Around 4 PM, the Holy Sextet plus Azuma, Kyousuke, Yuma, and a few new faces met in a drab meeting room. Among the four rows of tables was an unusual sight, however. Among the crowd was a computer screen with a girl's face on it. The girl appeared to be in a hospital bed, hence explaining her personal absence from the meeting. General Shirakawa began the meeting by introducing himself. "Now, for those of you who do not yet know me fully, I am Shirakawa Yukio, Major General of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces. I have served with the military now for 32 years, and I am 50 years old. I voluntarily took it upon myself to lead the Magic Defense Initiative, which would standardize the response to witches and other problems that may arise that can be answered by magical girl such as yourselves. Japan is the first country to acknowledge their existence publically, and the first to organize them in such a manner. We have some familiar faces here, but we also have some new ones. I would like everyone to go around and introduce themselves to the group. You can give out the reason for your wish if you choose to, but you are not required to do so if you are not comfortable. Let's start off with the familiar faces." He then turned to Mami. "Starting from you, going on right, Tomoe-san."
"Right," Mami replied as she stood up. The Holy Sextet were dressed in camo uniforms, as were Azuma, Kyousuke, and Yuma. "My name is Tomoe Mami. I am currently 15 years old, and I am in my last year of junior high school. I have been a magical girl for three years now, and my wish was to save my life after a car accident that killed my parents. I currently live with my boyfriend and his parents in this camp as Mitakihara is rebuilt."
As Mami sat down, it was now Madoka's turn to speak. "Hi, uh, my name is Kaname Madoka. I'll be turning 14 in October of this year, and I am a second year student in junior high. I've been a magical girl for only about a month, I believe, but my power potential is incredibly high, according to some. My wish was to save the life of my girlfriend after she had been killed fighting a witch."
It now turned to Kyouko. "My name is Sakura Kyouko. I'm 15, and I'm also in my last year of middle school. I've been a magical girl about the same time as Mami-chan, and for a while, we worked together." Mami smiled, remembering the good times they had had in the past. "My... My wish was to get more people to listen to my father, who was once a priest." She then sat down, not saying anything else.
"My name is Akemi Homura," Homura began as she stood up. "I am 14 years old, and I have been a magical girl for technically... Hmmm... I'd say about 13 years." Homura visibly saw and heard gasps among the other new faces. "Now, don't panic, I didn't make a contract when I was a baby. No, I have the power to time travel. For 102 times, I traveled back a month and a half to try to save my girlfriend, Madoka-chan. In fact, my wish was to save her, back before she became my girlfriend. Now, I don't have to. I'm living out the happiest days of my life, even with all the troubles around us now. Never in my life have I felt more together and part of something." She then sat down, smiling to herself.
"I am Miki Sayaka," the bluenette told the audience as she stood up. "I've been a magical girl for about two and a half months now. My wish was to heal the hands of my boyfriend. I am going to be 14 in September of this year. It's been a rough month for me, for all of us. I found out about a week ago that I am in fact expecting."
A hand then nervously was raised from the girls behind her, and Sayaka noticed it. "Uh... Wh- What do you mean by expecting, Miki-san?"
Sayaka sighed, realizing she was not going to be able to beat around the bush. "Well, we've all learned about the birds and the bees, I suppose. Maybe a select few of us have experienced it, too. Anyway, I'm not gonna beat around the bush. I'm pregnant." As with Homura, there were audible and visible gasps from the new faces. "I know, I know, I would be shocked, too."
"I...," the girl who had asked the question stammered out, feeling terrible for bringing it up. "I'm so sorry, Miki-san! I had no idea!"
"It's fine," Sayaka assured her with a chuckle. "It's not something I'm proud of, but it's not something I hide. It's just something that is. Anyway, I'm glad to see that there is an effort to organize magical girls and make an effort to prevent fighting over territory."
"My turn," Nagisa replied as she stood up and Sayaka sat down. "I am Momoe Nagisa! I turn 12 tomorrow, and I have been a magical girl for about three months, though I can't recall much of it. The reason I can't is because for much of that time, well... I was a witch." Her tone then became more somber and serious. "My wish was to have cake with my mother one last time before she passed away from cancer, and when I found out I could have just wished the cancer away instead, I became a witch. Now, you may ask, how am I standing here? Well, I came back. I woke up one night in an alley, and I was found by Kyouko-oneechan. What most likely happened was that I was the result of a failed experiment by the Heavenly Kingdom Cult in an attempt to bring Walpurgisnacht here before they were successful." She then wiped her eyes. "I've been incredibly lucky to have the team I'm with now, and I consider each and every single one of them to be my big sisters and big brothers." Kyouko stood up and hugged Nagisa as she smiled, and then the two of them sat down together. "Well, I guess that leaves Azuma-oniichan and Kyousuke-oniichan."
"Indeed," Kyousuke replied as he went first, slightly annoying Azuma as he gave him a "got you" look. "My name is Kamijou Kyousuke, and I am 14 years old. I am a violinist, but until my hands were healed from a car accident, I thought I would never be able to play an instrument again. Me and Sayaka-chan are in a relationship, and I am the father of the child she carries. Trust me, I know, it's scary, having to think about it at such a young age. However, I've contended with scarier things before, like barely hanging onto life after a car accident. Me and Azuma-kun act in support roles. I'm sure he can explain it better, though. He is a mastermind when it comes to this stuff, really. I gotta hand it to him. Without him, none of us would probably be here."
Azuma stood up to begin his turn, inspired by Kyousuke's words. "I am Inubouzaki Azuma. I am also 14 years old. Mami mentioned it earlier, but I am her boyfriend. I've known about magical girls for a long time, and through some digging, hard work, and ingenuity, somehow, I've made it this far. To be honest, I probably should be dead right now, but I guess God likes to play jokes on the living. Through the MDI, myself and Homura-chan will be setting up and organizing response areas and the radio network for the Five Cities Region as we go along and recruit more and more magical girls into the system. It's been an honor to work with such a brave group of young women like you all. You've all had your trials and tribulations, and you all put your lives on the line to protect us from any threats you face. I look forward to working with you all more in the future."
"Alright then," Yukio replied to him as he turned to the new faces in the class. "Now, the new people will take their turns. Let's start with Saikawa-san."
The girl on the computer screen then spoke as Yukio walked over and turned the computer around so everyone could see her. "Hi there, everyone." She waved at them all through the computer. She had a red bandana around her head and green eyes. "I'm Saikawa Aiko. I'm 16 years old. You may be wondering why I'm not here physically. Well, I'm kinda sick. I've been sick for a few years. Even so, I'll do my best, even with my condition. I've had cancer for three years at this point. I've been a magical girl for four years. The reason I'm here is because I caught wind you guys are looking into the murders going on recently, which Shirakawa-sama will be explaining in more detail. My wish was to cure not my cancer, but my mother's cancer."
"My turn," said a second new face. This girl had short brown hair and brown eyes. "My name is Urawa Rei. I'm 16 years old as well. I've been a magical girl for five years. My family owned Urawa Industries, a major defense and technology company, until my parents died in a car accident when I was 11. My wish was to save my dog after he had been attacked by a man. I..." She then paused. "I then used my newfound powers to kill the man who almost killed my dog. But enough of the depressing stuff, I suppose. I've been a friend of Aiko-chan for a while, and I have lived in the Five Cities' Region my whole life. To hear that the government was organizing us to keep our area safe and keep us safe really moved me, and I am glad to be here."
As a few more girls began their introductions, Kyouko looked over Rei and smiled somewhat deviously. "She looks pretty cute, not gonna lie. That short hair of her's is nice."
"You realize we all can hear you, right?" Homura's interruption silently startled Kyouko. She had forgotten the Holy Sextet plus Azuma and Kyousuke were all mentally linked when close by. "I don't know if the others can hear you, but-"
"I heard all of that," Rei unexpectedly replied. "It took a bit of work, but I was able to tune onto your little 'frequency' of sorts. Sakura-san, thanks for the compliments. I put quite a bit of work in my hair, thank you very much."
Kyouko's face immediately reddened up, thinking to herself, "Oh fuck... Why did I broadcast that to everyone?!"
...
July 26, 2024
In a ruined apartment, Oriko and Kirika had finished a round of lovemaking together, still on the run from the law and the Magic Defense Initiative. Kirika adjusted her clothes, putting her bra and t-shirt back on as Oriko buttoned up her shirt. The apartment was in a state of disrepair, having been abandoned ever since Walpurgisnacht had come to Mitakihara. In the room they stayed at was some clothes, some food supplies, a few bottles of water, and several guns that they had stolen from other scavengers and gangs in Mitakihara before the government had moved in to restore order.
As Kirika finished putting her clothes back on, she gave her girlfriend a kiss on the cheek. "Fun as always, Oriko-chan."
Oriko smiled, glad to hear the compliment. "As to you. Let me tell you, it's a good thing we found those nailclippers in time, or I'd be hurting down there right now. You do have a way with your hands... And your tongue." The two shared a laugh, enjoying the remark.
In an instant, however, their mood would soon change. They both stopped laughing when they heard knocking on the ground floor of the apartment building they stayed in. "What the fuck?" Kirika walked to the window quietly and looked outside before immediately ducking down. "Shit, it's police!"
"This is the police," an officer stated outside. Parked out front were two police cruisers with four officers. "You guys are not allowed to be in here! We've gotten complaints about squatters here! Come on out!"
Oriko immediately grabbed a hunting rifle from their small pile of guns and loaded it as Kirika readied a stolen JGSDF pistol. As she then grabbed a shotgun and put the pistol in a stolen holder attached to her pants, Oriko told her, "Looks like we're killing cops today." The two of them pulled out their soul gems and transformed in a flash of light, but still held their guns from before.
As they did, the knocking became louder, and the officer shouted, "Open the door now, or we're breaking it down and dragging you guys out in handcuffs! This is your last warning!"
Kirika told Oriko, "Indeed, we are." The two of them then marched downstairs just as the door was kicked in by one of the officers outside when they reached the top of the stairs. As soon as the first two officer stepped into the ruined apartment building, Kirika shouted down, "Oink oink, fuckers!" She then aimed her shotgun down at the surprised officers and fired. Neither of them had their guns drawn, and both were struck by three quick shotgun blasts. As screams rang out, Oriko fired two shots from her bolt-action hunting rifle down at the doorway.
The next two officers that stormed in took aim at Kirika and fired, one of their bullets striking her in the face and knocking her backwards. Oriko shouted out, "Kirika-chan! No!" She then let out a scream of primal rage and fired a third shot from her rifle before quickly grabbing Kirika's pistol and firing rapidly at the two officers before they could advance up the stairs, striking both of them. She then quickly propped up Kirika, who was still alive due to her healing powers as a magical girl but now missing one of her eyes and bleeding profusely from it, and rushed down the stairs, holding her by her shoulder as they escaped into the outside. All four of the officers were dead, and a call had been made for assistance before the last officers were murdered by the duo.
Outside, Oriko helped Kirika into one of the police cars, which was still running, before hopping in the drivers' seat and shifting the gears. As she sped away from the scene, she looked to Kirika, who was still losing blood from her mangled right eye. "Agh... Oriko..." Oriko could see that her face was already beginning to heal from her powers, but no new eye was going to form, rendering her half-blind permanently.
"You're gonna be fine, my love," Oriko told her, trying to calm her down as she turned down a street. "We need to leave the region ASAP!"
"Wait," Kirika told her, interrupting her as she began to cover her own eye socket. "We need... We need to do something before we do that... We need to kill Saikawa-san..."
Oriko immediately recognized who she was referring to, and realized she was right. "Shit, you're right! We need to kill her! Look, I'll figure out a way to sneak into the hospital and poison her. We'll need to be extra careful on the run now. The whole country's gonna be on our asses after this shit we pulled. We gotta abandon this car soon. It's gonna stick out like a sore thumb."
"I'll...," Kirika told her girlfriend. "I'll get something to cover this eye socket of mine... Hey, don't feel so bad, Oriko-chan... Eyepatches are cool, right?" She gave a brief chuckle, trying to lighten the dark and depressing mood that began to set in for the murderous duo. With this shooting, they were now Public Enemy Number 1 and Number 2 in the eyes of Japan.
