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

[SVS]

[X] Hitomi
[X] Check their message
-[X] and call them back
[X] Contact Tomoe-san about today's plans
-[X] You'll host them at your apartment

---

You've just missed a call from someone.

<You have (1) missed call>
<You have (1) new voice message>

You touch the notifications, pulling up the identification of your caller. It's Hitomi. Curious as to what she might have wanted from you, you bring up your voicemail and listen to her message.

"Akemi-san, I apologize if I'm disturbing you," the message begins; it's definitely Hitomi. "I just had a few things that I wanted to talk with you about that I think you might find useful in your... Occupation. I won't bother you with the details in case you're still asleep or are otherwise occupied, but please, give me a call back when you're able to. Thank you."

That's strange; usually, Hitomi has the least to say to you about your magical life out of anyone you know. Granted, perhaps that's due more to how infrequently you interact with her by herself than anything to do with her. Now she has you interested in what she might have to say. You tap the "redial" button, and wait for Hitomi to pick up.

"Hello, this is Hitomi."

"Hitomi, it's Homura. I just got your message."

"Ah, Akemi-san, I hope I didn't wake you with my call."

"No, it's fine. I was just getting dressed when you called. What was it you wanted to say to me?"

"Well first, I was wondering whether you've seen any strange flyers around town advertising something called the "Church of the Righteous Sister"?"

"Yes, I'm familiar with them. Archer brought one home that he found last night. I've never heard of them before in my life."

"Father found one today stuffed in with the morning papers, and... Well, there's just something off about it, I guess I would say. I'm sure your sense for things that are, well, magical, is much more attuned than mine could ever be, but I thought for sure that there was something off about it. I did some digging online, and it appears that they're operating out of what I'm sure is an abandoned warehouse in Kazamino. I thought that, if it were in fact magical somehow, perhaps you might want to be informed."

An abandoned warehouse in Kazamino... There's only one thing that comes to your mind, and it's the witch that often finds itself the first kill of a newly-minted puella magi Sayaka. "If it is them, I'll have to be careful." "I see; thank you, Hitomi. Was that all you wanted to say to me?"

"No, there's one other thing I wanted to tell you. I was also doing a bit of research into all the young men who have been disappearing in the city's northeast district. It appears that all of them either lived or worked within a five-hundred meter radius of one single bar in the area. It's just a hunch, and I may be wrong, but I thought that perhaps it might be the doing of a... What did you call them; the things that..." You hear Hitomi hesitating on the other end of the line, until finally "... That you said a puella magi can turn into?"

"A witch."

"... Yes; that's the one. I thought that perhaps there might be a witch behind the disappearances."

[ ] "If you tell me where they are, I'll be sure to check them out when I have the chance."
[ ] "I think a bit more information is in order before anyone decides to go checking things out."
[ ] "Mass disappearances are a job for the police. We could get in serious trouble if we went snooping around on our own."

"Of course, Akemi-san. I just wanted to keep you informed, that's all."

"I understand. Thank you again, Hitomi. I hope you have a nice Sunday."

"You are most welcome, Akemi-san. I hope your Sunday goes well too."

You hang up, letting Hitomi resume her Sunday in peace while you contemplate the information she's given you. This so-called "Church of the Righteous Sister" is a complete anomaly to you. It's never appeared in any previous timeline, and while the location does match with the location of the witch Sayaka often fights, previous witches of this timeline have generally not been in their usual places, meaning that it's not necessarily a sure thing that this "Church" is the work of a witch.

However, a string of disappearances confined to a relatively small area is decidedly the work of a witch. Unfortunately, you can't think of any witch that has ever targeted exclusively men before. "Though, this timeline has had several witches in it that I've never encountered; on top of which it could also be Assassin."

The time is currently a little after nine; you should be contacting Tomoe-san about the day's exercises soon. "In fact, why don't I get that done right now?"

"Tomoe-san, are you there?"

"I was having a moment with Sakura-san, but yes; I'm here. What did you need, Akemi-san?"

Your hunch appears to have been correct. Sakura Kyouko is a good grounding force for Tomoe-san's mental health. "It's about today. I just wanted to let you know that I'd be willing to host them at my apartment."

"Oh; thank you, Akemi-san. That will take a bit of a load off my shoulders, not having to prepare for guests. I appreciate the offer. Though, are you sure you're okay with letting Mikuni-san and Kure-san into your apartment?"

"Well, you were the one who said that we can't expect to work together as a team if we can't trust one another. I may dislike them, but if we're going to make this work I should at least learn to trust them."

"That's very mature of you, Akemi-san. Alright, I'll let Sakura-san know, and you should let Mikuni-san know. It's a little after nine right now; how does, say... Eleven-thirty work for you?"

[ ] "There were a few things I wanted to check out first. Could we perhaps wait until (write-in a time)"
[ ] "There were a few things I wanted to check out first, but I think I can be done before then."
[ ] "I have no other immediate plans. Eleven-thirty sounds fine, thank you."

"Then it's settled. We'll see you then, Akemi-san."

Tomoe-san terminates the telepathic connection, and you're on your own once again. The silence, without Madoka's presence, is deafening.
​

What do you do while you wait?
[ ] Contact Mikuni Oriko about the day's arrangements
[ ] Check out the places Hitomi informed you of
-[ ] The abandoned warehouse
-[ ] The bar
-[ ] Both
[ ] Other (write-in)
?

 

[Enetious]

[X] "If you tell me where they are, I'll be sure to check them out when I have the chance."
[X] "There were a few things I wanted to check out first, but I think I can be done before then."
[X] Contact Mikuni Oriko about the day's arrangements
[X] Check out the places Hitomi informed you of
-[X] The bar

So, assuming that Homura got the feeling that somewhere around the bar is a regular Witch, I'd assume that Homura would see if she couldn't quickly clean it up with Archer before the meeting. She would hold off on investigating the Church until she discusses it with the others, as Magic + Religion = cult activity = probably more complex than cleaning up a Witch. Meta-wise, we know the Bar Witch is Assassin's doing, but non-meta-wise I can easily see Homura taking care of this supposed Witch before it becomes an issue or spawns more Witches as she has a couple hours to spare.

 

[veekie]

[X] "If you tell me where they are, I'll be sure to check them out when I have the chance."
[X] "There were a few things I wanted to check out first, but I think I can be done before then."
[X] Contact Mikuni Oriko about the day's arrangements
[X] Check out the places Hitomi informed you of
-[X] The abandoned warehouse

A girl who's about to witch? Seems urgent.
Remember Witches don't give out flyers and Homura runs into a Witch there most of the time. I.e. like Charlotte she probably is one of the quick spirals

 

[Nawaf]

I'll have to side with Enetious. Homura is no therapist, and can't stop someone from a grief spiral even if she got there before she Witched. Besides, most people in that mindset wouldn't want to accept help from people, especially strangers. She could shoot the gem, but that would undoubtedly cause friction between her, Mami, Sayaka, and probably Madoka and Hitomi too. If the PM at the warehouse isn't grief spiralling, she can wait until after the meeting. If she's already become a Witch, she's still lower priority than a possible lead on Assasin.

Of course, that is all assuming there's a PM at the warehouse. There could easily be a magus or something else there.

[X] "If you tell me where they are, I'll be sure to check them out when I have the chance."
[X] "There were a few things I wanted to check out first, but I think I can be done before then."
[X] Contact Mikuni Oriko about the day's arrangements
[X] Check out the places Hitomi informed you of
-[X] The bar

 

[veekie]

I'll have to side with Enetious. Homura is no therapist, and can't stop someone from a grief spiral even if she got there before she Witched

Click to shrink...

Theres different ways to get there.
Its possible to spiral from just not knowing magic costs

 

[Enetious]

Theres different ways to get there.
Its possible to spiral from just not knowing magic costs

Click to shrink...

You must also understand that this whole Church thing may be propagated by a/multiple Puella Magi in the first place, so if that's the case and they're hostile it'd be best to wait until Homura can discuss the possible threat this Church may pose. Homura doesn't have enough info to Rambo it herself without a lot of risk, even with Archer.

 

[itrytofight]

[X] "If you tell me where they are, I'll be sure to check them out when I have the chance." [X] "There were a few things I wanted to check out first, but I think I can be done before then."
[X] Contact Mikuni Oriko about the day's arrangements
[X] Check out the places Hitomi informed you of
-[X] The Bar

 

[WanderingTwix]

[X] "If you tell me where they are, I'll be sure to check them out when I have the chance."
[X] "There were a few things I wanted to check out first, but I think I can be done before then."
[X] Contact Mikuni Oriko about the day's arrangements
[X] Check out the places Hitomi informed you of
-[X] The bar

 

[jcdenton]

[X] "If you tell me where they are, I'll be sure to check them out when I have the chance."
[X] "I have no other immediate plans. Eleven-thirty sounds fine, thank you."
[X] Contact Mikuni Oriko about the day's arrangements

Probably too late to sway the vote but i'll add my ten cents.

I agree that Homura is not exactly a shining beacon of mental health and compasionate empathy, so poking at the warehouse situation without knowing more is probably a bad idea if it does involve a grief spiralling PM.

Regarding the bar, Homura mentions that Assassin is a possible culprit and we're about to meet with everyone to plan how to kill her. So I feel like it isn't a great idea to poke around there either and possibly tip her off.

We can use Oriko's and Caster's powers to get info on both problems and go from there, but i think we're gonna put our foot in it if we go before the meeting.

Edit:
Also, does Homura know that Assassin is Jack the Ripper? I think I recall Archer getting that info from Alaya. But i cant remember if thats true, or if he told Homura the details.

 

[SVS]

Also, does Homura know that Assassin is Jack the Ripper? I think I recall Archer getting that info from Alaya. But i cant remember if thats true, or if he told Homura the details.

Click to shrink...

I wouldn't say that she knows Assassin's identity, but rather that she is operating under the assumption that Archer and Rider are correct in their guess as to Assassin's identity. Archer knows because of Alaya, but he's playing along with the above because he can't risk spilling the beans about his source of info.

 

[SVS]

[X] "If you tell me where they are, I'll be sure to check them out when I have the chance."
[X] "There were a few things I wanted to check out first, but I think I can be done before then."
[X] Contact Mikuni Oriko about the day's arrangements
[X] Check out the places Hitomi informed you of
-[X] The bar
​

---

You're on your own once again. The silence, without Madoka's presence, is deafening. With your phone still in-hand, you bring up your contacts list.

<Home>
<Kaname Madoka>
<Miki Sayaka>
<Mikuni Oriko>
<Sakura Kyouko>
<Shizuki Hitomi>
<Tomoe Mami>

Your finger hovers over the name of Mikuni Oriko - "What am I doing?" - until at last you break from your hesitation and touch her name.

*ring*
*ring*
*ring*
*ring*
*ring*

A brief thought flashes through your mind - "I hope everything is alright" - only to vanish as you hear a voice on the other end of the line. However, it isn't the voice you expected to hear. <Listen Akemi- Whatever it is, you're going to have to call back later.> It's the voice of Kure Kirika. <Oriko's really not in the mood to talk to anyone right now, probably least of all not you.>

"I see. Well, when Mikuni Oriko is in the mood to talk, let her know that our team-building exercises are going to be held at my apartment at eleven-thirty."

<Uh... Eleven-thirty at your apartment, right. You got an address to go along with that, or are we just supposed to guess?>

It comes as no surprise when Kure Kirika hangs up as soon as you give your address, without so much as saying thanks. Well, there's no need to dwell on it, not when you have work to do. Your phone buzzes in your hand, and you look down at your screen to see that a new message has arrived. It's from Hitomi; she's sent you the addresses of the warehouse and the bar she had told you about.

Now, the mixture of magic and religion that this so-called "Church" appears to be isn't exactly your strong suite. Kyouko might know a bit more than you do, but that also may be a touchy subject to try and speak with her about. With no clear picture of what the "Church" really is, you think it best to leave it alone until more information arrives. However, checking out the bar in the northeast district is something you can take care of right now.

"Archer!" You call for your servant and he arrives, bringing with him a surprise guest. "You and Amy are getting along nicely, I see."

"I caught her trying to play around under the kitchen sink when you called," Archer responds, setting your cat down on the floor. She scampers off, and hopefully not back to the kitchen sink. "Anyway, what did you need me for?"

"Hitomi tipped me off to some possible witch activity over in the northeast. I thought we might check it out before our team exercises."

"Witch activity, this early in the day? Are you sure your friend knows what she's talking about?"

"She's making an educated guess based on a prior pattern. If there is a witch I doubt we'd find it right now, but we might be able to get an idea of where to find it later tonight."

"Well in that case, if you aren't expecting to find anything, what do you need me for?"

You stare at Archer. You know he's not trying to shirk his responsibilities, but that was still a stupid question for him to ask. "Because I am not sure what we might find. It might be nothing. It might be a witch. It might be Assassin. The point is, I don't know, and I want you around for additional security in case it's something I'm not prepared to handle on my own."

A look of understanding spreads over Archer's face. "That, and the location Hitomi tipped me off to is a bar."

Archer crosses his arms, staring back at you. "In that case, wouldn't it be better to just have me go investigate by myself? That way, you aren't putting yourself in unnecessary danger in case it is Assassin, and it'll be much easier for me to check out a bar on my own if I don't have a minor at my side."

Do you
[ ] Accept Archer's proposal
[ ] Insist on going with Archer regardless
[ ] Other (write-in)​

 

[Enetious]

[X] Accept Archer's proposal
-[X] Tell him to telepathically contact her if he needs her to time-stop and extract him if things go really sideways

 

[veekie]

[X] Mention that there are two sites. The two of you can potentially hit both.

 

[Enetious]

[X] Mention that there are two sites. The two of you can potentially hit both.

Click to shrink...

Archer crosses his arms, staring back at you. "In that case, wouldn't it be better to just have me go investigate by myself? That way, you aren't putting yourself in unnecessary danger in case it is Assassin, and it'll be much easier for me to check out a bar on my own if I don't have a minor at my side."

Click to shrink...

Archer wants to prevent Homura from taking any unnecessary risks, in the above's case Assassin, and Homura investigating the complete unknown that could for all we know be a group of homicidal, religious Puella Magi, that's arguable worse than investigating a known enemy like Assassin.

 

[Nawaf]

[X] Accept Archer's proposal
-[X] Tell him to telepathically contact her if he needs her to time-stop and extract him if things go really sideways.

 

[WanderingTwix]

[X] Accept Archer's proposal
-[X] Tell him to telepathically contact her if he needs her to time-stop and extract him if things go really sideways

EDIT: BTW, do you think you should put your combat informational post here? You know, this one... which I would put in if I knew how to insert quotes on an edit. The Combat Mechanics one

 

[SVS]

BTW, do you think you should put your combat informational post here? You know, this one... which I would put in if I knew how to insert quotes on an edit. The Combat Mechanics one

Click to shrink...

I will get around to it, yes, thank you for reminding me. Weekend at the latest, but I'll do my best to make sure that our information is updated before we have to start reacting to serious trouble.

While I'm at it, I should also probably do a better job of codifying how much mana it costs us to do things and come up with a system for dealing with our Grief.

 

[WanderingTwix]

Also... can Rider stay a pretty cool dude? I kinda like the description, being serious here. It gets to the point.

 

[jcdenton]

[X] Accept Archer's proposal
-[X] Tell him to telepathically contact her if he needs her to time-stop and extract him if things go really sideways

I wouldn't say that she knows Assassin's identity, but rather that she is operating under the assumption that Archer and Rider are correct in their guess as to Assassin's identity. Archer knows because of Alaya, but he's playing along with the above because he can't risk spilling the beans about his source of info.

Click to shrink...

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[itrytofight]

[X] Accept Archer's proposal
-[X] Tell him to telepathically contact her if he needs her to time-stop and extract him if things go really sideways

 

[SVS]

[X] Accept Archer's proposal
-[X] Tell him to telepathically contact her if he needs her to time-stop and extract him if things go really sideways

---

"In that case, wouldn't it be better to just have me go investigate by myself?" Archer's question is not without merit, and as he elaborates, "That way, you aren't putting yourself in unnecessary danger in case it is Assassin, and it'll be much easier for me to check out a bar on my own if I don't have a minor at my side," you find yourself agreeing with her suggestion.

You give your servant an affirmative nod, saying "Very well. I'll let you handle the investigation. Stay in contact if you find anything, and let me know if it looks like you'll need assistance."

Hastily, you write up the address for the bar on a piece of paper and hand it off to Archer. "Here's the address Hitomi gave me. You're under no compulsion to finish by a certain time, but Tomoe-san and the others will be here for our scheduled exercises at eleven-thirty." Archer takes the address information from you, cocking an eye as you mention that your guests are coming here.

"Here," he says. "As in, you're letting Mikuni into your apartment. That here?"

"Yes. While I am still hesitant about allowing her and Kure Kirika into my place of residence, Tomoe-san made an excellent point last night, that I have to learn to trust them if I'm planning to work with them."

Archer stares at you. It's clear from his face that he disapproves of your decision, but "Well, alright then. It's not my place to tell you what you can and can't do in your own apartment." With that, your servant takes his leave of you.

With Archer having left you to your own devices, you first head back to the kitchen to make sure that Amy isn't getting herself into trouble again. Fortunately, as you enter the kitchen and see her nonchalantly drinking from her water dish, it appears that isn't the case. You crouch down, running a hand in between her ears.

"You're such a troublemaker," you say. Amy melts at the touch of your hand, mewling contently. "What would you do with no one to keep you out of trouble, huh?"

You already know the answer to that question.

You shake your head, and with a sigh say to yourself "The things I do for that girl sometimes, I swear..."

You'd do them all a hundred times more.

[ ] What do you do until your guests arrive?
​

---

Your name is Emiya Shirou, Archer-class servant to the enigmatic magical girl named Akemi Homura. And man, is that girl just a piece of work sometimes. You distinctly recall telling her to be more proactive in building up her alliances this time around, but at the time you hadn't been expecting for that to include courting a mass murderer and her sadist lover.

What makes it worse is that the pair didn't even take to killing because of some sick instinct - Kure's willingness to go along with the whole thing notwithstanding - but that it was their first choice attempt at saving the world. Those two girls didn't even try to consider an alternative, and instead willingly threw themselves headlong down the very same path that caused you to become so desperate for escape that you actively sought to kill your past self.

You don't know if you can forgive them for that, or that you'll ever accept your master's attempts at turning them into allies because of that.

But enough about Mikuni and Kure. Your master has given you a task to do, and it would be stupid to get yourself worked up when you need to stay focused.

"Let's see..." You study the address that your master has given to you, checking the nearest street signs. "It should be around here somewhere..." Ah! There it is!

If you want to talk about a hole-in-the-wall place, then the Drunken Sumo looks like it should be number one on your list. Despite being an obscure, out-of-the-way joint in a less-than-reputable part of the area, it looks friendly enough from the outside, and you can't sense the presence of a witch anywhere nearby.

Your eyes scan the building's exterior, as well as the neighboring buildings and their rooftops, and any nearby alleys. "Let's see... If I were a witch, where around here would I pick as my hiding place?"

Do you
[ ] Ask around inside the bar
-[ ] Who do you ask? (write-in)
-[ ] What do you ask? (write-in)
[ ] Keep looking around the neighborhood
-[ ] Where do you look? (write-in)
[ ] Head back with nothing to report
[ ] Other (write-in)
?​

 

[Enetious]

[X] What do you do until your guests arrive?
-[X] Practice Projection Magecraft

[X] Ask around inside the bar
-[X] Who do you ask?
--[X] The bartender and any patrons that look like regulars
-[X] What do you ask?
--[X] About any strange happenings that have been happening around this bar. Say that one of your friends went missing recently and you want to find out where, how, and why.

 

[WanderingTwix]

[X] What do you do until your guests arrive?
-[X] Practice Projection Magecraft

[X] Ask around inside the bar
-[X] Who do you ask?
--[X] The bartender and any patrons that look like regulars
-[X] What do you ask?
--[X] About any strange happenings that have been happening around this bar. Say that one of your friends went missing recently and you want to find out where, how, and why.

... eh, that last part is plausible to come up with

 

[itrytofight]

Homura
[X] What do you do until your guests arrive? -[X] Practice Projection Magecraft

Archer
[X] Ask around inside the bar
-[X] Who do you ask?
--[X] The bartender and any patrons that look like regulars
-[X] What do you ask?
--[X] About any strange happenings that have been happening around this bar. Say that one of your friends went missing recently and you want to find out where, how, and why.

Hopefully this is our ticket to offing Assassin.

 

[SVS]

[X] What do you do until your guests arrive?
-[X] Practice Projection Magecraft

[X] Ask around inside the bar
-[X] Who do you ask?
--[X] The bartender and any patrons that look like regulars
-[X] What do you ask?
--[X] About any strange happenings that have been happening around this bar. Say that one of your friends went missing recently and you want to find out where, how, and why.
​

---

"If I were a witch, where around here would I pick as my hiding place?"

The nearest alley looks like it would be a good place to start, all things considered, but as long as you're here you might as well stop in the bar first and try to ask around. Maybe the bartender or one of the regulars knows a thing or two.

The dimly-lit establishment is quiet this time of day with very few customers, and the few who are present certainly look like the regular crowd. Of course they'd be the regulars, drinking at this time of day. A stout man with a square face tends the bar, wiping down an empty mug with a hand towel as he stares at you. "Ain't seen you around before," he says, putting the now-cleaned glass away underneath the counter. "You new in town?"

"Nah, I just don't come up this way very often," you reply. The bartender motions for you to take a seat, but you remain standing. "I live down by the southwest residentials."

"So you're on the other side of the tracks, then. Bit of a long ways to go fer a drink, isn't it?"

"Well actually, I'm here for business, not pleasure." The bartender casts a wary eye in your direction, but you don't let it deter you. "A friend of mine used to come here every so often, but as of a few days ago he's being listed as one of the missing. I just thought I'd check around a few of the places he frequented and see if maybe I could get an idea of what happened."

The bartender sighs, rocking his head back and forth. "Missing person's a job fer the police, ain't it?"

"Well, they haven't been doing a very good job of it so far, have they?"

A red-nosed patron, half-asleep at his stool, raises an empty glass high as he shouts "Hear! Hear!" The bartender rolls his eyes, swiping the empty glass from the sloshed man. "It ain't like they aren't trying, believe me. They've come round here just about every day now. I tell them the same thing, every time, but there's not a whole lot they can do about it on my word alone."

If you had to guess, you'd say that this man does know something. "What do you tell them?"

"I got this one regular, real floozy of a girl, right? She shows up, orders her drink, and walks out with a man. Few days later, and it's his name that's been added to the list of missing persons, every time." The drunkard a few seats down lets out an enraged hiss at the bartender's mention of this female regular.

This sounds like a pretty big lead. Your interest is definitely piqued now. "Can you tell me a little bit more about her? What's she like?"

"That's the thing, I don't know really know what she's like. She don't talk much, and when she does it's hard to make out what she's saying on account of her accent and soft voice. She's real pretty though, I can tell you that. Long green hair, legs for days, and a body like wow." For added emphasis, the bartender mimes the figure of a voluptuous woman with his hands. "And if it weren't likely to be hazardous to my health, I'd like to spend a night with her myself one of these days."

You have nothing to say in response to the bartender's comment.

"Thing is, she's never around when the police come by, and every time they ask me about her, it's like I'm trying harder and harder to describe someone who don't really exist. And even then, for as suspicious as she is, I don't actually have any hard proof to give to the cops that she has anything to do with it. Without that, and without any apparent motive fer spiriting these guys away, this whole thing's nothing more than the world's biggest coincidence. And it's not even like she causes trouble or anything, she's just really suspicious, is all."

Yes, it is suspicious. "Let's say she was the guilty party for a moment. If you had to guess, what kind of motive do you think she would have?"

The bartender shrugs. "Well, I guess if I had to pick something, I'd say... She'd probably be smuggling these guys away, either as sex slaves or, more likely, to sell their organs on the black market. Since she's so attractive, it'd be easy fer her to lull some guy into a false sense of security long enough to drug them and have them smuggled away somewhere. That'd be my guess."

The bartender waits a beat, saying when you make no response "Then again, this is all just one barkeep's guesswork. Like I said, outside of some spooky coincidences there's really no hard evidence that it is her."

As he's speaking, you're taking in everything he says and trying to fit it together. Your master is going to want to hear about this.
​

---

Your name is Akemi Homura; and while you wait for your guests to arrive, you practice furthering your skills in Projection. You notice a slight decrease in the amount of time it takes to create a single arrow as well as a slight decrease in the amount of corruption that arises when you Project a new bow. Your practice is paying off, it would seem.

As the most recent arrow falls from your grasp onto the floor, you receive an incoming message from your servant. Master, I checked out the bar like you said."

"Well? Did you find where the witch might be hiding?"

"That's just it; I'm not so sure this is a witch. I spoke with the bartender about the disappearances, and he immediately had a finger to point at one of his regulars. He said that she has a habit of walking out with the men who later end up on the missing persons list."

"Walking out with them, as in-"

"Probably exactly what you're thinking she does with them, yes. He said that she has long green hair and, quote "legs for days and a body like wow". I don't know if you've ever encountered a witch that could take on a human form before, but does that description sound familiar to you at all?"

A woman with long green hair and a body that men would find conventionally attractive? Well, that would be Hitomi, naturally. Even though your heart is attuned solely to Madoka, you cannot deny that Shizuki Hitomi is fairly attractive. She'd hardly get as many love letters from either sex were she not so.

Still, you doubt that Hitomi is a regular patron of some uptown bar, and more unlikely still is that she wants to make you think a witch is responsible so as to hide her own crimes. "No, that description does not match any witch I have encountered before."

"Well, what do you think, then? Is it still a witch? Or is this one out of your jurisdiction?"

[ ] The woman is guilty, and this is a job for the police, not a puella magi
[ ] The woman is guilty, but she's working alongside a witch
[ ] It's all a witch's doing; the woman is innocent
[ ] Other (write-in)

Do you
[ ] Order Archer to
-[ ] Continue investigating
--[ ] Where? (write-in)
-[ ] Return home
[ ] Other (write-in)
?​