Edited to fix underline on texts. For some reason underline keeps disappearing on Doc manager

It didn't take long to figure out what the slips of paper represented. It was a countdown, one for each hour, that much had become quickly apparent to them. Unfortunately, the water shop had outright disappeared, so they had spent an entire day looking around with no leads. Which was bad because they had no idea what would happen by the end of the countdown. It couldn't be good though.

"Kyoko… will we be ok?" Yuma asked.

"We'll be fine," Kyoko replied curtly as she went around the block. At this point she was just blindly looking around the area the shop had been for any clues. Nothing yet though.

Bad enough that Kyoko let herself get marked, but Yuma too?

Any updates? She texted Iroha.

Ran into Felicia. Has paper fall on her too. Doesn't care. Wants payment for help.

Just leave her. We need to figure this out. Kyoko waited impatiently for a response.

Never mind. She'll listen. Promised her food.

Like that "mercenary" would be any help.

Any luck Archer?

There's a strange creature talking to some girls.

What's it look like?

Like some sort of cardboard cutout of a cartoon man… it's kind of hard to describe. The girls don't even notice something's wrong with it. I'll try and get closer.

Careful, don't want the creepy old man listening in on a group of adolescent girls getting caught by the cops.

… Do you really have to put it that way?

Kyoko grabbed Yuma's hand and dragged her toward the school that Archer had talked about. Eventually they came upon the creature Archer had been talking about and observed it from a distance

"Is that a familiar?" Yuma asked.

"No, it'd have a labyrinth… Archer you learn anything?" she asked the Servant that appeared next to her

"Not really. It seems to be trying to gather a crowd first," Archer replied. "Might need a few more people."

"Alright I'm going in with Yuma. Watch our backs."

"Pretend it has you fooled like the others."

Kyoko quickly inserted herself and Yuma into the small gathering. It seemed that their entrance had finally gotten the creature to start speaking.

"Have you heard? Have you heard? This is the hottest gossip in Sankyo Ward!"

"No way! Are you serious! I can't believe it!" one of the girls there shouted excitingly.

"Like I'd ever believe somethin' like that," another girl said.

"Have you heard? Who told you?" the creature asked.

"What exactly are you talking about?" Kyoko asked.

"Don't you know? Haven't you heard?" the creature continued.

"My friend here was just telling us about the latest rumor."

"Friend? But it's a weird monster thing," Yuma suddenly blurted.

At Yuma's outburst the creature suddenly vanished.

"Huh? Who was I talking with?" one of the people there began to ask.

"Damn it," Kyoko cursed. Well there went that lead.

"Sorry," Yuma apologized.

"No, it's not your fault. Should've warned you to stay quiet," Kyoko mumbled.

"Did you two need something?" a girl asked them.

"Nah, don't worry about it. Sorry for botherin' you," Kyoko replied. What were they supposed to do now?

"Excuse me, there's I'd to talk with you about."

"Huh?" Kyoko turned to look at the tall, slender girl, with long blue hair that approached her. Damn that was actually a pretty body. A bit slender at the top, but she definitely had the figure of a model. "Who are you?"

"I'm Yachiyo Nanami, a Magical Girl."

"Wow, so you just come out and say it?" Kyoko asked.

"You both are, aren't you?" Yachiyo tilted her head toward Yuma who was staring at the Girl with wide eyes.

"I'm Kyoko Emiya, and we're Magi. Not Magical Girls."

"Magi?"

"Kyoko," Yuma began to tug on her sleeve, "she's that model we saw in that magazine!"

Kyoko snapped her finger. "Oh, yea that blue chick wearing that dark dress. Didn't think you'd be a Magical Girl."

"What is a Magi?" Yachiyo asked again.

"The short of it, Magical Girls aren't the only things out there fighting Witches… and other things," Kyoko conjured a bit of fire on her fingertip and took off her glove to prove that there was no ring. Only the Command Seals showed, and they wouldn't mean much to this girl anyway. "Well, now that that's all out there, what do you want, anyways?"

Yachiyo mulled over Kyoko's hand before looking back up to her face. "I was interested in the creature that vanished." She said as she crossed her arms.

"What was it, anyway?... It was spreading rumors… something to do about Uwasa?"

"You know about Uwasa?"

"Heard something about it from another Magical Girl. Never seen one though." Another piece of paper fell onto Kyoko's head.

9

"Damn it," Kyoko cursed as she took the other piece out of Yuma's hands.

"Those papers... have you two…?" Yachiyo asked.

"Yea. A countdown. Regular as clockwork."

"Did you two happen to drink some water…? From somewhere with an owl sign on it?"

"Yea! How'd you know that though?"

"My fr- assistant has the same thing happening to her," Yachiyo explained. "She along with a few other girls all drank from the same store and they all started having this happen to them."

"Pink hair. Smiles a lot… but always in a sad way?"

"You know Tamaki?"

"Yes. So, you're the friend she's been talking about."

"She's my assistant. Our relationship is professional," Yachiyo quickly replied.

"I dunno. She sounds pretty found of ya," Kyoko replied as she looked at Yachiyo carefully.

College student. Certainly, looked and acted like a grizzled veteran.

"You wouldn't happen to know a Momoko would you?"

Yachiyo tilted her head. "Yes. How do you know her?"

"We go to the same school."

"The same school Tamaki attends? That's also attached to my university."

"Huh, Small world. So, what do you know about this countdown?"

"Not much more than you," Yachiyo replied. "We've been investigating the creatures that have been spreading rumors in a hope of finding Uwasa."

"And now Yuma and I are caught up in it cause we were thirsty," Kyoko grumbled.

"I have a proposal for you. How about investigating this with me?"

Kyoko was about to refuse when she felt a familiar rough hand on her shoulder.

"That seems like a good idea," Archer replied before glancing at Kyoko. We're on a timer and in unfamiliar territory. We need as much help as we can get… and she seems competent.

Yachiyo stared up at the man suspiciously. "And you are?"

"Someone involved with the world of Magic."

"Not often you see a man involved with this world."

"The world's a big place."

Yachiyo nodded in agreement before looking back at Kyoko. "I'm assuming you know him."

"Yea," Kyoko replied.

"And he's worried about what will happen to you two once the timer goes down?"

"Yea."

"I tried warning them not to drink suspiciously free water," Archer commented.

"A good warning. Too bad none of the people we know seemed to realize this," Yachiyo replied.

"Agreed."

"Let's go find another of those creatures," Yachiyo suggested. "They tend to show up where people gather so they can spread rumors quickly."

Unfortunately, even with Yachiyo's help, Archer's expertise, and Yuma's morale support, they still couldn't find another one of those creatures. Eventually they a break at some old Chinese restaurant where they met back up with Iroha and Felicia.

"Hey, you're Yachiyo! You're super famous!" Felicia shouted excitedly.

"Iroha…"

"Y-yes?" Iroha asked.

"Cut your ties with this girl, at once!" Yachiyo demanded.

"That's what I told her!" Kyoko agreed.

"Huh, so you weren't just being a jerk for once," Yuma commented.

"What was that!?"

"Nothing."

"Isn't that a bit drastic, you two!?" Iroha replied.

"You're quite famous in your own right, Felicia Mitsuki," Yachiyo said.

"I know, right? As a super tough mercenary!" Felicia said.

Yachiyo crossed her arms and looked at her sternly. "No, as a bad one. So horrible that's there no point in quantifying it."

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"Knew she was trouble," Kyoko grumbled.

"They say her eyes turn red when you see a Witch, and you go completely berserk. There's no denying your strength… But that frenzy puts your allies at risk. You're volatile and should be avoided."

"What the heck!" Felicia shouted. "So maybe I caused a little bit of fuss here and there!"

"Unless the job doesn't care about collateral damage, most people aren't keen on employing a destructive, uncontrollable force," Archer commented.

"No way I'm going to let Yuma around anyone that can't control themselves," Kyoko continued off of Archer.

"It's also apparently common for her to switch sides if the enemy offers her a better deal," Yachiyo continued off of Kyoko. "Magical Girls have too many enemies as it is to be worth getting involved with her."

"Constantly shifting allegiances means that they won't hire you unless they're certain that they can an amount no one else can compete with," Archer continued off of Yachiyo. "And they're only willing to do that if said mercenary has proven that they're capable. It's also better to hire someone that can actually commit to their contract."

"Ughhh…"

It seemed that Felicia had no reply to that.

"A frenzy… that part might be true…" Iroha commented.

"How bad we talking about here?" Kyoko asked.

"She…" Iroha glanced guiltily at Felicia. "May have grazed me when a Witch showed up."

At least Felicia had the decency to look ashamed by that. "I just… lose myself around Witches. I have to kill them. They killed my parents."

"I swear is there a single Magical Girl that doesn't have a tragic backstory?" Kyoko grumbled.

"One," Archer replied. "But she's all the way back in Mitakihara."

"The point is that you've already seen her in a frenzy Iroha," Yachiyo said. "It's best if you just send her on her way."

"I can't just… What should I do?" Iroha asked

"Mokyu!" the Minicubator said from a nearby table.

"You're right. I'd be worried about her. She doesn't know anything about Rumors…"

"You can understand it?" Kyoko asked.

"Yes," Iroha replied.

"And you trust it?" Archer asked.

"Kyubi has been helping me find Ui. It also gives me advice."

"Apparently only Iroha can understand it," Yachiyo informed them. "… It seems to have little relation with the actual Incubators."

"What is it then?" Kyoko asked.

"I still don't know."

"Well as long as it doesn't start asking for Contracts," Kyoko grumbled.

"Mokyu!"

"And I guess I did promise her dinner," Iroha replied.

"Dinner?" Yachiyo asked.

"Exactly!" Felicia shouted. "I'm not leaving until I get my food!"

"That's really how you got her to come here?" Kyoko asked.

"Yes," Iroha replied. "Anyway, I'm going to stick with Felicia."

"That's my Iroha! Nothin' like this close-minded old bag!" Felicia shouted cheerfully.

"Hey!" Yachiyo crossed her arms again.

"Hey now, Felicia!" Iroha said concerned.

"Honestly the only old bag here is Archer," Kyoko commented.

"Kyoko!"

"You can't call Yachiyo an old bag. She's not even that old!" A brown hair Magical Girl. In her hands were three plates of fried rice. "And I'm sure that Archer here has plenty of worldly experience!"

"Whaaat? Who the heck are you?" Felicia asked.

"I'm the Mightiest Magical Girl, Tsuruno Yui, in the flesh!" Tsuruno shouted.

"Loudest too," Kyoko commented. Apparently this girl's default voice was loud. "What's with the food, I don't think anyone ordered anything."

"If you're going to help out Yachiyo then you need full stomachs!" Tsuruno replied cheerfully as she set the three plates in front of Archer, Yuma, and Kyoko.

"Where's my food!" Felicia shouted.

"You need to respect your elders! It doesn't matter how old and grizzled they are, they have plenty of good things to say!"

"Old and grizzled…" Yachiyo mumbled as Iroha patted her on the shoulder in comfort.

"You're just saying that," Felicia argued. "Just like you're calling yourself the Mightiest. I never even heard of you."

That quickly devolved into an argument that both Yachiyo and Iroha had to get in between to stop. Kyoko decided to ignore them and instead focus on her food.

She took a bite and paused.

"Something wrong?" Archer asked.

"Nah its ok… Still food," Kyoko replied before looking at Yuma whose face was also quite perturbed. "I'll finish whatever's left over if you can't."

"Yea that sounds about right," Iroha commented, having apparently resolved the argument by taking responsibility for Felicia. "Tsuruno tries her best but…"

"Mokyu!"

"Is it really that bad?" Archer asked as he grabbed a spoon and took a bite.

"It's not bad," Kyoko repied. "Just-"

"Aggressively average?"

"Yea."

"What's wrong with it?" Tsuruno asked.

"Spice mix is decent and the scrambled egg is actually quite fluffy. Takes a lot of effort to get it to that texture," Archer explained. "However, it's all overpowered by the sesame oil." He took another bite. "It's also somewhat greasy because you used too much. I'd suggest using less and switching to a more neutral oil. Don't try to finish it all Kyoko, it'll be bad for your stomach."

"I'm not wasting food."

"Which is why we'll pack it up for later and I'll find a kitchen to fix it. The dish does have some potential, it just needs a bit of work."

"You cook too?" Felicia asked.

"Yes," Archer replied.

"Well I can work for you if you cook me something!"

"Already switching allegiances," Yachiyo shook her head. "Anyway, we should start talking the Familiar like creature we ran into."

"Agreed," Archer replied.

It only took a brief explanation from the two of them to get everyone up to speed. By the time they finished four new pieces of paper had fallen.

7

"This is getting real old," Kyoko grumbled as she lit up the paper.

"Wow! You really can use Magic without a Soul Gem!" Felicia shouted.

"Magecraft. Not Magic. Know the difference"

"It's strange though," Archer said as he looked at the paper that had fallen on Yuma's head. "I don't sense any Magecraft or from this paper and neither do I sense anything from the method that transfers it here. Usually there's some trace I can follow back, but it really as if it's appearing out of thin air."

"So we're dealing with a power unlike our own. Outside of Magic or Magecraft," Yachiyo mused.

"What? How does that help us?" Felicia asked.

"It means that we should prepared for the unexpected," Archer replied.

"Damn it, nothing," Kyoko cursed as the strange figure they heard about just happened to be a really colorful, non-magical, cardboard cutout.

They had split up into three different groups to cover more ground and hopefully find more clues. Needless to say, her group wasn't having the best results.

Kyoko blamed their E-rank luck.

Any luck on your end? Kyoko texted Iroha.

Felicia and I found the familiar like thing.

Kyoko's eyes lit up. Finally a lead.

What did it say?

It talked about a water being offered by a man. The water makes you feel amazing if you drink it… but it's actually cursed.

Oh boy. That didn't sound good.

Cursed how?

… After 24 hours, the misery you washed away with that water will cause a disaster.

Yea. That definitely wasn't good.

Kyoko immediately forwarded the texts to Archer and Yuma as pieces of paper fell on them.

5

"Five hours until disaster strikes," Archer said.

"What do we do?" Yuma asked.

"Well obviously we need to find the source of this rumor and shove a spear up its-"

Meet us at this location, Kyoko was suddenly texted by an unknown number with a pinned location attached.

Who is this?

Yachiyo.

How did you get my number!?

Archer gave it to me. He's in the group chat.

Kyoko finally noticed the group chat that included all the people that happened to be involved in this case. She turned and glared at Archer.

He shrugged. "Best to communicate as well as we can."

Be careful, Yachiyo continued, There's a group that seems to be protecting the Rumors. We have Felicia pretending to be bought out by them so that she can act as a double agent.

"How likely is it that she actually betrayed us?" Kyoko asked.

"Likely," Archer replied. "Wouldn't be too hard to get her back to our side though. She's… simple."

Kyoko sighed. "Guess we should expect a fight then."

"I know a place we can drop Yuma off. She'll be safe there," Archer replied.

"What!?" Yuma shouted. "But I want to come."

Kyoko kneeled down and gently held Yuma by the shoulders. "I know you do, but it's dangerous. You're just not ready yet." She held her hand out and Archer placed a familiar iridescent dagger in her hands. "You are ready for this though."

"But that's-"

"Rule Breaker. I know." They had already told Yuma how this particular weapon functioned.

"Kyoko… are you-"

"I'm not going to let myself up and die," Kyoko replied, "But sometimes bad things happen. We have to prepare for that."

"Bu-"

"Look," Kyoko pushed Rule Breaker into Yuma's hands. "I don't have to be dead for you to use it. I could be knocked out or taken hostage. In that case we don't want them to gain control of Archer if he does escape. So, if you can stab him with this, then we can keep him and you can find a way to save me. You're basically my back up."

"Your… backup?"

"Yes, in case Archer or I end up in trouble, then you can use this to help save us."

"Save you… I'll be useful?" Yuma asked.

"Yea, you will. You always are."

"Are you sure Yuma will be safe with that Emiri chick?" Kyoko asked as she and Archer they made their way toward the meeting point. She didn't know how Archer had met that girl or that mad scientist midget that worked in a high school lab, but it was certainly a story that she wanted to hear when this rumor situation was dealt with.

"They're competent."

"…"

"Hinano is at least. Emiri is enthusiastic. They'll do their best to keep an eye on Yuma."

"You think that midget is capable of taking care of Yuma?"

"She's actually eighteen… and a veteran Magical Girl. Was apparently a well-respected leader in her area before she took a back seat."

"Seriously!? She's three years older than me!? But she's even tinier than Ribbons! And those long sleeves make her look like a chipmunk!"

"A question she asks herself all the time. Don't ever mention her size around her, it won't end well."

"If you say so," Kyoko replied as Yachiyo's group came into view.

"Felicia might've betrayed us," Yachiyo said as they arrived. "We were supposed to meet with her here so that she could take us to their base."

Kyoko rolled her eyes. "Big surprise."

"Where's Yuma?" Iroha asked.

"Somewhere safe."

"That's good. I'd be worried if I had to take Ui somewhere dangerous."

"Mokyu!"

"What are we supposed to do now then?" Kyoko ignored the piece of paper that fell on her head.

2

"Tsuruno followed Felicia. She can take us to where she last saw her," Yachiyo replied.

"Good," Kyoko cracked her fists. "Now let's go teach this merc a lesson."