~Praedari-Alpha~
I groaned as the damn song blared loudly, keeping me from sleeping. Growling in annoyance I got up and went to the door before opening it. I actually enjoyed the song honestly, but I was tired as hell, and this was just torture to me, having to hear it over and over so much at a loud volume. I inhaled slowly while closing my eyes. Opening them, I opened my mouth to speak
"TURN DOWN THE DAMN MUSIC, NOZOMI! SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO SLEEP!" I screamed as loud as I could before slamming the door loudly, only to fall onto my bed, my face landing into the pillow.
I sobbed into the pillow as the music only increased in volume. This is going to be a long, agonizing night…
Bonding Rondo
~Civilis- Nobunaga Himari~
I froze in place just as the music for the song concluded, and the crowd broke out in cheering as the concert finally came to an end.
"Himari! Himari!" the crowd chanted.
"ARIGATO, MINNA!" I cried out exuberantly, waving to my fans with a cheerful smile before the stage lights turned off. Once shrouded by darkness, I immediately ran offstage and straight into my dressing room, slamming the door behind. I immediately went into a corner and curled up into a ball.
I hate this life… Being an idol was nothing like I was told. I was only an object for my parents to make money with. They always forbid me to do anything what I want to do. Instead, they dictated my every move. I had to act like I was happy, not the tormented person I really am or else I am forced to starve for two days. Since I was now sixteen, they were arranging my first gravure shooting for the following morning.
I felt something looking down at me from where the costume rack was. I slowly rose my head, only to make out a silhouette shaped like a weird rabbit in the darkness perched on top of the rack. I was able to feel its gaze as it leaped down to the floor. However, I involuntarily tensed up as the creature came towards me slowly. It was small, but I felt fear forming in the back of my mind, as well as a little familiarity.
The darkness melted away as the door was kicked down, revealing a pair of figures wearing black. One was completely covered, leaving her identity completely unknown, except for the gender based on how the outfit clung to her curves. The other girl however looked like she was wearing a black magical girl cosplay while holding what looked like a pair of miniature scythes in her hands.
"There you are, you little fucker!" the cosplayer said before bringing one of the blades down upon the rabbit, which looked like a stuffed rabbit. The plush opened its mouth, revealing rows of razor sharp teeth as it screeched as the tip of the curved blade just missed the creature by what looked like a single millimeter. I watched in fear as the masked girl turned her attention towards me.
"I apologize for my friend's behavior, she is a big fan of yours." she said apologetically.
"What about that rabbit?" I asked while pointing towards the enraged plushy as the cosplayer discarded her weapon to wrestle with it directly. The pair began rolling around the ground, both trying to establish their dominance other the other.
"YOU'RE GONNA BE MINE!"
The masked girl groaned before raising a gun towards my face.
"I was really hoping you couldn't see that familiar." she said in disappointment. "Because of that, I have to kill you now."
"Wait… What do you mean!?" I asked, my eyes widening in shock before looking over towards the cosplayer as she rose with the rabbit in her arms. The living plush was now acting calm and peaceful within the girl's arms. Despite my fear, that nagging feeling of familiarity I had turned into realization. "So… that wasn't a dream after all."
The masked girl turned her attention towards the cosplayer and froze in place, completely missing what I just said.
"What the hell are you doing with that, Jyo-san?!" she said incredulously. "You know that it eats people!"
"Don't worry, I tamed it." the cosplayer said reassuringly before pointing to a black ribbon that was wrapped around the rabbit's neck. "One of many tricks I've gained."
"Gained?" the masked girl asked in confusion.
"My magic, Sekai-chan." Jyo said.
"Care to explain how you can do that exactly?" At this point, I was completely forgotten by Sekai, who lowered her gun as she gave her undivided attention towards the cosplayer.
"It's thanks to my wish." Jyo replied with a warm smile while cuddling the rabbit. "I am the perfect hunter."
"The perfect hunter?" Sekai questioned. "You've been with Usagi and me for over two days and you've never said anything about your wish."
"That's all I'm saying." the black haired girl said mischievously before bringing the living plush to the top of her head.
I looked up to see the plushy that was perched ontop of the cosplayer's head. It was looking at me with its large innocent looking black eyes. The longer I looked at it, the more certain I was that I encountered it before. The creature reminded me of what I thought was a dream.
I snuck out to go for a walk the other night when I somehow wound up in this weird place that looked like a plushy city made out of various pieces of fabric stitched together. After wandering around for a few minutes, I encountered a plush rabbit, and thought it was harmless when it hopped over towards me. I dropped my guard when I tried to pet it. It was only after it bit my hand that I realized that it was anything but friendly. I was then attacked by more of those plush rabbits. I ran for my life, only to trip and fall, giving the creatures the chance to surround me as my body began to feel heavy. However, just as one of them leaped to attack, the sound of gunfire filled the air, followed by many more as they took down each and every plush with pinpoint accuracy.
It was soon after that my savior appeared. A yellow magical girl with spiraling twin tails. She told me that I was no longer in danger. However, I quickly fell unconscious before I could ask her name. When I woke up, I was on a bench with my parents glaring down at me.
I came to my senses when I saw Jyo hold one of her scythes towards my neck.
"Question, can I kill you?" she asked me. "A high profile person like you would really raise my reputation. Besides, you seem to be the type to welcome death. Am I right?"
My mind went blank as I looked at the black haired girl in the eyes. Within those silver orbs were a mix of anticipation and curiosity.
"Jyo, don't joke about that." Sekai sternly warned the cosplayer .
"I wasn't." the other said while frowning. "We have two options with her. Either we kill her, or we find that pixy to make her a magical girl so that you have a legitimate reason to detain her."
"Wait… what did you just say?" I asked in confusion. "Something about making me a magical girl? Like in anime? And you'd take me away from here?!"
Jyo looked at me with a perplexed look on her face while Sekai shook her head.
"Out of the question!" the masked girl refused vehemently. " I am trying to prevent more magical girls from being born, not scouting them."
Jyo grinned as she turned her attention towards her friend while lowering her weapon.
"There is a third option now that I think about it." she countered. " Can she be one of you Praedari?"
"No, as I told you the other day, every one of the Praedari has killed at least one person before they were recruited. " Sekai reminded the silver eyed girl. "Regardless, until we figure out something, we can't just leave her alone. She has seen too much."
I didn't fully understand what the two were talking about, but I did get that I was either going to die or be kidnapped.
This is what I was waiting for after so many years, an escape from this living hell I'm trapped in.
"Please…" I said, catching both girls' attention. "I'll not resist. In fact, I want you to take me away from this place, one way or another."
"Wow… don't see her kind that often." Jyo said before her scythes turned into a black vapor that disappeared into thin air. "So, you're saying that you want to be abducted or killed?"
I nodded.
"It's decided then, I'm taking this sexy girl with me as a souvenir!" Jyo exclaimed with an cheerful smirk.
"Are you sure you're not a lesbian?" Sekai asked skeptically.
"I like to mess with people, but I honestly do prefer guys over girls." the black haired girl countered as her smirk faltered slightly. "I just like to take something with me whenever I visit somewhere new."
I sighed as Jyo was speaking like I was an object, but then again, that's what I basically am to my parents. But still, it doesn't sound like she was planning to use me to make money or anything.
"It's thanks to you that we wound up in this place all because you were hunting down that witch the familiar spawned from!" Sekai argued. "If you were not so damn stubborn, we would've been at Shotaro-sensei's place already and not the next town over!"
The rabbit leaped off of Jyo's head as the pair glared at each other while clenching their fists.
"Umm… Could we please stay calm here? We're in a public area with other people after all." I pointed out.
The pair looked over towards me as the plushy leaped onto my shoulder.
"I feel stupid for forgetting that…" Sekai groaned.
"Same here. Let's just take the girl and get out of here." Jyo said in agreement. "But first, we need to strip her."
"Either you are a lesbian or just flat out immoral…"
"Ninty-five-point-one percent immoral!" Jyo admitted proudly. " Two percent bloodlust, point nine percent boredom and the rest is split between mischief and perversion. "
"Wait, what?"
~Welkin-Digamma(Chief)~
Xi and I stood in the elevator as it descended towards the lower levels of the base. Within the Praedari's grasp was a grief seed.
"May I ask why you asked me to come along with this grief seed, Digamma?" my subordinate asked me.
I smirked a little while turning my head to look at Xi.
"It's a little pet project of mine." I replied. "I told you before that I only care for results, remember?"
"Of course, and you don't care about the methods." Xi recalled.
"Exactly, and I know that it has came across the minds of many Praedari why Welkin wants the grief seeds." I continued. "R&D has been doing research on utilizing them in some way. Mainly it's to implement them in battle in someway."
"I see. But is this relevant to the mentioned 'pet project' of yours?" the silver Praedari questioned
"In a way, yes. Welkin has mainly been focusing on developing weapons that harness grief seeds. I however, am taking a different approach. I plan to fight fire with fire."
"You plan on taming witches?" Xi asked me with a little skepticism.
"Not really, I have been working on hybridizing Praedari with witches." I replied. "They'd be ideal for Preadari because if its done right, then they can trap the Puella Magi within their labyrinths and move around, completely invisible to any and all Civilis."
The elevator stopped as I turned to face the door.
"I have been trying everything possible to make this happen, from grief seed ingestion to breeding attempts."
"B-Breeding attempts?" Xi said, his voice relaying his surprise.
"The witches are evolving…" I said solemnly. "They are becoming self-aware."
"What proof do you have of this?" the Praedari asked.
"I have Audio logs of my conversations with the one I have named Lamia. She is possibly as dangerous as the one we refer to as Harbinger, for different reasons altogether." I explained. "However, she is able to be reasoned with to a degree."
"This is the first time I've heard of this Harbinger." Xi pointed out.
"That is the one Puella Magi call Walpurgis Nacht." I said with a sigh. "Many of those supposed natural disasters are that one witch's doing. It's a threat that no Praedari can stand against, no matter how many of them they are. It's one of the strongest witches known to exist."
"What about this Lamia? What makes her as dangerous as Walpur- I mean the Harbinger?"
"Its because of her abilities. Like the Harbinger, she is able to move outside of labyrinths. However, she stands at about the size of a human, though the length of her tail makes her six times as long as humans are tall. Lamia is intelligent, but yet is driven by this desire to reproduce through any means possible. The primary method is reminiscent to vampirism, as she bites witches to transform them into something similar to herself. However, the success rate is very low, as the bite usually kills the witch."
Xi listened to me intently as the elevator chimed and the doors opened, as well as a secondary reinforced steel security door.
"Anyway, Xi, welcome to Research and Development."
~Praedari Mu~
I grumbled as Jyo and I ran through the hallways while the magical girl carried her panty clad "souvenir" over her shoulder. The idol's long violet hair swayed with each step as her lavender eyes focused upon her abductor and myself. Ever since we left, the Civilis had remained completely silent, nor resisted at all when she was stripped. Running beside the murderer was the tamed familiar, which Jyo named Sister El Ripper Von O'Fuzzy McFangson the Fifth, Ph D, or Ripper-chan for short.
I raised a hand up to press the button to activate the radio.
"Nu, We're coming back, but I should warn you, we have a familiar and a Civilis with us." I announced.
"Umm, is the familiar the s-same as the other one?" my sister asked out of fear.
"It is, but it won't attack." I confirmed before hearing Usagi squeak in fear before falling silent.
I looked to see both Jyo and the familiar stop immediately as they stared forward. I stopped and turned around to face the psycho.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"The witch's wards are really close." the magical girl said as an eager smirk formed on her face.
"Really?!" I said in disbelief.
Jyo nodded before she turned to gently set the idol down onto the ground.
"What are you doing?" the purple haired girl asked, speaking for the first time in a while.
"I don't want my new toy to be damaged if I can avoid it." Jyo explained bluntly, causing the idol to blush deeply. "Sekai, I may need your barriers, so we can have your sister keep an eye on her."
"Fine." I said reluctantly. I didn't like having to take orders from a murderer, but her reasoning made sense. Usagi doesn't have any combat knives, so she can't be of any use in the fight right now, plus there's the chance that the witch was a rabbit itself, based off of the familiars we've been encountering the past two days.
As Jyo and I began prepping for the upcoming fight, I saw Usagi come into view, with her helmet off.
"Found you at last, Sekai-nee." she said while running towards me.
"Put your helmet on, we're close to the wards of a witch's labyrinth." I warned her.
My twin's eyes widened before she complied. Once the helmet was on, she screamed upon seeing Jyo's pet. Mentally sighing, I placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.
"Don't worry, that familiar is under Jyo's control." I reassured her.
The psycho summoned her scythe before resting it on her shoulder. " It's true, Sister El Ripper Von O'Fuzzy McFangson the Fifth is under my complete control, as long as that ribbon remains on her."
Usagi looked at Jyo in silence. Even though her face was hidden, it was obvious for me that she was confused by what she just heard.
"That's the name she's given the familiar." I clarified. "She also calls it 'Ripper-chan' for short."
Usagi's head nodded nervously before looking down at the rabbit that hopped over towards her.
"Ripper-chan will stay to help you, Usagi." Jyo said as she gave my sister a sadistic smirk. "So please get along with her."
An audible gulp was heard from my twin as she nodded again.
"Don't worry, I won't be gone for long." I said in a reassuring tone. "Besides, it's too dangerous for you right now, since your knives are broken."
"Alright, be careful, Sekai-nee." Usagi said before giving me a quick hug, which I returned.
"I'll come back, and then we can finally go see Shotaro-sensei." I promised before pulling myself away from my sister.
"Okay, enough family bonding, it's time to hunt a witch!" Jyo said eagerly before walking towards the end of the hallway before slashing her scythe, creating a gash in the air that revealed what looked like a plush city inside.
I heard the idol gasp as she saw the Labyrinth inside.
"That was the exact same place I was in the other day!" she pointed out, catching everyone's attention.
"What do you mean?" I asked, wanting an answer.
"We don't have time for that now." Jyo blurted before climbing through the rift. "C'mon!"
I groaned before following the magical girl into the entrance to the labyrinth.
~Witch-Lamia~
When I entered these wards to see if the witch had the potential, I didn't expect to run right into enemies.
I hissed while charging forward towards the Praedari that stood before me. He dodged to my left before hitting me in the face with a jab. I grimaced before looking into where my opponent's face was.
"Damn you…" I cursed before throwing a punch of my own, hitting him in the gut.
My opponent grunted as he lurched forward from the force I exerted.
"I am not letting a damn human get the best of me." I declared before wrapping my tail around the man's waist and flung him as hard as I could into one of the plush buildings.
However, he twisted his body and landed feet first against the wall, sinking into the building. He clenched his fists just as he was catapulted back towards me. I prepared to move before I saw something that caught me off guard. His armband began glowing as his fists erupted into flames while coming towards me. He capitalized me being stunned by shock, driving both of his burning fists into my chest. The air was forced out of my lungs as the force of his attack sent me flying into the air.
"JERI!" he cried out.
Before I could counterattack, I was stunned while feeling a kick to the back of my head, sending me the other way. In a flash of light, I felt another kick, this time from below me, causing me to fly straight up into the air. I saw another flash, followed by another kick, sending me in a different direction. This process repeated, various kicks sending me flying in various directions that disorientated me. The flashes began to appear more frequent, the individual attacks becoming a barrage of blows that kept me up in the air and amplified the damage I was receiving. I couldn't keep count as to how many strikes I received.
"YOUR TURN TENKI!" I heard an excited voice belonging to a girl from above me. Before I could look up to see who it was, I felt some kind of blade cutting into my back before two feet stomped down on me, forcing me to plummet to the ground. Just before I hit the ground, a flaming uppercut connected with my face, sending me flying once more. I tried to recover, but was met with a volley of fireballs that set me ablaze once they made contact. Screaming in pain, I crashed to the ground, squirming violently as my body screamed in excruciating pain as the inferno burned my flesh as its fuel.
I soon began to relax as a grin formed on my face amongst the flames.
~Welkin-Digamma~
"What exactly makes Lamia so dangerous?" Xi asked me.
"Lamia is stronger compared to a regular human, but she is much weaker physically compared to other witches. What makes her so dangerous is her combat abilities." I explained with a frown. "First off, she is able to summon these ribbons that can restrain anything and anyone. Her recovery is on absurd levels, enough that make her quasi-immortal. It's theorized that the only way to truly kill her is to obliterate her entire body completely and fast, otherwise, she'll recover from just about any physical wounds inflicted upon her."
~Witch-Lamia~
The pain faded away while I began to break out into laughter.
"Was that the best you can do?" I asked while rising up. Through the flames, I was able to see a magical girl appear next to the Praedari.
"Heh, I'm starting to finally enjoy myself." I addressed my opponent. "It's been a long while since I fought with Praedari that aren't gun-reliant."
"You know about the Praedari?" the man asked me.
"I know of them." I answered before slamming my tail to the ground, causing the flames to disappear instantly from my entire body. "I fought with some, and conversed with others civilly."
"What are you trying to say?" the Praedari pressed.
"We can arrange a temporary truce, get to know each other better." I said in a suggestive manner.
"Not happening." the Praedari said bluntly.
"Is it because of how I look right now? Hang on." I replied before bringing a hand up to my face.
I dug my fingers into my forehead while closing my eyes, starting to peel off the charred skin with out any difficulty. The skin came off like I was removing a loose article of clothing, my pristine flesh appearing from my charred shedding. I slithered out of the old skin, presenting my now nude body to the Praedari while running my hands through my new hair.
"What about now?" I asked.
The Praedari only shook his head.
"Sorry, but I'm into girls." He said.
My eye twitched as I realized what he was implying.
"The only people who would flat out refuse an invitation like that from a naked girl are either into two dimensional girls or gay." I admitted with a frown. "And I'm guessing the latter applies to you, Praedari."
"That's right, but I'll take up your offer in his place." I heard the female voice said from behind me.
I gasped when I felt a pair of arms come through my chest like a ghost through a wall before the hands began groping my breasts.
What the hell?!
~Puella Magi- Cutter Jyo~
I screamed as I swung my scythe, launching a crescent of magic into the approaching swarm of familiars. A good number of them were sliced in half while a few leaped into the air to evade the attack. Those were cut down by Sekai through some invisible object that I couldn't see.
We were deep within the labyrinth, surrounded by a swarm of familiars.
"Tell me again exactly what you can do with that armband?" I asked.
"I can create barriers at will. However, it's more versatile than you think." She replied.
I looked up and saw some black ooze run down what appeared to be some kind of blade that I couldn't see.
"Stand still for a second." she warned before she held both her arms above her head.
I complied as her armband began glowing. The remaining familiars charged in, their mouths opening with the intention to devour us. Without hesitating, the Praedari began spinning in place while bringing her arms down. I admit, it looked stupid, but the results says otherwise. The familiars were quickly turned into unrecognizable pieces or gore and black ooze, splattering in every direction around us. Only one of rabbit plushies remained, looking at us with what had to have been fear. It turned and fled once the gory rain stopped, squealing loudly in terror.
"Can I move now?" I asked.
I saw Sekai nod in confirmation before she took off after the familiar. I followed suit, eager to pursue
However, I stopped when a winged shadow flew overhead.
"We got company!" I cried out while looking upwards as black snow floated down around me.
~Civilis-Nobunaga Himari~
"I guess I should introduce myself, I am Praedari Nu, Suzuhara Usagi. The person who was dressed like me was my twin sister, Suzuhara Sekai, aka Praedari Mu." the girl introduced herself.
"Nice to meet you." I said. "I doubt I need to introduce myself."
"You're Nobunaga Himari, or simply 'Himari!' in public. Your current song, Bonding Rondo, is very popular in all of Japan right now." Usagi recited enthusiastically. "The pleasure is all mine."
"True, but I'd do anything to be rid of that life." I said while looking down at the rabbit.
Usagi looked down and squeaked in fear upon seeing the plushy before looking away.
"What's the story with you and rabbits exactly?" I asked out of curiosity.
"I…I'd rather not talk about it." the girl said timidly.
"It can't be that bad." I questioned. "Did it try to kill you or something?"
"That is close to the truth." she said, her voice becoming cold yet firm. "I was bitten by one infected by rabies…and almost died from the virus too."
I fell silent briefly. Rabies was the last thing I expected to hear, but was probably the most likely outcome.
"How did you survive?" I pressed, wanting to know more now.
"It was a magical girl, who cured me with her magic." the girl in black said before looking up at the ceiling. "I was at a terminal stage by then, and neither Sekai-nee or Alpha-sensei could help me once I began frothing. It was the magical girl that was with Alpha-sensei that saved my life."
"I see. Well, at least you are alive. That's all that matters." I said, deciding to drop the subject right there.
As if on cue, I heard shouting coming from our right followed by gunfire. The sounds of footsteps grew loudly as we saw a shadow appearing at the end of the hall. The shadow began to shrink down and became recognizable as a pair of humanoid shapes.
"DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE!" I heard a familiar voice scream out.
"Suzuhara-san, we have to move right now!" I cried out while scrambling to my feet.
"Why?" Usagi asked out of curiosity.
"It's security and my father!" I said before grabbing her by the arm and pulled her up from the ground. "They're coming for me!"
"But why did we hear gunshots?" my companion asked.
"Don't care, Let's get going!" I cried in a panic before looking over towards the spot that Jyo and Sekai went into. The entrance was closed, and I recalled that if we went to the left, we would hit a dead end.
We were trapped like rats. My chance of escaping my hell was going to be taken from me. "Shitshitshit!"
It was then that I felt a blast of cold air that made me shiver involuntarily, snapping out of my panic. As I held myself, I saw two figures come into view as a few bullets embedded themselves into the nearby wall.
"Magical girls." I heard Usagi say. I took a closer look and noticed that they were dressed like they were described.
The petite, flat chested one had silver hair, held up in a ponytail that reached her waist and eyes to complement the outfit she was wearing. Her outfit was a snow white sleeveless top that left her midriff exposed with a matching pleated skirt that reached the knees. Her arms donned loose detached sleeves that went from the elbows and draped over the hands, obscuring them entirely. Around her neck was a gold necklace with a white gemstone. However, the most defining feature of this elegant looking girl was the white ice skates she was wearing. She wasn't running, rather skating across the ground on the ice that formed underneath her feet.
Beside her was a taller girl that looked older and had a rack that was larger than my own. She had burgundy hair that was also held up in a ponytail. I couldn't see her eyes as they were veiled underneath a scarlet reflective visor that covered her eyes and nose, leaving only her forehead and mouth exposed. Protruding from each sides of her visor where what looked like a pair of small red tubes. Her outfit was far more provocative, and complex compared to the white girl's simpler attire.
The cherry red outfit reminded me of a race queen outfit based on how it looked. The top had a silver zipper in the front with a checkered flag patter on the sides. The size of the glossy sleeveless red top was quite form fitting, making it appear that her large breasts would come out at any moment. Her also glossy miniskirt also had the same color and checkered pattern on the sides of her waist while lacking a zipper. However, the rest of her outfit was more unusual.
Her arms had red "gauntlets" that went up to her shoulders, with silver tubes protruding upwards from the wrists and three upwards from the shoulders, giving an allusion to wings. As I looked closer, I noticed that they were actually slightly larger and bulkier in proportion to her body.
Her feet were encased in red metal from the knees down with three tubes protruding from the sides of where her shins would be. What made them so peculiar was the black wheels that were where her feet would be.
"Anzu, the barrier!" the white magical girl cried out.
"Got it, Akiza." the red one said in acknowledgement. All of the tubes roared as blue flames erupted from them as the wheels began spinning faster.
"NITRO KNUCKLER!" the girl cried out in English.
The one called Anzu rocketed past Usagi and myself at such speeds that she was only a red blur to us before we heard what sounded like glass shattering as the magical girl broke through into the plush city.
Akiza skated as fast as she could, leaping through the gaping hole her friend made. Realizing that this was my chance, I pulled Usagi along as I ran towards the hole. I would rather die than go back to that life I hate so much.
"Ripper-chan, come on!" I cried out to the rabbit, who squeaked in response before following us.
I jumped through the barrier first, dragging the protesting girl in after me with the rabbit behind us. I turned around to see the hole repairing itself before it closed up completely, sealing us inside the bizarre city that I was trapped in once before.
I looked around and saw the two magical girls standing in front of a gigantic pool of black ooze that was splattered all over the place.
"It looks like someone beaten us here first." I heard Akiza say.
"Think maybe we can work with her?" Anzu asked.
"I hope so." the petite magical girl said hopefully.
Maybe I can ask them what this place is exactly.
"Excuse me." I said, getting both magical girl's attention.
"What are you doing here?!" Akiza said in shock. "This place is dangerous!"
"I know, I was in here before." I stated with a frown.
Everyone looked at me in disbelief.
"Y-Y-You're a magical girl too?!" the red magical girl said incredulously. "And what's up with your outfit?"
I shook my head while stepping towards the pair despite my face blushing. I completely forgot about my state of undress until now due to everything that was going on.
"No, just a regular girl." I replied before Ripper-chan leaped onto my shoulder. "and I am only this way because my kidnapper stripped me beforehand.
"Familiar!" Akiza said in before she held out her hand as the temperature around me began to rapidly drop.
"Don't hurt Ripper-chan." I warned the magical girl. "She's not dangerous."
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Anzu questioned. "That thing will eat you!"
"Has it yet?" I countered before raising a hand up to scratch the rabbit underneath its chin.
"NO!" the red magical girl cried out before Usagi stepped in between us.
"Sorry, but that f-familiar belongs to someone really dangerous." she warned them. "She could be more dangerous than a witch."
Anzu rolled over with her hands clenched into fists.
"Who could be more dangerous than a witch?" she asked.
"A magical girl named Cutter Jyo." Usagi replied without any hesitation.
The red magical girl looked at the girl in black skeptically.
"Are you saying that monster belongs to a serial killer?" Akiza asked as she looked over towards me.
"That's right." I said in confirmation.
"We got one question." Anzu asked.
"What do you want from me?" I asked.
The white magical girl stepped forward while looking at me with a stoic face.
"I want you to join my cause." she said bluntly.
"What do you mean?" Usagi questioned.
"We are looking to stop Kyubey's plans in any way possible. Too many people are dying because of it." Akiza explained. "Many magical girls rather fend for themselves, letting the incubators do whatever they want."
Usagi fell silent as the white magical girl talked.
"We heard of these people called Praedari, and were hoping to enlist their help." Anzu added.
Usagi took that moment to speak up.
"I'm sorry, but that isn't really possible. Praedari kill magical girls because they are seen as a threat to humanity." she said solemnly.
"Wait… Are you one of those Praedari?" the red magical girl asked in confusion. "I thought you were some kind of super security guard."
"I am Praedari Nu. Officially, I am suppose to kill you and any witnesses." the girl explained before reaching for her helmet. "However, I don't want to do that if I can avoid it. You both seem reasonable, so I hope we can talk things out instead of violence."
"Glad the first Praedari we meet is a reasonable one." Akiza said while Anzu sighed in relief.
"There aren't many who see magical girls as humans." Usagi said with a frown. "Most would kill you without a second thought, or worse, torture you for their own sick pleasure."
"I see we're lucky in meeting you." The red magical girl said before going over towards the black ooze that. She cautiously put the tip of her index finger, only to pull it back when the gauntlet began to emit smoke. "Shit, acid."
"How can we get across?" Usagi asked.
"Simple, I create a bridge for us to cross." the white magical girl replied confidently.
"Akiza is able to create ice in any shape she wishes." the red explained quickly before her gauntlets dispersed in a flash of scarlet light, revealing a pair of red gloves that reached to her shoulders with two checkered bands around her wrists. On the back of her right hand was a circular gem that was a dark red within a silver "X".
Her "boots" followed suit, revealing a pair of glossy red boots that stopped mid-shin, with checkered bands on the sides, following the design of her outfit. Her visor disappeared, revealing a pair of light green eyes underneath.
"Hey, I just realized something." I heard Usagi say while poking at my shoulder. "You've been taking all of this really calmly."
"I guess I'm able to keep calm." I replied, frowning a little.
Now that she mentioned it, I have been unfazed by all that has been going on regarding magical girls. Maybe I'm in shock, but I just haven't really noticed it just yet.
I came out of my train of thought when I heard a loud screeching sound from above.
~Welkin-Digamma~
Xi looked in every direction as we walked past the many windows of the experimental labs, each with a different prototype of some kind inside. I kept looking forward, having seen them many times already. I was focused on the pair of reinforced steel doors that was our destination.
"Xi, I am going to tell you a secret about these armbands that Welkin has been keeping quiet for decades." I said, causing the silver Praedari to focus on me.
"There's a secret?" he asked.
" They assimilate the magic of magical girls who are slain by the Praedari who kill them." I explained with a smirk. "All of the armbands have this passive ability that activates without Praedari noticing."
"Is there a drawback or limit of some kind?" Xi questioned.
"There hasn't been any reported incidents of anything negative in performance." I replied while smirking. "What does happen is very interesting."
Xi tilted his head down so that he could look at his armband.
"We call the effect Exalt." I heard a female voice say from behind us.. "I know how it is because each member of the Eligere have went through Exalt."
"I didn't expect you to be here, Sampi." I said in a respectful manner while stopping in place.
Looking over my shoulder, I looked at a woman who was wearing a red Praedari uniform that was sleeveless while not wearing a helmet or armband. Her blonde hair reached her shoulders and sapphire blue eyes were focused directly at me.
"I came here because you requested my assistance, Digamma." The lovely Eligere said while frowning. "What is so important that you had me come from my post in America?"
"It will be worth your while, my comrade." I said, switching to English. "I understand you were looking for specific armband abilities, correct?"
"Yes, and I recall reading that two of the Asian Praedari have them." Sampi stated before crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"Ah, those two." I said. "It's a coincidence that the holders of each are Alpha and Omega."
"I agree, I recall that Omega loves the thrill of battle, while Alpha prefers avoiding it if possible." Sampi said with a smirk. "To think Alpha has Enslave."
"I admit, when I first learned that Enslave was assigned to Alpha, I was surprised. Enslave is possibly one of the strongest non combative armbands." I admitted with a chuckle. "Omega's Arsenal is perhaps the opposite, being the strongest for offense if used correctly. Not many can carry an entire armory to be used at their command."
"What do you plan to do with him?" Sampi interjected while pointing to Xi.
"He is one of the candidates as the next Digamma." I replied. "however, Xi is the only one that is aware of this at this time."
"Still, why is he here?" my fellow Eligere pressed while frowning.
"Xi is going to learn about the details about that project that I've been working on for so long." I replied. "And I need a fellow Eligere to be a witness when I present this to the Triumvirate. Besides, I also want to discuss your own agenda, Sampi."
"What about it?" she asked.
"I agree with you, the Harbinger is the strongest threat amongst witches."
"What are you scheming this time?" Sampi questioned, suspicious of my intentions.
"You'll see soon enough." I said before walking over towards the steel doors.
~Puella Magi - Kyoko~
I bit into my pocky as I walked through the streets, ignoring the many stares coming from the countless adults. My mind was focused on the conversation I had with that person. From what I was told, what happened was obviously the result of a magical girl's wish, who had to have been that person's little sister.
I was able to sympathize with what happened a little, though I decided to keep the existence of magical girls a secret. The stranger asked to meet with me two weeks from now at the church again, and worst of all, left before I could make any response.
It's already a headache to begin with being a magical girl. There were others running through my territory, and then there's those perverted rumors of men in black in the unclaimed spot who enslaves magical girls they like, though one of them is said to release the ones he isn't into. I came back to my senses when I collided with something, knocking me down to my ass.
"Sorry, are you okay?" a boy asked me.
I looked up and saw that the boy was an older teen with ruby red eyes and black hair. He was wearing a simple gray tank top and black pants. The only unusual thing that he wore was the blue armband.
"I'm fine." I replied while rising to my feet.
"That's good to hear. Anyway, why is someone your age out at this time of night?" he asked.
I ignored his question, walking past him instead. Without warning, I felt him grab his hand, causing me to blush slightly.
"I came out to this town because I couldn't get any sleep back home because a roommate of mine was playing her music loud." he said without looking. "Would you like to have a melon soda with me and chat?"
"I'm not some ditz you can have your way with." I replied in a threatening manner. It was when I felt his fingers run over the ring that was my soul gem.
"I wasn't trying to do that. I just want to talk about something that someone like you would know about." he said in a whisper. "It is regarding magical girls."
"You need to see a shrink." I said, trying to act like I had no idea what he was talking about.
"I live with three girls who contracted with Kyubey, so don't play dumb. Besides, I can tell you're one yourself because of that ring and middle fingernail."
I narrowed my eyes while becoming rigid. I could tell that this guy was serious, and the way he spoke implied he wasn't after a fight.
"What do you want from me?" I asked wearily.
"I only want to talk." the man said while letting go of my hand. "I didn't expect to bump into someone like you here. Since we've bumped into each other, there is something that I want to ask you. I can treat you to something for your troubles."
~Welkin-Digamma~
I leaned into the retina scanner while putting both hands on another one for fingerprints. The many locks began to come apart, allowing the doors to open slowly.
"I have a theory of how to further enhance Praedari." I explained. " Through many trials, I learned that the armbands actually resonate with grief seeds from witches born of Puella Magi. I tried this with my old armband, and the result is it undergoing an evolution of ability. It evolved from Ensnare to its current power, Enslave."
"I thought the ability of the armband is unique to its user." Xi interjected.
"That is indeed true, however, Enslave is capable of being passed on." I commented. "I can use its nature to have it 'enslave' a new owner."
"A inheritable ability is quite interesting, but how do grief seeds fit in all this?" Sampi questioned.
"My dear comrade, allow me to enlighten you." I said before frowning. "Despair brings evolution."
"What?"
"The armband ability can evolve if you use the grief seed of a turned Puella Magi that you were very close with. Family, lovers, or even your best friend. It doesn't matter, but you must drive them into despair to become a witch, and then sacrifice them to obtain the necessary grief seed. The armbands thrive on the despair of both the sacrifice and the one who sacrifices."
Sampi stared at me in disbelief.
"You…You associated yourself with a magical girl!?" she cried out.
"Yes, she was my sister." I answered solemnly. "I still hate myself to this very day about that, but it was for the sake of humanity's survival. I take cold comfort in that fact alone."
"But I heard you say that those three known cases are the first of their kind." Xi pointed out.
"And they are the first officially documented cases. However, I kept my dealings a secret."
"Wait… is it by any chance that your sister was…" Sampi said before trailing off, not sure how to finish it.
"Yes, she was the Puella Magi who revealed the existence of her kind to the government." I confirmed with a single nod.
"Enough talking about your past, Digamma, what is inside the doors?" Sampi demanded.
"The Arsenal. Where we keep every armband that isn't used by a Praedari." I stated before turning to my subordinate. "Xi, I have an important mission for you."
"What is it, sir?" the Praedari asked.
"I want you to become Alpha's lover." I replied.
"What am I exactly?!" Xi cried out in disbelief.
"Don't play dumb." I said sternly.
"Very well, sir." the silver Praedari said in defeat. "Anything else?"
"There is two other things. As for the first…" I said before a smile appeared on my face during my pause. "Let's form a band."
Sampi gawked at me while Xi fell silent.
"As for the second, secure the Harbinger." I continued while crossing my arms. "We must protect Walpurgis Nacht at all costs."
"ARE YOU INSANE?!" Sampi screamed in shock. "WHY DO YOU WANT THAT MONSTROSITY?!"
"Because it's a gestalt of multiple witches, that means multiple grief seeds for everyone." I explained. "What is wrong with sharing?"
Sampi was dumbstruck once again as my smirk only grew.
~Puella Magi-Akemi Homura ~
I panted heavily as I ran through the abandoned warehouse, passed the yakuza guards that were frozen in place. This timeline has too many inconsistencies… it's almost like I was in a different world all together… The most dangerous thing at this time was the anomalous pursuer that was chasing me right now.
This isn't possible… Only I could move when time's frozen. Then, how could this witch-
My thoughts were cut off as I felt a barrage of black feathers pierce into my back. I grimaced in pain, stopping in place to look towards my enemy.
The witch had a crow like body, but its head was like that of a manikin's with a mouth filled with razor sharp teeth. It spoke to me in a language that was impossible to understand, with strands of runes weaving out of its mouth whenever it spoke.
Time was frozen because of my magic, yet this witch was able to move like nothing's happened.
This world is the most dangerous and alien to me in many ways.
What triggered such tremendous divergences?
"I AM NOTHING LIKE THAT SLUT!"
"I love being a Praedari, it's way more exciting than it was when I was in the yakuza."
"You have anywhere to sleep?"
"Is this town some kind of magical girl magnet?"
"Grant my wish, you little bastard!"
"Omega…"
"We need to work together, everyone."
"Okay…I never knew that could happen to someone."
"I used to be with the police, but I'm now with Welkin as Praedari Rho. "
"An idol, two psychos, Gravure twins, a gay boxer, a mercenary, a bunch of unfamiliar magical girls, a living plushy, you and myself against the snake bitch that just won't die, overprotective dragon-girl, and rampaging plushy… I can work with that."
"Care to join us? I think I can hook you up with an apartment."
"That is the true power of that armband."
We are starting to fight against our fates. We who wish to end the cycle. We who help those plagued by the curses born from it. We who seek solace from our despair. We who crave battle. We who enjoy slaughter. No matter what drives us, we all refuse to accept the fate that awaits us all. And some will do anything to prevent it.
" Praedari are ensnared in their own cycle of despair. One that is becoming intertwined with the one you're trapped in, Akemi-san."
"I will accept my despair if it means protecting them from you, Incubator."
Next time: Defying the Cycle
Man, I have to admit, I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Hopefully you guys did as well.
I know that Anzu doesn't appear to be a magical girl when equipped with her gear, but I assure you, she is one, and her unique look will be explained in the story. Also, I understand that Lamia may look overpowered by being able to shrug off physical harm like it was nothing, but she isn't immortal. Next chapter will reveal a weakness of hers.
As of this chapter, Rho and Omega have been claimed, but I have a little announcement. Three of the remaining slots for Praedari will have some kind of surprise for them. I'll let you know if you chose one of the three. additional perk if any are female Praedari.
I am now also going to accept OC's that are intended to be Eligere. For them, submit them with the Praedari outline, but instead of Praedari Call Name, Replace it with "Eligere Title:" Like the Praedari, Eligere use latin letters, but in this case, ones that are defunct. Also, remember that the Eligere are stationed all over the world, each at these branches of Welkin and their own you want to have your OC as an Eligere, pick an unclaimed branch that isn't Japan or North America and make sure your OC is of a nationality associated with the region they are in charge of. Mixed nationality is allowed.
North America - HQ in America - led by Sampi
South America - HQ in Brazil
Africa - HQ in South Africa
Asia - HQ in China
Europe - HQ in Germany
Oceania & Australia - HQ in Australia
Japan - HQ location withheld to avoid spoilers- led by Digamma
Russia - HQ in Moscow.
I also got something to say regarding the armband abilities. The submitted abilities that I have so far can all be upgraded in some way. However, the upgrade comes at a heavy price of killing a magical girl that the Praedari has a deep, personal connection with. Basically, if your OC is incapable of feeling emotion, then the upgrade is impossible. For those who submitted Praedari OC's, or plan to submit one, and you want this upgrade to happen, I ask you to carefully consider if your character can handle the despair and trauma that will come with killing someone dear to them with their own two hands solely to get stronger.
Oh, and this is specifically for the anon reviewer, Cyborg. Is there any other call signs you want your Praedari OCs to go by instead of Nu and Sigma?
That's it for now. Thanks for reading and I hope to see you all next time.