Homura stared blankly down at the table she was sitting at, her posture slumped and her eyes listless.
She could hear people arguing around her, fervent words and raised voices mingling together in a cacophony of sound that passed by her like so much dust in the air.
Because Madoka was gone. There was a gaping hole in her heart, one that would never heal no matter how many centuries passed, no matter how long her pitiful existence endured.
It had started with a sense of lingering dread, a bad feeling that just wouldn't go away. Then she had felt something inside her snap, something that had always been there, something important . . .
She hadn't been sure what it meant until she saw two strips of pink fabric drift in front of her face and felt the curious loss of a ribbon in her hair.
Fearing the worst, she had grabbed the remnants of Madoka's ribbon and rushed outside. But one glance at the sky told her everything she needed to know.
It was like the sky had been swallowed up by a sea of darkness. Absolutely nothing had been visible: no moon, no clouds, no stars . . . nothing at all.
The flitting form of tiny lights in the air had caught her attention, and with the aid of magic-enhanced eyes she had realized that they were angels. Angels fleeing what was once their home, their sanctuary.
She ran. Faster than she had ever ran before, her magic ignored in favor of the steady pounding of her feet on the pavement.
She needed to know. To know for certain if all hope was lost, if all her efforts to give her friend a happy life had been in vain after all.
When she finally intercepted them, they were at Kuoh Academy, bedraggled angels being quickly ushered into the safety of the school.
Michael had been there. She had run up to him, the question already on her lips –
He had simply looked at her and shook his head sadly.
That one gesture had told her everything she needed to know.
She didn't remember much after that. She remembered collapsing against the gates to the school, the vague feeling of someone helping her up and leading her inside. They had sat her down at this table and left a cup of tea in front of her.
The tea had long since gotten cold, its contents untouched. She didn't have the will to drink tea; she didn't have the will to do anything at all.
There was no point. She was useless, worthless garbage. She only had one duty, and she failed when it mattered most.
Someone like her should just give up and die.
Out of her sight, a purple gem darkened, its violet hue slowly fading closer and closer to black –
"That's enough!"
A loud voice shook her out of her stupor. She blinked and glanced around, realizing for the first time that there was an awful lot of people in the same room as her. Familiar people at that: the leaders of all three factions were present, along with many lower-ranking members as well. She spotted Rias and Sona along with their peerages, Xenovia and Irina, Vali and his posse, and many others she did not immediately recognize as well.
Azazel was standing up, his palms flat against the table. "This is no time to be pointing fingers. What happened, happened because the enemy outmaneuvered us. Instead of wondering who we should be blaming, we must pull together and answer this threat together. That is the reason why we are in an alliance, are we not?" He glanced meaningfully at his fellow leaders.
Sirzechs nodded. "That is correct. Rather than pointlessly bickering –" He shot a glare at the disruptive dissenters. "We should pool our knowledge and assess the situation."
The clamor died down as the leaders asserted their authority, bringing order to the room.
Serafall clapped her hands together. "Excellent! Now that we've all settled down, let's make sure we're all on the same page." She glanced to the side. "Michael-san, could you tell us what happened?"
The archangel's face was pale, clearly still shaken by the recent events. But his voice was unyielding and firm as he recounted his tale, of a panicked call by the goddess, followed by an alarming request –
Then finally, the intervention of Qlippoth and the one they all despised.
When he finished, there was a stunned silence as everyone pondered what they had heard.
Sirzechs leaned back in his chair, a contemplative expression on his face. "So if I understood you correctly, you are saying that due to the machinations of Qlippoth, the goddess Madoka has lost control and turned into a monster."
Michael flinched. ". . . Yes."
Another uproar followed, the outrage mainly centered around those associated with Heaven and the Church. They pelted questions at the archangel, demanding answers that he did not have.
Azazel cut them all off. "Enough! We are not concerned with the how or why of the matter; all we care about is what can be done to remedy the situation." A hand shot up in the crowd. "Yes, Issei-kun? What is it?"
"Well, um . . ." The brown-haired boy scratched the back of his head nervously. "I was just wondering where she was right now, that's all."
"The sentries I've posted report that no one has left Heaven since the angels fled, so I'd imagine that she is still somewhere in there –"
"Baka-Red is stalling her."
Her voice was soft, but all eyes turned to the young girl when she spoke.
"Ah, just what do you mean by that, Ophis-chan?" Serafall asked with a nervous look.
The girl popped another doughnut in her mouth, chewed slowly, and swallowed.
"Baka-Red is protecting us."
Another silence descended as everyone tried to piece the cryptic girl's words together. Then –
Azazel slammed the table with a first. "Damnit. So now she's on par with Trihexa and Great Red himself, isn't she?"
More muttering from the crowd. Concerned whispered flipped through the room, doubts about whether their leaders could handle this began to spread –
A wave of pressure washed over the room as a dark and imposing presence manifested itself. Sirzechs stood up, eyes coolly steeled and mouth set in a firm line. "It matters little how strong our opponent is. They could be the evilest of dragons, the most fell of abominations, the strongest of titans – no matter how powerful they are, there is nothing we cannot overcome together."
Reassured by his speech backed by his powerful reputation, the crowd fell silent once more, placated.
"Thank you, Sirzechs," Ajuka said. "Now that we've dealt with that, let us formulate our plan of attack; how are we going to eradicate this threat?"
Silence fell over the room. No one had ever encountered a monstrosity like this before, and thus no one knew what course of action would be effective against it.
"Allow me to take care of it."
Homura turned to look at the newcomer and felt her heart stop.
Flowing white dress, long pink hair, shockingly golden eyes . . . it was the goddess that Homura thought she had lost forever.
The others were in a similar state of shock, staring at the apparition that had appeared before them.
"M – Madoka-sama?" Michael asked, hope and despair warring within his voice. "H – How are you here? I thought you – "
The goddess turned to look at him, not a trace of recognition in her eyes. "Madoka? That was my name, once. But I am not here as an individual; I am here as the Law of Cycles."
Realization flashed through Homura like a blaze of fire. The Madoka who had taken up the mantle of Heaven here was simply a fragment of the Law of Cycles, which meant that the greater portion of the system remained intact and healthy. And now that it had detected the anomalous witch here and came to resolve the situation, everything would go back to normal afterwards, right?
Sirzechs glared at the Law of Cycles, suspicion evident in his eyes. "Who are you? Are you an imposter? Or did Michael lie about Madoka-sama turning into a monster?"
More whispers broke out as people began speculating wildly, but Ajuka silenced them all with a glare of his own.
"I am no imposter. And Michael did not lie. The goddess you have all known thus far was merely a fragment of a greater whole, and I am simply yet another fragment sent to deal with the anomalous witch that had spawned from the other fragment."
As the others met her explanation with looks of confusion, the Law of Cycles sighed and explained her position and role. As her explanation ended, Serafall turned to Homura to ask for verification.
"Is this all true, Homura-chan? What this . . . Law of Cycles is saying?"
Homura nodded. "Yes . . . it's all true. I can vouch for everything she's saying."
Azazel spoke up. "So, this 'Law' decided to send us some help, huh? That's convenient and all, but if you were sent here to deal with the 'witch' or whatever it's called, then why are you here, talking with us, instead of going out there and dealing with the situation?"
The Law of Cycles smiled sheepishly. "I'm afraid that exerting my influence across dimensions like this is not easy, and I have lost quite a bit of strength in the process. So, I'll need some help taking care of the witch."
"What exactly do you mean by 'take care'? Can you . . . turn her back?" Michael asked hopefully.
"Normally, any witches I erase are assimilated into the Law of Cycles. If this were a normal witch, I would assimilate her and my wayward fragment, and then I could spit her back out unharmed. But . . ." A frown. "This is no normal witch. This is an anomaly created by artificial means. I do not know what could've corrupted the other fragment to reduce her to this state, but it is too risky to assimilate her and potentially spread the corruption further into the system. No – " A shake of the head. "In this case, it is better for me to simply destroy the witch and the other fragment for good."
Michael frowned. "Destroy it for good? But . . . what consequences would that have for Heaven?"
The Law of Cycles smiled sadly. "I do not have the memories of the other fragment, so I do not know what other arrangements she made with you, save for the fact that her purpose in coming here was to take leadership of Heaven. But destroying the other fragment is not favorable for me either – it is a part of me that I will never get back, and in my weakened state, I do not think I can afford to send yet another fragment to be the leader of your Heaven."
A collective gasp echoed around the room as the implications sunk in. Heaven would be out of a leader once again.
But Homura did not hear any of that, such was the turmoil brewing in her mind.
So the Madoka I met here . . . is gone for good? The times we spent together, the memories we shared . . . was all of it for nothing?
She recalled memories of days long past, of the reason why she had made arrangements with Great Red to bring Madoka into this world, this strange world where even a god could have fun like a carefree mortal. It was so her friend could laugh and smile with others like a normal person, experience the excitement and joy that would normally be denied to her because of her endless duty.
And it was also so that she herself could be with her, so that two beings on separate planes of existence could be together once more.
What the Law of Cycles proposed . . . wouldn't bring about a happy ending at all.
Her fist clenched, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Why? Why was this happening again? Why did the universe always conspire to deny Madoka her happiness?
Was there even anything she could do about it? If the Law of Cycles stated that the Madoka she knew couldn't be saved, then who was she, a lowly magical girl to question her?
Her Soul Gem pulsed, and she recalled the power that she held, the merchant of miracles that dwelled within her. Could this power do something? If the Law of Cycles did not have the memories of the Madoka who had taken up the mantle of Heaven, that meant she did not know of the Sacred Gears, and thus wouldn't know if their power could salvage this situation.
Could she do it? Could she use her power to save the Madoka she knew, the one that had smiled at her so brilliantly? If the ending they were trudging towards was an unhappy one, then surely it would be better if she sacrificed herself to at least ensure the happiness of everyone else?
If it were for the sake of Madoka, she would be happy to make one, final sacrifice.
But to do so she would have to go against the Law of Cycles, the incarnation of her very best friend. She had no doubt her friend would try to stop her if she knew, that her kindness would prevent her from accepting someone else sacrificing themselves for her sake.
As her thoughts churned to forge a plan, Homura was dimly aware of the meeting progressing in the background.
"What do you need to destroy the witch?" Ajuka asked.
"To destroy an anomaly such as this, I would need to get closer to its core. If you all could help escort me to the site of its origin, I would very much appreciate it."
The core. If the Law of Cycles believed that to be a vital point of the witch, then perhaps if Homura enacted a miracle there, she could save the Madoka she knew. But to do so she would need to distract the Law of Cycles somehow to buy her time to carry out her plan – was there someone else she could call upon for help? Someone else who would protest this sad, unhappy ending?
Her eyes fell upon Michael. She didn't know the archangel very well, but he gave off the impression of a kind, caring person. But more importantly, he would benefit if the Madoka they knew was saved rather than destroyed.
It was worth a shot.
Concentrating, she opened a telepathic link between them.
"Michael-san? Can you hear me? This is Homura."
She could see him blink, yet he carried on his conversation in the meeting as seamlessly as ever.
"Akemi-san? What is it?"
"I have a proposal."
xxx
Azazel thought the sky looked like the dawn of the Apocalypse.
A great red dragon soared through the sky, battling swarms of twisted, shadowy figures. A great black shadow stretched far into the distance, so far into the clouds it reminded him of the Tower of Babel.
"It doesn't even have a barrier."
He turned to the person who had spoken, this lookalike who was both Madoka and yet not Madoka.
"Oh? Is that bad for us?" he asked.
The Law of Cycles shook her head. "No. In fact, it'll be a lot easier to get close if it's not hidden away in a barrier."
They were flying low to the ground, right above the tree line, to avoid being detected too easily by the witch and its minions. Around them, members from all ranks of the different Biblical factions were present, from the lowest recruit to the highest leader.
It was yet another impressive show of solidarity between the three once warring factions. Too bad there had to be another crisis involved with it.
A beam of magic shot up from the ground, and Azazel barely braked in time to dodge aside. Several others nearby weren't as unfortunate, getting shot out of the sky and tumbling to the ground.
"Ambush!" he called out. "Rescue team, retrieve the injured! Anyone with even a half-decent detection spell, throw it at the ground now!"
The people within the group dashed around to fulfill his orders. Soon, bright lights lit up the ground, revealing –
"Ah, the play-mates we were promised have finally arrived. And so many of them too! This'll be fun~"
Hordes of black dragons were scattered on the ground, their red eyes glinting menacingly in the dim light. A lone woman was among them, an outlier that grinned at them sadistically.
"Tch. Rizevim left us a welcoming committee, huh? What a bother." Azazel grumbled.
Ajuka frowned. "We don't have time for this. If the witch gets time to start moving, it could leave an untold amount of devastation in its wake."
Black wings beat the air as the evil dragons took flight, their hungry eyes locked firmly on the group in front of them.
"Ah, I don't think they're giving us a choice in the matter," Serafall said.
"Then we'll just have to split our forces," Sirzechs said. "Rias!"
The girl jumped from being addressed so suddenly. "Y – Yes?"
The normally stoic Satan smiled gently. "Take your peerage and go with Heaven's elite to make sure they succeed, alright?"
Rias nodded fervently, pleased that her brother was relying on her. "I'll do my best!"
Well, if the devils were sending people along with Heaven, then it was only fair that the Grigori do so as well.
"Vali."
His foster son glanced at him.
"Go with them as well, alright? I know you can handle things."
Vali grinned. "Sure, old man. Whatever you say."
The roar of the black dragons shook the air as they charged forward, eager to hunt their prey and rip them to shreds. As Azazel prepared himself, watching the others fly into the distance, he made a silent, heartfelt prayer.
And then the dragons were on them, and all he knew was blood and fire.
xxx
Sayaka was having a bad day.
It all started when a wave of darkness began pouring down from the upper levels of Heaven. No one quite knew what it was, but after someone started screaming when it touched them, everyone agreed that it was probably best if they ran away as quickly as possible.
And thus, the angels evacuated Heaven. Unfortunately, magical girls were a less tangible existence, which meant they weren't all that compatible with the mortal plane without Madoka helping to sustain them. So instead, they evacuated to the pocket dimension split off from the original Law of Cycles that Madoka had brought along.
And now, here she was, stuck in a pocket dimension with the rest of the magical girls, pressing herself against a pair of oaken double doors to keep them shut while the giggling figures outside clawed and scraped against them.
Not exactly how she wanted to spend her day.
Next to her, Kyoko, who was also using her body to barricade the doors, growled in irritation. "Are we just going to sit in here all day? Something's going down out there, and I'm not too keen on sitting the entire thing out!"
Mami sighed as she used her ribbons to reinforce the door. "And what exactly do you expect us to do? We have no information on the current situation, and recklessly doing something could be worse than doing nothing at all."
"We know that tide of darkness came from up top, don't we? So, we know that's where the action is!"
"Hey . . . wasn't Madoka up there?" Sayaka interrupted. "Do you think something might have happened to her?"
The other two girls paused.
"Pinkie? I do remember seeing her come back from her outing, thought she did seem a little under the weather at the time . . ." Kyoko said.
Mami tilted her head in thought. "So, we know she was here, but I do not recall seeing her evacuate with the others, neither with the angels nor with us. Which means . . ."
Sayaka stood up in a panic. "She's still out there! Damn, I knew I should've gone to check on her when the incident started!"
She turned to the door, ready to bolt out, but a hand clasped on her shoulder made her pause.
"Hey, Rookie." Kyoko glared at her. "Don't go shooting off by yourself half-cocked. You're only going to get yourself hurt."
Sayaka was flabbergasted. Kyoko of all people was telling her to be more careful?
Truly, the world as she knew it was ending.
"Weren't you the one who was so eager to get out there only moments ago?" she asked.
"I do want to go out there and do something," Kyoko said. "But I also want to have a plan when I do. I didn't live long enough to be a veteran with brawn alone, y'know?"
Sayaka snorted. Could've fooled her.
Mami sighed. "I suppose we do owe a great debt of gratitude towards Madoka-sama, so it is only right that we aid her in her hour of need. But how exactly will we deal with the enemies pounding on our doorsteps at this very moment?"
"Simple." Kyoko grinned as she whipped her spear out. "You loosen your ribbons just enough so that the doors open up a crack. I'll stab my spear through the crack until they're all gone."
"And what if the enemies are thin enough to slip through the crack?" Mami asked.
"Then Rookie will stab the ones that slip through."
"Uh, do I get a say in the matter?" Sayaka asked.
"Shut up and get in position, Rookie! The clock's ticking for that friend of yours."
Unable to argue with the point that they might very well be dealing with an unknown time limit, Sayaka stood to the side of Kyoko as ordered.
As soon as Mami loosened her bindings on the doors, a great force slammed against them, causing them to slide open until the rest of the ribbons stretched taut and prevented them from opening any further.
Shadowy tendrils stretched in, seeking purchase. Sayaka stabbed any that got too close for comfort while Kyoko used her extended range to strike down the source of the tendrils.
Soon enough, the enemies that had been gathered outside were thinned out, and they were able to take a breather.
Kyoko stuck a hand outside the doors, grimacing. "Shit feels weird outside. The air's all stiff and suffocating, almost like we're in a bloody witch's barrier again."
Sayaka exchanged worried looks with Mami. What could that possibly mean? Didn't the Law of Cycles mean that witches could no longer exist?
"We'll worry about that later," Sayaka said. "Right now, we need to – "
"Um, what's going on out there?"
Sayaka paused as she noticed that several other magical girls had wandered over. Nagisa stood there, fidgeting in place while a couple other girls stood near her.
They all had worried looks on their faces. And Sayaka couldn't blame them; this was an unprecedented situation, after all.
Mami knelt, speaking gently. "We don't really know, either. But we think Madoka-sama might be in trouble, so we want to go out there and help her."
Nagisa stared back, determination in her eyes. "Then – Then I want to help too! Madoka's done so much for me, and I want to help pay her back!"
Mami frowned and shook her head. "It's too dangerous; we don't have physical shells to protect us, so you could get seriously hurt out there."
"We don't care about that," an unfamiliar voice said.
Sayaka's gaze snapped to the side, noticing that even more magical girls had wandered over. They came in all shapes and sizes, bearing a wide variety of different colors, clothing, and weaponry.
But what they all had in common was that single-minded determination shining in their eyes, that strong will to fight for the sake of the goddess who had saved them all.
"These lives are but a second chance bestowed upon us by Madoka-sama. I can think of no greater honors than giving them up for her sake." The girl smiled. "Not that I intend to fall in battle on this day, of course."
As more and more girls began coming over, Kyoko laughed. "Pinkie's got quite the fan club now, doesn't she? Well, the more the merrier, I suppose."
Mami shook her head in disbelief. "This is really happening, isn't it? An army of magical girls is about to go charging into enemy territory with nothing but their wits and bravado."
Sayaka chuckled, patting her former mentor on the back. "I think it's quite inspiring. Just have faith, yeah? Watch, at the end of the day, we're going to go home with a happy ending in our belts. A happy ending that we all helped to make happen."
The other girl smiled softly. "Then I'll trust in your hope, Miki-san."
As the battle cries of the magical girls reached a fever pitch, the double doors flew open, and an army of hope rushed out to meet the tides of despair waiting for them.
xxx
The interior of Heaven was covered in darkness.
Homura wasn't particularly attached to the place, but even she found it disconcerting to find the normally beautiful, vibrant scenery to be tarnished by a witch's hideous ink.
But what she found more unsettling was the lack of a welcoming committee waiting for them.
"Where are the familiars? Surely there must be some inside as well," she said.
The Law of Cycles tilted her head, staring off at something only she could see. "Oh my. It seems my girls are fighting up there." Her brows creased in worry. "We should hurry. They might get hurt if we take too long."
Straining her ears, Homura caught the distant din of battle happening somewhere far away. So, that's where her former magical girl comrades were. She supposed she should be thankful that they seemed to be distracting the familiars inside Heaven for them. And with Rias's peerage and Vali keeping the familiars behind them distracted, hopefully they could race their way to the end uncontested.
"Allow me to lead the way," Michael said. "I know the fastest route to reach the highest levels of Heaven."
The three of them rushed forward, climbing ornate steps tarnished by darkness. Through it all, Homura found herself plagued by her doubts: was she making the right choice? Should she really be rebelling against her friend's decision?
"Madoka . . . if you had to choose between saving your friend and saving the world, what would you choose?"
The Law of Cycles did not falter in her steps, answering without missing a beat. "What kind of question is that, Homura-chan? I would try to save them both!"
Of course she would. For Madoka, a future where someone had to be sacrificed was not a future she wanted to live in. With only one exception:
"Then why are you so ready to give up on your other self?"
The goddess turned to look at her. "Do you know why I am called the Law of Cycles, Homura-chan?"
Homura had always thought it was just a curious name that some magical girl had thought of one day to describe the phenomenon that prevented them from turning into witches and it had just stuck.
"I am a law. A law that states that the girl once known as Madoka must erase each and every witch with her own hands. Either I erase the witch and assimilate it, or I simply erase the witch outright. And since the risk associated with assimilation might prevent me from erasing other witches, the law deemed it too dangerous to try. And thus, I must choose the only other option." A small, sad smile. "There is no third choice for me."
It was unfair. To think that Madoka had broken them out of the cycle of hope and despair only to end up in another cycle of her own making. A rigid, unyielding cycle that crystallized as a law of the universe.
But this was a different world, a world where rules could be broken. A world where even God himself could die. In this world –
Homura would defy the law binding her friend and save her.
xxx
Michael's hands were trembling.
It did not befit a warrior like him to have such shaky composure, did not befit an archangel like him to doubt his decisions so. But he couldn't help it.
For he was afraid.
As he, Homura, and the Law of Cycles continued their ascent towards the Throne of Heaven, he was afraid of what would happen, of what they might find. What if there was no way to defeat this witch after all? What if Heaven, the last gift his Father had left to him, fell into ruin because of his carelessness and neglect?
He should've been more careful. He should've warned Madoka more adequately. He should've stationed bodyguards near her at all times. He should've he should've he should've –
But it was no use dwelling on that anymore. He had one last role to play, one last chance of redeeming himself. It was something he would've never done before, something that had never even crossed his mind once.
All he had to do was stand up to her, his goddess. Or at least, this incarnation of her. Even if they weren't the same, even if this Madoka did not have memories of him, it still felt the same to him.
"I think we're close enough."
The three of them stopped, turning to look at the Law of Cycles.
She smiled at them. "I can sense the core of the witch, so I should be able to destroy it from here. Thank you for escorting me this far, but leave the rest to me, alright?"
He saw the alarm on Homura's face, saw her signal to him. It was time to play his part, it seemed.
As the Law of Cycles manifested a beautiful wooden bow, Michael stepped forward, a light spear in his hands. As she brought her weapon up, he darted forward, cleaving her weapon in twain and causing it to dissolve into particles of light.
"Huh?"
Shock. Surprise. Confusion. But the most damning emotion of all, the one that caused his heart to falter was the look of betrayal his goddess stared at him with.
An angel daring to defy their liege. How Azazel would laugh if he could see him now.
He saw Homura dash forward, now locked in a race against time. Time that only he could buy by stalling the Law of Cycles here until the girl could enact her miracle and save the goddess of Heaven.
Was this the right choice? He didn't have any guarantee that the girl could do it; for all he knew, the girl's plan was doomed to failure from the start and he was currently thwarting their best chance of victory here and now.
Once upon a time, he would've cut his losses. Once upon a time, he would've prioritized the safety of the world over the needs of an individual faction like Heaven.
But he had changed. She had changed him, this goddess in front of him, even if she did not remember it. She had showed him a world where everyone could smile, where people from all walks of life could laugh together in peace. But above all else –
He wanted her to be there with them.
Was that too much to ask?
He had lost someone dear to him already.
He couldn't bear to lose someone again.
So, he would put his faith into that girl. He would believe that she could save her, that goddess they both had grown to know.
"I'm sorry," he said. "But I cannot let you do that."
"Michael-san . . ." The Law of Cycles was bewildered. "Why did you stop me?"
"Because Akemi-san believes that she can save your other self. And I want to believe in that outcome, that future where a bright, cheery goddess still leads Heaven."
"Homura-chan?" Her eyes widened. "She's going to do something reckless to try and save the other fragment, isn't she? I can't let her – "
She tried to run past him, but Michael stalwartly blocked her path, his light spear outstretched.
"I cannot let you past. And I cannot let you fulfill your duty," he declared.
The Law of Cycles gazed at him, noticing his ironclad resolve, and smiled sadly. "I see. It appears we are at an impasse, then." She sighed. "There is only one way to settle this, then."
Her bow manifested in her hands, and an explosion of lights enveloped the two of them.
xxx
Homura was here.
In the throne room of Heaven, the sanctum of God, the core of where it all began.
Only one thing stood in her way.
"So you've come, little girl." Rizevim sneered at her. "But you're too late; my victory is already complete! The goddess that you all love so much will be the one to destroy this world! And the world after this! And the one after that!"
She paid no attention to the devil's ranting. She simply responded by blasting him with holy fire.
He flicked his fingers and the flames dispersed, washing over him harmlessly. "Have you no manners, girl? It is rude to interrupt your elders when they are speaking."
She didn't care for his theatrics or her manners. There was only one thing that mattered, and he was in the way!
Half her sight disappeared as she sacrificed an eye to the furnace churning inside her. Energy rippled outward, seeking out her enemy, who merely waved his hand and dissipated that as well.
"Your Sacred Gear is useless against my Sacred Gear Canceler!"
Seeing that her Sacred Gear had little effect, she resorted to using her magic, sending a barrage of energy at her opponent.
He responded in kind, weaving demonic sigils into a circle that conjured a glowing shield that easily withstood all her attacks.
"Is that all?"
The shield blasted outwards, throwing her back. Her wings flourished as she caught herself, standing back as she weighed her options.
She could try to rush past him. With her teleportation magic, she could do that easily enough; however, she didn't know how long it would take for her to save Madoka, and she couldn't afford for him to interrupt her efforts. No, dealing with him now was essential.
He could seemingly cancel out the flames of her Sacred Gear. And his skill in magic was high enough to match, perhaps even surpass her own.
She frowned. The odds were stacked against her.
A deranged laugh echoed throughout the desolate room.
"You can't hope to defeat me! My Sacred Gear Canceler renders your Gear useless, and I have centuries more experience using magic than you, little girl!" He spread his arms out wide. "Give it up. Perhaps if you surrender, your goddess will be kind enough to grant you a swift end."
He was right. She didn't want to admit it, but he was right. She didn't stand a chance against him, not as she was right now.
But that just meant she had to grow. To surpass the weakling that she once was and become the strong guardian capable of protecting her friend. Her very first, very best friend.
She had done it once before. She had transformed from a frail, pathetic weakling into a cold, cynical warrior. And that had only cost her soul.
This time . . . what would it cost? And what would she become?
What is the price, for overcoming this obstacle?
A furnace roared and awakened. It is a most steep price indeed. But that may be a moot point, for if you wish to use me to save your friend, then you cannot use me here. A price this steep would have a cooldown period of an entire day.
Homura cursed. She had forgotten; that clause that had been briefly mentioned in her discussion with her Gear had never mattered thus far so it had slipped her mind.
But if that was the case, then what was she left with? Her Gear couldn't help. Her magic wouldn't help. And there was no one else around to aid her . . .
No. There was . . . there was one other. Something that could only exist because the Law of Cycle had been pervaded and corrupted. It was something she wished she would never have to rely on, but she had little choice.
Failure was not an option.
But for this to work, she would have to despair. Her emotions were too tightly controlled to generate an emotional fluctuation that could quickly darken her Soul Gem and flinging around her magic to do the same was too slow. But there was another way, one that her Sacred Gear could help her with.
I need you to take my life. And quickly. Don't stop until I tell you.
She could almost feel the confusion radiating off it.
For what purpose? Were you not planning on using me to save your friend?
Yes, I am! But as long as you're not taking my life as part of an exchange, I will still be able to utilize you later, correct?
Correct. But I fail to see how draining your life force will be beneficial to you in this battle.
Just do it!
. . . If you insist.
Homura watched as her Soul Gem darkened, its violet hue slowly fading to black as more of it became enveloped in a dark mist. She could feel something seeping out of her, a dark void inside her growing larger and large. Her body grew sluggish, her eyelids heavy, her breathing labored. It felt like there was a darkness hovering just outside her reach, and if she let down her guard for but an instant, it would swoop down and devour her.
She shook her head, trying to shake off the trance. But she kept a close eye on the despair tainting her soul, watching until only the tiniest speck of violet remained.
It would have to be enough. She needed to maintain some shred of sanity if she were to save Madoka after this fight, after all.
Stop. That's enough.
She could feel the drain on her soul recede, a vague sense of relief filling her.
. . . What are you planning?
Was it just her, or did her Gear sound . . . concerned? Which made some sense, she supposed, since they were technically partners with a mutually beneficial relationship. And if something happened to her, her Gear would have to leave and find another suitable host, which she imagined was quite troublesome.
I have had many hosts over the centuries, but none have made as many sacrifices to me as you. None have been as pure hearted in their devotion to others as you.
I am the martyr, the sacrifice, the one who dies so that others may live.
That is what you are planning right now, aren't you?
She must have been more tired than she thought, to accidently let some of her innermost thoughts to the surface.
Yes.
Then I wish you the best of luck.
Incinerate Anthem fell silent after that. But that was fine. She needed to concentrate on the next part; she had no time to worry about her Sacred Gear.
She had taken shelter behind some debris to hide herself as she came up with a plan. In the distance, she could see her foe looking around, searching for her. Hopefully, she would have enough time to enact the next stage of her plan.
Thump.
Her heart pounded in her ears, a whining drone invading her head. There was a pulling sensation within her, like something was buried deep within her and it was trying to claw its way out.
THUMP.
She choked and retched. Her headache was growing worse. It felt like she had donned a crown of thorns, only instead of thorns it was nails hammered deep inside her skull.
THUMP.
It was too much. The sensation demanded to be freed, to be let out into the world, to be allowed to make its despair known!
Rizevim rounded the corner and spotted her. "There you are!"
Her head split in two and a wave of darkness washed over them.
xxx
Homura woke up with a pounding headache.
There was still a dull ache, a throbbing pain that refused to cease, but it was bearable. Tolerable. She could withstand it for a little longer.
There was a presence next to her. A being that she was intimately familiar with, because after all, they were part of the same whole.
Her witch stared down at her, its wide-brim hat covering its eyes. Its skeletal hands were clasped together, a long, black dress concealing the rest of its emaciated form. Dolls danced around its feet, little children that represented all the faults she hated about herself.
Rizevim was nearby, she could see. He had fallen over, his mouth set in a firm line as he gazed at the giant figure towering over him.
"A neat trick, little girl," he said. "But it will not save you. No matter how much you steep yourself in sin for this battle, you will not prevail! For I am the incarnation of sin, a descendent of the original Lucifer himself!"
She grew wary of his prattle. It would be so much better if he would just lay down and die.
As if responding to her thoughts, her witch lurched forward, the dolls surrounding it scrambling to get out of its way.
Demonic magic flew through the air, crashing into the witch. It shook it off, nary a scratch on it. Reaching out with a giant, skeletal hand, it sought to crush its prey –
The devil leaped out of the way, sending more blasts of demonic energy at it.
"Your familiar is slow, girl! Do you really think a bag of bones is enough to defeat –"
His voice was cut off in a scream of agony.
Peering closer, Homura saw that one of the Clara dolls had managed to sneak up on him, biting into his ankle with its wooden teeth. The devil shrieked as he tried to dislodge it, blasting at it until its body crumbled to ash.
"That was a cheap trick," he snarled. "But it's the last one –"
He screamed again. Another doll had snuck close, using a pair of scissors to slice through the tendons in his foot while he had been distracted by the first doll. As the devil collapsed to the floor, more of the dolls piled on, biting, stabbing, beating into the man over and over.
A blast of demonic energy erupted from him, disintegrating all the dolls. But the shadows rippled, coalescing into more dolls, more little children with glassy eyes and bodies filled with sin. They dogpiled him once more, slowly whittling down the Super Devil bit by bit.
Another blast. Another wave of shadows. Homura numbly sat and watched it all, her body too weak to even consider moving. She watched as her dolls tore the man apart. She watched as he healed himself, only for blades and sticks to pierce his flesh once more. She watched as the wounds stopped healing, yet the pain and beating continued.
The witch just sat there, watching its children play with their victim. Until at last, once the body was bloody and bruised, the witch gave a small nod.
The dolls, all recognizing the signal, jumped away.
The mess of blood and flesh trembled, its voice barely a croak. "I'll . . . kill . . . you . . . ."
Homura did not bother responding. She had no words left for this man, this villain who had dared to attack Madoka.
The witch crouched, reaching out with its bony hand. It picked the devil up, bringing him level with its face.
Then, slowly, it began bringing him closer and closer to its mouth . . .
Rizevim, suddenly realizing what was about to happen, began thrashing in the witch's grip. "No! Let me go! Damn you!"
He began pleading. Begging. Anything, he promised. He would do anything. If she would simply let him go.
But to Homura, the man had been damned the moment he had laid a finger on Madoka.
And a demon doesn't listen to the screams of the damned.
The witch bit down, a disturbingly loud crunch echoing through the room.
Blood splattered the floor, and a headless corpse fell to the ground.
xxx
There was a body in the center of the room. A cold, lifeless body with a sunken face and a dirtied dress.
Homura grunted as she dragged herself forward, clawing her way closer and closer to that body.
Her own body felt heavy, leaden. The Clara dolls attached to her ankles weren't helping matters either. Her witch merely stood to the side and watched, expressionless.
She couldn't dismiss them even if she wanted to. She was too far gone, one foot too deep in that other realm, that realm of hatred, darkness, and despair. The only thing keeping her sane was her drive, her determination to redeem herself with her dying breath.
Another inch. Another foot. Another meter. Agonizingly slowly, she crawled to the center of the room.
At last she was there, gently turning over Madoka's lifeless body so that it faced her. Her eyes were closed, her face surprisingly peaceful, almost like her friend was merely asleep.
I want to save her.
The furnace flickered softly, like it was contemplating something. It can be done. But at a cost.
Since when was there ever not a cost, she wondered.
Name it.
The cost will be you.
Not her life. Not her memories. Not even her body. Simply "you". An-all encompassing "you".
She laughed, a harsh, grating sound.
So, you're demanding my very existence now?
In a sense. The poison tainting your friend is a poison created by God himself. Mere mortals should not be able to defy one of God's curses – yet that is exactly what you are intending to do. Such defiance has dire consequences; your very self will disappear from this world. No one will even remember that you had existed.
How ironic. When Madoka had made her wish and ascended to another plane of existence, she had been wiped from the world she had once lived in. And now, the same thing was going to happen to Homura, only she would be gone for good.
But that didn't matter. She had walked into this room expecting the price to be suitably drastic. Being erased from reality was a price she was entirely prepared to pay.
Do you accept?
I –
She wanted to say yes. She had been prepared to say yes. But at that crucial moment, staring into the lifeless eyes of her best friend, she hesitated.
"It makes me sad when you get hurt, you know?"
Voices from ages long past echoed in her eyes, chipping away at her resolve. Was this right? Was this choice correct? She had told herself that her sacrifice would preserve everyone else's happy ending, but was that really true?
Wasn't there someone . . . who would mourn for her if she were gone?
Even if everyone else forgot about her, even if no one else remembered that she had existed, she knew that Madoka would remember. And she would cry for the friend she had lost.
If she went through with this sacrifice, she wouldn't be able to put a smile on the one face that mattered.
But if that were true, if both routes led to bad ends, what could she do? Was there even anything she could do? Was she helpless, after all?
Another memory surfaced, of a classroom where Azazel had encouraged her to be more selfish. To fight for the outcome that she wanted, not others.
What outcome did she want? What ending would make her happy?
That was easy. She wanted an ending where everyone was smiling. An ending where Madoka was smiling.
And she wanted to be there too, smiling alongside everyone else.
It was a greedy, selfish ending where no one was hurt, no one was sacrificed. But it was the one she wanted to fight for. Because –
It was the only ending that would make Madoka happy. And –
It was the only ending that would make herself happy.
So, if both routes led to despair, then she would simply create a third route that led to happiness!
No.
She could almost feel her Sacred Gear recoil in surprise. No? You will refuse this deal? Do you not want to save your friend after all?
No. I still want to save her. But she would want me to save myself as well. And I intend to respect her wishes.
She let out a heavy sigh. I'm tired of the pain, of the sacrifices. Today, right here and now, I will fight not only for others, but for myself as well!
As she voiced those thoughts, those words that had been wrapped deeply inside her all along, she felt like a great burden had been released from her shoulders.
. . . I'm surprised. To think that you had this kind of resolve within you. Very well –
The furnace inside her soul churned harder, reaching a fever pitch. She felt her wings explode outward, covered almost entirely in wreaths of purple holy fire.
Right here and now, I will lend you my full power. The power of Balance Breaker, so that your dream may come true!
Strength surged through her body, a power that she felt could defy God himself. Lines crisscrossed her vision, threads that could only be seen by one who wasn't bound to a single plane of existence.
Tell me. If you do not intend to pay the price by defying God's curse, then how will you save your friend?
Homura smiled. She saw the lines centered around her friend, saw the despair that ran through them to reach the goddess.
Isn't it obvious?
She knelt and gently grasped a handful of the threads.
If she is being crushed by the weight of the despair she must bear . . .
She pulled them towards her and –
Then I will simply stand next to her so that I may help shoulder her burden.
Wrapped them around herself.
An overwhelming weight pressed down upon her, the grief and madness of ten of thousands of humans. But no matter how much she shook under the strain, no matter how much her knees buckled under the weight, she refused to fall.
It wasn't fair to Madoka to have to bear the sins of humanity all by herself. And she knew her kindhearted friend wouldn't want to subject anyone else to the same fate.
But this was the fate that Homura had chosen. And it was one she intended to see through.
Inky-black darkness pressed in as all the world's evil collapsed towards a single girl. Evil that was met by a cleansing fire, burning away mankind's despair. But no matter how much she evil she burned away, no matter how much despair she cleansed, there was always more.
And right as she felt herself weakening, felt herself begin to collapse under the sheer weight of it all –
She felt someone catch her. She felt someone help her stand back up.
Homura looked to the side and found herself peering into golden eyes filled with kindness.
"Thank you, Homura-chan." Madoka smiled sadly. "I'm sorry you had to endure that. But since we're both here, let's do it together, alright?"
Together, they stood and lifted the weight of the world.