A few blocks away, Mami could spy the towers of the Sakura church. Its silhouette was dark against the sunset.
The church was their second stop of the day. The first had been a warehouse in Mitakihara's industrial district. Mami had seen a news report about a warehouse fire, and many people perishing inside. Convinced that witch activity could be a factor, she and Kyouko checked it out.
At first, they thought there was nothing there except police tape and burnt ruins. According to the news report, authorities were unsure as to how the fire started. Investigators suspected arson, and Mami and Kyouko did too until they spotted a small black jewel amidst the rubble.
A grief seed. One that almost looked like it had been used and discarded. Or had it just been scorched by the flame?
Had a witch caused the fire? Had it driven someone there to start it? Unless one could travel back to the evening it had happened, there was no way to be sure. In the end, Kyouko had collected the grief seed intending to give it to Kyubey when they returned home. With the grief seed and potential source of trouble removed, there was nothing else for them to do there.
Now they were on their way to Kyouko's church. She wanted to check on it and ensure that nothing was amiss. And they only had a little time before their primary appointment that evening – a meeting with Ozaki.
When they had spoken on the phone the previous day, Ozaki had been pleased that Mami and Kyouko had gotten the data she requested so quickly. She asked them to meet an associate of theirs outside a storefront on the far side of Mitakihara, who would take them on to see her and "the boss," the man Mami recalled from the day she had encountered Kyouko again, the day she had met Anzu Anzai. It felt like a lot had happened since then, and now this pivotal meeting approached.
Mami's nerves flared up just thinking about it. She wasn't sure if Ozaki would be content to simply leave them alone after they gave her what she wanted. And she wasn't sure how Kyouko would handle the situation.
But her Kyouko was her comrade and part of this. Mami couldn't simply leave her behind. They had been through a lot together, and so they would face this by each other's side as well.
The sun was still up but lower in the sky. By the time they met with Ozaki, it would be dark. In the meantime, they made their way along the streets that comprised the border area between Mitakihara and Kazamino.
All in all, it was an odd situation for Mami.
With one hand, Kyouko crammed konpeito into her mouth. Nothing unusual about that; Kyouko only stopped eating when she slept (although with her tendency to snack in bed, Mami half-suspected she consumed food in her sleep as well).
No, what was strange was that her other hand was holding on to Mami's.
When they left the burnt-down warehouse in the industrial district, Kyouko had, without a word, reached out and grasped Mami's hand in her own, her fingers entwining in Mami's.
Even though Kyouko had previously shown her physical affection, Mami was still caught off-guard by this. She took a deep breath to steady herself. It must have sounded like she gasped because Kyouko spoke up.
"Something wrong, Mami?"
"Ah, no, no," Mami said, feeling her face grow warm. "Just, it doesn't feel as cold as it has been, does it?" She'd had no idea what else to say. The weather seemed like as good a topic as any.
"Nope," Kyouko said. Looking up, she added: "Bet we're gonna see some rain soon too. Glad I don't have to sleep in it."
Mami's feelings for Kyouko had blossomed into something more than friendship. Love? Perhaps. She didn't have any direct experience – being a magical girl didn't leave a lot of time for romance, though she was sure there were magical girls who somehow managed – but she had read quite a few romance stories. And her feelings were similar to those in the stories. And, sure, some of those stories were about two girls falling in love as well. So, it wasn't like Mami was going through something that no other girl had ever gone through.
On the other hand, those were about the only parts of Mami's situation that lined up with those stories. The fictional characters she read about weren't magical girls handling witches, Yakuza thugs, and other hostile magical girls. Most of them were simply ordinary humans, going about their work and school life while trying to find love. Even the ones in the fantasy stories didn't seem to have to deal with the stress that Mami and Kyouko did.
Kyouko.
Had Kyouko ever felt that way about anyone? Regardless if she had or not, she sure seemed to harbor some feelings for Mami now that went beyond friendship. She expressed those in the things she said and the things she did, like holding Mami's hand. Mami felt like she wanted to push things further and Kyouko did too. But how?
Mami looked over at her. "I…"
Kyouko turned to Mami, her mouth full of candy. "Yeah?"
"I…have not walked around holding hands with someone for a long time," Mami said. Who would have been the last person? Her mother? Her father? Probably one of those two, and that had been years ago.
"Me neither," Kyouko said. "Though I did with my little sister sometimes. Whenever my family went someplace, it was my job to watch her and make sure she didn't run off."
"Is that why you're holding my hand now?" Mami couldn't resist asking. "Are you afraid I might escape?"
Kyouko laughed. "No. I just felt like doing it, Mami. It's nice."
"It is."
As they walked on, hand-in-hand, Mami relaxed and came to enjoy it. Pleasant warmth swelled up inside her again. She and Kyouko connected, not only physically, but emotionally as well. This was different from when they had first worked together, but Mami wasn't sure why. Maybe because of all that they both had gone through since then? Perhaps the threats they faced pushed them closer? Mami couldn't say.
Too many different threads of thought ran through Mami's mind at once, making it impossible for her to ruminate on any of them in great detail. And so she kept silent. Content to simply hold hands, walk, and eat, Kyouko said nothing either. It wasn't until they had near Kyouko's church that one of them spoke again.
"You've been quiet ever since we left that warehouse, Mami," Kyouko said. "Something on your mind?"
"Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little apprehensive about meeting Ozaki later," Mami said. She could admit these sorts of things to Kyouko. "It's very different from fighting a witch, but it feels like the stakes are just as high."
"They sure are. But we'll deal with. Don't worry about it."
"Thank you, Kyouko. It's reassuring to have you with me for this."
"Sure thing. Is that all?"
It wasn't. Kyouko had hit on the truth. There was something else, something that Mami hadn't wanted to think about because she still had trouble accepting that it was true. She set aside her feeling for Kyouko and her wariness about Ozaki for the moment and then took another deep breath.
"No. I heard something awful today, and I'm still trying to process it."
"Yeah? What is it? Maybe I can help."
Kyouko could help, Mami realized. Talking with Kyouko always made things better. Mami had spent so much time on her own that she'd almost forgotten how wonderful it was to have others' perspectives on things.
"My classmate, Kinoshita. Do you recall him? You gave him a candy bar and sat at his desk when you visited my school."
"The tall boy with the glasses. Yeah, I remember. What about him?"
"He didn't show to school the past few days, and now he's dead. I don't know how, but the police found his body the other night. My teacher hasn't officially said anything, but I heard one of my classmates saying so today. I looked up the news report, and, sure enough, it's true. Sadly, it didn't have any more detail as to what happened."
Mami and Kinoshita hadn't been that close, but they had sat next to each for a good lot of middle school, having been placed in the same class each year and often in adjacent desks as well. He usually sat and read during breaks. Mami, who seldom had anyone to eat lunch with or go visit, had sat quietly next to him. Now and then, they chatted – the usual morning greetings, afternoon goodbyes, and bits of small talk – but to say they had been anything more than classmates and acquaintances would have been a stretch.
Still, Mami was fond of seeing him at school. He was a comfortable constant, something she didn't have much of in her life (unless one counted solitude and loneliness). And now, for no reason at all, he was gone.
His life was cut short. It simply isn't fair.
Kyouko sighed. "I'm sorry, Mami. That's terrible."
"Yes." Mami blinked back tears. When she'd heard the news at school, she had gone into the bathroom and cried in a stall, not wanting her classmates to see her in such a state. Thankfully, nobody had noticed her red eyes afterward.
Kyouko squeezed her hand. "This stuff never gets easier, does it?"
"No, it doesn't."
"You and I both know a lot about loss. Too much when you think about it." She held out a handful of konpeito to Mami. "Here. Have some."
Mami wasn't hungry, but she realized Kyouko saw this as a way of helping and accepted it. As she ate the candy, the sweet taste of sugar filled her mouth, nearly as sweet as Kyouko herself could be.
"I got some more," Kyouko said. "Just in case." She held up the bag on her free arm. "Other stuff too."
"I think this will suffice for now."
"Okay. I'm here for you, Mami. Whatever you need. You wanna talk about it? Then talk about it. You wanna yell and cry on my shoulder? Go ahead and do that."
"Thank you. It means a lot to hear you say that." She took a deep breath and steadied herself. "I'll be alright. I just need some time, that's all."
Thinking of Kinoshita's death reminded Mami of her parents. She remembered the day they had perished, but she had survived thanks to Kyubey granting her wish. Loneliness would come in ebbs and flows over the years, but never as strong as it had been on that day when it had mixed in with unbridled sorrow. As she took up the mantle of magical girl, she had managed to save many lives, but still saw people perish. And then Kyouko, of course, had lost her family, leaving her as alone in the world as Mami was.
People all around us die, but we magical girls soldier on. Sometimes it feels like a punishment.
They walked on in silence as they approached the church. The loss of Kinoshita still stung, but Mami felt like that small wound was starting to heal some. Talking about it with Kyouko had helped.
The church was as silent as a tomb, with the only sounds being the girls' footsteps as they walked. The smells of mold and dust and grime lingered in the air. As dear as it was to Kyouko, it was still a ruin. They headed into the chapel. Nothing had changed since the last time they were there, except for a bit of orange sunlight streaming through the cracked windows on one side.
"Home sweet church," Kyouko said, looking around. "Well, except it's not really home for me anymore. My home's somewhere else now."
"Where is that?" Mami asked without thinking.
"With you, you big dummy." Kyouko poked her in the side. "Right?"
"Ah-ha, yes, of course."
"And this place isn't all that sweet at this point either, I guess." Kyouko shrugged. "Only some of my memories of it are. I guess, in the end, it's just 'church,' huh?"
"Perhaps that's all it needs to be."
"Yeah." Kyouko suddenly embraced Mami, throwing her arms around her neck. "It's no good overthinking things, after all."
Mami was caught off-guard, and her heartbeat sped up. "No, it certainly isn't."
"Remember the first time I brought you by here, Mami?"
"I do. It was the same day I had dinner with your family, the loveliest and liveliest meal I'd had in a long time."
"Yeah, my sister sure could make a lot of noise."
"I seem to recall you making a fair bit yourself."
"Really? I don't."
"Perhaps there's a bit of selective of memory at work there."
"Maybe. One thing I do remember, though: back then, back before, well, you know, everything that happened," Kyouko said. "I wanted to be just like you."
"Did you?" Mami asked.
"Yeah, you were the ideal magical girl to me. You were clever and powerful and kind and upright and all those sorts of things, just like heroines in stories and fairy tales."
"I see. Thank you. I'm flattered."
"You're welcome. But now…well…"
"Now I'm not? Now you don't want to be like me?"
"I definitely wouldn't mind being as strong as you," Kyouko said. "But here's the thing, Mami: I used to want to be you. And now I just want to be with you. Funny, huh?"
"Yes, that's…very funny." Mami wasn't sure what else to say. Was this a confession? She'd read about those but never received one herself.
"I wanted to say all that the other day, you know, when we went into the Nise building," Kyouko said. "It didn't feel like the right time."
"I can understand that. I'm glad you've found the right moment, then. I feel similarly about you, Kyouko." There. She had said it out loud, those feelings that slowly been building since she and Kyouko had reunited.
"I figured. Hey, Mami?"
"Yes?"
"You know you're stuck with me now, right?"
"Stuck? What do you mean?"
"I mean, I'm not going anywhere," Kyouko said. She pulled back and looked her square in the face. Her hands held on to Mami's. "I'm not gonna run away and abandon you like I did before. I'm sorry I ever did that. I felt miserable afterward, and I never appreciated how much you tried to do for me. Even if we have arguments or disagreements or whatever again, I'm sticking by your side from now on, through thick and thin and all that jazz. You and me, that's how it's gonna be. Like I said the other night, you're more special to me than anyone."
Mami looked into her eyes and felt drawn in. "Kyouko…"
A wave of emotion overwhelmed Mami. Her vision blurred as a veil of tears fell over her eyes. They ran down her face in a flood that wasn't sad, but rather sweet. Mami sniffed and blubbered and tried to say something, but she was so choked up that she could only produce broken-up babbles.
"Aw, you're such a crybaby sometimes, Mami." Kyouko's voice was soft and soothing. She reached up and wiped some of the tears from Mami's face. "Good thing I'm used to it now."
"You…you said I could cry on your shoulder if I wanted to, though," Mami said.
Kyouko chuckled. "Yeah, I did, didn't I? Okay. C'mere, you." Kyouko pulled her close again and patted her head. "There, there."
"I guess I don't seem like a storybook heroine now, eh?" Mami asked, clinging on to Kyouko tightly. This close, she smelled like apples. Was it her shampoo? Or had she been eating them earlier?
"Even heroines sometimes cry, Mami. You're only human."
Mami felt like her heart was going to burst. She pulled back again and saw that Kyouko's face had a calm, serene look. The wave of emotion that hit Mami earlier ebbed a little, leaving behind a warmth and pleasant tingling that filled every part of her.
What would she say if I were to suddenly kiss her?
No, it wasn't the right time to do something like that. The last thing Mami wanted to do was to come on too strongly and make things awkward. She didn't think Kyouko would mind, but this moment, this particular point of time, was wonderful and pure enough that nothing else needed to be said or done. There was simply the affection between the two of them, and Mami wanted it to fill every fiber of her being.
Instead, she took hold of Kyouko's hands again, those hands that could both slay witches and be as gentle as a soft breeze, as contrasting as the different sides of Kyouko herself. They stood like that, the only sound being the muted din of Kazamino outside the church building.
"I'm going to pray some," Kyouko said after a moment, breaking the silence. "I…I haven't done that in a while, a long time, really, but I feel like I need to."
"Sometimes it helps to return to things that once brought us comfort," Mami said. Her tears had dried, and she was once again able to speak normally.
"Yeah. You're right, Mami."
"Are you going to pray for anything in particular?"
"For us." Kyouko looked down and then back up. "And also for your classmate. Again, I'm sorry about what happened to him. He didn't deserve to die so young."
"Thank you. That means a lot."
Kyouko released her hands and pulled a sugary powdered doughnut out her bag. "Here. You can eat this while you wait."
"Thank you for that as well, Kyouko." When Kyouko shared food with her, what she was really doing was showing affection. That was one of her ways of doing so, and Mami accepted it.
Kyouko dropped to her knees, clasped her hands in front of her, and bowed her head. Feeling that this was something she ought to be alone for, Mami stepped out of the main chapel and into the small antechamber at the front of the church. She didn't share Kyouko's religious and spiritual beliefs – whatever they were now – but she hoped that they brought Kyouko as much peace as her presence brought Mami. Her spirit soared, and she began to think that maybe, just maybe, this trouble with Ozaki that they would tackle later wasn't so bad after all.
A bit of movement under a nearby table caught her eye. She looked closer and saw that it was a little grey mouse. Curious, Mami knelt next to the table. The mouse cocked its head and peered up at her, its dark eyes wide and its whiskers twitching.
"Aren't you cute?" Mami asked. "Are you watching over the church for Kyouko when she isn't here?" She broke off a small piece of the doughnut and tossed it to the mouse. "Here you go, little fellow. For all your hard work."
The mouse snatched up the crumb in its paws and nibbled away. Mami watched it, smiling as she did. She looked next to the mouse and then noticed something odd: a strand of someone's hair. She reached out her hand, and as she did, the mouse scampered off. That was fine. It was fed, and now something else concerned her. She picked up the strand of hair, held it in front of her face, and examined it.
It wasn't just any hair. It was from someone with very long black hair. So it wasn't hers or Kyouko's. And it didn't belong to the workers they had chased out either. Other trespassers, perhaps? Kyouko had previously indicated that the church had unwelcome visitors from time to time.
On the other hand, Mami and Kyouko had some run-ins with someone who had long, thick black hair.
"It couldn't be," Mami whispered. She looked under the table again. After a bit of searching, she found a second strand of hair. This one wasn't long and black, however. It was shorter and pink.
Mami recalled the girls she had seen with Homura Akemi. One of them had short blue hair, and another had dark green hair. Those two girls, both rather tall, had spoken up against Kyouko when all of them ran into each other outside the Mitakihara hospital. This hair didn't belong to either of them. No, it was the third girl, the small pink-haired girl who had shrunk away behind Homura Akemi when it looked like things would turn ugly.
Homura Akemi was here. But why? And why did she bring that pink-haired girl here? She's a potential magical girl – I could see it, and Kyubey confirmed as much. Was she there to watch Homura Akemi attack Kyouko? Does she simply tag along when Homura Akemi takes on magical girl business?
A hundred questions ran through Mami's mind. As she was still pondering all this, Kyouko lumbered out of the main chapel, chattering away.
"All done. I feel good too. Guess we oughta get going and–Mami? You okay? Your face is all scrunched."
"Look at this," Mami said, holding up the first hair. "I found this under the table over there. Who do we know that has very long black hair?"
Kyouko immediately caught on to Mami's insinuation and shook her head. "No way. Not possible."
"I might have thought the same, except I found this alongside it." Mami held up the pink hair. "Now, who do know who has very long black hair and also a friend with medium-length pink hair?"
Kyouko's jaw dropped. She stuffed the last of her doughnut into her mouth, chewed, then narrowed her eyes. "Those sneaky rats."
"Yes. They've been here. But why? And how did they know to come here? I've no direct connection with this church, so they must have been seeking you."
"Right." Kyouko hissed through her teeth. "I don't like thinking about Homura Akemi messing around in here. This isn't her place. It's mine. You know?"
"Yes, I get you," Mami said. "And I'm worried about what her intentions were in coming here."
"Nothing good, obviously." Kyouko paused. "Wait a second, Mami. I just thought of something else."
"What is it?"
"Homura Akemi knew where your apartment was. Remember how she just showed up there out of the blue looking for Kyubey?"
"You're right. She did. That is odd, now that I think about it, that she knew exactly where to find me."
"Sure was. How did she know where you live? Do you think she knew I'd be there too?"
"I don't know. I don't like any of this, Kyouko. There are too many uncertainties and questions here."
"Maybe it's past time we paid a visit to the girl with the answers." Kyouko pounded a fist into her hand. "A rough visit."
Kyouko's suggestion had some merit. Mami felt like this was a chess game where she couldn't see her opponent's pieces. She needed to know more about what was going on. Homura Akemi needed to make some things clear. And if they had to apply pressure to her in order for her to talk, then so be it.
But…
"Homura Akemi isn't alone, though," Mami said. "She's got allies."
"And we've got us, Mami. You think she and Anzu care about each other like you and I do? I doubt it. You think her and that rookie magical girl have the kind of history that we have? Nope. And they don't have our…synergy." Kyouko said the last word carefully.
"True." Mami sighed. "Still, I guess, once again, we'll have to put off worrying about Homura Akemi so that we can focus on Ozaki. But not for much longer. We can't let this go until she becomes an even bigger problem and starts coming directly at us."
"Good idea," Kyouko said. "All the frustration from those uncertainties you were on about? We'll take 'em out on Ozaki."
"We have to step carefully," Mami said. "Remember, we can't give her cause to take retribution against us."
Kyouko looked around. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Gotta protect the church. And your home. Our home. Should I just let you do the talking again?"
"That might be best. Are you ready for this, Kyouko?"
"Ready for anything, Mami." She held up the USB drive. "Got their oh-so-important data right here."
"Good. It's nearly time, so let's head off."
They left the church and headed for the meeting place. Mami wondered if Ozaki herself would meet them there, just as she had that day after school or if she would send someone else in her stead. How high did Ozaki rank in that organization anyway? How much sway did she have over what they did?
Who would all be there? Given that the boss would be there, Mami imagined that some of his underlings would be as well. What did they know? What Ozaki and the boss shared? How many people would know about magical girls before the evening was over?
Mami would soon find out the answers to those questions.
They headed off to a candy store on a side street in Mitakihara. The street was deserted, with no shoppers or pedestrians around. Mami wondered how long they'd have to wait, and it turned out, not very long. Shortly after they had reached the store, a tall man in a long brown coat approached them. He wore dark sunglasses and a grey fedora. As he straightened his coat, Mami noted the gun holstered on his hip.
The man removed his sunglasses and peered at them. "Mami Tomoe? Kyouko Sakura?"
Mami nodded. "That's us."
"Please follow me." The man led them to a waiting car and opened the door for them. "I'll take you to where the boss and Ozaki are waiting."
Mami took a deep breath in anticipation of what was to come. Hopefully, this would be the last time they ever saw Ozaki and her Yakuza boss.
The meeting place turned out to be a skyscraper under construction. Mami craned her neck up, studying it. It was grey and looked a bit like her apartment building. She took a look at a sign on the chain-link fence around the construction site.
Sagawa Real Estate Company: Luxury apartments coming soon!
"Of course," Mami muttered. It figured they would use a place like this. She and Kyouko followed the man in the brown coat inside.
The building's outer façade had been completed, but upon entry, it appeared that there was still much to be done. The drywall wasn't painted, and dust lingered in the air and clung to every surface. Equipment and stacked lumber dotted the floor space.
The front doors of the building lead into a large, open atrium that would no doubt serve as the building's lobby in the future. It stretched up several floors. As Mami and Kyouko followed the man in the brown coat, she saw that armed men lined the walls of the atrium. Some of them had pistols, and a few had assault rifles. One man even had a rocket launcher mounted on his shoulder. Mami noticed a little red laser dot on her chest, and when she glanced up, she saw a sniper on a balcony aiming directly at her.
They're not taking any chances with us. How much do they know about what we're capable of?
If any of this display bothered Kyouko, she didn't show it. She took a taiyaki cake out of her pocket and munched on it. Mami wished she could feel so carefree. She suddenly felt as though she were a tightly wound spring just waiting to go off.
At the far end of the atrium stood Ozaki. A man sat in a chair next to her, the man Mami recognized as the boss from the Yakuza building that she had chased the witch to, the tall man with the big belly that Anzu Anzai had stabbed.
It's almost a shame her attack wasn't fatal.
"Ah, you both came this time," Ozaki said, smiling at them. "How lovely. Greetings, once again, girls."
Mami stared back at her keeping her expression vacant and saying nothing. It was Homura Akemi's strategy, staying quiet and open speaking when necessary. Mami figured it might work best for this situation. Kyouko scowled at Ozaki.
A random thought occurred to Mami: Kyouko must be terrible at cards. She's got no poker face at all.
Ozaki seemed nonplussed by the reception she got, however. She gestured toward the man seated in the chair next to her. "I believe you girls have previously met the boss before as well."
The boss appeared about as thrilled about this reunion as Mami was. He also looked like he had healed up from his injury.
"If it isn't the little girls who showed the day half my crew was knocked out," the boss said, leaning forward. "You sure ran off in a hurry when things got heated."
"No, we left when we completed our job there," Mami corrected him.
"And what job was that, anyway?"
"None of your damn business, that's what," Kyouko said.
"Kyouko!" Mami elbowed her in the side, and she mercifully fell silent, but with a smug grin on her face.
Ozaki smirked. "As uncouth as ever, I see. Well, never mind. We saw the news report of what happened in the Nise building. And we're very impressed. Do you have the data with you?"
Of course, she and Kyouko hadn't actually killed any of the people in the Nise building, but Ozaki and her crew didn't know. That probably explained the amount of firepower aimed at them.
"We do," Mami said. "We'll hand it over under the conditions you provided when you and I spoke the other day. You will leave us alone, and you will leave the Sakura church as it is."
"Ah, splendid," Ozaki said. "And we're more than willing to do all that, of course. However, we have one additional request for you. A small favor, really. I'm sure it will prove quite trivial."
"What?" Mami was afraid of what was to come next.
"The girl in the green dress," the boss said. "With the green hair. The one was there with you two at headquarters that day, the little bitch who stabbed me. I want to make her suffer."
Anzu Anzai. Well, this is an interesting turn of events. I guess he wants revenge for her assault against him.
Kyouko snorted. "She'd feed you your own intestines."
The boss and Ozaki exchanged a glance.
"We thought perhaps you two would be willing to take care of her," Ozaki said. "We've had some difficulty locating her. We don't even know her name."
"You mean you want us to kill her," Mami said.
Ozaki nodded.
"You've gotta be kidding me," Kyouko said.
"Why the hesitation?" Ozaki asked. "Do you work alongside her as well?"
"No, we're not friends with her," Mami said. "And we don't know where she is, so we can't tell you anything else about her." Anzu Anzai was still in Mitakihara, Mami knew that much. And given what Kyubey had told them, Homura Akemi would likely know where to find Anzu. But Mami wasn't about to share all that with Ozaki.
"If you aren't friends, then why the hesitation?" Ozaki asked. "You had no qualms about killing the people inside the Nise building. Is this girl more of a threat?"
"Ha!" Kyouko exclaimed. "Not hardly."
"Then what's the issue?"
"We're not getting involved in any conflict between you and her," Mami said. "Honestly, your best course of action is to forget about her." Mami thought about it and added: "And hope she doesn't decide to come after you again."
Mami honestly doubted Anzu Anzai had any interest in ever going back to the Yakuza headquarters but figured a bluff here wouldn't hurt. She had clearly irked the boss, so maybe Mami could use that against him.
Ozaki raised an eyebrow. "If you think she's such a threat, then why would you refuse this task?"
"I don't doubt she'll be dealt with one way or another, but it won't have anything to do with any of you."
If Anzu Anzai was working alongside Homura Akemi, then Mami and Kyouko would almost certainly have to go up against her at some point. But Mami didn't want Ozaki or the Yakuza involved in that in any form whatsoever. They knew too much as it was, and any fights between magical girls needed to only involve other magical girls.
"We knew they might be uncooperative," Ozaki said to the boss. "Good thing we prepared."
"Yep," the boss said. He whistled to one of his henchmen. "Tanaka, go get the woman and bring her in here."
The man in the brown coat nodded. "Yes, boss."
The man stepped into a side door. He returned quickly, pushing along a woman who was blindfolded. She had light purple hair and wore a snappy charcoal-colored business suit. Her hands were bound behind her back. Mami recognized her immediately: Junko Kaname, the woman she and Kyouko had rescued from a familiar and had escorted home.
Oh, no. They were watching us when we saved her. They must think we have some connection to her. We don't, of course, but I don't her to be hurt here. This has become far, far more dangerous. One misstep here could spell disaster.
The man in the brown coat forced the woman to her knees. He drew his gun and aimed it directly at her head.
"What's going on?" Junko Kaname asked. "I…I…"
"Just be quiet and sit still for a bit," Ozaki said. "It'll be over soon enough, one or another."
"Ozaki?" Junko turned her head toward Ozaki. "Is that you? What's going on?"
"I'm busy negotiating on your behalf, Junko."
"I…someone kidnapped me! I was leaving work, and they forced me into a car!" She struggled against her bonds. "I'm tied up!"
"You always were a smart one."
"Wait. Are you responsible for this? Ozaki, what is going on?!"
"Junko, hush. Okay?"
"How could you–"
Pow!
Junko Kaname's words cut off as the man in the brown coat hit her on the side of the head. "Ozaki said to pipe down. So can it."
"Thank you, Tanaka," Ozaki said.
"Ugh." Junko Kaname shook her head, dazed a little from the strike. "Wait. Katashi Tanaka? Is that you?"
The man in the brown coat sighed. "Yeah, it's me. Ozaki and I work together in some things."
"But you're a police officer! Get me loose, Katashi!"
"No can do."
"You…you're part of this, aren't you?" Junko Kaname shook her head. "Ozaki, we went to school together! You were friends with my husband. You and I were...we...Katashi…you were my senior! You have a daughter the same age as mine. They're even in the same class! What is going on? What are you two doing?!"
"Nothing personal," Katashi said. "It's just business."
"Tanaka is right," Ozaki said. "So shut up, Junko. For once in your life."
"Right," the boss grumbled. "Save your schoolmate reunion for later."
Ozaki cleared her throat and turned back to Mami and Kyouko. "We're aware you helped poor Junko out the other day, so we thought we'd bring her along to our negotiations to…persuade you to see our side of things. As she alluded to, she has a loving husband and two precious children. Wouldn't it be a shame if they were to never see her again? That might happen if you continue to defy us."
Mami's mouth fell open. So this was their tactic to blackmail them into killing Anzu Anzai by threatening an innocent person. She couldn't believe the depths to which these people stooped. This was beyond the pale. Before Mami could say anything, however, Kyouko spoke up.
"You damn cowards! Bringing a hostage into this? You disgust me, all of you!" Kyouko's voice was pure unbridled rage, and it echoed around the atrium as she yelled. She pointed her finger at Ozaki and the boss. "You're all trash, and probably the stupidest bunch of gangsters in the history of everything! You aren't even worth the skin on your bones!"
The boss raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
Ozaki shook her head and turned to the boss. "I told you that one has a temper."
"Huh. How'd a little brat like that get magical powers, anyway?"
"We still don't know."
Mami tugged on Kyouko's sleeve. "Kyouko, is this the best way to proceed?"
Kyouko looked at Mami, her eyes blazing. "I will absolutely go up against Anzu Anzai to protect you or keep her from making trouble in Mitakihara, but I will never fight her for these people, especially not after this."
She turned back to the boss and Ozaki and spit on the floor. "That's what I think of your cruddy deal. So here's a counter-offer: you let Kaname there go and then get the hell out of here and leave Mami and me alone forever. You can forget the data. We'll never give you bastards anything."
"You're mistaken if you think you're here to bargain," Ozaki said. She gestured around her. "As you can see, you're outnumbered and outgunned. We have the upper hand, and–"
"You weaklings couldn't fight us even if you had to. Guns? Ha! With one wave of her hand, Mami can pull out more guns than everyone in your whole outfit. Just her alone would be too much for you, and she's got me watching her back. If you think you've got the upper hand here, you slimy pieces of sewer sludge, you've got another think coming. We could mop the floor with all of you and not even break a sweat. Do you think you're scary? Dangerous? Tough? Ha! We've fought stuff that's a zillion times worse than you. You have no idea about how anything works at all! That's why you have to resort to cheap tricks like using hostages. You're all weak! Weak and pathetic! And so pitiful that you hurt innocent people, too scared of fighting someone who could actually hit back. So, c'mon. Bring it on, Ozaki! Bring it on! Let Kaname go, and we'll have it out. You can take the data from us if you can!"
Kyouko ranted on and on. It poured out of her like a tidal wave. The boss frowned, but Ozaki maintained her smug smile. Junko Kaname, no doubt confused by all of this, trembled from her position.
"Kyouko…" Mami said quietly. This was what she had been afraid of. If Kyouko decided to go off and start attacking, there'd be no stopping her. Until the gangsters dragged in Kaname as a hostage, Mami would have been okay with that. But Kaname's predicament made things much worse. Mami would feel like she'd failed as a magical girl if she allowed Kaname to perish.
Kyouko ignored Mami, however. Her eyes remained fixed on Ozaki and the boss. Her breath came in heavy, angry gasps, and her chest heaved. The only time Mami had ever seen her so worked up was when they found the demolition workers in her church.
If she starts rampaging now as she did then…
"Are you finished?" Ozaki asked. She chuckled. "You're quite the little spitfire, aren't you?"
"Don't talk down to me, you garbage heap bitch!" Kyouko snapped. "I'll kick your worthless ass for that alone! I'll kick it so hard you'll be picking pieces of your butt out of your teeth! Who the hell do you think you are? You piece of lizard crap!"
"Such a filthy mouth. Your father was a minister, Kyouko Sakura. What would he have said if he ever heard you talking like that? Before he went crazy and slaughtered your mother and sister like pigs, I mean. You know, I guess going off like a loose cannon runs in your family."
Kyouko's face turned dark red, and she clenched her hands into fists so tight that her knuckles turned white. Mami grabbed her arm to keep her from flying at Ozaki. Mami understood her anger – she was half-ready to attack Ozaki herself – but they couldn't let her bait them into starting something and getting Kaname shot.
"Let me go, Mami," Kyouko snarled, her voice low and full of acid. "I'll kill her, I swear. I will murder her."
"No, you can't!" Mami said desperately. "If we just attack, they'll harm Kaname-san! And think of your family's church, Kyouko."
"I…I…" Kyouko stopped. She turned back to Mami, still breathing heavily, her eyes now focused solely on her. They were bulging. For a moment, Mami was afraid that Kyouko would wrest herself away and that this would turn into a massacre.
Then Kyouko's expression changed just a bit, to one of confusion. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the grief seed they had found in the burnt-down warehouse earlier. A black haze now surrounded it, and it crackled with small sparks of electricity. It rumbled and groaned, and puffs of black smoke swirled around it.
It was as though Kyouko held a storm in her hand.
Can Ozaki and the others see and hear what it's doing? Or is the magic invisible to them?
"Uh, Mami…" Her anger cooler, Kyouko looked to Mami for guidance. "What's happening to it?"
"It looks like it's getting ready to birth a new witch," Mami said. But why? Was the grief seed reacting to Kyouko's rage? To the tension and fear all around them? Perhaps both? Or was it simply the witch's time to be reborn?
"What the hell have you got there?" the boss called, apparently not appreciating this pause.
"Is that a weapon?" Ozaki asked. "You best not try anything funny." She pointed at Junko Kaname. "Otherwise, she gets it. And you know the other consequences of defying us, Mami Tomoe."
Kyouko shook her head. Her face had turned back to a lighter shade, and her voice sounded strained now. "This isn't good, Mami. Is there a way to quiet this thing down and prevent the witch from hatching?"
"If there is, I don't know it," Mami said. "Keep calm. As difficult as that is right now. Don't do anything else that might trigger it."
"It might be kinda late for that. Sorry, Mami."
"It's alright. It's not your fault." Mami took a deep breath. This was bad. She raised her voice again. "Listen, Ozaki. You need to leave. All of you. This is a dangerous situation."
Ozaki looked unconcerned. "For you, perhaps. And for Junko here. But not for us."
"You don't understand, and I don't think there's time for me to explain. But every one of you is–"
"Give up whatever bluff you two are trying, little girl. It won't help. Either hand over the data and agree to the boss's request, or we start shooting. Then Junko dies, and we find out if your friend was lying or not and just how much firepower it would take to bring you two down. I doubt whatever magic you have is that strong. And we can get whatever we need from your corpses."
The boss stood up. "Enough games. I'm tired of this. I want the data, and I want that little green-haired girl dead. You got ten seconds to answer. In the meantime, everyone prepare to open fire. Tanaka, you know your job."
All around them, the gangsters raised their guns, and the man with the rocket launcher aimed it squarely at them. Mami saw the little laser dot on her clothes again, and Tanaka thumbed the hammer of his gun as he pressed it to Kaname's head. To her credit, she didn't cry out or whimper.
Mami wondered if she could transform and fire off her ribbons quickly enough to prevent Kaname from dying. As for the rest, well, fighting the Yakuza thugs off wouldn't be too much different from fighting off familiars. Sure she and Kyouko were vastly outnumbered, but they weren't outgunned by any means, no matter what Ozaki thought.
She looked back at Kyouko. Kyouko's eyes remained on the grief seed in her hand. It had started buzzing and puffing out smoke again, more intensely this time. What was it reacting to now? Of course, that wasn't what mattered. What mattered was that they were nearly out of time.
No. No, no, no.
"Uh…" Kyouko, for once, looked uncertain. Her eyes darted back and forth between the grief seed and Mami. She suddenly turned and tossed the grief seed at the boss. "Hot potato!"
The boss caught it in his free hand. He looked down at with a curled lip. "The hell is this thing? Some kind of weird jewel?"
"Why?!" Mami hissed at Kyouko. She couldn't believe what Kyouko had just done. "What were you thinking?!"
Kyouko waved her hands. "I panicked, okay?!"
"Argh!" Mami turned to the boss. "You need to get rid of that. Now. Throw it back over here to me, or you'll regret it."
"Oh, this little gem is important to you, huh?" He dropped the grief seed on the ground in front of him and sneered down at it. "Maybe you should have thought of that before your friend chucked it at me."
The grief emitted even more clouds of black smoke, humming louder as it did. Strange black tendrils flowed out of it. The boss drew his pistol and aimed it directly at the little black jewel. Mami immediately realized what he was about to do.
"No, don't! You'll–"
Too late. The boss fired his gun, shattering the grief seed apart with a loud bang. The world around them exploded into a mess of flashing colors and cacophonous noise. Lights flared, gale-like winds blew, and voices screamed out, mixed in with grinding and clanking metal. Mami winced and covered her ears, as did Kyouko.
Pandemonium erupted. The boss, Ozaki, and all the goons frantically looked around, trying to figure out what was happening, but to no avail. A few might have fired their guns, but Mami couldn't be certain with all the noise.
They can't see witches, familiars, or barriers. They have no idea what's going on, no clue as to their boss just unleashed.
Mami and Kyouko knew, whoever. And they could see it. As the atrium vanished and the witch's labyrinth sprang forth around them, they could only watch in horror as it sucked them and everyone else inside.