Chapter 8

"Geez, how troublesome..."

Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Kyouko pulled her spear free from the corpse; with a soft whisper, it exploded into fragments of dust and vanished. Looking around, she saw that the shadows had fallen silent and still; for this place, at least.

"Give me a break... It's a pain in the ass having to hunt all of you down after school, you know?"

Sighing, Kyouko swung her spear over her shoulders as she walked off towards the next cluster.

She really didn't want to do this. After a long day of sweating it out in the oven that was her classroom, and toughing out the strict (admittedly, not as strict as Takaoka's, but still) physical regimen implemented by the new P.E teacher; the last thing she wanted to do was to drag her sticky, smelly self all over the city hunting for monsters at night.

"And while I'm sweating it out over here, she's enjoying herself in that air-conditioned room of hers... I mean, I get that she's not the fighting type, but still; can't she just show a little appreciation for all this effort we're putting in?! The way she talks, you'd think we couldn't do anything without her, dammit..."

What made it all the more frustrating was that Kyouko knew that she was probably right. She had access to the resources and information that they desperately needed; as Mami herself had put it, they wouldn't be getting anywhere without her.

That, however, did not make her attitude any more tolerable – nor her decisions.

"I don't see why she insists so much on keeping this whole matter under wraps; as long as we can find Homura, everything should work out just fine. 'Sides, it's not like these monsters are actively going around hunting people. We could just leave them alone, and focus on finding Homura – "

A soft chittering interrupted her monologue. Grunting irritably, Kyouko turned to find several Dusties emerging from the shadows about her.

"You bastards just can't take a hint, do you?!"

Laying about her angrily, she made swift work of them.

"...Alright, if there are any more of you just come out now and let's get this over with – "

A blur of movement shot across the edge of her vision.

Spinning about, Kyouko found nothing there, but the rustling of leaves.

"...Was it just my imagination?"

Shrugging, she turned back to the path –

A flash of gold shot across her vision.

Freezing, Kyouko turned jerkily to see a glowing arrow buried in the stone path, vibrating with energy.

Staring blankly at it, Kyouko jumped as an ice-cold voice cut through the silence.

"...Where do you think you're running to now?"


High up in the branches, Fenag felt a twinge of indignation at her stunned expression as she turned to face him. Did she seriously think he couldn't catch up to her?

"The –The hell!? You're that transfer student, aren't you?! That prefect!"

Ignoring her outburst, Fenag drew his bow, aiming squarely at her. "Drop the spear, and explain yourself."

"Explain what?! Heck, I'm the one who needs an explanation – "

A second arrow flashed past her; this time, it almost grazed her ear.

A frigid silence smothered the space between them. Even from his perch in the trees, Fenag could see the fire crackling in her eyes as they glared at each other.

"Look here, I'm in no mood to be playing about with you. You're going to give me a good explanation why you attacked those Knights, and you're going to tell me exactly what – the – hell were you doing to one of our classmates."

"Look, I don't bloody know what the hell are you – Wait, 'classmate'? Who?"

"Oh, you don't remember? Funny, I thought the two of you were close."

"Just bloody answer me! Who!?"

Fenag snorted derisively at her pretentiousness. "Short guy with blue hair, looks like a girl. Ring any bells?"

"...Wait, Nagisa?! What happened?! Is he all right?"

"Oh, so now you're showing concern for him? Should've thought of that before you attacked him, right?"

"Just answer me, dammit!"

"You know the answer yourself."

Fenag drew his bow once more. This time, the arrow crackled intensely with energy. A stray spark lashed against an unfortunate branch nearby, scorching it to ashes.

"You're going to drop that spear and come with me. There's a lot of explaining you have to do, and I'm tired of playing games here."


A trickle of sweat ran down Kyouko's face as she glared upwards at the strange archer.

Normally, she would have been happy to comply and clear any misunderstanding about her; even if he was being a prick about it. This time, though...

" – Avoid all contact with people who strike you as being from another world; we don't know if they're hostile. Report any meetings back to me, and I'll gather as much information on them as I can before we take action."

"...Well, that's simple."

Now however, Kyouko wished she could have gone back in time to punch herself.

And as much as she might gripe about it, she had orders to follow – orders which she herself grudgingly agreed with. And so, she took the only choice she really had.

"...Look, I don't even know if you're an enemy. I have my own orders, and there's no way I can just drop everything and follow you off to god-knows-where – "

Energy exploded from above as lightning drove towards her; heat seared her skin as she leapt backwards. The crackling bolt struck the floor before her, incinerating the grass there. A whiff of smoke stung her eyes as the blaze that had sprung up vanished, leaving only cinders behind.

"Don't worry; you will."

Divinginto the bushes, Kyouko watched a whole quiver of arrows pummel the ground she had been standing on just moments ago.

"Goddammit, it just isn't my day today!"

Cursing, she leapt through the leaves, dodging amidst the shadows. Branches cracked, leaves shivered, trees shook; but no matter how much she jumped, ran, dashed, leapt, it was all in vain – for whenever she turned to look back he was there, a solid blackness darting across the trees; always in sight of her.

Ducking behind the large trunk of a nearby tree, Kyouko's lips curled into a grimace as she took a quick moment to catch her breath.

"...Right, this – isn't – working."

She could try to make a break for the city; she doubted he would attack her in the open view of civilians. However, that meant she had to cut through the open, grassy fields of flowers that encircled the park, which gave no cover at all. She probably wouldn't even make it halfway there.

That left her only one option; she didn't like it, but –

Instinct screamed at her to move –

– Dodging sideways, she found a hail of shining arrows impale the ground she had been standing on, splattering her with dirt.

"Aw come on!"

She took off again, fleeing through the laughing trees; like a dark cloud he followed her, crackling ominously with energy. Bolt after bolt of crackling energy smashed the ground beside her, sending chunks of soil screaming into the air.

"Getting – too – damn – close!"

They – no, she; couldn't keep this up forever. She needed to act.

Kyouko took a swift glance back at him as she hid behind a huge tree, gauging the distance between them. Taking a deep breath, she peered about the trunk, watching as he approached.

"Alright, then..."

Gripping the shaft of her spear tightly, Kyouko darted out, leapt – and threw herself forward.

Surprise crossed his face as she shot towards him, her spear slicing through the air –

… only to bury itself in hollow wood as he leapt back.

Arrows rained reflexively down, but she was already gone; leaping back into the shadows, darting amidst the trees who sheltered her.

Exploding out of the trees, she stabbed viciously at him once again; and this time her spear almost grazed him as he dodged in the nick of time. Arrows whizzed harmlessly past her as she dove back into the shadows of the trees.

"...Well, this isn't so bad."

She couldn't shake him off, sure; but in standing and fighting, she had the advantage. The thick forestation gave her cover, which she could use to close the distance between them without exposing herself to his arrows; and once he was in melee range, she had the upper hand.

Now, all she needed was to land a good blow to keep him down for a while, and she could use it to escape –

A loud caw shattered the night silence.

Looking up, Kyouko recoiled as a wave of heat washed over her.

A great, ruby bird wreathed in flame rose into the black night sky, its gold-tipped wings unfurling majestically. As Kyouko stared amazedly at it, it curled up and sped in a steep dive towards the ground.

Crimson flames blanketed the world in a blinding flash.

Green grass that had once grown freely now crumbled into grey ashes, ancient trees that had never known an axe were now gigantic torches, belching huge plumes of black smoke into the sky.

Jumping free from the flames that threatened to consume her, Kyouko landed in the one spot untouched by the flames; a small clearing where the archer stood at its center.

"Are – you – crazy?! You'll burn the whole forest down!"

"I'm surprised to hear that from you. Caring about the environment now, are we?"

" You – "

Arrows screamed down from a turret above; cursing, she dodged frantically. Shooting a glance behind her, she saw that a wall of flames had risen up, cutting off what remained of the trees that had sheltered her.

"…Great."

She was left with only one choice left now.

Gritting her teeth, Kyouko charged him head-on.

Steel bit into soil as he nimbly dodged. Arrows came flying in response; Kyouko swiftly dodged –

" – AAHH!?"

Rolling, Kyouko smothered the flames that clung to her left. The smell of burning flesh filled the clearing as Kyouko gripped her bleeding arm, glaring upwards at the phoenix hovering menacingly above.

"2 on 1… You bastard…"

He snorted at this. "When did I say I was going to fight fairly?"

The arrows came down again.

Rolling, jumping, dashing, dodging; Kyouko edged towards him.

...But it was hopeless.

As she stepped forward, he stepped back; sliding, slipping, swinging.

She tried to follow, but the arrows laughed as they fell; the phoenix jeered as it dived –

– An arm's reach, a spear's reach, a god's reach – and then she could no more.


"...Khh..."

Blood dripped down the gold of her lance as Kyouko sank to the floor. Her legs cried as her flesh rubbed against the arrows biting into them. The solid lance wobbled as she tried to stand; but leaden legs locked and she fell.

Her vision blurred and warped, but she could still make out his figure near the edge of the flames, fixing her with an icy gaze.

"So, are we done playing?"

"… You...bloody...bastard..."

"The only one who's bleeding here is you. Besides, I did give you a choice; didn't I?"

Kyouko's glare could have cut through steel; in response, Fenag sighed.

"Look, I don't enjoy torturing people. I gave you an option. You didn't want to take it – so now here we are. I think it's about time you gave up."

"...Goddamnit..."

The lance wobbled once again. But this time, though the arrows bit gleefully and her legs cried, Kyouko dragged herself up again.

"...Look here, bastard... I don't know what the hell's your problem... But I don't give a damn... I've got people who need my help, and like hell – am I going to give up here..."

Fenag clicked his tongue in exasperation. "You... are one persistent bugger. Well, don't blame me then; this will hurt."

The bow arched smoothly backwards as the arrow readied itself. Kyouko tried to move; but her knees buckled and locked.

" – Move, dammit, move – "

A twang pealed; a bolt sped at her, fangs keening –

"– Sakura-san!"

Sparks flew as gold smashed steel, steering the bolt into harmless dirt –

– A sudden screech sliced through the air. The phoenix plummeted to the ground, a glowing hole through its chest, exploding into a cloud of ash as it fell.

"What the– "

A blur of blue burst out of the bushes; the earth shattered and flew as Fenag leapt back.

White billowed briefly, before steel flashed as the figure pursued the archer. Grass crunched as another person landed beside Kyouko.

"Sakura-san, are you all right?"

"…Mami? Why are you… and Sayaka – "

Warm, reassuring hands reached out to support her. "Thanatos told us there was a sudden fire here, where you were supposed to be; we had a bad feeling, so we rushed over quickly." As she spoke, yellow ribbons encircled and bound Kyouko's wounds, staunching them. "...What happened here?"

"Like hell I know… That guy just came out from nowhere... and started demanding I go with him..."

"I see..."

The two looked upwards wordlessly. Wood splintered and snapped as Sayaka's blades swung; sparks cascaded downwards as arrows were slapped aside.

...But for all of Sayaka's speed, she too was having difficulty in catching the archer.

A deafening crack resounded. Branches whipped through the air, screaming as a tree fell. The sparks ended abruptly as the two parted, darting away from the toppling tree.

The earth shook as the tree fell into its embrace. Shortly afterwards, Sayaka landed beside the pair, breathing heavily.

"For an archer, he's absurdly good at close combat..."

Mami grimaced. A pair of gleaming muskets formed in her hands, as she stared upwards at the archer nestled in the trees.

"Unless you feel confident your ability to take all three of us on, I suggest you leave while you still can."

A hush fell as the two sides glared at each other. Sighing, Fenag sheathed his bow.

"...This isn't over, Kyouko."

And with a soft rustling of leaves, the archer melted back into the forest.

An uneasy silence persisted in the clearing. Slinging Kyouko's arm over her shoulder, Mami helped Kyouko stagger to her feet.

"...Let's go."

And in hushed tones, the three began the long trek back – towards the comforting lights of the city.


" – can't just – Hey!"

Mami and Kyouko jerked in surprise as the door burst open; a short, petite girl with silvery hair strode in, followed by a very disgruntled Sayaka, as well as a tall, shaggy-headed blonde.

"Sorry for disturbing your rest, Sakura-san, but this is important. If you are feeling better, I would like to hear exactly what happened."

Kyouko and Mami exchanged glances. Sighing, Kyouko winced as she sat up, glaring at the silver-haired girl.

"I thought you would have the answer to that. I was just doing exactly what you ordered me to; running about and hunting those monsters."

Thanatos sighed. "I'm not accusing you of anything, Sakura-san; but something must have happened, and that is what I want to find out. As do you, I believe."

"Tch... Fine. Not like there's much to say, anyway. I was doing my patrols, when that archer suddenly attacked me. He insisted that I come with him to clarify some things, and attacked when I refused. So we fought, and I got smashed up badly. Good enough for you?"

"What did he want you to clarify?"

Kyouko grimaced as she scratched her head. "Something about me supposedly attacking some knight friends of his, and..."

She jerked upright, her eyes widening suddenly.

"Nagisa! He said someone attacked Nagisa! Crap, I can't believe I totally forgot about this!"

Thanatos' eyes narrowed. "Nagisa's your classmate, correct?"

"Yeah, that archer said that I had attacked him; but that's ridiculous, I didn't even see him there – "

" – Unless it wasn't you."

Thanatos turned to the blonde woman standing nearby. "Julia, get in touch with Yuuji; tell him to keep an eye on Nagisa – "

"...Wait, you know my new P.E teacher?!"

Thanatos sighed.

"Yes; he's my younger brother."

The bedsheets scrunched as Kyouko found her fists curling into balls. "And when exactly were you going to tell me – or any of us, this?!"

"When there was a need for it; else, it would just be extraneous. Furthermore, he does not yet know I am still alive, and so I refrained from telling you of this in the event you accidentally let it slip."

"What, so you only tell us things when it's convenient for you?! We're the ones out there fighting! You don't even have to – "

"Sakura-san."

Mami's sharp voice silenced Kyouko, but the younger girl was still visibly fuming. Standing, Mami turned to address their 'ally'.

"I am sure that you have your own logical reasons for withholding information from us. However, since we are both working towards the same goals, I would like for there to be cooperation – and trust – between us. You may be providing us with the resources we need; but I hope that we can work together as equals."

The air visibly tensed in the silence that followed. Exhaling heavily, Thanatos nodded.

"...You are right. I apologize for my behavior." She conceded.

"Besides, now is not the time to bicker among ourselves. This incident has made it clear that there are other parties involved in this matter; and at least one of them is out to sabotage our attempts."

This caught Mami's attention. "Why do you say that?"

"Based on what Sakura-san has told me, it's likely that there's someone attacking other groups while masquerading as her; most likely to sow discord and preemptively prevent us from allying with them. Fortunately, this event has also worked to our advantage; we now know for sure that this 'Fenag' belongs to a second group, and the saboteurs are working to prevent us from contacting them. It would also be likely that this group have interests similar to ours, or the saboteurs would have no need to go to such an extent."

Pausing briefly in thought, Thanatos suddenly turned to Kyouko.

"You see him at school, correct? Could you arrange a meeting with him?"

"Wait, what? You want me to arrange a meeting with a person who tried to kill me?"

"We do need to establish contact with his group. Besides, I do believe that you wish to clear up this misunderstanding about yourself."

"Argh, geez..." Clicking her tongue, Kyouko exhaled in exasperation.

"Fine, whatever. As long as he doesn't try to shoot me, I'm fine."

"...I'm not, though."

Sayaka stepped forward, a frown streaked across her face.

"We don't even know for sure that they will be willing to listen to us, let alone cooperate. There's no way I'm letting Kyouko run off into danger just like that."

"Your concern is understandable, but we can't leave things as they are. Furthermore, this could be a good chance to establish links with another group. Don't worry; I'll see that the meeting takes place in a safe location, and you can standby somewhere close if you're still worried."

Sayaka's brow furrowed, but she remained silent. Mami glanced empathetically at her, but she too could not raise an objection.

"Well then; if that's settled I'll head off to make preparations. Do have a good rest."

Air swished softly as the door opened; before it was abruptly silenced as the door swung shut.

Alone inside the room, the three magical girls could only look at each other. Kyouko was eventually the one to break the silence.

"Come on, cheer up; it's not like I'm dead or something. Besides, I'm the one who agreed to this too."

"I... suppose that's true..."

Sinking back into the bed, Kyouko began to munch on an apple. But the awkward silence persisted; and neither Mami, nor Sayaka; could look the injured Kyouko in the eyes.


Author's Notes

Well, this took a lot longer than I had expected. Real-life commitments are a very...real...thing. (Yeah, I cringed there too) For those who are still students, bit of a tip from me: try not to fall sick for several days. Catching up is one big pain in the ass.

I'm currently experimenting with the writing style I'm using. One obvious change here is the number of bolded and italicized words; I'm trying to see if it helps convey a more natural style of speaking. I think it also helps inject some variety into the walls of text, so I'll probably stick around with it a bit longer and see how it goes. Another change (though it's might not be so obvious) is that I'm switching from semi-colons to hyphens where I think it works; I realized I've been spamming semi-colons a bit too excessively. I've also done away with putting the location at the top of the chapter/paragraph; I think that if I can't describe the place to you in my writing, that's already a big oversight on my part.

So what's next? Well, it's time to see how exactly Kyouko and Co. get to setting up a 'meeting'; and how badly I may – or may not – mess it up. What's life without a little surprise every now and then? I'll see if I can wrap up this whole incident within the next chapter; that'll allow me to use chapter 10 for something that's hopefully lighter.

I've recently started to put my commuting time to more constructive use than simply zoning into space, so with some luck (and good health) the next instalment should come faster. Thanks again for keeping up with this; it's really encouraging to have people following this crossover of mine, despite the considerable delays in updating.

Alright – to Chapter 9 we go!

(I had thought to put the chapter's title as Catching Fire, but well... Probably not a good idea haha)