Chapter 2 – It Would Make Me Really Happy

“I am Tomoe Mami, a third-year student at Mitakihara Junior High, the same school as you two.” Her hair sparkled in orange colors from the evening sunset as she gently smiled. “And I made a contract with Kyuubey to become a magical girl.”

We were all in Mami-san’s apartment. She had invited Sayaka-chan and I over after everything that happened at the shopping mall.

As we were ushered into her entrance, Sayaka-chan muttered, “Wow…” in amazement.

My eyes widened as I looked around. “Such a pretty room…”

Mami-san lived in a spacious studio apartment. There was a bed decorated in pale yellow beside a desk neatly arranged with dictionaries and textbooks. Everything in the room was exceptionally well-organized, showing off Mami’s cute yet responsible demeanor.

The furniture all had cool and calming colors. I wouldn’t have minded staying there forever… It was a truly enchanting place.

“Help yourselves,” Mami-san said, smiling brightly while passing herbal tea and chiffon cakes to us.

We arranged ourselves around her small, triangular coffee table, and Mami-san offered yet another gentle smile. “I live alone, so don’t hold back. In fact, I’m a bit worried that I’m unprepared to entertain guests…”

“The cake is delicious,” commented the strange creature who called himself Kyuubey, who had happily taken a place by Mami’s side.

“Guess I won’t hold back, then. Down the hatch,” Sayaka-chan immediately said, grabbing a fork and shoving some cake in her mouth. “Wow, you’re right, it’s crazy good!”

Despite all she was saying, I couldn’t shake what had just happened from my mind, and I kept looking around the room in a daze, half-wondering if I was dreaming.

With a soft giggle, Mami-san explained, “Since you two were chosen by Kyuubey, you have a stake in everything that just happened. I thought you deserved an explanation.”

“Yup yup, so feel free to ask us anything.”

“Sayaka-chan, she’s supposed to say that to us…”

Mami-san chuckled again, holding out an egg-shaped object that gave off a pale glow. “This is a soul gem.”

“Wow, it’s so pretty…” I said before I could stop myself.

“This jewel is created by Kyuubey for the girls he chooses to make a contract with. It’s a magical girl’s source of magical power, and proof of her contract.”

“What’s the contract about?” Sayaka-chan asked, her face full of cake.

“I will grant any one wish for you,” Kyuubey answered.

“Huh? Really?”

Kyuubey nodded. “Anything and everything. Whatever miracle you may desire.”

“Woah… you mean like infinite money, or immortality… or a whole three-day Manchu-Han Imperial Feast?!”

…Um, Sayaka-chan, are you sure about that last one?

“But–” Kyuubey whipped his long, white tail and continued, “A soul gem is created in exchange. Anyone granted that precious jewel is tasked with the mission of defeating witches.”

“….Witches?” The word brought to mind what had just happened.

The creepy place that felt like a nightmare brought to life. The uncanny laughter. The realization of just how insignificant I truly was.

“Yes, in exchange for your wish, I want you to become magical girls and fight witches!”

Magical… girls? Us? Could I really be something so amazing? Someone as clumsy and cowardly as me?

“What exactly is a witch? Is it different from a magical girl?”

With a touch of pride, Kyuubey explained, “If magical girls are born from wishes, then witches are born from curses. In the same way magical girls spread hope, witches spread despair. But the catch is that witches are invisible to regular humans. Anxiety and jealousy act as their bridge into our world.”

Mami-san nodded, adding, “Suicides and murders committed with no clear cause are very likely due to the influence of witches. Their spite acts as a formless decay that devours people from the inside out.” The setting sun accentuated both her beauty and seriousness.

“How does nobody notice something as dangerous as them going around?” Sayaka-chan asked.

Kyuubey curled his tail in confusion. “Witches always hide inside their own domains. They don’t let themselves come out in public. The maze you two got lost in earlier is one example.”

A shiver ran down my back at his explanation. I gulped as I finally understood the true horror behind the place we had been trapped in.

Mami-san turned a kind gaze towards me. “You were in a very dangerous place. Not many people who get into their domains come out alive.”

“And… you’re fighting something that scary all the time?” I asked, my voice trembling.

“Yes, and I put my life on the line for it. You both need to make your choice carefully.” Mami-san nodded with a grave expression. “Kyuubey chose you, which means you can have any wish granted. But that comes at the risk of death.”

“Wow, that’s a real brain buster…” Sayaka-chan tugged at her hair.

Meanwhile, I shivered and mewled in fear.

I just, I don’t… I don’t think I can do that.

But before I could put those thoughts into words–

“Still, that’s a pretty nice deal, isn’t it? Wonder what kind of wish I would want granted…” Sayaka-chan sounded like she was actually considering it.

Mami-san carefully watched Sayaka-chan’s reaction, and spoke up. “In that case, I have a suggestion. Why not join me on my witch hunts for a while?”

“Huh?”

“What?!?”

“You need to see for yourselves what it’s like to fight a witch. Then you can carefully consider if you have a wish that would be worth the risk.”

The gentle smile that Mami-san gave us as she spoke seemed to melt all my worries away.

◯

Brrrriiiiiiiiinnnnngg!

“…Wuh?”

My eyes snapped open, and I jolted up at the sound of my alarm clock.

I was in my room.

“…Just another weird dream?”

As I hugged my pillow closer, taking a deep breath… I could feel someone watching me.

I suddenly noticed a white, long-eared creature with a lovable face among all my stuffed animals.

“Good morning, Madoka!”

“…Ahaha.”

So it wasn’t a dream.

I really met Kyuubey, got attacked by a witch, and got saved by Mami-san.

Mami-san really invited me to her house and talked about witches and magical girls.

The idea of it being a dream was believable enough… but it had actually happened.

I took a breath, stretched, and left my room. I casually glanced behind, and Kyuubey was following me, eventually catching up and jumping onto my shoulder.

“If Mommy sees you, I’m in a world of trouble…”

“Don’t worry about that.”

“How can I not worry?”

“You’re the only one in your family who can see me. More specifically, I can only be seen by people who I so choose.”

…Could that really be true?

I didn’t really buy it, but as I walked down the hallway towards the stairs…

“Um, uh…”

I immediately bumped into Mommy.

“Hey, mornin’.” Mommy raised her hand sluggishly, her face unfocused. Mommy has low blood pressure, so she’s particularly weak in the morning.

“…G-Good morning, Mommy.”

We both headed to the bathroom. Kyuubey was perched on my shoulder, happily flicking his tail, but Mommy didn’t seem to notice.

“So, Madoka, I heard you came home late last night.” As I stood in front of the sink, Mommy asked me a question through the mirror while putting toothpaste on her toothbrush.

“Oh, well, there was this… a senpai invited me over to her house.”

“Well, I don’t wanna be annoying and have some strict curfew for you, but you have to let me know about that kind of thing before dinner, at least. Making your parents worry isn’t gonna help anyone.”

“Right… sorry.” I was on edge just answering her. Kyuubey had filled up a basin with water behind Mommy and was taking a nice, relaxing bath.

She really can’t see him…

But that confirmation only made me even more uneasy, like I was the only lucid person walking around in a dream world.

“Hey, Mommy?” I decided to bite the bullet and ask what was on my mind. “What if… just a what if, what would you do if someone said they could magically grant any wish for you?” I asked, my heart pounding out of my chest.

I knew that some people might think it was a strange question for a middle schooler to pose, and others might even laugh at me. But there was such a weighty reality to everything Kyuubey had said to me the day before, and I couldn’t possibly handle it all on my own.

I didn’t expect much from the question, but–

“Well, there are a few board members I’d get rid of right away.”

Mommy finished brushing her teeth and answered immediately, without the slightest hint of hesitation.

…Wow. I was shocked, but rushed to finish brushing my own teeth.

Mommy continued explaining her wish. “And then, well, the president is certainly no spring chicken, so I’d like to push for his retirement, but he doesn’t have a successor… and that prodigal son of his is definitely not up to task…”

I couldn’t help but join in her goofy little story. “What if you took over as president?”

Mommy actually stopped putting on her makeup with that one, snapping her fingers. “Now there’s a thought.” She folded her arms and knitted her brows, and her face turned serious as she started mumbling a bunch of stuff I didn’t really understand. “If the sales department would get on board, then I could easily get planning and general affairs in my pocket… But then I’d have to deal with that baldy in accounting. Hmmm…”

“That’s a pretty scary look you have, Mommy…” I couldn’t help recoiling a bit.

[ …You see? Every human has at least one wish like that. ]

A voice suddenly echoed in my head, and I flinched, turning around in a panic.

Kyuubey sat in the wash basin, beaming a smile my way.

◯

“…Oh no, I’m late!”

For the second time in a row, I found myself running along the route to school.

I had all night to think about it, and even asked Mommy, but I still didn’t have an answer. Now I was running towards school, unsure if I should take Kyuubey’s offer outright, or maybe just watch Mami-san fight for a while. It didn’t seem to matter how early I got ready, I was always dashing out of the house last minute. Ever the clumsy dolt.

“Good morning!”

And just like the day before, I saw Sayaka-chan and Hitomi-chan walking ahead of me, so I yelled out to them.

“Good morning to you,” Hitomi-chan answered with a smile.

“Morning, Ma-”

Sayaka-chan was probably going to say Madoka, but as soon as she looked at me, she froze up. No doubt because she saw Kyuubey perched on my shoulder, who shot a cheerful “Good morning, Sayaka!” her way.

 “Uh…I…”

“Is there some kind of problem, Sayaka-san?” Hitomi-chan looked very confused as Sayaka-chan started whispering at me.

“So, like… we’re the only ones that can see it?”

“…Seems like it.”

Then, right in front of Hitomi-chan, I tried out something that Kyuubey had told me about earlier.

I clearly thought everything I wanted to say next, pronouncing each word in my mind.

[ Also, we should be able to talk to each other just by thinking. ]

“–gh!” Sayaka-chan flinched hard, but she responded in her head almost instantly.

[ …Yo-You mean we already have some level of magical powers? ]

Kyuubey chimed in, his voice carefree as always.

[ No, no, I’m just acting as a relay between you two. But it sure is convenient for having a private conversation, isn’t it? ]

[ This… feels kinda weird. ]

“Um… what is going on with the two of you today? You keep staring into each other’s eyes.”

I wasn’t ready for Hitomi-chan’s sudden question. “Huh? No, uh, this is just, er…” I stumbled over myself to try and find the right explanation, but Hitomi-chan started twisting around for some reason.

“Is this… have the two of you already gotten so close that you can communicate with your eyes? How could you have gotten so close in just one day?! What on Earth happened between the two of you yesterday?!”

Every now and then, Hitomi-chan had the odd habit of going off on strange little imaginary rabbit trails. Evidently, she was traveling down one of them now. I couldn’t guess what she was thinking about, but she was blushing, holding her face, and wiggling her legs.

“…No, it’s really nothing like that.” Sayaka-chan tried to downplay, but Hitomi-chan was already too far gone.

“But… this can’t happen… you’re both girls, and… this forbidden love can never be!”

I don’t know what Hitomi-chan thought was going on between Sayaka-chan and I, but she ran away holding her blushing cheeks in her hands.

“You forgot your bag!” Sayaka-chan picked up Hitomi-chan’s school bag, waving it in the air, but Hitomi-chan was already just a spot in the distance.

“…Hitomi-chan’s acting a bit like you, today, don’t you think?”

My observation earned me a smack on the head.

“And what’s that supposed to mean, exactly?”

◯

The classroom was buzzing with energy, like always.

Everyone was in groups chatting about TV shows, upcoming exams, or their favorite celebrities, with smiles on every face. Typical pre-homeroom activity.

I was relieved to see such a normal sight as I sat down at my desk.

Comparatively, Sayaka-chan slumped down exhausted into her seat, immediately sending a telepathic message.

[ Was it really the best idea for you to just come all the way to school with us like it’s no big deal? ]

That question was not focused at me, but rather Kyuubey.

[ Why do you ask? ]

[ I already told you that the girl from yesterday transferred into our class. ]

…Oh, right.

My body locked up. I had completely forgotten about Homura-chan.

[ Isn’t your life in danger here? It’s definitely no time to be wagging your tail like it’s just another day, ] Sayaka-chan mumbled to herself. She sounded exasperated, but Kyuubey was cool as a cucumber.

[ I’ll be fine. School’s probably safer than anywhere else, actually. I have Mami here. ]

[ But Mami-san’s a third-year. Isn’t her class way far away? ] I asked, deciding to join in on the conversation.

[ Don’t you worry. I can hear you all just fine. ]

Suddenly, Mami-san’s voice echoed in my head.

[ Woah! ]

[ Ah, um… G-Good morning to you! ]

We may have been speaking telepathically, but we still both let our surprise slip through.

Mami-san’s soft chuckle echoed. [ It’s okay, I’ll be here to protect you. I highly doubt she would try to attack anyone in public, anyway. ]

Before I knew it, the warm embrace of her voice had already miraculously blown all my worries away.

Mami-san’s voice had a way of making me feel that no matter what happened, as long as she was there, everything was going to be okay.

“Well, I guess it’s okay…” Sayaka-chan started to say, but then she stopped mid-sentence. “Ugh, speak of the devil.”

I looked towards the front of the classroom with her, and there was Akemi Homura-chan, her school bag in hand.

Just like yesterday, her pale face was etched with determination, and she was glaring at me… Actually, she was glaring at Kyuubey on my shoulder, rather than me specifically. Kyuubey tumbled down into my lap in fear, and I protectively put a hand on his back.

“…Why are we doing this?” I mumbled aloud. “Why can’t everyone just get along…”

I’d had the same question after hearing what Mami-san told us the day before.

“…So the transfer student is a magical girl, just like you?”

It was part of the conversation at Mami-san’s place last night.

Mami-san nodded in response to Sayaka-chan’s question. “Yes, without a doubt. Her powers seem quite strong, too.”

“Well, that makes her a superhero who fights witches, right? So why was she attacking Madoka?”

“Actually, I was her target,” Kyuubey interrupted with a carefree lilt. “If I had to guess, she was trying to stop any new magical girls from being created.”

“Huh?”

As I sat in shock, Sayaka-chan asked my question for me. “Why? Wouldn’t you want more allies if you’re all fighting the same enemy?”

“That’s not how everyone sees it,” Mami-san answered with a soft sigh. “In fact, most of the time, our job turns into a competition.”

“But that… why?”

“There is a reward for defeating a witch. There are those who would prefer to fight over who gets the spoils.”

“So she knew that Kyuubey reached out to Madoka, and started her assault in response?”

Sayaka-chan’s annoyed question had been met with a despondent nod and agreement from Mami-san, but…

Why?

No matter how I thought about Mami-san’s explanation, it just didn’t make sense to me.

If fighting such terrifying witches was the goal, then working together was the best possible way to accomplish that goal, right?

I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

[ Don’t worry about it, Madoka. ] Sayaka-chan’s voice echoed in my head, snapping me back to reality. [ If she tries anything, then I’ll pound her. Plus, we’ve got Mami-san here. ]

Mami-san’s voice kindly echoed the sentiment. [ She’s right. Miki-san aside, I’m here with you. There’s no need to worry. ]

[ H-Hey, don’t just set me aside! ]

I couldn’t help but smile at the two of them. I realized that Mami-san was probably making light of things to help lift my mood.

The realization that I wasn’t alone picked me up, and by the time I looked back over at Homura-chan, she was sitting down in her seat as if nothing had happened.

◯

I tend to be pretty slow on the uptake, bad at putting my thoughts into words, and generally cowardly…

But somehow, add onto that the fact that I’m really laid-back, and you get the absolute most helpless person on the planet.

I was on edge for so much of class watching Homura-chan, glancing over at Sayaka-chan to try and calm my nerves, only to get completely bored and start doodling in my notebook. Drawing pictures of Mami-san transformed as a magical girl, no less. Thinking about what lay ahead made me scared and anxious, but Mami-san’s gallant form was burned far deeper into my mind.

There was the cap… and did she have another ribbon on her chest?

I started smiling to myself, entirely absorbed in drawing, and before I knew it, another magical girl stood beside her. A girl dolled up in ribbons and frills, with a fancy magical girl costume. Me.

I wanted a big, wavy skirt just like Mami… but that was a little too flashy for me, so I got rid of that design. I tried something a little more subtle, but that one would constantly flash my panties, so it had to go.

By the time morning classes were over, I had a perfect picture of me in my notebook, smiling in my cute new outfit.

But it was just…so idealistic, so bright and wonderful.

I knew the real me could never compare.

That made me kinda… just a bit sad.

“So, Madoka…”

That day during lunch break, Sayaka-chan had a question for me as we sat on the rooftop together.

I shuffled my bentou box around in my hands, glancing over at her. Kyuubey still perched on my shoulder, and Sayaka-chan was gripping the wire fence put up around the roof to prevent falls, looking up at the clear blue sky.

“Have you… thought of a wish yet?”

“…No. Have you?”

“I got nothing. And I don’t know why. You’d think it’d be easy to come up with tons of ideas.” With a sigh, Sayaka-chan stretched, letting go of the fence. “Sure, there’s tons of stuff I want, and lots of things I’d like to do. But then I think about how my life would be on the line, and my brain just stops working. It’s like, none of that stuff is worth dying for.”

I nodded in assent, but Kyuubey jumped in saying, “That’s surprising. Most girls just say yes without a second thought.”

“…Really?”

“Indeed they do. I should think that girls your age are positively overflowing with dreams.”

Sayaka-chan laughed a little at that. “Well, I guess we’re just idiots.” I tilted my head, but Sayaka-chan just nodded and doubled down with, “A bunch of happy-go-lucky idiots.”

As I paid a little closer attention, I noticed she was no longer smiling.

“You’re right, it wouldn’t be that weird to have a wish that you’d give anything for, even your life. The world’s full of people with those kinds of wishes. We’re the outliers… because we can’t even begin to comprehend that level of misery. We’re so blessed that it’s turned us into idiots.”

It took me that long to realize that Sayaka-chan was speaking for Kamijou-kun.

A natural genius with a bright future, and her childhood friend, a boy our age… who lost everything back in spring.

She was right… When I thought about all of the pain and loss that Kamijou-kun must have gone through, we really were just happy-go-lucky idiots in comparison.

“…Why should it be us? Isn’t this just unfair? I’m sure there are so many others who would give anything for this kind of opportunity…”

At times like this…

I never could find the right thing to say.

I’m not smart enough to come up with a witty retort, or tactful enough to know how to lighten the mood. I might as well have been a pebble on the side of the road. All I had been thinking about was the kind of costume I would wear if I became a magical girl. I felt so pathetic. I gripped my bentou box tighter, and felt Kyuubey shuffle from his position on my shoulder.

I whipped around–

Akemi Homura-chan was standing behind us. Who knew how long she had been there. Her long, black hair danced in the wind, and her big eyes accentuated by her white face carried the same strong light they always did.

My legs froze, as if that was now my conditioned response to her presence.

“Get back, Madoka.” As Sayaka-chan quickly stood up in front of me–

[ It’s okay, ] Mami-san’s voice echoed inside my head.

I glanced over, spotting Mami-san standing on the roof of the next school building over, her soul gem shining so bright I could see it from where I was.

Homura-chan had been getting closer, but stopped when she saw it.

“…This gonna be part two from yesterday?”

Homura-chan paused for a moment at Sayaka-chan’s aggressive accusation before finally responding. “No, that was not my intention.” She glared icily at Kyuubey, who was still sitting on my shoulder. “I wanted to stop that thing before it made contact with Kaname Madoka… but that has already been foiled.”

She turned to look directly at me. “So, what will you do? Do you intend to become a magical girl as well?”

“W-Well, I–”

Before I could answer, Kyuubey spoke up. “I am in no way forcing their hand. They are finding their own way forward.”

“And even if he was, it’s not your place to say anything about it.”

But Homura-chan completely ignored Kyuubey and Sayaka-chan, talking directly to me once again. “Do you remember what I told you yesterday?”

I nodded timidly.

She was talking about when we were in the hallway when she pretended to have to go to the nurse’s office. The things she told me.

Asking if I valued my life. If I cherished my friends and family.

And If that was true, then I must never give in to the thought that I have to change.

Or else… I would lose everything.

At least, that was what Homura-chan told me back then. I still didn’t know what it was supposed to mean, but I realized that she had been completely serious. In the hallway, I had been scared and upset because I had no context behind why she would say something like that to me. But Homura-chan wasn’t a bad person. She had her own goals, her own wishes, and reasons behind why she wanted to say those things to me.

Or at least, that was what I wanted to think.

“Very well, then. I hope my advice won’t go to waste.” With that slight murmur, she turned on her heel to leave, but–

“Ho-Homura-chan!” I found myself calling out her name.

She had taken a few steps, but she stopped and turned back around to face me.

“Um, what… What wish did you make to become a magical girl?”

I don’t know why I asked that question right then. But maybe, if I knew her answer, everyone could get along and try to fight witches together.

I think there was a piece of me deep down that had really believed in that possibility.

But… that was a really, really dumb idea.

At that moment, the cold, frigid determination that always lit up Homura-chan’s eyes distorted, flickering like small, white flames. And I was instantly swallowed by regret.

Not the regret that I should never have asked, but…

How do I put it… it’s that awful feeling that I hurt someone, but didn’t know how.

◯

“Would you like to stop by the station mall again today?”

School was over, and as I was stuffing my school books into my bag, Hitomi-chan came over and invited me out.

“Um… well…”

As I fumbled through my words, Sayaka-chan swooped in to save me. “Sorry Hitomi, but today we got some personal stuff to take care of.”

“Oh, some secret business?” Hitomi-chan frowned slightly, then a red tinge colored her face. “I envy you. It seems that nobody can stand between the two of you any more…”

“No, uh… That’s really not what we’re–”

“I suppose it is fine. I will stay out of your way.”

Hitomi-chan scuttled out of the classroom, and Sayaka-chan sighed as she watched her receding figure. Then, she turned to me. “Well, we’re outta here, Madoka.”

“…Right.” I nodded, glancing over at Homura-chan, who was surrounded by several other girls asking her to hang out after school. I felt a little relieved as I saw Homura-chan gently smiling at the other girls. Then, I quickly caught up to Sayaka-chan as she left the classroom.

Sayaka-chan and I were officially trainee magical girls(whatever that meant), accompanying Mami-san on her witch hunts. I still hadn’t decided if I wanted to be a magical girl, and wasn’t even sure I’d be able to help if I was one, but I ended up just kinda going along.

We got to the meeting spot, a fast food restaurant in front of the station, and Mami-san was already there, smiling and waving at us. I got a cheeseburger meal, and Sayaka-chan ordered an extra-portion value meal. But after we sat down with our food, I felt a little embarrassed to realize that Mami-san had only ordered orange juice.

“It’s good that you have an appetite,” she said with a smile, but I couldn’t help thinking maybe we were a bit too relaxed for girls about to go on a dangerous witch hunt.

“I think Madoka’s the only one who’s not nervous,” Sayaka-chan said, pulling out something long and thin she had wrapped in cloth and placed under the table.

“You were carrying that around for a while. What is it, anyway?” I asked.

Sayaka-chan shoved a big bite of hamburger in her mouth and silently unwrapped the thing to show it off.

“A metal… bat?”

“I snuck it out of the gym. Thought it would be better than nothing, you know, just in case.”

…Uh-huh.

Setting aside the feasibility of using a metal bat against a terrifying witch, I had to commend Sayaka-chan for her spirit.

“Well, it’s encouraging to know you wanted to be prepared,” Mami-san praised with a somewhat surprised smile.

Sayaka-chan proudly turned my way. “So, what did you bring, Madoka?”

“Huh? Well, I have, uh…”

Guess I should have brought something with me…

All Mami-san had said was that she would take us around for the day, so I came empty-handed, naturally assuming I wouldn’t have anything to add. But Sayaka-cha’s expectant gaze forced me to pull my notebook out of my school bag.

“A… notebook?”

It was filled with all sorts of illustrations of magical girls that I had drawn during class time. I had put a lot of thought into the three-dimensional aspects, the details and accessories, and… victory poses, among other things.

“Well, I figured that first off, I’d have to think up a costume…” My explanation was already starting off on a bad note, but it didn’t really matter. Mami-san and Sayaka-chan were laughing their heads off before I could even finish the first sentence.

“Well, you’re certainly enthusiastic,” Mami-san said, wiping away a tear.

“Oh man, you got me there… and I thought I was excited!” Sayaka-chan guffawed, clutching her stomach.

I felt so small that I wished I could just disappear.

After finishing their bout of laughter, Mami-san’s face turned serious. “Now then, it’s about time we go.”

◯

“These are the traces of magical power left behind by that witch yesterday.”

We were in the construction site of the mall again, with all its exposed concrete. Mami-san was pointing out what looked like black stains illuminated by the light of her soul gem.

“They’re essential to tracking a witch. You simply trace back the signs that your soul gem shows you.”

“That’s… surprisingly straightforward,” Sayaka-chan said, her voice echoing on the concrete walls.

“Yup,” Mami-san confirmed with a smile.

Her soul gem was flickering in and out, evidently changing intensity to help guide us. Mami-san seemed to understand what it meant, walking ahead confidently. Sayaka-chan and I followed behind her rather nervously in comparison.

We ended up leaving the shopping mall entirely, headed down the street. But just as we crossed over into a residential area, the flickering stopped.

“…Huh? The light…”

Mami-san turned around, nodding towards Sayaka-chan. “The tracks are fading since we waited a full day to chase after it.”

“So we should have gone after it immediately…” I mumbled to myself. I couldn’t help but feel responsible.

Mami-san offered another one of her wonderfully gentle smiles. “Don’t beat yourself up about it. I might have been able to defeat it, but you two took priority.”

Her soft smile gently permeated my heart.

Mami-san was out there fighting witches alone, yet she could show deference and care to us, people who served as nothing more than a hindrance. And she was so kind and considerate.

“I knew Mami-san was a true superhero!” Sayaka-chan shouted joyfully. Evidently Mami-san’s words had really affected her.

Right then, for the very first time, I saw someone and thought I wanna be like that. I was lost in thought for a while, watching Mami-san’s soft, sweet-smelling hair as she walked ahead of us.

From now on, whenever I feel unsure… I’m going to think about what Mami-san would do.

If I did, then maybe I could keep from being such a procrastinator. I wouldn’t feel so hesitant, so worried all the time. I just knew that, somehow.

“The more I think about it, the more that transfer student girl is starting to piss me off…” Sayaka-chan cut in angrily. Obviously, she was talking about Homura-chan.

That brought another thought to mind.

Homura-chan was a magical girl, which meant she made a contract in exchange for a wish. A wish so important that she would give anything to have it. She was such a young girl, and she had to bear that burden all alone…

Could someone like that truly be a bad person?

I didn’t know how to answer that question.

“Putting her aside,” Mami-san urged, staring at her soul gem. “We need to focus on finding the witch from yesterday. If we don’t hurry, there could be casualties.”

“Well, how are we supposed to get an idea of where the witch could be?” Sayaka-chan asked.

“A witch’s curse can cause a lot of traffic accidents or similar incidents,” Mami-san explained. “We should check on areas with heavy traffic and population density. After that, we need to narrow down likely areas for suicides… Worst case scenario, it could end up invading a hospital or something similar. It sucks the life force from already weakened victims… it’s very difficult to watch.”

Our surroundings had quickly become very dim. We were in a spot Mommy had mentioned once. Something about an abandoned factory back when Mitakihara began redevelopment plans. I remembered her telling me not to go in there, since a lot of bad kids hung out inside.

“Well, if we already know all that, shouldn’t our options be pretty limited?” Sayaka-chan asked, cautiously tapping her bat on her shoulder.

“Well, if too many casualties come from one location, it would eventually be known as haunted, right? So witches move around often to avoid that.”

Mami-san suddenly stopped talking. Sayaka-chan and I stopped, staring at the soul gem in Mami-san’s hands. It was clearly shining brighter, and the flickers were more intense and frequent.

“The magical waves are getting strong. We must be close.” Mami-san’s voice turned stern, and Sayaka-chan and I huddled close to her, keeping a watchful eye on our surroundings.

Mami-san quickly scanned the area, holding her soul gem out in all directions, then walked the way that the light was brightest. We followed just behind her, keeping close.

Eventually, we walked up to the front of an abandoned building.

“This must be it,” Mami-san said, looking up. I followed her gaze, and–

Someone was there.

It was a woman dressed up like an office worker, standing on the roof of the building, her hair whipping around in the wind.

“Ma-…Mami-san, up there!” Sayaka-chan shrieked.

But by then, the woman was already stepping out onto the empty air…

I screamed and looked away, but a sharp glow began pouring from Mami-san’s body, and her school uniform was enveloped in light as she leapt high into the air.

In the blink of an eye, Mami-san was dressed in her gorgeous magical girl outfit, and she had caught the falling woman with a magical ribbon. She picked up the unconscious woman and slowly floated down to the ground.

We rushed over as Mami-san gently laid the woman down on the ground, pointing to a strange mark on the woman’s neck that almost looked like a birthmark.

“A witch’s kiss… I figured as much.”

“I-Is she…” I stuttered, my voice so shaky I couldn’t even finish my question.

“She’ll be alright. She just lost consciousness… Let’s go!”

Mami-san dashed off, and we hurried after her. At the entrance of the building, Mami-san did something that revealed the uncanny space that we had been in the day before.

“You won’t escape today…”

Sayaka-chan unwrapped her bat, perhaps trying to steel herself for the encounter. Mami-san stretched her arm out, and a ring of light went out and around the bat, changing it into some kind of white staff.

“It won’t do much, but it can help protect you. Stay close to me,” Mami-san commanded with a powerful smile.

Our hearts instantly started pounding, and we responded, “Okay!” at the same time.

Mami-san took the lead as we headed into the witch’s domain.

It was just like the day before… a crumbling world of malice and hatred.

Black butterflies spun about, red butterflies danced around, and strange kinds of flowers bloomed all over.

Shrieking laughter echoed throughout the area, and the space twisted and distorted beyond all reason. Despite the confusing environment, Mami-san boldly walked forward without hesitation.

But then, there was movement.

In an instant, a mass of shadowy beings rushed in from the darkness. But Mami-san calmly crossed her hands, and a silver musket just like the ones from yesterday appeared in front of her. It multiplied quickly, making a huge cavalry formation around her before firing all at once.

The shadowy beings were run through with bullet after bullet.

“Woah, g-get back! Get back!” Sayaka-chan desperately flung her stick around at the creatures that bobbed above our heads, seeming to tease us.

“How are you two doing? Scared?” Mami-san asked, turning towards us as she shot down the beings in front of her.

“Wh-Wh-What makes you think that?!” Sayaka-chan cried out, looking a little desperate.

But my eyes were glued on Mami-san’s back.

She was stepping about this way and that as if dancing with her muskets, her soft hair and adorable skirt fluttering in time. There was no other word to describe her but beautiful…

“I’m scared, but, but…”

But she was just so, so beautiful.

So vibrant and dazzling.

I could feel my cowardly little heart pounding like it never had before.

“Keep it up! We’re almost at the center of her domain!” Kyuubey shouted, and we did our best to keep up with Mami-san as she charged forward.

Until–

“Take a look. That… is a witch.”

The space expanded into some kind of dome, and there in the center was the bizarre being that we had seen yesterday, only larger.

“That is the Witch of the Rose Garden.” Kyuubey suddenly whispered at my feet.

“…Rose Garden?” I asked.

“She has two familiars: The Gardener and Vigilance. She prefers to make her home in abandoned locations. She governs the nature of distrust.”

‘Ugh, that’s pretty grotesque,” Sayaka-chan muttered, her face twisting.

“You’re really going to go fight… that thing?” I had been mesmerized by Mami-san up to then, but my voice had already started shaking.

Mami-san just smiled and nodded. “Don’t worry. I won’t lose.” With an order to stay back, she created a wall of magical ribbons in front of us and walked alone towards the giant, hulking monster.

She stopped in place, and numerous silver muskets began appearing from inside her hat and under her skirt. She picked them all up and fired them in turn.

But the big monster they’d called a witch moved surprisingly fast, dodging all the bullets and wrapping Mami-san in a great black vine. Mami-san fought back, determined to overcome, but every bullet she shot just sank into the ground.

“Wh-What are you doing, Mami-san?!” Sayaka-chan called out in concern.

“Well, take a good look,” Mami-chan replied with perfect calm. “It’s okay. I can’t afford to get trounced in front of my future kouhai!”

Suddenly, golden threads shot out of all the holes in the ground created by her bullets, and they wrapped around the witch. The witch was completely immobilized, and realizing its fate, it thrashed so violently that even the walls shook, but it could not escape from the threads.

As it struggled, Mami-san had already escaped the witch’s black vine by manipulating the ribbon on her chest. “Close, but no cigar.” She flipped the ribbon around, and it transformed into a beam of light in her hand that became a singular, massive cannon.

“Tiro Finale!!”

The shot it fired was so bright that it was impossible to keep my eyes open.

An ear-piercing shrike rang through the air, and the slimy feeling that had seeped into my bones abruptly disappeared.

I cautiously opened my eyes… and the environment was once again turning back into the abandoned building.

“Sh-She… won?”

“…Wow…”

Sayaka-chan and I stood in place, completely stunned.

Mami-san came down to us, her bright hair flipping around. She slowly walked towards us, holding out some kind of glowing object in her hand. It looked like some kind of black gem.

“This is a grief seed. It’s a witch’s egg.”

“A-An egg?”

“One in every few witches you defeat will be carrying one of these.”

“Don’t worry. It’s harmless in that state,” Kyuubey explained cheerfully on my shoulder. “In fact, it’s quite useful.”

Sayaka-chan and I carefully poked at it with our fingertips, and sure enough, it felt like any other small, pretty rock.

“See how my soul gem looks a little duller than last night?” Mami-san asked, holding out her soul gem. True to her words, it no longer had its bright glow.

“You can use the grief seed like so–” Mami-san brought her soul gem closer to the black stone she was calling a grief seed.

The two gems made some kind of resonant sound and glowed, and something transferred from the soul gem over to the grief seed.

“Woah…”

“See?” Mami-san smiled, holding up her soul gem that had regained its previous shine. “Now, all the magical energy I used has been restored. This is the reward I was talking about for defeating witches.”

But just as I was unsure whether Mami-san had finished explaining or had more to say, she suddenly chucked the grief seed towards a corner of the room.

There was no sound of it hitting a wall or the floor. Instead, someone stepped out of the darkness to catch it.

“Ah, you!!” Sayaka-chan’s scream matched my startled flinch.

Akemi Homura-chan had stepped out in her Mitakihara Junior High school uniform.

“You should be able to get another use out of it. Consider it my gift to you, Akemi Homura-san.”

Homura-chan listened silently, her sharp, clear eyes gazing at the grief seed.

“…Unless you don’t like sharing? Maybe you wanted it all for yourself?”

Homura-chan didn’t respond to Mami-san’s jab. After a moment, she threw the grief seed back, saying, “It was your prey. That makes it yours.”

“Uh-huh… so that’s how you wanna play.” Mami-san sighed, widening her legs in a preparatory stance.

Mami-san had clearly decided Homura-chan was an enemy… or at the very least, not an ally. My heart started squeezing painfully in my chest.

Homura-chan was unfazed by Mami-san’s reaction, instead taking the time to shoot an icy glare my way.

A heavy silence descended. A battle between magical girls seemed all but inevitable.

My heart began pounding so hard I expected it to leap out of my chest.

An immeasurable amount of time passed…

When out of nowhere, Homura-chan simply turned around and walked away. She silently disappeared, as if melting into the shadows.

I let out a sigh of relief, but Sayaka-chan growled, “What an annoying jerk!”

I stole a glance at Mami-san, who had slightly relaxed her posture. She exhaled, also looking somewhat relieved.

As I watched her expression, I couldn’t help but think, Why can’t every magical girl just get along…

And it was like Mami-san read my mind.

“If only the others saw it that way…” she mumbled sadly.

I laid in my bed that night, changed into my pajamas but feeling too restless to get to sleep. I gave up on falling asleep, heading over to sit down at my desk.

I took my notebook out of my school bag, flipping to the pages filled with magical girls that I had drawn during class.

After defeating the witch, Mami-san had gone over to take care of the unconscious woman.

“Where… am I? What’s…” Having been possessed by a witch, the woman was surprised to find herself outside an abandoned building surrounded by middle school girls.

But then, perhaps remembering her attempted suicide, she began panicking, digging her nails into Mami-san’s arm. “N-No, I… why would I… do that?! I don’t know… what’s–?!”

“It’s okay,” Mami-san reassured the woman, pulling her into a gentle embrace. “Everything is okay now. You were just having a bad dream.”

Her smile was so gentle, and powerfully reassuring…

The frightened woman buried her face into Mami-san’s chest and began to cry. Mami-san stroked her hair, like a mother comforting her child.

And as that scene came back to my mind… I could feel something inside me growing and flowering.

I slowly added color to the pictures of the smiling magical girls in my notebook.

They were the ideal versions of myself that I wanted to become.

Fearless in the face of any danger, kind and compassionate to all… a flawless magical girl that could smile even in front of a terrifying witch.

And that perfect magical girl I transformed into was made up of so many pieces that Mami-san had given me. I just knew that had to be true.

It was still a little hard to come up with the perfect wish that I would want to come true.

But there was something about the way Mami-san looked as she poured her heart into helping others. She was so wonderful, and warm, and amazing.

And I couldn’t help but think that if someone like me could become the type of person that could help other people like that…

It would make me really happy.