Parasoul was able to recover and return to action once she was brought to safety. She, Kyoko, Mami, and the search parties, rejoined with Adam, Molly, and the main Black Egret Forces, advance closer to the encampment and that spawner that are in the ruins of what was once Medici Tower. The spawn has finally opened the portal, spawning reinforcements to replenish the number of Pryus' forces.
Mami responded to the reinforcements with musket volleys and a large hand-cannon called Tiro Finale. However, these attacks strained her magic too close to a limit, reaching Magia Overload. Yellow static emitted from her soul gem and it gave her an awful headache.
Thanks to Mami, the Black Egrets were able to secure the encampment and its; in the meantime, Mami sent Kyubey to get Madoka, Sayaka, and Homura. At the spawner, Lab 8's Anti-Skullgirl units Peacock and Big Band have already reached it before the Black Egrets.
Peacock is dressed in a dark purple dress and hat, a red ribbon, and accessory. Her arms are bony with ominous eyes shaped like feathers and hands replaced with white cartoonish gloves. She had empty eye sockets which looked like the natural eyes of an old cartoon character. Her little companion is a bluebird, wearing clothes similar to Peacock and possessing three tail feathers with eyes.
Big Band is a large cyborg, wearing a fedora and clothes similar to a detective. He possessed mechanical appendages that make him a living brass musical instrument and an entire jazz band in one.
"It took you soldier-boys a while to get here," Peacock commented with a grin.
Parasoul ignored Peacock and greeted Big Band under a different name. "I see Lab 8 is doing quite well in their spare time."
"The Skullheart is one problem, but situations like this are a priority that Lab 8 can't ignore, Princess Renoir." Ben bowed slightly.
"Hold on, you know these two, Parasoul?" Kyoko interrupted.
"My father commissioned 9 Anti-Skullgirl Lab Divisions to combat a being called the Skullgirl, and he shut all but two down," Parasoul explained, "Peacock and Ben are products of one of the two active labs — Lab 8."
"Products? As in the result of lab experiments?" Mami questioned. "What has your father been allowing in those labs?"
Parasoul closed her eyes and gave a look of distrust. "I wish I can describe it, but all I can say is that it was wrong."
Mami didn't know what to think of this. Big Band can tell that she isn't sure about the Anti-Skullgirl Labs' activities, so he approached her with assurance.
"You don't need to worry about us, miss. If you two are after that knight who calls himself Pryus, we're after him too," Big Band informed, "We reported to the Princess that he kidnapped one of Anti-Skullgirl Units, a former unit from Lab 0."
"I guess most of Canopy Kingdom has a beef with the knight then," Kyoko confirmed.
"You think?" Peacock replied.
Soon Kyubey returns. "The girls brought company. Her name is Filia."
"Filia..." Parasoul is familiar with the name. "But that's..."
"But that what?" Kyoko questioned.
Madoka, Sayaka, and Homura arrived, and they were still in their Magical Girl forms. Filia was beside Madoka and Homura, listening to what they had to say about Mitakihara. Peacock, Big Band, Parasoul and the Black Egrets were highly cautious towards Filia, detecting the schoolgirl as some kind of threat. The Holy Quintet aren't aware of why they're suddenly cautious.
"Why whose faces guys?" Sayaka noticed.
"Uhhh...that girl that's with you is why!" Peacock pointed. "She's the Skullgirl!"
"We know that." Madoka held her bow close. "What's wrong?"
"The Skullgirl is a threat," Big Band explained, "Our orders are to eliminate the Skullgirl and the Skullheart before they can cause trouble."
"Madoka, Sayaka, and Homura, you three must stand aside," Parasoul ordered, "Pryus may be a major concern, but in this world, the Skullgirl is another concern to us."
Homura and Madoka were hesitant to do so, and Sayaka was sitting on the fence in this situation. They do not see Filia as a threat. At the same time, they do not want to end up fighting with Parasoul or these Anti-Skullgirl Units.
"No!" Sayaka replied. She decided to defend Filia. "We promised her. Pryus kidnapped her friend, Carol."
"Sayaka..." Filia looked at her.
"Uh oh..." Peacock knows that name.
"Miss, I know who you're looking for, we have a friend that goes by that name." Big Band sighed, knowing that name too. "We're looking for her too. Still..."
"That's isn't an excuse, Miss Miki. We need to destroy the Skullgirl," Parasoul stated, "Egrets—"
Madoka and Homura stood by Sayaka; the three remained in the way, defending Filia. Kyoko and Mami stepped in, looking as if they're going to reason with them. Kyubey is with the two and he looked at Mami.
"Are you sure you want to turn on them?" Kyubey questioned Mami.
Mami is the Leader of the Holy Quintet, so she had to handle this. She weighed the options based on the facts that the Skullgirl is a threat to Parasoul's world and the fact that Pryus is an enigmatic problem for many worlds. She looks at Kyoko and nods.
Kyoko and Mami stood with Madoka, Sayaka, and Homura.
They will defend Filia.
"This isn't right," Kyoko defended.
"We have Pryus to contend with rather than this Skullgirl." Mami prepared her musket. "I'm sorry, Princess Parasoul, but if this is your priority, this will not stand."
"How dare you..." Parasoul glared.
This soon started an argument between the Holy Quintet and Parasoul, Peacock, and Big Band. The Egrets were on standby with some surrounding Filia to make sure she doesn't move, but Samson saw this moment to get to the beacon fast.
"Filia, let's ditch them," Samson suggested.
"But Samson..." Filia didn't like this decision.
"I know these new friends are protecting you, but they're giving you time to move. Now, let's handle these bucketheads." Samson prepared the barbed hair locks.
Filia sighed in regret. "I'm sorry, Madoka." She acted quickly against the Egrets surrounding her.
Blue flames burst from her body, and she used the Skullgirl's powers to summon the undead. Living corpses and skeletons rose and assaulted the Egrets standing in her way.
Filia walked freely around the Holy Quintet, Parasoul, Peacock, and Big Band, making her way to the first steps of the beacon. The undead was rising to defend Filia and the Skullheart that she possesses.
This beacon was simply a massive, liquid-filled brazier with four wide stairways. A large pillar of light was rising from this brazen bowl, emitting light upward like an upside-down waterfall. When Filia stepped into the brazier, she was able to talk on the surface of the liquid without sinking. She walked a step closer to examined this pillar of light rising from the brazier.
Alarmed, Parasoul gave an immediate order to her Egret Soldiers. "Egrets! Stop the Skullgirl!"
There were a number of The Black Egret Soldiers that we're dealing with the undead that is under Filia's command. Some were able to rally and get into two rows of lines with the first row got on their knees. They all aimed their rifles Filia. Peacock and Big Band stood beside Parasoul, preparing themselves for the fight. Filia turned around in alarm, but she glared at them, preparing to fight.
"Filia!" Madoka wanted to intervene, but the Holy Quintet were stopped by Egret Soldiers who are commanded by Adam. Molly stood beside him.
"I'm sorry girls, but you can't go any further," Adam warned.
As Filia was getting into her fighting stance, her eyes glowed red again and blue aura blazed from her body like flames. But as she and Samson were ready, a hand came out from the beacon's light with a sword. The sword impaled Filia from behind and straight through her chest. Another hand came out, placing itself on Filia's shoulder. The sword retracted and was sheathed so that the sword hand can reach into the chest to retrieve a simple crowned skull engulfed in blue flames. This is the Skullheart.
"Wh-what..." Filia was in shock.
When the hands let go fo Filia, she tumbles down the stairs, slowly disintegrating to bits and dust at the last step.
"D-damn... you..." Samson was grasping onto life, but he too disintegrates with Filia.
Filia and Samson were no more, and their death shocked everyone. A knight comes out of the beacon's pillar of light, absorbing the bits and dust into an essence. It's Pryus.
"You all fight over this? One wish? A power that can destroy? A simple object you call threat to this world?" Pryus laughs. "Your Trinity's megalomania entertains me. So many lives, so many resources and time, wasted just like that. All for this? Your deities mock mortals you all."
Adam quickly turned the Black Egrets under his control towards Pryus. The Holy Quintet were allowed through to face Pryus. The Skullgirl and the Skullheart didn't matter now that Pryus has his hands on the artifact. Parasoul had no time to deal with the insubordination that the Holy Quintet committed.
"Blasphemy! You do not know what you're doing with the Skullheart!" Parasoul reacted. "If your intent is to use the Skullheart, it won't work for you!"
Pryus laughed. "You think that's my intent for this artifact, Princess Renoir? You'd be wrong. I am doing a favor for this universe by taking it away."
Pryus soon turned around and reenters the beacon's pillar of light. It beams him up to beyond the stars and to a place unknown. Parasoul's crystal infection slowly grows, and she's urged to go after her, she prepared to sprint.
"Come back with the Skullheart!" She demanded.
Homura was the nearest to Parasoul, and she grabbed Parasouls' left arm before she can sprint. Molly and Adam came to Homura's aid, not wanting their commander to go in there alone.
"Parasoul-san, stop!" Homura begged.
"Commander! You shouldn't!" Molly begged. "We don't know where that beacon leads!"
"We can't let you go out there alone, Commander!" Adam reasons.
Finally, Madoka intervenes and stands in front of Parasoul. "Princess Parasoul, calm down! You have to listen to reason!" She tried not to cry after what happened to Filia. "Parasoul... please..."
Parasoul kept struggling, but when Madoka faced her, she looked into her eyes. Parasoul recognized someone through those eyes and obeyed Madoka's pleas.
Parasoul sighed, tearing up a bit. She hasn't felt such grief in a while.
"Commander..." Adam lets go of Parasoul.
Molly and Homura did the same. Adam then placed a hand on Parasoul's shoulder.
"Commander, we'll need to organize something." Adam looked to Madoka. "You and the Holy Quintet return to Maplecrest and pack up whatever you need."
A few Black Egret Soldiers remained to monitor the beacon while it's open. Parasoul was nearby one of the tents, sitting down and trying to reflect. Adam and Molly were doing whatever they can to prepare a convoy.
Madoka was kneeling before the place where Filia collapsed. Homura was beside Madoka, comforting her. Mami, Kyoko, and Sayaka were near the beacon, discussing what to pack up before they return to Maplecrest. Mami and Kyoko did what they can for Madoka, but they found no other trace of Filia. Kyubey wasn't sure what to make of Filia's Death as it's beyond his understanding; all he can interpret was that Pryus killed Filia and turned her into something that he can subjugate to his very being.
Sayaka joined and knelt beside Madoka. "Madoka... There's nothing else we can do about this. She's gone."
Peacock and Big Band were still present around the beacon.
"Oh, boo-who! Crying won't bring the Skullgirl back," Peacock ridicules, "Besides, that knight did a favor getting the Skullheart out of our world.
"You said it," Avery agreed while appearing on the brim of Peacock's hat.
"Peacock, Avery, that's not nice." Big Band tried to comfort them, but at the same time, he tried to reason with them. "But that girl was dangerous."
"You wouldn't understand," Sayaka defended, "That Skullheart... it belongs to her..."
Somehow Sayaka felt like she said this before but in a different way. She tried not to let it bother her for now.
"I understand quite well that you befriended her, but no matter who's possesses the Skullheart, it has to be destroyed along with that person," Big Band replied.
Soon Parasoul got up and stepped closer to the beacon. She overheard the conversation. "Then we'll go after it together." She then called for Adam and Molly. "Adam! Molly! Gather some military personnel into a convoy by tomorrow. Miss Tomoe, I hope you understood Adam's orders. You're coming with us."
Mami looked at Parasoul and nods. "We're going after the knight now?"
"If the Skullheart's with him, then he is a total threat to the Canopy Kingdom and Mitakihara." Parasoul soon turned to approach Adam. She wants to leave Adam in charge of the Canopy Kingdom, Mitakihara, Asunaro, and Kazamino while she's gone.
Big Band had orders to Peacock now that Parasoul has made a decision. "Peacock, I think it's time you go with Parasoul alone."
"What?!" Peacock reacted.
"The Canopy Kingdom still needs protectors," Big Band explained, "And even if the Skullheart is taken away from this world, you have to understand it can be a threat somewhere else. Besides, you can learn a thing or two from this."
"So..." Peacock grins. "You're letting me do what I want? I'm starting to like it already."
"Just don't go overboard," Big Band warned, "You, the Holy Quintet, and Parasoul and the Black Egrets must look after one another, you're going in on this together, you got that?."
"Alright-y then." Peacock adjusts her hat.
Soon, the Holy Quintet leave for Maplecrest.
Kyubey remained near the beacon, watching its pillar of light continue to rise and pierce the skies. Who knows where the light is beaming towards.