April sixth. After reading Michiru's diary and making strawberry risotto with Mr Tachibana, Kazumi messages Yuuri and Remi, then heads out to wander around town. After fighting and defeating a couple of witches and obtaining two grief seeds, she runs into someone unexpected – a young girl dressed overly light for the cool weather, with her hair in a ponytail, and a ring and fingernail mark on the middle finger of both hands.
"You!?" the girl gasps.
Kazumi steps back and blinks at her.
"Huh? It's the two girls in one body… Miss Souju?"
"The hell're you doing here?" the girl shouts. "You're the reason I'm in this hellhole now!"
"W-what? Is… is it really that bad?"
"Getting poked and prodded all day long!" she complains. "Ayase's fed up with it, and I can't say I like it either!"
"S-so I'm talking to Luca-chan…?" Kazumi ventures.
"And who said you could call me with -chan?" Luca shouts.
"But if it's really so bad, Miss Luca… why haven't you run away?" Kazumi asks.
The question startles Luca, who steps back and fidgets a little.
"W-well, the truth is, I miss being able to hold Ayase," Luca admits. "That woman promised to grow us an extra body…"
"Are you going to return the gems you stole from other girls?" Kazumi asks.
"Why should we?" Luca retorts. "We beat those girls fair and square."
"But soul gems aren't just objects," Kazumi says. "They're people…"
"We already know that, idiot," Luca says.
"B-but it's not right to hold people captive like that!" Kazumi says.
"Why should we care what other people call right and wrong?" Luca asks. "We've always done as we pleased ever since becoming magical girls, and we don't intend to stop just because you beg us."
"Say… what did the two of you wish for?" Kazumi asks.
Luca stares at her. "You seriously expect me to tell someone like you!?" she shouts.
"W-well… if you don't want to…"
The girl's face abruptly softens a little.
"But Luca, it's not like it's a secret, is it?" she says.
"Eh? Is this Ayase-chan now?" Kazumi asks.
Ayase glares at me. "I don't want you calling me by -chan either," she says.
"S-sorry, Miss Ayase…"
"My wish is nothing spectacular," Ayase says bitterly. "Life is such a shitty game, don't you think? Some people are born lucky and can do anything they want, and others are born with nothing and can barely move forward at all. I was sick of being one of the losers. I was tired of being the one that everyone in class picked on for no reason, just because my clothes were old and ratty. I was fed up with the whispers that followed my sister and me everywhere we went. I'd had enough of Mom and Dad's unreasonable expectations. I had to get out of that town, so I wished for my freedom." Suddenly she giggles. "My wish destroyed the apartment complex we lived in. Burned to the ground. Thirty-two dead, including Mom and Dad… good riddance to them."
"Oh my… that's awful," Kazumi says. "Is… is that when one of you lost her body? How long ago was that?"
Ayase nods wordlessly, and then her expression abruptly shifts as Luca takes over.
"Eh, if you're gonna go that far, Ayase, I might as well say mine too," Luca grumbles. "We would've died in that fire, but I wished for the power to save us. That was… about six months ago, I think?"
The girl nods, as if confirming her own statement, but perhaps that nod was actually from Ayase.
"You don't seem like such bad people," Kazumi says. "Why can't you try to get along with others?"
"Tell that to our former classmates!" Luca retorts. "No, we've got each other, and that's plenty. Someday we'll turn into witches, but I don't care, because then we can get even with all the people who treated us like garbage. How I'd like to just swallow up everyone in that class, especially the teacher…"
Kazumi sighs. "It's really not good to be like that," she says. "You're just going to make more and more enemies…"
"Like I care!" Luca says. "Nobody else matters except for Ayase! I couldn't care less if Miss Hijiri succeeds in her plan, as long as we get to be together."
Kazumi blinks. "Huh? You know what her plan is?"
The girl's face abruptly shifts again.
"No, no, we know nothing!" she says. "Luca just meant that whatever Miss Hijiri does has nothing to do with us. It doesn't matter what her plan is, as long as it doesn't get between us. Buuuuut that's enough chatter. Farewell."
And with that, the girl runs off, leaving Kazumi standing there for a good long while, just staring after them.
"Permit me some speculation," a voice says behind her. "Ye encountered the Souju twins, and ye are nothing but confused by their outlook."
Kazumi glances back.
"Pernelle… yeah, I suppose you could say that," she says. "Why can't they just be nice?"
"I suppose no-one has ever been nice to them," Pernelle says. "Mayhaps they truly know not what kindness is. They may misjudge your kindness as a mask, hiding your true intentions. It is but a form of trauma…" She shrugs. "I am no therapist, so perhaps I miss the mark somewhat. And yet, I think it matters not. Should they not just do as they please?"
"Not you too…"
"I fail to see the complexity in this matter," Pernelle says. "When in doubt, ye should always put yourself first. It is not your duty to help others, especially those ye have never met. Your role in this life is to live it to the fullest, not to fulfill the desires of others. If by chance your desires align with those of another person, or if you desire to fulfill a friend's desire, then that is another matter… but why should ye act against your own desire to fulfill that of a stranger ye have never met? There is no logic to such a crazy act. Selflessness is but a disease of the mind."
"So I'm crazy?" Kazumi asks, incredulously. "Ashley-chan and Yuuri-chan are crazy? You're telling me I should only care about myself and my friends… that I should be as selfish as possible?"
"Indeed, from my perspective, seeing the lengths the three of ye would go to help everyone, I judge ye crazy," Pernelle says. "The worst of ye three is most probably Miss Yuuri… Ashley has a pragmatic streak to her so, all things considered, she is not so far gone."
"I can't agree with you," Kazumi says. "You're suggesting that it's wrong to help others, but I just can't agree. Selflessness isn't a disease… it's right and good to help others. I guess… maybe it's okay to be a little selfish sometimes, but only a little."
"No matter," Pernelle says. "As I said, ye can do as you please. If ye want to help others, even strangers, then help them. If ye prefer to slay people, then I shall not get in your way. I may disagree with such an action and judge you crazy in both cases, but I shall honour the choice ye made. And it is therefore that I allow the Souju twins to run loose. They have something I want, but I also have something they want. They will return even if I hunt not for them."
"Then why are you searching for them?" I ask.
"Now that ye mention it, I suppose there is no reason," Pernelle says. "Even I heed not my own counsel at times…"
"Um, Pernelle… do you think the Pleiades Saints could actually resurrect Michiru-chan?"
"Presently, I rate the chance of success so low as to be negligible, but if ye permit me to examine you for an hour or two, I could perchance offer a better answer," Pernelle says. "I am aware of but a basic outline of their strategy."
"So… in general, would you say resurrecting a girl who turned into a witch is possible?" Kazumi asks.
"To my knowledge, it has never been attempted until now," Pernelle says. "But just extemporaneously, the concept suffers from at least two major problems."
Kazumi nods. "Okay… what are the problems, then?"
"The first is that granting consciousness to a grief seed cannot reproduce the original person's personality. Instead ye would see a caricature of their personality. For example, the magical girl Isabeau of Bavaria was a cunning schemer who despised her husband and his country, yet she was also kind to the people she cared about. However, as a conscious witch, she became a universally cruel and sadistic being."
"Wait, so it's happened before?" Kazumi asks.
"Indeed, though it is very rare," Pernelle says. "Isabeau's case stemmed from the wish of another girl… but it was a wish of poor phrasing, granted by an inferior contractor to a girl with low potential, and Isabeau herself was one of the most powerful magical girls to ever live. There are any number of reasons why Lapine's wish may have been granted improperly."
"I see," Kazumi says. "And what about the second problem?"
"The second major problem is that the evolution from soul gem to grief seed is destructive. At most the grief seed will retain a few fragments of the person's memories."
"I think the Pleiades Saints solved the second problem with Umika-chan's analysis magic," Kazumi muses. "I think she has all of Michiru-chan's memories stored somewhere?"
"Well, I never stated the problems are insoluble, only that they exist," Pernelle says. "However, whereas I can speculate some solutions to the second problem, including that which ye just mentioned, my imagination fails me on the topic of the first problem – the grief seed's tendency to amplify personality traits seen as negative."
"But that doesn't mean there is no solution, right?"
"Correct. It means only that I know nothing of a solution. Certainly ye seem to suffer not from that issue, but my understanding is that ye utilize the grief seed solely as a power source, which dodges the issue entirely. So, will ye accompany me for an examination?"
"Hmm… maybe another time," Kazumi says. "I promised to meet people."
"Very well," Pernelle says. "Then mayhaps I will see you another time."
And with that, she vanishes.
Kazumi continues on her way, eventually arriving at Angelica Bears where she finds Yuuri, Airi, Remi, Moe, and Fumiko all waiting for her.
"It's not locked," Yuuri says once the greetings are over. "They might be inside already."
Kazumi nods. "Let's go."
The six of them head inside the museum and activate the magic teleportation circle at the far end, transferring them to the presumably underground facility. There's no direct sign of the Pleiades Saints, but the door to the Freezer is open, as well as another door off to the side. They step off the teleportation circle but don't venture through either of the doors.
"Everyone, come out!" Kazumi shouts. "I've gotta talk to everyone!"
She takes out her soul gem and holds it above her head, generating a witch's barrier that expands the hall into a vaulted cavern.
"Eh? Isn't this a witch's barrier?" Fumiko gasps.
"Sort of," Kazumi says. "But I'm the one controlling it."
"Y-you can control a witch's barrier?"
"Why not?" Kazumi shrugs. "I'm part witch after all." Raising her voice again, she shouts. "I'm done with running away! Let's settle this, here and now!"
Saki and Mirai emerge from the Freezer chamber, while Umika, Kaoru, and Nico emerge from the other open door, accompanied by Juubey.
"How do you like my barrier?" Kazumi says. "I figured I could make one, since I'm part witch. Looks like I was right."
"Kazumi…" Saki says. "Why are you with them…?"
"Don't speak unless you're spoken to," Kazumi snaps. "I've had enough of your white lies. By the way… how's Satomi-chan?"
"She's coming along nicely," Nico says. "It takes time to grow the body, though, so it'll be a few more weeks before she wakes up."
"Eh? Did she die?" Yuuri asks.
"The same day all of you liberated the Freezer," Kazumi says. "I was the one who finished off her witch…"
"Oh… oh my," Yuuri gasps.
"Wait, how did you know about that?" Mirai asks accusingly. "Don't tell me–"
"Stop, Mirai," Saki interrupts. "Let Kazumi do the talking."
"…I'm sorry, Saki…" Mirai mutters.
Kazumi holds up Michiru's diary, eliciting a gasp from Saki.
"I read Kazusa Michiru's diary," she says. "The memories you gave me and the memories she recorded here have come together, and I get how important she was to all of you, and why you wanted to resurrect her. But there's one thing I just don't get. Why didn't you give me Michiru-chan's memories?"
"Because Kazusa Michiru refused," Saki replies. "The first few attempts had all of Michiru's memories, but they lost themselves in the heat of battle. Some of them even ended up killing humans."
"We also tried removing only specific memories, like the fact that magical girls become witches, and the moment she died," Umika says. "But it didn't make much of a difference, so we took it as a sign of Michiru's will and gave up on implanting her memories. Then I created a magical girl with a different personality…"
"But I'm not Michiru-chan," Kazumi says. "You made a different person with the same face."
Kaoru nods emphatically.
"We just wanted to reject Michiru's death!" Saki says.
"Then… if I were just Kazumi," Kazumi says. "If I wasn't Michiru's clone… would we still have become friends?"
"Of course!" Kaoru says. "We made friends with you when you were brand new and had no memories! We were always friends, and always will be!"
Saki looks conflicted, but by the end of Kaoru's little speech, she too is nodding. Umika and Nico also look like they agree.
"Thanks for that," Kazumi says. "I really mean it… I've enjoyed my time with you." She sighs. "After reading Michiru-chan's diary, I realized how sad all of this is," she says. "The Pleiades Saints have fallen so, so far ever since she died. You're no longer allies of justice."
"Who could possibly be an ally of justice after witnessing that?" Saki says bitterly.
"I've thought a lot about it," Yuuri says. "And I've chatted about it with Airi-chan too. Honestly, I was surprised when Ashley-chan casually let it slip without realizing… we got the details from Kyuubey later, and while his motives are certainly unforgivable, I don't think it changes anything about being a magical girl."
Airi nods. "After much debate, we concluded that witchification is just a form of death," she says.
"The witch is little more than an undead zombie, shambling along with no memories of her former life," Yuuri says. "I'm fortunate in that I've never witnessed it in person, but I don't think it would change anything if I did."
The Pleiades Saints blink at the two of them.
"Y-you're surprisingly strong," Umika says. "I don't think I can think the way you do… we were thinking of ourselves as being like zombies…"
"All you wanted to do was bring back Michiru-chan from beyond the brink of despair," Kazumi says. "And now you've lost Satomi-chan too… but you're not planning on giving up, are you?"
"Of course not," Nico says with a smile. "We're already growing another version of… of Michiru. And as I mentioned a few minutes ago, we're planning to try the same on Satomi."
Kazumi nods slowly. "You say the words, but I can't believe in your smiles," she says. "Your smiles are fakes to cover up the ugly truth inside, aren't they?"
"K-kazumi…!" Saki gasps.
"You need to start smiling from your hearts again," Kazumi says.
"B-b-but!"
Saki suddenly bursts into tears, and after a moment, Mirai joins her. The other three are less dramatic about it, but at least a few tears can be seen flowing down their faces.
"It's okay," Kazumi says. "You can cry all you want. Who could blame you? You lost a dear, dear friend last year, didn't you? All this time, you've just been on autopilot, right? You've barely even had time to properly mourn Michiru-chan."
She steps forward to embrace Saki and Mirai, holding them both close to her chest and stroking their heads.
"Kazumi…" Umika says. "Who… who are you, really? Are you really not Michiru-chan?"
Kazumi smiles at her. "Nope, I'm Kazumi! Just Kazumi! Or… hmm, maybe I should pick a surname from now on… alright, I got it. I'm Subaru Kazumi!"
Umika blinks, then cracks a smile. "It… it's a perfect fit," she says.
"There you go!" Kazumi says. "Smile from your hearts, just like that! Michiru-chan wouldn't want you to be sad. She protected you from the truth for a long time because she didn't want you to be sad. So you need to smile from your hearts, so she can see you're truly happy when she wakes up, not sad and broken. It's your responsibility for rejecting the magical girl system and creating thirteen of me! You'd better take responsibility!"
Saki slips free of Kazumi's embrace and looks up at her, meeting her eyes.
"K-kazumi…" Saki says.
"Promise me you won't give up!" Kazumi says.
She looks defiantly at each of the Pleiades Saints in turn.
"As long as there's even the slightest sliver of hope, you can't give up! Even if you fail twenty times, even if you fail a hundred times, if there's still hope, you need to keep trying! You want to bring Michiru-chan and Satomi-chan back to life, right? The Pleiades Saints won't be complete without them!"
The Pleiades Saints nod, and Umika responds.
"To tell the truth, we were planning for this attempt to be our last, so… I'm not sure if we can promise so quickly…"
"You have to!" Kazumi insists.
"F-fine," Umika says. "As long as we can think of something that we could do differently, we'll keep trying."
Kazumi turns around to rejoin the new friends she arrived with, then turns to face the Pleiades Saints.
"But the truth is… this is the least of your worries," she says. Looking at Nico, she asks, "Are you Nico-chan?"
Nico blinks. "Um… yes?" she says. "Who else would I be?"
"You're not Hijiri Kanna?"
Nico blinks. "H-how do you know about her? Did Ashley Taylor tell you?"
"Yeah, that's right," Kazumi says. "Ashley-chan and Moe-chan told me about her."
"Who's Hijiri Kanna?" Saki asks.
"She's the one who created those evil nuts," Kazumi says. "And she gave them to Moe-chan and the Souju twins."
"Miss Taylor said something similar last time we met," Nico says. "So I had a talk with Kanna, but she denied everything… but Miss Taylor was right about at least one thing. Kanna is a magical girl – I could see her ring clear as day."
"Th-then Miss Hijiri was lying!" Moe speaks up. "She did give me evil nuts! Though I confused her for you at first and almost attacked her…"
"I also spoke to the Souju twins earlier today," Kazumi says. "They said Miss Hijiri has some sort of plan, and it sounded like something sinister, although when I asked further they denied knowing anything."
Nico frowns. "There's not a lot I can do if she's going to lie to me… and the only thing Miss Taylor said is that she got a weird idea about my wish and has been causing trouble…"
"She has a grudge against you for some reason," Moe says. "Against all of you, I think."
"Can you at least prove you're not her?" Kazumi asks.
"Eh?" Saki says. "What do you mean by that?"
"Miss Hijiri looks exactly like Miss Kanna… um, Miss Nico, that is," Moe says. "They're like twins."
"Hmm… I'm assuming you can't read the witch runes, Kazumi?" Nico asks.
Kazumi shakes her head. "Ashley-chan mentioned them to me, but I can't read them."
"Thought not… then how's this?"
Nico transforms, donning her iconic paratrooper outfit.
"Each magical girl's outfit is unique," she says. "Even though Kanna also became a magical girl, she wouldn't look like this when transformed."
"Are you sure that's true?" Kazumi asks. "Isn't my transformation the same as Michiru-chan's?"
"But that is Michiru," Nico says. "You're using her magic, right?"
"Y-you have a point…" Kazumi admits.
"I don't quite understand what you're all talking about," Umika says. "But you want to prove that Nico is Nico, right? Nico, give me your ring for a moment."
Nico powers down and hands over her soul gem ring, which Umika briefly examines with her magic.
"The runes are correct and the magic signature is the same," Umika says. "So I think that's proof enough."
"Okay, I believe you," Kazumi says. "But if Miss Hijiri lied to you, then I'm worried she really is planning something…" She looks at Moe. "Do you have any idea what her plans are, Moe-chan?"
"Umm, no, not really," Moe says. "All I know is, she hates all of you guys, except Kazumi-chan… she wanted to get you to use up your magic and become witches… but from the way she talked, it sounded like that was just the beginning. I don't know what else she might be planning."
"I don't understand," Nico says. "Why would Kanna hate me… no, us so much? We haven't even done anything to her… the others didn't even know she exists until today."
"She didn't say…" Moe says.
"Ashley-chan definitely knows something," Yuuri muses. "She seemed to believe that Miss Hijiri was potentially watching us without our knowledge… which is kinda funny, since Ashley-chan can do the same thing…"
"…oh, maybe that explains the strange sense I've gotten a few times recently," Umika muses. "Like someone just sort of staring at me… I thought it was just my imagination, but it sounds like it could've been Ashley Taylor…"
"Anyway, Ashley-chan also said Miss Hijiri is stealthy and theorized that she may even be able to eavesdrop on telepathy," Yuuri says. "To be honest, I think she was being a little paranoid though…"
"That doesn't help figure out what Miss Hijiri is planning, though," Kazumi sighs.
"Setting that aside," Saki says. "What makes you think we can even trust Ashley Taylor? Did you know she attacked us?"
"Eh!?"
Several girls gasp at that statement, including Kazumi, Nico, and Remi. Yuuri and Airi already knew, of course, as did Mirai.
"W-what do you mean?" Kazumi asks.
"She taunted me over telepathy, and when I came out to speak with her, she knocked me out cold!" Saki says. "And that's when the Freezer was emptied…" She narrows her eyes, looking at Yuuri and Airi. "You two had something to do with that too, didn't you?"
"Don't be absurd," Yuuri retorts. "Are you seriously trying to paint us as the bad guys here? You were the ones holding all those magical girls prisoner for no good reason. I'll admit that Ashley-chan was a bit overly forceful, and I'm not really comfortable with that, but we were only trying to save those poor girls."
"So you admit it," Saki says. "You admit breaking into our base! You admit that Miss Taylor attacked us!"
"Saki, stop!" Kazumi says. "Yuuri-chan's right! I know you meant well, but you had no right to hold them captive!"
Saki blinks at her. "B-but Kazumi…"
"No buts!" Kazumi snaps. "Don't try to make it sound all nice and noble! You know what you were doing was wrong! I could tell!"
"It seems to me that you must've found a way to purify their soul gems," Umika says. "Perhaps you could share that with us?"
"Of course!" Kazumi says. "You just have to…" She trails off. "Huh? What was it again?"
Yuuri blinks. "What? You just have to…" She trails off too. "Wait… that's odd, I can't seem to remember either…"
"Me too," Moe says. "It's like it's in there somewhere but I just can't find it…"
"What's going on with you three?" Remi asks. "You just have to use a grief seed, right? How could you forget something like that?"
Everyone blinks at her.
"R-right, of course," Yuuri says. "A grief seed… that's what it was."
"Of course…" Airi says.
"I somehow couldn't remember either," Fumiko says.
"A… a grief seed?" Umika says. "Right… I knew that too… how could I have forgotten?"
"Yeah… that's weird," Kaoru says. "Since when did we forget that?"
"And why was onee-san the only one who remembered?" Moe asks.
"Umika-chan," Kazumi says. "Please tell me… what's the experiment you're doing? What sort of spell did you cast on the city?"
"Huh? Did I do something like that?" Umika blinks. "I don't remember ever casting such a large-scale spell…"
"Eh? But Pernelle said you…" Kazumi begins, then trails off. "W-was that… not true?"
Before Umika even has a chance to answer, everyone suddenly looks up, alarm crossing their faces.
"W-what was that!?" Yuuri gasps. "It's a witch, but a really strong one… where'd it come from?"
"Let's go!" Saki says. "Everyone, follow me!"
Saki takes off at a run, followed closely by Mirai and Nico. They step into the teleportation circle and vanish, and then Umika and Kaoru hurry forward as well.
"You guys come too!" Kaoru says. "It seems like a really strong one, so we'll need all the help we can get!"
Kazumi and the others also step into the circle, and they're teleported back to the museum just in time to see the other three step outside… only to suddenly transform into witches. More precisely, Nico and Mirai turn into witches immediately, while Saki screams and glances back at everyone else.
"Be… be careful!" Saki shouts. "She's… she's here!"
"Saki, no!" Kazumi shouts.
"It's… too late… for me!" Saki says. "Save… save yourselves!"
"W-what should we do?" Yuuri asks.
"I'll go first," Kazumi says. "I'm not a magical girl, so I think I should be okay even if I get hit by an evil nut. Then, next should be… Umika-chan, Moe-chan, Airi-chan, follow me and put up barriers. Kaoru-chan, Yuuri-chan, Remi-chan, Fumiko-chan… just be careful, and get ready to fight."
The eight of them transform and head forward according to Kazumi's plan, with Juubey trailing behind. Kazumi steps outside and looks up at Hyades Daybreak floating there. However, it's not hanging in the sky above the city – the barrier Kazumi generated is still active, and the super-witch has spawned within that barrier. Outside Angelica Bears, the landscape is that of a windswept ruined city filled with odd angles and ominous lights. As Kazumi watches, the witches of Saki, Nico, and Mirai fly up into the air, where Hyades Daybreak grabs them and eats them, growing a little larger as a result.
Then an evil nut smacks Kazumi in the face, and she undergoes her transformation into a pseudo-witch, the same thing that happened in the previous timeline during the confrontation with Moe. Her hair grows longer, her fingernails elongate into claws, her canines become more pronounced, and a pair of black leathery wings sprout from her back. Throughout the process she shrieks in pain, but as the transformation finishes, she leans on her staff for a moment to recover before raising it to point where the evil nut came from.
"On it," Remi says.
A blur streaks past Kazumi while the others venture out more slowly. Two more evil nuts bounce off Moe's and Umika's barriers, but then the culprit lets out a squeak as Remi catches up to her and kicks her off the building she was perched upon. Hijiri tumbles to the ground, landing on her feet in front of them. Kazumi leans on her staff, apparently hyperventilating as a side-effect of the pseudo-witch transformation… or perhaps she's just struggling to keep herself under control.
"Why are you doing this?" Umika asks.
Hijiri glares at her, flinging a tablet computer at her that shows the news article about Nico's tragic past. She then proceeds to explain her motivations once again, which goes pretty similarly to her rant in the previous timeline, other than references to events that didn't happen this time around. During the conversation, which is mostly between Hijiri and Umika, Kazumi manages to recover from the adverse effects of the evil nut with some help from Kaoru, who calms her down. The wings and claws have not gone away, though.
"Y-you're insane," Remi says.
"I had no idea she had all that planned…" Moe muses. "I'm sorry, onee-chan, Fumiko-chan…"
"Come on, Kazumi-chan, why won't you join me in this new world I'm creating?" Hijiri asks desperately.
"I refuse!" Kazumi shouts. "I don't want to live in a world without my friends! I don't want a world without Kaoru-chan… without Umika-chan!"
"They're not your friends!" Hijiri shouts back. "You're just a substitute to them!"
"That's not true at all!" Kazumi counters. "Kaoru-chan explained it all to me… she doesn't see me as a substitute! I think they all realized it on some level… that I'm not Michiru-chan. I trust them! Why would you just turn them into witches!? They didn't deserve that!"
"Were you even listening a moment ago?" Hijiri retorts. "I literally just explained the whole thing!"
"But that doesn't—"
"Forget it," Hijiri snaps. "If you're not gonna join me, Kazumi-chan, then I'll have to kill you too."
She blurs forward, swinging her whip at Kazumi and the people behind her, but the barriers manage to successfully block her attack, and Kazumi barely manages to dodge somehow. Remi gasps.
"W-was that my magic you just used…?"
Kazumi attempts to smack Hijiri with her staff, but she blurs away. That's when the familiars of Hyades Daybreak start to appear, dark shadowy forms that look like former magical girls, perhaps the girls the witch was built from. They appear in large numbers but ignore Hijiri, focusing on everyone else instead. Umika takes charge of the situation.
"Miss Remi, if she's using your magic to go faster, then you're probably the only one who can stop her!" Umika says. "Please do your best to get in her way!"
"I got it!" Remi says. "I was planning to do that anyway!"
Umika looks around. "Kaoru, I can trust you to hold the line, right?"
Kaoru nods. "Absolutely!"
Umika opens her book and casts her spell to split Kaoru into clones, and then Kaoru immediately starts attacking the first wave of familiars. Then she looks around at the others.
"Okay, everyone else, what are your powers?" she asks. "As quickly as possible. You first."
She points at Fumiko, who blinks.
"U-um, fire and gigantification," she says.
Umika points at Moe next.
"I'm sort of a healer," Moe says. "If your soul gem starts to crack, please tell me at once!"
Then she points at Yuuri.
"Also a healer," Yuuri says. "Plus my long-range attacks."
Airi adds her own summary even before Umika points at her.
"My weapon may be a gun, but I'm very resilient as well," she says. "It takes a lot to seriously hurt me, so I should be on the front line."
Umika nods. "Okay, got it… Miss Moe, if I recall correctly, you're also pretty resilient, right? I remember you healing very quickly."
Moe nods. "Oh yeah, that's true too."
"In that case… Miss Fumiko, since you have a sword, please focus on taking down as many familiars as you can, just like Kaoru is doing. Miss Airi and Miss Moe, please focus on keeping Kaoru and Miss Fumiko safe, but also defeat familiars if you get the opportunity."
"S-sure," Fumiko nods.
"O-okay," Moe says. "But really, if your gem cracks, tell me!"
The three of them step forward to join the battle. Airi summons her bull, directing it to charge into the front wave of familiars and causing about half of them to start targeting her exclusively. That creates an opening for Fumiko to start defeating them without endangering herself.
"Miss Yuuri, I'm sure I don't have to tell you what to do," Umika says.
Yuuri nods. "Yeah, I'll be ready to heal anyone who needs it. And until then…"
She hefts her syringe and begins firing needles into the second and third waves of familiars. Umika turns to the one remaining girl.
"Kazumi… can you fly with those wings?" Umika asks.
"Um… I'm not sure," Kazumi says. "Do you want me to try targeting the witch directly?"
"That's what I was thinking," Umika nods. "If you can fly, that is."
"Okay, I'll try," Kazumi says.
She jumps into the air and tries to flap her wings, but it doesn't seem to have much of an effect. She just lands right back where she started.
"I guess that's a no," Kazumi says.
"In that case… you can provide ranged support like Miss Yuuri," Umika says. "You should have a lower-power attack than Limiti Esterni, right?"
"Of course…"
Kazumi raises her staff and starts blasting the second and third waves of familiars with energy beams. Although the familiars are quite tough, with everyone attacking, they manage to defeat four or five waves of them. After that, the familiars stop coming, giving them a moment of respite. Umika orders Juubey to purify everyone, but he fails and self-destructs as he had in the previous timeline.
"W-why couldn't he purify us?" Umika wonders.
Kazumi pulls out a grief seed and offers it to her. The others are already using grief seeds to purify their own soul gems.
"Oh, right," Umika says. "We can use those…"
She uses it on herself, then passes it back to Kazumi, who hands it to Kaoru to finish it off.
"This doesn't bode well though," Umika muses. "If the familiars are that tough… the witch is probably even tougher… we don't have enough grief seeds."
Hijiri finally manages to land a blow on Remi, sending her crashing into a wall, where she falls motionless. Hijiri pauses to catch her breath, while Moe gasps and runs over to check on her sister.
"Onee-chan! Are you okay!?"
"I'm… fine," Remi gasps. "I can… still fight…"
Moe purifies her soul gem and helps her up.
"Um… why does the grief seed look weird?" Kazumi asks.
The seed in Kaoru's hands seems to be emitting grief now.
"Oh no!" Kaoru says. "A witch is about to hatch from this grief seed!"
"W-what should we–" Umika begins.
But then she remembers.
"Right! He can eat it!"
"Dammit, we couldn't escape the fairies after all!" Kaoru groans.
"Not fairies," Umika corrects her. "Come out, incubator!" she shouts.
Kyuubey appears from the shadows within the building that stands where Angelica Bears should be.
"Long time no see, Pleiades," the incubator says.
Kaoru tosses the grief seed at the compartment on its back, which pops open specifically for that purpose. The following exchange between Kyuubey and the others is pretty much the same as it was in the previous timeline, up to the point where the incubator explains why Juubey was flawed. Then it trots forward to look up at the witch still hovering over them.
"Hijiri Kanna… you created something new by connecting several witches together. Was it the magical girls that Souju Ayaka and Souju Luca had gathered? No matter… out of respect for you, I suppose I will name it thus… Hyades Daybreak."
"Kyuubey… can we beat that witch?" Kazumi asks.
"It is unlikely that you and the seven magical girls gathered here have enough combined power to defeat Hyades Daybreak. It may be possible with the help of Hijiri Kanna, however."
"What about me?" Kazumi says. "Can I make a contract with you?"
"What are you talking about?" Umika asks. "Aren't you already—"
"No I'm not," Kazumi says. "I'm just borrowing Michiru-chan's power. I've never made a contract with Kyuubey. In fact, I only just met him now." She looks at Kyuubey again. "Well, Kyuubey?"
"You picked a good time to notice that," Kyuubey observes.
"So I can make a contract even though I'm not human, right?" Kazumi asks.
"As the name suggests, the soul gem is made from your soul," Kyuubey says. "You can make a contract as long as you have a soul. Will you become a magical girl, even though you know you'll become a witch?"
"I'll never fall into despair!" Kazumi says resolutely, powering down. "I'll never become a witch!"
"Kazumi, what is the wish that will light up your soul gem?" Kyuubey asks.
"Turn me into a real human!" Kazumi says instantly.
"You'll become a magical girl after you become a human," Kyuubey says. "It's a pointless wish."
"It's not pointless!" Kazumi says. "In order to move forward with my life, I need a real body that wasn't made by others!"
"I understand, but your current body has many advantages. Are you sure this is what you want?"
"I'm sure," Kazumi says.
"Understood," Kyuubey says. "Your wish has surpassed entropy. Now unleash your new power!"
Kyuubey draws out her soul gem, and Yuuri looks surprised. Kazumi's barrier around them is still maintained though.
"So you really weren't a magical girl until just now?"
"That's right," Kazumi. "Let's go!"
The others gather around, and then Kazumi transforms, taking on her new white outfit. Everyone else's outfit is also modified at the same time, the same as what happened in the previous timeline. Fumiko's outfit gains some frills and an orange cape, while Moe's outfit gains a golden breastplate, with all the silver parts like her helmet and boots also turning gold. As in the previous timeline, everyone is startled by the changes.
"This is my ability, boosting," Kazumi says. "Just by being near me, I make all of you stronger."
She raises her staff into the air and chants.
"Scala a Paradiso!"
As the eight of them run up the web of light climbing up towards the witch, new waves of familiars spawn to attack them. However, with the boosts given by Kazumi's ability, they can now be defeated in two or three hits each.
As they reach a tall building near the witch, Hijiri blocks their way.
"I won't let you!" she says fiercely.
"You're such an idiot, Miss Hijiri," Umika says. "You're not made up. Nico's wish was no doubt for her alternate self to experience the happiness she missed out on. Even if your body is fake, you still have a real heart and soul."
"Shut up!" Hijiri snaps. "Don't make it sound so pretty!"
"It isn't pretty at all!" Umika snaps back. "Just look at Kazumi, who we made with our combined power. Look at what she's done for everyone. Do you really think we could make someone like that up? She's without doubt a real person, and you're as real as she is!"
"Th-thanks, Umika-chan," Kazumi says.
Hijiri looks at her. "And now you've rejected your inhuman body and become just a shell of a human… why must you always reject me, Kazumi-chan!?"
"Our bodies are nothing but vessels for our souls!" Kazumi retorts. "You and I both have souls! That's why we can become magical girls! We're both real magical girls! If we reject that, then what's left for us?"
"It's too late for that now!" Hijiri grumbles. "I've already committed to this plan! You can't stop me anymore! I'll use the hand you rejected to destroy your world with witches!"
"I won't let you!" Kazumi shouts.
But Hijiri cracks her whip at Kazumi, who loses her balance and falls off the edge of the tower.
"Miss Kanna, you don't understand how Nico felt," Umika says. "You have no idea how much she wanted the simple joys that you had!"
"Forget it!" Hijiri snaps. "Everyone should just die already!"
Kazumi flips herself back up onto the tower, having managed to grab hold of the edge as she fell.
"We've got to finish this quickly," Kaoru says.
"I want to save her though," Kazumi says. "Everyone… please lend me your strength! Let's combine our powers into one big attack!"
Hijiri glares at her. "As if I'd let you!"
But Airi draws a pistol and shoots her in the leg. She stumbles and falls, then loses her balance and slips off the tower. She does manage to grab hold of the edge though. While she's struggling to get back up, Kazumi grabs Kaoru's and Umika's hands, and then the others also join the circle. Magical diagrams sprout beneath their feet, and Kazumi shouts out the attack.
"Meteora Finale!"
The eight of them zoom into the air, raising their weapons to point towards the witch. They land a combined attack directly on Hyades Daybreak's head, causing her to burst open in a flash of light. Then Hijiri's whip snakes up from below, aiming for Kazumi, but it smacks up against a barrier created by Moe. As they fall past Hijiri, Kazumi takes out the grief seed she won earlier that day and presses it against her soul gem, fully purifying it.
"Kazumi-chan!? W-why…?" Hijiri asks, letting go of the edge and continuing to fall alongside them.
"Because I don't want your wish to end in despair," Kazumi replies. "If you understand what you've done wrong, then you need to fix it."
"There's nothing I can do now," Hijiri retorts. "They were all consumed by Hyades Daybreak. There's nothing left of them."
Umika casts some sort of magic that slows their fall.
"That's not true," Kazumi says. "They left behind a lot of things."
"And now… there's no reason for me to even go on living…" Hijiri says, closing her eyes.
Before anyone else can react, Hijiri's soul gem glows for a moment, then explodes. Umika is quick enough to raise a barrier, while Moe immediately raises her hands, apparently using her barriers as footholds as she gathers together all the shards of Hijiri's soul gem. Taking a praying posture with the shards between her hands, she closes her eyes.
"K-kanna-chan, no…" Kazumi gasps.
"That must've been her final attempt to take us out," Umika says. "She won't give up even when she's clearly lost…"
Suddenly, a light emanates from the cracks between Moe's fingers, and her eyes snap open. Opening her hand, she unveils Hijiri's soul gem, made whole once more. Umika gasps.
"I-impossible… you can even put a shattered soul gem back together!?"
"Only if I act fast," Moe says quickly.
She presses the soul gem into Hijiri's hands, and a few moments later, the girl wakes up with a start.
"H-huh!? I'm still alive!?" Hijiri gasps.
"Moe-chan saved you," Kazumi says.
"B-but w-why…?" Hijiri protests. "I didn't even want to…"
"By the way, Miss Kanna did have a point earlier," Umika says with a sigh. "Even if we have their bodies and memories, what can we do without the grief seed?"
"You didn't need a grief seed to create me, right?" Kazumi says. "Can't they just make a new contract like I did?"
Umika nods slowly. "Well, you have a point too… okay, we may as well at least preserve their bodies, then. I'm not sure if it can truly be called resurrection without the soul, but perhaps we can still get close enough."
"W-what the hell is wrong with all of you!?" Hijiri shouts. "How can you be so calm about all this? How can you just… just help your mortal nemesis without batting an eye!?"
"You're not my mortal nemesis," Moe retorts. "Even if you lied to me a little, you were sort of helping me out."
"If it were left up to me, I'd kill you right here and now," Umika retorts. "But Kazumi has chosen to spare your life, so I have to honour her choice."
"It's quite simple," Kazumi says. "You came to this conclusion because you were in pain, because Nico-chan didn't bother to properly explain herself to you. You regret it, don't you? You said it yourself, that you felt some sort of kinship with me… it must have hurt when I rejected your viewpoint."
"W-well… I really thought you'd be happy about it," Hijiri mutters. "When you rejected me… especially after I'd already set the plan in motion… I just… lost control a little?"
Kazumi reaches for Hijiri's hand and pulls her close into an embrace, startling her.
"W-what are you doing!?" Hijiri gasps.
"It's okay, Kanna-chan," Kazumi says. "It wasn't you I rejected… it was your crazy plan to destroy the world. I had to stop you before you did anything else you regretted. I had to stop you before you destroyed all your friends… even your family…"
"Th-that's right," Hijiri says. "My little sisters… but I thought they were fake too… after all, they died in California…"
"I'm sure Nico-chan's wish just brought her real sisters back to life for you," Kazumi says. "They're not fake. They're your real little sisters… Nico-chan's little sisters."
They finally reach the ground, and Kazumi releases Hijiri and steps back with a smile.
"All you need to do is apologize, Kanna-chan," Kazumi says. "It won't make things right, but it shows you regret what you've done and want to change. That's what matters. On the other hand, if you don't regret it… if you try to carry out your plan after all, then I'll stop you, as many times as it takes."
Hijiri casts her eyes down.
"I… I understand," she mutters. "I'll… I'll do my best to… to live up to your expectations, Kazumi-chan."
They run back to the Angelica Bears building, where the bodies of Saki, Mirai, and Nico were left after they turned into witches. After picking them up and stepping inside the museum, Kazumi finally brings down the labyrinth she created.
Everyone heads to the basement, where they put the bodies of Saki, Mirai, and Nico into three of the empty tanks.
"So… is it really possible to resurrect them?" Yuuri asks.
"Well… after trying for so long, I'm honestly not sure," Umika says. "However, assuming it is, we would need Nico's power to pull it off. Unfortunately she turned into a witch, and her grief seed was lost… my analysis magic lets me copy a lot of powers, but I've never managed to replicate Nico's power."
"Um… I can do it," Hijiri says. "I-if… if you don't mind…"
"Of course we wouldn't mind," Kazumi says. "As long as you apologize for what you've done, like I said."
"R-right…" Hijiri mutters.
"What were Miss Nico's powers?" Yuuri asks.
"Reconstruction," Umika replies.
Yuuri and Airi exchange glances.
"Th-that sounds pretty similar to Pernelle's power," Airi says. "Maybe we could also get her to help…"
"Yeah, she can transform random objects into lethal weapons, so it does sound similar," Yuuri says.
Almost as if she'd been listening in, Pernelle appears at that exact moment, teleporting directly into the room with them. However, she looks surprised to see them all there.
"Oh my? I planned to wait for you, but it seems that ye have all gathered here already," Pernelle says. "This is convenient…"
Yuuri blinks at her. "Huh? Pernelle!?"
Pernelle ignores Yuuri's confused noise and looks around.
"Hmm… Miss Misaki Umika, if you please, I have a request for you."
Umika blinks. "Huh? What's this all about? How did you even know about this place?"
"I have observed your experiment for nigh on three months now," Pernelle says. "That is time enough to ascertain the details of your facilities."
"But… okay, fine, I guess that doesn't matter anymore," Umika says. "What's the request?"
"Would ye consent to share any data ye may have gathered regarding your experimental incubator? Naturally I have gathered some data myself, but ye were closest to the experiment, so I fancy your data to be more accurate."
"Um, sure," Umika says. "To tell the truth, I don't have all that much, since I completely forgot about the experiment while it was going, but I'll see what I can dig up. I'm sure there's something, either in my magic book or in Nico's computer. Maybe she left records from creating Juubey."
Pernelle nods. "Thank you very much. I can ask no more than that." She pulls out a slip of paper and passes it to Umika. "Ye can find me at this address once ye have compiled the data, or ye can email me and I shall come to retrieve it. If ye wish to send it as an email attachment, please limit it to open standard file formats."
"O-okay," Umika nods.
Then Pernelle looks around again, frowning slightly.
"Hmm… am I to understand that Miss Kanna Nico perished?"
"Y-yeah," Kazumi says.
"Conversely, I see Miss Hijiri Kanna is alive and well," Pernelle says.
"How can you even tell them apart?" Moe marvels.
"By their magical signature," Pernelle replies. "Very well… in that case, I suppose I can alter my plans. Miss Hijiri… should ye wish for it, I shall take you on as my apprentice in the art of alchemy."
"E-eh!?" Hijiri gasps. "B-b-but… w-why me? I'm not even a real human…"
"Ridiculous. Whatever gave you such an idea?" Pernelle asks. "Were ye not created from Miss Kanna's wish? Ye would be a poor copy indeed if ye were not entirely human. Miss Kazumi is…" She glances at Kazumi. "…was a different matter entirely, a homunculus created through magic, but ye? Ye are no less human than I."
"B-but it's not like I was born from a mother or anything," Hijiri protests.
"The manner of your birth is an irrelevant data point for determining your species," Pernelle retorts. "The only thing that matters is your genetic code and the resulting phenotype."
"S-so then… why me?" Hijiri asks.
Pernelle shrugs. "It is many years since I met a magical girl with the alchemical gift," she says. "My original intention was to take Miss Kanna Nico as my apprentice, as it is her native power. However, ye are also of the null element, and your power appears to include copying. Have ye not also copied Miss Nico's power from her?" Hijiri nods. "Indeed, had she yet survived, I likely would have made the offer to you both. After all, your power is perhaps even rarer than hers."
"I-is that so…"
"You need not decide presently," Pernelle says. "I will allow you up to one week to consider my offer. If ye choose not to accept, I will return to Paris."
"I… I see," Hijiri says. "Okay…"
"Then I shall take my leave," Pernelle says. "May we meet again soon."
Then she vanishes in a display of magical diagrams.
"Well, that was…" Kazumi trails off.
"Unexpected?" Yuuri fills in.
"Y-yeah, I guess," Kazumi says. "When I spoke to her, she said she was only here to observe… she did mention taking Nico-chan as an apprentice though, come to think of it…"
"H-hey, um…" Hijiri ventures. "Who is she? Based on what Miss Yuuri called her… she couldn't possibly be… Pernelle Flamel… could she?"
Everyone looks at her.
"…who?" Kazumi asks.
Yuuri frowns, however. "Flamel? Do you mean… Nicholas Flamel, the legendary French alchemist?"
Hijiri nods. "Yeah… or rather, his wife… who's also a legendary alchemist…"
Yuuri blinks. "Y-you're kidding… why would such a famous person be here in Asunaro!?"
"Ashley-chan must've known," Kazumi says. "She said Miss Pernelle has a Wikipedia page… that would explain why…"
"It seems like Ashley-chan is at the centre of everything lately," Yuuri muses. "Because of Walpurgisnacht, I guess? But that doesn't explain why she knows so much… when I think about how she stopped by last time, it was like she already knew what was going to happen…"
Kazumi suddenly gasps as something occurs to her.
"W-what if… time was turned back!?"
Everyone looks at her in surprise.
"Why would you think that?" Kaoru asks.
"Something Miss Pernelle said when we spoke, after I ran away from you guys," Kazumi says. "She said… something like… we might meet again if time is turned back again."
"Do you think Miss Pernelle has the power to turn back time?" Umika asks.
Kazumi shakes her head. "No… she sounded like she wasn't sure," she says. "If she had that power, I think she would've been more certain. Also, she doesn't seem like someone who'd care to turn back time. Most likely…"
"Ashley-chan, then?" Airi asks.
"Maybe…" Kazumi muses.
"Her power is clairvoyance," Yuuri counters. "Turning time back… it doesn't seem like something you could so easily learn…"
Umika nods. "I think you'd have to get it from your wish…"
"So if I were to guess," Yuuri continues, "I'd say she knows someone with that power, rather than possessing the power herself."
Kazumi nods. "That's a possibility too…"
Umika blinks. "Wait a second… if time really is going to be turned back… then doesn't that mean we can save everyone!? Maybe we could even save Michiru! We'd just need to figure out a way to get a message back…"
"But how could you possibly do that?" Yuuri asks. "I certainly don't remember time being turned back… there's no way to get a message back, right?"
"Well, I'm not so sure about that," Umika says. "I can think of two possibilities. The first is to somehow leverage deja vu… you know the feeling where it's like you've experienced something before, but you can't actually remember it? I've gotten that sense a number of times in the past month, more often than I would consider normal."
"Now that you mention it, you're right," Remi muses. "It stopped once Miss Taylor came to my house, though… I haven't had that sort of feeling since then…"
Umika nods. "If we accept that time was turned back, it's reasonable to surmise that deja vu is a product of some sense of what happened the last time around," she says. "It could be a sign of events that converge across timelines. If we could somehow leverage that mechanism, there might be a way to pass a message across timelines."
"It seems pretty far-fetched, though," Yuuri says. "Do you even have any idea how you might do it?"
Umika shakes her head. "I don't have anything concrete, but… we do have someone here who can manipulate time, right?"
She looks at Remi, who blinks and nods. "I can only slow it down and speed it up though," Remi says. "I don't think I'd be able to do something fancy like sending a message back in time…"
"But you might be able to learn," Umika says. "Your magic is time-related, so it stands to reason that you might be able to learn other time-related magic. If any of us can pull it off, it would be you. Maybe you could even learn to turn back time yourself, although I wouldn't place a bet on that one."
"I guess… I can't deny the possibility," Remi says.
"So… what's your other idea?" Yuuri asks.
"Well, if we assume turning back time is not Miss Taylor's power," Umika says, "then it follows that the girl she knows can take someone else along for the ride. If that's the case, one of us just needs to go back with her when she turns back time."
"But for that, we'd need to know when she's going to turn back time," Yuuri says. "Think she'd just tell us if we asked?"
"I bet she would," Airi says.
"There's a caveat with that idea, though," Umika says. "We don't know if there's a limit to how many people can go back… so it really would have to be just one of us, to be on the safe side. If we failed because everyone tried to go back together, that could be a disaster."
"So, what should we do?" Moe says.
"We shouldn't put all our eggs in one basket," Umika says. "First of all, we should carry on as if time's not going to be turned back. If Pernelle wasn't certain it would happen, then we can't rely on it either, and besides, even if time is turned back, that might not mean the previous timeline is just gone."
"Oh… I didn't think of that," Kazumi says. "You think we might just keep on living as we are now even if she turns back time?"
Umika nods. "I don't know. It's a possibility. We might need to keep on living in this timeline where Miss Ashley no longer exists."
"But are you saying the best thing to do is nothing?" Kazumi asks.
Umika shakes her head. "Secondly, I recommend that Miss Remi starts experimenting with her time manipulation to see if she can figure out a way to send a message to the past. If she can manage that, we gain a way to preserve information if time keeps being turned back."
"So um… if by some chance I did manage to do it," Remi says. "What message do you think I should send?"
"Hmm," Umika considers the question for a moment. "I think the most important information to send would be how to send the message in the first place. That way, if time is turned back yet again, you'll already know how to do it and can send something more important. But you can try to send more information as well, as long as you're confident the extra information won't just cause the whole thing to fail."
"How many times do you think time has been turned back?" Remi asks.
"I can't even begin to speculate on that," Umika says. "If you assume the deja vu grows stronger every time, then it's probably not a large number… but I don't even know if that assumption is accurate."
Remi nods. "Okay… then I'll try a few things out," she says. "Just don't get your hopes up…"
"Try not to be discouraged before you start though," Umika says. "I've found that can get in the way of learning new things in magic."
Remi nods. "I'll try…"
"And finally," Umika says. "One of us should be with Miss Ashley and her friend if and when they decide to turn back time, in order to join them when they go back. We'll have to decide who that is, probably sooner rather than later, since we have no idea when time will reverse."
"Well, I still think we should ask Ashley-chan about that," Yuuri says, taking out her phone.
"I'm not sure I trust her," Umika says. "She's the one who attacked Saki and Mirai, after all…"
Yuuri nods. "Yeah, I did think that was a bit over the top… huh?"
Just as she opened her email app to compose a message to Ashley, a message from her appeared in the inbox.
"She emailed me first…"
Umika blinks. "There, you see? She must've been watching us this whole time… how am I supposed to trust her when she does that sort of thing?"
"I dunno," Yuuri says. "I can't deny it feels weird… well, let's just see what she has to say first."
Yuuri opens the message to read it, but despite the others looking at her expectantly, she doesn't read out loud. The message itself reads as follows.
"Good evening, Miss Yuuri. First of all, I suggest you read the entire message before sharing any of it with the others, especially Miss Hijiri Kanna. Secondly, I apologize for my creepy behaviour. This power of mine was exactly what I needed to achieve my goals, but I can't deny it feels weird, like I'm spying on people. I suppose my apology doesn't mean much if I'm not going to stop doing it, but I'm apologizing all the same. I'm sorry it makes you feel uneasy."
"M-maybe she's not that bad after all," Yuuri murmurs.
"Hmm? What did she say?" Airi asks.
"Just… let me read the whole thing first," Yuuri says. "It's pretty long, so I'll summarize it."
She continues to read Ashley's message.
"Now, I noticed you were discussing how time has been turned back. So far, time has only been turned back twice. I'm almost certain of this, although it's certainly possible that I missed one or two jumps. Time will turn back on April 30th, most likely. It's possible it may be a little later, but if my understanding is correct – and for the record, I'm not certain of that – it can't be any earlier than the 30th. Also, as far as I know, we can only go back to March 16th – either that, or exactly 46 days. Also, from what I can tell, physical objects cannot be taken back, only people. Or perhaps… only souls?
"You were discussing sending someone back with me, but I'm sorry. I don't think it's a good idea for me to accept another passenger at this time, for complicated reasons that I don't wish to spend time explaining. However… there is one exception to that, someone who could hitch a ride without even being noticed. I refer to Miss Hijiri Kanna. By now I imagine you're well aware that Miss Hijiri Kanna is the mastermind behind a series of tragedies that takes place in Asunaro, most of which have been averted in the current timeline – originally, the only surviving magical girls in the entire city were Miss Misaki Umika, Miss Maki Kaoru, Miss Shiina Remi, and the two of you. Pernelle too of course, but she returned home to Paris. The Souju twins and everyone in the Freezer all turned into witches in the first timeline.
"Because of all that, I consider Miss Hijiri Kanna the most dangerous person to be allowed to hitch a ride to the past, because once she's aware of the possibility, there may be nothing I can do to stop her continuing to hitch a ride over and over again, potentially undermining all my plans. However… for all the same reasons, I also consider Miss Hijiri Kanna the best person in all Asunaro to hitch a ride to the past. It all depends on Miss Hijiri Kanna's state of mind, you see. If she truly regrets her actions and wishes to make amends, then I would be happy to introduce her to the girl who can turn back time. If she's still out for revenge based on her misunderstanding, then I fear what she could do with access to time travel.
"Regarding the other idea proposed by Miss Misaki Umika, there is something which may be able to help Miss Shiina Remi to unlock latent abilities that she may not have been aware of. I can't promise that it would help, mind you, but it could be worth a try. If she's interested, she should obtain an extra grief seed as payment and visit the Coordinator in Kamihama, a girl by the name of Yakumo Mitama. Her power may be able to help you. And for the record, if anyone else wants to pay Miss Yakumo a visit as well, it certainly wouldn't hurt.
"There is one other method that might be viable for communicating across timelines. In Kamihama there is an unusual witch known as the Mirror Witch which may possess the power to connect timelines. I don't recommend this method, since she is a witch and obviously dangerous, but if you wish to learn more, you can also ask Miss Yakumo for further details. She may want a grief seed in exchange for the information, so be prepared.
"Oh… I mentioned earlier that I don't think it's a good idea for me to accept another passenger on the next time jump, but if one of you feels strongly about it, I'm willing to consider it. I do insist that it's someone who made a contract before March 16th, to avoid arousing Kyuubey's suspicions, but I'm pretty sure that describes all of you except for Kazumi herself."
Yuuri lets out a sigh as she finishes reading.
"Well, that was quite a wall of text," she says. "Let me see… the main points are that she expects time to be turned back no earlier than April thirtieth, we can't go back any further than March sixteenth, and she had a suggestion that might help Miss Remi figure out if she can send a message to the past. Also, she refused to take Kazumi-chan back, because she just made her contract today and apparently it would arouse Kyuubey's suspicion or something. Oh, and apparently there's a witch in Kamihama that might be able to communicate across timelines… but that seems like too dangerous of an option to me…"
"Y-yeah, relying on a witch doesn't seem safe," Airi agrees.
"Oh, then we have more time than I feared," Umika says. "That's about three weeks away. But the March sixteenth limit is unfortunate… that means we can't save Michiru after all… it would be just after Kazumi woke up."
"What was her suggestion for me?" Remi asks.
"Apparently there's a magical girl in Kamihama who might be able to help," Yuuri says. "Her name is Yakumo Mitama, and apparently she's called a 'Coordinator'. She expects a grief seed as payment for her services… I'm not quite sure what the service is though. Ashley-chan didn't explain it properly. Apparently Miss Yakumo also knows more about that witch if anyone's interested – it's called the Mirror Witch."
"O-okay," Remi says. "I suppose I could pay her a visit, then."
"Do you think you really can learn something new?" Yuuri asks.
"Well… I've always thought I should be able to stop time," Remi muses. "But I've never quite managed it… I don't think that helps in this case, though. But I guess if I could stop time, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to make it flow backwards… maybe? Only, I'm afraid the power required for that would be too much for me to bear… but if I'm only sending information, perhaps it's possible."
"You're pretty strong, onee-chan, so I'm sure you'll figure it out," Moe says.
"Well, if we're finished with this discussion, Moe-chan and I should really be getting home," Remi says. "Mom will be worried about us if we stay out too late."
"I suppose we should get going too," Yuuri says. "Living alone means there's no-one to worry about us, but we still need to eat."
"What about you, Miss Kanna?" Umika asks. "Do you need a place to stay?"
"Eh? No… like I said earlier, I have a family," Hijiri says. "A mother and father and two little sisters… it's all thanks to Nico's wish, though I think the parents are her real parents…"
"Then they'll be worrying about you, right?"
"Y-yeah… I guess so," Hijiri says.
"And you too, Miss Fumiko?" Umika asks.
Fumiko shakes her head. "I don't think Dad would notice, unless I stayed out all night."
"Okay… let's all exchange contact info," Umika suggests.
"Sounds good to me," Yuuri says.
"I guess," Fumiko says.
The nine girls all pull out their phones and tap them together in a chorus of beeps. Once the exchange is finished, they head to the surface and split up, going their separate ways. Kazumi joins Umika and Kaoru.