#mitaori

[more-mitaori]

Chapter 12

The walk home from school seemed even more gray than usual for Hanako. Shinju’s reaction to the attack shook Hanako to her core. For one, Hanako had to keep the secret of Magical Girls closer to the chest than she had been, and Shinju came dangerously close to overhearing some of the finer details about the attack. Fortunately, when Shinju had burst into the club room that day, the talk was far more vague and general.

But the other thing that had Hanako concerned was the thought of drawing Shinju into the conflict, especially without the powers that Kyubey could provide. In fact, that thought almost concerned Hanako more than the prospect of Shinju finding out about magic. At least if Shinju did find out, Hanako would have less to keep secret, and the worst Kyubey would do is offer Shinju the same contract.

Shaking her head, Hanako continued wandering in a strange fog that had descended around her, though she didn’t seem to notice. She hadn’t slept well in days now, ever since first encountering Rui. Hanako was constantly looking over her shoulder, looking for shadows that weren’t there, assailants that weren’t coming for her.

She had displayed total confidence when she stood up to Rui before, but now that Rui was making good on her implied threats, it was all Hanako could do to even stick to her daily routine. How her mother hadn’t caught onto any of this was beyond Hanako, but she was grateful for the supposed moment of blissful ignorance.

Then again, her mother had taken on a rather large case recently, one that was gaining a lot of media attention, and taking up most of her time. This wasn’t too uncommon. Katsumi Sasaki was known for jumping headfirst into whatever case caught her eye, and nothing could shake her from it once she took interest.

The fog around Hanako had grown thicker, and vines were running all over the ground. Thorns were sprouting and contracting at random intervals, and the sky and ground were one in the same shade of dull gray. Somehow, Hanako had wandered into a Witch’s barrier.

Quickly, Hanako transformed, her rapier appearing in her left hand. “…I suppose I should welcome the distraction.” Her eyes scanned as far as they could as Hanako turned around, looking for the source of the vines. What she found instead caused her to go completely pale, nearly dropping her weapon in shock.

“Hello there.” The sickeningly cold voice and empty eyes that met Hanako’s, the towering imposing figure of Rui Tomatsu stood a distance behind where Hanako was. “Was wondering if you were ever going to notice me. You sure do space out a lot. Almost laughable how easy it is to follow you, really. Do you just have no sense of self preservation, Sasaki?”

Rui was wearing an odd outfit, one that almost resembled a track runner’s uniform at school. It was a white jumpsuit with horizontal light blue streaks that ran down from her shoulders down her sides, all the way to her boots, which were connected to the rest of the outfit.

Hanako didn’t respond, simply gripping her weapon tight, staring daggers back at Rui. How did she find her? How long was she following her? Where did this Witch barrier come from? So many questions suddenly flooding Hanako’s mind, where it was largely calm and blank before. Her cyclone flared around her, making up for her lack of a reply.

Rui shrugged. “That’s alright. Doesn’t matter what you say anyway. You know why I’m here.” She held out her right hand, a silvery-white pistol materializing in it, her finger now resting on its trigger. “Listen. There’s two kinds of people here. The kind that are with me, and the kind that are against me.”

“I… I pity you. The world is much more vibrant than the black-and-white… dogma that you live behind.” Resolve started to show in Hanako’s voice. It was now or never, and she was tired of running anyway. At least Rui was alone here. Hanako didn’t see any sign of Yasu nearby, nor the Witch that spawned this barrier.

“Tell you what.” Scoffing, Rui let her weapon vanish, slowly dropping into a three-point stance. “Preach that shit when you’re on top, like I am.” She broke into a sprint, throwing her shoulder into Hanako’s waist and throwing the smaller girl far back into the thorny vines.

Yelping from the twofold attack, Hanako flipped back and hovered down to the ground upright, noting the tear in her gown and the cut along her stomach. “Tch…” Her wind flared out, carrying her rapier towards Rui.

Rui dodged to the side, coming at Hanako once more. She leapt over the vine as if it were a hurdle on a track, but Hanako spun to the side before Rui made contact. Summoning another ivory foil, Hanako swung up along Rui’s back, then pushed herself away with a gust of wind.

A sharp gasp came from Rui as she wheeled around, pure fury in her otherwise empty eyes, but stumbled forward, reaching back for her back. “How… how fucking DARE YOU?!” She jumped towards Hanako again after catching her breath, letting loose a barrage of kicks and punches, shoulder lunges mixed in. Hanako, however, swiftly, if not barely dodged each in turn, spinning back behind Rui and pushing away without the counterattack.

“You’re strong, Rui. I’ll give you that. But your… cohort has you beaten in terms of speed. It was a mistake… to send her after me before confronting me yourself.”

“Don’t you DARE speak to me about mistakes, Sasaki!” Rui stood upright as she called the gun back into her hand. “Because turning your back on me is the worst mistake you’ll have ever made in your entire fucking life!”

“Did you forget?! We’re trying to clear your name! Even now, even through all of this! We never stopped, don’t you see that?!”

Rui answered with the pull of the trigger. In the split second that followed, Hanako scanned for the metallic glint of a bullet, but saw nothing. With a whiz past her ear, Hanako clutched the side of her face, expecting blood but feeling none. Did she miss? Rui’s smug grin suggested otherwise.

“Who says I need to be faster than Yasu? Neither of you can outrun a gun anyway.” Relaxing her stance, Rui’s expression turned from sinister to neutral. “You don’t even really know who I am. Trying to clear my name at this school is a dead end. Ask that brat club leader of yours about what happened during -my- first year at this school, and you’ll understand. The only real way out of this is to join me and take down those—”

“And become your… your puppet?!” Hanako summoned a trio of rapiers to float in her cyclone. “No. No! Not a chance, Tomatsu…!”

Rui scoffed, raising the gun again. “That’s that, then. I guess we see just how fast you really are, Sasaki. Stubborn to the very last, but that’s usually how it goes. More fun that way, anyway.”

For Hanako, time seemed to stand still as she stared down the barrel of Rui’s magical pistol. She would need careful, impeccable timing in order to survive. If Rui hit, that was the end of it. Rui was using a gun, after all. But even if Rui missed, Hanako risked the brunt of her opponent’s overwhelming power. And running was no longer an option. Hanako would have to swerve away from Rui’s light bullet somehow, then get in close fast enough to land a swift, decisive blow to finish Rui off, all in one fell swoop.

One moment. That was all Hanako had to escape this situation. Life or death. Either Hanako’s plan would work, or it would fail. Hanako would escape, or she would be at Rui’s complete mercy. All that was left was the signal. Rui’s attack. Bang.

Instead of a bang, however, the silence and stillness was cut short by the sound of rushing water, followed by a shriek from a recoiling Rui, clutching the hand that once held her weapon. “What the fuck?!”

Hanako took full advantage of the distraction, launching herself with a burst of wind at her back. The three rapiers in her cyclone threw themselves out first. Rui dodged the first, deflected the second and caught the third in the palm of her hand that wasn’t holding the gun.

It was the weapon in Hanako’s left hand, however, that found its mark. With all the power she could muster, Hanako thrust forward, aiming directly at Rui’s heart. Rui, however, managed to turn to the side, taking only a glancing cut along her shoulder.

She knew she had failed, but Hanako’s instincts still managed to carry her a distance away from Rui with the fading of the wind. Turning to face her foe, Hanako expected a sight of unyielding rage, but instead, Hanako’s eyes widened at the sight before her.

Between Rui and Hanako, another girl had landed. After Hanako’s attack, she had moved to stand between them. A navy blue hood covered her face, stopping just below her eyes. It connected to a deep, navy blue kimono with matching sleeves, embroidered in white with water currents and a swimming school of dolphins seemingly animated in the embroidery. On her back, a matching navy-and-pearl umbrella, held in place not unlike a greatsword, water dripping from its tip.

The rage that illuminated Rui’s face, however, remained. Intensified, even. “Oh you fucking little… you’re DEAD!” Raising her pistol again, she fired several shots at the new arrival, who made little effort to dodge. Instead, her body seemed to bend around the beams of light, as if it were water parting around a rock.

Rui turned her attention towards Hanako, despite her failure at hitting the interloper. She fired a few more shots, only for her eyes to widen at the sight of a sphere of water engulfing Hanako, refracting the light shots safely away.

Hanako’s eyes widened at the sudden submerging in the water bubble, but a pocket of air quickly formed around her head, allowing her to catch her breath. She could still hear her surroundings, though muffled. Rui’s shrieks were easy to recognize, but it was the other voice, one Hanako recognized in an instant that caused her to drop her weapon completely this time, shock lighting her face.

“C’mon, is this really all the big bad bully’s got in the end? Or did I just really luck out with what powers I got?” Lowering her hood, the girl brushed her messy blue hair out from in front of her eyes, water droplets dripping from the tips. “Looks like I showed up just in time, eh Hanako?”

“I… I don’t… I don’t understand! Sh… Shinju?! But… how—”

“Questions later, bully now, yeah? And trust me, I have a -lot- of questions for you. Once we’re safe, that is.” Shinju then took the umbrella on her back, holding it out as if it were a sword.

The bubble around Hanako dissipated, water splashing in a puddle around her as she sheepishly picked up her weapon. “R-Right. I… I understand.”

“There isn’t gonna -be- a fucking later for either of you!” Rui charged in an instant, rushing past Shinju and sinking her fist into Hanako’s stomach. The impact sent her directly into a pile of vines, though their thorns had since retracted. In the back of Hanako’s mind, she mused that perhaps the Witch was taking pity on her? No, it was likely just fortuitous timing.

Pushing herself off, she rose back to her feet, just in time to see Shinju knocked back nearby, stopping on the ground beside the vines, rather than thrown into it directly. Rising herself, she and Hanako exchange a quick glance and a swift nod.

Shinju then rushes forward, with Hanako concentrating a heavy wind at Shinju’s back. Rui braces herself, but not quickly enough. Swinging her umbrella upwards in a slashing motion, she hits Rui directly in the front, landing behind her. Not stopping, she wheels around, pointing the umbrella at Rui’s back and opening it. A jet of water shoots forth, blasting Rui to the ground face first.

Rui lies motionless for a long moment, and Shinju closes and mounts her umbrella on her back once more. “Heh! We make a good team in the end, don’t we, Hanako?” Turning her attention to the prone Rui, her tone drops a bit. “Now you know not to pick on Hanako anymore, right? Besides, we’re doing you a favor, you idiot. ‘Least you can do is show a little gratitude. Right, Hanako?”

But Hanako had made a slow approach of her own, weapon in trembling hand as her eyes remained locked on her fallen opponent. She said nothing, approaching with even her footsteps muffled by the wind raging around her.

“Uh… Hanako? Earth to Hanako, hello?” Shinju waved her hand in an attempt to get Hanako’s attention, though she continued her slow, almost trance-like march towards Rui’s still unmoving body.

Raising her rapier above her head, pointing it down, Hanako seemed to hesitate for a moment. “…We have to… we have to end this now, Shinju. Before… before she can…” Her voice was even more lifeless than usual, and Shinju was struggling to stand in the force of wind emanating from Hanako’s body. “We… we have to…!”

Bringing her weapon down, Hanako stopped herself right before her weapon could pierce Rui’s body. Or would have pierced Rui, were her body still in the same position. Hanako looked around frantically, a crazed look in her eye before she finally caught sight of Rui’s savior.

Kneeling down by another convergence of vines, thorns protruding, Rui’s unconscious form rested in the arms of Yasu Matsushita. “Just in time… I really am starting to hate the fast ones,” she muttered, giving Hanako a curious, yet dark glance before fleeing from the barrier, out of sight of the others.

Hanako stared blankly in the direction the pair had fled, but made no effort to give chase. Shinju, however, snapped herself back to reality and stood in Hanako’s field of view. “Whoa! Are you nuts? You could’ve killed her, you know! How are we gonna clear a dead girl’s name, huh? This isn’t like you at all!”

This time, Hanako seemed to snap out of her own trance, light returning to her previously blank emerald gaze. “I… I didn’t… what did I do…?” She dropped her rapier, clutching at her forehead with both hands.

Shinju looks around the space around them, noticing that the vines had started contracting and crumbling. That girl must have killed the Witch on her way out, she thought. As if answering the thought, Shinju caught the glint of a fresh Grief Seed on the ground, picking it up. “Oh. So this is what it looks like, huh? ‘Haku told me how this all worked, but I didn’t think it was this small. Or eggy.”

She reached for Hanako’s hand. “Hey, gimme your Soul Gem real quick.” Hanako waited for awhile, blinking and shaking her head before she dropped her transformation, placing her clouded Soul Gem in the hand that Shinju held out. Once she did, Shinju pressed the Grief Seed against Hanako’s Soul Gem, and the cloudiness began to swirl and fade, until only a pure, pale green gem remained in Hanako’s outstretched hand.

“Whew! Okay, I’m learnin’ a lot on the fly here. Guess sis was right, it is better to just feel out how this all works. But man, I didn’t think I’d run into you here! Or that Tomato gal.” Noticing that the wind had started to die down, Shinju’s voice turned more serious. “So uh… how’re you feeling now, Hanako?”

Thinking for a moment, Hanako took a few deep, purposeful breaths. “…Calmer. Significantly calmer, actually. From the moment… that you cleansed my Soul Gem. I guess I… have been neglecting this aspect of my duty. I… I’m sorry.”

“Hey, it’s nothing, really. I just got all this down a few hours ago, myself. ‘Haku spent most of the night training me after I made my wish. But uh, are you sure you’re okay? I’ve never seen you act like that before. You’re always so quiet and stuff. I didn’t even know you made a wish too! I guess it makes sense, though.”

“I… I didn’t wish my condition away, you know.” Finally finding the strength to speak normally again, Hanako looked away from her friend. “I just… wished for the strength to fight it. …I… I guess that… that wish manifested my powers more… literally. I can’t… feel my wind so well now.”

“Huh. Y’know, ‘Haku told me that a girl’s wish shapes what kinda powers she’s gonna get. Maybe that wind of yours gets stronger when your emotions run wild?” Hanako nodded, and Shinju continued. “Well, maybe the more you use that power of yours, and the longer you go without cleansing your Gem, the stronger it gets, too? But maybe that’s why your emotions went all…” Shinju just twirled her finger in small circles in the air.

“…I… I don’t have a conscious desire to… to do -that- to Rui Tomatsu. But… I felt so scared. And there she was… completely helpless. In that moment… I wasn’t thinking consciously, but there was just… haze.”

Sure enough, Hanako felt herself in an internal fog, just like she always did when her mind decided to stop playing fair. She couldn’t deny it. She just tried to resolve her conflict with Rui Tomatsu using lethal force, and she was barely even aware of it. Even now, she could barely remember. But there was no other way around it.

Yet even with this revelation came the confirmation of her other theory. Hanako’s powers increased with that emotional state. She would have to dip into that level of cloudiness in her Soul Gem in order to stand even against Rui, should the two fight again. It was a terrible balancing act, and Hanako was stumbling in every step.

Suddenly, however, Hanako saw a bright blue light piercing that internal fog. “…Shinju, you’re a Magical Girl?! When did this happen, exactly?!”

Shinju couldn’t help but laugh, dropping her own transformation. “Haha! Just last night, actually! Remember how I kept saying I wanted to talk with ‘Haku, but could never get any time with her? Well, turns out that’s why! She’s one too. Once I told her what was going on, she agreed to hook me up with a meeting with Kyubey!”

Hanako was silent for what felt like an eternity, though perhaps a minute passed at most. “What… what did you wish for, anyway?”

“Ah, well… you know.” She turned away, waving her hand dismissively. “That’s not really important. What -is- important is that I can stand at your side now, and fight these bullies with you!”

Hanako merely nodded, looking down. “…We… need to talk with Koharu.”

“Whoa, wait, why? Don’t tell me she’s one too!”

“N-No, of course not. But… she knows. She helped me make my wish, so… you know, in the interest of… being on the same page, and all.”

Sighing in relief, Shinju raised her hood over her head, the barrier finally fading into nothingness. The pair stood on a sidewalk along a main road leading away from the school and towards the residential district. “Good. Yeah, that’s a good idea. Let’s talk with Koharu.”

* * *

Rui’s eyes snapped open as she jolted up into a sitting position, on the verge of hyperventilation. She only calmed herself when Yasu placed a hand on her shoulder. “Easy now. You were out of it for awhile there.” Both girls had lost their transformation at some point, and Rui looked around. Right behind school grounds, where not even the staff bothered to look anymore.

“…So you pulled me out of that, then?” Rui’s voice was beginning to calm, and her breathing soon followed suit.

Yasu answered with a sigh. “I’m not gonna say you owe me. We both know that I owe you way more than just saving your life now and again.”

Rui’s eyes closed as she leaned back against the tree she awoke under. “Gimme the story then, Yasu.”

“The green girl was about to pull the trigger, so to speak. Blue girl had backed off. They might not be on the same page. Hell, I don’t know if they even know each other, or what their deal was.”

“Hanako Sasaki and Shinju Hayama of Newspaper Club.” Rui’s voice and tone were calm, a matter-of-fact echo, as if the logic were calming for her. “Trying to clear my name.”

Yasu gave a disapproving glare Rui’s way. “Wait, so why are you fighting her so hard then? They’re already doing what you want.”

“It’s not about their actions, or about their goals, or even about their intentions. They still see me as some sort of monster. A bully. An enemy. I can’t have that, Yasu. They’re with me, or they’re against me. There is no middle ground, you know that.”

Yasu pinched the bridge of her nose, as if trying to choose her words carefully. As if choosing poorly could mean life or death. “Putting the usual argument aside, I don’t think we can keep taking potshots like this. They’re pretty strong on their own, and when they’re together, I don’t think we can just muscle ‘em into doing what you want.”

Rui’s eyes opened again, a deep, bitter fire starting to burn within them. “No. Not with just the two of us, no.”

“Oh? You wanna try this by force again?” Yasu scoffed. “You and what army, Rui?”

A sinister grin began to creep across Rui’s face.

<= Chapter 11 ~ * ~ * ~ Chapter 13 =>

[doronjosama]

This week's Cleaning Out My Sub Box scores: Our Dining Table v.1 by Mita Ori and Our Dreams at Dusk v.4 by Yuhki Kamatani! Another series collection completed! #newcomicbookday #newcomicsday #comics #manga #cleaningoutmysubbox #comicshopgirl #ourdiningtable #mitaori #ourdreamsatdusk #yuhkikamatani #sevenseasentertainment #finalvolume #girlsreadcomics #ibleedcomics #comiccollector #fujoshi4life https://www.instagram.com/p/CCwfJmODJ4C/?igshid=1x3pcu7mc1ytf

[mitakiharaoriginal]

Azuki picked up the pace until they were at a brisk walk...

Azuki picked up the pace until they were at a brisk walk, avoiding jogging or running to keep up their energy and decrease the chances of slipping. She looked forward, squinting slightly against the renewed force of wind and rain batting against her eyes and glasses, continuing to grip onto Rino's hand, taking some solace in the warmth that human contact provided, and that a friend was still safe and close behind. After a few more steps, Azuki looked behind herself to check on Rino, noting her distress...

It was then that a pair of figures seemingly appeared out of nowhere; each of the assailants wore no shirts despite the biting cold of the rain, their skin covered in dripping "tattoos" that they had literally carved or had carved into themselves, their lower wear was ripped and covered in blood, and their faces all had a strange, circular symbol with arrows pointing in various directions painted on their faces. Their faces were contorted with rage and eyes were full of blood lust. One was much further back, apparently content in just cheering for his comrade, and the other one had somehow managed to stand directly behind Rino, having gotten there through means that Azuki knew could only be magical as she would have heard their footsteps otherwise. In his hand was a crudely made axe, with a sheen of rust and some fresh blood smothered around the blade, dripping off as rain washed it away. In the moment that the raven haired girl had noticed them, he already had his arm raised, ready to strike down upon his unwary prey. Within human boundaries, it should have been too late, he was already in motion and Azuki was still enough steps away that it would be over... However... She wasn't human.

"Rino!!" Azuki yelled, letting go of her friend's hand and gritting her teeth as the man's arm began to lower, his arm shaking and the axe trembling within the tightness of his grip. Time seemed to slow for the puella as adrenaline and magic began to kick in, she lowered her center of balance and mumbled in a hush, "One-hundred percent."

Within a fraction of a fraction of a second, the Puella ring she wore flashed, her eyes glinted a glowing bright orange before they glazed over. Then, Azuki was gone. Where she stood was nothing but air, and falling rain. Rino would feel a push to her back, pushing her forward and away from the attacker. In front of him now stood Azuki, her dash could be described as teleportation, if not for the splash of water and the gust of wind that followed her wake, her glasses left behind and ribbon carried off by wind. The puella's assault was almost as quick as her "flash step": in fluid, impossibly fast motion, Azuki swept her left arm upwards, forearm crashing into the axe man's own with a veritable crack. In the same space, before the man's face could contort in pain, Azuki delivered a punch to the his jaw, more cracking noises being released into the air as the man's cheekbone then nose broke in succession. Not yet finished, Azuki lowered her left arm once more, grabbing the forearm with its new "joint" and yanking, turning her body at the waist and pulling her left arm toward the right, lowering her legs to use full force into throwing the man into the cheering one behind him, sending both flying off to the side and into the wall, all of this happening within the same moment that it took for the axe to hit the ground in a clatter. The colors and light returned to Azuki's eyes as she took a deep breath and relaxed her now screaming muscles, walking one step forward and turning to Rino when there was adequate distance.

"Fuyuki-san," she started, pausing as she looked around to make sure the coast was clear. Her face was dead serious, and her mouth was curled in a frown, though her eyes, ever the window into her emotions gave way to the concern and fear for her friend's safety, and she didn't know what to say, "I... You could have died..."

[more-mitaori]

Chapter 10

“Tell me everything. Spare no detail.” Koharu’s voice was toneless as ever, though Hanako had detected hints of urgency that she never had heard from Koharu before this.

“U-Um… well…” Hanako looked away, bandaged cheek on full display for Koharu in the dim light of the boarded clubroom. “I… I thought to take a hunt for myself. It’s… it is the duty to which… I’ve consigned myself, after all.” Sensing her friend’s impatience, Hanako continued. “I studied the Witch for a while… then I was attacked. Knives… lots of… daggers, seemingly out of nowhere.”

Koharu moved in front of Hanako and stared straight into her eyes as the story unfolded. “I was holding my own for a time… but I haven’t the experience to stand with a girl like this. She told me her name, and… that she is connected to Tomatsu.”

“Bodyguard maybe. Illogical. Why would someone like Rui need another to fight her battles for her? It makes no sense.” Koharu looked down, impatiently tapping her foot against the floor. “Must have been a warning. You told me she gave you an ultimatum. One you turned down. Must be a scare tactic. But why give her name? Who is she?”

Hanako sighed heavily, moving and sitting on the floor in the corner of the club room. “…She only gave me a first name. Yasu.”

Koharu, in an instant, reached for a small book on the desk beside her, flipping through laminated pages. It sat in a pile of scattered papers and books, various documents, the organization of which only made sense to Koharu, and no one, not even the staff questioned her methods anymore. “Yasu Matsushita? She’s our age I think. Unremarkable girl otherwise. Average grades, no clubs… hm. The attack still defies logic.”

An audible gasp came from the clubroom door, the source of which cause Hanako to turn pale where she sat. Koharu remained unflinching as she turned her head to look at Shinju standing at the entrance. “You were attacked again, Hanako?! By one of Tomato’s cronies this time?!”

“Calm down. Hanako is unharmed. We are gathering information—”

Shinju’s fist came against the side of the door frame, causing Hanako to flinch where she sat. “Information?! These attacks are getting worse! Who knows how far this girl’s going to go! And this is considering we’re trying to clear her name and everything! What the hell is wrong with her?!”

“This is how bullies operate. Listen to me.” Koharu’s eyes flashed with determination, a rare fierceness to her voice. “As far as I am concerned, clearing Rui Tomatsu’s name, and her bullying of our friend, they are two separate incidents. I remain committed to the truth, but I do not tolerate bullies, either.”

Shinju took a few deep breaths. “…You’re right. God damn it, I know you’re right. But it pisses me off, you know? We’re helping someone who’s actively hurting us!”

Koharu sighed softly, closing her eyes and returning her attention to the yearbook in her hands. “You don’t have to like it. This is our duty.”

“…Duty, huh? …Permission to leave early then, Captain?”

“Don’t call me that. I’m the president of this club by technicality. Not your leader. Or anyone’s. Do as you like.” Hanako had learned by now to read between the lines with Koharu to discern actual intent behind her words. Koharu was telling Shinju that she recognized that she was going to solve things in her own way, while Koharu did the same. Their goals were the same, with differing approaches. Shinju would focus on protecting Hanako, and Koharu would focus on clearing Rui’s name.

With a quick nod and a glance towards Hanako, her face a hastily assembled mask of attempted reassurance, Shinju bolted out of the room. Koharu sat down, nudging her head towards Hanako. “Oddly quiet, even considering.”

“S…Sorry, Koharu…” Hanako’s voice was even more meek and timid than usual as she ran a finger along the bandage on her cheek. “Just… thinking.”

“Natural. The incident is escalating in a serious way. You need time. Right?”

Hanako said nothing, loosening the grip she had on her knees.

“It concerns me too. But the other thing that surprised me is that you survived, relatively unhurt beside some scratches. Another power of yours?”

“Oh, um… I… I discovered something. My wounds were… far worse than they are now. In fact, this bandage… it’s for show. My mother saw it, so if I were to remove it now, well…”

“It’s healed already?”

“Y-Yes. Um. I don’t know if… if it’s just my power, or… something we all can do. But I can… heal. It… it does, however, cloud my Soul Gem more swiftly than just… fighting normally does.”

“Go on.” Koharu, in turn, knew Hanako well enough to know when she had more to say, but needed to find the right words. A prod like this usually kept Hanako from drowning in her own mind.

“Ah, u-um… right. Well… I haven’t cleansed my Gem in… in awhile. And I thought it was just… adjusting to this new form, but… but my wind. It’s… it’s more powerful. Much… more powerful, I feel like. As if it responds not to me, but… my emotions. Does that make sense?”

Koharu was quiet for a moment, then nodded. “Makes sense. Your wish was emotional in nature. Your powers are fueled by emotion.” She nodded again, more slowly, as if she were talking to herself more than Hanako. “But there’s a price to using it too much. Balance.” She quickly turned her head to face Hanako. “You need to find balance. A happy medium between this strength and emotional stability. Understand?”

“I… I do.” Eventually, Hanako pulled herself back to her feet, shaky and nervous, but standing upright. “I should… probably leave as well. I don’t want to be late to my other club.”

Nodding again, Koharu turned back to her chaotic stack, beginning to gather it together. “We’ll talk more later.”

“Mm.” Hanako shakily made her way to the door. As she left, walking in a soft haze down the hall, she recalled her first encounter with Yui. She shuddered, realizing that she had once thought of Yui as a bully. Now that she encountered one properly, she realized how foolish it was to think of Yui that way. She had been trying to teach her, albeit in a harsh, blunt manner.

But ultimately, Yui was right all along. Hanako really didn’t know what she was getting herself into. How could she? Kyubey never disclosed any of the finer, more important details, after all. The more Hanako considered this fact, the more she realized that it was likely intentional on Kyubey’s part. Its main focus, after all, was convincing Hanako to make a contract with it in the first place.

Shaking her head, she returned her thoughts towards Yui’s advice. With the new revelation about her ability to heal, as well as the state of her actual powers, she needed to actually learn how to fight. Both in a physical sense with her fencing, and in an emotional sense with her magic.

In a twisted sort of way, Hanako’s wish for the strength to fight her depression had come true after all. In order to overcome her predicament with Rui, as well as helping clear her name, Hanako would need to learn proper balance. Physically, mentally, and emotionally.

* * *

Shinju was pacing around the dining room of the little apartment she shared with her older sister. For once, Kohaku was home, with no surprise duties to pull her away this time. But despite how many days Shinju waited for this talk, she suddenly found she couldn’t find the words.

With a sigh, Shinju returned to her bedroom, making a beeline for the dresser along the far wall. Specifically, what was on top of it. A simple, yet immaculately kept cage, and a curious chinchilla standing on his hind legs as Shinju entered.

“Yo, Kinu,” she called. As she did, the chinchilla sniffed the air, as if greeting her in return. “Let’s say I have this friend, right? And she had to ask her sister for advice, but didn’t know how to go about it. What would you do?”

Kinu tilted his head, then leaned along a small willow ball in the middle of his enclosure. “Yeah, that makes sense,” Shinju continued, as if replying to some unknown speech from her pet. “I thought so too, but like, where do I even begin? It’s not the easiest thing to bring up…”

Pushing the ball a little, Kinu began chewing curiously along the top. “Heh, I guess that makes sense. Rip the bandage off. That’s how ‘Haku’d do it after all. N-Not that I’m talking about myself and ‘Haku or anything!”

A tiny, inquisitive squeak followed, but undoubtedly Kinu was far more interested in his newest toy than anything his human was talking about. Not that he really understood in the first place. “Fine, fine, you got it out of me! But it’s our little secret, okay?” Taking Kinu’s silence as agreement, Shinju chuckled and made her way to the door. “Okay, no time like the present. Now or never, and all that. Now, let’s go talk to her. Been putting this off for far too long now.”

Kohaku was in her bedroom, a slightly larger master bedroom just opposite from Shinju’s, separated by a tiny hallway. Her door wasn’t quite closed, just left ajar. This was typical, as Kohaku wanted to keep herself accessible for her little sister whenever she could, yet maintained a strict air of privacy otherwise. Shinju had never really questioned it before. As long as Shinju knocked first, there was never any issue, and she never really had much reason to bother her sister most of the time.

Finding her resolve, Shinju rehearsed a few opening lines in her head, taking a few deep breaths before starting down the hall. She didn’t have any reason to be nervous, but she also didn’t want to just blurt out Hanako’s circumstances without a good reason, either. Kohaku gave Shinju her freedom, but sometimes, Shinju felt like somehow, Kohaku was always looking over her shoulder. As if waiting for an excuse to swoop in and save the day, or something like that.

Knocking on the door, Shinju found it swinging open more easily than she expected. “Hey, ‘Haku, got a sec? I need some advice—”

Her words stopped as she noticed two things immediately. First, her sister was mid sentence, and going pale at the sound of Shinju entering her room, even inadvertently. Second, a small, white, cat-like creature with bright red eyes jumped up a split second after seeing Shinju, hopping swiftly out the window.

“Shinju! Didn’t I tell you to always knock?!” Kohaku’s voice was harsh, of course, but Shinju had detected a note of panic.

“I did knock! I even said something before the door just kinda… swung open! So what’s the big secret? You’re keeping a cat now, or something?”

Kohaku swiftly made her way to the window, closing it with a slam and drawing the curtains to hide the creature’s escape. “…Not exactly.” Closing her eyes, she took a few deep, calculated breaths before turning to face her younger sister, color returning to her face. “I guess the best course of action is to just tell you everything. No story I make up is gonna hold.”

Noting Shinju’s confused expression, Kohaku continued. “Well, you might not believe me, anyway. But I can tell you this much. There’s reasons beyond my sworn duty to the Defense Force that I leave at night.”

“Oh. Um… yeah, I guess I did notice you sneaking around at night.”

Kohaku sighed again. “I figured you’d caught me once or twice. I don’t even know how to tell you all this without sounding like I’m losing my mind…”

“Hey hey, look. You’re not the type to make stuff up, right? Just lay it on me, and I’ll promise to listen with an open mind. At least, I won’t laugh. Okay?”

Another few deep breaths followed, and Kohaku stared Shinju straight in the eye as she spoke. “Magic is real, Shinju. That creature you just saw, it gave me a certain kind of power awhile back.”

Shinju just blinked. Kohaku wasn’t the type to make things up, after all. And nothing in her tone indicated that this was some attempt at a first ever prank. But still, magic? It sounded like a manga that Shinju used to read when she was much younger.

“At night, I leave the base and fight creatures known as Witches. Beings of malice and contempt that prey on humans if left unchecked. Maybe you’ve seen the news? Rises in unexplained suicides and disappearances?”

Sprinkling in the real-world tie was enough for Shinju to believe the story in full. She wasn’t one for staying glued to the television, but she had seen stories here and there to the effect. It was enough to catch her attention, but never enough to hold it. Still, given what Kohaku had just told her, it did add up in Shinju’s mind.

“So these, um… Witch thingies, they make people disappear or off themselves?” Shinju stopped herself with a sudden gasp. Comprehension dawned, and circumstances were beginning to add up.

Rui Tomatsu -couldn’t- have been the one to break the window after all.

If Witches could make people do desperate things to themselves, then it stood to reason that Koharu had broken the window while under attack by a Witch. She had been injured in the incident, and neither she nor Hanako seemed bothered by it. It was something Shinju always found strange, but never questioned.

Not to mention Yui’s involvement. She and Hanako never seemed to get along, something that made Shinju nervous during band practice sessions. Yet after the incident, Yui had hovered around Koharu a little more carefully than someone just concerned over a close friend’s little sister.

And when Shinju returned to the club room to investigate on her own, she had noticed a rock in the middle of the room. But it wasn’t anywhere near any of the broken glass, it was sitting dead center of the club room itself. Pieces were coming together along the edges of Shinju’s mind.

This train of thought led Shinju to consider Hanako’s injuries. Sure, she was attacked by Tomatsu’s minion, but she seemed more shaken by Shinju confronting her about it than the attack itself.

Before Shinju could pursue the thought any further, Kohaku interrupted. “It looks like you’re getting the picture. I want to explain all this to you because I need you to promise me something, Shinju.” A startled Shinju turned to look Kohaku in the eyes once more, and Kohaku cleared her throat. “Under no circumstance are you to engage with Kyubey. That’s the creature you just saw flee my bedroom.”

“You’re a strong kid, Shinju, but this isn’t the life I want for you. You deserve to be a normal, well-adjusted girl. Someday, you’ll move off base and get your own place. Maybe a dorm room for university, maybe an apartment, maybe roommates, maybe start dating, who knows?”

“Point is, you deserve to live a normal life. I’m telling you this so you’ll forget about it, just like everything else that we talk about in a serious manner. It’s not even the danger I’m worried about, but… ugh, how do I even put this?”

Shinju rubbed her chin, looking away. “Well, what does it take to get this power, anyway? Meeting with the cat thing. But what else?”

Kohaku’s eyes narrowed a bit, as if wanting to shut Shinju down, but she continued anyway. “Kyubey grants one wish in exchange for this power. I’m sure it has limits, what you can wish for, but it’s a contract. Once your wish is granted, you spend the rest of your life fighting Witches.”

“So what did you wish for?”

The question caught Kohaku completely off guard, as if this were another layer of truth she wasn’t ready to confront with Shinju. This time, she went completely quiet, looking down and away.

“Aw c’mon, don’t go all quiet on me now! I wanna know what you wished for! It’s an honest question. Or like, does telling someone your wish break the contract or something?”

“Nothing like that, no.” Kohaku’s voice was much softer now, melancholy and nostalgic even. “Technically, Kyubey saw you first, so I’m not breaking any rules here. In fact, it might approach you on its own, so me telling you all this is even better if I’m going to keep you out of all this. …Remember that trip to the ocean we took last year?”

“Oh yeah! We spent like three days swimming it felt like! We even swam at midnight one night, under the full moon. Don’t really remember a whole lot of that night though. Woke up feeling like I slept for a week. Why do you ask?”

“Well…” Kohaku paused yet again. “…There’s a reason for that, too.” Once more, comprehension began to dawn on Shinju’s face, but Kohaku didn’t let those dots connect naturally. “You wanted to break your own record for how deep you could dive. Your friends at the time, they had been training to serve in the JMSDF once they got out of high school. They could touch the bottom of the lagoon we were swimming in, but you couldn’t.”

“Oh yeah, I remember that!” Shinju beamed with a bit of pride, then sunk back down. “But I never really remember actually reaching the bottom…”

“You kept trying, the entire time we were there. You just had to touch the bottom, just once. So under the full moon that night, you gave it one final push. No matter what, you had to catch up with those friends of yours. …You didn’t come up.”

“Wait! Are you telling me I… died?!”

“No. If you had… there’s nothing even Kyubey could have done, I think. After you didn’t come back up, I dove down myself. You’d gotten yourself caught on a rock at the bottom of the lagoon. I thought you -had- died, actually. I got you to shore, called in for medical assistance on the radio, but they were taking too long. I tried to resuscitate you as best I could, and that’s when Kyubey appeared before me.”

Shinju paused for a moment, going pale herself now as she heard this story. “So then… your wish was—”

“—to save your life, yes. I didn’t think twice about it. I would have done the same thing a thousand more times, without any regret. Even knowing what I know now, having done this for over a year.”

Shinju was stunned into silence. She had forgotten all of this. Was this a part of the wish? Could it have been the lack of oxygen from being so deep underwater for so long? Or was she blocking this memory on a subconscious level? Even hearing the story, she could only partially remember pieces of the incident, but she couldn’t remember much after that last dive.

“…You never act like I owe you my life or anything. Hell, you let me get away with a lot, I talk back a lot, and… I…”

“Stop, Shinju.” Kohaku’s authoritative tone returned by now. “You -don’t- owe me your life. I saved you because I want you to have a normal life. Just because I couldn’t, what with my career in the JSDF and this new duty of mine, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have your own life either. Remember, I’m telling you this so you stay away from Kyubey.”

Shinju had begun to think again, leaning against the door frame and closing her eyes. “And if I decide I have to, how’re you gonna stop me?” Kohaku’s eyes went wide, but Shinju didn’t let her interrupt her this time. “What if it’s the only way for me to protect the friends I have now?”

This gave Kohaku pause. She raised an eyebrow, but folded her arms across her chest.

“See… I told you about Hanako, right? Quiet kid, down all the time. Well, she’s getting bullied at school.”

“That’s no reason to—”

“And I don’t think it’s the regular kind of bullying that teachers can step in and fix,” Shinju added pointedly, leaning on the context of Kohaku’s story.

This seemed to sink in, and Kohaku’s eyes widened. “…Continue.”

“So… there’s this girl that’s being accused of breaking our club’s window. But there’s a lot about it that doesn’t add up. The school staff seems hellbent on putting the blame on her. So what we’re trying to do is, using the school newspaper, clear this girl’s name. But something hasn’t sat right with me.”

“This girl’s a nasty character, see. But she didn’t break our window. At the same time though, she’s sending her little friends to actually attack Hanako. When I got to school, she was covered in bandages all over her face and stuff. But I couldn’t get the story out of her until we met up at the Newspaper Club meeting.”

“She was acting all secretive about it, like she and Koharu didn’t want me knowing what was going on. If it was just normal bullying, I wouldn’t see a reason for her to keep that from me.”

“And what’s more, Koharu had cuts on her face just last week pretty bad too. Like, I guess the story was that the window breaking gave her those cuts? But I saw the window before they boarded it up. It was broken from the inside, not a rock from the outside.”

“So what I’m saying here is, ‘Haku, that I believe your story, not just ‘cause I trust you and everything. But it makes sense. I think that Koharu and Hanako at least know about all this, and that Hanako was attacked by someone who isn’t just an ordinary girl.”

Kohaku had no choice but to acknowledge the determination in her sister’s voice. She could tell that Shinju wasn’t a child anymore, despite how often she acted like one. For the first time in ages, she spoke to Shinju as a complete equal, rather than as a guardian and older sister. “…I’d agree with that, Shinju. It sounds like Hanako probably made a contract with Kyubey herself. Given what you told me about her mental health, it’s a pretty safe bet. I can’t say whether I think Koharu did the same, however.”

“So you agree, then? That Hanako’s bullies are probably using magic, just like you are?”

“Yes.” Kohaku uncrossed her arms and sighed again. “I’ve sensed others like myself at that school before. But since I’m duty-bound by the Defense Force, I can’t really investigate it, myself. I’ve been curious for awhile now, in fact.”

“So that means you could use my help, and I could use the magical power stuff to help keep Hanako safe. ‘Cause who knows how many other cronies this Tomato chick has lying in wait.”

Kohaku was silent for a long moment. She wore a contemplative expression, then finally gave an annoyed, resigned sigh. “…I tried, I really did. But I don’t see any other way around it.”

“Wait, so you’re gonna let me—”

“I’ll arrange a meeting. No more, and no less. But you’re still going to have to follow my rules. And if this goes the way you think it does… there’s gonna be a hell of a lot of training. No sister of mine is going to be fighting literal monsters unprepared. Am I understood?”

Shinju gave a little salute, her face glowing as a smile crept in. “Yessir, Captain!”

<= Chapter 9 ~ * ~ * ~ Chapter 11 =>

[more-mitaori]

Chapter 9

The echo of the final bell rang in Yui’s ears as she started to make her way from the lockers. The phantom ringing accompanied hurried words from Alice as she had rushed out of the school. “I’m going with Esther today, sorry! We, um… we have a lot to catch up on, ehe.”

Yui wasn’t bothered by this, of course. Esther hadn’t been back that long, and she had been gone longer than before this time. Even without the drama, Alice tended to cling to Esther on the way home from school on particularly bad days anyway. The event, in isolation, never really registered with Yui.

Today, however, was different. When the sun set, Yui would have to meet with Esther on her grandfather’s home turf to back up a bet made in complete haste and emotional cloudiness. She would honor it if she lost, of course, but she wasn’t excited about the prospect of potentially leaving Mitakihara on her own, and abandoning Alice and everything Yui had built over the years.

As if on cue, Midori tapped Yui lightly on the shoulder. “Don’t tell me you’re suddenly jealous of Alice’s older sister or something, Yui.”

Yui scoffed, a playful retort natural for these sort of interactions. “Jealous? As if. Esther’s not really my type.”

Midori choked a bit, not expecting the reply. “Th-That’s…! That’s not what I meant, Yui!” Ignoring Yui’s laughter, she continued. “Look, I know something’s going on between you two. Things have been super tense lately, and in case you forgot, I kinda have to be good at picking up on these things.”

“Around Koharu? Yeah, you gotta be sharp to keep up with her. Seriously, I dunno how she does it. Runnin’ a club in her first year -and- reviving the school paper? That’s dedication.”

Yui’s redirection seemed to work, as evident by Midori’s heavy sigh. “Don’t I know it. You know, Mom really tried to fight her on that at first. She told me once that she didn’t want Koharu following in her footsteps. Mom can take the kinda criticism and vitriol that comes her way from being a journalist, but Koharu…”

“Y’know the kid’s way tougher than you give her credit for, right? Give her room to breathe and see how far she goes. Just be ready to be there for her if things go south.”

Midori sighed again, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger. “Yeah, about that. She’s been really tense lately. Something’s eating at her, but surprising no one, she’s not talking about it.”

“I’d offer, Midori, but she doesn’t really like me all that much. And that’s fine, really. I know what I’m about. I’m not for everyone. But, hm. Think she’d open up to Alice?” Yui’s tone was calm and genuine. She was bad at tempering how she felt, but that left her with an air of blunt honesty. Unlike others who bragged about how they ‘told it like it was’, Yui was sure to be honest when it came to positive criticism, too.

“If we can find a crowbar big enough to pry her away from Esther for five minutes, sure.” Midori sighed one more time. “In any case, my sister isn’t the only one who’s tense lately. Your jokes were down by about thirty percent from our last practice!”

Yui shook her head. “I’ll make up the difference next time, you can look forward to it. But lemme guess, I should ‘take some time and relax’, right? Alice said the same thing to me yesterday.” She was beginning to sense a pattern from her friends, not to mention her grandfather. She only lamented that her facade had slipped enough for them to notice in the first place. Or perhaps, Yui allowed in her head, that her friends were close enough to notice when Yui had a lot on her mind.

“I know,” Yui joked, “maybe I’ll skip town for a bit. Go on vacation. School be damned, right?”

“Oh, don’t even joke about that, Yui! You know what Esther being away did to Alice this last week! What do you think would happen to her if -you- just up and vanished, hmm? It’d crush her! She’ll never admit it around the rest of us, but we all know. She needs you, Yui. Just like she needs Esther. You’re her rock too, you know!”

Yui was quiet for a moment before responding. “Damn, man. You’re layin’ it on pretty thick for just one of my shitty little jokes, huh?”

“I -am- serious, Yui. We’ve known each other for years now. I know when you’re hiding your real feelings behind a crappy one-liner.” Midori folds her arms across her chest, giving Yui a stern look before starting to walk away. “So… don’t go doing anything stupid. Okay?”

Watching in silence, Yui waited for Midori to leave before gathering her bag with a sigh. “…You’re really good at kicking my ass too, Midori. God damn… but maybe that’s just what I needed right now. Forget Esther. I can take on the whole goddamn world, so long as it meant I could keep you all safe in it.”

* * *

The opening of a can was the starting pistol that Yui needed. Her plan, at least in her sixteen year old head, was to rush out while her grandfather was mid drink of his beer. By the time he’d realize what was going on, Yui would be out of the apartment. The sun was just starting to set, and Garou was only on his first beer. This concerned Yui, but she was patient enough to wait for this.

Sneaking out through the window wasn’t an option. It wouldn’t take long for him to piece together that she was sneaking into -his- arena to have a grudge match against the girl that beat him the night before. By then, the repercussions would be far more severe. At least this way, his lecture afterwards would come with a sarcastic remark and an inch of respect for Yui’s technical honesty.

One deep breath, and Yui broke into a swift stride, just shy of a run from her bedroom door to the living room. Her eyes were locked on the front door to the apartment. “OkayPopsheadingoutgotstufftodobebacklaterokaycoolbye—”

“Goin’ to the arena, are you, kid?” Garou’s voice cut Yui’s plan clean through, and she froze in her tracks. “Heh. Got a lot to learn if all it takes to lure you out is a can.” He held out a pink can towards Yui, which had just been opened. The scent of sickly sweet soda filled the air.

Yui hesitated, then took the can. “No sense hiding it then, huh? You already know.” With a sigh, she turned to face her grandfather. His expression was calm as he stared at her, waiting. “I’m going to fight that chick that beat you last night.”

“Like fuckin’ hell you are, kid.” His reply was simple, his voice low. “I didn’t raise no revenge chasin’ hothead.”

“Revenge?” Yui scoffed, but dropped her act as soon as she caught his gaze again. “Okay, maybe that’s a part of it. But it’s more than that. I know this girl.”

“Go on.” Garou leaned back in his chair, the air of a mob boss waiting for his lackey’s excuse for ignoring his orders. It was muscle memory, perhaps, or a part of his mind that yearned for the days of old.

“…She’s Alice’s overprotective older sister. Wants me to stay away from her for some dumbass reason. I wanna keep the band together. So I made a bet.”

Garou broke into a quiet laugh. “Ha, now that’s rich. Well, I’m still half right anyway. You’re a goddamn no-good hothead, Yui. But the reason checks out. So what’s the bet, anyway? You last longer ‘n I did and she can’t get in your way no more or somethin’?”

“Jeez… when’d you get psychic powers, Pops?”

“I’ve been in the game longer than you’ve existed, kid, an’ twice over, too. I’ve seen it all. Done more than that.” He then lit a cigarette, taking a rather long drag, as if to torture Yui with the wait of it. “Well, fine. Go on then. Just don’t lose. I didn’t raise no loser, got it?”

Yui smirked, heading for the door after a quick nod to her grandfather. “I don’t plan on losin’, Pops.” Yui then darted out under the crystal clear evening sky.

* * *

The roar filling the secret, underground arena was deafening compared to the night before. The promoter of the fight club seemed to have done too good a job at booking and billing the ‘revenge match’. There weren’t any posters, but if there were, Yui suspected her face would have been all over them. “Jeez. So much for keepin’ the heat down on this place. How many cops are here now, I wonder…?”

Yui half expected and fully imagined entrance music as she walked down the aisle towards the cage. She had never actually fought in this arena before, but she was widely anticipated as the heir to Garou Arashi’s legacy in the ring. Often, Yui would be asked when she would step up and don the mantle of ‘Princess Arashi’ in full.

She never gave a straight answer, of course. Keeping people in suspense drew them to watch her grandfather. The more that came to witness ‘King Arashi’, hoping one day to see his throne usurped by his granddaughter, the more he got paid. The more he got paid, the more breathing room they had to keep their tiny apartment, as well as food and electricity.

Still, Yui thought, tonight was almost -too- crowded. Was her debut that widely anticipated? No, she answered to herself. They just wanted to see the person who held the record for knocking King Arashi down a peg again, this time avenged by his heir apparent.

Rather than showboating, she simply assumed Garou’s stance. She knelt down in the center of the ring, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, appearing to meditate. She had his mannerisms down perfectly, and this was validated by a sudden pop from the audience. Struggling to contain her smug grin, she knew she had the home field advantage. Not that this stopped Esther last night, of course, but Yui needed all the help she could get.

Just as she imagined music for her own entrance, Yui’s mind wandered to some pretentious music as Esther made her way down to the ring. Internal Latin chanting and heavy strings drowned out the announcer’s voice.

The first thing that Yui noticed, of course, was that Esther was in her Magical Girl attire. She was transformed. Of course, Yui was as well, but her expression darkened. They may have had the same idea, in the end, but it still annoyed Yui to see Esther stoop to such lengths to keep her away from her sister.

What this meant, in the end, was that both girls meant business. Yui would have to give her all in order to survive. She had no delusions of winning, of course. The bet was to last longer than Pops did. The official time for last night’s bout was one minute, fifty six seconds. If Yui could hang on for the full two minutes, she would win the bet.

Yui rose to her feet, staring Esther in the eyes. Or as well as she could through a pearl-white opera mask. This wasn’t part of Esther’s attire, of course. She brought it to this venue in order to hide her face. Yui didn’t bother, of course. She was too well known here to try and hide.

Esther was staring back into Yui’s eyes, both girls’ expression calm, yet with the underlying tension of what both girls put on the line. Esther losing meant that she would have to deal with Yui without interference, and Yui losing would mean leaving town, abandoning Alice to her fate. As they took simultaneous fighting stances, the crowd— and even the air itself stood in total silence, only broken by a single word through the speakers.

“BEGIN!”

The bell rang, and both girls came out swinging.

Yui was just a hair faster, a straight punch from her right arm, seemingly extending to land between Esther’s eyes. Esther staggered back a step, then another before Yui followed up with a left hook to the older girl’s cheek. Her third hit missed, however, as Esther ducked under the swing of Yui’s right arm, rolling behind her. Yui managed to buy just a few seconds before Esther would retaliate.

Esther started with a straight jab into Yui’s side, just above her kidney. She was throwing faster, lighter punches to try and knock Yui off balance. Sure enough, Yui would try to counter with a hard, slow yet powerful swing, only to be met with several quick punches before Esther would jump back.

Not giving Yui any room to breathe, she lunged forward. Her knee was blocked by Yui’s palm as it rose towards her stomach, but Esther was still quick enough to sling a harsh left hook into Yui’s cheek.

Again Yui stumbled, but she didn’t fall over just yet.

Esther lunged again, though this time, Yui rolled between the swinging arm and knee, jumping with dexterity that Esther had not anticipated, and brought a swinging kick to the small of Esther’s back.

This time, Esther stumbled, though she stayed balanced.

She turned, a crazed look flashing in her eyes. Yui had kept an internal clock running in her head, though she knew it wasn’t completely accurate. This was the point when Esther usually took control in their spars. Yui would get a couple little hits in, and it would set Esther off enough to end the fight in a hurry.

Yui had to have planned for this in order to survive to the end of the timer she set for herself.

Esther’s rage finally broke through. A flurry of punches and kicks, aimed all over Yui’s body followed. It was all Yui could do to prevent any of Esther’s attacks from knocking her over. If Yui went down, it was all over. She blocked what she could, dodged what she couldn’t, yet each blow took more and more energy out of Yui.

Her legs trembled as she struggled just to stay standing, managing to glimpse Esther readying a knockout punch. Just before it reached Yui’s face, however, Esther stopped, her eyes widening in shock. The audience looked around, equally confused, both at Esther’s hesitation, and the sound that ever so softly resonated through the arena.

A clap of thunder, somehow audible this far below ground, had been heard through the entire arena.

Yui smirked, just enough for Esther to see it. Esther, meanwhile, had been frozen in pure shock. She couldn’t ask the question out loud, she couldn’t dare risk the audience hearing that their ‘costumes’ were, in fact, actual battle attire for a world they could never understand. The secret must be kept at all costs.

But her eyes shone with the question all the same. ‘Are you using your powers in our fight?! How could you sink so low, to use -magic- during our duel? Is this wager no longer sacred?!’ It was this question, burning on the surface of Esther’s soul that put such a smug expression on Yui’s face. As if to emphasize, or perhaps give the answer that Yui couldn’t give out loud, another soft, subtle yet fully audible rumble of impossible thunder resonated in the little cage, and the stands surrounding it.

Most importantly, this bought Yui a fair amount of time. Battered and worn out, Yui knew that this distraction would be the edge she would need to stay up longer than her grandfather.

His fight had lasted just shy of two minutes. This was due to Garou spending time sizing up his opponent, and taking more calculated, methodical attacks. Esther, meanwhile, was spending time waiting for Garou to leave an opening to exploit. On the other hand, Yui was far more reckless, charging in from the moment the bell rang. Esther, in turn, was exploiting this, and had far more on the line to win and lose this time.

Still, Yui knew that this parlor trick wouldn’t be enough to secure the time she would need to win their bet. Running on fumes and a second wind, Yui pushed forward again. A quick jab, a swift right hook followed by a left to the ribs, and a quick spin before delivering a back kick into Esther’s stomach.

Esther stumbled back, coughing as she dropped to one knee. Yui’s mind raced with possibility and opportunity. She might not even have to merely -survive- here, she thought. She could -win-. The idea was intoxicating. All Yui had to do was run forward, bring her heel down on the back of Esther’s head, and the bell would ring in her favor. She would win the bet, and have a clean win over Esther, the first ever in the two Magical Girls’ history.

Despite her imagination, however, Yui’s grandfather’s words played in her head like a song on repeat. “I didn’t raise no revenge chasin’ hothead.” It was enough to leave the embers of logic burning in Yui’s mind.

Yui stepped back, letting Esther catch her breath. She would rise to her feet seconds later, assuming a stance after wiping the corner of her mouth on her sleeve. The first time Esther’s white outfit ever showed a red streak. She scoffed. “I thought you’d take the bait. I guess I underestimated you. Either way, though, I think it’s time I ended this.”

In a flash, Esther was once more in Yui’s face, and the assault she delivered was far more intense than at the start of the bout. Before, Yui could block and dodge, but this time, each hit felt like a car crash condensed into singular spots on Yui’s body. Finally, two final punches left, one to Yui’s cheek, and a straight right punch to Yui’s neck.

Coughing heavily herself now, Yui collapsed to a single knee, shuddering as she tried to stand. Her energy gave out, however, and still holding her neck, Yui fell onto her side. The bell rang, and the crowd erupted into a thunderous cacophony that rivaled Yui’s feint just a minute prior. The announcer’s voice somehow made itself heard through all the noise. “Here is your winner, The Phantom of Cursed Blood!”

Esther, however, showed no pleasure in the victory. Instead, her expression was sour, and she made her way slowly out of the cage and to the backstage area. Yui slowly staggered to her feet, still clutching her neck and coughing, but through the crowd’s rowdy noise, she felt herself gain the energy to stand.

With a smirk and a wave, playing the crowd for a bit, she would limp and crawl her way back towards Esther. Finding her leaning against a wall, eyes closed, Yui broke the deafening roar of the personal silence between them. “Heh… two-o-nine. I win by thirteen seconds, Esther.”

Esther was silent. Her expression, both before and now, showed that she already knew the outcome. She won the fight, and quite possibly the biggest prize that this arena had ever given out, but she knew, deep down, that she lost the -real- fight tonight.

“So, you’re gonna keep your word, right? No more tryin’ to keep me an’ Alice—”

“Don’t you -dare- imply that I would go back on my word,” Esther hissed before Yui could finish her sentence. “The terms were crystal clear. I couldn’t keep you down in time. I will make no further attempt to keep you away from my sister. -Congratulations-, Yui. You won. Now do me a favor and don’t rub this in my face any longer than you have to.”

Yui scoffed, followed by a deep, labored cough. “Don’t get so down about it. You still won, in the end. Just lost our little bet. Didn’t know the big bad mentor of Mitakihara was afraid of a little thunder, though.”

Surprisingly for Yui, however, Esther did not show any anger at Yui’s admittance. Instead, a sickening smirk crept across her face. “No, I suppose neither of us could resist using magic in the end. Not with so much at stake.” Kicking off the wall, she walked past Yui by a few steps, savoring the confusion on her face.

“Wait… you…? But I didn’t—” Her words were cut off by another coughing fit, Yui’s hand firmly clutching the wound on her throat. Esther merely smiled, walking away without another word.

What the hell, Yui thought? She’d been trying to heal from the second the bell rang after their fight ended. Most of the bumps and bruises faded by now, but those last two hits were still as sore, stinging the entire time. She’d initially thought that it was just two heavy knockout blows. They did hurt worse than usual, sure, but the last hits always did.

Yui rushed to the backstage restrooms. They were equally run down, compared to the rest of the arena, but there was still one mirror that hadn’t been shattered completely yet. As she caught sight of herself in the mirror, her eyes widened in horror, seeing pale white embers fading ever so slowly along her cheek. Pulling her hand away from her neck, the strange ghostly pale flame flickered before fading on her neck as well.

“…Oh son of a bitch,” Yui muttered. Touching the wounds, the burn marks and pain refused to settle. Dropping her transformation, she touched her Soul Gem to the marks, only to wince in a fresh pain. Esther was neither lying nor bluffing about using her magic, and for the first time since Yui had met her, she finally had a read on what that magic was.

* * *

It took Yui longer than usual to return home. She seemed to walk on autopilot the entire way back. Opening the front door to the apartment, she found her grandfather awake, seemingly waiting for her. Instead of a beer can, Yui noticed an envelope in her grandfather’s right hand.

“Ah, that bad, huh?” Her grandfather’s voice was softer than usual, much more serious and much less cutting. “Didja last longer ‘n I did, at least?”

“Yeah. That was the goal, Pops.” Yui’s voice was equally soft this time, much less sarcastic and just as serious. “But I paid for it.” Her cheek and neck had been bandaged, somewhat sloppily. She had patched herself up, but it was more to hide the wounds rather than actually heal them. Yui would have to figure that part out later.

Garou gave an approving smirk, nodding his head before holding out the envelope. “So your fight’s just beginning then, ain’t it? Well, you got some homework to do on that Rinju girl.”

Yui doesn’t say another word, hesitantly stepping forward to take the envelope into her hand. Yeah, she thought. Homework. This was definitely far from over.

<= Chapter 8 ~ * ~ * ~ Chapter 10 =>

[more-mitaori]

Chapter 8

Another blanket of dull, pale gray covered the sky as Hanako made her way to school. She had spent most of the previous evening staring at a scrap of paper given to her at the end of the previous school day, but never mustered the courage to use the information it contained. A resigned sigh left Hanako’s lips as she walked. She would have to find another way of approaching this, she felt. Perhaps her friends would know what to do with this development? She never did tell the others about her encounter with Esther Rinju, after all.

“Hey.” A voice as cold as ice called out, one Hanako knew quite well by now, yet she couldn’t help but notice how much calmer it was today. “Come here. And don’t give me any crap about me attacking you. This is an olive branch.”

Hanako was silent as she turned to face Rui, trying not to show any signs of fear, but the smirk on Rui’s face told Hanako that that plan already failed. Still, she took a cautious couple steps closer before stopping.

Rui merely nodded, seemingly satisfied with the inch of progress. “There we go. Look, I know you’re in that Newspaper Club, the one that the school’s saying I vandalized, right? Well, word is, you lot are actually trying to clear my name.”

“...Yes. That is exactly what we are trying to do, yes.”

“Why?” Rui’s expression was calm, yet her words still cut to the bone.

“...Because. Because we know that… that you did not break the window. It is… an established fact. None of us in the Newspaper Club… none of us feel right… letting someone be punished for something they did not do.”

A sincere, yet sinister smile crept upon Rui’s face. “Well look at that. We finally have some freshmen who know how the world works. So how do you lot plan on clearing my name, anyway?”

Hanako looked away, shuffling her legs nervously. “...We are… still working that part out.”

The smile faded from Rui’s face as quickly as it came. “So you had something to do with it? What, are you afraid of the repercussions of your actions? You’d get a slap on the wrist at worst. You look well connected, you might get a talking down, but that’s about it.” Rui scoffed before she continued. “No, you have a solid head on your shoulders. It’s not fear of getting in trouble holding you back. It’s got something to do with -this-, right?”

Rui reached into her pocket, quickly pulling out a pearl-white Soul Gem, immaculate in condition. Not a speck of corruption, not a hint of a cloud of grief could be seen on its perfect surface. She held it out for Hanako to see before placing it back into her pocket.

“...You sure are observant, aren’t you? … Y-Yes. It was… it was a Witch attack that ultimately led to the damage in our club room. As such… providing evidence to clear your name is… going to prove difficult.”

Hanako expected a worse reaction than Rui gave. “Hm. That’s going to be a pain, yes. I’ll leave the details to you, then. Now, for the real reason I wanted to speak to you today.”

A blank expression lit Hanako’s face as Rui said this. “It wasn’t… to give me a hard time, was it? Or to somehow… make peace, given what I—...What we are trying to do for you?”

“Not at all. You see, I came to make an offer. This is a one time deal, so pay attention, Hanako Sasaki.” Rui’s eyes flashed with a rare spark of life. She was being genuine, Hanako could tell that much, but Rui’s intentions were anything but pure. “Join me. I’m not after an apology, or a fight. What I’m after is…” Rui paused, as if calculating the rest of her sentence. “...Friendship. Allegiance.” Sensing Hanako’s apprehension, Rui’s expression darkened. “Total, unwavering loyalty. You would never have to live in fear again. How about it, Hanako?”

Hanako was stunned in place where she stood. She understood what Rui was saying perfectly clearly. And in a small part of Hanako’s mind, she was weighing this option carefully. A girl like Hanako had lived most of her life in fear up to this point as it was. Having the protection of someone far stronger than she was, it was an alluring offer.

However, Hanako had found a resolve that she had never known before. Had Rui made this offer a year ago, Hanako might have taken it without much thought. But now that Hanako had friendship, the kind made without threats or demands of loyalty, Hanako could tell what Rui was really asking for. A minion, someone to aid her and lift her on whatever mission this girl found herself on. “...You and I… both know what my answer was always going to be… Rui.”

Eyes closed, Rui simply nodded. “Yeah. Still, it was worth asking out loud. Just so there’s no confusion later. It’s a shame, really. Having someone like you in my corner would’ve made this whole thing so much -easier-. Oh well.” Rui walked past the nearly petrified Hanako, placing a hand lightly on her shoulder. “I do wish you luck, though. You’re going to need it. If you’re serious about us being enemies, that is.” Rui then walked off without another word.

* * *

“Tempting. We have the same goal. Working together wasn’t a terrible idea.” Koharu was pondering with her chin and jaw resting in the palm of her hand. “But she asked too much. I agree. She wanted a pawn. You did the right thing, Hanako.”

Hanako was hugging herself around the waist, sitting in the far corner of the club room. “...It doesn’t… it doesn’t feel like I did, though. It would have been… so easy, to just…”

Koharu waited for Hanako to trail off completely before interjecting. “Too easy. Too much asked of you. No, it’s better this way. Even if it’s more difficult.”

“I’m with Koharu on this one, Hanako. You give a bully an inch, they’re gonna take the entire mile, then tell you that you’re not giving them enough. It’s better to rip that bandage off now and deal with a tough fight than lock yourself into this girl owning you.” Shinju had a concerned look on her face, but an underlying frustration hid behind her eyes.

“No word from your sister?” Koharu was still not looking at either of the others.

Shinju sighed, folding her hands behind her head and staring up at the ceiling. “Nope. Didn’t get a good chance last night. She’s allegedly off duty tonight, so I should be able to get a hold of her this time. Sorry… but can you all hold on one more night?”

“I’m not her target. Ask Hanako.”

Hanako jumped, seemingly shaken from her trance, staring sheepishly in Shinju’s general direction. “I… I can, yes. I’m… I’m okay. Don’t worry so much. I’m… tougher than I seem.”

“When is the next Fencing Club meeting?” Koharu’s bluntness kept Hanako anchored in reality.

“Tomorrow, after school.” Hanako didn’t elaborate any further, but it was obvious that Koharu was expressing concern in her own way, something Hanako was grateful for.

Shinju clapped her hands together and sighed in half-relief, half-exasperation. “Well, just make sure you get home safe tonight, okay? Y’all can text me when you get home, and I’d feel a lot better for it.”

“...Okay.” Hanako slowly uncurled from her seat and stood up with a stretch.

Koharu, on the other hand, began tapping the end of her pen against the table. “I don’t get it. She could start this trouble after we clear her name. What is she after that she can’t wait? Or at least help us out first. It makes no sense.”

Hanako glanced over in Koharu’s direction. “She… Tomatsu is a bully. I… I doubt there’s much logical in the way she thinks to begin with…”

“You don’t seriously believe that do you?” Koharu sharply turned to face Hanako. “The way she approached you made sense. The threat did not. But her initiative made sense. She has enough logic to be planning something. I just can’t figure out what.”

Shinju scratched her cheek, still staring at the ceiling. “And this is the girl whose name we’re clearing?”

“Yes. Much as it bothers me. But she did not break that window. The truth comes first.”

“Mmmh… I agree with Koharu. Even now… even after that threat… we have a job to do.”

Shinju stood up, stretching as well. “Well, count me in. But I don’t have to put up with the bullying part. I’ll think of something.”

Koharu returned to gazing at nothing in particular, tapping her pen against the table. Hanako timidly grabbed her bag, and the rest of the meeting was held in near silence.

* * *

A familiar sensation took hold of Hanako not two steps out of the school’s gate. A Witch, and much closer to the high school than the last one she fought. She didn’t give much thought to the idea that this could be some sort of trap set by Rui. Hanako didn’t think that someone could ever have the kind of power to control a Witch. Hanako did consider, however, that Rui might be lying in wait, in an attempt to ambush Hanako.

Still, Hanako could feel that the cloudiness in her Soul Gem was starting to accumulate. Kyubey had explained to her, before she made her contract, that by using her magic, her Soul Gem would become clouded. The only way to cleanse the Gem was by using a Grief Seed to drain the corruption, usually after defeating a Witch.

What Kyubey didn’t mention to Hanako was what would happen, should a Magical Girl go too long without cleansing her Soul Gem. Hanako had asked, once or twice, but she never recalled getting a straight answer. All that mattered now, as far as Hanako cared, was that she needed desperately to actually defeat a Witch, and on her own this time, in order to avoid whatever vague fate awaited her, should she let this corruption accumulate any further.

She made her way towards the barrier. Another alleyway, Hanako thought. She mused that perhaps this was a preference for Witches? To reside in alleyways and strike from a distance? It was a sound strategy, she had to admit. Seeing the results of the Witch’s Kiss on Koharu was enough, after all. Reaching her hand out, Hanako shifted into the barrier.

Inside, Hanako found herself walking on a railroad track, seemingly floating in midair. Several other tracks, coming from and going to nothing in particular, in random directions hovered around. Above, below, beside, and in some cases intersecting one another. She didn’t dare to even think about what would happen should she fall. A lavender haze filled the space, and Hanako couldn’t see any ground below her.

Not a minute after Hanako had these thoughts, still trying to get her bearings, did she hear the sound of a train in the distance, though she couldn’t tell where it was coming from, and she felt the rumble of the tracks beneath her.

Hanako didn’t have time to think. As the sound grew louder, and thus, closer, Hanako had no choice but to leap onto a neighboring track. As soon as she did, the sound had vanished, with no sign of any train on the track she was just on. On top of that, Hanako found that she was anchored to this new track, which seemed to lay vertically in the space, at least compared to the other one. She took a few steps upwards to confirm this, feeling no different than walking on solid ground.

As soon as Hanako became comfortable in the space, however, the noise of an approaching train began anew. Hanako tested her new theory and jumped onto another track, this time hanging upside down over the space. Once more, Hanako found herself standing on solid ground, as if this were the ‘proper’ gravitational alignment. Once more, the sounds of the train vanished in an instant.

She quickly realized that she could take her time with this Witch. It didn’t seem to attack whenever Hanako changed track, and with her wind to help her hover, jumping from one to the other was a simple task. It afforded Hanako plenty of time and breathing room in order to formulate a strategy. She would jump from track to track every time she heard the approaching train, all while waiting to see how she would counter attack. The unfortunate thing about this strategy was that Hanako had yet to see the Witch, or its attack. She was safe, hopping from track to track, but she couldn’t do anything in return like this. Hanako knew she would have to take a chance and let the train approach her, trusting in her wind to carry her away before impact.

Before Hanako could attempt this strategy, however, she found herself caught off guard. The sting of cold steel found its mark alongside Hanako’s cheek, and she couldn’t dodge in time. She didn’t even sense the attack, nor did she see where it came from. Thinking fast, she jumped to another track, only for another attack to graze her shoulder.

This time, Hanako saw the object. A silver dagger with a bright yellow-and-black striped handle flew by her side, just missing her. Hanako would jump from track to track, spinning to avoid the new onslaught of knives flying just past her. Her personal cyclone flared as she struggled, which helped deflect the knives, allowing her to catch her breath.

Was this the Witch’s actual power, Hanako thought? It didn’t make sense. The previous Witches Hanako fought followed a logic that was reflected in their barriers. She was expecting a train-like Witch to confront her here, not these knives. “...Show yourself!”, Hanako eventually called out.

“Huh. I’m impressed, most people fall over when I send my knives after them.” Emerging from a track opposite Hanako, a girl with short black hair, wearing a yellow-and-black striped dress stood on top of a still train, as if it had been derailed. Her gaze was fierce, piercing even, and locked square upon Hanako’s shaky, wavering form.

“Do you… do you make a habit of this? Attacking others like us… on our hunts?” Hanako had finally caught her breath, keeping her cyclone around herself in a defensive posture. “I was… I was under the impression we… had the same goal.”

“Oh, we do, alright.” The girl hopped down from the dead train-Witch and onto a track right beside Hanako, all without taking her eyes off of her. “That is, when your goals align with hers.” She brandished a slightly larger dagger, pointing it square between Hanako’s eyes. “Or didn’t Rui tell you that there would be consequences? It’s not like her to leave that part out.”

Hanako jumped back, giving some distance while pointing a freshly summoned rapier back at her assailant. “...I see. You’re one of hers, then. My answer is unchanged, Even more so now, now that I see what the consequences are of… defiance.” The wind flared around her. “I have friends. I’ve no need of… of an empress.”

“Yeah. We get that a lot.” The girl then leapt forward with blinding speed, catching Hanako’s cheek in a quick slash, landing behind her. “I’ve gotten pretty good at dealing with people like you, though.”

Hanako clutched her twice bleeding cheek, stumbling back. “Who… who are you, anyway?!” In a panic and a desperate rage, Hanako threw a rapier at the girl, aided by a strong gust of wind. The assailant managed to roll out of the way, though it grazed her side, tearing at her outfit.

“Huh… been a -long- time since someone actually landed a hit. Good, I hate holding back anyway.” She turned, launching herself at Hanako with a flurry of slashes. Hanako parried each with her rapier, but she was gradually being pushed back. Soon, another dagger appeared in the girl’s hand, and before long, Hanako’s rapier was thrown from her hands. As it was, two quick cuts landed on Hanako’s chest and right arm.

Jumping back again, Hanako summoned another rapier in her left hand. She staggered from the injury, yet she showed no sign of backing down. “I… I said… I asked… who are you, anyway?!”

The girl merely shrugged. “My name’s Yasu. Rui and I go way back. That’s all you need to know. Anyway, it’s been fun and all, but…” Soon, a swarm of knives formed behind Yasu, not unlike a cloud of wasps whose nest had been disturbed. After a moment, they all flew in Hanako’s direction.

Hanako deflected what knives she could with a freshly called rapier. Her cyclone helped curtail a majority of the attack, and she summoned a second rapier into her right hand, doing the best she could to fight off the attack. Eventually, however, she would become overwhelmed, falling down off of the track with a pained scream, with Yasu looking down with a blank expression.

She fell for what felt like minutes, and the knives had long since passed her. Despite how long she fell, she still couldn’t see the bottom of the labyrinth, and managed to catch herself on a track. She struggled to pull herself up onto the rail, panting heavily. She couldn’t see where she fell from from here, but she could feel the entrances to the labyrinth, at least one of them not far from where she was.

Rui had made good on her threat. If she couldn’t have Hanako under her thumb, she had every intention of having her taken out. The thought kept her stunned as much as her injuries. Hanako felt the blood running down her cheek, as well as her front and side. She was hurt pretty bad, but she was still alive.

Still, what could she do? Going to a hospital seemed out of the question, as it would lead to an impossible inquiry, both from law enforcement and from her mother. The last thing Hanako wanted was to put her family in the line of Rui’s sights. As Hanako’s breathing slowed and calmed, she clutched her Soul Gem. As she did, she felt a sting on the cuts she endured, as if the wounds were beginning to close. “Eh…?!”

Sitting up, clutching the Gem a little tighter, she began to focus on this feeling. Sure enough, her wounds were gradually beginning to heal, much faster than logically possible. Was this a power Hanako had herself? Or was this some trait that all Magical Girls shared? Just what -was- she now, Hanako thought?

Before she could lead her mind to any sensible answer, the barrier would fade. Hanako was left in an alleyway far from the one she entered from. “...Right. First order of business… is to get myself home.” With some effort and pained groans, Hanako managed to rise to her feet, limping out of the alleyway. “…I… I then need to… see what else was… damaged with her attack…”

<= Chapter 7 ~ * ~ * ~ Chapter 9 =>

[more-mitaori]

Chapter 7

Minutes had passed since the last bell had rung, yet Hanako was lingering in the hallway just by the school's entrance. Hanako hadn't run into either of the two individuals that she was avoiding, but she couldn't help but feel on edge.

Koharu had already gone home, unable to stay behind as Midori personally went to pick her up from the Newspaper Club room. Shinju had stayed with Hanako as long as she could, but as Hanako had denied the offer for her older sister to take her home, Shinju had no choice but to leave her behind. Closing her eyes, Hanako let out a soft, quiet sigh. She took a cautious step towards the door, only to stop and flinch as she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Whoa, hey. Sorry, didn't mean to startle ya. Just me, kid." Yui's voice was calm for once, devoid of her usual sarcastic bite, and she quickly retracted her hand. "Don't tell me you're lookin' over your shoulder too."

Hanako turned to face Yui, doing her best to calm her breathing. She quickly relaxed, noticing that she seemed oddly at ease with the fact that Yui was the one to find her. "I... It's nothing. Just... I..."

Yui didn't seem to need Hanako to finish the sentence. "That Tomatsu chick. Right? Creepy ass third year? Well, you're worryin' over nothing. She didn't come to school today."

The dullness in Yui's hollow tone caught Hanako's attention, and her eyes widened a bit. "D... Don't tell me, she is... after you, as well?!"

Shaking her head, Yui leaned against the wall beside Hanako. "Ran into her on a hunt, though. You can believe me when I say that I'll know whether she's around or not. Creeped me the hell out." Yui folded her hands behind her head and sighed heavily. "Fine mess I made, huh? Coverin' for Koharu on the fly, leavin' that rock in your club room, and now we got one hell of a monster waitin' to beat our asses."

"...I... I still cannot blame you for that, Yui. There was... no way of knowing how the school would react. Or... or how their target would react, either..."

"I guess. There really was no way of knowin' I'd be puttin' everyone in the sights of one of the most dangerous Magical Girls I've ever seen. I'm allowed to feel like crap about it."

Hanako coughed a bit from the shock. "Rui... Rui Tomatsu is... a Magical Girl?!"

"Jeez, weren't you listening? I said I ran into her on a hunt. She uh... kinda blew the entire barrier to hell. Was like watchin' a mirror shatter or something. I was tracking what I thought was a pretty strong Witch, but that feeling stuck around after the barrier was gone. I played dumb to avoid a fight, but I don't think it really worked. Well, maybe it did, we didn't fight I guess. Any case, neither of us can run from her forever. Whatever the hell she's after, anyway."

Hanako stared down in silence for a long time. The girl that the school was framing for the broken clubroom window was not only a bully, but a Magical Girl as well? It was all too much.

"Hey," Yui continued, "I heard y'all are trying to clear her name. Y'know how tall an order that is, right? Girl like that's guilty of a lot of crap. Maybe not what the school's sayin', but... well, you get where I'm goin' with this, right? I picked a fight with her before I made my contract once, and uh... yeah. She's got a lot goin' on up there." Yui emphasized her meaning with a tap to her temple.

Hanako's eyes flashed a bit with resolve. "...We're... not going to let the school frame someone for a crime she did not commit. Even... even someone as cruel as Rui Tomatsu. Even if she is... guilty of a myriad other infractions... she is not guilty of this one."

The reaction from Yui was not what Hanako was expecting. She merely nodded, closing her eyes. "Alright then. That settles it. Y'all are rock solid. Even in the toughest of storms, ya still find your way out, and you do it on your own terms. No shortcuts, and no compromise. You have my respect."

"...Th-Thank you, I... I suppose?" Hanako didn't know what to say. She still didn't necessarily -like- Yui, but she couldn't deny how reassuring it was to have an ally in the Magical Girl world, especially given the twofold threat of both Rui and Esther. Yui must have sensed this, because she had extended her hand. Hanako awkwardly shook it after a long pause, still averting her gaze and quickly pulling her hand back.

The two were quiet for a long moment, with Hanako breaking the silence. "...Are... are all third years like this? I... I ran into someone else. Someone named... Esther Rinju. ...Alice's older sister, she said."

Yui immediately pounded the wall behind her, causing Hanako to jump. "...Sorry. Yeah, uh, I know her. She pull some overprotective mama bear bullshit on you too? Arrogant fu—"

"...'Too'? Did she... did she give you some spiel about... staying away from Alice? You two are... close, are you not?"

Yui raised an eyebrow. "The hell d'ya mean 'close'? Alice is my best friend, that's all. Has been since we were twelve. But uh, yeah." With a sigh, she pushed herself away from the wall and stared out the front doors. "Not like I'm gonna take that 'advice' or anything. Esther can kiss my ass."

"...She wasn't... hostile or rude. Just... I didn't like... the feeling I got, while talking to her. That's all. It was... it was like her words were a... a mask she wore." After a bit of hesitation, Hanako continued. "...She... offered me assistance, as... as a Magical Girl, however."

Without much reaction, Yui was quiet for a minute or two. The gears in Yui's mind appeared to slowly turn, until finally, she spoke again. "So take her up on it." Before Hanako could interrupt, Yui elaborated. "In fact, don't even make something up. Tell Esther that you got a bully problem, someone from her class. See how she reacts. It'll be a thorn in Rui's side and keep Esther busy. Worst case scenario, nothing really comes of it."

"I... Yui, I don't think—" Hanako stopped talking as soon as she caught sight of Alice approaching the duo.

"Hey. What's with the gathering?" Alice was holding a half-empty bottle of fruit juice loosely in her right hand, glancing between both Yui and Hanako. "Did I miss something?"

Yui reacted as quickly as she always did, with her tone suddenly shifting up into what sounded like her usual, dismissive tone. "Ah, Hanako met your sister yesterday, that's all. Got spooked by the scaaaary big sister routine."

Hanako's face went pale, and she stammered a bit, though Alice rolled her eyes as she spoke before Hanako could get a word in. "Ugh. She's always like that. Don't take her too seriously, Hanako, she's more bark than bite."

"Well, not -all- bark. I still remember how stiff my shoulder was that time we met after I made my wish." Yui rolled her shoulder for emphasis. "Still the toughest Magical Girl I've ever seen. Y'know, she didn't even pull out a weapon for that little bout? I -still- don't know what her powers are."

Alice once again showed no outward reaction to how casually Yui was talking about this, something that made Hanako visibly uncomfortable. "Sis got more protective after making her wish. Between her and Yui, I don't think Kyubey can get anywhere near close to me anymore."

"Is that... is that the goal? You know, Alice... um... y-you don't -have- to become a, um... a Magical Girl like us. It's... it's not compulsory or anything..." Hanako was shuffling nervously in place, the air shifting around her a bit.

Yui, however, merely scoffed. "Yeah. For most girls, maybe. But y'see, the damn cat's had its eye on Alice for a long time now. It's nice enough, sure. But Hanako, don't take everything it says at face value, 'kay? Nothin' in life comes for free like that. And no, fighting like we do isn't the price I'm talkin' about."

Hanako blinked in confused silence. Kyubey had always been warm and kind to Hanako, listening to her problems without much judgment. But deep down, she had a feeling that the end goal was to make a contract. She couldn't figure out why, exactly, but she knew that this deal wasn't everything Kyubey promised on the surface. Still, that feeling wasn't enough to sway Hanako to refuse. Still, she always had the feeling that she -could- have refused. Something about all this didn't make sense.

"Don't think too deeply about it, Hanako." Alice seemed to read Hanako's overthinking expression. "Even this is probably just my sister and Yui being overprotective." Flashing a stern expression to Yui, Alice then turns to give a reassuring one to Hanako as she digs into her bag. "Here, I'll give you Esther's number. She really does mean well, and she's helped girls in your position before." Alice tore a small corner of notebook paper, writing something down hastily and handed it over to Hanako.

Pocketing the slip, Hanako would give a polite nod, her awkward way of dismissing herself from a conversation, and made her way out of the school building. Once out of sight, Alice would sigh, turning back to face Yui. "So on a scale of one to ten, how complicated did everything just get?"

"Hmm. Six, maybe like a seven?" Yui folded her hands into her pockets and closed her eyes. "If your sister can help the rookie find her way, it'll be fine. Probably."

Alice's face lowered a bit, as did her voice. "You know... you shouldn't worry about Esther too much either. Her heart really is in the right place."

"Who said I was worried?" Giving an indifferent shrug, Yui started for the doors, only to be stopped by Alice once again.

"I can tell, you know. I know when something is keeping you up at night. You're overthinking things. ...I know better than to ask, so let's just save everybody some time." Alice gave a heavy sigh. "Maybe take tonight off and just... I dunno, chill out?"

Yui was quiet for a moment, then turned to give Alice a reassuring smile. "Hm. Not a bad idea. I think I'll do just that."

* * *

Night had long since fallen, and Yui had left her apartment in a quiet hurry. She wasn't on the hunt tonight, however. Yui was making her way down towards an even shadier neighborhood than the one she lived in. One street into an alleyway, down into another, seldom traveled road, broken and dissheveled by weather and neglect, and finally in front of an unremarkable brick building. An office building, perhaps? It was surrounded by other, equally weathered buildings. Shady offices, legal firms, maybe even fronts for criminal activity. Such things didn't concern Yui. She knew where she was.

Yui approached a metal door on the side of the building, barely enough room for a person to stand in the alley between it and its neighbor. She knocked twice, then three times, then one solid pound. After a few seconds, the door opened, and Yui entered without incident.

She made sure to never draw attention to herself when approaching the site of her grandfather's fights, and Garou had made sure to let everyone involved with the operation know who she was, in case she decided to spectate, or even one day compete, if she felt so inclined. Yui had been offered the 'job' more than once. And while she considered it, she declined. She knew what this life did to her grandfather, after all, and deep down, Garou knew that Yui could do better with her life.

Making her way in, Yui descended further underground. Increasingly dim halls narrowed around her as she descended one staircase, then another. Yui eventually came to another steel door, a single slot visible at Yui's eye level. As she approached, it slid open, a pare of dull eyes on the other side. "Who is it?"

"Princess Arashi. I'm here to watch the King." Yui's reply was as swift as it always was. The person on the other side closed the small window, the sound of multiple locks clicking soon after, and finally, the door swung open.

Inside was a large, round clearing with raised, stadium-like seats surrounding a pit. In the center stood a shoddy looking, yet sturdy enough steel cage. There was a crowd, though not a particularly large crowd. If too many people gathered, it would inevitably draw the kind of attention the operators would like to avoid, especially as people would leave at the end of the event. Despite the small size, there were more than enough people to keep the endeavor funded. Spectating an underground fight club wasn't cheap, after all.

Most of the spectators were worn out, burned out business types. Bankers, office workers, the type of people who needed to blow off steam (the kind of steam the karaoke bars or cabaret clubs couldn't quell anymore, anyway) tended to gather in places like this, living a fantasy of violent release that they could never actually have themselves. Yui found the crowd pathetic on most nights. Gym memberships were cheaper, she would say to herself, and then, you at least get to actually hit something.

Sitting on his knees in the middle of the ring, Garou Arashi sat, eyes closed. He was putting on the image of a focused, seasoned fighter, a veteran of the battlefield. The crowd was cheering, mostly in restless anticipation. Yui's grandfather had made a name for himself over the last year or so, ever since his winning streak began. He didn't win every night, but he always put on a show good enough that the managers of this place eventually placed him in higher positions within the organization.

Yui took a seat in the back of the arena, staring down and waiting. She knew her grandfather's act well. The stoic master, expert of any and all things combat with a mysterious, shady past, versus some young buck looking to carve his own name out of Garou Arashi's hide. He never ended a fight quickly; everyone paid a pretty penny for a show, after all.

A deep, smooth voice would echo from the speakers in the corners of the arena. "Attention, everyone. Tonight's main event is about to begin. Our reigning champion, King Arashi, is here to once again defend his honor in the ring." The voice paused, allowing for applause and cheering to take place before resuming the introduction. "His opponent is like none he has ever faced before, however. Tonight, he faces a newcomer to our little circle. Tonight, our King faces the Phantom of Cursed Blood!"

The crowd's cheering continued as Yui rolled her eyes. "Jeez... these damn stage names are gettin' more and more stupid by the week. Last time, it was 'Virtuoso' and 'Chairman' and god forbid 'Maestro'. Kinda liked that 'Troubadour' guy, at least. Ah well. This shouldn't take too long." Yui watched as the cage door opposite her grandfather opened, and her eyes widened as she saw his opponent.

A girl, older than Yui by about a year, dressed in a simple white outfit stepped foot into the ring. Her pale blonde hair sat neat in a ponytail, and on her face, a pearl-white opera mask, laced silver beads along the edges. She wasted little time upon entry assuming a simple combat stance, both fists balled and held up in front of her.

Yui shook her head in disbelief. "No... what the hell are you doing here, Esther?!"

Garou swiftly rose to his feet, assuming a stance of his own. He was unflinching as he stared at the girl, completely silent. The announcer's voice picked back up after the cheering subsided. "Fighters, at the ready. And..." The crowed hushed for a long, silent moment that seemed to hang. "...Begin!"

The bell rang, and both fighters launched forward towards one another. Esther's fist found its mark before Garou's arm could even fully extend towards her, landing firmly into his stomach. He reeled back a step or two, but hooked his left arm towards her shoulder. Esther would swiftly avoid this by rolling around his side, another swift jab hitting his lower back.

Garou stumbled, yet he didn't fall. Wheeling around, he tried a few more quick strikes, nothing seeming to even come close to hitting the target. Esther was expertly dodging every single hit Garou aimed at her, and sneaking in quick jabs of her own. She would hit his stomach, his side, his hip, his upper and lower back, and finally, a firm, open palm strike at the center of his chest.

With a groan, Garou reeled backwards, catching himself as he fell to one knee, clutching his chest with labored breathing. He looked up at the girl before him, who showed no expression, and no hint of weakness. He knew he was outclassed and beaten, yet he still had to save face somehow. Shakily, Garou rose to his feet, wiping the sweat from his forehead before beckoning his opponent towards him once more.

Esther lunged forward once more, her hand balled into a tight fist and pulled back. She was aiming for a finishing blow this time. Moving his head at the last possible moment. Esther's punch sailed right by his cheek as she made contact with the cage. Not wasting the opportunity, Garou brought his knee up towards her ribs.

Esther stumbled from the counterattack, staring at him with the hint of a crazed flash in her eyes. It would fade in an instant as she lunged again. This time, she rolled over Garou's next attempt at a rising knee, swiftly moving behind him and quickly back to her feet. She brought her own knee right against the small of his back, and this time, Garou fell flat onto the floor below, a defeated groan leaving his lips.

The fight lasted less than two minutes, and the bell would ring once more, once it was apparent that Garou was not going to get up this time. "We... erm, we have a winner, it seems! The Phantom has defeated our King!" The crowd was confused, yet the cheering was deafening once the outcome had set in. They clearly were not used to matches ending so quickly. Yui had seemingly vanished in the chaos.

Esther had made no move to further attack Garou, however, and once the bell had rung, she turned to leave the ring. She made her way backstage, towards the manager's office to collect her reward. Waiting for her right by the ring was a very irate, upset Yui.

"And you told -me- to stay away from Alice." Yui's right hand was balled into a fist at her side, which was trembling from the effort it took her to remain calm.

"I did. It seems that you finally understand the basic concept of simple communication. Now tell me, what are you doing here? Are you stalking me now, to fill the void of losing out on stalking my baby sister?"

Yui's fist came up against the wall beside her. "Don't you goddamn start that shit with me, Esther! This is -my- turf! That was my grandfather you just beat the crap out of!"

Esther's eyes widened in a hint of shock. Pausing for a moment, as if reconsidering her next words, she continued. "I see. Then I was right in going easy on him after that surprise counter attack. I went in thinking he was just some drunkard."

"You're a fucking Magical Girl, Esther! D'you have any goddamn idea how dangerous it is for you to fight some normal-ass human?! What the hell are you doing down here in a cage fight, anyway? Got bored bullying your juniors or something? What could someone like you possibly—"

"I need the money, Yui." Esther's tone was flat, showing no reaction to Yui's angered taunting. "Quickly, and all at once. And don't bother asking what it's for, because you and I both know that I'm not going to tell you."

Grabbing Esther by the neck, Yui pinned her against the opposite wall. "You goddamned hypocrite! Fine then, since you're so keen on -simple communication-, lemme spell it out for you. You stay the fuck away from -my- family. Or do you fancy yourself some kinda goddamn queen, dishing out rules for us peasants to follow?"

Esther sputtered a bit from Yui's sudden attack, but couldn't quite break free. "Y-You know... ugh... you can't beat me. In a straight fight... I... ugh..."

Yui leaned in, inches away from Esther's face and stared directly into her eyes. "You wanna find out? 'Cause you just made it personal. And trust me, yours isn't the only family with skeletons in the closet."

Finally pulling herself free, Esther jumped aside, staggering against the wall and coughing a bit. She spent a moment trying to compose herself, but Yui had seen flashes of rage beneath her facade. Esther took a deep, controlled breath before speaking in a suddenly calmer voice. "...I still trust my odds, should you wish to continue. You and I both know how this goes." Her eyes opened soon after, and a gentle smile crossed Esther's face.

"Like I said. Wanna bet? 'Cause your sorry ass might've won against a nearly retired cage fighter, but I'm much more fresh, and a lot less green. So c'mon, let's make this -interesting-."

Esther's eyes flashed again, but she remained composed. "Are you challenging me to some sort of revenge fuelled grudge fight here in this decrepit, underground ring? I never thought you so masochistic that you would require an audience."

"Shut up. I'm gonna make this simple, Esther. You an' me are gonna fight here tomorrow night. If I can stay on my feet for longer than Pops did, then you give up on keepin' me away from Alice and admit I'm not this shitty influence you're makin' me out to be."

"And if I succeed in beating you before the time runs out?"

Yui's eyes flashed with a determination that Esther had never seen before. "Then I leave town. None o'ya will ever see or hear from me again. That's a promise."

"You and I both know what that's going to do to Alice, Yui."

"Not my problem. You said to stay away, right? I bail, then this whole shit's your problem. Those are my terms. You takin' the bet? Or are you gonna admit I'm worth somethin' to your family and back off?"

Esther went quiet once more, seeming to ponder this turn of events. Finally, she gave a slow, single nod. "Fine. It's a bet. I'll see you tomorrow night, then. Keep yourself in top condition." She made her way past Yui, heading into the manager's office behind her.

Yui didn't remember much after that, having been nearly blinded by rage. She knew enough that she stormed out of the arena after Esther went to collect her winnings, but everything else was a blur. When she came to her senses, she was back home in her little apartment. Her grandfather was sitting in an armchair, an empty beer can clutched in his right hand, staring at the television's blank static. "Geez... been a long while since I got my ass kicked like that. And on the one night you come by to watch me fight in like... what, a year?"

Garou coughed a few times, groaning as he rubbed his bandaged waist. Yui took a moment to compose herself before speaking. "Heh. I guess I'm your bad luck charm, or something."

"Hey, don't sound so scared, kid. I'm not as young as I used to be, sure. But I'll be back on my feet in no time. The boss said the crowd reaction to watchin' me lose for once, especially to some cosplay freak was a big draw. Shame she didn't stick around."

"Better that way, Pops. ...Let it be some story they all tell, the kind that they wonder if it's some kinda fever dream months from now. You're still the King."

Garou lit a cigarette, taking a drag before flicking the ashes into the empty beer can. "...I better be. You paid one hell of a price to put me on my throne, Yui." Meeting Yui's stunned, pale face, he continued. "Don't play dumb, kid. I've known about that world for a long time. You don't get to run an organization in the shadows here in Mitakihara without crossin' into that world."

"I mean, there I am, losin' fight after fight, wonderin' if that would be it for me. Saw your face in the crowd that night, and figured that's it. Some wild punk would go too far, take me out, get the club shut down, and I'd leave some inheritance that'd last long enough for you to finish school. Next thing I know, I get the biggest second wind of my life, and then I just kept on winnin' after that."

"Suddenly, my grandkid's no longer gettin' into street fights, but disappearin' at night. And I know for a fact there's not some second club like mine out there, not in this city. So I get to thinkin' about your mother, and it added up."

Yui had sat in stunned silence listening to him talk, only for the last few words to take the wind out of her completely. "...Mom was one too?"

"So tell me, kid," Garou said, ignoring Yui's question completely, "I gotta know. What did you wish for. Exact words. What did my baby grandkid sell her goddamn soul for?"

Yui stared down at the floor, quiet for what felt like hours, even if only seconds had passed. Pops would want his answer. He was owed the truth, Yui couldn't deny it. "...You were dyin' in there, Pops. In the ring that night. Bloody, bruised, broken... you were halfway to the grave. And I'm a stupid little kid that didn't wanna watch her Pops die like that. So I wished for you to have the strength to pull yourself back. The strength to win and survive."

Garou took another long drag from his cigarette, his eyes closed and voice calm. "S'bout what I guessed. You're a lot stronger now than you were a year ago, that's for damn sure. But take it from a pro. I've been doin' this shit all my life, Yui. You need a break. If you don't stop now and let all this go, it's gonna break you first."

"...You know I'm gonna want answers of my own, Pops. Besides, kinda hard to let it go when I got myself a match with the chick tomorrow night."

Garou chuckled rather darkly as he took another drag. "Whatever you say, kid. Just don't go gettin' hurt out there, yeah?" He watched Yui stumble her way back to her room. As the door closed, he pulled an envelope out from under the cushion of his chair. "...I got some readin' to do. I may not run the place anymore, but god damn it, I'll know what my granddaughter's up to in this city. Now, what are you hiding... Esther Rinju?"

<= Act I: Bipolar Nightmare ~ * ~ * ~ Chapter 8 =>

[more-mitaori]

Chapter 20

“With investigations still underway, police have given school officials permission to reopen Mitakihara High. The tragic death and disappearances of several students have had parents concerned for the safety of the school, yet official insist that the incidents are unrelated and isolated, and are simply part of Mitakihara City’s growing trend of missing persons cases, mysterious deaths and suicides.”

The news report droned on, becoming white noise in the background as Koharu read and reread the messages from both Shinju and Hanako. The truth would never be reported officially, but Koharu still had the closure of knowing. Rui Tomatsu was dead, and permanently this time. Chiemi Takahata and Akari Fueki were also both dead, with only Chiemi having a body to bury.

Rui’s death was officially ruled a suicide in the end, and Chiemi and Akari’s would likely follow the same trend. As the news had said, Mitakihara faced an epidemic of such cases over the last few years. While anyone could be a victim, it was noted by city officials that it was primarily younger women who vanished. Some left bodies, some did not. It was a part of a forbidden truth that Koharu was now privy to, but could never report on. The secret of Magical Girls must be maintained, lest this tragedy spread even further.

It was a bitter pill to swallow, but Koharu felt secure enough in knowing for herself. No one would believe her anyway, the danger of the knowledge aside. Still, she had her friends. They survived their encounter with Rui Tomatsu, and they, too, now carried an undeniably painful burden of their own truths.

Magical Girls who face unbearable despair, or who go too long without cleansing their Soul Gems become the very Witches they made contracts with Kyubey to fight against. Neither Shinju nor Hanako knew this fact before making their wishes, yet in their conversation with Koharu, both agreed to fight on, despite this horrible truth. In that sense, Koharu felt even more of a bond between herself and her friends. No one before had been able to truly know how Koharu felt, but in carrying impossible, unbearable truth, the Newspaper Club would stand together to weather any storm.

Koharu’s train of thought is interrupted by the knocks reverberating through her house from the front door. “Could’ve knocked quieter,” Koharu mumbled as she stood up, “house isn’t that well built.” She made her way to the front door, opening it and gazing upon the faces of the two school counselors. “…Nagano. Sakurauchi. What are you doing here?”

Nagano stepped into the house, with Koharu backing off to give her room to enter. “We have a serious problem on our hands, Koharu. Regarding Rui Tomatsu’s suicide. We have reason to believe that your handling of the school paper contributed to this horrible tragedy.”

Without flinching, Koharu crossed her arms, staring down the head counselor. “Evidence?”

Clenching her fists, Nagano took another step forward, continuing as if Koharu hadn’t said anything. “So effective immediately, we have no choice but to suspend the Newspaper—”

“If anything pushed that girl to end her life, it’d be you two. Framing students to get out of inconvenient situations. Like what you did with that Toi girl. Right, counselors?” Hikari Shirahara stepped out from the kitchen, entering the living room and standing right beside Koharu, arms also folded across her chest. “Your number one track star breaks her ankle in a freak accident, and instead of letting your backup compete, you lash out. The papers would eat this up, you know.”

“How dare you?! You have no proof—”

“Just like they would eat up a story about school staff trying to do the same to a neurodivergent girl. And in that regard, we have all the proof we need.” This time, Katsumi Sasaki’s voice rang out, and she emerged from the kitchen as well. She pushed her glasses up along the bridge of her nose, staring down the counselors as she stood on Koharu’s other side. “Surveillance cameras within a private domicile is perfectly legal, you know, and any such recordings are admissible evidence in a court of law. Assuming, of course, you wish to pursue this action to its conclusion. But forgive me, you were saying something? About Koharu’s Newspaper Club?”

Nagano’s face went pale, but before she could come up with anything to say, Hikari interjected. “You two should really quit while you’re ahead. You know. While you still -can- quit.”

“Is that a threat?!” Nagano had somehow found the words in an instant, but her face showed the proof of her defeat. She knew what was coming next before Koharu’s mother could even say it.

“Resign. Both of you. If you do not, you run a clear risk of continuing your history of retaliation.” Katsumi stepped forward, glaring into Nagano’s eyes as she leaned in, speaking just audibly enough to be heard by all in the room, but otherwise speaking just above a whisper. “Because who knows what else we’ll find, should we actually take this to court?”

Hesitating for a while, the fuming head counselor wheeled around, leaving without a word. Yuna had attempted a polite bow, but found herself awkwardly shuffling out of the house. Neither counselor had bothered to close the door behind her, but Katsumi was standing in the doorway, shutting the door once she heard the squealing of tires and the roar of a car’s engine fading into the distance.

She gave a sigh of relief, turning to the side, only glancing at Hikari. “You know? Everyone was right about us. We really are dangerous when we work together.”

Hikari scoffed, the hint of a proud expression on her face. “If only we had that kind of idea back when we were in college, huh? We’re only on the same page because of Koharu, though. Back then, we couldn’t agree on anything.”

Katsumi managed a sly smile of her own. “That’s the kind of person Koharu is. She inherited your sense of justice.” She then turned to look at Koharu. “Never lose it, Koharu. No matter what. Your mother would undoubtedly agree.”

The look on Koharu’s face told the tale. She had a hard time masking her awe, watching both Katsumi and Hikari defending her. They had planned it all out, of course. When Koharu confided in Hanako’s mother about the previous meeting with the counselors, she came up with the idea of letting them make their move. Recording just enough of the conversation and forcing them to back off, and threatening their jobs both professionally and publicly.

But more than that, it was closure. Koharu could never clear Rui’s name in innocence for two reasons. For one, the truth was a forbidden secret that could never be revealed. The other, was that the school had painted Rui into such a corner that any effort on Koharu’s part would inevitably be buried. This way, Koharu thought, at least the truth couldn’t be buried any further. She hoped that it would serve as some sense of closure for Rui as well.

Despite the fact that Rui Tomatsu was a horrible person, of course. That fact hadn’t been lost on Koharu, and she did cause a lot of suffering for her friends and countless others during Rui’s time in high school. Koharu could never forgive that, either. But she trusted her friends to deliver justice for the crimes Rui -had- committed.

She couldn’t help but think about what could have happened, if the school had never tried to pin that first accusation against Rui in the first place. Would she still have gone down this path? Was Rui always this prone to violent outbursts when she felt inferior? Or was she framed for a crime she didn’t actually commit? This truth, Koharu feared, would never come to light.

Hikari pulled the hidden recorder from the inside of the door, handing it to Katsumi. “I want a copy of it. Insurance, you understand.”

“Of course. Well, it’s getting late…”

“Ah, lemme walk you to your car. Koharu, wash up for dinner, okay?”

Koharu simply nodded, padding off towards the bathroom. Once out of sight, the calm expressions on both mothers’ faces faded, and they left the house, closing the door quietly behind them.

The walk to Katsumi’s car was silent, and they both hesitated once they arrived. Katsumi spoke first, after an awkward silence. “So… you never made your wish, right?”

“Of course not. Did you?”

Katsumi sighed, closing her eyes. “No. Not after what happened to the bridge we had keeping us together back in college.”

“Ah, that…” Hikari sighed herself, looking down at the ground with an expression of regret. “Yuma… I still miss her.”

“As do I, Hikari. I truly regret what happened to her. Even if it was her own doing, she was still our closest friend.”

Neither woman noticed the door just cracked open, Koharu staring out with one eye at the scene.

* * *

Some time had passed. From Hanako’s perspective, she had long since stopped trying to keep track of how much went by. The internal haze was ever present in her mind, but it had become harder to dwell on it, what with the noise crowding in her mind. It had taken longer for the school to reopen, given the public outcry over the tragedy, and the sudden resignations of its two Head Counselors, but eventually, she would find herself back in school.

A few days after the battle with Rui, Yasu had told Hanako that she was moving to a nearby city. Her parents had decided to give her a fresh start somewhere else, given how close she was to Rui. Yasu didn’t fight the decision, unable to face the survivors of Rui’s warpath, she had said. Hanako had put up a vestigial effort to keep her in Mitakihara, but she couldn’t really argue with the logic. Still, without Yasu, Hanako would have undoubtedly become a Witch, just like Akari had.

She wandered the hall, not even sure if she was coming from class, or going to. Or if it was to or from Fencing Club, if it was even running today. What day was it, anyway? It was a voice that pierced this veil, as it always did, though one Hanako didn’t expect.

“Yo! Earth to Hanako! Are ya in there, kid?” Yui was waving a hand in front of Hanako, who snapped out of her trance and stumbled back a bit. “Whew, there ya are. Shinju kinda let slip about everything after I uh… after I let my story slip at practice the other night.”

A sigh came from Yui’s side, and Hanako went pale once she noticed Esther standing there. “Yeah. You really don’t have a knack for subtlety. It’s a good thing Shinju is one of us, or else that could have been one hell of a thing to explain to Kyubey.”

“Aw c’mon. Shinju’s already made her contract, so I don’t feel so bad about makin’ this joke, but worst case, Kyubey’d have another client if I’d spilled the beans!”

“Jokes are funnier when you don’t explain them, Yui.”

Ignoring Esther, Yui looked back towards Hanako. “Speakin’ of Shinju, she’s waitin’ for us. You uh… you -eat-, right Hanako? ‘Cause you’re goin’ at a snail’s pace right at lunch time, an’ that ain’t a good look either.”

“I… It’s lunch time?” Hanako shook her head. Of course it was lunch time. She wasn’t the only one wandering the halls, and in following the flow of other students, she had wandered to just outside the cafeteria.

Yui let out a laugh, patting Hanako on the shoulder. “C’mon! We gotta get some kinda fuel in us if we’re gonna survive the day!” Yui then gently pulled at Hanako’s shoulder, letting go once she had turned her around, and began walking. Esther sighed, holding her head in her hand, but otherwise followed without a fuss, with Hanako right behind, trotting to catch up.

Her haze persisted until she sat down at the table, Shinju’s polite wave breaking her trance. Beside her was Yui, and on Yui’s other side, Alice. Esther sat across from her sister. Koharu and Midori were nowhere to be seen, but otherwise, the gang was all there. Hanako’s hand was in her pocket, palming her phone, in case Koharu needed updates.

“Christ, Midori… I know your mom’s outta town an’ all, but ya can’t keep her home forever,” Yui muttered, taking a bite of whatever mess she had assembled in front of her.

“She’s just worried, Yui. I’m kind of surprised the turnout is as high as it is, all things considered.” Alice swirled a juice box idly in her left hand, her head rested on her other arm, which was folded down onto the table. “First day back’s a big deal, I guess.”

“Not many people are showing fear. The school, as well as investigators did a pretty good job painting the incident as an isolated one. A few in my class were surprised, others relieved, but otherwise it’s just… business as usual, I suppose.” Esther’s tone was a little melancholy, and she let out a quiet sigh.

“None of them celebrated, I hope?” Shinju tilted her head, staring around them as if looking for eavesdroppers. “I mean, y’know…”

“No. Nothing like that.” Esther winced, rubbing her side.

“A-Are you alright… Esther?” Hanako shuffled a little awkwardly. It was unbelievably odd, given what Yui had talked about with regards to Esther, for her to be sitting at the table with the others, and with the two talking as if they were old friends.

Yui chuckled. “Yeah, she got in a fight. You should see the other guy, though.” Yui motioned to the bandages on her cheek, then at the bandages visible beneath her uniform blouse. “Long story. We’re cool now, though,” she added, casting a reassuring glance over at Alice, who showed no outward reaction.

“You wanna fill us in on it?” Shinju took a sip from her water bottle, looking between the two. “I feel really out of the loop, and that’s including Esther being at practice last time! N-No offense of course!” She added that hastily, waving her hands in front of her face with a nervous laugh.

Esther merely sighed, saying nothing, and giving Yui room to fill the void before silence took hold. “Biiiiiig misunderstandin’ about a lotta stuff. We had a disagreement. Said disagreement led to blows. …Said blows were between two powerful Magical Girls,” she added, her voice just above a whisper, drowning in the cacophony of a high school lunchroom. “Some things, ya can’t just sort with words. But uh, everything’s all cool now. Right?”

“R… Right.” Esther sighed again, then noticed Hanako’s position. She had been sitting awkwardly, as if feeling an injury that was fresh, yet completely healed. She didn’t have any bandages, neither did Shinju, but experience led Esther to ask all the same, if for no other reason than to change the subject. “…What about you, though, Hanako?”

With a squeak, Hanako jumped a little in her seat, looking around to ensure that their table was sufficiently ignored before answering. “…We… we confronted her. T-Tomatsu… that is.”

“She didn’t take losing all that well.” Shinju lowered her voice to match the volume of the others. “Came back with an army, and that army kinda imploded before it could be turned on us. That’s how she died the first time, actually.”

“The first time?!” Yui struggled to control her volume, on the edge of her seat by now.

“Oh yeah, we left that part out. Tomato didn’t stay dead from the news report.”

Hanako closed her eyes, head tilted down towards the table. “She… She made a bunch of other girls… make wishes on her behalf. One of them died… protecting us. The other… her friend… sh-she… um…”

Shinju closed her eyes as well, a note of resolve in her quiet voice. “…She turned into a Witch.”

Hanako knew this wouldn’t be an easy topic to broach, and she had resolved to ask about it privately later on, but the cat was out of the bag now. But whatever reaction Hanako and Shinju expected, it wasn’t the one they received.

“Oh man… that’s a really bad way to figure that all out.”

Esther nodded slowly. “Indeed. But to survive the revelation under such duress… you two really are something else.”

It took every ounce of willpower for Hanako to contain her voice, and what came out was a mix between a shout and a whisper. “You -knew-?! You knew that Magical Girls… b-become Witches?!”

“Of course.” Esther’s expression was neutral, no surprise on her face. “I’ve been fighting for years, Hanako. I realized the truth not too long after making my wish. It was… difficult to accept, but once I had, I realized that nothing had changed.”

“Uh. Yeah. I uh… I knew too.”

“Oh yeah?” Shinju once again looked around, paying careful attention to make sure they were still alone. “How long did it take you to figure out?”

Yui rubbed the back of her head nervously. “…A few months before making my wish.”

Audible gasps came from Shinju and Hanako, who were stunned again to see that both Esther and Alice didn’t react at all. “You knew -before- making your wish?! You made your wish despite knowing what you would become?!” Hanako was shaking as she spoke, taking deep breaths, yet unable to control them. How could anyone make a wish, knowing what it meant? To fight Witches, former Magical Girls who fell into despair with no end in sight, until you, too, became a Witch, perpetuating the cycle?

Kyubey had explained it in more or less those exact terms after the fight with Rui had finished. There wasn’t a lot to tell, and the excuse of combating entropy to stave off the heat death of the universe felt flimsy to Hanako. There was a lot of anger from both girls. Shinju threatened to attack Kyubey for lying to them, but it took Hanako a lot more effort to calm down afterwards. Yasu had known, naturally, but unlike Yui, Yasu found out after the fact, just like the others.

Just like she had when coaching Rui’s victims after their wishes, Yasu had coached and taught Hanako and Shinju about how to navigate their lives as Magical Girls, despite knowing the full truth. It was enough to calm the pair down, but now Yasu wasn’t around to repeat the advice, given Yui’s revelation.

Yui remained calm, however. “Remember how we met? How I beat that Witch for ya, even though I shouldn’t have? How I got all pissed off and told you the Witch’s -name-? Did the same thing with that shark Witch, I think.”

“C… Can any of us… learn their names?” Hanako was slowly regaining control of her breathing. “We… I didn’t even… know I could heal myself… H… How much more is there… that Kyubey didn’t tell us…?”

“Well,” Esther said, cutting in, “I think it was unfortunate for Kyubey to not disclose this. But would you have made your wishes if Kyubey had been completely honest? Aside Yui here, none of us would have. Right?”

“I don’t really care. I don’t regret it at all. Pops is alive ‘cause of what I did.” Yui shook her head with a sigh. “How can I regret somethin’ like that? Even if he has a stroke tonight an’ kicks the bucket, I wouldn’t regret it. I didn’t have to watch him die to some punk ass kid in a cage underground, an’ t’be honest, it kinda saved my life, too.”

“Pretty sure ya know this by now, Hanako, but I like to fight. Like, a lot. Got in a looot of trouble growin’ up ‘cause of it. Well, with my life now, I can fight as much as I want, against some tough freakin’ opponents! I get it all outta my system, an’ I keep some poor bastards from jumpin’ offa skyscrapers an’ all that.”

“Look, all of us are tickin’ time bombs anyway. Nothin’ lasts forever. If I’m gonna go out, I wanna go out with a bang, not a whimper, ya know?”

Finally, Hanako caught her breath, and she slowly nodded. She couldn’t relate, not even a little. But hearing Yui’s resolve was enough to calm her down. As usual, Hanako had jumped to conclusions about Yui, only to find her impressions misplaced.

Esther spoke up, after flashing Hanako a reassuring smile. “As for the Witches’ names, I’m afraid that’s a talent exclusive to Yui. She will have to explain that one to you. Right, Yui?”

“Ah, right. Well… uh, y’see—”

Yui’s words were cut off by a message notification jingle coming from Hanako’s pocket. She jumped, pulling out the phone. “Ah… must be Koharu, wanting an update—” Her eyes widened as she saw the notification. It wasn’t from Koharu.

“Whoa, Hanako. You alright? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost or something!”

“Is it Koharu? She alright?” Yui’s tone was serious, a sudden shift from her usual aloof mannerisms.

“N… No. It isn’t. Um… it’s from… i-it… I…” Hanako’s face had gone completely pale, and she simply set her phone carefully down on the table, her hand shaking as she let it go.

Shinju peered over, looking at the notification. “Ueno Asaharu? Who’s that?”

“M-My… my very… very first friend. Sh… She’s… alive?” Hanako was practically hyperventilating as she stared down at the phone.

~*~ END OF ACT I ~*~

<= Chapter 19 ~ * ~ * ~ ??? =>

[more-mitaori]

Chapter 19

The footsteps that approached Hanako from the center of the track were light and calm. Rui Tomatsu’s expression was equally so, completely neutral. The tone of her voice matched both. “You don’t seem surprised to see me alive, Sasaki. I’ve been dead for over a day.”

Taking a few cautious steps forward of her own, Hanako spoke with a voice just as soft as the girl approaching her. “I figured it out, in the end. What you did… what you made those girls do for you.”

“Damn shame,” Rui added, just as calm as before, “that you figured it out just a bit too late to do anything about it. You know what that bitch Mirai’s biggest mistake was? Letting Akari at my body, instead of my soul. Rule of thumb, kid. If you’re going to kill someone, make sure they’re properly gone before you walk away. I don’t plan on making that mistake here. Just so we’re clear.”

With that, Rui dropped to a three-point stance, then sprinted at a speed beyond normal human limits, colliding into Hanako and knocking her backwards into the school wall. Before letting Hanako recover, a white pistol appeared in her left hand, and she fired several light bullets into Hanako’s stomach.

Collapsing against the wall, Hanako coughed, splatters of blood covering the ground. She focused on the fresh wound, and sure enough, they began to close, though she still felt the pain of the attack. Standing again, she saw a sick, sadistic smile on Rui’s face as she dropped down into another stance.

This time, however, Hanako was able to throw herself out of Rui’s way using the force of her wind. A powerful gust threw Hanako to the side, and she followed with a jump, leaping back into the center where Rui was before. Rui’s dried blood remained at the spot, something Hanako noticed in a passing glance.

Rui was fast on the attack again, and it was all Hanako could do to dodge every swing of Rui’s fists, and deflect each shot with a quickly summoned rapier. Hanako would eventually get off an attack of her own, aiming a thrust right between Rui’s eyes. Much to her dismay and horror, however, Hanako’s weapon shattered against Rui’s skin, causing another smirk to cross her lips.

“You get it now?” A palm strike hit Hanako with the force of a freight train, and Hanako flew back again, crumpled onto the track again. “You didn’t stand a chance then. You sure as shit don’t now.” Hanako coughed again, twitching as she struggled to make it to her knees. She was healing again, but it was taking longer. Rui had done some serious damage with that last attack. “Nothing left to do but finish this.”

Another fierce dash forward, and Rui’s fist crashed into the ground where Hanako was laying. Instead of blood, however, it was water that coated Rui’s fist and arm. Another familiar voice rang out a short distance away. “I really need to quit it with these close calls.” Shinju set Hanako down against the wall of the school’s main building, then turned to face Rui, holding her umbrella up like a sword.

Before Rui could attack, a transformed Yasu appeared at Rui’s left side in a flash, staring at the sight before her. “You’re late,” Rui said quietly, a harsh tone in her voice.

“I’m right on time,” Yasu hissed, equally as harsh.

“Know your place, Yasu. Now get in there and take them out.”

Yasu nodded, and she made her way over towards Shinju. She stopped halfway, however, turning and pointing a floating dagger at Rui’s neck. “My place is here. I’m done, Rui. This has gone too far.”

Rui gave a solemn nod in return. “Figured. I had a feeling that one day you’d turn on me, too. Guess that’s just how it goes. But don’t blame me for what happens next. You knew what I wished for, after all.”

“Course I do. ‘I wish to be better than anyone else that stands before me. To be greater than all who oppose me.’ Those exact words. I was there when you made the wish, Rui.”

An indifferent shrug followed as Rui stepped forward. “For all the good that did you, you stand against me now. Just as well.” She pointed her summoned pistol at Yasu, aiming between her eyes. Before she could fire, however, a jet of water caught Rui’s hand, knocking the weapon away.

Shinju lunged forward, swinging her umbrella upward like a sword, another jet of water accompanying it. It was enough to force Rui back, though she showed no outward injury. Before she could retaliate, however, Yasu’s knives rained down on Rui’s new spot, forcing her back even further. Shinju followed suit, pointing her umbrella directly at Rui. Opening it, another jet of water came out, with much more force than before. It pushed Rui back into the wall, and Shinju held the attack for about a minute or two before dropping.

Rui fell to her knees, coughing and sputtering as she struggled to rise to her feet. “God damn it. Where the fuck is my backup?!” With a rabid look in her eyes, she snapped her fingers. Shinju and Yasu braced themselves for Rui’s attack, but it was a bang from the other side that stunned them both.

Standing behind the pair, Chiemi was holding what appeared to be a sniper rifle, pointed at Shinju’s back. The shot, however, had missed its mark, instead leaving a small hole in the wall behind Rui.

“How the fuck do you miss a shot from that fucking close?” Rui dashed forward, past Shinju and Yasu and grabbed Chiemi by the neck. “It’s like you weren’t even trying to hit them at all. Like you were trying to hit -me-.”

Chiemi felt herself lifted off the ground, kicking in futility at Rui’s legs, which didn’t budge. She coughed, both hands grabbing desperately at Rui’s wrists. “I… I was… ugh… trying to hit you… you stuck up bitch!”

A glint lit Rui’s eyes, and a sick smile followed. “Seems like someone forgot what she wished for. You, of all people, can’t touch me. You should know that better than anyone.”

“E-Even so! You…” Chiemi pulled at Rui’s wrists with all her strength. “You will never control us! Even if you made us make those wishes for you! You will never control us! We’re not your puppets!”

The smile faded from Rui’s face as she gripped Chiemi’s neck. “Then you’re not very useful to me anymore, are you?” She jerked her wrist to the side, and Chiemi’s neck snapped. Before she could heal, Rui called a pistol into her other hand, and a few bangs echoed around the track. The sound of a Soul Gem shattering followed, and the light left Chiemi’s eyes as Rui dropped her lifeless body.

“Now then. Akari. It’s your turn, and now you know what’s gonna happen if you try and pull this double-crossing shit with me.”

Akari had been hiding near the entrance to the track the whole time, and her eyes hadn’t left Chiemi for one moment. Both as she jumped forward to try and take Rui out, and as Rui had finished her off. Now, her eyes were on the body that her dear friend once belonged to. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she clutched at her chest, clawing just under her collarbone.

“I meant -now-, Akari.” Rui took a few steps toward Akari, but the girl instead fell to her knees. Taking her shaking head in both hands, she began to tremble, until finally, she let out a sharp, nearly inhuman shriek of pure agony. The air around the track began to warp, wind howling in seemingly every direction at once. The ground shimmered, rippling like water until it reflected the image of the sky itself. The track, the walls, the very image of the school faded like a mirage, and only an endless sea of clouds remained. The girls were all seemingly stood on a few clouds, and all eyes were on Akari’s convulsing form.

Her body floated up a bit, and in her hand, her pitch black Soul Gem. Akari held the Gem aloft, staring at it with lifeless eyes before it cracked open like an egg. In its wake, a Grief Seed hovered in her palm, and her body soon became engulfed in the eruption of grief. The pooling, gathering corruption began to take a new shape, a single thread of blackened despair shooting upwards, vanishing into the infinite sky. The rest of the mass would pulse and shift, eventually settling into what resembled a shadowy arachnid, with eight empty, white voids opening, scanning the surrounding.

“Is that… i-is that a Witch?!” Shinju spoke first, stunned into silence by the events leading to this, having taken place far too fast for either herself or Yasu to react to. “What happened to Akari?! What’s going on?!”

Yasu simply sighed, gathering a cloud of daggers in a formation like attacking wasps around her. “It’s a Witch alright, Shinju. That is… that -was- Akari. I knew she and Chiemi were inseparable, but to go this far so fast… I’m so sorry.”

Rui was staring blankly at the Witch before her, raising both the weapon she used to kill Chiemi and another summoned into her free hand, both pointed at the spider-like Witch. “Tch. It’s impossible to find good help these days. Oh well, what’s one more distraction before I finish off my enemies for good?”

Before she could fire, however, the spider had swung forward with impossible speed, one of its eight tendrils swinging for Rui’s head. Rui tried to jump, but the Witch was quicker, catching Rui in the side. The force launched Rui onto a cloud behind Shinju and Yasu, and it slowly became stained, glowing red with Rui’s blood.

“Wh… What the fuck? How… How could anything hurt me anymore?!” Rui pulled her palm away from the wound, staring at the blood that had pooled in her palm. “How?! I’m supposed to be invincible!”

Shinju had continued to stare in utter bewilderment at the entire scene, her breathing quickened. It was Yasu’s palm on her shoulder that caused her to catch it. “No, this makes perfect sense. Any wish that gets granted has a detriment to it, based on the hubris of the wish. And Rui, there’s no one alive with your hubris.”

“What the fuck are you talking about, Yasu?!” Rui wheeled to face the girls, her eyes wide with horror. “I wished myself invincible! Untouchable! A fucking -god-!”

“No. You wished for protection from -Magical Girls-. No human or Magical Girl could touch you. It’s why Hanako’s weapon broke, why you didn’t drown with several gallons of water in your lungs, and why a sniper from about ten meters out missed by a hair. But Akari’s not a Magical Girl anymore, is she?”

“So we can’t touch her?!” Shinju, relatively calmer, held her umbrella up, defensively. She shifted her gaze between the Witch and Rui, as if anticipating an attack from either, or both at once. “What the hell do we do?”

Yasu, however, turned to face Rui. “The Witch has one goal. It’s the same as ours. So we protect the one thing in this world that can actually hurt Rui now.” She cast a sidelong glance at Shinju behind her. “…At all costs.”

The pair nodded at one another, and both lunged at the same time, jumping from cloud to cloud towards the injured Rui. Shinju struck first, a column of water dropping onto Rui’s cloud as she swung her umbrella downward. Rui jumped away, and the cloud she was on began to rain into the endless void beneath it. Staggering onto her feet, Rui began firing both of her pistols at the oncoming sea of wasp-like daggers, diverting and deflecting each in turn.

Shinju jumped forward, a cloud away from Rui and swinging her umbrella in frustration. Jets and columns of water accompanied each, yet they did little to move Rui. “Damn it… she’s still too strong!” Yasu growled in frustration, jumping forward onto Rui’s cloud with two daggers in hand. She swung at Rui in a frenzy, though Rui blocked and swerved around each hit. After a while, Rui charged forward, a shoulder tackle knocking Yasu off balance, stumbling back off the cloud.

She wouldn’t fall far, however, before an updraft swiftly propelled Yasu upwards, back onto another cloud a short distance away. Standing beside her, a healed, yet battered Hanako staring directly at Rui.

“Whoa whoa whoa! You shouldn’t be up and about, Hanako!” Shinju jumped back, just before Rui could fire on her position, then stood beside Hanako.

“Just get her out of here. I can handle Tomatsu on my own, Shinju.” Hanako pointed a renewed ivory rapier at Rui, the wind around her going completely still.

Yasu caught a glimpse of the darkened emerald necklace resting against Hanako’s chest. “…It couldn’t be. All that healing… Undoing all the damage that Rui had done…”

Shinju was next to notice. She stared at Hanako in silence for a moment, then scooped Yasu up into a carry. “Don’t overdo it. Okay?” She jumped back onto a cloud behind Hanako.

“You really wanna try this again, Sasaki? You know how this went a minute ago.” Rui jumped to another cloud beside her, dodging an attack from the spider Witch. She then dropped one of her pistols, clutching at the wound just under her ribs. “Even like this, you’re nothing compared to me.”

Hanako showed no outward reaction. “You’re still unfamiliar with how my abilities work? I’ve been hurt… forced to use more and more of my magic to heal myself, recovering from impossible injury. I’ve watch someone die before my very eyes, and learned a potentially terrible truth. I might not be too far removed from Akari’s fate. … And all I can think about now is making sure that no one else ever suffers it.” She raised her rapier, a fierce cyclone surrounding Hanako’s body with much more force than before. The cloud beneath her dissipated, yet Hanako remained floating in the cerulean void.

Rui looked between Hanako and the Witch, summoning another pistol into her bloodstained hand. She pointed one at Hanako, the other at the spider. “Fine, then. Fucking bring it!”

Without hesitation, Hanako threw herself forward. The wind around her surged, propelling her straight into Rui. Her rapier bounced harmlessly off of the elder Magical Girl, as if Hanako had struck a steel pillar. Before Rui could react, Hanako held out her opposite palm, and a gale threw Rui from her cloud, the white fluff disintegrating from the force.

Rui reoriented herself in midair, landing on another cloud and firing at Hanako multiple times. Each shot was redirected by Hanako’s personal cyclone, leaving Hanako unharmed. The smaller girl hadn’t even flinched. Hanako launched herself again, flying straight into Rui and using her wind to throw the older girl around, taking clouds out with each attack.

Despite how many times Hanako repeated this attack, the labyrinth never seemed to run out of clouds, as if they reformed when no one was observing. After a few more repeats of this pattern, Rui finally found her mark. As Hanako lunged, Rui was faster, and her shot grazed the silver necklace housing Hanako’s disguised Soul Gem.

Flying off course, Hanako rolled onto another cloud behind Rui, slowly rising to her feet. It was fortunate that her Soul Gem wasn’t damaged, something Rui noticed with a scoff. “You and your god damned luck, Sasaki. Doesn’t matter now, though. You’re running on empty.”

Sure enough, the cloudiness that had threatened to overtake Hanako’s Soul Gem before was even more visible now. If Hanako had kept up the attack any farther, she risked losing to it completely. She was panting, tightly clutching her rapier before falling to a knee.

With a smug grin, Rui jumped forward onto Hanako’s cloud, her weapon pointed straight at the jewelry that housed Hanako’s nearly corrupted Soul Gem. “Fun as that game of cat and mouse was, I think I’m done here. Your friends can’t save you now, either.”

It was true. Hanako’s dance of gales had created a nearly impossible distance between herself and Shinju, the latter having spent some effort trying to create a bridge of water to reach her, to no avail. “Any last words?” Rui tightened the grip of her weapon.

Instead of a reply, however, Hanako let out a sharp, surprised gasp. Instead of the bang of a gunshot, Rui’s sputtering, gargled breaths. Rui’s hand shook, finally dropping the weapon. And through her chest, the tendril of a large, shadowy spider. “Y… You…!”

Akari’s Witch pulled Rui away from Hanako, onto a nest of clouds that had gathered, marking the center of the Witch’s barrier. A flurry of claw swipes and pounces, and finally the sight of its fangs tearing into Rui’s body. A mix of Rui’s screams and the spider Witch’s agonized shrieks filled the void, seeming to echo throughout the empty, impossible sky. Finally, Rui’s body, lifeless once more, sank through the nest, falling through the clouds.

Shinju had finally found her way over to Hanako, an arm around her shoulder. “A-Are you okay?! Hanako!” She noticed the state of Hanako’s Soul Gem, eyes widened, yet trying to remain composed. “C… Calm down. Calm down, okay? W-We’ll find a Grief Seed—”

The sound of shattering glass, the second since the fight started filled the air. Yasu had dove into the nest of clouds, and when she emerged, she held out the shattered remains of Rui Tomatsu’s Soul Gem. “Can’t be too careful. She came back from the dead once, already. Anyway, if you need a Grief Seed… there’s one surefire source.” Yasu turned to face the spider-like Witch, daggers at the ready. Shinju turned to face it as well, brandishing her umbrella, and Hanako staggered up to her feet, shakily holding out a rapier. The trio braced themselves for one final fight.

The spider, however, didn’t move. It was staring expectantly at the girls, as if waiting for them to act. Not out of any sense of strategy, nor any means of counter attacking. But just waiting.

Yasu waited a moment longer, then nodded. “…I see. Your lingering regret was taken care of, then. If that’s really what you want.” She then turned to gaze down at Hanako. “…You know what to do. Shinju and I don’t have the power to finish this in one shot.” Seeing Hanako’s confusion, Yasu elaborated. “Akari deserves the mercy of a swift end. Don’t you think?”

Hanako’s face contorted in pain, a tear rolling down her cheek. She raised her rapier, several others forming and hovering behind her. “…Th… thank you… Akari… I-I’m sorry.”

With another shriek, the wind around Hanako surged once more, and holding out her left hand, the cloud of swords flew at the Witch, piercing its body over and over. One sword finally found its mark, striking the spider through the heart, and a silk tear rolled down one of its eyes as all eight closed. The Witch faded into the clouds, and soon, the clouds themselves faded into the school’s race track.

Hanako collapsed again, clutching her chest with heavy, uneven breaths. She could feel herself at the very limit of her power. She hoped, at least, that her Witch wouldn’t trouble Shinju very much, and that she could be granted the same mercy in the end that Akari had received, though the heartache this would cause her crept into her mind.

She thought about her life up to that point. All the haze in her mind keeping her from living fully, all the trouble that she had caused her mother. Every doctor visit, every office, every stranger coming into her room to try and fix something that could not be fixed. She thought of the Newspaper Club, and how Koharu would take this development. She thought of Yui, who appeared to her as a rival, yet became a fast mentor, who wanted only to see her grow. The failure of her life as a Magical Girl would not likely cause Yui to grieve, yet the sorrow of these events still would leave scars.

Finally, she thought of her very first friend. A friend she only knew through a game’s subpar chat system, yet the only friend she had ever known throughout her life until meeting Koharu. Someone so relentlessly cheerful, someone who could pierce through the veil covering Hanako’s mind, until one day, the messages stopped coming.

A tear rolled down Hanako’s cheek as she prepared to let the feeling consume her.

A slap across the cheek would shake Hanako from her stupor. Her eyes opened wide, in shock, but the pain on her cheek distracted her from the fading pain in her chest. Yasu was standing over her, a Grief Seed held to Hanako’s chest. As she noticed this, she felt the wind around her weakening, and the pain in her body receding.

Shinju sighed in relief, falling back onto the ground and staring up at the sky. Yasu continued to cleanse Hanako’s Soul Gem for what felt like minutes, then turned away. “…I know this doesn’t make up for everything I did. And even though you’re free from Rui’s torment, I know you have questions. I could answer them, but… I think -you- are in a better position to answer them.” Yasu tossed the spent Grief Seed, which was caught in the mouth of the familiar, feline-like white creature. “Isn’t that right? Incubator?”

Hanako and Shinju both turned to face Kyubey, who stared at the trio with its familiar, ever unchanging expression. “Indeed. It seems I have a lot of explaining to do. Hanako Sasaki. Shinju Hayama.”

<= Chapter 18 ~ * ~ * ~ Chapter 20 =>

[more-mitaori]

Chapter 18

Once more, the sky threatened the prospect of rain over Mitakihara’s nightlife. Yet aside the low rumble of thunder, the threat was, as always, completely empty. Just a dull gray blanket, littered by neon advertisements. Signs leading to places where none would admit visiting, yet often did, to alleviate the stress of nonstop office work for Mitakihara’s innumerable technology corporations.

Yet in the middle of this luminescent jungle, a single oddity stood out. At the dead center of Mitakihara City, an Opera House stood. No lights shone upon it, not anymore, and any windows that could be seen from the street had long since been boarded up. Caution tape and warning signs usually did the job of keeping people away from the abandoned building, and the police raids were enough to keep squatters from lingering for more than a night or two.

The sign over the front doors was covered in dust, worn by weather and the elements, and most importantly, by time. Yet the letters were still clear as day, despite it all. “Il Teatro.” None remained who knew the meaning behind the name, yet somehow, the city hadn’t yet seen fit to either rebuild it into a more active club, or demolish it completely.

Tonight, however, there were no police raids, no homeless people seeking shelter, and no one to disrupt the lone figure making a beeline to the remains of this building.

Two dilapidated doors swung open, revealing an empty, decayed foyer. Tattered carpet, peeling wallpaper and a hole in the ceiling right over what remained of a front desk. What wood remained of the desk had rotted, and several insects scattered at the squeaking of rusted hinges swinging open. The path to the auditorium wasn’t any better. The carpet had been torn in places, and what few lights remained on flickered and sparked from years of neglect.

Another set of double doors pushed open, leading to a once-carpeted concrete aisle, angled down along sunken rows of seats coated in dust and cobwebs, and at the end, a raised stage, somehow appearing in immaculate condition. On the stage, staring at the open door, Esther Rinju stood, holding her glowing Soul Gem up towards the ceiling. “…Somehow, I knew you would find me here.”

“It wasn’t hard, once I knew what questions to ask.” Yui, hands in her pockets, began walking down the concrete ramp towards the stage. “I’d tell ya to cut out these theatrics, but that’d be too ironic for even me to say in a place like this. But uh, you can drop this one-woman army shit any time you like, Esther.”

Esther merely shook her head, lowering her arm. “It’s too late for that. It was too late when you robbed me of my one chance to get out of this cleanly.”

“C’mon, man… use your head here for once. You abandoned this plan before ‘cause it was stupid and reckless, right? That’s what that bird told me, anyway.”

“You want to apply logic to a situation like this, Yui?” Esther gripped her Soul Gem tightly, a white glow forming in her palm. “Our world does not abide by logic or meaning. You knew that when you made your wish, Yui. Or, at least, I hope you did.”

Yui maintained a simple, expressionless gaze, a violet glow in her pocket. “So nothin’ I say’s gonna get through to you now, then?”

“…I will do -anything- to keep my baby sister safe. Even if it means I must burn the rest of the goddamn world to ash in order to do it.” The light enveloped Esther’s body, and once it faded, she stood before Yui in her Magical Girl attire.

With a sigh, Yui transformed in a flash of violet light, a golden staff appearing in her right hand, held upward. “Run that by Alice sometime, Esther. See what she says about livin’ in a world of ash, because her older sister would do -anything- to help her. Anything aside openin’ her ears, anyway.”

Esther sputtered, struggling for a retort. When none came, she simply launched herself off the stage. Yui anticipated this, rolling off to the side to avoid the punch, and kicked backwards, both knocking Esther off balance and pushing herself away. As she rolled to her feet, Yui bounded up to the stage, looking down at Esther as she corrected herself.

Once back on her own feet, Esther ran at Yui, jumping onto the stage and beginning her attack in earnest. A flurry of fists, sweeping kicks and shoulder tackles came at Yui, who blocked and dodged what she could. As always, however, Esther had the overwhelming advantage in terms of power and experience. Yui felt herself knocked off balance, falling onto her back.

A fist came down towards Yui’s head, but Yui had enough sense to roll away, causing Esther to punch straight through the wooden stage, cracking through the wood as if it were made of paper. Yui knew she couldn’t waste any time, and kicked up to her feet. She swung her staff down towards Esther’s back, and this attack connected. Esther groaned out in pain from the strike, but swung her legs to knock Yui off balance once more.

This time, Esther brought her fist down against Yui’s stomach, and her eyes widened as she felt the familiar burning sensation on her skin. Yui rolled away again, eventually spinning up to a vertical base, though she fell to a knee, clutching her stomach.

Esther didn’t pursue, simply staring with a calm, cold satisfaction this time. Confident, even. “You know why Kyubey pursues Alice. That damned curse. But let me tell you something, Yui. I’m Tomozaku Rinju’s firstborn child. Did you think I escaped the curse unscathed?” White flames engulfed her fists completely now, and she assumed a fighter’s stance. “This, Yui, is why my flames linger, and why those burns don’t fade.”

“Magical Girls can recover naturally, of course. But if I were to hit a normal human? They would never recover, Yui. That is what this curse can do, and Alice carries it far more strongly than I do. If Alice makes a contract with Kyubey, there won’t be a world of ash for her to reside in. And god forbid the Wi—”

Her words were cut off as a violet bolt of lightning struck through the unstable ceiling, causing broken pieces of wood to fall around where it hit. The bolt missed Esther by an inch, who had flinched back a second or two after the strike. Yui rose to shaky feet, staring into Esther’s eyes. “Shut the fuck up, you goddamn Saturday morning anime villain. I don’t need the fuckin’ monologue.”

Yui lunged forward again, ducking under a swinging punch from Esther and driving her fist upwards into Esther’s chin. The impact caused Esther to stagger back, but she remained on her feet. Seeing her chance, Yui followed up with another heavy punch, this time just below Esther’s collarbone. Esther fell back, though she used the momentum to gain distance from Yui.

A look of pure rage lit Esther’s face as she brought herself back to her feet. She punched the air in front of her, but Yui knew enough to tilt her head to the side, feeling the familiar, cursed burning air as a ball of white flame surged inches from her cheek. “That’s what we’re doin’ now, huh?” Yui pointed her staff in Esther’s direction, a violet bolt landing from the sky down through the open hole in the ceiling, this time striking the outstretched gold. From the tip, sparks would form, and a secondary bolt headed straight for Esther.

Esther rolled to the side, Yui’s attack grazing her side. She saw Yui step back from the recoil, dropping her staff onto the stage from the force of the attack. “A foolish gambit.” Esther jumped forward again with a primal yell, swinging flaming fists at Yui. Yui did the best she could to protect herself, ducking and weaving under some of Esther’s attack, blocking others with another summoned staff. Eventually, Yui was overwhelmed, and two strikes to her face knocked her onto her back. “You can’t beat me, Yui. You never could. What made you think you could beat me in a battle to the death? You knew what would happen, surely.”

Yui coughed, shimmying back a little before looking up at Esther, embers still blazing on her cheeks. “Heh… I sure know what’s gonna happen to Alice when she figures out ya killed me. But what’s another blow to her from her big sis, eh?” A smug grin spread like wildfire across Yui’s lips, despite the agony she felt.

Eyes widening once more, the color drained from Esther’s face. “Wh… what did you just say?!”

“Not my problem anyway.” Another coughing fit for a moment, and Yui slowly sat up. “You got no intention of lettin’ me walk out alive, right? Well, I can only hope you’re really one-woman army enough to handle Alice after she makes her contract with Kyubey. I tried, babe… I really did.”

An agonized, frenzied scream came from Esther as she jumped up, fist aimed right between Yui’s eyes. Yui, however, anticipated this. She threw herself from the stage, the sound of Esther’s attack not unlike a gunshot, echoing through the empty auditorium. Yui had bought herself just enough time to bring herself to her feet, but when she looked onto the stage, Esther was struggling to pull her fist free from the aged, decaying wood, and fire was beginning to spread from the impact site.

The embers would continue to spread, catching the frayed edges of the curtains on the far end of the stage, and soon crept upwards. The fire, Esther’s cursed flames threatened to bring down the whole Opera House if something wasn’t done, and fast. But before Esther could think of something to do, she was knocked forward and onto her face from a blow to the back of her head.

Yui’s staff clanged to the floor as she crawled back onto the now burning stage. Another in her hand, she made her way over to Esther. It was time to finally exploit Esther’s weakness, and Yui recalled the words Kotori had left for her in the envelope she obtained at their meeting.

“Esther Rinju has a twofold weakness. She is a calculating young woman. She schemes better than most do, especially among Magical Girls. She thinks several moves ahead, and looks far to the future to achieve her ends. However, this leaves her rather blind to the present. When confronted thus, she does not know what to do. If the foundation to her foresight crumbles, Esther cannot recover easily.”

“Furthermore, anything that involves her sister Alice causes her to act irrationally. She has a deep love for her sister, but she is often misguided in the defense of her family. Yui, I do not think I need to spell this out for you. Surely, upon seeing these words, you will already have devised a strategy to combat this weakness and come out on top, just this once.”

“I can give this assessment with absolute confidence, because you live in the moment. This is your biggest weakness, but in a situation like this, it is your greatest asset. If the time ever came where Yui Arashi and Esther Rinju could work as a team, there is nothing that could stop them. But to do so, you both must suffer wounds to your pride. Wounds that would scar. Can you do this, Yui? Can you endure such a wound, and see Esther survive her own? I will watch over this, as I do all things in my sphere of influence. Good luck, Yui. You will not have another opportunity to stop Esther, at least as she is right now.”

Yui had read the letter multiple times before coming here, and she knew that the only way to win against Esther would be to wound her pride. Using Alice’s pain as a weapon left a sour taste in her mouth, but since her life was on the line, she felt she had no choice.

Esther had shakily brought herself to her feet, turning and swinging at Yui once more, in pure desperation. These attacks were far more wild, nothing like the calculated strikes Esther had usually delivered in her fights. Yui was able to read these, dodging under and around each, jabbing in at Esther from time to time in the gaps between attacks.

Her voice was growing more and more desperate, as Esther realized nothing was working. The flames had engulfed the curtains completely now, and pieces of wood and cloth burned away from the structure, falling around the brawling girls. Either they were not aware of their predicament, or neither of them cared as the Opera House burned around them.

Sensing the end of the fight, feeling Esther’s attacks grow more frenzied, yet noticing them slowing down, Yui began to put her final plan into motion. She summoned another staff, this time swinging at Esther’s stomach, causing her to collapse onto a knee in a coughing fit.

Dashing around the fallen Magical Girl, Yui would summon more staves, leaving them upright around Esther before jumping back. More golden staves would fall from the sky, stacking on top of the previous, and eventually, they would collapse inward, forming a makeshift cage.

Esther regained her composure, only to notice Yui’s final attack. Instead of trying to break out, she merely turned to face her, still clutching her stomach. “Y-You…”

“Soul Cage!” Yui held our her right hand toward the sky, and one last bolt of violet lightning struck the makeshift structure, and sparks would connect the poles, forming the final ‘bars’ of the cage surrounding Esther. Yui then closed her hand into a fist, pulling it back toward herself, and the staves began to circle and close in around Esther.

Closing her eyes, Esther seemed resigned to her fate, waiting for the cage to close around her completely. When it didn’t after a full minute, she opened her eyes, staring at Yui, though she noticed that she could no longer safely move within Yui’s attack. “…What are you waiting for, Yui? You won. Finish this, already…”

“Heh… heheh! Hahaha! Oh man, this is rich!” Yui was practically out of breath as she fell to her knees, once more clutching her own stomach. “I won. I won, and you admitted it! I beat you! I WON!” Yui’s weary laughter echoed through the auditorium, only silenced as a large plank of wood fell between the two. “Now hurry up and drop your form and make these flames disappear already.”

“What…?” Esther coughed violently, shaking a bit as she stared over at Yui. “I don’t… didn’t you come here to kill me?”

Yui shook her head, though pointed a staff in Esther’s direction as she slowly rose to her feet. “I can’t handle Alice if she goes to the genie cat. I don’t wanna hurt her like that. Now drop your form, yeah? Neither of us wanna die in a burning theater.”

After a moment of hesitation, Esther sighed, reverting from her Magical Girl form. The flames on the stage and along the back wall of the auditorium faded, followed by the embers on Yui’s cheek and stomach.

Yui sighed, dropping her form as well, falling back onto her bottom. “God damn, that was close. If I didn’t get ya then, I’d be dead… whew! But fuck, man! That was the fight of my -life-! Hahaha… not a chance I can top this one. If I didn’t hurt so fuckin’ bad, I’d be baskin’ in this moment! Esther Rinju admitted defeat… hahahaha!”

“Could you try to enjoy this a little less, Yui?” Esther glared over at the manic girl across the stage from her. “If you didn’t come here to end me, why -did- you come here and fight me? It wasn’t to win.”

“Did I give ya a concussion or somethin’? I didn’t think we could get those anymore…” Yui slowly rose to her feet, stepping shakily over to her fallen opponent and offering her hand. “I didn’t come here to put you down. I came here to stop you from doin’ whatever it was you were about to do. Your dealer told me everything.”

“Everything…” Esther sighed, taking Yui’s hand and pulling herself to her feet. “…But what could I do, Yui? I have to end this curse. At any and all costs.”

“Would you knock that off already? Alice already told you what the right thing to do is. You were just deaf to reason ‘cause you gotta be in control all the time.” Yui kept hold of Esther’s hand, gripping it tightly. “-We- can figure out how to break your family’s curse. Together. You, me, -and- Alice. And together, we keep her out of this messed up world of ours.”

Esther sighed once more, averting her eyes from Yui’s powerful gaze. “…What a fool I’ve been, eh? But how are you able to forgive me so easily? How will Alice…?”

“We gotta teach ya how to listen. Look, for me? You gave me a hell of a fight. I’m satisfied. Neither of us’re dead, an’ I finally got some logic in that thick skull of yours. Alice’s gonna rip ya a new place to sit. Me too, probably. But she loves you, dumbass. She’s not a baby, you know. Now can ya do me a favor and trust her? Keep me at arm’s length, that’s fine. But let your sister actually become an adult, yeah? She’s far stronger than we are combined, y’know.”

“…For a punk, you sure have an optimistic outlook.” Esther looked up at the hole in the ceiling, then around to the burnt curtains and wood of the stage. “…Fine. Better to get this over with now, than later. While we’re walking home, you can tell me exactly how that lightning of yours works. It still hurts…”

Yui chuckled, throwing Esther’s arm over her shoulders, helping her down from the stage, starting to walk towards the exit. “I dunno, myself. I just figured it was powerful. Hey, while we’re trading trade secrets, what -were- you doing here, exactly? Followin’ that old lead, yeah, but like how does that even work?”

“Ah… well… it’s a long story.”

As the two left the auditorium, two red, beady eyes peered from behind the last bastion of hanging purple cloth. “Well now. This is hardly the outcome we wanted. Those two together will be quite the obstacle to overcome. Oh well. It’s hardly the first time we’ve had girls band together in the end. I have to wonder, however. Did -she- see this coming? Esther was so close to making contact with her, after all. If so, I suspect things are going to get very interesting in Mitakihara before long!” Kyubey turned, disappearing into the rubble, tail swishing behind it.

<= Chapter 17 ~ * ~ * ~ Chapter 19 =>

[more-mitaori]

Chapter 17

Hanako stares blankly at her phone, specifically at a group message actively being updated.

K:[number 1 priority is figuring out who killed rui. only 1 real lead.]

H:[Um. Aren’t Shinju and I suspects too? We were attacked by Rui too after all.]

S:[I mean, we caaaan question each other if it makes you feel better. Hey Hanako, when we were having tea at your place, did either of us do Rui in?]

H:[thats not funny]

K:[agreed. waste of time. both of you have alibis that can be corroborated by adults. only lead is yasu.]

S:[You think she did it? Feels kinda obvious doesn’t it?]

K:[it is too obvious. no other lead though. might be able to get something out of her.]

H:[I want to talk to her. I’m sure she’s in shock given her friend died, but she might know something.]

K:[take shinju with you hanako. we are just covering our bases here but time isnt on our side. im sending her info now.]

S:[Uh. Do I wanna even know how you got her info?]

K:[probably not. doesnt matter. i have access to records i definitely should not have. this is an emergency.]

H:[I agree that this is important but we will need to talk about this later, Koharu.]

K:[doesnt matter. just get yasus story.]

Hanako scrolled several times through the group message as she made her way away from the apartment. She wasn’t comfortable going to someone’s house that she didn’t know, let alone someone who was regarding herself as an enemy just a short while before. Her mind had gone blank as she traveled through the residential side of town, far from her own home. Shinju’s words had long since become static in her mind.

She was only shaken from her trance as Shinju’s hand came down on her shoulder. “Hey! We’re here, right? This is the place Koharu told us to come to, anyway.” During Hanako’s trance, they had made their way through the lobby of an apartment building, and now stood in front of a plain, unassuming door.

Said door opened without either Shinju or Hanako knocking, and a short girl with short black hair stared the pair down. She was wearing an oversized black T-shirt with a wasp on the front and matching, baggy black sweatpants, a yellow stripe going down the side of her legs. “What do you want, Sasaki?” Yasu’s voice cut just as deep as it did when they fought before.

Hanako had started to speak, tripping over her words before Shinju took over. “We’re with the Newspaper Club. We’re trying to figure out who, uh… well, who killed her. Mind if we ask some questions?”

“Not if you’re with those two piece of shit counselors. They put you up to this, right?” Before Yasu could slam the door, Shinju’s palm caught the front, the sharp slap causing Hanako to jump.

“We’re not on good terms with them either. Look, we just wanna figure out who did this. See, we were trying to clear Rui’s name for that broken window before all this shit got out of hand.”

Yasu’s eyes widened. “…That’s not… But I can’t say I don’t believe you, either…” She stood there for awhile longer, then let the door open completely, standing off to the side. “Come on in, then. We should talk.” Shinju and Hanako entered Yasu’s apartment, the latter looking around with more naked paranoia and edginess than was necessary. “For the love of— I’m not going to attack you. Do I look like I’m in any condition to fight anything right now? Especially since you brought your friend with you this time.”

Hanako sighed, entering completely and joining Shinju in sitting down at a small table near the living room window. “S-So, um… are your parents home?”

“No. Let’s not waste any time, alright? You’ll be wanting my alibi, if I had to guess.”

Shinju once again took control of the conversation and nodded before speaking. “If you’d be so kind, yeah. Where were you the day before she died?”

“I was doing something for Rui. Something I regret, and probably something that inadvertently led to all of this going down the way it did.”

“Care to elaborate?”

“Sh-Shinju!” Hanako’s head turned swiftly to stare wide-eyed at Shinju.

Yasu shook her head. “No, she’s got the right of it. Rui, she… she got really freaked out after you two managed to stand up to her. She said she would need the strength of an army to take you two down, and that’s what she did. You two know what kind of person Rui is, right?”

“She wants to be the best, no matter the cost. Being on top, it’s her all consuming thought. It doesn’t matter who she has to trample on to get to the top. Well, that’s just how she is. And if she can’t get her way, she’ll look for someone weak to take it out on. I’ve just never seen her go to lengths like this before.”

“I know you lot won’t believe me, but I can tell you she wasn’t always like this. It was my third year of middle school, and I was touring the high school. I had options, you see. My folks travel a lot, so I could’ve gone to school anywhere. While I was touring, Head Counselor Nagano left me alone around the track. God knows what was going through her head. Well, a couple of third years started giving me a hard time.”

“Rui didn’t like that. She was already known as a threat at that point, so when she stepped in, they started throwing around accusations about an old friend of hers. But Rui didn’t get angry, she just called their bluff. Asked those girls if they wanted to know if the rumors of what she did to Toi Kanashimi were true or not, and they bailed. Cowards…”

“That was how we met. I didn’t know what she was really like. All I knew was that this second year stood up for me. When my parents settled on enrolling me in this school, I tried to stay close to her. She didn’t seem to mind. I asked her about it once. She told me that she felt like I ‘got it’. How unfair this world was, how people get trampled on for no reason. She didn’t wanna see people going through it that didn’t deserve it.”

“I found out before long that she wasn’t really that much better, just more self-righteous about it. But I couldn’t get away, you see. Not out of fear, nothing like that. But I wanted to be on the other side of it for once. I turned a blind eye to Rui blinding another girl. Convinced myself that she deserved it. Oh, don’t look at me like that, Sasaki.”

Hanako jumped again, unaware that she was casting a judgmental gaze Yasu’s way. “…You’re right. Please, continue.”

Yasu sighed. “Let’s skip ahead a bit. Rui comes up to me one day, telling me about you, Sasaki. That you’re some stuck up rich kid who messed up her jacket, and didn’t wanna pay for it. Part of me knew it wasn’t like how she described, but I couldn’t stand the idea of someone, especially one of us,” she added, pulling out her Soul Gem and shaking it gently, “trying to throw weight around.”

“So uh… sorry and all that, I guess. But after that, she decided to take you out herself. That didn’t go so well. After I pulled her out of the fight, she decided to take that army thing quite literally.”

Pulling out a pen and some paper from a nearby drawer, she writes down several names. “She forced some girls to make contracts, using their wishes to make her stronger or something. And I helped.”

Hanako stood up, quivering a bit, the air in the room going still. “How… how could you do something like—”

“Peer pressure and loyalty are a hell of a drug, Sasaki. If you want me to face some kind of reckoning for it, find a Magical Girl court and I’ll gladly stand trial. Until then, maybe ask these girls their story? My alibi is that I was overseeing their contracts with Kyubey and helping them with the basics of fighting. So they could protect Rui, you see.”

“I wanted to stop her. I know you won’t believe me, but I was an inch away from confronting her. This wasn’t right, none of it was. But I stood by, and now… this is the result.”

It was Hanako’s hand that came down on the table, making Shinju jump this time. “K… Kyubey would never do anything like that! Granting wishes that would just… benefit someone else, under pressure like that…”

Yasu merely scoffed. “You have a -lot- to learn, Sasaki, if you think that sunshine and rainbows yarn Kyubey spun meant a damn thing. Now go on. Talk to those girls, get their story. …And let me grieve in peace, okay?”

* * *

K:[that was a lot. ok. gonna sound dangerous but we need to split up. hanako can track down akari and chiemi. *Koharu has attached a file! shinju can go question niko. *Koharu has attached a file! i will find mirai and miho. any danger and we meet up right away. got it? send a blank message and that will mean emergency.]

H:[Akari and Chiemi? They’re always together aren’t they?]

K:[probably. safe bet. akari has notes of being too quiet in class. be on guard chiemi might be a guard dog.]

S:[Heh. Now that image is stuck in my head. Thanks! Niko should be easy enough to find. I’m on it!]

Shinju gave Hanako an encouraging pat on the shoulder before starting off. “It’ll be fine, Hanako. We’ll meet up soon, ‘kay?” Before Hanako could reply, Shinju was out of sight.

Hanako herself was barely aware of leaving Yasu’s home and returning to the street in front of the building. She stared down at her phone again.

K:[be careful both of you. newborn magical girls seem volatile. no offense.]

H:[Understood. Be safe yourself, Koharu. You’re meeting two of them alone, and you’re not even a Magical Girl.]

K:[doesnt matter. ill be fine. got a way out if things get rough.]

Hanako didn’t get a reply when she asked what Koharu meant, so she took it as a sign to get on with her own investigation.

S:[so I think I found the place but are you sure??? this girl’s well off enough to go to private school if she lives here!]

K:[i confirmed the address myself when i looked through nikos records. this is the place.]

“Heh, if ya say so, Koharu.” Shinju pocketed her phone, smiling for a moment at the image on her lock screen, then entered the building before her.

The apartment building eclipsed even Hanako’s apartment, both in size and in décor. Red carpet lined the way from the entrance towards the front desk. No one was sitting there, so Shinju made her way straight to the elevator, and pressing the button marked “13”. She had to hand it to Koharu. Her methods were sketchy at best, but she produced results. Niko Segawa’s address was about as clear and detailed as it could have been.

As the door opened, Shinju met the stare of a girl nearly exactly her height, short and messy blonde hair loosely hung behind her, with bangs covering her caramel brown eyes. At least, until she hastily brushed them aside. “Y-You’re—!”

Shinju held up a hand in a casual greeting, showing a warm smile. “Shinju Hayama, Newspaper Club. Doin’ some off-the-record work trying to figure out this, uh… dirty business with Tomato— er, Rui Tomatsu. Got a sec?”

A sigh of both relief and exasperation followed, the girl turning her head away. “I thought you were gonna tell me you’re questioning me on behalf of the defense force or something. God knows the cops have been in and out all goddamn week.” She turned to face Shinju again, holding a hand out. “Niko Segawa, but you knew that already. C’mon, my place is just down the hall.”

Shinju shook her hand, then began walking right behind Niko as she turned to make her way back towards her apartment. “Were you going somewhere, Niko?”

Niko sighed as they reached the door to Niko’s apartment. “I wasn’t trying to run away or anything. I just wanted some air. May as well put that off though. What’re you here for?”

The pair walked through a large, lavish apartment, ivory columns extending to a vaulted ceiling. This was definitely more luxurious than Hanako’s place, that was for sure. Niko led Shinju through the main room, towards a balcony overlooking a vast majority of Mitakihara City. Shinju leaned against the railing. “Woooow, what a view! Ah, I just wanted your alibi for the night Rui died, nothing major.”

“Didn’t I already give you all that?”

“I’m not the cops, Niko. I’m just a reporter for a school paper.”

Another sigh left Niko’s lips as she turned to face the glass door, leaning on the railing beside Shinju. “Right. Well, I got a creepy set of calls and messages from Rui. She said she was on her way, said she had dirt on me if I didn’t ‘make a wish’ for her, whatever that meant. She never showed up. Next thing I know, I see her dead body on the news.”

“Wait, wait wait wait. You didn’t make a wish?”

“What does that even mean?! Don’t tell me you’re in on whatever bullshit Rui was up to, too!”

“If you didn’t make a wish, then…!” Shinju made for the door, only to stop as she felt Niko’s hand on her shoulder.

“What the fuck are you talking about?! What does any of this mean?! A-And why is this happening to me?! First, Rui tells me she has dirt on me, which is terrifying enough, given how important my dad is, then she dies, now this?! It’s too much! So please, just tell me what’s going on!”

Shinju only gave a sidelong glance, awkwardness pouring through her expression. “Erm. Don’t you have any friends you can confide in?”

“You haven’t heard? Those other girls talk behind my back all the time at school, spreading rumors… You must not be paying attention if you really don’t know who I am!”

“I, uh, I really don’t. First year, remember? Well… uh… hm.” Thinking for a moment, Shinju then pulls out her phone. “Here. If ya need to vent, I’ll be around later tonight. But I really do gotta go. If you’re not the killer and all, I gotta track down the real perpetrator, y’know?”

Niko seemed to think about it, then pulled out her own phone, sharing contact information with Shinju as she released her shoulder. “R… Right. I’ll take you up on that. So I’m clear, then?”

“Yep! All clear!” Giving a salute, Shinju returned her phone to her jacket pocket, then swiftly slid the door open, making her way out of Niko’s apartment before she could say anything else. Once clear of the building, she sighed and pulled her phone out again.

S:[Sooooo Niko’s clear. She’s not even a magical girl. Says Tomato was on her way to force her to make a wish, but never showed up.]

K:[that gives us a clearer timeframe. rui was killed before she could get to niko. hanako, any word from the others?]

H:[I’m en route now. My senses are overloaded though. They’ve both contracted all right.]

S:[I got the address here. Need some backup?]

H:[*Hanako is typing...]

K:[shes been typing for awhile now. shinju go check on her ok?]

“So tell me again what happened.” Koharu locked her phone and held it down, but kept it in her hand. “You two told me you’re both each others’ alibi?” She was staring between two nervous, anxious looking girls. One had light red hair, resting disheveled between her shoulder blades. The other, half a head shorter, wore short brown hair, neater than her companion yet still showing signs of unease and a lack of sleep.

The red haired girl spoke first. “You hard of hearing or something, Shirahara? I told you, I was here with Mirai the whole night, and we slept overnight here.” She motioned around to the walls of the warehouse they were standing in, the building abandoned and in disrepair. “She’ll tell you the same thing.”

“Mm… just like Miho said.” The other girl, Mirai, spoke in a much more timid, quiet voice, not making eye contact with Koharu as she sat down, hugging her knees. “Yasu told us about… our new lives and all. After we made our wishes for Tomatsu.”

Koharu folded her arms, still looking back and forth between Miho and Mirai. “So you two learned how to live as Magical Girls, then stayed here together? All night?”

“Whoa whoa whoa! It’s not like that, Shirahara!” Miho’s tone was defensive, and she was practically shouting. “We just… ugh. May as well just say it. We can’t really fight on our own. So we decided to stick together. Alright?”

Mirai sighed, looking down. “Just so. Our powers aren’t really suited for fighting alone. But together… at least, when we’re around someone else, my powers are more effective. It kind of took Tomatsu and Yasu by surprise, to be honest, once they learned what I could—”

Her words were cut off by a buzzing phone in Koharu’s hand, and she swiftly turned to leave. “Whoa, you’re leaving already?” Miho’s voice was laced with impatience.

“Got what I need. You two are clear. Narrowed it down, anyway.” Before either could reply, Koharu left the building.

S:[I got the address here. Need some backup?]

H:[*Hanako is typing...]

K:[shes been typing for a long while now. shinju go check on her.]

S:[On it!]

H:[I’m okay. Was a misunderstanding, but Shinju is here now. Don’t worry, okay?]

K:[its one of those two hanako. just got alibis out of mizutani and kawakami. be extra careful.]

Two more girls, this time confronted by Hanako. One with long hair, tall and lanky, and another, short hair and meek, hiding in a corner behind the other. The taller girl spoke first. “We’ve had enough accusations from the goddamn police today, the last thing we need is you nosy, ignorant assholes bringing it up. We don’t know a goddamn thing. What more do you want?”

“…I’m… not with the police, Takahata-san. I’m with—”

The taller girl slammed her fist into the nearby wall, causing both Hanako and the other girl to flinch. “I know damn well who you are, Hanako Sasaki! You’re with the Newspaper Club. Trust me, you lot aren’t the only ones who know how to dig for information.”

“Calm down, Chiemi… she hasn’t accused us of anything yet.” The smaller girl hid her head in her folded arms, curled up in the corner and trembling in obvious fear and a lack of sleep. “Please?”

Shaking her head, the other girl, Chiemi, turned to gaze out the window of the small bedroom she was standing in. “You’re too soft sometimes, Akari. You know that, right?”

“Regardless… I have questions.”

“Do you even know what you’re doing?” Chiemi spat back. “What would you even do with the truth, anyway? Go to the police? Good fucking luck. Publish this in the paper? The school would lock your asses up, and that stupid cat thing would bring hell down on your head. So what are you gonna do, Hanako?”

Hanako didn’t flinch this time, not looking away from Chiemi’s fiery gaze, knowing exactly what answer she was looking for. “…We labored to clear Tomatsu’s name for the incident with our club room. Horrible though she was, this was the one crime which Rui Tomatsu did not commit.”

Akari looked up, a horrified look in her eyes. “Y-You mean…?”

“I will confront Rui Tomatsu’s killer. If there is no justice for Magical Girls in the world of humans…,” Hanako held out her left hand, a rapier appearing in her palm, pointed at the ground, “…then we must make our own. Is that not so, Chiemi Takahata?”

Chiemi’s hand balled into a fist as it dove into her jeans pocket. “You little—”

“Whoa whoa whoa WHOA! Stoooop!” Shinju’s voice echoed down the hallway before she appeared in the doorframe behind Hanako, hands on her knees and panting heavily. “Jeez, Hanako! Chill! Why’s it always gotta be a fight with you, huh?”

The rapier quickly vanished from Hanako’s hand, and she looked down. “…S-Sorry…” She then pulled out her phone, realizing that she hadn’t sent the message she intended to, which had told Koharu that she arrived at Chiemi and Akari’s location. She had been distracted by arguing from within once she got there, and decided to investigate that first.

Shinju quickly pulled out her phone as well, seeing Hanako’s revised message and nodding. “So let’s try this a different way. What did Tomato make you lot wish for?”

Akari stifled a little giggle at the name, which in turn, put a little smile on Shinju’s face. “Well… um… she wanted us to make her stronger. I don’t understand though. She was always so powerful, even when she was just the school’s bully.”

Chiemi’s face sunk, the anger fading quickly. “It must not have been enough. At this point, she must have wanted to become a god or something. Not that it worked. So much for making me wish for her to be impervious to harm, given the state of the body.”

Hanako’s eyes widened, and she recalled her conversation with Yasu at the same time. She recalled hearing about how Rui wanted to be on the top of everything, no matter what. How she spoke of Rui in the present tense, as if she were still alive. Kyubey’s words before Hanako made her contract, in how durable a Magical Girl really was, and finally, Chiemi’s wish. Before she could utter a word, she dashed out of the bedroom, down the hall and with the slam of the front door, Hanako was out of the house completely, only a large gust of wind to indicate which direction she was going.

“What the hell?!” Shinju quickly retrieved her phone.

S:[hanako! wtf why did you take off like that!!!]

K:[whats going on]

S:[We got chiemis wish but then hanako looked like she saw a ghost and flew off!]

K:[what was her wish exactly?]

S:[she said she was forced to wish rui impervious to harm or something like that.]

K:[and this revelation caused hanako to run?]

S:[yeah! hanako dang it answer the phone!]

K:[its as i thought then. akari fueki killed rui tomatsu]

S:[how do you know that???]

K:[simple. mirais description of her powers didnt add up. once she told me she fell asleep after miho it became obvious to me. ask akari again about her whereabouts last night. tell her that we know mirai can teleport over long distances.]

“Well?” Shinju, now completely pale, cast a hard gaze towards the corner where Akari sat. “Where were you last night, again? Somewhere far from here, I bet?”

Chiemi reached into her pocket again. “Be careful what you say, Hayama—”

“Was it somewhere only someone who could teleport get you back and forth from? Like, say, the school’s track field?”

Both Chiemi and Akari froze, the latter also going pale. She said nothing, and it took a minute before Chiemi could find the words herself. “…It wasn’t long after Yasu left us here. Mirai showed up, talking about knowing where Rui would be, and that we didn’t have much time before she reunited with Yasu. They were on their way to get Niko to make her wish, and then Rui would be invincible. We… we had to stop her.”

“When we got there, Rui didn’t notice us at all. She wasn’t even playing dumb like she likes to do when she’s stalking someone to knock down. I got a clean hit on her, and it knocked her off balance. Mirai dove for her legs to knock her down, but… I didn’t know Akari had that knife on her.”

Once again, Akari went stiff and silent, burying her head in her arms. Chiemi glanced down at her before resuming her story. “I’ve never seen anything like it. But by the time it was over, we all kinda just… came back to our senses, and we noticed Rui was completely torn up. Mirai took us here, and that was the end of it. Hayama, you can’t even think about going to the police—”

“I don’t care about that! Look, you wished for her to be immune to damage or whatever, right? Well, what if that wish actually -worked-?” Chiemi’s eyes widened in a terrifying realization. “We have to go after Hanako. -Now-.”

* * *

Hanako had practically flown on the wind towards the school. Luckily, the police tape was all that remained of the crime scene. Investigators had inevitably returned to their offices to analyze evidence and draw conclusions. Unfortunately for Hanako, police tape was all that remained of the crime scene.

Making her way shakily to the track, the chalk outline was all that remained of the original scene. Standing in the middle of the track, Rui Tomatsu slowly turned to cast a sidelong glance Hanako’s way. A sick smile lit her face, with large patches of dried blood matting her hair and peeling in flakes on her cheek. “Well. You sure saved me some time, Sasaki.”

<= Chapter 16 ~ * ~ * ~ Chapter 18 =>

[more-mitaori]

Chapter 16

Yui was leaning against a street lamp in the far end of the city, right near the city’s limits. As the paved road ended, a weather worn sign pointing up the mountain read ‘Lake Lacrima ahead! Watch your step!’ It was an odd choice of rendezvous, and while Yui surveyed the location, she couldn’t help but recall her conversation with Alice before leaving.

“So, I’m off then, babe. Y’sure you don’t have anythin’ unrelated to ask these folks? Information dealers are a once or twice in a life kinda event, y’know.”

Alice, idly and slowly swirling a half-empty water bottle as she sat against her front door simply sighed, looking down at nothing. “…Are you sure -you- even have to go, Yui?”

“Huh? Where’d this come from all of a sudden, huh? Wasn’t this the plan? I go keep Esther’s little date with these people and get answers?”

With a heavy sigh, Alice curled up a bit tighter. “…What if answers don’t make anything better? I’ve been thinking. Once you figure out whatever it is Esther was looking for, you two are going to have to fight, right? For real this time… Esther… Sis is feeling cornered, Yui. I’ve never seen her act like this. It’s really scary, you know. And we both know that you can’t ever back down from a fight…”

Yui knelt down in front of Alice, a kinder smile than Yui was used to giving resting awkwardly on her face. “Well, yeah. Us comin’ to blows is kinda inevitable. But you seem to think that only one of us can come out of it alive. Right? Well, even if I have to knock some sense into her, I can promise you that both of us are comin’ home in one piece. Okay, babe?”

Alice looked up, nodding slowly before giving Yui a little smile of her own. “I hope you can keep that promise, Yui. Because… I don’t think I could bear to lose either of you, you know. Nothing would be able to keep me from Kyubey if either of you died.”

“Heh. Well, I guess I have all the incentive I need to win and bring us both back safe, yeah?” Yui slowly rose to her feet. “I’m off, babe.”

“Yeah. Be safe, okay? This still sounds dangerous, so… just don’t go making a mess of this, okay? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, after all.”

Yui was brought back to the present moment by the flickering of the light above her, followed by the shattering of the bulb inside its case. “Huh. Guess I zoned out. Well, first thing’s first…”

She started walking towards the mountain trail, but stepped off of it. Yui couldn’t shake the possibility that this could be a trap set by Esther, to prevent the information she sought from falling into Yui’s hands. There wasn’t a chance in hell that Esther didn’t know the location of the rendezvous, she thought, but Yui held the invitation in her hand.

Spending about ten minutes looking around, she couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary. Proceeding a little further, she came to the first checkpoint, a small set of benches overlooking the entryway to the mountains, with a little plaque, holding some history lesson or another. Nothing that interested Yui.

What caught her attention, however, was a small figure, standing at the narrow exit that led further up the mountain. A meek voice came as soon as Yui’s eyes landed on the silhouette. “Right on time. Even if you aren’t the right person for this meeting.” Stepping out from the mountain trail’s shadow, a small girl, wearing a bright red kimono and a matching red opera mask with gold beads around the edges could be seen under the pale moonlight.

Yui couldn’t help but notice the mask most of all, noting that it was nearly identical in design, if not in color, to the one Esther wore to the arena the two nights that she fought there. “Sorry, a lot happened. But I’m takin’ your client’s place tonight. Hope you don’t mind.”

Expecting resistance, Yui was instead surprised to hear an amused chuckle come from the girl. “Not at all. I accounted for this possibility, in fact. Besides, I’m sure you know by now what kind of business I run. I’ll have you know that this meeting, and my services, have both been paid for. Consider yourself lucky… Yui Arashi.”

Giving an indifferent shrug, Yui stepped forward slowly herself. She was half right. Esther -had- been here already. She had to have been, or else she couldn’t have paid for this meeting using the winnings from the arena. Of course, another thought crossed her mind. Perhaps that this girl’s words meant that Yui was now indebted to her. She decided not to think too hard about it, however. There were more pressing matters to attend to. “I’d be shocked if an info dealer didn’t at least know the name of whoever she was talkin’ to.”

“How astute. I am, in fact, an information dealer. Once upon a time, our… ‘organization’ spanned half of this nation. Nothing escaped our grasp, and there was nothing we did not know. Of course, we have suffered our fair share of setbacks, but rest assured, Arashi-san, that our information is still one hundred percent accurate. Everything we discuss tonight comes from reliable sources.”

“That a fact?” Yui folded her arms across her chest.

“Yes. I took the liberty of handling this case personally.” The girl’s eyes flashed with a red hue beneath her mask, and her tone lowered. “I told Esther that I could not risk this information falling into the wrong hands. However, seeing you here, I am convinced that this is the preferable outcome.”

“You know a lot about me, eh?” Yui stared at the girl, a violet flash coming from her own eyes as she stared up and down the dealer’s small frame.

“Of course, though that is not relevant now. I’m even forgoing the usual protocol and pleasantries that come with doing business in the traditional fashion. I know that you are not the type to uphold to such antiquities, and you know that we don’t have that kind of time. So go on, Arashi-san, and ask the question you need answered.”

“Just Yui’s fine, thanks. No need to be formal, after all.” Yui sighed, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them. “We found out what Esther Rinju was lookin’ for. She told us a lot herself, about what her family’s curse is all about, and that she wanted to find a way to break it. So my question, I guess, is… well, what were you gonna tell Esther, in terms of breakin’ it?”

The girl hesitated, staring up and down Yui now. “Interesting. So you would take up her crusade, against her heavily fate-cursed bloodline?”

Yui’s expression hardened, her eyes sharpening a bit. “I would move heaven and earth to keep that damn cat away from Alice, and I don’t really give a damn what it takes to do that.”

“Hmhm.” The girl smiled a little. “You two are a lot alike. But there’s less desperation in your voice, compared to hers. Well, I can confirm what you already know as a foundation.”

“Esther Rinju has been traveling all over Japan, looking for any information on the Rinju Family Curse, as she calls it. She has been ‘moving heaven and earth’, so to speak. But she never really found anything substantial. Most of the tragedy that has consumed Esther’s family, such incidents are prone to being covered up. Human beings cannot really bear the weight of their sins, it seems. Of course, in her growing frenzy, Esther nearly… ran into a rabbit hole that would have seen her take information from the… shall we say, wrong sources.”

“Compared to what? Yours?” Yui took another step forward, though the other girl didn’t even so much as flinch. “No offense or anything, but you’re not exactly a beacon of trust yourself.”

The girl merely nodded. “I never claimed to be. I am an information dealer in a part of the underworld of society known only to Magical Girls, with a few… odd exceptions.”

“Oh? So you’re basically Magical Girl Mafia, then? That inspires a -lot- of confidence.”

A slight tilt of the head and a bit of hesitation followed before the girl spoke again. “You really don’t know too much about this sort of thing, do you? I could ask about the events of the last decade or so, had we the time. And if you had any interest in the subject at present.”

“Yeah. Get on with it.”

The girl remained stoic, returning to her perfectly upright position. “Let’s just say that without my intervention, personally, Esther ran a colossal risk. If she were to turn to her original lead, it could invite an unprecedented disaster upon Mitakihara. Perhaps all of this region. Possibly the entire world. Needless to say, Alice would be in grave danger in any scenario.”

“Care to elaborate?”

“Not really. The less that is known about this other source, the better.”

Yui scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Y’know, I need more than that, right? ‘Cause from an outside perspective, it just sounds like someone doesn’t want rivals in the field of knowin’ stuff. I mean, maybe I know better than to believe that outright, but that’s how it looks.”

The girl sighed softly. “I don’t much care how it looks. I know good and well how this appears. I also know that you believe me, and are looking for further concessions of information that have -not- been paid for.”

“Heh. You’re good, kid. Can’t blame a girl for trying, right? But I really do need to know what kinda danger we’d face, if Esther had followed that line to its natural end.” Yui took a step back, though she looked more relaxed.

“I’ll say this much, Yui. An information dealer is stepping out of the confines of the shadows and approaching a completely unknown variable in order to prevent this sort of disaster. Isn’t that enough? That I’m dealing with someone who had not paid proper dues herself?”

“Someone, Yui, who barely even knows the full extent of that power she wields? None of you do. In my eyes, you are all dangerous. But I am willing to overlook a small scale disaster in order to prevent calamity.”

Yui, somehow, remained composed through all of the girl’s speech. “That’s what they all say. Y’know, my mom once said stuff like that. According to my Pops, anyway. I wasn’t old enough. The ends always justify the means to you goddamn mafioso types. Well, count me out.”

Turning and taking a step away, she was stopped by the sudden feeling of a small hand around her wrists. She was stunned into silence, having not heard the girl approaching her at all. “…Wait. The real reason I’m not following protocol here, well… I know you have no interest in taking part in some Magical Girl underworld, Yui. I’m not asking for help in the sense of favors owed or debts to be repaid. I’m asking you as a Magical Girl.”

“That’s human speak for ‘there’s mutual benefit to workin’ together’, right?” Yui cast a sidelong glance at the girl, whose face was looking down at the ground. Her gaze remained on the floor as she stepped away from Yui, releasing her wrist.

“That was my line, yes. But we’ve long since established that we can ‘play the game’ quite well. I am asking sincerely for you to hear me out, Yui. No payment required. This isn’t an underworld favor.”

“Hit me.”

“…You already know, don’t you? Esther Rinju is currently feeling cornered by your actions, and by her sister’s. She is now seeking her original lead. To put it plainly, I know where she is going, and what she will do.”

“My actions? Alice’s?”

“That’s right. I reached out to her in an earnest attempt to help her uncover a method to dispel her family’s curse, but the truth is, I could not allow Esther to follow her original lead. If she comes into contact with that person, it will bring about—”

“Yeah, yeah. Shit’s fucked if she gets on with Plan A. I got it.” Yui sighed, stuffing her hands into her skirt pockets. “I guess I fucked up a lot, huh? First with that rock in the club room window, now with this.”

The girl sighed. “Don’t beat yourself up about it. Garou Arashi is the one who took my correspondence from Esther in the first place.”

“God damn, you really do get around, huh? Only me, Alice ‘n’ Esther knew about that in the first place. And Pops I guess.”

“It is my job to gather information, Yui. A Magical Girl fighting in an underground arena to pay for the services of an information dealer is quite valuable information. There was no reason for someone like you or me to take part in such a spectacle, especially someone like Esther, who is a much more model citizen.”

“Well, your job was to keep Esther out of whatever her first lead was, right? Why not just do that again?”

The girl looked away, hesitating. “That… is not part of my job. I reached out, giving Esther the chance deal of a lifetime. Such a thing can only happen once. It is a rule of our organization, one even I cannot break. As such, I must now rely on you.”

“Well, easy enough, right?” Yui shook her head. “Just tell me where Esther’s goin’ and I’ll stop her.”

“So you do believe me?”

“Sure, why not? I’m not gonna play games with Alice’s life at stake. Oh, uh, this isn’t my ‘one shot’, right?”

The girl shook her head. “Of course not. This meeting was paid for. This is a proper business transaction, Yui. Your… ‘one shot’ is still up for grabs.” A playful smile lit her face. “So is there anything you wish to know to make use of it?”

“Ah… well, sure. What’s your name?”

Blinking, the girl tilted her head. “Such a mundane request. Why would you waste your one and only chance at my limitless knowledge to know something I might have volunteered freely?”

“Oh, that’s easy.” Yui’s eyes flashed again. “’Cause my family taught me not to take a free deal in the underworld. I don’t want temptation hangin’ over my head for however long, all while you tease me waitin’ for the ‘right moment’ here. Just ask a certain cat about me an’ one time deals. So yeah, final answer. What’s your name?”

“…Very well. I am Kotori. Kotori Ito. And as a bonus, since I can read intentions, unlike the Incubators…” Kotori reached up, removing her opera mask. Dull, dark brown eyes shone in the moonlight, and stared calmly up into Yui’s. “This is me.”

Yui was silent for a long while now, her left hand clutching an object in her pocket, and she stared at Kotori, as if reading her. As if trying to read who this person was, sensing any internal masks, yet finding none.

Kotori spoke again, seeming to ignore Yui’s gaze. “I know that you’ve never beaten Esther in a fight before, and now the prospect looms with dire consequences and heavy stakes. But she has a fatal flaw. Before you fret, this weakness is not something that will threaten Esther’s life. It will wound her pride, however. But if you are careful, just this once, then you will emerge victorious with the results you desire.”

“But if you should fail, and if at any point you do not heed what I’ve told you, then there is a good chance that the whole of Mitakihara will burn for your impatience.”

“Got it, Kotori.” Yui simply nodded, still staring past the girl, looking for weakness herself.

Kotori reached into her kimono, pulling out a freshly sealed envelope, a crow embedded in the wax holding the paper together. “Then take this. It is both details on Esther’s weakness, and directions to an old opera house in the middle of the city.”

Yui glanced at the name on the front of the envelope. “Never heard of it.”

“I am not surprised. It was quite a spectacle in its day, I am told. According to the stories, it is the reason that Mitakihara developed a night life in the first place. Now, it sits abandoned between various locales that come and go, yet somehow, it never manages to go up for demolition.”

Yui nods, turning to leave, only to be stopped by Kotori again. “…What? What else do you need?”

“You’re going now, then?” She once again releases Yui’s wrists and steps back.

A smirk crosses Yui’s lips. “’Course. Better now than later, right? We’re not good on time, after all. But if you want the truth… I’m only helpin’ ya here because I know who you are. I can tell you’re not lyin’ or anything, but you give off a huge air of desperation.”

Kotori, however, simply nodded. “Yes. We are desperate, Yui. So much so that I came to you myself, letting you see and know who I really am. That is how dire this is.”

“Man… to think that this is what brought that bloody chapter to a close. Not the fires of war, but a common enemy. One would think that those dumbasses would’ve tried that over a decade ago, huh? What could’ve been.”

Before Kotori could reply, Yui made her way down the trail, back towards Mitakihara properly. She stuffed the new envelope into her pocket, her hand not parting from it.

“What could have been…”

<= Chapter 15 ~ * ~ * ~ Chapter 17 =>

[more-mitaori]

Chapter 15

“We return to our breaking story, the mysterious, gruesome death of a student at Mitakihara High School. Once again, we advise viewer discretion, as the details that have emerged are not suitable for all viewers. Police have confirmed the identity of the victim, Rui Tomatsu, a third year student. The exact cause of death is unknown, but investigators are treating the case as a homicide.”

“Despite the brutal nature of the crime, however, police have no leads on a possible motive or suspect. The victim had a record of trouble and disciplinary actions at school, though she had never been in trouble with the law. Joining me now via video call is Head Counselor Shinobu Nagano. Counselor Nagano, do you have any idea what could have caused such a tragedy?”

“Thank you for having me. No, I’m afraid I can only speculate. As you said, Rui Tomatsu was a known troublemaker, who often got into fights with younger students. God only knows what her home life was like, but there’s a myriad of people I would imagine got pushed too far and retaliated. Rui was, after all, only one major incident away from being expelled.”

“Er… thank you for that, Counselor. How long do you expect the school to remain closed for?”

“Oh, I expect students will be able to return to regular classes by the beginning of next week.” Some prodding against Shinobu’s shoulder, followed by frantic whispering from a shorter, darker haired person accompany this, and Shinobu clears her throat. “That is to say, there should be ample time to grieve and reflect upon these tragic events, but students can rest assured that there is no danger to anyone else. We’ve enlisted security from the Sixth Bureau…”

* * *

“Jeez… I mean, you told me that she was dangerous, Yui, but to think someone actually was pushed that far?” Alice was staring at the TV in her living room, her mother on the phone in her bedroom while Alice is talking into her own. “Y-You don’t think whoever did this will attack again?”

Yui, meanwhile, is sitting in her room, watching the news on her tiny TV, sitting up in her bed. “Not a chance. I mean… yeah, if I’m wrong, we’re screwed, right? Rui was the toughest chick I ever met. But from what I can tell, whoever did this was clearly out for revenge. I mean, did you -see- how much blood soaked into the track? That wasn’t random at all, babe.”

“I hope you’re right. Ugh… should we check on Hanako and the others? They seemed to be Rui’s latest targets, after all.”

“Shinju called this morning to check on me, actually. Asked if I knew anything about it. I mean, makes sense, she’s technically a reporter and all, but I think she just wanted to make sure we were okay. I asked about Hanako and Koharu, she said she was sure they were fine. Midori’d be on us by now if somethin’ happened to Koharu, y’know.”

Alice sighed in relief. “Well, that’s good. We should call Midori anyway, see if they’re okay over there.”

“Yeah. Good idea. Let’s make it a group call, yeah? Hang on.”

“W-Wait, Yui! Hold on!”

* * *

Midori sighed, setting down a stack of dishes by the sink, picking her phone back up. “We’re all fine here, in any case. I appreciate the call, guys. But uh, can I call you back? I kind of have a house full of people panicking at the news over here, ‘kay? … Thanks.” Ending the call, Midori turned to Koharu, who had been glued to the television from the moment the news broadcast had started. “Koharu, don’t you think you’re sitting a little too close to the TV?”

Koharu stood up, taking a step back from the television and fumbled around for her phone. “Gotta call Hanako.” Anticipating resistance, Koharu flinched a little when none came. She turned towards her sister, who gave a small nod. Koharu responded in kind, then slipped swiftly into her room as she started a call with Hanako.

“…Ah, Koharu.” Hanako’s voice caused an audible sigh of relief, coupled with Koharu’s relaxed posture as she sank into the chair at her table. For a mercy, Hanako had responded instantly. “I was… actually about to call you. Shinju just called to check on me. Are… are you alright?”

“Fine. Yeah, I’m fine. All things considered.” Realizing she was speaking far faster than normal, even for her own ears, Koharu took a deep breath. “Don’t suppose you know anything?”

“Ah, um… no, not really. It… it came as a shock to me, as well. Mother… she’s been hovering around my room all morning. She’s gone overprotective, though… I can’t say I blame her.”

Koharu sank a bit further, listlessly gazing out her bedroom window. “Hard to talk, then. Text easier?”

“A-Ah, um… it shouldn’t be a problem, but, um… y-yeah, actually, that does… that does sound easier. For now, at least. She… won’t stay like this long.” The last sentence had been almost like a whisper, though Koharu had no trouble picking out the words.

“I’ll call Shinju, then. Know she’s okay, but we need to figure this out.” Before Hanako could respond, Koharu had ended the call, swiftly starting another with Shinju.

Frustratingly for Koharu, this call wasn’t answered immediately, though Shinju’s usual demeanor made up for this. “Yello? Koharu? I was about to call you, actually. You alright over there?”

“I’m fine. Any leads?”

Shinju laughed, causing Koharu to briefly recoil. “Man, you really are something! Guess that’s why you’re the club president. I was hoping you’d say that, though. I feel like I just wanna get out there and solve this one too, y’know?”

Koharu sighed, taking a moment, as if to carefully consider the exact phrasing she wanted to use. “She was our responsibility. We couldn’t clear her name, but we can do this at least.”

“I feel you. ‘Haku’s been glued to the radio all morning, listening for any chatter from the local authorities, any tips, that sorta thing. She and I talked about it. It uh… it had to be a Magical Girl, y’know? Not a chance in hell a civ’ could pull something like this off.”

Koharu nodded, as if Shinju could see the response. “Agreed. We need to meet up. Soon as it’s safe, we rendezvous at Hanako’s.” Once again, Koharu ended the call before Shinju could reply.

Folding her hands together, resting her chin in the crook between her index fingers and thumbs, Koharu closed her eyes. She felt responsible. Not for Rui’s death, exactly, but something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Rui’s rage was caused by the broken window, and it was Koharu who broke the window, though she wasn’t in control of her actions at the time.

Still, Koharu hated making excuses, and the thought that this wouldn’t have happened if not for that Witch’s curse over her had never been louder. Yui was the one who left that rock at the scene, though Koharu didn’t blame her for it. Her actions followed a logical pattern, something she hadn’t expected. Koharu had, over the last few weeks, come to respect Yui’s quick decision making, even if the results were far from perfect.

Koharu wasn’t one to beat herself up, however. Her mind was racing, looking for any trace, any lead to find Rui’s killer. If she couldn’t clear her name, she could at least give her one final trace of justice. Even the most horrible people deserve a fair trial, after all.

* * *

Esther was staring at her phone from beneath an overpass, a completely blank look on her face. “Hm.”

“Is that all you have to say, Esther Rinju? You were in the same class as this girl, after all!” Esther recognized the voice’s source in an instant, though she didn’t acknowledge the silhouette of the cat-like creature reflected on her phone’s screen protector. “A girl has died! A fellow Magical Girl, no less!”

“Rui Tomatsu was… a problem, to put it lightly. I would have had to take care of her myself, someday.”

“You always say things like that!”

“And I am still alive.”

“But can you really call this living?” Kyubey’s words were always like a knife to the heart, and always when Esther least expected it. “You’re on the run from your sister this time! You’re not even chasing your leads anymore!”

Esther sighed, pocketing her phone and wheeling to face Kyubey, a hard, cold expression on her face. “I’m not going to pretend that I handled that well at all, nor will I deny that I wish that had happened literally any other way, Kyubey. But what happened happened, and I need to plan my next move.”

“I have another solution. You could always allow me to make a contract with Ali—” Its words were cut off by a sudden burst of white flame along its body, and the creature crumpled to the ground.

It wasn’t long before another, completely identical creature took its place, standing only a few feet away from where the first had combusted. “I see, you’re giving your usual answer. Very well, but you know that all of this is inevitable, don’t you, Esther Rinju?”

Saying nothing, Esther pulled her phone back out, scrolling through various news articles about her classmate’s death.

“Well, in lieu of more pointless violence, I do have some practical advice.” Taking Esther’s silence as acknowledgment, Kyubey continued. “You were following another lead, weren’t you? Before those information dealers found you, I mean.”

Esther looked up, and quickly gathered the shoddy leather bag at her feet. Still saying nothing, she took off from the bridge. That was right, she thought. She was following another lead. In fact, it was the information dealers who stopped her from following it in the first place. It was probably still viable. At this point, even preferable. Anything was preferable to sitting still at this point. Especially if someone or something was targeting Magical Girls.

* * *

“So, um… well, you knew her, right, Yui?” Alice was laying on top of her freshly made bed, staring at the ceiling. Her phone was laying next to her, with Yui on speaker phone.

Yui’s sigh was audible and exaggerated as always. “Kinda? She was lookin’ for someone to push around last year. I was on the market, I guess, but she didn’t really figure someone’d ever hit her back.”

“She bullied you? That’s hard to believe.”

“Well, no, she -tried- to. We fought a couple times. Tried to get me to do somethin’ for her, some meaningless shit. Carry her books or get her a soda or somethin’ trivial. I told her to go screw herself, so she shoved me into a locker. Well, that pissed me off, so I pushed her back.”

“Truth be told, it was a pretty good fight. Got to work out a lot of stress I had at the time. I hadn’t made my wish yet, and Pops wasn’t doin’ too hot in the ring. Food got tight, lotsa yellin’ at home, that sorta thing.”

“She kicked my ass pretty good though, I gotta admit. We both got in some shit with the staff, but you know me, babe. I talked my way out of any actual trouble. Think that pissed her off more, though. Y’remember what happened to Mei an’ Seia after that, right? They uh… well, they weren’t the type to hit back, y’know.”

Alice sighed, closing her eyes. “Why do you sound nostalgic about all this, Yui?”

“’Cause she died? Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do? Remember people after they die? She was a shitty person, but I dunno. I live by my fights, you know that. ‘Sides, maybe the shock hasn’t set in yet. I’m not used to people dyin’ unless it’s in a Witch’s barrier.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Alice conceded. “It hasn’t really set in for me, either. I just kind of feel numb. It doesn’t seem like Esther was connected to it, at least. …Is it wrong that that’s where my mind went first?”

“Nah, you’re fine, babe.” Yui’s voice notably softened in tone. “Given what happened the other day, that only makes sense that you worry about that sorta thing. I’m inclined to agree though. Esther wouldn’t leave a body, especially one layin’ in its own blood.” Sensing Alice’s unease, Yui changed topic. “Say, what’s Midori feelin’ about all this, y’think?”

“Well… you heard her earlier. She’s worried about sending Koharu back to school when it reopens.”

“Can’t keep her away from her education, ‘specially after their mother moved all those mountains in the first place. Damn, man. That woman scares me sometimes.”

* * *

“Absolutely not, Midori. You heard your sister. The second they open those doors, Koharu is going back.” Standing just an inch or two taller than her eldest daughter, Hikari Shirahara folded her arms across her chest, her glasses hung loose near the tip of her nose. “And don’t even start with any paranoia. Look at this objectively, and you’ll see this is an isolated incident. Koharu agrees with me.”

Midori scoffs, calculating her next words carefully, though not without muttering under her breath, “Psh. That’s one of the signs of the apocalypse, isn’t it? Look, someone -died-, Mom! And you want to send Koharu back into -that-?!”

“She’s taking this a lot better than you are. Look, I have two other, much younger children to concern myself with, and a husband who is once again leaving town on business. The kind that actually keeps food on our table, as you are so fond of reminding me. So no, I will not be keeping Koharu home over what is -clearly- a crime of passion.”

Before Midori could retort, Hikari pushed her glasses up towards her eyes, covering them as the lenses flashed. “Unless you’re volunteering to help me look after Chiaki and Kayo, and stay home yourself, I suggest you have a little faith. In me, in the forensics department, and more importantly, in your sister.”

“If anything happens to Koharu, it’s on your head, Mom!” Midori wheeled around, storming out of Hikari’s bedroom.

With a sigh, Hikari sat down at her bed, turning to the side and gazing at an open laptop sitting on her bed, listlessly scrolling through a news article and speaking quietly to herself. “I did what you said. But I sure hope you know what you’re doing, old friend…”

* * *

Two soft knocks upon Hanako’s bedroom door, followed by her mother entering, setting a small, silver tray upon the edge of Hanako’s bed. Upon it sat a matching silver teapot with two small cups. “Hanako, dear. You really should have some tea. I promise it will relax you.”

Hanako was practically catatonic, lying from one corner of the bed to the other, staring at nothing in particular on her ceiling.

“I… understand that this is a rather huge shock, Hanako. I can offer nothing of substance to quell any fear or concern in your mind. Ah, but you did hear from Koharu and Shinju, so you know your friends are safe. That must be a relief, is it not?”

Sure enough, Hanako’s breathing mellowed, and she slowly shook herself from her trance. Looking around the room, the tea tray, then finally at her mother, Hanako sighed. “It… it is, Mother. Th-thank you…” She hesitated for a moment, then looked idly towards the tray. “…Perhaps I should have something to drink. I did not have breakfast, after all…”

Katsumi gave a satisfied smile, the hint of a chuckle as she poured a cup of tea for Hanako. “If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’m serious, you know. I’ll keep bothering you if I don’t hear anything, dear. You know I’m not bluffing.” Her voice was warm, just teasing enough to put Hanako’s mind at ease. The smile she saw, no matter how tiny, gave her the answer she sought. Pouring a cup for herself and taking it with her, she gave a little nod before leaving Hanako’s room, closing the door behind her.

Hanako’s smile faded as soon as she heard the door click shut. She took a sip from the cup her mother left for her, then set it down on the tray, reaching for her phone. There were a plethora of message in the group chat Koharu had created for the two of them, as well as Shinju. The most recent message had caught Hanako’s attention.

[not your fault.]

With a heavy sigh, Hanako replied. [I know that. I do. But not long ago, I came close to a situation where it would have been my fault.]

Koharu’s reply came instantly. [does not make this your fault. some other victim of hers did this. illogical to assume fault.]

[That isnt what shes doing Koharu. I was there that day.] “…Shinju…” [Shes just saying that it could have been her, or it almost was.]

[irrelevant. completely unconnected events. just more evidence that rui had more enemies and history than we could have possibly prepared for.]

Hanako took another moment to reply. [That’s actually quite reassuring in a rather unsettling way. But thank you Koharu. I feel a little better.]

[still concerning though. keep a close watch on your magic. dont want to let something like that happen again. school could get suspicious or look for another target to pin blame on.]

[Not like her mother would let that happen! She’s like some high level SuperLawyer or something!]

The conversation continued without her input, and Hanako let herself wander. Rui’s death had shaken her to her very core. For one thing, it was as her mother said. A death this close to home, especially one so violent, it wasn’t something that someone Hanako’s age should ever have to deal with. Shinju had seemed quite composed, but perhaps her military family history had something to do with how numb she seemed.

Koharu, meanwhile, was following in her mother’s footsteps. Hikari Shirahara was a name that Hanako had slowly become accustomed to hearing over her time knowing Koharu. As a journalist, Hikari was completely ruthless when it came to uncovering and reporting on the truth. As such, she had placed herself in various crosshairs over the years, and she was no stranger to danger. Koharu, naturally, was equally fearless when it came to pursuing the truth herself.

But Hanako? She had never imagined any life of strife before meeting Kyubey. Even then, the monsters Hanako had fought since making her contract were easy to separate from the type of violence that plagued the world outside her walls. This was the first time she had ever seen anyone on the receiving end of this level of violence.

Yet before the feeling could envelope her completely, Hanako caught a deep, sharp breath. She felt a strange, inner calm, yet a calm feeling that pushed against every fiber of her being. She took another breath, then another, and finally, she found herself completely calm. The events still weight heavily on her mind, but she found herself completely at peace. Was this the effects of her wish, she thought? It was certainly possible.

Then, another memory came to Hanako’s mind. Before all this started, she had met another third year student, one who had offered to help. Sure, she tried to call Esther Rinju before without success. But if anyone could shed some light on what was going on with her, it would be her. She closed out of the messaging app, then opened her list of contacts, hitting the call button under Esther’s name.

To Hanako’s surprise yet again, a voice interrupted the dull tone of an outgoing call without much delay. “Yes?”

“Ah! Um…! E-Esther Rinju, right? Um… this is Hanako. Hanako Sasaki, um… we met awhile back, and… y-you gave me your information.”

A breath could be heard on the other end of the call, and a clear softening of tone followed. “I can assume, Hanako, that you are calling about the rather unsettling news that is everywhere this morning? I am afraid I cannot help too much with that.”

“Ah, um… well… yes, I am calling about that. But also… not? It’s hard to explain…” Hanako shuffled nervously, not really sure what she expected to happen. She practically contacted Esther out of instinct.

“Well, she was in my class, so I can see how you would feel that this would be a good lead. Is that right, Newspaper Club Vice President?”

Hanako jumped. “Ah! Um… well, um, we don’t have… an official vice president, though, um…”

“Relax, Hanako, I’m giving you a hard time. I guess I should be grateful for a chance to talk this out, myself. Assuming, of course, that this won’t end up in the paper?”

Taking Hanako’s mumbling and muttering as an agreement, Esther sighed and began her story. “I can’t say I knew Rui all that well, honestly. We had a mutual friend named Toi— your club’s president would know more about her, undoubtedly— but Rui and I never really got along. She… she had a lot to prove in her first year, Rui did. The school blaming her for what happened to Toi didn’t help, and when the Kanashimi family left town, well… I guess that there wasn’t anything holding Rui back anymore.”

“So… so she really did… have a lot of enemies, even before this year?”

“Oh, very much so. Ask Koharu about that, sometime. I’ll give you some names to ask about later, even. If Koharu hasn’t already raided the school’s files, she likely will once the doors open again. Listen, stay close to her, will you? If she’s anything like her mother, she won’t have any second thoughts about diving headfirst into Hell itself if it means finding the truth.”

“…I-I will.”

“But there’s something else bothering you, isn’t there, Hanako? The real reason you called me, if you please.”

There was something cold, even demanding in Esther’s voice that cut Hanako to the bone. Clutching her stomach, she composed herself. “…I… I encountered Tomatsu not long ago. In… in a Witch’s barrier. She was… mmm, maybe I should start earlier than that…”

“The same week we met, Esther, I had… I had an encounter with Tomatsu away from the school. Shortly after she was accused of breaking our club’s window. After that, she made a demand of me. One of… ‘total, unwavering loyalty’, as she put it. Then, the attacks started.”

“First, a friend of hers ambushed me on a hunt. Then, a few days later, she attacked me directly. I… I fought her off, thanks to a friend, but… well, I sort of… lost control of my… my magic… and I came quite close to…”

A soft, almost relieved sigh was heard on the other end of the line. “Ah, there it is. I’ve seen this before in other girls, but you might be the first to have hung on this long.”

“I don’t know what you wished for, but I can assure you of one thing. Even if you do have some sort of berserk fugue state as part of your abilities, you are not capable of ending Rui Tomatsu’s life. We… fought once. Briefly. I can attest her power is in the realm of my own.”

Hanako swallowed nervously, suddenly not wanting to make an enemy of Esther, especially if she really was as strong as Rui. Furthermore, this tone didn’t do much to calm Hanako down any further.

“Hanako, I hate to incite further panic, but I wouldn’t rest easy. There may come a time where a threat on the level of Rui Tomatsu will surface in Mitakihara City. Perhaps even eclipse it. You need to hone your abilities, for your own sake and the sake of those you hold dear. Understood?”

“…Y-You… know something, don’t you, Esther?”

Esther paused for a moment. “I don’t know. Not just yet. But if nothing else, you should trust in yourself. Your instincts will serve you well someday. …Just not today.” Before Hanako could reply, the call ended, leaving Hanako holding the phone to her ear, seemingly ignoring the dull beeping of a disconnected call.

<= Chapter 14 ~ * ~ * ~ Chapter 16 =>

[more-mitaori]

Chapter 14

Hands stuffed in skirt pockets, Yasu makes her way over to the warehouse on the other side of the pier. She was looking down at nothing in particular, a blank expression on her face. Knocking twice, she slid the door open before waiting for a reply. Rui was waiting for her, leaning on the inside wall just beside the door.

“So?” Rui’s voice was calm, yet as cold as it always was. Yasu stopped paying attention to her tone unless she felt she needed to diffuse a situation.

“Two more. Put up little resistance in the end, made the wishes you told me to make them make. Kyubey didn’t seem to care, either.” Yasu sighed. “Mizutani and Kawakami are under our umbrella now. -Your- umbrella,” Yasu added.

Rui simply nodded, showing no outward emotion. “Perfect. As I am now, not even the school can stop me. If I wanted to turn it upside down, there’s not a damn thing anyone could do.”

“…But you’re not done, are you, Rui?”

“No. Not even close. Come on, Yasu. Next on the list, Akari Fueki.”

* * *

Koharu Shirahara operated the Newspaper Club room with the most organized chaos known to man. Papers were scattered across several tables, with post boards behind her along the walls, several pictures tacked with string connecting them posted in a manner that only Koharu could truly follow. Whenever pressed about the meaning behind them, Koharu had no trouble explaining her meaning and methods, which helped Hanako and Shinju understand what they were writing about more clearly. But on a first glance, it was practically a language spoken by one and one alone.

On a particularly quiet Saturday, Koharu was gathering her notes, folders, whatever she needed to work from home after everyone else had left. Another routine, one Koharu didn’t take pleasure in, was the arrival of school staff to tell her to leave. As if she wasn’t already leaving. She had long suspected that the school’s staff wanted to give her a harder time than was warranted, but no one could ever prove it for certain. At least -one- of the counselors was tactful about it, Koharu often thought.

Sure enough, two quiet knocks signaled their arrival. A tall, blonde woman in a suit far beyond her status, and a dark haired woman a head shorter, wearing far more casual clothing than her position would suggest. “Hey there, Koharu! Mind if we come in?” It was the dark haired woman this time that spoke first. Good cop first this time, Koharu thought.

Without giving a reply, knowing that the pair would enter regardless of how Koharu answered, she simply continued gathering her things, not even looking up at the other voice speaking to her now. “School was out of session half an hour ago, Shirahara.”

“I’m aware. Room has a clock.” Koharu’s tone was as emotionless as ever, and this intrusion wasn’t enough to stop her from gathering. “Was just leaving. Have to work from home to make the deadline.”

“Ah, I see. Maybe we asked a bit too much of you?” The ‘good cop’ leaned down over the table once it was cleared of papers, shoved hastily into Koharu’s backpack. “You know, you could always get some other people to join your club.”

“Don’t need anyone else.” Koharu zipped up her backpack and finally looked up at the counselors. Good cop was wearing a warm expression, while the other woman was looking as harsh and cold as always. “Can I go now?”

“Well, we’re kind of glad to see you here, Shirahara. We wanted to talk to you about one article in the paper in particular.”

“Let me guess. Rui Tomatsu?”

The smaller counselor spoke up, interrupting and trying to diffuse the obvious tension that often came with her colleague’s confrontations with Koharu. “Erm, yeah, that bit. I mean, everyone in school knows what happened to your window, Koharu. Why bother trying to cast any doubt? You know what kind of person she is, right?”

“No evidence.”

Before the blonde woman could snap back, the dark haired woman continued, insisting on leading more with the good cop routine first. “W-Well, -no-, I suppose we don’t, not in a beyond reasonable doubt kinda sense.” Flashing a serious, warning look to her colleague, she returned to Koharu with a softer expression. “You don’t have to feel guilt over this, Koharu. I mean, there’s no other explanation for what happened to your window, right?”

“I won’t lie in my paper to make the staff feel better.”

This time, the blonde woman was faster than her companion. “Look. You know this is Tomatsu’s third strike, right? We know you’ve read into the school’s records. Even if we can’t -prove- it,” she added, flashing a knowing gaze towards her partner.

“Make your point.”

“Our point, Shirahara, is that you have a golden opportunity to place yourself in a position of trust with the staff here. On top of that, you would be doing us a colossal favor, getting rid of one of the biggest troublemakers that Mitakihara High School has ever seen. Just think about it.”

“You still want me to lie just to give you an easy out,” Koharu snapped back, throwing her bag over her shoulder. “Not how the world works. Nothing comes free, nothing comes easy. What I’m doing is finding the truth. Even if it isn’t convenient for you all. And I especially won’t lie to help in some personal vendetta you have against a child.”

Koharu stepped away from them, making for the door only to stop as the blonde woman spoke up. “Is this how you repay a favor? We never had to grant your request to run the school paper, you know. It sure wasn’t the local government’s prodding.”

Recognizing the threat, Koharu glanced back at the pair. “Are you sure it wasn’t fear? You know who my mother is. Or does the name Hikari Shirahara not sound familiar either?”

“Why you insolent little—”

“Careful. You know my club’s roster includes the daughter of Katsumi Sasaki, right? Threats like these don’t go unanswered.” Koharu waited for a reply that never came, so she left the room, calmly closing the door behind her. “…Why did I do that?” With a sigh, Koharu began walking towards the school’s exit. “Why did I have to involve Hanako in all this?”

* * *

A sharp whistle blew, cutting the crisp, late autumn air. A group of girls had lined up at the starting line, and took off from a three-point stance upon hearing the signal to start. Two girls immediately took a sizable lead. One with lavender hair, short and disheveled, and one with dark, midnight blue hair, long and straight down her back.

The dark haired girl was panting much more heavily than her rival, but she was keeping pace. The two were neck-and-neck for several lengths of the track, and the short-haired girl gave a passing, curious glance at the other girl. Before long, she had pulled ahead, and after crossing the finish line, stopped and placed her hands on her knees. “Whew! You almost caught me that time, Rui!”

The long haired girl, Rui Tomatsu, collapsed on the ground after crossing the finish line, struggling to catch her breath. “I… ugh… I -will- surpass you someday… Toi.”

Outstretching her hand, Toi Kanashimi helped Rui Tomatsu to her feet. “Don’t push yourself too hard out there! You’re only a first year, after all.” Looking around to make sure the coach wasn’t in earshot, Toi leaned in and lowered her voice. “If you keep making your asthma worse, they’re gonna catch you someday! You took a hit from your inhaler before this heat, right?”

Rui nodded, letting go of Toi’s hand as soon as she became vertical. “Yeah. You’re the only one that knows, right? Those dumbass coaches haven’t caught on?”

Shaking her head, Toi looked around again. “No one knows but us. And stop calling the coaches dumb, they’ll catch that one much more quickly than they’ll find your inhaler. Besides, it’s not a good look for a first year!”

“Psh. You’re one to talk.” Rui chuckled a little, a tiny smile lighting her face, mirroring the warmer one on Toi’s. “Well, whatever. I have time before the next race. I should warm up some more. Remember, you’re my only rival here. I have to take you down someday.”

“I’m looking forward to it!” Toi patted Rui on the shoulder and walked off, getting a bottle of water and failing to notice the fading of Rui’s smile.

This pattern would repeat for weeks. Toi and Rui would run neck-and-neck for the first half to two thirds of a given race or practice, and Toi would pull ahead at the last second. Rui’s endurance would improve naturally over time, but it was never enough to let her pull ahead in their competitions. Rui never showed any outward feelings of bitterness, and Toi remained a compassionate, encouraging rival.

But to say that bitterness didn’t exist at all, even Rui would never say for sure.

It was one fateful day, a very important meet that would put Mitakihara High School’s track team among the top ranking in all of Japan. Just a few minutes before the race, coaches and doctors were crowded around a girl crumpled on the floor of the locker room, clutching her left ankle as tears rolled down her cheeks. “I told you! I didn’t see who it was! I felt something hit the back of my head, then my leg, and the next thing I know I can’t stand up and I’m surrounded by no less than a dozen adults!”

A crowd of other track racers from other schools had gathered, and front of the pack was an expressionless Rui. Murmuring from the crowd muted and muffled the noises coming from the officials surrounding the injured girl, but two facts were clear: Toi’s ankle was broken, and it was obviously foul play. The whispers began to grow in volume, wondering just who it was that could have done this.

The obvious answer would have been a rival school, wanting to bury Mitakihara since no one could really hold a candle to Toi’s top times. That Tomatsu girl was a close second, but maybe they thought they could hold their own. “I mean, you see how that girl gets after each round, she’s practically hyperventilating!”

Rui’s eyes had remained firmly locked on Toi’s body, particularly her leg, but she still showed no outward emotion. Some time would pass, and speculation was running wild that Rui Tomatsu would have to carry Mitakihara High School to the top, but this would never come to pass. Before the final race, Rui was also nowhere to be seen.

“This is bullshit! You have no goddamn proof that I was even near Toi’s locker, let alone that I had anything to do with her injury!” Rui pounded the door frame she stood under, staring daggers at the two counselors in front of her. One was sitting at a desk, staring calmly yet coldly through strands of long, blonde hair at Rui. The other woman looked through a clipboard, her own, darker hair sat neatly along her back. “Besides, you pull me now, and this school’s never gonna reach the top! You want that interference on your records, Nagano? Huh?!”

The senior counselor stood up, palms slammed down on the desk. “Watch your tongue, Rui Tomatsu. The school will decide what the truth is, and who’s to blame for the wound to our reputation. In a few years, maybe someone will come along who can break Toi Kanashimi’s records. But right now, all the evidence we gathered at the scene points to you, including motive.”

“Motive?! Toi’s my friend, why the hell would I want to take her out like this?! I wanna beat her on the track, not in some back fucking alley! Come on, Sakurauchi, you believe me, don’t you?!”

The other woman stepped forward, looking up from her papers and spoke with a much calmer voice. “Rui, please calm down. If you truly didn’t commit this crime, the school won’t have any reason to punish you. We just have to go with the facts we found, that’s all. Please, have a little faith.”

“Faith? You both can go to hell with your faith.” Before either counselor could reply, Rui turned and started to leave. “You fuckers already made up your goddamn minds anyway.”

The school did make up its mind, in the end. Rui Tomatsu was removed from the track club, and was barred from competition in any school sports for the rest of her time as a student, though it was never quite clear if it was her attitude that led the staff to judge Rui this harshly, or if she really did break Toi’s ankle. Toi had never suspected Rui, but soon enough, her family would move away to another city, which left Rui alone and at the staff’s mercy.

* * *

“Koharu, calm down. I… I can’t really understand you, um… with all that wind in the background.” Hanako was laying on her bed, on her stomach. She was facing the unused television, phone in her left hand and held to her ear. A typical Sunday, minus the three way phone call.

“Call off your magic then,” Koharu muttered before speaking up. She was very clearly walking around outside. “I said I want to meet up somewhere. Lot to talk about. Maybe the park near the school? Maybe we just go to our club room anyway?”

“Whoa!” Shinju’s voice caused Hanako to temporarily remove the phone from her ear. “No way, man! We’re not breaking into the school on a Sunday!” Her voice noticeably quieted as she said that, perhaps to avoid her older sister overhearing. “Count me out!”

“We need to meet.” Koharu’s voice was beginning to rise, a sense of panic taking over. “Don’t understand. This is important. Really important. You don’t understand!”

The two continued to argue for awhile after that. Hanako shuddered a bit, her fog setting in over her mind and threatening to drown everything else out, until an idea broke through, piercing the veil. “W-Why not just… come over to my place for lunch? Mother has… been wanting to see you both, since… well… um…”

Koharu’s voice lowered, calmer breathing on the other end of the call. “Right. She wants to know we’re real. Good thinking.” The bluntness caused Hanako to jump again. It was exactly as Koharu said. Her mother knew she had friends now, and that she was doing better, but it would be another thing entirely to meet Koharu and Shinju in person. “We have privacy there?”

“Y… Yes. Mother never enters my room without permission, and the apartment walls are thick enough for both of my parents to have discreet conversations about their careers.”

“O~kay! Party at Hanako’s!” Shinju’s relief was equally clear in her voice. “Message me the directions and I’ll have ‘Haku bring me by!”

* * *

Rui cast her empty gaze over the newly formed Soul Gem in her hand, its owner’s body crumpled on the floor and curled up in a tight ball. She showed no emotion, only turning her head to gaze at the other girl sitting horrified nearby. “Okay, your turn.”

The girl shook her head, light brown hair swaying and shaking, covering the girl’s face. “Th-This… this can’t be real!”

“Come on, Takahata. I told you what to wish for. Now be a good girl and tell the nice kitty what your wish is. Or do you want Fueki here to suffer and fight those monsters it told you about all by herself?”

“Akari…” The trembling girl, Chiemi Takahata, gazed coldly up at Rui, then at Yasu, who stood behind her. She then looked at the creature standing at Rui’s side. It resembled a cat, but the eyes and tail told her otherwise. The fact that it could speak didn’t help. “F-Fine. I… don’t have a choice here, do I?”

“Attagirl. Yasu, I’ll leave the training and details up to you.” Taking Yasu’s silence as compliance, Rui placed Akari’s Soul Gem on her unconscious body, then turned and began to leave. “One more should do it. Niko Segawa, I think, would be the ideal target. Yeah… just one more should make me truly unstoppable.”

* * *

The doorbell rang, and as the door opened, Shinju gave a polite bow to the woman who answered. “Nice to meet you, Sasaki-san. I’m Shinju, and this is Koharu. We’re here to visit Hanako for lunch, uh… can we come in?” Shinju cast a wary gaze over at Koharu, who neither mimicked the action, nor said anything.

Smiling brightly, Hanako’s mother stood aside and invited the girls inside. “Oh, that’s right. Hanako just told me she was having friends over for lunch. Come in, come in!” Koharu entered right away, while Shinju had given another bow first, still staring at Koharu.

“Apologies, girls, but I’m afraid that Ren isn’t here to meet you today. He was called away on a last-second business trip. A pity, since he really wanted to meet you both. The way Hanako goes on and on.” A little chuckle escaped before she fluttered towards the dining room. It isn’t much, but I made some sandwiches and light salads for you all. You can eat in Hanako’s room, just make sure to knock first.

“Thank you, Sasaki-san!” Shinju stepped forward, taking both her plate and Hanako’s, leaving Koharu to take her own. “You didn’t have to go to the trouble, though!”

“Oh, you’re far too polite. Call me Katsumi, everyone else does. Please, don’t be afraid to make yourselves at home here.”

This time, Koharu did speak up, though only mumbling. “…It’s nice to meet you.” It looked like she wanted to say more, but decided against it.

“Likewise, Koharu. Now, pardon my rudeness, but I have important work to attend to.” As she said this, Koharu’s face sank a bit. “If either of you need anything, don’t hesitate to track me down, okay?” She knocked twice on Hanako’s door, then gave the girls a warm smile before turning to walk away.

Hanako’s door swiftly opened after, and she sheepishly took the spare plate from Shinju’s arm. “Ah… she really didn’t have to… um…” Shaking her head, she let Shinju and Koharu into her room. “…We have a lot to talk about, actually. I’m glad you both came here today.”

* * *

The autumn that fell a year after Toi’s injury and subsequent departure felt colder somehow. Snow hadn’t started falling yet, but the chill in the air was biting at a majority of the students of Mitakihara High. Everyone seemed to complain about it. Everyone, except for Rui Tomatsu.

She was looking down at the bruises on her hand, cursing under her breath that a first year student could actually put up a fight against her. Still, the freshman class was a large pool of targets this year, and Rui was scanning for her next victim.

Rui remembered the discipline meeting with the counselors from her fight with the first year named Arashi. The kid, naturally, got off with only a warning, especially after putting on a mask of false remorse. Rui, however, got the brunt of their ire.

“This is unacceptable behavior, Tomatsu. Or did you not learn a harsh enough lesson the last time we spoke like this?” The blonde counselor, Shinobu Nagano, looked as cold as she did when Toi’s ankle was broken, but her tone wasn’t nearly as harsh. “Picking fights is unbecoming of a second year student.”

“It’s unbecoming of anyone, really.” Yuna Sakurauchi, the dark haired counselor had naturally taken a much softer tone. “Rui, don’t you think there’s healthier outlets for your anger?”

Rui scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. “What. Like a sport or something?” Her words hit their mark, with both counselors recoiling. “You kind of took that away from me, remember?”

“Taking your frustrations out on your juniors is unacceptable, no matter what the circumstances. Besides, there’s nothing stopping you from joining an off campus, out of school organization.”

“Is there?” Rui’s eyes flashed with malice, staring into Counselor Nagano’s. “Because I’m pretty sure most of them look through your school records before admission. So unless you have another idea, I’m afraid I can’t help either of you.” She didn’t give them a chance to interrupt her this time. “Besides, you heard that punk Arashi. She started it. Or do you intend to punish me for -another- incident without proper proof?”

“Get out, Tomatsu. We’ll continue this conversation later.”

Rui held a smug satisfaction as time went by. She lost her only outlet, but the school couldn’t do anything beyond that. Without proof, if they school continued to press her, she could go to the media and at the very least prompt a proper investigation. Given how the counselors were reacting, Rui knew that this was something the school wanted to avoid. It couldn’t take another blow to its reputation after losing its prestige from dropping two rising track stars, after all.

But this did leave Rui in a difficult position. Her one wish, the one and only chance to get herself out of this predicament, and she had wasted it in an emotional impulse. She could’ve wished for anything. The removal of the staff, or her reinstatement on the track team. If only she had another wish, she often bemoaned. At least she didn’t waste it curing her asthma. She would discover rather quickly that she could heal herself with her new powers.

Weeks would go by. Rui would lay low, if only to calculate her next move. She had the school by the throat, but she could only push her luck so far. And her anger was continuing to build and boil over. She could only contain it for so long, and her Witch hunts weren’t really doing much to relieve the tension. Her next incident was a miscalculation as a result. She went too far, and Rui knew this by the next time she found herself in Shinobu’s office.

“…And don’t even try that ‘she started it’ line this time, Tomatsu! The doctors are telling us that Mei Tsukuda’s leg is going to need surgery, and that Seia Yamano lost her sight! What do you have to say for yourself?!”

Rui simply smiled, a sick, twisted expression lighting her face, but she remained silent.

“This is your second strike, Tomatsu. If you so much as step one foot out of line again, you will be expelled! Think about what -that- would do to your record and prospects, hm?”

Rui cast her gaze over towards Yuna, but she didn’t return the gesture, buried in her papers. Rui took this as a sign of her misstep. She would have to be more careful and guarded going forward. The rest of the meeting consisted of drowned out shouting from Shinobu, but Rui was too deep in her own head to hear her anymore.

All Rui needed was to lay low until she graduated. She just needed nothing to happen that the school could pin on her.

* * *

“So then, Shinju is one too, now. Perfect. Was tired of dodging the subject.” Koharu was sitting in a chair by Hanako’s bedroom window, which was closed with deep red curtains covering it.

Shinju was staring at the dust-covered television and let out a laugh. “Haha, lemme guess. ‘I didn’t ask’, right? Well, no worries! I don’t care about all that, I get it. But it really is nice to all be on the same page again!”

Hanako’s expression remained sour, however. “…So… what do we do now, then…? We were able to fend Tomatsu off this time, but… now that I’ve weakened, and she’s had time to recover…”

“Aw c’mon, Hanako. I dealt with people like her before. Ya beat up a bully, they stop coming after you. Not that I’ve gone quite as far as you have…” Shinju rubbed her head and kept her gaze on the TV. “Do you even use this thing? What kinda teenager isn’t glued to a TV, anyway?”

Ignoring the comment, Koharu interjected. “I disagree. Rui Tomatsu isn’t your run-of-the-mill bully. I doubt you dealt with Magical Girl bullies in your time, Shinju. Besides, I’ve been through her records. This girl’s the type to escalate.”

Hanako lowered her head, laying on her stomach once more. “…What do we do…?”

Shinju tapped her foot impatiently, almost trying to psychically will the television on. “What can we do? If she comes at us again, we just pound her face in again. But uh, maybe not do that thing you did last time, ‘kay?”

Koharu coughed once, possibly to interject again. “In any case, Rui Tomatsu isn’t our only problem. The higher ups are wanting us to lie in the paper again. Didn’t like how I covered the incident before.”

Hanako looked up, a mask of concern on her face. “Did they… give you a hard time about it? They didn’t make any threats… or anything like that?”

Shaking her head, Koharu sighed, looking away, trying to look out the curtain-covered window. “They did. Nothing direct. Just a lot of implied threats. The usual stuff.”

Koharu took the opportunity to build upon her thoughts by speaking them aloud to the others, to keep them in the loop. “Even if they shut down the paper, we have this room as our base of operations. We can’t stop here. We get the truth out even if the school tries to bury us for it.” There was a rare spark of passion in Koharu’s voice as she spoke.

“I-I don’t mind, of course. I mean… I don’t think we can meet -every- night, I do need my alone time… But if the school means to shut us down, then I have no reason to refuse activities here. Mother would certainly be happy with that.”

“We should meet here regardless. Staff will likely keep the club open as a ‘concession’ and monitor our meetings. We only discuss Rui here. Safer that way given how much this intersects the Magical Girl side of things.”

“Yeah.” Shinju sighed, giving up on Hanako’s TV for now. “That sounds exactly like what an authority high on power would do. Keep things running as a fake gift, but bug the place and watch it like a hawk. Mundane stuff at the club room, Rui stuff here, then?”

“Mm. I have no objections, Koharu. Shinju.” Hanako gave a little smile, letting the rare moment of normalcy set in. Sure, she was facing an uphill battle against a violent enemy, but for now, she had the prospect of friends coming to hang out, something she had never known before. Her only other friend before this was a long distance contact through a game, after all. “How did you get them to let you go today though, Koharu? If they really were that… pressuring about all this.”

“Ah, well. About that.” Koharu shuffled nervously in her seat. “They let me go after I dropped my mother’s name.” She hesitated for a solid minute before mumbling, “…And yours.”

Before Hanako can react, two knocks came upon Hanako’s bedroom door, and Katsumi was waiting in the crack that formed upon the door being pushed ajar. “Oh? School giving you a hard time, Koharu? Leave that to me.”

Koharu immediately turned to stare at Katsumi, taken aback by the sudden feeling of justice. Hanako, however, had gone pale, wondering just how much her mother had overheard, but Katsumi didn’t give her room to respond here, either. “I take on pro bono cases all the time, and to be honest, I have my own history with some of those guys that work there. Tell me, is Shinobu Nagano still Head Counselor over at Mitakihara High School?”

* * *

Yasu never particularly cared for what Rui asked her to do this time. She knew better than to try and talk Rui down, her rage was too far out of control. But she couldn’t condone this, either. Five new Magical Girls, all of whom made wishes that benefited or empowered Rui? This was too much.

Of course, Yasu knew what the school had done to Rui over the years, despite only being a first year student herself. It was this knowledge that brought Yasu to ally herself with Rui in the first place. The staff hadn’t bothered her in the same way they did Rui, but she never could shake the feeling of animosity from the higher ups, either.

To top it off, Yasu couldn’t remember what she herself wished for. As far as she knew, vague memories of a childhood led up to Yasu awakening one day to strange powers and a life fighting Witches. But she never could let go of feelings of hostility and persecution from those around her. From everyone, except for Rui.

Walking away from the abandoned building where Akari and Chiemi contracted, Yasu pulled out her phone, dialing the one number saved within. “Come on…” But after ringing for a minute or so, the call went to Rui’s voicemail, a generic, robotic voice informing Yasu that the call wasn’t answered.

She hung up, pocketing her phone and making her way towards the rendezvous agreed upon. If anything ever went south, Rui told Yasu to meet up at the school’s track. It was an odd place, Yasu thought, but poetic for Rui. Planning the downfall of Counselors Nagano and Sakurauchi in the place where Rui was framed in the first place was a nice sense of ironic justice.

It was a quiet, uneventful walk, but Yasu wasn’t prepared for the sight that awaited her upon slipping into the school grounds and making for the field. Her eyes widened as she caught the sight right away. Lying in a deep, crimson pool, Rui Tomatsu’s lifeless body lay, already pale and stiff.

<= Chapter 13 ~ * ~ * ~ Chapter 15 =>

[more-mitaori]

Chapter 13

Yui had no expectations as she knocked on the front door of the Rinju family’s little house. Alice had assured her that there was nothing to worry about, since Esther had only just returned that morning, and she would likely stay locked up in her room the whole time Yui was there.

This had become something of a ritual for Yui by now. Her one little corner of peace despite the fights she used to get into, despite fighting Witches in more recent months, and all the drama that came with high school. Not to mention the band now eating away at the last bastion of her free time.

Her wounds had healed nearly completely, though if one knew where to look, the shadow of a scar remained. Yui was, in a way, finally taking Alice and Midori’s advice and relaxing, but the shadow of Esther even just being in the house during Yui’s weekly tea time didn’t put her at ease. What didn’t help was that Marian Rinju’s car was nowhere to be seen in the driveway.

As if to answer Yui’s thoughts and concerns, the front door opened, with Esther standing on the other side. Expecting a snide remark or hostility, Yui braced herself, but Esther’s warm smile caught her off guard. “Ah, Yui. Right on time. Please come in, won’t you?” She held the door open, standing off to the side to let Yui in.

Seeing Alice in the background, Yui let her hesitation go, and stepped past Esther with a polite nod. Kicking her shoes off into the corner of the entryway, she made her way into the dining room, looking around. “No Mama Rinju this time?”

“No. Mom got called into work for some kind of emergency.” Alice took a seat at the table, and a kettle could be seen on the stove behind her in the kitchen. Steam was starting to form and leak out of it. “It’s just us three tonight.” Her voice was laced with an uncomfortable tension, the same that Yui felt before arriving. Esther’s warmth, somehow, was not putting either other girl at ease.

“Chamomile this time, Yui.” Esther gave both her sister and her visitor a warm smile again, fluttering about with setting tea cups on the table, one for each of them.

“Er, thanks, Esther.” Everything within Yui was screaming, wanting to confront Esther about this inviting warmth. She held herself back, however, not wanting to upset Alice. She looked uncomfortable enough as it was, but seeing them all get along would inevitably help put her mind at ease.

It was Alice, however, that took the initiative. “…Esther, didn’t you kick Yui out last time she came by? What happened to that? N-Not that I’m complaining, or anything.”

Yui tensed up, but Esther simply chuckled. “Don’t be silly, Alice. It’s far better to have someone reliable like Yui around to help keep an eye out, isn’t it? Especially with all of my, erm… let’s just say ‘research’ trips.”

Once again, Yui tensed up, internally screaming every snappy comeback she were capable of, but seeing Alice take a couple deep breaths silenced her for a while. “Yeah, well… you can always count on me,” she managed to mumble out.

Soon after, the kettle began to whistle, and Esther practically bounced toward it, pouring three cups of tea. One for herself first, then Alice, and finally Yui, keeping the image of a perfect host the entire time.

Yui didn’t hesitate this time. Taking the opportunity to show Alice even more calm, and perhaps one-up Esther in this silly passive aggressive game, Yui gave a polite nod, reaching for her cup and taking the first sip. As expected, this had the intended effect on Alice, who visibly seemed to calm even more. Alice was next to reach for her cup, followed shortly by Esther.

Not poisoned, Yui mused as she took another sip. “Hey, not bad. Thanks.” The trio then sat in an awkward silence, yet a calm one. The tension in the air had loosened a fair bit, though glances between Yui and Alice showed that neither were abandoning their thoughts about Esther. They agreed to get the truth out of her, after all, and though this wasn’t the intended time, both girls seemed to be on the same page.

Esther, however, beat both of them in the race to break the silence. “Say, Yui. Would you indulge me for a moment?” Not waiting for her reply, given Yui was halfway through another sip. “If you’re not opposed, would you mind giving me a little spar out back?”

“Er… I mean, sure, but what good’s it gonna do you to kick my ass again?” Yui was, as always, blunt and honest. Especially after the last time they fought, Yui wasn’t in a rush to get beat down again, and if Esther used her powers…

“Just a little contest. I won’t even transform. Please?”

Alice looked between the two, her eyes starting to wide, but Yui simply shrugged. “Y’know what? Sure, why not? If it’ll make ya feel better to punch down…”

Esther giggled quietly into her soon-to-be empty cup. “Thank you. Alice, do you want to watch? I promise, it really is a friendly contest this time.”

Neither of them seemed to beat around the bush with Alice. Everyone here knew that Yui and Esther fought underground by now, and everyone knew that everyone knew this. Alice sighed and paused, kicking her legs under the table. “Eh… sure, I guess. Just don’t get competitive, okay?”

* * *

The bout lasted even less time than the underground fight against her grandfather. Half a minute and some change later, and Yui was flat on her back in the grass, staring up at the sky, a bruise on her shoulder beneath her shirt. “Fuckin’ hell, I couldn’t even get close…”

Esther simply nodded, showing no outward emotion to break her facade. “You got one decent hit in this time. I’ll be feeling that one in my ribs for a week.”

Alice sighed and reached down, helping Yui to her feet. “Feel better now, sis?”

Nodding again, Esther looked Yui up and down. “Your form is tightening. You have some experience, both with Witches and with other people, but you’re still letting people slip past your guard. Feints especially seem to still be your biggest weakness in a one-on-one fight.”

Ignoring Yui’s muttering, Esther continued. “Were we transformed, Yui, I think you would have stood more of a chance. Your weapon doesn’t afford a lot of room for a brawler like me, when used properly anyway. With a little practice, the second-eldest Magical Girl in Mitakihara—”

“So aside givin’ me pointers, what was the fuckin’ point of all this?” Yui had had enough by now, staring straight into Esther’s eyes with the dam of her patience finally cracking and spilling over. “Like, we both knew who was gonna win this, and if ya wanted to train me, you would’ve not spent all week trying to push me away from Alice. What gives now? An’ don’t bother lying, ‘cause we all know all of this shit by now.”

Alice leaned against the tree beside both of the other girls, shrinking back a bit. “I want to ask about that too. Why did you spend so much time and effort trying to push Yui away, just to… embrace her as one of my protectors now, all of a sudden?”

“It doesn’t make one bit of sense. Ya beat up Pops ‘n’ me for some quick cash after bein’ gone for like a week, ya drop this ‘stay away from my family’ shit, an’ now you’re servin’ me tea and givin’ me tips? Like, what gives?”

“A-And where have you been going, anyway, Esther? You still haven’t told me. You never tell me where you go… and your trips keep getting longer and longer. What would I have done if Yui listened to you in the first place?”

The barrage of questions finally cracks Esther’s mask, and her smile finally fades. “…The truth, then.” Despite her voice lowering, it still held no animosity. Perhaps this was what unsettled Yui the most, though Alice was listening intently. “The full, unguarded truth.”

“Let’s start with the obvious. Yui, you know what I wished for by now, right?”

Alice shuffled uncomfortably, opening her mouth to apologize, but Esther held out her hand in a comforting gesture towards her sister to stop her. “Don’t. Yui knowing this saves me some time. I would have told you by now, anyway, and I’m surprised it never came up sooner, given our history.”

“Y-Yeah. You wished for your mother’s bastard of an ex-husband to suffer, right? What, the daughter of a mob boss is supposed to judge that sorta thing?” Yui faltered slightly, but stood her ground.

Esther shook her head. “It wasn’t a moral reason I never told you. Quite frankly, you never asked. It never crossed your mind, did it? You wanted to beat me -first-, and then learn about my powers after. It’s a rather damning flaw of yours, truth be told. That sort of thinking might get you killed out there someday.”

Not waiting for Yui to argue, Esther continued. “But my wish is really important to all of this. If I hadn’t made it in those exact words, I never would have learned the truth about my family. Our family,” she added, sparing a glance to a very nervous looking Alice.

“The Rinju family is cursed, Yui. It has been, for a long time now. Countless generations. I have no idea how far back it goes, besides ‘very very long ago’. I haven’t yet figured out what caused it, either, but I know firsthand what the effects are. So does Alice, even if she doesn’t remember.”

Alice shifted nervously and uncomfortably, and Esther spoke despite this after a cursory glance. “Let me tell you a story, Yui. Once upon a time, we had a father. A real one. Tomozaku Rinju never really had much in the way of success. Not financially anyway. But he did have a special kind of love for his family.”

“One day, he gets back from a business trip overseas. He had himself a nice, long conversation, a pleasant one with a flight attendant who was thinking about moving to Japan. She was already acclimated to the culture, given her vocation and her usual routes with her job, and he was lonely, but never thought himself the type to ever actually find someone.”

“They get along well enough, and scrape enough money together to buy a little house and start a little family. Two little girls. He doesn’t seem to object to his wife giving them names from her homeland. In case you were wondering how two girls born in Japan had English names in the first place.”

“But he was a loving father, if not a little awkward and quiet. Played with us, kept us fed and happy. Over time, he found another love, one at the bottom of a bottle. I once thought that this was what made Tomozaku a fiend, but no. Even as a hopeless drunk who lost his job, he was still kind to us.”

“It was about the time that Alice entered elementary school that the serious changes began setting in.” Alice shuffled again, shrinking down until she was sitting under the tree, hugging her legs as Esther spoke. “Raised tones turned into raised fists. Late night arguments with our mother became nightly, then daily, then outright constant. Mom started getting real quiet, and started wearing makeup around the house to hide the bruises.”

“It only escalated from there. I don’t think I have to tell you both just how bad it got, or what -exactly- he started doing. First to Mom, then to me later down the line.”

Yui flinched, and the sour expression and budding rage told Esther all she needed to know. Yui knew, of course. She gleaned enough from conversations with Alice and Marian over the years to piece everything together, but to have it confirmed directly was like a punch to the gut.

“One night, after he left my room, that was when Kyubey first appeared. And in that moment, I was vulnerable and foolish enough to give -anything- to escape. But then I stopped and thought about it. Why run away from it? Why not pay that monster back for everything he had put my mother and I through? So I wished for him to suffer for as long as he was near me. If I could see him, he would suffer. And so Kyubey granted my wish without a moment’s hesitation.”

“And he really did suffer. His movements became slower. Sluggish. Spent more time in the bathroom. Coughing fits. I never confirmed it, but I swore I saw dried blood in our sink once or twice. Maybe it was just wishful thinking. I thought it would be enough for him to run away. It was how he lived before this, after all.”

“Unfortunately for me, the wounded animal was cornered, and I never knew just how hard he would lash out. He never really knew just what was causing his declining health, but he took it out on me, as if I had caused it somehow.” Before Yui could interject, Esther stared her dead in the eyes. “And it was. But he shouldn’t have known that, right?”

“Well, I decided to stop denying it. He thought me some sort of witch who cursed him somehow. I just told him the truth. I expected him to think I was insane or something, but his eyes told me that he believed me. Maybe his family dealt with Kyubey before or something. In any case, I told him that he had two choices now.”

“The first, he could double down and try to fight, but knowing what I was, he would suffer and likely die if he tried, and none of us would face any legal repercussions over it. His death would be ruled poor health, just like every other absent father of the time period before him who drank themselves to death.”

“The second? He could turn himself in to the police, confess his crimes, and if I never saw him again, he could at least live out and recover in prison. I don’t have to tell you which he chose, Yui. You know damn well that the fucking coward fled to the safety of prison.”

Esther had stopped talking for a moment. Yui’s fists were in tight balls, and she was struggling to keep her breathing calm. Alice, however, had been crying in her huddle beneath their tree, finally looking up after Esther had gotten quiet. “Why… why didn’t you tell me the full truth?!”

With a sigh, Esther turned and knelt down beside Alice, brushing hair out of her face. “You were so young, Alice. You always were. I… Mom and I both tried our damnedest to keep that bastard away from you. Part of that meant not letting you find all this out until you were ready. You loved him, all the way up until the day the police came for him, and you overheard his charges. I didn’t want you to hurt over it. I’m sorry, Alice.”

“Mom wanted to protect you from the abuse, but I couldn’t let you piece together the full picture, not like this. I didn’t want you to hate yourself for loving him, even after everything he did. I still don’t. You didn’t do anything wrong, okay?”

Alice simply nodded, burying her face in her arms again. Esther stood back up, looking at Yui, who finally spoke. “So then, you’ve been runnin’ around this whole time, lookin’ for clues on this curse your mom’s ex suffered from?”

“I’m surprised you haven’t pieced the rest together by now, Yui. Then again, maybe not. See, the Rinju family curse isn’t so simple to just target the firstborn child. It latches onto vulnerable souls born from the cursed. Man or woman, anyone can suffer. Men turn violent, committing horrible, unspeakable crimes on those around them. Women meet with Kyubey, and I don’t think I need to explain why that’s a bad thing.”

“…So then that’s why it’s after Alice so goddamn hard? She’s carryin’ this curse now?!”

Esther’s eyes narrowed. “It’s not a problem, so long as Alice never makes a contract. But you and I both know where our lives lead and end. If that were to happen to Alice—”

Yui shuddered and shook her head. “Y-Yeah. I get it, I get it. An’ here I was just tryin’ to keep her out of a life of combat. But uh… wait a sec, Alice knew about magic from awhile back. Before that bastard got pinched by the cops. How’d that happen?”

“Oh, um… I can answer that.” Alice took a minute to bring herself upright again, though she still leaned against the tree for support. “I found Kyubey talking to Esther one night. Mom and da— ...the fighting got really loud, so I went to hide in Esther’s room.”

“Yeah. Unfortunately, I couldn’t hide them from one another fast enough. I did get Kyubey away, but I had to have a difficult talk with Alice.”

“That’s not too far from when you made your wish, Yui,” Alice meekly added. “I was surprised at how easy it was to figure out, and you were always surprised at how easily I accepted it, but it just kinda worked out. Harder part was… figuring out why Esther was hurt and upset all the time. But I never knew it was that bad…”

“It wasn’t an easy conversation. All I told Alice was that Tomozaku was heavy handed in discipline, and I was ‘emotional’ enough to wish for revenge. Alice wanted to know more about magic, and me telling her about it seemed to calm her down. It was a distraction from the harsh reality of living in an abusive home, but avoiding the actual abuse.”

Esther sighed again. “But I knew how crafty Kyubey was. You did too, Yui. It was always a blessing, that she had someone like you in her life to help keep that damned thing away from her. Once I felt safe enough, I set out to learn more about the Rinju curse.”

“I found our family tree in a public library. I visited older villages and investigated tales of families torn apart by seemingly supernatural disasters. Suicides, homicides, that sort of thing. Found trails from our ancestors, but no clues beside that.”

Yui folded her arms. “So you trusted me, then? To keep Alice safe while you were away”

“Not entirely. I knew how close you two were, but in our spars, I knew you were rash and impulsive, especially when it came to a fight. I could only go so far, be gone for so long before I would need to return and make sure that my baby sister was still in one, perfectly human piece.”

“It could have left me in these dead ends, but Kyubey met with me one day while I was out of town. I asked about the Rinju family curse, and as I suspected, it knew everything. Didn’t tell me everything, naturally, but it confirmed to me that the curse was real, that it went back countless generations, had a definite way to cure it without bloodshed, and…”

“…Kyubey told me that its goal was to get a contract out of Alice. Because the curse over all these innumerable years was concentrated on her. Yui, you know what that means, right? If Alice makes a wish… if she forms a contract with Kyubey—”

“Nothin’ any of us can do if that happens. Yeah, I get the picture. We’re strong, but… yeah, no. I was always on board keepin’ the cat bastard away from Alice, but you better believe I’m on overtime here. Esther, you can count on me to help keep Kyubey away from Alice.”

Esther visibly relaxed, hearing the determination in Yui’s voice. “Thank you, Yui. Seriously, thank you. That means more to me than you realize.”

“But you kept on searchin’, right? ‘Cause trust me, it doesn’t take a week to talk to the genie cat.”

“Well… how to put this? Yui, as delicately as I can say, you’re familiar with the concept of criminal underworlds and shady organizations, right?” Taking Yui’s murderous glare as an answer, Esther nodded. “Well, it stands to reason that people in our line of work would team up as well, form those same… circles, so to speak.”

“I haven’t signed any contracts, or pledged loyalty to any of them or anything. But I’ve been getting desperate. If I can’t dispel our family’s curse, Alice will be hunted forever. And we all know that life never gets any easier. My all consuming goal is to break our curse so that Alice can live a normal life. And Yui, you better believe that I’ll do -anything- to make that happen.”

“The part I don’t get, an’ neither does Alice, is that you told me to stay away from Alice. Why is that?” Yui folded her arms. This was the one thing that didn’t make sense to Yui. “You started countin’ on me to keep Alice safe, so you tell me to back off? If I’d listened, that’d be game over, you realize that, right?”

Esther gave a sad, sarcastic kind of smile. “Well, I have two reasons. On the one hand, have you ever been the type to ever do as you’re told? Worst case scenario, you’d still watch Alice from the shadows. Your little bluff at that arena shook me, sure. But I have learned how to pull my punches. Even if it went wrong, I knew there was no way you would have honored your side of the bargain either way.”

Yui glared again. Did Esther just imply that she let Yui win that bet? She still remembered those burns lasting as long as they did.

“But the other reason is… well, I finally have a lead. And if this goes sour, it risks bringing the wrath of an underworld on my head. I didn’t want you getting caught up in that—”

“Don’t do me any fuckin’ favors, Esther,” Yui spat. “You don’t know what my family did, or went through. Don’t pretend, and don’t pull this savior bullshit with me.”

Surprisingly, Esther didn’t confront this. She looked away, rubbing her shoulder. “…I’m sorry, Yui. But this lead, it’s the most promising avenue I’ve found yet. And I cannot back down now.”

“Then let’s stop pretendin’ to be enemies and deal with this together. You, me, and Alice.” Yui’s expression softened.

“I can’t. Yui, I have to do this on my own. Alice can’t make a contract, and this is a family affair. No, Yui. I have to do this alone.” Esther’s voice was becoming increasingly desperate and a little crazed. “Now that you know all of this, Yui… you have to promise to keep Alice safe while I pursue this lead to its conclusion, and in return, I’ll absorb all of the consequences.”

“I refuse.” Yui’s reply was instant, and Alice stared at Esther, telling her in her expression that she agreed with Yui. “Your head’s not on right, if you think you can just fight the world on your own. ‘Specially the criminal underworld. Nah, you’re goin’ about this all wrong. We need to do this -together- or nothin’ is gonna get fixed. Deep down, Esther, you have to realize that.”

“You can’t be serious!” Esther’s voice snapped up in volume, causing Alice to flinch. “If we go together, Kyubey has nothing stopping it from getting a wish out of Alice! Don’t you get it? It’ll do -anything- to get my sister’s soul! I was wrong to depend on you after all, Yui.”

“Were you, now?” Yui reaches into her pocket, pulling out an unsealed envelope. “If you got this whole underworld business all figured out, then how did Pops get this off of ya that night?” Esther’s eyes widened as the color left her face. Her gaze was fixed on the paper Yui held in her hands, recognizing it in an instant. “And you better believe that I’ve read it. It’s a rendezvous. Was interestin’ to learn why you needed the money so bad.”

“Or did you somehow think that I just never dug into -my- family’s history, Esther? I know where I come from. I know what we were about. And I can tell you right now that you have no fuckin’ idea what you’re getting yourself mixed up with. Gonna have to admit that you need me, aren’cha?.”

With a shriek, Esther lunged forward, a white flash taking her into her Magical Girl form. Yui, anticipating this, threw the envelope past Esther, over to Alice’s direction. Not seeing it reach its mark, Yui simply threw herself to the side, barely dodging Esther’s attack. The heat from Esther’s cursed, poisonous flames singed Yui’s skin, but she was quick enough to avoid a burn.

Yui transformed in a violet flash, several gold staves landing in front of her to block or redirect the next barrage of punches as white flames began to burn in places along the already uneven grass of the Rinjus’ backyard. Jumping back, Yui held a staff in front of her, creating a little distance.

Esther lunged again, only stopping herself with her fist an inch away from Alice’s face. Alice had jumped between the two girls, and held her arms out wide. In her left hand, she held the envelope that had once been addressed to Esther. “S-Stop! Esther, please… stop this! Yui’s right, you can’t do all of this on your own!” Esther quickly jumped back, falling to her knees as she realized what she almost did in a blind rage, but Alice continued. “I… I read that envelope too, Esther. Please, just… just this once, please stop trying to carry the weight of the world on your own!”

“Please… this is tearing me apart. Between having you gone for so long, worrying if you’re even going to come back, to watching you attack and fight with Yui like this… Esther, I can’t take it!” Tears began rolling down Alice’s cheeks, but she stayed in that protective position in front of Yui, who had dismissed her form soon after. “Between the two of you, only one of you is actually trying to be reasonable and helpful about all this!”

Esther took some time to compose herself, slowly rising to her feet. “You… neither of you understand a god damned thing. You don’t know what you’ve done. You have no goddamn IDEA!” Esther’s shout was accompanied by a sharp crack. She had thrown herself forward, punching a small hole into the tree Alice had been standing in front of moments earlier. A white flame illuminated the dent as Esther pulled her hand away.

“…Do whatever the hell you want then, Yui Arashi. God knows that’s what you’re best at. But if anything happens to Alice, you’re fucking dead.” Esther walked back into the house, slamming the door behind her.

“A-Alice, are you okay? That was crazy, you know that, right? She could’ve killed you!”

Alice shook her head. “No… Esther would never hurt me, no matter how mad she gets. After what we went through with Dad… not a chance she could ever hurt me. That’s how I knew I could protect you for once, Yui.” Alice took some time to calm herself with breathing exercises and muttering. “…You know you have to keep that date now though, right? All of this is for nothing if no one shows up to the rendezvous.”

“Whoa, are you out of your mind? Esther’s gonna be halfway to Kazamino or some shit by the time I keep that date. We can’t exactly leave you alone here, that part Esther was one hundred percent right about.”

“Then don’t be gone long, Yui.” Alice’s voice sharpened a bit as she turned to face Yui. “Because if Esther is gone too long, and I don’t have any information, not even you could stop me from finding Kyubey and getting those answers myself.”

Yui stared into Alice’s eyes for a pause that seemed to last for an eternity. “Fine. I’ll leave the morning of, and I’ll go meet with this ‘information dealer’ for answers. But do me a favor, never make that threat to me again, okay? This was your one freebie.”

Alice responded by throwing her arms around Yui’s waist, her resolve finally crumbling. “Thank you, Yui… if we can get to the bottom of all this, then maybe… maybe Esther can stop all this and just… come home again. I want my sister back…”

Yui wrapped her arms loosely around Alice’s shoulders and sighed, holding Alice as she seemed to melt. Alice didn’t have that much endurance after all, Yui thought. “Yeah, well… let’s just hope I’m up to a little dive into the shadows, eh? Maybe Pops’ll forgive me for breakin’ my promise.”

<= Chapter 12 ~ * ~ * ~ Chapter 14 =>

[more-mitaori]

Chapter 11

Standing at the edge of a broken, collapsed highway leading out of Mitakihara, Esther Rinju was staring out at the horizon as the sun began to set. Her gaze was blank, yet to those that knew her, the fury in the blank orbs would be unmistakable. Her right hand was tightly balled into a fist, and her left clutched at her chest.

The highway she stood upon had been discontinued some time ago. Years, probably, when Kamihama City mysteriously closed itself off from the rest of the world. No one really knew what happened, not even the Magical Girls of the surrounding cities and towns. Even Kyubey had expressed confused interest in the incident, but didn’t have any information. The Magical Girls that knew Kyubey best even noted that it wasn’t so much that it was withholding information, but that the creature genuinely didn’t know what happened.

It wasn’t this city that drew Esther’s attention, however. Nor her ire. She had been called to this spot by a lead she was chasing during her previous outing, but for some reason, the trail had gone cold.

She had a good idea why, too. An envelope had been placed in her care, delivered by a messenger of a messenger. Careful instructions to follow, and a rendezvous that now didn’t seem to exist.

Esther had admittedly only glanced at the contents of the envelope, when it was still in her possession at least. But some time between her return to Mitakihara and now, she had lost the envelope.

Cursing at herself, wondering how she could be so careless with something so precious, not to mention getting caught up in the pettiness between herself and Yui Arashi, it showed Esther that even her perfect armor had cracks. Now, the one promising trail she had followed had grown cold. The best hope Esther had at the answers she had been desperate for over the last couple years, and she threw it away. All over a quarrel that she deep down didn’t even care about.

Looking at her phone, she noticed several missed calls. Multiple from Alice, one from her mother, and one she didn’t expect. “Hanako Sasaki… that first year girl. Right.” She had to remind herself that she had offered her services as mentor to the newbie, but usually, the girls never took her up on it. Most of them died or turned long before they picked up the phone. Some made it on their own, not wanting to compete with someone stronger than themselves over resources.

Esther made a mental note to follow up with her when she returned to town. This gave her something constructive to do. Something to take her mind off of everything. Leaving some highway left, Esther turned away. Smoldering piles of pavement and asphalt lay in her wake.

For now, Esther had to try something else to continue her pursuit. Another approach, perhaps. Her quest for the truth about her family was far from finished.

* * *

The sun had set over the empty lot, and the band of four dreaming girls began packing up in a tired, yet satisfied murmur. It was about as typical a practice session as one could ask for. And for once, Yui was the one grateful that she wasn’t on the mic as a singer or backup.

Her voice was hoarse the entire evening, prompting concern from Alice, Midori and even Shinju, who seemed far more energetic today. Yui barely even remembered the excuse she gave this time, but no one gave her a second glance afterwards. Her cheek, chest and neck were still neatly bandaged, redone before Yui left her apartment to come to practice, but these resulted in somehow fewer questions than the state of her voice.

“See, Yui?” Midori was the first to break the near silence during the gathering of instruments. “I told you that taking it easy would clear things up.”

An audible groan from Alice followed. “Really, Yui? You’re still hung up on stuff to the point that -Midori- is worrying over you?”

“What can I say, babe? I’m clearly losin’ my touch, eh?” Yui shrugged, clearing her throat after managing her first complete sentences of the night. She then opened the stone slab covering a secret compartment to store the band’s heavier belongings. It was a small, square stone hollow, possibly used by various criminal organizations in Mitakihara’s history to store weapons or other contraband. Now, it was used to store a drum set and the heavier instruments and equipment the band required, as well as their generator.

“Whoa!” Shinju chimed in, peering over Midori’s shoulder at the open cover. “So -that’s- how you’ve been hiding the speakers and everything? I mean, I knew you didn’t take it home with you, but…”

“Obviously. Yui’s grandfather owns this lot, after all.” Alice sighed again as she turned away from Yui. “Some kind of property he’s holding on to, until the city gives him a reasonable offer, or something like that. Right, Yui?”

Yui shrugged, loading the drum set first, then coming back up for the speakers. “Somethin’ like that. Long and short though, what we’re doin’ here is perfectly legal. Like, for real. I know I’m breakin’ the immersion of our super punk image, but—”

“Oh, we’re a punk band this week?” Midori chuckled, helping Yui with the rest of the loading. “What next, emo? Or do we go back to our pop roots to push out an album as soon as possible, hm?”

“God… gimme a break, will you, Midori? That was the one time!”

Shinju chuckled, for once not put off by the bickering. “Well now that I know, I can help move all that stuff next time.”

“Heh, careful what you volunteer for, Shinju.” Yui moved the stone slab back over the grotto, setting a tarp over it as well. “Give me an inch, and all that. Truth be told, I won’t say no to the help. Not if I keep kickin’ my own ass all the time,” she added, rubbing the bandage on her neck.

“Yeah. Next time I tell you to find a way to unwind, try not to kill yourself doing it, okay?” Midori’s tone was more maternal than she probably intended, but between this and Koharu’s cuts, she was falling into the role more than she would have liked.

“No promises.” Yui’s dismissive tone was echoed by a few deep coughs.

“Well anyway, I gotta get back. Mom’s a hyperfocus freight train, so I gotta hold down the fort.” Alice gave a little wave, followed by Yui, though the latter was a bit more dismissive. Shinju followed suit as Midori walked out of sight.

“I guess I’m next. ‘Haku isn’t here, so I think I’ll walk back. See ya all at school!”

Shinju started to walk away, stopped only by Alice’s call. “Whoa whoa… you’re gonna -walk- home? Don’t you live on the military base with your sister?”

Shinju thought for a moment, then gave a reassuring smile. “I’ll be fine! The walk’ll do me some good. Besides, you should see what ‘Haku puts me through when she gets bored. This is nothing. Well, take care!” Before Alice could stop her a second time, Shinju ran off into the budding night.

Yui was silent through the exchange, her eyes having not left Shinju for even a second. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something about the newcomer felt… off. Different. Something Yui couldn’t explain, or even put into words in her own mind, but something. Her sixth sense, the one she wasn’t in tune with, was giving some conflicting signals. Shinju couldn’t be… could she? And yet, here she was, suddenly brimming with confidence, far more than she had ever displayed to the rest of her band mates.

“She really did find a stride in the end, didn’t she?” Alice, of course, could pick up on Yui’s mood without much effort, though she wasn’t really in the ballpark this time around. “She got comfortable in a hurry.”

Yui shook her head, returning from her thoughts. “Huh, yeah. She really did. Like, overnight. Strike you as odd, babe?”

“No, not really. You took my advice and played nice with Hanako. That’s the only thing I can think of. She doesn’t have to feel guilty or like… this weird double agent thing, or whatever anymore.”

And Yui couldn’t deny that. Though they had met on rather tumultuous terms, Yui and Hanako had an understanding nowadays. She made a mental note to follow up with her at some point, but it would have to wait. “Yeah, I guess so. Hanako’s got a good head on her shoulders for a greenhorn. Pretty solid in a fight, too.”

“Why, Yui! Is that -respect- I hear in your voice? That’s a new one!” Alice swayed cutely where she stood, a rare smile lighting her face for just a moment.

Yui decided not to argue this time. “I can’t really deny it. After workin’ together to help Koharu out of that bind, I can’t really pretend I don’t. I don’t have that much pride, that I can’t admit when something’s going right. Hey, did she ever make contact with Esther, after all that stuff the other day?”

Alice’s smile, as expected, faded rather quickly at the mention of her older sister’s name. “She hasn’t told me anything, no. …Guess that makes two of you, doesn’t it?”

Yui sighed, though she didn’t fight the accusation, nor did she try and run from it. “Care to elaborate?”

“…I know, Yui. I know that…” Alice sighed this time, composing herself. “…I know you’re fighting. You and Esther. I know you two are fighting.”

Yui closed her eyes. “I’m not gonna insult your intelligence by pretending otherwise. All I wanna know is, how d’ya know?”

“Take off those bandages.” Alice’s voice was completely devoid of emotion, and she barely watched as Yui unwrapped the bandage covering her neck. The one on her cheek followed shortly after, showing the lingering burn marks. “…They’re not glowing white anymore, but I know those are… her work.”

Yui was quiet for awhile. She couldn’t deny the truth with Alice. How Alice knew this was a question for later, but the first thing Yui noticed, she blurted out. “Hey wait, they’re not white anymore? I guess that means they really are healing. Still hurts like hell though.”

“Focus, Yui. …Tell me, what made you two fight? It had to be serious, if she left those marks on you…”

“No sense hiding it. Well… remember last time I came by for tea?” Not waiting for her confirmation, Yui continued. “Esther chased me down after I left. Told me to stay away from you. Naturally, that wasn’t gonna happen. Well, I went to watch Pops fight the other night, and guess who his opponent was.”

Alice’s eyes widened in horror, but Yui didn’t give her a chance to interject. “She didn’t hurt him, don’t worry. But it was over in a flash. I went to give her a hard time afterwards, she said somethin’ about needing the money? Maybe to fund all these out of town trips…”

“Anyway, I told her to back off, or take back tellin’ me to back off. She was being difficult, so I made a bet. Fought her last night, and the deal was, if I lasted longer than Pops, she had to lay off, and if I couldn’t, I’d leave town.”

“But look, babe.” Yui spoke up a bit, noting the horrified expression on Alice’s face. “I had to. I -had- to give my all here. I had to lay it all on the line, just to get her to back off. ‘Cause I sure as shit wasn’t gonna let her tell me what to do, especially since that ‘what to do’ was just walkin’ away from you. Not in a thousand years.”

“I just didn’t expect her to do the same. She came at me pretty goddamn hard there, given how long it’s taken these damn burns to heal. She must’ve really wanted me out of the picture. Just can’t imagine why. …Then again, maybe she -wasn’t- givin’ her all. That’s a scarier thought.”

Alice lowered her head, staring at the ground. She was quiet for a few minutes before speaking again. “I see. Well, I can only assume you won the bet, then. That explains why Esther was using her magic…”

“I can’t fault her there. I did the same thing, bought time and an opening using a clap of thunder. Prob’ly how I came out in the end, heh. But uh… better question. You knew what her powers are?”

“Of course I did, Yui.” Alice’s voice was a bit colder, but steady. “How could I not? Esther and I are—” She stopped suddenly, correcting herself. “We were really open with one another. I knew when she made her wish, and what it was, more or less…”

“Uh… you never told me this before because…?”

Alice glared up at Yui. “For one, you never asked. Not that it was ever any of your business.”

“Oh come on, don’t give me that—”

“And -secondly-,” Alice snapped back, “if I -did- tell you what her powers were, you would’ve gone on a crusade to figure out how to fight around them, just to win in a spar or something. And don’t try to deny it, Yui, because we both know that deep down, when nothing serious is happening, trying to win the one fight you never have is your all consuming purpose.”

This shut Yui up for a moment. She couldn’t deny it. Deep down, deep in her very soul, Yui strove to fight. It was true ever since Yui was a child, even before primary school. It didn’t matter if the other person deserved it or not, though Yui did prefer to pick fights with bullies and the like. She wanted to fight. She wanted to -win-. “You’re your mother’s daughter, kid.” Garou’s voice would often echo in Yui’s mind whenever she felt the burning desire to fight rising within her.

She was capable of suppressing it, of course. Especially as she got older, and even more so when she forged her contract with Kyubey. Fighting Witches was the perfect outlet for Yui, so much so that it caught Alice off guard when Yui started showing more calmness around her. Ironically, despite the danger of Yui’s newfound life, it brought her and Alice closer together.

But Alice wasn’t wrong. Knowing Esther’s powers, her full capabilities would have set Yui on a path to figuring out how to beat them. To beat -her-, the one person and the one fight Yui never truly could win. It was why Yui made the bet that she did. If she put the stakes on winning or losing, Yui couldn’t have ever come out on top. It was all she could do to survive for the few minutes that she did.

“If I had to guess,” Alice said, cutting through Yui’s train of thought, still holding control of the conversation, “I would think that she left those marks on you as a warning. She knew she lost the bet, but she wanted to remind you who was really in charge. I think that’s what she was doing, anyway.”

Yui finally found her voice. “That, or make it awkward to be around me, since you’d know it was her, and it’d be a whole-ass thing. But that didn’t work either, since uh… you’re pretty calm about all of this.”

Alice shrugged, shrinking back down as she sat on the ground, hugging her knees. “I knew you wouldn’t lie to me. But knowing something in my head and feeling it in my heart are two different things, Yui. I needed the honesty, but it’s terrifying asking for it, you know?”

“I can’t lie to you, I kinda suck at lying. It’s a pain in the ass, anyway. Just look at the shitstorm I caused by leaving a little rock in the Newspaper Club room…” Yui sighed, shaking her head in earnest regret. It was an emotion Yui seldom felt, but it always hit her like a train whenever she did feel it.

Alice nodded, somewhat in a practiced technique to calm herself down, then rose to her feet. “I guess the only question left is why. Why did Esther want to push you away from me so desperately?”

“Well, why not just ask her? Be direct about it. Turn her little game on her instead, yeah? Make it awkward. God knows that’d make me feel better, if one of us can make her squirm a little…”

Visibly shuddering, Alice simply scoffed and looked away. “You know, I just might. I would if she were around, anyway,” she added, muttering.

“Oh son of a bitch. She skip town again? Wait, but I saw her at school today!”

Alice sighed, closing her eyes. “She left right after school. Was in kind of a hurry about it, but she promised not to be gone too long this time. Not that that matters… if she had her way, I’d be alone right now.”

“Like hell you would. If she’s out of town, all bets are off. Both of us are fightin’ like hell to keep that damn cat away from you. Doesn’t matter if we see things differently. She skips town, then I ain’t lettin’ you sit alone. She can bitch about it later.”

“Yeah… or she can set you on fire again.”

Yui scratched her unburnt cheek. “Yeah, uh… about that. Aren’t our wishes supposed to shape these powers? What the hell did Esther wish for, that she can give these lingering burns to people?”

“Oh, that.” Alice’s voice turned from melancholy to neutral as she answered Yui’s question. “Well, she wished for my fath— … Mom’s then husband to suffer, whenever Esther could physically see him.”

“What the hell?! I mean, not that I disagree, but like… no, what the hell?!”

Alice merely nodded. “As long as he was nearby, in the house, or somewhere Esther could see him, he would be in some sort of physical pain. Nothing life threatening, mostly discomfort… he hid it for a long time. But we could all tell. To a degree, anyway. One day, I guess he couldn’t take it anymore, because he went to the police station himself.”

“Turned himself in? I guess living in that kind of pain all the time would eventually eat at someone. …Sorry, babe, but is it messed up that I’m glad he suffered, at least?”

Alice chuckled somewhat darkly. “I’d be a hypocrite to give you a hard time over that, Yui. But that was her wish, to make him suffer. As a result, when she hits someone in the right mindset, it… lingers. Like a poison flame born from her malice.” Alice shuddered again. “It made me uncomfortable to think about, but Esther never really changed because of it. Not for the worst, anyway. …Not until lately, where she started vanishing like this.”

“Well, when she gets back, let’s get to the bottom of this. We’ll both ask her why she wanted me out of the picture. If Esther’s good about her word, then she can’t object.”

“…No more secrecy? I don’t want any more bad blood behind my back, Yui.”

Yui waved her hand, her cheery demeanor slowly returning to her. “No more secrecy.”

“But what if Esther tries something else? She went to all this trouble, on top of whatever she was already doing…”

Yui smirked, pulling an envelope out of her pocket. “I wouldn’t worry about that too much. This time, I got leverage.” As Alice’s eyes widened, Yui’s smirk deepened. “No more secrecy. You wanna know what she’s up to, right? Well, I might have an idea about how to get it out of her.”

<= Chapter 10 ~ * ~ * ~ Chapter 12 =>