Return to my Hometown - A Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha and Puella Magi Madoka Magica Fanfic

[Vulpix]

Solomon answered, trying to sound more regal and less… science-y (?) as he did so, "The lore of the Incubators says that a Magical Girl is damned to become a Witch due to the sum of the impurities acquired through a lifetime of battle, that irrevocably taint her Soul. Most wishes focus on the outward body of the Magical Girl, what we can see. Only a few wish to revert the Soul… That said, once, there was a Magical Girl whose wish was for her adoptive mother to be returned from Witchdom, and though that wish failed as the others did, she had the power to revert to a Magical Girl after becoming a Witch and being hewn down, then becoming a Witch again, and then a Magical Girl once more, ad nauseam, to borrow a language younger than I am. She was only defeated through sacrifice; sacrifice that imprisoned her behind the 'Gates of Hell'."

Precia mused, "Hmm, not a scalable solution, then, especially as the Witch is still an uncontrollable monster till met with overwhelming force. And of course, your goal is reverting those who are already Witches without making such a wish; if the objective is only prevention, I can set up a system of 'Automatic Purifiers' that can absorb 'Impurities', convert them to Magical Energy, then radiate it into the universe to combat entropy… But it won't do so at high enough rates to satisfy the Incubators - They'll have to be dealt with."

Click to shrink...

Author you cooked with this explanation

but was lapin really uncontrolable in her witch form tho?

i think she only attacked her enemies? if i recall correctly


about incubators
Dang that makes alot sense why they didnt try to make a perceputal motion machine witch that can go back to magical girls


it probably doesn't give energy as fast as they want

rebellion did show they are really impatient

 

[Vulpix]

did precia just get hit with that jjk jumping?

 

[Repentant_Dragos]

did precia just get hit with that jjk jumping?

Click to shrink...

JJK Jjumping? What do you mean?

 

[Vulpix]

JJK Jjumping? What do you mean?

Click to shrink...

Jujutsu kaisen jumping

 

[Vulpix]

She was only defeated through sacrifice; sacrifice that imprisoned her behind the 'Gates of Hell'."

Click to shrink...

...Why do i feel like riz and lapin gonna show up again?

Precia: so what happened to riz though?

Solomon: funny you ask ...

"shes standing right next to us"

 

[Repentant_Dragos]

...Why do i feel like riz and lapin gonna show up again?

Precia: so what happened to riz though?

Solomon: funny you ask ...

"shes standing right next to us"

Click to shrink...

Not quite, but something close to that will happen.

 

[Repentant_Dragos]

Chapter Eleven-A: Before Walpurgisnacht

Disclaimer: I don't own Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, Puella Magi Madoka Magica (or its spinoff, Oriko Magica), nor the face of one character from Ensemble Stars (that I am using for my OC). Solomon (yes, that Solomon) is a Historical Domain Character, but this take on him is mine.

---

Hirose Ren's PoV

We returned to the Illumina, where Admiral Janneth gave us a briefing in the portal room.

"The situation has devolved. Despite all attempts by our crew - With Ms. Sakura's help - to delay the breach in secrecy caused by Sergeant Major Hirose's Mass Healing, government personnel from Japan's Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, journalists, scientists, and religious pilgrims are flocking to Mitakihara just a day or so before Walpurgisnacht's projected arrival to investigate said healing. To keep our alliance with Oriko, Kirika, and Solomon's Lion Guard and affiliates intact…"

She gave Solomon a half-glare, then continued, "We have no choice but to let this continue. However, we will need to neutralize Walpurgisnacht in a cleaner, more precise, and, yes, final way due to Mitakihara City's… increased population."

I… This is the first consequence of my Mass Healing that I cannot just ignore because 'it all turned out well in the end'. Everything else? I can keep telling myself they ended well. But this? I put people in more danger by using a miracle right away!

Before I panicked further, Lucas cleared his throat and said, "Ren. We'll make sure to defeat Walpurgisnacht with the minimum of casualties. If the Aces can defeat the Book of Darkness, we can defeat Walpurgisnacht; remember that we have a warship."

Solomon opined, "We also have the Lion Guard and my contacts in the Japanese Government. We can legally request the 'temporary allocation' of artillery pieces for a 'training exercise'; the vaguer, the better."

Footsteps can be heard; it was Cody, my Familiar; in the comfort of the Illumina, whose confines were under TSAB jurisdiction, he was not bothering to hide the owl feathers in his hair.

Cody's next words were, "Ren. Not only did we have to terminate the cover-up operation Admiral Janneth started earlier, but Mr. Kamijou and Ms. Miki - Sayaka - They want to join the fight against Walpurgisnacht, too."

He then said in a low, even tone, "I can understand involving Ms. Miki - Sayaka. Considering what Ms. Akemi said about her potential future, I decided that revealing magic to her and then giving her Theodora so she can protect others in a way less corruptive than the Incubators' system was the best way to ensure her continued welfare and thus your emotional well-being. But Mr. Kamijou, your boyfriend… he asked for Rhomanion himself, but you told me that Device was for his defense, not so he can join the attack."

His gaze was firm as he pointed out, "You have the authority to deputize him and Sayaka; Admiral Janneth made you a Sergeant Major because you know the area and its people, including potential volunteers. Hirose Ren, I think you should choose: Do you want your friends by your side, or do you want them safe?"

I froze. The thought of Kyosuke being hurt again…

Then I answered him, "It's their choice. I know what Sayaka will say, but with Kyosuke, I want to make sure he wants this."

It was still a hard decision. But one I know I have to do.

---

Kyosuke Kamijou's PoV

I can't believe my best friend wants to ask my boyfriend if she can go to war with him.

I can't believe I am about to ask my boyfriend if I can fight alongside him. Against a living natural disaster that can level Mitakihara.

"To be fair," Rhomanion, my newly-partnered Intelligent Device, "being deputized by Sergeant Major Ren would highly reduce the chances that I would be confiscated from your hands."

That was a risk? But I already embedded him in my violin! Granted, I could have used any other item I owned, but…

"I asked Cody for the power to protect Ren just as he protected me." I can't believe I was saying this.

There was a knock on my door; my first thought was that it was my parents, saying I have to go to the shelters soon -

"Hey, it's me, Ren," my boyfriend said as he announced his return. "You okay with talking?"

My answer was, "Yes, I am; have you talked with Sayaka yet?"

"Cody's fetching her; I wanted to talk to you alone." His voice was low enough to be sad, high enough to be heard.

I opened the door; Ren was there in a waterproof hoodie that kept out the rain, tough nylon jogging pants, and white socks with blue tips; the boots I know he must have gotten for the coming rain were taken off, as my house still ran by my family's rules.

For a brief moment, I felt an unfamiliar warmth as I looked at my boyfriend's face and knew he'd let me… kiss him. I had a second to spare for that, as well as hold hands.

Then we went into my room, and I asked, "So, you heard from Cody that I wanted to join?"

My boyfriend nodded fast, as though he couldn't believe what he heard; to think that no less than a day ago, I was supposed to be the fearful one in the relationship.

He then asked, "Do you… Do you really want it, Kyosuke? Do you want to fight beside me?"

I nodded, then added a condition, "As long as I can play music too. Your TSAB has a military orchestra, right?"

The smile on Ren's face could have lit up Versailles.

This smile held as he cleared his throat, then said with a steady, serious tone that did not crack, "Then by the power vested in me by Admiral Janneth as a Sergeant Major of the Time-Space Administration Bureau, I, Hirose Ren, formally deputize you as a Provisional TSAB Mage, under my direct command as a team member."

A faint purple pulse of light rippled from his body, passing through my own; it must be Basileos confirming his decision.

"Deputization confirmed; Kyosuke Kamijou's biometrics are now scanned and placed in TSAB records. As of this moment, Kyosuke Kamijou is now a Deputy of Hirose Ren under the wider TSAB payroll, eligible for a wide range of privileges, including subsidized medical care for all curable conditions, housing privileges in the Illumina, or a secure location of his own discretion pending approval by his superior officers, Hirose Ren and Admiral Janneth. Education rights are, of course, free, ironclad, and mandatory…"

I get paid? I asked Rhomanion, my Device, "How much do I get paid? In Yen?"

The response was a sum that was, in Earth terms, equal to what both my parents made. Enough to buy a lot of violins and keep them all in good condition. But more important to me…

"I do get to join the Military Orchestra, right? After this is all over?"

The response from both Devices, in unison, was, "Yes, Provosional Mage Kamijou. The TSAB's career path offers musical training for the Military Orchestra, plus other roles that require the use of music and musical instruments as a means to relay Magic."

I smiled. Then I said to Ren, "So, let's go meet Sayaka and prepare for training?"

---

Hirose Ren's PoV

Sayaka was thrilled to be a TSAB Mage, ignoring all the stuff about pay and privileges to just go straight to her only potential, but very minor issue.

"It seems you're going to be my and Kyosuke's team leader? If so, great - Can't wait to see your chops! Just… make sure to listen to us too, even if we're recruits?"

I didn't hesitate to nod and say, "Of course. You and Kyosuke aren't just friends, you're good at this, as how you two used Theodora and Rhomanion just a few days ago showed."

Then I continued, "Now let's find a place to train; somewhere closer to the rain and wind so that we don't run into Japanese Government spooks, random cultists, and one of those newfangled 'influencers'."

Isolation Fields were an old TSAB technology similar to Homura's Time Stop in that it created a 'closed space' that allowed people to fight without risk of collateral damage; it was even the basis for our Anti-Time-Stop Barrier Jackets. But in all other respects, it was inferior to Homura's unique form of Magic, although as Lucas proved in Alhazerd, it was still useful.

Where am I going with this?

Well, just before we - I, Kyosuke, and a just-arrived and deputized Sayaka - put up one on the bridge close to Kyosuke's House, Oriko Mikuni walked over, emerging from the crowds like your typical mysterious would-be challenger, bringing Kirika, her girlfriend, with her.

"What do you want?" Sayaka asked the oracular Magical Girl as her hand drew Theodora on instinct.

I can understand why she'd be curt, even rude. Oriko and Kirika were allies of convenience, after all!

"I had a vision of you needing help forging your team together, and I decided I should be here to help you three train, of course," she said in a smooth tone that betrayed the false elegance of her upbringing, her honeyed words thick. "Kirika managed to overcome Hirose Ren after a hard-fought challenge, but you, Ms. Miki, and Mr. Kamijou, Quantum Echoes of pasts gone and natural genius aside, have yet to fight as a team alongside him. So my girlfriend is here to help you three learn the basics of coordination."

I twitched, trying not to show too much heat as the rain continued to fall all around us, and people began to stare. That Isolation Field needed to be put up soon - And those two knew it.

Looking at Kyosuke so that I can keep my promise to ask his and Sayaka's opinions, I asked them, "So, would the three of us want to teach Ms. Tiger Claws a lesson?"

Kyosuke was the first to respond with, "I saw her hurt you. She also forgot that I and Sayaka managed to pay her back for that. Or is she going to say that she was holding back?"

Kirika added her piece, proclaiming with a shout, "I was, you nitwits! I could have cut you two into pieces any time I wanted that fight!"

Sayaka glared back at her and said, "I'll be the judge of that - Ren, get that Isolation Field up, we're wasting time!"

I nodded. Time for payback.

"Basileos, activate Isolation Field," I requested, and Basileos blazed bright once before everything turned grey; unlike Homura's Time Stop, every living being except for our team and Oriko's was not included in this new greyspace, saving us from the prospect of accidentally harming them.

"Whoa, cool!" Kirika said as she transformed into her Puella Magi form in a flash; no extended sequence this time. Oriko transformed, too, even as we activated our Intelligent Devices and willed them to speed up our transformation into our Barrier Jackets to a second's flash.

"Sayaka," my next words were my first battlefield order to my best friend, "Hold her back; Kyosuke, prepare to deploy Laser Bits!"

Both moved in unison, Sayaka intercepting Kirika's charge while Kyosuke began summoning small triangular robots with a thrum of his violin strings. The plan was simple; Sayaka takes the brunt of Kirika's attacks, Kyosuke sends drones/bits to laser her flanks and back, while as for me…

"Basileos, revert to Pistol Form," I said as I positioned myself in front of Kyosuke on the narrow bridge; If Kirika somehow plows through (yeah, right) or leaps above, Sayaka's guard, I'll be there to hit her center of mass with a shot.

"Kirika, don't jump!" Oriko shouted, involving herself as an active combatant. "Enlarge your Tiger Claws to -"

The same trick did not work on me twice, as I turned to protect Kyosuke from the bigger, longer Tiger Claws' blades and shot globes of light purple magical energy that stuck onto the sharp edges, expanding into what can be described as a combination of chewed-up gum, silly putty, and saltwater taffy.

Now the blades were not just dulled, but stuck together, forcing Kirika to shrink the blades again to slough off the magic sticky foam and parry Sayaka's next flurry of strikes, trusting herself to overwhelm her opponent, who, despite Theodora allowing her to access scattered moments of her past selves, didn't have the full muscle memory of those past selves yet.

"Kyosuke, Shield Bits now!" was my next order, and with a change of tune, the laser drones blinked out and were replaced by new ones that projected grey panes of crackling magical energy that denied Kirika space to maneuver around Sayaka -

"Under the bridge!" Oriko called out to Kirika, and her weapon's blades grew again, but this time, they served as an ad-hoc grappling hook that allowed the strong magical girl to grab the bridge's railing and swing herself underneath it, before crawling on the underside to turn up just behind Kyosuke… and get intercepted by six Shield Bits appearing all at once to block Kirika's strike with a combined pane of light.

I saw the key to victory then.

"Kyosuke, get between me and Sayaka, then shift to a mix of Shield and Laser Bits!" I barked out. "Sayaka, keep melee-ing Kirika! As for me, as Oriko insists on joining this spar and making it a two versus three…"

I pointed Basileos in Pistol Mode at her, knowing that despite her precognitive abilities, she was not a frontline fighter, and she still needed to warn Kirika if we were going to make a winning move.

Then I began shooting at her faster than she could think a coherent thought; even if that hadn't worked, I knew Kirika's protective instincts would cause her to throw away all strategy and move to protect her girlfriend, just as the latter wanted me to throw away all strategy to protect my boyfriend.

"Perfect!" Oriko said as Kirika flash-stepped with impossible speed to parry my shots. "You're all learning to fight as a team!"

Of course that precognitive magical girl would take credit for this! It might even be true!

Note to self: Have Lucas develop Anti-Precognition Barrier Jackets.

We were winning after that; Kyosuke and Oriko were each team's MVPs in the spar, and so victory went to who could protect their MVP better… and that gave Sayaka and me an advantage.

"So, are you going to pass this off as part of a greater plan?" I asked Oriko as I shot at her with bolts of purple light, forcing Kirika to leap to block each bolt with her Tiger Claws, which in turn allowed Sayaka to pounce with the crystaline sword Theodora projected. "A way to secure our future?"

The Oracular Puella Magi's response was, "You know me so well…"

---

Madoka Kaname's PoV

Will everything be okay?

There were so many people in the shelter, thanks to Ren-kun healing everyone in the Hospital, and as Walpurgisnacht is coming, many of them might be in danger. On the radios, the news was saying there's a hurricane coming, but a lot of those who arrived yesterday didn't believe it until the rain and wind got too heavy for them to evacuate. What if -

"Don't worry about it," Homura interrupted my worries as she sat beside me on the mat we shared, close to where my family was organizing their supplies. "I'll protect you, Madoka."

She then looked around at the 'aid workers' distributing extra food and medicines to everyone and said, "It seems Solomon and his 'Lion Guard' are good for something, after all…"

I shivered at remembering how I was kidnapped only a few days ago, but I put my hand on Homura's arm to reassure her that "Everything will be all right; you'll fight Walpurgisnacht together with the others - I'm sure you'll all win, then we can have a party afterwards!"

Her next words were, "Will you be all right here? The TSAB mages can be relied on to protect you with their lives, but those Lion Guard thugs…"

"Yes!" I replied loud enough to make my parents and Tatsuya turn and look at me for a second, "They were bad guys before, but you and Ren and the others turned them to our side, right? We're working together now?"

She looked at me, then said, trying to be cold, "We defeated them. They didn't change their goals; they just thought of a way to get what they want without hurting you."

Somehow, I thought that was enough. Even though they kidnapped me, Solomon and Oriko and her girlfriend didn't seem like they wanted to do it if there were any other choice…

"Madoka…" Homura glanced at me while talking, then continued, "You have a kind heart. In this world, where I have another chance to save you, stay safe and wait for me."

I smiled and said, "I will. After all…" I leaned in close to whisper to her ear, almost giggling at the thought of what I wanted to say next, "We're together now…"

Was that a blush? Did I do something wrong to get Homura so flustered?

My new girlfriend (I still can't believe we're doing this!) flipped her hair again and said, "That may be, but your job is to stay safe. Be well, Madoka."

She then walked off, not caring that a single student going alone out towards a side exit would make people look at her like she was trying to get herself killed. No one tried to stop her, yet somehow, I wasn't scared.

Because I know that Homura can win this - She was no longer alone.

 

[Vulpix]

why do i feel like homura is gonna witch out


would anybody call out how weird it is homura witch isnt aggressive as the others?

 

[Repentant_Dragos]

why do i feel like homura is gonna witch out

Click to shrink...

This is a fix-it fic, remember?

 

[MinionNumberQ]

This is a fix-it fic, remember?

Click to shrink...

Yeah but can you really call it a PMMM fic if a cute girl isn't suffering? /j

 

[Repentant_Dragos]

Yeah but can you really call it a PMMM fic if a cute girl isn't suffering? /j

Click to shrink...

Heh. Fair.

 

[Repentant_Dragos]

Chapter Eleven-B: During Walpurgisnacht

Disclaimer: I don't own Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, Puella Magi Madoka Magica (or its spinoff, Oriko Magica), nor the face of one character from Ensemble Stars (that I am using for my OC). Solomon is a Historical Domain Character, but this take on him is mine.

---

Akemi Homura's PoV

It was time to face Walpurgisnacht again… But against all odds, I am not alone.

An army stood behind me: Solomon's Lion Guard with artillery and shells acquired from the local JSDF military bases, plus TSAB Mages led by Hirose Ren and his recruits, Kyosuke Kamijou and Sayaka Miki.

I looked around and saw that, along with myself, Mami Tomoe and Kyoko Sakura represented the Puella Magi, with Oriko Mikuni and Kirika Kure to my furthest right, barely visible as they should be.

If this is not enough force to defeat the most powerful Witch in the world (Madoka will never turn into one if I can help it), then nothing can, and I refuse to consider such a possibility.

The winds swirled, and reality began to distort, causing projections of elephants, monkeys, and clowns to parade themselves among our forces; those were harmless, but what was coming was not.

Laughter rippled through the skies as Walpurgisnacht announced its coming. The Witch took the form of an upside-down mannequin in a blue and white ballgown with exaggeratedly puffed sleeves and cuffs, all topped by a gigantic gear that drove it towards its goal: the destruction of all life in its path.

Solomon Ben David whispered in my head, Akemi Homura, you can give the order to fire. Hirose Ren and his new team, plus Oriko and Kirika, will be here shortly.

I nodded, realizing that my decision not to kill Oriko Mikuni in this timeline had been validated, even if I may never be able to forgive her.

"Fire," I ordered with both voice and thought, the fact that this was a request, no, a command, that other people trusted me enough to give orders… It was strange.

But it felt good.

Artillery shells mixed with beams of light, greeting Walpurgisnacht as it soared towards Mitakihara City, entering it with the brashness of an unwelcome guest.

Lion Guard members arrayed on the docks lifted rocket-propelled grenades in conjunction with dedicated TSAB Artillery Mages who were charging up their long-ranged devices, unleashing a volley of firepower that, in other timelines, needed me to stop time so I can work on loading and firing each individual weapon - a task which required me to invest tremendous amounts of focus.

Then, Walpurgisnacht counterattacked, a storm of telekinetic power spiraling from its physical form, ready to tear apart its unexpected assailants with cords of invisible force.

It was then that I stopped time; the TSAB Magi, and now the Lion Guard, were able to resist my Time Stop thanks to the former's Magic, and so they could withdraw to safer positions.

They fell back, and I let time resume its normal course.

Another chorus of explosive shells and magic, mixed with rockets and binding spells, struck the Witch, opening an opportunity for my next move to slowly wear down the layers of magical defenses I was not able to account for in previous timelines.

"Herd the Witch to that old pit I filled with explosives, now." I gave another set of commands, and felt Solomon and Admiral Janneth signal a flash of warmth - approval - from within the Illumina.

More showers of magic and ordnance echoed through the overcast skies, shoving Walpurgisnacht towards the large pit - some construction unfinished construction work that fulfilled our purposes - that I had lined with stolen C4 plastic explosives.

A moment later, the Witch was covered in blooming, red-orange flames.

The Witch still lives; we can sense it, Solomon whispered in my head; I knew he was correct - I've fought Walpurgisnacht before.

He then continued, Time to deploy our fireteams.

By that, he meant Kyoko and Mami, Oriko and Kirika, and the newly minted team of Hirose Ren, Sayaka Miki, and Kyosuke Kamijou (his volunteering to fight was a sign this was truly an unusual timeline).

Do it, I answered back, then said in both voice and telepathy, "Lion Guard, TSAB Artillery Mages, Fall Back! Teams One, Two, Three, attack now!"

To be given responsibility for so many lives by people much older than I am… It was a surprise, especially as they knew I'd put Madoka's life above their own.

It was even more shocking that these adults accepted my orders for a cause that they could die fighting for.

My allies fell back just in time, as Walpurgisnacht, sensing that its life was actually in danger, whipped forth another storm of invisible cords that tore apart office buildings, then threw the rubble in all directions in advance of its swarm of Familiars; bizarre living outlines of dancers whose depths shimmered with swirls of red-violet light.

Those Familiars were based on the Magical Girls whose Witches had fused into Walpurgisnacht, and now they numbered in the dozens, nay, hundreds, trying to reach the Lion Guard and TSAB forces firing at it from long range.

"It's our turn now - Tiro Finale!" Mami Tomoe said as she and Kyoko Sakura began their counterattack far to my left, the former firing an explosive shot that took down several dozen of the Familiars at once, while Kyoko twirling her spear and using its sharpened tip to cut down those who slipped past the initial blast.

To my right, Oriko Mikuni directed Kirika Kure, plus a squad of Solomon's Lion Guard with Grenade Launchers and Mortars, to attack Walpurgisnacht's other side and hew down thirty more foes whose screams merged with the nightmarish noise of the background.

Now the way was clear for Hirose Ren and his team.

"Baileos, Glaive Form!" the redheaded boy shouted as he dove into melee, Sayaka beside him, wielding a crystal blade while Kyosuke, with his violin, conjured squadrons of laser drones that flew in V-shaped wedges which fired at the Familiars, Walpurgisnacht's magical cords, and Walpurgisnacht itself.

Watching the chaos, I decided to play my part.

I stopped time again as I leapt towards Muitakihara City's pier, where I had concealed a set of Anti-Ship Missile Launchers under the water earlier. With a surge of my Magic, I made them rise up, dripping with water and sea-foam, and then fired their payload, blasting the Witch with enough force to push it back towards the sea.

It continued to laugh off the damage, seemingly oblivious to what injuries it had, before spinning faster to hover above us, chasing aerial superiority even as it rained down pieces of rubble, cords of supernatural force, and hordes of Familiars as it tried to tear through our resistance.

"All Lion Guard and TSAB Artillery Mages," I almost regretted giving the order through the telepathic link and mundane sound, "Fall back and regroup; I and the others will take care of the rest."

The TSAB had a weaker but more long-lasting version of my Time Stop called an 'Isolation Field', which allowed them to both fight flashy magical battles while preserving their Masquerade.

Now, they planned to project one strong enough that the increasingly damaged city could be protected from a battle that would only grow more violent.

With a surge of grey almost identical to the shade the background turned to when I stopped time, the field bloomed from Solomon's former HQ in the Financial District just as the last of the regular forces - Lion Guard and TSAB - were teleported back to the Illumina. Now, time for the main plan: To push Walpurgisnacht away from the City and to the sea, where the Illumina could get a clear shot at it from orbit.

Mami, I switched to full telepathy. We need your ribbons. Can they grab and pull something as large as Walpurgisnacht?

"I can try!" said the blonde as she soared towards the Witch's enormous mass, then conjured two dozen long ribbons that looped around Walpurgisnacht's upside-down waist, even as I, Kyoko, and the other teams ran interference, shooting down or slicing through squadrons of Walpurgisnacht's minions.

Then Mami Tomoe dove down, pulling a surprised Walpurgisnacht with her, even as Hirose Ren and his team began juggling between throwing enhancement spells at Mami's ribbons and blasting her body with volleys of searing light, before Sayaka, then Ren, then Kyosuke, had to reload their Devices with cartridges of Magical Energy.

I stopped time again; this stacked with the Isolation Field, then told the three, "Reload. Now."

The amount of time I can stop was not unlimited; not that they needed to know that. I gave them a few seconds of that precious time because it was more efficient that way.

After all, Sayaka, Kyosuke, and even Hirose Ren's deaths would make Madoka sad.

Those few seconds passed; the normal flow of time and movement resumed, and so did the assault on Walpurgisnacht as we sought to pull her down and push her back towards the sea.

It was then that I grasped a truth I had been avoiding for the longest while: For the first time in so many loops, I had friends again. Allies that, though imperfect, I can rely on.

And because of them… Madoka and I can share each other's happiness.

I spoke to Hirose Ren; telepathy made sure my words were not drowned out by the noise of the wind.

"Your Starlight Breaker… How does it work, again? How can it be judged as complete?"

A startled Hirose Ren leapt back behind two Shield Drones his boyfriend put up, then explained, "When Mages fight, the magical energy from their attacks is scattered into the battlefield's air; I scoop it up and concentrate it all into an orb, then a beam. As for how I can complete it… I need control, I guess?"

I nodded, then stopped time again; the hourglass in my shield had enough sand in it for a training session, thanks to my allies having saved me the trouble of unleashing a small arsenal's worth of weapons at Walpurgisnacht.

Sayaka, Mami, Kyoko, and the others, except Oriko and Kirika, were surprised, not just by that, but at what I said next.

"You helped me save Madoka. Now I'll help you attain the focus you need to master that technique; the technique that, even in its incomplete state, has saved us all in the past. The rest of you, keep attacking Walpurgisnacht; our plan is still the same."

Everyone else, except Oriko and Kirika, all glared but went back to attacking the Witch.

With speech only - Telepathy was no longer needed - I said to the one who returned to save his hometown:

"During this past month, you've grown in some places while staying the same in others. Your kindness still has a tinge of naivete, and your good intentions have led you to walk with one foot towards the abyss. Nevertheless, you've learned the nature of consequences, and when to be afraid of them and when to push on."

I faced him as I continued, "Clear your mind, Hirose Ren. Remember what you chose and why you made your choices. Even as friendship, hope, and love are never entirely good, and an unalloyed victory requires difficulty beyond belief, be free of doubts, and know that it is worth it."

Madoka's face flashed before my eyes, and I knew what I said was true.

Then I said to Hirose Ren as he began focusing, "Everyone else, Puella Magi and Mage alike, are filling the air with Magical Energy. You already have enough skill to gather all of it. Now, take the time I gave you to think about what blocks you from molding the power you've borrowed from them - And what Walpurgisnacht spent - as you please."

I saw Hirose Ren relax, his blue eyes calming down, clearing in focus as he looked at his friends and allies, which included me, despite my reluctance to acknowledge it until now.

Then I felt it, his renewed resolve.

"I think I get it," he said to me. "Now, let's get time moving again; we fight to win."