"Friends of yours, Homura?"

I shake my head at Kuroe's question. "This is the first time I've seen these girls. Although…" I get a glance at the one in the middle. That one's clearly the ringleader. "One of them looks…familiar. I…who is she?"

A grunt. I can't help but smile a little. Hitomi's truly holding her own even without powers. As she hits the Wraith with one of Kuroe's batons, she says, "Maybe you met her in one of those months, right?"

"Those…months…" I mumble as a Wraith fades into Grief Cubes. Then, some vague images come to the forefront. Madoka and I were being attacked by some girls. I…think I saw Oriko Mikuni among them. And…yes. Yes. "I…think I may have blown her up before, yeah. I remember something like that. I don't think I ever got her name…"

A laugh, colder and more wicked than the purple-haired girl's. "Aww, I'm hurt, Homura Akemi! You say you remember me, but you don't even know my name!" More laughter. "I am Sasa Yuuki, and soon, everyone will know my name! You may not know me, but oh, I've heard so much about you! If a girl like you can do what you did to Kyubey, imagine how other Magical Girls feel, knowing someone like that's right here in Mitakihara!"

"But Kyubey's different! She wouldn't do that to other Magical Girls!" Kuroe shouts.

"Do I look like I care?" the girl, Yuuki, asks, smirking. "If Akemi there did that, it's her right! The strong should control the weak, after all!"

I can't help but groan as I hear this Sasa Yuuki girl say that. "Is that what this is about?"

"Of course! And if you're the strongest Magical Girl, and I kill you, what does that make me?"

"And your friends?" I ask as I block a Wraith from striking Hitomi.

"Hehehe! I'm Hanna Sarasa!" the girl with the spiked staff thing replies.

"Mikoto Sena. Pleased to make your acquaintance," the last girl says.

"Their names don't matter, and they're more my lackeys than my friends. After all, I'm the one who brought us all together!" Yuuki replies, then she glares at them. "Isn't that right?"

The other two are simply silent at this. Clearly, their leader takes this as affirmation, as Yuuki continues. "A battle against you is suicide. I bet even those two…" She motions to Sena and Sarasa. "Wouldn't be able to win in a straight fight! So I came up with a brilliant plan! The three of us bring in all the Wraiths we can find, THEY can wear you down, and when you can't use your magic anymore? I come right in for the kill~"

"And you're telling me this because…?"

"It's a foolproof plan!" Yuuki says, laughing again. "If you don't deal with the Wraiths, they'll attack your friends! If you all manage to get away, who knows what they'll do to the people of this city? Steal the powers of any other Magical Girl that comes by? Or maybe just leave everyone here an empty shell! Hehehe…of course, I might just do all that anyway, when I kill you!"

"And those two?" I motion to Sena and Sarasa.

Yuuki scoffs. "I bet they'll probably die or something. But they don't matter, Homura Akemi! You should be more focused on my Wraiths! After all, they're the ones attacking your friends!"

I groan. She's right. While Kuroe and Hitomi are fighting valiantly, we're not even putting a dent in their numbers.

"How's it going?" I ask.

"Oh, about as well as you'd think two Magical Girls and their non-magical friend can do against so many of these things!" Hitomi replies. "You two do this every night?"

"When we find them. Usually, there aren't this many," Kuroe replies, blocking a shot one of them fired at me.

"Yeah, I kind of got that with that girl being all, 'Mwahahahaha! I'm gonna stand back like a coward and let my lackeys and these monsters wear you down!'" Hitomi says.

"Hey! I'm not a coward! I'm smart!" Yuuki yells back. "It's not my fault no one else is!"

I look at Kuroe. She sighs. "Got a plan, Homura?"

"As much as I hate to admit it," I reply slowly. "She's right. Even if we could get out of here, I can't risk them destroying the city and the people." I shake my head. "Once, I…guess they got their hands on my emotions…my magic…and they almost destroyed the world with it. I don't really remember that very well, but when I was a demon, I…saw that. Anyway, plan." I shrug. "Try to stay alive, I guess?"

"Not much of a plan," Hitomi replies, worried.

"I've never been good at planning!" I shout, managing to get two of the Earth-shaking Wraiths, throwing a baton at a third that was attacking Kuroe. "Yeah, I can remember things, but that only does so much when I have to consider a future that could change at any second! All I wanted to do was save Madoka! I thought I'd figure things out after that, but I haven't! I've just been floating through life, doing what feels right! That's…how I've always been!"

"Homura, your impulses saved us!" Hitomi says to me as she manages to take out one of the fire Wraiths.

"You showed us a better way…" Kuroe adds.

"You can't expect to do everything all by yourself."

"Didn't you teach US that?" Kuroe asks softly. "We're here, no matter what."

"If…If we're gonna die today…" I mumble. "At least we can greet Madoka together, right?"

"Don't think like that!" Kuroe shouts. She and I fall in sync as one of the ice Wraiths shatters around us. "We'll find a way! We always do! Okay, what about Tomoe?"

"Mami? Why would she help?" I ask.

"The girl came all the way to Takarazaki just to see if you're all right!" Kuroe replies. "She's made it clear she cares about you!"

"That and…" Hitomi pants, the fight already taking a toll on her. "And… If you can sense these things… I think she'd be as concerned as you are! Maybe she's already… on her way!"

I sigh. "Cover me, Kuroe."

"Always." Kuroe jumps in front of me, and she keeps jumping, moving from Wraith to Wraith.

I take out my phone. I just hope I reach Mami in time. "Wraiths. Lots. Girls. Danger. Help." I can't make it eloquent because my heart's racing. My mind's focused on the battle. I flinch as I hear a shriek.

"Hitomi!"

"I'm…I'm okay! It's just a scratch! I can still fight!"

I shake my head. "You don't have to work as hard as me and Kuroe. You don't have any powers, and you don't heal as quickly when you get hurt!"

"I won't leave you, Homura!"

I sigh. "I just hope Mami gets my text. Another body to throw at this problem, and Mami's strong. Maybe she'll think of something."

"Damn, girl! What did ya do THIS time?!"

Chains surround us, and several Wraiths fall.

I sigh. "Is this really the time to show off, Sakura?"

"Is this the thanks I get for saving your ass?" Kyouko asks, landing in front of us.

"Only so much that means if you die too."

"Heh. Ya don't think I came alone, do ya?" Kyouko smirks.

Gunfire starts to rain down on the Wraiths. Several fall and fade away. Mami lands in front of us and smiles. "Besides, showing off is a huge part of being a Magical Girl! Haven't you ever wanted Shizuki and Miss Kuroe to be all, 'Wow! You're so cool, Homura!' as you take on impossible odds?"

"I'm more concerned about surviving right now, Miss Tomoe."

"You're worried about getting through this! That's a nice change, Akemi! Still, you ain't gonna do it just hitting things!"

"Says the girl carrying a spear."

"Hey! I know how ta be creative, unlike some girls!"

"What do you expect me to do, Sakura? If you're wondering, I still can't summon that bow, and I don't have any guns or bombs."

"You've always been good at improvising," Mami replies for her.

"When I have an idea what to do!"

"Do you have any other ideas?!" Kyouko says.

I glance at Hitomi, who's still fighting despite clearly being exhausted. She's lucky she's only got a few scrapes. Shaking my head, I sigh. "I just want them to live through this! Tomoe! Can you take care of some of her more concerning wounds?"

"You can count on me!" Mami nods. She summons a couple of ribbons thick enough to wrap around Kuroe's arm and lessen the bleeding. "We'll take care of your wounds when we get out of this." I sigh, at least a little relieved. Unlike me, Mami's creative, and I'm always glad when she doesn't use her ribbons to just make guns or… Or… Tying me up.

That train of thought is thankfully interrupted with a loud, "Yah!" One of Kuroe's batons falls to the ground in front of me, surrounded by Grief Cubes where a Wraith used to be. Kuroe leaps from Wraith to Wraith, not missing a beat even as she talks to me. I summon my magical wings and help finish the last one off, the wings moving to rip the Wraith apart. "Homura! Try channeling your magic through my batons!"

"What?! But we've never properly tested that theory, Kuroe!"

"Well, then we're gonna test two theories today, Homura! Take my hand, and focus your magic with mine!"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm ready, Homura! You've taught me so much! Come on!" Kuroe holds out her hand, and I can sense the magic crackling on it.

Nodding, I take her hand. I see some magical symbol surround them. Her batons start to change, growing darker. Mine starts to look more like a staff than a blunt weapon. Kuroe grins. "Well? Let's try this out! You should be able to focus your magic better now!"

"Right," I reply. I take a deep breath, levitating a bit off the ground, and, not knowing what to do, point the staff at one of the Wraiths. I can sense my magic freezing it in place. I flick the staff to the right, and the big Wraith crashes into others. I start to understand what's going on, spinning in a circle as a large chunk of the Wraiths surrounding us are destroyed.

Kuroe laughs. "How'd you do that, Homura?"

"I don't know!" I shout back. "How do you feel?"

"Stronger!" she replies. "It's like…this thing's lighter, yet…more powerful!"

"They're Connecting, Mikoto!" the purple-haired girl shouts.

"I see that, Hanna!" the lighter-haired girl with the mirror replies. "Akemi and her partner pulled it off flawlessly, thinking it was only a theory…"

"Don't just stand there gawking, you idiots!" Yuuki screams. "Join the fight! Wear them down to dust! I'll even let you kill her worthless friends! But remember, Akemi is mine!"

"But the Wraiths…"

"The Wraiths won't attack me! Oh, and I'm sure you can keep them from hitting you! Focus on them!"

"Okay. We'll focus on them," Sarasa replies. I see her rolling her eyes. "I wish she wouldn't tell us how to do our job!"

"Homura!" Mami shouts, distracting me from their conversation. "We'll focus on the Wraiths! You and Kuroe fight them!"

"But you'll die!" I shout. I shake my head. "Not even you and Kyouko can fight them all off! And what about Hitomi?!"

"Heh. Shizuki? Girl's tougher than she looks, but that's not the point!"

"Not the point?! Not the point?! The reason I'm fighting's to protect all of you!"

"No, not that!" Kyouko yells back. "I'm talking about those two! Notice anything odd about them?"

Somehow, I manage to block Sarasa's staff with mine. I look at her. Sarasa's glaring at me. I position my wings to push her off. "Uh, what should I be noticing? They all control Wraiths, and they all wanna kill us!" Sarasa's fast, and it's a miracle that I manage to block her attacks. Kuroe, on the other hand, is having trouble breaking through Sena.

"Exactly! They're controlling the Wraiths!" Mami shouts. "If you can defeat them, that'll make it easier to survive! A quicker fight also means Hitomi won't get that much more injured!"

"Hey… I can… Still fight!" Hitomi says.

"Don't go too hard. Sayaka would kill me if I let ya die!" Kyouko says. "You can help us. We got your back!"

"How will defeating them make the battle end quicker?" I ask.

"Use your head, Akemi!" Kyouko groans. "If Yuuki over's barking orders, and she can use her power on Wraiths?"

I gasp. "She can control people?!"

That damn smirk returns to Kyouko's face. "Now you're getting it!"

"Break that girl's control, and it could disorient the Wraiths," Mami adds. The two then keep the Wraiths' attention.

"You're being controlled?!" I yell at Sarasa, unable to keep the horror out of my voice. That may not have been my smartest move, because Sarasa manages to land a hit on my stomach, knocking the air out of me.

"Heh. Mikoto and I were fine with not getting involved with things, but then this Sasa chick found us! And what she said sounded good! 'Hey, you're gonna help me kill a powerful Magical Girl!'"

Somehow, I manage to regain my breath and my footing. Even if it takes a toll, I can't complain that much about Magical Girls' healing. "But she's controlling you!" I shout back as I block blow after blow. Unbelievable. I have to live with the regret and nightmares of messing with the heads of the people I love when I was a demon, but this girl can just do it like controlling people's some kind of game?! How dare she?! "Her magic has some kind of hold on your mind! She's not your friend! She's not even trying that hard to act like you're anything but pawns!"

"Shut up!" Sarasa shouts. She and Mikoto leap out of the way of us. "You think you know so much?! Well, guess what!" She smirks as she and Sena grasp hands. Sena's pocket mirror grows larger and more jagged, and Sarasa's own weapon seems to grow more reflective and larger. "You two aren't the only ones who can Connect!" Immediately, they move to attack. Kuroe smacks Sarasa, but she shatters, the shards falling to the ground like… Like a mirror!

"Kuroe!" I gasp, slamming what I presume to be the real Sarasa to the ground with my magic. The nerve of her, trying to pull the same clone tactic Mami did…

"Heh. Impressive…" she says softly. "You're as clever as everyone says. But it will take a lot more than that…"

"To beat us!" Sarasa finishes.

The two press their attack. With their combined magic and might, they're quite formidable. Kuroe and I are in sync, not missing a beat as we defend ourselves. However, I start to notice these two are on a whole different level when Sena seems to shoot a blast at Sarasa, but she shatters like glass. Then, the blast and the glass rocket towards us, with another Sarasa fighting to keep us in range of the blast. I leap in and take the brunt of the attack, hissing in pain. I heal quickly, though I notice the look of concern on Kuroe's face. "I'll live," I assure her. "And I won't have to do that again, now that we can expect it!"

However, that wasn't their only trick. Misdirection, deception, and distraction. It's only now that I notice as we shatter one Sena or one Sarasa, even when we manage to deflect the glass, more duplicates form. However, they're way different than how the Wraiths overwhelmed us with numbers. Though their magical potential doesn't seem like anything spectacular, they've learned to be smart and work together. Though they're two separate people, they act like they've fought every battle together. Worked out the perfect ways to fight as a team day and night. Like they're one.

I put the staff on the ground, channeling my magic. My wings deflect Sena's blasts. With a yell, I send out a wave of magic, shattering the clones and throwing what I presume to be the real Magical Girls back.

"What did she promise you?" I ask as they get up.

"That doesn't concern you," Sena replies softly, blocking a hit from Kuroe.

"I think it does!" Kuroe retorts. "Homura and I like to know why people attack us! And Homura'll just keep asking!" She sneaks behind Sena and tries to hit her, but Sarasa moves faster than she has yet and takes the hit on her chest.

"You wanna know so damn badly?!" Sarasa growls as she holds where Kuroe hit her. "Fine. You've got power. Friends. A home. Can you possibly imagine what it's like for those of us with nothing?!"

I gasp, clutching my chest. I can absolutely imagine that. Sadly, all that comes out of my mouth is, "I…"

"Hanna is all I have…" Sena adds, her tone turning hollow. "I ran away from home because… I wasn't allowed to be myself. And Hanna… Hanna never had anyone care about her until she met me! No one!"

"So that Sasa Yuuki girl there tells us about some scary demon that can mess with heads better than anyone, is stronger than anyone, and can change the way things are just by thinking it!"

"You could take Hanna away from me with one thought…"

"I won't allow that!" Hanna shouts, getting way too close to me. "I don't care what that bitch Yuuki wants! If Mikoto leaves me, even for the stupid Law of Cycles, I'll kill ya myself!"

"Homura? Homura, what's wrong?" Kuroe says suddenly, interrupting the girl. "You're crying."

Shaking, I realize I do feel something wet coming from my eyes. I sniffle. "I'm sorry…" I glance at the two strange Magical Girls, cleaning some of the tears that got on my glasses. I wipe my cheeks, gazing sympathetically at the two.

Kuroe thankfully picks up the conversation. "We're really, really sorry. If…If that's true, and you're not just… Just making up a sob story to gain our sympathy."

I see Sarasa pause. Suddenly, things go quiet as even the Wraiths stop attacking, and even from here, I can tell Mami and Kyouko are worn out, to say nothing of Hitomi, who looks like she can barely stand. Sarasa shakes her head. Slowly, after an uncomfortable silence, she asks me, "Why… do ya think we'd make that shit up?"

"I don't know. You just… Well, Yuuki over there seems like the kind of girl to do that."

"…But we're not Sasa Yuuki," Sena says softly. "You wanted to know about us, so we told you."

"Yeah, I can act from the shadows and deceive when I wanna… But especially over these past few months, I learned I like it better when I can be straight with people. It won't change things to tell 'em different. Hehe. It's honestly more fun when they know we're trying ta kill 'em, even if they get away!" I wince at the remark about death. Sena puts a hand on her shoulder and nods. Then, she looks at me.

"We thought you'd be like everyone else. That you wouldn't care. That you're some elitist looking down on those of us who have suffered. But I see it in your eyes. You're… different, Homura Akemi. You… You know what it's like."

"…You don't care at all about the glory of killing me… Do you?" I ask, my higher voice coming out hoarse.

"Glory ain't worth shit," Sarasa grumbles. "All I care about… All I need…" She glances next to her, at Sena. I see her smile, a much softer smile than I've seen on her all night. "Is her." She brings Sena's hand to her lips, kissing the knuckles on it.

Sena giggles softly. "I know Hanna's not really the knight in shining armor or dashing prince type… But to me, she's so much better than that. She's Hanna."

Despite myself, I smile a little at them. "You're a couple," I state simply.

"Heh. Yeah," Sarasa shrugs. "We are. No big deal."

In a whisper, I reply, "I have someone like that too. Well… Had. I love her so much. More than anything."

"Have you told her?" Sena asks.

"Heh. She probably knows, but she's got bigger things to worry about. You two are very lucky. I can tell… You two would be even worse without each other."

"Damn straight," Sarasa replies. "I don't even wanna think about what I'd do without her…" She blushes as Sena kisses her cheek.

We all flinch as a loud shriek pierces my ear drums. Warily, I glance where it came from. Yuuki's stomping over to us, and she looks angry.

"What are you two doing?!" she yells. "You're supposed to be fighting those two to the death! Why did you stop?!"

"Sasa, we can explain—" Sena starts before she's cut off.

"Don't interrupt me! Can't you idiots do anything right?!" She holds her head. "I wanted to play with some weird blonde girl that can see the future!"

"…Mikuni…?" The aforementioned blonde girl flashes into my mind for an instant.

"Oh, so you know her, but not me? I'm hurt, Akemi! Truly, I am!" she says in a dramatic voice, holding her chest with one hand, pretending to wipe tears with another. "A girl who could see the future would be really useful to me, at least until I've had my fun with her!"

"Had your fun?" Kuroe asks. "You mean… You wanted to seduce this girl?"

"S-S-Seduce?!" Yuuki grows pale. "I meant messing with her head! Acting like I'm her best friend! A helpful, caring, mature classmate! Hehehehe! I never get tired of the look on a Magical Girl's face when they realize I've betrayed them!" She scoffs and glares at Kuroe. "'Seduce'. The nerve of you, insinuating I would ever lower myself to that level!"

"Sorry. I just assumed—"

"Yeah. Right. You assumed. You assumed I'm like that creep that followed Mikuni around! There is such a thing as too clingy! Gah, seeing that girl debase herself… Disgusting!"

"Wait. Did you… You killed Kure?" I whisper softly. Yes, Oriko Mikuni and Kirika Kure caused me a lot of trouble once or twice, even managing to kill Madoka once, but I… Especially now… I can never condone anything involving killing Madoka, but in this world, they didn't do anything like that! They never even tried acting against anyone I know in this timeline. Maybe Oriko will attack me later, but they hasn't yet. If I meet them, I can't imagine it'll be friendly, but to imply these versions of them deserve to die?

"'You killed Kure?'" Yuuki repeats mockingly. "I wish I had! But that disgusting bitch and her precious 'girlfriend' got away! But thankfully, I found two more Magical Girls, both with powers perfect for my next plan! I thought they'd be easy to manipulate, since they went along with me so easily!" She turns to the two, snarling. "But no! You two are depraved too! If I'd known you two would be such liabilities, I'd have killed you!Going around like it's okay to do… Do… Do that!"

"Do… What?" I ask, confused at what she's so bothered about.

"You know damn well what! Holding hands! Acting like a lady and her precious hero! Kissing each other's cheeks!" Yuuki yells. "You're supposed to be focused on one thing! Her!" She points at me, then she gets out her scythe, pointing it at Sena and Sarasa. "Now, stop acting all weird and kill her! Attack her right now! I don't care if either of you die!"

Wordlessly, the two pick up their weapons and swing at me. Somehow, I manage to block Sena, and Kuroe got Sarasa. "Listen to her! You two said you're doing this to protect each other! Because you love each other! Fight it! You're better than her!"

"Ahahaha! That won't help them! If that's true, then it'll be harder for them to fight it! Anyone who thinks they're better than me has to do what I say!" Sasa giggles wickedly.

"Are you just gonna sit back…" I parry Sarasa's blow. "And let some girl who can't understand your feelings…" A magical wing blocks Sena. "Tell you what to do?!"

"I…"

"We…"

I notice that their attacks are coming. slower, which probably comes as a relief for poor Kuroe. I use the staff made by our "Connect", as these two called it, to hold them in place. "Fight it. You two can't let her control you. You said neither of you had anyone else! That means people have probably been harsh with you! How is Yuuki any different from those people?!" I shake my head. "Think about what she'll do to you two after I'm dead. After what she said, you really think she'll let you go?" I release my magic. "Well?"

"…Sasa's gonna kill you…Mikoto…"

"I know, Hanna."

"…I don't want that…" she whispers, just loud enough for me to hear.

"I know, Hanna." She puts a hand to Sarasa's cheek, and the two gaze into each other's eyes. "Do you think I want her to kill you?"

Yuuki snarls, getting us all to glance at her. "Oh, shut up already! I can't take any more of this sappy lovey-dovey garbage! Don't any of you realize that girls can't love girls?!"

A cough. "E… Excuse me?" A soft, airy voice whispers. Hitomi limps towards us. Immediately, I rush to embrace her, though I hold her loosely. I can tell she's in so much pain.

"Hitomi? Why'd you fight so hard?"

Softly, the green-haired girl smiles at me. "I… Did it for you, of course. You're… My friend, Homura."

"Shh. You're using too much energy. Just relax. You've fought really well today. Worthy… Of any Magical Girl."

"I have?" Hitomi coughs. "I'm so glad. Though when I get home, my parents will probably ask questions."

"We'll think of something, Hitomi," I reply.

"I know. But… But first… I wanna have a word with her," Hitomi's voice grows cold as she nods at Yuuki.

"She'll probably kill you," I reply.

"Heh… Aren't you and Kuroe gonna protect me?" Hitomi asks with a cheeky, tired grin I swear she's used so much on me.

"I… Of course, Hitomi. Just… Lean on me, okay. Don't fall."

Slowly, Hitomi uses me as support, and we walk towards Yuuki. Hitomi glares at her. "You said… That girls can't love girls…"

Yuuki blinks. She tilts her head. "Yeah? I know what I said. I thought it was obvious. Um… I don't think I caught your name, Miss…"

"Shizuki," Hitomi replies. "I just came over… To say…" Her voice becomes a tired whisper. "You're wrong…"

"What? How dare you?! You're not even a Magical Girl, and you talk to me like that?! I could rip you in two!"

"I learned… From the best…" Hitomi glances at me with a tired smile. Then, she glances back at Yuuki. "Heh. I used to think like that too. My family said it, so I didn't think about it." She shakes her head. "But meeting Homura… Getting to know her… Learning so much… I wouldn't trade it for anything. Thanks to her, I… I decided I didn't have to do what everyone wants. That I could… Could do what I want."

"Ha. That is a right only for the strong, girl!" Yuuki sneers.

"What made you like this?" Hitomi asks. "Because when I look at you, I see… The unhappy girl I was… And my ignorance…"

"Hitomi…" I whisper.

Kuroe looks at me and shrugs. "She learned from watching you."

"You say girls can't love girls… Like I believed a long time ago. So, Miss Evil Magical Girl, I ask you…" She has me bring her closer to Yuuki. She gets off of me. She glares at Yuuki, stumbling and catching herself.

Then, she punches Yuuki in the face.

"What do YOU know about love?!"

Despite stumbling, to which I move quickly to catch Hitomi so she doesn't hit the ground, the punch was apparently strong enough to knock Sasa back.

"Damn! Who knew Shizuki was a badass?!" I hear Kyouko say, and I can't help but smile. The girl who had treated Hitomi coldly at best now sees something I like about her.

"Hehe. Well… It's the kind of thing Homura would do…" Hitomi whispers sheepishly. "I…think I broke my hand, though." She shows me her hand. I can tell her knuckles and fingers aren't supposed to bend like that. I grasp it gently, loosening my grip more when Hitomi winces. "Heh. So much for piano lessons…"

I shake my head at her. "Weren't you looking for any excuse to get out of those?"

"Yeah, but… Well… I remember you saying you wanted to hear me play sometime."

I sigh. "Well, we can figure something out, Hitomi." I nod to Mami, who wraps the broken hand up as best she can.

"There. Until someone can heal her, that should at least help a little," Mami says.

"I…" I mumble. "Thank you… Mami… For everything…"

"You used my name, Homura. Does that mean we're friends again?"

"If we get out of this alive, you can even throw a sleepover, and I'll be there…"

"Hehe. I'll hold you to that, Homura!" Mami laughs. "You can even bring Kuroe!"

"Uh…I hate ta interrupt…" I hear Sarasa suddenly. She and Sena are holding their heads, as if their brains will burst from them any second now. I suppose having someone bombard your head with magic like Yuuki, only for that to suddenly stop, would be painful. "But what are we gonna do about Miss Chickenshit over there?"

I look towards Yuuki, and I shudder. Yuuki holds her jaw where she was hit. Apparently, Hitomi managed to dislocate it. Yuuki seems just as shocked, based on her look as she sets it back in place. Then, she starts laughing, and she doesn't stop. Her head goes back as she laughs and laughs. Then, she glances at us. At Hitomi. I feel a chill as I see the look in her eyes. Sheer bloodlust.

"You wanna know what made me like this?! If I have some sob story about my mother never loving me?! Or about being homeless?! Oh! Oh! Maybe you think I lost my best friend to some smug asshole!" Yuuki smirks. "Or my crush to my best friend!" I pat Hitomi's shoulder gently as she tenses up, and thankfully, she relaxes a little.

Snarling, Yuuki lunges towards Hitomi, getting right up in her face. "You wanna know?! The idea of people like you who don't know your place in this world makes me sick! That's all there is to it!" More laughter. "In nature, there are those that are weak!" She jabs a finger at Hitomi, and I hold her more protectively, glaring at Yuuki. "And then, there's the strong! The people like me who do what we want! It is the right of the strong to trample on the weak! We do it because we love it! We love it because that's how nature made us! It is my right as someone strong to do whatever I want!" She starts to smirk, showing all of her teeth. Then, she points her scythe at Hitomi's throat. "And what I want, Shizuki…" she spits out every syllable of that name like it's the worst thing she's ever tasted. "Is for you and your friends to die! I was gonna start with Akemi, but since you've gone and pissed me off, I think I'll start with you!"

She pulls her scythe back, that smirk still on her face. Just as she swipes down, I don't even think. I catch the scythe's base, glaring at Yuuki. "You… Don't… Hurt… Hitomi…" My voice, lower now, growls.

"I can do whatever I want, Akemi~" Yuuki replies, her voice suddenly softer and more controlled.

"In fact…" Her smirk relaxes into a serene smile. Too serene. How many ways is this girl gonna find to creep me out?!

"I have an even better idea…" She lets out a soft giggle, the type Hitomi does when I make some kind of snarky remark about something.

"I like to savor my kills… Make each and every one of them memorable… And I think I've figured out exactly what I'm gonna do with you…"

My eyes widen. I don't like where this is going at all. Neither do Hitomi and Kuroe, based on how worried they look. All my instincts are screaming at me, 'Protect them! Protect your family!' And I have no reason to fight that desire.

"Hehehehe… Shizuki… You've gotten my attention. But why should I have all the fun?"

Then, slowly, painfully, Yuuki glances back at me, that damn creepy smile still on her face. "Akemi… I want you to strangle Shizuki!"