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A/N: Hi everyone. Polyglyph back again for another round at this veritable disaster in the works. Before we continue, there's one thing I should have mentioned before last chapter. There WILL be spoilers for both series, so if you want a better understanding of what's going on, I recommend having watched both TV shows. Their genres are pretty incompatible, but all the same, they're both very entertaining in their own ways.

With that out of the way, let's get started!

Uncertainty Propagation

Chapter 2: City of Witches

She stepped off the train and onto the station platform, taking in her surroundings as she moved toward the exit. The arching ceilings of glass revealed a starry, cloudless sky. The platform walkways were a pristine chrome, lit by fixtures on the walls and in the floors. And nearby windows gave way to buildings almost glittering with color, towering across the way. She'd visited big cities before, even Tokyo once, but none of them held a candle to the sight before her now. Seeing Mitakihara in person was almost like stepping into the future. It was serenely beautiful, imposing yet surreal. The kind of landscape that seemed more believable in an NWO level than in real life.

Her first thought was that she'd have to bring Kaede here someday.

Her second thought was that she'd made the right choice in coming here. There was a sense of magic in the air unlike anything she'd felt before. Expansive and foreboding, as if belonging to the city itself. It was almost tangible. Reaching out with her Soul Gem, she could sense more magical signatures than she could count, some of which she instinctively linked to other magical girls, despite feeling such magic for the first time. Some were obviously familiars, just like back home. But the rest, though ambient and indistinct, were noticeably darker and heavier. Presumably witches. Hopefully witches.

She steeled herself and left the station with a grin on her face, ready to track down her prey. She summoned her Soul Gem and found it already glowing. The relief she felt was second only to her excitement.

It was late and people were scarce, but even so, she made her way outside to an inconspicuous spot before transforming. Normally back home, she would have tried to be conservative with her magic. Especially with her Soul Gem in its current state. But with the sheer prevalence of magic in Mitakihara, she wasn't too concerned. Not to mention, she'd already locked on to the signal of a witch or familiar, and there were numerous more in case this one failed her. Unlike before, now she was confident she'd find a Grief Seed before exhausting her magic.

Risa took off at a quick pace, boosting her speed with a little magic. First away from the station, then into nearby streets. Occasionally she stopped to check her Soul Gem, just to make sure she was heading in the right direction. The houses around her were quaint and wore a simple but polished look. From the architecture alone, the almost artistic designs, she knew they were anything but cheap. Then she passed over a bridge and down several blocks, inching further away from the more residential areas and keeping an eye on her Soul Gem. At one point she stopped on a hill and could see a wide swath of the nearby city proper. In another direction was a fairly large waterway leading to the harbor, with spanning bridges crossing above at regular intervals. Another look at her Gem. It glowed brightly.

She kept going.

In ten, maybe fifteen minutes, she had finally tracked it down. She found herself, somewhat surprisingly, at a middle school, though it didn't resemble any middle school she'd ever seen. It loomed wide before her, with glass windows lining the front edifice on every floor and two large spires at the ends of the roof. She took one last look at her Soul Gem, confirming she'd found it.

"Time to wake up, Oboro," she whispered. She sent a nudging thought to the fox, and the Bridge of Bonds on her middle finger glowed, summoning Oboro to her side. He stretched once, then took a defensive posture. Risa held out her Soul Gem and probed the nearby labyrinth with her magic, revealing its seal. She looked at it cautiously, wondering as always if there were any meaning to the shapes and patterns of the glowing sigil. This one was blue with long strips connected to what appeared to be a ribbon. Below that, a sword? But no hilt. Surrounding those were weaving lines and thin pegs and other shapes she couldn't recognize, some which looked like letters from a strange alphabet. She didn't know what to make of any of it.

She looked down at Oboro. "Ready?" He barked once, attempting to look aggressive but he was too cute to do so. Risa chuckled and summoned her trademark daggers to her hands. Together, they bound forward into the labyrinth.

And then they were falling.

The labyrinth greeted them with an endless blue expanse, cluttered with clotheslines and falling chairs and flying desks. She grabbed onto one of the lines, feeling it bend to catch her. Quickly pinpointing a nearby desk, she used her momentum to swing herself towards it, landing in a crouch and grabbing hold of it for stability. She looked for Oboro in the chaos, and found he'd also managed to land on a desk, one not too far away. She sighed in relief and took in her surroundings.

The air was thick with dark magic and a heaviness she'd never felt. This had to be a witch. All around her, there was only blue sky, dotted with clouds above and below. No ground. Pinned to the clotheslines were pieces of generic school uniforms —blouses with bows and shirts with ties, flapping in the strong wind. Pairs of legs on ice skates glided on the lines, occasionally rotating as if unbound by gravity. Chairs seemed to fall from above at random speeds and intervals. Some of the flying desks moved together in groups, others moved about on their own, but they didn't seem otherwise dangerous. Some even seemed to follow a path, never changing direction, almost like in orbit.

Or maybe it was an orbit. Looking up, she found the witch at its center. A monstrous torso wearing a navy skirt and matching shirt, a red bow at the neck. There was no head or legs, only large, protruding arms. Two growing out from the skirt, five from the top.

She knew it was no time to gawk, so she focused and tried to think of a way to reach her target. But it was unsettling, seeing a witch for the first time. Its bizarre, human-like appearance put her on edge. All the familiars she'd faced had looked nothing like this. They more resembled animals or objects or weird fusions of the two. The change was disconcerting. She tried to push past it.

She looked again over at Oboro, thinking she should probably go to him first. She knew he could take care of himself, but she'd feel better if he was with her. Unfortunately, there was no simple way to cross the gap. She'd have to use her surroundings.

From above, flying, dismembered hands began to rain down from out of the witch's skirt. Risa jumped from desk to desk, sending slashes and gusts of wind to cut through or divert the projectiles before they got close. One more ricochet maneuver and she landed next to Oboro, who wasted no time jumping onto her shoulder. Then she leapt out of the path of more incoming hands.

She needed to get closer to use Wind Cutter, and she didn't know how many more times she could even use it. With only daggers against a long-range enemy, she was definitely at a disadvantage. Time to get creative.

The attacks came again, but she deftly avoided them, hopping from platform to platform and swinging herself from the clotheslines while avoiding the familiars. Risa began climbing higher and higher to put herself on a more even plane with the witch, and as she did, she went on the attack, throwing a dagger and accelerating it with a powerful gust of wind. It found its target, piercing clean through the witch. As she moved, she threw the other one in the same manner, then recalling the first, which manifested in her hand in a burst of light. She continued the pattern, dodging and attacking, steadily gaining altitude. The witch screeched in response to her assault, but she moved too quickly for the witch's projectiles to find their mark.

That's when she made a mistake, thinking only the flying hands could attack. When she got too close, one of the lower arms reached out and grabbed her mid-leap, right in the interval where she was missing her daggers. The hand clenched and squeezed her, and Risa screamed in pain, trying to enhance her strength with magic to keep from being crushed. Oboro came to the rescue, dashing up the forearm and lighting the elbow upward with a breath of fire. It spread quickly, and the witch let go, dropping Risa and letting her fall.

"Oboro!" she screamed. She had to get up there! There were no immediate surfaces or clotheslines below her, so with a split-second decision, before she had even fallen a few meters, she summoned her magic. A cone of green and blue rings formed below her, and when she landed center of the topmost ring, the others collapsed into it and launched her upward with a burst of air.

She landed against the underside of the forearm and thrust her daggers into the witch's flesh, burying them up to the hilt. Then she used them to flip herself over and onto the burning arm. Oboro was already near and jumped back to her shoulder just as the other arm approached, its hand reaching out to grab her again. This time she was ready.

Leaping out of the way and in the direction of the nearest platform, she shouted, "Wind Cutter!" and sent the first spinning blade of air through the wrist, chopping off the hand. The second blade was aimed higher and severed the upper arm near the top of the skirt. The large dismembered hand and arm went limp and fell slowly into the sky. The other arm was almost completely engulfed in flames.

Risa landed on a desk and stood at the ready, trying to calm her breathing. More falling hands came at her, catching fire as they descended. She planned her path and quickly escaped out of the line of attack, climbing once again towards the witch.

She was reaching her limit, she realized. Leaping from point to point was getting exhausting, and using Wind Cutter so early hadn't helped. She needed to end this soon.

The two arms below the skirt were out of commission. Once she made it above the skirt's opening, the witch would have to reposition to attack, and that should buy her time. Unless the witch had any other tricks up its sleeve. But Risa was planning to play it safe. A few more leaps, and she grabbed a clothesline level with the witch's waist. She hung there for only a moment, quickly deciding what to do. The five arms up top would probably be the next threat, and she wasn't confident she had enough Wind Cutters to take them out. But if the lower arm had caught fire, then hopefully the uniform would too.

"Team attack, Oboro. Ready?" The fox gave a short howl in reply. "Hold on!"

Risa swung herself around the clothesline to build momentum. The witch turned to reach at them with its top arms instead, but it was too late. Risa let go of the cord and launched herself upward, righting herself midair. She crossed her daggers in front of her as Oboro jumped from her shoulder, embers spilling from his mouth. Near the peak of his jump, he shot three fireballs down at the witch, letting them off in quick succession. An instant later, Risa's momentum centered her along the same line. Air currents swirled violently in front of her, creating a vortex where the blades met.

"Firestorm!" she yelled, swinging her daggers apart. The cyclone blasted outward, striking the nearest fireball and propelling it into the others. They merged and expanded, stoked by the miniature tornado, and became a spinning ball of orange flames as large as the witch itself.

The attack flared on impact, and the witch's scream filled the labyrinth. The funnel lost rotation and dissipated, leaving the witch engulfed in roaring fire. The body began to slowly fall. A two-part chime resonated through the sky.

Risa fell as well, but not for very long. The air around her wobbled, and she touched down on terra firma. Oboro landed in front of her. The labyrinth disappeared, vanishing like a mirage. She was back at the school. And in front of her, a black jewel wrapped in silver filigree dropped steadily to the ground.

Dispelling her weapons, Risa wiped her brow and headed over to collect her reward. She hadn't expected their attack to be that powerful. She'd figured it would at least need some refinement. But the results spoke for themselves. Now, in addition to the precision strike that was her Wind Cutter, she had a devastating Area of Effect attack. It reminded her of Mii's absurdly powerful fire spells. The ones only Maple, "The Walking Fortress," could withstand.

She reached down and picked up the dropped item, the witch's remains. So this was a Grief Seed? She studied it for a second, noting its shape. She could feel echoes of the witch's magic inside.

Wait. She felt another magic too.

Her eyes widened in alarm, and she hurried to her feet. In the garden area bordering the path, a girl dropped from a nearby tree. Risa clenched the Grief Seed in her fist. Oboro stepped in front of her protectively.

"You know, it's rude to hunt in someone else's territory." The girl crossed the threshold and emerged from the tree's shadow into the moonlight, stopping only a few meters away.

The first thing Risa noticed was that the girl was already transformed, although it didn't look like she'd summoned her weapon yet. She wore a white and gold outfit, with brown boots and corset. A pillbox cap rested on blond hair done up in ringlets. The next thing she noticed was how strong her magic felt. Not to mention the words she used. Hunting? Territory? Definitely experienced. The last thing she noticed was the girl's expression: a thin mask of a smile, pretend kindness not even attempting to hide what was really there.

Suspicion. Anger.

This girl was ready to fight.

They stared each other down, and Risa had only seconds to decide what to do and how to respond. If she were Sally, she'd probably give a witty reply and go down fighting. But she wasn't Sally right now. She was Risa. Dying over a Grief Seed didn't seem like a good idea, no matter how badly she needed it. Her usual approach was ill-suited for this kind of situation. Kaede was always the one de-escalating and building bridges, not her.

But she had to try.

Biting back her pride, she slowly raised her hands, loosening her fingers to show the Grief Seed peeking through. She felt a small swell of relief when the girl's expression downgraded from open hostility to plain caution. Risa chose her words carefully. "I didn't realize this area was yours," she said. "I'm not from here. I just came looking for a Grief Seed."

She must have said something wrong because the glare returned. "That's exactly the problem," the blonde said. "Mitakihara is already under my protection. Kyubey would have told you that, but you came anyway. Which means you're deliberately trespassing." She stopped, head tilting down. "Is . . . Is that a fox?" Her tone changed, as did the look on her face, as if completely caught off guard by what she was seeing.

Risa didn't know how to handle the abrupt shift. Her arms lowered to her side. "Yeah, it is. His name's Oboro." The girl didn't say anything, clearly confused. Maybe she'd thought it was Kyubey? Then again, maybe it was just Oboro's appearance. It wasn't every day you saw a domesticated white fox, especially one with a strange forehead marking and a shimenawa collar.

At any rate, this girl suddenly wasn't so intimidating. Risa continued, pushing the opening. "Look, I didn't mean to cause trouble. I just really needed a Grief Seed. That was my first witch since I contracted. All I kept finding back home were familiars."

The other magical girl looked surprised. Then she seemed to notice the jewel on Risa's breastplate. "I . . . see. I didn't realize your Soul Gem was that dark. If I may ask, when did you make your wish?"

"Two Saturdays ago," she replied honestly.

The blonde raised a knuckle to her chin in thought. "How strange. Did Kyubey not try to help you?"

At that, Risa laughed awkwardly. "Actually, Kyubey kinda bailed on me." She gestured to Oboro with a wave of her hand. "Oboro really didn't like the guy." The fox sat and began scratching behind his ear, as if acting innocent. Risa rolled her eyes. Little troublemaker. "Anyway. I'm Risa. Risa Shiramine, third year at Shiroishi Junior High. And I really wasn't trying to steal your kills. Let me have this one, and I'll pay you back next time."

The girl looked somewhat distraught, and after another confused glance at Oboro, she cleared her throat. "No, that's okay. In fact, I think we started off on the wrong foot. I'm Mami Tomoe, third year at Mitakihara Junior High." She paused and for the first time gave her an honest smile, if not an embarrassed one. "You'll have to forgive me for confronting you like that. You're the second new magical girl I've seen around here. I think it's made me a little apprehensive as of late." She nodded and gestured with an open hand. "Go ahead and purify your Gem. You need it more than I do."

Risa smiled back at her. "Thanks." Now it was her turn to look sheepish. It felt strange being the newbie. "But, um . . . how do I do that?"

This time Tomoe chuckled. "Just hold the Grief Seed next to your Soul Gem."

"Got it," she said, summoning her Soul Gem back to its jewel form as Oboro returned to her side and sat by her feet. Then, with Oboro and Tomoe as onlookers, she held out her palms, Soul Gem in one hand, Grief Seed in the other. Sure enough, she watched (and even felt) the dark miasma being siphoned from her Gem. It didn't take all of it, but it removed enough for her to feel noticeably lighter, for her magic to feel a good deal stronger. Not long after the process began, the transfer stopped on its own. The jewel was now a healthier, brighter color, and the Grief Seed swirled with energy.

"The amount of magic a Grief Seed can restore is limited," Tomoe began. "Normally they can be used a few times, especially if it was a stronger witch. But with the state your Soul Gem was in, it's not surprising that this one was used up. May I?" Risa nodded, and Tomoe slowly closed the distance between them. Then she carefully took the Grief Seed from her hand. "Used Grief Seeds will turn back into witches on their own, so we have to give them to Kyubey to take care of. I'll give him this one next time I see him."

Risa smiled at her. "Thanks, Tomoe. I really appreciate it." Her Soul Gem rematerialized onto her breastplate, as Tomoe stepped back to give them both space. "I'll swing by sometime with a new Grief Seed to pay you back."

"That's a kind offer, but it really is unnecessary," she said gently. Then her smile became a thoughtful frown. "But what will you do if you still have trouble finding witches?"

Risa shrugged. "Start looking somewhere else, I guess."

Tomoe looked troubled at her answer. "You'll run into more magical girls that way. Most of the nearby cities already have one. Some even have a few."

She would have questioned the statement had Tomoe not sounded so certain, like she was speaking from firsthand knowledge rather than hearsay. If witches and magical girls really were that prevalent, why hadn't she run into a single one before tonight? It was frustrating, and just more bad news for her, especially if witches didn't start appearing back home. "It's not like I have much of a choice," she said with a grimace.

"True." Tomoe looked down, as if thinking something over. "You said you're from Shiroishi? How far is that from here?"

The question caught her off guard. "About an hour by train."

"That makes sense. And it's to the west, if I remember. Why didn't you stop in Kazamino?"

"I just figured there'd be more witches in bigger cities," she answered honestly. "Why? Should I hunt there next time?"

Tomoe frowned. "No, you should avoid Kazamino if you can. But that's not what I meant. I was just wondering why you came all the way to Mitakihara." Then she offered Risa a warm smile. "Actually, I have an idea. If you're going to be traveling anyway, why not come back here? I don't mind sharing if we can keep things civil."

Risa blinked in surprise, the offer seemingly coming out of nowhere. She tried to be skeptical. It didn't last long. From what she'd seen so far, this girl wasn't the duplicitous type. Heck, she'd let a complete stranger have a Grief Seed from her territory, just because she needed it. She wasn't just nice, she was too nice. It was like Kaede instantly forgiving Kasumi for attacking them during the second event. Okay, maybe not with same air-headedness as her friend, but still.

"Are you sure?" Risa asked. "Wouldn't that cause problems for you?"

Tomoe shook her head. "Not at all. In fact, I was thinking we could work together. Mitakihara has a lot of witches, after all, so it would be a good arrangement for both of us." She clasped her hands behind her back. "And there may be more of us soon. There are two other girls with potential. Friends of mine, actually." She paused, seeming to come to a decision. "They're coming over Saturday for tea. Why don't you join us?"

A tea party invite? Not exactly how she expected the night to end, although it really did drive home just how trusting this girl was. Though it's not like she was wrong about Risa's intentions. "What do you think, Oboro?"

She looked down at the fox, who was already padding over to Tomoe. The girl noticed and knelt down, and the fox circled her once before pressing his head against her palm. He barked happily.

Well, if Oboro was on board, then she was too. "I guess that settles it. I'll give you my number, and we can keep in touch. That way you can send me the details for Saturday."

Tomoe smiled back at her. "Sounds perfect."

A minute or so later, Risa had given Tomoe her mail and number, and Oboro was once again sitting on her shoulder. "Thanks again, Tomoe. I gotta get back home, but I'll see you Saturday, okay?"

The Mitakihara girl nodded and waved, and Risa took off at a leisurely pace, heading back to the train station and thinking about how tonight turned out. She'd fought a witch and found her first Grief Seed, so already it was a massive success. She'd also found her first magical girl ally. Maybe even a partner, if she was reading her right. Maybe a whole team, if those other girls contracted. It wasn't a substitute for Maple Tree, and there'd never be a duo like Sally and Maple, but this dynamic could be fun in its own way.

Things were really looking up.

After the events of the previous night, returning to school felt like a welcome reprieve, like a post-tournament cool-down where she could just relax and take it all in. She'd come across a tough familiar, an even tougher witch, and a surprisingly kind although originally intimidating magical girl, all in one night. Much more eventful than she'd planned, but it had worked out all the same. Now, with a cleaner Soul Gem and a weight off her shoulders, it was nice to be back to the usual. Her parents didn't seem to suspect anything —they hadn't mentioned anything that morning, at least —so they must not have noticed she was gone. Another win in her book. Although, to be honest, she had to wonder how magical girls kept this double life secret from their parents. For some reason, it felt like every magical girl anime she'd ever seen (though admittedly she'd only seen a few) completely undersold just how difficult that part was. Sneaking around, fighting evil, and not getting caught? How on earth did most magical girls do it? Absently, she wondered if Tomoe had any insights there.

She also cheered inwardly that she'd finally found another magical girl to talk to. The feeling was like meeting someone else who played your favorite game. Saturday suddenly felt like it couldn't come soon enough.

Of course, if there was one person she wished could be a magical girl with her, it was the girl moping in front of her.

"I can't believe Payne just reached level eighty," Kaede sighed. "I'm not even level fifty yet."

They were waiting for the morning bell and for first class to begin. Kaede was at her desk, Risa sitting atop the one in front of her. Ever since the fourth event, they'd made friends with The Order of the Holy Sword and The Flame Emperors, but Kaede's rivalry with Payne seemed more intense than ever. This wasn't the first time this week that Kaede had mentioned Payne's spot on the leaderboards, and Risa scanned them herself once every few days. But even for her, that was a bit of a surprise. He'd been level seventy-six last she looked.

Payne may not have had Maple's ridiculous luck or her nearly game-breaking skills (Risa still wasn't convinced that some of those hadn't been intentionally added to the game in hopes of Maple finding them), but there was no denying the guy had commitment. He was determined to surpass Maple, and the NWO community argued back and forth on which one of them was the better player.

To Risa, it was pretty obvious.

"Is it really that big a deal? So what, if he's ahead in levels? You beat him in the guild battle with a thirty-level gap between you two, dummy." She affectionately knocked on her friend's head. Kaede pouted.

"But what if he gets stronger and beats me next time? I haven't found any more skills since Machine God."

Risa laughed. "Trust me, you'll find some. Knowing you, your next one will probably turn you into a giant lava golem or something."

Kaede laughed too. "I hope not. That wouldn't be cute at all."

Risa eyed her with a raised brow. "Oh, and Atrocity is cute?"

Her friend blushed. "Kind of?"

"No way! You only think that because you haven't seen how terrifying you are when you use it." Risa's phone buzzed from the pocket of her skirt. She made a mental note to check it during class. "Besides, Machine God isn't cute either."

"It's cool though, isn't it? At first I wasn't sure, but now I'm really glad I found it."

"I bet," Risa chuckled. "Guess I'll just have to settle for inventing fake skills over here."

Kaede shook her head, a determined fire lighting in her eyes. "Nu-uh. We'll find you a new one for sure. Oh, that reminds me! I took Yui and Mai on a quest the other night. We had to help this scientist collect materials for an invention of his, and when we finished, he gave us two new accessories."

"Oh? What were they?"

"Frost Gloves and Lightning Gloves," she said excitedly. "It was perfect for them. Now their melee attacks do elemental damage too!"

Risa laughed. "I should have known you'd find something like that. But you're right, it suits them. They really have come a long way, haven't they?"

"Yep," she cheered. "They're so much fun. I'm really glad they joined Maple Tree."

"Same here."

Of course, Mai and Yui were probably the ones happiest to be a part of their guild. No one else in Maple Tree knew just how much the guild meant to those two. The twins had confided in Risa, telling her that they'd been thinking of quitting back when Kaede had scouted them. That they hadn't been improving. That they didn't have any friends in the community. That she found them just in time. Kaede probably didn't realize just how much her kindness helped people, in game and in real life.

It was one of her best qualities.

The teacher entered the room, and the bell rang not long after, signaling the start of morning class. "All right, quiet, quiet. Back to your seats everyone," the teacher called.

Kaede pouted again. Risa pat her on the shoulder. "We'll talk more at lunch, okay?" Her friend nodded.

When she crossed the room and returned to her seat, she subtly checked her phone. It was a text from Tomoe.

– Good morning, Shiramine. I take it you got home safely last night?

Risa typed back a replyand tucked away her phone.

– Yep, no problems. Still okay if I come by, tomorrow?

Although, now that she thought about it, it was kind of an odd question. Sure, middle-school girls traveling at night was usually a bad idea, but the normal dangers didn't really apply to magical girls. Was Tomoe already worried she'd run into another witch or something?

It was a while later before she got a reply, although it made sense considering they were both in class right now. Most of the texts came in the interim between lectures, but their conversation continued over the next few hours.

– Of course. We're planning to meet at my place at 3 PM. Do you think you can make it?

Risa thought about that one. It was kind of towards the late end of the day, but it shouldn't really interfere with her plans. She just had to be back for dinner, after all.

– 3 PM works fine for me.

– Great! I'll send you my address.

Sure enough, a Mitakihara address followed.

– Got it, thanks. So what should I expect for Saturday? You said there are other girls coming?

– Yes, two girls from my school. They're a year younger than us. We'll have tea and snacks, and then maybe go on a small hunt if they're feeling up to it. I think it would also be a great chance for us to try working together.

Risa wondered what kind of weapon Tomoe used, what kind of combos or team attacks they could devise. Throw Oboro in the mix, and the possibilities became even more interesting. Maybe Tomoe had some sort of element-based magic, like Risa's wind or Oboro's fire. She didn't really know what kind of powers magical girls could possess, and it's not like she had any experience to go on. She could always ask, but felt it might be more exciting to see it herself.

– Count me in.

– Glad to hear it. There are two things I should probably tell you, though.

– What is it?

This time, Risa was almost caught by the teacher and slid her phone in her pocket as quickly as she could. Thankfully, she didn't receive any more messages until around lunch time while she was eating with Kaede.

"Risa, if you keep texting in class, you're going to get in trouble," Kaede said with a worried frown.

"It'll be fine. I'm a master of stealth, remember?" She glanced at her phone. This one was a fairly long message, so she opted to ignore it for now.

Her friend looked unconvinced. "Still . . ." Kaede trailed off, letting it slide even when it obviously bothered her. "Who were you talking to, anyway?"

"Just someone I met recently. This girl from another class." Technically true. "She might be joining New World Online soon, so I've been giving her some tips and stuff." Flat-out lie. Although part of her wondered if Tomoe played video games or might be interested in trying. Going forward, if hunting in Mitakihara continued to go as smooth as it did last night, maybe Risa would actually have time to play NWO regularly again.

"We should invite her to Maple Tree!" Kaede said with a beaming smile.

Risa shook her head with a laugh. "Let her get some experience first. Like I said, she doesn't even play yet."

"Fine," Kaede huffed. Then her eyes widened. "Oh! I just remembered something I wanted to ask you."

"What's up?" She took another bite from her bento.

Kaede tilted her head with an excited smile and asked, "Did you get a dog recently? I heard one in the call last night."

Risa almost choked on her food. Almost. "Oh, that? Nah, some web page just auto-played a video."

Kaede sank in disappointment. "Awww."

"Come on, Kaede. You know my mom would never let me get a pet. She'd say I'd just ignore it and play VR games all day." And to be honest, that might have been true at one point, as loathe as she was to admit it. She'd never thought of herself as an animal person. Bonding with Oboro had definitely changed that.

Her friend nodded in understanding, and they moved on to other topics. Mostly NWO, but they talked about classes and homework too. When lunch was over, Risa and all of the other students returned to their seats, and class resumed. But before it did, Risa managed to get a look at her phone and see Tomoe's latest message.

– One of the girls has a great deal of magical potential. More than anyone I've ever met. You'll understand when you meet her, but please don't say anything about it. I don't want her to feel pressured into making a wish.

Okay, easy enough, she figured. Actually, that was pretty considerate of her. Her respect for the Mitakihara girl rose some more.

– No problem. I'll keep it between us.

– Thank you. And as for the other thing, it's actually a bit of a warning.

Risa didn't know how to interpret that. She also didn't know what the proper response would be, so instead of asking, she decided to wait. When she looked at her phone, an icon in the corner showed Tomoe was currently typing. A minute or two later, she got a new text.

– There's another magical girl already in Mitakihara. She showed up fairly recently, and . . . she's not exactly kind. She may even be dangerous. I admit I don't know much about her. Kyubey doesn't either. He says he never contracted her.

Risa frowned. Never contracted her? That didn't make any sense. Wasn't Kyubey the one to create magical girls in the first place?

– Is that even possible?

– Apparently it is. Since you'll be in Mitakihara more often, I figured you should know. But don't worry about it too much. If it comes to a fight, I can handle her. Just avoid her if you can.

So, there really were hostile magical girls too. Ones that probably fought others and stole Grief Seeds. She'd have to be on guard, just in case.

– Good to know. Thanks for the advice.

– Any time. :)

The rest of the day passed fairly quickly. When school let out, she and Kaede walked home together, talking about their planned sleepover and where they should go in Level Three. Kaede apparently had been reading up on some of the scenic areas available, and Risa had to admit, after all the magical girl excitement, she'd probably be A-Okay with just relaxing and exploring. Their fun detours back in Level One seemed like forever ago.

It wasn't long before they parted ways, and after Risa made it home, she greeted her parents and went up to her room. Once the door was closed behind her, she sat on her bed and summoned Oboro from the ring. The fox appeared on the floor but immediately jumped into her lap.

"Arf!"

Risa put her finger to her lips with a barely contained smile. "Shhhhh!" she chastised, petting his head. She pulled out her phone and decided to send another text to Tomoe.

– By the way, thanks again for letting me keep the Grief Seed. It meant a lot. I'll text you tomorrow when I'm on my way.

She waited for a few minutes, setting her phone on the covers and playing with Oboro. From under the bed, she retrieved a knotted rope toy she'd bought with her allowance and played a bit of tug of war before letting him have it. The next phone alert came, but it was from Kaede: a selfie with her VR headset on and the victory sign.

Her friend was such a dork.

Tomoe hadn't responded, but Risa figured she was probably busy. With Oboro settling in her lap, she looked over at her own headset and gloves, wondering if she had time to play a little. Probably not. She had a backlog of homework and studying to do for Monday, and tomorrow was going to be an all-nighter anyway. Best to get the work out of the way now.

Moving Oboro to the pillow, she grabbed her bag, went to her desk, and removed her binders and school tablet. Apparently unsatisfied, Oboro pulled her pillow to the floor and dragged it over to the desk. Then he set it beside her chair and lay down on top of it. She reached down to pet him again.

"No witches or familiars tonight," she said. It was a welcome change, having a clean Soul Gem. Not feeling the pressure to sneak out after dark or come home late from school making excuses. For the first time since she contracted, she could finally relax.

Sitting back up, she turned on her tablet and got to work.

A/N: Well THAT was longer than I expected. Had a change of heart at where to split the chapters up. No regrets.

Okay, some regrets.

Anyway, if you've made it this far, thanks for reading! Hope you look forward to what's to come.

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