“I feel bad for her…” Madoka speaks up, breaking the silence as Harue and Emi walk alongside her out the large gates of Tsukuba Shiritsu Seishun Gakuen. Emi and Harue look to her. Emi wears an amused expression, and Harue’s is questioning.

“Why? She can use a dose of humility the way I see things,” Harue comments with a laugh.

Emi grins broadly, delighted. “I’m so glad I’m not alone in my opinions on Oba-chan.”

“She seems really popular… so maybe you’re in the minority?” Madoka suggests.

“Oh, I’m sure there are plenty of people who think she has a big head. She’s so full of herself.” Emi shakes her head derisively.

“You know that she’s a good person at her core, right?” Madoka asks, glancing from side to side as they walk amidst crowds of other students. Madoka notices that she’s taller than most of the other students walking nearby, and taller than either Emi or Harue. More than a few fellow students cast their gazes in her direction as in school, and she thinks she spots a familiar face or two from class as they go, but they don’t approach her.

“Like I said… I do see that she’s not all bad, but she forces herself into fitting in like a square trying to fit in a circle slot,” Emi criticizes.

“It’s the obsession. It defines her strongly. She’s like a puppy who has imprinted on a master.” Harue barks a laugh.

“What are you talking about?” Madoka blushes. “She is in no way a lapdog, you know! She does just what she wants.”

“Just like a wayward undisciplined dog, right?” Harue jibes.

“No! It’s nothing at all like that! And besides, she’s not…” Madoka hesitates.

“Why are you defending her so strongly now? Feeling guilty because of that emotional manipulation she tried at school?” Emi ponders, catching Madoka’s eyes.

“N-no! I mean, she defended me so strongly when… you know…” Madoka states deprecatingly.

“So you say…” Harue allows with a twist of her lips.

They near the entrance of the park while the conversation has progressed.

“This is where we part ways for today, Madoka-chan! I’ll see you around soon!” Harue waves and winks to Emi who nods and smiles broadly.

“No, don’t go yet, Harue-chan…” Emi calls out as Harue turns. She looks backwards in response to Emi’s voice with a questioning look. Emi slips her phone from her bag where it has securely sat all day. She holds it up with a warm smile. “Do you have your phone on you? I’d love to have your contact details, lunch friend!” she says hopefully.

Harue smiles and sighs softly. “Ah, I’m afraid I don’t have a cellphone. I don’t have an internet presence.” She turns back to Madoka and Emi. “I’ll be around, though, at school. If you want to do something together, we can make plans here.”

“Like a lunch club now?” Emi giggles, and Madoka seconds that. “But seriously, how can you not have an internet presence? You’re so cool and sociable. Why would you not have a Facebook profile or a Line account, let alone an email address?”

Is that why she never gave me any contact information when we first met in Harajuku? Madoka wonders. “That is pretty strange… you like things like karaoke and things like that… maybe we should do that again. We should invite Tatsuo again too.”

“Great idea!” Emi grins at Madoka, enthusiastically complimenting her.

“I like the idea. It was fun! Maybe we should go back to Harajuku then? Any karaoke studio would be fine, though.” Harue smiles. “Your treat?” she inquires.

“Eh? My treat!” Emi chimes with a broad smile.

“Okay, then!” Harue exclaims, and she looks to Madoka with a smile. “And, Madoka-chan, maybe we should plan to go on a date one of these days,” she suggests. “Our first was in Harajuku, but I think I would appreciate some quiet time with you.” She winks.

“Your treat?” Madoka asks with an impish expression.

Harue looks at Madoka with a flabbergasted expression. She finally laughs. “I… might be able to find some money somewhere…”

“Might be able to find some money?” Emi asks, blinking. “Are you really poor, Harue-chan? I’ll make plenty of lunch for everyone, don’t worry about a thing.” Emi smiles.

“Come to think of it, she didn’t have a lunch even though she was commenting about Kiyomi’s lack of lunch herself,” Madoka points out.

Harue blushes and laughs. “Caught… but way too late,” she chuckles. “Thank you, Emi-chan. I don’t have much of an appetite, but your food was excellent. Thank you very much for sharing!”

“You should eat more! You have a great body, but I’m sure eating more wouldn’t hurt you,” Emi suggests.

“I only eat what I need.” Harue smiles. “In any case, you should be on your way; you would not want to be late for the bus,” she comments as she walks away.

Madoka watches Harue go, and Emi nods and sighs, shaking her head. “I don’t like that I don’t have my friends saved in my address book. You have my contact information, and I have yours, Madoka-chan.” Emi smiles as she speaks and waves a goodbye to Madoka. She starts to walk away in a separate direction from where Harue had departed. “You might take the bus, but that’s not a concern for me… but if you miss the bus, don’t hesitate to call on me.” She smiles. “Come to think of it, I don’t live too far away from you; if you’d like, maybe you…” Emi starts to turn towards Madoka and Madoka yelps as hands seize her own and pull her quickly into the wild trees of the park alongside the walk. Emi gasps behind her and she sees Madoka dragged away suddenly. Emi barges into the trees after her.

When Madoka looks forward she sees Aoi’s blue braided hair waving in the air as she leads her at a crashing pace through the trees. When a good distance away, she pulls Madoka to the large trunk of an old tree and presses her against it. Madoka grunts as her back strikes the rough bark of the tree.

“A-Aoi!” Madoka gasps. “H-how!?” Aoi captures her eyes and presses close to her; Madoka gasps and blushes. Aoi smiles slightly gazing into Madoka’s. At that moment, Emi comes to a stop nearby and gasps herself.

“It’s her! The blue girl! Your shikigami, Aoi!” she pants. “What are you doing? More of that aggressive behavior like when we were in the other world?” she asks. “What are you thinking? Madoka’s had an emotionally vulnerable day! How could you play tricks like this on her?” she admonishes Aoi, who ignores her. Suddenly, from around a nearby tree a girl with golden twintails walks gracefully towards the large tree.

“Wh-who is this?” Emi blinks.

Kanna looks at Emi with a warm smile and raises her hand and waggles her fingers at her. She winks and poses.

“Kanna is here!” Kanna speaks aloud, and Madoka jumps and gasps.

“K-Kanna too?!” Madoka gasps out. “You too… how are you both here?” Madoka asks.

“There are ways.” Aoi smiles cryptically.

“I’m sorry about this, Madoka… but there is something important that we need to address. I’m sorry, Emi-chan. You’re such a great friend to Madoka. I’m so happy about that. I love your fashion by the way. You’re amazing!” Kanna winks at Emi, who gapes.

“She’s… you’re another shikigami?” Emi gasps, startled. “And she’s way more outgoing…” she comments.

“Aoi-chan has some issues. I’m sorry for that, but I need to ask you to take a seat and watch. Please don’t interfere.” She smiles reassuringly towards Emi.

“W-why?” Emi gasps, and Aoi shoots her a glare that makes Emi shift backwards against another tree trunk.

“W-why?” Madoka echoes Emi’s question. “What’s going on, you two?” she asks.

“You need to learn something else. Your schooling isn’t done for the day. We all agree that you need more practice. Even he is worried for you. So prepare to defend yourself, Madoka!” Aoi barks and steps back, drawing her blade of water from nowhere. Kanna, punctuating Aoi’s action, unsheathes the kunai blades from her hips and assumes a fighting position. Madoka gapes for a long moment, and Aoi does not hesitate. She rushes forward, unleashing a flurry of strikes. Madoka yelps and falls to her rear in the loam of the forest. She quickly crawls away. Suddenly a bolo flashes through the air and wraps around Madoka’s body, and she crumples to the ground, yelping.

“W-what is this? Are you ganging up on Madoka-chan? What’s wrong with you two? Did you go insane?” Emi yells out.

Kanna winks and smiles at Emi with that classic soft manner and the two step over to Madoka, who’s thrashing and wriggling, coating her uniform with filth and dirt.

“Take care, you two! If you damage that uniform it won’t be a small matter!” Emi protests on behalf of Madoka.

“We won’t hurt it. Besides, I’m a whiz at stitching work. Between the two of us, we can undo any damage.” Kanna grins.

“W-what… are you saying?” Emi blinks.

The two look down at Madoka. Aoi sighs. “You need to take this seriously from the beginning. You’ll have to learn quickly how to fight. Going forward, I’ll be training you night and day.”

“Why are you being so hard on me? We made progress in the other world… why are you obsessing over it?” Madoka gasps, struggling. “L-let me up!” she protests.

“Because we worry for your safety. There’s youkai lurking everywhere, you know!” Kanna explains.

“You’re such idiots, being so rough on Madoka! Why can’t you just leave her alone? She’s doing the best with what she has. Why do you have to bully her like this?” Emi yells.

Kanna casts a sad expression in Emi’s direction and kneels by Madoka, loosening the bolo around her.

“Take it seriously, Madoka!” Aoi yells. “You’re in serious danger here! You can’t take it easy! You need to work and fight hard! Get to your feet and call the spear!”

Madoka winces and climbs to her feet, and Kanna helps her up. Suddenly Aoi rushes at her, not giving Madoka even a moment to regain her balance. Madoka yelps and golden light flashes in the air as she swats the blade to the side. Kanna nods and smiles as she leaps to the side and brandishes her kunai as she dashes back towards Madoka. Spotting Kanna’s attack with her kunai, Madoka gasps and leaps backwards. She feels light on her feet, as though she’s flying. Kanna hurls a kunai after Madoka, who swings her spear somewhat clumsily, spinning it in her hands to counter the flying kunai. Aoi quickly dashes to the side among the brush and suddenly kicks off from a tree towards Madoka as her spear makes contact with Kanna’s kunai. Aoi holds her blade low behind her as she sails upwards towards Madoka, flowing like water.

She strikes when in range with a broad slash. Madoka clumsily meets her strike with her spear, but she catches a glint of waving golden hair in the air above her and to her side. Kanna sails towards her with her hair fluttering behind her. She unleashes a series of acrobatic maneuvers in mid-air. Madoka screams and flails her spear from one side to the other to desperately fend off her agile strikes. Suddenly, Aoi launches herself again towards Madoka again as she lands on the forest floor and Emi desperately follows the battle. She barges through the foliage, trying to keep them in sight.

“Madoka!” she cries out. “Careful!” she yelps. Madoka looks around her and sees a net springing up from amidst the fallen leaves where she landed. She screams and stabs her spear quickly into the ground below her; a sudden burst of golden energy catapults her high up into the air. The net springs up and captures the air where Madoka was standing. A moment later, both Aoi and Kanna come at Madoka again in midair. She feels a surge of water followed by a fierce gust of wind. The attacks land true on her. A slash strikes her across her torso and another scores over her upper back; she can feel her uniform shredding. Aoi attacks from one side and Kanna the other. Kanna spins, slashing, and presses her attack gracefully, yet mercilessly. Aoi swings her blade of water lightly and deftly.

Madoka screams and sits up in bed, quaking. Her heart races like a stampede of champion racing horses. Madoka gulps and swallows, covered in sweat. She desperately casts her eyes to where her uniform is hanging, and she stares at it with a dumb expression. The uniform is immaculate. It’s perfectly clean with not a single thread out of place.

Was that a dream? What happened? When did I get home? What’s going on? Aoi! Kanna! Madoka calls out mentally, panicking. No voices respond. “What’s going on?” she wails loudly.

Moments later, there’s a knock on her door. It opens a crack and she hears Mana’s voice.

“Madoka-chan! How are you? You were exhausted when you got home last night. What have you gone through?” she asks, concerned.

“Ah… umm… Miko -- things…” Madoka manages, gulping. Mana pushes the door the rest of the way open, and Madoka sees Kozuke standing behind her. He looks at Madoka with a slight smile.

“You didn’t have a very restful night, I take it?” he states delicately. “More miko things, indeed,” he chuckles.

“She didn’t look like she was doing too badly, but she was so exhausted.” Mana looks to Kozuke.

“I’ve packed you a lunch with extra energy granting ingredients. It seems it was decided that your shikigami should put you through a serious training regimen.” Kozuke smiles. “I strongly approve. If we had worked you harder on her trip, perhaps this wouldn’t be necessary. No one wants to see you die, Madoka,” Kozuke murmurs.

What’s going on exactly? I mean seriously… is he somehow in on this? How could they be working together? I don’t know what’s going on here! How were they able to materialize like that? Madoka clutches her hand to her aching head, and memories of dreams come to her. More dreams of being chased relentlessly by the two, fending them off by clumsily flailing around her golden spear. Why are they so serious about things now? How and why is this such a concern? Kanna! Aoi!? Once again, no voices respond. It’s like her mind is empty at the moment.

“You should bathe and ready for your day at school, Mistress,” Kozuke murmurs. Madoka gapes at Kozuke and casts a baleful glare at him before finally laying flat and covering her head with her pillow.

“No, it hurts too much… I’m not going today…” Madoka mumbles.

“Madoka-chan! Oh no… is it really so bad? You’re such a can-do child. Why are you giving up?” Mana asks. “Never give up, Madoka!” She rushes forward and embraces Madoka in her blankets.

“Mistress, you should not neglect your education, on any count.” From under her pillow, Madoka hears Kozuke step into the room.

Madoka casts her eyes around anxiously as she sinks into the family bath, biting her lip. It feels wonderful, but she has a horrible feeling that Kiyomi might be lurking in some dark corner of the bathroom. She looks around frantically, but doesn’t see anyone, let alone Kiyomi. Her heart still races, but finally she takes a deep breath and tries to relax. I’m so tired… Madoka moans internally. Aoi… Kanna… why would you do that to me? she moans. No response comes. Madoka scowls and squirms at the sensation of the fresh tampon she had inserted shortly after undressing to bathe. Having to use one for a bath to keep the family bathwater from being tainted is not a concern she is used to having to keep in mind.

Madoka takes deep calming breaths and after a while she starts feeling better, and notices familiar scents in the bath. She looks around, but doesn’t see anyone around. I smell that hotspring again… did Kozy sneak more of that formula into our bath? Madoka wonders.

Ten minutes later, Madoka stands, feeling more energetic than before. She limps to the bathroom mirror and looks to the hair dryer. This time no shikigami appears to quickly dry her hair, so she meticulously runs the dryer over her hair. It seems to take forever before her hair is silky and dry. Madoka drip dries as she finishes and then walks over to her towel and wraps it tightly around her body. She casts another look around her, but still doesn’t see anyone.

She peeks her head into the hallway, doesn’t see anyone waiting outside, and slips into her room to get dressed.

After another amazing breakfast that seems to energize her even further, Madoka leaves home alone and heads up the street towards the bus stop. She casts her eyes to the side and chews her lip as she notices the noh face haunting the other side of the street. As usual, it doesn’t bother her as she goes to the stop. Is it a neighbor I didn’t know about? Madoka wonders. She hesitantly waves to it and it doesn’t respond.

Madoka waits for five minutes before the bus drives up. Madoka boards the bus, swiping her magnetic card as she steps in, and spots a seat, unusual for this time of the morning. She pads up the row to the available seat and sits down gingerly. She looks around for familiar faces, but sees none. She does see a great many salarymen as usual. They look at her with more than casual interest.

Madoka clutches her skirt, holding her bookbag in her lap. She waits several stops as before and pulls the cord along the top of the window when they near her stop, though she scarcely needs to as another person beats her to it. As the bus slows and stops before the bench at the stop, Madoka stands and walks towards the rear door. She swipes her card again as she leaves the bus and walks over to the bench. Waiting there are two familiar faces: Harue and Emi. They sit and chat with each other, though Emi’s expression is highly concerned as her eyes fall on Madoka.

“G-good morning,” Madoka greets her friends. Harue smiles warmly at Madoka.

“Are you doing well this morning?” Emi asks, looking somewhat awkward.

Madoka chews her lip and shakes her head. “Something is… wrong. I mean, I lost track of the time…”

“Emi-chan mentioned something strange happened to you, but she didn’t elaborate? The most important thing is, are you doing alright? Do you feel energetic?” Harue asks sympathetically.

“Um… I do feel alright... I felt terrible when I woke up this morning…” Madoka responds, her voice quavering slightly.

“Did what the girls put you through yesterday hurt you so much? It wasn’t pleasant, I know, but you came out of it. You’re strong. You can bear it, Madoka-chan.” Harue smiles warmly at Madoka.

Madoka blinks and laughs. “Oh, the skirt prank… I mean, yes… that was really cruel. I hope they don’t do anything like that again. I’m going to need to keep better track of my things going forward. I can’t just blindly trust people around me,” Madoka murmurs.

“You’re right… You need to be on your guard. Girls, particularly in a girl’s school, can be really terrible sometimes. You’ll adjust and do really well, I have faith in you!” Emi smiles at Madoka, but she casts a wondering look to Harue.

“Unfortunately, it’s the path a special girl has to walk. You can balance it!” Harue encourages Madoka.

The time seems to rocket today in school. Lunch comes around so much faster than Madoka would have imagined. The three head up to the roof as usual, and Kiyomi is thronged at lunch once again. When they reach the roof, however, the wily Kiyomi has once again somehow slipped away from her crowd of groupies.

“You look a little run-down Madoka. Gorgeous as usual, but there’s a hunted quality to your aura today,” Kiyomi comments as she plops down next to the three.

“Oba-chan.” Emi smiles wryly. “I know what you mean about her aura today,” she adds, looking towards Madoka.

“Ugh, just call me ‘senpai’… or just ‘Kiyomi’ if you don’t want to call me ‘Kiyomi-chan’, at least,” Kiyomi growls under her breath.

“What I want to know is how did your cleaning duties go?” Harue inquires.

“Cleaning duties… Oh, Miwako-senpai, that nosy…” Kiyomi chews her lip, murmuring as she trails off, her voice annoyed.

“Nosy? She helped you despite what Okada-sensei told you, isn’t that right?” Harue corrects her.

“She did butt in. I mean, I’m grateful for some help from someone, but she seems to expect me to join her wrestling club in return. I’m not interested in participating with a club dedicated to that graceless sport!” Kiyomi frowns.

“But you’re an expert at that ‘graceless’ sport! I mean really, you’re such a walking confliction.” Emi casts her eyes to the blue skies high above with a huff.

“Hey, just because I know a few self-defense moves doesn’t make me some sort of professional wrestler!” Kiyomi scowls at Emi.

“It’s a sport that suits the ever-elegant Kiyomi-obachan,” Harue taunts Kiyomi.

Kiyomi bristles visibly and she suppresses a snarl. What’s with the mood today? Why are things so strange? Madoka wonders, taking in the conflict between the two. Another cute girl approaches despite the climate around the four. She steps up to them as she blushes profusely. She opens her mouth, but seems to finally notice the atmosphere. Harue and Kiyomi’s eyes cease to clash and they look to the cute girl with pink hair. She fidgets as they stare at her. Kiyomi’s typical smug smile spreads across her face. “Oh, a fan!” She smiles warmly.

“No, big head. She’s obviously here for a fortune telling.” Emi rolls her eyes.

“That seems more likely.” Harue smiles towards the girl.

“Um, well… I’m actually… you know…” She looks directly to Madoka, she blinks as the girl rushes to her. “I think you’re amazing! Isn’t it Madoka-chan?! Please let me be your fan!” She fidgets bashfully. “Are you an idol? Do you sing or dance? You’re so naturally graceful, I’ve seen the way you walk! Your shine is brighter than everyone I’ve seen at school this year! I have an eye for idols, and I love you!” she squees.

Madoka gapes at the babbled stream of words from the girl. Her eyes widen as she tries to form a response. “Wh-what?” Madoka stammers out.

“If you want to talk to her, you need to go through me! I’m her agent.” Kiyomi grins. “She’s totally a fledgling idol, and I think she’ll be absolutely amazing. Just leave it to me.” She winks teasingly at Madoka who gapes again. “We can make that dream come true very easily!”

Harue rolls her eyes and Emi facepalms. “You know, I have much better connections than a silly oba-chan fox could have,” Emi comments.

“Can I have lunch with you? Oh my! If you’re a fledgling idol, I want to be your number one fan!” the girl enthuses. “The line forms after me! I’m Aramiya Saku! I’m so pleased to know you!” She bows.

Madoka blushes and fidgets, at a loss for an adequate response. “Um, thank you… but you have the wrong…”

“She needs to work on her idol presence, but you can call us the Madoka Fan Club, and the line forms after us.” Kiyomi makes a mischievous expression.

“Well, she’s not wrong, you know,” Emi says; “she’s the linchpin that keeps us together... in a manner of speaking. Not that we couldn’t lose a certain member…” Emi casts her eyes to Kiyomi who smiles obliviously, casting the look towards Harue, who rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

“Well, I guess fan number four is okay,” Saku muses, pouting.

They head downstairs afterwards, and Saku joins them, but goes her own way when they near the four’s homeroom. She waves brightly and bows again to Madoka with a happy expression. “See you again soon! Lunch again, I hope?” Saku asks with a grin.

Madoka nods and smiles at Saku. “Sure, see you later, Aramiya-san!”

“Call me Saku-chan! I’m your number one fan in my heart, Madoka-sama!” she gushes as she darts away energetically.

Madoka smiles and sighs as she clutches her stomach when the four near their class’s door. She suddenly steps away, looking over her shoulder to the girls. “Um, please tell Sensei that I need to go to the bathroom… it’s an emergency,” she murmurs as she starts trotting towards the bathroom.

“What’s wrong?” Emi calls after her.

“Do you need help?” Kiyomi chimes in on Emi’s heels.

“I’m fine, just -- feminine things,” Madoka gasps as she runs away. She slows so as not to get in trouble, in case she might be caught running in the hallway. Ugh… I think this tampon is already used up! I feel so muggy down there… She mewls as she darts into the bathroom. She stumbles into the stall, but belatedly realizes she doesn’t have a replacement tampon with her. She mewls, dashes to the nearby dispenser and pops a coin into it from her skirt pocket. She turns the knob until a tampon drops down. Madoka snatches it and runs back into the stall, locking it behind her. She sits on the toilet and groans as she relaxes. The need kicks in the moment she sits.

Afterwards, Madoka struggles to replace the tampon, and discards the sodden used one in a nearby bin. She chews her lip and clears her fingers of blood with a bit of tissue. Why did they have to do that to me yesterday when I’m going through this? I mean seriously, don’t they have any feminine sympathy? It’s so strange I can think casually about things like this now…

Madoka takes a deep breath, but when it seems she’s able to relax for a moment, a strange aura assaults her. She looks up just in time to see a twisted creepy form with hair framing its face entirely. A dusky aura emanates visibly from it. It screams and the vision of it fills Madoka with paralyzing fear. Its appearance is like a real-life incarnation of Sadako!

It drops directly onto Madoka, bearing her down flat against the pipe connected to the toilet. Madoka notices a hauntingly strange song in the air, and notices that it’s emanating from the creature. That’s why I’m paralyzed! Madoka shrieks internally, unable to call out for help. Kanna! Aoi-chan! Help me! Madoka panics. No response comes!

The sound becomes louder and Madoka sees its mouth open wide as it bares its rotten teeth. Seemingly because of the song, the light in the bathroom flickers and goes out. Everything goes dark in the stall, though afternoon sunlight still streams through the bathroom windows. That light doesn’t help much in the closed-off bathroom stall. Madoka stiffens and her eyes blank as she feels her soul gradually sapped.

In her mind, she wanders a frightening maze full of thorns and rotten things. She’s surrounded by screaming and that haunting song. It deafens and suppresses all logical thought. There are gruesome and disturbing sounds all around her. All she can do is run desperately as she silently screams for help. Suddenly, a wash of warm energy splashes around Madoka and destroys the creepy maze. She sees a boy with green hair, recognizing that same boy she has seen so many times in visions. She sees him more clearly as he draws closer to her. He holds a microphone in his hands and his voice drowns out the creepy voice paralyzing her. As he belts out a stanza, a shock of vibration rocks through her body. “Who are you?” she asks, her voice drowned out by the powerful blasting voice singing rock music.

Suddenly, Madoka’s eyes open and the visions fade. Once again, she sees the disgusting creature. Its horrible mouth is bent close to hers as though to kiss away her life. The smell of it is repulsive! A burst of red light flares up outside the stall and the door slams inwards. She sees a new figure, this time a boy with red hair and indistinct features, flames wreathing his frame like an aura. His voice belts out, drowning out its voice. Madoka gasps and thrashes, kicking and hitting the youkai.

He sings now directly to Madoka, his words finally clearly audible to her. “Why don’t you recognize me, oh no, Madoka-chan! Why don’t you see, how can you not see?” he sings. “Because you only love sweet girls, you wouldn’t know my handsome profile!” he belts out powerfully.

Meanwhile, Madoka struggles with the youkai, and an inkling of the identity of the boy tickles her mind, but she can’t put a name to him. The youkai raises her voice determinedly battling with the voice of the boy, gaining an advantage over his belted out passion filled song. Suddenly, the door into the hallway to the school proper slams open wide and the sounds of feet shuffling on the bathroom tile can barely be registered. The boy steps back as he casts his eyes towards the new noise. His eyes widen as a crowd of zombified girls shuffle towards him, their hands extended towards him like claws. Madoka watches, gaping as she continues to struggle against the disgusting youkai.

Madoka appeals to Aoi. She screams mentally for her repeatedly, desperation filling her. She tries to summon her spear, but it does not respond to her call. The boy fights through the crowd and clutches at the doorway of the bathroom stall. With great effort he pulls himself through the grappling, pummeling hands of the girls. He looks to Madoka with sad eyes.

He finally speaks normally to Madoka instead of singing his words. “I want to help you, but I’m losing strength, your memories can’t keep me alive… Oh, Madoka-chan,” he pleads, starting to fade into red motes. Another vision comes to Madoka’s mind. The green-haired boy stands at the gate of another school. A pugnacious boy grips her wrist and she notices the green-haired boy wears a strange maid costume, seeming incongruent with his boy’s body. He holds a stack of flyers. A group of boys crowd around wearing the same uniform as the pugnacious boy. The pugnacious leader faces off with the green-haired boy. “Why am I thinking about this? Where’s Aoi-chan?” Madoka casts her eyes around this strange scene. She sees Aoi present, but her face is indistinct, unlike the boy’s face.

She didn’t save me this time, not entirely. No, it was the other me, not me! What happened here? There’s more…

Suddenly the boy slams the thick stack of flyers onto the face of the pugnacious boy, making his knees buckle and the stack of flyers float away in every direction. The leader lets go of her wrist and she steps back with wide eyes. She comes back to reality and the boy who was fading is flaming with new fire; now he wears a red armored vest with red baggy pants, looking somewhat Arabian to her. The armor has a decorated plate that protects his stomach. The armor is classic Japanese, and he wears tekko. In his hands weapons have appeared. Madoka recognizes they’re tonfa from the fighting games she’s enjoyed.

The boy starts fighting the zombified girls, knocking them back. He spins and knocks them out. He flips acrobatically, moving with amazing martial arts, just like out of a game! The tonfa look strange though; they strangely resemble the microphone he was holding in the vision. It occurs to her that this boy is the same boy as the green-haired one in her visions! She has another vision on the trail of these: once again she sees the green-haired boy standing in the maid dress. He stands primly before her, hands on hips, yet like a man even though he wears the dress. Kanna stands nearby with a teasing smile as she regards the boy in his dress. Madoka looks down at herself and sees that she is wearing a similar maid dress as his, but her body better accentuates it. The sight jogs her memory and Madoka breaks into laughter. Kanna laughs along with her while Eiji scowls and glares at them. She returns to reality again, back to her grapple with the youkai. “E-Eiji!!!” Madoka chuckles out.

Eiji breaks out into ebulent laughter and the flame aura wreathing about his body shines more brightly than ever. The youkai snarls and flinches away from Eiji. Madoka grins and slams her against the wall of the bathroom stall, capitalizing on her sudden weakness. It snarls creepily at her and renews its assault on Madoka with fresh ferocity, pressing her back against the other wall behind her! She notices peripherally that Eiji is spinning and striking with his tonfa and legs as he twirls with amazing acrobatic maneuvering. He sidesteps as a zombified girl attempts to grapple him. Eiji dances amongst the zombified girls. He brings his tonfa down on their heads and necks and one by one they crumple to the bathroom floor. After a flurry of combat he finally finishes. He glances to Madoka and smiles.

“Bear with it, Goshujinsama! I see you have things in hand for now, I’ll quickly clear the floor now and make sure these ladies are safe. They have been under the influence of this monster.” He spins the tonfa and slips them into straps at his waist as he bends down to carefully lift a girl after a girl over his shoulders. He carries them swiftly to safety on the side. Madoka gasps as she struggles with the youkai and grits her teeth. She fights to repeatedly slam its head against the far wall of the toilet stall. It doesn’t seem to respond to the repeated blows. Madoka turns her towards the stall doorway and kicks the monster out of the stall. She reaches to her neck to touch her magatama under her uniform.

Madoka focuses her energy as much as she can, but the golden spear still doesn’t respond to her call. Madoka gasps as the youkai leaps up to the ceiling, clinging like some kind of spider, its neck bending impossibly as it tracks her motions and scuttles in the shadows up there. Madoka frantically tries to track its movement, but loses track of its motions. She casts her gaze towards Eiji for a moment as he carries another girl to safety in the corner of the bathroom. At that moment, it comes back at her, dropping down on her in a hissing fury, its claw-like fingernails extended, scoring her flesh. Madoka struggles with it, screaming. She strikes it and knocks it away towards the sinks, but it charges immediately at her again and its strike knocks Madoka back into the shadowed stall. Madoka falls heavily against the toilet, where it digs painfully into her lower back. The youkai streaks darkly into the shadowed stall and grips her neck with renewed strength in the shadows. It throttles her, its expression crazed and hungry. It once again leans its head towards her again.

Madoka screams loudly, gasping for breath, choking. As the youkai leans close, Madoka sees a flame-wreathed tonfa strike the youkai over its creepy hair-enshrouded head. It sizzles as it glowers backwards with baleful glowing eyes. It grits its rotten teeth at him.

“Miiiiiiiineeee!” it hisses loudly as it opens its mouth wide to shriek its creepy song again, focused directly towards Eiji, shattering against him. Eiji winces and stumbles backwards, but he raises a tonfa to his mouth and his voice booms out as it duels with hers. Eiji sings his rock ballad, his hot-blooded aria overpowering its pathetic discordant song. It releases Madoka and claps its bony parchment-wrapped hands to its rotten ears. It hisses and charges at Eiji to quiet him and achieves its aim finally acknowledging him with a direct assault. Suddenly, it raises its rotten arms and a torrent of maggots fly towards Eiji. Eiji yells, his aura flaring hotly, and the maggots cook and crisp to ashes. Madoka gasps for breath and nearly vomits at the smell of fetid filth filling the air. The smoke is oily and cloying.

Madoka retches as they fight with flame and maggots; the zombified girls that Eiji moved to the sides come to their feet, shaking their heads to clear them of cobwebs. They moan, and when they peek into the stall to cast their eyes on Eiji and the monster, they shriek almost as one. Most run away in a panic out the door to the hallway and the comparative safety of the school proper, though a few girls courageously stay and look on. Suddenly, the youkai shrieks with a flurry of dark maggoty energy. The burst of darkness sends Eiji flying into the far wall. The lingering girls shriek and stare, drawing back. The youkai charges out at Eiji and scrambles towards his throat. Eiji wards it off with his tonfa microphones with repeated hard strikes. It groans and shrieks but moves with supernatural speed, countering him. Their fighting sends him wheeling backwards into the bank of sinks. He grunts as a faucet jams into his back, and drops his tonfa. The youkai leans over Eiji as if to steal a decayed kiss. Eiji snarls and fiercely attacks with flaming fists. It moans and groans and smoulders from the hot strikes. The girls still lingering finally lose their courage. They dash out the door, screaming.

Eiji and the youkai fight back and forth up and down the floor while Madoka desperately gasps and climbs to her feet, praying to Kami for the strength to summon her golden spear. She strokes and cajoles the golden magatama. Their fight degenerates into a long range battle. The youkai fights by throwing balls comprised of writhing maggots and cockroaches. Eiji counters with fireballs which are generated when he throws punches. Each strike meets each other in midair, filling the air of the bathroom with more of that oily rotten smoke and smell. It starts thickly billowing throughout the room, casting the bathroom into deeper shadows. The youkai seems to gain strength as every moment passes.

Eiji notices how ill Madoka is looking from the smell and he looks at her apologetically. “I’m sorry for what I have to do, Goshujinsama!” he apologizes loudly, bending to scoop up his tonfa where they lay. He puts one up to his lips like a microphone. “I’ll knock out this monster -- clear out of here, my Goshujinsama! You can count on me, don’t you know?!” he sings as he grins tauntingly to the youkai, who’s singed around the edges. The youkai is even more enraged now. It seems more terrible in its dark power. It charges at him again with a wave of darkness and filth.

It hisses and splutters filthy fluids from its orifice. When it draws closer to him, scuttling low to the ground, leaping upwards at him in an upward strike, Eiji sidesteps, laughing. He performs an amazing act of agile skill. He flips precisely over its head and spins, coming down behind it, facing it. He puts the tonfa together and performs a powerful strike augmented by a wave of powerful fire delivered to its thorax. It shrieks as it slams backwards against the bathroom windows, cracking them with an audible crash and crunch. Its front sizzles from Eiji's relentless burning strikes, while its rear smolders in the sunlight coming dimly through the pall of smoke.

Eiji dashes forward towards it and unleashes a series of blows which batter and burn the creature repeatedly in his furious pummeling. It shrieks and groans, trying to fight off Eiji, seeming weakened now. Eiji capitalizes on it, and he clenches, mustering his strength. He strikes out with his tonfa again, landing a savage telling strike. It desperately scrabbles and scratches his face in that moment, but the momentum of the strike carries it flipping backwards through the window, shattering it.

Eiji looks over his shoulder, gasping. His face is bloodied and ragged looking. Eiji grins despite the apparent pain he is in. “You should get out of here, Goshujinsama… you would not want to be blamed for this damage,” he warns Madoka and turns towards the opening quickly, leaping through the broken window. The fresh air at least clears the air in the bathroom and Madoka’s racking breathing and her coughing fits finally calm. Madoka dashes to the broken window and stares out, casting her eyes down towards the grounds below where Eiji has already resumed his fight with the youkai. It burns and smokes visibly as Eiji’s blows strike it, but the sun above seems to have a definite effect on it too.

Madoka looks around the bathroom, and feels guilty for all the damage that has been done, caused in part due to her. Madoka clutches her stomach for many reasons, stress, anxiety, and especially her period. Madoka sees a small crowd of students gathering around Eiji down below, attracted by the noises of the fight with the youkai. Seeming boosted by the audience like a fine performer, he flames up like an inferno and spins, unleashing a chain of attacks that sends the youkai flying.

Madoka gasps and nearly faints. Eiji suddenly throws a tonfa at the youkai and it flames up in a huge fireball. It strikes the youkai on the ground and the youkai seems to give up whatever life it may have had. Its form crumples into rotten ashes. The girls around point and gape as Eiji poses coolly for the girls crowded around. He looks up towards Madoka and salutes her with a silly broad grin.

Madoka looks down at him with a wry amused expression, but the serious nature of what has happened here in the bathroom overloads her mind. Why didn’t you answer my prayers, Kamisama… where was my golden spear? Where were you, Aoi-chan? Kanna-chan… did I do something wrong? Did I disappoint you, or hurt you somehow? Do you hate me now? Why? She gasps, and in the corners of her eyes down below, Eiji dissipates into red motes and Madoka’s vision turns dark as she crumples to the floor of the bathroom.