Magia: A New Hope

by Pentalithia

A Madoka / Magia Record fan suddenly wakes up in the world of magical girls, as a side character. Features Ashley Taylor. Note: In case it's not obvious, you should expect massive spoilers here for nearly everything in the franchise.

70. The Kamihama Rumour Files

Have you heard? Has anyone told you?
The Rumour of the Séance Shrine.
A family member? A lover? A stranger?
If you're eager to see someone,
leave it to the god of this shrine in Mizuna!
Write their name on a blessed wooden plaque,
visit the Shrine, and offer a proper prayer.
The god will bring them to you
But beware! Beware!
They say you'll get lost in bliss and never be able to return home.
Ahhh! How terrifying!

---

April sixth. Iroha has met up with Momoko and friends at a fast food place. They've ordered burgers, fries, and shakes, and are discussing the events of the last two days. Mokyu is also present, though not eating except when explicitly fed by one of the girls.

"So you haven't found any leads yet," Momoko says.

"Yeah… that invitation from the Mirror Witch kind of distracted me, but I wasn't having much luck before that, either," Iroha says.

"Well, I asked around a bit at school the last two days," Momoko says. "But I didn't learn anything at all. Sorry… it seems I'm no help…

"D-don't say that!" Iroha protests. "I'm just happy you're looking at all!"

"Yeah, but it'd be a lot nicer if I actually had something to show for my trouble," Momoko says. "How about you, Rena?"

"Nothing new here, either," Rena says. "Unlike you, I don't have many friends, so it's not that easy to ask people about it."

"Oh yeah, you're right," Iroha says, nodding.

"I'm right?!" Rena protests. "Are you making fun of me for having no friends!?"

"Ehh!?" Iroha gasps. "N-no, no, not at all! I was agreeing that it's not easy to ask people!"

"Oh… in that case, alright," Rena says, calming down. "Seriously though, I do want to find your little sister for you, you know!"

Iroha beams at her.

"Rena-chan… thanks so much!"

"H-hey! Don't make that face!" Rena protests. "It's not like I'm doing it for you! Ah, I mean, I am, but still… anyway! What about you, Kaede? Did you find anything?"

"W-what!?" Kaede gasps. "U-um, no… Kako and Konomi didn't know anything… so I haven't found anything at all… ah, but I did hear something great!"

"Great?" Iroha asks.

"Yeah!" Kaede says. "After we defeated that Rumour of the Rule of Ending Friendships, all the kids who disappeared suddenly came back!"

"Really!?" Iroha gasps.

"Hmm," Rena says. Then she blinks. "Wait, what!?"

"Eep!" Kaede squeals.

"Isn't that weird?" Rena asks. "They were caught by the witch, right? How could they just come back!?"

"Well, according to Yachiyo, that thing was technically not a witch, right?" Momoko says. "So I suppose that means anything's possible…"

"Umm… you could definitely be right," Rena admits. "But… Kaede, where did you hear about that?"

"Umm… from the kids in my neighbourhood," Kaede says.

"So it's just another rumour!?" Rena gasps.

"B-but, I thought this could be a new clue!" Kaede says. "If Ui is caught up in some rumour like the Rule of Ending Friendships… it's possible she might eventually come home!" She pauses, tilting her head. "Doesn't that make sense?"

"Hmm, a rumour," Iroha muses. "So… if we take care of the rumours in Kamihama that have come true, the people that were caught up in them may come back?"

"That's basically what we've been saying," Momoko says.

"Hmm…"

Iroha seems to zone out for a bit, while the others eat and chat idly. Suddenly, she announces out of the blue.

"Okay, I've made up my mind!"

"W-whoa!" Momoko gasps. "You scared me! So… what did you decide?"

"I'm going to look into rumours!" Iroha says.

"Huh, now you're starting to sound like Yachiyo!" Momoko gasps.

"Well, I feel that searching for Ui like this isn't going to get me anywhere," Iroha says. "So I figure I'll start by exploring the rumours floating around town. By the way… have any of you heard of any strange rumours?"

"You're asking me?" Momoko asks. "Well… can't say I know of many, since I never really paid attention to them before. Hmm, let me think… I guess I did hear a rumour about an old man dancing at an intersection… ah, but I don't know where that was…"

"Momoko-chan, isn't that Dancing Daddy!?" Kaede gasps.

"Yeah, that's it!" Momoko says.

"It's not!" Kaede says. "A rumour, that is! We got an email from the school telling us to watch out for him, remember!?"

Momoko blinks. "We did?" She chuckles a bit. "Really? I guess that email must've left an impression… I kinda wanted to check it out."

"But he might be dangerous!" Kaede says.

"How about you, Kaede-chan?" Iroha asks. "Do you know of any rumours?"

"Um… no, not really," Kaede says.

"I don't know any either," Rena says.

"Okay," Iroha says. "Hmm… where should I start looking, then…?"

Mokyu suddenly pipes up with one of its cute noises.

"No, no, no!" Iroha protests. "Mokyu, I can't just sit around and wait! There's no telling when a rumour will pop up! I guess my only option is to ask around myself…"

"I still don't get how you can understand what that creature says," Rena says.

"It's not just a creature, Rena-chan!" Kaede protests. "It has a name, you know!"

"Whatever," Rena says.

"Why don't you start with Mitama?" Momoko suggests. "She gets customers from all over the city, so she might have heard some things."

"Thank you," Iroha says, standing up and grabbing her now-empty tray. "In that case, I suppose I'll drop by the Coordinator's office… I just got a grief seed before meeting up with you, and I have a few mirror coins from yesterday, so I should be all set to negotiate with her…"

"I'll continue to ask around," Momoko says. "Maybe something will turn up. I'll ask about the two friends too… what were their names, again?"

"Hiiragi Nemu and Satomi Touka," Iroha says. "If you could find anything on them, that would be wonderful… I'm sure if I found them, I'd be able to find Ui too."

"Alright… then we'll see you later," Momoko says.

"See you later, Iroha-chan!" Kaede says.

"Seeya," Rena says.

"Yeah, I'll see you later," Iroha says.

She places her tray in the place for used trays and heads outside, making for the Coordinator's office. She also questions a few random people she encounters along the way, but none of them are able to help her. Finally she reaches the Coordinator's office, and as she steps inside, Mitama waves to her from her armchair.

"Good afternoon, Iroha-chan!" she says. "You alright? You did spend quite awhile in Endless Mirrors yesterday."

"Eh? I'm fine!" Iroha says. "Um… I came to ask you if you know of any strange rumours in Kamihama."

"Oh?" Mitama says. "What brought that on?"

"W-well… Kaede-chan thought there might be a possibility that Ui got caught up in a rumour," Iroha explains. "So I thought I'd investigate rumours as a starting point, and see if I can find any leads that way."

"Hmm… so that's what got you started looking into rumours?" Mitama says.

"Yeah, that's pretty much it," Iroha says. "I know it's not much of anything but… it's all I could think of."

"So how's it going?" Mitama asks. "Have you found any rumours yet?"

"Umm… well, I only just got started, but… it's not going well at all, so far… I get so nervous talking to strangers… I haven't learned anything at all yet…"

"Couldn't that just be because you're not trying hard enough?"

That voice is not Mitama but Yachiyo, who has just stepped in behind Iroha, who gasps and spins to face her.

"M-miss Yachiyo!?"

"If you were really serious, you wouldn't be hesitating," Yachiyo says. "Don't poke your nose into things you're not serious about."

"But… Ui's disappearance might have something to do with the rumours," Iroha says.

"I know," Yachiyo says. "But you're not going to learn anything if you just ask people at random. And even if you track one down, won't it just swallow you up?"

"Now, now," Mitama says. "Iroha-chan is just a little unsure what to do. It's not like she's taking things lightly. You do understand that, right, Yachiyo?"

"I'm sorry," Iroha says. "I didn't mean to make you worry…"

"It's not that I'm worried," Yachiyo says.

"Um… then why did you try to stop me?" Iroha asks.

"I don't have to answer that question," Yachiyo retorts.

Iroha blinks. "Huh…?"

"Anyway, Mitama, I'd like to have my magic enhanced again."

"Sure," Mitama says. "As long as I get paid, I'll be more than happy to oblige."

"I'll wait for you in the other room," Yachiyo says. "Come in when you're ready."

She heads into the room where Mitama usually takes her patients – the one with the bed.

"Iroha-chan… how about searching in Mizuna ward?" Mitama suggests.

"Mizuna Ward?"

"If I remember, there's a rumour going around about a shrine over there," Mitama says. "I don't remember the details, but maybe you can look into it."

"S-sure, I'll check it out!" Iroha says. "I still haven't tracked down anything about rumours, so…"

"And if you're going to Mizuna Ward, you could give Mizuna Girls' Academy a visit," Mitama suggests.

"Do you think I'll find something interesting there?" Iroha asks.

"No, I just thought it might be easier for you to talk with girls your own age," Mitama says.

"Ah… you're probably right," Iroha says.

"I thought so," Mitama says. "And you know, the girl you met yesterday in Endless Mirrors also goes there. Maybe she knows something."

"Thanks so much, Mitama!" Iroha says.

She leaves the office and, with the help of a map on her phone, manages to navigate her way into Mizuna Ward, and even locate the school in question. She stops to gaze up at the pair of school buildings, one new and shiny and fancy, the other old and traditional-looking.

"Whoa… I can just feel the history of this school," Iroha says. "This might actually be pretty difficult in its own way… but I guess it's now or never…"

Mokyu makes one of its cute noises, and she nods.

"Yeah, you're right! I've finally made a little progress, so I can't stop here!"

She questions several of the girls leaving the school, but none of them seem to know anything about a rumour of a shrine. Then she spots a familiar face mixed in – Ami Ria, just as Mitama said. She's accompanied by a second girl who I recognize, Kurumi Manaka.

"Ah! It's Miss Ami!"

Ria hears her name and spins to face Iroha, striking a pose.

"Yes! It is I!"

"W-what the!?" Manaka gasps, startled. "Do you have to be so dramatic about everything!?"

Ria steps forward to peer at Iroha, frowning a little.

"Ohh… you're the girl from yesterday," she says.

"Eh? You actually know this girl, Ria?" Manaka asks.

"Well, I saved her from Endless Mirrors yesterday," Ria says.

"Th-that's one way of putting it," Iroha says.

"I'm sure she was the reason you were in trouble in the first place," Manaka says. "This girl is trouble, I'm telling you."

"Hey!" Ria protests. "My beauty knows no trouble!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Manaka says. "So anyway… I'm Kurumi Manaka. Can we help you with something?"

"Ohh, Miss Ami mentioned you yesterday, too… well… um, I'm Tamaki Iroha, and I was wondering if you've heard any strange rumours about a shrine," Iroha says.

"Hmm… I think I might have heard something like that," Manaka says. "But I don't remember any of the details… sorry I couldn't be of any help."

"Oh, no, that's quite alright," Iroha says. "I'm sure someone will know something… I just have to keep asking…"

"Hey, Ria-sempai, you know anything?" Manaka asks.

"Strange rumours?" Ria says. "Rumours… rumours… w-wait, rumours!? Do you mean the scary monster type? Are you investigating them?"

"Eh!? D-do you know something about them?" Iroha asks.

"Well… no, not really," Ria says. "I just got a little caught up in one myself a few days ago… it was a huge, mess, but naturally this beauty saved the day!"

"Th-then… have you heard any other rumours like that?" Iroha asks. "Maybe one about a shrine?"

"About a shrine?" Ria says. "Well, the only shrine I know of around here is Mizuna Shrine… but I haven't heard any weird rumours about it…"

"I guess it's still a place to start," Iroha says. "I can at least rule it out… thanks."

"I'm always happy to help!" Ria says. "My beauty—"

"Enough about your beauty," Manaka says. "Come on, you promised to taste test, remember?"

"It would seem I have a prior engagement," Ria says primly. "See you again!"

"Uh, yeah, sure," Iroha says.

She asks a couple of other people, but then gives up and uses the map to try and locate Mizuna Shrine. Unfortunately, this time she somehow gets lost. With a sigh, she plops down on a bench next to a bus stop.

"Ahhh, if only a magical girl could tell me something about a rumour!" she laments out loud. Then she sort of giggles nervously. "Yeah, if only it worked like that…"

"Sure!"

A girl with brown hair suddenly skids around the corner on a motor scooter. Although she wears a school uniform, the same red-ribboned sailor suit as Kaede and her friends, it's mostly covered up by a white apron with large pockets, pink sleeves, and a logo of some sort on the chest, a red pig in a green ring of scrollwork. There are three white kanji on the pig, spelling out Banbanzai. She also has black socks and a white helmet.

"Huh!?" Iroha gasps.

"When it comes to rumours, I'm your girl!" she shouts. "Yui Tsuruno, the mightiest magical girl!"

"U-um… who are you!?" Iroha gasps.

"So what do you wanna know?" Tsuruno asks eagerly. "I'll tell you anything!"

"W-what!? Um… really?"

"Rumours are dangerous!" Tsuruno says. "Don't look into them for fun! And like, don't even think of doing something contrary to a rumour!"

"Um… I already know that much," Iroha says.

"You also shouldn't try to get rid of a rumour!" Tsuruno says. "Because if you do, some weird monster will show up! And if that happens, it's a huge mess! Like a really huge mess!"

"U-um, like I said!" Iroha says. "I already know all of that!"

"Then how about—"

"W-wait! L-let me speak for a moment!" Iroha protests. "I just want to find my little sister Ui who's gone missing! That's why I'm looking into rumours!"

"Hmm," Tsuruno says. "So you're investigating rumours as part of your search for your little sister."

"Yeah," Iroha nods. "Her name is Tamaki Ui… have you heard of her?"

"Hmm… nah, I haven't," Tsuruno says.

"How about Hiiragi Nemu or Satomi Touka?" Iroha asks.

"W-whoa!" Tsuruno gasps. "You have a whole list of people, don't you!? Wait a sec, let me think!"

She scrunches her eyes closed, hemming and hawing.

"W-wait!" she gasps suddenly. "Did you say Hiiragi?"

Iroha nods. "Y-yeah, Hiiragi Nemu… does it ring a bell?"

Tsuruno tilts her head a bit. "Hmm… nah, I guess it doesn't."

"Aww…"

"But! I just came up with a really, really good idea!" Tsuruno exclaims.

"Huh?" Iroha says. "A good idea?"

"Yeah!" Tsuruno says. "Have you heard the rumour about the Séance Shrine?"

"D-did you say shrine!?" Iroha gasps, jumping up from the bench and stepping closer, eyes shining.

"W-whoa there!" Tsuruno says, shuffling her scooter away a bit. "What's got you so excited?"

"W-well… actually, I came here to look into a rumour about a shrine," Iroha says. "I haven't learned anything yet, though… I didn't even know the name until just now."

"Well, aren't you lucky!" Tsuruno says. "Listen, and prepare to be amazed!"

"Amazed!?"

"You bet! Because people who go to that shrine… they get to see the person they yearn to see!"

"The person they yearn to see!?" Iroha gasps. "Umm… could it be…?"

"Perfect for you, right?" Tsuruno says.

"Th-that's great!" Iroha says, beaming.

"So what do you say?" Tsuruno asks. "Wanna look into the Séance Shrine together?"

"Together… you mean you and me?" Iroha asks.

"Yeah!" Tsuruno says. "You see, I'm actually looking for the shrine too!"

"Then… I'd love to!" Iroha says. "Oh, but… I don't have any clues that could be connected to the rumour…"

"Then we're in the same boat!" Tsuruno says. "But together, I'm sure we can do it!"

"Yeah, let's do it!" Iroha says. "You're Yui Tsuruno, right?"

Tsuruno gasps. "H-how do you know my name!?" she asks. "Is it because I'm the mightiest magical girl?"

"Huh? You introduced yourself!" Iroha says.

"…oh, did I?" Tsuruno chuckles. "I forgot!"

"My name is Tamaki Iroha," Iroha says. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Yui."

"That sounds kinda stiff," Tsuruno complains.

"Huh!?" Iroha gasps. "Th-then… how about Miss Tsuruno?"

"Umm… that's kinda…"

"Um… Tsuruno…chan?" Iroha ventures.

"Yeah!" Tsuruno says. "Nice to meet you, Iroha-chan! Hop on, let's go!"

"Um… is there room for two on there, though?" Iroha asks. "P-plus, I don't have a helmet…"

"Not to worry!" Tsuruno says. "Even if I get into an accident, you won't die! I guarantee it!"

"How can you guarantee something like that!?" Iroha protests.

"Because I'm just that lucky!" Tsuruno says. "Ah! Come to think of it, I need to deliver the second order! Quick, hop on! Can't keep the customers waiting!"

"U-um…"

Iroha picks up the black box sitting on the back, which bears the same logo as Tsuruno's apron, and tries to sling herself over.

"L-like this?" she asks.

"No!" Tsuruno says. "Grab onto me tight! And whatever you do, don't drop that!"

"O-okay…"

Iroha secures the warm package on her lap, then grabs Tsuruno as tightly as she can. She lets out a screech as Tsuruno gets going again, causing the other girl to wince.

"Not in my ear!" she protests.

"S-sorry!"

Tsuruno skids around two more corners, eliciting a squeal from Iroha each time, then skids to a stop in front of a house.

"Wait here for a second!" she says.

She hops off the motor scooter and grabs the package from Iroha, running up to the house and ringing the doorbell. When the door opens, she announces herself.

"Delivery from Banbanzai!"

She cites the price, and the person within hands over some cash and takes the package. Then Tsuruno spots something in the person's mailbox and plucks it out.

"Hey, hey, do you need this?" she asks. "Looks like junk mail, but…"

The person within peers at it.

"Yeah, that's junk mail… you can have it you want."

"Thank you so much!" Tsuruno says.

She turns and returns to the street, beaming at Iroha.

"Look, look what I found!" she says. "See? I told you! I'm a lucky girl!"

Iroha peers at the leaflet Tsuruno snagged and starts to read it out loud.

"Even in the afterlife, bonds never break… find the most spiritual spot in Mizuna Ward! Collect stamps while you follow in the footsteps of that tragic couple, and find the spot that brought them together forever. Those who wish to exchange eternal vows… those who wish to test their friendship… why not give it a try? Sponsored by the Mizuna Ward Development Committee."

"You see, you see?" Tsuruno says. "Sounds promising, right?"

"Um, Tsuruno-chan… this is just some kind of town promotion," Iroha protests.

"Maybe so, but it could be related!" Tsuruno says. "See, here on the back it tells the whole story!"

She scans the back of the leaflet.

"So it says there's this old legend in Mizuna Ward," she says. "See? It may be a town promotion, but it's based on an old legend! Looking into it might help!"

"Hmm… you do have a point," Iroha admits. "A legend… a spiritual spot, which could be a shrine… this does sound a little promising…"

"That's what I thought!" Tsuruno says.

"So, what kind of legend is it?" Iroha asks.

Tsuruno scans the back of the leaflet again.

"Well… to make a long story short… umm… a long time ago, there was a couple from different social classes that fell in love, but the man was killed. Then one day, after the murder, the grieving woman found a piece of paper with the man's handwriting on it… the name of a place was written on it, so she tried going there. Whoa! And you're not gonna believe what happened next! They say that she was reunited with the man!"

"I feel like I'm missing a few details, but it seems like a nice enough story," Iroha says.

"Too bad the guy was a ghost, though," Tsuruno says.

"S-so it's a horror story!?" Iroha gasps. "But she got to reunite with the man…"

"Exactly!" Tsuruno says. "But it doesn't end there! If you trace the path they walked, it's said you can find a powerful matchmaking spot!"

"I think that part's just the town promotion," Iroha says.

"But that's why I thought you should look into it," Tsuruno says.

"But ghosts… um, are you not coming, Tsuruno-chan?"

"I'm not good at figuring out details!" Tsuruno says. "So I thought I'd check out all the shrines in the area! And besides, I've gotta return the scooter in case Dad needs to make another delivery."

"Eh!? What were you delivering, anyway?"

"What!?" Tsuruno gasps. "It wasn't obvious!?"

"Ehhh!?"

She does a twirl before indicating the logo on her chest.

"Chinese restaurant Banbanzai! You should stop by sometime! It's absolutely the most average food you'll ever try!"

"Is that supposed to be a good thing!?" Iroha gasps. "But… alright, I'll look into that legend!"

"Great!"

Iroha gets off the scooter and takes the leaflet from Tsuruno, who then hops on.

"Oh yeah!" she says. "Apparently the path starts at the man's old house!"

"Got it!" Iroha says.

"And gimme your contact info! That way if anything comes up, we can get in touch!"

"Sure, but… how do I do that?" Iroha asks.

"What!?" Tsuruno gasps. "You don't know? That's pretty rare, these days…"

"I don't use the phone that much," Iroha says. "I do know how to add a contact… but not how to give mine out… and I get easily confused by technology. The only reason we met was because I got lost trying to use the map to get to Mizuna Shrine… it suddenly started rotating…"

"Well, there's a really cool feature where all you need to do is tap your phones together and they automatically exchange contact info!" Tsuruno says.

"It's really that simple!?" Iroha gasps.

"Well, as long as you haven't turned that feature off in settings," Tsuruno says. "Some people don't like it, privacy or something."

"I've never even opened settings…"

"Well then!"

Tsuruno whips out her phone and holds it out. Iroha grabs hers and gingerly taps it against Tsuruno's. Both phones beep.

"W-whoa!? What was that?" Iroha asks.

"It means it worked!" Tsuruno says. "Now we can call or email each other!"

"Great! Thank you!" Iroha says.

Tsuruno zooms off, calling back over her shoulder.

"See you!"

Iroha sighs and takes a closer look at the leaflet. Tsuruno had indeed left out a few details from the story on the back, though the leaflet itself was artfully omitting a few details as well. Then on the front of the leaflet was a map of sorts depicting a path, with circular places at intervals.

"So it's a stamp pad…" Iroha says. "Okay… this should be easy… the first one is… right here… alright! I can do this!"

Mokyu makes one of its cute noises.

"Yeah, it might even be fun! Alright… I'm gonna collect those stamps!"

So she starts to make her way towards the first location on the route. The path is circuitous, taking her to a seemingly random alleyway, the south gate of Mizuna Castle, back to Mizuna Girls' School, and finally to one of the fancier bridges crossing the river near the edge of the ward.

"Alright," she says. "This is the last stamp! Now then…? Will it lead me to the Séance Shrine?"

She peers more closely at the leaflet, reading the instructions out loud.

"Line up the lines on sheets A and B and hold the paper up to the sun. The stamps you've collected will form a map that will guide you to the goal."

She gasps. "W-what!? Um… this says A… so you need a partner for this!? Oh no…"

"What are you doing here?"

Iroha spins to face the speaker, Yachiyo, who looks and sounds slightly annoyed.

"What!? Miss Yachiyo!? Ah… um, well, I was collecting these stamps, but…"

"Stamps…? For someone who is looking for her sister, you sure are taking a laid-back approach. Not that I'm one to talk, since I'm here doing the same thing…"

Iroha blinks. "Huh? Are you collecting these stamps too?"

"Yes," Yachiyo says. "This is my last stamp. Hmm… now what do I do?"

She peers at the paper, no doubt discovering the same fact that Iroha just learned.

"U-umm," Iroha ventures.

"A and B!?" Yachiyo gasps. "Oh! Miss Tamaki, is this why you were…"

"Yes… so, I decided to look into the Séance Shrine, and I thought collecting all the stamps might lead me to something."

"I see…"

Yachiyo leans forward slightly to peer at her.

"W-what is it?"

"It seems you're investigating much more seriously than I expected," Yachiyo says. "But of all the rumours… why the Séance Shrine?"

"Why? Is that one of the rumours in your Kamihama Rumour Files?"

"I don't have to answer that question," Yachiyo retorts.

"Aww…"

"More importantly, you should stay away from all rumours," Yachiyo says ominously. "Like I told you before… poking your nose into things like this will only end in tears."

"I know, but…"

"You're going to keep investigating regardless of anything I say, aren't you?"

"Yes… because this could lead me to Ui," Iroha says.

"When it comes to your sister, you're really stubborn, you know that?" Yachiyo says with a sigh.

"Um… so, Miss Yachiyo," Iroha says.

"What is it?"

"Why are you participating in this event?"

"I don't have to answer that question, either," Yachiyo retorts.

"That too, huh… but you intend to see this through to the end, right?"

"Yes, that's the plan."

"In that case, well… I have A!"

"What's with you all of a—"

Yachiyo blinks as Iroha holds out her leaflet.

"Ah, I see…" Yachiyo looks at hers. "I have… what luck, it's B."

"Well then!" Iroha says, smiling.

Yachiyo sighs.

"Guess there's no choice… let's put them together."

They do as the instructions say – stack the pages together, line up the patterns on them, and hold them up to the slowing dying sunlight. The combined pattern pinpoints a location just south of the castle.

"Hmm… what an ordinary place," Yachiyo says.

"You know where it is?" Iroha asks.

"Yes, follow me," Yachiyo says. "I might as well show you the way."

"Thank you!"

Yachiyo leads her to Mizuna Shrine, and they pause to gaze up at the shrine gate for a few minutes.

"So this is the spot," Iroha says. "It sure is a huge shrine…"

"It is," Yachiyo says. "They've even got separate inner and outer gardens and everything."

"Um, Miss Yachiyo," Iroha says. "Is it possible that this shrine is the Séance Shrine…?"

"I wish it were," Yachiyo says.

"I'll take that as a no…"

"As far as I can tell, it's not," Yachiyo says. "There's nothing out of the ordinary here. Plus, this shrine isn't originally connected to matchmaking anyway. It was originally built by the diviners of the Tokime clan, before they were wiped out… if it represents anything, I'd say it's freedom."

"But the legend about the tragic couple could be true, right?" Iroha asks.

"If that's the case, this is more about the legend than any god," Yachiyo says. "Either way, nothing is going on here that I can see."

"Really…?"

"Yes, really."

They head through the outer shrine gate and follow the gravel path inward, then come to a different gateway that resembles a castle more than a shrine. Beyond this is a bridge over a small artificial pond, with a corridor of looming shrine gateways spaced out at equal intervals along the bridge, their posts plunging deep into the pond alongside the bridge and possibly even doubling as supports for the bridge itself. Finally they emerge from the corridor and locate a kiosk selling charms. They talk to the woman behind the kiosk.

"Hello, welcome to Mizuna Shrine," she says. "Thank you for visiting."

"Is this the goal of the stamp collecting event?" Yachiyo asks.

"Ah, so the two of you collected all the stamps!" the woman says excitedly.

"Yes… can we turn in our stamp sheets here?"

"Yes, you may!" the woman says.

Iroha and Yachiyo both hand over their leaflets, and the woman accepts them, quickly glancing over them to make sure all the stamps are indeed filled out.

"Alright, thank you for your sheets," the woman says. "Now, to conclude your journey…"

"Huh?" Yachiyo blinks.

"W-what!?" Iroha gasps.

"Please confess your feelings for each other here, at this shrine!" the woman says. "Then, as a prize for collecting all the stamps, you can have this matchmaking charm!"

She picks up one of the many charms on display in front of her.

"Huh?" Iroha blinks.

"How embarrassing," Yachiyo says. "Let's just leave, Miss Tamaki—"

"Um… I can never tell what you're thinking, Miss Yachiyo," Iroha says.

"Oh… you're actually doing it?" Yachiyo asks, startled.

"Huh?" Iroha says.

Yachiyo giggles. "You're so innocent."

"Ah!" Iroha gasps. "I-I'm so sorry!"

Yachiyo sighs. "It's fine… say whatever you want," she says.

"W-whatever…?" Iroha blinks a few times. "Umm… I'm not really sure but… I think you're a nice person…"

"I see," Yachiyo says. "Well, just for the record, here's what I think of you, Miss Tamaki. You're frighteningly direct."

Iroha blinks. "Oh… u-umm… what do you mean by that?"

"I wonder…"

The two of them each accept a matchmaking charm from the woman and leave the shrine grounds. As they step back into the street, Yachiyo sighs.

"That was exhausting," she mutters. "Miss Tamaki, you should probably hurry home."

She starts to walk away, but Iroha stops her.

"Um, wait a second!"

"What is it?" Yachiyo asks.

"I just wanted to say… thank you for today!" Iroha says.

"Thank you, too," Yachiyo says. "I got this matchmaking charm thanks to you… not that I needed it. But I hope you find her… your sister, I mean."

"Huh?" Iroha says.

"Never mind," Yachiyo says.

Then she walks off without another word. Iroha watches her go until she's out of sight.

"Ah… I really don't get her!" she sighs.

Suddenly, her phone rings, and she fishes it out to look at the call display. It's Tsuruno, so she answers it.

"So, how'd it go, Iroha-chan!?" Tsuruno asks. "Any luck!?"

Iroha winces a bit. "Please don't shout through the phone, Tsuruno-chan… and no… I didn't learn anything from the stamp quest. I ended up at a shrine in the end, so I thought maybe it was the one, but… "

"Oh, what shrine was it?" Tsuruno asks.

"Mizuna Shrine."

"Yeah, I started there too," Tsuruno says. "But it wasn't the right one."

"What about the other shrines you checked out?" Iroha asks.

"No luck there either!" Tsuruno says. "There are so many shrines just in this one tiny ward! It's amazing! No matter how much I ran around I found big ones, small ones, tiny ones… there's just so many of them on the map! I wonder how many I got to… I have a feeling there's tons more!"

"Then, shall I help you check out more of them tomorrow?" Iroha suggests.

"Yeah! That's a great idea!" Tsuruno says. "Let's look together! Meet me at Banbanzai after school!"

"Um… where is that, exactly?"

"Just search it on the map! You can't miss it!"

"Okay… I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"You betcha!"

And with that, Tsuruno hangs up. Iroha heads to the nearest train station and catches a train to Takarazaki.

---

After school the next day, I decide on a whim to stop by to pick up Inui after school. I'm thinking perhaps I can have a chat with Mami about the declining witch population. Komachi joins me, to pick up her little sister, but Elise and Claire unexpectedly head off on their own.

"Have you been hunting separately lately?" I ask Komachi.

"Yeah, we can cover more ground that way," Komachi says. "And there are so few witches now that it's kinda the only way we can even get grief seeds."

"By the way… what about the grief cubes?"

"Well… those are already gone," Komachi says. "We didn't give them to Kyuubey though… like you suggested, the four of us stashed them back in the tomb once they were all filled up. That said, they were a life-saver. I don't think we would've lasted this long without them."

"Have you gone back there since you stashed them?"

"No… but if we don't find a witch today, we probably will."

I nod. "Let me know how that goes, whenever you do go back there – I'm not even certain if my plan of recycling them was viable to begin with. Maybe it actually takes a long time for a full cube to hatch again, for example."

Komachi nods. "Yeah… I'll let you know how it goes," she says.

We spend the rest of the journey in silence. When the two of us arrive at the school, not only do we find Hiyori already waiting, the entire Holy Quintet is there too. Oh… by Holy Quintet, I mean the revised one where Nagisa substitutes for Kyouko. Hiyori spots us and waves.

"Ashley-chan, onee-san!" she calls. "Is something up? I wasn't expecting to see you together…"

Hiyori's call apparently catches Madoka's attention, and she too turns to wave.

"Ashley-chan! Over here!"

The rest of the Holy Quintet also turns to see me. Sayaka glares at me, Homura and Nagisa stare impassively, and Mami looks surprised. Despite Sayaka's apparent hostility, I move over to join them, and the Hayashi sisters follow as well.

"Ah… Miss Ashley Taylor," Mami says. "This is a pleasant surprise."

"…can we drop the 'pleasant' part…?" Sayaka mutters.

"Come on, Sayaka-chan… she was just trying to help you out!" Madoka protests.

"I get it," Sayaka mutters. "That doesn't mean I have to like it… Hitomi was in tears…"

"Well, t-that's true, but…"

"We were just discussing the decline in the local witch population," Mami says. "Have you noticed it as well, Miss Taylor?"

"Please, call me by my given name," I say. "It's what I'm used to… calling me by my surname makes me feel like a granny or something… anyway, to answer your question, I actually haven't really noticed. I lucked out a couple weeks ago and managed to get several grief seeds, so combined with my pre-existing stash, it's been enough to hold me over the past two weeks."

Though I don't let Mami in on the distinction, I'm mainly thinking of the grief cubes, although Itzli's seed is also included in that number.

"I did fight a couple of witches in the past two weeks, but not enough to say whether the population is declining," I conclude. "That said, this isn't the first I've heard about it – others have also mentioned it to me."

"I see," Mami says. "The truth is, I haven't encountered a witch for several days now… and this isn't limited to Mitakihara, either. I've gone as far afield as Asunaro and Hohzuki in search of witches – both cities have suffered a similar decline."

I nod. "Yeah, a friend in Asunaro mentioned they ran into you," I say. "I was wondering why you were so far from home…"

"Ah, that's right," Mami says. "Your name did come up in my travels. Not only in Asunaro, but also in Hohzuki… you've certainly been around quite a lot, Miss Ashley…"

"Well… I have nothing to say," I say. "It's true that I've checked out things in other cities. So, did you by any chance learn anything?"

Mami nods. "Yes… from what I heard, there is one city where the witch population has not declined. It appears that the witches may be migrating to that city for some unknown reason. Kyuubey has been unable to offer any reason why witches would do such a thing though, and furthermore, apparently he cannot enter the city in question."

I nod. "I heard something similar from a friend in Asunaro who was investigating it," I say. "You're referring to Kamihama, correct?"

Mami nods. "Which is why we were discussing who would accompany me to investigate Kamihama today," she concludes.

"Honestly, I'd rather keep watch here in Mitakihara," Sayaka says. "I mean, you never know when a witch'll pop up, right? And if one does appear, we gotta make sure we get to it before Kyouko does!"

"As I was about to say before Ashley-chan showed up," Madoka says. "I'll stay with Sayaka-chan, to keep her company."

"In that case… will you accompany me, Homura-chan?"

Homura shrugs. "I suppose I could… but, Madoka, are you sure you'll be okay alone?"

"It's alright," Madoka says. "I still have a grief seed. I'll just make sure not to use any magic unless Sayaka-chan's really in trouble. Of course… that's only if we find a witch in the first place, though… and Nagisa-chan, will you come with us too?"

Nagisa hems and haws, apparently thinking really hard about whether to accompany Mami or Sayaka. Finally, she points at Sayaka.

"I've decided," she says. "I'm going to protect the sword sister today!"

"Nagisa… would it hurt for you to use my name just once?" Sayaka asks.

"I don't feel like it," Nagisa retorts. "Maybe I'll feel like it tomorrow."

"That's what you always say," Sayaka says. "Geez… you could be a little less difficult…"

"Ah!" Nagisa says suddenly. "The grief seed!"

The others look at her in confusion as she takes out a grief seed, stepping forward to offer it to me.

"Oh… to pay me back for back then?" I say. "You really don't have to… I know grief seeds are tight right now…"

Nagisa shakes her head. "I don't want to owe you anything," she says. "If I owe you something, you could make me do something I don't want to. Therefore, with this, we're even. Now I don't owe you anything."

I sigh. "Well… if you insist," I say. "In that case, I'll gladly accept it."

I take the grief seed from her and stow it away.

"It's impressive that you remembered after so long," Mami says. "I completely forgot that you owed Miss Ashley a seed…"

"By the way, will this be the first time you've been to Kamihama, Miss Tomoe?" I ask.

"Almost," Mami says. "I was there briefly, last Friday, when I was investigating the decline of witches. I didn't stay long – I just saved a local magical girl from a strong witch, questioned her a little, and came back."

If it's like in the game, the girl in question must have been Rena, who at that point in time would've been fighting alone to protect Kaede from the rumour.

"It's after I returned that I heard from Kyuubey that he can't enter the city," Mami continues. "But today I wanted to do a more thorough investigation. Would you like to accompany me too, Miss Ashley?"

Oh? The offer is actually pretty tempting, but… I'm still trying to take a somewhat hands-off approach to let events play out on their own, barring anything that seems like it would be life-threatening. As of yet, I haven't found anything I'd strongly want to change; and even if events do go the same way as the game, including the bad turns, on the whole it turns out alright in the end, so do I really need to interfere? If this isn't the last timeline, which is likely, then perhaps I'll consider interfering next time, but if there's a chance I'll go back with Homura again, I'd like my first experience to be as interference-free as possible for reference purposes. After all, there's a limit to how much I can rely on what I know from the game. Several key elements of the scenario before me are already different from the game – Homura has shed her braids and glasses and is actually living with Mami, Madoka only just recently became a magical girl and already knows the full truth, Nagisa and Yuma are present, and even Sayaka knows the first truth already. All of those things themselves are bound to alter events from the game's course, and getting an idea of how they'll alter things without further interference from me should be valuable if I need to redo things again.

"Hmm… much as I'd like to, I had something else planned for tonight," I say. "Sorry! I'd be interested in hearing what you find, though. Perhaps if we met up… hmm… when would be a good time…? I've got something important to do tomorrow, as well… and my entire weekend is booked solid…"

"Surely you are not occupied for the entire evening?" Mami says. "Although I am not sure how long the investigation will take, I expect to be back before the end of the day, so if we meet at my place… maybe around nine o'clock at the earliest?"

"That works," I say.

"Do you know where my place is?" she asks.

"Um… I'm not quite sure if I know… how about you tell me to be on the safe side?" I suggest.

So Mami gives directions to her apartment, and I nod. This is basically just a show, anyway, since I already know where she lives.

"In that case, I will see you tonight," Mami says.

"Good luck in your investigation," I say.

Mami and Homura head off together, and Sayaka turns to leave as well, in a different direction, followed by Nagisa. Madoka pauses to say something to me.

"Um, Ashley-chan, please don't mind Sayaka-chan, okay?"

"Don't worry," I say. "She has a good reason to be mad at me, after all… just let her stew it off, right? And keep an eye on her soul gem."

Madoka nods. "Right! Of course!"

Then she hurries after Sayaka and Nagisa. I turn to the Hayashi sisters.

"So, um… do you know why Inui-chan hasn't come out yet?" I ask.

Hiyori shakes her head. "I'm not sure… but I didn't see her leave while I was waiting, so she's probably still at school…"

"Alright… I guess I'll keep waiting, then," I say. "You two can go on ahead, if you like."

"Okay, see you later, Ashley-chan," Hiyori says.

"Yeah, see you later," Komachi says.

The two of them head off, and I ponder the situation a bit, closing my eyes and kneading my head. Based on the discussion, this should be the day that Iroha unleashes her doppel, right? That also fits with what I saw of Iroha's investigation yesterday, I think, although if I go by the game's timeline, Iroha shouldn't unleash her doppel until tomorrow… but things are already moving faster than in the game, where there was at least a week between the Rule of Ending Friendships and the Séance Shrine. So Homura's going to accompany Mami in her investigations? I wonder how that'll affect the event…

"Things sure are moving quickly though," I mutter out loud. "It's starting to make my head hurt…"

Something tugs at my sleeve, and I open my eyes and look down. W-whoa!? It's Yuma! Green hair in twintails, overalls, a striped shirt… there's no doubt about it! What's she even doing around here?

"Hey, onee-chan!" Yuma says. "Does your head hurt? Are you alright? Do you want Yuma to ask a grown-up for some medicine?"

I blink. Isn't that the exact same line she used on Mami in another timeline…?

"Um, no, I'm fine, Yuma-chan," I say. "I didn't mean my head was literally hurting… it's more that I've got so much to think about that I'm just, well… overwhelmed."

She's not surprised at me using her name. Well… of course she wouldn't be. She speaks in the third person, so she basically told me her name already.

"Oh… so it doesn't hurt?"

"No, it doesn't… huh?" I blink. "Hey… are you alone, Yuma-chan?"

"No, Yuma was with… huh?" Yuma looks around, startled. "Where…? Kyouko, where did you go!?"

There's no sign of Kyouko, so Yuma must've run really far ahead. I'd like to help search, but I need to wait for Inui…

"Ashley-nee!?" Inui gasps. "You came to pick me up! I'm so happy!"

And just when I'm debating what to do, the person in question emerges from the school gate and accosts me.

"Oh… perfect timing, Inui-chan," I say.

"Huh?"

"Yuma-chan, let me help you find the person you're looking for. She's a magical girl, right?"

"Huh? How did you know that, onee-chan?" she asks.

"I recognized the name, Kyouko," I say. "And I'm a magical girl too."

"Ohh, is that the girl Miss Madoka mentioned?" Inui says. "She's pretty cute! Hey, Yuma-chan! I'm Itsumi Inui!"

Yuma looks at her. "Um… h-hello…?"

While Inui is trying to entertain Yuma, I take out my soul gem and search for Kyouko's signature. After a moment, I sense a ping to the east, just on the edge of my range… but just as I sense her, she moves out of range.

"That way!" I say, pointing. "Yuma-chan, would you like a piggy-back ride?"

"Yes! Yuma would like that!" Yuma says. "But where to?"

"To Sakura Kyouko," I say. "That's who you're looking for, right?"

"R-right! Yuma lost Kyouko!" the girl says.

I bend down and let her climb on my back, with a little help from Inui, and then I take off at a run. Inui follows me too, of course. After a minute or two, Kyouko's magical signature comes back in range, allowing me to effectively track her. She seems to be moving around at random, likely searching for Yuma.

Finally, I catch sight of her ahead, and send her a telepathic ping.

«Miss Sakura! Turn around!»

She spins to face me and stares as I run up to her.

"Ah! Yuma!" she says. "Where the hell'd you get to!? I've been looking all over for you!"

Yuma jumps down from my back and runs over to her.

"Kyouko! I got lost, but this onee-san showed me the way!"

Kyouko looks at me.

"Look, don't expect a second favour from me for this," she says. "It's not like I care that much about Yuma… she's just been following me around of late."

"Don't worry," I say. "I won't ask you for another favour… although, I might be calling in the other favour soon."

"Oh? Got something in mind?" Kyouko says.

"Only a half-formed thought, so far," I say. "I need to stew on it a bit longer."

"Hmm… is that so?" Kyouko says. "Well, I ain't doing anything crazy, you hear?"

"Sure… I don't think it's something that could be called crazy," I say.

"Alright, Yuma… let's go get some chow," Kyouko says. "You wanna come, Miss Taylor? Though I ain't paying for your food."

"No, not today," I say. "I've got things to do. Perhaps another time."

"Well, have it your way," Kyouko shrugs. "See you whenever."

She takes Yuma's hand, and they walk off together.

"She's not a magical girl," Inui observes.

"Hmm?"

"That girl… Yuma-chan," Inui says. "She's not a magical girl. The great and scary Sakura Kyouko is looking after a random stray who's not even a magical girl… this… this is just… almost too absurd to believe…"

I chuckle. "I have a feeling Yuma-chan reminds her of her little sister," I say. "But anyway… let's head home. Oh, by the way… Miss Tomoe invited me to her place… she didn't specify, but it's possible I might stay the night. Would you like to come too?"

Inui makes a face. "Well… I know you said I should give her a chance, but… I think I'd prefer not to this time. Maybe next time."

I shrug. "Alright… then I'll go by myself."

"I don't want you to go, but… I have to get used to being apart from you, anyway," Inui says. "Since I'm transferring tomorrow… so this is probably a good opportunity."

"Oh? I'm surprised you're not saying the opposite," I say. "Like, that this'll our last night together so we should make the most of it."

"Well, I do feel that way," Inui admits. "But I think it would be pretty selfish of me to demand it, especially since we'll have the whole weekend together. I'm sure your business with Miss Tomoe is something important, so I don't want to get in the way of that. And it's not like I'll never see you again – I'm just moving to Kamihama, so we'll still see each other. If it was the last time I would ever see you, I'd probably be more selfish."

"I see… well, thank you, Inui-chan."

---

April seventh. Iroha manages to find her way to Banbanzai, where Tsuruno welcomes her with a giant plate of fried rice and a couple other dishes. There are no other customers, so it's just the two of them there.

"Eat up, eat up, Iroha-chan!" Tsuruno says eagerly.

"E-ehhh!? I didn't come here to eat!"

"But you're hungry, right?" Tsuruno says.

"Ah, well… I guess."

"Then try it! Let me know what you think!"

"A-alright then… thanks for the food…"

Iroha tries the food, with Tsuruno hanging over her expectantly. After about a minute, she can no longer hold it in.

"So!?" Tsuruno asks. "How is it? How is it?"

"Um… it's… good?"

"What grade would you give it?" Tsuruno asks.

"U-um, like I said… it tastes good…"

"What grade, what grade?" Tsuruno insists.

"What grade… uhh… C… I guess?"

"Only a C!?" Tsuruno gasps, leaping up in mock shock.

"N-no, no, I mean… it tastes normal!" Iroha says quickly. "I… I mean… C is just about an… average grade… right? Um… I'm sorry if it came across as rude…"

"No, don't worry about it," Tsuruno says cheerfully. "Banbanzai flavours are strong, with more or less the same seasoning all across the menu. We're well-known around here for being a great restaurant with balanced dishes that score around a C!"

"Ah… so C was the correct answer…"

"Anyway! Now that you've eaten, let's get going!"

"Eh? Is it okay to just leave the restaurant like that?" Iroha asks.

"It's okay!" Tsuruno says. "Dad can handle things on his own for awhile!"

"Huh? Is he around? I haven't seen him…"

"He's in the back, probably taking a nap," Tsuruno says.

She pops into the back room, hollering at the top of her voice.

"Dad! I'm heading out for a bit with a friend, okay?"

After a brief delay, a man's voice came back.

"Alright! Go have fun, Tsuruno!"

Tsuruno emerges once more, sans apron.

"Let's do this!" Tsuruno says.

They head outside into the street and make for the nearest train station.

"So… hmm… where should we go first…?" Tsuruno wonders once they're on the train. "It's a brand new day, plus today we're working together! With the two of us teaming up, we might just find that shrine in no time! I guarantee it!"

"Um… hey, Tsuruno-chan, maybe it's better to investigate separately today, too… do you mind?"

"Huh?"

"Um, well… I saw this shrine on top of a building from the train yesterday, and…"

"On top of a building!?" Tsuruno gasps. "That's so weird! I didn't see it on the map on my phone… any idea where it is?"

She whips her phone out to call up a map of Mizuna Ward and shows it to Iroha, who after some hesitation points to a specific location not far from the railway line.

"Hmm… it was somewhere… around here…?"

Tsuruno zooms in on and squints at the place she indicated, reading out the label.

"Mizuna Hotel, building three… that's all it says here. Just the name of some building."

"But I'm pretty sure it was around there somewhere!" Iroha says.

"I didn't even notice it at all!" Tsuruno says.

"You must have your own list of shrines to check out, right? So if it's okay with you… I'd like to go check that one out. Would that be alright?"

"It's awesome that you noticed something new!" Tsuruno says. "You deserve an A plus!"

"So does that mean…?"

"Yep!" Tsuruno says. "So today we'll split up again, and we'll call each other if anything comes up!"

"Okay!" Iroha says.

So Iroha gets off the train before Tsuruno, heading towards the location she'd indicated on Tsuruno's map, with some help from her own phone's map. Finally she finds herself staring up at an old, rundown building.

"…is this the building I saw from the train?" she wonders. "Mizuna Hotel, building three… it's… out of business?"

She suddenly gasps.

"Ah! My soul gem is resonating… this magic… it feels a lot stronger than usual… I wonder, can I do this on my own…?"

Mokyu makes one of its cute noises, and Iroha nods.

"Yeah, it's a really strong one," she says. "I wish Yachiyo were here too… but I don't know how to contact her… anyway, I found the witch, so I should take care of it!"

She glances around to make sure no-one is watching, then hops over a fence and ventures down into an underground loading bay.

"The source of the magic… it's right here! Okay, in we go, Mokyu!"

She spots the portal with its bunny-head emblem and transforms as she hops inside. She's almost immediately attacked by familiars, barely managing to hold them off with rapid-fire bolts. She manages to defeat the first wave and heaves a sigh of relief. Based on the labyrinth and the familiars, she's up against Candy.

"Good… I can barely defeat them on my own," she mutters.

Then another wave shows up, and there are more of them this time. She gasps.

"B-but… I might have to run… even though this could be the Séance Shrine!"

However, before she can come to a decision, several spears fly in and destroy the familiars. Yachiyo steps forward with a sigh.

"You never learn your lesson… you should've realized they'd be strong before you entered the labyrinth."

"Huh!? M-miss Yachiyo!?"

"Don't act like your life is expendable," Yachiyo says. "You're going to make me chase you out of this city again, like I did when we first met."

"I'm not acting like my life is expendable!" Iroha protests. "And I'm not gonna die in front of you, Miss Yachiyo! I don't want you to say I died in vain…"

"…huh?"

"Um… Miss Yachiyo?"

"Ah, no, it's nothing…" Yachiyo sighs again. "Anyway, why are you here…?"

"Um… I was looking for the Séance Shrine," Iroha explains.

"Again…?" Yachiyo sighs.

"I'm not going to stop looking for it," Iroha says stubbornly.

"It seems I'm not going to be able to change your mind…"

"Yes, that's right."

"You really are stubborn…"

"So, Miss Yachiyo, why are you here?"

Yachiyo just blinks, and Iroha sighs.

"Let me guess… 'I don't have to answer that question'… right?"

"That's correct," Yachiyo says. "I don't have to answer that question."

"The only one who answers questions is me," Iroha grumbles.

"Don't answer if you don't want to," Yachiyo retorts.

Another wave of familiars appear, and they pause the conversation to take them all out. With Yachiyo along, it's a piece of cake.

"I'm surprised though," she notes. "They really are stronger than other familiars. It seems I too underestimated them."

"E-even you think they're strong!?" Iroha gasps.

"Yes," Yachiyo says. "No wonder you were having so much trouble with them. Actually, I think you've gotten stronger. You're keeping up with me, after all."

"Th-thanks!"

"You're strong enough now," she continues. "I guess I won't have to stop you from looking into rumours."

"Eh? Um… why the change of heart?"

"When it comes to your sister, you get so stubborn," Yachiyo says. "You won't listen to anyone."

"Aww… does that mean I passed your test? Like when you let me come to Kamihama…"

"I guess you could put it that way…"

"Great! Now I can look into the Séance Shrine like you, then!"

"What? What makes you think I'm also looking into that?"

"Um… because we ran into each other yesterday in the stamp rally," Iroha says. "And then again today, the rooftop shrine… am I wrong?"

"I don't have to answer that," Yachiyo says. "Come on, focus! We're about to enter the witch's nest!"

"Huh!? Oh, yeah…"

"Miss Tamaki, I suggest we cover each other's backs rather than fighting separately," Yachiyo suggests.

"Alright, then I'll cover you, Miss Yachiyo!" Iroha says.

"I'm counting on you."

"Leave it to me!"

They burst into the witch's chamber and get the jump on her with a pre-emptive pair of attacks, but then Iroha gasps as she spots a man lying on the ground by the wall.

"Wait, Miss Yachiyo!" she says. "There's someone on the ground over there!"

"What!?"

"W-what should we do!?" Iroha laments. "If we leave him here, he'll be in danger… oh, but if we help him, the witch might get away."

"Calm down," Yachiyo says. "In a situation like this, we should—"

"C-can we rescue him?" Iroha asks.

"A person's life always comes first!" Yachiyo says.

"Oh good, we're on the same page."

"It seems so."

While Yachiyo grabs the man, Iroha turns to face the witch and charges magic into one of her bolts, similar to what she does for her ultimate attack. However, this time she lets it loose earlier, without calling an attack, and it just flies like a normal bolt. It strikes the witch's shoulder and sticks there.

"I've got him!" Yachiyo says. "Come on!"

They head out of the labyrinth, Iroha shooting down a few familiars that get in their way. Then they power down as they return to reality, and lay the man out on a nearby park bench.

"He should be okay if we let him rest here, right?" Iroha says.

"Yes, he should come to any minute now… we're pressed for time."

"Yes, we should… go after that witch!"

"We need to… chase that witch!"

They announce their intentions at the same time.

"Again," Iroha says. "We're still on the same page."

"So it would seem," Yachiyo says. "Don't you want to investigate that rooftop shrine, though?"

"The witch comes before that," Iroha says.

"If that's what you want, I won't argue. Let's go after the witch."

She closes her eyes for a moment, then sighs.

"We can't trace its magic from this far away, though…"

"Miss Yachiyo, leave it to me!" Iroha says.

"Leave it to you…?"

Iroha closes her eyes for a moment, then points in a direction.

"This way!"

Yachiyo tilts her head.

"How do you know?"

"Earlier, I shot an arrow charged with my magic into the witch," Iroha explains. "Since I'm very familiar with how my magic feels, I can trace it even from here."

"Not bad," Yachiyo says.

Iroha giggles. "Thanks!"

She leads the way, and they soon find themselves in a busy shopping mall not far away. They locate the entrance to the labyrinth just behind a pair of escalators.

"There's the labyrinth," Iroha says.

"It's the same magic pattern, there's no mistaking it," Yachiyo says. "But what's it doing in a shopping mall…?"

"There are more people here than usual, right?" Iroha suggests.

"More people than usual?" Yachiyo muses. "That's true… oh! I see…"

"…Miss Yachiyo?"

"Miss Tamaki, I figured it out."

"Figured out what? Is it something serious?"

"Yes. Today… is ten-times-the-points day!"

"T-ten-times-the-points…?"

"Doesn't ring any bells, I see," Yachiyo says. "Only children don't know about ten-times-the-points day. Today you get ten times as many points as usual on any purchase. It's even bigger than the customer appreciation days they have on the weekend…"

"W-wait, does that count for books and stationery too!?" Iroha gasps.

"That's right," Yachiyo says. "Books, stationery…"

"Snacks…?"

"Yes, snacks too. You get ten times the points for anything you buy here today!"

"W-wait, hold on a second," Iroha says.

"I wasn't trying to explain how great ten-times-the-points day is," Yachiyo says. "It's just, I know what the witch is after here."

"Huh? What's it after?"

"The witch is here because it's ten-times-the-points day."

"It wants… points…? Ah, it's because everyone's here…"

"Correct. It probably sensed that people were gathering here and came to get them… if we don't take that witch out, everyone here will be in danger. Let's defeat it before it spreads its curse!"

So they step back into the labyrinth and transform, this time reaching the central chamber much faster.

"I don't want to give it a chance to do something," Yachiyo says. "Let's try to end it in one shot!"

"Then let's connect and attack at the same time!" Iroha says.

"Yes, I'll fatally wound it, and you, Miss Tamaki, will finish it off."

"Got it!"

They slap their hands together, emitting the telltale flash of a connect skill, and Iroha starts charging up her attack as they break into the central chamber. Yachiyo leaps at the giant stuffed bunny before it can react, enlarging her spear and plunging it straight down into the top of the witch's head. The connect appears to alter the shape of Iroha's bolt to somewhat resemble Yachiyo's spears, so it's probably like some sort of damage or critical boost.

"Strada Futuro!"

And Iroha's ultimate attack bombards the wounded witch into submission until it bursts open and crumbles into dust. Yachiyo grabs the grief seed as the labyrinth collapses. Since they're still in a crowded shopping mall, albeit off in a corner, they immediately power down.

"W-we did it," Iroha says, panting a little.

"Good work," Yachiyo says. "Today's spoils are yours."

She offers Iroha the grief seed.

"Eh? The grief seed… um… are you sure?"

"Look at your soul gem," Yachiyo says.

Iroha checks it and blinks. It's probably around sixty percent full.

"Oh… there's a lot of impurities…"

"If your soul gem gets too tainted, something terrible will happen," Yachiyo says. "You should purify it with a grief seed before it's too late."

"But…" Iroha protests.

"It was your quick thinking that brought us to the witch," Yachiyo says. "That's more than a good enough reason for you to keep it. Here, take it."

"Okay, if you insist. Thank you."

"Be careful," Yachiyo says. "Rumours don't drop grief seeds. If you only investigate rumours, you'll end up in a bind later."

Iroha takes the grief seed and tucks it away.

"You're not going to use the grief seed?" Yachiyo asks.

"I should be fine for a little bit longer," Iroha says. "I'll save it for later. I feel like it'd be a waste if I used it now."

"Is that so…"

"Okay, I'm going to head back to that building now," Iroha says. "After all, I haven't gone to that shrine yet…"

"Yes, that's a good idea," Yachiyo says. "And I have a class to get to, so we'll be going our separate ways now."

"Thank you!" Iroha says.

As she turns to leave, a loudspeaker in the mall suddenly makes an announcement.

"Attention shoppers! Starting now, we will be having a thirty-minute sale!"

Yachiyo gasps.

"W-wait, Miss Tamaki!"

Iroha turns to face her, blinking.

"Huh!?"

"I need your help for a minute!"

"H-help? With what?"

"The side dishes today are a steal!" Yachiyo says. "Everyone loves the croquettes here, so… Miss Tamaki… could I ask you to come buy some with me? I can get twice as many if you're there."

"W-w-whaaat!?"

"Besides, ten-times-the-points day plus a limited-time sale… I cannot let this chance get away!"

As they make for the place selling croquettes, Yachiyo suddenly gasps and stops in her tracks. Iroha walks several steps further before stopping too and looking back.

"Miss Yachiyo? What's wrong? Aren't you going to buy some croquettes?"

"Y-yes, let's line up," Yachiyo says.

As they step into line for some croquettes, Yachiyo starts muttering to herself.

"Limited time only… limited… time… oh!"

Iroha blinks at her.

"That's right! The Séance Shrine!"

"The Séance Shrine?" Iroha says. "Wait… Miss Yachiyo, so you were investigating it!"

Yachiyo sighs, but then it's their turn to order, so she has to speak to the person selling the croquettes. Once they're clear of the crowd around the croquette place, Yachiyo speaks up again.

"I just had an idea," Yachiyo explains. "Miss Tamaki… I think I know where the Séance Shrine is."

"Huh? Are you sure? Also, I thought you were against me looking into rumours…"

"We just went over this, didn't we? When we were fighting that witch, I saw just how far you've come, and how serious you are about investigating rumours. Besides, you want to learn more about it, right? You can meet anyone there."

"Yes, yes! So… where is it!?"

"Mizuna Shrine."

"Huh? But you said that wasn't it yesterday…"

"That's what I thought then," Yachiyo says. "But there was one thing I overlooked."

"Overlooked?"

"The time we visited," Yachiyo says. "The man from the story in the stamp rally… he became a ghost and reunited with the woman, right?"

"Yes…"

"Miss Tamaki… when do you think ghosts appear?"

"Um… at night, I guess…"

"Exactly. That's why the time of day is one of the conditions for seeing the person you're looking for. But Mizuna Shrine isn't open for visitors at night. That's why I didn't realize it was the place until now."

"And that's why nothing happens when we visit the shrine in the morning or evening… so, if we visited the shrine at night…"

"We might be able to reunite with them," Yachiyo concludes. "If that story really is one of Mizuna Ward's genuine folk tales, and the shrine's god really reunited the woman with the man's ghost, then what we did in the stamp rally makes sense, as does the fact that it became a rumour."

"Then we have to go there!" Iroha says.

"Let's go after my class today," Yachiyo says. "That's when I'll be going, so you should come with me then."

"Eh… um… I should?" Iroha asks. "But why are you inviting me? Oh, um… there's no need for you to—"

"It's best that we move as a group this time," Yachiyo explains. "Like I said, now I know you're capable. So… are you coming with me?"

"Y-yes! Please! I would love to go with you!"

Yachiyo chuckles.

"Alright then, let's meet at Mizuna station," she says. "My class ends at six, so let's say we meet around six thirty? Don't forget to let your parents know you'll be out really late."

"Okay," Iroha says. "Oh! Um… actually, there's someone else I'd like to bring along."

"Who's that?" Yachiyo asks.

"Um… the mightiest magical girl! Or so she says…"

Yachiyo gasps. "And she's looking for the Séance Shrine too?"

"Yes, we've been investigating it together," Iroha says.

"Hmm, I see," Yachiyo says. "Alright, bring her along tonight."

"Yay! Thank you!"

"And… have a croquette or two before you go," Yachiyo says. "We might as well make the most of them before they get cold and need to be reheated."

"Thank you! I will!"

Iroha accepts one of the croquettes, and then the two of them leave the shopping mall and go their separate ways. Once she's finished her croquette, she wipes her fingers off on her handkerchief before calling her mother on the phone.

"Um, hi Mom, it's Iroha…"

"What's up, Iroha-chan?"

"Um, well… I wanted to get together with a friend, but um… it would mean I'll be staying out pretty late, so… I just wanted to… um… you know…"

"Oh, that's wonderful, Iroha-chan!" her mother says. "You've finally made a friend, have you? Don't worry about it! Stay as long as you like! In fact, I don't even mind if you stay over at your friend's place! Your father and I are busy getting ready for our trip, after all."

"Ah… thank you, Mom," Iroha says. "I'm not sure I'll be staying the night but… thank you."

"No problem. See you later! Love you!"

"Yeah…"

She hangs up with a sigh, then composes an email to Tsuruno.

"Hi, I think I found it. Can we meet at Mizuna Station at six thirty? Another friend will be coming too."

Sighing again, Iroha looks around for a bit.

"Now I've got a couple hours to burn," she muses. "What should I do… maybe I'll check out that rooftop shrine anyway…? Even if it's not the one, I'm still a bit curious about it…"

So she heads back to the abandoned hotel building and finds a way to get inside, then climbs the stairs until she reaches the roof. She stops just before the rooftop door, panting from the exertion of climbing twenty flights of stairs, then tries to open it… but it's locked. She hesitates for a few moments, considering her options.

"W-what should I do," she mutters. "It's an abandoned building, but… is it okay to just… break it? Should I… look for another way out? But there's no guarantee there's another door onto the roof…"

After muttering to herself about it for a few minutes, she decides to simply kick the door down. It takes only two kicks to burst it open, allowing her to emerge out onto the roof. There is indeed a small shrine up here, and it seems to be the same one she saw from the train. However, it has clearly been abandoned for quite some time, and despite looking around for almost half an hour, she doesn't find anything of interest there.

Yes… there's nothing of interest for her there, but one thing about the place stands out for me. Well, two things, possibly. The Tokime's four-leaf clover emblem is emblazoned right there on the shrine roof, and the two statues guarding the shrine are both foxes, rather than the more typical lion dogs. I resolve to check that shrine out myself later, perhaps even with Shizuka in tow. I should also research Mizuna Hotel and see if there's anything to suggest that it might have ties with the Tokime Clan… or possibly even with Suitoku Temple, where the Tokime trio will stay once they arrive in Kamihama. Well… if they arrive in Kamihama. I don't know if that's guaranteed to happen.

Finding nothing of interest, Iroha heads back down and catches a train a few stops over to head to Mitama's office.

"Oh, good afternoon, Iroha-chan!" Mitama greets her. "How may I help you?"

"Well… I just thought I'd stop by," Iroha says. "I was investigating the Séance Shrine with Miss Yachiyo, but we need to wait until nighttime to follow up the latest lead…"

"What!? So you're investigating rumours with Yachiyo now!?"

"Yes, I am," Iroha says. "Miss Yachiyo is also investigating the Séance Shrine, so she invited me to come with her. It feels so good to have her finally acknowledge me… plus it's just so exciting that I might finally be able to find Ui… so I guess I just wanted to tell someone…?"

"Wow, what a shock!" Mitama says. "I never thought Yachiyo would invite someone to work with her."

"It surprised me too," Iroha admits.

"Anyway, Iroha-chan… try not to get too invested in a rumour," Mitama warns. "It's always a good idea to keep a bit of doubt somewhere in that heart of yours."

"You're right," Iroha says. "I'll be careful."

Suddenly, Tsuruno bursts in, startling both of them.

"Hello, Coordinator!" she announces.

"Oh, hello," Mitama says.

"Ah, Iroha-chan, you're here too!" Tsuruno gasps. "You found the Séance Shrine! That's amazing! Way to go!"

"I didn't really do anything!" Iroha protests. "I just got lucky!"

"Alright then!" Tsuruno says. "There's less than an hour left, so we should do a warm-up before meeting up with your friend!"

"Huh!?" Iroha gasps.

"C'mon Iroha-chan, let's go!" Tsuruno says, grabbing her hand.

"W-whoa, hold on a sec, Tsuruno-chan!" Iroha protests.

"Ready, set, go!"

With that, Tsuruno drags Iroha out of the room, leaving Mitama to marvel over what she'd heard.

"She's bringing both Tsuruno and Iroha…? What's gotten into Yachiyo? If I knew this was how things were going to go… I would've told her everything about the Séance Shrine's rumour from the start…"

After running together for several minutes, Iroha manages to escape Tsuruno's grasp, leaving her running off on her own. After pausing to catch her breath, Iroha heads back to the train station and catches a train to Mizuna Station. She's still a little early, so she finds a bench and sits down with a sigh.

"I wonder how far Tsuruno-chan went…" she mutters. "Will she be here on time…?"

Yachiyo shows up about ten minutes later, also a little earlier than scheduled, and approaches Iroha on her bench. Iroha spots her coming and stands up.

"Hope I didn't keep you waiting, Miss Tamaki," Yachiyo says.

"Miss Yachiyo! Thanks for bringing me along today!"

"Thank you for coming," Yachiyo says. "I thought I was going to get here too early, but you've been waiting, I see."

"I just got nervous thinking about Ui, so I couldn't wait," Iroha says.

"Miss Tamaki, it's a rumour," Yachiyo says. "Don't get too invested in it."

"Ah… Miss Mitama just said the same thing," Iroha says.

"We don't know how or why rumours become real," Yachiyo says. "Even now, we have no idea what form the person we're looking for will take. Don't let your guard down."

"I…I won't!"

"So… Tsuruno's coming too, right?" Yachiyo says.

"Huh? Did I say her name yet…?"

Suddenly Tsuruno herself bursts onto the scene with a wordless yell.

"There she is," Yachiyo says. "With that unpleasant, grating voice…"

"Yachiyo-shishou!" Tsuruno exclaims.

"Just as I thought," Yachiyo mutters.

"Woohoo!" Tsuruno says, literally jumping for joy and then glomping her.

"Agh!" Yachiyo protests. "Get off of me, Tsuruno! You're suffocating me, and we're in public here!"

"Could you be the person Iroha-chan said we'll be working with today?" Tsuruno asks. "Who knew you two would know each other! Wow, it's so exciting that we get to fight together again! Yep, yep!"

"I'm not all that excited," Yachiyo retorts. "It hasn't even been two weeks since the last time, so I don't even understand why you are…"

"Huh!? Why aren't you excited!?" Tsuruno gasps. "Anyway, last time it just worked out that way, but this time you invited me! Of course I'd be excited!"

Yachiyo sighs. "Miss Tamaki…"

"I'm sorry," Iroha says. "I didn't know you and Tsuruno-chan were acquaintances…"

"No need to apologize… I knew it was her you were talking about," Yachiyo says.

"We're not just acquaintances!" Tsuruno protests. "We're a team! A team!"

"Oh, really!?" Iroha gasps.

"We used to be," Yachiyo corrects her. "But that's all in the past." She sighs. "Alright, fine… Tsuruno can come too."

"Let's go, let's go!" Tsuruno says eagerly.

"Once she attaches herself to you, you'll never get her off you," Yachiyo mutters. "Besides," she adds in a normal tone, "it's better we move as a group this time. Aside from her recklessness, Tsuruno's quite capable."

"Wow, I guess calling herself the Mightiest Magical Girl isn't just talk, huh?"

"Thaaat's me!" Tsuruno says.

"So, Miss Tamaki," Yachiyo says.

"Yes?"

"Could you get Tsuruno off me? She's pretty heavy…"

"Oh…"

Once Yachiyo has managed to extricate herself from Tsuruno's grasp, the three of them head out from the station. The sun was already low in the sky when the train pulled into the station with Iroha on it, and by now it's fully dark outside. They walk mostly in silence until they arrive at the shrine's main entrance. The outer gate doesn't have anything to block their passage, so they step inside and follow the short gravel path to the inner gate.

"It's a bit scary coming here at night," Iroha notes. "It's nothing like the other day."

"Well, it's after visiting hours, so all the lights are shut off," Yachiyo says. "A tranquil shrine wrapped in silence… I think it's kind of nice. Although, being with someone like her kind of ruins the mood…"

Tsuruno is as bouncy and bubbly as usual, running ahead, leaping around, skipping, spinning to face them, and all manner of other random actions.

"I've never come to a shrine at night!" Tsuruno exclaims. "In the dark, surrounded by trees… it feels like we're so far away from the city! Do you think there'll be ghosts or spirits or something? Maybe the guy from that legend'll show up!"

"Geez!" Iroha protests. "Don't say creepy stuff like that, Tsuruno-chan!"

"Come on, Tsuruno, it's dangerous to move around in the dark like that," Yachiyo says.

"Don't worry!" Tsuruno says. "It's just a normal gravel— whoa! Owwww…"

She suddenly slips and falls, and Yachiyo sighs.

"Right when I said it!"

"Tsuruno-chan!" Iroha gasps. "Are you okay!?"

"Yeah, I just got a little mud on me," Tsuruno says.

Yachiyo sighs.

"We can rinse it off later…"

They arrive at the inner gate and find it barricaded shut.

"Ah, the gate to the inner garden!" Tsuruno says. "It really is closed at night!"

"That's why I didn't figure it out before," Yachiyo says.

"Come to think of it, we can't get in, right?" Iroha points out.

"But we have to go in, don't we?" Yachiyo says.

"Huh? D-do you mean…?"

"I'm glad you're such a quick thinker," Yachiyo says. "Yes, we're going to… sneak in."

"S-so we're really doing this!? B-but… we'll get into trouble!"

"Well, Tsuruno and I are going," Yachiyo says. "You're coming, right Tsuruno?"

"Of course!"

"Then, what about you, Miss Tamaki? You're okay with not going? I thought you wanted to see your little sister. I went out of my way to invite you, too…"

"Ugh… fine, I'll go!"

"Okay then."

Yachiyo leads the way by… leaping clear over the gate. Tsuruno follows her example, and Iroha tries the same approach but doesn't quite get high enough. However, she grabs onto the peak of the gable and pulls herself up the remaining distance. They proceed across the bridge, which now looks a little eerie in the moonlight. Particularly bizarre are the spotlights with no apparent source shining down upon the bridge, each of which projects a pattern that matches exactly with one of the stamps from the stamp quest.

"W-we really broke in," Iroha murmurs.

"Ha!" Tsuruno says. "Easy-peasy for us magical girls! So what now? What do we do next!?"

"Shhh!" Yachiyo hisses. "Tsuruno, be quiet!"

"Okay!"

Before long they arrive at the place where people hang up their wooden plaques bearing wishes, hopes, or dreams. It's a simple shelter, with a wooden gable resting upon two wooden posts and a series of rails between the posts containing pegs upon which the plaques can be hung, via a small hole drilled in the top. For such a large shrine there's actually more than one such shelter, but they just approach the nearest one.

"Now then, let me explain how the rumour goes," Yachiyo says. "It'll tell you what we need to do to see the people we want to see."

"Okay," Iroha says.

And without further ado, Yachiyo whips out a book that looks like a diary and opens it to a bookmarked page, reciting the entire text of the Rumour of the Séance Shrine.

"That's how it goes," Yachiyo concludes. "So we'll need to use a wooden plaque from this shrine."

"Then, once I'm reunited with Ui, all I need to do is take her home," Iroha says. "Even if I have to drag her there."

"Yes," Yachiyo says. "We should be prepared to do just that. Both you… and I…"

"Oh!" Iroha gasps. "But we don't have any wooden plaques!"

"I brought a couple," Yachiyo retorts. "Did you think I'd come empty-handed?"

"Oh! Th-thank you!"

"Shall we get going?"

Yachiyo takes out two wooden plaques from her bag and hands one to Iroha.

"Uhhh, um, Yachiyo?" Tsuruno pipes up, holding her hand out..

"Hm? Why are you sticking your hand out?"

"Um… where is my wooden plaque?" Tsuruno asks.

"I don't have one for you. It was supposed to be just me and Miss Tamaki here tonight. There's no way I could have known to bring one for you."

"Um… um… um!"

"A funny face won't get you a wooden plaque," Yachiyo retorts. "What would you need one for, anyway?"

"What? … Ahhh!"

"See? You don't need one, do you?" Yachiyo says.

"Well, we're looking for the same person, so… I guess that means I don't need to pray. Which means I don't need one! Then I, Yui Tsuruno, will serve as your shield… protecting you while you pray! You'll be in trouble if an enemy rumour suddenly shows up!"

"You're always so hasty," Yachiyo says with a sigh. "It's good that you're quick-thinking, but try not to get too side-tracked."

"Quick-thinking?" Iroha asks.

"I'm the mightiest at school, too!" Tsuruno exclaims.

"Mightiest?"

"She's saying she gets the best grades," Yachiyo says.

"Whaaat!?"

"Why are you so surprised!?" Tsuruno gasps.

"Let's get on with this," Yachiyo says.

"R-right," Iroha says. "Umm… Tamaki Ui… Satomi Touka… Hiiragi Nemu… I can't write them all, right?"

"Do what you like," Yachiyo says. "But don't come crying to me if it fails because you were greedy. Plus, I don't have any spare wooden plaques."

"Then I'll only write Tamaki Ui!"

Yachiyo offers Iroha a felt-tip pen, which she uses to write 'Tamaki Ui' on her wooden plaque. Then Yachiyo takes the pen back and writes 'Azusa Mifuyu' on her own wooden plaque.

"Okay then," Yachiyo says. "Let's pray."

"Okay…"

The two of them hang their wooden plaques up with the rest at the small shelter, and then they slap their hands together in a praying posture.

"Hey, rumour!" Tsuruno shouts. "Show your face! We're taking our friends back! If you even try to stop us… this mighty magical girl's gonna beat you up!"

"No, Tsuruno!" Yachiyo protests. "Don't provoke it like that!"

The two wooden plaques they'd written on suddenly grow wings and turn black with golden patterns, apparently turning into a familiar or something. At the same time, the three of them are sucked into a labyrinth. Iroha gasps.

"This is just like what happened with the Rule of Ending Friendships!"

The two plaques immediately attack, and Tsuruno jumps in front.

"A rumour's here!" Yachiyo says. "This is what happens when you say things you shouldn't! Seriously, you are such a troublemaker…"

"But, is it really my fault…?" Tsuruno wonders, dodging the attacks.

"Who else's fault would it be?" Yachiyo retorts. "Look, they're only targeting you… but okay, mighty Tsuruno, if you plan on being our shield, now's the time!"

"Yeah!" Tsuruno says.

She transforms and attacks back with her flaming fans.

"I'll watch your backs! You go on with the prayers!"

Yachiyo sighs.

"Trying to act all cool, even though she's the one who got us into this mess…"

Several more of the familiars appear, swarming Tsuruno but mostly ignoring Yachiyo and Iroha, although it looks like at least some of them are attempting to get past her to reach them.

"Yachiyo, there are too many of them!" Tsuruno complains. "At this rate, some of them might make it through!"

"Aren't you supposed to be our shield?" Yachiyo asks. "Get your act together or you'll tarnish the name of the Mightiest Magical Girl!"

Tsuruno lets out a wordless yell.

"I'mma do my best!" she shouts.

"Hurry, Miss Tamaki!" Yachiyo says. "Let's finish this praying before the rumours make it to us!"

"O-okay!"

The two of them resume the praying posture. After standing there for several seconds, one of the familiars suddenly manages to slip past Tsuruno, prompting her to call out a warning.

"Oops! Sorry, Yachiyo! One of them is heading your way!"

But then, the two of them suddenly vanish, eliciting a gasp from her.

"…and, they're gone!? Okay! Yachiyo, Iroha-chan, good luck!"

Iroha finds herself in a different barrier, or more likely a different part of the barrier. Here it's as if she's on a web of wooden walkways in the centre of the pond, only the edge of the pond is lost beyond the horizon. There are also many giant shrine gates littering the landscape, some of them askew. Iroha looks around, blinking. Yachiyo is nowhere to be seen, and there are a number of people just laying around at random, fast asleep with blissful expressions on their faces.

"Huh? It's… twilight? And… Miss Yachiyo is gone… I wonder if I'll end up like all those people if I find Ui… Ui! Where are you!?"

"Come…"

"Ah! I hear a voice!" Iroha gasps.

For some reason, she transforms and looks around wildly.

"Come…"

"This voice… it's Ui's!?" she gasps. "Ui! Ui! Ui!? Where are you!?"

Mokyu makes a cute noise, which apparently prompts her to spin to her right and gasp. Her little sister is standing there, in her pyjamas, smiling.

"Ui… is that you…?" Iroha asks.

Iroha powers down and steps towards her.

"That's you, right Ui?"

Ui just stands there, staring at her and smiling, without a word.

"Ui, it's me! Why aren't you saying anything!? Come on, let's go home! Once we're out of this rumour, we can go to school together! Dad, Mom, you and I… the four of us can live together again! Come on, let's go home! I'll even make you the Hamburg steak you like… here, take my hand! If we're quick, we can get out of here together!"

Iroha holds her hand out, but Ui doesn't move at all, just blinking once.

"Why won't you say anything?" Iroha asks.

Suddenly, Ui speaks.

"Come…"

"What?"

"To change your fate, come to Kamihama," Ui says. "Here, magical girls can be saved!"

Iroha blinks. "Magical girls? Fate? What are you talking about, Ui? How do you know about magical girls?"

"To change your fate, come to Kamihama," Ui repeats. "Here, magical girls can be saved!"

Iroha gasps, for it's exactly like the first time she said it, almost as though it were just a recording.

"W-what are you!? You aren't Ui, are you? Answer me!"

Suddenly, Ui just vanishes, and Iroha blinks in confusion.

"W-what was that?" she wonders. "It looked like Ui, but it wasn't her… then what was it?"

She takes a deep breath.

"Ui… no, I need to calm down… first thing's first. I have to find Miss Yachiyo."

She takes a couple more deep breaths before setting off through the barrier, taking her soul gem out and using it to search for Yachiyo's magical signature. After a minute or so, she rounds a corner and spots Yachiyo talking to another girl around the same age, with short silver hair.

"There you are!" Iroha says.

Then she gasps as she realizes that Yachiyo appears to be only partially conscious. It's like she's nodding off to sleep while still standing.

"Miss Yachiyo! Get a hold of yourself!" Iroha shouts.

The moment she says that, a familiar pops up in front of her and attacks. She transforms and fires several bolts at it.

"A rumour!? Why now? Out of my way!"

Although a couple more show up to support the first, Iroha manages to destroy them all and catch up to Yachiyo. She grabs the older girl by the shoulder.

"Miss Yachiyo, snap out of it!" she shouts. "Don't go with her!"

"Ya-chan, hurry," the other girl says. "If you don't come with me, I'll never forgive you."

"What!?" Yachiyo gasps, jerking into full wakefulness.

"Miss Yachiyo!"

"Miss Tamaki, don't worry, I'm not going with her," Yachiyo says. "I told you to be careful, but look at me…"

"D-don't blame yourself!" Iroha says. "I'm just relieved you're okay!"

"That thing isn't Mifuyu," Yachiyo says. "Mifuyu would never say she'd never forgive me."

"Hey, you're tripping me up!" the fake Mifuyu complains. "Hurry up and get over here, Ya-chan!"

"Ugh… you're just trying to lure me in," Yachiyo says.

"Hurry, or I'll disappear!" the fake says.

"You aren't Mifuyu!" Yachiyo says.

"Oh my! What can I do to make you believe me, then?"

"Defeat Miss Tamaki," Yachiyo says. "If you can do that, then I'll believe you."

"What?" Mifuyu says.

"What!?" Iroha gasps.

"If you can't beat her, then you're not the Mifuyu I know," Yachiyo says.

"W-wait, Miss Yachiyo!" Iroha protests.

"I'm sorry, Miss Tamaki," Yachiyo says. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I need your help… please defeat this fake Mifuyu. I don't think I can fight right now…"

"I… okay," Iroha says.

"Oh, so you really want to do this?" Mifuyu asks.

"Yes," Iroha says. "Stop trying to tempt Miss Yachiyo!"

"Oh my!" Mifuyu says. "Listen to you! You're the one tempting her!"

"No I'm not!" Iroha protests.

"What are you?" Mifuyu asks. "What are you to Ya-chan?"

She suddenly transforms, donning Mifuyu's grey magical girl outfit.

"I'm her best friend… we've been inseparable ever since we were children! Our bond is so tight, there's no space for you to come between us!"

Iroha fires a bolt, but Mifuyu leaps high into the air, doing a back flip and landing on one of the many giant shrine gates littering the landscape. As Iroha fires bolt after bolt, Mifuyu dodges by leaping from one gate lintel to another, circling her. Then, suddenly, she flings one of her circular blades right at Iroha, who just barely manages to dodge… but then Mifuyu is right there, thrusting her other blade into Iroha's face. Iroha raises her arm to use the crossbow as a shield, deflecting the blade as she steps aside.

Mifuyu hops back, gaining some distance as Iroha reforms her crossbow and fires a volley of bolts at her. Mifuyu dances back and forth amongst the swarm of bolts, letting one of her blades roll towards Iroha like a wheel of death, though fortunately Iroha easily dodges it. Then once again Mifuyu is right in her face… but this time Iroha seems to be ready for it. She transforms her crossbow into a dagger, twisting to one side to avoid Mifuyu's blade while making a grab for her arm. Mifuyu's eyes widen, but it's too late – she doesn't even have the chance to try and break free before Iroha plants the dagger right between her eyes. Then her form melts away into a shadowy substance which rapidly dissipates.

"Good," Iroha says. "It really was a fake."

Yachiyo sighs. "I'm going to have to start my search for Mifuyu right from the beginning again…"

Iroha steps in close to grab Yachiyo's ring hand, pressing Candy's grief seed up against it to purify her.

"What?" Yachiyo says, startled. "Miss Tamaki… why did you…?"

"Well, your soul gem had so many impurities," Iroha says.

"My soul gem!?" Yachiyo protests. "Look who's talking! Yours is just as bad!"

"B-but yours was worse than mine…?"

"Why did you… and why me!? That's such a naïve thing to do!"

"Um, I'm sorry," Iroha says.

Suddenly Yachiyo gasps. "Ah! Don't be… that was terrible of me to say. You deserve a proper thank you. I really appreciate what you did for me…"

"Oh, it's nothing," Iroha says.

"Plus, I put you in an awful position too," Yachiyo adds.

"Um… so, was she the person you were looking for?" Iroha asks.

Yachiyo hesitates a bit before answering. "Yes… she's my childhood friend. She means so much to me… she's the reason I started investigating the Séance Shrine."

"Huh…"

"Let's get out of here," Yachiyo says.

"But how…?" Iroha wonders.

"That's a good question… let's try heading towards the shrine building."

"Okay…"

The building is visible in the distance, so they choose a wooden walkway that leads in that direction and follow it. Somewhat surprisingly, the strategy works. As they step into the clear area in front of the shrine, the twilight barrier collapses, dumping them back into normal space.

"We made it!" Iroha says, powering down.

"Yeah… but in the end we were just tricked by a rumour… especially me… I was deceived by an imposter… perhaps that was why it was twilight the whole time…"

"What do you mean?"

"You know what they say," Yachiyo says. "Twilight is the witching hour."

Tsuruno suddenly appears from further in, spots them, and waves as she runs over to meet them.

"There you are! What took you so long!? Feels like I've been waiting for hours!"

"Tsuruno-chan… is everything okay here?"

"Yeah, I told you, didn't I?" Tsuruno says. "I'm the shield, here to protect you guys! I'm the mightiest magical girl! Even a rumour can't withstand one of my attacks!"

She leans in and peers up at Yachiyo.

"So!? So!? How'd it go!? Yachiyo, did you find Mifuyu?"

"I did, but it was an imposter," Yachiyo says.

"What!?" Tsuruno gasps.

"Same here," Iroha says. "To tell you the truth, I have no idea what that thing was… the rumour this time was really nasty… taking advantage of people at their most vulnerable…"

"Aww, that's too bad," Tsuruno says. "Well! Once I get back home, I'm gonna look into some more rumours! I'm never, ever gonna give up! I'll keep searching for Mifuyu!"

"This is my problem, Tsuruno," Yachiyo says. "There's no need for you to trouble yourself."

"Nooo!" Tsuruno says. "I want to see Mifuyu just like you do! Besides, we're on the same team!"

"Like I said before, that's all in the past," Yachiyo says. "But this rumour isn't."

"You're right," Iroha says. "We haven't beaten the rumour like last time."

"I rejected the person I was searching for, then came back without falling asleep," Yachiyo says. "Based on the ones I've faced before… a rumour shouldn't be able to ignore this situation."

Right on cue, an eerie, distorted voice rings through the deserted shrine.

"You wanted a reunion, but it ended in murder. Deceiving our god, you deserve only death."

And as those words are spoken, the barrier from earlier sucks them in again – the first barrier, not the twilight one.

"Here it comes!" Yachiyo says, transforming.

Iroha and Tsuruno both transform as well, and almost immediately the rumour's boss appears. It has a pink pear-shaped body and propels itself on two wheels. What passes for a head resembles both a jester hat and a pair of yellow frog legs with black splotches, two of which appear to serve as eyes. It has three round fluffballs along its neck, the middle of which appears to serve as a nose and is decked out with a harness, the reins leading back to connect to a saddle atop its back.

"So, this is the rumour that's causing the rumour to come true," Yachiyo says.

"That's what it looks like," Iroha says.

"Did it just say something about deceiving?" Yachiyo says. "This rumour is the only thing guilty of deception here."

"Taking advantage of our feelings… of the ones we love…"

"It deserves only death!" Yachiyo proclaims.

"Okay!" Tsuruno says. "I'll go first!"

She leaps forward, spreading her fans and lighting them on fire.

"Huh? Shouldn't we be first?" Iroha asks.

"That's Tsuruno for you," Yachiyo sighs.

Iroha fires off a volley of bolts, and Yachiyo hefts her spear and prepares to throw it. Suddenly, the rumour emits a stream of bubbles from its nose, a couple of which strike Tsuruno's fans, bursting open and covering both fans with some sort of sticky fluid, extinguishing her flames at the same time. Then Yachiyo's spear strikes true, but bounces off the creature's apparently hard body.

"Gyah!" Tsuruno gasps. "Oh no! My flames won't come out!"

"Miss Yachiyo!" Iroha says. "I think my arrows aren't working!"

"Looks like my attacks aren't working either," Yachiyo says.

They back off, keeping their distance from the creature and dodging its bubbles as they discuss the situation.

"Maybe… it has some kind of magic repelling coating?" Tsuruno suggests. "Like a dirty, greasy kitchen floor!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Yachiyo retorts. "No way it could…" Suddenly she blinks. "Wait…rumours are completely different from witches…"

"Which means anything is possible!" Tsuruno says.

"Yes, but that doesn't give us an answer to this problem," Yachiyo says.

"Do you guys have any ideas?" Iroha asks. "It's a bit like a horse… or a frog… hmm… séance… god…"

"Oh!" Tsuruno gasps. "I know!"

"Tsuruno-chan has an idea!" Iroha says.

"You bet I do! Okay, so… this god grants wishes, right? And magical girls come into being by having their wishes granted, right? They're both related to miracles, sooo… maybe the nature of their magic is the same. If that's the case, it would make sense that our magic wouldn't work on them, right!?"

"Assuming on the off-chance that's true," Yachiyo says. "How does that help us?"

"Hmm… maybe we should hit it?" Tsuruno suggests. "We could grab that tree over there and try whacking the rumour with it!"

"Yeah, no," Yachiyo says.

"Um… what about curses and impurities?" Tsuruno says.

"B-but we don't have any powers like that!" Iroha says. "Tsuruno-chan… could the situation we're in…"

"Be really serious?" Tsuruno finished, as cheery as ever. "Maybe! We don't even know if we're right, though…"

"Whatever the cause of the enemy's strength, this is certainly no laughing matter," Yachiyo says. "Let's give it another shot."

They turn to face the rumour again and unleash all their attacks on it, including their ultimate attacks, but none of it seems to have any effect.

"Miss Tamaki, are you okay? It's obvious you're moving slower than usual."

"Well… I think I'm still barely okay," Iroha says.

"Tsuruno, can you still fight?"

"My magic is gonna run out if this takes much longer!"

"Even the mightiest is powerless if her powers don't work," Yachiyo sighs. "So there's nothing we can do…"

"Miss Yachiyo," Iroha says. "I know it's frustrating, but we really should just run…"

"So it would seem," Yachiyo says. "Tsuruno, time to retreat!"

"Aye-aye, master!" Tsuruno says. "Let Operation Retreat begin! Ready… go!"

"Hey, wait up!" Yachiyo shouts. "Think about your allies for a second!"

She sighs and turns to Iroha, just in time to see her stumble and fall.

"Miss Tamaki!?" Yachiyo gasps, stepping forward to catch her.

"I… I'm sorry," Iroha says. "Suddenly my strength… it's… ugh…"

Yachiyo gasps. "Your soul gem…"

"My… soul gem…?"

Iroha peers at it. It's almost completely full, to the point where most people would be starting to enter a grief spiral, although Iroha seems to have avoided that this time.

"Oh… it's really tainted… I thought it'd be okay a little longer… not getting to see Ui… I guess it was a bit of a shock…"

"In a state like that… why did you use the grief seed on me!?" Yachiyo shouts.

"D-don't worry, Miss Yachiyo," Iroha says, smiling a little. "I just can't move very—"

"Stop trying to move!" Yachiyo says. "I'll carry you!"

"I'm sorry for being such a burden…"

"You told me you wouldn't die in front of me," Yachiyo says. "Don't forget that."

The rumour catches up at that moment, and Yachiyo sighs.

"What horrible timing…"

She snatches Iroha up in a princess carry, dodges the rumour's attack, and runs off after Tsuruno.

"I'm sorry, Miss Tamaki… this could get a bit rough," Yachiyo says.

"Okay…"

Yachiyo darts back and forth as she runs, dodging the creature's bubbles. Then it suddenly revs up its wheels and charges. Yachiyo only barely manages to dodge by going into a tumble, dropping Iroha on the ground in the process. Then the creature turns to face them with frightening speed. With Yachiyo and Iroha both on the ground, it seems for a moment that they're doomed…

"Flame Waltz!"

Just in the nick of time, Tsuruno leaps in, momentarily distracting the rumour with a maelstrom of flames, smacking the creature down like whips. Yachiyo takes advantage of the distraction to reach Iroha.

"Sorry about that!" Tsuruno says. "I got ahead of myself… I mean you guys! Let's make our escape before the rumour recovers!"

"You saved us, Tsuruno… you really are the mightiest," Yachiyo says. "Miss Tamaki… get on my back."

Tsuruno giggles and helps get Iroha onto Yachiyo's back. Iroha is only barely conscious now as her soul gem continues to very slowly accumulate more grief.

"Are you alright after using such strong magic?" Yachiyo asks.

"What? Well, just don't expect another big one from me again!" Tsuruno says.

"How are you always so cheerful!?"

They turn to run away from the rumour, which has already recovered from Tsuruno's attack and is starting to spew bubbles again.

"M-miss… Y-yachiyo…?" Iroha murmurs.

"Please… hold on a bit longer, Miss Tamaki," Yachiyo says.

"I… feel like… I'm getting… weaker… b-b-but I'm… s-still… okay…"

"I know you're feeling terrible," Yachiyo says. "But hang in there a little longer."

"Hopefully the rumour will just run away," Tsuruno says.

"Rumours are beings that exist to make their rumours a reality," Yachiyo says. "If you don't follow what the rumour says, it tries anything it can to wipe you out. You've already fought one, so shouldn't you know this already?"

"Oh man," Tsuruno says. "Does that mean… we're all gonna die?"

"Don't jinx us," Yachiyo retorts. "We can still run… and take out the weaker enemies."

There are indeed a few of the wooden plaque familiars roaming around and trying to get in their way. Fortunately they're not too hard to beat, so all they really do is get in the way and slow them down.

"But even these are getting harder to take down," Tsuruno points out. "Oh! We just need to leave the shrine grounds, right!? This rumour's about a shrine, which means… once we get out of here, we'll be fine! Alrighty! I'm gonna go look for an exit! I'll find one real quick!"

With that, she runs off ahead.

"She should be exhausted by now," Yachiyo sighs. "Yet somehow she isn't… isn't it amazing, Miss Tamaki?"

Iroha doesn't respond this time, and Yachiyo tries to glance back at her. There are still a few pinpricks of light remaining in her soul gem, but that's it.

"Miss… Tamaki? Oh no! Miss Tamaki! Stay with us!"

Iroha's eyes flutter open for a moment.

"Miss Yachiyo… am I… what's going to happen to me…?"

"Nothing is going to happen to you. Just, please stay with us. Once we get out of here, we'll go to the Coordinator's. I'm not sure how much it'll cost, but she might sell us a grief seed."

"Y-yeah… um… M-miss… Yachiyo…? I have… something… I want to… tell you…"

"Really? All the more reason to hang on, then," Yachiyo says.

"Y-yeah…"

Suddenly, the rumour revs its wheels again, and Yachiyo gasps.

"The rumour's moving!"

This time she's more prepared for its charge and manages to dodge relatively easily. However, that does mean the rumour has caught up. It spins to face them and immediately starts spewing bubbles again.

"Impossible… it already caught up!?"

Yachiyo dodges the first stream of bubbles and breaks into a run to try and get away, darting back and forth to present a harder target. Suddenly, Tsuruno pops out from around a corner and waves.

"Yachiyo! I found the exit! It's right over here! Hurry your butt up!"

"Tsuruno! You're amazing!" Yachiyo gasps.

Unfortunately, thanks to its earlier charge, the rumour has placed itself between her and Tsuruno. She turns to face the rumour, avoiding the bubbles as best she can, then plants her foot, intending to leap into the air. Unfortunately, her foot lands right in one of the puddles of goo that the rumour has been spreading around, so instead of leaping she slips and falls over.

"Ack! My footing!" she gasps.

The rumour rolls forward, presumably intending on carrying out some close-range attack.

"Leave her alone!" Tsuruno shouts.

But Tsuruno gets in its way, landing a hefty kick to its side and almost knocking it right over. For a good ten seconds it's at an angle on one wheel, before it manages to restore balance and bring the other wheel back down.

"Tsuruno…?"

"Yachiyo, take Iroha-chan and get out of here, now!" Tsuruno says. "I'll keep this thing busy!"

"Don't be stupid! You can't hold that thing back anymore!"

"Get your butt moving!" Tsuruno bellows.

"But w—"

"Go! I'll be fine!"

"Spunk isn't—"

"Stop wasting time arguing and just go!"

Presumably Yachiyo realizes she has a point, as she snatches Iroha up in a princess carry and takes off.

"Alright, you!" Tsuruno shouts. "It's time to rumble!"

Yachiyo reaches the path that Tsuruno emerged from a little while ago, then pauses to check on Iroha. Her soul gem has finally reached its limit. It's at the point where, any second now, it should hatch into a grief seed.

"Miss Tamaki! Oh no! At this rate her soul gem's going to…"

"Y-yachiyo! I'm sorry, it's coming your way! Hurry up and get out!"

Tsuruno's warning comes too late. The rumour slams into Yachiyo, knocking her to the ground. Iroha falls from her grasp and rolls a short distance away.

"N-no! Miss Tamaki! I… I'll be… right there…!"

And that's when it happens. The impurities are sucked out of her soul gem and poured into her body. Her hair grows and expands, snapping free of the hair ties that normally keep it in place, and gains a life of its own, coiling together into the shape of a massive bird-like creature, with rabbit-like ears bent backwards, a long spear-like black beak with yellow spots, a crown of black thorns on its head, and a drying rack on its back from which strips of cloth are dangling. A couple of those strips reach down and wrap themselves around Iroha's face like a blindfold. The witch runes that briefly hang in the air before it spell out the name, Giovanna.

The doppel rises up and attacks the rumour, holding it in place with those strips of cloth and tearing it apart with that beak. Yachiyo and Tsuruno watch in fascinated horror as the creature that they'd had so much trouble against is literally torn to shreds in front of their eyes.

Once the rumour is gone, the labyrinth collapses, but then the doppel turns to face Yachiyo and Tsuruno. Those strips of cloth whip out and truss them up in an instant.

"Iroha-chan! It's us, your friends! Let us go!" Tsuruno protests.

"Tsuruno… that's—"

"Tiro Finale!"

Before Yachiyo can start to explain what's happening to Tsuruno, or her understanding of it, a massive cannonball tears through the doppel, ripping it to shreds in turn. What's left of it crumbles to dust, and the three magical girls fall to the ground with a soft thud.

"Iroha-chan!" Tsuruno gasps

Tsuruno tries to crawl towards her, just as her eyes flutter open.

"…huh? W-what happened… was it… defeated!?"

"Miss Tamaki!" Yachiyo gasps. "Are you alright! Y-your soul gem!?"

"Huh? Oh… what!? All the impurities are gone…?"

"Ohh! I get it!" Tsuruno says. "That attack was fuelled by impurities! Wow, Iroha-chan, you came up with a new technique for us magical girls! Yep, yep!"

"I… did?" Iroha says. "I'm sorry… I have no idea what happened…"

"That was unlike anything I've seen before," Yachiyo says. "What was that…? A-anyway… we should still go see the Coordinator…"

That's when Tomoe Mami walks up to them. Presumably it has just taken her that long to walk over from wherever she fired her ultimate attack from. Homura follows about two steps behind her, staring intently at Iroha.

"Sorry, but I can't just let you leave," Mami says.

She stalks forward and points one of her muskets right at Iroha's head.

"Um… who are you?" Iroha asks.

"My name is Tomoe Mami. I'm a magical girl from Mitakihara, and this is my partner, Akemi Homura. I'm surprised you guys are so calm with a witch next to you."

Homura tears her eyes free of Iroha and turns to look at Mami instead. She reaches for her shield, but hesitates before making a move.

"I find an unusual labyrinth and go in," Mami continues. "And what do I find but an unexpected bounty!"

"You're awfully hostile for someone with such a big smile on her face," Yachiyo retorts.

"I suppose you're right," Mami says. "But my hostility is aimed only at this witch in your midst!"

Though her musket is still aimed at Iroha's head, she also points at the girl with her free hand.

"W-what!? Me!?" Iroha gasps.

"You're not a good liar," Mami says. "I never thought I would see a witch disguised as a human…"

"You have it all wrong," Yachiyo says. "Everyone here is a magical girl just like you."

"No, not her," Mami says. "I saw it with my own eyes! Her true form!"

"What!? How dare you!" Tsuruno protests. "Iroha-chan hasn't done anything wrong! You've made Yui Tsuruno, the Mightiest – and Nicest – Magical Girl, very… angry! Ugh… but I've used up a lot of my magic…"

Yachiyo sighs. "Out of the frying pan and into the fire… we don't want to waste any more magic on a fellow magical girl…"

"Homura-chan, aren't you going to back me up here?" Mami asks, glancing back.

Homura blinks uncertainly. "Well, um…"

"Miss Yachiyo, I'll fight if necessary!" Iroha says.

"No, Miss Tamaki," Yachiyo says. "No ordinary person would be so calm when faced with three magical girls. Plus she has another ally of unknown strength."

"But I'm the only one she's after… and besides, I have more magic left than you two."

"Oh my, you even say such considerate things!" Mami says. "I'll give you credit for keeping others out of this, but it's too late for regret now!"

A fierce firefight commences, with the two of them circling each other, firing off bullets and bolts as fast as they're able, and doing their best to dodge the other's projectiles. After nearly a minute of this, Mami seems to decide she's had enough.

"How long are you going to keep up this charade!?" she shouts. "Reveal yourself so we can get this over with!"

But that's the exact moment when Momoko appears and throws herself right into the middle with a yell, deflecting bullets and bolts alike with her sword before rounding on Yachiyo and Tsuruno. Mami leaps back and watches warily, and Homura steps forward to grab her arm.

"Two of the most powerful magical girls I know are just sitting there watching this!?" Momoko shouts. "It's so sad it almost makes me wanna cry!"

"Momoko-chan!?" Iroha gasps.

"Hey, Iroha-chan!" Momoko says.

"Why are you here?" Iroha asks.

"I just came by to help you guys out," Momoko says. "Mitama said something about looking for Mifuyu? But then I find you guys like this! This is the most astounding development of the week! What're you two doing just watching!?" Then she notices the state of their soul gems. "Wait… hold on. What the heck happened to you guys!?"

"I've been fighting… a lot," Yachiyo says.

"Same here," Tsuruno says. "My magic tank is on empty…"

Momoko rounds on Mami and glares at her.

"Hey you! Yes, you! You did this!?"

"Huh!?" Mami gasps. "No, wait! You have it all wrong!"

"No need to explain," Momoko says. "I see exactly what's going on here. Like they say, seeing is believing."

"It's not like that!" Mami says. "I saw that girl's true identity… as a witch!"

Momoko blinks, glancing back at Iroha.

"Huh? Are you crazy? Anyone can see Iroha-chan's no witch," she retorts.

"B-but… I saw it!" Mami says. "Homura-chan… would you please back me up here!?"

"It's… half true," Homura says.

"Th-thank you, Homura-chan!" Mami says. "Huh? Wait… only half…?"

"The truth is that Miss Mami and I just witnessed a strange phenomenon here, as I am sure your… friends… will attest to," Homura says flatly, "and it seems to have caused her to lose her cool a little. We have no intention to challenge your territory, so we will now withdraw."

"Eh? Wait, Homura-chan, just a—"

Her voice is cut off in mid-sentence as the two of them simply vanish. Iroha lets out a sigh of relief and powers down, followed by everyone else.

"She said she was from Mitakihara, right?" Yachiyo says. "What's someone from so far away doing in Kamihama? She seems to have misunderstood the situation, so don't let your guard down… although, her companion did seem to be more level-headed about it. But then again, if she can teleport, she could actually be even more dangerous…"

"Yeah… I'll be careful," Iroha says.

"Okay then," Momoko says, taking out a grief seed. "Let's purify your soul gems before we go investigating, shall we?"

Yachiyo and Tsuruno both turn their souls to gem form and press them against the grief seed. It doesn't fully purify them, but it gets most of the impurities out.

"But you're a little late there," Tsuruno says. "We already defeated the rumour…"

"What!? You serious!?"

"Truly, no-one has worse timing than you," Yachiyo says.

Momoko groans, so Iroha leaps to her defence.

"N-no, no! She made it just in time! Momoko-chan, thank you for your help!"

"Aw shucks, you're welcome," Momoko says. "Well, since there's nothing left for me to do here, I'm gonna head home. Iroha-chan, don't go staying out too late!"

"Huh!?" Iroha gasps. "W-what time is it…?" She takes her phone out to check. "Oh no!"

"Miss Tamaki, you can't go home now," Yachiyo says. "You're coming to my place."

"What!?"

"There's something you wanted to tell me, right?" Yachiyo says. "That's what you said when I was carrying you."

"Th-that's true…"

"Don't worry about your parents," Yachiyo says. "I'll talk to them. Hand me your phone."

"O-okay…"

---

I sit up in bed, careful not to disturb Inui, who appears to be fast asleep already. Once I've extracted myself from under the covers, I make for the closet, intending to get dressed… but then I realize there's little point. There's a high chance I'll stay over at Mami's place, anyway. I do grab my school uniform and a change of underwear and stuff it into my schoolbag though, to save time in the morning. Then I transform, slide the window open, and hop out onto Teddy Mk II. After closing the window behind me, I zoom off into the night.

I arrive at Mami's place well before she does, but I decide not to knock – there's a good chance that Nagisa is asleep, and I don't want to disturb her. Therefore, I simply take a seat on the floor, leaning against the door while I wait.

I must have drifted off for a bit, for the next thing I notice is Mami nudging me aside.

"Oh… good evening, Miss Tomoe," I say, rubbing at my eyes.

"Ah… you're awake after all," Mami says. "I never expected you to wait this long for me. My apologies. You had things to do, after all."

"No, that's okay," I say. "I'm free from tonight until the end of school tomorrow."

Glancing around, I spot Homura looming behind her, sort of staring at me.

"So…"

"Right," Mami says. "Come in. I'll make you some tea."

She unlocks the door, and the three of us head inside. Just as I predicted, Nagisa is fast asleep, for some reason on one of the couches. Mami sighs.

"I keep telling her to sleep in the bed," she mutters. "Just… just give me a moment…"

She disappears into one of the other rooms and returns with a blanket, which she carefully places over Nagisa. Then she heads for the kitchen to make that tea, while Homura and I take seats on the floor.

«Were you watching?» Homura asks.

«Somewhat… why?»

«Do you know what that was? Was it… that girl's doppel?»

«Yes… indeed it was…»

«That's… what I suspected… but even so… we can't just tell Miss Mami about doppels. We'd need to explain witches first, so it's not worth it. Do you understand?»

«Sure… it's not like I was planning to tell her anyway.»

Finally Mami returns with three cups of tea, setting them down on the table.

"Since Nagisa-chan is fast asleep, mind if we discuss matters telepathically?" she asks, keeping her voice low.

"Fine with me," I say.

«Very well, then,» Mami says. «Where should I begin… perhaps I should start at the beginning…»

«Well… whatever you think is best,» I say.

«I suppose it really began last Wednesday,» Mami says. «By that point I'd gone three days without finding any witches in Mitakihara, so I decided to check further afield. Over the course of a few days, I travelled all over… I stopped by Asunaro, Hohzuki, and several smaller towns in between. Then I eventually ended up in Takarazaki, where I finally managed to sense a witch, although someone else defeated it before I could get to it. So I continued on into Kamihama, although I didn't realize at that point that I'd crossed the border, and… I located a witch almost immediately. There was a girl already fighting it, with blue hair and a trident.»

«Ah, I think I know her, sort of,» I say. «I mean, we met once when I was in Kamihama…»

«Oh, you've been to Kamihama before?» Mami says.

«Of course,» I say. «The airport in Kazamino only handles domestic flights, right? So Kamihama is where I flew in when I arrived in Japan.»

«Ah, you're right,» Mami says. «Of course, I should have thought of that. Anyway… the witch was a really strong one, and that girl was struggling. The fact that she was putting up any fight at all shows that she was pretty strong too, mind you… but just not strong enough to take down such a powerful witch.»

«Can you get to the point…» Homura complains.

«Right… after the two of us brought down the witch together,» Mami says, «she told me that witches in Kamihama are said to be much stronger than witches elsewhere, so because of that, most magical girls there fight in teams. And then… she gave me the grief seed, even though her soul gem was quite muddy. When I questioned her on that, she said she had quite a stash of grief seeds, and was not worried about getting more when they ran out. She even said she felt like there were more witches than there used to be. And then later, when I talked to Kyuubey about it, he said he can't enter Kamihama.»

«That's one thing I don't understand,» Homura says. «If Kyuubey can't enter Kamihama, how do they dispose of their grief seeds…?»

«Maybe there's a magical girl there who has the power to dispose of them,» I suggest.

That's both true and misleading – in fact, from what I recall, they take their used grief seeds to Mitama, who sells them to the Wings of the Magius, so they're not actually being disposed of at all. However, there is a magical girl who can destroy grief seeds in Kamihama… but she probably only does that to the ones she and her closest friends use.

«I suppose that could be possible,» Homura says.

«Then I happened to run into Kyouko,» Mami says. «So I told her about Kamihama too… although I wish I hadn't said anything, because I think she's just going to go hunt witches there.»

«I don't see what's wrong with that,» I say. «If there's that many, I doubt the local magical girls will mind.»

«Anyway, that's the reason I asked Homura-chan to accompany me today,» Mami says. «The witches are so strong there that I couldn't be confident I would be able to beat one alone.»

«I'm a bit curious why you waited a whole week to check it out,» I say.

«I was a bit reluctant to go back,» Mami admits. «And I had all the grief seeds I gathered on Friday, which even sharing with the others were enough to last that long.»

«So you shared them with… Nagisa-chan, Miss Homura, Miss Miki, and Madoka?»

«I already had grief seeds of my own,» Homura says.

«Then… the other three… so you managed to get enough grief seeds to last four people a whole week. That is quite something…»

«Yes,» Mami says. «Anyway… now, let me explain what happened today. I'm still not sure what to make of it…»

---

Mami and Homura caught a train to Kamihama, getting off near the Satomi Medical Centre and starting to seek witches. The found one almost immediately.

"Huh!?" Mami gasped. "This trace in my soul gem… is there a witch nearby!?"

"It would appear so," Homura said.

"This city really is abnormal," Mami said. "We ran into a witch as soon as we arrived…"

"It could just be a stroke of luck," Homura pointed out.

"That's true, but still…"

They tracked the witch's magic for a couple of minutes.

"Hmm, I sense strong magic," Mami said. "It must be around here… there!"

They spotted a labyrinth portal with a bunny head emblem.

"There's the labyrinth," Homura said.

They transformed and stepped inside.

"Now, where is the witch…?" Mami wondered.

But before they could do anything, someone screamed further in.

"Oh no!" Mami gasped. "A scream? Someone else is already fighting?"

They hurried forward and came across a brown-haired magical girl in a black and white outfit with a small black top hat affixed to her hairband. She was facing off against several familiars and clearly struggling.

"Whoa!" the girl gasped as a familiar leapt into her face.

"Watch out!" Mami called.

She fired a shot, taking out the familiar.

"You… oh, you're a magical girl!" the unknown girl said.

"Looks like we came in the nick of time," Mami says. "Thank goodness! Are you alright?"

"Ah! Y-yes!" the girl said. "Um, thank you so much! I'm—"

"Leave the introductions for later!" Mami said. "We need to take care of those familiars first!"

"Huh? Oh! Okay, I'm all ready!" the girl said.

The three of them turned to face off against the crowd of familiars, which seemed to have grown in number since Mami showed up. But although they were strong, they weren't too much for Mami and Homura to handle – they fired shot after shot, taking them down one at a time. Still, Mami felt the need to comment on it.

"There are so many of them, though," she said. "And they're incredibly strong for familiars."

"Hey!" the unknown girl said. "Um, I mean… Miss helper? Don't overdo it!"

"Thank you for your concern," Mami said. "But there's no need to worry. Stand back! Homura-chan! Synchronize with my attack!"

Homura nodded. "I'm on it."

"Tiro Finale!"

Just as Mami's attack was about to land in the middle of the swarm of familiars, several pipe bombs appeared towards the edges and exploded. When the smoke cleared, there were no familiars left.

"Huh!?" the other girl gasped. "You beat them!?"

"Yes," Mami said. "All the familiars have been defeated."

At that moment, the labyrinth collapsed.

"Oh, we're back," the unknown girl said.

"Things were not looking good for a moment there," Mami admitted, powering down. "It's a good thing I asked Homura-chan to accompany me…"

"Ah… yes," the unknown girl said, also powering down. "You saved me… thank you…"

She wore a purple school uniform which Mami didn't recognize.

"You're welcome," Mami said. "Are you injured?"

"Ah, no, I'm fine!" the girl said. "Thanks to you! Ah, which reminds me… my name is Yayoi Kanoko!"

"It is very nice to meet you," Mami said. "I am Tomoe Mami, and this is my partner, Akemi Homura."

"Nice to meet you too," Kanoko said. "Are you also from Kamihama?"

"No, I'm afraid not," Mami said. "We're from Mitakihara. Those familiars were much stronger than we're used to."

"Yeah," Kanoko said. "Lately the familiars in Kamihama are powerful… you know, I haven't fought witches for a week or so now, so that's why the battle was so tough for me."

"So you were aware, were you?" Mami asked. "That the battle might be too much for you?"

"Huh? Well… I guess you could say that," Kanoko said. "I'd heard the witches have gotten stronger recently… but other than that weird rumour a couple weeks ago, I haven't fought any for awhile, so I was caught off guard by just how much stronger they'd become."

"That's not a good idea," Mami said. "These are life-and-death battles. You can't just fake your way through them."

"You're right," Kanoko said. "I should've brought someone with me, just to be on the safe side. Emily even offered to accompany me tonight… I should've just accepted her help…"

"So long as I've made myself clear, there's no need to apologize," Mami said. "There is nothing witches love to prey on more than reckless magical girls."

"I wouldn't go that far," Kanoko said. "To say I'm reckless with my life…"

"Of course. However, if you fight without proper preparation… you'll meet the same end as if you were. So please be careful."

"It's not like I want to do this," Kanoko said.

"Huh?"

"You, and all the other magical girls, or at least most of the ones I've spoken to," Kanoko said, annoyed. "You're all just happy to fight witches and nothing else, but for me… there's something… way bigger… something that deserves more of my time!" Suddenly she gasped. "Oh! S-sorry, I got carried away…"

Mami stared at her for a bit before relaxing her expression.

"Miss Yayoi?" she said.

"Um… yes?"

"I'm sorry," Mami said. "I overstepped my bounds."

"N-no!" Kanoko said. "You were right though! I really should've been more careful… I shouldn't've said what I did… I really am very sorry…"

"No, I crossed a line," Mami said. "But I would like to ask you something… if it's alright with you, could you tell me what you're really after?"

"But…"

"It'll be alright. Look around, it's just the three of us. Don't worry – I can keep a secret, and so can Homura-chan… right, Homura-chan?"

"Sure…" Homura said.

So Kanoko told them her dream, and Mami nodded.

"I see," she said. "That's a wonderful dream!"'

They spent a little time discussing Kanoko's dream, and Mami offered comments and feedback while Homura took a seat on a nearby bench, looking bored.

"But anyway, regarding the witches," Mami finally said. "Please try not to overdo it alone. Don't go out on your own if your soul gem is especially filled with impurities. Please keep this in mind – you are never alone."

"Okay," Kanoko said. "I won't do anything risky like I did today. I'm really sorry for mixing you up in that… not only did you help me out, but you protected me from the familiars, even though I'm also a magical girl…"

"You are a magical girl, but you are also just one girl," Mami said. "There's nothing to be ashamed of if you need help with an especially powerful witch. Besides, I'm a magical girl too… if nothing else, you can feel at ease around other magical girls."

"Yeah, that's true," Kanoko said. "Oh, that's right! Since we're the same and all… could I ask you a favour? This might be kind of blunt to just ask, but I haven't been a magical girl for very long, you see, and I was wondering if you had any tips or tricks? For fighting witches and stuff, I mean. And you seem easier to talk to than Miss Yachiyo… so I'd love to get some advice!"

"Quite the open-ended request," Mami said. "How long have you been a magical girl?"

"Oh… a few months, I think?" Kanoko said. "When did I make my wish, again…? Pretty sure it was after New Year's… was it before or after Valentine's Day…? Ahh, whatever, I can't remember. Anyway, please! Even just a minor tip or two would be great!"

"Hmm… my first tip would be to analyze," Mami said. "Research different witch traits, keep track of them in a notebook, and make sure you keep it organized."

"Ooooh!" Kanoko gasped. "That's a great idea!"

"Also, magical training," Mami continued.

Kanoko blinked. "Training? Seriously?"

"Yes. You need to understand your magic. In order to unlock its true potential, it takes special training and practice. It may seem like the long route, but good practice is actually a shortcut to success."

"Okay, yeah," Kanoko said. "Thanks so much! I haven't met anyone as strong as you are! Other than Miss Yachiyo that is… but she's a little scary…"

"I haven't done anything extraordinary," Mami said. "All I did was slowly but surely hone my skills."

"That makes sense," Kanoko said. "Slow and steady, one step at a time… just as I thought, that's the best way to do anything, huh?"

"Ah! Actually, there is one other shortcut," Mami said.

"What is it!? Please tell me!"

Mami giggled. "Alright… I will tell you. Naming your attacks!"

Kanoko blinked. "Naming my attacks? Huh?"

"Like Tiro Finale," Mami said.

"Oh! That thing you did before."

"Ah, so you remember!"

"Tiro… Finale?"

"Yes! Even in the heat of that fierce battle, you remembered it?"

"It kind of rang in my ears, like a catchphrase or something," Kanoko said.

"It's important to start with a strong image," Mami said. "Then grow into that image as you go. Give your final attack an impressive name, and then use it in real battles. You should feel emboldened just by calling out your attack. Perhaps it is just a placebo effect, but I think psychology matters in fights too. If you can maintain your resolve even when you face a powerful witch, you will find that you can fight on no matter how challenging things get."

"I see…"

"So, what do you think?" Mami asked.

"Tiro Finale… Tiro Finale! Tiro Finale! It's super mega cool! Très avant-garde! I love it!"

"My, my, do you really?" Mami said. "That's nice to hear."

"Could you name my attack too?" Kanoko asked.

"What kind of magic do you use?" Mami asked. "I didn't get a chance to see it much…"

"Stitching!"

"…Stitching?"

"It's kinda like… I stitch enemies together! With thread, you see!"

"You stitch them… together," Mami said. "Ah! Like a fashion designer?"

"Right, exactly that!"

"So that's how your magic works… hmm, let me see… stitching… fashion designer…"

"Yes! Any ideas? Something nice, I hope…"

"How about… ah, no that's not right."

"Not right?"

"This is too important to have someone else decide for you," Mami said.

"Huh!? That's… not fair!"

"You see, it's like your signature," Mami explained.

"I get it, but still…"

"You are a creative person, after all," Mami said. "I am sure you will think of a name that is… full of your… extremely individual style. It should be easy, right?"

"You're right! I'll think of something! I'll put all my heart and soul into it!"

"Well, I'll let you think it over for awhile. In the meantime… I had a reason to come to Kamihama, so I should get back to it."

"Ah… are you finally finished?" Homura asked, yawning a bit.

"My apologies, Homura-chan," Mami said. "I got a little carried away. Let us resume our investigation… and Miss Yayoi, I hope we may meet again."

"Me too!" Kanoko said.

Mami and Homura continued on their way, seeking witches and tracking them down. They'd already defeated two before happening upon another magical girl at an abandoned construction site. She had red hair tied up with what seemed to be feathers, a witch-like hat, brown shorts, and an orange tailcoat that left her midriff exposed.

"W-what should I do," the girl was muttering. "I really did it! I really found the labyrinth! It'd be nice if there was only one familiar… but I could never be that lucky, huh…" She sighed. "I guess Momoko-chan's bad timing has… rubbed off on me… ahhh… what should I do… what should I do… I have to… defeat it… but… it's too hard… by myself… b-but! I just can't ignore it!"

"Um, excuse me," Mami said.

"W-w-whoa!?" the girl gasped. "S-sorry!"

"Huh? Um… are you by chance a magical girl from Kamihama?" Mami asked.

"Huh…? Um… are you… a magical girl?"

"Yes," Mami said.

"I'm so sorry… you just startled me."

"Oh dear," Mami said. "I'm sorry I scared you. I did call out to you out of nowhere, after all."

"N-no, don't be sorry!" the girl protested. "I just…"

"So the labyrinth was here," Mami said, looking at it. "Were you searching for this labyrinth too?"

"O-oh, um… y-yes… but I… that is… I'm just not good at this stuff! All alone… I might… might die… I don't think I could beat it on my own… I didn't know what to do, so… I've just been stuck here, going in circles…"

"I see," Mami said. "Well, in that case… may we help you?"

"Huh? Oh, um… s-sure…?"

"Let's introduce ourselves first," Mami said. "I am Tomoe Mami, and my partner here is Akemi Homura."

"R-right… I'm Akino Kaede. N-nice to meet… the two of you…"

She glanced nervously at Homura.

"U-um… is she… normally that scary?" Kaede asked.

"Homura-chan is usually like that," Mami said. "She's not really scary, believe me."

"Let's go," Homura said.

The three of them headed inside the labyrinth, and Kaede let them do most of the work on the familiars, though she did call up her vines a few times to entangle them when there were a lot of them. Finally, they reached the witch's chamber.

"Here we go!" Mami said.

She fired several shots at the witch, Rebecca, while Homura seemed to hold back looking for a good chance. Then the witch attacked Kaede from afar.

"Ugh!" Kaede gasped, attempting to defend with a wall of vines.

"Stay focused!" Mami said. "Keep moving!"

The witch seemed to realize that Kaede was the weakest and made straight for her.

"Huh!?" Kaede gasped. "It's coming towards me!?"

"I won't let you!" Mami said.

She flung out a web of ribbons, forming a barrier in front of Kaede. The witch slammed into it and bounced back before suddenly exploding. Homura must've placed a bomb there. The bomb wasn't enough to take the witch out though, so Mami summoned her cannon.

"Let's see how you like this! Tiro Finale!"

Homura swiped the grief seed as the labyrinth collapsed, flicking her hair back over her shoulder. She stepped forward and offered it to Kaede.

"Um! Y-you can keep it," Kaede said. "B-but!"

"Oh, come now," Mami said.

"I'm so… I'm really… I'm really really sorry!" Kaede said. "Um, I… I couldn't… do anything… I'm so… I'm really… I'm just so sorry!"

"It's alright," Mami said. "Don't worry about it. You're letting us keep the grief seed?"

"Oh, that's… I mean… I didn't use any magic, so I didn't really need it," Kaede said.

"Still, this city is overrun with witches, it seems," Mami said. "And powerful ones, at that… are you going to be alright on your own now?"

"Ah! W-well… yes!" Kaede said. "I'm usually with my team. So before, if I got into some real trouble… I was going to call my team. Even though Momoko-chan said she had plans… she'd surely come running if I called for help."

"I see," Mami said. "So if you're with your team, you'll be fine."

"Y-yeah…"

"So… you're a magical girl of Kamihama, right?" Mami said.

"Eh!? Um, I mean, yes!" Kaede said.

"I was wondering," Mami said. "Could we sit down and have a little chat?"

"Of course…"

They powered down, and Kaede led the way to a nearby park, where she and Mami took a seat on a bench. Homura however remained standing.

"You aren't from Kamihama, are you?" Kaede asked.

"No, I'm not," Mami said. "I was actually looking for people who are familiar with this city… I had a few questions to ask."

"And then you got distracted in teacher mode," Homura grumbled.

"You're right… I completely forgot to mention why I came here to that other girl," Mami said.

"Um, I don't know all that much," Kaede said. "But I'll answer anything I can…"

"I wonder, has anything… extraordinary happened here lately?" Mami asked.

"Extraordinary? Hmm," Kaede said.

"Please, anything at all that you can tell me would be helpful," Mami said.

"Uhhh… hmmm," Kaede says. "Oh right! The rumour! About the Rule of Ending Friendships!"

"Rumour? The Rule of Ending Friendships?"

"Yes! Um, well… if you and your friends say, 'We're not friends anymore!', and then later you regret it and want to be friends again and apologize, then a scary monster is supposed to come and take you away."

"And that's the rumour?" Mami asked.

"Isn't that… just a tall tale to scare children?" Homura asked.

"Is it popular with the school kids?" Mami asked.

"Oh, um… it is but… it's not just an ordinary rumour!" Kaede said. "It… it came true!"

Mami blinked. "Huh? So you're telling me… the rumour is now real!?"

"Yes! Yes, exactly! I actually had an argument with my teammate, and we both said 'We're not friends anymore'! But, I really wanted to be friends again… so when I apologized to Rena-chan, I… got taken away to a strange place. And when Rena-chan came to rescue me, we were both brainwashed… it was… a huge mess… my other teammate and a couple of other magical girls rescued us in the end though. But I never thought a rumour could come true like that!"

"I see," Mami said. "What a shocking story…"

"So after you had a fight, you were both attacked by a witch…?" Homura said. "That's what happened, right? It must have just been a coincidence."

"It does sound that way," Mami said. "So that's what happened? Thank you for filling me in, and sorry for taking up so much of your time."

"Oh um… not at all," Kaede said. "But um… it's not… like your scary partner said…"

"Huh?" Mami said.

"It… it wasn't… it wasn't a witch," Kaede said.

Suddenly Mami gasped.

"I can feel some magic!? And it doesn't feel like a witch… is this what I felt last time…?"

"That's right!" Kaede said. "I know what this is! It's a rumour!"

"What? A rumour?"

"Yes!" Kaede said. "It's magic from a rumour – the same kind of creature that abducted Rena-chan and me!"

"Magic from a rumour?" Mami said. "What does that…"

"Yeah, I can feel it too," Kaede said. "It's definitely the same magic."

"It feels more like a magical girl than a witch," Homura mused. "Although… it seems a little different from a magical girl, too…"

"R-right!" Kaede said. "It's definitely magic, but… it's nothing like what comes from a witch, or a magical girl either! This is the magic of a creature that shows up when a rumour isn't followed! Since we don't have a better name for them… we just call them rumours. So… this is a rumour's magic!"

"So, it's called a rumour… and it's a monster?" Mami asked.

"Yes, exactly!" Kaede said. "It's not a witch or a familiar!"

"What kind of monster is it?" Homura asked. "Is it like monsters from Japanese mythology, or…?"

"N-no, I don't think so," Kaede said. "The one that abducted me was a huge staircase with a bell at the top… I don't know what this one is though."

"Nothing like Elise's summons then," Homura mused.

"I have to go!" Mami said, jumping to her feet. "Homura-chan! Let's check it out!"

"Oh, I um…" Kaede said. "Let me… I mean… I want to pay you back for earlier, but… you see, I want to help you, I really do, it's just… if I wind up just causing you trouble like before, then I…"

"It's alright," Mami said. "It's enough for me that you feel that way. I don't want what happened to you and your team to happen to someone again! I will not allow it."

"Um…"

"Don't worry, okay?" Mami said. "I'm going to personally dispose of whatever the source of that magic is! It's very dangerous to be by yourself, so make sure you get along with your team!"

"Um… okay…"

"We have to hurry!" Mami said. "Take care!"

"Oh! You too!"

Mami and Homura ran off, tracking the strange magic together. Soon they arrived at Mizuna Shrine. There was a portal there, bearing the emblem of a shrine gate. The portal itself behind the emblem was a pinkish red instead of the standard black.

"Here it is!" Mami said. "So this… this must be a rumour's labyrinth."

"I suppose so," Homura said. "The portal… looks strange…"

The two of them transformed and stepped inside, and Mami gasped at the strange surroundings.

"It really isn't a witch or a familiar!? Even the labyrinth is so different…"

There was a roar from further in, closely followed by some indistinct yells, and Mami gasped again.

"Someone's already fighting it!" Mami said. "We have to hurry!"

They hurried forward, hopping up onto one of the many shrine gates to get a good vantage point over the battlefield. There were three magical girls fighting against a monster that looked like a strange cross between a horse and a frog… or perhaps it would be more accurate to say there were two fighting and one unconscious on the ground. It looked like the two still standing were on their last legs, too. However… even as Mami watched, a strange birdlike monster rose up from the unconscious girl, attacking the frog monster – trussing it up and tearing it to shreds.

"Th-that's… a witch!?" Mami gasped. "W-where did it come from?"

As soon as the frog monster was destroyed, the witch turned on the other two magical girls, trussing them up too. They shouted and protested, though Mami couldn't make out their words from this distance.

"I have to save them!" Mami said grimly. "Take this! Tiro Finale!"

A single shot took out the witch, and it crumbled to dust as the three magical girls fell to the ground with a soft thud.

"That witch… did it come out of her body?" Mami mused. "This city… it's absolutely insane!?"

"Miss Mami… hold on…" Homura said.

"Come on, Homura-chan," Mami said. "We have to defeat the enemy before us."

Before Homura could say anything else, Mami had hopped down and was striding towards the trio. Homura shrugged and followed her.

"A-anyway," the girl in blue was saying. "We should still go see the Coordinator…"

Mami stepped up and pointed one of her muskets straight at the pink-haired girl's head.

"Sorry, but I can't just let you leave," she said.

"Um… who are you?" the pink-haired girl asked… the witch in the form of a human.

"My name is Tomoe Mami. I'm a magical girl from Mitakihara, and this is my partner, Akemi Homura. I'm surprised you guys are so calm with a witch next to you. I find an unusual labyrinth and go in, and what do I find but an unexpected bounty!"

"You're awfully hostile for someone with such a big smile on her face," the girl in blue retorted.

"I suppose you're right," Mami said. "But my hostility is aimed only at this witch in your midst!"

"W-what!? Me!?" the humanoid witch gasped.

"You're not a good liar," Mami said. "I never thought I would see a witch disguised as a human…"

"You have it all wrong," the girl in blue said. "Everyone here is a magical girl just like you."

"No, not her," Mami said. "I saw it with my own eyes! Her true form!"

"What!? How dare you!" the girl in orange protested. "Iroha-chan hasn't done anything wrong! You've made Yui Tsuruno, the Mightiest – and Nicest – Magical Girl, very… angry! Ugh… but I've used up a lot of my magic…"

The girl in blue sighed. "Out of the frying pan and into the fire… we don't want to waste any more magic on a fellow magical girl…"

"Homura-chan, aren't you going to back me up here?" Mami asked, glancing back.

Homura blinked uncertainly. "Well, um…"

"Miss Yachiyo, I'll fight if necessary!" the humanoid witch said.

"No, Miss Tamaki," the girl in blue said. "No ordinary person would be so calm when faced with three magical girls. Plus she has another ally of unknown strength."

"But I'm the only one she's after… and besides, I have more magic left than you two."

"Oh my, you even say such considerate things!" Mami said. "I'll give you credit for keeping others out of this, but it's too late for regret now!"

The two of them circled each other, firing at each other as fast as they could and doing their best to dodge the other's projectiles, but there was no real progress made. After a minute or so, Mami grew fed up.

"How long are you going to keep up this charade!?" she shouted. "Reveal yourself so we can get this over with!"

But then a new magical girl leapt into the middle of the firefight with a yell, deflecting the projectiles from both sides until Mami and the humanoid witch ceased firing, before turning on the other two. Mami took a leap back, watching warily, then glanced back as Homura unexpectedly grabbed her arm.

"Two of the most powerful magical girls I know are just sitting there watching this!?" the newcomer shouted. "It's so sad it almost makes me wanna cry!"

"Momoko-chan!?" the humanoid witch gasped.

"Hey, Iroha-chan!" the newcomer said.

"Why are you here?" the humanoid witch asked.

"I just came by to help you guys out. Mitama said something about looking for Mifuyu? But then I find you guys like this! This is the most astounding development of the week! What're you two doing just watching!?" Then she noticed the state of their soul gems. "Wait… hold on. What the heck happened to you guys!?"

"I've been fighting… a lot," the girl in blue said.

"Same here," the girl in orange said. "My magic tank is on empty…"

The newcomer rounded on Mami and glared at her.

"Hey you! Yes, you! You did this!?"

"Huh!?" Mami gasped. "No, wait! You have it all wrong!"

"No need to explain. I see exactly what's going on here. Like they say, seeing is believing."

"It's not like that!" Mami said. "I saw that girl's true identity… as a witch!"

The newcomer blinked and glanced back at the accused.

"Huh? Are you crazy? Anyone can see Iroha-chan's no witch," she retorted.

"B-but… I saw it!" Mami said. "Homura-chan… would you please back me up here!?"

"It's half true," Homura said calmly.

"Th-thank you, Homura-chan!" Mami said. "Huh? Wait… only half…?"

"The truth is that Miss Mami and I just witnessed a strange phenomenon here, as I am sure your… friends… will attest to," Homura said flatly, "and it seems to have caused her to lose her cool a little. We have no intention to challenge your territory, so we will now withdraw."

"Eh? Wait, Homura-chan, just a moment!?" Mami gasped.

Suddenly the world around them went grey.

"Huh? Why'd you suddenly stop time, Homura-chan…? Oh! It's to defeat the—"

Homura withdrew a pistol from her shield… she didn't point it at Mami, just spun it on her finger, but Mami could feel a sense of menace in that gesture.

"No," Homura said. "Miss Mami, I believe you have misread the situation. Look more closely at that girl. Does she really look like a witch to you? Does her magic not feel just like a magical girl's?"

Mami looked at the girl in white, staring for almost a full minute.

"W-well," she finally said. "You do have a point, but… I saw it! You saw it too, didn't you, Homura-chan!?"

"I did see something that looked a lot like a witch," Homura said. "But I do not see any proof that it was, in fact, a witch. For example… did you consider the possibility that that girl has illusion magic?"

"I'll admit, that did cross my mind for a moment," Mami said. "Even so… you saw it tear that other monster apart, right? No illusion magic would be able to do that! And besides, I could sense that thing's magic! It was clearly a witch's magic!"

"I see," Homura said.

She fell silent for a good thirty seconds before speaking again, in a low and menacing voice.

"In that case… I suppose we should end our partnership here."

"Huh!?" Mami gasped. "Why? What's this, all of a sudden?"

"Because, I can't be partners with someone who would consider my dearest friend to be a witch," Homura said coldly.

"Dearest friend… wait, do you mean Miss Madoka?"

"Whatever that phenomenon is," Homura said. "This is the second time I've witnessed it."

"Th-then… you're saying… it also happened to Miss Madoka!? Y-you've got to be kidding me… when did that happen!?"

"The very same day she became a magical girl," Homura said.

"I… I see," Mami said. "She hasn't seemed strange since then. M-maybe… maybe I'm jumping to conclusions after all… Homura-chan, please don't say you'll end our partnership!"

"As long as you understand," Homura said, relaxing a little.

She also stowed her pistol back into her shield, allowing Mami to relax as well.

"Still… even if it did happen to Miss Madoka too," Mami said. "It's still… very strange… why have we never seen it before?"

"I cannot answer that," Homura retorted.

"Well… I can work that out if I come back here again to investigate," Mami said. "Let's go home for now, Homura-chan. I did promise to fill Miss Taylor in on our findings too, though I'm sure she'll have given up by now and gone to bed…"

"Fine," Homura said. "Let's go."

They headed out of the shrine, and then Homura ended the time stop and powered down. They were able to catch the penultimate train of the night back to Mitakihara.

After getting off the train, they ran into Sakura Kyouko.

"Ah! Kyouko!" Mami called.

Kyouko turned to face them.

"Oh, it's Mami, and the mystery girl," she said. "Man, ya look spooked… what happened?"

"Ah… I'm still… not sure," Mami said. "Have you… visited Kamihama yet?"

"Huh? Kamihama? I was gonna go soon, but the little squirt's hogging all my time… so no, I haven't dropped by yet. Man, she's such a handful…"

"I see… thank goodness," Mami said.

"Thank goodness?" Kyouko said. "What's that supposed to mean? Calm down and explain it to me."

"Well… I really don't know how to explain it…"

"Then, mystery girl, why dontcha give it a shot?" Kyouko suggested. "I assume you were with her… what's got her so shaken up?"

"We witnessed a strange phenomenon in Kamihama," Homura said. "But I am unsure how to explain it…"

"Kyouko," Mami said. "Have you ever… come across a witch that could pass as a human?" Mami asked.

"Pass as… a human?" Kyouko asked, blinking. "Ya lost me… what're you getting at here?"

"Today… I thought I saw one," Mami said. "Have you ever seen anything like that? A witch disguised as a human?"

"The hell?" Kyouko said. "Dontcha mean some wild magical girl?"

"No… it wasn't quite like that," Mami said. "It's really not that simple… there was someone who I thought was human, but then it looked like they turned into a witch? Just for a short time… then they went back to being human, indistinguishable from any other magical girl… I wondered if it was controlling the minds of the other magical girls, deceiving them… but…"

"No kidding," Kyouko said. "I ain't never seen nothing like that… a witch cunning enough to pass as a human? Still… it was only for a moment, right? Couldn't it have been illusion magic? You of all people should know that magic can create illusions."

Mami nodded. "Of course, since I know you…"

Homura blinked. "Wait… what does Sakura Kyouko have to do with illusions…?"

"None of your damn business," Kyouko retorted.

"But yes, the thought did cross my mind," Mami said. "There's just one problem… that witch monster attacked and destroyed another monster… can an illusion really do that? Kyouko… you should understand illusion magic better than me… is something like that possible?"

"Hmm," Kyouko said. "I guess what you're asking is… can an illusion have some solidity, ain't that right?"

"Yeah, I suppose so," Mami said.

"Then yeah, it's totally possible," Kyouko said. "Didn't you ever notice how I'd attack from all sides and it totally hurt the witch?"

Homura blinked. "Ah… like when you fought Oriko!?"

"Eh? Who the hell's that?" Kyouko said.

"Now that you mention it… I may have seen that," Mami said. "I see… so perhaps it could have been illusion magic… but even so, there's still something strange about it… that girl's soul gem was completely pure…"

"Don't that just mean she used a grief seed?" Kyouko said.

"But her friends were so dark… that doesn't add up," Mami said.

"I suppose you're right," Kyouko said.

"The bottom line is… Kamihama is an anomaly," Mami said. "I think… I think it may even be dangerous. So… even if you can get a whole lot of grief seeds… Kyouko, please don't go there."

"Gotcha," Kyouko said. "So lemme get this straight… the whole point of that rambling lecture was to persuade me not to go to Kamihama?"

"Yes," Mami said.

"Okay," Kyouko said. "So let's say I don't go to Kamihama. The other cities and towns around Kamihama – and all across the island, according to Kyuubey – don't exactly have many witches. So just what're ya suggesting I do!? I ain't some rich girl who can afford a flight or a ferry to the mainland, ya know!"

"Well, I would say you should take care of what witches you can, however few they are," Mami said. "And if you can't get enough grief seeds, I can share some of the ones I collect in Kamihama."

"That still kinda sounds like you're giving me a job that doesn't need doing," Kyouko retorted. "Just be a good girl, stay safe, and watch from the sidelines, ain't that right? Back when we worked together, I never did anything like that. So you're just gonna be my captain and steer me in the right direction?"

"That's right," Mami said. "Just this once… let me breath some wind into your sails… that's just how bizarre Kamihama is…"

"Well, I'm afraid I can't do that," Kyouko said. "I'm not the type to be a good girl who just sits back and watches ya deal with the issue all by yourself."

"Please!" Mami pleaded. "That's all I ask! Just humour me this once!"

"I ain't gonna change my mind," Kyouko said. "But I'll throw ya a bone. The grief seed I got now should last a few more days, so I'll stay away from Kamihama until the end of the week. How's that?"

"W-well… it's not what I was asking, but… I suppose… fine," Mami grumbled. "Maybe things will get better in the next three days, anyway…"

"Well, if that's all ya wanted with me, I got things to be doing," Kyouko said. "Seeya."

And with that, she turned and ran off.

---

«So, that's what happened,» Mami finishes. «It was very strange, and I'm still not entirely convinced, so… I'll be investigating in Kamihama again. You're welcome to join me, next time.»

«I'll think about it,» I say. «Thanks for telling me all of that.»

«Now, it's really late,» Mami says. «So you'll be staying the night, right?»

«Well… sure, I can do that,» I say. «Actually, I'm technically still in my pyjamas… I did bring a change of clothes in case you made the offer though.»

«Perfect!» Mami says. «Then I'll just lay out a futon for you!»

I power down, and a few minutes later, I've curled up under the futon on the floor and fallen fast asleep.

---

I'm woken by someone poking my cheek. Whoever it is does not give up. They keep poking, poking, poking…

I open my eyes and stare into the strangely coloured eyes of Momoe Nagisa. Her irises are divided into two circular bands – an outer band that's brownish in colour, and an inner band that's yellowish. She blinks at me.

"Oh… you're awake."

"Good morning, Nagisa-chan…"

"It's not good, though," Nagisa says. "It's raining."

"Really…"

"And I was gonna eat your pancakes," she adds. "Though since you're awake…"

I blink at her in surprise.

"…pancakes?"

"They're small, flat, fluffy—"

"No, I know what pancakes are," I interrupt her. "I'm just surprised Miss Tomoe is making pancakes…"

"Really?" Nagisa says. "She makes pancakes a lot, actually…"

"Is that so…"

"I wouldn't lie about food," Nagisa retorts.

"…only about food? So you'd lie about other things?"

Nagisa shrugs. "Maybe. Maybe not."

At that moment, Mami emerges from the next room, wearing an apron over her uniform and carrying a plate of what looks to be some rather elaborate pancakes.

"Nagisa-chan, the first serving's ready!" she says.

Nagisa jumps up as Mami sets the plate down on the table, and sits down to dig in, greedily devouring the pancakes.

"Oh… good morning, Miss Ashley," Mami says. "There should still be time to take a shower, if you'd like."

"Hmm… " I grab my phone to check. "Maybe… after breakfast? If there's still time, that is…"

"Then I'll give you the next serving," Mami says. "Please be patient!"

She disappears back into the kitchen, and I lay back on the futon for a bit. After a minute or two, Homura appears from somewhere and sits down with a sigh. Then Mami comes in with the next plate of pancakes, setting it down as well.

"Here you are, Miss Ashley! Oh, Homura-chan… don't worry, yours will be right up!"

"Whatever," Homura says.

I sit up and slide over to the table to look at the dish that Mami has set there. There are four pancakes arranged in a sort of circle, covered in sliced banana and fresh strawberries and decorated with whipped cream. It's quite different from how I'd normally eat pancakes, but I suppose it's really hard to get maple syrup in Japan, maybe? Or Mami just doesn't like it, one of those. Either way, I pick up the fork and start eating. As expected from Mami, they're really good.

Before long, Mami comes back in with two more plates for herself and Homura, and they both start eating as well.

"Nagisa-chan, did you finish your homework?" Mami asks.

"About half of it," Nagisa says.

"What? That's not good… you need to do all of it!"

"Half of the other half is stupid, so I'm not doing it," Nagisa says. "The other half of the other half isn't due until next week. Therefore, it's fine."

"You can't just not do it, Nagisa-chan!" Mami protests.

"I can do whatever I want," Nagisa retorts.

Mami sighs and doesn't try to press the issue.

"By the way… these pancakes are really good," I say.

"Why, thank you," Mami says. "Perhaps I should invite you over again."

"That would be nice, I think."

"Your friend is also welcome," Mami says. "Miss… Itsumi, was it? You seem to be quite close, recently."

"Right… maybe that would change her opinion of you," I say.

"She's like a dog following you around," Nagisa says. "It's pretty funny."

"Nagisa-chan!" Mami protests. "That's rude!"

I manage to smother my laughter, because I think Mami is right, but… given Inui's witch form…

"Whatever," Nagisa says. "I'm going to school. Bye."

She hops up, grabs her bag and an umbrella, and runs out before Mami can stop her.

"I'm kind of surprised she's still going to school," I say. "Since she's all 'I can do what I want' and school is usually one of the last things kids wanna do…"

"She said she likes the teacher," Mami says. "I guess if she gets a new teacher, she might stop going… though I hope that doesn't happen… if she could at least make a friend her own age, that would be great…"

"What about Yuma-chan?" I suggest.

"W-well… there's that too," Mami says. "She kind of reminds me of Momo-chan back then… but I would also like Nagisa-chan to make a friend in her class."

Huh. So Kyouko's not the only one who might be seeing her little sister in Yuma… in fact, I had forgotten that Mami ever met Kyouko's sister.

"In any case," Mami says. "Nagisa-chan has a point. We should hurry."

After I finish eating, while Mami is washing up, I take a quick shower and get dressed, stuffing my pyjamas into a corner of my schoolbag. Then I accompany Homura and Mami partway to school before breaking off to head to the high school. I don't see any sign of Inui along the way, but we'll be meeting up after school, so it's fine.

---

Magical Girl Corner

Whenever a new magical girl is introduced, I'll include a brief profile of her here. Some details may be redacted, or contain minor spoilers. You have been warned! The numeric ranking values are on a scale of 1 to 10.

Yui Tsuruno
由比鶴乃

Age: 17
Eye Colour: Brown
Hair Colour: Brown
Origins: Sankyo Ward, Kamihama, Shinriku Prefecture, Japan
Symbol: Red diamond with square hollow
Soul Gem: Orange diamond-shaped gemstone on her belt
Element: Fire
Weapon: Twin iron fans
Powers: Luck manipulation
Wish: "I want to win the lottery."

Speed: 5
Magical Stamina: 6
Offensive Power: 6
Defensive Power: 7
Initial Power Usability: 6
Learned Powers: 0 (unknown)

---

Doppel Corner

Whenever a new magical girl unleashes her doppel, I'll include a doppel description here. Note that most of these are direct quotes from the Magia Record game rather than being written by me; they are simply reproduced here for interest. I'll mark any original doppels with a dagger symbol (†).

Giovanna (Tamaki Iroha)

The Doppel of silence. Its form is a cuckoo. The master of this emotion is aware of how pitiful her Doppel is, and refuses to look at it. This Doppel wordlessly wraps around and strangles anything it doesn't want to hear as it continues its search for something to fill the hole in its heart. While it should be calling for someone, it is cowardly and afraid of acknowledging the reality it has concealed, and so it remains, silently covering its ears.

---

Wow, it's been seven chapters since I said "this is Nagisa's real introduction", and she hasn't shown up once. Well… here I start to make up for that, though unfortunately it'll be a few more chapters before she shows up again after this…

So this is covering chapter 3 of the Magia Record game (including Another Story), but there are quite a few extra bits sprinkled throughout and some inspiration from the anime as well. For example, that mysterious shrine that Iroha never got to in the source material. But will it become important, or is it still just a red herring?

I made a medium revision to chapter 69 to give enough time for Kazumi's magical girl story (or some variation on it) to plausibly fit into the timeline. It's something that doesn't fit into the scope of the chapter (since it's from Hijiri's point of view) but I also don't want to exclude it from the realm of things that could've happened offscreen. Although it only covers a few paragraphs of the chapter, the actual contents of those paragraphs are pretty different from the first version; if you'd like to re-read just the changed section, you can search for "Satomi Medical Centre" and read up until the point where Hijiri finds Kazumi. That said, the change doesn't have any substantial effect on the chapter as a whole.

I also noticed a minor error in chapter 68 which has been corrected – after previously establishing in chapter 37 that I would be spelling Lapine's name with an E, I forgot to include the E when Pernelle referenced her in chapter 68.

Finally, I happened to be watching Asuka's MGS for unrelated reasons and noticed that she refers to Sasara by her surname. Then I went searching for a place where Sasara refers to Asuka, and finally found one in chapter 10… where Asuka doesn't use Sasara's surname. So… given that my timeline is squished, I've updated the previous chapter to use the mode of address from chapter 10. Basically just adding a "Miss" honorific to Asuka's dialogue in (checks notes)… one place.

Although the next chapter is almost finished, the one following that is still very much a work in progress, so I probably won't post a chapter mid-week. Expect chapter 71 next weekend.