Had to change some things due to confusion of how I described Archer's fighting style. I am well aware that the preconception that his fighting style is reckless and suicidal is false and actually from fanon. I thought I had made that clear with how I had written it previously, but apparently it didn't get through for several reader. I apologize for the confusion and have updated it accordingly.

Chapter 38

A dance of blades, the sound of wood against wood, had become a familiar scene in the halls of the school of the Kashin-ryu. At least for those that chose to stay late at night.

Kitsu sidestepped a swing and tried to create some distance as she continued to avoid Nanaka's strikes. The heat of her breathing was trapped within the wood of the mask she wore, and she had to move aside several strands of her own red hair so that it wouldn't blinded her by covering the slits she used to see.

That was a mistake. The second she used a hand to move aside her hair was the moment that Nanaka continued her pursuit. Kitsu cursed as she received several hard knocks on her side before she was able to take up a stance with her twin blades again.

The environment, the very wood underneath her bare feet, were all things that had become very intimate to Kitsu the few weeks she had spent here. That was all she did here, rarely treading outside this building or Nanaka's home, apart from the times she went out to hunt with her group.

It wasn't like she was under house arrest or anything, but it wasn't like she needed to go out either. She had a bed, food, a hot bath, and clothes and underwear that actually fit her. Time that was no longer spent on basic necessities could now be devoted to hunting Witches. Honestly getting knocked and forced to join a Magical Girl group, who honestly could be a miniature mafia considering the connections some of the girls had, wasn't the worst thing to happen to her.

And she wasn't freeloading either. She did her part tearing Witches to pieces with her knife and there was still plenty of work to be done in her new residence. In the morning she would wake up and do chores. In the midday she would arrange flowers with the other students in the school. In the night she would spar with Nanaka endlessly. Hours on end without break. All without magic, without either of them having access to their Soul Gems.

It was this night where Kitsu found herself pushed to the very limits of her endurance. Until her arms trembled, her breath rasped, and she could no longer hold her twin blades straight.

Two blades against two. Her blades were shorter to fit her stature. By all rights Kitsu should've been faster but fighting against Nanaka felt like striking four or even six at times. It was thus inevitable when Nanaka batted the blades aside and pushed the bokken against Kitsu's chest.

"Dead," was all the Magical Girl said before sheathing her blades and taking three steps back.

With the session now ended, Kitsu had all of five minutes to pick herself up, catch her breath, and prepare herself for meditation.

Nanaka was hardcore. Seriously. She did not know how to hold back at all.

"You've improved," Nanaka commented. "Gotten rid of some of your bad habits, though I have to wonder how you learned to fight like that in the first place. It isn't something you picked up on the streets, no it's clearly intentional. The way you fight with little regard to your own safety."

Kitsu closed her eyes and steadied her breathing.

"My Master says I'm suicidal, and I might be in a way," a man in red and black admitted as they watched two Magical Girls, one in yellow and the other in red, spar in front of them. "But not in the way I fight. Battle for me is a flow of initiative and anticipation. Making the first move, countering my opponent, and adapting accordingly to their tactics. Most Witches are highly aggressive and leave themselves open to attack so there is usually no point in me going on the defensive."

They watched as a pair of Magical Girls sparred. One Red one Yellow. The Red one tried to close the distance with her spear, only to be grabbed by the leg by a yellow ribbon and flung away. She was then forced to try and deflect the near deafening barrage of bullets the Yellow one shot, all while midair.

"With a highly aggressive opponent like your sister it would be best to go back to basic martial arts. Bait her with several openings in your defense, anticipate where she'll strike once you've led her, then counter accordingly."

The Red Magical Girl cut the ribbon off her foot, landed heavily on her feet, and quickly somersaulted into cover. She barely made it as everything in her area was overwhelmed by a barrage of bullets.

"With a ranged fighter like Mami charging at them head on is suicide. They're used to that and even if you have enough power to weather their barrage, they'll likely have tricks up their sleeves to avoid that. Your best bet would be to approach unseen."

The Yellow Magical Girl stopped firing for a brief moment as the dust settled. A segmented whip flew from the rubble, which she jumped over with ease.

"And failing that, at least striking from a different angle than that. Of course she'll know your chain is coming when you throw it in front of her," Archer grumbled.

"I learned from watching someone else," Kitsu admitted as she opened her eyes and adjusted her mask.

"A man?" Nanaka asked. "With such a style? I wouldn't imagine it would be accepted in any dojo or competition."

"It isn't. He used it to fight… and kill."

"For what purpose?"

"He wanted to be a Hero of Justice, but that destroyed him. Now-" Kitsu couldn't shake off the image of long red hair in her mind. Of a cocky smile with an exposed fang. "He serves a Master. Doing whatever it takes to keep her safe."

"How can he protect someone if he can't even protect himself?"

"He doesn't fight like that all the time, it's just the one style I had learned from him before… I left."

Kitsu had no choice but to look away as Nanaka appraised her. Even past the glasses it felt as if the girl was looking into her very being.

"And do you care for your own life?" Nanaka asked. "I understand the application for it against certain opponents. But you've stubbornly stuck to it, even when it is clearly unsuited for your current opponent."

"All that matters to me is vengeance."

"To who?"

"The Incubator… and the Witches. I won't stop until they're all dead."

"Or you die in the process."

"Yes."

Nanaka shook her head. "Who trained him?"

"No one. He taught himself. Fighting on one battlefield after another. Surviving… learning from each of his mistakes."

"That is not a blade born of skill then, but from will alone. Something you tried to replicate. Tell me how well is it working for you now? How well did it serve you on that night we had our first duel?"

"It worked fine!" Kitsu shouted. "I lived, killed so many Witches. Fought off a bunch of Magical Girls that wanted my Grief Seeds. Lasted longer than them."

"What you went through… that could not be considered living. You survived on vengeance alone. That is not enough."

"Like you can talk! Didn't you recruit me so I could help you with your vengeance?"

"Vengeance, Justice, all pursuits that I have chosen to pursue, that those who follow me know so doing that. But I have not lost sight of who I am, nor will I ever allow myself to. Vengeance without pride, without value with oneself, it simply makes you a rabid animal, lashing out at the world." Nanaka crossed her arms. "That man, all you received from him is a pair of rusted dull blades. There is little that you learn from admiring that."

"He isn't weak! He's strong. So much stronger than I am…" Kitsu Projected a knife and looked at it in her hands. "I'm just not as good as him. I don't think I ever will be."

"I never said he was weak. To fight and live with those blades is an achievement in itself. For him, I imagine that it was a necessity for him to fight and learn in that way, lacking guidance as he was. A man with no one to teach him… yet who can still stand through sheer will alone. That is something to admire," Nanaka admitted. "But you have mentors, you have skill. You don't have to use the same rusted blades that he does, doing so only puts the talent that you do have to waste."

Kitsu saw her reflection in the knife. She saw herself lying on a tiled kitchen floor, a blood-soaked face, and more of it pouring around her.

Her blades, their very purpose was to kill monsters. Was that really something that she could take pride in?

"Archer said I should learn from others first before I ever started fighting Witches," Kitsu commented as she let the World destroy her creation. "That I should be a student for as long as I could."

"You should have listened to him. In the end, what's important is to make the most of everything that's available to you. There is no shame in having what others don't if you don't waste it."

On one hand Kitsu knew that Nanaka was probably right, on the other hand though it was just hard to just give up on what she had taught herself over the last few years. Old habits die hard, especially ones that she had invested so much of her time into developing.

"Keep that in mind," Nanaka said as she moved to put away their training weapons. "Now take a bath and head to bed early. We have something to do tomorrow."

"You found another Witch that your enemy manipulated?" Kitsu asked. Apparently, whoever Nanaka and her friends were pursuing had the ability to send Witches to mess with all of their lives. Whether it was magic that allowed for direct control or just significant manipulation of a Witch's movements was yet to be seen, but whoever it was probably very dangerous.

Nanaka shook her head. "You've been training and hunting nonstop for the last few weeks. When was the last time you took a day off?"

Kitsu paused.

Huh. When was the last time she had taken a day off?

"And that is why you will be joining us tomorrow. No hunting, no training, and no chores. Magical Girls still need to rest to restore our minds and spirit."

"What are we going to do then?" Kitsu asked.

"You'll be spending time connecting and talking with your peers."

"Wow, you're really committed to wearing that mask," Akira commented as Nanaka's group, with Kitsu in tow, made their way toward whatever Nanaka had planned.

"It stays on," Kitsu replied curtly. The only time it ever came off was in the bath and she might as well be naked if she didn't have it on her face. She didn't care how many strange looks she got from the people on the streets.

"Does it have to be that one?" Kako asked.

"No," Kitsu admitted. The mask that was dearest to her was the one that came with her transformation. Anything else she wore outside of her transformation was simply something she had purchased or picked up.

"Then maybe we can buy you a new one?" Kako suggested as she gestured toward a shop that had traditional kimonos and masks on its display. "The one you're wearing looks really old. I'm worried it might break or get moldy."

"… I could use a new mask," Kitsu conceded. "But only if it looks nice."

They took a quick detour to step into the store and browse the wares. It was a small store but none of the things that were sold looked mass produced. An artisan store, each one was handcrafted with great care and had a lofty price tag to match that labor. It wasn't long until Meiyui had picked one out and held it out to Kitsu. "What about this one?"

Kitsu looked at it carefully.

It was another fox mask, like the one that she wore as a Magical Girl, but still strikingly different. The colors on this one was bright rather than subdued, the patterns on it hand carved with great care, and the wood was of an incredible quality. It wasn't some cheap thing you picked up at a festival stall, this was the creation of craftsmen well devoted to their art. It was perfect, unfortunately Kitsu's savings amounted to four hundred and twenty-six yen in her back pocket. No wait, make that four hundred and thirty-one, she had found five yen while crossing the street.

"Can't afford that," Kitsu shook her head.

"Do you like it though?" Meiyui asked.

"Yes, but I can't buy-" Kitsu didn't even get to finish her sentence before Meiyui walked up to the register and paid for the mask with a significantly large bill.

"Here," Meiyui said as she handed it to Kitsu. "You've been working hard. You deserve to treat yourself once in a while."

"Thanks…" Kitsu held the mask in her hands. It had been a long time since she had been given a gift. She wasn't entirely sure what else to say.

"Are you going to try it on?" Nanaka asked.

"S-sure," Kitsu quickly recovered and made her way to the changing room. She made sure the curtain was closed and had absolute privacy before taking off her old mask. She looked in the mirror, saw her face once more. She was less skinny now, a bit more food in her body, and her red hair was starting to look good again thanks to the daily baths she had the luxury of taking.

She was going to miss all that, once she was done with what she promised them and went on her way.

Kitsu set her old mask aside, worn and cracked as it was, and put on the new one. It was good. It made her feel… confident.

She stepped outside the changing room for all of them to see. "… What do you think?"

She knew it looked good… but it was nice to have a second opinion.

Akira gave her a thumbs up. "Looks great."

"It's really pretty," Kako replied.

"Thanks," Kitsu replied, a bit… happy at their praise. Not too happy though. No point in getting attached to people she was going to leave soon enough. "Where are we going next?" she asked as they walked out of the store.

"You'll see soon enough," Nanaka replied.

Eventually they arrived at a rather nondescript building in the middle of a fairly quiet district. There was a very distinct and colorful sign hanging on the entrance.

"Emiri's Counseling Clinic?" Kitsu asked.

"I work here sometimes," Akira commented. "It's a good place to relax and Emiri is a great person to talk about your problems with."

"It's also a good place to gather information among a gathering of Magical Girls," Nanaka said as they stepped inside.

"Hey there Akiri!" a bright blonde-haired girl with large pigtails greeted. "Ooh I see you got a new girl in your group!"

"This is Kitsu," Nanaka introduced Kitsu to the Magical Girls that had already gathered in the room.

Kitsu simply bowed her head politely before taking a seat on one of the many couches that filled the room.

"That's a cool mask you're wearing," Emiri commented.

"Thanks," Kitsu commented as she put a hand to her mask and took a seat on a couch. "It was a gift."

It wasn't long before Nanaka's group quickly integrated themselves with the Magical Girls already in the room. There were quite a lot of them once they were all gathered together, and it was surprising to see that they could be so peaceful. The last time Kitsu had seen a gathering of Magical Girls this large was over a dispute over territory that didn't go so well. Well, it went well enough for her, plenty of supplies to scavenge from the corpses after that particular bloodbath.

Kitsu was more or less content on sitting to the side in silence and just listening in to their conversation when Emiri suddenly took a seat across from her.

"You wanna come over with the rest of us?" Emiri asked. "It's suuuper fun, hanging out with all of them."

"I'm fine," Kitsu replied.

"Ok… So do you wear masks all the time or is this just a one-time thing?"

"I always wear a mask."

"Why?"

"I feel weird about it," Kitsu admitted.

"Is that because you don't want others to see your face?"

"Yes…"

"Is it because of something that happened to you?"

Ok, Kitsu was starting to see why Magical Girls came to this Counseling Clinic. She turned her head and glared at Nanaka, who was busy making polite talk with the other girls. And she now realized why she had been brought here in the first place.

"Something did happen," Kitsu eventually replied. "But I don't want to say it."

"That's fine," Emiri replied cheerfully. "Just do what makes you feel comfortable. You're not the first quiet person we brought here. Ren over there, the one with the white hair, she's super quiet but also really nice. I can introduce you two if you'd like."

"No, it's fine," Kitsu interrupted her. "I don't need to meet anyone new. I'm just going to get my work done here and leave the city."

"Aren't you a part of Nanaka's group?" Emiri asked.

"They just need me for a job. Once it's done, I'll be heading on my way."

"Really?" Emiri asked. "I think Nanaka and her friends would miss you. And it's not easy being a Magical Girl by yourself."

"I've been myself for the last few years. I can handle it."

Emiri clasped her hands and looked at her carefully. The smile was still on her face, but it felt like her eyes were appraising Kitsu's every action. "What about your family?"

"Don't have one?"

"You've been living alone. On the streets?"

"Yea…"

"How old are you?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I'm thirteen," Emiri replied cheerfully.

She definitely didn't look thirteen. She should've been much older than that. "I don't believe you."

"Well, I am. And Hinano over there," Emiri pointed to a diminutive green haired girl who was saying something to Kako, "Is eighteen."

"Woah," Kitsu couldn't help remark. "That's crazy."

"We're all Magical Girls here, so it doesn't matter how young we are when we go hunt Witches," Emiri said.

"… I'm eleven. I think."

"Wow you're so young."

"I thought you said that didn't matter."

"I mean you're so responsible and cool hunting Witches by yourself," Emiri said. "But do you really have to be on the streets to do that?"

"I can handle it," Kitsu replied.

"But do you need to? Even after you finish whatever job Nanaka has you doing I'm sure they'll let you keep staying at her place… She is letting you stay at her place, right?"

"… Yes."

"Then why do you have to make it, like, so hard for yourself? You can be super comfortable and still do what you need to do."

"People," Kitsu looked down on the floor. "Other people are better off without me."

"Did they tell you that? Or is that something you decided for yourself?"

Kitsu couldn't say anything even though she knew the answer to that.

"You know," Emiri continued, "I heard that Magical Girls fight a lot for territory outside of Kamihama, but we don't do that here. There's like lot of nice people. Super nice people you can talk to and can help you out. People come here all the time and are like, wow I feel so much better already!"

"What do you mean?" Kitsu asked.

"I'm just saying that you don't have to do it alone. You have so many friends here, and they could need you. We need a lot of Magical Girls to deal with the Witches. There's like so many of them here and they're all really tough."

The Witches here were tough and Kitsu still hadn't tracked down that one Witch that disguised itself as a white-haired Magical Girl. If there were any more like that in this city…

"I just want to kill as many Witches as I can," Kitsu replied. "If the Magical Girls don't fight me… then I guess I can help."

"So, you're going to be sticking around then?" Emiri asked, expectantly.

"… I'll think about it."

"Great! Kamihama's an awesome place to live apart from all the Witches. We can show you around the place when you have the time."

"Thanks."

"So… Do you want me to introduce you to some of the girls here? They're really excited to talk with you."

Kitsu glanced at the group of Magical Girls. "Maybe later." She had enough people asking about her for the day. Besides there was one particular person that she wanted to speak with at the moment.

"Okay," Emiri replied as she stood up. "Don't be a stranger then, you're welcome here anytime!" she said before joining the group.

With Emiri gone, that gave Kitsu the chance to glare at Nanaka as she took her place.

"You set me up," Kitsu growled, or at least did her best to. Hard to with her voice starting to crack.

Nanaka nodded. "Talking with Emiri was good for you. Wasn't it?"

"What do you really want from me? Why put me through that?"

"For my revenge," Nanaka turned to the rest of her group who were making small talk with the others.

"Why me?"

"Because you are a friend. I knew the second I saw you."

Kitsu narrowed her eyes. "You told me that your magic allows you to discern your true enemy. What does it actually do?"

Nanaka made it a point to turn her head and look at every single person in the room before turning back to Kitsu. "Why don't we take a walk, just you and I? It'll be a chance for us to truly understand one another."

Kitsu followed Nanaka closely as they walked along the boardwalk next to a lake. She kept a hand on her Soul Gem, ready to transform at any time if needed. She didn't know what Nanaka wanted now or what she was going to do, so it was best to be prepared.

They walked for some time, the bright light of the afternoon sun bearing down on them. It was bright and might've been a bit too much if they were still human. As it was, the majority of the people around them had already retreated into the shade, isolating them despite how busy the rest of the area was. Eventually Nanaka stopped, far out of the earshot of anyone else, and stood serenely as she turned toward the lake.

"With a single glance of a person I can know whether they are friend or foe towards reaching my goals," Nanaka said.

"I'm useful," Kitsu squinted her eyes. "That's why you wanted to recruit me so much."

"Yes," Nanaka admitted. "I knew I would need you the second I met you. It was the same for the rest of them."

"… You're using them. Kako, Akira, Meiyui, they're all useful to you too," Kitsu realized. "You aren't friends at all."

"We are not actually a group," Nanaka replied in stride. "Rather an alliance that helps each other out of mutual benefit. We agree to act as equals."

"You're the leader though. Even though they don't say it." It didn't take long to figure that out if you watched them long enough. "You might as well be the one controlling them… You make them do whatever you want."

"What do you know about Soul Gems?" Nanaka suddenly asked.

Kitsu paused and looked at Nanaka carefully. "Enough."

"They're who we are now. Our life is tied to them. Our souls no longer reside in our bodies."

"… I know." Of course, she knew. It was one part of the curse she chose to bear in order to have her wish granted.

"I haven't told them yet," Nanaka admitted. "I still wish to see their worth."

"You don't trust them," Kitsu replied.

"I trust who they are as people, but whether or not they are capable enough to handle what comes in the future is what I'm uncertain about."

"And me?"

Nanaka turned back and looked at Kitsu. "You're proven yourself capable despite your inexperience and I trust that you will not say anything that needs to be said."

Kitsu crossed her arms. "I can keep a secret, but why would I work for you? You're hiding the truth from them. Keeping secrets. Just so you can manipulate them. Why would I let you do the same to me?"

"Because we're useful to one another. That is why I formed this group in the first place. And even then, it doesn't mean we can't get along. I do find their company pleasant."

"That doesn't change the reason why you're with them in the first place." Kitsu glared. "What's going to happen to them once they're no longer useful? If they stop wanting to work with you?"

"Then we'll go our separate ways," Nanaka replied casually. "Though I don't imagine that will happen anytime soon, so long as they agree we have a common enemy."

"What about me? Nothing stopping me from leaving once I finish my deal with you."

"I learned the truth of Soul Gems from Akira, after reuniting her Soul Gem with her dead body," Nanaka suddenly replied. "I was the reason Kako Contracted, determined as she was to assist me in battling a Witch. As for Meiyui, I had Kako and Akira help me to get in contact with her. I have worked tirelessly to gather my allies and have put much effort into helping them grow. You can be rest assured that I will not abandon them or callously toss them aside even if they are no longer as useful to me. You can be among them; if you wish."

"You're terrible," Kitsu commented. There wasn't much else to say… Nanaka was just a horrible person.

"I am simply gathering the determination of Magical Girls for the right moment, so that we can destroy our true enemy."

"We don't share an enemy. That Magical Girl controlling Witches doesn't have anything to do with me."

"Are you certain?" Nanaka asked. "Was there ever a time the movements of a Witch had become strange, as if targeting you specifically?"

"No. There hasn't… been…" Kitsu froze.

All those years ago. When she had been left alone at Mami's apartment. When… Archer had to go fight off that Witch, giving Oriko the perfect chance to talk with her. But it couldn't be. That wasn't possible.

But if Oriko could truly see the future and could get the help of someone with that sort of ability. If all of this had been planned from the start…

"But she isn't our true enemy," Nanaka continued. "Just simply the one who instigated our gathering. I should thank her for that, even though I still must exact my vengeance on her for how she nearly ruined my family."

"Who is it then?" Kitsu couldn't help but ask. At this point, with all that Nanaka had told her, she had to know. "Who is our true enemy?"

"The one responsible for creating Magical Girls." Nanaka smiled, elegant and serene as always. It was only now that Kitsu understood what lay behind that mask. Or maybe that wasn't a mask, that was just a part of who she was all along. Someone who saw nothing wrong with her actions. "The Incubator."