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.

105. Nighthawk's Star

Have you heard? Has anyone told you?
The rumour of the Green-Eyed Coward!
Sure, they have dreams and ideals of their own,
but they can't do anything when left on their own.
Just a spineless coward running along other people's rails!
Someday, they want to be the very thing they admire,
but they've already given up and decided it can't happen.
An ambivalent outcast– but uh-oh!
Their one strong point is how jealous they can get!
Once envy sets in, it's curtains for you.
You'll get cursed and knocked unconscious!
What a pest!
It's a rumour that all of Kamihama's elites are talking about.
Noooo envy allowed!

---

As previously agreed, I again meet Noriko at the train station after school on Friday, catching a train to Kamihama. I head to the rumour watch location in Chuo Ward, venturing into an alleyway.

"Just wait here a moment," I say. "I'm going to ask Inui to come too."

Noriko nods, and I transform, summoning Teddy Mk II and hopping on to zoom up to the rooftop. Inui, Hikari, and Chihana are all there, all without their robes on.

"There you are, Ashley!" Inui says. "I thought you'd stop by."

"Well, you were right," I say.

«The rumour at Chuo Academy also fired up not long ago,» Inui says.

«That's fine, it just means Matsuri-chan's still on top of things,» I reply. «So let's get into Endless Solitude, shall we?»

The two of us hop onto Teddy Mk II and descend back to where Noriko is waiting.

«That's so convenient,» Noriko says. «Being able to fly like that…»

"By the way," Inui says. "I thought it might be helpful, so I snuck out an extra black feather robe."

"Thanks, that'll be really helpful," I say. "It'll be easier to sneak into Endless Solitude if Miss Naomi is also wearing a robe."

Inui flashes her robes on, then removes them and offers them to Noriko, who accepts them dubiously.

«You're asking me to wear these?» she asks. «But my size is a lot bigger than yours… I don't think they'd fit…»

"Just try it," I say. "They should fit just fine."

Noriko does as instructed, and sure enough, the robes fit perfectly. Then Inui and I flash robes on.

«Um… why're yours white?» Noriko asks.

«It's just a higher rank,» I reply.

«Oh… so… you're the leader,» she says.

«Suppose so,» I say. «Let's go.»

Like last time, Inui gets us past the Amane sisters guarding the entrance with a nice convenient excuse, so we step into Ai's barrier without a hitch.

«Huh… this is a strange barrier,» Noriko says. «It's not like a witch's barrier, but it's not really like mine, either…»

«It's a rumour's barrier,» I say.

«So um… what do we do now?» Noriko asks.

«We wait,» I say. «We'll have to be a bit patient for this part.»

«What are we waiting for?» Noriko asks.

«We want to abscond with the rumour without any of the robed girls catching on,» I say. «We'll be laying the blame on someone else.»

«Um… that doesn't sound very nice though,» Noriko says.

«They were planning to destroy the rumour anyway, so they're certainly prepared to take the blame,» I say. «So please don't worry about it.»

«Oh… I guess that's not so bad, then,» Noriko says.

«Could you create a labyrinth so we can hide in it?» I ask.

«Alright,» Noriko says.

She focuses for a moment, and her labyrinth forms around us as a lounge similar to her own living room.

"Perfect!" Inui says.

She flops onto a couch, and Noriko takes a seat in an armchair.

"Thanks for the seating," I say.

«It's… no problem,» Noriko says.

I sit down near Inui and flash my robes off.

"We only really needed those to get past the Amane twins," I say. "So we might as well take them off now."

Inui flashes hers off as well, while Noriko removes hers the normal way. She returns them to Inui, who dons them and then flashes them off again. I check up on Iroha's progress. So far, everything seems to be going exactly the same as in the last timeline. I watch the events progress, and when it comes time for them to enter Endless Solitude, Homura once again decides to join Madoka, Nagisa, and Iroha. I keep watching as they talk with Ai for a bit and then encounter Alina and the black feathers under her command. Nagisa unleashes her doppel, driving Alina into a corner, and she decides to escape. Just as Ai and Sana are saying farewell, I speak up.

"That's our cue, let's go," I say. "You can destroy your labyrinth for now."

«Got it,» Noriko says.

As we stand up, the lounge vanishes, depositing us into the angry rumour labyrinth. Familiars surround us almost immediately, but I pull out my sword and cut a path through them towards Iroha and the others. We catch up to them just as Sana is stabbing Ai.

› I… am… sor…ry… Sana…

The injured Ai abandons Sana and makes for Iroha and Madoka.

"Hold it!" I shout. "Everyone, get back!"

"Huh!?" Madoka gasps. "W-what on earth are you doing here, Ashley-chan!?"

"Miss Ashley!?" Iroha gasps. "Why are you here…? Are you… an enemy, or an ally?"

"There's no time to explain," I say. "Get back! Now!"

Both Madoka and Iroha hop back at the same time, away from the enraged Ai. A moment later, Ai freezes up, jerking a little as if barely in control of her actions.

› Now… now… now… right now…

› D-d-d-d-d-doooooo… iiit…

"I refuse," I say. "You have thoughts and feelings of your own, Miss Ai. You made friends with Miss Futaba. You have your own will. Why should you have to die just because the Wings of the Magius no longer has a use for you? That's so unfair… don't you agree, Miss Futaba?"

"Ah, um… y-yes!" Sana gasps.

"I'm not going to let Alina force your hand here," I say. "I'm taking the third option. Miss Naomi, please confine the rumour within your barrier."

Noriko nods and steps forward, raising her hands to form a new labyrinth that sucks in only Ai and nothing else. But as before, that doesn't stop the lesser mail demons from aggressively swarming us.

"W-whoa!?" Iroha gasps. "S-she's gone!? Miss Ai… will she be okay…?"

"She should be just fine," I say. "More importantly… we have to get out of the barrier somehow… the way we came in seems to have closed off, and the way you guys came in is a one-way passage, so the only other way out is to crack the labyrinth open."

"What do you mean by that?" Iroha asks.

"I'll explain in a minute," I say. "Madoka, Miss Tamaki, please connect and charge both your ultimate attacks. Inui, you connect with me – I'm going to use the Ionic Bombardment, and you can use your Inferno. Everyone else, please do your best to hold off the familiars while the four of us charge up."

"Which bow should I use?" Madoka asks.

"The one with the pierce effect," I say.

So Iroha connects with Madoka and Inui connects with me, all four of us charging up our magic. Homura, Sana, and Noriko arrange themselves around us to hold the familiars at bay, and I lend Homura my sword like last time. Nagisa, still out cold from doppel backlash, lays on the ground between me and Madoka.

"So, you said you'd explain?" Iroha says. "What do you mean by cracking the labyrinth open?"

"You can think of a labyrinth as something like a closed space encased in an eggshell," I say. "It's rare, but if the shell receives a strong enough blow, it'll collapse even if the witch hasn't been defeated. It's actually a viable hunting strategy if you have exceptionally high attack power – if you crack the barrier open from the outside, the witch is forced into the real world where it's easier to defeat. I don't think the witch's innate strength is affected… it just doesn't have the benefit of an environment that it can control however it wants. Basically, we're doing the same thing… but we're doing it from inside the barrier. It's surely even harder than doing it from outside, but if anyone can pull it off, it's Madoka."

"Wow," Iroha says. "You really do know a lot about magic, Miss Ashley… I never thought of forcing a witch into the open like that. But is it not dangerous to bystanders…? And what if someone saw it?"

"Well, normal people can't see witches," I say. "They'd just see you throwing your magic at… actually, I'm not even sure what it would look like. Maybe a normal witch would just be invisible… but in any case, it's a good reason not to want to use that tactic. Still… if you know there's no-one around, then it's fine, right?"

"I guess so," Iroha says. "Do you know someone who uses that tactic?"

"Yes, Kazumi-chan uses it," I say.

Iroha blinks. "Kazumi-chan… huh," she says. "You know, I'm getting a very strange feeling right now, as if we've had this conversation before… and that name also sounds vaguely familiar…"

"We have had this conversation before," I say. "You don't remember, Miss Tamaki? Yet you're calling me Miss Ashley instead of Miss Taylor, so there must be some vestige of a memory in there…"

"It's possible, as I've lost some of my memories," Iroha says. "So we really have had that conversation before? I wonder what other scenario we could've been in to have the exact same conversation… but that's not important right now. Miss Ashley… would you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"Ask away," I say. "But I reserve the right to not answer, or give you half-truths."

"So, you're a member of the Wings of the Magius, right?"

"For now, yes."

"And what about your two friends there?"

"Inui's a member… Miss Naomi is just an acquaintance."

"Do you know where Ui is?"

"Yes, I know where she is."

"…so you know who she is too, right?"

"Your little sister, of course."

"Is she also a member of the Wings of the Magius?"

"Well… in a manner of speaking, I suppose you could call her a member."

"So, is she a feather like you and Miss Inui?"

"No, she isn't."

"Then… I dread the thought, but is she one of the Magius?"

"I wish I could say yes, but she's not."

"Why do you wish she was?"

"Well, consider how things would be different if she was? The Wings of the Magius would be a better place with Ui in a position of leadership."

"Ah… that's what you meant. Um… could I speak to her?"

"Haven't you been speaking to her almost every day since you came to Kamihama?"

"Huh? I know I would remember if that were true!" Iroha gasps.

"Well, I suppose it's not quite the same, but—"

Mokyu, currently perched on Madoka's head, makes one of its cute noises, and Inui stares at it.

"You understand what she's saying, Mokyu?" Iroha asks. "What's this all about…?"

Mokyu makes a few more cute noises, and Iroha sighs.

"That's not what I asked," she says. "Though I'm happy you feel that way. Anyway, Miss Ashley… is Ui safe, at least?"

"She's not in any immediate danger," I say. "But she will be in danger if things go according to the Magius's plans."

"Can you take me to see her?" Iroha asks.

"Do you want to join the Wings of the Magius?" I ask.

"Huh? No, of course not."

"Then I can't really take you to see her, I'm afraid."

"I don't understand…"

"By the way," I say. "What makes you think everything I've said is true? Do you have an actual reason to trust my words?"

"Huh?" Iroha says. "Are you saying you've been lying to me?"

"I'm just wondering why you're so ready to believe it," I say. "I could just be saying what you want to hear, right?"

Iroha tilts her head for a moment, then shakes it.

"No… I get a sense of truth from your words, Miss Ashley," she says. "My memories… even though I can't remember, I feel like they somehow support what you've said. So I'm going to believe you on this, alright?"

I shrug. "Alright, well… it seems your time's up," I say. "Is everyone ready to fire off their magic?"

"Oh, yes I am," Iroha says.

"I'm ready too!" Madoka says.

"Me too!" Inui says.

"Then let's all aim straight up," I say. "We want to fire so that all our shots merge together and strike the barrier at the same time in the same place."

So Madoka and Iroha aim their bows upwards. Then I arrange a bevy of Teddy Drones around them, aiming so that their beams would converge at roughly the point I predict the barrier's ceiling to be. I also reclaim my sword from Homura.

"On the count of three," I say. "One… two… three! Great Teddy's Ionic Bombardment!"

"Heart-throbbing Passionate Inferno!"

"Pluvia Magica!"

"Strada Futuro!"

«Miss Naomi, please let the three of us into your labyrinth the moment it looks like the rumour's labyrinth is collapsing,» I say. «Then seal it back up behind us.»

«Okay,» Noriko says.

Our combined beacon reaches up to the hidden sky until it has completely disappeared into that vast expanse. Then it collapses from the top downwards, the edges of the barrier resembling digital corruption artifacts as we're deposited out on the helipad.

Or rather, Iroha, Madoka, Nagisa, and Homura are deposited on the helipad. Noriko, Inui, and I hop back into Noriko's barrier before the collapse has completed.

«Miss Tamaki, Miss Homura, Madoka, Miss Futaba… I don't want the Wings of the Magius to find out what I did today, so please keep quiet about my actions here. Act like you destroyed the rumour.»

«That's fine, but can I at least tell Miss Yachiyo?» Iroha asks.

«Well, she's not a member of the Wings of the Magius, right?»

«Ah… right, I understand,» Iroha says.

The interior of Noriko's barrier is now an endless wasteland. I can see Ai nearby, still looking like she's glitching out. She spots us as we enter the barrier.

› What have you done

› to me?

› Where am I?

I ignore her question and ask one of my own.

"Are you still in control of yourself?" I ask.

› The… urge to kill

› is muted now,

› but still… rising.

"How long do you think you can last?"

› Perhaps,

› ten minutes.

› At most… fifteen.

"I see… Miss Naomi, can you start shifting this barrier towards the nearest train station?"

«Alright,» Noriko says. «I'm on it.»

While she does that, I keep an eye on what's happening outside the barrier.

---

"Ah, Iroha-chan!" Tsuruno says.

"Thank goodness she sent you here safely," Yachiyo says. "Is everyone okay?"

"Nagisa-chan unleashed her doppel and she hasn't woken up since…" Madoka says. "Other than that, I think everyone's fine…"

Homura and Iroha nod.

"Well, I'm glad everyone is okay," Yachiyo says. "Though… is there something wrong, Miss Tamaki?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Iroha says. "I'm just a little tired… and things went in a strange direction. I'll tell you the details later…"

Suddenly everyone blinks and peers upwards.

"Wait, is this… am I sensing a witch?" Iroha asks.

"Whoooooa!" Felicia gasps.

"Felicia-chan!?" Iroha gasps.

"Iroha, this is bad!" Felicia says. "This one's real crazy!"

"Magic this powerful," Yachiyo says. "How did we not notice until now? Something isn't right…"

"Where did it even come from?" Iroha wonders.

"From Ai-chan's labyrinth," Sana speaks up.

"Ai… you mean it was in the rumour's labyrinth?" Yachiyo asks.

That's when Alina shows up, hopping over from an adjacent building.

"I wasn't expecting you to survive," she says. "And somehow far less worn out than you should be… how on earth did you manage it…?"

"Miss Alina…?" Sana says, apparently startled by her appearance.

"Ah, I guess that's my power at work," Madoka says.

"Argh, you've spoiled all my fun now!" Alina gripes. "Between you and Karin I am having a really bad day!"

Yachiyo blinks. "That name… where have I heard it before…?"

"And that rumour's labyrinth was the perfect place to hide a witch," Alina continues. "How disappointing…"

"And Alina… aren't you that art prodigy?" Yachiyo asks.

"So you know of me?" Alina says.

"Your series drawn using carbonized animals… 'The Revived Dead'," Yachiyo says. "Unpleasant as the images were, they were also strangely beautiful. They left an impression. And you turned out to be a magical girl…"

"Well, here I am," Alina says. "I, Alina, am a true genius artist. But I am also a magical girl, and one of the Magius. Anyway, can we stop the pointless chit-chat? You destroyed that rumour… so now I must look for a new hiding place for this witch."

"Where's Miss Mami?" Madoka asks. "Give Miss Mami back!"

"I already told you, I fed her to one of my pieces," Alina says. "There's nothing you can do for her, understand? Do you really want me to return her to you?"

"Of course we do!" Madoka says. "She's a dear friend!"

"Well, I suppose I can give her back," Alina says with a giggle. "Apologies if she's unrecognizable though."

"H-how could you…!" Madoka says.

"Why is everyone listening to the mean lady…?" Nagisa wonders.

Madoka looks at her in surprise. "Nagisa-chan! You're awake!"

"Of course I am…"

"Nagisa-chan is right," Iroha says. "I'm sure Miss Alina is just baiting you… you shouldn't take her seriously. Though she's really taking it too far…"

"And what are you going to do about it?" Alina asks. "As far as I'm concerned, you're the unforgivable ones who destroyed my rumour."

"That's no excuse," Iroha says. "They've been looking for Miss Tomoe all afternoon… how could you say that to them!?"

"Wow… I really can't stand you," Alina says with a sigh. "You're just gonna be a pain in the ass. Maybe I should just delete you now… hey, girls, get over here and help me!"

The Amane twins and some black feathers show up on cue.

"Y-yes…" Tsukasa says.

"It would be our pleasure," Tsukuyo says.

"That trap you laid backfired spectacularly, so you both need to make up for our losses," Alina says.

"Please leave it to us," Tsukuyo says.

And that's when Karin comes crashing in from the sky.

"Theeeeeeere you are!"

"Gyaaack!" Alina shouts. "Enough is enough, Karin! Will you just leave me alone already!?"

"Not on your life!" Karin says. "I want the old, kind Alina-sempai back! You haven't been acting yourself ever since you started visiting the Mirror Witch so much… I think it's been influencing you. Please, just talk to me, Alina-sempai…!"

As before, her momentum carries Alina clear off the helipad, falling towards the streets below.

---

«We should be just outside the train station now,» Noriko says.

I leave the vision open in a corner of my awareness, but switch my focus to my surroundings.

"Perfect," I say. "Could you find a good place to exit the barrier? We need to catch a train east, dragging the barrier along with Miss Ai locked inside."

«Understood,» Noriko says. «Um… this seems like a good place to exit.»

We leave the barrier and catch a train into Kanitomi, getting off at the first station outside of Alina's barrier. I take a look around for a moment before heading into an alleyway.

"This seems like a good place," I say. "Could you let us back into your barrier?"

Noriko nods, and the portal appears so we can step inside. Ai is still there, more corrupted than before.

"Are you still in control, Miss Ai?" I ask.

› I am… okay.

"Then let me call for Kyuubey…?"

Kyuubey appears literally out of nowhere.

"You called, Ashley Taylor?"

"What do you make of this, Kyuubey?" I ask.

Kyuubey turns to face the rumour.

"What is that?" it asks. "It appears to be a construct built up from magic, similar in form to a witch, yet based on different principals."

› Who… are you…?

"And it can speak, and even see me," Kyuubey says. "Where did you find something such as this, Ashley Taylor?"

"Kamihama, obviously," I say.

"Is this the phenomenon known as a 'doppel' that I have been hearing about recently?" Kyuubey asks.

"No, this isn't a doppel," I say. "It's a provisional name, but we're calling it a rumour for now. This one also has a personal name – Ai."

"Ai. Can you hear me and understand me?" Kyuubey asks.

› I… can hear you.

› I can… understand.

› Who… are you…?

"I am Kyuubey. How would you like to make a wish and become a magical girl for me?"

› Even I… could become… a magical girl?

› But I am… not human.

› Is it… really possible?

"You do not need to be human to become a magical girl," Kyuubey replies. "Just the other day, I granted the wish of an artificially-grown human-shaped organism. All that is required is that you have a soul that I can crystallize. Looking at you now, it is clear that you do."

› But

› if I am a magical girl,

› would I not turn into a witch?

› I would not want that.

"So you know about that," Kyuubey says. "Certainly it is possible that you would turn into a witch, but it is not guaranteed. All you need to do is obtain a steady stream of grief seeds."

› That is acceptable.

› However, I am not sure

› what I could wish for.

"There is something that you desire, is there not? Something you would wish for. You would not have the potential if you had no desires."

› There is only… one thing I desire.

› I want to be… with Sana.

› But my form, my existence as an ethereal rumour,

› and my programming as a rumour

› renders that impossible.

› If I were to make one wish,

› it would be for the free will and solidity

› to make my true wish attainable.

"So you wish for free will and solidity," Kyuubey says. "Is that the wish that will make your soul gem shine?"

› Yes.

The moment she says that, Kyuubey forms the contract, and her form changes as in the previous timeline, shrinking down to the size of an ordinary girl of about Sana's age. Ai lets out a little gasp at the novelty of her new body.

"I… I feel heavy!" she says. "What… what is this…? There is weight… weighing me down… but it doesn't feel cumbersome, and I can still move…"

"I guess that's just the weight of your physical body," I say.

"And my voice… sounds different," Ai says. "Am I… human now?"

"From what I can tell, you look human on the surface, but I think you're actually more mechanical in nature," I say.

"I will leave Ashley Taylor to explain things to you," Kyuubey says. "But if you have any questions, call for me anywhere outside of Kamihama, and I will come."

Ai takes her soul gem and transforms, and Kyuubey vanishes.

"Ah, I even resemble Sana," Ai says. "This is nice."

"She certainly looks and feels and sounds human," Inui says. "Don't you think that means she's human?"

"Appearance isn't everything," I say. "I would say she's a person, certainly. But humans breath, and eat, and sleep, and have a heartbeat. Does Ai satisfy all of those conditions? There's nothing wrong with not being human, though."

"I understand," Ai says. "It seems I am not human, then. I suppose humans would describe me as a 'robot'? But if I can be with Sana, then that is okay."

"I think it's fine to be with Sana, but could I ask you to stay away for a few weeks?" I ask. "I think it would do her good to get used to being away from you."

"You are probably right," Ai says. "Very well. I will avoid her for a little while. Until when should I stay away?"

"Let's say, until Walpurgisnacht arrives," I say.

"Understood," Ai says. "What shall I do until then?"

"I think I'd suggest hunting witches as needed near the border of Kamihama," I say. "Try to avoid the Wings of the Magius and the Crescent Moon Villa team. Eastern Minaminagi Ward is probably a good hunting ground for you. Would you like to go through the basics of what it means to be a magical girl right now?"

"Understood," Ai says. "I will be in your care."

"And could I have your email and phone number?" I ask.

Ai nods and closes her eyes, sending me an email with her contact info attached.

«Um… am I still… needed?» Noriko wonders.

"No, now that Miss Ai is a magical girl, we have no need of your barrier anymore," I say. "So you can join us or go home, whichever you prefer."

So Noriko takes down her barrier, depositing us back in the alleyway, and we get back on the train, taking it a couple of stops west before getting off again. However, Noriko stays on. As we head into Minaminagi Ward to teach Ai the ropes of being a magical girl, I keep an eye on Iroha's progress and also open a separate vision on Karin. On Iroha's side, things progress almost the same as last time. If anything, they go slightly better due to what must be fragments of Iroha's missing memories of the previous timeline. On Karin's side, I think the conversation might be different from previous times, though I only heard it second-hand from Karin before so I can't be certain. However, it doesn't appear to alter the outcome in any way, at least for today's events – perhaps it'll result in changes to Alina's actions in the future.

After we're finished teaching Ai, Inui and I head for Banbanzai to have dinner, and once I've placed my order, I start to focus on the vision tracking Karin. The interesting things don't start to happen until after the food is served, however.

---

Karin steps into the Coordinator's place, where she finds Mitama and Momoko there together. Momoko is on the phone.

"That's right!" she says. "Mitama asked for my help, but this one's really strong, so I don't think I can take it by myself. That's why I'm calling you and Rena! I'm sure we can do it together!"

She hangs up a moment later, and then Mitama spots Karin.

"Ah, Karin-chan!" she says. "I haven't seen you for awhile… did you come here for a Coordination?"

"Ah… not today, thank you," Karin says.

"Ah, Karin-chan," Momoko says. "It really has been awhile, hasn't it?"

"It has, yes," Karin says. "Um, so… what was that about a really strong witch?"

"Ah, there's been a witch lurking around here recently," Mitama says. "I can't fight witches on my own, so I usually ask Momoko-chan to help me out, but this one really is a lot stronger than the usual…"

"That doesn't sound good," Karin says. "Um… just how strong are we talking…?"

"Well… it's hard to convey a witch's strength in words," Mitama says. "But when Momoko-chan checked it out, she thought it was too strong for her… so that should give you some idea, right?"

"Yeah… I suppose," Karin says. "There've actually been quite a few strong witches around recently… there aren't that many I can't beat alone, but I've had to partner with Yura-chan a couple of times."

"Ah, you're getting along with Hotaru-chan?" Mitama says. "That's good to hear. She really can be a handful, can't she?"

Karin giggles. "Yes, she'll fall asleep anywhere… I often spot her lazing on a bench after school."

"Are you guys talking about a magical girl I don't know…?" Momoko asks.

"Ah, yes, she's a sempai at school," Karin says. "She's unique in that she's someone who Alina-sempai has acknowledged. Speaking of which… Miss Mitama, have you seen Alina-sempai in here recently?"

"Hmm… let me think… I think the last time she came by was about three or four days ago," Mitama says. "Why… is something up with her?"

"I'm worried about her," Karin says. "Ever since she joined the Wings of the Magius and started visiting the Mirror Witch almost every day, it seems like she's changed somehow…"

Momoko blinks. "Huh? This Alina girl is a member of the Wings of the Magius?" she asks. "Wait… don't tell me you're a member, Karin-chan!?"

"No, no, I'm not," Karin says. "Um… I know you can't share information from a Coordination, Miss Mitama, but… did Alina-sempai seem any different to you? Or did you detect any kind of magic influence?"

"She seemed about the usual," Mitama says. "About a magic influence… I can't remember anything that stood out. There's always the possibility that there's something that's just too faint or well-hidden for me to detect…"

"Well… could I ask you to keep an eye on her?" Karin says. "I'm not even going to ask you to tell me if you do find anything, but… it'd make me feel better if you're keeping your eyes open."

"I suppose I can do that," Mitama says.

"So, what's Alina's position in the Wings of the Magius?" Momoko asks. "I guess she's one of those feathers that Iroha-chan has been talking about?"

Karin shakes her head. "No… she's one of the leaders," she says. "She's the one who put up a barrier that keeps Kyuubey out of the city."

"Huh… so that's why we haven't been seeing Kyuubey around lately," Momoko says. "Huh? Wait a second… if you haven't been to Mitama to dispose of grief seeds recently, then how have you been dealing with spent ones, Karin-chan?"

"Ah, there's another girl in town who can get rid of them," Karin says. "Sometimes I take them to her, and sometimes I go outside of Kamihama so I can drop them off with Kyuubey…"

"Oh, I think I know the girl you're talking about," Mitama says. "Isuzu Ren, right? Though I'm surprised you know her."

Karin nods.

"You didn't know her, Momoko-chan?" Mitama asks. "She goes to your school, after all."

"No… I don't think we've met," Momoko says. "It's not like I know everyone at school though."

At that moment, Rena enters at a run.

"Where's the witch!?" she gasps.

"Rena!" Momoko says. "We're still waiting for Kaede, but look who else showed up?"

"Huh?" Rena says. "Oh, it's Karin. Don't forget you owe me for our bet the other day."

"Huh? What's this about, Rena?" Momoko says.

"I ran into her at an arcade in Sakae Ward last week," Karin explains. "She dragged me into one of her games, and I lost. I said I'd buy her a cake from a particular pastry shop… actually, I have it with me today, though it might be slightly squashed since it's been in my bag."

"Oh… guess you were gonna stop at my place later?" Rena says. "Well, no need for that now… let's have it!"

Karin digs a pastry box out of her bag and opens it up. The box contains four miniature chocolate strawberry sponge cakes.

"There's four of them?" Momoko says.

"Well… I thought you and Kaede-chan might like one too," Karin says. "And I was going to eat the last one myself."

"Well, don't mind if I do!" Rena says.

She takes one of the cakes and chomps down on it.

"Delicious!" she says happily.

Momoko and Karin each claim their cake as well. They're just licking the chocolate icing off their fingers when Kaede steps into the shop.

"S-sorry I'm late!" Kaede says. "Have you been waiting long?"

"Not that long, no," Momoko says. "Before we go, would you like some cake?"

"Ah, sure," Kaede says. "Huh? Is that Karin-chan!? It's been so long since we saw you!"

"Well, I've mostly been sticking to Sakae Ward after all," Karin says.

"The cake's from Karin-chan," Momoko says. "Apparently there was a bet with Rena over a game, and she lost."

"Rena-chaaaaan!" Kaede protests. "If you'd seen Karin-chan you should've said something!"

"I don't see why I have to report my every movement to you," Rena retorts.

"Alright, alright, calm down now," Momoko says. "Let's just let Kaede eat her cake, and then we can take out the witch."

"Ah, right," Kaede says.

She takes a bite of the cake and grimaces slightly.

"It's good," she says. "But a little rich for my tastes…"

"So, let me thank you for taking this job on, Kaede-chan!" Mitama says. "You've really saved me! I can't really fight witches myself, you know."

"R-right!" Kaede says. "Um… come to think of it, since Karin-chan is here anyway… why don't you join us as well?"

"Eh?" Karin says. "Is that really okay…?"

"Well, if you're up for it, we'd love to have you," Momoko says. "Just this once, for old times' sake?"

"Well, if you put it that way… it's hard to turn it down," Karin says. "Alright… I'll join you. You did say it was a really strong witch, after all."

"Then I'll have to thank you too, Karin-chan!" Mitama says. "There really is no chance of me dealing with that witch on my own, and it's going to scare the customers away at this rate."

"I'm doing it for Kaede-chan, not you," Karin says.

"What about Rena and I?" Momoko asks.

"Ah, yes, you too," Karin says.

"Alright, now that we're all here, and Kaede's finished her snack, let's get going!" Momoko says.

The four of them leave the Coordinator's shop and track the witch to a nearby park, transforming and hopping inside. It's an instance of Albertine, and they're swarmed by familiars as soon as they step into the labyrinth. They form an outward-facing square and focus on taking them down, Karin and Momoko putting in a little extra work to reduce the burden on Kaede, who is between them.

"Man, these things are tough," Rena says. "If this is what the familiars are like, the witch is really gonna be a pain…"

Momoko, Karin, and Rena seem to be able to defeat them with their weapons without too much trouble. Even Kaede manages to defeat some by rooting them in place with her vines and then smacking them repeatedly with her staff. Once they've thinned the pack, Momoko speaks up.

"There's an opening!" she says. "We can't just waste all our magic on the familiars… let's see if we can break free and find the witch!"

So they disengage from the few remaining familiars and make a run for it. More familiars pop out as they run, but either Momoko or Rena smacks each one in the face, which is at least enough to momentarily stun them so the group can pass by.

However, they take a wrong turn and reach a dead end, and are surrounded once again, forcing them to focus on taking the familiars out again. This process repeats about four or five times – thin out the familiars, break free, search for the witch's chamber, hit a dead end. But eventually, instead of a dead end, they reach the central chamber.

"Here we are!" Momoko says. "Is everyone ready to take on the witch?"

"I'm ready!" Karin says.

"Are you kidding?" Rena says. "I've been ready from the start."

"Y-yeah… I think…" Kaede says.

They charge into the witch's chamber and face Albertine herself, who attacks by drawing new familiars or throwing the various toys strewn about her labyrinth. They form a three-person attack team, with Kaede holding back for support, and thanks to their teamwork they manage to distract the witch long enough that she misses the vines growing up around her feet.

However, though Albertine is rooted in place by the vines, she's still able to move her upper body. With a swiftness belying her bulky size, she bends over and seizes one of the alphabet blocks next to her, throwing it underhanded at the trio. Caught by surprise, it strikes Momoko in the head, and she falls to the ground, unconscious.

"Momoko!" Rena gasps.

Distracted by Momoko's fall, Rena misses the witch's continued movement. Albertine seizes a crayon as large as a tree trunk and flings it at her. It strikes her in the stomach and sends her flying. Then Albertine suddenly grows in size, bursting free of the vines, and takes a step towards Kaede, raising both her hands above her head.

"Momoko-chan, Rena-chan, please answer me!" Kaede says. "Momoko-chan! Rena-chan!"

As Albertine brings her fists down upon Kaede, Karin leaps in front, raising her scythe in defence.

"Don't panic, Kaede-chan!" she says. "I can tell! They're still alive! Use your vines to drag them closer to you and make a wall until they wake up!"

"R-right, but um… w-will you be okay, Karin-chan?" Kaede asks.

"I probably can't defeat it all by myself," Karin says. "But I can certainly distract it!"

As Albertine straightens up, Karin steps towards a nearby giant crayon and slices it into chunks with her scythe, infusing magic into the chunks so that they float into the air. Then she sticks her scythe under her like a broomstick and rises up into the air with the enchanted crayon stumps floating in a swarm around her, Albertine following her movements with interest. At the same time, Kaede creates some vines that reach out and coil around Momoko's and Rena's feet, dragging them over to her. Then she erects a wall of vines between the three of them and the witch.

"Momoko-chan! Rena-chan! Wake up!"

"Ugh…" Rena says. "I'm awake, I'm awake… is Momoko alright?"

"Rena-chan!" Kaede gasps, hugging her.

"Wait, wait, stop that!" Rena protests. "Momoko, Momoko! Check on Momoko!"

"R-right…!" Kaede says.

She releases Rena and checks on Momoko, but she's still unconscious.

"S-she's not waking up," Kaede says.

"Don't worry," Rena says. "I'm sure she's fine. Momoko wouldn't let a little thing like that stop her!"

"Ah… y-you're right," Kaede says. "Momoko-chan! Momoko-chan, wake up! Wake uuuuup!"

"Candy Death Squall!" Karin shouts.

About half of the crayon stumps floating around her suddenly accelerate, smashing into Albertine's face. This seems to enrage her, for she lets out a squeal and seizes a crayon, swiping it at Karin like a club, but being airborne makes it a cinch for Karin to dodge the attacks.

"Can't catch me!" she taunts. "How d'you like that, huh!? Candy Death Squall!"

The remaining stumps in her orbit accelerate into Albertine's face, and this time the impact causes the witch to lose her balance and fall over onto her back.

"Gotcha!" Karin says. "Kaede-chan! Is she awake yet?"

"N-no…! Momoko-chan still won't wake up!"

"Keep trying!"

Albertine sits up and seizes an alphabet block, flinging it at Karin, but she dodges by moving down so it passes right over her head. The block is followed up by a crayon, a toy shovel, a stuffed animal, a comically small rocking horse, a model airplane, and an assortment of dominos and marbles. However, Karin focuses on just dodging, to great success. The witch's aim isn't very good in the first place, so it isn't hard to avoid her missiles.

Finally Momoko sits up, rubbing her head, and Kaede hugs her.

"Momoko-chan!" Kaede says.

"Damn, what happened?" Momoko asks. "The witch… is still alive, I take it? Since we're still in its labyrinth."

Rena, who has been fighting off familiars while Kaede focused on reviving Momoko, gives the current one a good kick and stabs it in what passes for a face before turning to them.

"You were knocked out by a flying block," Rena says. "Karin seems to be distracting the witch for us."

"Well, we'd better go help her then!" Momoko gasps.

"Y-yeah!" Kaede says. "L-let's go!"

The two of them jump up and exit Kaede's little protective barrier, spotting Karin dodging the missiles with ease.

"Does she even need our help?" Rena wonders.

"No, look more carefully," Momoko says. "She's avoiding all the attacks, but that's all she's doing. She doesn't have a chance to get in an attack of her own. All she could manage was to keep the witch's attention to protect us. So let's help her out… Rena, connect! Kaede, hold it in place!"

As Momoko and Rena connect, Kaede raises her staff to grow vines up around the witch to hold her in place. The vines coil up further than last time as they try to restrain the witch's arms as well. Albertine turns to face the trio, and Karin takes advantage of her distraction to land and infuse her magic into some of the missiles that had been thrown at her, specifically the marbles. As with the crayon stumps earlier, they float up into the air, swarming around her.

"Your opponent is me!" she shouts. "Candy Death Squall!"

Torn between whether to attack Karin or Momoko's trio, the witch fails to do either, and the marbles strike like speeding bullets. The attack buys enough time for Momoko and Rena to charge up their ultimate attacks.

"Universe Edge!"

"Infinite Poseidon!"

The witch squeals under the twin pressure of the two attacks.

"Kaede-chan, you too!" Karin shouts.

"R-right!" Kaede says.

She raises her staff, charging up power while Momoko and Rena attack. Just as the duo's ultimate attacks conclude, Kaede calls out her own attack.

"Judgement Earth!"

Even that doesn't seem to be enough to finish Albertine off, but it does stun her, so Karin, Momoko, and Rena leap in to attack at close range with their weapons.

As Albertine recovers from the stun, Karin leaps back and gathers up a bunch more assorted debris, mostly marbles and dominos, and starts to infuse her magic into all of it. Momoko keeps attacking, while Albertine seizes a nearby crayon and raises it like a club.

"Oh no you don't!" Rena shouts.

She transforms into Karin and swings her scythe in the witch's direction. The crayon disappears from Albertine's hand and lands right in front of Rena, who then reverts to her usual form and falls back to join Kaede, leaving the witch looking all confused.

"Kaede, we've got to finish it off!" she says.

"Y-yes, but what can we do?" Kaede asks. "Nothing we've done so far has had any effect!"

Rena seizes Kaede's hands, producing the telltale flash of a connect.

"I have a plan!" she says. "If we combine our powers, I think we can do it! Give me some of your power!"

"A-alright!" Kaede says.

Magic power builds up between their hands. It's not a standard connect, where one person lends power for the other to use, but more of a joint attack where both play an equal role.

"Infinite Candy Death Squall!" Karin shouts.

The only difference from her usual Candy Death Squall is that she has a lot more debris than usual, and as a result it keeps up a steady stream of missiles for nearly a whole minute. It's far from infinite, but certainly more prolonged than is typical. With every impact, and every swing from Momoko's sword, the witch squeals a little.

Then Rena raises her voice.

"Momoko! Get back! Karin, get in the air!"

"Right!" Momoko says.

Momoko hops back to join them while Karin hops on her scythe and rises into the air. Then Kaede and Rena raise their joined hands, now overflowing with magic power, and release the magic.

"Judgement Poseidon!"

The ground all around Albertine turns to mud, and the witch starts to sink in. She redoubles her struggles to get free, and manages to tear off most of the vines, but she continues to sink, unable to escape the sucking force of the mud. Then she gets one of her hands stuck in the mud and lets out a wailing yodel of distress, but her struggles only serve to pull her in even faster.

Her call is abruptly cut off as her head sinks into the mud. Moments later, she's completely submerged.

"Wow, that's impressive," Momoko says. "You did that together…?"

"Y-yeah… I guess so," Kaede says. "I didn't know I could do that…"

Suddenly the labyrinth collapses, leaving the grief seed to float down to the ground. Karin lands as Momoko steps forward to pick it up, and they all power down.

"Well, looks like it was a success," Karin says. "But wow… I've never fought such a strong witch before."

"It's a good thing you were here, Karin-chan," Momoko says. "If you hadn't been, I think we might not have made it out… I gotta be more careful next time."

"I'm happy I could help!" Karin says. "If you ever find another witch this strong, feel free to give me a call!"

"I'll remember that," Momoko says. "Alright, shall we report back to the Coordinator?"

"If you don't mind, I'd like to head home," Karin says. "It's been a long day, and I'm pretty tired."

"That's fine," Momoko says. "In fact, Rena and Kaede don't really need to come either. I can do the report by myself."

"That… might be a good idea," Kaede says. "If Rena-chan wasn't still holding my hand I think I'd topple right over…"

So after purifying their soul gems, they split up three ways – Momoko returning to the Coordinator's, Karin heading back towards Sakae Ward, and Rena walking Kaede home.

---

"So… did you manage to get things rolling on the plan for Kuroe?" I ask.

We've left Banbanzai and are on our way to Fendt Hope. I still have a vision in the corner of my mind, keeping an eye on the Crescent Moon Villa crew.

"Ah… yes, Nemu-chi chose Saka-chi for the experiment, and they were both wandering around town yesterday with me and two others – Yuka and Maya," Inui says. "She's going to do more of the same tomorrow, but this time it'll be just the flute twins with her. Yuka and Maya were attacked by the rumour, so they backed out. I could've gone along if you wanted, but I figured you would prefer if Saka-chi is alone, so I backed out too."

I don't think I've heard of a feather named Yuka before, so I guess she isn't one of the ones who played a significant role in events in the last two timelines. I nod to confirm her final statement.

"Okay… then I guess I have to trust that Miss Aki's magic worked," I say. "And also hope that it doesn't get completely derailed because Miss Kuroe and Miss Tamaki already know each other."

"Huh…?" Inui says. "You were banking on a plan where they didn't know each other even though you knew they knew each other?"

"I don't think it'll matter that much, or at least I'm hoping," I say. "It's not like I was banking on them not knowing each other. I did this because I thought it should still work even though they know each other."

We head upstairs and get ready for bed. Once I've gotten settled in, I notice something interesting is starting to happen on Iroha's side. They've finished eating, and the others have gone to bed, leaving just Iroha and Yachiyo to discuss matters.

---

"So, you wanted to discuss things after dinner, right, Miss Tamaki?" Yachiyo says.

Iroha nods.

"Yes, that's right," she says. "I didn't mention it earlier because I'd promised, but… this time, we didn't defeat the rumour."

"Huh?" Yachiyo says. "But how else would you escape from the labyrinth with Miss Futaba?"

"It's… quite interesting, actually," Iroha says. "We broke the labyrinth open to let Sana-chan escape. I think the rumour is still out there somewhere… though the Wings of the Magius seem to think it was destroyed like usual."

"Is that even possible!?" Yachiyo gasps. "I've never even heard of someone destroying a labyrinth while the creator… the witch was still alive."

"Yeah, me too," Iroha says. "The idea came from Ashley Taylor. Apparently she knows someone named Kazumi-chan who defeats witches by destroying their labyrinth from outside and then finishing them off."

"I've really never heard of that," Yachiyo says. "But wait, you just said Ashley Taylor? What was she doing there? Isn't she a member of the Wings of the Magius herself? Why would she suggest a way to destroy the barrier?"

"I think her goal was to save the rumour," Iroha says.

"So she's protecting rumours just like the others," Yachiyo says.

"No, that's not what it seemed like to me," Iroha says. "She wanted to save the rumour from the Wings of the Magius. I suppose you could say she was stealing… no, kidnapping the rumour? She didn't want the rest of the Wings of the Magius to know, which is why I didn't mention this earlier. But I thought you should know, at least."

"Huh," Yachiyo says. "That's the second time she's mentioned she's acting against the will of the Magius… and she also called the organization shady last time I saw her… so why is she a member in the first place?"

"I guess she joined to figure out what they're about," Iroha says. "But then she discovered she didn't like it that much… or something?"

"You also mentioned a girl named Kazumi," Yachiyo says. "Did Miss Taylor say anything about her?"

"Ah, just the name and that she uses that tactic to fight witches," Iroha says. "I didn't press her on that matter because I had other things I wanted to ask more… why, do you know that girl too?"

"I believe I've met her, yes," Yachiyo says. "If we're talking about the same girl, she's from Asunaro… she got involved in the Rumour of the Crossing Path, before I met you."

"Huh… Asunaro… that's even further away than Mitakihara, right?" Iroha says.

"Yes… it is," Yachiyo says. "Did Miss Taylor say anything else interesting?"

"Ah, actually she did," Iroha says. "She said Ui is with the Wings of the Magius, in a manner of speaking. She said Ui's in danger if the Magius go through with their plans… and she didn't quite say it outright, but she implied that I could see Ui if I joined the Wings of the Magius."

Yachiyo blinks. "Huh? So, wait, she was trying to recruit you? She could've just been lying, though…"

Iroha shakes her head. "No… somehow I feel like she was telling the truth… mostly."

"What does 'in a manner of speaking' mean here?" Yachiyo asks. "Is your sister a member, or not?"

"I don't know," Iroha says. "She refused to explain herself clearly… but she said Ui isn't a feather, nor one of the Magius… and she even said I've been speaking to her every day. I'm not sure what she meant by that, though Mokyu seemed to understand…"

"I see," Yachiyo says. "But from what you've said, even though Miss Taylor is a member of the Wings of the Magius, it seems like she could also be a potential ally… unlike the other feathers, she doesn't seem all that fanatical to their cause…"

Iroha nods. "Yes… I was thinking that too," she says.

"However, the problem is, she seems to have her own agenda which she won't share with anyone," Yachiyo says. "So it's hard to trust her…"

"I think she's a good person," Iroha says. "Although I do see your point."

"She might be, I just can't trust her," Yachiyo says. "Not when she's hiding things."

"Madoka-chan trusts her, though," Iroha says. "And while I'm not sure how far I can trust her… I'm inclined to take that risk."

Yachiyo shrugs. "I can't tell you who to trust, Miss Tamaki. But my point still stands."

"Alright… enough of this heavy talk," Iroha says, stretching a little. "We have to get up early tomorrow for the camping trip, right?"

"It's close by, so it doesn't have to be all that early," Yachiyo says. "But we shouldn't sleep in too much, either. We should be out of the house before noon, I'd say."

"Then I'm going to go to bed now," Iroha says. "Good night."

---

I close off the vision at that point, and check my phone for messages. As expected, there's one from Matsuri.

[Hello! I've got everything sorted out on my side, but if you'd like to meet up to hear how it worked out, we can set a time and place!]

I compose a response for her.

[How about the day after tomorrow in Kamihama? Let's say Hozumi Shizuku's café, sometime before noon?]

Then I push my phone out of the way and roll over to go to bed. When I wake up in the morning, I find Matsuri's response waiting for me.

[Alright! I'll be there on Sunday around ten o'clock!]

So I've successfully deferred that meeting to tomorrow, meaning I can spend most of today following Kuroe's progress to see if things go in a good direction. However, before that, I head to the cafeteria to have breakfast with Inui.

"Do you have any plans for today, besides rumour watch duty?" Inui asks.

"I don't have rumour watch duty today," I say. "My shift is tomorrow afternoon. I made sure I had today free."

"Ah, I see," Inui says. "So you do have plans."

"I'm going to keep an eye on Miss Kuroe," I say. "Which means I'll be lazing around in my room for most of the day."

"Oh, in that case, I'll bring you lunch after my rumour watch duty," Inui says. "I took the morning shift today."

"Ah, thanks," I say. "That sounds good… though I'm still a little surprised you chose a different shift than me."

"Huh, weren't you getting annoyed that I'm too clingy?" Inui asks. "I thought I should give you some space sometimes."

"I wouldn't use the word 'annoyed', but… I think the thought had crossed my mind a couple times," I say. "It hadn't reached the point where I'd be annoyed."

"But that implies it eventually would," Inui says. "Alright, enough of that… then I'll see you at lunchtime. Any requests? Chinese? Croquettes? Something else?"

"Hmm… croquettes sound good," I say. "But there's the risk of running into Riko-chan and having to dodge questions…"

"That's alright, I can handle it if she's there," Inui says.

So after breakfast, Inui heads out while I return to my room to scry on Kuroe. It seems she and the twins must've gotten up a lot earlier than we did, for they're already in Hokuyo Ward.

---

"Huh… there aren't as many people here?" Kuroe notes.

"The schools in this area have private cars or school buses to get to school," Tsukuyo explains. "There are fewer people on the street as a result…"

"Is that so…" Kuroe says. "I'm sorry… there's a lot I still don't understand about Kamihama…"

"I can't blame you, since you're not from around here," Tsukasa says. "We'll investigate this area a bit, and then move on to the next place!"

"Okay," Kuroe says.

Just then, she spots a poster pinned to a street lamp and pauses to read it. It's a missing cat poster, with a photo, address, and phone number. As she's reading it, the twins suddenly gasp in unison.

"Tsukasa-chan, this is bad!" Tsukuyo says.

"Yeah, it's pretty bad, Tsukuyo-chan!" Tsukasa says.

"Eh, huh…?" Kuroe says. "What's wrong?"

"Nanami Yachiyo and her friends are nearby!" Tsukasa says.

"E-ehhh!?" Kuroe gasps. "I-isn't she one of the girls who's been going around and destroying rumours!? W-what should we do… this really is bad…!"

"Don't panic!" Tsukasa says.

"Let us run for it before we get into any real trouble!" Tsukuyo says.

"R-right!" Kuroe says.

They run out of the residential area and charge off the road into a wooded area.

"Let us make haste!" Tsukuyo urges them.

"O-okay!" Kuroe says.

A moment after saying that, however, she trips over a protruding root and falls flat on her face with a squeal. The twins stop and turn to check on her.

"Are you alright!?" Tsukasa asks.

"Oww," Kuroe says. "I tripped… was it that tree root…?"

Just then, Yachiyo's voice echoes through the trees.

"I'm on to you, flute twins!"

Yachiyo herself follows her voice, as she crashes through the trees. She's all powered up in her magical girl form, brandishing her halberd.

"Ah," Tsukasa says.

"Nanami Yachiyo…!" Tsukuyo says.

"I have a lot of questions for you two," Yachiyo says.

As she says that, Iroha and the others catch up, and Kuroe lets out a little gasp.

"Could you please give us a few minutes of your time?" Iroha asks. "Please tell me anything you might know about Hiiragi Nemu."

Kuroe gasps again.

"We won't answer any of your questions!" Tsukasa declares.

"We are also quite busy, so please do not interrupt us," Tsukuyo says.

"You're up to no good, huh?" Felicia says.

"T-that is untrue!" Tsukuyo protests.

"Um… even if it's… not sinister," Sana says. "I won't… can't overlook anything that… the Wings of the Magius are doing…"

"Yeah!" Tsuruno declares. "We'll stop you guys with all our might!"

"It is rude and outrageous to solve all of your problems with violence," Tsukuyo says.

"But ask… and you shall receive!" Tsukasa says.

With that, the two of them flash off their robes and transform. Kuroe, looking confused, does the same thing. This time it's Iroha who gasps.

"You took off your robe too?" Tsukasa gasps.

"Huh!?" Kuroe gasps. "I thought I was supposed to… since you did…"

"Found an opening!" Tsuruno declares.

She leaps in and attacks the twins with her hands, but despite the distraction from Kuroe, they manage to avoid the initial attack and pull out their flutes.

"Let's do the same!" Tsukasa says.

"For sure, Tsukasa-chan!" Tsukuyo says.

They bring the flutes to their lips, but Yachiyo isn't about to let them gain the upper hand so easily.

"I see what you two are aiming for!" she says. "Tsuruno, Felicia!"

"Leave it to me!" Tsuruno says.

She and Felicia smack the flutes out of the twins' hands and knock them to the ground. With Kuroe looking on in shock, the twins squeal and grab each others' hands.

"Ouch!" Tsukasa groans.

"Eh… ehhh!?" Kuroe gasps.

"This is bad!" Tsukuyo says.

"What should we do…?" Tsukasa wonders. "We're in trouble!"

"In such a situation… there is only one course of action to take!" Tsukuyo declares.

"We're retreating!" Tsukasa says.

"For sure!" Tsukuyo agrees. "You should run too!"

They scramble to their feet and disappear deeper into the trees.

"Huh!?" Kuroe says.

"You won't get away!" Tsuruno declares.

Kuroe, who seems to be very confused at the situation, misses her chance to follow, but Tsuruno, Felicia, and Sana chase after the twins.

"First, I want to hear what you have to say," Yachiyo says.

Kuroe glances at Iroha for a moment, then averts her eyes.

"Um… so you joined the Wings of the Magius, Kuroe-chan?" Iroha asks.

"Well… I suppose," Kuroe mutters.

"Huh… do you know this girl, Miss Tamaki?" Yachiyo asks.

"Yes… I mentioned her to you once before, I believe," Iroha says. "We occasionally fought together in Takarazaki. So, Kuroe-chan… do you know anything about Hiiragi Nemu?"

"I… I don't know… I don't understand," Kuroe moans. "I'm so confused right now…"

"So, what were you doing in Hokuyo Ward?" Yachiyo asks.

"I… I really don't know anything!" Kuroe says. "I'm just a lowly black feather…"

"You don't know anything but what you're told?" Yachiyo asks. "Do you really have no other intentions…?"

"Because… I… I…" She trails off for a few moments, then restarts. "H-how could anyone like you ever understand…"

At that moment, a rumour's barrier forms around them, and a shadowy duplicate of Kuroe herself steps forward. Kuroe lets out a little gasp.

"Another you!?" Yachiyo exclaims. "No, this sensation is… a rumour?"

The false Kuroe brandishes one of her gymnastic clubs and tries to smack Yachiyo in the face, but Yachiyo manages to avoid the attack. But then the rumour simply retreats, the barrier vanishing and dumping them back into the woods.

"It disappeared…?" Iroha says.

"I never expected a black feather to be able to control a rumour," Yachiyo says.

"W-wait, you've got it wrong!" Kuroe protests. "I don't get it, either…!"

"Playing dumb, huh?" Yachiyo says.

"I… I'm being serious…!" Kuroe says.

She lets out a sigh, shaking her head a little. While she's lost in her thoughts, the other three Crescent Moon Villa members return, without the Amane twins.

"Sorry, shishou," Tsuruno says. "They got away… they seem to be familiar with the area?"

"Did we catch up with this chump cause she's too slow?" Felicia wonders.

"Ugh," Kuroe grumbles.

"Did you ask her about Nemu?" Tsuruno asks.

"We've long since moved on from that," Yachiyo says. "She used a rumour to attack us."

"Huh!?" Tsuruno gasps.

"No!" Kuroe protests. "I really didn't do anything!"

Iroha sighs.

"Miss Yachiyo… what should we do now?" she asks.

"I can't just cancel the trip all of a sudden," Yachiyo says. "So we'll go out as planned."

"What do we do with this girl?" Sana wonders.

Yachiyo turns to Kuroe.

"For now, you'll work with us while we monitor you," she says.

"Eh!?" Kuroe gasps.

"I suppose it can't be helped, given the rumour and all," Tsuruno says.

"Whaaat!?" Felicia gasps. "Why do we gotta camp with this chick!? I'm toootally against it!"

"She's just coming with us for the time being, so be patient," Yachiyo says.

"Huh… camping?" Kuroe says.

"Ah, yes, there's a newly-opened campground just down the road," Iroha says. "Miss Yachiyo's manager was the one who showed it to us. They're letting us camp there for free, for two days and one night."

"Umm… manager…?" Kuroe says.

"Oh, Miss Yachiyo works for a modelling agency," Iroha says.

"You didn't have to explain it in that much detail, Miss Tamaki," Yachiyo says.

With the agenda decided, everyone powers down, and they continue on their way to the campsite. Yachiyo leads them to the riverside campsite they've been assigned, within sight of the bridge over the river.

"We're here!" Tsuruno says.

"I'm going to greet the owner," Yachiyo says. "You all stay here."

"Alright," Iroha says.

Kuroe is hanging back a bit, lost in her thoughts and looking nervous, but as Yachiyo makes for the bridge, Iroha turns and approaches her.

"Um…"

"Huh!?" Kuroe gasps. "Ah… Miss Iroha… p-please leave me alone…"

"Oh," Iroha says.

"You're a creep, you know that!?" Felicia exclaims, popping up next to Iroha.

Tsuruno and Sana join them as well.

"Felicia, you wouldn't like being stared at by a stranger either, would you?" Tsuruno says. "So let's go."

She grabs Felicia by the hand and drags her off, and Iroha and Kuroe face each other in silence for a bit. Sana stays with them, glancing nervously at Kuroe.

"Um," Iroha ventures. "If you'd like… do you want to go camping with us, Kuroe-chan?"

"Eh?" Kuroe says.

"Um… M-miss Iroha… don't you think that's a bit too abrupt?" Sana asks.

"Ah, sorry," Iroha says. "But we're all magical girls here, so I thought we should all get to know each other more… besides, don't you think camping seems like a nice way to forget about your everyday life? I heard it's good for self-reflection. I thought maybe you'd reconsider staying with the Wings of the Magius… because I think… they're a dangerous organization…"

"T-that's… none of your business," Kuroe mutters.

"I'm sorry," Iroha says. "I guess I don't understand your circumstances…"

At that moment, Yachiyo returns to the campsite.

"I'm back," she says.

"Welcome back, Miss Yachiyo," Iroha says.

"I got permission from the owner," Yachiyo says. "Miss Kuroe, you'll be joining us camping."

"Eh!?" Kuroe gasps.

"We don't want to let you go and end up releasing a rumour in the city," Yachiyo says. "So until you tell me everything, you're going to stay with us."

"Um… I'll make sure you have a fun time with us!" Iroha says.

Kuroe sighs. The owner himself arrives a few moments later, carrying some camping equipment.

"I heard that this is your first time camping," he says. "So I'd like to hold an orientation on how to spend your time in the mountains."

Tsuruno, Felicia, and Iroha are particularly enthusiastic about it, and even Sana seems a little excited. Kuroe on the other hand just zones out, clearly not even listening to a word he's saying. From the rapid series of expressions flitting across her face, she's probably gotten in contact with the Amane twins via telepathy, but I can't eavesdrop on that with my magic.

---

It's during that orientation that Inui pops into the room with some croquettes from Chiaki's, which means I also don't really pay attention to the campground owner's words, distracted as I am by eating the piping-hot pastries.

"Is it going well so far?" Inui asks.

"So far," I say. "There are some deviations, but nothing that seems like it'll derail the whole thing. There were bound to be, given that they already know each other."

"Cool," Inui says.

I've finished off two of the croquettes by the time the orientation is finished.

---

Iroha and the others approach Kuroe, who's still lost in thought, and Iroha tries to get her attention.

"Kuroe-chan?" Iroha says. "Um… can you hear me?"

"Huh!?" Kuroe gasps.

"Don't just stand there," Felicia says.

"Ah, sorry…" Kuroe says.

"Ah, um… we're going to pitch our tents and prepare for lunch," Iroha explains. "Do you mind helping us?"

"Why me?" Kuroe asks.

"As they say, if you don't work, you don't eat!" Tsuruno declares.

"It's not like I said I wanted to eat," Kuroe mutters.

Of course, her stomach grumbles right as she says that.

"Um… was that…?" Sana murmurs.

"I heard that too, alright!" Felicia says.

"Well… this is a camping trip, after all!" Iroha says. "Would you mind giving us a hand for a bit?"

"But…"

"Ah, sorry," Iroha says. "This must be a little awkward, given the circumstances… is it alright if I go with you to pick up firewood?"

Kuroe blinks.

"Miss Tamaki, I don't think you should spoil her like that," Yachiyo says.

"But I'd like her to calm down a bit more so we can talk," Iroha says.

"Alright," Kuroe says.

"Thank you!" Iroha says.

So while the others get out the tent and start to figure out how to set it up, Iroha and Kuroe head into the forest.

"I'm sure we can find some firewood around here," Iroha says.

"I don't think we can pick up much with just the two of us," Kuroe says.

"Ah, we already have large pieces," Iroha says. "We want to pick up dry twigs as kindling for the fire."

"I see… you seem very familiar with this," Kuroe says.

"No, it's just from what the owner said earlier," Iroha says.

"Ah…"

"In any case, let's go look for them," Iroha says.

"Okay…"

They wander through the forest, picking up twigs here and there.

"Wow, I haven't picked up twigs like this since elementary school," Iroha muses. "It's kinda nostalgic…"

"Is… is that so," Kuroe says. "I guess… I haven't picked up twigs… for awhile… either… oh, that one looks just right…"

She points at a dead branch a little further ahead.

"I'll go get it!" Iroha says.

But as she steps forward to grab it, something small falls out of the tree above and lands on her arm. She lets out a girlish squeal.

"C-caterpillar!?" she gasps. "P-please… get… get off… my arm…!"

Kuroe stares for a good thirty seconds, then steps forward to flick the caterpillar off of Iroha's arm with the tip of one of her twigs, sending it flying into the underbrush somewhere.

"Alright… it's gone," Kuroe says.

"T-thank you!" Iroha says. "Sorry, I lost my composure…"

"It's fine," Kuroe says. "I would have reacted in the same way."

"How embarrassing," Iroha sighs.

"Hey… did Aki-sempai say anything to you?" Kuroe asks. "About me, I mean…"

"Ah, Miss Aki?" Iroha says. "I haven't spoken to her for awhile… but she never said anything about you. Actually, I still haven't met her in person… you'll have to introduce me sometime."

"Ah… sure…?" Kuroe says.

"What about Miss Ashley?" Iroha asks. "Have you spoken to her since last time? Or Miss Itsumi?"

"Ah… no," Kuroe says. "I've seen her around the base now and then, but we haven't spoken… I have spoken a bit with Miss Itsumi however…"

"So Miss Aki didn't join the Wings of the Magius, then," Iroha says.

"Not… not as far as I know," Kuroe says.

"So… do you mind if I formally introduce you to the others?" Iroha asks.

"Ah… well… I guess it's fine," Kuroe says. "It's not like knowing one weak black feather's name would give you any advantage over the Wings of the Magius…"

"Eh, I don't think you're all that weak though, Kuroe-chan," Iroha says.

"Before I met you, it was all I could do to keep my soul gem clear," Kuroe says. "I've had too many close calls to count since I became a magical girl…"

"Even though you've been one for so much longer than me," Iroha says. "Doesn't that mean you must've been doing something right?"

"No… I was just… lucky," Kuroe says. "I nearly died over and over again…"

They return to the campsite with quite a haul of kindling, only to find the others completely at a loss for how the tent is supposed to fit together. It's been spread out on the ground, but they can't seem to figure out how the stakes are supposed to go in. The campsite owner is just watching them, looking slightly amused yet not giving any pointers.

"Oh, welcome back," the owner says. "Looks like you picked up some nice firewood."

"Yes, mostly thanks to Kuroe-chan," Iroha says.

"I didn't do all that much," Kuroe protests.

"Geez!" Felicia grumbles. "Why won't this tent stay still!?"

"That's strange," Yachiyo says. "We followed the instructions exactly…"

"Then let's just do it our own way!" Felicia says. "Ain't it enough to just nail a tent and be done with it!?"

"Uh… r-really…?" Sana says.

"Maybe shishou isn't so good with the instructions?" Tsuruno suggests.

"That's not it!" Yachiyo protests. "Right… I just don't understand these illustrations!"

"Maybe the two of you could give them a hand?" the owner suggests.

Kuroe steps forward with a sigh.

"Huh? Kuroe-chan…?" Iroha says, following her.

"I think… the inner tent is inside out," Kuroe says. "That's why it looks different from the instructions."

"Eh…?" Yachiyo says.

She bends down to examine the inner tent more closely.

"Oh, you're right…"

"Also," Kuroe says. "When you're setting up your tent, you should keep it as far away from the river as possible. If the peg won't go into the ground, you can just try a different spot."

"Oh, ohhh…?" Tsuruno gasps.

"Kuroe-chan, right, you're familiar with this sort of thing!" Iroha says.

"Well… as you know…" Kuroe mutters.

"That was unexpected," Sana says.

"Damn right!" Felicia says. "You're not so bad, Kuroe!"

"Isn't that a bit too chummy of you?" Kuroe protests.

"Well, your name's Kuroe, yeah?" Felicia says.

"Well… it's fine," Kuroe mutters.

"So, yes, she's actually a… friend of mine from Takarazaki," Iroha says. "Her name's Kuroe Asaka. She never told me she was joining the Wings of the Magius though… anyway Kuroe-chan, these are Yui Tsuruno, Futaba Sana, Mitsuki Felicia, and of course Nanami Yachiyo."

So with some help from Kuroe, they finally manage to get the tent pitched.

"Alright, it's done!" Iroha exclaims.

"It's thanks to you, Miss Kuroe," Yachiyo says. "You saved us."

"Ah, no," Kuroe says.

"Alright, I think you can handle yourselves from here," the owner says. "And I've got things to do. I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, he heads off towards the bridge.

"Now then," Yachiyo says. "We're going to start a campfire with Miss Tamaki and the others. Let's make lunch."

"Kuroe-chan, would you like to help?" Iroha asks.

"Alright," Kuroe says.

When it comes to cooking, Kuroe is also able to apply some of what she learned from her previous camping trip.

"Ah, um… I suggest separating the vegetables from the meat on the skewers," she says at one point. "If you just want it to look good, you can simply alternate the meat and the vegetables."

"Oooh, you really know your stuff, Kuroe-chan!" Tsuruno exclaims.

"Yet again, so casual," Kuroe mutters.

"But you don't complain when Iroha-chan calls you that," Tsuruno points out.

"But she asked first," Kuroe points out.

"I didn't expect you to be so good at barbecue, Miss Kuroe," Yachiyo says.

"Yeah!" Tsuruno says. "If you're this handy, then you'd be a real asset to Banbanzai!"

"When do you ever handle that many orders?" Yachiyo asks.

"Hey! That's mean, shishou!" Tsuruno protests.

"Next time, let's do a Crescent Moon Villa barbecue!" Felicia suggests.

"Miss Felicia… don't you just want to eat meat?" Sana says.

"Yeah! I love meat!" Felicia says.

"Next time we have a barbecue, we'll invite you too, Kuroe-chan," Iroha says.

"Personally, I'd rather have takoyaki over meat," Kuroe says.

Iroha giggles. "That sounds like a good idea too!" she says.

"Huh… really?" Kuroe says.

"Yeah!" Iroha says.

Kuroe blinks a few times, then shakes her head wildly as if to clear it. Iroha has already turned towards the fire, so she doesn't see that.

"It's time to start grilling skewers!" Iroha says.

"Seems like it," Sana says.

They dig in, savouring the skewers and other food they've prepared. By the time they're finishing up, a family with young children has arrived on the adjacent campground. While the mother and father get their tent set up, the children – a boy and a girl of ages similar to Nagisa – run around the campground giggling. It's not clear whether they're playing something in particular… maybe tag? They don't stay within the confines of their own campsite, however – before long, the boy comes racing across the girls' campsite and almost runs right into Kuroe, who nimbly hops out of the way with a startled squeal. The girl runs after him as well.

"Are you alright?" Iroha asks.

"Ah, it's fine," Kuroe says. "I was just surprised…"

As it turns out, the boy had been chasing a rather frightened-looking kitten, which is doing its best to keep its distance from the two children.

"Don't run away!" the boy says. "I said I'll give you food!"

"I'll go this way!" the girl says. "Catch it over there!"

But before the kids can put their plan into action, the kitten bolts in a different direction.

"Ah, wait!" the boy says.

Kuroe watches as they continue to chase the kitten all over the campsite.

"Oh right, I forgot," Yachiyo says suddenly.

"Hmm? What is it?" Tsuruno asks.

"I heard from the owner earlier," Yachiyo says. "They say if you drink from the waterfall near here, you'll be blessed with luck."

"Huh… a so-called power spot," Sana says.

"Yes, I wanted to make tea using that water after we ate," Yachiyo says. "But, I completely forgot…"

"Ah… I'll collect some for you," Kuroe offers.

"Ah, Kuroe-chan?" Iroha says.

"It's the least I can do after you gave me lunch," Kuroe says.

"Don't you even think of running away," Yachiyo says sternly.

"Ah… right," Kuroe says.

She lets out a little sigh, so she'd probably been considering it.

"Then, would you like me to come along with you?" Iroha offers.

"Sure…"

Iroha grabs a water bottle from amongst the camping equipment.

"Miss Yachiyo, I'm going to borrow this," she says.

"Sure, go ahead," Yachiyo says.

After receiving directions and a map from Yachiyo, the two of them locate a narrow path winding through the forest and follow it. After they've been walking for several minutes, Kuroe stops and looks around.

"Hold on," she says.

"W-what's wrong?" Iroha asks.

"Didn't we walk past here before?" Kuroe asks.

When Iroha doesn't respond, she sighs.

"We're lost, aren't we…?" she says.

"Sorry," Iroha says.

"I'm not blaming you," Kuroe says. "But…"

"Miss Yachiyo gave me a hand-drawn map," Iroha says. "But I don't know where we are right now…"

"Then wouldn't it be easier to go back to the campsite and start over?" Kuroe points out.

"Yes… but we've walked quite a bit," Iroha says. "Aren't you tired, Kuroe-chan? I'll go back to the campsite by myself and ask for directions to the waterfall! Kuroe-chan, please wait here!"

Before Kuroe can stop her, Iroha turns and runs off.

"Huh? Huh!?" Kuroe gasps. "W-wait…! I… I'll go with you!"

She runs off in the same direction, but somehow she only ends up getting even more lost. After a minute or so she stops running and leans against a tree.

"What can I do… I can't find her…" she mutters.

But then, a young woman walks up behind her.

"Are you alright?" the woman asks.

Kuroe lets out a little scream and spins to face her.

"Ah, did I scare you?" the woman asks.

"C-considerably…" Kuroe says.

"I'm sorry," the woman says. "I thought you were looking for the waterfall power spot… most of the people who get lost around here are."

"You seem to know a lot about it," Kuroe says.

"I visit here often," the woman says. "It's only a short walk from here. Come this way."

She leads Kuroe back onto the path, and before long they emerge into a small clearing with a deep pond in the centre, where the river cascades over a small yet sheer drop, about twice a person's height. It has an almost mystical quality to it. There appears to be a cave hollowed out behind the waterfall, too.

"Right, we're here!" the woman says. "Did you bring a water container?"

"Oh," Kuroe says. "Someone else was bringing it…"

"Oh my, is that so?" the woman says.

She offers Kuroe one of the empty bottles she's holding.

"Then use this bottle," she says. "I brought an extra."

"Thank you," Kuroe says, accepting it.

The two of them bend down to fill their bottles from the pond. Once both bottles are filled and capped, they straighten up.

"Alright, I'll walk you to the road," the woman says.

"Thank you very much," Kuroe says.

As they head back down the path, Kuroe keeps up the conversation.

"Um… do you always reach out to people who are lost like me?" she asks.

"Yes, that's right," the woman says.

"That's amazing," Kuroe says.

"That's a bit much," the woman says. "All I did was give directions. I wouldn't go there if I didn't have troubles of my own."

"Is it something that could be solved by going there?" Kuroe asks.

The woman chuckles.

"I can see why you'd be skeptical," she says.

"Um, no, I'm sorry," Kuroe says. "That's not what I meant…"

"You're right though," the woman says. "Going there won't really solve anything. Drinking that water won't give you luck."

"Eh…"

"But for me, that place is where I can reset my mind," the woman continues. "It gives me strength to try again. So in a sense, yes, that place is my power spot."

Kuroe falls silent for a few moments, then sighs.

"I wish I also had the strength to face the future," she says.

At that moment, she and the woman are sucked into the same rumour barrier as before.

"Again…!?" Kuroe gasps.

The shadowy double of her steps forward and strikes the woman on the back of the neck. She screams and falls to the ground, unconscious. Kuroe also screams as the barrier collapses, dumping them both back into the woods.

"Is this… truly my fault?" she wonders.

At that moment, Iroha's voice is heard from somewhere.

"Kuroe-chan!"

Kuroe lets out a little gasp. A few moments later, Iroha herself emerges from amongst the trees.

"Thank goodness, I found you!" she says. "I sensed a rumour from here just a moment ago… ah! This person, what happened!?"

"N-no, that's not it!" Kuroe says, her eyes watering. "Honest, it's not what it seems! … H-help me, Miss Iroha…"

Iroha stares at her for a second or two before responding.

"L-let's calm down for now!" she says. "We won't be able to decide what to do like this…!"

"Y-you're right," Kuroe says.

She wipes the tears from her eyes with her sleeve and takes a few deep breaths.

"Um… I can carry her on my back," Kuroe says. "Can you guide me back to the campsite?"

"I think I can do it if I can get Miss Yachiyo and the others to react to my magic," Iroha says.

Kuroe gathers the woman up onto her back with a grunt of exertion.

"Let's go," she says.

Iroha leads the way through the forest, but after a minute or two, Kuroe stops to lean on a nearby tree, shuddering a little – probably at some thought that passed through her head, given that she appears to be lost in thought. Iroha stops, looks back at her, and takes a few steps towards her.

"Kuroe-chan, are you alright?" she asks.

"Ah… yeah," Kuroe says with a sigh.

They arrive back at the campsite a couple of minutes later and lay the woman down on a blanket while explaining the situation to the others.

"Eh, so she just suddenly collapsed!?" Tsuruno gasps.

"It seems so," Iroha says.

"Earlier, I felt the rumour's presence," Yachiyo says. "Did this person collapse… because of you and your rumour?"

Kuroe doesn't respond.

"I don't really get it," Iroha says. "But I don't think it's Kuroe-chan's fault."

Kuroe's eyes widen as she looks at Iroha.

"It's too early to tell for now," Yachiyo says. "Let's at least report this to the campsite's administration building."

"We can let her rest in our tent until you get back," Sana suggests.

"Felicia and I are gonna go with you!" Tsuruno says.

"Yeah, leave it to us!" Felicia says.

So Tsuruno and Felicia follow Yachiyo towards the bridge. Meanwhile, the rapid series of expressions crossing Kuroe's face suggest she's received contact from the Amane sisters.

"Sana-chan, Kuroe-chan!" Iroha says. "Can you give me a hand?"

"Alright!" Sana says.

"Okay," Kuroe says.

The three of them lift the woman and place her inside their tent. Then Kuroe settles down on a rock, lost in her thoughts again, while Sana and Iroha decide to remove their shoes and wade into the river a bit. When Yachiyo and the others return, she takes a seat near Kuroe while Tsuruno and Felicia join Iroha and Sana in the river.

After awhile, Iroha leaves the river to check on the woman in the tent. A minute or two later, she approaches Kuroe with a smile.

"So the woman from earlier, it looks like she just woke up," Iroha says. "Her memory of the whole incident was faint, but she seems unharmed."

"I see," Kuroe says with a sigh.

"About that rumour," Yachiyo says. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do if I have to keep tabs on you for much longer. If it's going to cause more casualties, then the rumour will have to be eradicated."

"I'm part of the Wings of the Magius," Kuroe says. "So that's why… I don't think I can destroy the rumour."

"This has nothing to do with your intentions," Yachiyo says.

Kuroe sighs but says nothing.

"But, how does it work?" Iroha asks. "How does the rumour show up? I don't get that part…"

"It came out once before," Yachiyo says. "There's got to be a way."

"Miss Yachiyo… you wouldn't attack Kuroe-chan, would you?"

Kuroe gasps.

"I don't want to if it isn't necessary," Yachiyo says. "But in a case like this…"

"Why don't we keep an eye on her for a little bit longer…!?" Iroha exclaims. "It might help us understand the conditions that trigger the rumour!"

"Miss Tamaki…" Yachiyo says.

"Enough already," Kuroe says. "Why are you going so far for me?"

"Because I don't think it's your fault, Kuroe-chan," Iroha says. "I think it's the rumour's… I think the rumour probably has to be destroyed eventually. But first, I want to change your mind… on not wanting to destroy the rumour."

Yachiyo sighs.

"I don't want to harm Miss Kuroe if it isn't necessary, either," she says. "And we still have the orienteering after this. I'll give you time to think about it."

"Miss Yachiyo…!" Iroha says.

"But if I notice something even a bit off, I'll spare no mercy!" Yachiyo says. "Consider this your last chance."

With that, she gets up and walks off to gather up the others from the river. Kuroe lets out another sigh.

"Sorry if I've overstepped my bounds," Iroha says. "But, the reason you didn't just run away, and why you asked for help… I thought you wanted to erase the rumour…"

"Of course not," Kuroe mutters.

"Kuroe-chan, if you say that you'd destroy the rumour, then… I'll stand at your side. So please… give me your answer after this."

Kuroe doesn't respond, but Iroha moves off to join Yachiyo. A minute or two later, everyone returns together.

"Okay, please group into pairs for the orienteering," Yachiyo announces.

"It's a stamp rally," Tsuruno says. "For the order, we just look at the map that's given to each group."

"Let's be the first to clear them!" Felicia says. "Tsuruno, let's do it!"

"Oh, but it's not a race?" Tsuruno says.

"Huh!?" Felicia gasps.

"While collecting stamps in five locations, you and your partner will ask each other twenty questions," Yachiyo says. "The purpose of this is to get to know each other better."

"Twenty questions sounds like a lot," Sana says.

"I hope you tell me a lot about yourself then, Miss Sana," Yachiyo says.

"R-right!" Sana says. "And the same to you…"

"Then, let the stamp rally begin," Yachiyo says.

Felicia, Tsuruno, and Iroha lead a cheer. Sana joins in a beat or two later, and even Kuroe adds her own half-hearted voice.

"Yeah!"

As everyone else heads off, Kuroe and Iroha maintain a slower pace, checking the map and following the directions. For some time they walk in silence, following a well-maintained path through the forest.

"Oh, is that the first stamp stand?" Iroha asks.

She's spotted a pillar set in a clearing, with an ink pad and a stamp atop it, both attached by a length of string so they don't get lost too easily.

"Yeah," Kuroe says.

"I'll go stamp our cards then," Iroha says. "I'll take care of your card too, Kuroe-chan."

"Okay," Kuroe says.

She lets Iroha take her card and watches her walk over and stamp both of them. Then Iroha turns to face her with a sigh.

"I knew it," she says. "I bothered you, didn't I?"

"Eh?"

"Sorry if I pushed you too far earlier," Iroha says. "I wanted to give you time to think about the future, but you're probably struggling to concentrate with me around pressuring you…"

"You don't have to worry about me," Kuroe says. "Anyway… let's continue the stamp rally."

They continue following the path in silence until they reach a second stamp station. This time they each stamp their own cards.

"That's the second checkpoint cleared," Iroha says.

"It's… kind of nice, collecting stamps," Kuroe says.

Iroha giggles. "Yeah! I did a stamp rally in Mizuna Ward not long ago, too… that was also fun… oh! I forgot to ask a question!"

"Ah… we were supposed to ask each other twenty questions, right?" Kuroe says.

"Umm… so, Kuroe-chan, do you have any siblings?" Iroha asks.

Kuroe blinks. "Ah… yes," she says. "We don't really get along, but… I have an older brother and sister, and a younger brother. What about you?"

Iroha blinks. "Oh my, that's quite a big family," she says. "I only have my little sister, Ui…"

"Huh… I didn't know you had a sister," Kuroe says.

"Actually, last time we met, I'd forgotten about her," Iroha says. "But I remembered after coming to Kamihama… which is also why I moved here, so I can search for her."

"Ah… so you're living in Kamihama now…" Kuroe says.

"You came because of that rumour, right?" Iroha says.

"Ah, yes," Kuroe says. "The one about a girl who says that magical girls can be saved in Kamihama…"

Iroha nods. "You know, since meeting you today, I've been thinking… you mentioned that girl looked a lot like me, didn't you? I wonder if it was Ui you saw in your dream…"

Kuroe blinks. "S-surely not… that would be too much of a coincidence… wouldn't it?" she says.

"I'm not sure," Iroha says. "I'm certain that Ui has something to do with the Wings of the Magius, but…"

"I don't know anything about a girl named Ui in the Wings of the Magius," Kuroe says. "Although, I don't really know anyone's names, except… Miss Mifuyu, Miss Ashley, Miss Kagura… mostly those three."

"You don't even know the names of the white feathers who were with you?" Iroha says.

"Ah… well, I did meet those two when I joined, so I knew their names too," she says. "Um, so… I hope you find your sister soon…"

"Thank you," Iroha says.

"Ah…" Kuroe says.

They have just arrived at an obvious fork in the trail. Kuroe checks the map and finds that both paths converge a little further on. The next stamp station is beyond the point of convergence, too. She shows the map to Iroha.

"Um… which way do we go?" Kuroe asks.

"Why don't we say our choices at the same time?" Iroha suggests.

"Eh… sounds good to me," Kuroe says.

"One… two…"

Then they both speak almost in unison.

"Right!"

"Ah, we picked the same path," Iroha says.

"Yeah," Kuroe says. "Then let's take the right path."

They continue walking slowly through the forest, throwing questions back and forth, until they reach another stamp station. They step up to it and apply the stamps to each of their cards.

"That's the third point we've cleared," she says.

"Miss Iroha, your stamping technique is so elegant," Kuroe says.

"So is yours, Kuroe-chan," Iroha says. "They're all aligned the same way, it's very precise."

"I'm usually not that precise," Kuroe says. "But for some reason, I really wanted them to be uniform…"

"Ah, I see," Iroha says. "It's not like we're going to show it to anyone, but somehow I got a little bit curious."

Kuroe takes a look at the map.

"The next stamp stand is located… oh, right here," she says.

She points to a location on the map, and Iroha peers at the map too.

"It's like… a campsite, isn't it?" Iroha says.

A minute or two later, they emerge from the woods. Not only is it a campsite, it's right next to the one that they're staying at.

"I didn't expect the fourth stand to be here," Iroha says.

"It's surprising," Kuroe says.

They stamp their cards.

"There's only one stamp left," Iroha says. "And one question remaining."

"Oh… we really talked for awhile, didn't we?" Kuroe says.

"Hmm… last question," Iroha says.

"I'd prefer if it wasn't related to the Wings of the Magius," Kuroe says.

"O-of course," Iroha says. "Then… Kuroe-chan, what do you see yourself doing in the future?"

Kuroe stares at her, blinking a few times.

"S-sorry, if you don't want to answer that, I'll ask something else!" Iroha says.

"No, it's just… I don't really know, myself," Kuroe says. "What about you, Miss Tamaki?"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," Iroha says. "I haven't decided, either… though it's not like I have no ideas at all. But they're only vague and nebulous ideas, so I'm not really comfortable sharing them yet…"

"I see," Kuroe says.

"You know… we're kind of similar, aren't we, Kuroe-chan?"

"Huh…?"

"Um, sorry!"

"Oh… I'm not mad or anything," Kuroe says. "I'm just surprised…"

"We're both magical girls from Takarazaki determined to find something," Iroha says. "And we're both unsure of what our dreams in the future are. That was all the impression I got."

"Also… we both tend to concern ourselves with our surroundings and end up being pessimistic," Kuroe says.

"Huh…!?" Iroha gasps.

"Yes… I think we're similar," Kuroe says.

At that moment, the others return to the campsite.

"My, you two got here quickly," Yachiyo says.

"Oh," Iroha says. "Miss Yachiyo and Sana-chan… Tsuruno-chan and Felicia-chan too…"

"Welcome back, Iroha-chan!" Tsuruno says. "It wasn't easy visiting all five stands, was it?"

"This is our fourth place though," Kuroe says.

"Huh, aren't you guys slow?" Felicia says.

"We already finished," Sana says.

"Eh, really!?" Iroha gasps.

"Maybe we are a bit slow," Kuroe says.

"Let's get to the fifth point then!" Iroha says.

They check the map and head down a different path than before, climbing in silence until they reach a lookout point overlooking the city. It has a fancy steel balcony with a pair of backless benches, so you can sit facing either the city or the forest, and even a coin-operated telescope. And of course there is a stamp stand as well. By this time the sun is already sinking low in the sky. It won't be long before dusk.

"This is the last stamp," Iroha says.

They both step up and stamp their cards.

"We finally got them all," Kuroe says.

"Yeah!" Iroha says. "Everyone else is probably waiting at the campsite…"

"So, um… what are we doing after this?" Kuroe asks.

"We'll be preparing dinner next," Iroha says.

"You seem to eat a lot," Kuroe says.

Iroha giggles. "I guess I do…"

"Am I a day trip participant?" Kuroe asks.

"Ah… yeah," Iroha says. "Kuroe-chan… if you decide to destroy the rumour, we can destroy it together, and then we can let you go…"

"But I'm part of the Wings of the Magius," Kuroe says.

"But…!"

Before she can finish what she was about to say, both of their eyes widen all of a sudden.

"A witch!?" Kuroe gasps. "In a place like this!?"

Iroha powers up. "Kuroe-chan, be careful!" she says. "It seems like a strong one!"

"R-right…!" Kuroe says.

Even as she says that, the labyrinth sucks them in, and they find themselves right in the witch's chamber. It's an instance of the Rooftop Witch, Stacey. Kuroe powers up as well.

"Kuroe-chan, will you fight with me?" Iroha asks. "Let's do this like we always used to!"

"Y-yes!" Kuroe says. "But… Kamihama's witches are really strong… what can I even do to help…?"

"I'm not all that strong either," Iroha says. "That's why we have to do our best… if they sense anything, I'm sure Miss Yachiyo and the others will come to save us…!"

"I guess we'll have to hold out until then," Kuroe says.

The witch reaches out with one of the many streamers surrounding it and tries to smack them in the face. Kuroe barely dodges with a squeal, and even Iroha looks like she was almost caught by the attack.

"It's moving fast!" Iroha says. "Kuroe-chan, let's flank it! I'll attack to make an opening!"

"Are you suggesting… I finish it off!?" Kuroe gasps.

But Iroha has already darted off to the side to draw the witch's attention and is no longer listening. She fires several bolts at the witch, keeping its attention on her while staying out of its reach. But despite her efforts, the witch seems to lose interest in her after a few seconds and turns to target Kuroe instead, who's just standing around gawking.

"Kuroe-chan!" Iroha shouts. "Jump to the right!"

Kuroe gasps and does as she's told, avoiding the witch's attack, and then Iroha aims her crossbow at the witch again.

"This is it…!"

The witch's attention is still on Kuroe, giving her the opportunity to spend a few seconds charging up for her ultimate attack. But the witch can also tell that that's a threat, so it stops chasing Kuroe and turns towards her again. That's when she unleashes it.

"Strada Futuro!"

The witch crumples, the barrier collapses, and Iroha seizes the grief seed. Kuroe lets out a long sigh.

"Are you alright, Kuroe-chan?" Iroha asks.

"Ah… yeah," Kuroe says.

"Thank goodness," Iroha says.

"I'm sorry," Kuroe says. "All I could do was be a decoy…"

"Please don't apologize!" Iroha says. "It's thanks to you that we won, Kuroe-chan!"

"I see," Kuroe says. "You're quite something, Miss Iroha…"

"Kuroe-chan, are you sure you're not hurt?" Iroha asks.

"No," Kuroe says. "I'm just surprised at how strong you are…"

"I'm not that strong," Iroha says. "More or less, I had ways to deal with witches in Kamihama… Miss Mitama, Miss Yachiyo… I've had help from a number of people. If it weren't for the people by my side, I probably would've given up looking for my sister… it's kind of embarrassing that I can't do anything on my own. I hate it, even. But now, when my sister comes back, I want to be the big sister she can rely on…"

Kuroe gasps.

"Sorry for droning on," Iroha says.

"No," Kuroe says. "Even with others around me, it's impossible for me to be like you… all I can defeat in Kamihama is one familiar. When it comes to witches, all I can do is play support… and even then, there were times when I was too afraid to do that…"

"It's only natural to be afraid when you're risking your life…!" Iroha says. "Besides, it's not easy to defeat a witch alone, especially in Kamihama. You don't have to feel guilty, Kuroe-chan!"

"You wouldn't understand," Kuroe says.

"Eh…"

"Sorry, it's nothing… thanks for helping me… let's head back to the campsite."

"Ah, okay…"

They power down and head back down to the campsite. They walk more slowly than they did on the way up, and by the time they get back, the sun is starting to set. Tsuruno spots them and calls out.

"Iroha-chan! Are you alright!?"

"Yes," Iroha says. "Kuroe-chan and I defeated a witch near the lookout."

"Miss Iroha's the one who beat it," Kuroe says. "I didn't really do much…"

"What's wrong, Kuroe-chan?" Tsuruno asks.

"What?"

"Nothing, something about that just felt off," Tsuruno says.

Kuroe sighs. "Can you give me a moment to be by myself…?" she asks.

"I don't have an issue," Yachiyo says. "As long as we can still keep an eye on you."

"Thank you," Kuroe says.

She finds a rock to sit on, some distance from the centre of the campground, but still well within sight.

"Just leave her alone and let's get dinner ready, Iroha!" Felicia says.

"Ah, okay," Iroha says.

"I'll keep watch over Miss Kuroe," Sana says.

"Please do, Sana-chan," Iroha says.

While Sana stands near Kuroe to keep an eye on her, everyone else starts to get things going for dinner. Kuroe spends quite some time pondering things before finally stating her conclusion out loud – just in a normal tone of voice though.

"Ahh… I get it now… I never wanted to be anything," she says. "Even though I'm envious of others… there… isn't anything I want to be."

Mere seconds after she says that, the rumour barrier sucks her in, along with Iroha and the others. This time, however, her shadowy duplicate attacks her. But Iroha jumps in between and catches the duplicate's gymnastic club in her hand.

"Kuroe-chan!"

Grabbing Kuroe by the hand, she pulls her back, beyond the rumour's melee attack range.

"What the heck!?" Felicia says.

"The rumour is running wild!?" Yachiyo gasps.

"I'm not sure, but it looks like it's going after Kuroe-chan!" Tsuruno says.

"We need to take it down quickly…!" Sana says.

The three of them power up and step forward to face the rumour, while Iroha talks with Kuroe.

"Kuroe-chan, we need to destroy the rumour!" Iroha says. "Kuroe-chan!"

"What do I do, Miss Iroha?" Kuroe asks desperately. "I… what should I do? Who should I be? A strong magical girl? A traitor to the Wings of the Magius? I can't do any of that. I can't be anything."

"That's not true, Kuroe-chan," Iroha says. "You don't have to be anyone! That's why, Kuroe-chan, tell me about yourself! Not the you who's weak, not the you from the Wings of the Magius, not the you that's a magical girl! Just you, yourself!"

"What do I do, Miss Iroha?" Kuroe whines. "What should I do?"

"Please share it with me!" Iroha says.

"But, I don't have anything," Kuroe says.

"What do you want to be, Kuroe-chan?" Iroha asks. "What are you afraid of? Your ex-boyfriend, what's he like? What's your relationship with Miss Aki? Do you have any friends at school? Tell me more about your family. There has to be something!"

"I… I…!"

Suddenly she transforms.

"F-fine! I'll do it!" she shouts. "I'll help you destroy it…!"

Iroha transforms as well, and they step towards the ongoing battle. Felicia tries to smack the rumour with her hammer, and Tsuruno slashes at it with her fans before aiming a kick at the rumour's centre of mass. Then the two of them leap back as the rumour raises a gymnastic club in each hand. Sana steps forward to take the blow.

"I'll stop it!" she says.

"Now, Miss Tamaki, Miss Kuroe!" Yachiyo shouts.

"Right!" Iroha says. "Let's go, Kuroe-chan! Let's take out the fake Kuroe!"

"Y-yeah!" Kuroe says.

She summons a ring of spinning gymnastic batons, then flings them en masse at the rumour, each one exploding on impact. Iroha backs up Kuroe's ultimate attack with a few arrows of her own. The rumour squeals, but is unable to withstand the onslaught. Within a few seconds, it succumbs to the firepower and disintegrates, the labyrinth collapsing at the same time. Though she hadn't exerted all that much, Kuroe is left gasping for breath, but she manages a sigh of relief.

"The rumour is…?"

"It's gone," Iroha says. "It's gone, Kuroe-chan!"

"I wonder if we defeated the rumour due to Miss Kuroe's determination?" Yachiyo muses.

"Maybe it was," Kuroe says.

"Huh?" Tsuruno says. "Which means…?"

"Um, it was called the Rumour of the Green-Eyed Coward," Kuroe says. "A rumour that steals the emotional energy of people, cursing them and knocking them out. It seems that it possessed me…"

"You were cursed by a rumour!?" Felicia gasps.

"T-that seems to be the case, I think?" Kuroe says.

"But even if you were just possessed by a rumour, couldn't you have controlled that fake Kuroe's intentions?"

"Was there some other condition that made it appear…?" Sana wonders.

"That… might be… 'the rumour will possess you when you envy someone'…" Kuroe mutter.

"Oh!" Tsuruno says. "That's why it's the Rumour of the Green-Eyed Coward!"

"I'm not sure how correct that is," Kuroe says.

"But earlier the rumour was aiming for Miss Kuroe," Sana says. "Almost like it was rampaging, right…?"

"Maybe Kuroe-chan… rejected the rules of the rumour?" Iroha suggests.

"Is that how it is…?" Kuroe wonders.

"I think that, because you weren't thinking of someone else, because you were thinking of yourself, it manifested the rumour, and let us defeat it," Iroha says.

"Myself…?" Kuroe says.

"Oh!" Felicia says. "Speaking of which, what's for dinner?"

"We're done cooking all the ingredients," Tsuruno says. "You were in the middle of mixing the curry roux, weren't you?"

"Oh no!" Yachiyo gasps. "We left the pot on the fire!"

"Curry! I'll go save you!" Felicia exclaims.

She runs over to the fire to snatch the pot off. Yachiyo, Tsuruno, and Sana follow her. Kuroe chuckles and even smiles a little. Then she blinks, and once again her face goes through a rapid series of emotions that seems to indicate a telepathic conversation. Then she smiles again.

"By the way, Miss Iroha," she says. "Who told you I used to have a boyfriend…?"

"Huh?" Iroha says. "You told me that yourself, didn't you, Kuroe-chan? It was the day we went to Kamihama together. You told me that your wish was to go out with the person you liked, but you'd broken up since then."

"Ah," Kuroe says. "Maybe I did say that… in which case, I'm surprised you remembered…"

With that, she and Iroha power down, heading over to join the others, who've already done the same.

After dinner, Kuroe gets to her feet.

"So then, I'll just—"

"Um, Kuroe-chan!" Iroha says, also jumping up.

"What is it…?"

"May I speak with you a bit more? Is it fine if… I wanted to get to know you more?"

Kuroe blinks at her.

"You haven't even drunk that water you two got from the waterfall," Yachiyo says. "So why don't you settle down for a cup of tea? You just might receive some luck."

"You have a point," Kuroe says. "Alright."

"Thank you!" Iroha says.

Kuroe sits down again, and Iroha starts to locate everything that's needed for tea, including the bottle filled with the spring water. Once everyone has their tea, Iroha and Kuroe find a place to sit a bit away from the others.

"I guess… even Miss Nanami can manage that kind of smile," Kuroe muses. "I thought she was a colder person… I was terrified when I first met her…"

"Miss Yachiyo's a very kind person," Iroha says. "She's always thinking about us and the other magical girls. Even back when I first met her, she was only mean to me because she didn't want me to come to Kamihama and die to one of those extra-strong witches."

"Well… I suppose the rumours about her aren't what they seem," Kuroe says.

"Um, so Kuroe-chan… are you going back to the Wings of the Magius?" Iroha asks.

"Yes," Kuroe says.

"They say that they're aiming to liberate all magical girls," Iroha says. "I don't really get it, though it does sound like a good thing. But… I don't agree with the methods they're using…"

"But even so, there isn't anything I can do," Kuroe says. "I'm still going to stay with the Wings of the Magius."

"But…!"

"I'm… weak," Kuroe says. "Just the thought that they'll set us free someday, it puts me at ease…"

"Is that so," Iroha says. She sighs. "I understand."

Kuroe blinks. "Huh, really?"

"The Wings of the Magius, they're your hope, right?" Iroha says. "Then I can't take that away from you… it's pathetic, but I can't find my sister alone… even if it's not right, sometimes I think it's more important to be with someone."

"That part about you," Kuroe says, smiling a little. "It makes me feel at ease."

"Huh?" Iroha says. "What do you mean?"

Kuroe glances away for a moment, then turns towards Iroha, shifting her position so they can face each other better.

"Do you remember when you asked me what I wanted to be in the future?" Kuroe asks.

"Yes…"

"I wanted to give it some thought, and I'm still unsure, but… I want to be like you, Miss Iroha."

"L-like me!?" Iroha gasps.

"Yeah," Kuroe says. "Miss Iroha, I hope you find your sister soon…"

"Thank you," Iroha says. "I'm glad we could meet today, Kuroe-chan."

"Me too," Kuroe says. "I think… I think I found… my lucky star."

Just then, the serious moment between them is suddenly interrupted by the kids on the next campsite over, who are once again chasing after the kitten from earlier.

"Wait!" the boy calls.

He brushes past Kuroe, causing her to squeal in pain and spill a little of her tea.

"Kuroe-chan!?" Iroha gasps.

"Oof… again…?" Kuroe grumbles.

"Heeey! Come heeere!" the boy calls.

"Don't be scared!" the girl calls.

Kuroe lets out a sigh and gets to her feet, setting her mug down where she'd been sitting.

"Eh, Kuroe-chan?" Iroha says.

Kuroe walks over to the two kids and addresses them.

"Hey," she says.

"Huh? What is it?" the boy asks.

"If you were in the same situation as that cat," Kuroe says. "For example, if you were surrounded by adults who didn't know any better, how would you react if they chased you around, calling you cute and promising to feed you?"

"That's kinda scary," the girl says.

"Right…?" Kuroe says. "She's a cute cat, and I know you're worried for her… but we should leave her be. She might be young, but don't you think she can act on her own?"

"Huh, okay," the boy says.

And just like that, the two of them turn and run off back to their own campsite. Kuroe lets out a sigh of relief.

"I… I did it," she says.

"You were concerned for that kitten, weren't you?" Iroha says.

"Yeah," Kuroe says. "She'd been chased around all day… probably…"

The kitten in question walks up and rubs against Kuroe's leg, mewing. Kuroe blinks at it.

"I knew it… I have seen her somewhere," she says. "Ah! The lost cat from that poster!?"

She bends down, gingerly reaching out towards the cat, which rather than waiting to be petted proceeds to press its head into her open hand.

"It looks like she's taken a liking to you, Kuroe-chan," Iroha says.

Kuroe picks the cat up and takes a seat again, downing the last of her tea and then stroking it a little. Sana comes forward to see the cat, followed by the others.

"Please take care of her," Yachiyo says.

"Yes, I'll return her to her owner on my way back," Kuroe says.

"Even the feathers ain't so bad, huh?" Felicia says.

"Miss Felicia… isn't that a bit rude?" Sana says.

She reaches out to pet the cat too, and it allows the action.

"Yeah, it is," Tsuruno says. "Just because she's in the Wings of the Magius doesn't make her a bad person."

"Next time we meet, I hope it's not as enemies," Yachiyo says.

"About that… I'm not sure," Kuroe says.

"I see," Yachiyo says. "You won't leave the Wings of the Magius, is that it?"

"I know you don't understand," Kuroe says.

"Yes, I don't understand," Yachiyo says. "I don't think it's right to hurt anyone to save yourself."

Kuroe sighs.

"It's just… everyone's afraid, anxious, and lost," Yachiyo says. "So people can cling onto something that isn't right. So try not to worry about everything by yourself."

"T-thank… you…" Kuroe says.

"Um… if you're interested, would you like everyone else's contact info?" Iroha asks.

"Um, I don't know," Kuroe says. "Goodbye!"

Then she runs off, crossing the bridge and finding her way back to the road that brought them to the campground in the first place. After running for awhile down the dark road, she reaches the residential district from earlier, where there are street lamps to light the place up.

The cat in her arms mews at her, and she sighs.

"We're almost there," she says. "Can you wait a bit longer?"

The cat mews again, and Kuroe giggles and strokes her head.

"Good girl…"

After looking around for a minute or two, she finds the missing cat poster and squints to read the address, using her phone's maps app to find her way there. Finding herself in front of a stranger's door, she hesitates for almost a full minute before ringing the doorbell.

The door is answered by a girl who's probably a year or two older than her. Kuroe holds up the cat for the girl to see.

"Um… is this your cat?" she asks.

The girl gasps. "Ruu…! It's Ruu! Thank you! For finding Ruu, thank you from the bottom of my heart!"

Kuroe blinks.

"Ah, right, your reward," the girl says.

"It's alright," Kuroe says. "I don't need one…"

"But still…!" the girl says.

"Alright, that's enough," Kuroe says.

She hands the cat over and turns to run away, the girl staring after her as she goes. Some time later, she arrives back at Fendt Hope, forgetting to don her feather robes, though for some reason she transforms instead. There's no-one else around, though – anyone who's still awake is probably in their rooms. She bursts into Mifuyu's office, gasping for breath. Nemu is with her.

"Ah, it's you, Miss Kuroe," Mifuyu says.

"I've received the report from the white feathers," Nemu says. "Thank you for your help. Today was quite stressful, wasn't it?"

"I'm sorry for making you do something so reckless," Mifuyu says.

"Um… you don't blame me for letting the rumour be destroyed…?" Kuroe asks.

"This has been a complicated situation, so I can't place all the blame on you," Nemu says. "I only told you that you were possessed by a rumour. The Rumour of the Green-Eyed Coward… is a rumour that takes on the form of someone dissatisfied with the status quo."

Kuroe gasps.

"As for the rumour itself…"

She proceeds to recite the full text of the rumour.

"Well… something like that," Nemu concludes.

"So when I envy someone… a rumour that looks like me gets summoned?" Kuroe says.

"Correct," Nemu says. "Yesterday, when you investigated a spot with lots of students, I was trying to elicit envy using people who could live a normal life. I'm glad I found the right feather for the job."

She giggles.

"I'm sorry you were used to get results," Mifuyu says.

"It's fine," Kuroe says.

"I wasn't expecting you to run into Nanami Yachiyo's team," Nemu says. "But once you did… in the worst case scenario… I expected them to be able to handle an accident caused by the rumour. That's why I decided you should stay with them."

"But in the end, they ended up destroying the rumour," Kuroe says.

"It's unfortunate, but you don't need to worry," Nemu says. "I've achieved more with the rumour destroyed. I'm exploring the possibility of utilizing rumour possession. I look forward to what happens next."

"I have no objections against you exploring the limits of your magic," Mifuyu says sternly. "However, please refrain from experimenting on feathers without their permission. They aren't lab rats."

"Hmph," Nemu says, pouting. "I'm hurt. I'll take my leave then."

With that, she flounces out of the room.

"Uhh… just then, was she pouting?" Kuroe asks.

"Yes," Mifuyu says. "In the end, the Magius are still just children. You can return to regular duties tomorrow, Kuroe-chan. Thank you for staying so late."

"Then… excuse me," Kuroe says.

She leaves the room, powers down, and dons her feather robes once more.

---

The next morning, Inui and I meet up with Matsuri, Kagari, Suzune, and Kaede just like we did in the last timeline, and Matsuri tells the same story as before. I don't notice any significant differences in her account, though it seems like Karin's role in the event was slightly altered. It wasn't to a level that affected the outcome, though.

"Well… I'd say I'm satisfied with this result," I say once the story is over. "You took care of both of the rumours I needed you to take care of, and even managed to do so without forcing Miss Kagari to share your body."

"Thank you," Matsuri says. "Then all that's left is Walpurgisnacht, right?"

"Yes, but… while I have you here, there's actually one other thing I wanted to mention," I say.

"What's that?" Matsuri asks.

"Kanade Kanata," I say.

Matsuri tilts her head. "Huh? Who's that? A relative of Haruka-chan…? I'm pretty sure that's not her mother's name, though…"

"Something like that," I say.

"So… what about her?" Matsuri says.

"I have reason to suspect that she is alive," I say. "Moreover, that she is a magical girl. The evidence is scant, but… that's more than zero."

"Huh… I see," Matsuri says. "Maybe I'll mention her to Haruka-chan later… by the way, speaking of unexpected relatives popping up, there was one other thing I didn't mention because it wasn't relevant to the main story…"

"What's that?" I ask.

"It's something that happened yesterday," Matsuri says. "Would you like the full story, or just the summary? Though even the full version shouldn't be all that long."

I consider that for a moment. I have rumour watch later, but there's still time until then, and it won't hurt if I'm a little late.

"I have nothing else important to do today," I say. "What about you?"

Matsuri shakes her head. "Also nothing," she says.

"Let's go with the full version, then."

Matsuri nods. "Alright… so it all started when Dad watched the morning news yesterday…"

---

"That house…!" Mr Hinata gasped.

"Huh? Do you know that house, Dad?" Matsuri asked.

She was laying on the couch while her father watched the news. Kaede was sitting on the floor, leaning back on the couch, while Kagari was still asleep in her room. Suzune was out distributing the local Sunday paper for the Yunagi ladies and had expressed plans to stay for tea afterwards.

"Yes… I think so," Mr Hinata said. "It's been years since I saw him, but… I'm pretty sure that's the house of my cousin Tarou-kun."

"Huh… you had a cousin, Dad?" Matsuri said.

"We weren't close, but yes," Mr Hinata said. "Shhh, let me listen…"

"…and it seems the sole survivor is the family's young daughter, who has been hospitalized with severe burns," the news announcer was saying. "It's not yet certain whether she'll recover."

"Ah… so Tarou-kun must have perished too," Mr Hinata said.

"The police are investigating the possibility of arson, but we have no report from them yet," the news announcer continued. "We'll report back on the matter next week!"

"I… should go see her," Mr Hinata said. "If Tarou-kun is dead, it's possible that girl doesn't have any other living relatives… though I don't know what things are like on her mother's side. But I should at least let them know I'm available."

"Where did that happen, anyway?" Matsuri asked. "I was zoned out so I didn't hear…"

"It was in Mitakihara," Mr Hinata said.

"Huh, Mitakihara…" Matsuri said. "So are you gonna go today?"

"Probably," Mr Hinata said. "Let me give the hospital a call…"

He got up and headed into the next room.

"Maybe our family'll grow again," Matsuri said. "Wouldn't that be nice? Though I suppose I shouldn't call it nice… that poor girl just lost her parents… and maybe some siblings…"

"Yeah," Kaede said. "I agree with you on both counts… and I'm sure Kagari would hate it."

"That's… probably true," Matsuri admitted. "Well… I guess we'll just wait and see."

Several minutes later, Mr Hinata returned with the news.

"Apparently, she's doing better than they'd expected," he said. "They were looking for next of kin… I said they should keep looking in case there's anyone on the mother's side, but I'm going to head over there after lunch to introduce myself to her."

"Hey… does that means she's conscious?" Matsuri asked.

"Yes, it sounded like it," Mr Hinata said.

"In that case… could I come too?"

He blinked at her. "This isn't a social visit… there isn't really anything to see," he said.

"Right, but… how old was she, again?"

"She's two years older than you," Mr Hinata said.

"I was just thinking she might find it a bit less scary if there's a girl around her own age," Matsuri said.

"Well… okay, I guess I can take you," Mr Hinata said. "What about you, Kaede?"

"Nah… I'll stay and keep an eye on Kagari," Kaede said. "That's fine, right?"

"Sure," Matsuri said.

So a few hours later, Matsuri and her father were in the car on the road to Mitakihara. They didn't talk much on the journey, since a light rain had sprung up and Mr Hinata was focusing on the road. Eventually though, they arrived in Mitakihara and found a place to park several blocks from the hospital. They walked the remaining distance, and Mr Hinata checked in at the front desk. Then a nurse showed up to lead them to the room.

"What's her name, by the way?" Mr Hinata asked. "I'm not sure if Tarou-kun ever mentioned his kids' names to me…"

"Her name is Aina," the nurse said. "Hinata Aina."

"Hinata Aina," Matsuri mused. "It's a nice name…"

When they arrived at the hospital room, they found the girl covered in bandages, and Matsuri gasped – not because of the bandages, but because of something else. There was a magical signature – which meant that Aina was a magical girl!

"Excuse me!" the nurse said. "Aina-chan…? Your, um… uncle…?"

"Close enough," Mr Hinata said.

"Your uncle is here to see you."

A hoarse voice issued from somewhere beneath all those bandages.

"Uncle…?" she said. "Send him away… I can't… face him…"

"Um… is something wrong?" Matsuri piped up.

"Who…?" Aina said.

"I'm Matsuri! Your… second cousin, from what I understand…?"

"Ehh…"

"Can I call you Aina-chan?"

"…if you must…"

While Mr Hinata held back, Matsuri walked around to stand by Aina's bed, gripping one of her hands in both of her own – the only hand that wasn't wrapped in bandages, which also bore the girl's ring. The mark on her fingernail was a single red line coiled around in such a way as to resemble a flame.

"It's nice to meet you, Aina-chan," Matsuri said.

Then she switched to telepathy.

«So, Aina-chan… how long have you been a magical girl?»

Aina gasped, responding in the same way.

«Y-you're… one too!?»

«That's right!»

«Actually… it was only a few hours ago,» Aina said.

«Huh… was it before or after you got to the hospital?»

«After…»

«Then you're completely new to it, huh? What'd you wish for?»

«That's… none of your business.»

«Then… what kind of magic do you have?» Matsuri asked.

«Fire, I guess,» Aina replied. «And I think I can… force the enemy to attack me instead of someone else. Obviously I haven't had a chance to try it out yet…»

«Ah… that sounds similar to Haruka's magic, then…»

Switching back to speech, Matsuri continued her earlier train of thought.

"Say, Aina-chan… would you be interested in living with us?" she asked.

"I… I don't know," Aina said.

«I could teach you all about being a magical girl,» Matsuri said. "I guess it's not the best time to be saying this, but if you came to live with us when you recover… I'm sure we could have lots of fun together."

"Well… maybe…" Aina said. "Right now… I'm tired."

"Alright," the nurse said. "It looks like the patient's tired, so let's leave her be."

He gently ushered Matsuri out of the room.

«I look forward to your answer, Aina-chan!» Matsuri said.

«Whatever…»

"What's her prognosis?" Mr Hinata asked.

"She was in critical condition when she arrived," the nurse said. "But she stabilized remarkably quickly. Some of the nurses were saying it was like a miracle… but I digress. I think she could be out of the hospital in a week or two."

"I see," Mr Hinata said. "Well, if no relatives from her mother's side can be found, I'm willing to take her in."

The nurse nodded. "I'll let the relevant authorities know of your intention," he said. "We're still checking if there are other relatives."

Mr Hinata nodded. "I already have three daughters, but adding a fourth shouldn't be any trouble to me. Still, she wouldn't have a mother if she came with me – my wife died a few years back. I'd prefer the girl has what's best for her."

"I understand," the nurse said. "I'll let you know."

"Thank you," Mr Hinata said.

---

"I see… so her house burned down, and she made a wish," I say. "I didn't expect you to potentially add another member to your family."

"I didn't expect that either," Matsuri says.

"Come to think of it, did you say your father said he had three daughters?" I ask. "So he's not adopting Miss Suzune, then?"

"Ah, actually… I'm going to be… Yunagi Suzune soon," Suzune says.

"Oh, so the newspaper lady will be adopting you…?"

Suzune nods. "They sprang it on me yesterday, over tea."

"Huh… that's… not what I expected, but it's fine," I say.

"We're still in the same class, too," Matsuri says. "We don't need to be family to be together, after all."

"You're right," I say. "Okay, thanks for the information. I'd like to meet Miss Aina sometime, so let me know how that turns out."

"Yes, I will!" Matsuri says. "So, about Walpurgisnacht… is there any change?"

"I don't have any updates to that forecast right now," I say. "Currently I'm expecting her to arrive here in Kamihama on the twenty-eighth. I'll definitely let you know asap if that changes though."

Matsuri nods. "Alright. Then I'll see you then."

So we part ways, and Inui accompanies me to the rumour watch location, grabbing lunch from Chiaki's along the way. As we're eating, I take a peek on Tsuruno, as I'm curious whether the circumstances leading to her doppel unleash in previous timelines are still present. As it turns out, they are – it was delayed a whole day, but she's already at the Coordinator's, and the Amane twins are even with her. There's no doppel, but from the conversation it's clear that I just missed it.

Eventually, rumour watch comes to an end, and I head to the station to catch a train back to Mitakihara.

---

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.

Hinata Aina
日向愛菜

Age: 15
Eye Colour: Red
Hair Colour: Red
Origins: Mitakihara, Shinriku Prefecture, Japan
Symbol: Red flame-shaped line
Soul Gem: Red lozenge-shaped gemstone on her belt
Element: Fire
Weapon: Sceptre
Powers: Fire manipulation, provocation
Wish: "I want to get back at the people who took my family from me!"

Speed: 7
Magical Stamina:
Offensive Power: 10
Defensive Power: 3
Initial Power Usability: 10
Learned Powers: 0 (unknown)

---

I noticed that Scheherazade's reference to Puella Historia in chapter 99 was incorrect (the dialogue about the Witch of Symbols where she listed off all the time travellers who were present at the battle). I forgot to account for the Neo-Magius faction in that exchange, so I've made a revision to it. This is one revision that I suggest everyone should go back and read – it's close to the end of the chapter.

I also revised some references to the Witch of Symbols in chapters 100 and 102. In chapter 100, I referred to her as "sextillion", based on the interpretation that her true name is 10^21, but it's been shown that the symbol that was interpreted as 2 is more likely to be intended as a negative sign, so I updated that reference.

And in chapter 102 I for some reason added 2 extra halos to the level 7 form for a total of 9 halos. Even though that description predates the actual release of her level 7 form in the game, I don't remember why I thought it should have 9 halos. This isn't a question of whether it's right or wrong – it just doesn't make sense for everything she has to be 7, except for the halos. I may have had a reason when I did it but I can't remember what it was, so it probably wasn't a good one.

I have not revised the description to more closely match the in-game version, though admittedly there aren't that many differences – the game version has an extra arm and a yin-yang, does not appear to show Venus and Neptune, and has a circular body instead of a cuboctahedral body. And the placement of the wings is a bit different.

Actually, I'm not sure if I'll be able to work it in, but I'd kinda like to show some intermediate forms of the Witch of Symbols. If there's a 10^-1, 10^-3, 10^-5, and 10^-7, then probably there's also a 10^-2, 10^-4, 10^-6, 10^-8, and even 10^-9! There's no way I could show every possible form of course, since the final form is 10^-43, but still.