The line of novices was formed in the dormitory and Evie was waiting her turn. Meanwhile she watched Revenant purify the gem of each girl. This was nothing new, except this time everything was being supervised by that man who dressed like a priest.
The line was short and moving fast. Soon, Evie offered her purple gem to the dark-skinned sister.
Revenant brought the seed close to the gem, and quickly moved it away, allowing only a trickle of dark essence to leave the gem and be absorbed by the seed.
To Evie's irritation, "Can't ya purify it a bit moah?"
"Ya're a veteran," Revenant said, "I trust ya can 'andle this cawrruption." she offered the gem back.
However, the pale girl showed no intention that she would accept it, glaring at the sister.
"Step out of line."
Evie heard and saw the man come to Revenant's side. His face was as stern as his voice.
"Theah 're novices waitin' behind ya," the black woman said.
Evie smiled in a disdainful manner and took the gem back, jiggling her body as she returned to her bed.
The next novice stepped forward for the purification.
Revenant, however, gestured for the young girl to stop. The woman then turned to Inquisitor and whispered, "I can handle them, I don't need yah help."
Inquisitor sensed in her gaze how grumpy she was, and it was not just because of that moment. Without saying a word, but also without taking his eyes off her, he retreated in short steps.
And the rationed purification continued.
As he watched the line about to end, Inquisitor heard a call in his mind.
[Inquisitor.]
He recognized the voice of Invader. [What's the problem?]
[I want you to come to the security room, now.]
He noticed Revenant's lack of reaction. [Alone?]
[I will call Generalíssima too.]
[I'm on my way.] Without ceremony, he left the dormitory through the tunnel, reached the spiral staircase, and descended quickly. When he reached the intersection of corridors on the lower floor, he saw Generalíssima coming from the hallway of the sisters' rooms.
She soon remarked, "She called you."
"Did she mention the matter to you?" he asked.
"No, but I believe she found something." Generalíssima kept walking, but she was forced to stop when the man stood in her way.
He said, "I have something to report. While the purification of the novices was being done, it was found that one of the three seeds was already at the limit of use. Do you have any explanation for this?"
"Yes, I do..." Generalíssima crossed her arms. "You used too much magic during the recycling and needed to use a seed to restore your gem."
"So it's my incompetence, huh?" Expressing skepticism, Inquisitor raised his chin. "So be it, next time you'll do the recycling and we'll see if, by coincidence, one of the seeds is already fully used."
The woman smiled for a moment before suggesting, "We'd better not keep Invader waiting."
They entered the security room.
The Asian girl was sitting with her chair facing the door, already expecting that. "I'm glad you came together, that way I'll only have to explain it once."
"Explain what?" Inquisitor approached, looking at the screens.
Generalíssima followed him. "Did you find anything related to the seeds?"
"Not yet, but..." The blue ballerina turned the chair around. "I need to show you guys this." All the screens went off, except for two that were together. "Those screens will be showing a synchronized recording. These are two cameras close to each other, but in different corridors, because it is a fork. Let's start with an example."
Inquisitor and Generalíssima watched the recording, seeing Revenant passing by in one of the corridors.
Invader asked, "Did you notice that when she passed, the camera in the other corridor showed her shadow being projected onto the floor and wall?"
The two who were standing exchanged glances and he replied, "Yes, we saw it."
"Okay, now I'll show you what I found." Invader's gem glowed and the two screens flashed before showing the same corridors, empty.
The room was silent as the three of them watched the screens.
But soon Invader broke it. "Where is it?"
"Huh?" Generalíssima asked, "is the recording already playing?"
The girl in the chair pointed to one of the screens. "There was supposed to be a shadow here."
"Shadow?" Inquisitor frowned. "But there's no one in the corridor."
Invader turned her chair to look at him. "Yes, exactly!"
He widened his eyes and lowered his gaze.
Generalíssima inquired, "Did you really check if the recordings are synchronized?"
"Yes! I checked it more than once, I wouldn't call you if I wasn't sure."
"But there's nothing to show, is there?" Generalíssima sighed. "Maybe your gem is polluted."
Invader touched her wing-shaped gem on her hair clip. "No, I..."
"The corruption makes us see things in order to bring us into conflict and trigger more negative feelings." Generalíssima had raised her voice, being more authoritative. "I'll summon Revenant to replace you for a while. When she comes, you'll clean your gem and rest. Do you understand?"
The girl in the chair nodded in silence.
"Okay." Generalíssima looked at Inquisitor. "We're leaving." She was the first to return to the corridor, followed by the man. Generalíssima walked only in order to take a distance from the security room, being satisfied as she heard the door close. Then she looked back.
Inquisitor had an intense gaze, his face was tense.
Such was the tension that Generalíssima lowered her head. "I'm sorry, really. I didn't expect that coming from Invader, she always showed a more rational attitude..." She exchanged glances with him again and pressed her lips together, nodding. "You may be thinking that she is trying to fool us, but I ask that you understand her situation. She feels responsible for not being in the security room when the theft occurred, and she has already admitted that she feels we suspect her. All this pressure is making her make mistakes. So, please-"
"Invisibility does not cast shadows," Inquisitor spoke.
"W-What?" confused at first by the interruption, Generalíssima opens her mouth when she realizes it. "Do you believe her?"
The man continued, lowering the tone of his voice, "The protocols make it clear that when a cell is formed, ideally there should be at least one illusionist and one psychic. In our case, Invader is the illusionist and you're the psychic."
Generalíssima furrowed her eyebrows a little. "Correct."
"However, I have checked your profile and I know that your magic is not mind-related."
"Oh no..." The woman smiled with a mocking demeanor. "You're not thinking..."
"Yes, I am." Inquisitor's eyes widened. "What Invader described is a classic case of an artifact deriving from a reality perception control."
Generalíssima's smile gave way to annoyance. "Careful with those baseless assumptions."
"I'm being careful," Inquisitor continued whispering, "do you have no idea how dangerous it's that I'm warning that our minds have been compromised? Whoever did this could be right here, listening to us. My head could be being ripped off right now, while my mind still believes I'm talking to you."
She gestured. "Just stop and think, Inquisitor. Just. Stop. And think..." She closed her eyes and sighed, then she reopened them and said. "Okay, let's consider the absurd hypothesis that a magical girl has managed to compromise the minds of everyone here at the base. Since she's the seed thief, why would she still be here? She could very well leave through the main exit without us being able to notice. Instead, she would still be here, wasting her magic and the seeds she stole?"
"The theft of the seeds may be a means to an end."
"Which end?"
He lowered his gaze for a moment, looking at her again, accompanied by one word, "Revenge."
Generalíssima snorted, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "Did you really read my profile?"
"Yes, Lioness." The man smiled.
She froze.
He continued, "Your old sister name, I wonder why you changed it after the Bastion of New Orleans. I believe 'Generalíssima' is a name that suits more for a leadership position, isn't it?"
"I already warned you about making assumptions." Generalíssima narrowed her gaze. "What I want to know is if you know what my wish is. I put it in my profile, I have nothing to hide."
Inquisitor's countenance again was one of sternness. "You wished to be free."
"That's right, free. No conditions, no catch, no limits." She stepped forward, moving closer to his face. "But I'll tell you more. I rose above the shadows of walls and lies."
Inquisitor remained silent, any movement at that moment seemed too abrupt to do so.
"Nothing can subvert my will, or suggest what I see or I don't see, or define what memories I should remember, that's all based on a WISH!" She gritted her teeth. "No magic will violate that, from no one!"
Playing with the ends of her long white hair, the tall woman was leaning against the wall of the hallway, watching the discussion between the two Sisterhood members.
The dark pink haired woman spoke to the man, "Keep pushing this and soon you'll be saying Souls' Sisterhood doesn't exist. We would just be monkeys living in a dark cave and eating rocks." Then she turned and left in a hurry.
The tall woman scrutinized Generalíssima's face as she passed in front of her. Despite her firm expression, her eyes were about to tear up. The woman continued to observe Generalíssima until she was too far away, then the woman turned her attention back to the man.
Inquisitor was nervous, running his hand through his hair and pacing back and forth. In the end, however, he regained his composure and nodded to himself, before taking an opposite path from Generalíssima.
With her serene expression shaken, the woman fixed the tiara on her head and the sashes covering her breasts, before leaving the wall.
In his training, Inquisitor has learned to deal with a variety of threats, coming from witches or magical girls, and when it comes to the latter case, mind manipulation is one of the most dangerous.
While choosing the path that would lead him to the data center, the man could not help but remember the terrible incident that occurred in a small cell in Greece. A newly recruited novice had an innate talent for mind control and used this power to subdue the sisters, making them respond only to her orders, but this was only the first step.
Inquisitor arrived at the first metal door that restricted access to the area.
The mind-controlling novice was as cunning as she was ambitious. She had learned about Matriarch and she wanted nothing less than to take the leadership of the Sisterhood. In order to do so, the novice had the sisters invite Matriarch for an homage.
With his breathing under control, Inquisitor entered the code on the panel to open the door. He hurried through it, but continued his walk through the long tunnel at a slow pace.
1
Matriarch made a visit to the cell and the novice prepared a spell to control her. However, the usurper had the displeasure of discovering that Matriarch who had arrived was actually Moonlynx. The real Matriarch had listened to her own instincts and taken the proper precautions.
2
No one found out for sure what Moonlynx did to the novice, but everyone could imagine how inhumane it was, Matriarch even scolded her. From that day on, the golden rule of the mandatory presence, in each cell, of at least one illusionist and one psychic loyal to the Sisterhood was instated. 'Loyal' being the key word.
3
Hence the training. Inquisitor might not have spells to break illusions or clear the mind, but he trusted the teachings.
4
When it comes to magical girls, it is about humans, and their weaknesses are universal. When someone feels in control, boredom and arrogance, recklessness and error soon follow.
5
In the case of reality perception control, the one in control needs to be the conductor of all causality, when this does not occur perfectly, it translates into artifacts: details perceptible by a competent truth-seeker.
6
Like the fact that the door closes automatically in five seconds.
7
Inquisitor heard the sound of the door closing. His breathing remained controlled, his movements devoid of emotion. He knew that if whoever was in control was able to read minds, he should be dead by now, and yet he was alive. That was the most optimistic realization. However, he was being followed, certainly because the conversation he had had with Generalíssima had been overheard.
I can't feel any magic behind me.
Surprise leads to reaction, and reaction to the ultimate mistake. The man continued to rely on what he had learned and glanced at the cross under his belt. Whoever was following him would probably approach to attack, and Inquisitor knew he would only have a few seconds of opportunity after surprising someone with psychic powers.
It needed to be in a single movement, at the right moment. Inquisitor hoped to notice a new artifact to act, if that did not happen, only luck would be left for him.
There was no artifact, nor luck, but a poke in the back. Inquisitor turned quickly, using one arm to push whoever was behind him against the wall, while his other hand pulled the cross. In the brief moment he had, he looked for the soul gem to attack, but he could only see a coat, and then he looked at the face, but there was a mask and tubes connected to it.
"Uuuuh~, someone woke up on the wrong side of bed today," the masked person said, "oh, sorry. In the sisters' room, the beds only have one possible side to wake up."
"Matryoshka?" Inquisitor's resolve faltered for an instant, before renewing with even greater vigor. He pressed the person against the wall harder and raised the cross, ready to stab.
"Чё?! Что ты делаешь, идиот?!"
"Why are you on this floor?" He vociferated, "Are you really Matryoshka?"
She promptly replied, "Нет, I'm not!"
Inquisitor gaped.
"My name is Taisiya Sokolov, a native of Sverdlovsk, now known as Yekaterinburg, and a proud collaborator agent of foreign affairs for Motherland Union." She cocked her head to one side. "Matryoshka is the name I received from the Sisterhood as a 'gift,' a symbolic diplomatic act. I don't know why you people have such an obsession with these silly nicknames."
The man lowered his gaze and said, "Matriarch was from the Scouts."
"Ah..." Cautiously, Matryoshka touched his arm with her hand.
Inquisitor pulled his arm back and put the cross back on his belt. "Why are you following me?"
She straightened her coat. "I'm not following you, I was catching up with you so we could talk in private. You're the most important person to me."
"Me?" He frowned. "Someone you consider stupid?"
"Oh, that's politics. You're an adult, aren't you?" Matryoshka looked at both ends of the tunnel. "I need to make sure no one will think we are close."
The man narrowed his gaze. " And what do you want to tell me about?"
"Oh no, no, you're the one who's going to tell me." She looked back at him. "Why haven't you told the others about the possibility that the thief used the ventilation system?"
Inquisitor's eyes widened.
"Huhuhuhu... You must be wondering, how I can know that. It's simple." The masked magical girl pointed at him. "You don't trust anyone, just like me. The possibility of the ventilation system is too plausible, and you don't want to risk the thief finding out that you believe it."
He turned his face away. "It's not that..."
"Oh?" Matryoshka put her hand back in her pocket. "Then tell me, товарищ."
He glanced at her. "There are two sisters who do not appear on camera during the probable period where the theft occurred. One is Generalíssima, who claims she was in the data center the entire time. The other is..."
"Nano." Matryoshka nodded.
"Yes." Inquisitor continued the explanation, speaking coldly, "Her nanomachines travel through the ventilation system. Disabling the camera would be simple and she wouldn't need to know the code of the safe, she could deconstruct it, take what was inside, and rebuild it again."
"What about Invader?"
"Her visit reinforces the alibi that Nano was just working on the rocket project." His countenance grew more serious. "That's why Nano would have chosen that moment for the theft."
Matryoshka nodded again. "Ah, you're good."
"But I want to exhaust all other possibilities." He shook his head, more despondent. "Because if Nano is involved in the theft of the seeds, it'll be very difficult to recover them. She built that place, the seeds could have been hidden inside any wall."
"You shouldn't worry about that, Nano is innocent."
Inquisitor frowned a little. "I thought you were agreeing with me."
Matryoshka shrugged. "I was complimenting your imagination. You should perhaps give up this job in Internal Affairs and write works of fiction."
He gritted his teeth, but took a deep breath. "You may not believe it, of course, she's just a child. I myself don't believe she acted alone."
"Wrong," she put emphasis in her voice, "Nano isn't an accomplice, she is the scapegoat. If someone had already mentioned the ventilation system and raising some suspicion about her, I'd might reconsider, but I believe the real culprit is waiting for you to express that conclusion first. Your pride would do the rest."
The man squinted and lifted his chin. "So who do you think is the traitor?"
Matryoshka took her hand out of her pocket and turned one of the taps on her shoulder.
Inquisitor heard a distinct sound of gas being released and he was able to notice the woman's chest inflate, even with all the clothing she was wearing.
She turned off the tap and exhaled slowly before speaking, "You have the project's document. Did you happen to study the blueprints?"
"I've examined all of them. What does it matter?"
"Hmmm..." Matryoshka said in a disappointed tone. "So you didn't notice, I couldn't expect much..."
"Notice what?"
"That the rocket being built is bigger than it was designed to be."
Inquisitor blinked and winced. " W-What?! Are you sure?"
She nodded. "Before I had only seen the disassembled rocket, but now it's clear to me."
"Why a bigger rocket?"
"I'll sum it up." Matryoshka gestured, making the number two with her fingers. "You only need a bigger rocket if you want to launch something out of Earth's orbit or to launch something heavier, and I believe it's the latter case."
More confused, Inquisitor shook his head. "So it won't be the satellite? What'll be launched?"
"I don't know."
Accompanied by a sigh, he closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead with the tips of his finger. "Why didn't you report this to Generalíssima?"
"Because she's the one who gives Nano the instructions on how the rocket should be built." Matryoshka came closer to the man and whispered, "Do you understand now?"
Inquisitor's eyes widened. "Are you telling me that Generalíssima stole the seeds and she intends to set Nano up?" Then he frowned. "That... That makes no sense at all, she would be sabotaging the project she has worked on for years."
"It's pretty obvious Generalíssima has found a way for Nano to continue working with the remaining seeds," Matryoshka continued whispering, "and Nano must just be putting the finishing touches on the satellite, the rocket is ready, that's all that matters. The child knows too much, and Generalíssima needs to silence her... Maybe even the fact that you won't allow us to leave the base is part of her plan."
Inquisitor lowered his gaze and pressed his lips together, his breathing became deeper.
"Don't be ashamed, I underestimated her too at first. She seems like a simple-minded woman with an obsession, but actually she's a cold manipulator. She's very good, almost like a split personality."
Still breathing heavily, the man began to walk around aimlessly while running his hands through his hair and beard.
"Inquisitor, Inquisitor!" She insisted. "I'm warning you, the launch of this rocket will be the consummation of her betrayal."
He gritted his teeth and turned to Matryoshka. "She can't do that without the Union's approval!"
The masked magical girl slapped against her own coat, making a loud noise, and she spread her arms. "She doesn't care about the Sisterhood, do you think she'll care about the Union?! Even before this crisis started, she was already making up excuses and situations to keep me from contacting them. The last time I managed to talk to them, I warned them about these obstructions. They thought that the Sisterhood might be up to something, but now it's clear that it's only Generalíssima! If Washington can't help, the Union can intervene, and she fears that. This may be our only chance, and you can help."
Inquisitor narrowed his gaze.
"I have a private server address controlled by the Union. I can send a message if I have access to the Internet. There are only two ways to do that, one is Invader, and the other is the data center. You would only need to put me there and give me the credentials."
A vein popped out of Inquisitor's temple. "And allow you access to the personal data of all members of the Sisterhood?"
She shrugged. "If this crisis is as bad as it seems to be, most of them must be witches now."
"So that's why you made up this elaborate story." He shook his head slowly, with a semblance of contempt. "And on top of that you wanted to pit us all against Generalíssima, since your organization must consider her a threat."
Matryoshka put her hands back into her coat pockets. "I'm not surprised that you think so, but you'll regret it if you don't trust me."
"How will I ever regret not trusting a member of an organization where the leadership never shows its face?" He crossed his arms and deepened his voice. "Since the Union is nothing but a bunch of criminals and smugglers."
"We just meet the demand. If it wasn't us, others would," she said, without showing irritation, "trust me, you wouldn't want the government take care of it. Those who live in our Motherland are very satisfied with our services and protection. I don't know if you can say the same for the lives destroyed by the Sisterhood, or do you think it's morally correct the manipulations in the stock market that your people do?"
Inquisitor said without displaying emotion, "I don't understand this subject well enough to give an opinion."
"Coward, huhuhu..." Matryoshka's voice became soothing, "You're a very loyal dog, and the Union appreciates that quality. I, personally, admire it very much. I would love to have a clear purpose in my life."
Inquisitor remembered that behind that mask was a woman. "If you admire it, then don't you dare ask me to betray. We have enough traitors around here already..." He turned to leave.
"Wait." She held his arm.
The man pulled his arm violently and stepped back, placing his hand on the cross on his belt.
Nothing that intimidated Matryoshka. "So I just ask you to start paying more attention. Look around, hear."
"Hear what?"
"Exactly." She nodded. "That silence. We've been talking for a while now and no one has shown up. It's not a remembrance, but I have a feeling it wasn't supposed to be like this."
"You're saying nonse-"
She quickly turned her head.
He followed her, looking at the emptiness of the tunnel up to where it made a turn.
Matryoshka looked at him again, whispering, "Inquisitor, there's something very sinister going on here."
He smiled, sneering. "Now you want to convince me through fear?"
She promptly replied, "You're already in fear."
Inquisitor stopped smiling and realized that his hand was already gripping the cross. He moved his hand away and left. "Give up."
Matryoshka watched him disappear around the corner.
Only then she relaxed her body and checked her gloves, arranging them as she murmured, "Alea iacta est."
Apokálypsis
The old part of Mitakihara was not so old anymore. Many buildings had been damaged by the massive storm and had to undergo restoration.
However, there were exceptions, as noted by two girls, a redhead and a blue-haired one, in front of a mansion that appeared to have been abandoned for a long time.
"Are you sure it's here?" Sayaka examined the graffiti.
"And nowhere else." Kyouko aggressively bit the chocolate bar she was holding. "Hmmm... It suits the owner."
"Well, it doesn't seem to have a bell." Sayaka pushed the rusty gate, and a creature landed on her hand. "AHH!" She leapt backwards, frantically shaking her hand.
To Kyouko's joy. "Bwahaha! Are you afraid of spiders? That's new."
Sayaka quickly pulled herself together. "It was just a fright..."
The two girls walked into the yard of the mansion.
Seeing all the garbage scattered on the ground, Sayaka commented, "I now think it's even stranger that she asked us to meet her here."
"Yeah, I didn't even wanna come here." Kyouko finished eating her chocolate. "But Homura isn't the type to joke around. If she insists it's important, it can't be hel-"
The door to the mansion opened suddenly and completely. The light of the cloudy day revealed a girl with citrine eyes in an uptight countenance.
Sayaka and Kyouko stood still, in silence.
Leaving Kirika with even more anger. "What're you waiting for? Come inside already!"
Sayaka and Kyouko exchanged glances, and the redhead took the initiative. She stared at Kirika and entered without further ado.
"Excuse me." As soon as Sayaka entered, she looked for a place to leave her shoes, but she saw that the floorboards were rotten, dirty, with many holes.
"Watch your step, you guys better follow me." Kirika closed the door.
Sayaka was still getting used to the darkness and the smell of old wood, but she was already sure that that huge hall belonged to someone rich and important.
Kyouko said, "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me if Homura's here."
"Big love is with..." Kirika made a disgusted face, closing her eyes, and she turned away.
Kyouko frowned and raised her voice, "What?"
"She's in the garden." Kirika glanced at her. "I'll show you where it is, or you can just stay there."
"Kyouko," Sayaka pronounced with a slight tone of scolding, "you're the one who said that Homura must have something important to call us here."
"Okay! Okay!" She tugged her ponytail. "Let's go then, before I get hungry."
With the floor creaking, they followed their hostess across the great hall.
Sayaka was still admiring the ambience when she noticed a black hat hanging on one of the walls, but in a position too high for anyone to reach. She forced her sight and saw that there was white, worm-like creature under the hat. "Hmmm... Isn't that a familiar over there?"
"It's Squishy." Kirika looked back and she was quite emphatic. "It's his lunch time, so you'd better not bother him."
The bluenette held up her hands. "I won't do anything."
They passed by the side of the grand staircase and came to a door, which Kirika readily opened.
Sayaka raised her eyebrows. It was a well-maintained, clean and cozy living room.
Kirika pointed. "At the end of that room is a French door, it leads to the garden. The two must be..." She pulled back her arm and clenched her fist, her face flushing.
Kyouko was puzzled. "Aren't you coming with us?"
"No chance! I won't come any closer! Big love... Big love..." After exploding, Kirika rubbed her hair hard, bewildered. "I... I'm going to the second floor, little love is waiting for me."
"Yeah," Kyouko said with subtle anger, "Yuma doesn't like to be alone."
"I know that," Kirika replied.
Sayaka stood watching the sparks of tension between those two girls.
It only ended when Kirika's gaze was lost. She shuddered before rushing off.
Sayaka came closer to Kyouko, whispering, "What's up with her?"
"Tch!" The redhead tidied up the black ribbon that held her hair. "Who cares? She's a raving lunatic."
They entered the room.
Kyouko walked over to the curtain, where it was possible to see daylight coming through the fabric. "It's that big window that's the French door thing, right?"
Sayaka stood in front of her and spread her arms, blocking her access.
The other girl rolled her eyes. "What now?"
"I just want to have a guarantee that what happened on Mami-san's birthday won't repeat."
"If I wanted that, I woulda already done it with the crazy girl who received us." Kyouko shrugged. "I'm surprised I didn't. I'm very relaxed and calm."
"Really?" Sayaka was not very convinced. "Do you promise?"
"I promise nothing!" Kyouko's 'relaxed' face revealed a few creases. "That will depend on Oriko. Anything, Homura can stop me." She then smiled. "Heh, if she wants to..."
Sayaka sighed and opened the curtain, preparing to open the door. "Okay, Oriko-san is quite polite from what I've noticed, so you won't have any reason to do anything stupid."
Indeed, there was a garden beyond the door. A huge and stunning garden, very well kept, the flora was lush and colorful. It seemed like a dream, protected from the outside world by a tall rock wall and the 'abandoned' mansion.
In the middle of the lawn was a table and two chairs. On one of them was Oriko, in a light dress, distracted by her cup of tea. On the other was Homura, in a dark, funereal dress, staring at the two girls who had just arrived.
However, she was not the only one who was doing this.
On table was a being with red eyes, his pair of ears, the smaller of the two he had, raised. [Kyouko Sakura, Sayaka Miki, long time no see.]
"WHAT'S THAT BASTARD FURBALL DOING HERE?!" Kyouko ran to the table.
Sayaka covered her face with the palm of her hand.
Nonchalantly placing the cup on the saucer, Oriko replied, "Information. We-"
"SHUT UP!" the redhead exasperated.
And Oriko obeyed, worrying more about holding the teapot to put more tea in her cup.
Kyouko turned to Homura. "Whata heck is that?"
Sayaka came up to them, thankful that her colleague had not broken the table, nor anyone else. Nevertheless, she was also concerned about that surprise. "You didn't say Kyuubey would be here."
Homura averted their gazes. "As Mikuni-san was about to say, he was invited to give us some information regarding a future threat to Madoka."
"Madoka?" Sayaka's eyes widened.
"Future threat?" Kyouko looked at Kyuubey, who just reacted by wagging his long tail.
"May I?" Oriko had a slight smile.
Kyouko exchanged glances with her for a while, with some disgust, but she finally nodded. "Spit it out."
"What I am about to describe are visions I have had lately, I want you two to pay attention." Oriko took a deep breath. "On a morning with two suns, Mitakihara will be swept by a wave of death. Fire and smoke will touch the firmament, and from the ashes of the city, a dark mountain will emerge..."
"HEY!" Kyouko lost her patience. "Will you stop with this oracle stuff? I only figured out that the city is in danger."
Homura stated, "Mitakihara will suffer a nuclear strike."
"What?!" Sayaka thought of her mother. "Japan is going to war against who?"
"This war is not against Japan, Sayaka Miki-san," Oriko said.
"The dark mountain..." The blue-haired girl was awestruck. "It is..."
The olive green eyed blonde nodded, "Yes, it is her."
Kyouko looked at the two. "You guys are talking about Madoka's witch, right?" she then faced Kyuubey. "And that's part of your plan, huh?"
The creature tilted its head to the side. [What are you insinuating?]
"I have not finished describing my visions," Oriko raised her voice to get the others' attention, "after all that, I saw many colorful silhouettes flying around the dark mountain..."
"Colorful silhouettes?" Sayaka blinked. "Magical girls?"
Kyouko was more specific. "Us?"
Oriko shook her head quickly, more tense. "No, they are attacking the mountain using magics that I have never witnessed before."
Sayaka frowned. "Attacking?"
"I told you."
They looked at Homura. However, the raven-haired girl said nothing more, bringing the teacup to her mouth.
Oriko continued, "It is a chaotic battle, explosions, light, circles of pitch black in a distorted red world... I can only discern a few things, but the outcome of all this is clear to me. The dark mountain disappears, and standing over the dead city is a naked girl with a small body, like Madoka, her long blond hair fluttering in the wind of desolation." She gritted her teeth and drew in some air. "H-Her fair skin is marbled with black veins."
A sudden noise. Kyouko and Sayaka saw that Homura had dropped the cup onto the saucer, dyeing the white tablecloth a little with the black tea. Her hand was trembling.
Oriko gulped, her gaze lost. "Her eyes are closed, her mouth with a smile, and her outstretched hand held a grief seed with a pink ribbon."
Kyouko grimaced, praying for a summary. "Okay, so Madoka's witch has been defeated."
Sayaka said, very worried, "It's not just the witch, but Madoka!"
"Oh yeah..." Kyouko scratched her head, looking away and muttering, "you explained to me that she kinda like us..."
"That was the last thing I saw," Oriko concluded, "however, there is also a number that comes into my mind frequently, and I believe it has a connection to all of this."
Kyouko narrowed her gaze. "Number? Which one?"
"Two trillion and three hundred and five billion and two hundred and fifty-one million and two hundred and sixty-three thousand and three hundred and thirteen."
"Tch..." The redhead shook her head, regretting asking. "But isn't Madoka, like, a super powerful goddess?"
[Yes, she is the most powerful magical girl I have ever contracted,] Kyuubey replied, [and the most powerful witch.]
"Still, she is only one," Oriko pondered, "a combined force could surpass her."
Kyuubey looked at her. [That's correct.]
Sayaka was still distraught. "Magical girls destroying a city and attacking Madoka... That's... That's absurd!"
"Not really," after saying this, Kyouko picked up the creature on the table by its head and raised it to her eye level.
Kyuubey's red gaze reflected the girl's gnashing of teeth.
She spoke, "You spread a lot of lies around about the Law of Cycles and you must have told where Madoka lives to those magical girls."
[I didn't do that.]
"I'm not asking, and I don't give a damn to what you say."
Kyuubey closed his eyes. [I see that there is a misunderstanding. If Oriko Mikuni's visions regarding Madoka Kaname are true, I want to avoid them as much as you do.]
"Bullshit!" Kyouko exasperated.
"Put him back."
She looked at Oriko, that had been an order.
The ash blonde emphasized, "This is my home and I am the one who decides how my guests will be treated."
"You hafta be really desperate to be this stupid." Kyouko released Kyuubey, who landed gracefully on the table.
"He couldn't do that," Sayaka affirmed, "that's one of the reasons Madoka sent more girls to other parts of the world, to spread the hope of the Law of Cycles and put an end to the cruel fate Kyuubey had in store for us!"
"It's pretty when you say it." Kyouko turned to her and raised an eyebrow. "But did you forget about our 'stormy friend' in that abandoned village?"
Sayaka grimaced. "That's different! She wasn't a magical girl and she was under the influence of her barrier."
Oriko and Kyuubey looked at Homura, waiting for an explanation of what was being discussed.
The only response from the girl in the dark dress, however, was a subtle frown.
"Okay, she's not a magical girl..." Kyouko crossed her arms. "What are we then?"
Sayaka pressed her lips together for a moment before saying, "We're magical girls."
"You hesitated," Kyouko raised her voice, "even you recognize that we are aberrations, no matter what we say. And our pinky has the hope that this preaching around the world was gonna be smooth? Give me a break!"
Sayaka lowered her head, more pensive.
"Kyouko-san," Homura spoke in a menacing tone, "Madoka's hope saved us, never underestimate her!"
"My bad, I got carried away..." She looked at Kyuubey. "But someone still has to tell me how they found Madoka."
"That is not difficult if you stop to think about it," Oriko replied, "this city suffered a phenomenon that was reported all over the world, and some well-informed magical girls may have deduced what was behind it."
Homura added, with regret in her voice, "Walpurgisnacht..."
Kyouko looked at her with wide eyes, stupefied at the idea of that witch being able to still haunt them.
Oriko took a sip of tea, before concluding, "If I wanted answers to stop what has been happening lately with the magical girls, Mitakihara would be a good place to investigate and it looks like they found what they were looking for."
"Investigate?" Sayaka frowned. "You mean the girls who'll attack Madoka would already be in the city?"
Oriko nodded. "They could be watching us right now."
And silence took over the garden, interrupted only by incidental birdsong.
Until Kyuubey manifested, [I can say I haven't noticed the presence of any new magical girls in the city.]
Kyouko sneered, "Coming from you, I dunno if it's useful to know or if it's a fucking trap."
"Well, they may be gone for the time being. You don't destroy a city on an impulse, they must still be deciding that," Oriko said, "Incubator, isn't there anything to say about those magical girls?"
[I can't say, based on your hazy visions.] The creature dropped off the table and walked across the lawn, waving its tail leisurely, until it reached the high stone wall. Kyuubey climbed it nimbly and, at the top, looked at the girls below. [But from now on, I will be watching who enters or leaves the city. I will report back if I find anything.]
Oriko bowed. "Thank you for your cooperation."
Kyuubey jumped away and the creature was not seen again.
And Kyouko did not take long to protest, "Cooperation?! You gotta be kidding me! He hasn't helped at all, and he never will. I bet he's hiding something."
"He is, it's his nature." Oriko put more tea in her cup, "That's why I called him."
"Huh?" Kyouko made a face. "I don't get it."
The blonde looked at the redhead, smiling. "he just said he can't say who could be, not that he doesn't know. If he was behind it himself, he would have stayed silent."
Both Kyouko and Sayaka were aghast at that deduction.
"I need to say something," Homura spoke up, "at one time, Kyuubey told me that Madoka's death wasn't of his interest. And today he stated that he wants to avoid what Mikuni-san's vision revealed. I don't trust him, but I can't disregard what Mikuni-san has said now."
"We shoulda forced him to talk," Kyouko said.
"Great idea!" Oriko jeered, "feel free to tell us how."
"Ahh..." Kyouko rubbed the top of her head vigorously. "This is getting complicated. What are we gonna do then?"
"We have two options." Oriko took a long sip of tea. "Wait for me to get a new vision that will give us more information, or work with what we have, like the number I mentioned."
Sayaka asked, "How much time do we have?"
Oriko sighed. "Unfortunately, I did not find something in my visions that I could use as a reference, so this could happen next month, next year, or... today."
"Then you'd better start having these visions," Kyouko demanded, "we need to attack first."
"Attack?" Sayaka furrowed her brows. "What do you mean 'attack'?"
It was Kyouko's turn to do the same. "Hello idiot, have you forgotten already that there's someone wanting to blow up this town?"
"Because they mistakenly believe that we're the enemy. We must find these magical girls and have a dialogue."
Kyouko almost chuckled, rolling her eyes. "Dialogue..."
"You can think whatever you want!" Sayaka snapped. "We're not going to fight. I'm not going to let that happen. I-"
Homura stood up so quickly that she let the chair fall.
The blue-haired girl only had time to turn around before she had both her shoulders held and felt the weight.
The girl with long dark hair was leaning on her. Curved body, head down.
Kyouko was taken by surprise. "O-Oi! Homura!"
Sayaka was paralyzed, not understanding the meaning of it.
Finally, Homura said, in a pleading tone, "I thought you had learned. I called you because I... I need help. I only have this one chance. Please, don't ruin the future I have chosen."
"The future you chose?" Scowling, Sayaka held Homura's arms and pushed her away.
The girl in the dark dress staggered and held her wrists, surprised by the force.
"Whatever! We won't harm other magical girls because of a misunderstanding! What would Madoka think?" Sayaka looked around. "Where's she? She's the one who should be discussing and deciding things around here."
In silence, Homura lowered her gaze.
Sayaka's eyes widened. "She doesn't know?"
"I didn't tell her," Homura let her voice slip between her clenched jaw, almost a whisper, "it's not that simple..."
"Ah, it's very simple!" Sayaka reached for a smartphone in her pocket. "And I'm gonna do it right now."
"No!" Homura lunged toward her.
Sayaka managed to keep the other from reaching for the device, but not her arms. "Damn it! Let go of me!"
"I can't! It's too dangerous for her."
"So you're the one who hasn't learned anything!" Suddenly, Sayaka realized that she was looking at her own image reflected in a floating sphere that had appeared in mid-air.
In view of this, Homura had also ceased the dispute.
"SAYAKA MIKI!"
The girl with blue eyes looked at the one sitting at the table.
"I discussed it with Akemi-san," Oriko said, "I could have warned Kaname-san, but I did not."
"Why...?" Sayaka shook her head, frustrated. "She's the best person to solve this conflict peacefully, just as she did with us and our witches."
"Her wish gave her the power to do that." The pair of olive green eyes became intense and penetrating. "And it is different from convincing a group that is willing to kill millions to get the opportunity to fight her. In my visions, they were able to defeat her, so Miki-san, what would it be if you are wrong? If you make that call and she fails, you will have sent your friend into holocaust and us to our doom. Can you bear that responsibility?"
Sayaka pressed her lips together and her gaze became distracted, lost in thought, when she then suddenly felt her smartphone being taken from her hands.
Homura backed away slowly. "We have to be very aware of every step we take, because this time there'll be no turning back."
"Yeah, I know it's dangerous, but..." Sayaka hugged herself, her voice getting lower. "Leaving Madoka with no idea about this on purpose, that makes me feel dirty."
"Heh?" Kyouko smirked. "Weren't you the one who participated in a 'secret operation', where you pretended you didn't know anything, so you could rescue Homura?"
Sayaka quickly replied, vexed by that comparison, "Madoka asked me."
"Then she will understand that we are doing this for her sake." Oriko raised her eyebrows and smiled. "If we get more information and know it is safe, we will tell her."
"All right..." Sayaka's face did not seem to say the same. "I only accept that if you aren't planning to fight them!"
"I agree." Oriko looked at Homura. "I also prefer a diplomatic solution."
The girl was still holding Sayaka's smartphone. She just nodded.
Kyouko shrugged. "Fine, but who here's good with diplomacy?"
"I am fluent in English, German and French," Oriko said, "and also a little of Mandarin."
Kyouko got an inquisitive look on her face. "Do you think these magical girls are foreigners?"
And the other replied, "The blonde girl in my visions definitely does not have Japanese features."
"Speaking of blonde..." Kyouko directed her words to Homura, "why didn't you call Mami? She's good at fighting."
Sayaka wasted no time in retorting, "Mami-san would agree with me that fighting is wrong!"
"I recommended Akemi-san not to call her," Oriko said, "she is... adjusting to a normal life and has made a lot of progress, consider that she has retired. Besides, she has a little girl under her wings. It is for that very reason that I will not involve Kirika in this extreme situation."
Kyouko understood who else she was referring to. "Yeah, I think it's good."
"However..." Oriko left the table and walked toward the mansion. "Tomoe-san was still useful."
Not understanding what this meant, Kyouko and Sayaka exchanged glances with Homura, but she too seemed confused.
Oriko reached the French door and looked back.
The other three girls then followed her.
Inside the mansion, Oriko explained, "Just as Akemi-san called for help, I took the liberty of doing the same. These magical girls I contacted are from another city, but they seem to be fans of Tomoe-san, when I mentioned that Mitakihara was in grave danger, they immediately volunteered to help."
They arrived in the great hall.
Sayaka commented, "If they know Mami-san, then they must be veterans."
"Oh yes, I feel they are." Still being followed, Oriko arrived at the front door of the mansion. "But soon we can be sure."
The door was opened and in the yard were a trio of magical girls arriving. They stopped, surprised.
"Looks like it's really here," said the girl with orange hair and eyes. She was wearing a light brown tuxedo, with a black bow tied around her collar. However, she was not wearing pants as such attire is usually worn, but shorts, leaving her thighs and knee exposed, while her knee-high boots were lilac in color. Despite all this, what was most striking were what looked like two small pairs of wings, made of black fabric, one near her neck and the other at the height of her hips.
The other girl fixed her glasses, while squinting her indigo-colored eyes. Her hair was dark blue and longer than the girl with the orange hair, and she also wore a white beret with a big purple bow on the side. Her dress followed the same pattern as her beret, white with a purple bow on the collar, and with the addition of small black ribbons at the waist as embellishments. The skirt of the dress was long, but open at the front, showing off her legs with black pantyhose and her pair of white shoes.
The last girl had very long black hair, with the ends ending in spirals, giving an otherworldly look, to say the least. Her red eyes were as curious as a small child's and her smile had an apparent innocence. She had a small white witch's hat tied to her hair, and her white dress had short sleeves and skirt, both with frills, and a black bow tied just below the bust. Both the hat and the dress had small translucent white spheres as ornaments. She wore gloves and shoes of the same material and appearance as the dress, with more frills. Below her collar, in an opening in the dress, a whitish gem shaped like an inverted S, or perhaps an incomplete question mark, was stuck to her skin. Very excited, she said, "You must be Mami-san's friends. My friend with the glasses is called Umika Misaki and the other one is Kaoru Maki. I'm Kazumi Subaru and..." She held up her arms. "We're the Pleiades Witches!" Followed by a loud rumbling coming from her belly.
Embarrassed, Kaoru scratched her head and smiled. "That sure left an impression."
Umika lowered her head and sighed, "We should have made a stop somewhere to eat before coming here."
"Eehehehe~" With a pleading look at the hosts, Kazumi asked, "You guys happen to have some food ready, right?"
Homura, Kyouko and Sayaka stared at Oriko.
The blonde smiled a little, bringing her fingertips to her lips. "Whoops... I did not see that coming."
Disclaimer: I do not own Mahou Shoujo Kazumi Magica and their characters.
Next chapter: Implosion