[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/zhp2XL5.png[/img]

[color=firebrick][b]"Yes yes, there's text here again. Don't get quiplash."[/b][/color][/center]
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	Several floating eyes did find their way to Rei's side, but Evil Eye herself was nowhere to be seen. It wasn't unusual for her to be late, as she had a habit of getting absorbed in "preparations," whatever those might be. Her motorcycle's engine was usually audible not too far away in any case, but the hunt's cacophony was missing that particular sound on this night.

	Evil Eye floated along, musing about how much she still hated flying, especially at night and at this altitude. It would always remind her of [i]that[/i] night—betrayed by an ally, friend and lover all at once. The air was cold then, too. So was she. She wasn't bitter about it anymore, but remembering it was like hearing an annoying voice echo in a dark cave while stuck in a narrow space, realizing that there was nothing to be done except wait for it to stop, until sooner or later it piped up again in vain, unwarranted.

	She amused herself watching her breath freeze, until one—or rather, [i]all[/i] of her eyes spotted something. [color=firebrick][b]"To think I worried that I'd have to seek you out,"[/b][/color] she observed as her Mogall were collectively flash-banged. She supposed this was only a minor inconvenience, since any magical girls interested in a fight on either side were probably headed that direction now. Kiyo smiled as she gave her order to the Mogall. All at once, they began to weep, the tears falling like inky black rain. The pools bubbled like boiling tar, forming new monsters, and these were something like a cross between a moth and a mosquito, and they descended upon Hizuki's "flame" and the prey it had attracted in characteristic swarming frenzy.

	Quickly they descended, impaling the lowly miseria with their proboscides and feasting upon them. They were an intangible plague, something that could hardly be fended off with the simple and uncoordinated physical attacks of such weaklings—so it was quite fortunate that, as of yet, they'd shown no interest in either humans or animals. What they did have an interest in was the miseria, and whatever could be drained from them. Could it be called blood, or was it more like an ectoplasm? The only girl who was likely to be interested in such answers, Evil Eye, awaited her servants' return with a mason jar. God only knew what the mad scientist had planned to do with it, because for the moment, she was more interested in the girl who'd delivered her prey to her.

	[color=firebrick][b]"I do [i]love[/i] efficient workers,"[/b][/color] she remarked with some enthusiasm, smiling. [color=firebrick][b]"But you should really pace yourself more. Leave some room for improvement on those performance evals, yeah? It's [i]that[/i] kind of world, after all. It doesn't appreciate people like us who go all out."[/b][/color] She flipped the jar around in her hand idly, considering a thought that she decided not to voice. [color=firebrick][b]"I don't think I caught your name."[/b][/color]