The sun sank over Hibusa Town. The vibrant rays of a warm afternoon gave way to the long shadows of evening. The quiet, sleepy sounds of a day unwinding overtook the usually idyllic, almost backwoods buzz that hung over the town. From the upper reaches of the mountains where shrines and temples lay, to the close-knit roads and homes that led to the bigger city next to the ocean, all of Hibusa Town was blanketed in darkness. The wind picked up.

It was autumn or some other late-year season; some time where the world was colder and the colors of youth and summer and sun bled away into more moderate vibes. The streets were empty, most homes closed up for the approached evening. Not many walked the town’s roads in such an hour but one did, a girl. She casually scaled up a great slope and weaved through backways and passages, in between buildings until house and city blurred and mixed.

And so the girl strolled with confidence in her step and her coat pulled up just a bit higher, a little tighter, to combat the night’s chill. In each pace did she count a shadow and with each corner rounded she felt some tug on her chest. Before she knew it, she was in a maze of houses and city buildings, the deep heart of Hibusa Town. Only then did the shadows erupt from their surface, gangled and strange forms taking shape in great masses. The Miseria.

A great number of them spawned this night and perhaps with good reason. As the year drew to a close, so too were deadlines coming. Bills that needed to be paid. Waning donations to the shrines. The loss of loved ones and other such worries; such were the fuel and cause of the Miseria, creatures who festered in them. It only made sense such a dark night would see a number of them. And darker still as something else lay in the shadows.

The Miseria crawled and festered like roaches, clambering in dark patches. But the girl paid them no need, simply leaping up to a stray lamppost and settling herself atop like a seated languish cat with a strength betraying her frail form. “What are you all waiting for? Go on and feast,” said Rei Ishiko.

Darkness descended on darkness, the glint of weapons and the hunger of souls radiating in Hibusa Town’s night life. Magic lay heavy in the air as the Detention Club revealed themselves. These were their hunting grounds and would remain so forevermore. Soon the Miseria found their dormancy disturbed by their sworn enemies, lashing out and attacking to avoid their fates. Rei only watched, the Detention Club leader happy to simply enjoy the sights. Something else was in the air and she knew her club knew it too. Something brighter in the night, something to spurn a sneer on Rei’s features.

“We have new blood tonight. Why don’t you all give them a local welcome,” Rei said. That was the cue for the newest among their rank to reveal themselves at last, the Neon Tempest of the Ultraviolet Rainbow. But she also referred to those foolish enough to intrude their hunt. And those who laid way into the hunt often became prey themselves.

It would be a long night.

Nonsuch was the sort of person to double-dip.

When she ate French fries, the fries were just a delivery mechanism for the ketchup. When she ate cookies, the cookies were tastier on the second soaking of milk. When she ate nachos, it only made sense to get both ends of the tortilla chip ladened with salsa, once all was said and done. Of course, she wasn’t a psychopath. Sushi avoided her two-dip clause.

Miseria and humanity did not.

High on the overpass, the paragon watched, a brash wind toying with her golden locks. Shadows writhed and rose, bubbling from the depths of an evil bog, bursting out. They seeped deep into the consciousness of those salarymen driving home after another late night spent overworking and then overdrinking. A miracle, indeed, that even to this day, people would drive home buzzed, on the precipice of collapse. She hefted her hammer, awaiting the telltale swell, the gradual sway. What must it feel like, to be so thoroughly consumed by a monster, when one was already consumed by society itself? What must it feel like, to be suddenly plunged into the depths of despair, plummeting into a pit that offered only self-termination? What must it be like then, to see a singular ray of light shining through, saving you from that brink?

The Miseria swelled, gorging itself upon the balding man’s regrets and ineptitudes, his day of humiliations and disappointment providing ample fuel. It ballooned out of proportion, shadows stretching further and further, before…

Pop!

A hammer smashed through its corpulent form and buried itself in the car’s hood. Thoroughly crushed, the engine didn’t even let out a whimper before the car grinded to a stop, any errant flames smothered by the sheer invisible mass of a Sweet Arm.

And, as for the man inside?

His airbags were deployed upon that freak accident, his nose broken against those inflatable bags. No mercy for the drunk drivers, after all! And, on the topic of double-dipping…

“Hello, this the police? I’d like to report a traffic accident west of 182.”

…she ended the call before the dispatcher could ask any more questions. Dropped the burner phone, allowing the truck underneath to crush it flat.

Now, drained of all happiness, having lost their own car, about to face a drunk driving charge, and likely going to enjoy their tenure in the hospital, with all the fees that their insurance wouldn’t cover, where would that man go? Nonsuch let out a cheery whistle, her tune mixing with the roar of traffic, the distance hymn of sirens.

They would go, seeking the help of a hero.

And she would be waiting, offering them the chance to reclaim their ideal.

Rei was cool. Being out with the droves of miseria was cool. Climbing to a perch and watching things unfold was cool. Not being transformed while surrounded by danger was cool. Giving orders with a slightly condescending attitude was cool. Not helping was cool. Calling people new blood was cool. Rei was cool.

Things that were cool were seldom smart.

Hibusa Town may have been a play pen for dark magical girls, but that didn’t mean danger didn’t lurk at every corner. Miseria were dangerous to humans. Street Lamps offered inferior footing when compared to the rooftops, which you didn’t need to be a parkour artist to reach. Just about everything Rei had done tonight would have baffled a real tactician.

But Rei wasn’t commanding people with sound minds. The people under her hand were misfits and delinquents. The lost, the corrupt, and the depraved heeded her orders. Her actions wouldn’t be perceived as foolish. She was a powerful leader, and she could be this reckless because that was just how strong she was. Some even found this bold behavior to be sexy.

The shadows under Rei surged forth, but one wrapped its tendrils around her lamp post. Red ribbons of blood hoisted a porcelain girl out of the darkness and into the sky. Her crimson eyes were just a few inches away from Rei’s. Silver hair came to rest on her blood stained dress. Sanguine red covered her outstretched arms, and formed claws on the tips of her fingers. Her lanky body swayed like a puppet attached to its strings. Rei would not have to wait long to hear her speak.

"Boss Baby!”

Obstructing your leader’s view was dumb. Chatting while a fight was going on was dumb. Being bubbly in a situation like this was dumb. Being oblivious to your surroundings was dumb, wasting people’s time was dumb.

Suki wasn’t always dumb, but she was never cool either.

"Are you cold?” She ran one of her red fingers down the edge of her dress. "I wish my costume came with a jacket. A silk dress over a leotard doesn’t scream comfort on a cold night. Heh!” Suki rambled while eyeing Rei’s clothes. "But at least we can make you more comfortable!” She pulled Rei’s hood up. "Oh yea! You’re looking as snug as a bug in a rug now! But those leggings can’t be too cozy, can they?”

There was no request for permission. Suki’s blood stained hands caressed Rei’s thighs. A grid spread across her face as she pressed her fingers against Rei’s clothes. Undoubtedly, her cursed touch felt pleasant. But Suki pulled back her hands after just a few strokes. She couldn’t turn off her magic, and it was bad form to put a curse on your boss. Without their consent at least.

"Yup! you’re leaking heat out of those pants!” Suki folded her hands behind her back. "I could warm up with a meal, but what if I’m not hungry for monsters today?” She leaned in closer. Rei could feel Suki’s breath on her ear when she whispered. "What I’m really craving will keep us both warm.”

Suki pulled her head back and puckered her lips. But she kept her eyes open. Her pupils bounced up and down in her head, as if gesturing for Rei to close the distance. Or maybe she was simply pursing her lips while waiting for Rei to respond. There was even the possibility that Suki was hoping for a kiss but didn’t want to over commit to it in case Rei didn’t approve of the behavior. No one could say for sure.

From where she stood atop a nearby building, a single high-heeled boot placed on the edge of its roof, Nyxia Torrentia, Neon Tempest of the Ultraviolet Rainbow observed the Miseria gathering in the streets below with a hungry smile. They were not the only ones down there, of course, and as she watched the myriad members of the Hibusa High Detention Club take up their positions, she eagerly licked her lips.

That’s right, you pathetic dipshits… Nyxia sneered mentally. Lure them out for me…

Also present was the club’s curiously untransformed leader, Rei Ishiko. In fact, now that Nyxia thought about it, Rei hadn’t been transformed the night she’d approached her with an invitation to join the Detention Club, either. Then again, the whole experience had been pretty surreal, the compassionate funeral home director who had personally handled arrangements for her brother’s burial just approaching her transformed self out of nowhere, telling her that she knew who she really was, and saying how wonderful it would be if Nyxia joined the little club she had created.

At first, The Neon Tempest had planned to refuse the somewhat suspicious request. After all, she enjoyed working alone, and took a dim view of being confined by the club’s various restrictions, to say nothing of the prospect of potential competitors getting in her way. But Rei had been quite insistent, promising that her identity would be kept secret, and that joining the club would grant her the opportunity to kill greater numbers of Miseria than ever before, which was, after all, her primary reason for being a Kurai Majokko in the first place. Plus, working together as part of a team would mitigate any deficiencies any of the individual members might possess. And speaking of her new club mates, the idea of stealing kills from them was a very appealing one indeed…

Thus, Nyxia found herself here, about to make her debut as the newest member of the Detention Club. She gave off quite the menacing and imperious appearance as the night breeze blew through her aquamarine hair, its chill going completely unnoticed by the Neon Tempest, despite her rather skimpy attire. Still, it was Rei who was obviously in charge here, and no sooner had the untransformed girl alighted upon a lamp post in an admittedly impressive display of agility, then she began giving orders. Clearly the girl was something of a control freak, that much had been apparent from their first meeting, but Nyxia was more amused than bothered by it. Besides, even if she had agreed to join Rei’s motley collection of sycophants, it didn’t mean she had also agreed to play by their rules…

“I was just giving your little toadies time to serve as bait,” Nyxia replied with a smirk when her “leader” asked why she was holding back. “But my precious baby is getting rather hungry,” she added, while gently caressing her massive energy cannon. “So I guess we can TAKE A BITE!!! HAHAHAHAHAAA!!!”

Even as her psychotic laughter rang out, her monstrous weapon charged with power, crackling arcs of neon lightning dancing around its glowing barrels. After waiting a few seconds for The Omega Obliterator’s charge to reach its maximum level, Nyxia squeezed the trigger, sending several ruinous beams of incandescent annihilation lancing down upon the unsuspecting Miseria below.

“THAT’S IT BABY!!! SHOW MOMMY ALL THE BEAUTIFUL CARNAGE YOU CAN MAKE!!!” The Neon Tempest cried in euphoric glee as the five beams converged into a single crackling cylinder of barely-contained devastation. “SHOW THESE WEAK-ASS COCKSUCKERS WHAT REAL POWER LOOKS LIKE!!! HAHAHAHAHAA!!!”

As it continued to be vomited forth in a surging torrent, the malevolent cylinder began to curve and twist in an effort to voraciously seek out as many victims as possible, sometimes even looping back on itself, multiplying its destructive energies exponentially in the process. Anything unfortunate enough to be touched by the baleful beam would soon find itself violently rent asunder, with even the slightest glance causing a victim’s body to begin bubbling furiously, until it messily burst apart like a boil being punctured by a sharp nail.

“OH FUCK YES!!!” Nyxia exulted, her eyes gleaming with deranged delight. “I FUCKING LOVE WATCHING THEM POP!!! HAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!”

Indeed, The Neon Tempest was so caught up in all the excitement that she didn’t even notice Rei being hit on by a blood-covered weirdo, but even if she had, she probably wouldn’t have given a shit.

---

At Rei's insistence, the faint sounds of a motorcycle could be heard in the distance. Among the oldest of the current members of the Detention Club, Evil Eye had a penchant for being somehow omnipresent, yet also fashionably late. Kiyo was a mellow and thoughtful girl, who could not be compelled to hustle. She would ultimately follow Schrade's lead, but only after pensively pondering her orders, as if they were the helpful suggestions of a friend, to be carefully considered rather than followed blindly in a militaristic sort of fashion.

Though she could still fly, as she did when she was blinded by the light, Kiyo preferred to remain on the ground ever since she turned. The cold chill of high-altitude air reminded her only of the night of Saya's betrayal. She still enjoyed the feeling of the wind in her hair as she drove towards the scene unfolding before Rei and Suki, parking just under a block away. As she did, she also transformed, her stylish leather jacket turning into an equally stylish gi. She shrugged, letting the garment slip off her shoulders so that her partner, sitting on the motorcycle behind her, could touch the tattoo on her back. She felt no fear in exposing both her neck and her emblem to the girl. Was it because she trusted her partner? Or did she simply no longer value her own life?

...Evil Eye was not the type to give direct answers.

She leaned forward in her seat, blood trickling from her eyes and pooling in her cupped hands. Soon, an eyeball formed and floated to the surface, and then the blood became flesh. The newly born abomination let out what was, approximately, a happy squeal as it stood up in her hands, its small tendrils twining with Kiyo's fingers, gripping them with all the strength of a newborn babe. "Go, my child," she lovingly cooed to the creature, looking upon it with blank and impassionate eyes. "Depart, multiply, and become. Be ye a Seer, and Knower, and an Apostle of Truth." With that, she cast the Mogall into the air like a carrier pigeon, a wide but subdued smile spread across her face. As it flew away, it grew, and it multiplied. Soon, a small squad of them spread throughout Hibusa town. Kiyo's eyes glowed bright red, visible to Rei and Suki even from nearly a block away. Evil Eye had arrived, fashionably late as always, and yet right on time. The nearby Mogall sat haunched on a window sill, watching as Suki flirted with disaster, whose name was Schrade. "Mm. Lust," remarked Evil Eye, absentmindedly. "—and perhaps, Envy? Ahuhuhu~" It folded its tendrils underneath its body, mimicking how its mistress would watch Suki flirt in person: with her hands folded beneath her chin, her smile full of piqued interest, while her narrowed eyes conveyed only token disapproval at best. It emitted a curious noise, an upsweep-like cry caught somewhere between the sound of a window being wiped from outside, and the high-pitched croak of a frog.

Kiyo and her partner watched as her eyes crossed streets, passed over overpasses, leaped tall buildings, and patrolled the skies. Already, she had caught a glimpse of the new blood, Nyxia. A pair of Mogalls watched from nearby as she cackled like a maniac, spreading her wanton destruction. No doubt mistaking her eyes in the sky for yet more Miseria, the monstrous eyeballs popped pitifully like balloons as they were caught in the crossfire. "Pride. Wrath. Greed... or perhaps, Gluttony?" she pondered the expression of feasting. "How endearingly energetic! She's so adorable, don't you think~?" she remarked to her partner, her voice taking on a dreamy quality, as if starstruck—then she flinched as her Mogalls were erased from being, momentarily wiping the smile from her gentle face. Shrugging it off without a care, she then watched Nonsuch as she appeared slothful in doing good. "Tonight is a beautiful night, dear Sister," she said breathlessly, letting out a wistful sigh. "—but it's spoiled by these naughty girls, out past curfew," she remarked, as a Mogall floating high above Nonsuch leered down at her condescendingly, conveying the thoughts of its mistress perfectly.

---

---

Tsubomi watched from the nearby shadows as Schrade showed off her physical abilities untransformed. Aww man, why does the boss get to be so cool? She wasn't listening as the boss-lady gave her short statements, too busy thinking about the answer to her own question. She gets to be cool because she's strong and capable of it. That seemed to be a fair point to the girl. Already transformed into her Acid Drop form, she stayed behind and waited to see what the others would do. After all, even if she didn't kill a single Miseria herself tonight, she'd still be getting a little stronger thanks to her club-mates. She was careful, but she was already siphoning a little off the top of the other girls' emotional states. The excitement was just the barest bit less exciting, the bloodlust just ever so slightly less violent. The tornado that was Oros just a tiny fraction less stormy.

Of course, she made sure it was little enough to not be noticeable but just enough to add to her own stockpiles for later use. She was even careful not to touch the boss, since the new girl was completely out of her fucking mind. Wow... So much emotion, so much fuel for her fire... Surely she could spare a bit, or even a lot, for Acid Drop's fire as well? As she thought about it she realized that taking proportionally from everyone except the boss would still give her way more than usual with the newest addition in the equation. After all, the others knew at least the basics of her magic, if not more than that in some cases, but the fresh meat didn't yet. That might cause problems, from an interpersonal perspective, though this thought never entered Acid Drop's mind, as that was a perspective she could no longer see from. Instead, she gorged herself on the new well of emotions both before and while she finally turned to the Miseria. What was left of them, anyway, after that very same well wiped out a huge chunk of them.

If she was honest with herself, Acid Drop did really want to fight a lot of Miseria. It was the path to power for her and the others, after all, and that power was something she desired greatly. But she couldn't for the life of her understand why she wanted it. She knew she wanted to have it, and to use it, but the question of "why" was still unanswered. In her private journal, a scattershot wound of ideas from the shotgun of her head, she wrote that perhaps she gained power in order to use it. Or perhaps she used it in order to gain more power. Several pages were condemned to this cyclical thought process, with no answer as of yet. But these thoughts passed through her mind as she approached the Miseria lucky, or unlucky, enough to be away from and avoid Nyxio's attacks. Her name was Nyxio, right? Eh, didn't matter anyway.

Her scalpel, if it could still be called that, of a Devil Arm flipped end over end through the air as she tossed it and caught it, over and over again. Some might think that this was an attempt to look cool, and they'd be partially right, but it was also Tsubomi adjusting to the weight after a day of being mundane. It's always a good idea to warm up, yeah? She was about to start her attack when Earthshaker, someone whose name (or title, rather) Tsubomi did actually know, threw her shield and had it land right in front of her, making her jump at the surprise. When the girl came to get her shield, Acid Drop waved at her with a smile on her face and frustration in her heart. Then she moved on to the next batch.

It took some time to find them, with most of the other girls also slaughtering the creatures, but she found two that she was able to quickly cut down. She didn't even need her magic, really. Just a bit of good footwork and knifeplay and they were down, and she was better for it.

Willow of the Wisps

A single note played out over a violin string, followed by several quick chords in rapid succession in a ugly unharmonious play. This mellowed out into a classical esque ballad that would conjure images of a king observing the dance of the nobles in his throne room.

Accompanying Rei, a girl held a violin in her arms. She’d glide around in a trail, matching each footfall of the shinigami’s steps like a character motif in a theater play.

“Oh death stalks the land again. Your majesty the queen of death with a fresh harvest of souls to keep.”
Willow hummed, stalling right beside the girl and ceasing her playing. Oros’s arrival would mute out any songs planned and distract both girl’s attention. Willow would tilt her head and stand upright, placing her hands on her hips afterward.

“Get your paws off my reaper, you little tart. She and I have an arrangement and you aren’t included. And keep it in your pants! We have an image to keep up of professional, mentally well adjusted, young women.”

She’d then giggle madly after saying that obvious lie. A loyal serving glowing spirit wisp passing by to retrieve Willow’s special violin from her arms.

“Just joking! Or I’m not, hehe~! Welcome all and all of that nonsense. Uh, what the hell are we doing for all these people again?” She’d poke Rei’s cheek, holding close to her in a claiming and cuddly way.

Nyxia’s eyes widened in a mixture of shock and bewilderment as she watched someone place an object in front of her weapon’s ravening beam, an object which not only withstood the cataclysmic energies that were now pouring into it, but actually seemed to be absorbing them. However, it wasn’t long at all before surprised confusion gave way to savage fury…

“WHAT THE FUCK, YOU STUPID BITCH?!!” The Neon Tempest roared as she snapped her head to face the obstruction’s owner, her finger squeezing The Omega Obliterator’s trigger even tighter than before and sending an even greater volume of ruinous energy surging into the glowing shield.

The young woman, who was dressed as though she had just stepped out of some tribal fantasy game, proceeded to ramble in a disgustingly patronizing and pedantic manner about Nyxia’s need to recognize her allies and how teamwork was the best thing ever, complete with pretentious comparisons to sprints and marathons, as if Nyxia knew a single thing about either of those. As if Nyxia even cared. During all the long years when she was just pitiful, pathetic Norika, she had considered it a major accomplishment to simply walk to the bathroom without assistance, and even if she now possessed physical abilities to rival the world’s greatest athletes, Nyxia had zero interest in athletic pursuits, or those who partook of them. In fact, there was only one person in this entire blighted world she cared about, and the Miseria had killed him…

“Why the fuck would I give a shit about that?” The Neon Tempest scoffed as her visage contorted into a disdainful scowl. “If those shit stains can’t keep up, that’s their problem. As for those flying eyeball fucks, I thought they were Miseria, so don’t get your panties in a fucking twist,” Nyxia sneered, releasing her weapon’s trigger and abruptly cutting off its crackling beam. “Besides, if ‘friendly fire’ was really such a big fucking concern, our fearless leader down there should have had the brains to mention that one of her ass-licking underlings could make things that look just like the shitbags we're tying to fucking kill!”

In actuality, it really wouldn’t have mattered even if she had known they belonged to a supposed ally. Anything that was stupid enough to stray into her kill zone was fair game, as far as The Neon Tempest was concerned, doubly so if said thing looked for all the world like another Miseria, but she decided it would probably be best not to mention that at the present time. Indeed, she had a very important question for her new “friend”…

“Oh yeah, and there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask ever since you cockblocked my precious baby with that annoying-as-fuck shield of yours,” The Neon Tempest added with a cruel smirk, eagerly opening fire once more, now that the shield in question had finally been removed. “Just how in the hell do you keep those ginormous tits from popping out of that pathetic joke of a top?”

Suki and Rei’s interaction was interrupted by the arrival of Willow. She somehow managed to jump and play on the narrow top of the lamp post. A striking display of dexterity, but even more so when you considered Rei was squatting on top of it. Though maybe it wasn’t all that strange. Willow’s magical girl name was based on a wandering light seen by travelers. She was also a cat girl, and they were allowed to break the rules.

What did surprise Suki was that Willow felt the need to answer for their supreme overlord. Surely the great Schrade didn’t need someone to speak on her behalf. This was someone who was so badass they chose to go out untransformed and squat on top of lamp posts.

"Uh…”

Suki had only brushed Rei’s legs for a moment. It would be dishonest to claim she didn’t get something out of caressing those supple torso holders of hers, but she hadn’t done anything that explicit yet. People made out in public spaces all the time, and Suki knew she wasn’t going to convince Rei to take that jacket off. Suki wasn’t always stupid.

"Um…”

And then Willow just laughed, declared she was kidding, maybe, before cuddling up to Rei. Suki was not oblivious to Willow’s duplicitous nature, but it was difficult to gauge what the girl really wanted. If you never told the truth, no one can know what you want. But Suki was both sane and an astute observer of people. They spoke with their words, but also their bodies and actions. Just because Willow spoke with deceptive words didn’t mean she was fluent in lying in her other two languages. It was as clear as day that Willow was intimidated by Suki’s strong mojo. Willow just wanted to put the moves on a cutie, and she viewed Suki as a threat to her plans.

Easy enough to fix.

While Willow snuggled up to her teammate, Suki’s torso moved just a bit more over to the right. Now she was hovering in front of Willow. Meanwhile, one of her tendrils had released the lamp post and reached around Willow’s back.

"You can’t call me a tart until you’ve tasted me first!”

And then the tendril gave her a firm shove. The girl would never see it coming. And even if she did, Suki’s body lunged forward to catch her. There was no hope for escape. Right?

It was one thing to just get touched by Suki, but to be held in her embrace was nearly euphoric. Suki had a hand on Willow’s lower back and shoulder blades, and both arms were holding her tight. Their silhouettes became one, their curves pressed flat like pancakes.

The breach between their lips closed.

After sampling Willow, Suki pulled back her head with a gasp. "Oh man!” Her entire body trembled. "You’re the cat’s meow! A symphony to the senses! Bastet given flesh!” Willow probably didn’t feel all that drained by a single kiss. Suki had to get pretty trigger happy for her lips to become a deadly weapon. Though it likely accelerated the curse that was coursing through Willow’s body. "What kind of tart am I? Sour apples? Raspberries?”

Suki noticed a shape in the sky and looked up. It was one of Kiyo’s eye monsters hovering overhead. Then her gaze dropped back down to Rei, who of course had seen the whole thing unfold. But the fact that Suki had an audience didn’t bother her. She gave her boss the friendliest smile she could manage.

Croak...

Sayuri's eyes lifted upwards as if to look at the small frog perched on her head. She was currently lazily sat down with her legs crossed and back slightly arched forward as she held her head up with both of her palms, elbows resting on her knees... Sayuri herself sat atop yet another very large frog. This one had what could only be described as a limb of some unlucky Miseria sticking out of it's mouth, both of it's eyes fixed forward and looking at nothing in particular, and then...

Croak

Another bellowing cry came out from both of her companions at the same time which led her to let out a large sigh, defeated. "Alright, alright! You're right - enough rest!" The girl immediately stepped up, putting her floppy sun hat onto her head, muffling a surprised croak from the passenger previously sat there. Sayuri dusted off her blue-ish dress and large, white sleeves before stretching. A lot of magical girls transformed outfits were flashy and intricate, yet for all of her regular self's colorfulness and outgoing attitude her outfit was remarkably... plain. Perhaps then this form took on the more "traditionalist" appearance of her lifestyle's duality. Or perhaps Kaeru was the new original, and Sayuri the alter-ego?

Why bother with such questions when Miseria was on the loose and people needed saving. "Let's go!" the girl proclaimed with one hand pointing a finger towards their destination while the other held on to her hat. The frog beneath her started moving and, before long, launched itself forward with surprising power from it's hind legs. Good thing that the more mundane could not witness most of the Maho Shojo's feats, otherwise half the still awake city might have seen a girl knelt on some giant amphibian just leaping across the night sky.

Further in the city, perhaps down the road from one very unfortunate accident, a fellow girl just like Sayuri would find herself stripped of her prey when she would hear a loud "Ooiii!" dropped in warning of an imminent landing. It would be followed by a rather large frog landing on it's stomach, it's four limbs outstretched, straight on top of a Miseria that had been facing off with Nonsuch. Off from it's back jumped Kaeru, landing on the other side of her fellow magical girl after a flip right as her summoned companion raised back on it's feet. Sayuri gave her presumed companion a warm, wide smile.

"Nonsuch! My favourite girl with a no-such-thing-as-a-too-large-hammer approach to magic!" She said, fighting strongly - and visibly - against the urge of going in for a tight hug. The both of them had probably, at the very least, met one or more times during their different hunts, teaming up once or twice when it was necessary. Unlike their dark counterparts that worked in teams, those still not fallen preferred to do actual work and group up only if necessary...

...Or when they stumbled upon one another, apparently!

"Soooo... busy night? They seem to be spilling from every nook and cranny tonight, don't they?"

The cold night's wind caressed the quiet silhouette among the many rooftops of Hibusa town. Pink flames illuminated the edges of the small form, revealing just a tiny girl among the many metal and concrete decorations. A gentle pull upon the string of a bow and the flame grew in length shrinking to just a tiny, glowing arrow. With a graceful release the arrow shot forth, flying above the sleeping city where Miseria stalked. The arrow connected with an amalgamation of emotions, burning the negative creature with the cleansing light that hope still brought.

The girl smiled brightly, and with a nod of her head she happily told herself, "One Down."

Hibusa was an entirely new place to Homura, a few months of familiarity were the only things that comforted here in the unforgiving night. The rooftops offered many roads around the town that the ground failed to offer, vantage points that Homura had begun to grow used to and finally, the chance to escape when things grow dire.

She jumped from rooftop to rooftop, her bow readied with each alleyway she passes over. An arrow descends into each Miseria, cleansing the streets of that which haunts them. In her short tenure within Hibusa, Homura hadn't run into much conflict between herself and other magical girls, having barely seen any in the first place. She began to wonder just how most of the Miseria were dealt with.

"Aw man! I lost count." Homura dropped down an alleyway, allowing Miseria to make their chase as she narrowly avoided the sparse traffic "There are too many of you guys!" A greater fire brewed at the tip of her bow, multiple arrows nocked and ready to fire. She leapt up to the sky and released the arrows once again, they curved towards and sought their targets, landing with an explosion of pastel that would make the edgiest dark girl grow faintly ill.

Homura's fun had come to an end.

Something was wrong, something felt amiss. A group of negative emotions few her attention to one lonely dark corner of the town. She felt a few faint flickers of light elsewhere within the town, seemingly ignorant to the black-hole of emotions that the girl concluded didn't feel like Miseria whatsoever, yet seemed to attract them like a magnet. Landing atop the rooftops Homura ran as fast as her little legs could take her, leaping across rooftops as far as her jumps could send her. Her rapid approach wouldn't be unnoticed as Miseria came out of the woodworks to strike wherever they could, thwarted as swiftly as her arrows flew.

The nearer she drew, the deeper fear grew within her heart, the fear of death. She'd almost stopped entirely, her breath running low as her continued to race, but she continued onwards. Whether this was a good decision or not, only time could tell. An arrow flew over the rooftops, burning brightly as it illuminated the cityscape, it seemed to be headed straight for the untransformed Rei. From behind the rooftops obscuring the dark magical girl's vision of her, Homura leapt with her bow in hand, ready to strike further and yet all flames dissipate the moment her eyes land upon the gathered and bickering dark girls.

"What?" She asked confusedly. "So you're what I felt, but..." She looked between all of the girls, her head tilted as she attempted to understand the tsunami of information headed her way. And it seems that thanks to her naivety, her youth, she was failing to do so.

“Ooiii!”

It wasn’t a voice that evoked any particular memories, but the frog that emerged, its slimy form blotting out the moon upon its descent, did good work to remind her of who it was that was the rider. Turning towards her Miseria-foe once more, Nonsuch winked at the writhing mass of tangible shadows, before dropping her war hammer. Her fingers flicked to her temple in a two-finger salute, and then she leapt skywards, propelled by her own magic.

On passing, her hand reached out to the frog-summoner. Light Magical Girls didn’t make a habit out of fighting together, but Nonsuch wasn’t so greedy for action that she wasn’t ever going to ‘tag out’.

By the time the blonde paladin dropped upon the roof once more, there was only an unsightly, smoking stain where the Miseria had been. She kicked up her hammer, hefted it over her shoulder, and smiled. “Kaeru! My favorite girl with more frogs than the rice paddies in Honshu!”

Unlike her, Nonsuch had no particular problems with getting up close and personal, so she did, sliding up beside her to give a fellow sister a hug, as her other hand extended outwards to shoot a selfie of the two of them.

“Say ‘hi’ to Evil Eye too!”

The Mogall couldn’t do much more than send a sappy visual of Nonsuch grinning cheerfully at it, her eyes sparkling as brightly as her teeth, before metal fingers closed tighter and squished the familiar into bits. Benefits of looking up when the frog came down, after all. Wiping the viscera off her pants, she separated from the froggy priestess once more, nodding along with her comment.

“Yeah, but it’s not that weird, right? Our wayward sisters pick up the slack anyhow. We just need to make sure the people affected by it don’t get caught up too much.” Hypocrisy, unrecognized. She didn’t even twitch, wasn’t even worried about whether or not Kaeru saw the ‘accident’ on the highway. “Looks like they’ve got a new one joining ‘em up too. Saw the Northern Lights over in that…”

That was the thing about nights in the city. It wasn’t all that dark, ever. And when one wore white, when they had pink hair and translucent wings, when they bounded from building to building like a grasshopper or a fruit fly, well, it wasn’t all that hard to see them either.

“…huh.”

Nonsuch’s voice dropped a bit, turned a shade more serious, but in a way that only inspired parody rather than gravity.

“New blood.”

---

It was one thing for magical girls to go dark, but it struck Roche that Nyxia was taking her dark persona as carte blanche to act without filter or thought. It was fair to say that the whole of the Detention Club was unfettered, but that was still some social niceties to maintain. Either the laser obsessed girl had taken her nightly activities as a complete reprieve from the constraints of daily life...or she'd never had them to begin with.

Earthshaker paused in her stride, offering a tip of her head as she allowed Tsunami to pass before retrieving her shield. Hoisting it onto her back once more she left the empathy deficient Magical Girl to her fun and bounded back to the rooftop to glare heavily at Nyxia as the laser's light scoured Myseria once more.

"I understand this is your first day, but you seem to not be a team player. That is why I am the one telling you this, so the girls who do function won't be saddled with all of this." Roche said, handing circling over the Neon obsessed Magical Girl's figure.

"Really, you have a skintight leotard and boots that couldn't be peeled off with a shoehorn and a brick of butter. If you told me that was painted on and you're out here in the buff, I'd believe it." The tanned girl retorted before drawing her hand back and giving a flick to her own chest that elicited hardly a quiver from her firm mounds. "And if you're going to spend so much time staring, you should know they're even better when I'm not transformed."

A flicker of movement in the distance soon caught her eye, attention snapping from Nyxia entirely as she saw an arrow of all things whistle through the night. Not a Miseria but still a possible hazard if someone's stray shot went at the feasting girls. Judging its course she realized it was likely to hit Rei and relaxed.

If that was all it took to threaten her, Roche would have been leading the club months ago.

Hibusa Town slept. Shadows stretched long, reaching towards each other inch by inch as the Sun cast its last rays from above the horizon. Its radiance shifted from clear white to dangerous read as the minutes passed by, windows along with lights on the streets trying to replace its influence. Trying to bring light into the world of shadows. And yet, as Shuuko knew very well, the shadows would triumph eventually, just as light would at dawn, the two forever engaged in an endless contest. Just like her kind and the magical girls of light... the bastards who never reached out to Chiaki.

"Why are you always thinking of them, Sylvia?" Ember asked, her voice quiet even though nobody could hear her like this. "You're in a much better place now. I've made sure of it." Wrapping her hands around Sylvia's shoulders, reaching towards her shoulderblades as much as possible, she drew the other girl into a tight hug.

"You're right... but I wish I could let Chiaki out more often. She doesn't deserve this." Sylvia carried a heavy burden as she spoke, averting her eyes and not returning Ember's gesture. The red-head did not seem bothered by it. She merely drew her embrace tighter before she let go, wearing a genuine smile on her face.

"For whatever it's worth, I'm proud of you. All of you. I hate that we have to do this, but we can't let her get hurt."

"She is right." Hotaru too, spoke up, joining in on the hug. "Chiaki can play in the light. But night is our time... my time."

Indeed. Evil - and not the kind that Shuuko represented - stirred within the city. Eyes started to appear within shadows, invisible to those without the gift of magic, yet so obvious to her. They grew on every available surface as grotesque grapes burdened with many, tiny vines that bulged and pulsed. It would not be long before the Miseria made their appearance, so Hotaru stepped forward. She called upon her experience, then nodded towards one of Kiyo's many hidden eyes. She would be accompanying her as usual.

Having grown used to being fashionably late, Shuuko rested her hands on Kiyo's shoulders as she kept a respectable distance between the two. She always rode on the motorcycle like that, their bodies just too far apart to touch, save for a sudden brake or turn from Kiyo, at least until she revealed her tattoo across her back.

Because for that, Hotaru leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to Kiyo's skin right where the tattoo lay.

"Thank you." From the bottom of her heart, she expessed gratitude for Kiyo's... no, Evil Eye's trust. Even if it was unclear, even if she never gave straight answers, Hotaru never left such things without acknowledging them. She knew the pain of being ignored all too well, the sheer agony of solitude eating away at a soul until the inevitable happened and so even as heavy gauntlets formed around her hands, she let her warmth speak for itself. She could only do it for a few seconds, but she always did it when Evil Eye made herself so vulnerable, just before her role was over for the night.

Hotaru stepped back. Sylvia stepped back. Ember stepped back.

Shatterscape stepped forward, smiling and holding onto Evil Eye just a little tighter than before.

"She is as free as she can be. Should we pick up Oros' slack? Or maybe we could teach a lesson to her." The steel nail of her gauntlet gestured towards Nyxia at the last sentence, seeing the magical girl wreak havoc regardless of her surroundings. True, Evil Eye's minions were not precious unlike her bodies, but the attitude did not sit well with her, for Nyxia behaved like a psychopath on the loose. What if those had been one of Shatterscape's precious Khir? Or even an Oss? It did not sit well with her, and besides, it had hurt Kiyo. One of the girls she protected. And so she would have a couple of unpleasant words for Nyxia when the night finished.

Or at least she would have, had not the light girls entered their territory again. The frown on Shatterscape's face grew more fierce as she saw them go about their duty. Especially that short-haired, blonde one. She seemed filled with contempt for the people she rescued - was that why her comrades never reached out to Chiaki? - behaving almost as though she were a dark girl instead of a light one. Shatterscape's teeth ground against each other with a high, metallic keen before she nodded to Kiyu's suggestion.

"But before that, you are correct. We do have to teach these sparkle-eyed do-gooders a lesson. Evil Eye, please watch me from the skies."

And with that, the body behind Evil Eye lost its strength. Its gauntlets along with its Emblem vanished as though it were never in place, travelling across a complex chain of bodies to end near their meeting spot. Covering several hundred metres in but a blink of an eye, Shatterscape plopped beside a Miseria so she could rip it to shreds, then she sprinted into a position she got from Mogall. She angled herself to emerge from within the shadows from Homura's perspective and when she got close enough, she deliberately slammed her foot against the ground.

The asphalt cracked. Huge, metal gauntlets that dripped with the material of Miseria revealed themselves first, followed by a splattered dress. A cold, distant sneer and a pair of piercing, red eyes were the last to be revealed as Shatterscape made her presence known.

"This shrine had not been fashioned for your kind. Leave."

“Looks like someone is getting wet, and it has nothing to do with my powers,” Yayoi, or rather Mercurial, thought as she arrived at tonight’s gathering at just about the same time Nyxia was making herself known to everyone in a mile radius.

The night’s air was cold and thick with the smell of countless maladies and malice that afflicted people in their everyday lives, unavoidably coalesced into Miseria. The creatures of darkness roamed around like the mindless feeders they were, and Hibusa’s magical girls hunted them, each in their own way.

The Detention Club – a funny name if Yayoi had to say so – helped bring those who strayed from the light together. But, as is so often common, there were always those who preferred to do things their way, at the detriment of the collective good. Even the introduction of teams didn’t seem to solve that for good it seems.

“Good evening, everyone. I see that the party has already begun, so I decided to bring some party tricks to warm up this cold night,” Mercurial said as she approached the place under the light pole where most of the club’s members gathered. As she did so, she took out her hat and threw it at a nearby Miseria that fled from Nyxia’s indiscriminate fire, imprisoning it in a water bubble.

Mercurial didn’t consume the creature immediately, instead, she watched it squirm and struggle in her water prison. Only when she got bored, did she absorb it into her top hat, which flew back to her waiting hand.

---

The night winds finally picked up and not because of the eerie draft that came with the late year seasons. It was by the mark of those selfish in desire, Dark Magical Girls who filled Hibusa Town with their putrid presence. Rei internally sighed to herself despite all of their bravados. As the resident keeper of Ichiko Funeral Parlor, she was far too used to the quiet serenity the graves gave as opposed to all this commotion and commonplace disruption.

She much preferred the dead to be honest because corpses at least knew when to shut up. But, she supposed, it was a little bit fun, wasn’t it? Their hunts usually went smoothly, efficiently like a working machine. Nyxia’s appearance was chaotic, boisterous, sloppy, and loud. There was difference between what they were and the sort of mayhem the neon girl proudly displayed and advertised. Yet perhaps that sort of rampant excitement was enough to stir her boredom.

In theory that was why Nyxia was paired with the club’s Code Keeper. And if she proved to be more of a hassle than boon, Earthshaker would simply kick her out to the next town with broken bones and that was that. All the same, there was no reason to rush. When all was said and done, Rei could always rely on the quiet dead to keep her company. Her happy thoughts were distracted by Oros, the majority of her words and Nyxia’s mad screams lost on her.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t deny her bloody peer for long, such was the nature of her magic. Rei smiled, a common feature for her, as Oros hiked up her jacket. Or maybe she did it when she was spaced out? Who knew, but the bloody girl was already getting cozy with her, a hand on her leg and her lips inches apart. Rei couldn’t deny she felt some stir in her chest from Oros’ magic but how much of that was some fabrication to feel, she didn’t care to know. Could she even feel that sort of stuff anymore? Everyone around her felt weird anyway, the chill of inevitability.

Maybe that’s why Willow paired with her so well. The blonde Dark Girl appeared like a ghost, come to admonish Oros for her actions. It couldn’t be helped; the two were practically fighting over her. As simple of an explanation it was, it made sense for girls of their age.

“You’re in a mood tonight Oros,” Rei said coolly, hands on her drawn up hood strings. “But you should focus on Miseria instead of me. Better to feed yourself before someone steals your food. Besides, I don’t think my partner would appreciate how close we are.”

And she didn’t. Willow said her expected words, even going as far as to claim the seaweed-head girl herself. Rei chuckled in an empty way, patting Willow’s arm as the blonde held her affectionately. “Why Willow, they have houses they can sleep in of course. It’s not like we’re homeless Magical Girls who fight for love and justice,” she said with a stuck-out tongue. “Girls, we still have a job to do. Can’t we discuss things like that later? I promise I’m not going anywhere,” she mused.

She wasn’t wrong. Despite lessening in number, the Miseria weren’t letting up. They continued to spawn in large numbers, as if drawn to the darkness emanating off their hunters. Or, maybe, they were attracted to a sweeter source, the pure magic that represented their counterparts. Rei narrowed her one eye even as Willow and Oros fought amongst each other with shoves and who knew what else; she wasn’t paying attention nor did she care as something whistled in the night.

A pink streak was seen by all girls in the area and was soon to make contact with the Detention Club leader. Rei sighed and leapt off the street lamp just as the arrow hit. Pink fire lapped along the steel but had nowhere to spread. Their leader descended, ignoring the in-fighting between Earthshaker and Nyxia. Something more important tainted the air.

“I bet you all feel that, huh? There’s someone new in town," Rei announced, voice carried to all around, including Evil Eye's spawn. "It’s bad enough we have two saplings cramping our style these days but a third? Can’t be bothered, not a fan. Say, how about this; whoever brings the new blood to me can choose what we eat for dinner tonight.”

A pause and Rei smirked, hands in her coat pockets.

“And whoever slays the least Miseria has to pay for it,” she added, before blinking as a watery presence sifted beside her. Mercurial. “Since when did you get here?”

---

---

Evil Eye smiled a smile that did not reach her eyes as her partner, who felt gratitude for the gesture of exposing her nape, opted to kiss it. As for Evil Eye, the only thing she felt in that moment was the warmth of those lips, and perhaps the grim satisfaction of having a partner like Shatterscape, who was a team in her own right, so wrapped around her finger that she could feel safe inside the grasp of those giant and sharp claws of hers. One wrong move, one twitch of an unruly finger, and Evil Eye would be in several worlds' worth of hurt. That was, perhaps—or it should have been—the scariest part: that she was no longer entirely human, and something as painful as a broken neck might not kill her as quickly and decisively as one would hope. Yet, as Shatterscape's heavy machinery gripped her delicate and bare shoulders, she did not quake in fear. It was almost a comical scene, from a certain point of view: Shatterscape's exaggeratedly large hands holding the relatively much smaller Evil Eye, who smiled wide and unflinchingly like a doll.

What did cause her to flinch, however, was Nonsuch, and her treatment of her Mogall. Snatching it out of the air like a softball, holding it out like a cell phone, and posing as if to take some cringe selfie with her equally cringey friend, Kaeru. Evil Eye involuntarily squinted as what she perceived in the moment as her own eye was grabbed, and flinched when it was eventually squished. No matter how many times she experienced it, painless as it was, some human reflexes were everlasting and couldn't be fought. "I thought I was going to have fun tonight. Why did it have to be her? It's not fair," she lamented in dramatic fashion, as though she were performing a tragic play for an audience of one. "Nonsuch is such a cutie. She should join us instead of buddying up with that weirdo," she sneered hypocritically. "Punish her for me?" she suggested, a hand wandering from the handlebar of her bike and tracing the edge of one of Shatterscape's claws.

Then, however, a magical arrow flew through the air towards the trio of Rei, Suki and Willow. Evil Eye's face darkened, her smile quickly turning to one of suppressed rage. "Change of plans, Sister. This simply won't do at all." Shatterscape's body went limp in agreement. She was off to confront this new face in town—and so was she. Evil Eye covered her shoulders, wrapped the arms of her partner securely around herself, and revved up her bike. She drove straight through a crowd of the low-ranking miseria threatening to approach the Detention Club members from behind, cutting a path and scattering the survivors to either side of her. She parked behind Rei's lamp post of choice, catching the tail end of her conversation. "Oh my. If you wanted me to take you out to dinner, you could just say so, y'know~?" Evil Eye replied to her unfair ruling with a pleasant smile. She briefly looked behind her at the roadkill she'd left in her wake. "Oops! That, ah, doesn't count?" She tapped her chin with a finger innocently.

Sayuri was happy to see that Nonsuch was actually just as prone to open displays of affection as she herself was. As soon as the hammer-wielding girl came in for hug it was returned in kind. Truth be told, Kaeru did not exactly know on which foot to dance with her seldom companion. Although she did not say anything this time, the way Nonsuch treated the hunt for Miseria and the people they'd save... it had Kaeru worried. Still, in the moment none of those worries came out and she followed suit and gave a pose for the selfie, holding two fingers up and a large smile.

She'd turn to the ugly flying monstrosity that was - against all odds - not Miseria and gave it a joyful grimace before Nonsuch ended it. By this point, both girls knew of those and the eyes' master; Evil Eye. As it turn out, Kaeru had a number of previous run-ins with members of the Detention Club here and there. They did live in the same city and hunted for the same monsters, after all, so this was not too surprising. They so far usually tried to stay out of each others way, but maybe this was about to change.

Tonight felt different, somehow.

"You say that..." Sayuri answered to Nonsuch's comment about their fallen counterparts "...but I feel like they spread more misery than the Miseria itself sometimes." she sighed. "Also, I am feeling something weird. Something...new. And maybe it has something to do with...that?" just as she said that, the frog underneath her hat peeked out to look up at the same thing Sayuri saw; an arrow? Whatever it was.

Sayuri suddenly had a mischievous smile. "What say you we go and poke the hornets nest?" Sayur picked up the frog on her head and set it down, waving a finger at it just like a parent to a young child "You're too small for what's to come, sorry." and Nonsuch would feel her channel her magic as she impressively enough jumped all the way back onto her giant Frog, ready to move.

-----------

An invitation to 'get on the frog' would have been extended to Nonsuch, but whether or not she decided to take it or use her own means of transportation was up to her, as always. Or whether or not she accompanied Kaeru at all, actually. However, even if she would not, the Frog Maiden's instincts and feelings were too strong to not give in to her curiosity and seek them out.

It wasn't long after that, on the very same rooftop where Shatterscape was now confronting the new comer, a large shadow could be seen diving past them, cast under the moonlit sky. A loud thump would shake the rooftop behind them, answering Shatterscape's own tremor almost. Kaeru had jumped off of her summon mid air, and landed on the roof between the large frog and the two magical girls.

"Ahh, you are part of Rei's Depression Club are you not?" She said while eyeing the impressive Shatterscape from top to bottom, but if she was worried it was unreadable in her eyes or demeanor. Kaeru senses were focused on the girl behind, though. The newcomer. "Keep your very large and angry metal hands off of this girl - she's with us."

"Don't mind them - their manners are dreadful. You can call me Kaeru, by the way!" she said as she leaned to the right to actually see Homura and give her a wide smile and a little wave of the hand.

In truth, Nonsuch was fine with leaving out the new girl to dry. It was the way of magical girls and the way of the solar system, after all. A singular light, against many shadows. If that pink, fluffy gal couldn't figure out how to handle herself around the entirety of the Detention Club, she wasn't going to last long in Hibusa.

At the minimum, they operated in pairs. At the maximum? Between Shatterscape, Kriegspiel, Evil Eye, and Will of the Wisps, it was like going up against a small army. A baptism was required, as such. The winged archer (reminded Nonsuch of Pit) needed to show the bare minimum of being able to escape from a collective of ten dark magical girls first, before the idea of sticking around here was to be entertained.

Alas, the Light Magical Girls of Hibusa weren't nearly the same sort of monolithic force as Schrade and Friends, and while Nonsuch may have simply brought out the popcorn if she were alone, Kaeru was inviting her to a party, so who was she to say no? They sailed through the nightscape upon an amphibian's back, her lips stretched out in a bright smile, before an entrance most dynamic saw the mismatched pair descend upon the same rooftops as Shatterscape and new girl. Crouched upon a water tower, Nonsuch waved at Shatterscape cheerily, her hammer leaning casually against her shoulder. She had chosen an elevated position for herself that was behind both Kaeru and new girl, providing a wider field of view and, more importantly, the opportunity to look down on that mishmashed jiangshi-oni-mecha girl.

"And I'm Nonsuch," she called out. "Take a look upwards, new-girl. Here in Hibusa, there's a certain rule we all follow, ok? Whenever you see something that looks like a flying eyeball, you kill it! It belongs to this super creepy voyeur, you see. You'd be doing a public service by keeping the sky free of those types."

A roll of her eyes, exaggerated.

"Of course, if you do, you can expect to get jumped by this chimeric girlie over here, but hey. That's how the dark girls roll. Accomplices n everything."