"How the hell did we lose track of him?" Kyoko paced around Mami's apartment, a restlessness playing at the back of her mind. "Why can he just disappear like that? I knew he was fast, but that's just…" she cursed under her breath. "I couldn't even get a trace of him like last time."

"It would seem he is host to more abilities than we initially surmised," Mami said, sitting at her table with a cup of chamomile tea in front of her. "He must have been utilizing the power of witches for some time now."

"So he's tough to kill, fights with guns, can teleport, has some weird mind affecting power which is probably what he uses to control the witches now that I think about it, and possibly a bunch more stuff we don't know about. At this rate, our soul gems will get used up before we put him in a coffin."

"At the very least, we have secured the witch's grief seed," she said, placing the object across from her.

"Don't think we can really count this as a win, though. For all we know, that thing he was doing with the rose may mean he got something out of the witch."

"I don't think that's the case."

The two turned to the window, seeing the still form of Kyubey sitting on the windowsill, his form illuminated by the moonlight.

"Do you have any thoughts on the matter?" Mami asked as Kyoko let him inside.

"While I do believe your assumptions about his dealings with witches to be correct, I believe it is safe to say he has not acquired any further abilities after today's encounter."

"What makes you so sure?" Kyoko asked.

"Firstly, what Mami said about the rose. When you encountered him in the labyrinth, the witch was nearly defeated and a symbol of its power as the 'Rose Garden Witch' was created. I believe that to be akin to taking the 'essence' of the witch. By destroying it, you deprived him of whatever he hoped to gain. Secondly, should this assumption be incorrect, you still have obtained the grief seed. There is no further trace of the witch aside from the grief seed, so he cannot hope to further his goals in that capacity either."

"I guess that makes sense…" Kyoko sighed. "Still, would be nice if we knew exactly what he was doing."

"I cannot say I know what his goal is," Kyubey said. "However, that he is successfully defeating witches is quite troubling."

"If he's trying to take the power of witches, perhaps the best thing to do is defeat as many witches as we can," Mami said. "We were able to fight him to something of a stalemate, though his influence over the witch and its familiars granted him the battle's favor. If we defeat the witches before he can get to them, however…"

"I believe this to be the best option," Kyubey said. "A direct confrontation does not appear to be in your favor if you do not have a full grasp of his abilities."

Kyoko frowned. "So then the only thing we can do is fight more witches? That doesn't sound any different from what we normally do."

"And there's no guarantee he won't move somewhere else," Mami said.

"I doubt it," Kyoko said. "If he's after witches, Mitakihara is the best place in the whole ward. Maybe even the country. Could be he's from Kamihama," she offered. "That place is swimming with witches and magical girls both. Might've come this way since it's real crowded over there."

"So our best option is to defeat as many witches as possible?" Mami asked, a slight frown on her face. "Do you think perhaps he can draw power from familiars too?"

"Familiars don't drop grief seeds. Why would he bother with them?"

"We know he's not above using innocent people to further his aims. I fear he may try turning familiars into full witches."

"I cannot discount the possibility," Kyubey said. "If he cannot work with witches, he may turn to familiars out of necessity."

"I'd say that's good for us then," Kyoko said.

"But Sakura-san, that's-"

"Look, Mami. We aren't gonna have this argument again! We're dealing with an unknown enemy here! I'm not gonna go around wasting my magic for something that doesn't even matter! If I kill all the witches before he gets to them and has to waste time working with familiars, that's a win in my book. You can go around and play hero if you want, but I'm not gonna fight this guy for no reason. Let him make witches for me. It'll save me the trouble of waiting for them down the line." She turned to leave. "I'll kill all the witches I find. If starving him out is the best plan, well, I'm happy to take those grief seeds from him."

"Sakura-san…"

"Before you go, I have something else to share." The two turned their attention towards him. "It would seem there is another magical girl in this city."

"Damn, already?" Kyoko said. "Word must get around quickly," she said eying Kyubey, frustration clear on her face.

"Indeed. However, it appears I do not recall contracting her."

Kyoko let out a derisive chuckle. "Don't tell me your memory's starting to go."

"While that is not true in the way you phrased it, your comment isn't wholly incorrect."

"What? I was only joking!"

"If there is an issue with my memory surrounding this particular magical girl, it would be due to the wish she made."

"What could she have possibly wished for that to be true?" Mami wondered.

"And isn't that a little too convenient?" Kyoko said. "You think she's working with the old guy?"

"I don't believe a fellow magic girl would work with someone like him," Mami said.

"I will not discount the possibility," Kyubey said. "The current evidence leans toward 'no', but said magical girl seems to be actively avoiding me. That two previously unknown entities to show up simultaneously is cause for concern."

"All it's been is 'possibilities' with you!" Kyoko growled. "Look, all we need to do is kill all the witches, right? That's all you need to tell me. Once I take care of this, I'll find and finish that bastard myself. Thinks he can just show up on someone's territory like he owns the place… I'll show him." She huffed. "I couldn't care less about whatever else you gotta say. Come get me if I need to know something that's actually important."

"Sakura-san-" but Mami's words were ignored as Kyoko slammed the door behind her. She could only look on in sadness. Once again, the only person she could possibly call her friend had left her. And she had thought the common enemy would be just cause for them to work together again. Alas, it seems that the divide between them is too great. Their respective ideologies about what it means to be a magical girl were, sadly, far too different.

She still didn't understand where Kyoko was coming from. She actively fights witches- she knows the danger they cause. They should be fighting them and their familiars regardless if they get something out of it or not. That's part of why they could make wishes in the first place, right? They have an obligation to do their part and destroy as many as possible.

And here she was having imaginary arguments with herself again. Mami sighed. She couldn't muster the energy to be angry at Kyoko. She simply felt hollow. Despite her efforts, it would seem she and Kyoko would never again see eye to eye.

And so once again, she was alone.

"Kyoko certainly has her own way of doing things," Kyubey said. Mami didn't look at him. "Yet you two alone will not be enough to quickly eliminate the witches in the city."

"I've been doing what I can… I fear I won't be able to keep pace of this villain and have time to eliminate all the familiars that spring up."

"Your strength is commendable, but I have no expectations that you will be able to handle everything on your own. There are still girls that would contract for a wish."

Mami's eyes lit up. "You don't mean… you've found a girl with potential?"

"A couple of them. They attend your school."

"Have you…ah, spoken with them yet?"

"No. I had stayed away to further observe the man. I no longer believe this to be the best course of action."

"T-then, if it isn't too much trouble, may I accompany you? Perhaps seeing a magical girl in action can as asuage their worry. And, no offense, but you have a tendency to gloss over some important bits," she said with a light giggle.

Kyubey tilted his head. "If that's what you want, I won't dissuade you."

"Great!" She exclaimed. Even if she wanted to, she could not hide her excitement. She knew she shouldn't be this happy about it, magical girls put their lives in danger for goodness sake, but the prospect of fighting side by side with another magical girl was too great a prospect. In the grand scheme of things, it hadn't been that long since she and Kyoko went their separate ways, but it hurt so much. Ever since she made her wish, she'd been alone. No time for friends and barely enough time for school work. And it wasn't like anyone would understand her aside from another magical girl.

Part of her thought she should convince these girls otherwise, but she wanted someone, anyone, to understand. The thought was too enticing. She won't admit to being guilty- why would she? Witches hurt people and magical girls hunt witches. They'd be helping out! Doubly so if it works against the mysterious stranger. Yes, this is a good thing. Having more magical girls is absolutely a good thing. "Then that's our goal for tomorrow!"

Homura couldn't help but frown as she made her way through the city. She had made sure that Madoka made it home safely, then observed her home for some time after to ensure she was not drawn into the Incubator's clutches. And she had to make doubly sure that Dante hadn't followed her either. Everything was going so smoothly today, until she saw him in the ice cream shop.

Homura considered herself a logical person. She noted that he was already there by the time they arrived. And last night, he had procured ice cream for the two of them of his own volition, so it is safe to assume that he likes it. But for him to coincidentally show up at the same place and time as her? Well, it never hurt to be cautious.

She had to remain alert. Madoka cannot speak to him. He was still an enigma and his true intentions were unclear. The source of his abilities and his knowledge of her looping time still weighed heavy on her mind. Until she had more information on him, she had to be wary. Their 'partnership' is ostensibly mutually beneficial, but who's to say he won't turn on her the second he gets a chance? She had to at least pretend to play along. He can go around killing witches for her while she protects Madoka, but anything further would be detrimental.

At the very least, he had the decency to pretend he didn't notice her earlier. Neither Madoka nor Hitomi paid him any mind, though he seemed to capture Sayaka's attention. Did she perceive him as a threat? Merely think he was some odd foreigner? This could still prove advantageous when Sayaka contracts. But, she was getting ahead of herself. Dante was unfamiliar, unpredictable. Any plan could fall apart if she wasn't able to keep an eye on him. Which brings her to why she was scouring the city to look for him.

Homura had yet to hear from Dante. She needed to know how things went with the witch. She had assumed Mami Tomoe got involved and if that proves true, it was imperative she learned what happened. That first encounter is the basis for all of their future interactions. While Kyoko will prove to be an annoying thorn in her side whenever she appears, Mami was a deceptively obstinate person. If she determines that Dante was a proper threat, she will spend a majority of her focus dealing with him, keeping her away from Madoka. Otherwise she may try to recruit Madoka as she typically does. She had to know what happened so she could properly plan for the future.

It wasn't much later that she found the man standing on an overpass, looking out toward the cityscape. The slight night breeze billowed his coat. His arms were crossed, and he seemed uncharacteristically solemn.

"Dante," she called to him once she had fully approached.

"What's up, Little Lady?" He said, not turning to face her.

"The witch. Did you face it?"

"Sure did. Weird plant thing. Things got crazy when Red and Goldilocks crashed the party."

"Goldi-?" Homura pinched the bridge of her nose. He was referring to Kyoko and Mami. But that means they were working together. So he has proved enough of a nuisance to attract both of their attention. "You survived your encounter with Kyoko Sakura and Mami Tomoe."

He chuckled. "Those two had a lot of spunk, that's for sure."

"Did you kill them?"

"The hell? You have a hit on them or something?"

"Then by your comment I assume they still live."

He shrugged.

Homura hummed. "Unexpected. Such confrontations typically result in a magical girl's death."

"You got a strange way of asking about your friends."

"Neither Kyoko Sakura nor Mami Tomoe are my friends."

"So you kids duke it out often?"

"Disputes between magical girls occur for any number of reasons. But that is irrelevant to you. Did you kill the witch?"

"Nah, Goldilocks did it for me. Hey, do you all call out the names of your attacks like she did? 'Cause that's really funny."

"...I request that you refrain from comparing me to Mami Tomoe in any way. Moving on, did you retrieve the grief seed?"

Dante thought for a moment. "That was that thing you collected after we killed the first one, right?" Homura nodded. "Nope, they got that too."

This was fine. She didn't need more at the moment. "It sounds as though you were soundly defeated by them," she said.

At this, Dante busted out with laughter. "Getting my ass kicked by a couple of eight year-olds would be a new low for me. Nah, I roughed 'em up a bit, just to get their attention."

"So you fled. Bravado to cover up cowardice."

Dante chuckled again. "Talking to you is just like talking to Lady."

Homura held back a sigh. Because she had no idea on the mechanics or extent of his abilities, it was difficult to say for certain if Mami and Kyoko combined could take him down. His vague non-answers weren't giving a clearer picture either. But she supposed that was how these things went. If she wasn't willing to reveal her hand it only stood to reason Dante would be guarded with his secrets as well.

"Without boring you with the details, your pals think I'm some kinda supervillain."

"What?"

"The witch hypnotized a couple folks and they think I did it. To feed it or something."

"...I see." She supposed that made sense. A seemingly normal person actively involving themselves with witches would be a cause for concern. With Kyoko's brashness, Mami's poor judgement, and Dante's irritating personality, she could see how that might happen.

"And honestly? That doesn't sound too bad! So I'm thinking we roll with it!"

"Yes… that could work. By framing yourself as an interloper, you would not only keep their attention, but Kyubey's as well…"

"Glad you see it my way! Now we just gotta make it convincing. Heads up!"

In a flash, Dante had disappeared before her eyes. And in that moment, she had leapt back on instinct, to narrowly avoid Dante as he fell from above, his first colliding where are was just standing, the force great enough that she felt the impact even from her new position.

She knew this would happen eventually, but so soon? And she really did think things were going well. She hadn't thought of a plan to kill Dante yet! She knew she should have been cautious she-

Dante very deliberately rose from his position. He looked at her and she heard him crack his knuckles despite the gauntlets he was wearing.

"Ah, so that's how it is," Homura said. 'Make it convincing' he said. It was far more impulsive than she'd ever be. Through her repeated time loops and study of specific individuals she had all but forgotten how a random person can just follow a whim on the spot. And he definitely seemed the type to do random nonsense on a whim. But, she could appreciate the scene. It would be bad for any potential onlookers to catch on to them. She brought out a gun and fired a shot.

She barely perceived what happened next: Dante suddenly had a sword taller than she was held upward and the bullet she just fired whizzed past her ear.

Dante simply looked at her with that damnable smirk. The blade began to glow, an immense energy pouring out of it. It split down the middle and four spectral blades appeared from the molten core.

Homura stood her ground despite the power this act displayed. She could feel the air around her change, suffused with a pressure that felt like she was underwater. Yet her soul gem did not react. She got the feeling that Dante could easily handle fighting a few magical girls rather easily. Whatever he was using, it wasn't magic. Not any kind that she knew anyway. But there would be time to theorize on him later. The large sword disappeared in a burst of flame, but the spectral blades remained.

Dante pointed at her and the blades shot forward. Her shield clicked and the world went gray, the blades stopping in front of her. She sidestepped, firing shots at the blades, which exploded on contact. She unpinned several grenades and tossed them at Dante, finishing with a few rounds from her assault rifle. She gave him one last glance. "I hope this is 'convincing' enough for you," she said before turning and dashing away.

Once she had gained enough distance, Dante let his arm fall to his side. "Gotta learn how to roll with punches," he grinned to himself. He turned back to the cityscape, his eye on a couple of birds frozen in time. He cracked his neck; moving in stopped time wasn't especially difficult, but not having used the power of Quicksilver in some time, it was like using a muscle you neglected. But it didn't matter too much. He'd let Homura believe she has everything under control. Wouldn't be good to give her another thing to have a crisis over. Even so, he still thought messing around with these children was way more fun than it ought to be. Nothing wrong with enjoying himself while he could, right? "Heh, and Nero said I'm shit with kids."

The color around him returned and the birds moved on, disturbed by the several explosions that followed, pushing Dante over the edge of the overpass.

Dante never returned that night. She spent the rest of the night going over her plans. Fortunately after further consideration, she concluded Dante's idea could work out with few changes to her modus operandi. If she did everything properly she could fully turn his involvement to her advantage.

Firstly, as Dante managed to unite Kyoko and Mami against him, they would be too focused on his antics to accomplish anything else. Dante apparently didn't want to kill them, and neither of them were stupid enough to let their soul gems decay for too long. They will definitely increase their witch hunts to stop him. It is also important to note that, with a goal in mind, Mami is far less likely to be careless so she should expect her to live. And with this series of events, she believed it unlikely for either of them to transform into a witch. Determination is a key factor in staving off the metamorphosis after all; Homura herself was a testament to that.

Secondly, should any magical girl or the Incubator see her with Dante, she had the excuse of fighting him just as Mami and Kyoko did. All she needed to say was she followed him to Mitakihara. Should she inadvertently reveal anything she knew about him she could pass it off as knowledge she gained from dealing with him for far longer than she would have liked. Though the Incubator currently doesn't know where she came from or the extent of her power, such information should pacify even him for a time if Dante can keep up his part in this façade. Though she shouldn't count on that. For all she knew, the Incubator had some knowledge on whatever it was Dante did. She will remain cautious and learn what she can.

Thirdly-

"Heya, Transfer Student!" A hand had tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to see the smiling face of Sayaka, excitedly waving at her. "Fancy running into you here. Who'd have thought we'd take the same route to school?"

"What a coincidence." And thirdly there was Sayaka. With Dante handling the others, this gives her more time to properly manage Sayaka as well. Considering she took the initiative to initiate conversation, it seems that Sayaka's opinion of her is higher than it typically is, so this may turn out successfully too. If she can prevent Sayaka from making a stupid wish the probability of Madoka contracting drastically decreases.

"So… school going okay so far? You didn't have problems with the homework or anything, did you?"

"No." Unfortunately, Sayaka was driven by more than the material benefits a wish would grant her. She would contract on the idea of being a 'hero' alone. In every timeline Sayaka learns about witches, she contracts. Wishing for that boy she likes to be better is the only thing she thinks to wish for. And because she is too naive to simply wish for his affection, she feels angry and jealous when he does not reciprocate the feelings he doesn't know she has. And those feelings are compounded when she learns the truth of magical girls.

If it wouldn't upset Madoka, she'd kill Sayaka now and be done with it.

"Yeah, I guess I should have figured with how you answered that question yesterday. You're way better at math than I am." Sayaka said with a nervous chuckle. "Do you have a favorite TV show?"

"I do not watch television."

"Oh. Uh, do you have a favorite book, then?"

"Not particularly."

"Uh… I see…" She continued to walk with her, stealing glances and beginning sentences, but failed to say anything further. The two continued on in an awkward silence.

It was at this moment Homura realized that she never had a moment of silence with Sayaka around. She never trusted her; Sayaka was always threatening or actively attempting to keep her away from Madoka. Even in the beginning when they were somewhat amicable, Sayaka always kept her at arms length. But even so, she never experienced silence from her.

Why? Why was this so different? Was the act of getting ice cream with her all she needed to get Sayaka to tolerate her, could it? That"s far too simple to be the reason…

Ah, but why wouldn't that be the case? Sayaka is a simple person, after all. Her life is defined by normality. Before meeting a witch, Sayaka is a relatively normal, if easily excitable, girl, albeit one that sees the world in black and white. Her talk of 'justice' belies the simplicity with which she views the world. And because of this, logically she would be wary of anything that goes against the status quo.

Socializing with one's peers is a normal thing to do. If Homura does not follow the social script, it leads to ostracism. And because Sayaka is normal, she would not associate with someone who isn't normal. But now, she has done something normal with her, so she gives her a chance. So if she keeps this up, then Sayaka should be less of a bother and she can be with Madoka that much easier. So she just had to continue this façade.

"Sayaka Miki," Homura said. The girl turned her head to her. "Yesterday you asked me if I was a fan of classical music. Are you a fan of classical music?"

Sayaka's eyes widened, clearly surprised that the question was asked. But just as quickly, her face lit up. "Oh yeah, totally! I know I probably don't seem like the type, but I'm a huge fan! I really like a lot of Russian composers from the romantic period like Rachmaninoff and Rimsky-Korsakov, but I'm a sucker for Liszt's series of Hungarian rhapsodies too," she chuckled. "Honestly I don't really listen to much else, aside from an anime opening here and there. Hey, if you're interested, I can lend you a few CD's! I really should start you off with the more popular guys like Bach and Mozart, but you honestly seem like a Chopin fan to me. Oh, unless you'd go for Mendelssohn! Personally I like him more, but don't tell Hitomi I said that," she scoffed. "You learn how to play Fantaisie Impromptu and all of a sudden it's 'Chopin is the greatest composer of all time'. Bleh," she stuck out her tongue.

And Sayaka continued to talk about her favorite music as they walked to school, going on and on about dead people Homura neither knew of nor cared about. Yet she offered the occasional "I see," and "Please go on," which of course only prompted Sayaka to talk more. Truthfully she never would have expected Sayaka to have such an in-depth knowledge of music. She really didn't want to hear about it, though.

"Seriously, give it a chance! You'll love it, I swear!" She said with a boisterous laugh. "And once I convert you, there will be nothing stopping me from showing Madoka the beauty in classical music! With you at my side, she'll no longer have the excuse of saying 'sorry Sayaka-chan, I just don't get it.' Then my evil plan will finally be complete! Mwahahaha!"

Homura had to reevaluate if killing Sayaka actually would be the best course of action.

Sayaka gave a grandiose stretch when class was dismissed for lunch, humming a tune to herself as she did so. Today was going great so far! The sun was shining, she didn't get called on in class at all, and it turns out the transfer student wasn't that weird! She was still kinda weird though, like how she doesn't watch TV and insists on calling people by their first and last names. And it was also strange how little emotion she displayed, but hey, who was she to judge? Her social skills are probably shot from being in the hospital for so long. And if she had to guess, she didn't get many visitors either.

Stop torturing me already! Why do you keep coming here?

She winced at the memory.

Sayaka turned to see that the transfer student had already moved to sit with Madoka and Hitomi. At least she was trying to adjust. To try and get some semblance of a normal life back. Good for her. She can hang out with people and make new friends and not be cooped up in a small room with blank sheets and blank walls. She was able to leave the hospital. She was able to come to school. She was able to come to school like nothing was wrong. Why was she even there in the first place? She's walking around like she's been doing that all her life. Well isn't that peachy? How lucky for her. One of those that got out. So goddamn lucky. Why? Why her? She doesn't even look like she wants to be here. Why is it her and not Kyosuke? Why-

Sayaka paused. "Hey, ah, I'm gonna go grab a drink real quick," she said to her friends. Hitomi replied with a quick "alright." Madoka gave her a strange look, but nodded her head. The transfer student just stared at her.

She quickly left the room. "Argh, I'm so stupid…" she muttered. "Why am I like this?" She should be happy for the transfer student. She didn't know the specifics of what put her in the hospital, but she was out. If her health issues were bad enough to be sent there… that must have been hell. But still, inside she couldn't help but wonder why things worked out for her but not for Kyosuke. And that thought made her curse herself. Life was unfair, but that's just how it went. She shouldn't bemoan another's fortune just because things in her life weren't going the way she wanted.

Sayaka huffed. "What's the point of all this medicine and therapy if it can't even get him back to normal?" She wondered. If she was gonna get mad, might as well be at the people who were supposed to help him. He was really mad yesterday, more than she's ever seen him before. She just wanted to be there for him, let him know she would always be… but he told her to leave.

She didn't have the heart to fight him on it.

"He said he doesn't even want to listen to music anymore…" She let out a sigh as the vending machine dropped her tea. "What I wouldn't give for him to get better." Her eyes wandered to the window and she swore she saw a white rabbit staring at her from outside. But she blinked and it was gone. "Ugh, this must be really getting to me if I'm starting to see things."

"You're not seeing things." Sayaka didn't know how long the other person was there, but she turned to see a blonde student standing relatively close to her. "Sayaka Miki?" She asked regarding her with a slight smile.

"Uh… yeah?"

"I apologize for calling out to you so suddenly, Miki-san. My name is Mami Tomoe, an upperclassman of yours. If it isn't too much trouble, may I have a moment of your time?"

Crap. Was she part of the disciplinary committee or something? She wasn't acting up too much was she? And it wasn't like her grades were that bad!

"It has nothing to do with your schoolwork," Mami said.

"Oh… then-"

"Rather, it has to do with the animal you just saw."

"Animal? What…?" She turned back to the window. "The white… rabbit I think? Did it belong to a student?"

Mami gave a light giggle. "No, Kyubey doesn't 'belong' to anyone."

"I'm actually quite interested in you, Sayaka Miki."

Sayaka looked around, but there wasn't anyone around who that childlike voice belonged to. She turned back to Mami and the creature she saw earlier was perched on the upperclassman's shoulder, staring at her with bright pink eyes and a catlike smile. Upon closer inspection, it didn't actually look like a rabbit at all. And it wasn't blinking.

"I want you to make a contract with me and become a magical girl!"

"...Huh?"

When I asked you to tell me if this was based or cringe, I didn't think you all would actually use those terms. I laughed really hard, so thanks. Anyway, here's this again. I'd say "Sorry for wasting your time," but if you're reading this you already got to the end, so you really only have yourself to blame.

What are you still doing here? Go play Elden Ring again or something.