When Kyoko, Mami, and Kyubey arrived at where the search party was halted and scattered, they found a few Black Egrets that was the search part; They were taking cover and holding the forces off.
These forces consisted of medieval knights in scale armor made of steel. Over that armor is greyish red tabard marked with a triangular sigil with a sword piercing through a lens shape. It was the same sigil on their banners along with other minor sigils: A cup, a want, a sword, and a pentacle, a baton, a stave, a club, a coin, a disk, a ring, and a chalice. These knights were all armed with a knightly sword and a shield or crossbow and a short sword. In rare cases, some were didn't have that much armor on in exchange for the use to firearms and daggers.
When a Black Egret Soldier fires a bullet at knight's chest, it only tore a hold into the tabard and the scaled armor, but it didn't pierce deep. It had to take a number of fires to kill one knight, and the endurance of these knights was wounding morale for the Black Egrets in this area.
Mami and Kyoko went to the Egret's aid, restoring morale to the best extent for the Black Egert Soldiers to continue to stand their ground. Both Mami and Kyoko made sure to keep an eye on their magic use; otherwise, they'll suffer from the Magia Overload that Kyubey has mentioned.
With a simple curtsy, 4 more muskets were summoned for Mami's to use at her disposal, already loaded with a magical bullet. When she fired two of the muskets, she dropped them and picked up the next two. The muskets that are fired disappeared once they fell to the ground. Mami then relied on one musket, keeping it with infinite ammunition for the time being.
These musket fires were able to break patches of the scale armor, making them easier to kill for the Black Egrets.
Kyoko breaks her spear's handle into several pieces linked by black chains that ran along the handle. A heavy ball appeared at the blunt side of her spear, connected to the chain. She was using the spear as both her flail and her whip, swinging the spearhead and heavy ball around and hitting the knights with ease. Other than the change in her weapon, she showed a warding spell that casts a lattice of dark red rhombus chains. This prevented further reinforcement from pouring into the area.
With their help, the Egret Search Party is able to reorganize and retaliate, pushing the forces back. And as these forces and their reinforcements were forced back. The flare can be seen flying into the air and falling down gently came from a hotel. The forces and reinforcements responded by sending two waves of their army to the hotel.
"That must be Parasoul," Mami detected.
"Then let's hurry! I can't hold this wall for long." Red static can be seen from Kyoko's soul gem, indicating that she's reaching Magia Overload. She had to stop the warding spell. "To the hotel!"
The Egret Search Party gets Mami and Kyoko into some motorcycles and they escorted the two to the hotel before Pryus' Forces can reach it. Two waves of his knights were already at the hotel, but Parasoul was somehow holding them off until the search party can arrive to back her up. A few injured Black Egret Soldiers can be seen near her.
Mami and Kyoko and the Egret Search Party started fighting their way through the two waves to make their way into the hotel lobby. When they reached Parasoul, several bodies were scattered on the floor, and they were crumbling to dust except for the wounded Black Egret Soldier.
The crystal infection that Parasoul contracted was extended into the shape of a sleeve and a knight's gauntlet. Parasoul's Parasol was emitting Napalm with blue flames.
"Commander!" Mami addressed. "The Infection."
"It's fine... I'll be alright..." Parasoul's crystal soon retreated back to their normal specks on her arm. "I'll be..."
As Parasoul was about to collapse, one of the Egrets caught her and carried her in their arms. Mami turned to aim her Musket at the hotel doors, making sure the coast is clear. Some Black Egret Soldiers started to tend to their wounded.
"She fainted, she'll be fine for now," One of the Egrets confirmed.
"Oh good, she ain't dead," Kyoko hasted, "Now let's get her back to the others before more of those knights show up!"
Meanwhile, Sayaka, Madoka, and Homura were taking out any knight that attempted to go around the fight passing through New Meridian's city limit to attack Maplecrest. Madoka stopped them in their tracks with her arrows and Sayaka took them down with her cutlass. Both Magical Girls made sure to avoid Magia Overload.
Homura's magical girl form is an interesting one among the Holy Quintet. She wore a white long-sleeve coat with a silver collar and a flower-like pattern with three "petals" and two ribbons attached. The coat is over a black long dress with the skirt having a solver white trim. She also wore black leggings with dark gray diamonds that cover the sides of the legs, and black heels. Her purple diamonds shaped soul gem is on the back of her left hand. She still had her pigtails and red glasses.
Homura's weapon is unique: A small round shield. It looks quite simple, but it's built like a clock without numbers and arms. It's mostly used for storing items despite its size. Her secondary weapons varied from a golf club, pistols, and rifles to pipe bombs, C4's and grenades. And since these secondary weapons are not magic, it helps her avoid the risk of reaching Magia Overload.
When there is a knight in Pryus' forces that became out of reach to stop for Sayaka and Madoka, Homura was able to reach them, shoot them, down and regroup. But she doesn't rely on long-range weaponry all the time. There was more to her shield other than being just storage. It's built like a clock not to tell time, but to bend it. She can halt time around her to deliver the most creative and agile combos on her enemies. And this magic can risk Magia Overload if used too much or a great scale.
"Okay, I think that's the last of those trying to get into Maplecrest," Sayaka puts her cutlass over her shoulder. "There are probably more Egrets that can handle in patrolling this place."
"We did help a few," Homura pointed, "They were grateful for our help."
"In the end, the city limits seems secure now." Sayaka was looking at the street to New Meridian. "I hope Mami and Kyoko find the Princess.
"I hope Princess Renoir is alright." Homura then sighed. "We only knew for some time now."
"Don't worry, Homura," Madoka cheered, "I'm sure Mami and Kyoko are helping the Egrets search for her in New Meridian— Gah!"
Madoka stumbled as a girl bumped into her.
"Oh, I'm really sorry!" The girl accidentally bumped into Madoka. She stepped back.
This girl appeared like an average school girl, but her uniform is not like the school uniforms back in Mitakihara. She wore a white long-sleeve button-down collared shirt exposing her midriff along with dark purple tie, dark purple miniskirt, dark purple mid-thigh length leggings dark brown shoes. The girl has a slender build despite a large abdominal and thigh regions. Her height is slightly shorter than average. And the girl's eyes were red, but her iris is ominously skull-shaped. Her white hat with black ribbon was knocked off when she bumped into Madoka.
"It's alright—" Madoka suddenly noticed something about the girl's hair.
The girls' hair is even more ominous than her eyes. Several short bangs slightly covered her forehead, but there are multiple locks of hair in the form of barbed tendrils propagating outward from the back. Opposite of the girl's face is bright yellow eyes and sharp teeth; it can be easily visible from the front.
Madoka is shocked that this kind of hair is hiding under the girl's hat.
The girl knelt down to pick up her white hat. She noticed Madoka's look. "Is something wrong?"
"Y-your hair..." Madoka was shaking a bit.
"Beat it Pinky!" The hair talked which causes Madoka to move back. "Next time watch where you're going, Filia."
"Eh!" Sayaka is surprised."Did her hair just talk!?"
"Samson!" The girl named Filia dusted her hat a bit. "Forgive him, but we do have something important to do in New Meridian. Sorry if I bumped into you."
"But there's fighting going on in that city," Homura warned.
"It doesn't matter, Samson and I are going in there no matter what." Filia continues moving forward. "Samson and I can take care of ourselves." She's then halted by Sayaka.
Sayaka stood in her way with her cutlass prepared. "I don't think so. If our order is to guard the city limit from those knights, then I'm sure we have to keep civilian away New Meridian too."
"I'm not sure about this..." Madoka stands by Sayaka. "But Sayaka-chan's right. We cannot let you pass."
Homura simply stands with Madoka and Sayaka and nods in agreement.
"Do you intend to stand in our way?" Filia questioned. "Becuase I don't want to hurt you three."
"We don't want to hurt you either, but since you're a civilian, we can't allow you to pass," Homura pointed out.
"So return to your home, miss," Sayaka directed.
"Filia, let's not waste breath with these snobs and fight!" Samson hasted.
Filia sighed and hesitantly threatened them. "I'm sorry, but you brought it upon yourselves."
And with that, the crystal infections Sayaka and Homura contracted started increasing adrenaline, putting their combat into overdrive. Sayaka's crystals shaped itself to improve her chest plate and apply a shoulder guard and a collar. Homura's crystals shaped itself into a scaly scarf that was as long as a boa along with a lily sigil patch on her chest. The vibe that their new appearance gave was daunting yet elegant.
The barbed locks of Filia's hair were being controlled by Samson, but despite his parasitic symbiosis with Filia, Samson serves as Filia's protector. There was something dark about this relationship.
Despite Samson and Filia's combative skills, they had another trick up their sleeves. Blue flames flared from her back and then from her sleeves and skirt. The flames reveal that her internal body is hollow like a corpse. Her red eyes glowed and her skin turned slightly pale. The ominous vibes of the undead were at first horrifying screams, but they settle down into moans. It was as if Filia was trying to control this unknown power of the dead, holding it back enough to only show intimidation and nothing else.
"Let's show them the taste of the Skullgirl's Power," Samson recommended to Filia.
Filia nods. "Right."
Despite the vibes coming from Filia not affecting Sayaka and Homura, Madoka stepped back in fear. Madoka couldn't understand why she's suddenly afraid of Filia when she revealed this grim sight that Samson mentioned as "the Skullgirl's power".
Sayaka noticed this, but she can't let her guard down to help Madoka get back in the fight. Homura was the same; she wishes she could, but this crystal infection is not allowing it.
Homura made the first move, halting the clock and setting up flying bullets and planted bombs that all point to Filia. Once they were in place, she let time flow, letting the fired bullets and plant bombs deal damage. The explosion and piercing bullets forced the civilians in Maplecrest back into their homes in fear of getting harmed.
Madoka can't fight Filia, but she can help get civilians indoors. There was no need for anyone to be caught in this.
As the smoke clears, Filia steps out nearly unscathed and with her right cheek being grazed by a bullet. Samson lets Filia's barbed locks extend. It was her turn now. She charged toward Sayaka and let her hair locks strike with a thrust of the barbed tips.
Sayaka jumped back and swung her cutlass to sever the tip of the hair locks. She summoned a second cutlass in her hand so that she can throw it at Filia, but Samson was able to catch it and direct it at a tree.
While Homura and Sayaka were holding Filia off, Madoka watched on. She was trying to wrap her head around the power that Filia possessed. It felt terrifying to Madoka, yet she notices something off about it. It was as if Filia was cursed with this power. Madoka quickly changes back from Magical Girl to normal school girl to conserve her magic while thinking about this.
Filia's punches and kicks were delivered with masses of bones clumped into heavy-hitting projectiles. This force Sayaka and Homura to be more evasive, dodging the masses of bones. The two cannot stop the projectiles from damaging Maplecrest or harm Madoka; The crystal infection kept them focused on nothing but the fight.
Sayaka would close in on Filia, and Homura would blast any flying projectile that Filia would send at her. Sayaka would slash Filia down and pin her with two cutlasses impaled into her calve, and then a third cutlass to slash at any hair lock attacks thrown by Samson. Homura had a tactical shotgun prepared and aimed at the back of Filia's head where Samson is.
"Yield!" Sayaka demanded while placing the third cutlass at Filia's throat. "Or I'll cut your head off!"
Filia was breathing heavily, staring at Sayaka with her red skull-shaped eyes. She sighed and closed her eyes, accepting defeat. Samson showed signs of exhaustion, with his tongue sticking out.
"Sayaka, Homura, don't do it!" Madoka intervened.
The crystal infections finally retreated to their harmless speck state, stopping Sayaka and Homura and their combative episode. It left them nearly exhausted.
Sayaka used her cutlass as support, stepping back away from Filia. Madoka helped Homura stand.
"There's a reason I must get there," Filia confessed, "He took my friend..."
"Who?" Sayaka panted.
"The knight. He took Carol!" Filia stood up, and Samson forcefully removed the cutlasses pinning her. She didn't even wince. "I gave Carol her old life back, and I didn't want it wasted like this... The Skullheart told me my transformation will be slow... and that I have to make most of it... Now it's wasted..."
The Skull Heart — It's a relic that's well-known to the Canopy Kingdom, appearing every seven years after it's destruction. It grants a wish of any magnitude to a female who can get their hands on it. However, in exchange for the wish, if the woman's heart is impure, the wish will be twisted and the woman shall become the Skullgirl, controlled by the will of this relic. And that will is to destroy the world. Only those with strong hearts can overcome the influences to an extent. Filia is one of those rare examples, having made a selfless wish that helped a friend named Carol.
The Skullheart is a terrifying artifact created by three goddesses called the Trinity; the purpose of its existence is for destruction; the reason for this purpose is unknown. Currently, everyone is after the Skullheart at and cost.
Filia briefly explains this to Madoka, Sayaka, and Homura before turning away.
Sayaka was able to regain strength and help carry Homura. Madoka lets go of Homura to carefully approach, determined to help her even if she is this "Skullgirl".
Filia weakly muttered something to Madoka. "If... if I transform... please... stay away from me as far away as possible... I really don't want to hurt anyone..."
"We'll take you into New Meridian then." Madoka surveyed the area. "Sayaka, I think we can meet up with Mami and Kyoko now."
Filia looked at her. "Y-you really mean that?"
"Are you sure about that?" Sayaka questioned.
"There are no signs of Pryus' forces coming into Maplecrest, and the Black Egrets here are handling everything now" Madoka pointed out, "I believe we can go and meet up with the others."
"Well... if you say so," Sayaka accepted, "I'm getting tired of being stationed here anyway."
"Are we deserting our post?" Homura ask.
"I think it's already secured," Sayaka replied with a serious look.
"By the way, my name is Filia," Filia introduced herself.
"Madoka Kaname." Madoka bowed.
"The name is Sayaka." Sayaka changes back into a normal school girl.
"And my name is Homura." Homura changes back as well.
Soon a beacon ignites in New Meridian, and a pillar of light pierces the sky.
"Is that...?" Madoka looking up at the light.
"The portal..." Sayaka was looking up as well.