The breeze blowing through the city of Kazamino had an almost entirely different vibe than the one back in Mitakihara. Though only a neighboring city with a border in-between them, Sanbey could immediately feel that he was in an entirely different place the moment he entered the city of bright lights, noisy roads filled with cars and hundreds of people swarming the streets. The cat-like Familiar had hopped off the latest train that came to a stop in the Kazamino train station and sat on a signpost to get an idea of which general direction Mamoru's penthouse was.

Sanbey watched the crowds flooding in and out of the trains with each train that stopped, the Familiar unable to understand how people could tolerate being in such cramped spaces for so long. He guessed that humans could simple adapt to any condition over time, but the idea of being stuck in a metal container only reminded Sanbey of how he was created. Thankfully, he didn't need to suffer such an ordeal since he had been sitting in the head of the train the entire ride here.

Something started to rise up in his throat and he quickly placed a paw over his mouth, a sick groan being the only thing that thankfully escaped out. Takuya's breakfast really was something he thought was going to be the end of him, "Ugh, I should find his apartment soon..."

Looking at the signs and directions on the station walls, Sanbey hopped back onto the ground and made his way across hundreds of people walking in several different directions. He slipped past their legs with ease, careful not to get in their way since while they couldn't perceive him, they could still interact with him through touch unlike Kyubey.

"... Kyubey," he thought as he slid down a hand railing and hopped onto another signpost to check his navigation, "What is he up to right now?"

His three striped tails and tassel-like ears flickered in the wind as the Familiar's beady eyes scanned his surroundings. Finally outside of the train station, the walk to Mamoru's penthouse shouldn't be too far from here, judging from what Mamoru had instructed him. All that was left from here on was the long walk full of pedestrians and road-crossings, but judging from the thousands of people that filled his vision, it was easier said than done.

He reared his legs to jump off the post, only for something in the corner of his eyes to catch his attention. Sanbey glanced to the side, and there, stood a familiar-looking boy with a schoolbag and portable holo-piano in his arms. Distinct auburn hair and the uniform of Mitakihara's Middle-School, the boy looked about a year older than any of the Protector Servorum boys. 'Takamatsu Makoto', was it? Sanbey remembered him from when he was with Homura, and right now, the boy was helping Hideki and Tateyama with that upcoming public competition. His coincidental presence here intrigued him.

Curiosity took hold of Sanbey. Since he had a few minutes he could spare, the Familiar hopped down from the signpost and slid past the people walking in his path. Makoto was murmuring something to himself with an expression of doubt on his face and Sanbey slowly approached him when a cold breeze suddenly blew by.

The Familiar to let out a small sneeze, his fur doing little to keep him warm, and Makoto's head looked up from the phone that was in his hand as if he heard something. Putting his phone back in his pockets, Makoto looked to his sides, then gazed over his shoulder where the Familiar stood behind him.

Sanbey froze with a paw still in mid-walk, his three tails completely still in the air.

Makoto blinked, "A cat?"

While Mikage had gone off to retrieve the files she had collected on Kyouko and her family's background, Mamoru stood in front of the door to the vacant room that the girl had taken up with one hand loosening his shirt collar's tight grip on his neck. Though he wasn't sure on how to approach this girl, nor did he know her true intentions or if she was holding anything back from him, the Puerum Magi went ahead and lifted a hand to knock on the door.

The door opened before his hand could even meet it and the Puerum Magi now found himself staring face-to-face with the Puella Magi herself. Kyouko leaned on the door frame with her hands in her pockets and a stick of Pocky in her mouth, "Ya wanted something?" the redhead said with a smile and tone that indicated she had expected him to come here.

Mamoru stood firm, retaining a smug smile on his face as he didn't want to be backed down by some girl from the streets, "I came here to ask a few questions regarding last night, Sakura. I assume you know what I'm talking about?" the girl stared blankly at him, scratching her head in an attempt to figure out what he was talking about while Mamoru grew impatient, "I'm talking about the incident on the train. Do you not remember 'saving' Mikage and I from death by blood-loss last night?"

"Oh, that. Yeah, I remember," Kyouko ate the stick she had in her mouth and fished out another from a packet in her jacket, "Well, it's not like I did it expecting this to happen. Staying here was just a plus that I don't mind in the slightest," she said with a smirk as she looked back into her new room that had a basic bed and some other furniture, "Just happened to be patrolling my territory when I saw all that shit on the train. Never seen anything like it, so I just watched what happened and swooped in to ask you some questions when you were done. Then you both passed out, so I had to waste some magic to keep you two alive until your guards found us. Now here we are," she finished with a shrug of her shoulders.

"That's quite the story," Mamoru said with a raised brow, "Still, I find it suspicious that all of this just so happened to benefit you so easily."

"Believe what you want, rich boy. I'm just here for the free stuff, and also-" she took the Pocky stick from her mouth and pointed the tip at the boy's face with one eye closed, "I'm pretty curious myself on how a boy became a Magi of all things. Not only that, but you got a completely different vibe and set of toys from us Puella Magi, and whatever you were fighting definitely wasn't the work of some random Witch."

Mamoru chuckled and gave a smug grin as he held theatrically flicked a wrist, "Then would you want me to answer your questions in exchange for you giving out some information of your own? I do believe that I would benefit us both of we decided to-"

"Pass," Kyouko replied in a curt tone and caused the boy to visibly flinch from how uncooperative she actually was, "I ain't willing to share stuff, rich boy. Maybe next time. I got my own business to take care of. Ciao," without another word, Kyouko ended the conversation by slamming the door in his face with the door's locks audibly clicking. Mamoru stood there for the next few minutes with his smirk beginning to falter, the urge to smash the door open and get his answers by force being exceptionally tempting to him the longer he stood there.

Then, upon hearing the room's window slide open, Mamoru realized that he had forgotten to tell her about the Warlock in the area and grabbed the doorknob in a panic, "Sakura, open the door!" frantically pulling at the doorknob, he heard no response from the other side. The Puerum Magi groaned and snapped his fingers, summoning his third, artificial arm to materialize around his waist. The arm gripped the knob and ripped the ball of metal from the door which Mamoru then kicked loose from its hinges to see Kyouko's room utterly deserted. The wind blew in from the opened window as Mamoru rushed towards it and gazed out into the open city for any glimpse of the Puella Magi.

He saw no signs of the scarlet Magi and cursed a short, "Bloody Hell," underneath his breath when he heard a knock on the now-broken door.

Behind him, Mikage stood next to the broken door with a batch of files under one arm and a mild expression of surprise. Without question, she said to him, "Would you like to send a search party for her?"

Mamoru rubbed his temples with two fingers and closed the window with his third arm before it vanished into green particles, "No. If my father hears about me sending a search party on her first night here, it would just cause me unnecessary problems. I doubt they would be able to find her anyway, and she should be fine since the Warlock's target is me," with a sigh, he went up to the bodyguard and took the weighty files off her hands, "Just be wary of the Warlock Detector I gave you and notify me when Sakura returns."

"Understood," with a small bow, Mikage promptly left the room and Mamoru headed off to his own to read up on the files she gave him while making a note to fix the guest room's door tomorrow.

In the decorated hallways of the large penthouse, the files Mamoru carried in his arms had a considerate heft even with his enhanced body. Though he could do well in combat, it made him wonder if he should put more effort into honing his physical prowess like the others. It was merely a passing thought, but the simple feeling that he was the weakest of the Protector Servorum despite being its leader was enough to add further annoyance to the already-sour mood that Sakura's attitude gave him as the boy stopped in the hallway's 3-way intersection.

To his left, there was his room, and on the other far end on the hall to his right, there was the apartment's storage area where his latest project had been preserved: the humanoid puppet that he had been working on for days to improve his chances in a direct fight. Though he did not get any time to add the finishing touches with Tateyama's power tools, the idea to finish it tonight seemed tempting until he felt his arms starting to weaken under the weight of the files in his hands. With another sigh, Mamoru headed down to his room instead, content with saving the project for tomorrow.

He pulled down the door handle with his elbow and pushed the door open with his shoulders. With a heavy grunt, he dropped the files onto a wooden desk where it sat with the files that Homura had passed onto him before the boy dropped down onto his chair. In a sparsely-decorated room, the only other notable objects in sight were his wood-crafting tools in the corner, some blocks of wood, a few wooden puppets hanging on the walls, and a picture frame next to his files that displayed Takuya, Tomura and himself almost half a decade ago.

A quick whiff of his clothes made the boy's face scrunch up at the sour smell of sweat. He had yet to shower since this morning, and after that brief battle against a Witch this afternoon, his school uniform absolutely reeked. Mamoru looked back at the files, wanting to focus on what was important, but he pushed the thought aside and got up to take a much-needed shower.

Upon returning to his room in a bathrobe, Mamoru popped open a can of beer that Uncle Joseph had left for him in kitchen fridge before he arrived and quickly quenched his thirst. A cold drink after a hot bath was pure ecstasy, though with Mikage around, he wasn't sure if she was willing to let him drink at such a young age compared to Uncle Joseph. Closing the door behind him, he placed down the drink on the desk and pulled off his robe to get dressed in some sleep-wear. After a tiring day, he wanted nothing more than to sleep, but the files on his table said otherwise as once he got some clothes on, the boy sat back in his chair and began reading.

The file on top of the pile was the first he picked up and inside it, a collection of newspaper clippings and pictures adorned the file in whatever organized manner Mikage had attempted to do.

Sipping his beer as he read, Mamoru's father was indeed right that everyone of Kyouko's family but her had died in a single night. What he was wrong though, was that it was not because of an accident. Instead, Mamoru's hands shivered when he read the possible attempt at a group suicide, or murder committed by none other than Kyouko's own father. The more he read, the more Mamoru began to feel his face turn pale, as though he had several encounters with Warlocks at this point, the thought of a normal man slaughtering his entire family without hesitation brought a sense of real dread. How fragile a man's mind could possibly be that it could drive one to harm one's own blood?

Once he was done reading each file on Kyouko in the span of half an hour, the Puerum Magi placed them down on the table, tossed an empty beer can into a nearby bin and lied back in his chair. He placed his elbows on the armrest and tented his fingers in thought, pondering to himself on just how he would get Kyouko to give him some leads on Mikuni Oriko with this information. He knew her background now, but how was he to use in this situation?

A knock on the door suddenly came, along with Kyouko's own voice, "You in there, rich boy?"

Mamoru couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, not that he was glad to see that she was alright, but glad to know he didn't lose his lead on Oriko, that is. Draping a long cloth over the files on the table, he got off his chair and went over to the door, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't leave all of a sudden, Sakura," he said whilst he opened the door to see the girl just as she was before she left, "Are you willing to be cooperative this time?"

"Yeah, sure," she gave a measly shrug, the smile on her face strangely looking a bit uncanny for some reason, "I just needed to kill some Witches for my daily needs, that's all."

Mamoru silently glanced at her, mildly confused, then gave a short nod while letting the girl into his room.

Kyouko jumped onto his bed like a child while the boy sat back in his chair with his back turned to her. He shuffled the files and papers hiding underneath the cloth before he started putting them away, making sure that the ones on Kyouko where placed in the drawers first, "Now then, I would like to ask a few questions regarding the state of Kazamino. More specifically, about the Puella Magi in this city."

"What'cha wanna know?" Kyouko took out a Pocky stick and placed it between her teeth as she slowly peeked over the boy's shoulder.

Securing Kyouko's files in his table's drawers, Mamoru looked at the girl behind him and she looked away to lazily glance at the puppets on his wall. He felt his gut tell him that something wasn't right, even though his Warlock senses detected nothing. His throat feeling dry despite having drank something just minutes ago, he brought his attention back to Homura's files on the table and started arranging them next, "Are you familiar with the name 'Mikuni Oriko'?"

"Oriko? Hmmm, sounds familiar," Kyouko murmured while her eyes panned to the files on his table, "You got anything else besides a name? Might ring a few bells if you do," in the palm of the hand behind her back, her Soul Gem manifested and glimmered in a bright crimson color.

Mamoru stacked up the files on his desk and held them together with a long strap which he tightly secured, "All I know is that her father owned a company in this city before, she possesses oracle powers, and has an ally by the name of 'Kirika'. If anything, they've been doing something in this city, and I'm trying to figure out why," he felt a cold shiver suddenly run up his spine and a sense of dread overtaking him. It wasn't his Warlock senses, but the kind of dread one felt when something like a ghost had its cold fingers grasp your shoulders. Every single inch of his body screamed at him to move when he heard the clicking of metal behind him.

Mamoru threw himself from his chair and the blaring noise of wood and metal smashing into pieces rang through the penthouse.

Tumbling across the floor until he sprung to his feet, Mamoru gasped at the sight of Kyouko now donning a crimson dress with disconnected sleeves, her hands wielding a long spear with its tip still buried within the remains of his chair and desk. Both pieces of furniture now nothing more than bits of broken wood and metal, among the remains were bits of a shattered picture frame and the files that Homura and Mikage had given him, causing the Puerum Magi's blood to immediately boil, "What the Hell are you doing?!" he snarled as he manifested his Soul Key and raised it to his chest.

Twirling the pole-arm in her grasp with one hand, Kyouko still had a stick of Pocky held by that smirk of hers. But then, in her eyes, what was once red had turned into a deep purple, her pupils heavily dilated, "My job, duh. And now, it's time to get the bonus," her spear swung through the air, only to bounce off the transformation force-field projected around the Puerum Magi.

The door to Mamoru's room broke off its hinges and toppled to the floor as Mamoru jumped out with his armored tux, top hat and domino mask manifesting around him. He raked the marble floor with his third arm and skid to a screeching halt as he summoned both his buckler shield and axe into his other hands, "Mikage, I require assistance!"

Waltzing out of his room, the spear in Kyouko's hands spun like the blades of a helicopter as she swallowed the Pocky stick in her mouth. In the tight space of the long apartment hallway, Kyouko licked her lips at her visible advantage and charged at the Puerum Magi. Her spear lunged at him repeatedly, either grazing off his shield or shredding apart the wall with each thrust as her weapon's length kept her far outside the Puerum Magi's striking range. Mamoru reeled back from her attacks, supporting his shield with his third arm as sparks flew off his shield.

"This is too easy!"

With another thrust, her spear bypassed his shield and grazed his cheek, drawing first blood. Mamoru instead saw this as an opportunity and snagged the spear by the pole with his third arm, smirking as the artificial arm's strength was ten times that of her own. But his victory was short-lived as the pole broke apart into segmented sections connected by chains which then wrapped around this body like a snake coiling around its prey. The chain caught him by the neck and chocked the air out of him before the Puerum Magi was slammed against the wall, leaving a large dent in it as Kyouko repeated the action with the opposing wall.

Kyouko's spear snapped back together with several clicks as Mamoru dropped onto his knees, blood trailing down the corner of his mouth with axe and shield still in hand. He gazed up at the scarlet Magi who whipped out another stick of Pocky to munch on, and in one single glance into those purple eyes, he could tell, it was the work of a Warlock that had turned the girl into another assassin. Though she was brainwashed, she still carried the skill of someone who had been a Magi far longer than he has.

"Young Master!" Mikage came out from around the corner with a pistol in hand and gunfire echoed in the hallway loudly enough to deafen their ears. Kyouko leaped back and spun her spear, swatting away the bullets and even deflecting a shot that blasted the gun right out of her hand.

Fighting the pain in his ribs, Mamoru released the straps attaching his buckler to his arm and, and with a loud cry of frustration, threw it at the girl. The shield harmlessly flew by her face, Kyouko smirking at such a desperate attack, only for the shield to bounce off the wall several times and crash into her leg with the loud snap of bones breaking.

Mamoru jumped to his feet, the fingers of his right arm and artificial arm curling into fists, and as Kyouko fell to one side with a look of pain and utter surprise, Mamoru struck the spear from her hands with his axe before two fists crashed into her abdomen with a loud crunch. The girl let out a violent cough of blood that stained the boy's mask before she tumbled across the hallway, slowing to a stop underneath the door frame of Mamoru's room as the Puerum Magi dropped to his knees. His Magi uniform vanishing into particles to reveal his home clothes, he grasped his chest and could feel his ribs having cracked from Kyouko's earlier attack.

But despite the damage inflicted to her body, the scarlet Magi grasped the floor with one hand and slowly got up to one knee, coughing out blood that stained the marble floors, "Y-You fucking cunt!" she hissed, wiping the blood from chin and mouth with her sleeves.

Mikage ran over to the boy and pulled him up to his feet. Then, just as things already seemed terrible enough, Mamoru's eyes went wide with shock at the familiar sensation of fear running through his body. It was an incoming Warlock, and it was getting close enough that the Warlock Detector in Mikage's pocket began to emit an ear-piercing ring.

"M-Mikage..." Mamoru panted, gazing down at the store room on the other end of the hallway, "There... fall back to storage room... I have plan..."

"Understood," Mikage nodded despite not knowing what he had in mind and pulled the boy's arm over her neck to support him. Picking up her gun from the floor, the two rushed over to the store room at the far end of the hall, Kyouko screaming at them to get back the entire way. With the Warlock closing in, they wasted no time getting into the opened storage room and locked it shut behind them.

Inside, countless shelves filled with cardboard boxes and crates lined the dimly-lit area as a layer of dust covered every single surface in the long, narrow room. The musky scent in the air invading the two's noses, Mikage settled the Puerum Magi down to rest, but Mamoru insisted on getting up to his two feet with one hand grasping his chest, "Barricade the doors with whatever you can," his breath was hoarse with sweat covering his face, "I'll need time to get us out of here."

Though unsure of what he was trying to do, Mikage gave an affirmative nod as the Magi went over to the far back of the room, squeezing his way through boxes, crates and shelves that blocked his path as blood, dust and sweat stained his clothes. Once he was out of visible sight, Mikage started pulling over the countless shelves in the room to barricade the door with, metal screeching against the floor with each shelf, crate and box she moved. She covered her mouth with the sleeves of her suit to block out the dust that permeated the air as her other hand pushed whatever heavy object that could be moved towards the door. Once she was done, a pile of shelves, crates and boxes were piled against the door, but she doubted that it would stop them for more than a few minutes.

Pulling out her Warlock detector, the blip on the screen was no more than 20 meters away, the number going down with each passing second as Mikage could hear the sound of power tools whirring at the back. Whatever he had in mind, she hoped that it would work, even if she couldn't help but think to herself that coming here was a mistake. Mikage audibly swallowed her spit, the emptied magazine of her pistol dropping to the floor. With a satisfying click, she slammed in a fresh one and crouched behind one of the few crates that she did not move with her eyes on her Warlock detector.

The dim light-bulb on the ceiling flickered, the sound of a power drill being the only thing Mikage could hear in the narrow room. Her eyes locked onto the blip on the Warlock detector, the number having gone down to 10 meters. Her breath still, she could feel her heartbeat hasten with her fingers tightening around her pistol grip. She knew she couldn't harm the Warlock nor the Puella Magi with a mere gun, but the girl did not hesitate to put her life on the line despite so.

The sound of electronic tools ceased, and on the Warlock detector, the blip stopped a few meters ahead. She could see a shadow at the bottom of the door.

Mikage kept the barrel of her gun aimed straight at the barricaded door, the cramped, dark space of the room making it hard to even breathe.

"Knock knock," the serrated edge of knife stabbed through the thick door, before it pulled out to let the light from the hallway seep in from the hole on the door, "Come out, little pigs, you're making this job a lot harder than it needs to be," the Warlock said in a sing-song voice as its knife stabbed through the door again with a loud crunch, "Oh well, it's always more fun when they run, anyway!"

Mikage clenched her teeth and squeezed the trigger, the pistol's muzzle flare lighting up the room with each shot as the bullets pierced through the door. Light poking through the several small holes she had made on the door, the Warlock simply laughed and struck the door with his knife again. Mikage didn't let up either, reloading her spent magazine and blasting several more shots into the door with casings pilling at her feet.

There was no sound from her master at the back but the faint ringing of magical energy.

With another stab at the door, a large chunk of the wood fell to the floor, leaving a hole large enough for one to poke one's head through. The light from the hallway now illuminating the storage room, Mikage pulled the trigger again, only to hear the clicking of an empty gun. She reached for another magazine and only felt her empty pockets, "Young Master, please hurry up!" she shouted at the back of the storage room and heard no response in return.

The Warlock's face peeked through the hole in the door, its glowing eyes gazing at Mikage through the bloodied skull it wore for a mask, "Heeeeeere's Jacky!" it thrust its arm through the hole and its gloved hand grasped the doorknob on Mikage's side of the door. The shelves piled against the door trembled as the Warlock repeatedly rammed its knee against the door, "Oh, I love it when someone thinks they're safe behind some stupid door!" with a loud cackle, the Warlock ripped out the knob from the door and withdrew its arm from the hole to toss it aside.

With another loud cackle, it rammed the door with its shoulder, causing the crates, shelves and boxes lying against it to budge.

"Oh dear, it's barricaded, too. Little Magi, ya mind helping me over here?"

"Sure thing," Mikage heard Kyouko's eager voice reply.

Her pistol dropping to the ground next to a pile of bullet casings, Mikage took in a deep breath and drew out a knife from her pockets. It was worn, rusty, a mere memento from her days as a Warlock Hunter. She didn't think she'd use it again after so long. With nothing to bet on except on her master's plan, Mikage stood her ground with the knife held in a reverse grip. Outside the door, Mikage heard the metal rattling of Kyouko's chain-spear, a bead of sweat trailing down the side of her face.

The guard held her breath, before a 2nd strike slammed against the wooden door and caused a few shelves and crates to dislodge from the door. They toppled over and fell in front of Mikage, a cloud of dust covering the air as Mikage remained unfazed. Knife in hand, she watched as a third strike shifted half of the shelves on the door to loosen, leaving the door free for one more hit. Then, in one final strike, Kyouko's spear shattered the door apart with ease, sending crates and shelves flying in all directions as Mikage jumped back and narrowly avoided being crushed underneath several heavy crates. Drawing in a sharp breath, a shelf behind her was struck by a flying crate, causing it to topple over the guard and pin her to the floor with a yelp escaping her.

Once the dust had settled, Mikage groaned underneath a shelf of heavy tools, her knife lying next to her hand as the floor was covered in broken pieces of wood, crates and dented shelves. Light from the hallway spilled into the storage room and the first to step inside was Kyouko, the Magi kicking away anything that was in her path. Her injuries already healed, Kyouko looked down on the guard with a smirk and pressed the cold tip of her spear against her neck.

"Where's the boy?"

Mikage let out a dry cough and gazed up at the scarlet Magi with furrowed brows. She did not utter a reply and instead tried to push herself up, only for Kyouko to stomp her foot on the shelf above Mikage and further pin her to the dusty floor. Gritting her teeth, Mikage's hand desperately reached for her knife as it lied just centimeters away from her fingertips.

The Warlock then came into view, casually leaning on the door frame with its hands in the pockets of its leather jacket, "Leave the girl for later. Focus on finding that brat so I can go home," letting out a yawn, blood dripped from the skull it wore as a mask, giant, black orbs glowing where one's eyeballs would be as 5 knives were strapped to its tattered jeans.

"Gotcha," looking down at the pinned guard, she raised one leg to knock her out with a kick, when she suddenly heard the whirring of metal from the end of the storage room. It sounded akin to machine starting up, several gears clicking into place in an almost rhythmic fashion. The possessed Magi turned her head towards the pitch-black darkness in front of her and twirled her spear at the ready, "Get out here, rich boy! I don't wanna waste anymore time!"

She heard the snap of two fingers, and following it, the snapping of Kyouko's nose breaking as an arm of pure metal rushed out of the dark and drove straight into her face. Her spear and Magi uniform vanishing into red particles, the unconscious Magi's body collapsed over a broken crate as the Warlock jumped out of the storage room in shock.

Mikage heard several heavy footsteps before she felt the shelf on top of her being lifted from her body. Once she was free, Mikage crawled out of from underneath and slowly picked herself up from the floor. Further adding to her confusion, was the being that saved her now standing behind her in an almost incomprehensible form: It was of humanoid shape, resembling a mix-match of scrap metal and bolts hastily welded and bolted together to form something remotely cohesive. It's body hunched over, it it had hands that ended in 3 stubby fingers and a blank mannequin-like face that gazed blankly at her.

Following the metal puppet from behind was Mamoru, one hand still grasping his injured ribs as oil stains covered his face, clothes and hands. He shot the Warlock outside the room a smug grin as it drew out two of its knives, "Impressive, isn't it? While it was clever to use a Puella Magi to attack me, you're not the only one with surprises," he flicked his wrist and the metal puppet in front of him snapped to attention, standing far taller than its master.

"You think a toy will save you?" the Warlock scoffed and twirled the knives in its hands, "You took that girl out by surprise, but the same trick won't work on me. I'm Jack the Ripper, you little brat, and some piece of junk won't save you!" Jack rushed into the room, knives at the ready, and in the blink of an eye, the sound of bones shattering rang in the air, followed by Jack screaming in pain as it was thrown out of the room like rag doll.

While the injured Mikage watched from the sidelines with widened eyes, Mamoru's puppet slowly marched out of the storage room with its master behind it plunging his Soul Key into his chest to form his Magi uniform again. Recicio magic coursed through the metal humanoid like the blood running through a man's veins, the automaton's head and limbs bending in ways one normally couldn't. Every movement it made gave off a pure uncanny vibe as Mamoru's pinched the brim of his top hat with a gloved hand, a smug grin growing on his face while he slowly waltzed towards the Warlock.

Jack got up from the floor and hissed at its approaching attackers. It drew out another knife, but then gripped the wound in its abdomen in pain, grunting as the Recicio energy from the puppet's attack burned away at its insides, "Goddamit!" frothing at the mouth like a rabid animal, Jack quickly realized its disadvantage and sheathed its knife before breaking into a hasty retreat.

Mamoru's arm cut through the air like a knife, "Deus Ex Machina, attack!" hearing his orders, the marionette energized with life as Mamoru tossed it his axe. Wielding it in its 3 fingers, it flung the weapon and the axe spun through the air like a spinning wheel of death before digging into Jack's spine as the Warlock screeched in pain. The Warlock fell to the floor, grunting, unable to react as the marionette pounced on the Warlock and grabbed it by the collar of its jacket. Mamoru watched with a grin as the automaton lifted the Warlock in the air and promptly smashed it against the marble floors, cracking both it and Jack's bones.

But it was not done just yet. With one of its heavy legs, it stomped on the Warlock's chest and grabbed one of its arms. With another screech of pain, the marionette ripped off one of the Warlock's arms straight from its socket and sprayed black ooze all over the decorated halls of the apartment. The Warlock writhed in pain under the automaton's foot and marionette replied by grabbing Jack by the throat and flinging it across the hallway. It smashed into a few pots and vases before rolling to a halt near the hallway's 3-way intersection, battered and blooded.

A smug grin still present on Mamoru's face, it dimmed when he sensed the Recicio energy within Deus Ex Machina beginning to fade, "Well then, 'Jack the Ripper', it seems that I'll be delivering the coup de grâce myself," his puppet picked up Mamoru's axe from the ground and tossed it to its master who caught it mid-air with ease, "You Warlocks should really spend less time boasting about how you're going to kill me before actually doing it. So conceited."

Black ooze pooling underneath the Warlock as it poured from where its right arm once was, Jack looked back at Mamoru's room where one could see the destroyed desk of files and let out a frustrated snarl, "Fuck it. Job's done. I'm outta here!" seeing the Puerum Magi rushing at it with his axe in hand, Jack's remaining arm reached into its pocket and pulled out a grenade which it then threw to the floor. It exploded in a blinding flash of light and emitted an ear-piercing ring.

Covering his eyes with his third arm to avoid being blinded, Mamoru continued to rush forward despite being deafened and swung his axe at where the Warlock's body lied.

His felt his axe meet the hard marble floor, and when the flash finally dimmed down, the Puerum Magi stared at an empty hallway with his weapon embedded only in a pool of Warlock ooze. Mamoru looked up and saw bits of rubble falling from a wide hole in the ceiling. He clicked his tongue in annoyance and Mamoru's Puerum Magi gear vanished. Soon, the Recicio energy within his automaton finally withered and the metal humanoid crashed onto to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut, now nothing more than a pile of scrap metal. Mamoru crouched down on one knee, grimacing with the adrenaline that suppressed the pain in his chest fading away as he heard Mikage rushing up to him with a med-kit in hand.

An hour after the Warlock had retreated, moonlight poured through the hole in the hall ceiling left behind by Jack during its escape, the tattered walls stained with blood and ooze as cracks spread across the marble floors. Mamoru was resting in the living room which was thankfully spared from the damage, sitting down on the couch with his bare chest covered in medical wraps. His injuries were almost done healing themselves as his shirt sat beside him, the cellphone in his hand pressed to his ear.

"-that's right, Hideki. The Warlock's wounded, but don't underestimate it. It has a form of mind control that can't be detected, so keep your guard up," Mamoru nodded as he spoke on the phone, drumming his fingers on his sore legs, "I'm fine. I took some damage, but it's inconsequential. Do tell the others about this as well. Alright. Good night," closing his phone, he placed it on his shirt beside him and let out a small sigh.

While his apartment was now a mess, the fact that a Warlock was now on the loose was more frustrating than every shattered item in this apartment combined. It would only take a day or two for repairs to be finished before his father could come and notice, and most of the damage was done to his bedroom, the hallways and the storage room. At the very least, they were no casualties this time. At least, he hoped there wasn't.

Mamoru pressed his fingers against his chest and felt his ribs already strong and good-as-new. He smiled in relief and put his shirt back on before heading towards his room. While gazing at the state of his penthouse, he avoided stepping on the shards of broken vases as he ran a hand on the blood-stained walls, the stains of black ooze burning away from the Recicio lingering in the boy's fingertips. Mamoru took note to do the same for any Warlock blood in the apartment before the repairman would arrive as the boy stepped through the broken door frame of his room.

Dropping his cellphone on his bed, Mamoru looked at the remains of his desk and crouched down to run his hand through the pile of wood and torn papers. Aside from the broken picture frame that he placed aside, all the files that Homura had given him, all the knowledge of what could happen in the future, all of it would now be gone if it weren't for the fact that Tateyama still carried the back-up files, even if Tateyama had no idea what was in them. Still, Mamoru wondered if the Warlock deliberately targeted these files. They wouldn't be able to know of their existence in the first place after all, unless they had some sort of physic help or anything similar.

Mamoru's eyes then broadened in realization.

"Oriko," he uttered to himself. With a hand grasping his head, Mamoru sat down on his bed and gazed at the floor. It all made sense. Not only would Oriko be able to warn the Warlocks of him carrying these files, her ability of foresight would be able to advise them of perfect times to strike at him or any of the other Magi. They had only been targeting him for the past few days as well, even though they could be targeting the others instead, or Madoka even. The signs were right there, and only now could he see the connection after they had managed to destroy the files in his possession.

The ringing of his phone startled him out of his thoughts and Mamoru took in a deep breath to calm himself down before flicking his phone open, "Hello...? Tateyama, is there something wrong?"

Tateyama's tone sounded firm, a hint of panic clear in his voice, "Mamoru. The files Homura gave us..."

Mamoru audibly gulped.

"... They're gone. I got back home from patrol and they're gone. Someone sneaked in and stole them while Tsukuyo and I were out."

His grip around his phone tightened and Mamoru paused for a few seconds before attempting to answer in a calm and collected tone, "The situation is the same here, Tateyama. The Warlocks destroyed everything I received from Homura. But still, I suggest we do not panic. While Homura entrusted theses files to us, we must still focus on protecting Madoka and the others. That was what she would want us to do first and foremost," Mamoru made sure to emphasize his last point, "Don't let Madoka get in danger."

"... Alright. Careful, Mamoru. Stay safe."

"Understood," Mamoru replied with a grateful smile, "Good night," he closed the phone and tossed it onto his bed behind him, standing up while massaging his face with both hands. With how things were looking at the moment, Mamoru stepped out of the door frame of his room and headed to the guest room where Mikage was watching over the unconscious Kyouko. He made sure to avoid the shards of glass on the floor, even when wearing a pair of slippers this time.

With the guest room's door broken as well by Mamoru earlier, the boy announced his presence vocally before stepping into the room where a bandaged Mikage was sitting on one of the room chairs. Kyouko lied on the bed next to her, hands cuffed and eyes shut as her wounds were already healed by Mamoru earlier. A holstered gun was sitting on the table next to Mikage with two spare magazines at the ready, something that seemed excessive, but the boy understood the ex-mercenary's unease around a Puella Magi that could easily overpower her.

"She still has yet to awaken?" Mamoru pulled over another chair and sat down at the foot of the bed with a tired sigh, "To think that a Warlock could manipulate others and my senses couldn't pick it up; that was close."

Mikage held a hand over her mouth to suppress a yawn before she rubbed her tired eyes, "I'm more worried about the Warlock itself. It's loose out there and could be hiding anywhere in such a big city. Won't it inevitably run into civilians?"

The boy's expression darkened at the thought of the Warlock causing further deaths in the city, but with Kyouko here, they had to watch over the Magi and ensure that they don't lose one of their biggest leads on Oriko, "I've already alerted my friends to the Warlock on the loose. While we won't be able to watch over Kazamino, Mitakihara would at least be under my friends' care."

Mikage gave an uncertain nod in response, still uncomfortable with the situation. Another yawn then came from her and the guard stood up to make some coffee when the window behind Mamoru began to slide open. She saw a white paw covered in red grip the windowsill and the guard snatched her pistol from the table, "Young Master, behind you!"

The boy spun around and saw Sanbey climbing into the room with red stains on his legs, "Mikage, wait!" as the young woman pointed the barrel of her gun at the Familiar, Sanbey froze where he stood before the Puerum Magi pushed her gun away from the cat-like creature, "It's just Sanbey! The one that recruited me!"

Mikage panted, sweat trailing down her face as her shaky hands slowly switched the safety of her gun back on and placed the pistol back on the table, "I-I see. Apologies, Young master. It looks... similar to another I've met before..."

Mamoru and Sanbey took in a deep breath of relief, before the two inevitably lit up with surprise.

"You can see him?" Mamoru almost gawked at her.

"Another you've met before?" Sanbey climbed up the windowsill and closed it behind him with his hind legs before he hopped onto the room table, "Ah, Kyubey. I see you've met him before," clearing his throat, Sanbey tried to sound as friendly as possible, considering the gaze of unease that she was directing at him. His speech only ended up more overly-formal and robotic than it usually sounded, "Anyway, I guess you're a new friend that Mamoru made. My name's Sanbey! And umm... Pleased to... meet you...?"

Mikage remained silent, now wide awake as she sat back down and nodded, "Pleased to meet you."

Seeing the almost palpable sense of awkwardness that was now in the room, Mamoru remembered that he had yet to tell Sanbey about Mikage joining him and vice-versa last night. Mamoru tried to get introductions past immediately, "Sanbey, this is Mikage. She is a mercenary with some experience with the Warlocks and is the guard you saw a few days ago. I forgot to mention that she now helps me in our cause," he looked at his guard and his finger stroked his chin, "Still, to think you'd be able to see Sanbey. Where did you meet Kyubey before, Mikage?"

"It was during my mercenary years," Mikage answered as her hand unconsciously reached for the scar on her face again, "Although it offered me peace from the conflict against the Warlocks, I refused its offer. I could not trust something so suspiciously generous, let alone something so utterly alien," she grimaced and caressed her scar gently, "I almost thought I was seeing things after months of fighting."

Mamoru's lips pursed before he turned back to Sanbey to address the elephant in the room, "Now then, Sanbey, what is that on your paws?"

Sanbey flinched as he looked at the reddish stains on his legs and averted his gaze from the boy, "This is... well... I was heading over here when I fell into a bucket of red paint, so... yeah" he gave an almost pitiful laugh, "It's not my lucky day. First there was Takuya's bad breakfast this morning, and now this and... Hehe..."

Gazing at the red-stained fur, Mamoru could at least tell that those weren't injuries. It also had the sour reek of paint that almost made Mamoru want to give the cat-like Familiar an immediate bath, but something still felt off. After pondering for a few minutes, Mamoru raised his voice to change the topic, only to hear a groan from the Puella Magi lying on the bed in front of them.

"The Hell just happened...?"

All three looked at the redhead as she slowly pulled herself upright, eyes unfocused and her hair an utter mess with her ribbon sitting on the bedside table.

She glanced at the handcuffs around her wrists, said nothing, and then looked up at the three who also remained silent. Mikage reached for her pistol, but a disapproving look from Mamoru kept her hand at her side. Kyouko then broke the silence with the sound of her stomach grumbling, something that then prompted her to talk in a low, disgruntled tone, "You know, I'm grateful that you got me outta that freak's control," she lifted her hands, her cuffs rattling, "But can you take these stupid things off, fetch me something to eat and explain what the fuck is going on here?"

The obnoxiously loud slurping of noodles went on for several minutes before Kyouko chugged down the remaining broth in her cup noodle and tossed the empty piece of plastic into a bin by the bed. She wiped her mouth with her wrists and relaxed in the warm sheets of her bed, "So, a bunch of dumbass Magi ended up creating a bunch of freaks, an artificial Wish-Maker and a new type of Magi. Now you guys are looking for more information on how these freaks came along so you can kill them faster. Is that it?"

"Precisely," Sanbey replied with a nod as he sat at the foot of the bed.

"So the Puella Magi had a hand in creating the Warlocks?" Mikage mused while staring at the cat-like Familiar on the bed with a mix of unease and uncertainty, "Hmph. I suppose it's not too far-fetched that those in power ended up wanting to play God."

"A sad truth, indeed," Mamoru said as he stepped towards the windowsill with hands folded behind his back, "But, that's the gist of what is happening, more or less. Since the Warlocks had started reappearing, my friends and I have been working towards finding and exterminating them for good," he peeked through the curtains covering the window, gazing down at the streets below, "They're an enigmatic lot, unknown in number, possibly anywhere and we don't know what are their plans. Searching more about their origin could help defeat them and expose their goals."

Gazing up at the ceiling in thought, Kyouko buried herself further in the warm blanket of her bed and asked, "If those things are running around, then are they responsible for the number of Magis getting killed out here?" her question got her a few curious glances, "For a few weeks, I've seen Puella magi getting offed, and not by Witches. Just plain torn apart as if they got into a fight with a freak with a gore fetish."

Mamoru and Mikage looked at each other, unsure of what to answer as it was the same with Sanbey, "The Warlock attacks only begun recently, and before that, most of the Warlock's activities were in Mitakihara," Mamoru explained while nibbling on the tip of this thumb, "Mikage, could you investigate about these murders, as well? It could give us a few more leads on the Warlocks."

"It could instead be Oriko," Sanbey reminded him and the name rang unfamiliar with the two girls.

"Oriko?" they asked in unison.

"Ah, yes. I forgot to mention her," Mamoru coughed into a closed fist, explaining, "She is a Puella Magi with the ability to glance in the future. From what I know, it's an ability that activates entirely on its own at random intervals. Sanbey does have a point that it could instead be her and her accomplice behind the murders you mentioned, as I have also been searching for her to put a stop to her plans," his eyes narrowed as his arms folded across his chest, "She also may also be supplying info for the Warlocks too, in return for their help."

"Heh, so we're dealing with more than just freaks of nature now?" Kyouko gave a dry laugh, "And you're gonna have me help you get some leads on both of them, is that what you were planning?"

"Your assumption is correct," Mamoru got straight to the point, "In return for giving a roof to live under and food to eat, you will give me whatever leads you can find on Mikuni Oriko from whatever other Magi there are in this town. The fact that you know this place well makes you our best lead to her and possibly the Warlocks. So, do we have your cooperation?"

Kyouko watched as the boy stepped up to the side of her bed and extended an arm for handshake. His expression firm, Kyouko gave a light sigh and grabbed his hand for a quick but crude handshake.

"Just don't get in my way and I'll give you whatever I can find," Kyouko then smirked, "Oh, and no taking back on the food, too. You better keep that part of the deal."

"Then so be it," Mamoru retracted his hand and gave a satisfied grin, "I look forward to working with you."

"All's well that ends well, huh?" Sanbey laughed while stretching his legs like a cat.

Mikage, though, couldn't help but glance suspiciously at the Puella Magi as she quietly commented, "Careful, Young Master, an alliance based on monetary gain is a fragile one at best."

Kyouko blew a raspberry, "Oh, it sounds better than being someone's stupid maid," she spat in a dry tone, "What are you gonna do, shoot the Warlocks to death with a BB gun?"

"Would you care to test my strength?"

"Now, you two, there's no need to fight-" Sanbey attempted to calm down the situation, but the two disregarded him completely as they glared intensely at one another. He looked at Mamoru for help, but after a long day, Mamoru simply shrugged and made his way towards the door with the Familiar hopping onto his shoulder. The boy stepped out of the room and stretched his arms while Sanbey asked him, "You think we're gonna make any progress with both Mikage and Kyouko's help? Those two don't seem to like each other very much."

"Their contribution will be better than not having any at all," Mamoru said while rolling a shoulder, "Though Kyouko may seem unreliable, she knows this city best. Mikage will do well with her access to my father's company, as well. Now then, before I go to sleep," he came to a halt in the hallway and Sanbey saw that they were right in front of the door to one of the penthouse's bathrooms, "I'll be giving your paint-stained body a bath," he said while pointing to Sanbey's dirty fur and paws.

Sanbey gave a nervous laugh, not very fond with how rough Mamoru would give him his baths, "Please be gentle this time."

"No promises."

With the long night finally coming to an end, another new ally had joined the Protector Servorum's cause. Though her personality made her a bit of a wild card, her contribution, along with Mikage's, would be essential to finding out the secrets of the Warlocks and Mikuni Oriko. The files that wielded information regarding the future were lost to the Protector Servorum, and from here on out, they could only theorize on what could happen in the next few days. With only 27 days left until the arrival of Walpurgisnacht, the Warlock's plans slowly came to fruition with little to halt them.

Warlock Stats Sheet.

Name and Code: Jack, 188.

Destructive Power: D

Speed: C

Range: D

Durability: A

Precision: A

Development Potential: A

Abilities:

Regarded as one of Phantom's weakest fighters, Jack was relegated to being a guard for any VIP within their ranks. His only useful skill is to charm humans using his words, making them his puppet, an ability that would be more useful were it not limited to a single person and its limit only lasting until the person is knocked unconscious or killed.

Weapons: Weak in physical power, Jack the Ripper carries around several named knives by the names of Ann, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine & Jane.