trembling. You hold your hands out, tears streaming down your face as you cry out "Kaname-san!" to a figure that can no longer hear you. How many times have you had that same dream? How many times have you had to watch Madoka sacrifice herself? You'll stay in bed today; nothing bad will happen to Madoka today if you aren't a part of her life.

Your phone buzzes atop your nightstand, and your hand lazily reaches out to grab hold of it. Amid a home screen devoid of clutter - "apps", as Sayaka called them - a lone notification stands out to mar the image of you and Madoka that serves as your background. You have one new message.

<Madoka: Good morning Homura-chan!>

You close the message without responding to it, staring at your phone background. At Madoka's insistence, you had taken the photo on your first date, shortly after acquiring your new outfit. The two of you are quite close, faces pressed together in order to squeeze the both of you into the frame. Madoka is smiling, blissfully unaware of the world lurking just beneath the surface.

... Why? You knew that you were going to your death... I wanted you to live on... Even if it meant you couldn't save me.

You open the message again, and type your reply.

<Homura: Good morning to you too, Madoka.>

It's just barely enough, but that small act of engagement gives you the strength to get up and go about your morning routine. You hope that a few extra minutes in the shower, letting the water run down your face, will hide the tears you shed in your sleep. You dry yourself off, get dressed, and head to breakfast. Archer stares at you with a careful eye as you enter the kitchen. He knows by now that your usual routine calls for your shower to be after breakfast, but if he knows the cause of your change in routine he says nothing, allowing you eat breakfast in silence.

With breakfast finished, you gather your school supplies and head out into the world.

Madoka is waiting for you at the intersection, and upon your arrival greets you with an enthusiastic hug and a joyful squeak of "Good morning, Homura-chan!"

You return her embrace, saying "But you've already wished me a good morning, Madoka."

"Well, now your morning can be twice as good!" The two of you break from your embrace, walking together hand-in-hand, at a pace just slightly slower than normal. There's a light breeze in the air, and the cherry blossoms are just starting to come into bloom. Madoka's lips curl upwards into a bright smile when she catches you staring. It's a beautiful April.

You wonder how terribly it will end.

Do you
[ ] Talk
-[ ] to Madoka
--[ ] wait for Sayaka and Hitomi to join you before talking
---[ ] to Madoka
---[ ] to Sayaka
---[ ] to Hitomi
---[ ] About what? (write-in)
[ ] Don't talk
-[ ] unless someone else talks to you
[ ] Other (write-in)​

---

---

Saturday, 2 April 2011

Major objectives:
Homura
- Figure out what, if anything, has to be done about Mikuni Oriko and Kure Kirika now that they have surrendered
-- Do you want to change this objective?
[ ] Change to "Cultivate your alliance with Mikuni Oriko and Kure Kirika"
[ ] Do not change this objective.
- Track down and eliminate the servant Assassin before it can cause further harm
- Grow your social capital with Kaname Madoka, Miki Sayaka, Shizuki Hitomi, Tomoe Mami, and Sakura Kyouko
- Succeed in reconnecting Tomoe Mami with Sakura Kyouko in order to ensure Tomoe Mami's mental stability
- Prevent Kaname Madoka and Miki Sayaka from contracting and becoming puella magi
- Defeat the witch known as Walpurgisnacht

Archer
- Investigate, identify, and prevent the occurrence of the event that caused a fundamental force of this universe to be twice overwritten
- Protect your master from harm in this unusually dangerous loop
- Further your master's skills in magecraft, now that she's getting the hang of the fundamentals of Projection
- Aid your master in coordinating her allies so that they stand a better chance of defeating Assassin, as well as any other threats that may appear