A 「cat」 observed what happened between Sayaka Miki and Enrico Pucci. Because of everything that happened, no one noticed it. This was the same reason no one noticed the 「cat」 when it was in 「Charlotte's Barrier」 or when it watched Pucci give Yuma a distorted view of 「DIO」. So small was the 「cat」 that it was able to slip through the people walking through the halls of the 「hospital」 without being seen. The 「cat」 slipped into a 「girl's bathroom」, saw that it was empty except for 「one stall」, the 「cat」 stood up on its hind legs. It grew in height, fur vanished, and its build became that of a young girl's. Soon, what was standing there wasn't a 「cat」! It was a naked 「Kirika Kure」!

"Well, Sayaka 「contracted」," Kirika said with a frown. "Pucci got 「OVER HEAVEN」, too."

"Is that so?" This voice came from the stall. It opened up to reveal 「Oriko Mikuni」, who handed Kirika a change of clothes. "That's unfortunate, but if that's the 「timeline」 we're on, we can still salvage things."

"..." Kirika didn't respond as she dressed herself.

"I know what you're thinking, Kirika, but it was the best option."

"...She shouldn't have had to contract. I was right there, watching things to confirm which 「timeline」 we're entering, so with my 「Stand」-"

"You would've died!"

"..."

"I already told you, Kirika! In every 「timeline」 where you try and intervene, Pucci kills you in an instant and goes back to Sayaka! The universe might be in danger…" Oriko then reached out and 「hugged」 the half-naked Kirika, "but losing you would be worse…!'

"Oriko…" Her mood lifting from that comment, Kirika hugged Oriko back and 「kissed」 her on the mouth.

...Not only that, but Sayaka always dies, Oriko thought to herself. Really, there's no point in trying to keep her alive.

Silver Twist

"That cake was so yummy~!" Madoka walked through downtown Mitakihara with a large grin on her face, heading home after partaking in an exceptionally delicious 「cake buffet」. As she walked home, she stopped when she caught sight of her friend, Hitomi.

"Hitomi-chan!" Madoka gleefully ran over to Hitomi, but stopped when she saw a 「square」 on her neck.

Is that… a 「Witch's Kiss」?! "Hitomi-chan!" Madoka continued running to the girl, though now there was no joy in it. "Are you alright, Hitomi-chan?"

"...Ah, good evening, Kaname-san!" Hitomi said to her.

"What are you doing here? Where are you going?"

"A 「far better place」 than this. You should come, too, Kaname-san. Yes, that's a wonderful idea!" Hitomi then happily walked away from Madoka, the act oddly terrifying her.

"I knew it. It's a 「Witch's Kiss」! I need to call someone…" Madoka whipped out her phone and quickly pressed 「4」 to speed dial someone.

...Yes, Madoka? It took an incredible amount of effort for Madoka, Sayaka, and Mami to get 「Homura」's number.

"There's trouble, Homura-chan! My friend, Hitomi-chan… she's been 「kissed」 by a 「Witch」!"

Are you certain?

"「YES」!"

Alright, I'll be there as fast as I can; if Hitomi's been 「kissed」, that means the 「Witch」 is active and I'll be able to track her. Madoka, you just do what you can to stop her from killing herself.

"Okay, I'll do that… but Homura-chan…"

?

"I'm also going to try and beat the 「Witch」!"

?! Are you insane?! You can't fight a 「Witch」!

"Yes, I can!I told you that I wanted to use my 「Stand」 to help people, so I'm going to do that!"

But what if the 「Witch」 destroys your 「Stand」? You could die!

"! ...But… if you and Mami-san can risk your lives every day, why can't I?!" Madoka slammed her finger on the 「CALL END」 button. "Let's go!"

"Madoka!" Homura shouted into her phone, ignoring the fact that Madoka already hung up on her. "You don't get it. It's alright if we risk our lives, but not you… never you…" Taking a second to regain her composure, Homura walked out of her house and headed off to fight the 「Witch」.

As Madoka followed Hitomi, the two eventually became joined by around nine other people in a factory, all of them under the influence of the 「Witch's Kiss」; hearing all of them go on about how miserable their lives were made Madoka's heart sink. It practically plummeted into an abyss when she saw two of the brainwashed people carrying a 「bucket」 and 「cleaning chemicals」. Madoka recognized them and immediately figured out that they were going to kill themselves via 「toxic gas」!

"No! You can't do that!" Madoka cried as she ran over to the chemicals… only for Hitomi to stop her with a 「tummy punch」.

"Don't interfere. This is a holy ceremony," Hitomi said, still cheerfully creepy.

"No, no it isn't! You're all being 「brainwashed」, but I won't let you kill yourselves! 「Connect」!"

"Wehihihi!" Madoka's 「Stand」 boldly appeared behind her! Making use of her speed, 「Connect」 flew around the room, touching each person with her 「left hand」 and putting a 「Plus」 sign on their bodies. When that was done, the 「Stand」 flew over to the wall and slammed her 「right hand」 into it, creating a giant 「Minus」 sign.

"「Connect」 has the power to 「connect」 things bearing a 「Plus」 and 「Minus」, so before you try and mix those 「chemicals」, you'll get stuck to the wall!" That is exactly what happened! Hitomi and the others flew into the wall, instantly becoming 「fused」 to it!

"I've established a 「connection」! …" Madoka's face suddenly became red. "Ooooooh~! I wanted to say something cool like Mami-san's 「Tiro Finale」 or Kujo-san's 「ORAORAORAORA」... but it's so embarrassing!"

"Wehihihihi!" Even 「Connect」 was laughing at Madoka!

"Hey!"

"Wehihihi."

"Now we've got to find the 「Witch」." Madoka and her 「Stand」 looked around the room for the 「Witch」, but she couldn't be found. Deciding to look elsewhere, Madoka entered an adjacent room that seemed to be storing old 「televisions」.

"Maybe here…?" Madoka suddenly felt something tug on her arm left arm. "Let go of my arm, 「Connect」."

"Wehihi." The 「Stand」 shook her head in innocence; she was on Madoka's right.

"Then… what is… ?!" Madoka 「saw」 it! Pulling on her arm was sort of tiny 「angel」! It was one of the 「Witch」's 「familiars」!

"Kyaaaa!" 「Connect」 slapped the 「familiar」 off of Madoka, having at least enough strength for that.

"! Wehihi! Wehihi!" 「Connect」 pointed at the 「televisions」, drawing Madoka's attention to the fact that they were all turned on and displaying the same 「angel」「familiars」! Those 「familiars」 also began to appear out of nowhere and fly at Madoka.

"Stay away! 「Connect」!" Madoka's 「Stand」 used all of its speed to slap the 「familiars」 in a barrage of hands, giving them all 「Plus」 and 「Minus」 marks and fusing them together. "That should-"

BAM! Apparently there were other 「TVs」 in the room than the ones Madoka initially saw. They were probably hidden in a shadowy corner. That would be the best explanation as to how a 「familiar」 was able to throw one at the back of her head.

"...What?" The metal box fell to the floor while Madoka just stood there with 「glass」 sticking out of her 「skull」 and 「blood」 running down across her 「back」. "My head hurts… it hurts a lot… ...AAAAAAAAAAH!" Madoka fell to the ground whilst clutching her head. "It 「hurts」!It 「hurts」!It 「hurts」!It 「hurts」!It 「hurts」!It 「hurts」!It 「hurts」!It 「hurts」!It 「hurts」!It 「hurts」!It 「hurts」!IT 「HURTS」!"

Uonteb a htiw emit txen.

"Huh?" This 「bizarre backwards speech」 snapped Madoka out of her 「mantra」.

Niaga og s'tel, More 「familiars」 grabbed Madoka's body; the 「pain」 in her head was too distracting for her to call out 「Connect」.

"No… Stop!"

nuf yrev saw ti. Madoka's body became like gelatinous 「pudding」 and broke apart into nothingness!

When Madoka regained awareness, her body, while still like 「pudding」, was now 「floating」 in a blue space surrounded by 「merry-go-round」 horses displayed like 「film strips」. Flying down from above was a large 「computer」 with black wings; this was the Box Witch, 「H.N. Elly (Kirsten)」!

It's the 「Witch」! Madoka thought to herself. I have to bring out 「Connect」! ...No. There's nothing to 「connect」 to her. As 「H.N. Elly (Kirsten)」 floated down, more 「TVs」 appeared above the 「horses」, all of them displaying the things that happened to Madoka over the last two weeks such as the 「Arrow fragment」 piercing her throat, the 「Witch hunts」 Mami had taken her and Sayaka on, and the first time Madoka fully summoned 「Connect」.

Maybe I should have listened to Homura-chan. Maybe I was too hasty… and that's why I'm going to die again. ...「Again」? Why 「again」? That doesn't- A new image appeared on the 「TVs」. Unlike the clear ones from before, this one was black and white and each screen was filled with static, but Madoka could understand what was happening. There was the 「monster」 from the dream she had before meeting Homura, which she now assumed was either a 「Witch」 or a 「Stand」, and it was using 「telekinesis」 of some kind to throw a building into a 「girl」, crushing her body. Madoka thought it was Homura, at first, but when the 「girl」 climbed out of a broken window, she saw who it really was: 「herself」, wielding a 「bow」, and wearing a pink 「dress」.

Is… Is that… 「me」?! I'm fighting that giant thing, and not Homura-chan?! Why the… How the… ?! Madoka's thoughts were interrupted by the Witch's 「familiars」 pulling on her limbs and stretching them each a great distance. Just when it seemed like they would come apart, 「blue streaks」 ran through the 「familiars」 and 「destroyed」 them! Immediately afterwards, the same 「blue streak」 crashed into 「H.N. Elly (Kirsten)」, causing her damage so heavy that Madoka's 「body」 returned to normal!

"Eh? How… Sayaka-chan?!" Standing, or rather, 「floating」 next to Madoka was 「Sayaka Miki」, clearly dressed as a 「magical girl」!

"..." Sayaka gave her a wordless smile and flew at the Box Witch! She summoned more 「familiars」, but Sayaka summoned a 「cutlass」 to her hand and 「sliced」 them apart! After that, she zipped behind the 「Witch」 and stabbed it from behind! Black blood shot out of the Witch's body(which seemed to be covering a 「female-shaped mass」) until it and the 「Barrier」 faded away into nothingness.

With 「H.N. Elly (Kirsten)」 dead, Hitomi and the other 「kissed」 people were free of their mind control and now simply unconscious, Madoka releasing 「Connect」's hold on them.

"Sayaka-chan, did you really become a magical girl? Why?" Madoka asked.

"Why do you think? To 「fix Kyosuke's hand」!" Sayaka adamantly declared. "...Yeah, that was it. It couldn't be anything else. Only thing that'd make sense…"

"Sayaka-chan?"

"But anyway! Here I am! Able to fight evil, just like you! You and your 「Stand」 won't be doing everything while I'm around!" Sayaka started to laugh, but even this didn't hide the 「bitterness」 of her tone.

"That's great, Sayaka-chan. That's…" The 「pain」 Madoka felt resurged, causing her to fall over. Sayaka motioned to catch her, but somehow, it was 「Homura」 who did it.

"Homura? Where did you-! Kujo-san!" At the sight of 「Jotaro Kujo」, Sayaka completely forgot about the other two girls and ran over to him. "It's been a few days, hasn't it, Kujo-san? Glad to see you're still in town! Look! I'm a 「magical girl」, now! The two of us can fight 「Witches」, and not Madoka and her 「Stand」! Say, did you catch that dolphin documentary, the other day?" Sayaka went on like this for a while.

...I gotta deal with another 「idiot sword user」? "「Yare yare daze」."

"?" Back to Madoka and Homura…

"Homura-chan…" Madoka said.

"Why didn't you listen to me?" Homura asked. "I told you not to fight, but you didn't listen, and look what happened!" Homura removed a hand from the back of Madoka's head, showing that it was covered in 「blood」. "Don't you realize that you could have died?!" Homura's stoicism was crumbling. Now Madoka truly believed Sayaka when she said that Homura was 「crying」 after the 「Arrow fragment」 tore through her.

"I'm… I'm sorry, Homura-chan. I was… I was being too hasty in wanting to use my 「Stand」 to help others. 「Connect」 isn't strong like 「Star Platinum」, so I can't just punch my way out of trouble. But even if I say this, I can't just do nothing, so… there's not a problem with me fighting if my friends… if 「you」 are around, right?"

...I'm her 「friend」... "You're not the kind of person who can ignore people. I couldn't stop you, no matter how hard I tried."

TO BE CONTINUED

H.N. Elly (Kirsten): Out of function/RETIRE

H.N. Elly (Kirsten)

Abilities

Destructive Power: N/A

Speed: C

Range: C

Durability: C

Precision: A

Developmental Potential: A

E-Pal Edge: Unlike most Witches, H.N. Elly (Kirsten) must rely on her familiars for all forms of combat.

Death Montage: Before her victims die, H.N. Elly (Kirsten) displays a montage of the person's life.

Sayaka Miki

Destructive Power: C

Speed: A

Range: C

Durability: B

Precision: B

Developmental Potential: C

Abilities

Cutlass Craft: Sayaka can form a nearly endless amount of cutlasses

Strike Air: Sayaka's speed temporarily doubles, leaving a blue streak wherever she goes.

Henshin: Magical girls undergo a magical transformation that summons a fancy new costume onto their body. It is assumed that the costume provides protection.

Physical enhancements: All magical girls exhibit superhuman strength, agility, reaction, regeneration, and the ability to jump incredible heights.

Witch Detection: Soul Gems glow when there are witches nearby, or if there has been Witches nearby recently. Witches seem to leave behind some sort of trail of energy which magical girls can detect and follow. Each Witch has a different trail, possibly similar to a fingerprint or other identifier.

Telepathy: Magical Girls are able to use telepathy to communicate with other people, including normal humans.

Zombie-like body: A magical girl's body is actually a mobile corpse, their souls being put into their Soul Gems. Being 100 meters away from the Soul Gem will return the body to being a corpse. Their bodies aren't living, so if they fully accept that, they won't feel pain from even the strongest of attacks. Very few magical girls are aware of this.