Sorry about the time it took to make this chapter, I've gotten very busy lately. I got a different job, which tires me even more than the last one, and I started airsofting on the weekends, which was usually when I wrote this. Trying to start writing on weekdays too. Thank you all for your continued support of my writings.

Homura: "What? You asked for something that can reach out and touch someone, and you've got it."

Subaru: "I guess I should've expected something like this with you, but still… alright, give me the low down then."

Homura: "You're pretty strong right? So what I have here is perfect for someone like you. It even can be concealed under your cloak if you fold the stock. Oh, it's a paratrooper's FAL by the way."

Subaru: "Okay. But how do I operate it? I don't know if you realize this, but I kind of have never fired a gun before."

Homura: "I'll show you tomorrow."

Subaru: "I'm going witch hunting with Sayaka today, don't you think it would be prudent to have it anyway?"

Homura: "I'm not letting you go out there without knowing how and when to use it and things like that. You'll get arrested, I'll have to break you out, it will be easier this way, trust me."

Subaru: "If you say so…"

"Piii. piiiii. Piiiiii."

Subaru: "Oh, Sayaka's calling. Hello?"

Sayaka: "Hey, I'm going out now if you want to join."

Subaru: "Alright! I'll be there! Uh, where, exactly?"

Sayaka: "Just meet me and Madoka at the cafe. See you there!"

Subaru: "Yep!"

Subaru hung up, and glared a little bit at Homura.

Subaru: "I had better not need that and be left high and dry. I'll be out of your hair now."

Subaru walked out of Homura's apartment and made his way to the usual cafe.

Madoka: "So, are you excited Sayaka?"

Sayaka: "Well, a little bit. Nervous, excited, I think I'm a lot of things right now."

Madoka: "I think you'll do just fine. If you really need help Subaru is with us, and we can get Mami or Homura to help you, if you need it."

Madoka talked sheepishly, not wanting to belittle Sayaka's strength which she witnessed recently.

Sayaka: "I would be elated if Homura were to never get involved with us ever again."

Madoka: "Sayaka…"

Sayaka: "Oh, Subaru's here. Hey!"

Subaru: "What's up! Hope I didn't stall you too long. Looking quite antsy there."

Sayaka: "Oh, am I? Hahahhahha. I guess you could say that."

Subaru: "The best way to fix that is to get stuck into it! Let's go!"

Subaru of course had his own reservations, but it would only be a hindrance going forward.

A few minutes later, they were walking down a sparsely populated road, being led around by Sayaka and her soul gem.

Subaru: "So how does the guiding process work? Is it a visual thing, or are you feeling it?"

Sayaka: "It's definitely a feeling. I can't describe it to one of you guys, I just don't think it's something you could understand without experiencing it."

Subaru: "I understand completely."

Madoka: "So how is it going? Any luck?"

Sayaka: "No, everything's faint, and nothing is leading anywhere. Think I'll go somewhere a little bit better for hunting."

Subaru: "Okay. Lead the way, magical girl."

The group reached an alleyway from the street they were on. As they were turning to search down it:

Sayaka: "It's close."

Subaru: "I see it! That boat looking thing, it's moving."

Sayaka: "Yeah, that's it.

Madoka: "Stay safe!"

Sayaka: "Take this!"

Sayaka summoned a sword in the air and slewed it forward towards the familiar.

Subaru: "It ain't dead, give it some more!"

Sayaka summoned a quintet of swords behind her, and followed up the previous one with a barrage from all sides, including above.

Sayaka: "One familiar down! Now lets get some more done before we call it quits, I wanna get at least one more.

Madoka: "Good job! Don't push yourself too hard Sayaka."

Sayaka: "Don't worry, I'm fine. I've never felt better!"

Sayaka took out her soul gem and again used it as Mami had and let it guide her to where a witch or familiar would be.

Subaru: "Your soul gem looks eeever so slightly darker."

Madoka: "Ooh, you're right ,Subaru."

Sayaka: "I'm not worried about that little. It's still as bright as a lightbulb."

Subaru: "If you say so. Just get finding that next familiar, I'm tired man, I need my beauty sleep."

Sayaka: "Oh stuff it, you'll be in bed soon enough. In fact, I think there's one kinda close by."

There had found themselves on the edge of the industrial area where there was a familiar. It was in an open field, traversing it from one side to another, probably to find better hunting.

Sayaka: "I'm gonna cut it off before it makes it to the other side!"

Subaru: "I'll go behind it and push it into you if it runs. See you there!"

Sayaka: "Got it!"

Sayaka ran to the right, in the path of the familiar, and Subaru ran to the left, hopefully trapping it between the two.

Subaru: "What the- What are you doing!"

All of a sudden, a red streak rose up from behind a rise in the ground before they were even halfway to the target. It swung a spear at the familiar, which ran fast, in the complete opposite direction of its pursuers.

Sayaka: "What was that for! It's getting away!"

Kyouko: "See, you're not doing this right. That's a familiar. Let me ask you, did you learn from Mami?"

Sayaka: "Yeah, I did, is there something wrong with that?"

Kyouko: "There is. Mami doesn't do it right. She only survives because she's an incredible magical girl. If some noob like you were to do what she does, you'll die.

Subaru: "Kyouko, I understand what you're saying, but what does that have to do with what you just did!"

Kyouko: "I'm saving your blue haired girl here a lot of trouble later on, trust me. Just let it turn into a witch, and then kill it, and you'll get your due reward."

Sayaka: "And just let it kill people?! I can't do that. I'm not a psychopath."

Kyouko: "It's not being a psychopath, it's being efficient. It's a necessary part of living as a magical girl."

Sayaka: "It's not!"

Subaru: "I don't think it should be necessary either. Mami goes just fine hunting all the witches and familiars."

Kyouko: "Like I said, she's special, Sayaka could never match her."

Subaru: "She just started, how can you expect that?"

Kyouko facepalmed, trying to keep calm at the new magical girl and her friends, Madoka slowly walking up to the confrontation.

Kyouko: "Let me explain one thing. Mami is the most powerful magical girl I've seen yet. You, on the other hand, are weak. You can't make it like that."

Sayaka: "I will!"

Subaru: "Sayaka! Don't!"

Madoka: "Sayaka!"

Sayaka ran at Kyouko, and swung at her wildly. Kyouko parried Sayaka's swings, and backed off to get room for her spear in on Sayaka. Sayaka ran forward, but was quickly met with the tip of the spear, which she hit with her sword. Kyouko backed off again, and promptly put her spear towards her foe again, this time Sayaka not being cognizant enough to parry the spear, running herself straight into it.

Kyouko: "Get lost! You're just wasting your time."

Madoka was in tears at the sight of Sayaka being impaled by Kyouko's spear. Subaru quickly ran over to Sayaka after the fight was done. Subaru took off his scarf and was about to put it on Sayaka's wound to staunch bleeding, when he saw the wound healing in front of him.

Subaru: "What the hell!? I've never seen anything like that, even Ferris couldn't do that!"

Kyouko: "I've never seen anything like that among magical girls. She heals quick. I'll catch you later!"

Subaru: "Don't just leave me to deal with this! Damnit!"

Madoka: "Will she be alright?"

Subaru: "Yeah, I'm gonna call Homura and tell her what happened. She'll be okay, she's already healed. Any blood you see is just dried stuff. Or it will be in a few minutes anyway."

Subaru pulled out his phone and filled Homura in on the situation.

Homura: "Wow, that went better than it could have. I would definitely stop for today though. If she wants to continue, try to convince her to stay home. It's late, you should rest too."

Subaru: "Yeah, I think we're all done here. Talk to you later."

Subaru hung up and went over to where Madoka was huddling over Sayaka.

Subaru: "Madoka, I think you should take care of Sayaka now, you're her friend, I think you'd be better for that."

Madoka: "Okay. Do you know that girl that did this to her?"

Subaru: ""Know her" is really an overstatement, I've seen her a few times, but I don't know that much about her. I didn't expect her to do something like that though, especially since she knows Mami."

Madoka: "I think she was genuinely trying to help Sayaka, but I don't think she realized how stubborn she can be."

Subaru: "Yeah, Sayaka definitely wasn't going to take what she got lying down."

Sayaka: "You're right. Next time I see her, I'll kick her ass."

Subaru: "You seriously need to stop pulling shit like this. You were the one who got your ass kicked this time, okay? Be glad you lived, and learn from it."

Sayaka: "I hate that I have to say you're right. I still don't like her. And I am still going to kick her ass."

Subaru: "Whatever, you should go home and rest and think, it's late."

Sayaka: "Yeah."

Madoka: "I'll go home with you Sayaka!"

Sayaka: "Thanks. Bye Subaru."

Subaru: "Yep, g'night."

[Damn, I'm glad she's okay. Gonna have to keep a more vigilant watch with Kyouko ambushing us like that. I wish I could have kept them from fighting somehow…]

Subaru looked at his phone and it was almost midnight. He was seriously tired after not getting a lot of sleep for a while.

[Just glad everyone's okay for now…]

Subaru walked through the door, and the lights were off, seemingly no one was home.

Subaru: "Homura? Hello?"

No answer.

[Guess she's either in bed or out doing magical girl stuff. Whatever, I need to sleep.]

Subaru headed straight to his bed without even changing into any pajamas and slept with his cape as a blanket.

"Bwahhhhh"

Subaru yawned, and stepped off the bed he was sleeping in. Today would be another day keeping everyone safe until Homura's nemesis reared its ugly head. The prospect of finding a way back to Lugunica still in the back of his mind. Subaru didn't need to get dressed, seeing as he was already in his day clothes. He stepped out the door into the rest of the apartment, and decided to make a good breakfast for himself and Homura if she was still home.

That done, and Homura not showing herself, he ate his own portion and left Homura hers. It was about time for school to start for the rest of them, so he trained more, and explored the city on his own to get familiar with it. Subaru thought that if he would be there a while, it would be better to know the lay of the land. He was antsy about the new weapon, and the fact that he would have so little time to train with it.

Subaru: "It's more lethal than what I have now, anyway."

Homura: "You're right. You couldn't kill anything short of strangling it with what you had before. I don't know how you did it, frankly."

[She always manages to show up right on cue.]

Subaru: "Aghh, bad memories. But I try not to kill people if I can help it. I only kill the worst of the worst, the unsalvageable."

Homura: "Admirable. But be wary in this world. You can get annihilated in a moment."

Subaru: "Yeah, I believe you. The fight Sayaka and Kyouko had was nasty. I don't think I would have made it."

Homura: "Probably not, unless you did something incredible."

Subaru: "That is kind of what I'm known for…"

Homura: "I see…"

Subaru: "Anyway… are we gonna train on shooting now?"

Homura: "Yes. You actually stopped in a perfect spot for it. The area around here is depopulated, so there will be less chance of us being discovered or shooting bystanders."

Subaru: "Alright, shooting people is bad."

Homura: "Most of the time."

Homura then abruptly transformed, switching school clothes for her magical girl attire. Subaru lightly blushed, she was pretty after all. But, not for him. Homura pulled started pulling sheets of paper out of her shield, and started fixing them onto a tree.

Subaru: "Are those targets?"

Homura: "Yes. I am going to shoot first. Just watch for now."

Homura pulled the FAL out of her shield, then pulled out a pre-loaded magazine for it. She rocked it in, pulled the charging handle, after a second, started putting accurate shots onto the target.

Subaru: "That was loud!"

His ears were ringing after the full magazine. He thought they may have been even bleeding. Homura looked like she said something, but he couldn't hear her. After a few seconds of having her arm in her shield, she evidently found some ear protection for the deaf man.

Homura: "Now you try! Finger off the trigger till you're ready to fire!"

Subaru: "Okay."

Subaru went through the same steps as Homura, though not as slick or clean. His rounds, while on target, were a much wider grouping than Homura's.

Homura: "Not bad. You'll get better as you go on, but just shooting at things will change fights."

Subaru: "Yeah, you're right. If this end feels like that, I really wouldn't want to be on the other end. I'm surprised you could shoot it as well as you did."

Homura: "I have lots of practice."

Subaru: "Uh-huh…"

Homura: "I'm going to put a sling on it so that you aren't holding it all the time. It'll be a bit awkward at first, but I think you can figure it out. And one more thing, I am going to give you a chest rig for the magazines since you can't store them like I can. The chest rig I found is a low profile one, so it should go fine under your outfit."

Subaru: "Woah, okay. I'll just try all that at home, do you think I could just shoot a few more magazines now then go back home to fit everything out?"

Homura: "Okay."

Homura picked up all the things save for the gun and a few magazines and walked away, leaving Subaru alone in the clearing. Subaru messed with it some more, folding and unfolding the stock, reloading, and shooting until he was out. When he was finished, he put the sling on, let the rifle rest, and carried on home.

Homura: "Here it is, put that strap around your waist, and put it through both loops then pull it back through between the loops and pull it tight. Same with the shoulder straps, but they cross over your back to make an X on it. Got it?"

Subaru: "Yeah. It's kinda hard to figure out but I think I got it. And the magazines go in the pouches."

Homura: "Yep, here they are, I'm giving you five, one in the gun, four in your chest rig."

Subaru: "That's about a hundred rounds, you think that'll be enough?"

Homura: "If you need more than that, you should've tried to call me or run away. Just don't die, understand?"

Subaru: "Ohh, do I understand."

Homura: "Good. Sayaka's going hunting again today right? Go with her, though I wouldn't try that out just yet. I'm going to run some errands, I probably won't see you again today."

Subaru: "Cool, see ya later."

Homura walked out, and Subaru called Sayaka to see when she was going to go witch hunting next.

Subaru: "Hey Sayaka, are you going hunting again tonight?"

Sayaka seemed like she was preoccupied, in a fast paced voice she rattled out:

Sayaka: "Yeah, I'm definitely going hunting again tonight. Guess we'll meet at the same place. See you there, bye!"