Since that day, Madoka and I have walked to school together every morning. Two days since the battle in the art room. Sayaka gazed out the classroom window. The sky stretched high. Clouds drifted slowly. Madoka sat beside her, textbook open. An ordinary morning. But Mami-senpai's face wouldn't leave the corner of her mind. In her past life, the witch of sweets had devoured her senpai. Every time she remembered that smile, her chest tightened. "[gentle]Hey, Madoka." Sayaka lowered her voice. "[gentle]Are you free after school today?" Madoka looked up. Her pink eyes blinked, slightly startled. "[gentle]Yeah. I'm free. What's up?" "[gentle]I want to go to Mami-senpai's place. To have her properly teach us about magical girls." Madoka's expression stiffened, just a little. Sayaka, covered in blood in the art room. She was remembering that scene. But Madoka nodded right away. "[serious]Okay. I'll go too." Sayaka smiled. (This time, I'll protect her.) In her heart, she swore that vow. After school. An eight-minute walk from Takihara Station. A large apartment building came into view. Luminous Heights Takihara. A fine building, fourteen stories tall. Glass doors at the entrance. Auto-lock. "[surprised]Wow... it's such a big apartment building." Madoka looked up. Sayaka pressed the intercom. Seventh floor. Tomoe. Ding-dong. A brief pause, then a voice came through the speaker. "[gentle]Yes, this is Tomoe." "[excited]Ah, Mami-senpai! It's Miki! I brought Madoka with me!" "[excited]Oh my! I'll open up right away." Her voice brightened. The lock clicked open. The elevator took them to the seventh floor. Down the hallway, the door to room 703 stood open. Tomoe Mami was there. Blonde hair in vertical drill twin-tails. Calm amber eyes. A white blouse with a navy flared skirt. Elegant. Graceful. The perfect senpai. "[excited]Welcome, you two! I've been waiting." Mami smiled, genuinely happy. Someone was visiting her home. That alone made her face light up like that. (She's been alone this whole time.) Sayaka's chest ached again. The room was spotless. White walls. Wood-grain floors. A sofa and a table. Foreign books lined the bookshelf. The kitchen gleamed, like something from a model room. But. No family photos anywhere. Not one on the wall. Not one on the shelf. Just a single small teddy bear, tucked in the corner of the shelf. "[surprised]Wow, what a lovely room..." Madoka's eyes sparkled. "[gentle]Thank you. Now, sit, sit." Mami set three teacups on the table. She poured tea from the pot. Amber liquid. The scent of bergamot rose softly. "[gentle]The tea is Darjeeling. I have cake too." From the refrigerator, a small cheesecake appeared. Sayaka sat in a chair. Madoka sat beside her. "[gentle]Well then, I'll start by explaining the basics of magical girls." Cup in hand, Mami began to speak quietly. "[gentle]First, about Soul Gems." She gently stroked her ring. "[gentle]This is our true body. Our soul itself. Our physical bodies are, so to speak, remotely controlled vessels. If you move more than a hundred meters away from this gem, your body will stop functioning." "[scared]I-Is that so...?" Madoka's face stiffened. "[gentle]Yes. So you must keep it safe." Mami took an elegant sip of tea. "[gentle]Next, how to find a witch's barrier. Your Soul Gem glows. When a barrier is nearby, like this." Her ring emitted a faint light. "[gentle]How to fight. How to use Grief Seeds. They absorb the corruption and purify your gem. Used seeds are given to Kyubey." Sayaka listened in silence. She knew all of this. She had experienced it all in her past life. But hearing Mami's voice, a warmth spread slowly through her chest. (She teaches us so kindly. She tries to guide her kouhai. And yet, in my past life—) —The witch of sweets. —Devoured. —Head first. —And I couldn't do anything. Sayaka's fists clenched tight on her lap. "[gentle]And one more thing, Miki-san." Mami looked at Sayaka. "[gentle]That healing magic of yours is a very rare power. But be careful. The more you use magic, the more corruption builds up in your Soul Gem." Sayaka raised her head. And then, she said it. "[serious]Senpai." Her voice grew firm. "[serious]Please, don't ever go off alone." Madoka froze in surprise. Mami's hand stopped. The teacup was set down quietly on its saucer. A soft clink. "[gentle]...Miki-san?" "[serious]You never know what a witch might do. Fighting alone is dangerous. If anything happens, please call for me. No matter what." Sayaka stared straight at Mami. Mami's amber eyes wavered, just slightly. Then, she smiled quietly. "[gentle]Miki-san. I've been protecting Mitakihara alone for nearly two years now." Her voice was gentle. But it had a core of steel. "[gentle]There are certainly dangers. But I have my role as your senpai. Protecting you is part of that." "[serious]But—" "[gentle]Besides." Mami took another sip of tea. "[gentle]You haven't been a magical girl for very long, have you? I'm happy you're concerned, but don't worry about me." Sayaka lost her words. (No. Senpai. I know. I know you fight alone—and die.) Images from her past life flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern. But she couldn't say it out loud. What would happen if she did? There was no way she'd be believed. Mami didn't press Sayaka any further. But from then on, her explanations carried a slight distance. Madoka looked back and forth between their faces, unable to interject. An awkward silence drifted through the room. —At that moment. A white shadow appeared by the window. "[cold]Hey." A voice devoid of emotion. A pure white body. Red eyes. Long ears. Before anyone noticed, it was sitting on the windowsill. "[cold]Kyubey." Sayaka's voice dropped low. "[gentle]If you're here, that means it's time." Mami stood up. "[cold]Yes. In the shuttered shopping district of northern Mitakihara—the old Kanade Street—a new barrier has appeared. A worm-type witch, never recorded before." A chill ran down Sayaka's spine. (Worm-type? There was no witch like that in my past life.) "[serious]Miki-san, Kaname-san. Real combat. Let's go." "[excited]Yes!" Sayaka rose instantly. Madoka scrambled to her feet too. "[scared]M-Madoka, wait here. Whatever you do, don't go inside the barrier." "[sad]But..." "[whispers]Please." Sayaka squeezed Madoka's hand tight. Madoka bit her lip and nodded. As dusk began to envelop the city. The three arrived at the shuttered shopping district. Old Kanade Street. A shopping arcade that once bustled, now almost entirely closed. Shuttered shops. Broken streetlights. An empty sidewalk. The wind blew. An empty can clattered. "[serious]It's here." Mami raised her ring. Her Soul Gem blazed brightly. The air changed. It grew heavy. Like being underwater. The scenery warped. The next moment— The surroundings transformed into darkness. A corridor of ruins stretched endlessly ahead. The ceiling was high. The walls were decayed. The floor was cracked, riddled with holes. Squelch. A sticky sound. Something fell from the ceiling. Small. Many of them. Insect-like familiars. Countless. And then— From deep within the corridor, something massive emerged. A white, writhing aberration, over ten meters long. A worm-type witch. Its body was divided into countless segments, each squirming independently. At its head, a giant jaw split three ways. Inside, rows of fangs packed tight. "[serious]It's coming!" Mami shouted. In that instant, light burst forth. Transformation. Yellow ribbons danced. Countless muskets materialized. Mami spread her ribbons and restrained the swarm of familiars in a heartbeat. "[serious]Tiro!" Gunfire. Familiars were pulverized one after another. Precise tactics. Flawless movement. Sayaka transformed too. Blue light. A white cape. A frilled skirt. A saber in hand. "[excited]Here I go!" She ran. But. The worm's movements were abnormally fast. Slither. The sound of crawling across the floor. The next moment, it was already on the ceiling. "[surprised]It's fast—!" Sayaka launched her saber. The blade danced. But the worm dodged it with ease. Writhing its body, crawling up the wall, across the ceiling—its position was impossible to pin down. "[serious]Miki-san, coordinate! I'll stop its movement!" Mami's ribbons tried to coil around the worm— Crunch. The worm's jaws bit through the ribbons. "[surprised]What—" Tension flashed across Mami's face. The worm turned. Its target—Mami. (Like hell I'll let you!) Sayaka leaped in. She planted herself in front of Mami. Two sabers, at the ready. "[angry]Over here, you—!" The worm's jaws opened. Fangs. Countless fangs. And then— Crunch. A dull sound. The worm's jaws impaled Sayaka's torso. Clothes tore. Flesh tore. The sound of bone shattering. "[pain]—Gahk." Blood sprayed from her mouth. "[scared]Miki-san!!!" Mami's scream. But— Sayaka smiled. Through her bloodied lips, she smiled. "[laughing]...Heh. Got you." Healing magic. The wounds closed instantly. Flesh regenerated. Bone reconnected. Agony. Her whole body burned like fire. She felt the corruption in her Soul Gem surge. But she didn't care. Still impaled on the worm's jaws—Sayaka generated sabers. Ten. Twenty. Thirty. "[angry]Go to hell!!!" Screaming, she drove a rain of sabers into the worm's head. Shunk. Shunk-shunk-shunk-shunk-shunk!! Tearing flesh. Crushing bone. Piercing the core. Gyaaaaaaaa!! The worm's death cry. Its massive body convulsed. The barrier cracked. The next moment— It burst apart. Vanishing into black mist. A black seed dropped with a thud. A Grief Seed. The barrier dissolved. Reality returned. The shuttered shopping district at night. Streetlights flickered on and off. Sayaka released her transformation. In that instant— Her knees buckled. She collapsed. "[scared]Sayaka-chan!!" Madoka rushed over. But faster than her, Mami grabbed Sayaka's shoulders. "[scared]Let me see." Her voice trembled. Beneath Sayaka's clothes. Scars sealed by healing magic layered over each other, again and again. The abdomen that had just been impaled. Her shoulder. Her legs. Her arms. Covered in wounds. Mami's hands shook. "[crying]During that fight... how many times did you nearly die? Did you count?" Sayaka couldn't answer. Tears welled up in Mami's eyes. "[crying]Don't throw your life away like it's disposable." Her voice turned into a sob. "[crying]If you disappeared... do you know who would grieve?" Mami took Sayaka's Soul Gem in her hand. A blue jewel. Deep corruption spread through its center. Mami brought the Grief Seed close and let it absorb the taint. Little by little, the murk faded. But it didn't all disappear. A dark shadow remained at the bottom. "[crying]...I don't want to lose you." Mami's tears fell onto Sayaka's hand. Sayaka hung her head. She wanted to say it. (Senpai, in my past life, I watched you die. I couldn't do anything. So this time, I was determined to protect you. No matter what.) But she couldn't say it. If she did, she'd have to tell her everything. That she had turned back time. That she herself had once become a witch. There was no way she could talk about that. Sayaka bit her lip. Between her teeth, she tasted blood. "[sad]...I'm sorry." She said only that, and fell silent. Mami gazed at Sayaka's silence. Something dwelled in those amber eyes. —Doubt. —Worry. —And a deep, profound loneliness. "[gentle]You can't tell me the reason, can you." Mami said it quietly. Sayaka didn't answer. "[sad]I see." Mami stood up. She wiped her tears and crafted a smile. But that smile was different from the one she had shown them in her room. "[gentle]Let's go home for today. Kaname-san, I'm counting on you to look after Miki-san." Madoka nodded. Mami turned her back and vanished into the darkness of the night. On the way home.