Chapter 3 – Whatever You Need

The room was filled with cackling laughter. This time, it was coming from a big, black, cat-like monster with a spiked head. It may have been my third time in a witch’s domain, but my legs were still trembling.

But even in a place like that, Mami-san’s voice shouted to the heavens.

“Tiro Finale!”

Dazzling light pierced through the darkness. The monster that had been wriggling about in the depths of darkness was torn to shreds.

“Y-You did it!”

“Awesome, Mami-san!”

As Sayaka-chan and I were shouting, the barrier to the witch’s domain lifted, returning our surroundings to that of the park we had initially entered.

“Mami-san is so cool!” Sayaka-chan shouted, jumping up and down.

“You realize I’m not putting on a show, right? Don’t forget that this is very dangerous work,” Mami scolded, looking slightly exasperated.

Sayaka-chan’s answer was an unfazed and excited, “Yes’m!” but I couldn’t really blame her. Watching Mami-san’s spectacular efforts always got my heart pounding and my face flushed.

But something stuck out in this fight.

“It didn’t drop a grief seed,” I mumbled.

“Well, that’s ‘cause it was only a familiar,” Kyuubey explained, pattering around under our feet. “It was previously a familiar named Dream before it split off from its witch. Naturally it has no grief seed.”

“…It wasn’t a witch?”

“Nothin’ but duds lately,” Sayaka-chan sighed, slinging her bat over her shoulder.

“Familiars shouldn’t be ignored. If they fester long enough, they’ll turn into the same witch they split off of,” Mami-san explained, smoothing her hair and looking most dignified. “Now then, it’s time to go.”

The three of us, or the four of us if you included Kyuubey, left the quiet park space and headed home.

As we walked, Mami-san asked us, “Have the two of you come up with your wishes yet?”

Sayaka-chan and I glanced at each other, but remained silent.

As Mami-san watched the two of us, she burst into a fit of giggles. “Well, I suppose it’s hard to come to a conclusion when it’s forced upon you like that.”

“…What did you wish for, Mami-san?”

Just like the first time, I asked without thinking, and once again I instantly regretted it. Mami-san’s face got the same gloomy look that I’d seen from Homura-chan.

“…Um, I… It’s not like I absolutely have to know or anything…” I mumbled.

“No, it’s okay. It’s not something I have to hide.” Mami-san immediately put on another smile. “I was on a car ride home with my family, and all I can remember is a car in the opposite lane flipping over and coming right at us. When I came to, the car was a completely mangled wreck.”

“…What?”

“The car was upside-down. My parents were bleeding, and they weren’t moving. I could smell gasoline and hear people screaming. My body was crushed under the car seat, and my hand was reaching out the broken window… when suddenly, Kyuubey appeared.”

I glanced down at Kyuubey, who was nonchalantly strolling underfoot.

“I didn’t have time to think it over.”

“…”

“…”

How could I have asked her that?

I felt so guilty for making her tell us all that. The path that Mami-san had walked, losing her entire family but still being forced to fight as a magical girl for everyone’s sake, was so burdensome. It felt like everything was going dark.

“But I don’t have any regrets. I think living like this is better than having died back there.” Mami-san smiled, like she was shaking something off. “But as long as you have a choice, I think it should only be made after careful consideration. Because that’s exactly what I never got.”

Sayaka-chan suddenly jumped in, “Hey, Mami-san. When you’re making a wish…”

“Mhm?”

“Does the wish… well, does it have to be for… yourself?”

I watched Sayaka-chan’s face in shock. She wasn’t making her typical, joking around face. She was entirely serious, looking directly at Mami-san.

“Maybe if… and this is just hypothetical, but… if there was someone who was a lot worse off than me, and I made a wish for them…”

“You mean Kamijou-kun?”

My question snapped Sayaka-chan out of whatever daze she was in, and she quickly waved her hands in front of her face. “N-No, like I said, it was just hypothetical!”

“That wouldn’t be a problem.” Kyuubey interjected. “There’s no reason that the one making the contract has to be the benefactor of the wish. In fact, there’s precedent for what you’re asking.

“But I don’t like the sound of that,” Mami-san quickly cut in. “If you’re going to wish for someone else, then you need to be all the more certain of what it is you want. Do you want his wish to come true? Or do you want to be the person that made his wish come true?”

Sayaka-chan fell silent.

“They sound the same, but they are very, very different.”

“…You didn’t have to be so mean about it.” Sayaka-chan bowed her head in frustration.

Mami-san placed a gentle hand on Sayaka-chan’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, but it’s better that I tell you now. If you charged ahead without consideration, then you would definitely regret it.”

And like always, I awkwardly sat on the sidelines, not having anything to contribute to the important conversation.

“…You’re right. I was being naive. Sorry,” Sayaka eventually mumbled, and Mami smiled sweetly.

“This is a difficult decision. You knew that. There’s no need to rush.”

“But if you ask me, the sooner you decide the better.”

“No can do,” Mami chided, gently thumping Kyuubey on the head for the joke. “Boys who try to rush a girl are just the worst.”

I smiled a bit at Mami’s little jab, but…

There was still a hint of something bitter lingering in Sayaka-chan’s eyes. It felt like her sadness was infecting me, and I held a hand to my chest.

Sayaka-chan wished for Kamijou-kun’s happiness.

That being the case, then…

What exactly was my wish?

◯

“Of course it can’t be easy…”

That night, after changing into my pajamas, I rolled around on top of my bed, mumbling to myself.

“My position does not allow me to rush her into a decision. It’s also against the rules for me to offer advice,” Kyuubey said, sounding slightly miffed as he waved his tail back and forth, sitting atop my desk.

“Isn’t just wanting to become one reason enough…?” I picked up my magical girl notebook, which I had laid beside myself on the bed. I tried imagining what it would be like to turn into a magical girl fighting for justice…

And the first image that floated before my closed eyes was Mami-san in her dazzling, transformed state.

She was so gallant, and so powerful, yet still so cute. The kind of person that could be loved, admired, and praised by all.

That notebook had everything that I had discovered about the person I wanted to become.

“Is it the power that interests you, Madoka?” Kyuubey asked out of nowhere, surprising me.

“No, it’s not that… Well, maybe kinda? I’ve always been kinda useless, and the idea that I could become a cool, perfect person like Mami-san is… all I’ve ever wanted.”

My answer was rambling at best, but Kyuubey watched me coolly. “If you became a magical girl, you’d be leagues more powerful than Mami-san.”

“…What?”

“Well, it would of course depend on the kind of wish you contracted… but I can’t even begin to estimate the magnitude of soul gem you’d be capable of creating. Never before have I met someone with such great potential.”

“Haha… as if. I know you’re lying.”

Kyuubey’s round, red eyes just continued to stare into me… I started laughing to try and cover up how I really felt.

Just then, a loud knock sounded on my door.

“You awake, Madoka?”

I heard Daddy’s voice on the other side.

“Yeah, what is it?”

“Mommy’s home, and… I’m gonna need your help for a moment.”

I threw on my cardigan and dashed out of my room. As soon as I got on the stairs, I figured out what was up.

“Wa-Water…”

“Oh, geez… Not this again.”

It was something that happened every now and then. Mommy was sprawled out on the entryway, drunk as a skunk.

Daddy got some water from the kitchen, and she gulped it down in a flash.

“Let’s get her put in bed and changed. You take this side.”

“R-Right!” I grabbed her left and Daddy grabbed her right, and we hoisted Mommy to her feet.

“…Guh… That baldy… If he wants to go drinking so bad, he should pour his own glasses…” Mommy kept going on about someone or another, her breath absolutely reeking of alcohol.

Daddy and I managed to get her changed and put into bed one way or another.

“Thanks. I’ll make some hot cocoa.” Daddy smiled, and I followed him into the kitchen.

“Why does Mommy like her job so much? It… wasn’t actually her dream to work there, right?” I asked as I sat down.

“It’s not that Mommy likes her job so much as she likes a challenge,” Daddy answered, pouring cocoa powder into boiling milk. “She has bad days, but for her, the best part of life is the satisfaction of overcoming. So no matter how challenging work is for her, she lives for that thrill.”

A question came to mind as I smelled the cocoa Daddy offered to me. “But I wonder if that’s… really enough for her.”

“Well, corporate life definitely wasn’t her dream,” Daddy said, smiling as he sat down with his own cup of cocoa. “But regardless, she’s living it out exactly the way she wants to. There’s more than one way to make a dream come true.”

“…So even a way of life can be a dream?” That was a tough one… I rolled it around in my head for a while, but I couldn’t really figure it out. I turned back to Daddy after a while. “Um, Daddy… could I ask another question?”

“What’s that?”

“Did you… Do you only stay home because Mommy wants to go work? Do you have to put up with us because…”

Daddy’s eyes widened. He looked surprised. “You think Mommy’s making me have to stay home?”

I nodded, and Daddy smiled, putting his big, warm hand on my head. “Your Daddy really loves Mommy for doing what she does. I respect her and am very proud of the work she does. It’s thanks to her that I have time to watch Tatsuya grow up and have conversations with you.”

I could feel the corners of my eyes starting to heat up. I tried to hide it by immediately chugging some of my cocoa, almost burning my tongue.

◯

It was a thought that had plagued me ever since Tatsuya was born.

Mommy was really good at her work, and someone had to be home for us. If it wasn’t for us, then maybe Daddy wouldn’t have had to quit his work and stay home all the time.

For so long, I thought he was sacrificing what he wanted for Tatsuya, Mommy, and I, and something in my heart told me that would be wrong. I was ready to tell Daddy that I could take care of Tatsuya so that he could go work outside the house, too.

But that wasn’t what Daddy told me he wanted.

“Mommy’s always been better at keeping a job than me. Besides, it turned out that I was better at engaging with you kids than Mommy was.” Daddy confirmed that was why he and Mommy switched roles with a smile.

Daddy’s smile was warm, a lot like Mami-san’s, but it felt different. The place that it warmed up felt deeper inside me, somehow.

“Now, this is a secret…” Daddy added in a hushed whisper. “But I’m happy that I get more time with my two favorite kiddos than Mommy does.”

When he said that…

I just knew that I would treasure it in my heart forever as a constant source of encouragement.

“You look happy, Madoka,” Kyuubey said suddenly, and I looked up in surprise.

“R-Really?”

“Very happy. Did something good happen?” Kyuubey flapped his long ears, looking puzzled.

I remembered where I was all of a sudden, and I quickly pulled myself together. I was at Mitakihara Municipal Hospital, and Kyuubey was next to me, but I would’ve been talking to nothing from anyone else’s perspective.

To top it all off–

“Hey, sorry to leave you waiting.”

Sayaka-chan was back so soon that I took a glance at my watch. She had only left for Kamijou-kun’s hospital room five minutes ago.

“…What’s up? Kamijou-kun didn’t want to see you?”

“Sorry, after dragging you all the way here… Guess today was a bad day. Kinda rude after I came all the way over here to see him,” Sayaka-chan mumbled, looking very unhappy with the situation as she started walking off.

I hurried to grab my bag and get behind her, Kyuubey following in the back.

“Well… Remember that CD I bought the other day when we went to the mall? I gave it to Kyousuke yesterday, and… he was really happy about it.” Sayaka-chan became really talkative as we left the hospital. “I guess it was something you can’t buy online, not that I knew, so he was really excited about it. We listened to it together. And well, y’know, we can’t just make a bunch of noise in the hospital, so we split earbuds.”

Sayaka-chan sounded rather embarrassed, yet very happy. I just clasped my hands behind my back, holding my bag and listening to her raptly.

“I don’t really know the difference between any violin playing styles, I was just happy that Kyousuke wanted to be so close to me and tell me about it. I just closed my eyes and did my best to listen to the violin, trying to hear what he was talking about.”

Listening to music with the boy I liked, our heads practically touching… just imagining a scenario like that made me jealous.

But quite a while passed, and Sayaka-chan wasn’t saying anything. When I looked up, I saw that her face had turned so sad.

“Sayaka-chan…”

“It took a while before I realized that he was crying. He was gritting his teeth and not letting any noise come out… I had my eyes closed, and he was turning his face away so that I wouldn’t notice.” Sayaka-chan looked up at the sky, as if pleading. “I don’t have any talent or dreams… Why did it have to be Kyousuke instead of me? It would have been better if I were the one in an accident…”

“D-Don’t say that!” My voice came out louder than I expected. “It’s not good that Kamijou-kun got in an accident, but it wouldn’t be better if it had been you!”

“I know, it’s just… there’s nothing I can do for Kyousuke, and it makes me so mad, and…”

Sayaka-chan was so upset, but I didn’t know what to say. As I gently looked away from her…

I spotted something dark and distorted in the distance.

“…What’s wrong?” Sayaka-chan asked, seeing the look on my face, but I headed towards the hospital bicycle rack without saying a word.

The closer I got, the harder it became to breathe… and suddenly, I recognized the feeling.

“Over there… It’s…” I stuttered, pointing towards the thing clinging to the shadows of the storage shed beside the bike rack.

“A grief seed… and it’s about to hatch!” Kyuubey cried out at our feet.

“No… why is it here…” Sayaka-chan mumbled feebly.

I grabbed her shaking hand. “…C’mon! We have to get out of here now!”

Kyuubey tugged on my leg. “The magic is already working in this area. It won’t be long before the witch’s domain forms.”

“It’ll make another maze…”

Screeching howls echoing from the void.

A broken world, like the manifestation of a nightmare.

I could already feel it near the grief seed, and no doubt it would spread even further before long.

“Madoka, you go ahead.”

I looked up in surprise.

“Go find Mami-san. I’ll keep an eye on it.” Sayaka-chan grabbed my shoulders, completely serious.

“You can’t, Sayaka!” Kyuubey shouted. “There’s still time before the witch hatches, but once it establishes its domain, you won’t be able to leave! If Mami-san didn’t get to you in time…”

I nodded tearfully, trying to get Sayaka-chan to agree, but she shook her head. “But once the maze is established, we won’t know where the witch is, right? And you remember what Mami-san said. Hospitals are the worst place for a witch to be.”

“…Oh.”

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.

I remembered Mami-san saying something like that previously.

“We can’t just leave this thing here. Kyousuke’s in there.”

Kyuubey hopped onto Sayaka-chan’s shoulder. “You go ahead, Madoka. I’ll stay here with Sayaka.”

“But, Kyuubey…”

“Mami will be able to locate me telepathically. I’ll watch over the grief seed with Sayaka and make sure we can give Mami the fastest route there once she arrives.”

Kyuubey’s face always looked like he didn’t have a care in the world, but at that moment he seemed incredibly reliable, so I decided to believe him, nodding vigorously. “…I’ll go find Mami-san!” I shouted, dashing off.

I clutched my school bag to my chest and quickly pumped my legs. But the second I passed the hospital gates–

I felt something horrible rising up behind my back.

I whipped my head around, and black mist was swirling from the grief seed, quickly swallowing Sayaka-chan and Kyuubey.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I turned forwards and dashed ahead.

◯

Don’t cry. You can’t cry, Madoka.

But no matter how hard I tried to hold back from crying, cowardly tears were still pouring out of my eyes.

As if Sayaka-chan wasn’t scared.

I had only ever known Sayaka-chan to be headstrong, but her legs were shaking. Even so, she stayed behind. Because the one she cared for so much was at that hospital. Kamijou-kun.

It was up to me to find Mami-san as fast as possible. Every second counted. She had to defeat that witch.

I ran towards Mami-san’s apartment, that single thought dominating my mind.

I finally arrived at her apartment’s entrance, tripping over myself and almost slamming into another resident. After apologizing, I waited for the elevator, but it took too long, so I started sprinting up the stairs.

After finally getting to the fifth floor, I rang Mami-san’s doorbell, shouting, “Mami-san! Mami-san! You have to help! It’s Sayaka-chan!”

The door opened immediately. Mami-san must have figured everything out from the look on my face, because all she said was, “Let’s hurry.” As soon as she stepped out in the hallway, her body was engulfed in light flowing from her soul gem. Once she transformed into her magical girl form, she placed her hands on my sides.

“…Huh?”

Before I realized what was happening, Mami-san had picked me up and hoisted me over the railing of her apartment complex. She put her foot on the railing and jumped, taking me with her as she leapt all the way from the fifth floor of the building.

“…Ma-Mami-san!”

A strong wind suddenly blew, fluttering through my skirt, and all of a sudden gravity was no longer pulling me down. Some kind of light coming from Mami-san’s body was levitating me.

I held onto Mami-san’s body with all my might as the town of Mitakihara flew by underneath us at a blazing speed.

As the hospital building came into view, Mami-san put a hand on the back of my neck.

Suddenly, I could hear voices in my head.

[ …Are you scared, Sayaka? ]

[ …Well… yeah, of course. ]

It was Kyuubey and Sayaka-chan.

“Don’t worry, they’re both safe.”

I felt my body go limp with relief.

[ If you made a wish, I could turn you into a magical girl right here, right now. ]

[ …Well, if that’s what it comes down to… ] Sayaka-chan replied in a trembling voice. I could feel the anxiety emanating from their exchange. I found myself gripping Mami-san tighter.

“It’s okay,” Mami-san assured, giving me a gentle smile.

All it took was her smile… and I felt calm again. Mami-san’s bright hair fluttering in the wind combined with her stern, dignified face gave me a surge of confidence.

It’s incredible…

To think that one person could give me so much courage.

[ What’s the situation, Kyuubey? ] Mami-san held me in her arms, gliding through the sky while telepathically speaking with Kyuubey.

[ Is that you, Mami? Thank goodness! We’re still okay over here. The seed doesn’t look like it’ll hatch any time soon! ] Kyuubey’s voice echoed in my head.

[ Are you okay, Sayaka-chan?! ]

[ Ah, I’m fine, I’m fine. I was about to fall asleep, it’s so boring in here. ]

Sayaka-chan’s ever-confident tone had returned. I started crying again.

[ Things are okay right now. There’s no need to rush, so try to get here quietly, okay? ]

Mami-san nodded once, sharply. [ I want to go off on you two about being reckless… But this was a clever plan. Now we don’t have to worry about the witch escaping. ]

The moment Mami-san offered us praise, I could feel Sayaka-chan’s happiness without her saying anything. Mostly because I felt the exact same way.

So, I…

I figured now was the time to tell her.

“Um, Mami-san…”

“…Hm?”

“Um, I…”

I felt Mami-san’s body stiffen as we landed on the roof of a building right beside the hospital.

It would have been okay to let go of Mami-san, but I clung to her arm tighter than ever as I followed her gaze. My mouth opened on its own.

“Ho…Homura-chan?”

Somehow, Akemi Homura-chan was already there, dressed in her black and white magical girl outfit. She was on the roof of the neighboring building, her arms crossed and her eyes shooting a frosty glare.

“I remember telling you to never cross paths with me again,” Mami-san said.

“This will be my prey. You stay out of it,” Homura-chan curtly replied.

“No can do. I have to go get Miki-san and Kyuubey.”

“I can guarantee their safety.”

“And I’m just supposed to trust you?” Mami-san smiled.

I saw Homura-chan’s face tense up, and she thrust an accusatory finger at Mami-san. “Don’t you understand that you’re putting innocent civilians in danger?”

“Kyuubey has chosen them. They’re no longer civilians.”

“You’re leading them on to become magical girls.”

“And what, that’s no fun for you?”

“Yes, it is… particularly annoying,” Homura-chan said, fixing her gaze on me.

My heart started pounding under her strong, frigid gaze.

“Kaname Madoka.”

“Hm. So you’ve noticed it, too. Her potential.”

…Huh? …Potential? Me?

Homura-chan’s gaze sharpened as she looked away from my shocked reaction. “I cannot allow her to make a contract.”

Mami-san sighed softly. “So what, anyone stronger than you is inherently a threat? Someone loves playing the victim card.”

It was strange to hear Mami-san say something so biting.

Homura-chan used Mami-san’s retort as a signal, her body moving slightly. She might have been preparing to do something.

But Mami-san was faster. “I don’t want to fight you,” she remarked as countless ribbons of light instantly shot from her hand, wrapping around Homura-chan like a cocoon.

Homura-chan began thrashing around. She looked like she was in pain. “You idiot… This isn’t the time to–”

“I’m not trying to hurt you, but I can’t make any promises if you keep struggling like that,” Mami-san said coldly.

“This witch isn’t like the other ones!” Homura-chan cried out, still struggling.

“Be a good girl, and I’ll let you down when I get back, mmkay? C’mon, Kaname-san.” Mami-san picked me up and flew off, leaving Homura-chan behind.

“Wait… gh!”

We glided towards the hospital, Homura-chan’s pained cries playing out behind us.

I wonder if she’ll be okay…

I was concerned, but it was more important that we go help Sayaka-chan.

And although I knew it was probably deserved… I couldn’t stop thinking about the harsh way that Mami-san looked at Homura-chan.

We flew in silence for a while.

“Sorry,” Mami-san quietly interjected. “Sometimes I lose my cool like that.”

“…”

“I’m… not the perfect person that you think I am. That’s who I become the moment someone acts hostile towards me.”

The look on Mami-san’s face as she talked was… completely different from anything I’d ever seen on her before.

“I have to force myself to act cool, because… it doesn’t matter how scared or hurt I am. There’s nobody to tell, so I just cry all alone…

She wasn’t the Mami-san that I had seen for the last few days, kind, reliable, and gallant. She was just an ordinary girl. A person that could get angry and lash out. A third-year middle schooler who had been thrust into the position of magical girl, who had to labor away every single day to fulfill the responsibilities that came with it.

“Being a magical girl… isn’t a good thing. I’m sorry.” Mami-san’s voice trickled down to a quiet mumble as she apologized again.

I forcefully shook my head. “Mami-san, I… I spent a lot of time thinking about my wish.”

“…Huh?”

“But, um, I’m mainly worried that you’ll get upset and think I’m being naive when I tell you…” I very carefully tried to give a voice to the idea that had taken shape in my mind over the last few days, making sure not to leave anything out.

“I’ve never had a favorite subject at school, or a special skill that I could be proud of. I figured I’d spend the rest of my life getting in everyone’s way, never being needed… and I hated it. But then… I met you. You showed me what it was like to fight for others. And you told me… that I could do it, too. Nothing’s ever made me happier.”

I took a deep breath, forcing the rest out quickly. “So if I could become a magical girl, my wish would already be granted. The idea that someone like me could be useful to others, and do something worth being proud of… That’s my greatest dream.”

With every sentence, Mami-san’s eyes got wider and wider. “But… it’ll be tough, you know that, right? You’re going to get hurt, and you won’t have time for falling in love or playing with friends.”

“But you already deal with that, and you still keep going, Mami-san. I want to be like that.”

“Nobody should want to be like me.” A shadow passed over Mami-san’s face.

I emphatically shook my head. “But you’re not alone any more, Mami-san.”

Mami-san suddenly turned away. When she spoke, her voice cracked and trembled. “But I… I’m supposed to act like a proper senpai… I really am hopeless.”

“Mami-san–”

“Will you really… really fight with me? You’ll stay with me?” Mami-san turned back to me, her large eyes brimming with tears.

Seeing her face almost made me start crying my own cowardly tears again… but I held them back, nodding. “Yes. Whatever you need.”

Mami-san’s face creased as she wiped away her tears. She smiled shyly. “Still… since this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, you should think about what you want.”

“Once-in-a-lifetime… I guess you‘re right.”

“It’s still a contract, but you can just consider what you want as a sign-on bonus. Like becoming a billionaire, or the perfect boyfriend or something.”

I couldn’t help but smile along with her joke.

“Alright, how about this: If you can’t think of a wish by the time I defeat this witch, why not ask Kyuubey for an extra-special cake?”

“C-Cake?”

“Yep, the biggest, most extravagant celebratory cake of all time! We’ll throw a huge party to commemorate the formation of our magical girl duo!”

“Y-You want me to become a magical girl for cake?”

“Well, if you don’t like that, then you ought to come up with something better!”

She gave me a little smack on the butt, and as I yelped in surprise, I started worrying all over again.

[ Mami! The grief seed is moving! It’s gonna hatch soon… get over here! ] Kyuubey yelled in my head.

Mami-san nodded. “Let’s go, Kaname-san!”

And the dignified, cool, reliable Mami-san I knew was already back.

◯

“No lollygagging today!”

As we arrived in front of the hospital, Mami-san held out her soul gem, and the entrance to the witch’s domain blinked into existence. Then, everything around us melted and distorted, changing form.

We ended up in what looked like a hospital hallway, with some very subtle and intricate renovations. Medicine bottles of all colors and sizes floated around. We passed by a shadow that looked like a woman with her legs crossed, and boxes of all kinds of sweets flew about.

The polka-dot floor might have looked cute under other circumstances, but it was hard to see it as anything other than ominous.

Suddenly, I figured it out. The entirety of the witch’s domain was a gigantic layer cake.

Chocolate, raisins, cookies, whipped cream, and donuts adorned the halls, and familiars with wispy little tails zig-zagged around, adding more decorations. They looked so terrifying that it was all I could do to keep my body from shivering in fear.

Mami-san suddenly blocked me off with a wall of ribbons, and silver muskets appeared in each hand as a flood of light erupted from her body. She dashed forward, mowing down familiars one after the other.

“Ma-Mai-san, wait up!”

[ My body– ]

“…Huh?”

[ My body feels so light. ]

It was Mami-san’s inner voice.

[ I’ve never felt so happy before. ]

All of her overflowing emotions poured themselves directly into my head via telepathy. Her voice was filled with so much joy that I couldn’t help but get excited in turn.

Mami’s gunplay was more spectacular than ever before. She took down countless familiars with speed and power that far outstripped her normal output.

[ I’m not afraid of anything anymore. ]

“…”

[ Because I’m not alone. ]

“Mami-san…”

Mami-san moved without hesitation, and her actions were so precise and refined that it was almost scary. Countless magical silver muskets lined up protectively in front of her body and fired, only to instantly vanish and be replaced by new ones.

Whenever we entered a witch’s domain, there was always a part of me that was worried if I’d make it out alive. But the thought never even entered my mind as I watched Mami’s overwhelming magical display. I simply followed her from behind, feeling completely at ease.

“Sorry to keep you waiting!”

We finally reached the very center of the domain. It was a huge space filled to the brim with all kinds of sweets and candies, a singular grief seed preparing to hatch, and Sayaka-chan and Kuubey standing watch nearby.

“Sayaka-chan!” I shouted, and she smiled at me.

“Well, you made it!”

We grabbed each other’s hands joyfully, but Kyuubey shouted, “Be careful, it’s coming out!”

As soon as his warning rang out, I saw that a long-legged chair and table had appeared in the center of the space we were in, seating a cute little stuffed toy.

“She governs the nature of obsession. She’s a powerful witch who controls all the candies that she loved in her previous life. Be careful!”

But Mami-san hardly reacted. “Sorry for how sudden this is, but I’ll be finishing you off immediately!”

Mami-san held a magical musket by its muzzle, whacking the chair legs with the stock. When the stuffed toy fell down to her level, she swung a smash hit as if she were playing baseball. The guns that surrounded her immediately fired at its retreating figure.

The guns fired so fast that the stuffed toy was incapable of any counterattack, and it collapsed limply at Mami-san’s feet.

“This is the end for you.” Brilliant light gathered in Mami-san’s hand, transforming her silver musket into a massive cannon.

“Tiro Finale!”

Her voice was followed by an ear-splitting explosion that reverberated throughout the entire domain.

The stuffed toy was wrapped in countless ribbons that ejected from Mami-san’s cannon, all of them twisting and tightening until they snapped off its neck.

“Yes!” Sayaka-chan and I jumped up, hand-in-hand.

Wow. You’re so amazing, Mami-san.

I found myself reveling in the brilliance of the girl that I so greatly admired once again– Until I noticed something small and squiggly shoot out of the stuffed toy’s mouth.

“…Huh?”

The other shape suddenly thrust itself out of the stuffed toy. Its form stretched and squashed in strange ways, becoming much, much larger.

In an instant, it formed a gigantic mouth.

“…Wha–”

By the time Mami noticed anything, it had become a monster that was almost nothing except a large mouth.

The upper and lower jaws closed with an intense bang.

Sayaka-chan and I stood back watching, not sure what was even going on.

Until a body wearing a familiar yellow outfit fell down to the ground.

But everything from Mami-san’s neck and up–

The neck up was, was…

…Gone.

Being a magical girl… isn’t a good thing.

Will you really… really fight with me? You’ll stay with me?

I heard all of the things Mami-san had just said to me echo inside my mind.

I’ve never felt so happy before. I’m not afraid of anything anymore.

Because I’m not alone.

I was probably supposed to scream, but nothing came out. I just stood in place, hugging Sayaka-chan, feeling like my body and mind had frozen in time.

“Both of you, make a contract with me right now!” Even Kyuubey’s constantly carefree voice was sounding panicked. “Come up with a wish! Do it!”

I heard what he was saying, but none of it made any sense. All I could do was soak in the sight of the massive mouth in front of me chomping into the body wearing a familiar yellow outfit. A dark red liquid was flowing across the floor, slithering all the way to our feet, but I still couldn’t accept that it was real.

Suddenly, the huge mouth turned our way, mumbling something unintelligible.

“Madoka! Sayaka!” Kyuubey’s voice thundered.

“That will not be necessary,” A familiar voice rang out.

A figure wearing a black and white costume suddenly descended down in front of us.

“I will be the one to defeat it.”

It was Akemi Homura-chan, the girl who was supposed to be wrapped up in Mami-san’s magical ribbons.

Homura-chan raised up her hand in front of the shield attached to her left arm, and the big-mouthed monster that had hunted down Mami-san immediately leapt towards her.

I instinctively turned away, but…

Somehow, Homura-chan had ended up behind the big-mouthed witch. She raised her right hand, and something inside the big-mouthed witch exploded. It wasn’t making any sense, but it happened over and over again. The big-mouthed witch would lunge to eat Homura-chan, Homura-chan would disappear, and a part of the witch’s body would explode. No matter how the witch tried to attack, Homura-chan would disappear and reappear in strange places, mysteriously causing more destruction.

There was a moment where big-mouthed witch must have decided it was no match for Homura-chan, but as it whipped its body around to try and leave–

“I won’t let you escape.”

Homura-chan appeared right in front of its head and snapped her fingers, and a series of explosions rocked the witch’s body back and forth.

As the witch let out an incredible roar, its body was torn apart and scattered. The barrier surrounding the witch’s domain slowly dissipated like morning fog.

Sayaka-chan and I stood frozen in place.

“You only escaped death by the skin of your teeth.”

Homura-chan’s words felt conclusive, somehow. But what had concluded?

The shreds of yellow clothing that fluttered down in front of me answered that question. It had been dancing so gallantly moments ago, but now it scattered like nothing more than dust in the wind, leaving us forever.

“Burn this moment into your eyes. This is what it truly means to become a magical girl.”

We were back at the bicycle racks outside of the hospital. Car horns honked distantly, and the hubbub of crowds had returned.

But it didn’t feel like we’d returned to the same world that we had left…

All I could do was stare at the spot where the yellow costume had once been.

“…Give it back.” As Homura-chan picked up a grief seed from the ground, Sayaka-chan lunged at her with a tearful cry. “Give that back! That– That belongs to Mami-san!”

Homura-chan easily dodged Sayaka-chan’s leap with a light sidestep. “Correct. This is something for magical girls.” Homura-chan’s icy gaze pierced through us. “Which means that you two have no right to touch it.”

After a long glare from her frigid, icy eyes, Homura-chan turned on her heel and silently walked away.

After that, it was just Sayaka-chan, Kyuubey and I…

And whatever might have remained from that gentle warmth that once surrounded us so powerfully… Whatever might have been left of that wonderfully kind smile…

Looking back… We really didn’t understand anything back then.

About what it meant to wish for a miracle, and the cost that it might incur…