Puella Magi Megami Tensei

[TremendousMilk3]

"Oriko~!" Kirika cheers as she enters, "Look what I got you~!" She extends her hands to you, revealing a rather clean Grief Seed.

"Kirika..." You begin, but stop yourself. How would you even begin to explain this?

"Oh, don't you worry your pretty little head!" Kirika smiles, placing the Seed on your lap, "The Witch was a total pushover! Seriously, that thing had like one good attack but--?" She stares at you, "...Are you okay?"

"I..." You trail off again, staring at the Seed.

"...Don't you like it?" Kirika looks absolutely crestfallen.

"Of course I like it!" You quickly answer, "I just... Can't use it."

"Oriko, we're not having this discussion again." Kirika suddenly becomes serious, "I don't care that your magic doesn't feel like working. You still deserve to--!"

"It's not about that." Although your feelings on the matter haven't changed, you try to force yourself to tell the truth, "...I met a demon. Her name is Gabriel."

Kirika blinks at you.

There's an air of silence between you.

"Is she cuter than me?"

"What?! No! I-I mean-- look, that's not important!" You try to clarify.

"Is Gabriel trying to steal you away from me?" Kirika's face darkens, "'Cause I can kill her if you--?"

"No, you don't have to--! It's not like that!" You sigh, holding your head, "Get your mind out of the gutter!"

Kirika sticks her tongue out at you, "No~!"

You huff out a frustrated breath, and continue, "Gabriel... She..." You struggle to find the words, "...She broke my Contract."

Kirika stares at you, face unreadable.

"...I'm not a Magical Girl anymore." You clarify, "I can't fight alongside you. I'm weak."

So, you decide to explain.

...

...

"...So, seeing no other options, I agreed to Gabriel's offer. Now, here we are." You finish explaining to Kirika fully.

"Aww, Oriko!" Kirika nuzzles into you, "You weren't a Grief Seed sink! You're the best girl I've ever met!"

"Kirika, dear, my power failed spectacularly."

"And that doesn't make me love you any less!" She tells you, "I'll still protect you, though! It doesn't matter, Magical Girl or not, you're still my Oriko!"

You smile faintly, "And you're my Kirika."

Her eyes go wide as a giant smile floods her face.

OOC: Yes, the last part is copied verbatim from EX 94. As I was writing this, I remembered that I already wrote Oriko's confession to Kirika out, but decided to run with it. I think it turned out well, though.

 

[TremendousMilk3]

"Hey, Vergil!" Your little brother nudges your side as you walk through the underworld, "See that canyon?"

You do, in fact, see the canyon. "It's pretty hard to miss. What of it?"

"I bet I can jump it with Cavaliere!" He grins.

"Don't do that."

"I could make it, though!"

"Regardless, it's a bad idea." Why do you have to explain this?

You groan in disappointment as you hear a motorcycle's engine rev up. He's really going for it, isn't he?

You watch Dante's stunt, the sheer idiocy of his decision locking you in place. He jumps.

...

Dante leaps off of the bike before it crashes into the cliff face. His Devil Arm falls into the darkness below.

Dante laughs, clapping for himself. "Made it!" He cheers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Believe it or not, there are many, many different climates and terrains in the underworld. The usual "fire and brimstone" look is only a small piece.

Unfortunately, that is where you find yourself. You don't mind the heat, but you could do without the flowing lava.

Dante, however...

"Man, would it kill someone to buy an A/C unit here?" He asks for the fifth time since you bothered to count.

"And power it how?" You retort, "Solar?"

Dante suddenly smiles, "I've got a better option!" He produces his...

"You still have those?" You ask, looking at the Cerberus in his hands.

"Nope, this one's the king!" He twirls it around, the air immediately cooling around you. "How's that for nice breeze?"

"Adequate." You don't really care.

"Hey, wanna see how fast I can spin these?" Dante, without waiting for a reply, begins to spin his demonic nunchucks.

He doesn't stop.

Even after a full minute of clattering, he keeps going.

You calm yourself down, and...

...Have your Doppelganger smack his hand.

"Gh-- Hey! I was doing--!"

The weapon lands right in a pool of lava, sinking down into it. You both stare for a moment.

"Welp, I'm not getting that." Dante shrugs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey, Vergil, have you seen Balrog?" Dante asks you suddenly.

You crack your neck, sheathing the Yamato, "The what?"

"Balrog! My gauntlets?" He explains, "I can't find 'em."

"How did you lose gauntlets?" You sneer, leaning on a statue.

"I didn't say anything about losing them!" Dante retorts, "Did you take--?"

"I already have Beowulf! I don't need any more gauntlets."

"Look, just give 'em back, and I'll forget--"

"I didn't take them, you fool!"

"Then where are they, huh?" Dante asks, "'Cause I know they didn't just get up and walk away!"

"Shit, he's onto us!" You hear an annoyingly familiar voice, "Scram!"

When Dante went to look, he just sighed and let it go.

Scheduled vote count started by TremendousMilk3 on Dec 21, 2023 at 10:37 PM, finished with 12 posts and 7 votes.

• ---

  6 people have voted

  [X] "Sure what's up? Was gonna take a walk anyway, clear my head before it all goes down."

  • Herofox
  • nmorrow
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  1 people have voted

  [X] "No... but you can talk to me at a normal pace. I know your tricks!" Go with him.

  • BethofDeath

 

[TremendousMilk3]

"Chimera, come!" Lady Konishi calls upon you. As a loyal demon to her, you answer without hesitation! It certainly has been some time since you did battle!

"Our enemies shall tremble at my mi--?"

"Shh!!" Lady Konishi shushes you, "We aren't fighting anything!"

You tilt your head, "Then why did you call upon me? Are we searching for clues, perhaps?"

"No, Chimera." Lady Konishi shakes her head, "I wanted to introduce you to someone."

"Lady Konishi, are you well?" You look around the room, "I see no other humans."

Lady Konishi sighs, walking over to a small wooden structure, "Look, in here."

You crest your head over the top of it, looking inside...?

"Is this a human?" You ask, staring at the tiny, quiet creature before you, "What is wrong with it, Lady Konishi?"

"Nothing's wrong with her!" Lady Konishi lightly taps your snout, "She's a baby!"

"I see." You don't quite understand. "Where did such a being come from?"

"Me."

"So it is a homunculus?"

"What--?! No!" Lady Konishi stares at you as if you've grown a fourth head.

"But you just said you made it. Would that not make it a homunculus?"

"I didn't-- Look, I'm not going to sit here and explain how--?"

The tiny human reaches out to you, grabbing the air with its miniscule hands. It also makes a noise you can't quite describe.

"I think she likes you." Lady Konishi pats the back of your mane.

"...Does she?" You ask.

 

[TremendousMilk3]

"Sayaka, can I speak with you for a moment?" Hitomi stops you in the hallway, "It's important."

"Oh, yeah!" You hurriedly follow your friend as she leads you to the roof. Well, you're sure that's where she's taking you. It's where Hitomi always takes you and Madoka when she needs to speak.

Sure enough, nobody's up here but you. Hitomi steps in front of you, motioning you to sit down on a bench.

You do so. "Hey, do you want me to go get--?"

"This doesn't concern Madoka." Hitomi answers on a practiced tone. "This is about Kyosuke."

"What are you--?" You stop yourself, "Is he coming back to school?"

"I know you have a crush on him, Sayaka." Hitomi states calmly, "And I'd like to think that I've been patient with you. But I cannot sit idly by any longer."

Your blood nearly runs cold, "I...? Hitomi, what are you--?"

"Now that I have the summoning program, I can heal him. I assume that this is your plan as well, no?" Hitomi drums her fingers on her phone.

Your heart beats faster, "You, uh--?"

"Why haven't you?" She asks suddenly.

"...It's complicated." You tell her, avoiding the fact that you simply cannot perform healing magic.

"It isn't, though." Hitomi shoots back, "You can't do it, can you?"

You stare at your lap, defeated. "...No."

"Then, how about some encouragement?" Hitomi stares you down, "You have until tomorrow to learn the spell to heal him. Or I will."

Your eyes widen, "Wait, you--!"

"I'm not going to wait anymore, Sayaka." She walks past you, "I'm giving you this time because you're my friend. After that, all bets are off." She leaves the roof without saying anything else.

 

[TremendousMilk3]

Once upon a time, there were two children born to a royal family. They weren't twins, but the various maids and knights constantly failed to tell them apart.

One sister had a noble heart, wanting to lead her kingdom to prosperity. She was meek, however, constantly being pulled around every which way. She was the heir to the throne.

The other sister, however, was fierce, loyal, and for better or for worse, stubborn. She was meant to be the captain of the guard.

But the future captain was not content with being subservient to the Heir.

That's wrong. I was fine with her taking the throne.​

She couldn't stand the attention that her sister, the rightful heir to their kingdom's throne, received. She was strong, why was a crybaby like her sister getting all of the glory?!

That's a lie! I loved my sister with all my heart...!​

So, in the early hours of the day, the younger sibling made a pact with a demon. From that pact, she gained the darkest of magicks...

He said I could protect her! I did it for her!​

With the deal with the devil sealed, the traitorous sister revelled in the praise she received. She was finally the favorite! She was finally better than her! She was powerful...!

...But all deals come with a price.

I didn't betray anyone! She was scared for me after I told her about my Contract, and wanted me to avoid using my magic. She was right, and we agreed to work together!​

An angel told their father of the insidious girl's treachery, so he devised a plan to end this nonsense, once and for all. When she was out, tormenting her enemies...

I was fighting a war for them! There was no angel! It was one of his advisors who lied to my sister and told--​

...They prepared their trap. Once she returned, exhausted and victorious, the king had her restrained and taken to the dungeons. He would not tolerate such witchcraft in his bloodline, so he would hide her away from the world. His mercy for her was great.

He was going to execute me! His advisor came down after he left, and told me his plan to--​

The twisted sister, fallen from grace, offered her soul to the demon in a desperate play to wipe out the kingdom. If I can't be a queen, she thought, then I will be a destroyer!

He was going to murder them! I couldn't move, I couldn't speak, I...!
​

The demon, the price of his deal paid in full, turned her into a mighty dragon! With her wicked heart, she burned the castle to the ground, until a valiant hero stopped the horrible dragon. Then, upon its grave, the castle was rebuilt.

I couldn't control myself...! I lashed out because every second of my existence was agony...! I made my sister make a Contract to stop me...! I...!
​

Even today, you can hear the anguished cries of the evil sister in the castle's dungeons as the demon took her tainted soul down to Hell.

I'm sorry...! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I--​

 

[TremendousMilk3]

"...After that, we dealt with Lilith." You tell the Chief as Omaya vomits in the corner, "Yumi took Ms. Hino away from the scene."

"She's got a good head on her shoulders, that girl." The Chief nods to himself, "I can't believe a single demon could do..." He trails off.

"...It's sobering, isn't it?" You ask him, "One properly motivated demon, one desperate host, and fifty wannabe heroes... Just adds up to a bunch of shrivelled corpses."

"This is the worst scene I think I've seen since Ryoko." The Chief admits, "How's Yumi holding up?"

"I don't know." You admit to him, looking at the remains of Mrs. Hino, "She's hard to read. She put on a brave face and took charge to make sure her friends were okay, but..."

"You're worried." The Chief finishes your statement, "I am, too. I don't think it'd be wise to leave those kids alone, especially so since they were here when it all went down."

Omaya wretches loudly from a nearby trash can, spilling the contents of today's lunch into it.

"Hell of a first two weeks for him, huh?"

You nod quietly, staring off to the railings that Kyoko is leaning against. You quietly wave to the Chief, and walk up the stairs.

Instantly, Kyoko turns to you with a look of frustration. "I'm not going into questioning." She growls.

"That isn't what I'm here for." You reassure her, keeping her in the corner of your eye, "How are you holding up?"

"I just watched a fucking demon absorb an entire cult, burst out from someone's mom, and then Yumi...!" She groans, "I should've fuckin' stayed in Kazamino... If I knew it was gonna be this much of a headache, I would've."

"What's done is done." You sigh, looking over the scene, "Life marches on. Some days, you just have to roll with the punches."

"...Eh, I guess meeting Yumi hasn't been all bad..."

 

[TremendousMilk3]

"Ms. Koizumi, may I speak with you?" Your colleague, Mr. Okada, asks sternly.

You look up from the assignments you've been grading, "I suppose you..." You eye the object in Okada's hands, "...Is that Yuma's notebook?"

"How astute." He sneers, placing it on your desk, "She was mindlessly scribbling in it instead of listening to my lecture."

"Perhaps she's simply having a hard time concentrating?" You offer, "She doesn't have that problem in my homeroom. Maybe--"

"Open the notebook." Okada orders.

"Huh?" What is he trying to do?

"Open it. Read it."

"Sheesh. If it gets you out of my classroom..." You grumble, opening the notebook up to the first page.

"...Okada, this is just her science notebook." You sigh.

"Keep reading."

Okada seems to be in a horrible mood. You shrug, turning the pages...?

After a few pages of notes, the contents of the notebook are...

Yuma Diary!!
No Mama allowed!!

Yuma likes her Big Sister Yumi! She's nice.
Big Sis Yumi is always petent patent patient with her.
She never yells, or screams, or throws things, or hits Yuma.
Here's a picture!!

(There's a crayon drawing of a girl with red hair.)

Yuma likes her Big Sister Kyoko two too!
Big Sis Kyoko is loud and gets cranky a lot, but never at Yuma.
Her and Big Sis Yumi proct propo protect Yuma from monsters!

(There's another drawing here. There's two girls with red hair, except one is holding a spear. They appear to be fighting... Black blobs.)

Mama isn't like them.

Mama wouldn't like them.

Mama hates Yuma.
Mama hits Yuma.
Yuma tries to be a good girl, but Mama still hits Yuma.
When Yuma has a bad dream, Mama is there to hit Yuma.
Mama said Yuma should die.
Mama said Yuma was a mikt missed mistake.
Yuma doesn't want to be a mistake.

When Big Sis Yumi saved Yuma, Yuma wanted her to hurt Mama.
Yuma wanted Big Sis Yumi to hurt Mama the same way Mama hurt Yuma.
Yuma wanted to make Mama a mistake.
Yuma wanted Mama to stop hitting her.
Yuma wanted Mama to stop moving.

Mama didn't want Yuma.

Yuma didn't want Mama.
​

...

...

"Do you see why I wanted you to read it?" Okada asks, monotone.

"...Yes." You understand. Yuma needs help. You need to talk to that Yumi girl again. If anyone can help her, it's gotta be--?

"I believe Chitose is a danger to those around her." Okada tells you, "Which is why I am going to have her removed from this school."

"What?!" You spring to your feet, "Okada, Yuma isn't a danger, she's in danger! You can't seriously be--!"

"Then punish her for these outbursts." He states, "Or simply medicate her--"

"Punish her?! For what, getting abused?!" You manage not to curse him out by a hair, "And medication?! Are you insane?! You could lose your job for just saying that!"

"I'll be bringing it up in the meeting tonight." Okada reaches for the notebook, "I trust the rest of the faculty will--?"

"Oh no, you're not taking this." You swipe Yuma's notebook before he can grab it, "This is going back to--?!"

"Mr. Okada?" Yuma steps into the classroom, "Can Yuma have her book b--?"

"Chitose." Okada grumbles, yanking the notebook from your grasp, "You are in a lot of trouble."

 

[TremendousMilk3]

"Mrs. Hino, the Father wishes to speak with you." One of your husband's followers tells you, "He said it was a matter of utmost importance."

You sigh, smiling a little, "Of course he did. Always so pompous..." As you get out of your reading chair, you feel your back pop back into place. Once you stretch a little, you follow the cloaked man to the main chamber, where...?

"Dear husband, why is there a demon trapped in a summoning circle?"

"Because I wished to know our daughter's future." He answers frankly, as if it should be obvious, "And it isn't a demon. This is none other than the fallen angel Azazel!"

"This is why you woke me?" Azazel asks, clearly already fed up with this situation.

"An angel?" You saunter forward, inspecting the supposed holy messenger, "...Interesting. Why do you want to know Kohaku's future? She's still only four..."

"To see if she is worth raising, of course!" He tells you, "If she isn't going to take over as the shepherd of our flock, why bother with the effort?"

"I see..." His logic seems sound enough... "...Well, then, let's learn about her future."

"Azazel, what do you see in our daughter's future?" The Father demands.

At first, Azazel is silent. Then...

"Your child's fate is obscured to me, but she will bring unto you a Messiah." Azazel says, "Then, the world as you know it... Will crumble away. In it's place, the new world shall rise."

"A Messiah?!" You and your husband shout in shock.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You'd like to think that you've been a compromising spouse.

What with the Disciples taking up most of his time, preparing Kohaku for her role in the prophecy, and the magical manipulation, you'd say you've done very well in your compromises.

But, once you slowed down to think and ask about his perfect world, you discovered his true colors. He wants to rule the new world with an iron fist, stomping out any opposition.

The new world should bow to you, not him!

But he has all of the cards in his hand. Besides having majority of training Kohaku, he's got his Disciples bowing to his every whim!

Unless you can gather a following yourself, you stand no chance of wrestling the world away from that idiot!

...

...Hey, that's not a bad idea...!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Your mother is dead." Father tells you matter-of-factly.

You're too stunned to speak, too stunned to cry, too stunned to even breathe.

"She allowed a demon to infest her soul, and she ran off to die somewhere. Weep for her not, daughter." Father slams the door to your chamber.

"Mom's..." Your eyes finally begin to water, "...Dead?"

But she was fine when last you saw her! There was no sign of possession, or illness! So why did she suddenly...?!

Why does he take everything good away from you?!

You're openly sobbing on the cold stone floors, not like anyone here cares. Nobody cares about you.

You just want to run away, but you don't even know where you would go. You don't know anywhere else but here and the school!

Why are you so powerless?!

 

[TremendousMilk3]

You huff, finding nothing to read that isn't a trashy magazine on your brother's desk. For a moment, you wonder if he even knows how to read. Does he simply oogle at the pictures of improperly dressed women?

Your palette is much more refined when it comes to reading material. This drivel will not sustain you.

Then, as if tonight couldn't get any worse...

"Dante, I'm coming in!" The blonde one from the other day opens the door, "Oh, Vergil! Is Dante here?"

"Heyo!" Another child barges in, hair black as night, "Gimme the Grief Seeds!"

"Are we asking for support, or simply robbing him, Kure?" ...And another child... "Vergil, I assume you know why we're here?"

You take a deep breath, standing up from the couch, "Evidently, I do not." You reply, "And as you can see, Dante is absent. Come back later, preferably when I'm not here."

"Oh, that's okay!" The yellow one claps her hands, "We're just here to get some Grief Seeds!"

"We were told Dante has amassed more than he needs, and have come to... Relieve him of some." The child with the shield explains, "Do you happen to know where--?"

"And what do I get in return?" You ask.

The room goes silent.

"Surely you didn't waltz in here, demanding our hard-earned spoils of battle, and bring nothing of value to bargain with, did you?" Well, as long as they're around... "So I shall ask again, what do you offer in return for these Grief Seeds?"

"What is your price?" The shield bearer asks calmly. "Money? Equipment?"

"Worthless." You retort.

"Um, perhaps you'd like food? I could bake you a cake!" The yellow one tries. If you were Dante, it might've worked.

"No." You don't break eye contact.

"I'll fight you for 'em!" The excitable girl manifests claws.

In the span of a heartbeat, the Yamato is at her neck.

"I win." You sheathe your blade, "None of you are good negotiators."

"Then tell us what you want." The stone faced girl's voice betrays her frustration.

"I want..." You pretend to think for a moment, "...Some reading material."

 

[TremendousMilk3]

You glance out the window for the millionth time, scanning the area for any person that could be considered a cultist. So far, so good. Everything's clear, and--!

"Ms. Miki! Pay attention!" Ms. Saotome stomps her foot, "This is gonna be on the test today!"

"Th-There's a test today?!" You blurt out in surprise, nearly falling back in your seat. This act makes several of your classmates stare at you in various levels of disappointment.

Ms. Saotome sighs, keeping her eyes on you as she speaks.

Man, why'd there gotta be a test today...? You're totally gonna flunk it! How can you even focus, with a cult threatening to break down the door at any second?! You're the last line of defense, so you've gotta be prepared to fight!

Transfer St-- Homura, you hastily correct, doesn't seem nervous in the slightest. You wish she'd give you some tips on being so...!

So...!

Gah, what's the word for what she is?! Cool? Levelheaded? Apathetic?! Maybe--!

"Miki!" Ms. Saotome shouts again, "I'm not going to remind you again! Pay attention, or you're going straight to the principal's office!"

"S-S-Sorry!!" You try to bow in apology, but end up slamming your head into the desk. Some of your classmates snicker at this.

You try to focus on Ms. Saotome's lesson, but you can't stop thinking about how you can defend everyone if these guys show up! But the test is coming today, so you've gotta pay attention! But what about--?!

The door to your classroom opens suddenly, and you see--!

Isn't that Yumi's uncle?! What's he doing here? He looks... Out of breath, but seems to keep his composure.

Ms. Saotome is, as always, instantly smitten by Raido. The man, briskly walking past her, makes a b-line straight for your desk. "Miki, hallway, now." He orders, practically dragging you outside of the classroom while your classmates all mutter to each other.

Madoka, concerned as usual, follows you outside.

When you're out of earshot, he finally lets go of your arm. You run your wrist, "What was that f--?"

"Where's Yumi?" He nearly growls out.

"Huh?! I don't know, isn't she going to fight those cult guys?" You sputter out, your nerves betraying you (as of they weren't already).

"She was supposed to keep Hino's daughter out of the line of fire, but they've all just fallen off the face of the earth!" He shouts, shaking his head, "Did she leave you a warning, or a message, or something?!"

"Mr. Kuzunoha, you need to calm down!" Madoka steps in between you and Raido, "I'm sure Yumi has a--!"

"I am as calm as I'm gonna get." He snaps, causing Madoka to shrink back. To be honest, you're intimidated too. "Where is Yumi?"

"Yumi Konishi is located in Sakura Church." Kyubey flicks his tail as he struts into the scene from an open window, "She has taken Kohaku Hino with her, and is doing battle with her father."

Everyone goes quiet, staring at Kyubey.

"The battle has just begun. If you wish to join it, however, you may want to hurry." Kyubey says calmly, sitting next to you and Madoka, "One critical strike could end it in a moment."

Without so much as a "sorry", Raido runs off to the exit, leaving Madoka and you standing in the hall.