Okay so this is an absolute fucking minefield in so many different ways Madoka. What you did to Sayaka, what is going through Kirikas mind right now. How you need to negotiate and set boundaries in your growing polycule... Somehow I doubt that will actually happen lol
Okay so this is an absolute fucking minefield in so many different ways Madoka. What you did to Sayaka, what is going through Kirikas mind right now. How you need to negotiate and set boundaries in your growing polycule... Somehow I doubt that will actually happen lol
as it happens, trying to cram the boundless, unconditional love of God toward all creation into a human shell can have messy consequences
all she did to Sayaka was to suppress her inhibitions a little, though. it's not like Sayaka wanting to make Madoka her bride was entirely joking around to begin with! but, well, Madoka isn't an adjuster and doesn't have a power specifically related to this sort of manipulation, so she only dared try even this much because she knows Sayaka and Sayaka's soul very well; under other circumstances it'd be pretty dangerous to just go dabbling like this.
the particular nature of Madoka's power as Law of the Cycle more pertains to the manipulation of karmic records than actual living people and it's quite difficult to do that when you're immersed in the flow of time. she's trying her best, though!
"She'll be okay. Even if it is that, she'll be okay."
"You're not bothered?"
"I think we should trust her. She knows what she's getting into. If it's really bad, Oriko will stop her - it's Kirika-chan, after all."
"You're sure?" She loosens her grip on you a little, as if to offer you the chance to reconsider.
"Mmm, I'm sure. Kirika-chan… she doesn't like being treated like a kid, you know. Even the other one only likes it when Oriko does it, really."
"…" Sayaka falls silent, slipping to sit beside you, two of you in one armchair. It's a little tight, and her magical girl outfit isn't the most comfortable to be pressed up against, but you're happy like this.
"Madoka, just now…"
"Hm?"
"Did you do something to me?"
"E-ehehe… I might've done."
"You've changed. Are you sure the Devil didn't rub off on you?" Sayaka's still playful, but there's just the slightest hint of worry in her voice.
"I don't think I've changed that much. Not more than you have, Sayaka-senpai," you reply with a nervous smile. She caught you playing around…
"I mean… messing with souls. It's the sort of thing that Devil would do."
"I don't think so. There's something I remember about magical girls - something that felt important to me, when I was God."
"Hm?"
Your hand falls to Sayaka's belly again, fingertips running across her Soul Gem. "It's about Soul Gems."
"S-stop that! It feels all tickly and tingly inside my mind!"
You withdraw your hand, a little disappointed. "Sorry…"
"N-no, it's okay. J-just, warn me first, next time!" Sayaka protests, covering up her Soul Gem with her hands.
"Why don't you untransform?"
"I… I don't have any clothes…"
"Oh." She'd been stuck as just a Soul Gem ring, so it's not that surprising. "I don't really want to spend all my allowance on clothes, but maybe I can figure something out. I'm God, after all, I shouldn't be stuck on a limited allowance…"
"Um… don't worry about it for now." She gently takes your hand, leaning against you still. "You were saying? About Soul Gems?"
"Well, it's like… I don't think Kyubey really understands what it gave us. Kyubey's like… to it, a magical girl is just a tool for doing his dirty work - collecting up Grief Seeds for him, and then burning out and turning into one ourselves. And a Soul Gem is just a tool to make that work better. So of course he doesn't understand what it's like to be a magical girl."
"Eh? You say that like there's something good that comes out of that."
"There is, though. He takes the soul out of our body and turns it into a gem, and it's painful and scary… but once he's done that, it doesn't stop being ours. Even though your soul has a physical form outside your body, it's still you, and your body is also still you, because it's where you keep all your experiences. But at the same time, because a magical girl's soul is a thing we can see and touch, there are things we can do that normal humans can't…" You falter for a second, remembering, once again, that you're not a magical girl in this world yet. "Well, that you can do. I'm sort of a special case right now…"
"Eh? But don't a lot of magical girls just use that to exploit each other with mind control, or even for hunting each other?" she asks, squeezing your hand a little tighter. Everyone's afraid of things that mess with their mind, it seems.
"Mmmm. That's Kyubey's fault, though. It doesn't have to be that way…"
"Can we change something like that?"
"Of course we can. I think there's magical girls who use it in other ways, too - and we'll probably meet some of them sooner or later. But more than that…" You give Sayaka a little, teasing wink. "Remember, Sayaka. In this world, I still haven't made a wish~"
Now you think about it - two days ago, you and Mami had been talking to this world's Sayaka, about how impossible and unfair it'd be for someone to be offered two wishes in their life.
"Wait, Madoka, you're really going to use that?"
"Mmm… I don't know yet. But I think I will. I'm not scared of what Kyubey can do to me. I'm much more scared of dying here in this world, and never returning to the Law of the Cycle," you admit nervously. Really, you don't even know what would happen if you became a magical girl, but you're fairly sure you could subvert most of the consequences with the power of your original wish alone.
"What would even happen then?"
"Unless someone has the power to loop this world, or bring me back to life, I'd just be dead, and the Law of the Cycle would just be a power that erases witches, without a will of its own. And that's at best… I'd like to hope someone could take it over, though I hope it'd be one of the magical girls I guided there. But I did wish to erase all the witches with my own hands, so it might even disappear, or create a new Madoka. Right now, though… maybe Mami-san's running it for me?"
"Would that be okay? I mean, we both know Tomoe Mami isn't as dependable as she acts…"
"I don't know. I hope it doesn't come to that." You hesitate, thinking over what Mami might do in that position. "Mami's belief in justice is strong, but I don't know if she has it in her to become the world's justice herself."
"Yeah, that's Mami. She's someone who always tries her best to be a good person, but she just can't handle finding out that being a magical girl isn't about that - that the Incubators just want to use up our souls and don't care about protecting people, or justice, or anything like that. It always breaks her heart."
"Mmm…" you murmur, a memory suddenly coming to mind. "You know… right after I arrived in this world, during the first loop, the Devil asked me something…
"Eh?"
"She asked me if I value this world. She asked me if I think order and stability are more important than desire."
"Yeah, she would ask you open-ended questions like that. Oh, Homura…"
"I… think I told her it's bad to go around breaking rules just because you feel like it. But…"
"She didn't take that the same way you meant it, did she?"
You can still remember the horrified, despairing look on her face - her resignation, even after becoming the Devil, at not having found what she was truly after.
"I still don't think it's right to go around breaking rules just because you feel like it. But I don't think someone could become the Devil just because she felt like it. What I meant back then is… well, order and stability can make everyone a little bit happy and protect them from the worst misery." She'd been meddling with your memories, almost like she wanted you to give an answer she couldn't accept. But still… you can't just blame her for how things went.
"The truth is, though," you continue… "I've broken far more rules than she ever did. And the world doesn't have anything like objective right and wrong, so I guess you could say I did that just because I felt like it…" you muse. That's another thing about being God. When you became the Law of the Cycle, there wasn't anything there before you. Or… if there was, it was at such an unimaginable distance, ruling over such vastly different worlds that you couldn't perceive it from where you were.
"It's not the same, Madoka," Sayaka retorts. "What you did was for everyone. Homura was just…"
"Mmm. Maybe that's true, but where does the justice you're using to decide that come from, Sayaka?" you retort. "I didn't make it, after all…" You want to be sympathetic to Homura, but maybe you're being a little too harsh toward Sayaka right now.
"Stop it, Madoka. Please. You're sounding almost like Kyubey right now…" She jumps to her feet, leaving you alone in the armchair.
"Like… Kyubey?" You think you see where she's coming from. Kyubey often makes it sound like it's doing good and it cares about people, but then when called out, it'll retreat back into moral relativism. You should probably ask Papa about it at some point - you think he's read some philosophy. Still, though- "That's… that's not what I mean at all, Sayaka."
"Then stop talking about how justice and goodness are just things we made up!"
"Sayaka, that's not what this is about. You're worrying too much about ideals like justice and running from your own feelings again. Whether it's as an ordinary human or a magical girl, you can't live without being a bit selfish sometimes. And I think the same goes for Homura-chan, after she spent so much time fighting for my sake. Though what she did…" You still don't even understand it well enough to know if forgiveness is the right answer here.
Just, at the same time…
You want to see her again. Even if she's the Devil.
"Exactly. She hurt you - she tore off part of the Law of the Cycle, even! The hope for all magical girls! You can't just forgive that so easily!" Sayaka crosses her arms, looking down at you unamused.
"I know - it's just…"
"And, stop putting yourself in danger! What I said to Kirika goes for you too!" She's pressing the attack without a shred of mercy!
"I know… it's scary being like this, but I can't just…"
"And… don't treat me like a plaything! Just because I offered to come back with you doesn't mean you can do whatever you want with me!" She's completely relentless, but she has you to rights on that one… probably. At least, if she's being honest.
"I… I know. I'm sorry, I… it felt like you weren't…" No, you really didn't make her want to kiss you. All you did was let her act on it, but…
"And stop kissing people! You're meant to be God! You can't just go getting tangled up in- in flirting, and romance, and love triangles with yandere girls!" She just won't stop!
"Sayaka…"
"You're way too soft! Especially around dangerous magical girls! I… I'm sorry I wasn't there last night, but… rely on me! Please, Madoka!"
"Sayaka." You stare back up at her. You get it, but she's going a bit far now. Well, only one thing for it. You grab the cushion from the chair and toss it at her face as hard as you can. She's a magical girl, so there's no reason to hold back!
"Wh-what was that for?!"
"I… I get it, I really do, Sayaka. But you're worrying about me more than Mama does right now. It's embarrassing, and… I can manage myself, I promise. I don't need someone to jump in with a 'that won't be necessary'," you do your best Homura impression for that one, "any more."
She laughs weakly, letting the cushion fall from her face. "Do I really sound like her?"
"A little bit."
"I'm sorry… it's just so difficult right now. We could lose everything you fought for, and it doesn't feel like you're taking it seriously."
"I am, though. Mami-san's at my house, healing up. Mama and Papa know about magical girls, now. This isn't going to be like any of Homura's loops."
"She… hasn't mentioned going to Kamihama, right?"
"She hasn't yet. When we go to Kamihama, I want it to be all of us together." Of that, you're sure. You don't remember exactly what was going on there - it was all so much of a rush - but you know you'll need every bit of preparation you can before taking on the 'conspiracy'.
"That'd be best. I don't remember much besides rushing around fighting Mami. Did you know I parried her Tiro Finale that time?"
"Mmm… I hope you never have to do that again."
"I feel like a lot happened behind our backs, though, and the Kyouko and Mami from that loop probably have all the important memories. I wish they were here right now…"
"Mmm."
"I'm going to get one of Oriko's notebooks. We should write down everything we remember about Kamihama. Oriko's definitely going to want to do a strategy meeting later."
"I don't know how much I can remember. All the really important information is still in the Law of the Cycles part of me… but, there are five names. Five people I came back for, other than Homura-chan. And one of them is Tamaki Iroha-chan - I think we met her there, so let's start there." You're confident that… if nothing else, Iroha-chan will be an ally when you meet her in this world.
I like how, when this story started it was all mystery/lovecraftian horror; and now we're just watching this middle schooler just completely fail at relationships, and realizing that it's probably going to be just as important, if not more important that everything that came before.
Like, Homura's and Madoka's relationship is utterly dysfunctional, if not actually abusive. Kirika's probably sobbing where we can't hear right now, as she realizes that Madoka doesn't like her that way.
Sayaka the local is feeling inadequate with Sayaka the universal's existence. Sayaka the universal just wants everything to go back to how it was before Rebellion, and is pissed at Homura (Devil), and isn't happy about our being (and acting like) a 14? year old, and not an omnipotent divine entity.
Kyouko, depending on how much she believes us, is probably covering up a pretty severe crisis of faith underneath all the cynicism.
I like how, when this story started it was all mystery/lovecraftian horror; and now we're just watching this middle schooler just completely fail at relationships, and realizing that it's probably going to be just as important, if not more important that everything that came before.
Like, Homura's and Madoka's relationship is utterly dysfunctional, if not actually abusive. Kirika's probably sobbing where we can't hear right now, as she realizes that Madoka doesn't like her that way.
Sayaka the local is feeling inadequate with Sayaka the universal's existence. Sayaka the universal just wants everything to go back to how it was before Rebellion, and is pissed at Homura (Devil), and isn't happy about our being (and acting like) a 14? year old, and not an omnipotent divine entity.
Kyouko, depending on how much she believes us, is probably covering up a pretty severe crisis of faith underneath all the cynicism.
You're pretty close... for now, on everyone but Kirika. Honestly, despite appearances, I'd say Kirika is the one who understands her situation and the consequences of her actions the best right now. That girl knows what she wants, and she's not going to let notions like 'first girl wins' get in the way.
As for Kyouko... well, she's kind of backed into a corner. It's not really anyone's fault (besides Kyubey's for contracting Yuma in the first place), but I think she's seriously considering running off to Kamihama right now.
You're working quietly with Sayaka, stopping here and there to reminisce over some of the happier moments in your shared memories, for about half an hour in total. Although a strange feeling resonates with your soul briefly, you're confident enough you know what it is to not act on it.
You'd decided to trust her, after all.
And besides, your mind is a little preoccupied.
Your heart is wavering, filled with messy longings and romantic feelings.
You just don't know if those feelings are for real, though…
What if even your longing for Homura is just an illusion, born of trying to cram the all-encompassing love of God into a human mind?
The best you can do is try not to dwell on either thing; focus on the memories with Sayaka, and keep working.
It's not until close to an hour's passed that you're forced to stop, interrupted by the abrupt return of three people.
Honestly, you'd been expecting this, so you're not really surprised. Just a little vindicated to see Kirika walking in, flanked by a very irritated Sayaka and Kyouko - but, more importantly, dressed in a long, black tailcoat, cut very sparingly at the front, a white blouse, and a pencil skirt. She's carrying what looks like a kusarigama, the chain disappearing up her ruffled sleeve, one of her eyes is covered by an eye patch, and she looks absolutely delighted with herself…
It's about as you suspected, really.
She'd made a contract, and… somehow figured out a way to have it connect her to your Law of the Cycle. So she can probably summon familiars like Miho, not to mention all of the other frightening abilities a magical girl can demonstrate with unfettered access to witchcraft.
Well, you're fairly sure Sayaka-senpai can still summon the entire Law of the Cycle Philharmonic Orchestra - it's not as if she had a chance to return them.
"Oi. Mind explaining this?" the transformed Kyouko snarls, at nobody in particular.
"I told you. I considered my options and decided on this. Don't treat me like a kid," Kirika replies, her Soul Gem removed from the socket on the back of her coat and held tight in her unarmed hand. She's gazing at it, enraptured, just a little narcissistically…
"If it was going to end in tragedy, Oriko would've stopped her, Kyouko," you explain simply. You've had enough of apologizing for yourself for today. "Please, if you can't trust her, can you at least trust me?"
"…maybe if I hadn't seen her going apeshit on those wraiths in Lina's territory. What the hell were those creepy movements? Like a damned witch… hey, Madoka, is this just gonna be the new normal? Magical girls just doing witchy stuff everywhere? And what about you? You just knew this was gonna happen?"
You wish you could say no.
But it's right there on the page in front of you. There were magical girls in Kamihama doing something like that long before you ever got the idea. In fact, it's precisely because of what you saw in Kamihama that you gave that ability to Sayaka and Nagisa to begin with.
Not that you know much about the details, of course. If you knew what sort of wishes they'd made to get hold of that power, you'd have far more of an idea what you might be up against.
"…why'd you go silent?"
"I… don't really know how to say this, but…"
"We might have to fight that kinda power in Kamihama," Sayaka-senpai explains. "Thing is, if they've got that, they don't have to worry about magic expenditure and can just keep fighting. There might be allies there who can use it too… right, about that. Nanami Yachiyo is a magical girl."
"Wait, the model?" Sayaka's taken by surprise. "No way. Hitomi's a big fan of hers…"
You nod. "It's at least possible that Nanami Yachiyo is a magical girl operating out of Kamihama, and if she is, she's almost certainly not with the conspiracy. But let's set that aside for now… mmm, Kirika, how do you feel? Anything weird?"
"I don't even know what counts as 'weird'. I guess most magical girls aren't really aware of how their Soul Gem works, but once you know it's so obvious."
"You can say that again," complains Kyouko. "Feels awful. Hey, Madoka, can you do these?" She tosses eleven or so Grief Cubes onto the table. "We ran into a bunch of wraiths under the highway right near the pass to Kamihama. Technically out of the city, so they weren't in anyone's territory. I'd've wiped them out myself but then more showed up just inside the border, and this idiot came charging in completely green. Thought she was gonna get herself killed until I saw her powers…"
She stares down Kirika, leaning on a shortened spear. "Don't get cocky. You're still green. And if you can burn magic without running out, you've got no excuse not to train with me."
"Sure. I'm not about to pass up the chance to train with a veteran," Kirika answers, surprisingly optimistic.
"At least you know what's good for you. You made your choice, I'm gonna make damn sure it doesn't get you killed," Kyouko grumbles. You're already working on the Grief Cubes, the sensation much less foreign than before.
[Grief Cubes again?]
[Don't tell me you were hoping for something different. Or did you become less witchy when I wasn't looking?]
[Some dark chocolate gateau would be nice. Or treacle tart.]
[You'll get your sickly-sweet desserts.]
"Hey, Madoka, you should get one of these." Kirika dismisses her sickle and points to her eye patch.
"It's happening again, isn't it…?" you ask, hand clasped over your eye.
"Yeah. But it'd look cool either way."
"I don't think it's my style, really," you point out, quietly glad. You're not really interested in getting dragged into chuuni antics. Though… now you think about it, Kirika's magical girl outfit is just like the one in your dream, and just like the one she had when she was working for Oriko. Then again, you've made a lot of different wishes and always ended up looking the same.
"Oh, but… how about one of those ones that looks like a flower coming out of your eye? That'd match your hair and everything…"
"…Let us not contemplate such horrors," Oriko says, advancing in from the kitchen, followed by your Oriko with another tea tray, and Komaki, carrying soft drinks. "Akemi-san is on her way down, as is Ihana-san. I would like to start a strategy meeting shortly, if all of you are in accord."
There's a long, drawn-out silence, while the girls you'd neglected to explain about the Oriko situation look between the pair of Orikos and the pair of Sayakas…
"Hey, Madoka, this is your fault, isn't it?"
"Um… no? I didn't intentionally bring her here! She stowed away!" you protest, but it's no use - all eyes are now on you.
"Do not be alarmed," says Oriko. "Indeed, be not afraid," adds your Oriko. "Although this world teeters on the brink of destruction," "it is by our guidance, and the grace of the Law of the Cycle," ""that our salvation will be reached.""
"They're… finishing each other's sentences…" says Sayaka. "I never thought I'd see it for real…"
"They're in perfect sync," comments Kirika.
"Damn," Kyouko adds, as the pair of oracles start pouring drinks and handing out snacks, without even bothering to take orders.
"The burden of future sight," "carries with it a few advantages." ""Nonetheless, envy it not.""
Once everyone's drinks and snacks are handed out, the room now crowded enough that Homura'd had to bring in a dining chair for herself, Komaki covers the rest of the table with a large map of the metropolitan area, spreading it out to show the whole region. From west to east, Asunaro, Mitakihara, Takarazaki, Kamihama and Futatsugi account for the coastline - jagged and angular, the obvious sign of reclaimed land developments. Kazamino, where you are now, is directly north of the peninsula holding Takarazaki, bordering both Mitakihara and Kamihama as well. Yukuni is further inland, northeast of Kamihama; while the upper half of the map is taken up by forests and hills - the Kirimine area, including several mountains surrounding a dam reservoir, is at the very top.
"It seems the situation is as follows," your Oriko begins. "Just over a month from now, on April 30th, Walpurgisnacht will appear around 100 miles offshore. She will rapidly approach over the course of the night and make landfall somewhere between… here," she taps the Mitakihara docks, "and here," a large area of reclaimed land at the south end of Daito ward in Kamihama."
"Doom hangs over our heads," the other Oriko tolls. "She will arrive seemingly without warning. Shelters will be breached, escape will be impossible, and many millions will die."
"So how do we fight that thing, if we're not counting on Madoka to take it out in one hit, like she says she can do?" Kyouko drawls, biting into a fish bun.
"A score is enough to claim victory, if they have the resolve to sacrifice everything," the bloodstained Oriko suggests mournfully over her milk tea.
"That shall be our last resort," your Oriko answers firmly. "There are twelve hundred magical girls in the region. Enough to win without a single casualty or divine intervention. However, over a thousand of them are in Kamihama, where our sight is blurry."
"So there's no way around taking on Kamihama, huh."
"Couldn't we enlist magical girls from other regions, or abroad?" Kirika asks, but Sayaka-senpai shakes her head.
"Homura tried that one loop. There are ways to contact foreign magical girls, yeah… but they don't like traveling. There's too many risks - leaving their territories unattended, or having the territory poached outright, or even getting ambushed by the local girls when they arrive. Most assume it's a trap."
"I was going to say," Komaki says, helping herself to a glass of cola. "You wouldn't just need to offer a reward, you'd need to prove it's real and big enough to be worth traveling across borders for. Best to stick to the region."
"It's probably safe to say anyone who'd be willing to move to the Shinwa area is already in Kamihama," you add with a frown. "Kyubey essentially said as much."
"So… right now, we've got the eight magical girls here, plus Mami-san, plus Lina's team of five, plus Ayano-san, for fifteen," you count. "How many do you think we should gather before going to Kamihama… considering I've heard it's infested with powerful witches and magical girls?" You… hope the whole 'apocalyptic witch wasteland' was an exaggeration, at least.
"May I suggest," begins your Oriko. "while we cannot see details inside of Kamihama's barrier, we can divine likely odds of success. We shall inform you of possibilities of victory…" "…and glimpses of defeat."
"Um… that does sound useful, but… I don't think we should even consider going there with less than a hundred. We… need to consider the worst case, where all thousand of them are part of an organized opposition…" Homura suggests darkly, taking a biscuit from the bowl.
"Yeah, honestly, that's really possible. We saw some crazy stuff that one loop," Sayaka-senpai says. "They'd fortified an amusement park over in Daito Ward and the whole place was crawling with witches and hundreds of magical girls. And… giant animatronic bear heads?"
Everyone stares.
"Don't look at me like that! That's what I remember!"
"That does sound terrifying!" Miho exclaims. "S-so, um… where are we starting?"
"That's the question, isn't it?" Oriko says, as the other Oriko takes out a pair of thick, somewhat stained notebooks. "Let's make a plan," she adds, with a mischievous smile.
"The oracle's power reveals what will be." "Not merely what could be." "Yet intent alone is enough to cast a light forward." "And that intent may be changed, once the future is seen." ""Thus do we chart out the future.""
You're fairly sure your Oriko used to plot out murders, just to see what would happen if Kirika carried them out. Not that you're going to bring that part up.
"Ihana-san, where shall we plan to go first?"
"Hmm… how about Takarazaki City?"
"Takarazaki. Very well."
The two Orikos pull back from the table and sit together in silence, scribbling frantically in their notebooks as the rest of you enjoy your drinks and snacks, chatting about nothings - hoping for a short reprieve from the heavy mood, at least.
You and Sayaka, of course, have to watch how much you eat, so as to still have an appetite for dinner in the evening… but it looks like Kirika's already starting to appreciate the magical girls' famed bottomless stomach.
Eventually, the two Orikos return to you, both of them looking a little worn-down and quite hungrily grabbing a pair of empty Grief Cubes from the table. "We have our findings." "Such as they are." ""Tragedy haunts the Diviners of Yamataikoku, as it has for millennia. A new city of a thousand Diviners offers salvation, but can its promise be trusted?""
"Um… but we aren't going to Kamihama yet," Homura objects over a half-finished slice of fruitcake.
"Nonetheless, we know what awaits." Your Oriko says only this, before leaving her counterpart to make her pronouncements as she nurses a Grief Cube.
"In Takarazaki, a fragile peace reigns, and some few Diviners remain. A heroine lingers, awaiting the call that will pull her from oblivion, and familiar names linger where most have fled. Those who travel there will find a strength that belies mere numbers.
In Asunaro, the weak struggle to achieve the impossible, and the ambitious plot to turn illusions and lies into the truth. Diviners dream in a death-like slumber, longing for the kiss of awakening only one can bring. Those who travel there will find a multitude, and miracles made by human hands.
In Futatsugi, two beasts tear at each other as a third waits beneath, hungry for their waning strength. None are ready to turn against their true enemy while blood remains unanswered with blood. Those who travel there will find fierce fighters, but their respect and loyalty must be earned.
In Yukuni, only death remains. The survivors lick their wounds and prepare to move on. Those who travel there will find only the remains of a tragedy, already documented.
In Kirimine, a sickness and the chains of greed drag down the innocent into the darkness. Here, Mephistopheles is but an accessory to the evils of men. Those who travel there will find the truths of the past and the lies of the present, and those who move past them into the future.
And in Kamihama, a conspiracy drawing in a thousand Diviners waits. Those who travel there to thwart them without the strength of numbers will find chatteldom and despair. Those who travel there seeking knowledge may find it, though they risk the gaze of their enemies."
Most of the group just looks somewhat confused, trying to make head or tail of Oriko's words - but soon enough, the two set down their notebooks for the group's perusal. Eventually, after a lot of rereading, you think you have some idea what they're getting at. You rather suspect that your Oriko could happily explain in plain Japanese though, and is just messing with you.
"So what're you all thinking?" Kyouko eventually asks. "I think we should vote on where to go - it's us who're gonna be doing the fighting, so I don't think Madoka should be the only one to decide…" She squints down at the notebook, shooting you nasty side-eye as she makes up her mind.
"That seems equitable," your Oriko says. "Miki-san, would you keep count?"
Both Sayakas nod, but Sayaka-senpai's a bit faster. Well, there's no reason not to let two people count.
Kyouko sets down the notebook with a sharp frown. "Seems like things are rough in Futatsugi right now, but I don't wanna just end up another side in the battle. Urgh, this is tough…"
"Um… I want to check up on some people in Takarazaki," says Miho. "Jun-san definitely went back to Kamihama, but I had some school friends there, and her friend might also still be there… but, I guess it has been a long time," she finishes, frowning, leaving the implication unsaid.
"We'll find out. And I promise I'll save everyone I can," you reassure her. "Though… um, I think we should go to Asunaro first. I don't really understand most of what Oriko wrote here, but… I just, have a feeling about that 'multitude'…"
"So, one for Takarazaki, one for Asunaro," says Sayaka-senpai. "Put me down for Takarazaki, too."
"…Kirimine County." states the bloodstained Oriko, hand raised.
"Same. My vote is Kirimine too," affirms Komaki. "If there's some connection between magical girls and politics, I have to know about it. And I know Oriko feels the same- ah, the original Oriko, that is."
"One for Asunaro, two for Kirimine, two for Takarazaki," Sayaka-senpai counts up. "How about you, Kyouko?"
"I wanna go to Futatsugi, but we just don't have enough people to break up a gang war - not without Lina's group on board. So I'm gonna say Asunaro as well. Mami knows someone there, we might have an in if she's still alive," Kyouko replies tetchily. "I don't really wanna rely on Mami too much, though."
"Um… I want to go to Kamihama. W-we might be able to sneak around undetected if we use my magic, so it might not be that dangerous…" Homura suggests, surprisingly. "B-but, if that's a bad idea, um… maybe Takarazaki or Yukuni? Information is important…"
"Asunaro. I think the group we have now handles weirdness better than head-on fights," Kirika votes, setting down her teacup, another sickly-sweet mass lurking at the bottom. "Though I don't know what Tomoe Mami's fighting power is like, I also don't think it's safe to rely on a few heavy hitters to protect the rest of us when we don't know the enemy. This won't be like fighting witches."
"Kirimine will serve us well in the long term," says your Oriko. "Thus, I concur with my counterpart."
All eyes turn to Sayaka, who's been awkwardly quiet and withdrawn since returning with Kyouko and Kirika…
"Huh? You're asking me?"
"You're one of the group, aren't you?" asks Komaki.
"I guess, but I'm just plain old Miki Sayaka with no special powers. Should I really be making decisions that'll put you all at risk?" she gripes awkwardly.
"Hmm… Sayaka-senpai, what were the votes at?"
"Three for Asunaro, three for Kirimine, two for Takarazaki, and Homura-chan's floating vote," she replies. "So we've got a tie."
"Hmm… and if we let Homura transfer her vote since she voted for a losing option, it's a three-way tie. So… Sayaka! We can't decide! Our fates are in your hands!" you exclaim, giving her a big smile.
"Eh? You can't just throw the whole decision at…" Sayaka grabs the notebooks and pores over them again, squinting at some of the wording. "Mmmn… I just don't know what to pick… Takarazaki sounds safe, but that means we don't need to rush it… Kyouko's probably right we don't have the people to go to Futatsugi yet… agh! I have got to be overthinking this!"
Kyouko leans back into her armchair, untransforming and stretching. "Yeah, you kinda are."
"I guess… Takarazaki can wait a week, maybe? If we're taking Mami-san to Asunaro, it's gotta be tomorrow… but…" Sayaka looks to your Oriko, sudden clarity in her eyes. "What would we even do if we got hold of this political dirt you're saying is there? We're all minors, and it'd take time to get people like Hitomi's parents on board."
"I must admit, I'm unsure." "The vision does not reveal such." ""Thus, the choice is surely ours once we obtain it."" the Orikos chorus, unhelpfully.
"Asunaro, then. Have fun, girls - I guess you'll be wanting to leave me at home," Sayaka concludes bitterly, giving you a pointed look.
It's scary, honestly. If you don't do something, your oldest and most precious friend might make a contract with Kyubey just so as not to be left out. After what Kirika did, the odds aren't good.
"Um… I'm not sure, actually. And…" you begin, drawing a look from Komaki.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" she asks, crossing her arms.
"I… don't think so?"
"Tomorrow is Monday. Do you not have school?"
"…oh." You blush awkwardly, all your plans coming tumbling down.
That's a problem, actually. You kind of need to stay on Saotome-sensei's good side, so you need at least the appearance of normality until you're sure you can get leniency from the school system. The last thing you need is the system assuming magical girls are just some made-up excuse for kids to slack off - you'd be dodging truancy officers for a whole month, maybe even the police.
Mami said she'd be recovered by the day after tomorrow, but you don't want to waste a whole day…
"Wehehe… I can't believe I completely forgot about that…" You rub the back of your head, glancing around, trying to think of something. You've got eight magical girls and the power of a god, there's got to be something, right? "Kyouko, got any ideas?"
"Just skip. It doesn't matter that much if you get a few black marks, right? Besides, if you're serious about the God thing, you can just patch it up later." She's not wrong, you suppose, but she looks annoyed to even be asked.
"I… I wish it was that easy. But, I need to stay on Mama and Saotome-sensei's good side if I want this to work out… so, maybe you can skip school, but it'd be bad if all of us did. Mami-san's listed as sick, but the rest of us have to go…" you explain, quietly hoping someone has some magical plan to make the whole thing work out.
"Seriously, just skip. How bad can it be?" she asks lightly, taking a pack of pocky from her pocket and helping herself.
"I don't mind skipping. If there's a better way, I don't know it." says Kirika simply. "I just transferred in. It's not like I like the place much. Glass walls everywhere creep me out. Although…"
"Is something wrong, Kirika?" you ask - it's pretty clear on her face.
"Mom got really mad after I stayed over at your place last night. She'd be livid if I started skipping school. I'm a magical girl now, so it's not like she can do anything, but… I don't want to have to deal with that."
"C-couldn't you send illusions or familiars or something to school in your place? I-I mean, if anyone here can make something like that…" Miho asks nervously. Anthonys and Adelberts can't be disguised as humans, you know that much - but Miho's legally dead, she doesn't need to go to school anyway.
You know there are familiars that can perfectly pretend to be humans, but the closest you can think of right now are the Du Polignac-types from Mami's witch… and Homura's dolls.
"Um… wouldn't it be really bad if there were familiars that could walk around looking exactly like a human?" Homura asks, trembling a little. You're not about to tell her she's capable of making that exact thing - she's only seen the dolls in their uncanny, murderous configuration, not the human disguise.
"Familiars can't exist outside a labyrinth unless the creator can. That is a general rule," your Oriko points out. Disappointing, really. "My own familiars can be mistaken for human in a ballroom setting, but not otherwise."
"Best I've got is ones that look like Hitomi… seriously, don't ask," Sayaka-senpai explains. "And Kirika's are definitely unsuitable."
"You can say that again."
"Fake versions of us, huh. You seriously think that'll help?" asks Kyouko. She's giving all of you - but especially you and Sayaka-senpai - a dark look, and you absolutely know why. Illusion magic is her specialty, and she's been doing her best to forget that for the last two years.
"Hmm… I don't like the idea of tricking Saotome-sensei, but… I don't want to just skip. It'd be rude to Mama and Papa after they looked after Mami-san. If there's no other way, I will, but… hmm, who would we even take to Asunaro?"
"I have school to attend too, and Oriko needs me here," Komaki says, first of all. "I'm staying, in case Rina's group or anyone else tries anything."
"So, you and both of Oriko are staying here. Ummm… Kirika, Sayaka-senpai, can I rely on you to protect me-oh! Your healing magic would work on Mami-san, wouldn't it?" you realize excitedly, a plan coming together.
"It's not as good at healing others as Yuma-chan's is, but I'll give it a shot. You're sure you want to take Mami, though? It might be rough…"
"Hmm… it's true she doesn't know the truth about magical girls, and… she doesn't take it well, usually. But Oriko said to take her, and Kyouko said she knows someone there… hmm, what should we do, though…"
You lean forward and take a drink of your tea, deep in contemplation. You've got a few ideas, but the question is whether you can fit them together… and if you can get everyone to co-operate. You're not particularly optimistic about Kyouko in particular…
Yeah, a lot of Madoka fanfiction or quests uses her as a really dangerous antagonist, and then if she's recruited, she tends to lose her future sight; I kind of wanted to do something different with her, and it ended up like this!
Considering the eleven people you have to work with, you've got a lot of options, and narrowing them down takes time, but eventually - not helped by having to cleanse the large Grief Cube stash your Oriko heaps upon you - you think you have an idea. You just need to run it past the rest of the group.
Well, you're a bit worried about how Mami-san might take it. But you'll have to tell her things sooner or later. And you don't think Oriko would've written 'take Tomoe Mami' if that was something that would automatically end in disaster.
Still, you think this is going to work.
"Hmmm… I think I've got it. Sayaka-senpai, Kirika-chan… do you think you could come with me to Asunaro, along with Mami-san? I don't think we should take more people, in case they get the wrong idea and think we're trying to invade their territory.
As for… hmm, this is a bit weird, but, Homura-chan, could you take the new Oriko gambling?"
"Eh? I mean… I can, but… oh, oh dear… i-is that allowed?" Homura asks, glancing around a little guiltily. You guess she's probably thinking about how she's already robbed the Yakuza blind once… not to mention the JSDF.
"It doesn't have to be gambling - anything where you can get a lot of money quickly would work, but, um…" You definitely need money, but making money by such questionable means could easily come back to bite you later. "Oriko-san is quite tall, so if she has the right clothes it's not hard for her to be mistaken for an adult. Um… I don't know how much is enough and how much would be suspicious, but… i-it's technically not illegal to use future sight that way… I-I mean, if you've got any other plans for getting us money, do that instead… but there's three magical girls who need clothes and essentials already, and every Grief Seed I get means another girl we'll have to find a place for, so…"
"…Huh, I didn't think of that," says Sayaka. "That's actually a huge problem… Miho-chan's been legally dead for a while and has no ID, and… wait a second, won't things get weird if people think I've been in two places at once?" She actually looks a bit spooked.
"I don't have your ID, so people will just assume I'm a lookalike, if they even know you," Sayaka-senpai explains. "Well, besides magical girls, and they should know things like this can happen."
"I didn't until yesterday," complains Komaki, twirling her hair between her fingers. "I suppose I shouldn't question that 'any wish you want' that Kyubey goes around offering."
"He really did lie to us, though…" you correct her. "Even if he says 'any wish,' if you ask for something too big, he'll start talking about karmic potential. Just how big those wishes can be depends on the person, so really, he is just a liar… um, anyway. Miho-chan, I need you to try to contact that Jun-san, and anyone else you can think of, especially people in Kamihama."
"O-okay! I can do that, Madoka-sama!" she answers with a smile. "I-is there anything else?"
"Um… Just worry about getting yourself clothes and supplies for now, I think. We only have a month, but… um, it'd be a problem if some of you could only go out in flashy magical girl outfits…"
Miho nods enthusiastically - she really is amazingly cute!
"Hey, Madoka, what about us?" Sayaka asks. "I guess I just have to go to school like normal, huh?"
"Um… well, yes, but… there's some things I need you to do. I'm going to try to figure out if there's a way Kirika-chan and I can attend school and go to Asunaro, and I don't know how well it'll work… so, um, if it ends up working only halfway or not at all, I need you to cover for me, so we don't get into as much trouble…" you explain, feeling awkward about what you're about to ask Sayaka. You don't mind the small things, but… the big request for her is… well… you think she'll accept, but you don't know if she should.
"That… makes sense, huh." She looks crestfallen, glancing at Kyouko, who just shrugs, taking another bite out of a snack.
"N-no, um, there's some other stuff too. First of all… um, I need you and Kyouko to ask Hitomi about Nanami Yachiyo. I… I mean, I don't know how you contact a celebrity like that, but she's a veteran magical girl in Kamihama, so she probably knows a lot…" you ask, hoping Hitomi will, by some miracle, have the information you need. She's ridiculously rich, so there's at least a chance, right?
"Hitomi, huh? You want us to tell her about magic, too?"
"Hmm… I don't think it'll hurt, but… I also think it might be better if she doesn't know. I don't think she can contract… or rather, the only time she ever made a contract, it was in a world where I didn't exist, and she was jealous of you dating Kyousuke-kun, I think…" That timeline was weird - and apparently memorable enough that a copy of the knowledge stuck with you rather than just existing as a record in the Law of the Cycle. "S-so, um… I guess it's okay either way - it's a bit of a long shot, after all…"
"Anything else?"
"Um… Kyouko-chan, I need you to find a witch who looks like the bottom half of a lady inside a birdcage. It's fine if Rina-san's group has already found her, but, I need the Grief Seed, even if she's already been used. I… don't think she'd go to Kamihama, she's really stubborn like that," you suggest. It's very vague, but you have a memory of that magical girl being someone you might be able to rely on, though you never met her in life.
"Oi, oi, you think I can find a specific witch? Without knowing the magic signature? You've got to be kidding…"
"It doesn't have to be her - any Grief Seeds will help…" you add, seeing Kyouko look at you askew. Though you'd like it if she could manage to find her. "Wait, um… Sayaka-senpai, do you have any of her familiars?"
"Those bird-head ones? Yeah. I'll show you later - they're really stupid, it wouldn't be safe to let one out with all the guns around."
"Mmm… it really would be a bad idea to let those out in here. That witch, though… if you can find her, I'll be able to get an adult on our side who can make things much easier. I… I think, anyway."
She makes a good point - most familiars aren't as docile or patient as the Anthony-types, let alone as cute.
You do feel a little guilty about this one, though - asking someone for a favour and then erasing the record from the timeline means she won't expect you to compensate her for it…
"A-anyway, um, there is one more thing, Sayaka… can we go upstairs for a moment?" you ask nervously. She's totally going to take this the wrong way! Th-though, is it really the wrong way?
"I-I mean, okay, but is it something you can't talk about here…?"
"It's… n-not exactly that, but…" No, no, it's not the wrong way at all. It's seriously embarrassing, now you think about it like that…
"Th-then, um…" She gets to her feet and heads out. "Th-this had better not be some weird magic stuff…"
As you leave with her, you see Miho summoning a bunch of familiars to help with the plates again. She really does seem to enjoy using those…
You head up to the balcony, now looking out on a rather tidier rose garden, though still with a few groups of familiars digging out weeds here and there. You're confident it's still quite lethal - honestly, you're surprised the balcony isn't booby trapped too. Or rather, it probably is, and Homura had probably just disabled the traps before you arrived.
You idly wonder why the police haven't investigated this place yet. They never investigated Homura's apartment in any of the loops, either… well, this time, there's probably some complicated political reason.
"So, what's got you wanting to come up here away from the others, Madoka? Finally about to confess to me?"
"Um… no, it's not that, or rather, um, it might be simpler if it was just that…" you muster, pressing your fingertips together nervously. "I… I kind of wanted to ask you a favour?"
"Huh? Just how big a favour are we talking?"
"It's… sort of the biggest possible favour, like, I can't think of anything bigger if I tried…"
"Wait, you… I don't get it at all."
"Um… well, it's like this. I'm going to be taking lots of risks in the next few weeks, Sayaka, so… I want to rely on you the most. It has to be you, Sayaka, it can't be anyone else…"
"You're serious…?"
"Mmm. I… I need you to hold off on making a contract with Kyubey, so that… well, if I end up dying somehow, you can wish to bring me back." There, you've said it. You're seriously asking something unreasonable here, but…
You don't want to lose Sayaka to someone like Kyousuke-kun, who'd never even know what she did for her, let alone thank her.
You watch, mortified, as Sayaka's face shifts between several expressions - confused, just a slight moment of relief before plunging back into confusion, anger, total embarrassment…
"W-wait, Madoka, y-you can't just get me alone and then ask for my soul!" she finally stammers, outraged and blushing. "T-that's… th-that's where I keep my me! I-it's almost like… n-no, it's absolutely like what Hitomi said!"
"I-I, um…" You can't say you didn't expect this! "I-I'm sorry, Sayaka… I should've…"
"N-no! Don't you dare apologize, Madoka!" She gazes at you firmly, right in the eyes. "You're taking responsibility for this! After school, tomorrow! I'm coming to Asunaro, and we're going on a date! And no bringing strange Miki Sayakas!"
"S-Sayaka!" You wave your hands around desperately - you've got no idea what to do with this development! "Wh-what if I've got involved in something really serious?!"
"Then I'll cancel the date and help you with whatever you've got into, oh goddess of magical girls!"
"Sayaka…" At least she's not feeling sorry for herself any more, but like this, won't she get into danger…?
At length, and with more than a little dodging around the issue from you and Sayaka, you're finally getting ready to leave. It's already fairly late in the afternoon by the time the four of you start heading back to Mitakihara; and you've made sure to get Oriko and Homura-chan's numbers, too.
Though you do have an idea that makes you think you won't be needing them. And your Oriko had certainly given you signals to that effect, too.
You've arranged with Sayaka-senpai for her to meet you outside your house very early next morning. You'd originally considered the station, but you don't really want to leave her waiting around there on her own, considering her history with the place. And you need somewhere for her to change… and time for her to heal Mami-san…
As for clothes themselves, well… for now, you can just pick up something in Sayaka's size on the way back through Kazamino, and Oriko's group can manage the rest tomorrow.
All four of you are fairly quiet on the bus ride back, still processing all that'd happened during the day - from handing over the territory to Rina's group, to learning the truth about magical girls, to witchcraft…
Eventually, Sayaka breaks the silence. "A lot happened today, huh."
"It did," Kirika replies, gazing out of the window as the streets pass by.
"You can say that again," says Kyouko, nibbling at another stick of pocky. Does she ever stop eating?
"It's probably going to be like this for a while," you point out. "Maybe not the horrifying revelations part… but there might be lots of fighting from now on."
"If we're lucky, we might be able to bring some people around without violence," Sayaka suggests.
"I'm not scared of a few fights. I just don't wanna deal with more mind magic… hey, Madoka, any idea who might've messed with our memories?" Kyouko asks, just a little uncomfortably.
"Mmm… I don't know, really," you admit. You suspect it was the Devil, who hasn't shown her face yet… but it's not as if memory manipulation is exclusive to her. And you don't even know if there is a second Homura. "If they were serious, they wouldn't have even let us realize, though."
"That's true - wait, your memories were tampered with?" Kirika exclaims.
"Not so loud. And… yeah. Kyouko and Mami-san have inconsistencies in last year's memories, Kyouko and Sayaka don't remember when they first met, and… well, I forgot I was God, ehehe…"
"Doesn't that mean whoever did it would've had to know you had that knowledge and those powers to begin with?"
"I guess it does…" that would certainly narrow it down some, but there's magical girls with ways to get all sorts of strange information, and you can't rule out Kyubey being involved in some way either. Actually, you should mention that. "…I'm worried Kyubey might've been involved."
"Kyubey… yeah, I wouldn't put it past him. Not that he has magic powers, so he'd need to have duped someone into it. But there's plenty of magical girls who trust him way too much…" Kyouko complains. "I guess there's no use worrying about this now- oh, there's our stop."
The four of you hurry off the bus, and get to looking around for a secondhand clothes store. It's fortunate you had Kyouko with you, or you'd probably have been looking for a while…
Eventually, you finally make it back home. Your first order of business is checking on Mami-san, still in the guest room. She's built up quite a pile of miscellaneous books next to her, but she doesn't seem to be doing too badly - if a bit frustrated.
"Ah, welcome back, Kaname-san. Were you successful?"
"Um… well, I could say that. A lot happened… I sort of figured out where my powers came from, and we met a lot of magical girls. Rina-san's group agreed to patrol here in Mitakihara for now, and after that we went to Mikuni Oriko's house…"
"Please, one thing at a time. So you met with Rina-san's group…"
You take the time to explain the day's events to Tomoe Mami - well, some of them. You're worried about telling her the truth about magical girls and witches, though she's probably going to find out somehow before the week is over. You think the best way, counterintuitive though it may seem, might be for her to see it in the process of happening, and see you stop it. You don't really have a way to demonstrate unless it's while the witch is in the process of being born… though, you'd rather it didn't have to come to that. And failing that, you'll need an explanation that won't drive her into despair.
You give her a somewhat abbreviated explanation of your powers, though - that they're wish magic from a Kaname Madoka from another world, that reached you here because of your enormous potential, and that you think the witch in the moon might be part of some sort of cosmic balancing act rather than a world-ending threat.
Well, Gretchen reminds you she is very much a world-ending threat, or would be if she put her mind to it. You don't think you need to worry about her too much in the short term, at least - Oriko was far more worried about other scenarios.
You also include the part about Kirika contracting, and about there being a second Sayaka, also brought from another world by some kind of wish magic, though you leave out the second Oriko and Miho for now, so as to minimize confusion. Well, a magical girl with future sight is a big enough deal on her own. Mami-san doesn't need to know about what exactly she saw other than the devastation caused by Walpurgisnacht.
Finally, you explain the situation with Walpurgisnacht - that the legendary super-witch will be arriving on April 30th, and that you need to secure the cooperation of a thousand magical girls in order to guarantee victory - but fortunately, there's enough within the wider metropolitan area, if you're proactive.
All things considered, she seems to take it fairly well, and agrees it would be best if she came with you to Asunaro, since one of the magical girls in the city, Kazusa Michiru, likely remembers her.
As you leave, though, you find yourself feeling uneasy. It'd been so simple to tell Mami so many half-truths; was Sayaka-senpai right about you earlier? You don't want to be like Kyubey...
With that done, you retire to your bedroom, as the sun is starting to set. Certainly, you still need to check in on Mama and Papa, and relay to them certain information…
But there's something even more important you need to do.
You need to test your powers.
You'd think, being God, that you'd know all the limitations and capabilities of your powers. Only, well, you don't actually know that much about what you have left after Homura-chan tore you off the rest of the Law of the Cycle. Certainly, you can erase witches, and purifying Soul Gems and Grief Cubes, erasing Grief Seeds and such are part of that. And you seem to be able to restore magical girls whose souls you've taken in to physical form, though you're not quite sure how that works.
What you don't know is… well, everything else.
And you're pretty sure Gretchen's not going to help one bit. She's a witch, after all.
You're not going to sleep, but for this, you slip onto your bed, curling up surrounded by cute plushies and cushions. Well, the bath would be an even better place to meditate, in case you get all cosmic again, but it'd take a while to run a bath, and you'd feel bad about wasting the water if you just ran one for yourself.
So, you curl up, close your eyes, and dive into the depths of your soul, a shimmering, vividly coloured sea of stars.
Your Law of the Cycles is still small, barely comparable to the cosmic power you once had. Even so, you're capable of miracles nobody else can replicate.
But before that…
You've got some basics to lay down.
First of all. There's a few people you can test this with, of course. But Oriko will be prepared. She'll know it's coming, so you won't run the risk of accidentally interrupting someone with something weird.
The shimmer of her soul is before you - all silver filigree and mist and crystal, silhouettes and mirages rippling in the depths, never quite forming a shape you can be certain of, but plenty you can interpret.
Unlike with Sayaka, you don't reach in this time - you simply brush against the surface, cool and glassy, and whisper to her.
[Can you hear me?]
Your voice ripples out through the mist, and for a moment, you think you see a silhouette of yourself flickering deep within.
[Mm. This is Madoka. I'm not using Kyubey's telepathy.]
Silver glitters in the fog. Droplets of crystal flow like water. You wait patiently, watching the visions, and soon…
[Ah. Can you hear me now, Madoka?] You hear her voice as if it's beside you - closer, even, perhaps; pure, and melodic.
[I can.]
[That was a little different from normal telepathy. It takes some concentration at first…]
[Is it difficult to use?]
[It's not impossible. It'll become easier with practice, should we need to.]
[Is it… uncomfortable?] You're not sure how Kyubey's telepathy works, but you're fairly sure it's not by directly resonating the soul.
[That isn't how I'd describe it, Madoka.] Somehow, you feel as if she's amused with you.
[Do you think I should worry about the range…?]
[Perhaps. Kyubey's wouldn't reach me here in Kazamino. It's surprising that the range even exceeds 100 metres.]
[Because it relies on the soul?]
[Quite. I haven't seen any problems like that arising, but that doesn't mean they won't. Do be gentle with Kirika, though, won't you?]
[Eh?]
[Enjoy your evening.] The fog shifts, banks of silvery mist closing in a sense of finality. Either she's busy, or would like you to be, you think?
Still, that was a resounding success, even if you don't know if you can use it and still focus on the outside world.
You'll try Kirika next.
Gently, drawing close to a darkness blacker than soot. All wisps and coils of smoke, satin and velvet, dulled steel in the silent shadows.
You couldn't mistake this for anyone else. Even Homura-chan- no, even the Devil couldn't have darkness like this at her heart. A stark, merciless devotion unlike Homura's hidden warmth and passion, one that makes you shiver in its intensity.
You touch up against her, and whisper.
[Kirika.] There's no need for honorifics with something like this. [This is Madoka. Can you hear me?]
And smoke stirs and whirls, with a clatter of steel that pierces the silence.
[K-Kirika? I-it's just me. Did something happen…? You can reply, if you try…]
Satin whirls, and veils of smoke billow out, the darkness feeling almost hungry for you, drawing you in…
You remain firm, neither drawing back, nor diving into Kirika's soul. And soon…
[…is this how I do it?]
[Mmm. I can hear you.]
[Madoka, Madoka, you… you embarrassed me…]
[Eh?]
[I-I was talking to Mom, and all of a sudden it was like you were there and holding me, and… I kind of made a weird noise, and I had to run away…]
[I… I'm sorry! I didn't realize it was something like that!]
[You're playing with my soul and you didn't realize… oh, Madoka~]
[S-should I not use this, then? That's kind of embarrassing…]
[No! I love it!]
[B-but isn't it a bit much to communicate like this…?] You've got a feeling this is already getting a little out of hand, with Kirika not really seeing this the same way you are…
[No! Please do it often!]
[Um… in that case, what happens if I…]
You slip deeper, reaching into the depths of Kirika's soul, trying to recall the feeling of purifying a Soul Gem, of letting the grief and impurities flow through you, and be swallowed up. But what you find is…
[Madoka, what are you doing…? It feels like you're pulling at me f-from inside! It's so…]
[I-I'm just trying to purify your Soul Gem!]
[But it's clean, Madoka! You can stop!]
[E-ehehe…] You don't think anything bad was going to happen, but… maybe it's fine to just leave her. She's probably been experimenting with witchcraft, so you doubt she really needs the purification.
Though, you wonder if you can purify Grief Cubes or such indirectly through the touch of a magical girl like Kirika. Probably not witches - that wouldn't be within the parameters of the wish… unless she conceives of herself as being your own hand?
Best not to think about that.
[No, actually… let me just transform and use a little magic.]
Before you can prepare yourself, Kirika's soul sparks, pitch-black scythes arcing through the night, ruthless, yet slowing to a slow, almost sensual pace as they draw near you, ribbons of satin crossing and parting just beyond your reach. You can feel the power coursing through her, making you want to hurriedly retreat…
And yet.
You don't.
After all, you're connected to Kirika. You trust her. She pledged her soul to you. Why would you flee from her?
[Oh, interesting. It's not an ability that makes me move faster, it's an ability that lets me affect the passage of time…] As she answers you, you can feel the impurities gathering within her - just a tiny amount, but enough.
And so you pull at them, gathering up flecks of ugly, oily colours in the blackness and drawing them into yourself. Needle-sharp blades like sharpened fangs, twisting into knots of despair and vanishing into you, carrying with them… what emotion? It's almost like… desire? Insatiability? A vicious thirst to use her newfound power, perhaps…
It's frightening, and yet… you can't shy away from Kirika's true feelings, that exist for your sake. You take them in, and cleanse her Soul Gem - even if she's far away, you can reach her.
You can love her dearly, even for this, too.
[M-Madoka, t-t-that's…]
[Mmm. I cleansed your Soul Gem, Kirika-chan.]
[A-ah… um… thanks, Madoka… It's just. Well. I… it's better if you don't do that too often… I can't use witchcraft if it's completely clean, after all…]
That's true. You've already given your magical girls the ability to cleanse their own souls by using the power of a witch. Maybe you don't need to fuss over them so much…
But they're precious to you! You only have a few right now!
You wonder if you can connect to Mami-san…
[A-anyway, um… w-was I interrupting something important?] you have to ask - she'd said you'd embarrassed her, after all!
[Oh. I was cooking, and… I left it unattended, and I was concentrating a lot- I'm sorry, Madoka, I need to run!]
[E-ehehehe… I'll try to be a bit more careful about timing…]
You gently draw back from Kirika, wondering just what it must feel like for her to have got so flustered…
…only for another, unexpected voice to reach you.
[Having fun?]
Of course, this voice is your own - just muted, and a little barbed. The voice of a creature that ought to be voiceless.
[Um, I didn't expect it'd go quite like that…]
[Oh? Has our power left you without a sense of others' personal space?]
[That's… not something I'd say about myself, but…]
[You want to be close to them, don't you? Close enough to taste…]
[Th-that's kind of scary…]
[It's true, though. We can make our excuses, call ourselves God all we want. But the way you're acting, are you sure you aren't going to turn into another Devil?]
[Eh? I don't think…]
[Ehihihihi.] The laughter is so similar to yours, and yet utterly spine-chilling. [Thank you for the gateau.]
You feel her presence fade a little, that uncanny laughter still ringing in your soul as you open your eyes and return to the world, your bedroom lightly dusted with cosmic glitter. You… think you need a little break from all that.
-
You head outside into the garden, take a seat and just watch the sky as the sun sets. The day's been so busy that you kind of need this, really. You lie back and listen to the sounds of the city - distant traffic, the raucous cries of city birds, the wind in the trees, the cries of neighbours' children, now and then.
It's all so normal.
Even if one of those birds, you think, has a suspiciously rounded head, like it's wearing some kind of helmet or mask…
Well, there's not so much difference between a Liese-type and a normal raven - at least, not unless you're talking about the kaiju-sized version, and you aren't expecting to see any of those over Mitakihara.
The western sky slowly fades from yellow to orange, and then red, thin clouds and contrails catching vivid colours amid the fading light.
The sounds of traffic slowly fade, as the evening rush slows.
It really is so normal.
Nobody knows what's coming, just a month from now.
You're half hoping they can stay unknowing, living happily and peacefully. But… the struggles of magical girls don't deserve to be forgotten, either.
And the truth is, there's lots of people who don't live happily and peacefully, even before Kyubey's involvement; many girls who are driven to him by evils that aren't his, but humanity's alone.
And you, as God, have decided to intervene - no, you've been given no choice but to intervene.
Someday soon, you're going to have to decide just what that means.
So a MG doesn't need to turn into a witch and back to be able to use witchcraft, just be purified by Madoka once? That's very important tactically and strategetically, and I don't think we knew that before now.
So like joule? Or kWh or kg c²? Power is a quantity, we do sorta have multiple standard units, and I know this is really an unimportant detail, but still.
"So, Kyubey. You never answered - if you came here for the witches, but the witches weren't here when you got here," Kirika begins to ask accusatorily, staring down the mascot creature on your head
So a MG doesn't need to turn into a witch and back to be able to use witchcraft, just be purified by Madoka once? That's very important tactically and strategetically, and I don't think we knew that before now.
False. Kirika is a special case, since the unique terms of her wish connected her to the Law of the Cycle, with all that entails. This is going to be included in the character profiles, so I might as well say it now - Kirika's wish (the one she actually made, not the one she was prevented from making by questionable means) was "I want to be eternally bound to Madoka."
So like joule? Or kWh or kg c²? Power is a quantity, we do sorta have multiple standard units, and I know this is really an unimportant detail, but still.
Joules. Note that Kyubey is being slightly misleading there - because magic runs off karmic, causal consequences and not strictly the conservation of energy, he can get that kind of yield out of a Grief Cube because he's essentially using them to extend the lifespan of the universe by a few seconds - something that won't actually have any meaningful spiritual effect on anything for untold billions of years. In terms of energy, it's the most efficient yield possible, but in terms of something relatable to human experience, it's the most inconsequential way to use them. A magical girl who holds Kyubey's power to 'convert' would get far less energy - at least, if she were using it for something relevant to humans - I'm not quite sure, but perhaps a few hundred gigajoules at most?
You'd have to ask such a magical girl, if you can find one.
There's still a few other things you want to try doing with your power, before the end of the day - but unfortunately, you find yourself frustrated at the very first hurdle. You're connected to several magical girls, links to their souls existing within you, but it's simply impossible to reach out to others. From the beginning, you don't have the sense for Soul Gems that all magical girls have, not being a magical girl yourself.
If you had a Soul Gem, there'd be so much more that you could do. For all your miraculous power, it's simply wish magic that you're using. It's not something you can grow easily without circumstances that make the wish applicable.
You're already erasing witches. You're already purifying Soul Gems, and changing magical girls' cursed fates. You will never fall to despair. If you meet someone who is fated to cry and suffer by the very rules of the world, you have the power to change those rules and save them.
You're sure many people would say you should be grateful and satisfied with the power you have.
You're sure many of those people would be hurt if you called yourself God.
And yet it's simply true, in a way you can't even hope to express to anyone right now.
You simply ought to have the powers appropriate to that, along with the responsibilities.
You're full of deep, passionate, unconditional love for everyone, and you want to save them.
So you should be able to.
That's all.
Well, in practical terms, you just can't feel Mami-san without touching her Soul Gem physically.
You could go back upstairs and do that, if you wanted…
Well, you could try.
You don't think there's a rush, though. You're still not sure how she really feels about your powers.
You don't know what Gretchen was talking about. Of course you have a sense for others' space.
You want to connect to Mami-san again, though.
You want her to be happy, and safe.
For now, all you can do is be her friend.
Eventually, Papa comes outside to check on the garden and harvest some herbs, and you head back inside with him. Mama's inside too, just finishing up a work call, and all you can do is wish you had something more pleasant to talk about, as you explain what you can of the day's happenings.
Mama doesn't seem to find the truth about witches so surprising, really. Apparently she and a college friend of hers had built up a whole population model, and Mama'd been certain what you'd relayed about witches was just too vague and didn't fit Kyubey's nature at all. She'd come up with a few hypotheses as to what was missing, of course, some even worse than the reality.
You don't think you'd want to live in the world where Kyubey contracted people in despair to turn into witches directly, for example.
Meanwhile, Papa managed to bring back a few reference books - not just on Empress-Consort Jingu and the legends of Himiko and the 'Thousand Diviners City'… you've heard those same words just today - but a few other historically notable young women. He's almost certain that all of them were magical girls, and in some cases, the truth about witches fit perfectly with the story.
He also happened to find references to some folklore presentations given by Satomi Tasuke in Yukuni City, though videos of the presentations themselves seem to have been taken down. Before he started cooking, he'd been searching for archived copies, but they'd been oddly elusive.
The rest of the day passes almost in a flash, you're so tired. Papa's made beef stroganoff, which is delicious as always, but your mind is buzzing with thoughts about magical girls, and witches, and Asunaro, and you just want to get to sleep early to be well rested for tomorrow.
You've not told them you're going to try to go to Asunaro as well as school, after all.
As you settle into bed, thankful that the stardust from earlier has evaporated without a trace, you're thinking about the logistics of the feat. All you need is two Kaname Madokas, and you've already produced two magical girls today. So you just need to make another Madoka, right?
All the records that made up 'Kaname Madoka' are already part of you, regardless of the world.
It won't be too bad, is what you're thinking as you sink deep into the shimmer of your soul.
It's soon, though, that you realize an absolutely huge problem.
One of those records is Kriemhild Gretchen.
In the end, all you can do is painstakingly peel away redundant memories and records from yourself, minor notions of what it is to be Madoka that you won't miss while they're gone. It's not a simple thing - leaving tiny, hollow pains within you that are slow to fade.
You've lived many lives, though. You can spare this much of yourself, for now. The Law of the Cycle is better for joining than separating. If it wasn't yourself you were working on, you'd risk cracking the entire soul open just from lack of proper tools.
Gently unraveling pieces of your memory, your self-perception, the parts of you that relate to your body… even the record of the body of a Madoka who became a witch.
You don't know if you could risk this with Kirika, and for now, your dreams of turning Sayaka-senpai into an invincible army of Sayakas will have to remain dreams.
Piece by piece, you assemble an 'other self', early childhood memories with Sayaka and Hitomi, anguished knowledge of how Homura fought for you, records of delicious food; happy times and sad times, and the notion of what it feels like to be Kaname Madoka.
But you think, eventually, you're… not happy, exactly, but satisfied with what you've made. A Madoka soul that feels, to you, complete.
And not just that, but happy to do her assigned task - to go to school with her friends, to help out in any way she can, and to let you be the Kaname Madoka who goes into danger.
She'll be connected to you, you think… but because she's not part of this world's karma, you don't know if she'll be able to contract. Her potential should be ordinary, but since she's still a Madoka, still affected by your potent wish… perhaps not?
All that's left to do is externalize her - to send her out into the world, and make her real.
But you hesitate. If you've done something wrong…
[Not satisfied with me?] The voice is Gretchen's, of course. Not coming from the new soul, thankfully, but still.
[Um…]
[Or were you just lonely?]
[Stop it! You know why I'm doing this.]
[You're playing with fire. And here I thought we were a good little girl who does what she's told…]
[…]
[You've been lying a lot lately. Keeping a lot of secrets.]
[I know. I hate it.]
[And now this. I'd keep you company if you wanted.]
[You'd spread curses, even if it's not what you want. Even if you want salvation.]
[It's not a choice, you know.]
[That's exactly why. If you could choose, I'd make you stop. No, you would. Even Gretchen is gentle. After all, your role is about inheriting all the hopes that can never be realized…]
[…]
[So, go on, tell me how this girl is going to suffer.]
[…]
[Tell me what kind of tragedy is waiting for us because of this mistake. You can do that, right, Gretchen?]
[I'll… let you find that out for yourself.]
You slowly think through her words. Rather than cackling with glee and giving you a specific answer, sending you into a frenzy of reworking, she'd barely said a thing. She'd even seemed… a little shocked.
Could you… dare you trust her, just a little bit?
It's strange, when you think about it. Gretchen is a terrible being, fated to suffer and spread curses, whom you ought to save. The witch born from Kaname Madoka.
And yet, conversely, she's the witch born from Kaname Madoka.
In a sense, she is you.
Even if she's fated to raise curses upon the world, even if she's something out of nightmare…
You still can't help but believe in her.
She'd tell you if this were going to end badly. She'd gloat over it, give you ample opportunity to fix it. Right?
Even though she's a witch, and the most wicked thing to do would be to let you leave a hidden mistake that could lead to tragedy…
That just isn't something you'd do.
You can't be certain, of course.
And there are things she might not know about. Really, you don't have any idea what she's capable of right now, or how far her abilities extend.
What's more, Oriko hasn't contacted you.
You have the power of two oracles on your side (well, you're not sure the local one is quite 'on your side' as of yet, but details…). If something terrible were going to happen, surely there'd be a warning.
Surely.
That's why you're confident enough to go through with this.
To take the shining soul you've made, and, just like Miho and Oriko, let her free in the world. To let her fly free from within you, and…
…
…?
All of a sudden, you're terribly confused. Your mind blanks. You grasp at notions and surface thoughts, but they slip from your mind - perhaps pushed or dragged aside by the passage of something greater.
You… right, you're in bed, in your room at home, in your pajamas, with your hair down. Laying gently on your pillow, warm and comfortable, gently holding hands with…
…holding hands? In bed?
That can't be right. There's not meant to be anyone in this bed other than Kaname Madoka, so…
…no, it's okay. The person opposite you, lying snugly together with you in the single bed is Madoka. Of course it's okay if she's here.
She smiles at you and closes her eyes.
You squeeze her hand, and pull her a little closer.
She squeezes back, resting herself against you.
You lie there comfortably, feeling the warmth of her closeness.
She says nothing.
You say nothing.
No words are needed.
Even as your memories slowly come back together, no words are needed.
There's nothing you need to tell her, and nothing you need to hear from her.
You're connected by everything.
And bit by bit, hand in hand, the two of you slip gently into dream.
And that brings us to the end of our first act. There were all sorts of shocking revelations this chapter, weren't there? Although, maybe most of them were things that you readers already knew.
I'd say, on a scale from 'God's in hisher heaven, all's right with the world,' to 'God's on the ground, embodying a miracle,' we're far closer to the latter right now. All is definitely not right with the world. And we haven't even seen what's going on in Kamihama yet. A witch apocalypse city with a dangerous magical girl conspiracy and aggressive animatronic bears… it sounds terrifying, doesn't it?
Following on from this, we'll be visiting various places where communities of magical girls have gathered, and encountering those who've fallen upon desperate times because of the Kamihama conspiracy's meddling, starting with the magical girls of Asunaro. Mami apparently knows a magical girl there, named Kazusa Michiru - hopefully, she'll be able to help out!
Without further ado, here are the new and modified profiles for this chapter. The new top-left symbols denote spiritual affiliation (although, aside from the Law of the Cycle, it's as yet unclear what could qualify for this), and the top-right denote faction. Madoka's faction doesn't have a formal name or symbol yet, so it's left blank for now.
Kaname Madoka
The protagonist of this story. A cute, determined heroine with pink twintails who loves food. She is this world's God, torn from the heavens by the love of her closest companion and protector, and has the potential to become an absolutely powerful magical girl. The vast power of her wish magic allows her to cleanse Soul Gems and Grief Cubes with a touch, and erase witches before they are even born; it may hide even stronger powers, which might be awakened in the right situation. Her hair seems to be growing out at an incredible speed, and her eyes have a newfound golden sheen to them. Despite being God, she has an embarrassing penchant for dirty tricks and schemes.
Kaname Madoka
A cute, determined heroine with pink twintails who loves food. She is the collated records of various Madokas that never were, given physical form in order to go to school and have fun with her friends. It's as yet unclear if she has the potential to become a magical girl, but she likely benefits from Kaname Madoka's wish magic.
Kriemhild Gretchen
A frightening, tenacious cosmic horror with a vividly blue eye who is a glutton for suffering. She is the final form Kaname Madoka is supposed to take, or so the Incubators would have it. She gazes down balefully from a perpetual quarter moon. Since hope and despair balance out to zero, a repository is required for the despair relieved from the world through God's grace. For some reason, she can communicate with people, but she is exceptionally rude, and refers to everyone by the name of the witch they might become, or sometimes as foodstuffs.
Alternatively,
The witch of despair, whose nature is total communion. The mouthpiece for the unfulfilled hopes of every spent magical girl, and the ultimate destination of all grief and curses. Even if a hope that exceeds even the boundaries of the universe blooms, its roots remain in the mud of despair. This witch gorges herself on a sensual banquet of the sorrows of magical girls, and continuously swells, her hunger growing to match her illimitable size. At the end of infinite growth, the only way to defeat her is to drown her in a still greater infinity.
?????
The witch of this mortal world. Its nature is total depravity. It symbolizes the truth that this world is nothing but a stained Makai. Coiled around the moon like a dragon, it hoards the worldly attachments of magical girls, denying them liberation. It once possessed a greater purpose, but that is now forgotten. Its fourteen daughters rampage across the world below, mockingly shedding false tears as they leave quarrels and tragedy in their wake.
Momoe Nagisa
A young girl around the age of ten whom Madoka happened to meet in the park, and who seemed oddly familiar. She recently lost her mother to a terminal illness - she seemed sorrowful, yet held onto hope. She mentioned eating a delicious cheesecake with her mother before she died, but didn't seem to have a Soul Gem ring. Her grandparents have taken her into their care, and it doesn't seem like she's at risk of making a contract with Kyubey. She asked Madoka if she was an angel.
Hitomi Rina
The leader of a team of magical girls based in Kazamino. A serious, uptight military-styled magical girl with a strong belief in justice. She's firm with her team and tries her best to keep cohesion despite some strong, passionate personalities; but because they've fallen on hard times, even training together using magic is a luxury they can't afford. Her weapon is a stun baton, and her ability is electricity.
Yukine Mio
The second member of Hitomi Rina's team of magical girls based in Kazamino. A fiercely aggressive magical girl who seeks revenge for a lost friend. Rather than witches, it's her friend's murderer she holds the strongest antipathy towards, though she doesn't like Kyouko much, either. Her weapon is a katar, and her ability is binding.
Akane Mai
The third member of Hitomi Rina's team of magical girls based in Kazamino. A stoic, loyal magical girl with a hidden compassionate side. She's thankful for Kyouko and Mami's offer to let them hunt in Mitakihara, but senses that there's more than Kyouko was willing to disclose. Her weapon is a katana, and her ability is perception.
Saki Miyako
The fourth member of Hitomi Rina's team of magical girls based in Kazamino. A shy, sentimental magical girl who tries to see the good in everyone. She's fiercely protective of Chitose Yuma, and has taken her in so she doesn't have to go home, though her living situation is uncertain because of this. Her weapon is dolls, and her ability is also dolls.
Chitose Yuma
The most recent recruit to Hitomi Rina's team - a tiny, elementary school-aged magical girl. She seems to have a very bad home situation, and has escaped to live with Miyako. Just how bad things were for Kyubey to be her saviour, Kyouko doesn't know, but she was shaken to see a girl so young contracted. She's precociously cunning and has a disarming charm to her. Her weapon is an enormous hammer, and her ability is healing.
Yuuki Sasa
'That orange bitch.' Apparently, a magical girl serial killer known for feeding humans to familiars and witches. Kyubey said she'd hunted down and murdered no less than four magical girls. Mio has sworn to kill her. Apparently, she might've moved to Mitakihara, but Kyubey also said she'd been traveling between Mitakihara and Kamihama, and that there were 'abnormalities' in her Soul Gem.
Miki Sayaka (Sayaka-senpai)
The collected records of the life and soul of Madoka's childhood friend from countless worlds containing witches, with a boyish demeanor and a love of music, especially the violin. She's fiercely protective and has a strong sense of justice, that often leads her to make rash decisions. Her signature weapon is a fire extinguisher. She's suffered many tragic fates due to her uncertain feelings toward Kamijou Kyousuke, but seems to be at peace with the situation now.
Because of the Law of the Cycle's collation of records from numerous worlds, a powerful, confident veteran Sayaka was born, who normally wouldn't exist. Apparently her interference in the cycles of karma prevented Kyousuke from being injured this time around. Her duty was originally to hold the memories and powers of the Law of the Cycle for Madoka, but she seems to have shifted into a bodyguard role. Compared to the other Sayaka, she's matured some and has a better understanding of her flaws, but she might be a little overprotective.
Her weapon is a single-edged sword, and her ability is self-regeneration. She has access to the witchcraft of the mermaid witch, Oktavia van Seckendorff. She is also the conductor of the Law of the Cycle All Creation Grand Philharmonic Orchestra, including an unbelievably vast variety of borrowed familiars.
Ihana Miho
The record of the life and soul of Ihana Miho from this world, guided away and later detached by Kaname Madoka using the power of the Law of the Cycle. A cute, shy magical with long brown hair who enjoys gardening and reading romance novels. She once was a bringer of hope, who then despaired and spread curses as the witch, Gertrud, but guided by the Law of the Cycle, she has been saved from the chains of destiny that once bound her. Since she officially died two years ago, there are various questions about her current status, both legal and philosophical.
Her weapon is shears, and her ability is blooming. She has access to the witchcraft of the rose garden witch, Gertrud. Her familiars - at least, the Anthony type - are beloved for their docile demeanor, soft exterior and fetching moustaches. She likes to award them medals for good conduct, but it's unclear if they understand the concept.
Mikuni Oriko (Bloodstained Oracle)
A radical, determined magical girl with the power to see the future. Since she has as yet little control over her power, she's dependent on others to hunt for her, and is almost entirely housebound. Her visions are frequently extremely intense, and occasionally even drive her into seizures, so she relies on other magical girls to look after her - in particular, her former school rival, Asako Komaki. Her family is deeply involved in national politics, and her father died under suspicious circumstances, although it was ruled a suicide. Her weapon is crystal orbs, and her ability is precognition.
Mikuni Oriko (Oracle of the Goddess)
The collected records of the life and soul of Mikuni Oriko from numerous worlds, detached from the Law of the Cycle. She once was a bringer of hope, who then despaired and spread curses as the witch Soteria. She received a premonition surpassing whatever passes for time for a god, and stowed away when the Law of the Cycle went to carry away Akemi Homura. She's quite even-tempered, and much more in control of her powers than her counterpart in this world, but misses her partner, Kure Kirika. Since she's a record from the Law of the Cycle, familial relationships have ceased to be relevant to her.
Her weapon is crystal orbs, and her ability is precognition. She has access to the witchcraft of the ballroom dancer witch, Soteria.
Asako Komaki
A boisterous yet refined magical girl from Kazamino. She is Oriko's rival whom she met at the private academy, Shirome. She is good at solving problems, but is very outspoken, and tends to create problems and start fights when not occupied. She is actually fiercely protective, particularly of her rival in her moment of weakness. Despite her personality, she isn't someone who's held back by stubborn pride. Her weapon is a large axe, and her ability is protection.
Akemi Homura
A shy yet tenacious magical girl who wears glasses and cute twin braids. It's unclear what relationship she has to the Akemi Homura who fought through countless timelines to protect Madoka, or the one who tore her down from heaven. She's even more protective of her Soul Gem than most magical girls, and won't allow Madoka to touch it. Even though she appeared in Kazamino and is staying at Oriko's house, she seems to have adopted her usual fighting style, thanks to Oriko. It's unclear how she ended up in such a situation.
She seems to already have a reputation with Hitomi Rina's group as the 'magical girl of the pipe bomb'; and also, she's taken to traveling around in a black cloak, so as not to be recognized as similar to the tin-soldier familiars of a certain witch. Her weapon, proscribed by order of the Law of the Cycle, and potentially an existential threat, is a buckler that can store objects, and her ability is the power to stop time.
The Devil
A being beyond mortal comprehension who tore Kaname Madoka from the heavens. Her soul is painted a colour even worse than a curse, and she can be said to be the ruler of this universe itself. Strangely, nobody has seen this Devil yet. Still, only the opening act is at an end. Tonight, the show will not be allowed to end. It is the tear-dealers who are the stage players in this mortal world. And the cast in this performance have not yet been gathered.
Kure Kirika
A romantic, intense magical girl who contracted with Kyubey over her strong feelings for Madoka. When Madoka's other friends and acquaintances were scared and overwhelmed by cosmic revelations, Kirika actually seemed energized, and drew closer; culminating in her making a contract, envious of Madoka's power over Sayaka. The wish she made was to 'be eternally bound to Madoka'.
Unlike her alternate selves, she didn't make a wish that drastically altered her personality. Even so, she is invigorated by the supernatural, and longs for an abnormal life. Her wish granted her access to witchcraft, which would normally be impossible to obtain, and she took to it with enough enthusiasm to scare Kyouko!
Her weapon is claws, though this time around, they come with a kusarigama variant; her ability is the power to alter relative time. She has access to the witchcraft of the needle witch, Latria.
Momoe Nagisa
The collected records of the life and soul of Momoe Nagisa from numerous worlds, detached from the Law of the Cycle. She once was a bringer of hope, who then despaired and spread curses as the witch Charlotte. It can be said with certainty that she's hiding somewhere in this world, since her counterpart was granted one single cheesecake that her mother thought was the best. Right now, though, she's missing. Her weapon is a horn that shoots bubbles, and her ability is courage. She has access to the dangerous witchcraft of the sweets witch, Charlotte, so even if she's on her own, she can probably manage just fine.
Without further ado, here are the new and modified profiles for this chapter. The new top-left symbols denote spiritual affiliation (although, aside from the Law of the Cycle, it's as yet unclear what could qualify for this), and the top-right denote faction. Madoka's faction doesn't have a formal name or symbol yet, so it's left blank for now.
Also, no quote, but the spiritual affiliation symbol for Kirika is noticeably darker / more purple than that of the others who align with the Law of Cycles. formatting bug, result of her wish aligning her to both Madoka and to Gretchen (as arguably the wish wouldn't stop if Madoka became a witch), or something else?
Her weapon is a horn that shoots bubbles, and her ability is courage. She has access to the dangerous witchcraft of the sweets witch, Charlotte, so even if she's on her own, she can probably manage just fine.
and the other two symbols at the top and bottom? I assumed they were just style, but it looks like they might have concrete meanings...
Sayaka-senpai seems to have 2 favorite weapons?
Also, no quote, but the spiritual affiliation symbol for Kirika is noticeably darker / more purple than that of the others who align with the Law of Cycles. formatting bug, result of her wish aligning her to both Madoka and to Gretchen (as arguably the wish wouldn't stop if Madoka became a witch), or something else?
The ones at top and bottom are the emblems on the Soul Gem or Grief Seed, where I Madoka knows them. They don't have a specific meaning beyond, presumably, their symbolic sentimental meaning to the character in question. Blank ones might be added to if Madoka gets to see the Soul Gem in egg form.
Sayaka has two favourite weapons - that isn't a mistake. The fire extinguisher and the sword complement each other perfectly, and mesh into a beautifully unorthodox fighting style! The fire extinguisher isn't mentioned in the block relating to her powers, though, because it's something even non-magical girl Sayakas can do.
As for the affiliation symbol for Kirika, she sort of tacked herself onto the Law of the Cycles via wish magic rather than being integrated properly, and it's as yet unclear what effects that could have. She might indeed be the recipient of Gretchen's barbed wit and gluttonous demands!
The horn gives her the courage to demand things for herself. The bubbles are explosive because it's more courageous than normal bubbles, or maybe because it gives them a surprising, candy-like appeal.
Nagisa in the Law of the Cycle is a really dangerous magical girl - she's easy to underestimate, like Charlotte's little form, but she can and will put on her Charlotte face and just eat her enemies. Well, she won't be appearing for a while, I think. Who knows where she might've got to after the world got messed up?
