Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Sayaka Miki's Time-Reversal Epic - Blue Oath, Still I Want to Protect It

Silence settled over the abandoned factory. The roar from moments ago felt like a lie. Only the faint creak of steel frames remained. Sayaka sat slumped against the wall. Her uniform was in tatters. Scorched and torn everywhere. But that wasn't the worst of it. She couldn't breathe. Her lungs refused to work. Her heart clenched with grinding, crushing pain. Sayaka looked down at her left hand. Her blue Soul Gem was murky, nearly black. Mami had used a Grief Seed on her. Even so. A black stain, thick as ink, still clung to the bottom. (*How much longer can I last?*) She didn't know. But not yet. She couldn't end it yet. In the center of the factory, a saber stood impaled. The blade that had pierced the shadow's core. The core should have shattered completely. And yet. The saber trembled faintly. No—it was being pushed back. Something from within was trying to force the blade out. Sayaka stood. Her knees shook. Her head spun. Her vision went white for an instant. She braced a hand against the wall and finally steadied herself. "Sayaka, what are you—?!" Madoka's voice reached her from far away. Near the entrance. Pink twin tails, smudged with dust. But there was no time to worry about Madoka now. Sayaka took a step forward. Her legs felt like lead. "Sayaka, you can't. Your Soul Gem is—" Mami's voice. Still holding Kyouko, she watched Sayaka with sharp eyes. But Sayaka didn't stop walking. One step. Another step. She drew closer to the saber. The blade trembled again. Visible now, unmistakable. Inside the core's fragments, a black will still lingered. The fading shadow was wringing out its last strength to force the blade back. "...Don't screw with me." Sayaka gripped the saber's hilt. Cold. The feel of dead metal. But as if responding, her Soul Gem faintly warmed. (*You fed on my despair, didn't you?*) (*Then you should understand.*) Sayaka drew a breath. Her lungs screamed. Even so, she shouted. "I was scared too!!" Her voice trembled. "Kyousuke's hand healed, and I was happy. But I couldn't tell the truth. I couldn't say my wish healed it! If I did, Kyousuke would blame himself. So I couldn't say it!" The saber began to glow. A pale, blue-white light. "I swore I'd protect Madoka! I decided everything alone, fought alone... The truth is, I was so scared I couldn't stand it!" Tears spilled over. She couldn't stop them. Her voice broke into sobs. "In my past life, I... I almost became a witch. I was terrified of losing myself, of vanishing. No one understood me. I was alone, sinking into dark water...!!" In Sayaka's hand, her Soul Gem pulsed. Black haze still seeped out. Her own despair. The terror from her past life she couldn't erase. "But even so—!!" Sayaka raised her head. Her face was a mess of tears, but she shouted straight ahead. "I want to protect everyone!!" In that instant. Her Soul Gem erupted with light. Pale blue radiance dyed every corner of the abandoned factory. Blindingly bright. Particles of light spilled from Sayaka's body. Hundreds, thousands of tiny blue lights. Like fireflies, they drifted softly through the factory. The light gathered first around Kyouko. Kyouko, who had cried herself to sleep in Mami's arms. The light poured down onto her face. Kyouko's closed eyelids twitched faintly. A vision—a church engulfed in flames. Her father's shouts. Her little sister's cries. They dissolved into the light. In their place, a different voice. "Kyouko, dinner's ready." Her father's voice. But not angry. The gentle voice from when he was alive. Kyouko's lips moved. "...Dad." A single tear fell. But it was slightly different from the tears of despair from before. Next, the light reached Mami. Mami caught her breath. Her amber eyes widened in surprise. The light touched her shoulders, her back—gently. The cold of all those nights fighting alone. The weight of loneliness she'd told no one. It eased, just a little. Just a tiny bit. "...This is..." Mami's voice shook. And then. Sabers materialized around Sayaka. Not one. Ten. Twenty. Countless blue blades hung in the air. "This ends now—!!" Sayaka swung her arm. The sabers surged toward the shadow's core all at once. From every direction, piercing simultaneously. Not a sharp clang—a dull, wet, tearing sound. The core shattered into dust. Black particles scattered. The shadow dispersed without even a scream. Finally, a tiny black fragment fell to the floor and vanished. Silence. Sayaka collapsed to her knees. Her transformation dissolved. The blue light faded, leaving her in her ruined uniform. She pressed her hands against the floor. She gasped for breath. Her vision blurred. But the Soul Gem in her left hand—the taint had lessened. Not completely. But it wasn't pitch black. (*Did my healing magic turn inward on myself?*) The thought drifted through her mind. ...It didn't matter. It was over. The shadow was gone. Soft footsteps approached. Madoka. Pink sneakers entered her field of vision. Madoka knelt in front of Sayaka. Without a word, she took Sayaka's hand in both of hers. Small, warm hands. "...Sayaka." Madoka said only that, then just cried. Crying, she kept holding Sayaka's hand. Sayaka squeezed Madoka's hand back with her right. "...Sorry. For worrying you." Madoka shook her head vigorously. Did that mean *no*? Or *it's okay*? She didn't know. But that was fine. Right now, more than words, the warmth of Madoka's hand seeped into her heart. By the wall, Kyouko woke. Her crimson hair was a mess of sweat and dust. She sat up from Mami's arms and looked around dazedly. Then she spotted Sayaka slumped on the floor. Kyouko stood slowly. Staggering, she walked toward Sayaka. Sayaka tried to stand too, but her knees buckled. She finally got up with Madoka's shoulder for support. Kyouko stood directly in front of Sayaka. She stared down at her with red eyes. "...I hate idiots like you." A quiet voice. Then Kyouko took Sayaka's hand. She forced it open. A small scrap of paper was pressed into Sayaka's palm. A folded, battered memo sheet. Sayaka looked up in surprise, but Kyouko had already turned away. "...Hey, Kyouko!" Ignoring the voice calling her back, Kyouko walked toward the factory exit. Her crimson ponytail swayed in the twilight. "Thank you!!" When Sayaka shouted, Kyouko's feet stopped for just a moment. But she didn't turn around. She kept walking. Kyouko's back vanished into the light outside the factory. Sayaka unfolded the memo in her palm. A contact number, written in rough handwriting. That was all. But that memo felt impossibly heavy. ...She'd reach out properly later. Not just to talk about witches this time. Maybe over some taiyaki together. Mami approached Sayaka. "How's your Soul Gem?" "It's fine. Somehow." Sayaka said it while hiding her left hand behind her back. No need to mention the taint still lingering at the bottom. Mami gazed steadily into Sayaka's eyes. Then she let out a small breath. "...I've been alone for so long too. Pretending I was fine." Mami's voice trembled faintly. Sayaka and Madoka looked up instinctively. Mami had turned her back to them, surveying the battle scars scattered across the factory. "After my parents died in the accident, there were hundreds of nights I was terrified to come home alone to this apartment." As she spoke, Mami turned back. Her amber eyes were slightly red. "But then you two started coming over... and it made me so happy." The mask of the perfect senpai had slipped for the first time. Sayaka caught her breath. "...If you don't mind, would you come to my place? I have cake baked." Mami's voice quavered just a little. "We'll come! Of course!" Sayaka answered instantly. "May I... come too?" Madoka nodded, wiping her tears. Mami smiled a little. Not her usual elegant smile. Something more crumpled, awkward—but real. --- Luminous Heights Takihara. The scent of black tea drifted through Mami's apartment. The three of them sat around the table. A steaming cup in front of Sayaka. Mami's homemade cheesecake in front of Madoka. The same room, the same cups as that day—the day they'd visited before—but the atmosphere was completely different. Quiet, but warm. "...My parents. It was an accident." Mami spoke quietly. "When I was still little... After that, I was alone in this apartment ever since." Sayaka listened in silence. Madoka watched Mami intently too. "I'd almost forgotten how happy it makes me to have someone come over. I only remembered after you two started visiting." Mami held her teacup cradled in both hands. Her fingers trembled faintly. "You were lonely all that time, Mami-senpai." Madoka's voice was thick with tears. Mami gave a small nod. Then she looked at Sayaka. "...Sayaka, you always take on too much by yourself." "...Yeah." "But watching you today, I felt a little relieved. Because you finally showed us your true feelings." Sayaka couldn't say anything. Her chest grew warm. "Then from now on, we'll barge in way more often! So you don't have to come home alone!" At Sayaka's declaration, Mami gave a wry smile. "...Yes. I'll look forward to that." A warm silence settled over the room. The lovely fragrance of black tea gently wrapped around the time they shared. --- Late at night. Two figures stood on the platform at Takihara Station. Sayaka and Madoka. It was nearly the last train, and the platform was empty. The white glow of fluorescent lights stretched their shadows long across the asphalt. "Today was really rough, huh." Madoka said. "Yeah. But it wasn't bad." Sayaka spoke while gazing at the distant tracks. "Mami-senpai opened up to us like that. And Kyouko gave me her contact info." "Yeah." A brief silence. Then Madoka spoke. "...Can I say just one thing?" "What?" "I'm happy. That you're learning to lean on others." Madoka's voice was quiet. But full of conviction. Sayaka looked at Madoka's face. Pink eyes gazed straight at her. Different from that day—that time in the park when those eyes had looked at her with doubt. Now, Madoka had chosen to believe. In Sayaka. Her eyes grew hot. Sayaka looked down and bit her lip. (*Today, I showed my true feelings to Mami-senpai. And to Kyouko too.*) (*Madoka was watching.*) Madoka held out her pinky. "This time, let's protect it together. I can't become a magical girl... but I can be there to support your heart." Sayaka hooked her own pinky around it. "...Yeah. This time, I'll protect it. Absolutely." Their pinkies locked tight. Different from that day's lonely resolve. A vow made together with someone else. --- Sayaka parted ways with Madoka and headed home alone. The nighttime residential streets were quiet, only streetlights lined up at even intervals. She looked up at the sky. No stars were visible. But. Something that shouldn't exist was there. The edge of the sky was warped. Like a black stain. But its shape was different from the shadow she'd erased today. More deliberate. A black fissure with intent. At the edge of Mitakihara's sky, it pulsed quietly. Sayaka stopped. She gripped her Soul Gem. Tonight, it didn't move. The distortion did nothing. It was just... there. But Sayaka understood. Whatever had been controlling the shadows was moving to the next stage. This wasn't the end. It was the beginning. Sayaka stared at the distortion, unable to move for a long moment. On her pinky, the warmth of Madoka's touch still lingered.

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Episode 7

Name: Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Sayaka Miki's Time-Reversal Epic
Author: Novelia

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