I wake up that morning with a strange feeling of accomplishment. I've made it this far and accomplished so many things.

I saved the life of Asuka Yuuri, whose transformation into a witch should have set the plot into motion, and witnessed the contract of her friend, Anri Airi, with a totally different wish from the manga, though somehow her powers are almost the same. I wonder if that's normal? But perhaps if the feelings behind the wish are the same, the powers would also be similar even if the wish is different.

I've given another new magical girl, Kanami Honoka, the means to survive an encounter with Amano Suzune, and while spying on Akanegasaki Middle School in Hohzuki a couple days ago, I noticed that Amano Suzune still has not transferred in. So that means saving Haruka, Chisato, and Arisa should be doable in theory.

I've made friends with two girls in Kamihama. Although I haven't done much in Kamihama, Riko and Karin are in my contacts and we've exchanged a number of emails, so I'm sure I'll be able to count on them once I get to that point.

Though the Sleepwalking Spectre has been a pain in the neck, at least she hasn't killed any magical girls, yet. I've also had brief and thankfully not hostile encounters with the five-girl team in Kazamino, as well as Kohaku Koharu in the east. The two magical girls in the north still remain unknown to me, however.

The Pleiades Saints have finally created their latest clone of Kazumi without any difficulties. From what I can tell, they should be ready to animate the clone within a few days. My only failure so far is in preventing Hijiri Kanna's wish, but considering everything else, that's not too terrible of a failure, right?

It is now Wednesday the sixteenth of March. Today is the day it all begins. From now on, I should have the ability to redo things if I mess up… although, I'm going to try very hard not to interfere on the first loop. After all, if my interference causes Akemi Homura to not make her wish in the first place, all my plans would go to waste – they depend on her power. I've already interfered a little due to my interactions with Mami… I'm just hoping that doesn't cause any problems. Thankfully, there aren't any deaths in the first time loop until the very end… almost as though Homura's time travel actually made things worse.

I've been practicing my telekinetic powers recently, and I've improved the accuracy and finesse that I can manage. Now I can make a rope or ribbon dance to my command. This too is essential to my plans. Akemi Homura doesn't have the mindset to effectively make use of her power, so in order to achieve my goals, I'll need to hitch a ride whenever she reverses time. Although I could theoretically do that by speaking with her and getting her to take me back willingly, I'm worried about the effect that it would have, so for at least the first jump, I'd prefer for her to be unaware of my presence… or at least, of my identity.

My state of mind must be visible on my face, for the Hayashi sisters comment on it when I go down to breakfast.

"Did something good happen, Ashley-chan?" Hiyori asks. "You seem to be in unusually good spirits today."

"Uhh… nothing in particular," I reply.

"You're almost glowing, it's incredible," Komachi gasps. "D-don't tell me… you've finally become a woman!?"

I blink at her, feeling my face grow hot. "W-what!? It's nothing like that! You know I don't even look at any of the boys anyway!"

"Then what is it?" Komachi says eagerly.

I rack my brain for an excuse, but I can't think of anything. Then I'm saved by the bell… almost literally. My phone, left upstairs on my desk, pings loudly to indicate a notification. From down here, it's so soft that no normal human could've heard it, but with my enhanced magical girl hearing, it's a soft ping in the distance. I activate my clairvoyance to see what it is.

It's from Fumino Sayuki's Twitter account. "Greetings all fans, it's the blade-bearing beauty here! In case you missed it, my latest music video came out last night! Please watch and like!"

"W-well, if you must know," I say. "It's Sayu-Sayu's latest music video."

"Oh?" Komachi says. "Who's she? Some kinda vtube idol?"

I shake my head. "No, she's an actual idol who does concerts… I went to one a few weeks ago and was hooked."

"So what was it like?" Hiyori asks eagerly.

"U-um… it's difficult to put it into words," I say. "Why don't we just watch it together if you want to know what it's like?"

"But you've already watched it, right?" Komachi says.

"What!? Are you suggesting I'd only watch each of her videos just once!?" I exclaim.

Komachi blinks at me.

"O-okay, okay, I get it, Ashley-chan," she says. "Calm down… we'll watch it with you. Do we have time before school?"

I check the time and nod. "Yeah, I think so."

So after breakfast the three of us run upstairs to watch it on my computer. Although it's the same signature song she's always sung, the orchestration and choreography is fresh, which brings out her charm even more than the other videos she's posted.

"Well… I still don't quite get it," Komachi says once it's over. "Wasn't she a little off-key?"

"That's part of her charm," I say fervently. "Her singing skills are just average and she's a little clumsy, but she makes up for it with pure passion!"

The two of them blink at me.

"O-okay, so I get it, you're a die-hard fan already," Komachi says. "Well… I guess that explains why you were glowing… come on though, let's get to school."

I let out a sigh. It seems like they don't really understand Sayu-Sayu… that's too bad. It would've been cool if we could watch more of her videos together or maybe even go to a live concert together.

After school, I split up with Komachi, but instead of heading to the hospital district to hunt witches, I go to a nearby park and sit down on one of the benches to activate my clairvoyance. It's time to figure out what's happening! This will be my daily routine for the next month and a half, though most days will probably be rather uneventful.

March seventeenth. Kaname Madoka exits the school gate, chatting with her friends. She currently wears her hair in a short ponytail, instead of the signature twin bunches of the anime.

"Well, I have to get to my music lesson," Shizuki Hitomi says. "See you later!"

"What're you gonna do, Madoka?" Miki Sayaka asks.

"Well, Mom asked me to get a few groceries on the way home, so I've got to stop by the shopping mall."

"Oh, perfect! I was gonna see if I can find any more rare CDs, so I'll come with you part of the way!"

So the two of them head to the shopping mall, but then they go their separate ways. Madoka stops by a grocer for some leeks and potatoes, among other things. But then, as she makes her way to the music store to reunite with Sayaka, she takes a wrong turn and stumbles into a witch's barrier. Based on the butterfly thematics, it must be Gertrud, the same as the first witch that appeared in the anime. That seems a little strange though… why would they encounter Gertrud now? She should only appear after Homura transfers in, right? Am I missing some crucial detail about the timelines?

"Eh!? W-what's going on?" Madoka gasps, noticing the strange surroundings. "Where is this place? H-how did I get here?"

"This is a witch's labyrinth," Kyuubey says, conveniently appearing as usual.

Madoka blinks at it. "Huh? A talking rabbit?"

"I am not a rabbit," Kyuubey replies. "My name is Kyuubey."

Some of the familiars start to take notice of her and move towards her, showing their teeth menacingly. Madoka takes a step back in fear.

"Witches are disasters that consume humans and their emotions," Kyuubey continues. "Once you have wandered into a witch's labyrinth, there is no hope for you. Only a magical girl can defeat a witch."

"Then… then… can I become a magical girl?" Madoka asks.

"You have the potential within you," Kyuubey says. "Make a contract with me and become a magical girl. I can grant you any one wish that you desire."

Madoka blinks. "Uhh… a wish? Um, I'm not sure…"

"Make a wish, or be killed by these familiars," Kyuubey says. "At the present time, those are your only choices."

"Then… then…"

Suddenly, the sound of gunfire rings out, and the familiars approaching Madoka explode into clouds of confetti. Tomoe Mami lands next to Madoka.

"Are you alright?" she asks.

"Eh? Eh?" Madoka looks at her in confusion. "Are you…?"

"That's right," Mami says with a smile. "I am a magical girl who fights witches. Please, give me a moment. We can talk after I deal with these familiars."

I'm jerked out of my vision by a telepathic plea.

«Anyone! If you can hear me, please help us!»

It's Komachi's voice. The quartet must be in trouble again. That takes priority over watching the details of Madoka's first encounter! It actually looks like it'll play out very similarly to the first episode of the anime, with the exception of Sayaka's and Homura's absences… which admittedly is quite a big difference. I respond quickly.

«Where are you?»

«Behind the public pool we always pass on the way to Mitakihara Middle School!» Komachi says. «Please, come quick! Claire is… she's not moving… and Hiyori too… Elise and I are almost out of magic, and we have no grief seeds left!»

If they're not moving… fearing the worst, I leap to my feet and take off in the indicated direction at a run. It's uncomfortably far from this park, but I should be able to make it there in record time thanks to my enhanced magical girl body.

«I'll be there as fast as I can! Try to conserve magic if at all possible! Find a place to hide if you can!»

«We're trying, but… this witch seems to read our minds or something!» Komachi asks. «No matter where we hide…»

The voice trails off. Probably she has better things to do than talk to me.

«Then at least, try to fight with just your weapon! That's the best way to conserve your magic power!»

«R-right!»

A couple of minutes later, I reach the public pool and look around wildly for the witch, as if it were something I'd be able to see with my eyes. I sense its presence a moment later, and race around the back of the building. There it is – the portal. It seems different from any other I've seen. It's not something that I can describe in words, and I'm not referring to the appearance, which resembles a field of clovers seen very close up. It's just a feeling.

I enter the barrier and look around. I find myself in a theatre, standing on stage. There's a painted backdrop of a river, and in the seats I see cardboard cutouts of nearly every magical girl I know, including even some I haven't met yet in this world, such as Tamaki Iroha. Then a swarm of familiars in the form of huge, pure white butterflies fly down from the ceiling, each about the size of a raven.

«I'm in the labyrinth now, are you still okay? How do I get to the witch's chamber?»

«I… I'm okay,» Komachi replies. «But Elise is out of magic. The door is… at the back of the audience.»

"Oh, what an interesting find, Ashley Taylor," Kyuubey says, appearing next to me. "This is a witch that I do not recognize."

I glance at it in surprise as I cut down the swarm of butterflies with my sword.

"But you said you monitor all magical girls and know when they turn into a witch," I protest. "So how is it that you wouldn't know about this one?"

"I can think of two possibilities," Kyuubey says. "Either it is a composite witch like Walpurgisnacht… or, it evaded my monitoring. But this is very unusual. Its magic has a strange composition. I have never seen a witch or a magical girl like this before…"

I hop into the audience, but a fresh swarm of butterflies appears, impeding my progress.

"Huh? How… how is that possible!?"

"Perhaps this magical girl made their contract by some other means," Kyuubey suggests. "If the incubators were not involved in the process, then it makes sense that I would not know."

"So… something like Isabeau of Bavaria?" I suggest.

"How do you know that name?" Kyuubey asks. "Did you hear about her from Pernelle? Yes, that is one possibility. However, other than Isabeau, there has never been a magical girl who could create contracts herself, so it is more likely that there is a being independent of the incubators that can create contracts."

More butterfly familiars are swarming me, so I keep fending them off. They seem surprisingly weak, actually? Is it the anti-fiction power of the sword or something?

"Just… just how likely is that?" I wonder.

"If one civilization could create the incubators, it stands to reason that another civilization could discover the same mechanism and create their own system," Kyuubey replies. "I have no knowledge related to this subject, however. My task is merely to create contracts and observe."

I fight my way up through the rising audience seat and finally reach the back row. And sure enough, there's a door inconspicuously placed there. I cut down all the remaining butterflies in my way and step up to the door.

The witch runes on this door indicate that the witch is called Itzli. Oh. That totally fits with what Kyuubey has been telling me. Like Quitterie, Itzli was one of the bonus witches from the PSP game, and her in-game description described her as a magical girl from the other side of the galaxy or something like that. But what does that even mean? I suppose it's not important right now but I really want to know! Could there really be another civilization out there that created their own take on the incubators?

Before bashing the door down, I summon Teddy Mk II and charge up my ultimate attack. Only then do I break through and charge into the room. The witch is right there, a gigantic brain floating within a diaphanous cloud-shaped bubble, with pink roots extending down to the floor. It almost looks like a tree… I unleash my glitter beam on her as soon as I spot her.

"Ultimate Teddy Glittering Gunk!"

Komachi stands a little to the right of the entrance. She's the only one still standing, fending off what looks like the Sleepwalking Spectre with her naginata. Claire lies a little off to the side, unmoving, while Elise is kneeling on the ground, groaning; and Hiyori seems to be unconscious, but she twitches a little as Komachi fights, so she's probably still alive.

"A-ashley-chan!" Komachi gasps. "Thank goodness you came! Any longer and we'd be done for!"

I cut down the Sleepwalking Spectre in a single slash, but she evaporates into shreds of light. I guess it wasn't actually the Sleepwalking Spectre, just a familiar. Then I pull out a grief seed and press it to Komachi's corrupted soul gem, drawing out all the impurities. I let her keep the seed; she'll need it for her friends, after all.

"You can heal, right?" I ask. "Your magic is restored now, so heal! I'll keep the witch occupied!"

"R-right!" Komachi nods.

I turn my attention back to Itzli, who thanks to my charm power appears to be retreating to a hole in the ground. This gives me a good opportunity to just look around. We're in what appears to be a dark room, which could pass as the backstage area of a theatre or maybe a cinema. Piles of old-style film reels litter the floor, unwound and all tangled up. Beyond that, the room ends with a massive rift, which Itzli is now retreating into.

"Oh no you don't!" I shout. "Get back here!"

I seize some of those film reels with my power and fling them at her, guiding them precisely to strike her right in the centre of the brain casing. Then I whip the films around her roots and stretch them out, anchoring them on some heavy objects near the edge of the room – a film projector, a heavy wooden table, a chest of drawers. The gambit is successful. Itzli is still trying to retreat, but she's now unable to move. The charm hasn't worn off yet, either. Has it grown stronger? Or maybe it just happens to be a weakness of this witch? If Itzli's element is light, I suppose it could make sense.

"A-ashley-chan! Claire… my healing… it's not working!"

I turn my back on the witch, hurrying over to Komachi and Claire. My heart sinks as I realize the problem. Her soul gem has been shattered and is lying in pieces around her body. I lay a hand on Komachi's shoulder and sigh.

"I'm sorry, Komachi-san," I say. "She's beyond saving… the only thing that could save her now is the wish of a new magical girl."

"N-no… it can't be true… Claire can't be…"

"I already tried to tell her that, but she refuses to listen," Kyuubey says. "Why are humans so irrational? It is a waste of magic."

"Shut up, you white devil," I snap.

Kneeling next to Komachi, I sling an arm around her.

"Claire gave her life so that you could survive. She wanted you to survive."

"But without Claire…" Komachi begins.

"You can't just give up now! If you give up, you'll die, and her sacrifice would be in vain!"

Komachi falls silent for a few seconds, then finally lets out a sigh.

"R-right…" Komachi nods. "You're right. I've got to keep moving. I've already healed Hiyori and Elise and purified their soul gems, and you're here now, Ashley-chan, so I'm sure we can beat this witch."

I help her to her feet, and we rejoin the others. Elise is sitting there, seemingly lost in thought, while Hiyori still seems to be unconscious. Although Hiyori's soul gem is bright and clean, Elise's already has quite a bit of corruption in it, maybe around five percent or so – even more than Komachi, who'd been healing everyone. Whatever she's thinking about can't be good for her emotional state…

"You're sure you healed Hiyori-chan?" I ask.

Komachi nods. "Yes, I can sort of feel when the magic works. It's like something kinda sucks my power away."

"I guess we just have to wait for her to wake up, then," I say. "Elise… how are you doing?"

"Me?" Elise says, startled out of her reverie. "I guess… I'm ready for a second round. What… what about Claire?"

Maybe it would be best if she doesn't know about Claire's death until after we defeat the witch…

"It'll be just the three of us in this battle," I say.

Elise blinks. "D-don't tell me…"

"Right now, the important thing is defeating this witch! We can worry about Claire and Hiyori when the witch is dead!"

"A-alright," Elise says with a nod.

At that exact moment, something new appears in the corner of my eye, and I spin to look at it, then gasp.

The Witch of the Stage, Walpurgisnacht, has suddenly appeared before us. Hanging upside down from a floating gear, she resembles a gangly woman in a long, flowing ballgown, though instead of legs there's only an axle connecting to the gear. On her head you can see those conical ornaments that sometimes appear in period pieces to tie hair up… I'm not sure what they're called however, and I don't think these ones are actually confining hair. The top half of her head is missing entirely, leaving only a mouth. She opens said mouth and cackles ominously.

For a second, I almost succumb to despair. But then I realize the scale is all wrong. Walpurgisnacht is supposed to be huge, at least thirty feet tall, but this one is no more than ten feet. It can't be the real Walpurgisnacht. It's just a familiar summoned by Itzli, likely drawing from my own memories. After all, I'm the only one here who would have any idea what Walpurgisnacht looks like, right? Well… Kyuubey might know, I suppose, but I doubt the witch can read the mind of an incubator.

"Elise-chan! Get summoning!" I shout. "Komachi-chan, do you have any powers besides healing?"

Elise raises her jester staff and expels the lights that become her warriors in battle. She manages to summon about twelve of them before collapsing on one knee again.

"Um… there's just one other thing, besides my naginata," Komachi admits. "I don't like using it, cause it feels kinda gross…"

"Now's not the time to worry about things like that!" I snap. "Now's the time to pull out all the stops! Whatever it is, try to target the real witch rather than this familiar!"

"R-right! Okay, I'll try it!"

"And also…"

I reach out her hand, and she blinks for a moment before realizing what I mean. We slap hands and connect, some of my power transferring to her. I then turn to face the mini-Walpurgis, brandishing my sword and leaping into the air. It falls in just three strikes, and I feel a sense of relief. Of course it couldn't be the real thing, not here, not now. It's just a weaker figment created by Itzli.

Komachi leaps over my head and stabs the witch with her naginata, and of course my charm takes effect. Instead of struggling to attack us, I can tell that she's now struggling to retreat into her hole again. But my bindings are still holding, although it looks like they're starting to fray. Then I realize that Komachi is still suspended in the air, her naginata still embedded in the witch's brain case, outlined in an eerie bluish glow that reminds me of Cherenkov radiation from a nuclear reactor. Of course, I've never seen the real thing, but I've seen it in movies and stuff. It almost seems like something is moving out of the witch and into Komachi, as the glow slowly expands to surround her entire body.

"Aaaargh!" Komachi shrieks. "This feels so slimy and gross…"

But the witch stops moving entirely. It's not even struggling to escape the bindings anymore.

"Komachi-chan, that's good enough! The witch isn't moving anymore!"

On hearing my call, Komachi kicks off the witch and falls to the ground, wincing a little. The glow still surrounds her body, though I get the impression that it's very slowly fading away.

"What the heck was that?" I ask.

"Some sort of… energy drain, I think?" Komachi says. "It's kinda like the opposite of my healing. Instead of pushing energy into someone to heal them, I pull it out of them to weaken them. But ugh, a witch's energy is so disgusting… that's why I usually don't like using this ability."

"That's actually an amazing ability," I say. "You should try to find ways to get around the downsides. Maybe you could channel that energy into the ground or something instead of your body? I dunno."

"W-well anyway, the witch is weakened," Komachi says. "So what do we do now?"

"We join Elise's monsters and bring her down!"

The monsters in question have started hacking at Itzli's roots while Komachi and I were focused on other matters. Their attacks are actually quite effective, though I doubt they'll be sufficient to defeat the witch. No… to defeat her, we probably need to take out the brain. Still… before Komachi stopped the witch with my charm, I glimpsed those roots being used as weapons, so having the monsters to keep them distracted is helpful.

"They're handling the roots, so I think we should target the brain," I add.

"A-alright… let's go!" Komachi says.

I summon Teddy Mk II to serve as a platform and hop onto his head, grabbing Komachi's hand to pull her up as well, and he carries us up into the air until we're level with the centre of the witch's brain case. Then we raise our weapons and jump off the teddy platform, slashing at the brain casing. Teddy Mk II zooms back and forth to provide a foothold whenever we need it, and over time, we carve a huge gash into its side.

It's probably a minute or two later when we finally break through the thick rubbery skin of the brain casing, allowing a viscous fluid to seep through. With a few more slashes, I widen the gap enough for us to both jump inside and target the brain directly. With no further protection from that rubbery shell, we're able to reduce the brain to shreds within seconds, and then the entire witch suddenly starts to glow.

"Quick! Get back out!" I shout.

Komachi leaps for the opening and exits the brain casing, and I follow her just in time. Elise's monsters are all gone, most likely defeated, and those roots have now caught fire. Just as I exit the brain casing, Itzli shoots up into the air like a rocket before bursting into an elaborate display of fireworks.

Komachi and I head over to check on the others. Hiyori is still out cold, and Elise is cradling Claire's body.

"No… I can't believe it… Claire, you can't be dead!" she wails. "Please wake up!"

Oh crap. I was so focused on fighting Itzli that I forgot to pay attention to Elise. It looks like her soul gem is almost at its limit… she didn't seem to use that much magic in the battle just now, so it must be caused by her feelings for Claire.

"Elise! Calm down and use this grief seed!" I shout.

The labyrinth is already collapsing around us as I pull out another grief seed and throw it at her. Elise doesn't catch it, however, and it rolls a little past her as she looks blankly at me.

"Huh? What for?" she asks flatly. "What's the point of living if I can't be with Claire?"

She doesn't seem to be in a rational state of mind. This is probably what it means to give into despair as a magical girl. Even just having a high level of corruption in your soul gem can affect rational thinking, but as long as you have hope, you can struggle through it. This is proven by Umika and Kaoru's survival in the Kazumi Magica manga. However, if you've also lost hope, then it becomes a spiralling feedback loop.

"No… don't think that way!" I shout. "Don't give into despair! You need to keep on living, for Claire's sake!"

"I… for Claire…"

For a moment, I think I've gotten through to her, but then Komachi joins me with the worst possible timing.

"I've got the witch's grief seeds! There were two of them, aren't we lucky?"

Elise's face darkens. "Lucky, you say… how can you possibly call this lucky!?"

"Huh? E-Elise?" She gasps. "Y-your grief seed! It's completely…"

She rushes forward to press one of Itzli's grief seeds against Elise's soul gem, but it's too late. As she and I look on in horror, Elise's soul gem cracks open, the shards crumbling into dust as its structure warps into a grief seed. I only glimpse the grief seed for a mere moment before it fully hatches, the witch of Elise growing out of it. The transformation emits a bright flash of light unbefitting of the birth of an avatar of corruption.

Dammit! I should have paid more attention to her! I should've purified her gem myself instead of tossing her a grief seed! I'm such an idiot!

But it's too late to beat myself up about it now. If I want to live, I have no choice but to destroy Elise's witch.

Note: I also made a minor edit to Nagisa's scene in chapter 17, because one of the lines of narration came off a little… stronger? different? …than I intended. Basically just some additional narration to contextualize it.