Chapter 15: A Blade Reforged
Madoka closed the door to her room and let out a sigh after doing so. Her mother had been rather probing with her questions lately. It was getting pretty obvious that her daughter was hiding something and Madoka was doing her best to assure her mother that everything was fine. She had just made some new friends at school, that was all.
Thankfully the older woman decided to leave the issue be for the night.
The pink haired girl sat at the edge of her bed and simply let her thoughts wonder for a time.
Should she make a wish to be a Mahou Shoujo? It really seemed like the answer would be a no. Almost everyone advised her against the prospect, with only Mami being okay at the idea of Madoka becoming one.
Madoka's eyes glazed over her room until she found herself staring at a sketch book laying atop the study desk.
She got off then bed and began to walk towards it. Her hand reached out and opened the book, flipping through the pages until she found what she was looking for.
Two touch sketches of what Madoka thought she might look like as a Mahou Shoujo. When she was first exposed to all this, she couldn't help but wonder what her own Mahou Shoujo form would look like.
The first design was very... well Madoka thought it was cute. Lots of pink and frills on the design, she thought it would be an outfit that suited her.
A small smile appeared across Madoka's face as she stared at it, until she laid her eyes upon the second Mahou Shoujo design. One that looked quite different from the first one.
It was a drawing of herself wearing a white dress, one that looked almost regal. Her pink hair was also much longer, almost impossibly so. It was a design that gave off a completely different feeling than the first one did. Honestly, Madoka had no idea why she drew herself in this particular look, but it felt almost right to do so.
Wait a minute...
This sketch, it was the girl Madoka had seen in her dreams for the past few days. Was this it then? Was the pink haired girl really just so tired and stressed that she started dreaming about one of her own Mahou Shoujo designs?
It seemed like that would be the most logical explanation but... something just didn't seem right.
Why did she draw the second sketch anyway? From what Madoka could recall, she was content with the first design but some feeling in the back of her mind urged her to draw a second one.
Her eyes continued to stare at the second drawing until she let out a sigh and closed the book. This was getting to be too much. She really did need rest.
Akemi Residence
"Tomoe-san's powers offer her a range of techniques that makes her quite a versatile Mahou Shoujo. She could fulfill multiple roles but considering her ultimate attack I believe we should put her as a medium range or even long range attacker against Walpurgisnacht."
Sayaka nodded in agreement with Homura's assessment. The two were sitting in the house owner's strategy room while discussing potential plans against Walpurgisnacht.
The blue haired girl had thankfully been able to get permission from her parents to stay over at a friend's house for the night under guise of being tutored, and so here she was at Homura's place again. Her primary purpose was to be in a position for the time traveler to watch over Sayaka in case anything unexpected happened again.
However since just locking Sayaka in a room and waiting for something to happen didn't seem like the most effective idea, Homura decided to involve the girl in the strategical planning against Walpurgisnacht. Even if strategy and tactics wasn't something Sayaka considered herself to be very good at.
The two continued to discuss potential ideas and plans but no matter what they always found themselves facing the same obstacle. That being Walpurgisnacht's ridiculously high defence.
Even with Homura, Sayaka and Kyoko attacking together they didn't seem to do much of anything against the legendary Witch. Would the addition of Mami Tomoe really make that big a difference?
The sound of Sayaka's stomach grumbling interrupted the current discussion.
Homura checked the time on her phone. "Well, I suppose it is getting rather late. I'll make us something quick to eat. You okay with instant noodles?"
The other girl nodded as her stomach was okay with eating almost anything at that point.
Homura left the white room with Sayaka in tow and as they headed for the dining room, the blue haired girl noticed some heavy fog outside one of the house windows.
Something about the fog kept her gaze focused what was through the window.
"Sayaka? Something wrong?"
Homura turned around and found her friend staring at a window showing the outside.
"Homura..." Sayaka started but still kept her eyes on the fog outside. "Can't you feel it?"
"...feel what?" Homura's instincts heightened themselves but she couldn't sense anything out of the ordinary.
That is until Sayaka started clutching her chest with one of her hands.
"Ugh... Grh..."
The girl felt her strength slowly being zapped out away as a slight pain made itself known in her chest. It was similar to before, as Sayaka could tell that she wasn't the one in pain... it was Oktavia that was hurting.
Before she knew it, Homura had already pretty much dragged Sayaka by the arm straight into the living room and laid the blue haired girl down on the couch.
Sayaka then felt Homura's hand on her forehead before hearing the other girl speak.
"Hmm, certainly doesn't seem like you have a fever or anything."
The pain was already starting to die down so Sayaka's mind was clear enough to ask the following question.
"Wait, is it possible for Mahou Shoujo to be sick?"
"It's highly unlikely to happen but technically possible as I witnessed Kyoko Sakura fall down with a fever once. However it doesn't seem like your body is sick at all."
Sayaka took in a few breaths as she felt her body stabilize again.
"I see... well like I said before, I don't think it's really me that's in pain, but my Witch. I don't know what, but something is hurting her..."
"Your Witch..." Homura let out a sigh. "Unfortunately it's not like I'm in any position to interrogate her or anything."
Not a moment after Homura finished her sentence, Sayaka felt herself lose control of her body. She ended up closing her eyes as Homura could immediately feel an outpouring of magic flowing out of Sayaka.
The dark haired girl jumped back the moment she recognised the type of magic her friend was emanating.
Sayaka's body sat up straight and opened her eyelids to reveal bright yellow eyes. The girl then turned her head to face Homura with a smirk on her face, one that sent a chill down Homura's spine.
"So... you wanted to interrogate me?"
Streets of Mitakihara
Oriko Mikuni walked through the dense fog with Kirika Kure right behind her. The white Mahou Shoujo could tell there was something abnormal about the fog that had descended over the city. It wasn't her magical senses that felt something was wrong though, more like her innate survival instincts.
However nothing strange could be found within the fog. Oriko almost expected to see a dark shadowy figure lurking within like she had walked into some kind of horror movie, but found nothing.
Was she perhaps overreacting?
"Kirika, do you see or sense anything out of the ordinary?"
The black haired girl looked around one more time before shaking her head. "Sorry, but nothing's here really."
Oriko put a hand on her chin. Perhaps her instincts were just wrong and this was nothing more than some strange weather.
Eventually she couldn't help but sigh. Worrying about this seemed like a rather pointless endeavor.
"Let's just go home, there are still things I need to prepare."
That's right, since Homura managed to save Mami Tomoe's life that meant she fulfilled the condition Oriko had set for the two of them to fight. Their battle would be the day after tomorrow, and Oriko wondered if the time traveler would be ready for it.
Homura Akemi... do you really possess the strength necessary to...
For a few moments only silence followed the Witch's question. Homura spent that time trying to gather her thoughts as she stared at the girl looking back at her from the couch, wondering what in the world should she do. She eventually calmed herself down and realised that she first needed to confirm what the situation even was.
"You... are you really Oktavia? Oktavia von Seckendorff?"
A few, almost painful seconds of nothing went by before Homura got a response.
"...Yes I am, and allow me to set one thing straight before we move forward. I'm sure you've got a lot of questions for me after all."
Homura felt her body tense up as she listened to Oktavia's voice. It was basically Sayaka's but with an undertone that felt so dark and sinister it would probably make a random bystander believe a demonic possession was going on.
Then again, would that really be an inaccurate description?
"Alright, what would that be?"
The dark haired girl steeled her nerves and heightened her instincts in case the Witch tried anything. She was ready to transform and fight if it came down to it.
"I'm not your enemy, Homura Akemi."
With just that one sentence, Homura could only feel confusion cloud her mind and her nerves waver for a brief moment before recovering.
"...Are you not a Witch? How are we not enemies?"
The Witch stood up off the couch. Darkness completely surrounded Oktavia's body in a single moment before it all dispersed, revealing that the Witch has taken it upon herself to transform into Sayaka's Mahou Shoujo outfit.
"I'm sure you must know by now, but I'm no ordinary Witch."
Homura also transformed on instinct. There was no way she was going to let this Witch get the jump on her, even if she claimed to not be an enemy. She reached into the shield and pulled out a pistol but didn't take aim at the Witch, instead she kept it down at her hip. It was mostly just to help Homura feel safe.
"Right... Sayaka told me you had access to her powers, but how does that mean you're not an enemy?"
Oktavia sat back down the couch and leaned back against it in a causal manner before crossing her legs. The Witch was already looking as if she owned the place.
"Come now Homura Akemi, I saved your life didn't I? That has to count for something."
That caused the dark haired girl to pause. Her thoughts rewinded to what Oktavia could've been talking about until she remembered. The Witch had fought against Oriko Mikuni and won. This had in fact saved Homura's life.
"I... I see..." Homura let out an exasperated sigh. She needed to focus her thoughts, which was going to be difficult since she was talking to a Witch with human sentience, but it needed to be done. She had a rare opportunity to talk with Sayaka's Witch after all. Best make the most of it.
"Very well, I'll concede that you're most likely not an enemy to me. If that's the case, then are you on my side? Or should I consider you to be more of a wild card?"
Initially, Homura's question was met with silence as the Witch closed her eyes momentarily before opening them again. Her own facial expression turned a tad more serious too.
"I am on the side that ensures my own survival. Sayaka Miki has chosen to ally herself with you, and so I must do the same. Whether I like it or not, I am bound to her. My existence, linked to her own. If she dies then I do too, so I have no reason to fight you Homura Akemi."
Homura did not immediately respond but instead she placed a chin on her chin as she began to think.
Hmmm, I suppose that makes logical sense... but...
It might've just been her own paranoia, but the explanation seemed a little off. Was it lacking? No not exactly, it just seemed a little too... perfect. If that made sense.
Homura just couldn't help but think there was perhaps another motive at play, but she also wasn't able to feel any genuine sense of hostility from Oktavia despite it being at least half a Witch. Maybe the paranoia was because of the fact that she never encountered a Witch like this before and so couldn't properly fathom the idea of a Witch taking her side.
Needless to say that this was all completely new ground for her.
"Alright, fine. I accept your reasoning. So that means you'll help me fight Walpurgisnacht then?"
"As long as that Witch lives, the life of Sayaka Miki is in danger. So yes I will help you fight it. Don't worry, I won't be stabbing you in the back."
"Forgive me if I remain at least somewhat skeptical for my own safety."
The Witch replied with a simple casual shrug of her shoulders.
"Suit yourself, ah but we are getting off topic are we not? You wanted to ask me about something specific right?"
That statement made Homura realise that she had indeed wanted to know something far more specific about Oktavia. The Witch's sudden appearance and willingness to converse had completely distracted the dark haired girl from it.
"Ah... that's right. What happened earlier today in the battle against Charlotte? Sayaka tells me you were in pain."
The look on Oktavia's face turned to one of annoyance.
"Yeah she was right about that. I don't know how or why, but there's something in the air here. Something magical."
"Something... magical? But I don't sense anything at all."
"I figured that would be the case since Sayaka is also unable to sense it. I think whatever is in this city, it can only be felt by Witches. What I do know for sure, is that there's a substance in air of Mitakihara. Like a miasma that infects other Witches and makes them stronger."
Homura's memory flashed back to the battle against Charlotte. The Witch had somehow evolved into another form, and it happened at around the same time Sayaka started screaming. When the new form of Charlotte used an attack that seemed to be almost be on par with Walpurgisnacht's, that definitely qualified as getting stronger.
There was also those new Witches that began to appear, some wielding more unique abilities and others being outright stronger than a Witch would normally be.
So what Oktavia said seemed to line up with reality.
"If it's infecting Witches, then what about you?"
"That's... tricky. My entire being feels like it's trying to resist whatever this power is, and let me tell you it hurt like a goddamn bitch at first."
Well, that certainly explains the pain Sayaka said Oktavia was feeling.
"Wait, at first? Does this mean you're getting used to it?"
The Witch nodded. "Sure feels like it, so don't worry your pretty little head over Sayaka, once I've become acclimated to the substance I should be just fine."
Homura raised an eyebrow as she realised something about this conversation.
"Acclimated? For an existence created from the curses of the human soul, you are surprisingly articulate."
Oktavia chuckled at the observation. "I'll take that as a compliment."
The dark haired girl sighed in response. She couldn't let herself get distracted. "Back on topic, do you have any idea about what this "substance" is, or where it came from?"
"I don't have all the answers you want. What I do know, is that it seems to be airborne only."
Silence hung in the air after Oktavia finished speaking. Homura put a hand on her chin again as she needed to contemplate and figure out what to do with this new information.
Okay, let's break this down. Witches in Mitakihara are getting stronger, there have been far too many irregularities now that this is definitely happening on a consistent basis. This phenomenon seems to be caused by a miasma that only affects Witches. However I can't feel anything off at all, so I'm forced to take Oktavia at her word.
So that begs the question, is she trustworthy?
In about every other instance a Witch was Homura's enemy, but Oktavia von Seckendorff was a unique case. In more ways than one.
This was a Witch that possessed true intelligence. Instead of completely corrupting Sayaka's soul, she seemed to have become a separate entity entirely, one that resided in the mind of Sayaka Miki. She could use the power of a Mahou Shoujo and because of Oktavia's existence, Sayaka could access Witch powers as well.
How in the world did such a Witch come into being in the first place? For the time being at least, Homura honestly had no idea.
The girl realised her thoughts were drifting and they returned to wondering whether or not Oktavia could be trusted.
All logical thoughts based on the evidence provided pointed to the answer being yes, but still... Oktavia was a Witch. Homura supposed it was that very fact which kept her from completely trusting Oktavia. Another factor was likely that Homura had yet to actually witness the Witch doing something helpful.
She sighed. To call the current situation complicated would be the understatement of the timeline.
"If nothing else, you've given me a lot to think about."
The Witch smirked once again. "Then how about I give you one more thing to think about?"
"...and what would that be?"
The expression on Oktavia's face shifted into one that was far more serious. That in turn made Homura tense up.
"While I can't tell you what this airborne substance is beyond it's immediate effects, what I can say is that this feels like an omen. A real bad one to be honest."
"Oh? You think something like this is a just a precursor to something else entirely?"
"I do."
"...what makes you think so?"
Oktavia tilted her head upwards as her mind wondered how she thought this was all an omen in the first place.
"Call it... a Witch's Intuition."
Not exactly the kind of reasoning that Homura could trust. Still, perhaps there was something to it.
"...I'll keep that in mind."
"Glad to hear it. Now then, I believe that's all you wanted to know so I'll be taking my leave. Can't keep your attention all night can I? Or else Sayaka is gonna be mad."
Before Homura could get another word in, Oktavia dissolved her transformation and the yellow colour from the eyes switched back to a familiar blue again.
Sayaka was left momentarily frozen by the feeling of suddenly being in control again. She moved her hand and fingers while getting used to having control of her body back. A pained groan soon escaped her lips.
"Urgh... I don't know if I'll ever get used to this..."
Homura disengaged her transformation and walked close to Sayaka. "You feeling alright? Need to rest?"
The other girl shook her head. She was glad for Homura's concern, but Sayaka felt that she needed to remain strong. She did not want to look weak in front of her if she could help it.
"I'll be alright, really. It's just... this isn't really what I signed up for when I became a Mahou Shoujo."
"...We hardly ever know what we're signing up for when we make a contract."
"Yeah, now ain't that an understatement..."
Homura felt sympathy for Sayaka. She couldn't accurately imagine how it must feel to share a body with another being. One that could take control of the body seemingly at any moment.
She put a hand on Sayaka's shoulder and tried to give her a comforting smile. "While I can't say I know how you feel, as your situation is a truly unique one, remember that I'm always here for you if you need it."
Just being with me is enough really. Sayaka thought to herself.
"Thanks Homura, but I think I'll be okay. This Witch... it's my problem to deal with. Something I need to keep under control on my own. Besides, It may not be what I asked for, but I can't say it doesn't have its own advantages."
Homura couldn't argue with that. The constant increase in magic Sayaka received by tapping into the Witch's power source was invaluable in battle. The worry of course came from the potential of the Witch turning hostile. Thankfully it really did look like Oktavia had been tamed. A thought that was rather laughable on its own but Homura couldn't deny the apparent facts in front of her.
For now at least, the Witch submitted to Sayaka's will and so Homura knew she would need to find a way to make use of this new ally. She might even be what was need to turn the tables against Walpurgisnacht.
Sayaka's stomach growled again which broke Homura out of her thoughts. The dark haired girl shook her head and put the current topic off to the side. She needed to make dinner.
"Go wait in the dinning room, I won't be long."
After Homura reached her kitchen and started boiling some water, the time traveler realised how bare it all looked. Homura never really did buy much too food. Never cooked anything fancy either, as she could be satisfied with basic meals. While sometimes she would in fact buy an extra surplus of food, it was more for Kyoko Sakura whenever Homura could convince the redhead to live with her.
On her own however she didn't need anything more than what she had now, but a part of her couldn't but feel at least a little guilty for serving Sayaka cheap food.
Maybe it couldn't hurt to do some more expansive shopping after Walpurgisnacht.
After Walpurgisnacht? Now that thought made the girl chuckle a little. Since when did she start thinking of what would happen after defeating the legendary Witch?
It was Sayaka, because of course it was. Homura knew it all came back to her. Ever since the two of them had become friends again, Homura could tell that when looking back, something about her changed.
The time traveler knew that she could never return to the way she used to be. The journey Homura undertook had permanently changed her very core. It hardened her, which gave the girl the strength needed to carry on. To push forward in the face of absolute hopelessness.
The Homura Akemi that she considered to be weak was gone forever. The journey had scarred her too much for her original self to ever resurface.
And yet... spending time with Sayaka had seemed to soften her up at least a little. It was what allowed Homura to look back and realise that perhaps she had indeed become too cold. Too detached from anything and anyone that wasn't Madoka Kaname.
Madoka...
For a long time, Madoka was the only person Homura cared about. Or at least, that's what she told herself. For years Homura thought she had resigned herself to the fact that saving everyone was impossible. So why bother caring about anyone else? Just protect Madoka.
And yet here she was, trying one more time for the perfect ending where everyone lives. It was fairly amusing in hindsight. The effect Sayaka had on Homura couldn't be understated.
And she couldn't be more grateful.
Homura smiled to herself as she finished making the instant noodles. As she served Sayaka a bowl, the time traveler made a mental note to herself to really consider picking up some more groceries sometime.
The two ate at the dinner table, sharing no words with one another as each had their own unique thoughts to mull over. When both girls finally finished their food, Sayaka took in a deep breath and spoke up.
"Hey umm, do you think we could fight again?"
"...what?"
Sayaka facepalmed herself when she realised that she messed that up wording. "Well I mean, it's been a while since our last training session right? I just figured that maybe we could have another one? For fun, you know?"
That was what she said, but Sayaka's reasoning was a little more than just that. Really, what she wanted was to both try to finally defeat Homura in battle, and to try to maybe impress her as well.
Sayaka wasn't exactly sure of what Homura liked in a person, but she had a good feeling that the girl valued skill and strength. At least to a degree.
Homura meanwhile, was surprised by the request but couldn't really see a reason to turn her down. Besides, she would like to experience Sayaka's swordplay to see how the now skilled swordswoman could fare in a fight against herself.
"Very well then Sayaka, I think we can do that. It certainly has been a while after all. How does tomorrow after school sound?"
The rest of the night continued without issue. Sayaka ended up sleeping on Homura's bed again while Homura slept on the floor in the same room due to the insistence that something might happen again, however nothing did so the rest of Sayaka's experience was rather uneventful.
The next day rolled around and after an ordinary day of classes ended, Madoka went home with Mami in tow while Homura and Sayaka went to the school rooftop.
They stood on opposite ends of each other, staring into the eyes of the other. No words, neither audible or mental were shared between them as both girls transformed into their Mahou Shoujo forms at the same time.
Sayaka summoned her cutlass as Homura reached into her shield and unsheathed her katana.
It had been some time since the last training session however, and Sayaka knew she had gotten stronger since then. However, she never did win a match before. And she damn well could tell that Homura was not going to go easy at all.
Sayaka let a smirk appear on her face. "This time, I know I can win."
Homura smiled in response and the two girls shifted into their own combat stance. "All that new power of yours has made you pretty confident I see."
A brief gust of wind blew through the area.
Seconds went by with both Mahou Shoujo not moving a single muscle. Each one waiting to see if the other would strike first.
The one who did, ended up being Sayaka.
She ran forward and raised her sword to swing down with an overhead strike.
Homura blocked the first attack with ease, but she noticed how much force was behind that single sword strike. The difference between the amount of power Sayaka had now, compared to how she was in the previous timeline was truly like night and day.
It made her happy to be honest. That she got to see how far Sayaka had come in terms of strength.
Sayaka pulled her sword back before swinging forward again and the two girls started exchanging strikes. The sound of clashing steel resonated throughout the rooftop. The blue haired girl remembered how she was only just barely able to keep up with Homura when they first started training, but now she could see and react to her friend's attacks with near perfect accuracy.
I can do this... I can beat her...
She started putting more force into her attacks and sure enough, Homura was starting to be pushed back.
The time traveler quickly realised that she couldn't afford to be engage in a prolonged sword lock against Sayaka's blade. Her own ordinary sword would be overpowered fairly quickly against the magical weapon.
So she changed things up, and started employing more quick strikes that put Sayaka on the defensive momentarily.
Sayaka herself though, despite the fact that they were swinging bladed weapons at each other, was having fun. To be engaged in battle with Homura like this, it had became for more enjoyable than she could've ever thought. The adrenaline of the fight filtered out all useless thoughts, and left only what was important.
Only what was important... Sayaka supposed that was why even in a fight like this, her heart burned with nothing but love for Homura.
She couldn't help but smile as their blades clashed once more with sparks flying between them.
To think she would fall in love all over again after having just gotten over a previous crush. Like she was destined to always be a love stuck idiot.
Sayaka was okay with that though.
Her thoughts refocused on the fight as Homura parried a strike and forced Sayaka back several steps to avoid an incoming slash.
Sayaka could still hardly believe that she was the one who taught Homura to fight like this. She wondered if this counted as fighting against herself in some way.
Regardless, all the more reason to try and win.
The battle continued for an unknown amount of time, and Homura soon found herself becoming at least a little bit frustrated. Even if she had the skill to match Sayaka's blade, Homura's weapon lacked raw power. No matter what kind of skilled sword strike she attempted, that fact couldn't be escaped. While Sayaka's cutlass was completely magical in nature, and due to the girl's ever increasing strength the sword itself was tougher than ever before.
Which is why what happened next wasn't too much of a surprise when looked back on in retrospect.
The two opposing swords moved to strike one another once more, but in that moment...
Sayaka's blade cut straight through Homura's.
The blue haired girl forced herself to stop the momentum of her sword when she realised what happened. The bladed edge of the cutlass found itself incredibly close to Homura's collar, any closer and Sayaka might've drawn blood.
The part of the sword that was broken off clattered on the ground while Homura was left in temporary state of shock, as would anyone who had their own weapon break in front of their eyes. After a few moments passed with each girl trying to process what just happened, Sayaka retracted her weapon as Homura let out a sigh. She lowered her own sword or at least what was left of it.
Sayaka's thoughts are the moment felt rather conflicting. She had won. She had defeated Homura, and yet it felt so unfulfilling.
"I guess that's it then Sayaka, you beat-"
"No, I didn't."
Homura tilted her head to the side in confusion over Sayaka's statement as it seemed rather contradictory to what just happened.
"What do you mean?"
The girl scratched the side of her head as she realised why a win like this didn't feel right. "Well, you could've kept going right? I guess counting this as a win just because your sword broke really doesn't seem fair."
Sayaka sighed and reverted her own sword back into raw magic. She really wanted her first win against Homura to be one that she earned through skill. Not just through sheer power.
"Let's just, call this a tie alright?"
Homura shrugged as she saw no reason to argue. She then knelt down to inspect the broken off part of her sword and couldn't help but frown. It may not have been her primary weapon but it felt like such a shame for it be broken. Through all the training sessions she had given Sayaka with it, Homura had become somewhat attached to the katana.
"Well, I suppose I should look for a new blade..."
Sayaka suddenly a familiar presence making itself known within her.
Her Witch.
It didn't feel like a direct take over, but Sayaka could feel her body being guided to kneel on the floor. Images started to appear in the forefront of her mind, specifically of the time Oktavia had taken over her body to fight against Oriko. Even more specifically, the images were of a particular moment during the fight.
Sayaka soon understood what her Witch was suggesting, and she immediately agreed with her.
"Homura... could you please put both parts of the sword near one another?"
The dark haired girl raised as eyebrow at the request but complied. She noticed that more Witch magic than usual was starting to flow out of Sayaka, and she was admittedly curious about what her friend had in mind.
The swordswoman stared down at the two halves of the blade before raising her right hand over it and created a blue magic circle underneath the broken sword.
After a few seconds the two halves of the katana began to be covered in a blue light and slowly reconnect themselves together.
Homura watched the sight with her eyes wide in shock as her katana began to be repaired by Sayaka's magic.
However the blue Mahou Shoujo didn't want to simply repair the broken sword, she wanted to go beyond a mere fix.
One of Sayaka's eyes began to give off a faint yellow glow as Homura could sense the Witch making it's presence far more known now. It didn't seem like Oktavia was trying to take over this time but Homura kept a close eye on Sayaka just in case.
Neither girl knew how much time passed. In retrospect it was probably less than a minute but to both Mahou Shoujo it felt much longer.
Eventually the blue light faded. Sayaka immediately disengaged her transformation as that had drained a whole lot more magic out of her than expected. She started to take deep breathes in and out as Homura could only stare at what happened in shock.
"Sayaka... did you just...?"
The katana that used to be in two pieces had been reforged back into one.
But that wasn't all, Homura noticed that it looked a little different now. The colour of the blade had gone from its steel silver to being completely pitch black. The blade no longer had a reflective surface at all. It was like looking straight into the void for Homura. Her eyes then caught notice of the fact that the entire blade wasn't black actually, because the bladed edge of the sword shined an azure blue.
Even handle had been slightly altered. A short black chain was attached to the end of it, but also connected to the end of that was an exact replica of Sayaka's Mahou Shoujo hair clip.
Homura reached out her hand and grabbed the sword by the handle. She slowly lifted it up and took a closer look at the black blade.
She could feel Sayaka's magic, both that of a Mahou Shoujo and Witch slowly emanating out of the sword. It was no longer an ordinary katana anymore. The weapon had become something much more.
"Sayaka... how did you do this?"
The tired girl took a few more moments to catch her breath before answering the question.
"Well, I'm still not sure actually. My Witch just kinda suggested it, and I felt like I could really do it. Besides, my power is to manipulate swords right? Is this really that big a deal? I mean I remember Tomoe-san using her magic to make a bat stronger once."
"Sayaka, I don't think you actually understand what you've done here..."
Homura lifted a finger and felt the surface of the black and blue sword. Her eyes remained widened as she still couldn't fully believe what Sayaka had accomplished.
"What you've done, is infect everything about this weapon at a subatomic level with your own magic. What Mami Tomoe and other Mahou Shoujo are capable of is a mere addition of magic to a base item, and those upgrades are always temporarily. You however, have altered the internal existence of this sword entirely. Perhaps permanently."
Sayaka, couldn't exactly understand what Homura was getting at. But it seemed like this was a lot more than just repairing and making a sword stronger like she intended.
Homura turned around and swung the blade through the air. The way it cut through the wind felt so much more intense than before. There was a certain weight to the swing that wasn't present back when the blade was ordinary. It wasn't like the sword was heavier or anything, quite the contrary, it felt lighter now.
She turned back around and held out the sword to Sayaka.
"Perhaps you should have it. It was made from your magic, and a weapon like this would be quite invaluable in battle after all."
Sayaka eyed the blade Homura was offering her for a moment before she shook her head.
"If it's as strong as you say, then I think you should keep it."
"Are... are you sure?"
"Yeah. Besides I have my own swords, and this was your katana anyway. Also I..."
Sayaka could feel another blush coming on which she tried to repress as much as possible.
"...I want this to be a gift. Something I want to give you. So please keep it, even if it's just... for me..."
In retrospect that may not have been the best way to say it as Sayaka could feel her heart race faster after she finished speaking. The awkwardness she was feeling on her end made her want to crawl away and hide somewhere but she had to keep acting as natural as she could.
Homura help up the sword and inspected the entire weapon with her gaze once more. Her eyes went from the top of the blade before eventually ending up at the black hair clip replica hanging off the end of the chain. It really looked exactly like Sayaka's, and it almost gave the impression that her friend had imprinted a part of herself onto the weapon.
The surprises from Sayaka just seemed to keep coming. Homura wondered where this would end. Sayaka's power had to cap out at some point, right? Or was it possible that Sayaka had unlocked a kind of potential that went beyond any ordinary Mahou Shoujo? One that exceeded even that of Madoka?
For the time being, that was a question with no answer.
After several more moments of staring at the sword she let out a smile. "Very well, I'll accept this gift from you."
Sayaka immediately brightened up and released a breath she had been holding. While she couldn't really imagine Homura turning down a useful weapon, she still felt nervous about it all the same.
Romantic feelings could be a real pain in the ass sometimes.
Homura picked up her sheath and was thankfully still able to put the newly reforged sword inside it. It was certainly strange looking now thanks to the chained hair clip handing off the end of the handle but the girl figured she would get used to it in time.
"Well then Sayaka, while I wouldn't mind trying out this new weapon against you, it's pretty clear you are in no condition to continue. Shall we have a rematch another time?"
Sayaka agreed to that. They would have a proper match some other day, but for now the girl was tired enough that she just wanted to go home and take a rest. Repairing and improving Homura's sword had taken way more out of her than she thought it would. She probably would have to forego any Witch hunting for the day as well.
Oh well. She had, on the spur of the moment, presented Homura with a gift and her crush accepted it. That would keep her spirits up for a good while.
The Next Day
Homura stared at the gates of Mitakihara Middle School. According to Oriko, today would be the day of their arranged battle. There were no classes, so sneaking in should be relatively simple.
Now that she thought about it, Oriko hadn't given her a specific time of the day. Only that the fight would be today. If she went up to the roof right now she could well be waiting a while for the other Mahou Shoujo to show up.
Not much she could do about it now she supposed. Should've asked for a specific time, but hindsight was 20/20.
Homura transformed in a flash of light, and was about to jump over the gate when she felt the presence of a certain friend heading towards her from behind.
"You're late Sayaka." She said without turning around.
"Sorry, I slept in. Anyway..." Sayaka paused for a moment. She was still a little conflicted about this battle. From her perspective Homura was indeed strong, but she was still worried regardless. "Are you sure you're ready for this? I mean, the last time you fought her..."
Sayaka didn't need to say any more. Homura was well aware of the swift defeat she had suffered when fighting Oriko. She was determined not to make the same mistake this time.
"...I guess we'll find out soon, won't we?"
While the fight would be one on one, the white Mahou Shoujo did say that Homura could allowed her friends to observe. And so Sayaka insisted that she come along to act as moral support.
Sayaka transformed as well, and the two leaped over the school gates and began to make their way through the empty building. The time traveler would use her magic to slowly unlock the doors required to press forward. For Homura this had been done many times already under varying circumstances. It was Sayaka's first time ever doing something like this though. The completely silent hallways very much gave everything a certain horror movie vibe. If Homura wasn't with her then Sayaka was sure she would be much more terrified.
As the two slowly made their way toward the rooftop, Sayaka reached out to grab Homura by the shoulder before the girl could open the last door at the top of the stairs.
"Sayaka?"
"Hey... good luck out there."
"...thanks. I'm going to need it."
Homura took in one final deep breath before she opened the door, letting the bright rays of the sun shine down upon her as she walked forward with Sayaka just behind.
There, standing in the middle area, was Oriko Mikuni and Kirika Kure. Both of them already in their transformed state as well. Homura assumed they probably sensed her presence and got themselves ready for her to show up.
Although that did trigger a thought. How were they able to suppress their magical signatures to the point of being near undetectable on her end?
A mystery for another time she supposed.
Homura walked forward and closed the distance until she was a few meters away from Oriko.
Neither one spoke a single word, nor did they break eye contact with one another.
Kirika then walked off to the side and sat on one of the rooftop benches, which gave Oriko the cue to snap her fingers. A white translucent barrier of magic surrounded both Homura and Oriko in a dome shape.
No one could interfere. Just as Oriko said, this fight would be between the two of them only. Homura put a hand into her shield and pulled out a pistol. As she checked the ammunition of the weapon, the sound of Oriko's voice reached her ears.
"Homura Akemi, do you believe yourself to be strong?"
That legitimately caught her off guard. How was she suppose to answer something like that? Was is a trick question? Or a genuine one?
"...what do you mean?"
Oriko narrowed her eyes for a moment before shaking her head. "Forget about it."
That left Homura even more confused, but she couldn't allow herself to be. Not at a time like this, so she just dismissed the question as a way for Oriko to put Homura off guard.
Sayaka had sat herself down on another bench. She watched the two girls within the dome of magic and silently hoped for Homura to survive. This wasn't supposed to be a fight to the death, but anything could happen. Regardless of the barrier, Sayaka would do whatever she could to intervene if she needed to.
Homura and Oriko stared at one another as Homura raised her gun, pointing it right at her opponent's head. Just as expected, the other Mahou Shoujo looked completely unfazed by the weapon.
"Homura-chan!"
The voice of Madoka Kaname took everyone on the rooftop by surprise.
Homura turned around and there Madoka was, standing at the entrance that lead back into the rest of the school. But she wasn't alone. Accompanying her was Mami Tomoe and Kyoko Sakura.
"Madoka... what are you doing here?" Homura asked, with her voice already being seeped with worry. Her being here was simply too dangerous. So why?
"Homura-chan... I don't really know what's going on but... Please let me stay. I'm involved in this, right? Then I should be here too."
The dark haired girl shifted her gaze to Mami and Kyoko and expected an explanation.
The blonde could only give out a little smile. "She could be quite stubborn when she wants to be, besides... I think she deserves to watch this at the very least."
Kyoko just shrugged her shoulders. "Sure I could've stopped her, but to be honest I actually agree with her as well. Don't worry about her safety, I agreed to protect her after all."
Sayaka couldn't help but slowly facepalm. She felt herself smile at the same time though. To come here like this, despite the danger it would bring to herself, it was exactly like Madoka. She wondered if her childhood friend would ever change that part of herself... probably not.
"Sayaka."
The voice of her crush got the blue haired girl's attention back to the fight that was about to begin.
"What do you need?"
Homura gestured her head toward Kirika who was still sitting on a bench and watched the whole scene with what seemed to be a neutral expression on her face.
"If Kirika Kure tries anything..."
She didn't need to say anymore as Sayaka nodded. She got the message, and that was to stop Kirika if the girl made suspicious moves towards Madoka.
"You have good friends, Homura Akemi."
Oriko's words got Homura to turn back and focus on what she was here for in the first place.
"That's none of your business."
The ashen blonde merely shrugged and started to create spheres floating at her side. Homura took in several deep breaths as tightly clutched the gun and took aim at Oriko once again.
"You will hold up your end of the agreement, won't you?"
"Of course. Defeat me Homura Akemi. Do so and Madoka's life, along with yours, shall no longer be targeted."
Homura was here now, and there was no way to turn back from this so she had no choice but to hope Oriko would keep her word.
Soon, the entire area fell silent. Everyone outside the barrier of magic watched the two Mahou Shoujo within. While the combatants themselves focused their minds only on the opponent they were facing.
Homura kept her pistol up with a finger on the trigger. Oriko remained looking unconcerned as she filled the spheres around her with magic. Each one ready to fire a beam at a moment's notice.
Seemingly at the exact same time, both girls began to walk. Not at each other, but in a circle within the inner perimeter of the magical barrier.
Neither Mahou Shoujo wished to make the first move, as it could leave one open for a counter attack. However if no one did anything then the battle couldn't truly begin.
Homura.
Sayaka's voice entered Homura's mind, and the dark haired tried her best to make it look like nothing had happened.
What is it?
It may not be my place to say, but I don't think you should keep your distance from her. She's too dangerous to fight at range.
This advice came a little late, but it was better than nothing. Homura couldn't disagree either. The "Oracle Ray" technique had caught her off guard and had been her downfall the last time.
So do you think I should fight at close quarters?
...I do.
Now that was a thought. Whenever Homura fought a Mahou Shoujo before, she would at least try to keep herself at a distance. Her primary weapons fired ballistic projectiles after all. It was the fighting style she was most experienced with on the whole.
The feeling of something wrapping around Homura's leg broke her out of her thoughts. She had clearly let herself become too distracted.
It was a white glowing rope of magic tied to her leg, and it connected all the way to Oriko's leg as well.
While Homura's mind was distracted, the white Mahou Shoujo had partially formed her Oracle Sword. However instead of letting it take a sword shape, she moulded so it resembled more of a ribbon or string. She then fired it to wrap around the other girl's leg and attached the other end to her own as well.
For the past week she had been attempting to make this work, and was silently glad to see her training pay off.
Homura tried shaking the magic off her leg, which of course was ineffectual.
"What the hell is this? What's the point?"
"I don't think you want me to explain."
Homura was left confused by that statement, until she realised exactly why Oriko had done this.
Her time powers. If this string of magic connected the two of them, then Homura was left unable to freeze time to her advantage. As Oriko would be unaffected by it.
"You..."
A small smirk appeared on Oriko's face. Like she was taunting the time traveler. "Well Homura Akemi... what will you do now?"
That was a good question. Oriko had obviously come prepared to counter Homura's ability to manipulate time, even if it was in a round about way. It was in no doubt effective. After a few silent moments, Homura's mind quickly formulated the rough outline of a new strategy. One that didn't rely on her time powers. It was clear that at this point, that was going to give her the best chance at victory. She then reconnected her mind with Sayaka's.
Thanks for the advice. I think because of you, I can win this.
Before Sayaka could mentally respond, Homura aimed the pistol right at Oriko's head and pulled the trigger.
Next Time: Clashing Swords
Author's Note: Happy New Year everyone!