Parasoul and Hange reorganized the Survey Corps and the Black Egrets, using more barracks in the Citadel under the permission of Noah. These barracks were originally for an army formed by the Veteres, but they barely used this property as they needed small numbers to guard the citadel.
Parasoul had to review how many vehicles and artillery they have and how many troops are present, dead, or missing in action. Hange had to promote Eren, Armin, and Mikasa for the sake of the chain of command now that Levi is dead. Sayaka has already approached the commanders and told them the fight wasn't over, and Parasoul and Hange understand this; after all, The Citadel is giving them a possible opportunity to perform a counterattack.
Mitsurugi, Spike, Mikasa, and Dave were sent to be treated at the hospital. The Mane 6 were also at the hospital discussing what happened prior to The Battle of Shinar; Mami would later visit them to talk about Pryus. Peacock and Pit were exploring the whole Citadel. The Beta Kids were trying to contact some friends back at home; Jade was sort of off hanging out with Noah under his request.
The Holy Quintet gathered at the fountain plaza, and Madoka and Sayaka had some questions for Homura. Before they can talk, Sayaka released her pent up resentment as a slap to Homura's face. This made Homura stumble, but she didn't get up.
"Homura-chan!" Madoka ran over to help her up.
"Sayaka, what was that for!?" Kyoko asked.
"That's for deserting us, you coward!" Sayaka looked down on Homura.
However, Homura refused Madoka's help and got back on her knees by herself. She then had a hand on her cheek.
"I... I deserved that..." Homura admitted.
Madoka looked at Sayaka with concern. "Sayaka-chan..."
"Madoka, she left us. You said so." Sayaka crossed her arms. "Do you really think we can trust her again?"
"Sayaka, can you at least let her explain?" Kyoko insisted. "Come on, hear Homura out."
"You can be serious!" Sayaka argued. "She hurt Madoka's poor heart when she left! What kind of friend does that?"
"Sayaka, just please listen to what Homura has to say," Mami requested.
Sayaka glared at Homura and sighed, letting Homura go on ahead and speak. However, Sayaka made little eye contact with her.
Homura closed her eyes for a moment and sat near the fountain as she spoke: "After Pryus left that meeting back at The Stronghold, I left early to speak with him outside the premises. We came to an agreement — a deal — that I'll be spared if I leave for Mitakihara. In exchange, I will have my Mark of the Triad removed from my body and that Madoka will be spared and sent back home."
Madoka was glad that Homura was thinking of her, but it didn't feel right to leave out the others.
Sayaka was disgusted by this deal, but she continued to listen.
Homura looked at her reflection in the fountain's water. "After abandoning the cause, I met with Pryus near a stream to complete the deal. Pryus pointed out something I did and he made it into an excuse to stop the deal. He... did something to my Mark of the Triad. He something from it... And then he just left me there to die."
"That's when Noah came to your rescue?" Sayaka wondered.
"That stream is also where he found you." Homura looked at Sayaka. "But yes, it's true. He brought me back to the Citadel, and he's been kind to me. We had some talk since he wanted me to reflect..."
"On what though?" Madoka asked.
"...Everything." Homura didn't want to look at Madoka, so she looked back at her reflection in the water. "When he brought me out of the Citadel, we stumbled into you, Sayaka. And I knew the Saints' March failed in the siege. So I asked Noah to help me find any survivor who routed."
"It was the least you can do," Mami thanked, "But even in a reunion like this, you know it will be difficult to regain our trusts. You know that."
"Homura-chan..." Madoka immediately hugged her. "I forgive you."
Sayaka looked and rolled her eyes. "Whatever..." She then left the fountain plaza.
Later, Parasoul and Hange brought Sayaka, Mami, and Twilightsparkle to approach Noah in his Study in The Citadel's Sanctum. They had a proposal, asking him to offer his help to the Saint's March.
Noah's answer: No.
"I will not take part in anything that has to do with The Tower, Pryus' Crusade, or this war against him." Noah was sitting at his desk, writing a letter. "This is a haven, and I would like to keep the peace of this haven until the end of the Multiverse."
"With all due respect, but you can't ignore this." Hange stepped forward. "Pryus army is growing, and after that battle, it's still growing. This Crusade will change the Multiverse and the course of history if he leads it to conquest."
Parasoul stepped forward as well. "Our worlds will be wiped out of existence while others will fall into line. Millions of lives will be lost."
"And let me guess, its because you opposed him?" Noah guessed, glaring at them. This sort of silenced Parasoul and Hange. "You should've turned back and returned home while you still had the chance." He gestured Parasoul and Hange to stepped back, and they did. "Even after that failed siege of yours, he continues his usual routine. Merging worlds, oppressing and subjugating populations, taking the power sources and relics, and recruiting allies as we speak."
"And we will try again to stop this," Twilightsparkle pointed out.
Noah sighed and shook his head. "Is there even a point? If you want to leave the Citadel for this slaughter, be my guest and do the honor, but do not expect me and the Veteres to offer our aid to this cause."
"Noah, you can hide in this place forever and sulk, but Pryus will —" Mami was then interrupted.
Noah threw his mechanical pencil down and stood up.
"Enough!" Noah snapped. "This conversation is over. Please, leave the Sanctum!" He pointed the way out. "I'm not going to ask again."
They all did so and left Noah alone, all but Sayaka remained, stubbornly remaining to push the proposal to him. She glared at him to intimidate, but he wasn't looking at her. Yet, he still knows she's still in the Sanctum. He sat back down, picked up his mechanical pencil and continued writing.
"You're still here?" Noah was expecting her to leave too.
"There are things at stake if Pryus continues unopposed! That siege was just delaying his endgame, and that means something!" Sayaka has her arms on her hips. "He's a monster, and you're just going to ignore him?"
"I'd rather die," Noah admits, "I want to spend my life in this haven. If he wants to go after me, he'll have to destroy the citadel with me in it."
"Then you're just a coward, is what you're saying?" Sayaka shouted.
He stood up, offended by that statement. "There is nothing I can do for you all..." He then sat down and looked at his letter. "...I'm sorry..."
Sayaka can see that he seems troubled. She thought back to past conversations with Noah and put together some things. He did mention "a sacred interuniversal order who sought to keep order in the Multiverse" and that Pryus overthrew them. Was Noah a witness of this event, or is he a member of this order that Pryus overthrew?
"You were there, weren't you?" Sayaka asked.
Noah looked at her.
"You told me Pryus overthrew an order that operated in that tower," Sayaka pointed out, "You were there when it happened, and he probably did something to you just for being a member."
Noah just frowns and ignores her, continuing to write his letter.
"I'm not leaving until you answer me, Noah." Sayaka crosses her arms. "Put the pencil down and talk."
Noah's writing becomes shakier and full of stress. He quickly stops writing and decided to answer her so that she can leave. His tone was somber, speaking like a war veteran not wanting to tell his tragic story: "He was one of us when he joined, and one person was the reason for his membership. He killed nearly every person I knew in the Order of the Blooming Amaranth with the Crusaders he brought from his world... Those that survived fled back to their homes in defeat. I was one of the survivors who fleed in defeat... but I didn't return home, I fled here. As I fled, I could still hear his laughter along with the Crusaders who joined the genocide. It still stuck in there... in my mind..." Noah was tearing up, trying to suppress the memory.
Sayaka stepped back a bit, thinking she overdid things. She quietly bowed and turned away.
"...Sayaka... before you go," Noah halted, "I want to talk with you again but I'll leave it to you to when and where. Is that okay?"
Sayaka turned her head to look at him. She nods. Noah dismisses her.
Noah is alone now, and he started sobbing uncontrollably, but he tried to lower his cries as to avoid letting others hear him. Memories were flowing back to him of that day, and Noah tried to suppress the pain that Pryus inflicted physically and mentally. He begged those feelings to go away.
Sayaka can hear those cries as she exited the Sanctum. She sighed and continue moving along.