---

It wasn't as if the Detention Club was made of money. If it was, that scratch had yet to trickle down any further than Rei, at any rate. So it was that not every one of Shuuko's mostly-disposable bodies could have a fully featured smartphone. Actually, money didn't seem like it would be the only issue. It sounded like a total logistical nightmare. If they all had one, though, did Shuuko hold some kind of world record? In any case, only the real one had a smart phone, probably. Did she actually keep it on her when she went on a mission, though? Seemed like it would be an easy way to know which one to target, if a light girl who was so inclined had her number, in more ways than one. Medusa's Mirror was always together when fighting, so Kiyo never needed to call during one, so she didn't really know. Maybe she should ask these kinds of questions. Did the other clones have burner phones? If not, maybe they should. All Kiyo really knew was that if she needed to call Shuuko right the fuck now, she should probably call the number she'd saved from the Detention Club's group chat and hope to get lucky. Just wing it, girl! What could possibly go wrong?

”No no, nothing like that." Sink Queen “reassured” Nyxia when she asked about fighting other Miseria. Moments afterwards, Earthshaker showed up to announce that they weren’t looking for more Miseria to fight, but that she would take more information about the giga miseria. ”I don’t think either of you gets it. I’m not really in the business of helping others. I told you about them for my own amusement, that’s all. But since you two are so polite, how’s this?" She pointed at the sky. ”Once the sun goes down? They get much stronger. So avoid doing that until you get stronger." Sink Queen continued to walk inland until she disappeared from sight.

”Let us go?” Morganite laughed. ”Wuda kicked ur butt if ya kept hurtin’ da hostages on yer ‘sacred ground’. Am just glad yer dun bein’ kinky.”

Pearl had started utilizing her magic to mend the beach goers. She didn’t answer Earthshaker, but it was after she said she didn’t want to fight that she began working on the pedestrians. One by one, they were consumed in a blinding light, only to wake up and stumble to their feet. ”Let’s get the hostages out of here.”

It didn’t take a lot of effort to guide everyone off of the beach. Many of them were delirious, but several of the beach goers had never fallen unconscious, and were happy to guide their friends and family off the beach as fast as possible, as it was no longer safe.

What had once been a fun event with hundreds of people was now an empty wasteland. The beach was naught but cratered sand, and the peer had been obliterated during the pirate miseria invasion. Broken timbers reached out of the ocean like souls drowning in the river Styx, and the dutchmen’s crash site had irreversibly damaged the beach.The bedrock had been cracked wide open and dumped much of the sand back into the ocean. The Hibusa girls had certainly left their mark here.



It all worked out in the end, huh?

Of course Oros always wanted to come to the beach, but any time she tried to get the group to do something that she wanted to do it tended to blow up in her face, or get shot down instantly. Despite early difficulties, it all sort of worked out in the end. They had gotten stronger, and they even encountered Shatterscape! She wondered why she had been hanging around. Was she backup in case Acid Drop failed in her duties? That sounded more insane that what just happened, and Oros was having a hard enough time believing her eyes.

She stood upright and held Acid drop like an infant. Her arms extended under her armpits. Well, if Nyxia was going to keep having fun, Earthshaker was probably going to entertain her, and it seemed like Shatterscape was going to respect Earthshaker’s authority. That meant that Endless Ecstasy should be having fun too. And what was more Tsubomi-esque than a nap on a hot day?

She found a spot on the beach that hadn’t been cratered and rolled out two towels. She places Tsubomi on one and sat on the other, propping up her tendrils like a parasol. She spotted a clothes catalog in the sand and picked it up. Oros flipped through the pages in a blur, but immediately slowed down when she got to a page with a woman modeling in her underwear.

She drew her cellphone and powered it up to check the time, and was also greeted with Kate’s fake smile in a wedding dress. She sighed before her eyes drifted onto her slumbering partner. She quickly snapped a picture of Tsubomi and went to change her wallpaper. With a few quick swipes, it had been switched over. But Oros wasn’t quite done yet. She scrolled over to Kate’s photo and with two quick swipes, deleted the image off of her phone. A smile crossed her face as she put her phone away and returned to perusing undergarments.

“Night, huh?” Nyxia mused as she watched Sink Queen depart. She’d definitely have to look into that, albeit only after substantially increasing her power. Yes, as much as the Neon Tempest hated to admit it, the squid girl was correct in her assessment of her and her fellow club members’ current level of strength. The recently vanquished Giga Miseria had been a challenging opponent, and one she wasn’t entirely certain she could have bested alone, no matter how dearly she might have wished to believe otherwise. Thus, continued training was most assuredly in order, although she was somewhat unsure of how exactly to go about it. Giga Miseria seemed to provide the greatest power increase, but if her current capabilities only allowed her to hunt them during the day, she would need to come up with a reliable way to lure them out. Perhaps she and Roche would be able to brainstorm some ideas, but that potential conversation would have to wait. As she’d told Sink Queen, she wasn’t really in the mood to socialize with others, although as it transpired, Shatterscape seemed intent on forcing her to do just that…

“My baby and I feed on Miseria,” Nyxia replied, giving the metal-handed maiden an annoyed glare, as if she was addressing a complete moron who’d just asked her something utterly idiotic like “what’s an airport?”. “I couldn’t give a fuck about these two dipshits,” the Neon Tempest added, gesturing to the pair of light girls. “Fighting them isn’t gonna make me any stronger,” she explained as she turned to depart for the mangled remnants of the pier, leaving Shatterscape and her pretentious commentary behind. “Or keep anyone else from sharing my brother’s fate…”

---

Bright lights invaded Kiyo's eyes. It was an unwelcome interruption to what had previously been an uneventful but peaceful dream: she'd been speeding on her motorcycle down a mostly empty and straight road, feeling the wind in her hair, and one of Shuuko's many bodies against her back in an embrace. She'd been gazing up at one of the very few things she liked to look at—the night sky—with one of the very few people she liked to be with, doing one of the very few things she liked to do. It was, perhaps, the closest thing to heaven that someone like Evil Eye could experience.

So, what the fuck was this shit? Kiyo thought she could hear singing. Figures in white robes stood over her. "It's nice to see you're awake, young miss. What's your name?" one asked. To hell with this! This wasn't a confession booth. What was it, an operating table? You think I'll just let you pluck my eyes out and toss me like a stray cat right through the pearly gates? Fuck you. You created this. It's your fault the balance is all off. You can count me out.

Mother nature was deceptive and vicious. Things that were beautiful were often dangerous, but one place in all of creation where Kiyo could find honesty was in the night sky. There, there was more darkness than light, just as in life, where kind and good people were few, far apart, and always out of reach or too dim to be of any use on this earth. They did, however, have many orbiters—usually a few too many.

Kiyo supposed the angel sought her real name. She imagined giving it to him, only to receive some scalding remark about her Kurai Majokko title in return. Wouldn't it be hilarious to just skip all the pretentiousness? "Evil Eye," she managed with a smirk. Speaking was still difficult, it seemed. "Hm? Sorry, could you repeat that?"

The singing gave way to the familiar buzzing of incandescent bulbs. The figures began to come into focus. This was, in fact, a hospital, and Kiyo was very much not dead yet. "Uh. Ybille Ai," she decided, noticing that Shuuko wasn't around. That was unusual—not that Kiyo made a habit of getting hospitalized, but she figured the priestess would sooner nurse her partner to health by herself than entrust her to some doctor. Maybe there was some kind of emergency? "Ybille Ai. Alright, Ai-san," he remarked, deadpan. "Please remain calm. You are safe and expected to make a full recovery. You suffered a concussion, and your right ankle is broken along with several ribs, but considering the circumstances I'd say your survival was a miracle. The paramedics found you over a hundred meters away from your bike. It was totaled. Would you like me to call your parents?"

Kiyo was stunned, but not by the man's lacking bedside manner. She had been riding her bike, hadn't she? That's right. She was trying to solve the mystery of why the Miseria in Hibusa Town were so weak. She had an initial hypothesis: that her magical power itself also relied upon the same "tragic energy" that the Miseria fed upon, and so her presence, or constant surveillance of Hibusa Town might have been the cause. The best way to test it was to travel to another place by herself, with no summoned minions constantly watching everything. Fortunately, not only was her hypothesis false, but she'd developed a much better hypothesis that seemed to have been correct. Not that she'd had any intention of returning to Hibusa Town, of course—the entire premise of her "mission" was just an excuse to get away from that doomed place. Even if about half of the Detention Club were redeemable agents, anyone with functioning eyes could see that they were held back by a leader that didn't seem capable of feeling any kind of urgency. She'd forgotten where she was driving when a streak of bright burning metal started chasing her like some kind of missile, but it turned out to be a magical girl. She'd grabbed Kiyo, and then... blank.

"Uhm. Don't have any parents," she lied. Was it a lie? Not like it mattered. "My roomie will pick me up. She's a good girl." She thought about using her magic to convince the doctor that she didn't need a ride, but why the rush? She didn't exactly have anywhere to be at the moment.

Ring Ring~

...

Ring Ring~

...

Maybe Shuuko was in a battle. Seemed like she'd have to leave a message.

Beep.

"Hey, Shuuko. I know I'm late calling. Actually... I'm in the hospital, so come pick me up. It's not that bad but I crashed my bike and I, uh, don't feel like walking."

"Alright, Ai-san. I'm going to prescribe some painkillers for you, so please wait here." Kiyo considered telling him not to bother, since she could just transform as soon as she hit the restroom and the pain would go away, but what the hell? She'd still owed money on that totaled bike—unlike the "disposable" bikes which she stole for one-off missions, she actually owned and took care of that one. This meant that she was now broke, and pills were free money. Just as he'd turned to leave, though, she remembered something. "By the way, doc, where are we?" she asked. The doctor looked a little surprised. No, he looked a little tired. Come to think of it, he'd forgotten to introduce himself, too. "Ah, of course. My apologies. This is..."

---

You've got to be fucking kidding me, of all places!

Fuck, fuck, fuck!!

"S-Sorry, Shuuko, I gotta go. Call me back, ok?"

Click.

Furious, she squeezed bunches of her bed sheet for stress relief as she considered leaving without those pills. To think she'd been so flippantly considering using her magic just moments before. Any one of these nurses, any one of her fellow patients could be—no, was probably a magical girl. People being a little too eager to gaze into Kiyo's eyes was not exactly an unfamiliar phenomenon, but now she found herself averting her eyes from everyone, so she wouldn't be found out. She wondered if it made her look even more suspicious. Finally, the doctor had returned with the pills and what was left of Kiyo's belongings: her cell phone, which mercifully was locked but had a cracked screen, and the very ragged-looking remains of her bike jacket. It was in rough shape, but it seemed that whatever magical girl had caught her saw fit to make sure she didn't hit the pavement, at least. Well, she definitely wasn't going to stick around to meet her, at any rate.

Kiyo walked uncomfortably fast with her single crutch. Who else could she call? Did she actually have any reliable, non-magical girl contacts in Hibusa Town? Even Rei wouldn't dare come here, probably. Even if she would, it'd mean getting back in with the Detention Club, and that was no good. The same was true of the Rule Keeper. She wasn't particularly close to anyone else besides Shuuko. She would probably freak out, but it was better than calling nobody... probably. She'd just have to rely on her. It was with this thought that Kiyo slipped into the hospital's elevator. She didn't have time for something like learning how to navigate stairs like this right now.

"Hey miss! You're not from here, are you?"

With a jolt, Kiyo turned her eyes towards the shorter girl, with much more innocent eyes than hers.

"Sorry! I didn't recognize your uniform, so I got curious! Are you a tourist? Do you do modeling? Is it cosplay?" Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"...Y-yeah. I was visiting. That was the plan," Kiyo lied.

"Aw, do you have to go? You should come back sometime. It's great here! This place is so great, it's like a fairytale... Well, you don't seem like the kind of girl who believes in magic."

"Well, uh... I survived my bike crash, so that's one miracle. Do you think asking God for a second miracle would be too greedy?"

"Oh, of course not! I pray you have a speedy recovery!" The girl waved way too enthusiastically for Kiyo's comfort as she left the elevator. She almost missed the fact that this was the ground floor.

At last, the lobby. ...The hell it is! 'At last' nothing! Where do I go from here?! she thought furiously as she hastily walked outside. It was bright—so, so bright. It had to be broad daylight, but she couldn't see a thing. All she could do was keep moving, hoping her crutch would entitle her to a wide berth from the crowd. Privately, she wondered if her inability to see anything without shielding her eyes made her stick out. How she hated this accursed brightness.

"Stop right there!! Don't move!!"

Kiyo froze. Surely, this was the end of her life. Or was it? She only knew that Kurai Majokko who entered the City of Light never left. Was it death that awaited her, or worse—some kind of exorcism? The latter was probably unlikely, but if Kiyo was anything approximately in the ball park of "former mad scientist of the Detention Club," she was unlikely to participate in any self-reflection on this level of projection.

So, that was it. "Evil Eye" would die here.

"You almost fell right down the stairs into the subway! Here, take my hand."

Another smiling girl full of kindness. This one was a bit taller than Kiyo.

"You look like you're in pain. Are you alright? Can you manage?"

Between the pain and the brightness, Kiyo was indeed holding back tears. To cry would be to release her magic. To cry here would be the end. She didn't fear death—no, what Kiyo feared was losing sight of the Truth. To return to the light would be to become "blind" once more. "I'll do it myself. The doctor said I'd never walk properly again if I don't do it myself, so..." She lied again.

"...Oh! I'm sorry, I just thought... Please be careful, okay?"

"Heh. Right." Kiyo scowled quietly as she turned her attention from another waving lunatic to the infernal stairs. To accept kindness from a light girl would be to allow her magic power to increase; in the first place, it was a manner of "kindness" that was indistinguishable from exploitation. Evil Eye would not entertain such false ideals. Setting that aside, accepting kindness from others would slow her descent into deeper darkness—she'd never allow such a thing to stall her scientific progress.

Well, that was just her own personal hypothesis. It stood to reason that if light girls gained in strength from practicing virtues, dark girls could gain in strength from rejecting them. More important to the task at hand... Looks like that station is closest to the city limits. She regarded the man who stood in her way from afar with calculating eyes. If she used even an iota of her magic's usual strength, she could easily convince him to let her board without a pass. She imagined doing so. She also imagined at least half a dozen pairs of eyes locking onto her immediately. So, that was out—but there was always a way.

Like other girls, Kiyo had once been part of this thing called a "polite society." In Japan, where everyone was just oh so well behaved, who would ever do such a thing? No one, of course. That's why it was completely unguarded. Good. I hate crawling around like a snake. 'Protagonists' should be on their knees hiding from me, not the other way around, she thought irritably.

Kiyo popped a pill, waited for her moment, then pulled the fire alarm.

Predictably, panic ensued. Also predictably, no less than eight girls found opportunities to transform and begin looking for the fire—Kiyo wouldn't look at them directly, but now she could see the board. A few of the magical girls watched over the civilians as they escaped. One took an interest in Kiyo. "Come on! You can do it! Just a little farther! ...Woah!" The girl invisibly shoved a man who was fleeing the same restroom corridor from behind, preventing Kiyo from being trampled. Kiyo forced her eyes away from the girl like she was a camera on set. In theory, being in close proximity to multiple light girls was a constant in this place. It wasn't like their transformations changed the situation. In practice, seeing them all made Kiyo's skin crawl.

"She's scared. Poor thing. Can't we just carry her out?"

"Well, of course she's scared! She can barely walk and there's a fire!"

"Hey guys," another magical girl yawned. "There's no fire. We checked, liiike... everywhere. So... Let's just go to school like this. I don't wanna be late again..."

"Really? Someone made a mistake?"

"Looks like it. I mean, I really don't care what happened since there's no fire, sooo... yeah. I'm leaving."

"But..."

"Come on. If we keep her waiting, she'll just skip school altogether."

"Yeah, but..."

Kiyo didn't look at them, but she could feel the last girl's eyes on her. Just go. Like your friend said, you don't really care, so. Beat it! Finally, she looked up, and Kiyo was all alone in the subway—except for one of the watchmen, who was facing the other way and talking to someone upstairs, out of sight. Kiyo lifted her crutch up off the ground and took off running towards the empty train. Despite the help from the painkillers, running quickly gave way to speed-walking, which became shuffling, and then limping. Back to the crutch, then. At least now she was on the train.

She would probably be spotted when the surveillance footage was reviewed a day later, but by then, she'd be out of town. For now, if anyone asked, she was just a tired, injured girl on the back of the train that no one saw, who accidentally knocked herself out with medicine and slept through a fire alarm on the luckiest day possible to make that mistake. Pity tended to override probing questions.

Actually, she was pretty tired... a nap couldn't hurt too badly...



But sleep would not come easy for Kiyo. Not because of the railway noise, or how every shadow presented a place for someone to hide. Even the eerie feeling that came from being in a liminal space would give her little trouble. It was the other thing. The faint blue light that painted the shadows, the familiar buzz of an electric fly trap, all letting her know that she wasn't alone on this train.

It revealed itself slowly. A ball as white as porcelain inched past her seat. It was so white it reminded her of the hospital walls, only it was arcing with electricity. As it continued to come into view, Kiyo could see that was only the end of the contraption. It had blue and red cable that connected further down the body of the machine, only to vanish under body panels that were just as white as the dynamo on the end. But it wasn't just a contraption. A gloved hand was holding it, and as the hand's owner stepped into view Kiyo could see it was a girl. One with a white and black jacket and hair that could only be stylized by an electronic discharge. Her thick black gloves made her look like a mad scientist, but the pouches all over her outfit also made her look like a soldier. The lightning girl turned her blue eyes on Kiyo. Then she smiled and lowered her weapon.

"Sup?"

It was at this moment that Kiyo knew: no matter how perfect (self-proclaimed) her plans were laid out, they were always subject to Murphy's Law. Between the magical girl who attacked(?) her on the road, the paramedics, the doctors and nurses, and many other civilians, the chances that none of them had been a magical girl and also caught a glimpse of the tattoo at the base of her neck was near zero. Indeed, she should have seized her moment and left the hospital without a care for anything or anyone. Those pills had cost her a valuable chance to raise the odds that she wasn't followed.

On the other side of that same coin, the chances that this was a random encounter were also not zero, so there was nothing to be gained from giving herself up immediately. Lazily, Kiyo looked around, for nothing and no one in particular, hoping she looked at least somewhat convincingly confused. She waited just a little bit long, but not too long waiting for the magical girl to decide that Kiyo couldn't see her. "Last stop?" she wondered aloud, channeling her best Tsubomi impression. Even in this situation—no, especially in this situation, she could not help but ask a question with a double meaning.

The longer this light girl stood by Kiyo's side, the more it started to smell like ozone. Her smile grew as electricity arced between the points in her hair. It was as if she relished the silence.

"Is that how you answer sup?" She slid into an adjacent seat on the opposite side of the train. She placed her contraption in her lap and flexed her fingers. "I don't like to plan for the future. I'm looking for something, and my next stop could be soon or an hour from now. But... I think I'll know it when I see it. I usually do." She nodded to herself. "Do you know where you're headed?" Did that have a double meaning, or was it just an innocent question?

Kiyo flicked her eyes towards the electric girl briefly. Kiyo's red eyes were slightly magnetic, but then again, weren't most foreigner girls like that? They warranted a second look because they were uncommon. "You knew I could see you," she observed. "Am I that obvious, or are you just really good?" She allowed the question to settle a bit as she pondered the light girl's musings.

"I'm just a little observant." She looked ahead and folded her hands behind her head. She couldn't lean back too far, the giant tesla coil sticking out of her backpack obstructed her. "You're in a lot of pain, clearly. There was a hospital that wasn't too far away. If you were worried about your injury, which you should be, then you would have gone there. But maybe you didn't know about the hospital, or were too panicked to remember where it was." Without looking, she pointed at Kiyo's phone. "But you do have a phone. You could call someone if you really needed help. But you've chosen not to. So, you're probably a magical girl." She looked back and smiled. "Of course, I didn't know for sure until you answered back."

Kiyo listened to the girl with the science motif offer her thesis, and watched her point to the correct pocket at a cell phone she was sure the girl hadn't physically seen Kiyo holding at any point. She can detect pain and emotional states by reading the electrical signals. For someone packing so much firepower, that's pretty sophisticated. Kiyo smiled, her interest piqued. "Your conclusion is correct, but the premise was wrong. The doctor already did all he could. If I'm going to be in pain anyway, I might as well keep on living. I'd rather do that than stagnate in a hospital bed and eat protein bars."

She gave her prior question some more thought. She chose her words more carefully than she normally would when forced to entertain a stranger. Perhaps the possibility that they were engaged in some kind of verbal game of cat and mouse intrigued her. "Where I'm headed? Just a little further down the tunnel. Maybe there's light at the end of it. Maybe there isn't. I'll know when I get there." Her smile grew wider. She didn't mean for her comment to mirror the other girl's, but it did. "I always used to scout ahead before going to new places... but my friends called me 'boring,' so I stopped doing that." What was this, a confession booth? Why was she talking about her days as a light girl with a stranger? "Maybe I'll get off when I feel like walking again," she added, much less seriously.



"That might be a bit." She stood back up and reached for a hand brace. With all her gear, it was probably a lot more comfortable to stand up. "If we're going to keep talking, I'm Boleite. Bodacious Boleite if you're part of the team. But you're not, and if I'm honest, it's a little cringe. I thought Badass Boleite would be cool, but everyone thought that was too vulgar." She sighed. "You're forgiven if you don't want to share your own name though. This is an awkward situation we've found ourselves in, isn't it?"

Boleite talked on, and Kiyo listened. It occurred to her that this girl could probably fry her like a mosquito if she really wanted to. There really wasn't any reason not to, either, other than their mutual amusement. Unless... "You're playing hooky too, aren't you?" The question came suddenly like a syringe before the alcohol was allowed to dry. "I won't tell anyone. But before that... what, exactly, is cringe? Not being gay? You can count me out. Call yourself a badass if you really want to. Who cares what anyone else thinks?"

Boleite looked like she was going to tell Kiyo what cringe was, but her rapid fire response didn't allow her much room to speak. The girl only shrugged her shoulders and sighed. "I'm part of a magical girl team, so our names do need to mesh for cohesion. And honestly..." She lifted her weapon up in the air and pumped her bicep. "It's a lot cooler if you just show people you're a bad ass. Cringe is just something that gives people second hand embarrassment. Like when dark magical girls get into waxing philosophical about the night or go on about how unfair and wrong the world is." Kiyo looked ready to tell Boleite that she knew what cringe is, but then she had to call her out like that. Her mild annoyance manifested itself as a raised brow.

"As for playing hooky? Not exactly." She rolled her eyes. "I mean, I guess I'm not at school right now. But that can get cleared up with a phone call. Though I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I just left after such a strange event." She pointed at the doors leading out with her weapon. "I mean, a fire alarm gets pulled. There's no fire, so that's a good thing. But it does make me wonder who did it, and why." Her hair was stiff, but it seemed to spring when she swung her head side to side. "It couldn't have been any of the light girls. They were all pretty eager to return to school, and it wasn't like they had any motive." For some reason, Kiyo thought it odd that in the City of Light, specifying "light girls" would be necessary. Everyone knew there weren't any dark magical girls in the City of Light. At least, there weren't supposed to be. "Maybe some brat did it and escaped without me noticing, but I don't think that's very interesting." The smile left her face while she stared into Kiyo's eyes. "Why did you do it?"

Kiyo jolted.

---

Hey, Ai-chan. Next time, just tell me what's going on, alright?

W-What do you mean? It wasn't me, I swear!

Ai-chan... You know you're a terrible liar, right?

Huh?! H-How can you tell..?

It's your eyes! They're so big and round. Everyone can tell what you're thinking.

...Also, you just told me.

Guh..!

---

Piin-pon.

No, it had been the train that jolted. At some point, it had started moving. Had they really been talking for that long? Had the conductor returned, or was it Boleite's doing? She could kill her in the tunnel and blame the entire incident on a malfunction. The third rail would be blamed for the smoldering corpse. Or, perhaps she'd just paralyze her and cause the train to run away and crash, if she wanted to make a clever quip about her "last stop." She could take the credit for noticing a problem with the train and pulling the fire alarm to save everyone. For the moment, though, the train remained motionless, almost as though it refused to move until Boleite had received an answer to her query.

Kiyo met Boleite's eyes lazily. I'd have to be pretty dull to fall for this same trick again to the same girl in the same conversation. She was quite certain there were no eyes on her when she pulled the alarm. Then again, if this girl could detect electrical signals, she could probably detect bodies. But, could she detect them through walls while untransformed? It was a gamble. Lying was always a gamble, while a little honesty sometimes went a long way—but in a context where Boleite could turn her into a pile of black goo with no consequences... "...Is that the dramatic twist? I did it? That's a little lame, don't you think? Maybe someone was just scared and needed an adult, and pulling a switch was easier than speaking up. I once knew a shy girl who would do that kinda thing." She rocked her neck, cracking it. It hurt a little. "I won't lie, though, it was convenient for me. My train pass was obliterated along with my wallet when I crashed my bike. When it rains, it pours."

"And sometimes, it thunders." Boleite added with a chuckle. "I don't know. I really don't know. I think it could be interesting." She leaned forward, if only because the train was turning. Kiyo leaned back in her seat as Boleite leaned forward. "Like, we know you're a magical girl, right?" She chuckled. "You don't like hospitals because you don't want to be forced to eat protein bars, and you think I should call myself whatever I like because I shouldn't care about what other people think of me. Those seem like interesting traits for someone who stopped scouting because their friends called them boring."

Piin-pon.

Two more stops. Was Kiyo's gaslighting really effective at all, or was Boleite outright telling her that she was showing mercy just now?

She raised an eyebrow. "Do you still have those friends? Probably not. You would have waited in a safe place so that they could come and get you. Actually, you missed your chance to get those light girls to help you. But you hid from them. You didn't want them to find you. I can't think of many reasons why you'd try to keep such a low profile. I mean, magical girls are more or less invisible, and stronger than their normal selves. So the only reason why you'd insist on staying like that despite injury is if you were hiding from them." She let go of the hanger. Her feet were locked to the metal floor of the train. "You're right, you pulling the alarm as a prank is kinda boring. But if you were a dark magical girl trying to flee? With light girls like myself creeping around every corner? That would be pretty badass."

Piin-pon.

One more stop. The train squeaked and thumped along. For some strange reason, Kiyo thought the noise profile of the train was very similar to that of "domestic violence next door."

Kiyo looked visibly uncomfortable. "I tried joining a couple of magical girl troupes. They were suffocating, so I ditched. I'd rather be under the radar, but that seems impossible in this place, so I didn't plan on staying long." She seemed to be pointedly ignoring Boleite's comment on dark magical girls, until she suddenly spoke up again. "I like to travel a lot. Magical girls working together seems to be the norm here more than anywhere else. Seems something like a dark magical girl existing here would be unlikely." She'd probably been thinking of a way to change the subject.

Instead, she asked the kind of question that would probably scandalize an innocent light girl.

"What would you do if a junior of yours were to start turning dark? Like, is there a protocol for that? Can they be pulled back from the precipice, or is it like an event horizon?" she mused. It was not the sort of question a magical girl of light would ask so casually. She spoke of it as though it were something to be studied, rather than feared.

"I don't know. It's never come up."

Kiyo looked a little disappointed—but there was also a strange kind of respect, too.

"Ah, right. You did say you don't like to plan for the future."

A moment passed in stone cold silence. The conversation had stopped, but it took an uncomfortable amount of time for the train to follow suit.

Piin-pon.

With some difficulty, Kiyo stood up and forced a smile through the pain. "I hope you find what you're looking for at your next stop, Badass Boleite. But, if you find me instead, call me Kiyo. It's a fake name, but it's one of very few things that belongs to me, so I don't give it out to just anyone."

"Like the folk character?" Boleite inquired.

If I were a snake, I would have bit you, was what Kiyo decided was the clever answer, but she wouldn't offer it.

When Boleite realized her query would go unanswered, she shrugged her shoulders. "Well thanks! If I happen to see you again I'll be sure to remember it." She saluted Kiyo as the dark magical girl stumbled her way towards the exit. "May you finish your daring escape!"

Kiyo let out a good-natured scoff. Light girls. Always have to get the last word in... Slowly, she made her way off the train and out of the subway without incident, but not without struggle. If going down stairs was precarious, going up stairs was going to be exhausting. Then, there would be that wretched brightness again.

Wait...

There's... a wheelchair-accessible ramp here! Was there one at the other stop?

There was.

With the sun in her eyes, she must have not seen it. Kiyo pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation. Of course. It doesn't take a scientist to think that a girl with a crutch going down stairs would look a little odd if there was a ramp. Looks like I got that second miracle after all.

Slowly, but surely, Kiyo made her way to the less-populated outskirts of the City of Light. As romantic as it would be to walk off into the sunset, though, no one could argue that going any further like this wouldn't look a little odd. In the end, I still need a ride, huh. It was then that Kiyo realized something. I don't need my wallet to get a ride. I just need my phone! Quickly, she shuffled towards a gas station parking lot and set to work mooching the wifi. Ugh. Card declined. Great... ...Shuuko wouldn't mind, right? It's an actual emergency this time. But, her memory was foggy. At the best of times, she could remember something like a credit card number just fine, even if she only saw it a few times, but right now, she was tired, recovering from a concussion, and probably a little drugged out.

"Hey, cutie. Need a ride?"

A stranger was looking over Kiyo's shoulder at her broken phone screen, watching her predicament unfold. So, even in the City of Light, there are guys like this, she mused. "Yeah, but... it's a long way out of town..." she replied innocently.

"Hey, don't sweat. I'll take care of it."

It was a manner of "kindness" that was indistinguishable from exploitation.

But, in this case, there was no dishonesty, only honest selfishness.

They both understood the rules of engagement here.

...

Well, maybe he didn't, but that was his problem.

"Where we headed, sweet cheeks?" he asked, preening his absurd hair as he met Kiyo's eyes in the rear view mirror. For a little while, he simply admired them, content to listen to the sound of the engine as he took his catch onto a long and empty lane of the nearest highway out.

There was plenty of traffic going in to the City of Light in the evening, but going out would be a breeze... if not for the pair of invisible magical girls currently following them. Kiyo reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling as she massaged it. He could no longer see or hear anything but what Evil Eye wanted him to see.

---

Evil Eye gave only the briefest of glances to the transformed girls who appeared in the mirror as she locked the doors.

The hapless guy, however, sat transfixed. He saw demons. Horrible, screeching, long-nailed demons, that's what those girls were.

Instinctively, he screamed and floored the gas pedal—an appropriate reaction to being pursued by bloodthirsty women, and one which Evil Eye was counting on.

"W-What the fuck are those things?!" he cried out over the roar of the car's rapidly accelerating engine.

Evil Eye regarded the pursuing magical girls with some ill-timed scientific curiosity.

"It's a surprisingly philosophical question. I'm not really sure, myself, but some kind of cosmic horror is probably involved. Just look at me, and they won't hurt you. If you look at me, and don't look at them, they won't be able to touch you... if you look at them, though, we're both gonna die," she added nonchalantly. Unsure of what else he could possibly do in this surreal and horrifying situation, he obeyed, locking his eyes on Evil Eye's.

"I-I smell sulfur! They're really demons?!" he replied as he fell into deeper delusion.

"Stop the car!!" one magical girl shouted through the window as she roller-bladed alongside it, but Evil Eye ignored her pleas.

"Yeah. They'll torment you in all kinds of little ways and convince you that it's your fault. Then they'll wait until you get used to having them around, and stab you in the back. Just look at me," she insisted, as she moved her hand to retrieve a small screwdriver from her bike jacket pocket.

"What are you doing?! Stop!!" the girl pleaded through the passenger window, trying the handle in vain. The car was going so fast, she didn't know what she could do without causing the car to swerve or the driver to panic. She wasn't strong enough to slow the car down to a stop. Her partner was, but she wasn't fast enough to get in front!

Evil Eye jerked her head to the side to look the girl in the eyes as she whipped out the screwdriver from her bike jacket, pointing it at the guy's neck. Those unnaturally wide-open eyes that seemed to lock hers in place like magnets were filled with a kind of evil scarcely seen even among dark magical girls. That crazed glance was the last thing she saw before the sights and sounds of the road faded away into a scene of a funeral. All of her magical girl friends were there, blaming her for someone's death in "the car crash." All of this could have been avoided if she'd not tried to play the hero. It was a scene straight out of a nightmare, and though she only saw it for a few seconds before she snapped back to reality, she found that she had untransformed, and stopped her pursuit entirely. Her friend looked on in horror as she simply stood there, helpless in the middle of the highway in a daze.



"NO!!" her partner cried, leaping to her rescue and snatching her out of the way of the oncoming truck, shielding her body as they both tumbled into a ditch. Thank the stars, she'd managed to fall back to her position just in time. "Are you alright?! What did she do to you?! ...Say something, please..!"

Her friend said nothing. Her eyes, like the dark girl's eyes, were open wide. She looked scared, confused, and sad, all at once. She let out a whimper and sobbed into her hands. Her partner could do nothing but hold her and put her own smoldering fury on the back burner.

Evil Eye turned her attention back to her captive audience. He'd long since stopped making any kind of noise. So long as Evil Eye kept looking back to the mirror, this singular moment of terror would last an eternity for the helpless boy with no resistance to magic. Something else grabbed her attention, though: a police blockade. "Looks like this is your last stop," she remarked blithely.

A moment of indecision passed.

"...Slow down a little, or you're going to die." She wasn't sure why she said it. This wasn't Hibusa Town, and there was no Rule Keeper to prevent her from using any tragedy she wanted to further her own ends. Perhaps even she couldn't help but be a little grateful to Boleite for letting her go. "If you're gonna force me to accept kindness from you, I'm going to get even... but I'm not going to spit on your shoe. It's beneath me."

Evil Eye unbuckled her seat belt, and positioned her crutch in front of her head. An adrenaline-fueled moment stretched out in time. One moment, she was in the car—the next, she was flying through the air, eyes shut tight, holding her breath so as not to inhale the glass. The last time she'd flown through the air while escaping, it had been her hometown, her ex, and the friend who belittled and betrayed her.

...It hurts.

Blackened tears fell like mascara down Evil Eye's cheeks. They expanded, defying conservation of mass. Then, they morphed into a great black dog, which hit the ground running. Evil Eye wrapped her arms around its neck and held on for dear life. She felt the wind in her hair under the night sky. There was an embrace, but this one was cold as ice. For how long she did that, and how long she dreamed of it, she didn't know. One moment, she was listening to the sounds of the sirens fade into the distance. The next, she was laying on some grass somewhere.

The pair of pursuing magical girls arrived at the scene of the crash. The roller-blading girl saw the boy being carried off on a stretcher, moaning in agony as the dark magical girl's spell seemed to be starting to wear off. Unable to believe her own eyes, she rushed to the driver-side door of the smashed sports car. "...It's buckled," she remarked as she held the remains of the cut seat belt the boy had been extracted from. "It wasn't before. I saw it."

Her friend came up behind her and observed the scene. She whistled. "Another too-cool-for-a-seat-belt headass, huh? He wised up in time. Saved him." She watched her friend obsess over the detail for some reason. Suddenly, she got the urge to hug her again. "Glad you're okay."

"R-Right. Thanks. You saved my life!"

"Bout time you figured that out. Let's go home. That girl is long gone by now."

"Yeah," she agreed soberly.

He was definitely in a trance. She buckled his seat belt. Why would a dark girl do that?

Her partner would likely scoff at such a theory. So, she kept it to herself.

The news would report that an unidentified injured girl with a crutch had pulled a fire alarm in the subway, likely to get away from someone who had been stalking her. In the end, though, she had gotten into a stranger's car, and was never seen again, though the young man was caught in a high speed chase and brought to justice. There had been a warrant put out for his arrest in nearby Hibusa Town for failing to appear in court. To top it off, he had been facing sexual harassment charges. Abduction charges were dropped on account of a lack of evidence, and his sentence would be reduced on account of temporary insanity, but the women of Japan would never have to deal with him again, as he distanced himself from society—especially women.

The story would become something of an unsolved mystery. It sent shockwaves through the media, but was quickly forgotten about, except on obscure internet forums. Only a few magical girls knew that the abducted girl had been a Kurai Majokko, but even with the benefit of hindsight, they couldn't know if she had instigated whatever transpired in that car, or if the girl had been defending herself from a creep when their arrival had caused the confrontation to escalate. They didn't even know if she was alive or not. One magical girl's personal hypothesis was that she had made it out alright in the end.

Meanwhile, the culprit was looking up at a familiar face.

"...Interesting," she said, as everything faded to black.

...I can't be bothered with that nasty attitude of yours.

You want to drag me back into your court full of jesters?

That's fine.

Keep playing at being 'queen.'

I'll keep being your 'vizier.'

Just don't be surprised when that complacent attitude plays out exactly like the fairy tales.

When I surpass you, will you say it's "interesting" then?

Or will you try to pass it off as being your plan from the start?

...

Ah, shit.

I can hear my phone ringing.

Don't worry, Shuuko.

It'll be alright.

I'll tell you everything.

The story of how I, a stray cat, narrowly escaped the pearly gates.

...

I might leave out the part where my life was spared by a fellow scientist, though.

That part's kinda cringe.

Just as every night had its dawn, every vacation had its end. Be it relaxation on the beach or recreational activities at sea, there would come a time when all had to return home. Tensions were much lower on the trip back, and everyone rode inside the van this time. That included a familiar face they had encountered by pure happenstance.

Upon returning to Hibusa town, Oros hopped out of the van and approached Nyxia before she could escape return home. "Hi, Nixie!” She waved like they hadn’t just been riding in the same vehicle together.

“Hello?” Nyxia deadpanned, already inwardly cringing at the thought of what the perverted pinkette might wish to speak with her about.

Oros waddled her way up to her before bowing forward enough that their eyes were level. "Remember how earlier I asked you if you wanted to come to the theater with me? You didn’t seem too interested in going.” She laughed, then snorted. "Well, I found someone else to go with! So unless you changed your mind, you don’t have to come with me. Not that you had to before, but you know what I mean.”

“So, you managed to find someone who actually enjoys being violated, huh?” the Neon Tempest sneered. “Good for you. Anyways, if that’s all, I have other places to be,” she added, turning to depart.

"Take care!” Oros watched Nyxia depart for a few seconds before turning away. She reached back into the van, pulled Tsubomi out, and started walking towards her home.

---

Oros had seen Tsubomi’s home a few times, but she never went inside. Not because Tsubomi had forbid her or anything. She just didn’t have the best reputation as a student, and she knew she had family around occasionally. It was also annoying to be transformed if there were potential targets nearby. If her uncle walked into Tsubomi’s room and he was a UILF, well, could she really be expected to not try to kiss him? She hadn’t seen a lot of uncles in real life, but in the shows she watched they were always depicted as being really charismatic. They were probably second place under light magical girls. Totally S tier.

All suburban homes had at least two stories, and the girl of any house always had their bedroom towards the back so that teenage boyfriends (or girlfriends) could sneak inside unnoticed. So Oros was not surprised to see that there was a bedroom located in the back corner of the house. Could it have been her uncle or another family member? Maybe! But she didn’t plan on sticking around too long. The few times Tsubomi got like this, she was usually left at the club room. But a weekend was coming up and she didn’t feel like explaining anything to Rei.

Oros laid Tsubomi on top of the bed. She was unsure if she should tuck her in, but she might overheat since she was still dressed. Unless… No, there was no reason to do that.

Oros was about to turn around to leave when she looked over her shoulder at Tsubomi. She approached her and prodded her shoulder.

Magic was weird. Not only did Tsubomi's transformation turn itself off when she hit the sand, but once she was in the van, her little internal world shifted. Gone were the waves of sand, replaced with clouds that she and her unwanted companion now lay upon. Fortunately, these didn't hinder breathing the way the sand had, making Tsubomi much more comfortable.

The two sat in what to observers might seem like a companionable silence, though the reality would have been betrayed by their positioning, with Acid Drop sitting on Tsubomi's back. Though she couldn't see it, Tsubomi had the nagging (and correct) feeling that Acid Drop was on her phone. She did not know what, if anything, that was supposed to represent, nor if it had an analogue to the real world around her unconscious body.

Though the ride was peaceful for the duo, Tsubomi couldn't manage to fall asleep in this space the way she had wanted, and so was aware of the passing moments. She tried to count the seconds but couldn't bring to bear any interest to fuel it, and so she allowed her mind to stay empty. Eventually Acid Drop stood and turned around to face her human self.

"Weeeeeelp, it's been fun, but it's time to go, now." She began to wind back her leg, and after a short moment, swung it into Tsubomi's shoulder as hard as she could, right where her partner had just touched on her real self.

"Wake up."

Tsubomi's eyes slowly pried themselves open at Oros' contact. After a moment, as if they were confirming they were open, they blinked and lazily drifted towards the partner of their owner.

Oros also blinked, but was wide awake and had a smile painted on her face. "Are you okay?”

"Think so. Tired."

"Yea, I’m going to leave so that you can sleep.” Oros kneeled beside the bed and folded her arms under her chin. "I’m sorry I got mad at you the other day. You’re still the best partner I could ask for.”

Tsubomi went to try nodding her head, but only succeeded in dipping her chin somewhat and returning it to its starting position. "Emotions. Kind of suck. Right?" She paused. Something felt strange, but she couldn't pin down what it was, nor could she truly describe it if she had been asked to. She wasn't even sure where it came from, or where it was that felt so odd.

"Maybe I. Should try. Think more." The apathetic girl had to admit to herself that her usual blasé attitude towards people's emotions often led to trouble down the line. While not knowing what other people were feeling might be a fine excuse for most people, for her it didn't fly, given her magic's method of manifesting. If she could act well enough when there was magic in her veins as Acid Drop, surely she could do a little more of it more often...

Besides, even from the most selfish of the viewpoints that she could consider, it might be good training too. Though this thought was fleeting, quick to be replaced by another, which itself was quickly followed by an additional thought. 'Why isn't the whole club training?' was almost instantly replaced with 'I could have died in that fight.'

"Thanks for. Bringing back." Tsubomi's eyes drifted to look at the ceiling. "Better. Next time."

"We’ll both be better next time, and not just because we figured out how to get stronger!” Or at least, they had discovered a way to get stronger. They would have plenty of time to work out the specifics later. "I uh, I have tickets to the kabuki theater. It’s not for a few days, but if you wanted to bask in some emotions. I have plenty of tickets.”

Tsubomi tried again to nod, but couldn't bring herself to do so. She was, however, able to look back at Oros. This was a good chance to start the advice she'd given herself a moment ago; to try to avoid potential conflicts. Besides, Suki was cool. Tsubomi was as close as someone with her 'condition' could be with her, so why not? "Okay. Good idea."

"Would you like anything before I go?”

It took a bit of effort but Tsubomi was able to smile slightly, perhaps creepily, but at least she managed. "Be safe."

Oros’s eyes twinkled as she fixed her face with a smile of her own. "Will do!” She chirped, right before turning around and diving out the window. A tree branch snapped as she tumbled to the ground and presumably sped off.

---

After the event at the beach, everyone seemed just a bit more hopeful for the future. That wasn’t a word dark magical girls used often, but it held true here. The Hibusa girls wanted to get stronger, more so with the looming threat of Ashbringer hanging over them. She was strong by herself, but what were the rest of her “friends” going to look like?

But that didn’t matter now. One had to live too. Roache was all ready for her second run with Misoka. All she had to do was arrive.

And arrive she did, clad in the school jogging clothes. Not because she wanted to carry school pride everywhere she went, but simply because the windbreaker and shorts were perfectly balanced for a good run, and then the cool down afterwards. Normally Roche would have come to the spot well in advance and already been stretching as she waited for Misoka. Instead she’d found herself sleeping in, barely raising herself after slapping the snooze prompt on her phone’s alarm.

Refreshing herself with a cook, light breakfast, Roche paused, staring in the mirror, marvelling at how none of the damage from their beach encounter carried over to her normal form. Then with a smirk she bounded out the door, locking it behind and leaving a cold, lifeless home behind for a walk with a classmate.

Misoka was exactly the kind of person her fellow Detention Club members would hate, but none of them were volunteering for a morning run. Roche was only a minute late as she came to the meeting point, the morning air crisp and her smile a timid, hopeful thing.

The “running course” the two had picked out was a simple path that ran through the neighborhood. Roughly twenty houses in one direction before going down the back path and starting the entire thing over again. They would not have to cross traffic, nor did anyone in the area drive cars. It was the sort of track that was great for casual conversations, provided the runners weren’t pushing themselves too hard.

But on her way there, Roche’s cell phone rang. She didn’t need to look at caller ID to know it was from Misoka

”Hello Miss Hananami.” There was a long sigh on the other end of the phone. ”I have to apologize, I wanted to call you earlier, but before I knew it, it was already today and I didn’t want to wake you up.”

Roche’s expression curdled as she answered the phone, but she didn’t let it reach her voice as she raised it to her ear. She had certainly had others call out on her jogs after experiencing one, but those tended to be club dropouts thinking it would have been an easy club to join.

”Good Morning. Did something come up on your end?” Roche asked, tentatively clinging to the hope Misoka hadn’t bitten off more then she could chew.

”Yes, in a word.” Roche could feel Misoka’s smile grow as she spoke. ”You know how my mother’s flower shop burned down? Well, we were toying with the idea of rebuilding it but didn’t have the means to do so. Then out of the blue my mother received a large sum of money. We thought it had to be counterfeit at first, but we checked it thoroughly and even used it to start buying building materials.” She laughed. ”But um, as good as this is for us, we still need to make sure that money goes as far as it can. So I’m going to help with the construction. And, well…” Her voice became somber again. ”I think I’m going to get my morning workout getting the shop back together, at least for a while. I hate to cancel plans last second, but these are very special circumstances.”

Roche worried her lip, head turning about to confirm she was still alone in the early morning. She’d already swallowed the gut reaction of bitterness at finding her plans scrapped, because as far as excuses went, Misoka’s was rather compelling. It didn’t take long for her to connect the dots and see who would have had both reason and means to make such a donation.

After the silence on her end began to stretch to impropriety she responded with forced cheer. ”You’ll be getting plenty of exercise there. Just don’t forget to lift with your legs. But seriously, I’m happy for you, and the offer’s still open when you’ve got the store finished.”

”Once the flower shop is open, I’ll probably be helping run it. But we’ll see what happens. I may be able to find time to go running. Thank you for being so understanding.” Her tone became more demure as she went on. ”Um, that hurdle you were having a problem with. Is it still bothering you?”

”I….I think you got me past it. Or at least I found an avenue for it, but I guess I was a little less prepared for the ones that came after.” The answer was vague, but a bit of warmth was still in voice as Roche’s head tilted back, taking in the cloudy, morning sky. ”But I know it’s just a matter of time and perspective now. So thanks, Misoka.”

”You’re welcome. Have a good day!”

As soon as the call concluded, Roche noticed a woman with long, vibrant red hair up ahead. She was stretching like she was going to go for a run, but wasn’t really dressed for it. It wasn’t as if a dress shirt and skirt was impossible to run in, they were just a bit nice to be sweating into. The brass buttons on her skirt had been polished to a shine, and the ribbon below her throat was even on both sides. The red head, strangely enough, was standing exactly where Roche had planned on meeting with Misoka. She folded her arms behind her back and looked at Roche with a smirk.

Roche tucked away the phone and lowered her gaze with every intention to have her jog even if it would be alone. The familiar burn of lactic acid and the beating of her heart was just the distraction she’d need to push past the sheer absence of friends. It certainly wouldn’t have been nice to mention to Misoka her advice had left her firmly pushed out of the closet and rejected in the same breadth.

Then Roche was blinking, stricken by the unusual site of a woman stretching like she fully planned to jog in such atypical clothes. But more than that, and certainly more then the legs that seemed to go for miles, was that she was looking right at Roche and was waiting for her with an almost teasing expression.

”I’m sorry, but do I know you?” The tanned girl asked, approaching with the fearlessness of a Dark Magical Girl, more confused than wary by the stranger.

”Yes.” She looked around, only for effect, before looking back at Roche. ”Given how popular you are in school I’d have thought you’d always have someone with you. You head the track team. You’re even Rei’s right hand girl at the detention club. Surely an underling would be willing to get ‘private instruction’ from you on a cool morning?”

Was the woman attempting to flatter or insult Roche? She’d succeeded in unsettling Roche as her expression tightened, her focus flicking from a face she didn’t recognize and a main of hair that was nagging at her recollection.

”You are awfully well informed, but you must not be that close to me or you’d have known better. You also didn’t give me a very informative answer there, so let me elaborate.” The Rule Keeper took a step closer, and it was taking a great deal of will power not to clutch at the emblem around her neck as she did so.

”Are you going to be menacing any more flower shops?”

She clicked her tongue. ”It’s a lot more fun when you don’t tip your hand right away. You could have played dumb and tried to turn the tables on me at an opportune time.” She shook her head. ”Oh well.” She placed her hands on her hips. ”As I said before, I only destroyed that one because you lot were in my way. Which may or may not be an issue in a year or so.”

”You’ll have to forgive me if I’ve made it a habit of spoiling your fun.” The attempt at levity was only surface deep and Roche was tensed like a spring to be facing Ashbringer in the flesh, and well before the girl’s self appointed deadline. She knew she’d gotten a lot stronger since then, but strong enough to face Ash on her own?

Roche was stubborn, not suicidal.

”But I’ll be reasonable, if only because if you tried this with Nyxia every Magical Girl in the city would be seeing the light show by now. You’ve been watching us. You’ve stalked us at school. I imagine you probably know where I live by now, let alone how you knew I’d be here.”

There was no outward reaction from Ashbringer, save a growing smile.

Taking a deep breath and releasing it through her nose, the track captain made an effort to look calm and not like she was ready to throw a punch at the sign of mechanical dragons appearing. ”Why are you here? If you just wanted to beat us down, you wouldn’t need to wait a full year, let alone spy on us.”

”I have my reasons.” Her smile had finally spread to her ears. ”But today I’m here for you. I really do find it baffling that you’re practically the head of two teams, conventionally attractive, and have the popular girl title. The only thing that would make it complete is if you were isakai’d here or you found a vampire boyfriend who sparkles in sunlight.” She moved a hand to her chin. ”Instead you have lazer girl, pervy girl, and ‘don’t really care’ girl that you coerced into going to the beach, but none of them want anything to do with you. Do you know why that is?”

Open hostility would have been more welcome than the bizarre compliments being thrown her way by a girl who looks like she’d be student body president in both high school and university. But given her own track record she knew she wasn’t being hit on and felt her hackles raised as Ashbringer offered a loaded question.

”Enlighten me.” Roche winced at how small her voice came out, but the damage was done as she waited with bated breath.

”...What?” She tried to suppress a laugh, and failed. ”Do you think a small part of me feels empathy for you? That I would bother helping you out? That my ‘self-imposed time limit’ is somehow for your benefit? I’d smack some sense into you if I didn’t think your head would roll off of your shoulders. It can’t be on right if you’re thinking like that. Unless the blood is all rushing somewhere else?” She wasn’t smiling anymore, though she didn’t seem especially perturbed either. ”Since you’re curious about me, and you’re boring, I’ll let you know what I’ve been up to. She paused, again, purely for effect. It’s not easy to make friends when you’re a dark magical girl. You lot are an outlier in that regard. But I was able to get my old buddy Sink Queen to sign up again. I fear the others will take more convincing.” She sighed. ”It’ll be great if I can get the old team back together. If you can keep getting stronger, I’m sure our fight will be interesting. That little spat near the flower shop will be nothing compared to what’s coming.” She turned to leave. ”Maybe I’ll even race you next time I drop by, provided you aren’t feeling so melodramatic.”

The tanned magical girl winced under Ashbringer’s ridicule. For being enemies she had an uncanny resemblance to Nyxia in that moment, but she could hardly digest that before the redhead dropped the bomb shell she’d likely come the entire way to drop.

”I guess we peaked her interest after all.” The revelation was certainly a bitter one, and it had Roche wondering if it was coincidence that brought Sink Queen into contact with them, or enemy action. What really were the odds of running into her familiar in a sunken ship miles off coast? Her palm brushed against the phone tucked back into a zippered pocket as distrust curdled in her gut. Ashbringer just knew too much, in too intimate a detail, to not have a close eye, or an inside source on them.

Her enemy turned away with her word said, but Roche stamped her foot down and called out to her regardless. ”Why are you doing this?! All this for an insult?”

”I think I’ve said enough.” She tipped her head back. ”But since this was a bust, maybe I’ll torch that flower shop again. That’ll teach them to try and build it back.” Her steps got quicker.

”Don’t you dare!” Roche snapped out, breaking into a jog to keep up with the woman. Perhaps she really was as petty as she seemed but Roche couldn’t let her try that, not after seeing how much damage that one act had caused the Detention Club and others. ”You’ve already got your fight. Just leave the civvies out of this, or I’ll do my damned best to ruin your morning at the very least!”

”Hah!” The woman spun on her heel to face Roache, but didn’t stop running. She was able to run backwards and stay ahead of the track captain. It didn’t seem like she needed to see where she was going either, as she always knew just when to step to avoid running into obstacles. She stepped to the left to avoid someone walking their dog, and then to the right to avoid a lamp post. ”And how do you plan on doing that? By nagging me to death?”

”I can damn well if I need to. But let’s be honest with ourselves, if I fight you now, you’ll beat me, and then you’ll have robbed yourself of this big, stupid fight you want.” Roche bit out, finding it a challenge when they were doing this while jogging among normal people. Couldn’t Ashbringer be the tiniest bit reasonable? Of course not. If she could have been they’d have never wound up in the situation to begin with.

”So just leave the flower shop alone!”

Before long, they had arrived at the ruins of the flower shop. Now nothing more than scorched earth and charred timber. Ashbringer stepped onto the blackened sidewalk and slowed down enough for Roche to close the distance. When she did, Ashbringer took hold of her waist and turned around.

Misoka was standing before them. Her cheeks were black with soot and there was a shovel in her hands.

”Miss Hananami? Regina?!” She looked between the two of them.

Roache’s focus was so tightly set upon catching up that when the backwards jogging Magical Girl came upon, Roche froze like a deer in the headlights. Perhaps it was for the best, as when she found herself embraced and turned, it really wouldn’t have been proper to explode with violence in front of Misoka of all people.

”Hello!” The girl named Regina pulled Roche closer. ”I happened to be in the area, talking to all the locals when I encountered my good friend Roche. She was telling me all about what happened to you and how you couldn’t run with her today. I could tell she really wanted to spend time with you, so I walked her over here.”

”But that call was only-” Misoka placed a hand on her chin and thought, which only smeared more soot on her face.

Before them was the flower shop, a soot-blackened Misoka staring curiously at the both of them. Yet what sent chills down her spine was the seeming familiarity with Ashbringer, or as Misoka insisted, ‘Regina’ Given her position, both literal and social, the track captain could only plaster on a strained grin and wave to the workaholic. ”What can we say? We jog quick, but it was hard to enjoy it knowing you were doing all this. Bumped into Regina here on the way. Got a spare shovel?”

Misoka sighed. ”You really don’t have to help… But here, I think there’s one around here.” Misoka immediately turned around and walked towards a pile of rubble. There was a wheelbarrow and other tools nearby, and perhaps a shovel was just out of sight. With Misoka occupied, Regina took her hand off of Roche.

While Misoka took the bait and went searching the Magical Girls were left with a moment of traded barbs.

”Who knew you were such a good samaritan?” She looped her thumbs in her waistband. ”But I just wanted to get some exercise in before heading back. Since I’m dressed too nice for this, I think I’ll let you clean up after me.” She patted Roche on the shoulder before turning away to leave. ”Take care, Misoka! It was nice to see you again!” The supposed Regina excusing herself with more finesse then Roche could have managed.

The do gooder rushed out from behind the pile of rubble with a spare shovel as Regina was leaving. ”You’re leaving already?”

”Yes, terribly sorry!” She said over her shoulder, but didn’t stop walking. ”I’ll send you a message later, but I’m running behind as-is!”

”Alright, well, take care!” She waved to Regina one last time.

”I look after my city, Regina.” Roace growled under her breath.

Misoka turning back to Roche. ”I hadn’t realized you and Regina were um… Friends?” She gave Roche a sideways glance, like a scientist waiting for an experiment to start.

Her erstwhile enemy was already walking away, and Roche’s composure settled once more with Misoka’s company and a sudden task set before her. While not how she’d have liked to have spent her day, Roche couldn’t deny some hard work was just what the doctor ordered to get past the encounter just then. The blonde’s words had her pause in consideration as she swung the shovel to her shoulder and strolled onto the property.

”It’s only the second time we’ve met, but it won’t be the last. I’m more surprised you know her. Does she go to our school?”

”...Oh!” Misoka chuckled. ”I’m sorry, I thought you two were close. No, she’s not from around here. I’m not even sure if she's of school age anymore. If she is, she’s tutored in the city of light.” She pushed her shovel into the rubble and began adding to the pile. ”She’s just a friend I made over summer vacation a few years ago. Really nice person. Very friendly. The sort who can talk you out of any funk you find yourself in. We strike up the occasional messenger chat, and she drops by here every few months.”

Roche had a sneaking suspicion that Regina wasn’t a day under college age but to find she was that frequent a visitor without the Club’s knowledge was unsettling. What reason did someone like Ashbringer have to hide when the city was a rich Miseria hunting ground?

It was worrying that someone Misoka considered a years old friend would then burn down her family business for an act of spite towards Nyxia, but maybe their first meeting was more engineered then they thought.

”If you don’t mind, shoot her my number. Who knows what will happen.” Roche said evenly before planting the shovel into rubble and getting to work. Given she was there, she’d work, but when they parted she had every intention of digging further into this matter.

”She’s not really a phone person, but I can get you her e-mail.” Misoka set down her shovel and started organizing everything she needed on her phone. Though while she was putting everything together, she stopped. ” Do you have any friends like that? Someone you can just tell anything to?”

Her spine stiffened as Misoka asked an innocent question, and she looked back with a brief lack of any warmth before fitting a false smirk in place. “If I had friends like that I’d be out jogging with them. I can hope for that to change…”

But hope wasn’t something a dark magical girl put any stock in.