Nearing the outskirts that separated Mitakihara from the neighboring city of Kazamino, a single bullet train approached the borders of the two large cities, zipping past numerous buildings and constructions sites alike under the gaze of the moon above. Inside the train, deafening gunfire echoed through the compartments as Mamoru and Mikage ran towards the head of the train in an attempt to escape the shambling corpses that were once the train's passengers.
Despite the horror of the situation, Mikage maintained her calm composure while firing at the undead lumbering towards them, steadily aiming down the sights of her pistol and placing precise shots into each rotting skull. An empty magazine dropping to the blood-soaked ground, she loaded in a fresh one while running before systematically halting in her retreat and crouching down to fire. Each shot blared in the cramped compartment of the train and made the retainer's ears ring.
Meanwhile, with his Soul Key still gripped tightly in his shaking hand, Mamoru ran as fast as he could towards the head of the train, barging through the doors that connected one train segment to the other as his Warlock Detector blared repeatedly in his pockets. He could hear the howling of the corpses behind him, silenced only by gunfire as Mikage shouted at him to keep running.
Mamoru gripped his chest, his lungs burning as he panted for air and stopped to take a breather. Taking out the Warlock detector for a split-second, the device showed more than 40 Obscurum energy signals, with the largest signal lying motionlessly at the far end of the train. Should he transform now? Or was this simply a diversion for something else entirely? The thought racked his mind as he fished out his communicator from his pockets and switched it on, only to hear the ear-piercing ring of static suddenly assaulting his ears, "Damn it!"
Hearing the gunfire getting closer, Mamoru shut off the communicator and continued running without a second thought. Unable to contact the rest of the Protector Servorum, the Puerum Magi did not want to risk charging the Warlock head-on when it would only end up with him running straight into a definite trap. Even if he could feel a sense of dread tearing away at him, Mamoru had to stay calm and form a defensive position to force the Warlock to come to him instead. Transforming to fight would also meant exposing himself to Mikage, but there was no time for secret identities in this situation.
Turning around to see if Mikage was alright, the young retainer was now on her last spare magazine as she slammed it into her pistol. Entire compartments were now littered to the brim with bleeding, decaying bodies strewed across the floor, an unbearable odor filling the air as the undead's numbers did not seem to wane despite Mikage's efforts. Then, as Mamoru continued running, he heard a distinct crack of gunfire echo from the far end of the train, one that was almost too loud to be a small firearm, when slew of bullets suddenly punched through the train doors, tore through the bodies of the undead, zipped past Mikage and struck the Puerum Magi in the arm.
Mamoru could not hold back a scream of pain as he fell to the floor, his Soul Key clattering to the ground and vanishing into particles. Gripping his bleeding arm, the bullets had tore a few holes into his right shoulder and forearm, blood seeping between his hand as he put pressure on the wound to try and stop the bleeding. Trying to get up on one knee with tears in his eyes, the only thing he could feel was an excruciating, burning sensation that his naturally-increased pain tolerance could not dull. These were no ordinary bullets, but instead ones that were definitely tipped with Obscurum energy to make even a Puerum Magi burn with pain.
"Young Master!" Mikage turned on her heels and ran towards him, but as Mamoru heard her footsteps getting close, he heard that distinct crack of gunfire in the air again.
Mamoru's body froze in place and he squeezed his eyes shut, preparing himself for what was to happen next.
When he heard the bullets whizzing through the air, he held his breath.
But nothing came to fruition. Opening his eyes, he looked back and saw that Mikage, in the short amount of time she had to reach him, had shielded him with her own body. Blood poured to the ground from the wounds in her thigh, abdomen and arms, the retainer dropping onto one knee as the boy could not believe her actions.
"M-Mikage...?"
She grit her teeth and took up her pistol to blast whatever she had left in her gun into the approaching crowd of corpses. The severity of her wounds didn't even hinder her aim, "R-Run... please..."
Eyes wide with shock, Mamoru's hand tightly held onto his wounds as the boy got up and sprinted as fast as he could to towards the head of the train, ignoring the pain pulsing in his shoulder, the burning sensation in his lungs, and the gunfire echoing through the train compartments that soon began to die out. He simply ran to save his own life. He could not fathom out why she had saved his life as she had done so, all for someone she barely knew, and he couldn't comprehend why he felt such an immense pressure of guilt eat away at him when he knew the fight against the Warlocks would inevitably result in collateral damage.
Barging through the door to the train's head cab, the bleeding Puerum Magi grabbed the surprised conductor by the neck and channeled his Control Magic into him with an order to simply ignore him. Once the conductor resumed his business, Mamoru shut the door, searched the compartment and dropped to the floor with a med-kit in hand. He looked through the door windows as he wrapped up his wounds, noticing that the corpses had abruptly halted their pursuit.
Once he was done sealing the wound, Mamoru lied against the door with his right arm in a sling that was tied to the back of his head, his breathing heavy and his legs numb, "Bloody Hell..." his left hand tightened into a fist, and with a cry of frustration, he slammed it against the door, causing a deep dent in the metal.
Why did he have to hesitate now, of all places? He knew what he was getting into when he made that wish. All the boasting as the leader of the Protector Servorum, and moments before, a person with no powers had shown more courage in the face of danger than him. If Homura saw this, she would have been utterly disappointed in him.
Suddenly, the cab's radio crackled to life, and a raspy, dry voice addressing the Puerum Magi spoke through, "This is Krieg the Hunter. I have your friend in my custody. If you want her alive, come out and get her. That is, if you're brave enough to get pass all the train's passengers."
Mamoru scowled, chewing on his lips as he felt the Warlock's dry tone humiliate him.
"Your friends are nowhere to help you. Come out. Face me. Show me you're worth all this effort. Don't disappoint me," and with that, the radio transmission was over, leaving the Puerum Magi in the cold silence.
Unable to hold himself back, Mamoru picked up the small radio from its holder and threw it to the floor where it smashed into bits and pieces.
Mikage's eyes shooting open, the retainer woke up lying on the floor in a daze with her hands cuffed together. Her head still aching from a concussion, Mikage's blurry vision began to clear while she attempted to scan her surroundings. Her first thought were the whereabouts of her VIP, her mind hazily remembering something about being chased by some sort of living corpses. She couldn't tell if it was some sort of bad dream or not, but something had definitely happened.
Blood trailing down the side of her head, she winced when pain arose from several parts of her body in her attempts to even move. Glancing down at herself, she saw that she indeed had been shot earlier, and not only that, but the wounds had been crudely patched up as well.
"I wouldn't move if I were you."
Slowly turning her aching head to the source of that voice, Mikage's eyes widened, as sitting near the doors of the train compartment with a rifle in its lap was a disgusting mash up of flesh and steel. Torn military fatigues and kevlar covering up wires inserted into ports in the flesh, the thing breathed through a fully-sealed gas mask with steam billowing through its filters. Mikage felt bile rising up to her throat, but she held it back, as the retainer was not only horrified by the abomination before her, she recognized just what this thing was.
Gazing at her handcuffs, the creature was quick to dissuade her from breaking free of them.
"Don't even bother," its fingers drummed the barrel of its rifle, steam pouring through its mask with each loud, labored breath, "Make one wrong move and I'll put you down. Don't make all that time bandaging you up go to waste."
Mikage shot the thing an intense glare, remembering how hard it was to simply put just one of these things down for good, "We exterminated you... How...?"
"'Exterminated'?" it turned towards her with a tilt of its head and stood up. Placing its rifle down on one of the seats, it approached the retainer with its arms and legs whirring with each step it took, "Don't tell me," the thing stood next her and crouched down to study her features closely. Mikage spat right in its face and the creature wiped the translucent lenses of its mask clean, "Well, well, well. I remember you. One of the mercenaries. What a surprising coincidence. Still nothing more than a hired gun, I see."
"What are you talking about?" Mikage hissed through her teeth, "Are you not here to kill me?"
It shook its head, standing up again and dusting its prosthetic limbs with its hands, "No. But it is tempting to add another one of you mercs' to my trophy collection," it mused while brushing its hands on the several skulls and finger bones that were tied to its belt, "But, for now, you're just bait," turning its back to her, the creature walked away and gazed at its wrist where a small display showed several feeds hooked up to cameras that were placed around the train.
"Bait? What are you even trying to do?!"
"As if I'll tell you. Now be quiet, before I decide that you're more trouble than you're worth."
Grimacing, Mikage could not understand the situation she was in. Standing before her was a piece of vermin that should have been dead along many others. Yet, like a bad dream coming to life, one was standing right before Mikage with her at its mercy. All she could do was lie down on the floor and watch as the Warlock fumbled with some sort of panel underneath that kevlar protecting its chest. Noticing the creature's limbs whirring with each press of a button on its chest, Mikage quietly observed the creature and began to form a plan.
Staring at his injured arm, jolts of pain would arise from simply moving it.
He knew it was just a trap, all to lure him out and kill him with ease. Only a fool would charge in after hearing that with no proof that she was actually still alive. But, Mamoru may as well start calling himself one, as the Puerum Magi could not ignore the small possibility that she may truly be alive. It was against all logic, Mikage had risked her life just to save his, but if it meant paying back the favor, then was he really willing to risk his own? Up until now, he had mostly cared only for his friends and family, but when he heard how Tateyama had charged into a Witch Barrier to save Madoka and Sayaka, how Takuya was going to patrol the city and help random people in need, he couldn't help but simply wonder, was he as willing to be just as self-less?
Mamoru's Soul Key shimmered as it manifested into his hand in a flash, the Magi gazing at his own reflection with stern eyes before he picked himself up from the floor and took in a long, deep breath.
Facing the door, it was time to make an immediate decision: Stay in here and continue to hide in the hopes of the Warlock coming to him, or go out there and attack the Warlock head-on to save Mikage. His right arm was too injured to move without causing any pain to rise, a number of 30 or so living corpses stood between him and the Warlock, and the entire train was practically one giant choke-point for the Warlock to shoot at him. Weighing in between the two decisions, Mamoru hesitated to even pick an answer, when Takuya's question to him earlier suddenly echoed through his mind.
"I just think that we should be doing a lot more than just fighting Warlocks. Helping innocent people is the least of what we can do with our powers. I mean, we were told to protect the city, right? Even if it means saving just one life?"
Feeling something tug at the corner of his mouth, Mamoru couldn't help but let out a small laugh as he raised his Soul Key in the air and smiled, the emerald Gem under his shirt shining vibrantly.
Unlike before, he now knew the answer to that question, and finally understood Takuya's words as they cleared the clouds of doubt that had been shrouding his heart. Takuya was right. As Puerum Magi, it was their duty to save people, even if it meant saving just a single life. No matter how scared he felt, or how much self-doubt plagued him, he couldn't let any of that get to him, the leader of the Protector Servorum, of all people. To do so would be to disgrace Homura's legacy and sacrifice, and if he were to let another girl die when he could have actually helped it, then he would only be repeating his sins.
With zero hesitation, Mamoru kicked the door open and plunged the Soul Key into his chest. His puppeteer gloves formed over his hands along with the strap of his artificial arm wrapping around his abdomen. Gripping onto his buckler shield with his left hand, he left his ornate axe in the grip of his third limb while his injured arm remained in its sling. Marching out of the head cab, he heard the voice of his Soul Gem's A.I module declare in his ears, "Preparing and activating final defensive-measures."
Mamoru noticed the cameras placed on the ceiling as he gazed around the empty compartment and knew that the Warlock had been watching to see if he would have actually accepted its challenge. With a smug grin, he pointed the tip of his axe at the camera, and with a righteous tone, he announced, "Warlock, if you seek a challenge from me, then I am willing to oblige! With or without the rest of the Puerum Magi, I will cut down anything you throw at me. I will not run, nor will I hide, for I am Tezuka Mamoru, son of Tezuka Kenji and the leader of the Protector Servorum! Face me, and I will send you back to the depths of Hell with my own hands!"
As soon as his theatrical boasting ended with a proud swing of his axe, there was silence in the air, before the doors to the compartment then broke under the brute force of the Warlock's undead servants. They were similar to the ones Zed the Oracle had fielded, he observed, but more wild and rudimentary in comparison. Still, all they had were numbers to back their primitive intellect, and as he raised his axe with his third arm, the corpses charged at the boy with their immense blood-lust, only for a small force-field to instantly surround the Puerum Magi and envelop him in a bright light that made the corpses reel back in fright.
"Final locks released."
Mamoru felt a warm sensation run through his body, and only now, with a clear and serene mind, did his Puerum Magi armor finally begin to form. In a blink of an eye, his clothes were replaced with a stylish, dark green 1800s Victorian suit with armored boots, knee pads and a vest that matched his puppeteer gloves. A small top hat forming on his head with a flamboyant domino mask covering his face, a short cape sprouted from his back and fluttered behind him as the force-field shattered apart to reveal the Puerum Magi in all of his shining glory.
Brandishing his axe with his third limb, Mamoru dramatically cut through the air with his shield hand and narrowed his eyes under his mask, gazing down on the living corpses as he whispered, "Fret not. I shall send all your restless souls back to the grave," his tone was one of assurance, with a tinge of sympathy, "Consider this mercy for what you have become."
The berserk cries of the undead ringing throughout the train in unison, the wave of rotting flesh and bone swarmed the compartment as the Puerum Magi silently charged into the fray. With the brute strength of his artificial arm, his axe swung down on the closest undead to him and cleaved the corpse in half, smoothly splitting it clean in two down the middle before Mamoru caved in the skull of another undead's face with the edge of his shield. Blood and guts spilling everywhere with each swing of his axe, the Puerum Magi's third arm cut down each corpse that approached him with ease, allowing the boy to simply waltz through the wave while simultaneously cleaving a swath into the undead's ranks with ruthless efficiency.
Pinning one corpse to the wall with his axe, Mamoru released his weapon and slid underneath another undead attempting to grab him. He curled up the fingers of his third arm into a fist and drove it right into his attacker's chin, decapitating the mook with a loud crunch as the Puerum Magi then yanked out his axe from the inert corpse it was previously stuck to.
He then heard the crack of gunfire echo through the train and raised his shield just in time for a barrage of bullets to suddenly zip through the air. What was left of the undead were torn apart limb from limb as the Puerum Magi huddled in a corner, the rounds chipping off pieces of his buckler shield as they bounced off its metallic surface.
Once the barrage stopped, Mamoru immediately charged over the corpses littering the floor, his shield still raised as he sprinted towards the end of the train where the Warlock was taking shots at him from.
Bullets continued whizzing past and Mamoru dropped to the bloodied floor with his shield still taking the brunt of the attack. Lying down among the piles of bodies, Mamoru held back the urge to puke from the stench. He knew that his shield wouldn't be able to take any more punishment at this rate, so he racked his brain for alternatives, and when he looked up at the lights above, an idea lit up in his mind like a light bulb. With a flick of his fingers, Recicio energy channeled into his hand as he pointed the tip of his fingers at the ceiling and shot his Puppeteer strings from his fingertips. The strings stabbed into lights, his Control Magic surging into them while bullets continued to bounce off his shield.
One by one, the lights in the train began to switch off, leaving the entire train in pitch black as his Control Magic surged through the entire train. Once the barrage had halted again, presumably to reload, Mamoru broke into a run that made his legs feel like they were on fire. He prayed that this cover of darkness would work, bullets zipping through the air again at random this time with only luck and a cracked shield to protect the Puerum Magi.
A stray shot struck him in the knee and Mamoru held back a small cry. Hiding behind one of the seats for a second, he shined the Soul Gem on his chest over his knee and saw that the bullet's impact had mostly been absorbed by the knee pads, but he felt his leg begin to go numb as blood dripped from the wound. Even his right arm was beginning to bleed in its sling with all of this moving reopening his wounds.
There was no time to deal with this, he thought, pulling himself back up and clenching his buckler shield's handle in frustration. As soon as the barrage halted once again, the Puerum Magi charged back into the action with reckless abandon, begging his body to hold up and fight through the pain just a little longer. The gunfire began to sound closer and closer with each passing second, and knowing he was mere seconds away from the Warlock's position, Mamoru made an adrenaline-filled rush through the barrage of bullets and soon broke through the doors of the last train compartment with a strike of his axe.
"And so the lamb comes into the wolf's den..."
Out of breath with his leg threatening to buckle under him and his shield on the brink of shattering, Mamoru now found himself standing face-to-face in the dark with none other than the Warlock itself. The steam pouring from the Warlock's metal gas mask plagued the air with an unbearable stench, its cybernetic limbs dropping its rifle to the floor where it landed in a pile of spent rounds and empty magazines. The Puerum Magi faced a Warlock for the 2nd time, all alone in a one-on-one battle, and was in full control of his fear this time.
Tapping his fingers on the wall with his Control Magic, the lights switched back on and behind the Warlock, Mikage was lying on the floor with her hands cuffed together, "Y-Young Master?" she stuttered upon seeing the flamboyant, blood-soaked clothes he wore and the bleeding wounds on his body.
Staring at the Warlock, the A.I module of Mamoru's Soul Gem listed a quick report in his ears, "Scanning enemy Warlock. Recognized: Warlock 192, Krieg. Threat level: Moderate."
His short cape fluttering behind him, Mamoru took a measly step forward, only for the Warlock to suddenly draw out a knife that was as long as its arm and press it against Mikage's neck. The Puerum Magi shot the Warlock a glare of pure contempt, "Release her," he demanded, "Your fight is with me."
"Gladly. But first, I'd like to point out one thing," Krieg pulled the blade away from Mikage's neck and the girl released her held breath, "Around this train are several explosives I had planted while you were hiding. Don't bother finding them. They're set to explode the moment you kill me, so I warn you: Neither of us are leaving this train alive."
"How unnecessarily elaborate."
"Sure. But you Puerum Magi have already managed to take down 2 Warlocks with no losses of your own. You survived despite the amount of power that Zed and Lucio Simplicio possessed. You kids are more troublesome than you look, so if I'm going to die here, then I'm making sure that you go down with me. Your skull will make a fine trophy, either way," twirling its thick knife in his hand, the Warlock stepped towards the Puerum Magi, its prosthetic limbs whirring loudly as hot steam poured from its gas mask.
"Young Master, please run! Don't risk your life for-!"
"I'm quite done with running, Mikage," Mamoru's third limb brandished his blood-soaked axe and the Puerum Magi approached the cybernetic abomination with his knee continuing to bleed, "I will not back down from any cheap threat," he said in a low, stern tone, "I will not let the lives that this monster took go unavenged, and furthermore, I will not let someone die in my stead once again."
Unable to believe his words, Mikage could not come up with any sort of reply except incoherent murmuring. She could not understand what was even going on at this point, even as everything unfolded right before her eyes. But, pushing away the confusion with a shake of her head, she knew that she had to break free and somehow help. She couldn't simply lie down there waiting to be saved. A retainer's duty was to protect, not the other way around.
The Warlock and the Puerum Magi now stood a meter from each other, their weapons ready as from behind their masks, the two bore a glare of utter hatred. Undead blood dripped from Mamoru's axe and Krieg's fresh knife shimmered brightly. The two stared each other down for a time, before their blades cut through the air and clashed, sparks flying as Krieg's blade pressed down on Mamoru's handle.
"Nothing personal, kid."
"Likewise."
Both of them jumping back, the two rushed each other with their weapons at the ready and the fight quickly became one of technique over sheer strength.
Mamoru's axe clattering to the ground as Krieg instantly struck it from his third limb's grasp, Krieg's knife tore into the boy's shield with perfect precision, the Warlock knocking the boy around with sublime ease as steam hissed from its cybernetic limbs' vents. Seeing his bleeding knee, Krieg ducked underneath Mamoru's shield bash and tore through the boy's knee pads with a slash of its knife. The boy quickly lost his footing and Krieg drove its foot into his chest with enough force to send him sliding across the floor and into the next compartment.
Krieg pulled out a pistol from its back-pocket and Mamoru quickly got up to send his shield flying through the air. The shield smashed straight into Krieg's prosthetic arm and shattered apart the Warlock's entire limb in a single strike. Its gun and the remains of its arm clattered to the floor near Mikage and Krieg grunted while gripping the gaping, sparking hole where its right arm previously was, "Little cunt..." steam billowed from its mask.
Mamoru's shield bouncing off the walls and ricocheting back into his grasp, Krieg charged the boy with his knife in his remaining hand and Mamoru slid between its legs. Shooting his Puppeteer strings to grab his axe from the floor, the Magi retrieved his weapon and got up from the ground in one smooth motion as the Warlock's knife stabbed straight through his shield and into the arm grasping it. Mamoru clenched his teeth in pain, but took this as an opportunity by grasping his axe in his third limb and slashing the Warlock across its bulletproof kevlar. The axe tore a hole right through it, and there, among a bunch of hidden panels on its chest, lied the bombs' blinking detonator.
Releasing its grip from its knife, Krieg's fist snagged Mamoru's third arm and tore the limb from its socket. The boy's axe sliding across the floor, the vexed Warlock then pinned the Puerum Magi to the floor with its foot and took out another knife sheathed in its thigh holsters. It brought it down upon the helpless Magi, but Mamoru, desperate to survive, tore his right arm from the sling it was resting in and held back his tears as the knife drove into his bandaged arm, blood spilling on his face as Krieg dragged its knife across the boy's arm.
With the detonator before his eyes, Mamoru's left hand, with the first knife still embedded in it, released the handle of his buckler and fired his Puppeteer strings straight into the hole in Krieg's kevlar. Control Magic surged through the strings that stabbed into the detonator before Krieg reeled back and tore the strings from its chest with a frustrated grunt. But it was already too late for the Warlock, the Control Magic already channeling into the detonator and causing it to burst into flames under its kevlar, leaving the Warlock without any back up plan at this point as Krieg clutched its burning chest.
"You little whelp...!"
His top hat dropping to the floor, Mamoru could no longer move at this point, with knives embedded in both of his arms, his third limb lying on the floor in pieces, and his legs beginning to give out from all the blood he was losing.
Pulling out its last emergency pistol, the Warlock aimed it at the helpless Puerum Magi and Mamoru quickly tried to pull the blades from his arms as he heard the gun's safety switch off. Krieg smiled underneath its mask, always enjoying that one moment when it finally found its prey in its grasp, but upon hearing another gun being readied, the Warlock looked aside to see Mikage, her hands bleeding from forcing them free of her cuffs as she aimed one of its own guns right at it.
Both of them aimed their weapons at each other and 2 shots rang through the train.
Mikage fell to her knees, gripping her bleeding stomach, but her wounds were not in vain as Krieg, with a large gaping hole in its kevlar, screamed in panic as the bullet struck the Warlock directly in the chest panel controlling its limbs. Steam billowed from its mask's filter and limbs, its prosthetic limbs sparking as electric surged from its limbs and into its body while Mamoru could only watch. Knowing that the Magi was too injured to continue, Mikage, fighting the burning sensation in her abdomen, picked up the boy's axe from the ground and approached the Warlock as it dropped to the floor with its limbs bursting into flames.
Mikage now stood over the Warlock's paralyzed body. Lifting the axe above her head, Mikage tightly gripped the weapon's handle as the Recicio energy still lingering inside of it glimmered. After what was supposed to be his victory, Krieg was shocked to find itself now on the other end of the barrel, "Not like this..." Krieg uttered, unable to comprehend the situation it was in. All these years, Krieg had hunted down the humans for sport and at the will of Lord Phantom, and now, it found itself at the mercy of a mere human being, "Not like this...!"
Without a word, Mikage brought down the axe upon the Warlock, and in one smooth swing akin to a medieval execution, the retainer cleaved the Warlock's head from its shoulders with black ooze spraying across her face. Krieg's head rolled across the floor, the remains of its head burning until its mask was all that was left, and immediately upon death, the Warlock's body began to disintegrate. Its headless body violently rattling, the Recicio energy surging through the corpse burned the Warlock's flesh before bursting into bits of gore that showered the two in thick, black ooze.
Collapsing on the floor, Mikage could feel her conscious waning. She crawled towards the bleeding Puerum Magi near her, and despite being injured herself, Mikage attempted to seal Mamoru's severe wounds, tearing bits of his short cape to try and seal the bleeding. All this, Mamoru's couldn't help but feel grateful for. Both of them were going to pass out any moment, and yet, the retainer continued to prioritize his own well-being before her own. His father certainly picked the right person to be his bodyguard, he thought to himself, as Mamoru closed his eyes and let out a small breath. He could hear Mikage telling him to stay awake, but after all he had done, he was too tired to even stay conscious.
The distinct tune of a woman's voice was the first thing that Mamoru's senses perceived as he began to regain conscious. The voice becoming clearer as it sang, the woman's soothing voice was like an angel whispering in his ears, every word uttered forming a melody of perfection that slowly pulled him away from Death's doorstep. It was pure and utter bliss.
Slowly opening his eyes, Mamoru found himself in a dimly-lit room, lying on a bed with a blanket draped over his bandaged body. When he rolled his head sideways on the soft pillow, Mikage was sitting by the side of his bed, clutching her bandaged wounds under her suit as she continued singing to herself without any care in the world. In that moment, Mikage looked like a completely different person. The scarred retainer, the same one that had kept her calm under the fire of a fight, radiated a faint sense of beauty as she sang a tune that was too beautiful to put into words. Where she had learned this, he could only guess, but for minutes he simply lied there and listened, letting her sing to her heart's content before the last few words of her song poured from her lips.
"You have quite the voice... Mikage..."
The retainer nearly jumped in her seat when she realized that he had been awake the entire time. A slight blush forming on her cheeks, Mikage gave a slight bow and collected herself before speaking up, "Y-You were listening?" to see even a tinge of embarrassment on the calm retainer's face was unbelievable, and even amusing to the Puerum Magi who slowly sat upright in his bed.
"Fret not. I won't tell anyone," Mamoru assured her. Covered in numerous bandages and medical wraps, Mamoru felt the results of his Magi Healing Factor clear as day as his injuries had made a considerable recovery while he had slept. He looked around his dim surroundings and saw that they were already in his apartment in Kazamino with all his stuff sitting in the corner, "How did we get here? I remember we were on a train and..."
"We were brought here, Young Master," Mikage answered while pouring the boy a glass of water and passing it to him, "I had also passed out before the train had stopped. From what the guards that found us said, we were saved by a complete stranger. The person in question had been taken to your father, as he wanted to personally thank her for saving our lives from what the news is perceiving as a terror attack."
Chugging down the entire cup in one go, Mamoru's dry throat felt better and the boy blinked while staring at his reflection on the glass he held in his hands. This mention of a stranger saving them piqued his interest, but first, he had more important things to talk about, such as addressing the elephant in the room, "Mikage," he started slowly, clearing his throat, "Do keep what you saw a secret for me, would you? I... would rather prefer that none of this be known to anyone else but us."
Looking at her, there was a glimmer in her eye as she spoke her next words with nothing but zeal, "Of course, Young Master. What occurred in the train will not escape my lips. I shall take your secret with me to my grave. After all... as your retainer, it is my duty to assist you whenever you require help, and after you had personally risked your life to save my own, I am forever in your debt."
"Is that so?" Mamoru mildly scoffed, chuckling as he lied back down on his pillow, "I would say that your debt had been paid when you helped me defeat that abomination. But, if you're that adamant about helping me, then I suppose I won't stop you."
"I shall not disappoint you."
A faint smile forming on his lips, Mamoru looked at the ceiling above him and said, "I'm sure it's not everyday that you find yourself serving a person with peculiar abilities," lifting his bandaged hand from his side, the Recicio energy in his body flickered at his fingertips as sparks in the dimly-lit room, "So, before I explain a bit about this, I would like to know a bit about yourself, Mikage. You seem familiar with the Warlocks," he looked to her and the retainer's lips quivered, "Was it from your time as a mercenary?"
After a brief pause, Mikage, with her hands on her lap, slowly nodded as she continued from where she had left off on the train, "Indeed, I am. A few years back, I had taken up a job offered by Tezuka Corporation. Seeing as it paid well, I had been shipped to Egypt with many other mercenaries and private contractors. But, what we saw, only few would live to remember," her hand unconsciously caressed the scar on her face and Mikage's tone lowered, "'Vermin', was what we called them. Biological experiments gone wrong, was what the reports said. But we knew better. They were monsters straight out of a nightmare. Many of us died taking them down across the country, but to think that some had survived..."
"So Tezuka Corp is responsible for this? These creatures?"
Mikage shook her head, "No. Tezuka Corp was simply a backer of the project, among hundreds of others - Yggrasil Enterprise, Kougami Foundation, GEMN, Mikuni Company-" that last one caught Mamoru's attention. Homura's files did mention Mikuni Oriko's father owning a company. If so, then finding out a lead for Oriko was more essential than he thought, "In the end, your father took me in as a guard as I had served him several times before officially joining Tezuka Corp. That is all I know, and now, I serve you, Young Master, with no secrets kept and my entire being at your service."
Seeing as how he had her entire loyalty to him now, Mikage would definitely be a perfect way to gather leads on Oriko and the Warlocks while he was in school. Mikuni Company and Tezuka Corp would also be things he would need to have her look into to see if he can get anything on the Warlock's. If he found anything good, then the fight against the Warlocks could turn in their favor.
Sitting up again, Mamoru brushed his hand on his healing wounds and said, "Then, I suppose it's now my turn to explain things. First of all-" the sound of his stomach grumbling interrupted him and utterly killed whatever mood had been in place up until now. His face turning a shade of red, Mikage couldn't help but stifle a small laugh, which was the last thing he expected to come from her.
"Shall we discuss this over dinner?"
After a few minutes of getting dressed and driving to the nearest restaurant, the Puerum Magi and his retainer continued their talk in a lavish, 5-star diner down the block over a few steaks and wine. Seeing this as his way of repaying her loyalty, Mamoru explained to her the circumstances of becoming a Puerum Magi: Meeting a creature named "Sanbey", meeting Homura, becoming a Magi with his friends, and how they were now hunting down the remaining Warlocks that were out to kill them. Aside from Homura's time travel exploits which only he knew about, Mamoru also went over the basic explanation of the existence of the Puella Magi and the Witches.
None of this seemed to have even faze her at all, really, considering what Mikage had already been through.
"That's quite the story," Mikage said, sipping her wine, "It must be difficult, having to bear all of this on your shoulders."
"I suppose so. Perhaps I've just grown used to it after some time. Someone has to do this, after all."
Lying back in his seat, Mamoru wiped the corners of his mouth with a tissue and glanced around the restaurant they were in. On the way here, Mamoru couldn't help but notice just how different Kazamino was in comparison to Mitakihara. Higher crime rates, lower standards of living, desperation everywhere you looked, but no matter what, there would always be places like these where the rich get to avoid all of that. Closing his eyes, he let the sounds of the jazz band playing on the stage seep into his ears, his body still tired from earlier's battle, when he heard a familiar voice calling to him.
"Tezuka!"
Opening his eyes, Mamoru was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face walking towards their table in the form of Takamatsu Makoto. Head of the Gym Club at school and one his seniors, the last time he had seen him, the boy had played that wonderful symphony at Homura's funeral. Surely enough, the senior was carrying that very instrument he had played back then under his arm while wearing what looked like the uniform of this restaurant's workers.
The boy stood up and the two students shared a firm handshake as Mamoru gave the taller boy a respectful nod, "My, my. To think that I would see you here of all places. Care to join us?"
"Well, since I'm on my break, I guess it wouldn't hurt," giving Mikage an acknowledging bow as well, the school senior sat down with the two with his instrument lying on his lap. Mamoru offered him a drink, but Makoto politely declined, "Sorry. I don't drink. Anyway, what brings you all the way out here? I don't remember you living in Kazamino."
"I'm here to visit my father, that's all. I'll still be attending classes, of course, but as my father is recovering from a stroke, I'm here to watch him rest," Mamoru crossed his legs and sipped his wine before pausing to say something else, "By the way, I must personally thank you for accepting Hideki and Tateyama into your team. I assume they're not causing any trouble while preparing for the tournament?"
Makoto gave a cheerful laugh, "They're doing fine, don't worry. I'll admit though, your friends' passion for the sport is impressive. I don't think I've ever seen them quite so enthusiastic about anything else," gripping onto his instrument which was roughly a plane of glass with two rods at the side, the holographic keyboard he held looked rather old as a wistful smile crept onto his face before disappearing entirely.
"You work here, I presume? I didn't expect the leader of the Gym Club to be a musician in his spare time."
Makoto simply smiled, meekly scratching his cheek, "Well, let's just say it wasn't my choice to join the Gym Club to begin with. I'm not complaining about it, but I did always prefer music over mixed martial arts," the school senior then looked over his shoulder as he heard one of his co-workers beckoning him to come over, "Well, while it's been brief, I should be going now. It's almost my turn on the stage," standing up with his instrument under his arm, he politely bowed to both of them before taking his leave, "Send my regards to your father, Tezuka, and see you at school tomorrow."
"Enjoy your evening, Takamatsu."
Waving him goodbye, Mamoru looked back Mikage once the school senior was gone and saw that she silently finished her meal while they were talking. Taking out his wallet, he called over the waitress for the bill, and after a few minutes or so, the two got up and returned to Mamoru's apartment.
Mamoru suppressed a yawn as he walked through the front door and hung his coat on a nearby rack. It had been a long night and the first thing he wanted to do was get some sleep so that his wounds would finish recovering. Heading back to his room, Mikage was switching off the last of the lights when the living room phone started to ring. The girl answered the phone, and upon hearing that it was Mamoru's father, called over the young boy and switched to the phone's speaker mode so both of them could talk to him.
"Mamoru! Mikage!" the old man's boastful laughter rang over the phone, "How are you two doing?"
"Quite fine, Master Tezuka," Mikage respectfully answered.
"Mikage's been quite - well - helpful, to say the least," Mamoru added, sitting down on a chair with the retainer standing beside him.
"Good! Good! I'm happy to hear that you two are getting along. But besides that, I got some news for you two. The person that saved you two from that train incident? Well, I had a nice, long chat with her."
The two shared a curious glance, as while they were the ones that had saved themselves, they could not deny that something had to have kept them alive long enough to be saved by the rest of Mamoru's guards. It was suspicious to no end, "So this was what you wanted to call us about?" Mamoru asked.
"Yep! I'll explain more about her in time, but starting tomorrow, the person that saved you will be staying with you, and she goes by the name of Kyoko Sakura!"
If Mamoru had been drinking anything when he had heard those words, then he would have spat all of it out in shock as that name rang through his mind. His eyes narrowing, both him and Mikage found this sudden decision to be nothing short of alarming. It was way too convenient for Kyoko Sakura of all people to have saved his life, Mamoru thought, biting on his thumb. There was definitely something behind all of this, and tomorrow, it looked like it was going to be another hectic day for the Puerum Magi.
Puerum Magi Stats Sheet
Name: Mamoru Tezuka
Destructive Power: A
Speed: C
Range: B
Durability: C
Abilities: Mamoru's Control Magic allows the mental and physical manipulation of any objects and organisms he comes into contact with. While limited in usage in terms of combat, it gives a wide control of his surroundings, can manipulate people like puppets and bring an unwilling being to its knees. A Warlock is naturally immune to this however, due to the Obscurum energy making up their bodies nullifying the Recicio energy.
Weapons, Gadgets and Tools: Wielding a double-sided axe and a small buckler shield, Mamoru is able to throw both of these with extreme precision due to skills inherited from playing hatchet toss and excellent hand-to-eye coordination. He wears Marionette Gloves which can launch strings that channel his Control magic and can be used to grapple objects. A third rotary arm is also connected to his waist with a strap, allowing it to spin around his waist while packing a high amount of strength.
P. Magi Uniform: Wearing a dark green, 1800s Victorian-styled outfit with a flamboyant mask, he is protected by a pair of armored boots, a vest, and knee pads, while adorning a matching top hat and a short cape. Stylish, but not very practical.