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

[SVS]

[X] Plan Kaiju

---

Tomoe-san's living room is awfully cramped, thanks to the intrusion of Caster's many person decorations, but your living room is perfectly sized to contain all five of you, plus Archer and McRemitz-san, as well as the unconscious Father Despair draped across one of your couches. You can sense the presence of three other servants, but for whatever reason they are keeping their distance. Most every one of your allies have their eyes fixed on McRemitz-san's missing limb, with expressions ranging from concern from Tomoe-san, to sympathy from Kure Kirika. And for each pair of eyes, McRemitz-san returns fire with a harsh stare and a repetition of "I'm fine. Really."

"And, you say a familiar did this, Akemi-san?" Tomoe-san asks, trying to look at anything but McRemitz-san's missing arm. "How? I've encountered particularly aggressive familiars before, but none that I haven't been able to defeat before. I was under the impression that McRemitz-san was more experienced than any of us, so-" Tomoe-san's eyes eventually settles on McRemitz-san's, and there they stay as she asks "-How did this happen? Was it a simple error in judgement, or are they really that strong that they can do this to an experienced veteran?"

You shake your head, and McRemitz-san joins you in saying "It wasn't an error in judgement; they really are that strong. Or rather, it might be more accurate to say that they were impossible to fight against."

"How so?"

"Nothing that any of us did to them - Akemi, Archer, or myself - was able to harm or deter them. Akemi tried to freeze them, but it was as if the ice never touched them. I tried to punch one, and it reformed its body around my fist without ever slowing down."

"And not just McRemitz-san's arm, either. I saw them bite through Archer's Projected weapons as though they were made of soft ice cream. The one that took McRemitz-san's arm did so just by passing through her with its mouth open. Nothing the three of us had could touch them, but just their touch alone was enough to destroy anything their jaws came into contact with."

"So basically, the witch found a way to turn on noclip, but in real life?" asks Kure Kirika, as she leans in from her perch atop Mikuni Oriko's lap. "Because if that's the case, then that's really, really cheap." Kyouko nods, taking a bite out of her candy bar as she kicks her feet against your couch.

"Bet ya a thousand Rider could still beat'em, though." Another bite extinguishes the life of Kyouko's candy bar, and she stuffs the wrapper into the pocket of her shorts. "See, he's got this crazy busted ability where he flat-out can't be harmed. So I figure, we pit him against sumthing else that can't be harmed, and he'll have the upper hand on account of actually knowing how ta fight, an' not just being flesh robots fer a witch. Right?"

You hadn't known that about Rider; you hardly know anything about Rider, now that you think about it. You know who he is, thanks to Archer keeping you informed, but outside of that you hardly know a thing about him, as either a warrior or a person. "Perhaps, but theory often goes out the window when faced with reality. We don't know what it is that allows these familiars to use their selective intangibility the way that they do. For all we know, they may have a way of harming even Rider." You turn your head towards Mikuni Oriko, and then to the servant presence you feel standing nearest to Tomoe-san. "Well? Can either of you see if sending Rider into battle against these familiars will be successful?"

"Rider's clothes and weaponry are not invulnerable," Caster says, appearing beside his master in a flash of gold. "If he stands against them as a proud athlete of his people, it will be a stalemate at best, with neither side having the means to harm one another. But to defeat the serpents, wholly and completely, will not be possible until the Black Mountain itself is fallen." Caster shakes his head, adding "Perhaps I could have been clearer from the start, but in truth I had not known that the witches my master and her allies fight look as I saw of the Black Mountain."

"Not all witches, just this one, apparently. I've never known any two witches to appear identical," Tomoe-san says to her servant. "And with everything else that's popping up in this city, I'm not sure we could have said it was a witch, not without knowing what we know now."

"What Caster says... It's not entirely true." Mikuni Oriko opens her eyes, to your surprise upon hearing her refute Caster's claim. "He is correct in saying that we cannot defeat the familiars without also defeating the witch, but there is one element I saw that he has neglected to mention. Without Sister Hope to guide their senses, and without a symbolic representation of the light by which their shadows are cast, the familiars will be unable to manifest outside of the witch's labyrinth."

"Sister Hope did say something to that effect," Archer chimes in, unfolding his arms from his chest. "She said that the sunburst they use as their symbol represents the light that casts the witch's shadows. In other words, the witch must need that symbol to manifest their familiars."

"Then we have the basics of our plan." You stand, and with a snap of your fingers project several aerial angles of the 'Church' warehouse onto your projector screens. "If Caster says that Rider and the familiars will stalemate each other, then we'll use him as a diversion." You turn to the servant presence seated beside Kyouko, and Rider appears beside her. "Your task will be to draw the familiars into open territory, away from Sister Hope. If they need her to be their eyes and ears, then perhaps luring them away from her will blind and deafen them." Next, "Caster, I know you said that we can't defeat the familiars without first defeating the witch, but if possible I'd like for you, as well as Mikuni Oriko and Lancer, to look into ways of either harming or hindering them, for as long as they're in our realm."

"Archer, you'll circle around the 'Church' and attempt to destroy as much of their imagery as possible. If the familiars need the 'Church's sunburst to appear in our world, then destroy every sunburst you can find."

"Does that include the ones inside the 'Church' as well?"

You nod. "Yes. Before we begin, I'll scout the 'Church' and see if it's possible to extract Sister Hope without us having to fight. If that's impossible, we'll move forward with the plan as stated, and once Rider has drawn the familiars far enough away, I'll move in, recover Sister Hope, and sever her connection to the witch. Either way, once I have her, I'll give the signal for you to level the 'Church' with everything you have."

"It won't work..." you hear an unfamiliar male voice whisper those words. There's a shuffle from the farthest couch, as Father Despair pulls himself up, rubbing at the back of his neck as he gazes out at the crowded living room. You can only imagine what sort of thoughts are going through his mind right now. "I... I don't know who, or what, any of you are, but I know that your plan won't work."

McRemitz-san is the first to speak up, asking "And how do you know that?" as she turns to Father Despair. "This is your daughter we're talking about rescuing. I would have assumed you'd be the first person who would want her back. Unless you have any better ideas, that is."

"Ah!" Father Despair's eyes light us at the sight of McRemitz-san. "I recognize you! The- the foreign lady, who- What happened to your arm? You had both of them-"

McRemitz-san cuts the man off with a stern glare, saying "Tell us why the plan won't work."

"... Right. Alina - that's my daughter - she was the first person to be touched by the Sister. The Sister... Chose her; I don't know why. There's nothing special about her that She couldn't have chosen anyone else. But I- I can't feel Her mark on my body any more, but I can still hear her... Alina was under for... A-a week, I think, longer than I was; maybe longer, I can't really remember much. Even if you cut Her mark off, she'll still hear Her, I'm sure..."

The man speaks with an impressive baritone, made all the less so by his mousy features and the constant waver in his voice. "As long as she's still able to hear Her, she'll be drawn to the Sister no matter what you do. As long as she's still able hold a pencil, she'll be able to make the mark that allows the Sister's shadows into the light... You would have to break her hands, and lock her in a dark room, if you wanted to truly prevent her from returning to being used as the Sister's vassal."

[ ] Continue with the plan anyway
-[ ] "Then we'll do what we have to to keep her and everyone else safe."
[ ] Take Father Despair's advice; call off the attack and save your strength
[ ] Try to meet in the middle; an alternative plan that retrieves Sister Hope and prevents her from falling back into the witch's clutches
-[ ] Is there such a plan? (write-in)
[ ] Other (write-in)​

 

[SVS]

[X] Try to meet in the middle; an alternative plan that retrieves Sister Hope and prevents her from falling back into the witch's clutches
-[X] Go with the plan as before, but knock Sister Hope out while doing so. Ask Caster and Bazett if they can utilize any sort of Magecraft/Magic that'll allow them to put Alina in an artificial slumber. If not, tell Lancer "Hey. Stop being a jobber and Isa this girl into a week-long coma". Regardless, they'll bind Alina while awaiting the Black Mountain's awakening.

---

"You would have to break her hands, and lock her in a dark room, if you wanted to truly prevent her from returning to being used as the Sister's vassal." And even then, you aren't sure that would be enough. If her mind is that deeply under the witch's curse, then even if you broke her hands and took away anything she could use to write with, you're quite confident that she would attempt to bite her finger off and draw the required symbols in her own blood.

You're equally as confident that her father would take umbrage with you should she come to any such harm while under your watch. No; there needs to be another way, a better way, of holding her that can absolutely prevent her from acting upon the witch's instructions. But how?

"Caster," you say, turning to Tomoe-san's golden servant, "Would it be possible for you to put Sister Hope into a- I don't know how you would describe it, a magically-induced coma until we've found a way to deal with the witch and she can be safely released? Would that be possible?"

"Of course, such a matter would be trivial for I, the King" Caster replies with a haughty tone; from everything you know and have seen about Caster, he's definitely powerful enough to have earned his arrogance, but despite all his prior help it still grates on you. It must grate on Tomoe-san even worse; she has to live with him. "And certainly, I have no qualms about lending my assistance when no other answer can be found. But you have been practicing the rune of ice, is that not correct? Then, are not you better suited to keeping the Sister Hope in a state of unresponsiveness for that duration than am I?"

Caster is correct; Isa is the rune you've chosen to study for your own, but "My studies of Isa have been towards improving my effectiveness in combat. I haven't started work on Isa's stasis abilities yet." the application you've studied isn't what you need to use it for right now.

"But you are not the only person here who can use that rune."

You feel like a massive idiot for not having realized it sooner. Caster is right; you don't need to use him for this, not when you have two highly-capable masters of rune magic sitting in your living room. It might be a bit of a stretch getting McRemitz-san to help put Sister Hope under, since she did say she has to leave and get packing once this meeting is over. But that still leaves "Lancer." As in, Lancer, who taught you the runes in the first place. "I'm sure your Isa is far stronger than mine. Would you be willing to put Sister Hope under once we've retrieved her?"

"Master?" Caster vanishes in motes of gold, making himself scarce as Lancer appears beside her master and mistress. "Shall I do as the master of Archer has asked of me?"

Mikuni Oriko nods. "Yes. We'll need to keep Sister Hope sedated if we want to keep her from returning to the witch."

"Then we'll continue with the plan, but with Lancer on standby and ready to use Isa on Sister Hope as soon as we've recovered her."

Father Despair, ever since you took back control of the dialogue, has just been sitting there with his head in his hands, muttering incoherently to himself. Now, he lifts his head up and speaks. "... She has a name- My daughter has a name. Alina; that's her name, not 'Sister Hope'... That's the name that the Sister gave her."

"What about yourself?" you ask. If Father Despair would rather that you and your allies not call his daughter 'Sister Hope' then it stands to reason that you should at least have the decency to ask for his own name. "It would be rude to keep calling you 'Father Despair' so-" not that it will stop you from referring to him as such in your head "-if you'd rather we not refer to your daughter that way, so if you don't mind, by what name should we call you?"

"John. John Cantius Gray, katakana, western name order... My father stayed behind after the War ended, got married, and filed for naturalisation once his duty was up. Even though I have an American name, I was still born in Japan."

"And, if you don't mind, how did you and your daughter come by the names "Father Despair' and 'Sister Hope'?"

"They were given to us by Our Sister. Alina first, and then me. She wanted to mark us as 'special'; as the ones who would lead Her congregations." Father Despair's head falls back into his hands, and you hear him say in a low whisper "I don't understand... What did my daughter ever do to deserve this?"

"I don't believe Sist-" Tomoe-san stops herself, saying instead "Alina did anything to deserve this, Gray-san. Witches are indiscriminate in their choice of targets. You and your daughter just happened to draw the short straw this time..." Tomoe-san purses her lips, her hand hesitating, before allowing it to come to rest on the man's shoulder. "I'm sorry; that must have sounded insensitive of me. To tell you the truth, I don't believe that anything any of us could say will make this any easier on you."

"... I... You're all talking about what you're planning to do to my daughter, but I- I don't understand any of this. I don't have the slightest idea what any of you are talking about, or what's going on. Please, just, somebody tell me; who are you, and what's going to happen to my daughter?"

You can tell Father Despair the basics, if he can tell you a few things in return. "We-" excluding your adult companions "-are called puella magi, magical girl tasked with hunting and eliminating monsters called 'witches', of whom your 'Sister' is one. For the sake of you, your daughter, and the city as a whole, we will eliminate the witch that forms the foundation of your cult."

"... Magic?" Father Despair looks confused, for lack of a better word. You can tell that inside his mind are two conflicting ideas- "But... Magic isn't real... And yet, how else does any of this make sense?"

"You believe that because the Association has done a damn good job of making the world think that magecraft doesn't exist." McRemitz-san steps in to speak next. "And rest assured, if you go blabbing to your friends about any of what you've seen here tonight, you will be put in the ground, violently. Your daughter as well, along with anyone else you may have told." Father Despair shrinks back once exposed to the harsh stare of McRemitz-san's eyes. "Are we understood? You will take the events of tonight with you to the grave, one way or another."

McRemitz-san goes to cross her arms, only to stop herself as she remembers that one of them is missing. "That being said, unless you or your daughter go looking, there's an impossibly small chance that you'll ever be involved with magecraft again after tonight. So, if you don't think you can keep your mouth shut, I can make it so you don't remember a thing once you leave this apartment. You'll go home, and by the time you wake up tomorrow this will all feel like a bad dream. Or better yet, just opt for the hypnotism even if you can keep your mouth shut. The Association doesn't like it when your kind get a whiff of their secrets."

"You... You can do that? Just... Make me forget all this, that easily?" McRemitz-san nods. "I don't know... Give me some time to think. Let me see my daughter again before telling me to make a decision."

"That's fair," you say, cutting in before McRemitz-san has a chance to offer no quarter to Father Despair. She doesn't look as though she appreciates you having done that, but lest she forget, you are in charge of this city; not her, not her 'Association'. Well, you and Tomoe-san, really. "However, in exchange for our leniency, I'd like some answers of my own. To start, what do you know about your 'Sister's plans? Why is she gathering a cult of people to worship her?"

"Food. I don't remember what lies She told me or Alina while we were under Her spell, but She means to devour, and not just the inhabitants of this city. She marks the faithful to make us docile, so that She can eat us first and gain the strength to materialise. Once She's done that, She'll be able to eat whoever She wants, not just those who bear Her mark."

McRemitz-san scowls, fishing something out of her pocket and tossing it down on the table - it's the same rosary necklace that Hitomi showed you the other night - "So you knew that your 'Sister' was planning to cause a major catastrophe this entire time?" Father Despair nods, and McRemitz-san's scowl deepens. "And you couldn't have mustered up the strength of will to say anything about this either of the times we spoke?"

"You don't understand how powerful Her hold is. She- She was the one who chose the things I could say. I was a captive inside my own head. My daughter... Alina's been like that for even longer than I have..."

"And we're going to bring her back to you, Gray-san, so please be patient, and have faith." As she speaks, Tomoe-san conjures up some basic ribbons, using them to tie Father Despair to the couch. He struggles, fear evident in his eyes, but his panicked struggling is no match for Tomoe-san. "I'm terribly sorry about having to do this, Gray-san, but it's for your own safety. I've tried to make your bindings as comfortable as possible, but we still need you bound so that, on the chance that your 'Sister' tries to take control of your mind again, you won't go wandering off or getting yourself into danger. Rest assured, I'll be untying you as soon as we've returned with your daughter, I promise."

"Tomoe-san, isn't this technically a form of kidnapping?"

"Not at all, Akemi-san. Think of it as... Protective custody."

After waking up in a strange room surrounded by strange people, told what you've told him, and then tied up, Father Despair has no reason to trust any of you. But, at those last two words his struggling ceases, and he resigns himself to his fate. "Before you go, I... I have something, one last thing I want to say." He looks to you, staring you in the eyes as he says "You, you're the one in charge of everything here, correct?" You nod your head. "Come here. I have something I need to tell you; just you."

You do as Father Despair asks, closing the gap between the both of you and leaning in as he whispers to you, "Our Sister's true name is..."

---

Tomoe-san stands beside you atop the roof of a nearby warehouse, overlooking the 'Church'. Both of you have changed into your battle dress, as have Kyouko and Mikuni Oriko in their own positions. "Alright, I've performed a cursory investigation of the 'Church', and have confirmed that it will be impossible to recover Sister Hope without intervention. let's do a quick check to make sure everyone is in order, before moving ahead as planned. Tomoe-san, are you and Caster ready?"

"Waiting on your mark, Akemi-san."

"Good. Go ahead and activate Wunjo now." Golden flashes of light sound off at yours and at each of your allies' locations, signifying that Tomoe-san's rune is in effect. "Kyouko? Do you and Rider know what you need to do?"

"Rider'll distract the familiars while you go in an' kidnap Sleepin' Beauty over there."

"Correct. Mikuni Oriko? Once I have Sister Hope, will Lancer be ready to put her under?"

"Of course, Akemi-san."

"Archer, before we begin the operation, can you give me a copy of that red spear you use?" Archer appears at your side, and with little more than a whisper of "Trace on," the spear is in your hands. It feels considerably lighter than you had been expecting, and in your hands it looks smaller than the one which Archer wields. But as long as it can sever an object's connection to the source of its magic, neither of those things matter. In fact, a lighter weight and a smaller size only make it easier for you to use. Everything is in position. "Alright, it's time to begin the operation. Kyouko, have Rider move in now."

In a flash, Rider is off. You barely have time to brace yourself for the shockwave that comes as Rider breaks the sound barrier, breaking down the door to the 'Church' in the process. There were twelve familiars inside guarding Sister Hope, when you last checked, but with Rider unable to be harmed by them you hope that Caster's predicted stalemate will be enough to draw them out of their defensive coil.

The seconds pass as you watch the warehouse from your position. Slowly, seconds turn into minutes, but you have yet to see Rider successfully maneuver the familiars out of position. "Hey, Spooky-" You hope that Kyouko can give you an update into why Rider is taking so long. "I thought these things weren't s'pposed ta be able ta touch Rider. That's what Caster said, right?"

Is it possible that Caster was wrong? Could he have lied to you? Perhaps there's more going on here than you first thought. "What's going on? What's happening to Rider?"

"Well, they tore through his clothes an' now he's wrestling'em naked... Kinda weird, actually. And, it looks like they can bite onta him, but, uh... He says it hurts like hell, but that they ain't actually hurtin' him, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I thought they weren't s'pposed at be able ta do that."

"I'm not actually sure what 'supposed to' means with regards to these familiars. We can't touch them, but they can touch us. I've never encountered another familiar that worked like that. and I can't explain it. Perhaps their selective intangibility and ability to cut through anything has a strange interaction with Rider's own invulnerability. I can't say. Can Rider still lure them away from Sister Hope, even with this new development?"

"He's tryin', but there's twelve of'em an it ain't like he's got twelve arms fer each one ta latch on. But right now, I can't see a way yer gunna get in there.. Might wanna consider having Archer start blastin' the place now, ya know?"

While Sister Hope is still inside? True, that would still achieve the operation's goal of stopping the familiars and impeding the witch's plans; but if you let Sister Hope die so that you could stop the witch to come, would you be any different from Mikuni Oriko?

Do you
[ ] Have Archer and Caster level the 'Church' now
-[ ] What do you tell Father Despair? (write-in)
[ ] Hold out for a little while longer
-[ ] What do you do if Rider can't make an opening? (write-in)
--[ ] make the opening yourself (write-in how)
[ ] Withdraw
-[ ] and don't try again
-[ ] and try again another day, when the familiars aren't already spooked
[ ] Other (write-in)​

 

[SVS]

[X] Plan Gate of Homura

---

"Right now, I can't see a way yer gunna get in there.. Might wanna consider having Archer start blastin' the place now, ya know?"

While Sister Hope is still inside? True, that would still achieve the operation's goal of stopping the familiars and impeding the witch's plans; but if you let Sister Hope die so that you could stop the witch to come, would you be any different from Mikuni Oriko?

No, it wouldn't.

But there is another way.

Mikuni Oriko said that the familiars required the 'Church's sunburst symbol, the light that casts their shadow, to manifest outside of the witch's labyrinth; and Archer more or less confirmed her statement through his earlier conversation with Sister Hope. You don't have to have Rider distracting the familiars in order to create your opening. You can create your own opening. "Keep Rider where he is. I'm going in."

"What, what? Spooky, are you outta yer mind? Didn't you just say that these things can tear ya ta shreds just by touchin' ya?"

You make no reply to Kyouko. You and Tomoe-san turn to one another, and she says "Be careful, Akemi-san." Silently you nod, and turn your shield. And the world goes to grey.

You pay as little attention as possible to the naked servant attempting to wrestle with several familiars attached to his body. His clothes and armour are torn to shreds and scattered about the floor, and his muscles don't look don't look don't look are on full display. You wonder, would Madoka like it if you had muscles like that? Certainly, it would make you look healthier than the pale, twig-like appearance you wear now, but is it actually something Madoka would prefer, or are you better in her eyes as you are now? Best not to dwell on Rider's muscles. You came here with a job to do. Step one - severing the sunburst's connection to the familiars - is easily accomplished with a simple downward swipe of the crimson spear, slashing through the sunburst. Now, onto step two, defacing and destroying the sunburst. For that, you need paint.

Paint, paint, do you have paint stashed away somewhere inside your shield? No. You've never needed paint for any reason that you can think of. You have a few bottles of water, and usually by now you would have a bottle of vodka or lighter fluid for dealing with the birdcage witch; but you've already dealt with that witch earlier in this timeline. What you have plenty of, however, are bullets. It's an inelegant solution, you think to yourself as you rack the slide of a Beretta pistol, but an effective one. You don't need to expend the entire fifteen rounds in the magazine; the warehouse walls are thin, and you only need enough to deface the sunburst and leave it unrecognizable and useless for calling the familiars. For good measure, you trace Isa and bring an icy ruin down upon what little remains.

That should be enough, you think, checking the ammo count in your magazine before moving on to the next sunburst. You have three more to deface and destroy.

As soon as your task is complete and all four sunbursts have been struck through with the crimson spear, defaced, and destroyed, you allow time to resume. Instantly, the world regains its colour, but the familiars do not instantly vanish as you had hoped they would. Of course. Even when you do everything right, it still isn't enough. You don't have enough time to bring out your bow as three familiars break from their defense of Sister Hope and charge at you, so you freeze time, sidestep, and re-position yourself.

But something is different this time. Rider, you note as you give his muscled frame just enough attention to glean how he's faring against the familiars, is now able to grapple with a familiar he was previously unable to touch. Perhaps your efforts have done something, after all.

You've never had to use a spear in combat before, but between the crimson spear and your Beretta pistol you give it your best effort, striking back at the enemy familiars from inside the frozen time. You have no idea how successful this will prove to be once time is allowed to resume, but you aren't willing to hold your breath. Arrows and bullets fly in the direction of each of the twelve serpentine familiars; and time is allowed to move again.

To your surprise, the onslaught is a stunning success. Frozen familiars float in midair encased in ice, while others are split open at the head from your bullets. "Damn," Rider says, surveying the damage without any shame or attempt to cover up his shame. "I thought you couldn't touch these things. What gives?"

"While the defacing and destruction of the sunbursts was not enough to destroy the familiars on its own it appears to have made them tangible, or at least made them subject to the laws of this dimension. Aside from that, I cannot say." You freeze time as soon as you see the previously-unresponsive Sister Hope struggle to move, and rake the tip of the crimson spear against the witch's kiss at the base of her neck. Time resumes as normal, and as soon as colour returns to the world, Sister Hope collapses. "Carry her back," you say to Rider. "And put some clothes on while you're at it. Not all of us are as proud of your physique as you are."

"Archer, Tomoe-san, the familiars have been subdued and Sister Hope is being extracted. Once Rider and I have left with the package, you have my permission to bring the 'Church' down."

"Understood, master."

"Understood, Akemi-san. I'll give Caster the signal as soon as you're all clear."

[ ] Wat do?​

 

[SVS]

[X] Plan Not A Kidnapping

---

You never would have guessed that four young girls, plus a fifth that is clearly unconscious, could make the nearly hour-long travel from the now-destroyed 'Church' warehouse back to your apartment entirely across Main Street without being seen, but Lancer's runes do wonders for your party's ability to move under concealment. You're incredibly lucky that you no longer have to fight Lancer; imagine what she could be capable of if her master were more competent and combat-minded.

Your party has safely returned to your apartment, but an unsettling thought carries itself through your mind as you reach for the key. This all feels too easy. You shake the thought free as you unlock the door; as far as you could tell, the witch did everything in its familiars' powers to prevent you from taking her.

Now that you're back home, you all have to figure out what to do with the comatose Sister Hope. Father Despair is waiting in the living room, still lightly bound by Tomoe-san's ribbons. The fact that his only companions this entire time have been a pair of amputees of varying reputability can't have done him any favours during the wait. You lay Sister Hope down on the couch, and immediately after Tomoe-san has freed her father he is at her side, clutching her hands with his own as tears stream down his face. Fortunately, she remains unresponsive throughout.

There's no telling what could happen if she were to wake up now.

"Gray-san, I'm going to have to ask you to move," Tomoe-san says, giving Father Despair a slight nudge as her ribbons snake their way around her body. "This is for her own good."

"My daughter- Will Alina be alright?"

"We are doing our best to ensure that she is," Mikuni Oriko says next, motioning for Lancer to apply her runes down the length of Tomoe-san's ribbons. You recognize Isa, but also spot the addition of Gebo and Berkano to the string of runes, along with another rune or two that you aren't entirely able to make out due to the curvature of the surface they've been applied to. Whichever runes they are, you hope they'll be enough to contain her for the time being. "This will keep her safe and secure should the witch try to take control of her mind again."

Once Tomoe-san and Lancer have played their parts, you turn to Father Despair and ask him "Now that you've seen the state that your daughter is in, have you made your decision about whether or not you want to forget about this?"

Father Despair's eyes never divert from his daughter as he says "It wouldn't be fair, for Alina to be suffering through all of this while I go home blissfully unaware. If she chooses to forget everything when she wakes up, then I will too; but until then, I want- No, I need to keep these memories with me."

"You're lucky that Akemi's such a softie." You? A softie? You're just giving the man a fair choice. "If it were up to me, you'd have walked out of here two hours ago with no idea that any of this had ever happened." McRemitz-san turns her head towards you for a moment, before returning her attentions to Father Despair. "You will, however, have to come up with a believable excuse to give to her school's administrators as to why your daughter will be absent for the week."

"Couldn't you hypnotize them?

"With this arm?" For added emphasis, McRemitz-san waves her stump in the direction of your face. "As soon as we're done here, I'm packing my bags and taking the next train to Mifune City to get my arm replaced. By the time I get back - if I get back - this whole business with the witch will have all blown over."

So there is still a chance that McRemitz-san will be returning once she has her new arm? That would make sense. Based on what she's said, she still hasn't found the answer to everything she's been looking for. "In that case, I'll do my best to find an answer to your earlier question about the place upstairs."

"Right. There's a good chance I'll be called back to London after this, but if my superiors want me to stay then I'll give you a call when I'm on my way back."

Father Despair chose that moment to clear his throat, asking "Not to, um, be a bother, but what's going to happen next? Is my daughter going to stay here, with a bunch of strangers? Is she coming home with me? Are you going to tie me up again and do... Whatever it is you did to her as well?"

You turn to Tomoe-san, and ask "Would it be alright if Sist-Alina, stayed with you for the duration? I realize it's asking a lot, and your apartment is already cramped enough with the four of you, but between Caster and Rider I believe it's the safest place for her to be right now."

"Yes, of course," Tomoe-san responds with a nod and a smile. "That shouldn't be a problem, as long as Sakura-san doesn't mind sharing her room for a little while."

In response to Tomoe-san's statement, Kyouko shrugs, and with a 'hmph' says "Yeah, sure, whatever. It's not like she's taking up much space the way she is. 'Sides, I don' t mind sharing if it's with a cute girl like her." Tomoe-san shoots a disapproving glare at Kyouko, who promptly responds "What? S'not like I'm gunna do anything to her! I just said she was cute, is all!"

Tomoe-san shakes her head, sighing as she says in a chiding tone "You and I are going to have a long talk when we get home about what is and is not appropriate to say in front of a girl's father." Kyouko rolls her eyes in dramatic fashion, leaving Tomoe-san no recourse but to shake her head and sigh for a second time.

Your best course of action is to proceed as though their exchange never occurred. "That still leaves the father to be decided, and I don't know what would be our best option. If we let him go, there's a good chance that the witch could pull him back into the fold. However, he's demonstrated that he's cognizant of his surroundings with no indication that the witch is still controlling him, so perhaps with only minor supervision he could be allowed to remain free." That, and you imagine that he'll want to stay with his daughter, so whether he is allowed to remain free, is placed under temporary protective custody, or is put into stasis alongside Sister Hope, you're sure that her own fate will greatly impact what he decides.

"Perhaps we could put it to a vote?" Tomoe-san suggests. "We'll each write our choice of whether to let Gray-san go free, keep him under protective custody, or in stasis, on the back of a piece of paper, and then whichever suggestion has the most votes will be what we choose."

Though a chorus of nodding heads confirms Tomoe-san's decision, you are still uneasy about the ability of your group of six to come to a deciding vote. Three choices, spread out over a group of six; if each suggestion gets just two votes, it'll be a stalemate. And you can't exclude one among your number, because then that still leaves the possibility of a tie between two of the three choices.

Well, you think, as you write down your choice - to, despite your own concerns, let Father Despair go free, albeit with the caveat that he be left with some sort of magic-sensitive tracker - you'll cross that bridge if you have to.

Fortunately, you don't have to. The choice to let Father Despair go free wins with half of the votes. "It's settled, then," Tomoe-san says, to both the six of you and to Father Despair. "You're free to return to your daily life, Gray-san, though do know that you are welcome to stop by my apartment and visit your daughter any time you'd like."

"I... Thank you."

"Yeah, real touching," McRemitz-san says, the sarcasm thick on her tongue. "Well, at least now that's everything I'm needed for." She stands, and gives you a half-hearted salute as she makes her way to the door. "Akemi, girls, the next time you see me I'll have a shiny new arm to show off. Take care, don't kill yourselves, and don't do anything that would make the Association send someone else knocking at your doors, because I can guarantee you they won't be as considerate as I've been."

"... I should get going, too." Father Despair rises from his seat, only to lean back down to give his immobile and stasis-entombed daughter a hug. "I'll see you again soon, Alina. Everything's going to be alright, I promise."Reluctantly, he too departs from your apartment.

---

Now that all of the day's old business has been taken care, it's time to address new and pressing business. "It has come to my attention, just as I'm sure it has come to all of yours, that the threats facing Mitakihara and the surrounding cities are mounting. Witches are getting stronger, smarter, and more dangerous, and every day that we let them slip past us is another person who winds up mind-controlled, disappeared, or dead." Four heads nod along with your words, with Tomoe-san and Mikuni Oriko particularly enraptured by them. "As such, I believe that we need to start learning how to work together as a unit."

"Not just each of us, acting independently towards a common goal; not just pairs, either; we need to be able to work together as a five-man team. A-" If only the Tomoe-san of previous timelines could see you, could hear you "-puella magi holy quintet."

"Unfortunately-" Your eyes dart towards Kure Kirika, who is still waiting on her legs to grow back "-we are currently short one fighting member of the team, but I believe that the sooner we learn to work together as one, the better. Tomoe-san, Kyouko, Mikuni Oriko," you look to each member of your team as you say their name "if you'll all agree to it, I propose that we split ourselves into two groups and go out hunting for a witch; our servants will form one group, while we form the other. The object of both group is simple- Learn to work together as one."

"I think that sounds like a splendid idea, Akemi-san," Tomoe-san says with enthusiasm. "And might I add, I really like the name you've come up with for our group. There's something... I don't know, nostalgic, about it, that makes it feel right to me."

"Yeah, what she said."

"Agreed. I've been looking forward to the chance for us all to work together as one."

Yourself included, that's four 'ayes'. But what of the fifth? Instead of a yes, Kure Kirika lends her voice to something else. "I'm coming with you," she says. "What, you think that just because I'm stuck in this stupid chair, that means that I can't help? That I don't want to help? Oriko's fighting just as hard as I am, and yet you're going to just leave me behind?"

Mikuni Oriko attempts to placate her lover through a squeeze of her hand and a kiss of her cheek. "Dearest, Akemi-san didn't mean to make you feel left out." Judging by the sourness that refuses to leave Kure Kirika's face, it isn't working. "But, she is right. Bringing you along with us in combat will be difficult if one of us always needs to keep an eye on you, and without the ability to walk your effectiveness in combat is... Rather low, I'm afraid to say."

"Then I'll make myself walk! Just you watch!" Kure Kirika joins you and the others in donning her battle costume, kicking off her casts as she does. Just enough has regenerated below the knee that you can see the tips of her tibia and fibia sticking out from the black wisps of mana that roll from her stumps like mist on a wet morning. Tomoe-san jumps backwards, defensively clutching at her stomach as two long, black claws form in Kure Kirika's hands.

But Tomoe-san's stomach is not Kure Kirika's target.

You hear Mikuni Oriko's horrified scream and see the drops of blood staining your formerly pristine floor before your mind can register what Kure Kirikas has done. Rather than use her claws as weapons, she has instead jammed their handles deep into the regrown flesh of her legs until they stick in place. With an uneasy balance, she leans forward, reaching for Mikuni Oriko's hands as she says "Help me stand up."

Her hand trembles as Mikuni Oriko reaches for her, saying with a shaky voice "Kirika... You-" One step, and then another. Her balance is still uneasy, but Kure Kirika can, for as much as you refuse to believe that she actually did that, walk again. Mikuni Oriko shakes her head. "I can't believe you would go that far, dearest. What if it takes you even longer to heal now? Were you really that desperate to be useful to us?"

Kure Kirika smiles, and with great apparent difficulty leans in to kiss Mikuni Oriko. "If I can't be useful to you, then what good am I?"

[ ] Okay, what just happened?
-[ ] Comment on the complete insanity of what Kure Kirika just did (write-in)
-[ ] Make no comment
--[ ] She owes you a new carpet

[ ] Where does Homura's group go to hunt?
[ ] Where does Archer's group go to hunt?

[ ] Whose perspective are we following?​

 

[SVS]

[X] Plan Intervention

---

"If I can't be useful to you, then what good am I?" Kure Kirika says, moments after sharing a kiss with Mikuni Oriko, a kiss which was preceded by her poorly-thought or completely lacking in thought attempt to restore her ability to walk by way of - and you can't believe you actually had to see her do it - embedding blades into the stumps of her legs and using them as makeshift stilts. What the hell.

And she's supposed to be your ally, too. What the hell is wrong with that girl?

"I think you'll find that your actions are in fact the exact opposite of useful," you say, not caring if your frustration and sheer confusion taint your words. "What were you even thinking, doing something so stupid, so inconsiderate of the people that just had to watch you stick blades into the stumps of your legs?"

"I was thinking that can walk now." Kure Kirika turns towards you, leaving Mikuni Oriko's embrace with only a minor imbalance to her blade-tipped stride. A thin trickle of blood runs down the length of each blade, leaving pinpricks of red to dot your floor with each pained step that she takes. "And since I can walk, I don't have to sit around in that stupid chair while Oriko and the rest of you go out and bust your asses. I can fight. I can contribute. I can be useful."

"You were being useful. Were. You were providing moral support to the person you love when she needed you most. Now, you're just being an inconvenience." You gesture, admittedly more violently than is necessary, to Mikuni Oriko, who between her now-standing lover and the trail of blood drops left in the wake of her steps doesn't have the slightest idea of where her worried eyes should land. "Look at her. Look at Mikuni Oriko. Look at the person who is supposedly the most important person in the world to you. Do you think she's enjoying seeing you do this to yourself?" You have no idea where this sudden and newfound indignation is coming from. It can't be from a place of respect, or caring; so then where?

"She is important! Oriko is the most important person in the world to me!"

"Then treat her like it! Look at what you've done to yourself; do you think seeing you do that is in any way good for her?"

It has to be Madoka. There's no other explanation. You've had to see Madoka hurt, suffering, dying, so many times now, that having to see another person's significant other suffering is a special kind of pain that resonates from within. Even if you still hate her, to look at the pain carved into Mikuni Oriko's eyes is to sympathize with her suffering, as only someone else whose significant other has suffered can. "Whatever. If you don't care about her anymore, then at least care about yourself. Sit back down and take those stupid things out of your legs, and I'm sure Lancer can be talked into giving you a rune to dull the pain."

You can see the wheels in Kure Kirika's head turning as she attempts to process what you've just said to her. "... I do care..." she mutters, as you and Mikuni Oriko lead her back to her seat, and help her to sit back down. "I care about Oriko so much... I just thought..."

"No, Kirika, Akemi-san is right." Mikuni Oriko sits down beside Kure Kirika, squeezing her hand tightly as Lancer pulls each blade out, an act that, despite the application of several Uruz runes to dull the pain of their removal, is still punctuated by several pained grunts from the chocolate-haired girl who clearly isn't right in the head. "This... I never wanted you to feel like you had to go this far to be useful. I don't care if you aren't able to contribute to combat. I just want to have you here by my side; and if you need time to recover then I'll make sure you get all the time that you need."

The two lean in close, lips meeting, and you turn away as the lovers' exchange of tongues takes on a less verbal connotation. Tomoe-san and Kyouko wisely decide to do the same. You can't believe they're doing that in your apartment. And after what that idiot just did, too... You shake your head in disapproval. "Archer, ready Avalon and implant it into Kure Kirika."

"Are you serious, master? One little display of idiocy and you're going to give her back her legs, just like that? What about all the girls whose lives she's still responsible for; do you think they would appreciate knowing that you want to reward her for being a goddamn idiot?"

"Make no mistake, Archer; I'm not asking you to do this as a reward for her stupidity, no matter what you think. I still hate them both for what they've done, but Kure Kirika is clearly not right in the head. Tomoe-san knew her before she made her contract with the Incubator, and she said that Kure Kirika was just a shy, normal girl. Something, something very likely to be the responsibility of the Incubator, caused her to change into this upon making her contract, and for as much as I may hate her I don't think I can fault her for whatever it was that the Incubator did to her."

"I have no problems getting behind blaming the little rat bastard for a lot of things, but it wasn't the one that made those two decide that mass murder was a good way to go about saving the world. They decided that on their own."

"Did they? It was the Incubator who gave Mikuni Oriko the power of precognition, without telling her how to effectively use her power or vett the truthfulness of her visions. Any blame that she or Kure Kirika have for their crimes is shared equally with the Incubator, in my eyes."

"You're really stuck on this, aren't you?"

"If you still think I'm asking for her legs back as some kind of reward for pulling this stupid little stunt of hers, then perhaps I can sell you on a message of pragmatism instead. I have no idea how long it will take for Kure Kirika to fully regenerate her legs and to have them working again, especially now that she's gone and damaged her legs even further. I need her and Mikuni Oriko to both be operating at maximum capacity before Walpurgisnacht, and in order to have that I need Kure Kirika to have her legs back."

"... You sure do drive a hard bargain, don't you master? What if, after Kure gets her legs back, she and Mikuni decide they don't need you any more and split to do their own thing? You're doing this to bring them back to top form, but how can you be sure they'll stick around to help you once they've gotten what they want?"

"In the Geis I placed on them, I included a stipulation that they had to come help fight Walpurgisnacht. But, I don't think it'll come to that. Kure Kirika is, despite her own rampant idiocy, wholly subservient to Mikuni Oriko; and from everything I can tell, Mikuni Oriko's desire to help and repent for her actions is genuine. I may hate her, but I don't believe that she'll suddenly turn unreasonable once Kure Kirika has her legs back."

Archer appears at your side, motes of gold forming around his hand into the shape of the miracle given physical form that is Avalon. "I swear, master, if I end up regretting this..."

All eyes save Kyouko's are immediately drawn to the golden light in Archer's hands. "Akemi-san, what is Archer doing?" Mikuni Oriko asks, shrinking into her seat as fear and confusion colour her emerald eyes at Archer's approach. "What's he going to do?"

"I dunno know what he calls it, but that's the same gold glowy thing that Redman stuck inside me when someone-" Tomoe-san shoots Kyouko a disapproving glare as Kyouko directs the changing pitch of her voice towards Mikuni Oriko and Kure Kirika "Stabbed me in the gut and messed up my leg."

"Then, that thing is going to help heal Kirika?"

"Personally, I think you're both undeserving of this," Archer says, staring down Mikuni Oriko as the gold-and-blue sheath sinks into Kure Kirika's chest "But my master wants Kure up and operating at maximum, and that means she needs her legs back." His task complete, Archer takes his leave of the living room, his voice echoing in your mind's ear as he asks "I heard your plan earlier. Where did you want us to go hunting?"

"The southern part of the city, if you wouldn't mind."

"So the servants are on Madoka-watching duty; got it. And you? Where are you taking the other girls?"

"We'll go hunting in the north, by the border separating Mitakihara from Kazamino's industrial district."

"Alright." Now that that's taken care of, "Tomoe-san, Kyouko, Mikuni Oriko, we'll be heading north tonight. Kure Kirika-" You look down at the girl in question, and she looks back up at you "-you will stay here and recover. That is non-negotiable. You are not, under any circumstance, allowed to join us on combat missions until your legs are completely healed. Is that understood?" She is silent, but you think you saw the very slightest nod of her head. Good; hopefully she won't try something this insane again. "We will be gone for some time. There's food in the fridge if you want something to eat, and there's the television so you don't get bored." Amy should be around somewhere, but you don't trust Kure Kirika enough to tell her that your cat is there for her to play with.

Mikuni Oriko leans in, giving her lover one final kiss goodbye. "It'll just be for a little while, dearest. We can go home as soon as I get back, okay?"

"... Okay..." Leaving that as the parting words between lovers, your group of four heads out into the night. But there is one question that has wormed its way into you mind, and you find that you cannot shake it.

Which one of you will get the Grief Seed?

You organized this holy quintet (temporarily quartet), so be sociable!
[ ] Talk
-[ ] to Tomoe-san
-[ ] to Kyouko
-[ ] to Mikuni Oriko
--[ ] About what? (write-in)
[ ] Is there anything in particular you're on the lookout for tonight?
-[ ] Yes (write-in the signs you're looking for)
-[ ] No; any witch will do tonight, no need to hunt for one in particular
[ ] Other (write-in)​

 

[SVS]

[X] Both

---

Excluding last Sunday when you went out hunting for Assassin, how long has it been since you were able to go hunting as part of a team? Five years ago? Ten, perhaps, even? The number of times you've had to relive these same forty-five days is a blur in your mind, something you don't even consider anymore. Since that day, saving Madoka has been your sole concern, and ever since that timeline you've been unable to trust or work together in a group with any of the people you once called your friends.

But this timeline has been different. After so long, you've finally been able to connect to Madoka's heart once again; Sayaka is no longer an obstacle to keeping Madoka safe, and Hitomi is no longer a background player in your story. Tomoe-san has won back her long-lost place as your valued ally, and you've even managed to make an uneasy peace with two people with whom peace had never before been an option. Seeing Mikuni Oriko at your side where once was Madoka in frilly pink, is a sight that will take some getting used to, as will the sight of Kure Kirika in place of Sayaka in knightly blue; but even with these changes, to be a part of the complete holy quintet again is a strange, yet satisfying feeling.

But not one without its own share of problems.

Four pairs of feet touch down on the roof of a building overlooking the river, the hunt unsuccessful up until now. While Tomoe-san and Kyouko are occupied taking a survey of the terrain ahead, you think that now would be the perfect time to address the legless elephant in the room. "Listen," you say, pulling Mikuni Oriko to the side "Whatever that was that Kure Kirika did back at my apartment; that kind of behaviour is completely inexcusable. You have to get a handle on her, because that kind of selfish and reckless thinking is going to make her a serious liability in combat. And if her idiocy gets herself killed or further maimed that's going to have an adverse effect on you, and suddenly we're out forty per cent of our fighting force."

"I know, Akemi-san." Mikuni Oriko doesn't want to look you in the eye as she speaks, but from her tone and body language it's easy enough to see that it comes from a place of shame, not of disrespect. "All Kirika has ever wanted from our relationship is to be useful to me, but I fear that, after all I've asked her to do in the past, I may have given her a warped sense of what makes her useful."

"Have you tried talking to her about this? Or, to someone else who might have an idea of what happened to make her like this?"

"I spoke with her mother last night, briefly, and I asked her what Kirika was like before we started dating. I had hoped that she might be able to give me some insight into how I can help Kirika get better, but... Well, I don't think it's my place to tell you what her mother said to me, but at least from her perspective she is happier with Kirika the way that she is now."

What. What kind of mother would be happy to have a daughter that acts like Kure Kirika? "Why? What could possibly make her think that?"

"Kirika... Did not have the happiest childhood, and I'll leave it at that. Her mother sees how happy Kirika is with me, but because of the hours she works that's about all of Kirika that she gets to see. She's only saying it out of ignorance of what Kirika is like around other people, and not from a place of malice."

You can't help but shake your head. "Even if she isn't acting out against the rest of us anymore, this needs to stop, and you have to be the one to make her stop. You're the only one she cares about or will listen to; talk to her, reprimand her, do whatever you have to do to make her realize that this kind of behaviour is no longer acceptable if she wants to be a useful and contributing member of the team."

"I know, Akemi-san. I will talk with Kirika as soon as I get the chance."

"I don't mean to interrupt," Tomoe-san says, approaching your corner with Kyouko in tow. Tomoe-san calls back her string of Berkano-laden ribbons, while Kyouko puts away a pair of candy-dotted binoculars. "But we've found something, just a little bit ahead by the river."

"Is it Assassin?"

Both Tomoe-san and Kyouko shake their heads, with Kyouko saying "Nah, but it's still a witch. Here, take a look fer yerself-" Before either you or Mikuni Oriko can protest, Kyouko has grabbed you both and shoved binoculars in front of each of your faces. "It's over that way. See the water that's just falling from nowhere?" You look, and sure enough Kyouko speaks the truth. A steady stream of water falls from a hole in reality into the river below.

"Yes, that's definitely a witch."

"Do we have a plan?" You look to Tomoe-san as you speak; in the past, she was always the one to come up with plans when the group was going into battle. You want to see if she has retained that ability through this timeline, or if you will have to reignite that ability in her. Fortunately, it looks like she can take the hint.

"Out team is at something of an imbalance, I think. Between Akemi-san and myself, we have two dedicated long-range attackers, on top of Akemi-san and Mikuni-san playing the roles of both a ranged attacker and rear support. And, until Kure-san has recovered, Sakura-san is our only close-range combatant. An exceptional one, to be sure, but I believe that both she and the team as a whole would benefit from a more even distribution of our forces. So we'll have to compromise, and make due with what we have."

Using her ribbons, Tomoe-san makes a small grid pattern in the air, forming coloured dots each in red, purple, white, and gold, arranging them like so- "Mikuni-san, since you have your shields, you'll be at the front of our formation. Your job will be to soften the enemy's blows and funnel them into range of Sakura-san, who will be moving behind you. Akemi-san and I will take up the rear and support you both." The line of dots on Tomoe-san's grid shows the pattern of white at the front, followed by red, then purple, with gold taking up the rear. "Akemi-san, you'll have to be closer to the action than I. If any one of us is in trouble, we'll need you to use your time-stop, so you'll be serving double duty as our pivot."

It's as if nothing had ever changed. Tomoe-san at the rear, Kyouko in front, and you with your time stop acting as the team's pivot. It's a bit strange, having to also take up Madoka's role as the secondary long-range attacker, and the addition of Mikuni Oriko as a defensive barrier and funnel for the forward vanguard, rather than having Sayaka and Kyouko engage the enemy in a pincer attack is wholly original. But on the whole, Tomoe-san's plan of attack is nothing new to you. "When Kure Kirika is healed and can join us in battle, will she be-" replacing Sayaka? "working with Kyouko to engage the enemy in a pincer?"

"An excellent question, Akemi-san. I think-"

"Yes." Kyouko cuts her off. "Bitch might be crazy, but she's got a damn good pair'a legs and she's fast enough ta keep up with me. If we're all gunna be working together from now on, then I want her as my forward partner. But-" Kyouko turns to Mikuni Oriko. "-This one's gotta learn ta keep her pet in line before that'll happen."

"I've already spoken with Mikuni Oriko about what needs to happen before Kure Kirika can work with us." You may have come to her defense, but you'll still shoot her a glare to remind her of her responsibilities. "Rest assured, she will make sure that Kure Kirika is able to work with us." At least, that's what you sincerely hope.

Tomoe-san clears her throat, reminding Kyouko that she had been speaking prior to the interruption. "As I was saying, Sakura-san; yes, Kure-san willl be acting as your forward partner. I expect for you to take the lead and treat her as you would any other junior. In addition, if time permits on Sunday I think we could all benefit from another round of team-building exercises."

As your group moves out and heads towards the entrance to the waterfall labyrinth, you remind yourself to temper that earlier hope that Kure Kirika can improve andcome a passable and worthwhile ally, with a much-needed dash of reality. Sometimes, you can hope all you want and never find what you're hoping for.

"So, uh, not fer nuthing or anything, but..." Kyouko's voice rings in your ear as she poses a very unexpected query. "I, uh, saw ya staring at Rider earlier. Got sumthing ya wanna say, maybe ta Pinkie?"

"I was not 'staring' at Rider. In fact, I was actively trying to avoid staring."

"Whatever you say, Spooky. I ain't the one in denial about what she saw."

"And neither am I." You end the matter there. It wouldn't do to go into battle thinking distracting thoughts.

Here's the labyrinth. [ ] Wat do?​

 

[SVS]

[X] Proceed following Mami's suggested formation and general stratagem
-[X] Use your Isa arrows to lock down this Witch's familiars, and when you get a safe chance test out using Isa in combat by only drawing it in the air
-[X] Capitalize on any obvious weaknesses that the familiars and/or the Witch may have

---

*splash* goes the sound of Mikuni Oriko's feet into the water, taking up her prescribed defensive position upon being the first to enter the labyrinth. *splash* Kyouko *splash* Yourself *splash* Tomoe-san.

The water pouring out from the entrance of the labyrinth isn't just for show, apparently. The entire floor is flooded - thankfully only up to the ankle - and autumn leaves fall from the treeless skies into the water below, piling up at your feet with each step. Brass basins and tarnished golden chalices sit strewn about, and from their mouths is where the font of water originates, bubbling over their rims and spilling out onto the floor.

You aren't entirely sure what you should make of this labyrinth, or what the large amount of tarnished golden chalices littering the floor are supposed to represent. With all the changes that this timeline has brought to the world, that their appearance is in the shape of what could be described as grails is suspect to you. "We should be on our guard," you say, quickening your pace as the four of you move into formation. "I don't trust the decorations."

"Agreed." Kyouko readies her spear, crouching low as she advances with an aggressive posture. "This witch's either got a lotta Christ's blood on its hands, or we're looking at someone who could'a been the last of us."

Outside of Sayaka, Caster had identified two other possible masters of the Saber servant, though he had seemed confident in his assurance that the rightful master was indeed Sayaka over the other two. Is it possible that he was wrong; that another puella magi was able to summon the last servant? You look ahead to Mikuni Oriko, wondering whether this witch had once been someone on her list of those to die. And whether a puella magi can keep their servant after turning.

The group advances, with Mikuni Oriko moving ahead at the fastest pace while Kyouko is just a few steps behind her. Behind you, Tomoe-san advances at a slower pace, and you see that with each step, she is laying down tracks of Berkano-laced ribbons which spread out in all directions. You step carefully, letting your feet fall only in the places where the feet ahead of you have tread. Something happens; you hear it before you can see it. Mikuni Oriko's foot slips against the rim of one of the basins, causing her to fall into the murky black water contained within. Immediately as her flesh hits the water, she screams, her voice alive with the most horrifying agony your mind could never imagine. You stop time, rushing to pick her up and assess the damage.

She's unharmed.

From the sound of her screaming, you would have sworn that the flesh was being seared from her bones, but as soon as you've pulled her from the basin, she ceases her screams, looking to the parts of her that had been soaked as she fell. "I... I don't understand," she says with a shaking voice. "It... It was like my whole body was on fire the instant I hit the water, but... I'm fine now. I don't feel a thing."

Tomoe-san purses her lips, staring into the black water of the nearest basin. "Perhaps it's something more to do with the basins themselves, than with the water inside them. Look- See how the water we're standing in is a clear blue, but the water in the basins is black. if it were the water, we'd all be in pain right now; and even if not, Mikuni-san would still be in pain, since she's soaked in the basin-water. But we're all perfectly fine, so it must be a property of the basin."

You hadn't noticed the state of her Soul Gem before she fell, but now that you have a chance to look at it, you can see that it is thick with Grief. "You should get that taken care of," you say, gesturing to the blackened emerald stone with your eyes.

"It's fine, Akemi-san. It might look like there's a lot, but I should still be good for the rest of the night, at least. I'll be sure to clean it up once Kirika and I have returned home."

"I think I get it now." Before you can ask what Tomoe-san meant by that, she has crouched down beside the nearest basin, with her Soul Gem clasped in her right hand. Then, with her left hand, she carefully dips a single finger just below the surface of the black basin water. Her face contorts in agony, but she remains silent as she pulls her finger up and out, shaking it off as one might do for their finger when caught in a door. You can see it, and you know that she can see it too. "There's something about these basins that causes out Grief levels to spike when we enter them," she says, showing off the corruption that had just recently materialised in her Soul Gem. "I don't think I need to say this, but we should all take care to avoid falling in them again."

Between the commotion caused by Mikuni Oriko's screaming, and then the time spend as Tomoe-san stopped to analyze the basin water, your group has managed to draw quite the crowd of admirers. Familiars are, as a rule, quite often hard to figure out, but these ones manage to take the cake. They resemble the creature from the last page of Itō Junji's The Enigma at Amigara Fault, barely capable of standing under their own power and yet somehow able to ambulate along unimpeded all the same, while their rag-covered heads bobble along with every rough and shambling step. Thankfully, it doesn't sound as though they make the distinctive "Drr...Drr...Drr..." sound of the monster, but their uncanny resemblance is still noticeable all the same.

"Alright everyone, let's form up!" Tomoe-san shouts, conjuring several ribbonwork muskets as Mikuni Oriko readies her Othala barriers at the front. You fall back to the middle position and call up your bow, and between you and Mikuni Oriko, Kyouko coils her body tightly, ready to spring as soon as the first familiars are funneled into her kill zone. "Ready? And... Begin!"

With her barriers up, Mikuni Oriko is able to keep herself at a safe distance as she prevents the familiars from advancing or maneuvering along paths that would take them out of range of Kyouko's spear, who with lightning speed cuts down everything that Mikuni Oriko funnels towards her. At the rear, you and Tomoe-san provide ranged support, cutting off the familiars' path of escape, forcing them forward and into the funnel. Just then, you notice- A gap in the rear, a path by which the familiars can escape. Some, you can see, are doing that just now. "Incoming!" you cry, loosing an arrow that's been overcharged with Isa. It collides with an escaping familiar, erupting in a burst of ice that splashes outwards, turning the frozen familiar's own body into the barrier that prevents its siblings from escaping.

"Nice job, Akemi-san!" Tomoe-san calls, taking out two more familiars at the far end of the advancing column. "Keep it up, everyone! You're all doing great!"

You hear a familiar scream, and look out to see a familiar on top of Mikuni Oriko. One of its tendrils is wrapped around her wrist. Tomoe-san takes aim, but you are faster. The world goes grey, and with a precise arrow, you sever the familiar's tentacle from its grasp on Mikuni Oriko's wrist. For good measure, while time is still frozen you trace Isa into the familiar's misshapen chest, and pull Mikuni Oriko safely back as you unfreeze time. The familiar explodes in a burst of ice, and the battle resumes.

"Are you alright?" you ask, pulling back Mikuni Oriko's dove grey sleeve to take a look at her wrist. She is not alright. The flesh touched by the familiar is blackened, speckled with colours that don't exist in reality and flaking off like the charred fond at the bottom of a fry pan. "What happened? How did you let that familiar get past your barriers?"

"... I don't know. I was so focused on making sure to funnel as many of them in as I could..." She hisses as your movements jostle her wrist, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "It must have slipped past when I was looking elsewhere... It hurts; it's like falling into the basin again, except the pain won't go away." Remembering what happened at the basin, you check Mikuni Oriko's Soul Gem; there is barely any emerald left to the stone now. "Please... Don't let Kirika see this. I don't want her be mad at you for what happened."

Do you
[ ] Leave her where she is; she's a big girl, she can pull through just fine on her own
-[ ] Give her one of your Grief Seeds
-[ ] Strongly encourage her to use a Grief Seed
-[ ] Strongly encourage her to take up Uruz as her next rune
[ ] Send Mikuni Oriko to the rear of the formation; she can handle herself from there
-[ ] Give her one of your Grief Seeds
-[ ] Strongly encourage her to use a Grief Seed
-[ ] Strongly encourage her to take up Uruz as her next rune
[ ] Pull Mikuni Oriko out of combat; she needs time to recover from all this
-[ ] Give her one of your Grief Seeds
-[ ] Strongly encourage her to use a Grief Seed
-[ ] Strongly encourage her to take up Uruz as her next rune
[ ] Tell her to pull out completely and head home; she's done for the night
-[ ] Give her one of your Grief Seeds
-[ ] Strongly encourage her to use a Grief Seed
-[ ] Strongly encourage her to take up Uruz as her next rune
[ ] Other (write-in)
​

---

NEW
Minor character unlocked!

Spoiler: Patan

​

Minions of the ikigami witch. Their role is to be attendants. These minions are usually found swarming around the witch's feet, attending to her needs. The water flowing from the witch's purification rites will dissolve them on contact, forcing them to constantly rush back and forth, but they adore their master nonetheless. They never leave her side, eagerly awaiting the day when her purification is complete. They also happen to feed off the impurity that washes off from the witch, so it seems like they'll be faced with a different problem if she's ever completely purified.​

 

[SVS]

[x] Leave her where she is; she's a big girl, she can pull through just fine on her own
-[X] Force her to use one of your Grief Seeds, using time-stop to get to her Soul Gem if necessary
-[X] Help Oriko in her job of corralling the familiars by creating ramparts made from Isa before resuming as normal

---

"It hurts; it's like falling into the basin again, except the pain won't go away." Remembering what happened at the basin, you check Mikuni Oriko's Soul Gem; there is barely any emerald left to the stone now. "Please... Don't let Kirika see this. I don't want her be mad at you for what happened."

You have no idea what the familiar did to Mikuni Oriko when it touched her arm, but it's clearly not taking any time in tearing through her like crap through a goose. "You're in really bad shape," you say, fishing for a Grief Seed and forcibly pressing it against her Soul Gem. "I don't know if this will help your wrist-" You don't know if she'd be able to do this on her own with that wrist "-but this should at least help clear your Soul Gem up." Mikuni Oriko's irregularly massive stock of mana is, in this moment, a curse- The time it's taking your Grief Seed to clear up even half of her Soul Gem is time that can't be spent supporting Tomoe-san or Kyouko, and even once you've spent this one in its entirety that will still only have cleared up half of her Soul Gem. "If you can fight through the pain, we need you to get up and back in the fight."

"... I think I can." Mikuni Oriko stands on shaky legs, trying to avoid moving her wrist too much. "It's just - ah - just the one wrist. I should be able to fight through it if I don't move it too much."

"Good." You'll still support her; you want the practice of creating more than just ice-empowered arrows with Isa. You hear a shuffling noise approaching from the direction that your team had just come from. You look up, and "Not a moment too soon." see more familiars shambling their way towards you, now from both sides. You turn to Mikuni Oriko and say "Resume your position. I'll corral the ones coming from that end."

"Right." Three drones appear at Mikuni Oriko's side, binding together into a small triangular barrier which loops itself under and over her wrist. Using barriers to form a makeshift sling. You suppose you'll have to congratulate her on her quick thinking and unique use of available tools, when you make it out of this. "Sakura-san!" she calls out as she returns to her place in the fray "You're with me. Let's get this taken care of while Akemi-san and Tomoe-san cover our rear."

Kyouko smirks, ramming her spear through the nearest familiar, which crumbles into black carbon dust as it dies. "Now that's what I like ta hear!"

Two arrows. That's all you can spare for Tomoe-san's defense without the time to Project any more. Fortunately, the familiars of this timeline haven't yet learned how to shrug off a burst of gunfire from a Howa rifle. Combined with Tomoe-san's own skillful gunnery, and that's good enough to take down the first of the opposite-side wave. But there's still more coming. A barrier- You need to make a barrier to protect Tomoe-san. You trace Isa in the air with your finger, imagining a wall of ice forming between the oncoming familiars and your blonde former senpai teammate. What you get is hardly a perfect result, but it should be enough to block any incoming familiars while still allowing you both to fire back. This time, time having permitted, you are able to put your rifle away and bring out more arrows.

As you draw back your bow, your mind flashes back to a time long gone by; in those earliest loops, it wouldn't have been yourself firing arrows into a crowd of familiars while standing at Tomoe-san's side. "It's just like old times, isn't it?"

Two shots fired; two familiars down; it's good to see that this Tomoe-san isn't one to let herself get distracted in a fight. With effortless precision, she dispatches two more familiars, tossing her muskets aside and conjuring new ones without missing a beat as she says "I beg your pardon, Akemi-san?" Of course. Just because Madoka has shown an inkling of remembrance for previous timelines, that doesn't mean that Tomoe-san would have those memories, either. "Did you say something?" Two shots more fired; two more familiars down.

"I said-" Headshot. The familiar stricken by your arrow erupts in a burst of ice that splashes over more of its own kind. "-being on a team like this, having someone watching your back, who's counting on you to watch theirs; it must take you back to when you and Kyouko worked together, doesn't it?"

"It is a refreshing return to form for me, yes." Two shots fired; two familiars down. "However, I think the witches we used to fight didn't have familiars quite as-" Two shots fired; two familiars down "-tenacious, as any that we've fought recently."

"Ah, fuck!" And everything was going so well, too. This time, the scream doesn't belong to Mikuni Oriko, but to Kyouko. You turn, and immediately see another familiar on top of her. It has her by the leg, but unfortunately for the familiar, grabbing Kyouko anywhere but by her spear puts you in range of - before the familiar has time to react, Kyouko has brought her spear down into its ragged head, pulling her leg back as soon as the carbon dust has finished settling - a devastating killing blow. "Shit, Christ that hurts!"

"Sakura-san, you shouldn't take the Lord's name in vain," Mikuni Oriko says, throwing up an additional barrier between her partner and the - now thinning - onslaught.

"Fuck him!" Kyouko thrusts her spear in-between the narrow gap between barriers, skewering through the head of another familiar. "Christ ain't done shit fer me, so stop worrying that I ain't been a good Christian and keep yer eyes on these fucks!"

Between the four of you, it isn't much longer until the familiars have all been defeated. You and Tomoe-san have - and for this you are very grateful - come out unscathed, but Mikuni Oriko has nearly lost the use of one of her wrists; and Kyouko is trying to stand despite a heavily blackened leg, her every step bringing with it a pained expression. "Here, let me get those for you both." With her mind no longer focused on battle, Tomoe-san is able to take the time needed to bandage their injuries, applying Wunjo-laced ribbons to the blackened areas. "It won't help with the pain, I'm afraid, but it will give you the strength to keep going in spite of it."

That is, assuming your party can keep going in spite of their injuries. Your close-range fighter has a badly wounded leg; and your defensive barrier setter, on top of being badly injured herself, is either woefully unprepared for the realities of team combat, or is so worried about her girlfriend that she can't keep her head in the game. And you still haven't found the witch, either.

[ ] Suggest that the party head back; we're in no shape to fight any further
[ ] Suggest that the party push forward; we can do it in spite of our injuries

Regardless, [ ] Wat do?​

 

[SVS]

[X] Suggest that the party head back; we're in no shape to fight any further
-[X] Head on back and tend to their injuries, and ask Mami to give a debriefing on their teamwork to improve upon it in the future
[X] Switch perspectives to Archer

---

"Here, let me get those for you both." With the threat of combat no longer looming over her head, Tomoe-san is able to make the time to address the injuries dealt to Kyouko and MIkuni Oriko by the witch's familiars. Ribbons laced with Wunjo runes snake their way around the blackened area on their leg and wrist, respectively, and she says "It won't help with the pain, I'm afraid, but it will give you the strength to keep going in spite of it."

There's just one problem that you can see. "That's assuming that we can keep going in spite of their injuries." When Tomoe-san looks to you for clarification, you gesture to your allies, responding to her questioning eyes by saying "Just look at these two. Even with your rune wrappings, Kyouko can barely stand. How is she supposed to perform in her role as the front-line attacker if she can't even stay upright?" Kyouko doesn't look too kindly on your poor faith in her leg, but you keep going in spite of her protests. "Mikuni Oriko hasn't had her head on straight even since she had to watch Kure Kirika be a moron, and it's only going to get worse for her as she keeps taking on injuries. She could have easily avoided slipping into that basin earlier, and she could have done a better job of preventing those familiars from getting to both her and Kyouko. But she didn't. Her head's not in this fight because she's worried about her girlfriend."

"And on top of that, these were just the familiars. We haven't even come close to the witch yet. If the familiars alone were enough to do this much to us, then going up against their witch in our current condition would be tantamount to suicide over what amounts to a training mission." You look Tomoe-san dead in the eye as you speak your next words. "You and I might survive, but how long do you think you'll be able to live with the guilt of having two of your allies dead, because you pushed on when you should have turned around?"

Tomoe-san closes her eyes, sighing as she takes in your words. "You sound like you have a lot of experience dealing with this sort of thing," she says. When she opens her eyes again, the return to where they had been, only now it is her turn to stare you down as she speaks. "I wonder, Akemi-san, for how many lost allies do you feel guilty?"

"All of them." You speak without hesitation, without any waver or tell in your voice that would let Tomoe-san know the truth.

Tomoe-san's gaze softens, and she says to you "Well, then I suppose it's in our best interest to take your advice. I'd hate to feel like the responsible party if I let my allies come to further harm."

"Oh, like hell we're turning around now!" Three sets of eyes are on Kyouko as she barks her complaint. "I've had ta fight through worse before on my own. 'Sides, after what this bitch did ta me, there ain't no way I'm just gunna let her go, not like this."

"No, Sakura-san; Akemi-san and Tomoe-san are right." Mikuni Oriko takes her turn to speak now. "Everything that has happened to the both of us is my fault. I should have been able to see their attacks coming and kept us safe, but I've been so worried about Kirika that I can't concentrate. I'm the one that our defense hinges on, so if I'm unable to do my job then sooner or later we're all going to suffer for it."

"There's no reason to blame yourself, Mikuni-san." Tomoe-san extends a hand to Mikuni Oriko's shoulder. You would have hardly believed it just two weeks ago, but they really do appear to have bonded with one another. "Though I disagree with her chosen method, it's only natural that Kure-san would want to help you in any way she can, just as it's natural for you to be worried about her when she's hurting." Tomoe-san finishes with a light patting of her friend's shoulder, saying "But next time, don't be afraid to speak up if something is bothering you to the point of it interfering with the mission. We're all friends here, Mikuni-san; it's important that we look out for one another."

Kyouko spits. "She ain't my friend." While you agree with Kyouko's sentiment, you refrain from lending your voice.

"Well, she is my friend, Sakura-san, as are you. And we are all allies fighting for a common cause that, might I remind you, includes hunting down and eliminating Assassin."

"We should save our bickering over who is who's friend for after we've left the labyrinth." Now, you choose to chime in on the matter of friendship. "Need I remind you that the witch is still at large, and we don't know how many more familiars might come after us if we dawdle. So let's get out of here first, and then we can have this conversation."

---

As you and your allies make your exit from the labyrinth, a rather curious sight and sound catches your attention. You see Mikuni Oriko make the sign of the cross against her chest, and you hear her mutter under her breath "Lord, thank You for seeing us through this trial with our lives intact. When we return, I pray that You give us the strength to do then what we could not do tonight."

"Fucking hell-" Kyouko shoots MIkuni Oriko a look of disapproval. "Yer really trying everything ya can ta pretend that yer a good little girl, ain't'cha? What, do ya also give out donations and volunteer at the local shelter too? Get real- That shit don't help nobody but make yerself feel good."

"Sakura-san, there's no need to be rude." Tomoe-san flicks at Kyouko's ear, causing the redhead to cease her abrasiveness and concentrate on her ear instead. "I know what you went through was hard on you, but if finding religion helps Mikuni-san become a better person then there's no reason to disparage her for her beliefs."

While those two are going at it, you approach Mikuni Oriko, curious. "I didn't know you were religious."

"Only recently, actually. My Aunt Claudia- Well, she's not really my aunt, but she and my mother shared the same grandmother. Anyways, she gifted a Bible to my mother as a wedding present, and it's been sitting in my father's study ever since. I found it one night, not long after surrendering to you and Tomoe-san, and I've found it very helpful for getting through things... When I'm not breaking down in grief over my actions." Mikuni Oriko breathes in deep, sighing as she asks "What's it to you? Does my converting to Christianity suddenly change how you view me?"

"Should it?" Is it too early to say that she's taken up religion because she finds it beneficial, or is there still a chance that she's putting on a show in the hopes of scoring redemption points? "Actually, I was enrolled at Saint Hilda's in Tokyo for my seventh year, so I was mostly asking from a place of curiosity."

"Oh." No longer feeling judged by your question, Mikuni Oriko's expression softens. "What was it like there?"

"I wouldn't know. I spent the year in the hospital being treated for a congenital heart defect. I completed all of my schoolwork in the hospital and never actually attended class proper."

"... I see. I'm sorry to hear that, Akemi-san. How is your heart now?"

"Nothing will ever bother my heart again." Nothing except failing Madoka again.

---

"Dearest, we're back!" Mikuni Oriko calls out as soon as you've unlocked and opened the door to your apartment. "I hope you weren't too bored waiting for us."

"I'm in here!" comes Kure Kirika's reply, followed shortly by a low, grumbling whisper that sounds very much as though she said "Not like I'd be anywhere else..." Everyone files into the living room and, just as she said she would be, there is Kure Kirika. She's lying on her side, eating from a bowl full of ice cream, fruit, and several large spoonfuls of what you recognize as the black cherry jam gifted to you by Mikuni Oriko. She has the television on and is watching what you recognize as an episode of Kannazuki no Miko. But as soon as Mikuni Oriko is in her sights, nothing else matters to her. The pair embrace and you, Tomoe-san, and Kyouko all decide to wisely look away as soon as their lips touch.

Regardless of how much the pair may need to comfort one another, you won't just stand here and let them use your living room for their own entertainment. "I would appreciate if you both did that at home, and not at my home." Thankfully, they don't need to be told a second time.

"Sorry." Words you thought you'd never hear from Kure Kirika. "I just- Oriko!" And here it comes. "What happened to your wrist?"

"Don't be mad at Akemi-san, dearest, it wasn't her fault. I got careless, and my mind wasn't where it should have been."

"Really Mikuni-san, I told you not to blame yourself. These things happen; what matters is that we learn from them and don't let it happen again." Tomoe-san helps Kyouko into her seat as the five of you all gather around the table, some requiring more help than others. "Now, I believe we can all learn a thing or two from this encounter, especially when dealing with this particular set of familiars again. Mikuni-san, if you would take off your bandages for just a moment?"

Mikuni Oriko does as Tomoe-san asks, unwrapping her arm to reveal the blackening of her wrist. Kure Kirika's eyes go as wide as dinner plates when she sees the damage done to her lover's wrist, and immediately she's presented her Soul Gem to Mikuni Oriko. "Take it," she says with a resolute voice, shoving the orange jewel in her lover's face. "I don't mind, so take as much of me as you need to heal yourself."

You look to Mikuni Oriko, staring her in the face. This is your chance. You said you'd talk to her as soon as you had the chance, so let's see if you take it. Sighing deeply, Mikuni Oriko pushes the jewel away, saying "No, dearest, I wont." And she takes it. "I don't like it when you put what you think I want before yourself. When you gave me mana so that I could heal after the first time Tomoe-san and I fought, I honestly thought I was going to lose you. I don't want that! I don't want you to keep hurting yourself out of some misguided notion that you're only good to me as some kind of servant; that you think you matter less in our relationship than I do!"

"Don't you get it?" Tears are streaming down Mikuni Oriko's face as she speaks, and her good wrist is clamped tightly to Kure Kirika's collar, as though it's the only thing keeping the two from drifting apart. "Every time you hurt yourself, you're hurting me as well! This-" On top of the emotional pain that is pouring from her voice like a broken dam, Mikuni Oriko adds physical pain by bringing up her blackened wrist, shoving it into Kure Kirika's face "-This wasn't Akemi-san's fault! I let this happen because I was more worried about you than about the familiars that were right in front of me!"

"Please... You're the most important person in the world to me... I'd be completely lost without you... So please, dearest, stop thinking that you can help me by hurting yourself..." Exhausted, Mikuni Oriko slumps down, her head falling squarely into Kure Kirika's lap."Promise me that, will you?"

"I... I didn't know, Oriko." Kure Kirika looks and sounds stunned. "I... I wish you would have said something to me earlier, or I... I really didn't know you felt that way. I'll stop; I promise. So please, Oriko, don't cry." You've seen Mikuni Oriko comforting Kure Kirika many times; now, it's Kure Kirika's turn to comfort Mikuni Oriko. "I'm right here, Oriko," she says, running a hand through her lover's long ash-white locks "So don't cry, okay? I'm not going anywhere. Everything's going to be alright; I promise."

"Did you pick Mikuni Oriko to reveal her injuries because you were hoping for them to have this conversation?"

"You catch on quick, Akemi-san." What a sly girl your senpai is. You could learn a thing or two from her. "While I'm very happy for the both of you, Mikuni-san, Kure-san, we should still go over what we know about this witch and their familiars, so that the next time we try to fight we'll stand a better chance of succeeding."

"Wait, you mean you weren't able to beat the witch?"

"That is correct, Kure-san. Sakura-san and Mikuni-san suffered heavy damage during our fight with the familiars, and we were forced to withdraw." The realization hits Kure Kirika like a freight train. Her eyes go wide, and she sinks into her seat. "Now, the familiars don't appear to display any greater intelligence than normal, but they make up for it in numbers. I counted at least three waves when we all fought, and I can't be sure how many are left, or how many more the witch will create to replace the ones we defeated. In addition, as we can all see, their touch has the ability to impart a kind of physical corruption to on contact with flesh, causing terrible pain and inflicting even further corruption as it lingers. In addition to this, I noticed that their touch also brings with it an immediate darkening of the Soul Gem, though unlike the physical corruption this 'secondary' corruption is much easier to deal with as normal." Tomoe-san looks to Mikuni Oriko and says "Mikuni-san, you may want to consider using another Grief Seed before the night is over. I don't know for how long the secondary corruption might linger once separated from physical contact with the familiar."

"Right. I'll be sure to finish cleansing myself before I go to bed tonight."

"And I'll be sure to remind her!" Kure Kirika enthusiastically adds, wrapping her arms around Mikuni Oriko's waist.

"Now, aside from Mikuni-san losing her concentration, I believe we put forth a good team effort. However, I would understand if any of you had disagreements with my assessment, so I'd like to hear your thoughts on how we can improve, if you have any.

You'll let anyone else who has something to say speak first, to give you time to gather your thoughts. But as you do, you wonder how things are going with Archer and the other servants...

---

None of the four servants dared to speak as the half-melted remains of the giant chocolate rabbit fell unceremoniously to the ground, leaving the rest of the witch's body to crumble into - probably not edible - chocolate powder. For a few silent moments, the four servants stood in awe as all traces of the chocolate-speckled labyrinth faded into eternity, leaving only a single Grief Seed as proof of its existence. No one dares to move, not even to pick the Seed up.

And just like that, as though a switch were flipped, the silence is broken. "That was AWESOME!" Rider exclaims, slamming home a round of high-fives from every servant in the party, Lancer included.

Lancer hesitates, until Rider claps her across the back and proudly proclaims "Come on, Lancer, there's no reason to go through life with such a gloomy face! Come on, admit it! You had fun, didn't you?"

"It was... Not an unenjoyable experience, fighting alongside everyone as a team."

"Yeah, that was... Actually a lot of fun," you add, smiling as you retrieve the fallen Seed, wondering who your master intends tonight's prize to go to. "I never thought I'd ever have fun fighting a witch, but, what the hell! When in... Uh-" Crap. None of this War's servants are Roman.

"I feel sorry for Berserker, though," Rider adds. "If he weren't so messed up in the head, I'm sure he'd have really enjoyed this."

"Yes, it is a shame that he was not able to witness our battle."

---

"They're probably having as much trouble right now as you and your allies were," you think to yourself.

"Akemi-san, was there anything you wished to add?" asks Tomoe-san. "Everyone else has shared their thoughts, even Kure-san; though I'm not sure how feasible her suggestion of 'nuke it from orbit' actually is. Do you perhaps have a more reasonable or realistic approach to our next encounter with the witch?"

[ ] What, if anything, do you have to say about tonight's performance?
[ ] What, if anything, do you have to contribute to the team's performance?
[ ] What, if anything, do you want to address about future combat with this witch?
[ ] Wat do?
​

---

NEW
Minor character unlocked!

Spoiler: Matatsaburo

​

The witch of chocolate. Her nature is to play a minor role. The final end of a Puella Magi from somewhere.

 

[SVS]

[X] Enetious

---

"Akemi-san, was there anything you wished to add?" asks Tomoe-san. "Everyone else has shared their thoughts, even Kure-san; though I'm not sure how feasible her suggestion of 'nuke it from orbit' actually is. Do you perhaps have a more reasonable or realistic approach to our next encounter with the witch?"

"Tomoe-san, the truth is-" Well, Tomoe-san did ask you if you had anything to add... "Things did not go well for us at all tonight." You'll address your grievances one at a time, starting from the most obvious. "First, we all need to pay better attention to our surroundings. While I'm saying this primarily to Mikuni Oriko, it applies to all of us as well. If we blunder into an unfamiliar labyrinth making the kind of careless mistakes we made this time, there's no guarantee that we'll be so lucky the next time."

"Next-" This time, you look to Mikuni Oriko as you speak. This applies to her even more than your previous statement. "You need to get better at working under stressful conditions. Make no mistake, in the battles to come there will be times when Kure Kirika will be in danger, and under no circumstances will it be acceptable for you to jeopardise the integrity of the mission because you're worried about her like you were tonight. Make no mistake, if you're on defense again and your mind isn't focused on the battle in front of you, someone will get hurt, and that makes you a liability I can't afford to fight alongside."

Kure Kirika stares at you, sneering as she asks "And how's Oriko any different from you, huh? You're going to say that you don't always have Pinky on the brain? What if you're the one jeopardising the mission because you're worried about her?"

"The difference between Mikuni Oriko and I, Kure Kirika, is that Kaname Madoka is not fighting beside me. She is safe at home, where she belongs. I don't have to worry about her-" That's not true. You've just gotten better at hiding your worries over the years. "-when I know she isn't anywhere near a place of harm."

"Yeah, and I'm sure you're already perfect at all of this, aren't you?"

"No, actually I have room for improvement as well. I need to get better at using Isa for more varied applications than just enhancing my arrows. In addition, I could have done a better job tonight at sticking to my assigned role. If I'm to act as the team's pivot I need to be flexible, which means that I can't get too caught up helping only one of us at a time. Actually," You look to Tomoe-san next, and then to Kyouko shortly after that. "Of the four of us that fought tonight, Tomoe-san and Kyouko I have the least to say about. They performed as well as they could in their roles given the situation, and on top of that they already have experience in working together as a team. We could all learn a thing or two from them, I think."

"Last, tonight's outing has made me rethink my earlier stance on Tomoe-san's battle formation. I think, in light of what we've seen these familiars are capable of, that we should focus entirely on ranged combat when dealing with familiars from here on out. If we take them out at range and prevent them from ever getting close to us, we can conserve Kyouko's, and later Kure Kirika's, strength for dealing with the witch."

You exhale as you conclude your overview, waiting for any of your allies to respond; some snide remark from Kure Kirika, perhaps, or affirmation and agreement of your ideas from Tomoe-san or Mikuni Oriko. "If you believe that to be the case, Akemi-san, then perhaps another group exercise is in order. Would everyone be able to spare Sunday?" Tomoe-san looks to her side, saying as her eyes linger on Kyouko "I know you don't have anything planned for Sunday, Sakura-san."

Maybe Tomoe-san disagrees with you; or maybe she agrees but is keeping her opinions to herself to preserve diplomacy at the table. Either way another group exercise - another chance for you and your allies to improve teamwork and coordination - is never a bad thing. "I'm fairly confident that Kirika and I can make it Sunday, if we kept it at the same time as last Sunday." Mikuni Oriko smiles as she looks to Kure Kirika, gently prodding her lover as she asks "Unless you've changed your mind about meeting your mother for lunch, that is."

"Oh, Mikuni-san, if you and Kure-san have other engagements, that's fine. We don't have to meet early like we did last Sunday; I'm sure we could meet up later in the day."

"That's very kind of you, Tomoe-san, but neither Kirika nor myself are sure that we'll be going. I don't think it would be good for her, to see her daughter the way she is now."

"Still, Kure-san should spend time with her mother, if the opportunity presents itself. She-" Tomoe-san's eyes darken as her head droops down slightly. "-She may come to regret not spending more time with her one day..."

Madoka had invited you to spend Sunday lunch with her family as well. Somehow, you never got around to giving her your response, but you'll be sure to rectify that before you go to bed tonight. "I as well have a prior lunch engagement. So if we could postpone any exercises until after lunch, that would be beneficial not only for me but for Mikuni Oriko and Kure Kirika as well, should they decide to accept their own lunch invitation." And while the group is on the subject of what to do next... "I also think, while the events of tonight are still fresh in our minds, that we should decide how to go about dealing with this most recent witch. The way I see it, we have two options."

"Oh? And what might those be, Akemi-san?"

"Either we send our servants to take care of the witch tonight, or we wait and deal with it ourselves once we're in a better position to do so." You look around to each of your allies, gauging their potential response to the options you've presented based on the look in their eyes. "Personally, I would prefer that the witch be dealt with tonight, no matter what; but I can understand if some of you would rather call it a night and wait until we've recuperated from tonight."

"Shitty choices all around, ain't they?" That would be Kyouko. She hadn't seemed particularly enthused at the prospect of either, and it looks like you were right on the money with your guess. "Either we let them fight our battles for us, or we sit on our asses doing nothing while there's still a witch out there." She crosses her arms over her chest, pouting as she turns away from you. "Still, after what those familiars did ta me, it's personal. If anyone's gunna kill that witch, it'll be me, not Rider. If I gotta wait, then that's fine."

"I have to agree with Sakura-san," Mikuni Oriko adds, catching you off-guard when you fail to predict her response. You were positive that she would have voted to have the witch dealt with tonight. "For much the same reason, actually. While I understand the pressing need to keep the city and its inhabitants safe, that witch is still our fight, our responsibility. It's regretful that we could not defeat the witch tonight, but it would be just as regretful to admit that we cannot defeat it by sending our servants to do what we could not."

"I respectfully disagree. I agree that it is regrettable that we were unable to finish the fight ourselves, the fact remains that we all have a duty, and we should not put that duty aside, even if it means admitting that we were unable to deal with it ourselves." Ever the dutiful defender of Mitakihara, aren't you Tomoe-san? "If we have no qualms about using our servants to fight threats like Assassin, the witch of the 'Black Mountain', or Walpurgisnacht, then there should be no problems in using them to fight other threats as they present themselves."

"And I don't want to see Oriko getting hurt again!" For Kure Kirika, you were unable to read anything, but you were certain that she would have voted in line with Mikuni Oriko. "So if there's a choice to make someone else do it so she doesn't have to, then I'll take it, every time!"

It would appear that the group has reached a decision. Three-two, in favour of dealing with the witch immediately. "Inform your servants that there's been a change of plans. Have them head for the river where we saw the opening to the labyrinth."

In the mean time, do you
[ ] Offer to try your hand at making dinner for everyone
-[ ] Talk
--[ ] to Tomoe-san
--[ ] to Kyouko
--[ ] to Mikuni Oriko
--[ ] to Kure Kirika
---[ ] About what? (write-in)
-[ ] Group rune practice after dinner?
[ ] Send everyone home if there's no reason for them to stay
-[ ] Scrounge up something to eat by yourself
-[ ] Don't eat; practice Isa, then sleep
--[ ] Text Madoka before going to bed
[ ] Other (write-in)​