Thank you for being patient. Hopefully, it would have been worth the wait.

Mami Tomoe is a third-year student of Mitakihara Middle School, she is also a veteran magical girl of Mitakihara. She had fought many witches, and saved many lives. Despite this, her work remained thankless, and she was quite lonely. There may be some magical girls who live in Mitakihara here and there, but none of them ever sticks around with her.

Initially, Mami was slightly excited that another magical girl suddenly appeared within her territory, until Kyubey told her that this magical girl is an anomaly. Not only that Kyubey doesn't remember ever contracting this magical girl, she was also told that this magical girl had been hostile when Kyubey went to investigate her on his own.

Great, more anomalies. As if the elusive witch that comes to school almost every day wasn't enough.

A year and a half ago, when Mami was still a second-year student, her soul gem detected the presence of a witch somewhere within the school. Naturally, she went to try to find this witch before it can hurt anyone.

Unfortunately for her, this witch had been exceedingly difficult to find. What scant few free times that Mami had during school was not enough for her to effectively look for this witch, and she can only use so many 'going to the bathroom' excuse before she was eventually reprimanded by her teachers. By the time that school ends, the witch was already gone. Kyubey was no help in this matter, insisting that this witch had not taken a single life the whole time, and thus, not a priority.

It did little to appease her concern.

All this changed a week ago when Kyubey suddenly cared for the elusive school witch. What Mami had learned is that this witch had suddenly gained an earth-shattering boost in strength. Now Mami regretted not being able to find this witch sooner. She should have tried harder.

At the very least, Kyubey had been more cooperative in finding this witch now.

Right now, Mami was packing her schoolbag and preparing herself to return home, until the presence of Kyubey made her slow down. At that rate, Mami eventually became the only one within the classroom, along with Kyubey.

Now with sufficient privacy, Mami asked, "So, Kyubey, what have you learned from your investigation."

Kyubey jumped onto her table and took a seat there, knowing damn well that he's been withholding information this whole time, "Well, for starter, it turns out that the witch that you have been looking for this whole time was actually hiding within the body of one of the second-year student."

This information, however, is news to Mami, "What? What do you mean within the body?"

"It's hard to tell what exactly is going on, but, best case scenario: the witch is passively hiding and the host remains unharmed; worst case scenario: the witch is wearing a corpse, like a flesh puppet."

Hearing that last part made Mami sick to her stomach. Sure, she had seen a fair amount of blood and gore from the usual witch hunts, but a witch that plays with the corpse of its victim like a costume? It seems she had yet to scratch at the bottom of the barrel.

Mami hoped that she'd be facing the best case scenario, then perhaps she'll be able to save the host from the clutches of this elusive witch.

"Who is this student and where are they now? According to my soul gem, the witch is no longer within the school." Mami asked.

"That would be Madoka Kaname, age 14, her most prominent characteristic in the eyes of the layperson would be her pink hair and heterochromia." Kyubey then perked up, seemingly excited about something, "If my readings did not confuse her presence with that of the witch, then her magical girl potential had also skyrocketed at the same time as when the witch gained its own boost."

"So this victim is a powerful candidate? It would be a shame if she were to perish like this." a pragmatic part of her mind thought.

But Kyubey wasn't finished, "If she were to form a contract with me, she would be the most powerful magical girl of all time! If possible, please convince her to form a contract!"

Seeing Kyubey being more excited than usual, Mami couldn't help but enthusiastically respond, "I will! Do you know where she is now?"

Now calmed down, Kyubey replied, "She is currently on her way to the mall with two of her friends."

"So, after having spent almost two years being elusive, the witch finally made its move on its first victims." Mami thought, before asking, "Are they both ensnared by the witch's kiss?"

Surprisingly, Kyubey shook his head, "No, both of them have the potential to form a contract. Therefore, they should be more resistant to a witch's kiss…theoretically."

"Theoretically?"

"A witch as strong as this…It's hard to tell how different its behavior is compared to a typical witch. It would be wise for you to remain on guard. Magical girls may be more resistant to a witch's kiss than both normal humans and candidates, but even they are not completely immune to it."

At this point, Mami had already finished packing her belongings, She could follow the elusive witch now, but she still felt like she wasn't prepared just yet. So she asked, "Can you tell me about her friends?"

Kyubey nodded, "Sayaka Miki, age 14, blue hair and blue eyes. Like Madoka, Sayaka's potential had also increased at the same time as the witch and Madoka, albeit at a lower level. Still, she is a powerful candidate in her own right, so you might want to consider recruiting her as well."

"What about the other one?"

"Hitomi Shizuki, age 14, green hair and green eyes. Her potential is…much lower than Sayaka's, but it's still possible for her to form a contract with me. What is strange is that her potential was utterly nonexistent prior to a week ago."

This has piqued Mami's curiosity, "At the exact same time as the others?"

Kyubey nodded in response.

Mami rubbed her chin, "Are there any correlations?"

If Kyubey could, he would have shrugged, "Whatever theories that we could come up with at the moment would all be conjecture, but you can leave all the theorizing to me!"

One more thing, "Do you have any suggestion on how to deal with this? I am hoping that this Madoka could still be saved."

"Hmm, if Madoka Kaname can still be reasoned with, then I suppose I could safely extract it from her body. Worst case scenario, you could extract it yourself. If push comes to shove, then – just letting you know – the grief seed is somewhere within the chest cavity." Kyubey replied calmly.

"Kyubey!"

What he had just suggested had been outrageous, but Kyubey didn't care, "What? I was just stating all the possible options on our hands."

His pragmatism seemed to have reminded Mami that not everything in this world can end well, and so she folded, "I- I suppose so."

With nothing else to ask, and nothing else to do, Mami got up from her seat and made her way to the exit.

"Ready to go, Mami?" Kyubey asked, still sitting in the same spot.

Without looking back, Mami replied, "Yes. I think I've delayed long enough. If this witch is as powerful as you described, then it's important that I hunt it down once and for all!"

"Good luck then, Mami! I'll be observing you from a safe distance."

Madoka, Kriemhild, Sayaka, and Hitomi were on their way to the mall from their school. While Sayaka and Hitomi were talking to each other about something, Madoka and Kriemhild were having a private conversation of their own.

"Are you sure you don't remember being a magical girl before you ended up with me?" Madoka asked Kriemhild about her past.

"Nu-uh." Kriemhild mentally shook her head, "By the looks of it, I'm already quite lucky that I didn't get the urge to eat people, like other witches – if Homura-chan is right."

Madoka then imagined Kriemhild kneeling on the ground, covered in the blood of her victims in front of her. Madoka shivered and shook her head.

"Not a pretty sight." Kriemhild concurred.

Sayaka and Hitomi noticed Madoka's not-so-well-hidden unease, prompting Sayaka to ask, "Hey Madoka, what's wrong? Did the transfer student spook you while you two were alone?"

"No, it's not that." Madoka shook her head in denial, "I just had the most disturbing image in my mind." she said while she conveniently excluded the part where it was partly Homura's fault that the image was there to begin with.

"Well, what was it like?" Sayaka asked, apparently curious at what sort of disturbing imagery could have been conjured by someone like Madoka.

"Hey hey, Madoka-chan! Don't tell Sayaka-chan about it! You'll make me look bad!" Kriemhild lightheartedly protested.

"I don't plan to! You look scary in that image!" Madoka retorted with an equally lighthearted tone.

Madoka then replied to Sayaka, "Wehihi. Sorry, Sayaka-chan, it's a secret."

Sayaka crossed her arms and looked away, "Fine, I'll just ask Kriemy about it instead."

Madoka scratched her head sheepishly, "Actually, she's the one who asked me to keep it a secret."

"Aww…" Sayaka slumped down her shoulder in defeat.

Hitomi, who had been watching from the sidelines, chastised Sayaka, "Sayaka-san, stop asking Madoka-san something so private."

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry, Madoka."

"We'll forgive you…" Kriemhild stated, with a mischievous grin, "…if you buy us a large-size chocolate ice cream."

Sayaka rubbed her head in chagrin, "Feh, you're the worse, Kriemy."

In the end, Sayaka did not buy them that ice cream, because Madoka insisted on paying for it herself. At the moment, the four girls were enjoying themselves with their lunch and their treats. While Madoka and Kriemhild were enjoying their ice cream, Sayaka wanted to ask some questions about the new transfer student.

"Okay, for real though. How was the transfer student like when you took her to the nurse's office?"

Madoka didn't answer at first. She scooped a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth to buy herself some time while her brain racked for an answer. She ate her treat slowly on purpose, but not slow enough to make it seem like Madoka was avoiding the question on purpose.

"She's exactly like what you'd expect: cool, reserved, elegant. But…"

"Buuuuuut…?" Sayaka said as she moved herself closer to Madoka.

Madoka didn't answer immediately, as she scooped another spoonful. But she didn't delay as long as her previous scoop, "She seemed like she already knew the school layout, and before I knew it, she's the one leading the way."

"Hmm, that is quite unusual. Maybe she memorized it before she transferred?" Hitomi remarked.

Madoka then continued, "But that's not the strangest part. When we found ourselves in an empty hallway, she turned to look at me and gave me a warning of some sort. And…"

What Homura had said to them earlier that day came to mind, "Now. If you value your life, you're going to tell me what you've done to Madoka." as well as that time when Homura and Kriemhild maintained such intense and direct eye contact prior.

"…the way she spoke felt like she already knew about me." Madoka finished.

This had caught the undivided attention from the two of them. "A warning?" Hitomi asked.

"About what?" Sayaka also asked.

Madoka put her hand on her chin, "Umm…I don't know about all the details, but she wanted me and Sayaka-chan to come to her house after this."

"Ehh? Why me?" Sayaka asked, surprised that she was also invited to Homura's house.

"Ehh? What about me?" Hitomi asked almost at the same time, feeling left out.

Sayaka looked at Hitomi, "Don't you have a tea ceremony lesson or whatever today?"

Hitomi shook her head, "No. That egg shortage unexpectedly caused quite a stir, my tutor had to cancel the lesson for a few days."*

Kriemhild, who had just taken over their body, was quite confused with the seeming lack of correlation, and asked, "…What do eggs have anything to do with tea ceremonies?"

Hitomi sagged her shoulder in response, she was as clueless as the rest of them, "I have no idea. Still, my parents expect me to be home soon anyway, so I probably wouldn't be able to come. Maybe you two could fill me in if it's something important?"

"Sure thing, Hitomi-chan!" Kriemhild replied, before turning her attention to Sayaka, "Anyway, Sayaka-chan, you're coming with me whether you like it or not."

Sayaka, who hasn't even agreed with this arrangement, protested, "Ah? But I got other things to do today!"

"Sayaka-chan, I will not hesitate to drag you along with me if I have to." Kriemhild calmly asked in a vehement manner.

Sayaka, seeing how insisting Kriemhild had been just now, finally relented, "Well, if it's that important, I guess I could follow you." Sayaka then flashed a smile, "Besides, what kind of friend would I be if I just let the two of you go on your own?"

Kriemhild smiled as well, "Thank you, Sayaka-chan. I'm sure you won't regret it!"

Hitomi, who was still worried about the wellbeing of the three of her friends, remained skeptical, "Still, isn't it strange that Akemi-san specifically chose to speak with you?"

Madoka, who had just switched back, asked, "What do you mean?"

"You did say that it felt like Akemi-san already knew about you. Have you two met before?" Hitomi asked.

Sayaka joined in the questioning, "Yeah, do you have a secret friend that neither of us knew about?"

Madoka shook her head, "It's not like that!…But I- We did meet her before, kind of."

"Kind of?" Sayaka queried.

For a moment, Madoka hesitated to answer, before she replied, "Yeah, I think I saw Homura-chan in my dream last night."

What followed was a moment of silence between the four of them. That is, until the silence was broken by Sayaka's snickering.

Sayaka grinned teasingly, "Wow, could she secretly be your guardian angel?"

"Yeah, a guardian angel that pointed a gun at the person that she was supposed to be guarding." Kriemhild mentally joked.

"Oh, and you were there too, Sayaka-chan." Madoka replied absentmindedly, before scooping down yet another spoonful of ice cream.

This seemed to effectively snapped Sayaka from grinning into a look of utter surprise, "Wait, what?! And what was I doing there?"

Madoka nervously replied, "Um…you were just laying down motionless on the ground, wearing the exact same magical girl outfit that I drew awhile ago."**

That seemed to bring back the silence between the four of them.

"Weird…" was Sayaka's only response.

"I'm sure all three of you will find the answer behind this mystery once you get to ask Akemi-san." Hitomi remarked, before she got up from her seat to leave, "Well, I have to go home. You three stay safe!"

"Don't sweat it, Hitomi. I'll keep an eye on these two." Sayaka replied with a thumbs up, while motioning her other hand to Madoka and Kriemhild.

After Hitomi had left, Madoka still hasn't finished her ice cream, "Sayaka-chan, can you help me finish this ice cream? I can't wait for us to go already!"

"What? Can't finish it yourself?" Sayaka asked as she grabbed another spoon anyway.

Madoka scooped another and swallowed, before she replied, "Yes I can, but it might take too long."***

Sayaka grinned in delight, "Heh. Well then. Don't mind if I do!"

It has taken many timelines for Homura Akemi to finally realize that working alone would only make things worse for everyone involved.

Sure, it's much easier to simply be detached from everyone else around her. At least, if she fails, then the pain and despair wouldn't hurt as much as it should. But now, Homura had learned that – sometimes – good things do not happen by doing it the easy way. If she must suffer to obtain the most preferable outcome, then suffer she will.

At least, that's how it went in the previous timeline. Last time, she actually put some effort into befriending everyone, and already things went better than most other timelines when she was cold and uncooperative with everyone else around her. Ergo, if she were to put more effort into it this time, then at least they wouldn't immediately get curbstomped by Walpurgisnacht and her familiars.

Homura couldn't help but chuckle at the dark (and at the same time, hopeful) thought as she made her way to the mall. If previous timelines were anything to go by, then Madoka and Sayaka would encounter the Rose Garden Witch: Gertrud.

This time, she had planned to save them from the witch before Mami Tomoe could do it for them. That way, Homura hoped that such action would cement their trust in her, making it easier for her to convince them to not form a contract with Kyubey.

Really, she should have done this long ago.

But then, the existence of Kriemhild Gretchen had put a significant risk and uncertainty into this plan. Homura doesn't really know what her habits and behavior are, and how they would factor into this plan of hers. Not to mention how Mami would react to this unusual witch. Homura is well aware of how dedicated Mami can be when it comes to hunting witches. If push comes to shove, she'll have to reveal her time-stopping ability to Madoka and Sayaka – much earlier than usual.

Well, she'll just have to cross that bridge when she gets there.

As Homura arrived at the vacant spot within the mall where the witch usually appears, she finds that Kyubey had been waiting there as well. Homura already knows what he's here for, but decided to distract him by asking, "…What are you doing here?"

Kyubey remains unbothered by the presence of the lesser anomaly, "I am here to observe the other anomaly. Its existence is quite…intriguing."

Homura raised an eyebrow, caught off guard by that answer, "You're not here to form a contract with Madoka Kaname?"

Kyubey closed his red, beady eyes, neither saying yes or no, "I am neither picky nor greedy. Obtaining even just one of their energy is enough for this universe, but to obtain the both of them is preferable."

That reply riled Homura up a bit, "I will not let Madoka contract!" she exclaimed with timelines worth of determination.

But Kyubey's next suggestion quietly snuffed out her gusto, "Then, would you let us take the grief seed instead?"

Homura blinked once, caught off guard once again, "What…?"

Kyubey got up, and started circling around Homura, "Think about it. If we take this disproportionately powerful grief seed from Madoka, then she wouldn't need to form a contract anymore, not to mention that she'll be free from the clutches of the witch. Like I said, I am neither picky or greedy."

"But you just said that obtaining both of them is preferable." Homura retorted.

Kyubey stopped behind Homura, "Yes, it is preferable. But if an anomaly such as yourself would stand in our way because of it, then it is not worth the effort. And besides…"

"…?"

"…You seem to be okay with the fact that a witch is hiding within her body. Do you know something that I don't?" Kyubey asked with a tone that almost sounds accusing.

But Homura cannot be cowed so easily, "Hmph, who knows. What do you think on the matter?"

"My current hypothesis is that both Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki may or may not currently be influenced by a witch's kiss…"

Homura's eyes widened, "A witch's kiss? I can't believe I forgot about that possibility!" the idea, however, leaves another question, "But I don't see any kisses on their neck, and aren't candidates supposed to be more resistant to those?"

Kyubey seemed amused at this notion, "Hah? You think that a kiss is limited to the neck? Don't be silly. And you are right, candidates are resistant, magical girls even more so, but that does not mean they are completely immune."

Huh, Homura learns something new every timeline.

What followed was a silence. Neither comfortable or awkward, which is fine by Homura, if it means delaying the Incubator like this.

The silence went on until Kyubey decided to ask a question, "Did you know that a week ago, if my readings are not confused by the overlaps, both of their potentials have skyrocketed all the sudden?"

"Both?' Homura asked warily.

Kyubey nodded innocently, and clarified, "Both – as in – Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki. Curiously, when their potential increased, the witch's power also went off the chart at the exact same time. I already told you about how powerful both Madoka and the witch within her were, but I never told you exactly when it happened."

"Curious indeed…" Homura bitterly thought, knowing that it was due to her that this has happened. Although, this is the first time that Homura heard that Sayaka's power was also affected by her time loops.

But the surprises didn't end there, "and for what it's worth, Hitomi Shizuki suddenly gained a much smaller potential at, again, the exact same time. To clarify, she utterly lacks any potential prior."

This is completely new to Homura, "Hitomi Shizuki too?"

"Oh yes. It was all so intriguing! Do you think there's any correlation?" Kyubey replied in what seemed to be delight.

"Yeah, me. It was me who forced, and continued forcing them to keep repeating these forsaken months." is what Homura would have replied if she's feeling chatty. But she wisely held her tongue.

Seeing that, in his perspective, Homura didn't answer, Kyubey asked once again, "I'll ask again, would you let us take the grief seed instead?"

Homura already went through so many timelines to know that the words of the Incubator are to be taken with a grain of salt. But at the same time…since Homura herself is still a little unsure if Kriemhild can be trusted – especially after that reminder regarding the possible witch's kiss – she finally decided… "Do what you wish, but I'm still hunting the witch here."

Kyubey seemed disappointed with the answer, "Neither approval nor disapproval…no matter. I've already done my part."

"…What do you mean?" Homura asked.

"I've purposely been wasting your time." Kyubey casually replied.

"Wasting my time…?!"

Kyubey seemed gleeful and smug all the sudden, "Oh? are you under the impression that you're the one doing the distractions here? If things are going as intended, then Mami Tomoe should already be there to handle both the witches in your stead."

"WHAT?!"

And with that, Homura's already running as fast as she could to where Madoka and the rest would be.

Elsewhere, a few minutes ago…

Madoka was dragging Sayaka by the arm to the exit. The anticipation is killing her. As they completely went past the music store that Sayaka had planned to visit, she said, "H-hey Madoka, can we at least stop for a sec at let me buy some music first?"

But Madoka did not slow down, not at all, "This is a life and death situation, Sayaka-chan. Sorry."

Sayaka was a little unnerved with how Madoka is behaving right now, "Well, what is it anyway?"

"I don't know, and we're on our way to find out."

Madoka's reply did not satiate Sayaka's curiosity, but she relented anyway, "Fine, fine. If you say so."

As they continued walking, Kriemhild noticed something from within the vacant part of the mall.

"Hey, Madoka-chan. Do you feel that?" Kriemhild warily asked.

"I don't feel anything. What is it?" Madoka, who was still striding with a purpose, asked in return.

Kriemhild hesitated before she replied, "I feel something…familiar, somewhere in the mall. We should check it out."

This got Madoka's attention, "Huh? What about Homura-chan?"

"I don't know why, but I have a feeling that this may be as important as what Homura-chan wanted to tell us." Kriemhild replied confidently, something that confused even herself.

Gradually, Madoka slowed down, before she decided, "…Alright, I trust you, Kriem-chan. Lead the way."

Sayaka was caught off guard when they suddenly changed into another direction, away from the exit, "H-hey! Madoka! Where are we going now?!"

However, it was Kriemhild who replied, "I sense something strange in this direction, we should check it out."

Sayaka let out a yelp as Kriemhild dragged her with even more force, "Kriemy? What is it now?"

Kriemhild did not answer, and Sayaka doesn't like it when things get too cryptic. She had to remind herself that neither Madoka nor Kriemhild probably knows what was really going on, so Sayaka kept her mouth shut and decided to do something that she was not particularly good at: being patient.

At they kept walking quietly, they ended up in what seemed to be some sort of a construction site within the mall. None of them even knows what they're looking for or what awaits them there. But all three of them had a bad feeling about this.

Sayaka started to falter, "Kriemy, this place is giving me the creeps. I think we should leave."

Sayaka's not the only one who faltered, Kriemhild felt the same way, "Y-yeah. I'm starting to think that this is a bad idea."

Madoka mentally shivered.

But before they could turn around, their surrounding started to distort, it is as if the fabric of reality itself is being disturbed.

Kriemhild is now on full alert, "REALLY starting to think that this is a bad idea."

Sayaka was not faring any better, "YOU THINK?!"

Sayaka turned around to get them all out of here, and was dumbfounded when…"Where's the exit?! It was literally just behind us just now! Where did it go?!"

Kriemhild stammered in fright at the weirdness of it all, "M-maybe there's another way out…?"

Sayaka looked at Kriemhild in bewilderment, "You want to go exploring?! In a place like this?!"

"Well, we're not gonna find an exit by staying here, right?" the distressed Kriemhild retorted.

Sayaka nodded.

So they walked. And they keep on walking, aimlessly. Hoping to find an exit.

As they kept on walking, they encountered balls of cotton with moustaches of them – at least, what remains of them. Scattered in all directions were these cotton balls, all of them laying motionless on the ground, with various degrees of damage done to them. The trio might mistake them to be a part of the bizarre landscape if it weren't for the girl in the strange yellow outfit, shooting her muskets at the (still alive) cotton ball creatures with such grace.

Kriemhild, Madoka, and Sayaka were impressed by this girl's performance. So captivated that they did not notice one of the creatures sneaking up behind them.

It was Sayaka who noticed the creature that was about to ambush them, so she took the nearest rebar that somehow still exists within this maddening labyrinth, "KRIEMY! WATCH OUT!" Sayaka said as she swung the rebar at the creature with all her might. The creature was dead. It did not expect its prey to fight back, and it paid the price.

The commotion seemed to capture the attention of the yellow-clad girl, and she started to approach them with the most cautious look that Sayaka has ever seen.

Mami Tomoe did not expect that another witch would be present at the same place as her target witch. Mami wanted to end this interruption as quickly as possible, but did not expect her target to have come to a place like this.

The blue-haired girl, Sayaka Miki, had just killed one of the familiars with a piece of rebar, the commotion had caught her attention. As Mami approached the two seemingly-confused girls, she decided to pretend to be ignorant and friendly in her approach. At least, until the immediate threat is taken care of. Mami walked with an air of confidence as she blasted the familiars of this labyrinth, left and right.

As Mami got closer, she subtly observed Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki. In her observation, she had noticed that there is indeed the presence of a witch within Madoka, and at the same time, the presence of Madoka herself. Mami silently sighed in relief that there are still hope left for the host of the elusive witch.

Strangely enough, she couldn't see the witch's kiss anywhere on the two girls. So that rules out the witch's kiss possibility. That leaves the possibility that the witch is intelligent enough to trick everyone around it, perhaps including the host herself.

First things first, introductions, "What are you two doing in a place like this? It's dangerous, you know?"

"S-sorry…" 'Madoka' muttered.

"She acts normal, but it might be just an act. I have to be careful." Mami thought as she noticed that 'Madoka' seemed like she was genuinely sorry, "It's alright, I'll get the two of you out of here. By the way, my name is Mami Tomoe, I'm a magical girl."

"Mami…Tomoe…?" Sayaka muttered, as if trying to remember something.

"Magical girl?" 'Madoka' muttered, not as surprised as Mami had expected.

Suddenly, Sayaka remembered something, "Wait, aren't you the senior who pretended to go to the toilet every day? THAT Mami Tomoe?"

Her true mission nearly forgotten, Mami felt utterly dejected, "I see that my reputation precedes me…"

'Madoka' then chided Sayaka for her uncalled comment, "Sayaka! That's not nice!"

It seems to have an effect on Sayaka, "S-sorry…I shouldn't have said that, you did just save us just now…"

Mami only nodded in response, clearly not prepared for this situation.

Sayaka then introduced themselves, "Anyway, my name is Sayaka Miki, and this is…"

A while ago, Madoka, Sayaka, and Hitomi had agreed to respect Kriemhild's wish to remain hidden when meeting new people. They are, however, not actually required to uphold it all the time. It's honestly not really a big deal.

But after all the insanity that she had just witnessed, Sayaka decided to play it safe, "…this is Madoka Kaname."

'Madoka' caught on Sayaka's wordless concern, recalled Homura's word on how it is the duty of a magical girl to hunt witches, and played along, putting up a genuine smile while she's at it, "Nice to meet you, Tomoe-senpai!"

Mami noticed Sayaka's hesitation when she introduced the two of them, but returned the greetings, "Likewise."

Sayaka then awkwardly asked, "So…do you know the way out of here?"

"I do, but…" here goes nothing, "…would you like to watch me fight some more? Since you're pretty much already in on this, I might as well explain to you regarding things that relate to…" Mami stopped, and then gestured her hands up in the air at their surrounding, "…all this."

'Madoka' looked at Sayaka, silently asking for approval. Sayaka shrugged in response, "This is all so weird, might as well."

'Madoka' took it as a sign of approval, and smiled, "Lead the way, Tomoe-senpai!"

The walk itself wasn't very long, but Mami managed to answer some questions that were asked by Sayaka and 'Madoka'. All in all, the questions had been quite standard for someone who recently just got themselves immersed within the secret struggle between magical girls and witches. If she didn't know any better, Mami would have been happier to be around two new potential juniors.

Sayaka was the first one to ask, "Mami-san, what is this place?"

"This is a witch's labyrinth…"

Since Mami was the one leading the way, which is a very risky move, she did not notice that 'Madoka' and Sayaka had just flinched when she mentioned the word 'witch'. Mami continued with her explanation, "It is…some sort of a pocket dimension created by the witch as a place to hide itself from unsuspecting prey."

It was 'Madoka's' turn to ask, "Those cotton ball creatures…are they the witch?"

"No. Those are the witch's familiar, its minions. That doesn't mean they are not dangerous, even they can be deadly to humans. Sure, some familiars are passive, but that does not mean they are completely harmless." Mami explained, "You're quite lucky that your swung actually killed that familiar. Not bad for a couple of magical girl candidates."

'Madoka' was shocked by what Mami had just said, "Wait, what?"

Sayaka was feeling the same way, albeit a bit more perplexed, "Candidates? Are you serious?"

Mami could help but smile as she nodded, "Yes. Kyubey told me that the both of you have powerful potential."

To her credit, Sayaka seemed interested, "Wow! That's amazing!"

'Madoka', on the other hand, seemed less thrilled with the idea, "Y-yeah, I guess so."

None of them noticed it, not even Kriemhild herself, but the moment Mami mentioned Kyubey, Kriemhild felt some sort of a primal hatred against this 'Kyubey'.

"Then, what is this witch?" Sayaka asked, silently wondering if it was the same kind of witch as Kriemhild.

"Creatures that sow despair wherever they go. Driving people to do malicious acts, as well as suicide. And…" They stopped in front of a decorated door, Mami then summoned a single musket, and fired at the door. The shot completely blew the door off its hinge, alongside the three other doors behind it.

Behind the final door was a massive, bizarre-looking creature. Its head is decorated with a bush of roses, it sports a pair of butterfly wings, while the rest of its body is…hard to describe. It's Gertrud, the Rose Garden Witch.

Mami smiled confidently as she pointed at the witch, "…there's one right now."

Sayaka was nearly speechless at the sight, "Whoa! It looks weird…! Are you really going to fight that thing?"

Without looking at either of them, Mami nodded, "I am."

"Are you really going to be okay?" 'Madoka' voiced her concern.

"Despite the circumstances, she sounds like she's genuinely concerned." Mami thought, before answering, "I will."

Mami leaped into action.

With practiced elegance and honed skill, Mami leaped all around the witch, taking potshots whenever possible. The constant harassment enraged the witch, and it threw a giant red chair at Mami.

"Mami-san! Look out!" Sayaka shouted.

With no room to dodge, Mami blasted the chair into two, covering the area in smoke. Kriemhild and Sayaka couldn't see how Mami was doing in the smoke, and was starting to get worried until Mami jumped out from the smoke, carrying a giant cannon in her arms.

"Tiro Finale!"

The battle was over much quicker than even Mami had anticipated.

Mami landed gracefully. Had it been any other scenario, she would have sipped a tea as a finisher. But right now, she still has unfinished business here. So Mami settled with catching the witch's grief seed that just so happens to have been flung in her general direction. She pocketed the grief seed.

As the witch dies, the labyrinth dissipates, returning them back to the construction site.

"That was amazing, Tomoe-senpai!" 'Madoka' cheered.

"Yeah! I wanted to do that too!" Sayaka joined in.

Mami chided at Sayaka's brash enthusiasm, "Now now, are you sure about that? Life as a magical girl can be quite dangerous."

"Y-yeah, I guess so." Sayaka sheepishly replied, having just remembered that she was actually nearly petrified when they were ambushed by that familiar.

The atmosphere suddenly shifted as Mami narrowed her eyes, "And besides, I still have unfinished business with the two of you."

"Eh?"

"There is a witch within Madoka." Mami stated.

"Are you…talking about me?" 'Madoka'- no, Kriemhild asked cautiously.

Mami radiated a dangerous aura, and Kriemhild did not like that at all, "Oh, so the witch did take over her body. If you can hear me, don't worry Kaname-san, we'll get the grief seed out of you-"

"No!" Kriemhild shrieked at the idea.

Mami summoned a musket in her hands, "This isn't a request. Let the girl go, witch!"

But Kriemhild remained defiant, "I'm not going anywhere!"

"Don't make me do this…" Mami solemnly said as she pointed a musket at Kriemhild.

Despite the situation, Kriemhild still had the nerve to retort, "Then don't do it! Do you even understand what you're doing?!"

Sayaka doesn't understand why Mami is not listening to Kriemhild's protest, and frankly, she was afraid to ask. But she hated just standing there while one of her best friends is being threatened like this. So she got in front of Kriemhild, firmly holding the rebar with her hands. Her legs are literally shaking, but Sayaka braved on, "I-if you're going to take Kriemy away, you're going to have to go through me first!"

Mami begrudgingly pointed her musket down, but that doesn't mean she's giving up, "Step aside, Miki-san. I'm not going to hurt Madoka, I just want to get rid of the witch. Listen to me-"

Sayaka violently shook her head, "No! You listen to me! This witch is one of my best friends, and if you're still going to take her away, then you're gonna have to take her from my cold, dead hand."

Mami sighed at the spectacle, "I don't want to resort to using forceful methods, but you leave me no choice." With a gesture, she shot out strings of ribbons at the Sayaka and Madoka, in hopes of ensnaring the rebellious girls.

Before the ribbons could reach them, a raven-haired magical girl suddenly intervened and sliced all the ribbons with a combat knife.

Kyubey never said that someone else might intervene, thus Mami was completely caught off guard, "What the- Who are you?!"

Sayaka took a glimpse at their savior, "Homura?!"

Kriemhild recognized Homura much easier than Sayaka did, "Homura-chan!"

Madoka mentally cheered, "You're here!"

Homura pulled a MAG-7 pump-action shotgun out of her shield and started firing three shots, just to distract Mami long enough for Homura to enact their escape plan, "You two! Grab onto me if you want to live!"

Without hesitation, Kriemhild and Sayaka grabbed onto Homura's shoulder, and they were gone.

Mami, who had been hiding behind her makeshift ribbon shield, peered through it – only to find that Madoka and Sayaka, the witch, along with the mysterious magical girl, were already gone.

Mami Tomoe was completely at lost on what the fuck just happened within the span of a few minutes, "W-what is going on?!"

Some trivia, I guess.

*I lied.

**Awhile ago, Madoka drew a picture of Sayaka in a magical girl outfit. By coincidence, it is exactly the same as how it would actually look later on.

***Brain freeze may occur when you eat ice cream too quickly. Don't do it.

Edit: I just made a drawing on how I imagine Stowaway Madoka & Kriemhild would look like, check it out on my twitter! Link in my bio.