When it came to the efficiency of searching for Witches, Lancer and his team were undoubtedly much slower than Mami, even with three of them. Lancer knew the mastermind behind everything was Kyubey, and as Madoka and the others entered the fray, he began to feel a sense of urgency.
On the other hand, Lancer appearance had introduced variables into Kyubey "recruitment plan." It was already considering more extreme measures to achieve its goals. For instance, to turn Kaname Madoka into a Magical Girl and then into a Witch, it was even prepared to sacrifice its current piece on the board—Mami Tomoe.
It intended to find a way to trap Madoka in a Witch incident and force her to contract. To achieve this, it wouldn't mind the loss of Mami. After all, Mami was "too perfect." Usually, the transformation from Magical Girl to Witch could happen in the very first battle, or shortly thereafter. But Mami had endured alone for years. Kyubey had invested considerable effort in her with no "return" in sight. This was unacceptable for an investor, so it had decided to discard this "hand." Before doing so, however, it needed her to serve one last purpose.
Although Lancer had met Madoka and the others, they hadn't seen each other since that night. Olga Marie had handled the "mission" well, and their relationship was quite good. Meanwhile, Lancer was putting all his effort into breaking the technical barriers of the Grief Seed.
Because of a problem with a student she was responsible for, Olga Marie had to stay late at school. Lancer was running a bit later than usual to pick her up. On the other side, Kaname Madoka, Miki Sayaka, and Hitomi Shizuki were heading to the hospital to visit Kamijo Kyousuke after their club activities.
Thanks to Lancer treatment, although Kyousuke hadn't fully recovered, the basic function of his arm was no longer an issue. He could raise it freely as long as the movement wasn't too jarring.
The three girls happened to see Lancer as they entered the hospital. Hitomi knew Lancer was Kyousuke's primary doctor, so the three bowed politely to greet him. Madoka, however, noticed something odd: Lancer wasn't carrying his signature black briefcase.
She didn't think much of it, assuming he just had some business that didn't require it.
Meanwhile, as Lancer started his car and sped away from the hospital toward the school, a white shadow appeared outside the hospital.
Opening its mouth, it spat out a black object. Unlike a normal object being vomited up, it wasn't covered in fluid; instead, it radiated a thick, black mist. It was undoubtedly a Grief Seed.
Glancing at the nearby hospital, it flicked its tail and tossed the Grief Seed toward the building before turning and running in a different direction.
"Mami, I've discovered a Grief Seed about to hatch at Mitakihara Hospital! And those girls, Madoka and Sayaka, are there too."
After informing Mami via telepathy, it dropped its tense act. Instead, it lay down on the roof of a parked car and watched the distant hospital.
"I hope I don't have to use Mami, after all, it's better to save resources where possible."
Kyubey lay there with its usual brilliant smile, but its words were hair-raising.
At the hospital, even the usually energetic Miki Sayaka was more subdued. She knew the reason all too well. But as the three stepped into the hospital building, Kaname Madoka froze.
"What's wrong, Madoka?"
Hitomi Shizuki, standing next to her, noticed the odd reaction and couldn't help but ask. Madoka smiled and shook her head.
"Nothing. I was just wondering if my dad remembered to record that show I wanted to watch."
After brushing it off with a random excuse, Madoka pulled on Sayaka sleeve.
"Sayaka, don't you feel it?"
"Feel what?"
"That same feeling from the night with Homura-chan."
Sayaka, who had been lost in her own world, frowned and scanned the area at Madoka hint. Unfortunately, she felt nothing.
"Are you sure you aren't mistaken, Madoka?"
"I don't know, but I just feel uneasy..."
Seeing her friend's expression, Sayaka sighed and pulled her phone out of her bag.
"Just in case, I'll give Mami-san a call."
Because Madoka and Sayaka were whispering, their pace slowed. Hitomi, walking ahead, naturally noticed. When she turned back and saw the two huddling together and whispering, her expression turned extremely subtle.
The three had been best friends since middle school and usually told each other everything. Seeing the two whispering made her feel a twinge of jealousy, but she quickly blushed—everyone has secrets, right?
Mami phone picked up within seconds.
"Sayaka? Is something wrong?"
The sound of wind whistling and a slightly heavier-than-usual breathing on the other end felt strange to Sayaka, but she didn't forget the important matter.
"Mami-san, Madoka just said she feels the same thing she felt that night with Homura-chan..."
"What?! Sayaka! Where are you?"
"At Mitakihara Hospital. We're here to visit Kamijo-kun..."
Hearing Sayaka words, Mami interrupted her, her voice sounding urgent.
"Get out of there now! Kyubey told me it found a Grief Seed's aura near the hospital! You—"
Before Mami could finish, the call cut out.
"Hello? Hello! What's going on..."
"Sayaka."
"What is it, Madoka? I... AH!!"
Sayaka turned around at Madoka call and let out a scream of surprise. She suddenly realized they were no longer in the hospital. They were inside a bizarre "castle." The walls weren't made of brick and stone, but of cake dripping with honey.
In any other setting, they might have thought they were in a dream. But now, a chill ran down their spines. They realized one thing—they were inside a Witch's Labyrinth.
Meanwhile, Hitomi Shizuki, who had been walking ahead, noticed the footsteps behind her had stopped. She turned around to find that Kaname Madoka and Miki Sayaka had completely vanished...