Chapter 33

"Get down!"

Yuma barely had time to register Archer's scream and duck down before a bunch of arrows suddenly flew past her, flying towards the two Magical Girls at the entrance. She didn't need nearly as much time to turn around and run back into the house as they exploded.

Oriko. The person that had killed Momo. Why was she here?

A red and black blur shot by Yuma. The muscles on Archer's arm flexed as he wielded a giant stone axe with a single hand.

"Nine Lives," he swung with all his might, "Blade Works!"

Yuma had heard about that technique from Kyoko, and was told how cool it was. But to finally see it herself…

The entire front of the house exploded. It was like a truck had come crashing out of the house, ramming through everything in its way. The force of the blow was even enough to send Yuma tumbling forward. She scrambled to pick herself up as she dared to look back.

Nine large gashes throughout their front yard. Nine devastating strikes of immense power, but no Magical Girls. No traces of them whatsoever. It was like they were never there.

"Yuma," Archer lowered his voice so only Yuma could hear. "Use the escape tunnel."

"We have an escape tunnel?" Yuma asked.

"Under the carpet in the living room."

"My, that was quite an entrance," Oriko and the other Magical Girl reappeared at the edge of the destruction. "Should I assume that you're not willing to parley?"

"Go now," Archer commanded as he stepped toward the two. "Trace on," a jagged crimson longsword appeared in one of his hands. "Trigger off." In the other appeared a peerless sword almost pulsing with power and holiness.

"Please stay safe," Yuma begged as she ran back into the house to the sounds of fighting in the background. She didn't immediately run for the basement though, instead she went to her room first to grab her phone.

"Welcome back Kyoko," Kyoko's Math teacher greeted her from his desk. "I hope you enjoyed the Exchange Program."

"It was… interesting," Kyoko replied.

"Kamihama is an exciting place," the teacher replied. "I have relatives that live there, it's always quite fun when I visit."

"Yea, sure," Kyoko resisted the urge to roll her eyes. This guy was actually a pretty good teacher, so she was at least putting some effort into being civil. "Is there anything else you need?"

"Yes actually. You've always been exceptional in my classes. Would you consider being an assis-"

Kyoko's phone began to ring.

"Sorry, one sec," Kyoko said as she took out her phone and put it to her ear. "Yuma? What's u-"

"Archer and I are being attacked by Oriko!" Yuma's voice screamed on the phone.

Kyoko immediately froze where she stood. She gripped her phone tightly and her voice trembled as she replied. "I'll be there soon."

"Emiya," the teacher looked at her, concerned. "Is something wrong?"

Kyoko didn't answer. Instead, she immediately ran from the faculty office, straight past a hallway full of people, and jumped straight out an open window.

An open window. On the third floor.

Needless to say, everyone that witnessed it immediately screamed out in terror when they saw her go out the window. That terror then turned into confusion as she landed neatly on the ground and ran across the school grounds. She then leaped over the school gates with a single jump and made her way back to her home.

It didn't matter if anyone saw her, she couldn't waste any time in keeping Magic secret. Yuma and Archer were in trouble.

She ran as fast as Reinforcement could take her, her Magical Circuits pumping as much energy as she could into her legs. It was only a few minutes before she could see several explosions and magical blasts flying from the direction of their house.

Archer what the hell is going on!? Kyoko shouted to him once their mental connection had been established.

Being attacked by Oriko and Kirika again. Stay back, I can handle it!

And Yuma?

Using the escape tunnel.

We have an escape tunnel? Kyoko shook her head. That was a question for later. Hold on, I'm coming right there.

No! Archer shouted. Stay back!

You don't tell me what to do!

For the love of-

Archer wasn't holding back this time and anyone in the vicinity could see what was happening. How they were going to explain this to the neighbors… Well honestly that was the last thing from her mind right now.

Kyoko ran past several civilians who were quite reasonably running away from the destruction that was being thrown around her home. Eventually the entrance of her home was in sight. It wouldn't be good to just run into all that though without a plan. So instead, she hid herself behind a nearby wall, took out her spear, and peaked around the corner to take stock of the situation.

Archer was busy trading blows with Kirika while Oriko stayed back. Krikia was suffering from multiple gashes, wounds, and burns that peppered her body. At one point he cut halfway into the shoulder and would've gotten the entire arm if Oriko hadn't forced Archer back with her metal balls. The injuries hardly seemed to bother Kirika though, that black weirdo was still giving off that creepy smile even as she was getting cut up.

Crazy psycho then. Archer really didn't give justice to the crazy off his description alone.

Fortunately, the other one, Oriko, was busy helping to keep Archer at bay. That meant at one point her back was wide open for Kyoko.

Not one to pass up an advantage, Kyoko didn't hesitate to Flame Step forward. A single charged leap straight for the one that killed Momo. Even with that slowing field Kirika had set up, Kyoko had still reached Oriko before they noticed anything. Once she was in range Kyoko thrusted with her spear and skewered Oriko from the back.

Or at least that was what was supposed to happen.

Before her spear could touch Oriko, the Magical Girl disappeared. Vanished. Like she was never there. It happened in an instant.

No wait actually she was still there. Just at the other side of the yard looking at Kyoko with a smug grin.

"Stand down."

Kyoko immediately turned to look at the hooded figure that somehow got behind her.

"We only need your Servant. I don't need to hurt you," the hooded figure, apparently a girl, said.

"Over my dead body!" Kyoko shouted as she thrust her spear again. Her movement was still slowed by Kirika's magic, and the hooded girl had no issue sidestepping the strike. Kyoko converted the thrust into a swing, only to end up striking nothing but air. After her swing she immediately began scanning the area around her and found the hooded girl standing just off to the side, right next to the front door of the house.

Some sort of teleporter? It would explain how they got here without setting all their Bounded Fields off.

Didn't matter in the end. If all she did was teleport then all Kyoko had to do was keep her occupied, keep chasing her around until Archer dealt with the other two. It would only take a few more exchanges for Archer to quite literally tear Kirika apart. After that, Oriko would be finished.

Kyoko tensed her legs briefly before going for another thrust with her spear.

"I believe that's enough toying with her," Oriko suddenly said. Kyoko glanced briefly as the white Magical Girl raised her hand up. A hand with three pairs of red marks on it. "Shall we finish this, Assassin?"

"Kyoko, get away!" Archer shouted.

Oh. Shit.

It finally processed in Kyoko's mind how absolutely screwed she was.

It happened in an instant, while Kyoko was in the middle of her thrust. First Archer had shouted, and then the hooded girl disappeared where she stood again. Gone in an instant. Then Kyoko suddenly felt a roaring fire erupt in her shoulder.

"Aaah!" Kyoko shouted as she dropped her spear and grabbed where she had been shot. Assassin now stood behind her, a semi-automatic pistol in her hands. A pistol that she had pointed at the back of Kyoko's head.

Kyoko's body ran cold, it chilled despite the gaping wound she now had on her shoulder.

"Stop moving or the next one goes through her head," Assassin demanded.

Archer immediately lowered his blades. He wouldn't be fast enough. Not enough to stop that bullet from immediately going through Kyoko's skull.

"Now then we have much to discuss before we bring you back to Kamihama!" Oriko said cheerfully as she lowered the metal balls that floated around her. The Bitch won. And she knew it. "Before that, I do believe that you are capable of summoning a weapon that can transfer Servant Contracts. Would you please hand that over to Kirika."

Kyoko snarled at Oriko. "What are you-"

"Stop," Assassin demanded as she pushed the barrel of her gun directly against Kyoko's head. The cold steel, the heated air of that hollow chamber, it was enough to get Kyoko to finally stop moving.

Kyoko was helpless to watch as Archer dismissed his blades. Kirika stepped forward, ready to receive Rule Breaker once it was created.

No...

They were going to take away her Servant. They were going to take away Archer. And she was too weak to stop them.

"No!"

Neither the Servants nor Magical Girls had time to react before a large construction hammer blasted through the front door and smashed Assassin in the face. The Servant was sent flying, like a person hit head on by a speeding van, all the way to Archer's shed which she crashed into and then buried by the collapsing wood and rubble.

"I won't… let you... hurt my family," Yuma gasped before dropping her hammer and collapsing to the ground. Her body was smoking. Burning from the inside, from overuse of her Magecraft.

In any other situation Kyoko would've been proud to see her perform her first spell. Now though, with Yuma's body smoking, burning from the inside because of overuse of Magecraft, it left Kyoko with nothing but a crushing guilt and overwhelming despair.

"Yuma…" Kyoko croaked before forcing herself to move and grab the girl with the one arm that she could still use.

She had done this to Yuma. Done because she was too weak to protect her.

Kyoko

She couldn't protect anything. She was going to lose everything she had, all over again.

Kyoko Emiya!

Kyoko snapped her head toward Archer who had resumed his fight with the two Magical Girls.

Are you going to sit there or are you going to protect your little sister! Archer's voice shouted in her head.

It was the wake-up call Kyoko needed. Despite the roaring pain in her shoulder, Kyoko still grabbed Yuma and did her best to slowly carry her away from the battlefield.

They had to get away. Yuma's blow, as powerful as it was, wouldn't keep a Servant down for long and Kyoko wasn't going to get very far on her own. Archer was the only one still capable of running and even he would have trouble getting away as long Kirika still had her magic active, especially while carrying the two of them.

They needed something. A miracle. A prayer. Anything.

"The Distant Seas of the Heavens," Kyoko jerked her head along with everyone else there as they turned toward the source of the new voice. Standing on top of a neighboring building was a familiar pair. A Master and her Servant.

"The Prison of Earth. The Fury of the Realm of the Dead is at my heels! Appear, Shrine of Fever. Time to repent." Ereshkigal took out her lance, jumped off the roof, and stabbed it into the ground. "Kur Kigal Irkallaaa!"

The ground began to rumble around them as the earth itself seemed to rise to enact penance against the Goddess's enemies. Beams of light erupted from the ground and began to consume everything in their path, including the two Magical Girls in front of them.

Whether or not it was actually enough to kill them with that teleporting Servant of theirs was yet to be seen, but Archer wasn't letting them stick around to find out. Taking the opportunity given to them, he grabbed Kyoko and Yuma in his arms before leaping away.

As he ran, Kyoko glanced back. The destruction of the Goddess's Noble Phantasm seemed to spread, until it completely consumed their home. She could only close her eyes in despair and look away.

Getting hit in the face by a Reinforced hammer hurt. It didn't do any permanent damage, not to a Servant, but it still wasn't fun being bashed and sent flying straight into a wooden shed. The fact that the person who did that to her was an eleven-year-old that wasn't even a Magical Girl… well needless to say she wasn't exactly pleased with her recent performance.

Wasn't exactly pleased with the performance of her Master either.

"That little kid sure gave you a beating," Kirika mocked the Servant as she dug herself out of the rubble.

Once the Servant was free, she took off her ruined hood, revealing the long raven locks and indigo eyes underneath. Her gaze was cold, her movements elegant yet also somewhat stiff, as if she was constantly holding something back.

"If I wasn't a Servant, that child would have taken my head," Akemi said as she glared at Oriko. "A warning would've been nice."

Granted losing her head wouldn't be fatal thanks to her Soul Gem, which remained intact even as a Servant, but it was still time and energy Akemi would have to take to regrow it. And once again, it wasn't pleasant having to regrow an entire head.

"My apologies," Oriko appeared genuinely remorseful. Or perhaps that was just from her pride taking a hit. She didn't like unforeseen events or people either. "I didn't consider that child threat enough to use my Magic on… Apparently I was wrong to underestimate her."

"See that you don't make that mistake again," Akemi commanded. They couldn't afford any other unexpected obstacles in their mission.

"It all worked out in the end though," Oriko reassured her. "Whether or not we control him, so long as Archer returns to Kamihama then we will be on the path to the future that we both seek."

"It's a dangerous game you're playing, telling that man where you are," Akemi replied. "That entire family is not one to be trifled with considering what the youngest did to me. There is also that other Master and their Servant to worry about."

"Ereshkigal. Goddess of the Underworld I believe," Oriko informed her. "Certainly powerful, but something we can deal with. They don't take priority, Archer does."

If it wasn't for Oriko's ability to see the future, Akemi would've thought that her obsession toward Archer would've been a liability to their mission. Even then, it was still very annoying, bordering on creepy.

Still better than her being obsessed with Madoka at the very least.

Speaking of…

"I'm going to return to keeping watch over Madoka if you have no other need for me," Akemi said as she prepared to Astralize.

"Actually, could you hand this letter over to the Magius?" Oriko said as she held out a letter for the Servant. "You can do whatever it takes to get it to them."

Akemi sighed but grabbed the letter anyway. Best to just concede this to them rather than start another argument. "What's in it?"

"Just letting their leaders know that they should do their best to remember their Big Sister."

"Is Yuma ok?" Kyoko knelt next to Archer as he Traced Yuma's body. Her shoulder still hurt, but at least it had been bandaged after the bullet had been taken out.

A Servant holding a semi-automatic handgun. Clearly modern weaponry, someone that should've been a rarity if not outright impossible to summon in normal circumstances if Kyoko had remembered her lessons correctly. Then again though things hadn't been normal for her since the day she summoned Archer in her father's church.

"She overtaxed her Magical Circuit and it's generating more heat than her body can handle," Archer said as a flume of smoke suddenly came out of Yuma's body. "I've let out the heat… but there's significant internal damage that I have to deal with."

Kyoko held a breath. She knew already but hearing it from Archer's own mouth. It was just a confirmation of all her failings. She put a hand to Yuma's head who began to squirm to her touch.

"You did good," Kyoko whispered. "You did really good."

"She worked hard to protect us," Archer told Kyoko. "We have to do our best for her."

"I know. I know."

Kyoko didn't turn to face the Master and Servant that landed behind them. Didn't have to. They had proven back there that they were trustworthy enough.

"I'm… sorry about your… house," Ren replied, guilt strewn across her face.

"Don't be sorry," Kyoko replied as she glanced at that pair. "It's fine, we're all alive."

In all honesty losing her home, the place that she had lived in with Archer for years… it devastated Kyoko. It was a place of comfort, a place of stability, a place that she always thought they could return to. And now it was just gone.

Kyoko gripped her fist and took a deep breath.

She couldn't break down though. Not now. Not ever. She had to be strong. For Archer. For Yuma.

"Are you okay?" Ereshkigal asked.

"I'm fine," Kyoko growled as she looked toward the direction of Kamihama. "Obviously we can't leave Oriko alone now. She'll just attack us again. We need to get to wherever she's set up and tear that little Soul Gem of hers off her cold mangled corpse."

Anger. Rage. Bloodthirst. A new goal in mind. Those were much better things to focus on rather than moping over what they had lost. She would not allow herself to wallow in despair.

"Before that though we need to treat Yuma," Archer reminded her.

"Unfortunately, I work much better with the dead than I do the living," Ereshkigal admitted.

"I'll do what I can, but it'll take time and I don't think we should do it here," Archer gestured to the cold, windy, and very exposed rooftop they all stood on.

"We're close to Mitakihara right?" Kyoko asked. "Then we both know someone who would lend us their place."

Archer sighed. "I was worried you were going to say that."

Turned out that Mami wasn't even in her apartment when they arrived, so they didn't even need to ask to use her place. They just Altered the lock on the balcony window and walked right on in.

Better to ask for forgiveness than permission after all… or at least that was what Archer liked to say.

The first thing they had done once inside was lay Yuma on the couch so that Archer could work on healing her.

"Trace… On," Archer said as blue lines emerged from his palms and spread from where he made contact with Yuma's chest.

Kyoko simply took a seat next to him while Ren and Ereshkigal sat at the other side of the carpet. They watched him work in silence, allowing him to perform his craft in peace.

"The damage is more extensive than I initially assumed," Archer commented a few minutes later.

Kyoko's blood froze. Her shoulder ached. It took everything she had not to let loose the anguish she was keeping trapped within her body. "Does that mea-"

"She'll recover. No permanent damage if I have anything to say about it," Archer said with steel in his eyes. He was determined to do whatever it took to facilitate Yuma's recovery. "Treatment and recovery will be long though… and she'll need days if not weeks before she'll be moving about again."

Kyoko nearly cried right there as a great weight was lifted off her body. If Archer said it, then Yuma would definitely be fine. They just had to be there for her when she finally woke up. "Take as long as you need… I'll be here."

"We'll… be here too," Ren said.

It wasn't exactly necessary for Ren and Ereshkigal to stick around… but Kyoko appreciated it.

Hours went by as Archer worked, as Kyoko constantly fed him Magical Energy so that he could continue to use his Magecraft. She ignored the soreness of her muscles, the dryness of her tongue, and put off that inexplicable need of using the bathroom up until she could hold it in no longer.

Kyoko looked at her face in the bathroom mirror after washing her hands.

She could barely recognize herself. Her dirty and blood-soaked face, her mangled hair, and bloodshot eyes. Even after washing her face her eyes still remained red, tears beginning to gather at the corners of them.

Kyoko slammed her fist into the white porcelain sink and let out a guttural growl.

Nothing Reinforced though. Didn't want to break Mami's apartment.

She just… had to let some of it out or else she'd break at that moment.

It wasn't until that she was somewhat presentable, so that Ereshkigal and Ren wouldn't have more to worry about her, that Kyoko finally left the bathroom and returned to her original spot. By then Archer was close to finishing.

"I've done all I can for today," Archer said as he took her hands off of Yuma. "She needs to rest, recuperate her energy, before I continue working tomorrow."

"Will she wake up?" Kyoko asked.

"Eventually, now that the worst of the damage has been healed. She won't be able to move around though, we need to be there to reassure her."

"I know."

"Also please open the door," Archer told Kyoko. "It's a friend."

Kyoko glanced at him curiously before walking up to the door and opening it. She wasn't entirely surprised to find Ribbons standing behind it, her arm raised and ready to ring the doorbell. Archer had always liked that girl.

Ribbons on the other hand was completely surprised at seeing them.

"What are you doing in-" Ribbon's eyes went wide as she saw Yuma on the couch. "Oh no! Is she ok!"

Kyoko didn't even try to stop Ribbons as she sped by her to go to the injured girl on the couch. "She's fine… or she will be," Kyoko told her.

"What happened?" Ribbons asked.

"We…"

"We were attacked," Archer answered for Kyoko. "And we came here… because we needed a safe place to heal and rest."

Ribbons looked back at Kyoko and finally noticed the bandages on her shoulder. "Are you-"

"I'm fine," Kyoko reassured her. "Yuma… took the worst of it."

"Ok…" Ribbons looked worried, but she apparently still had the decency to turn and bow her head toward Ren and Ereshkigal. "I'm Madoka Kaname. It's nice to meet you."

"Ereshkigal."

"Ren… Isuzu."

"Did you two also get hurt?" Rib- no Madoka asked.

"No… we're fine," Ren replied.

"You don't have to worry about us," Ereshkigal seemed to blush at Madoka's concern. "We only came by to lend out aid at the last minute."

"More like saved our asses," Kyoko replied. "You… honestly shouldn't have done that."

"Why not?" Ereshkigal asked, annoyed.

"Because Oriko and her cronies will remember your faces," Kyoko replied. "You've just made yourselves targets, just to save a couple of strangers."

"You… aren't strangers," Ren replied. "I wanted to help… my friends."

"I'm not..." Kyoko stopped herself from saying anything more. She hated owing anyone anything, but Ren and Ereshkigal had saved her family's life. It was something that Kyoko didn't think she could ever repay them for. "Thanks… for helping us out there."

"… You're welcome."

"I'm glad you're all getting along," Madoka said with a gentle smile. Her presence could bring up the mood in any situation. "Hopefully when Mami and everyone comes back, they'll be able to help you."

"Where is Mami anyway?" Kyoko asked.

"Mami went off to Kamihama to investigate something for Kyubey. When we haven't heard from her in two days… Homura and Sayaka went after her. I wanted to come… but my family got worried about me going out by myself after," Madoka carefully shifted the sleeve that covered the scar on her arm, "I hurt myself. And they needed someone to stay behind to keep the Witches and familiars under control, so I was the one who had to stay."

It clearly bothered Madoka that she was the only one that had to stay behind, even as she tried to reason it to them and herself.

"Why would Pigtails bring Blue?" Kyoko asked. "It's dangerous for anyone to go there… unless-"

"Yea…" Madoka replied, guiltily. "Sayaka Contracted recently. Mami was training her before-"

"That Blue idiot. That wannabe Hero of Justice!" Kyoko began shouting much to everyone else's, apart from Archer, surprise. "After all the warning Archer and I gave her she still goes off and does-"

The same thing Kyoko had done all those years ago, in spite of Archer's repeated warnings.

Kyoko gripped her forehead. Now she was starting to get a headache. A really bad one, it was like something was pounding against the inside of her skull. It wasn't until she forced herself to breathe and calm down that it finally went away. "She has no idea what she's gotten herself into. She's basically signed a death sentence with that Contract."

"What do you mean?" Madoka tilted her head. "Sayaka might be… reckless, but she really does want to protect everyone. And I'm sure Mami and Homura will keep her safe while she's learning."

"It's not going to stop her from eventually trying to eat the same people that she's trying to protect," Kyoko bit back.

"What?"

Madoka's face… It was too much for Kyoko to look at. To the point that she had to turn away. Such kind eyes, struggling to understand what it was that she was being told.

"Madoka," Archer looked at Madoka, pity strewn in his eyes. Pity that stemmed from a man that had to tear a young girl's entire world apart. "Magical Girls become Witches."