In the arms of a massive, two-meter-tall humanoid sat a young girl with long green hair, while two teenage girls sat perched on its shoulders. If the surroundings weren't so eerie, it would have looked like a scene straight out of a fairy tale. However, the two girls on the shoulders were deathly pale with nerves, as they realized Kyubey was getting further and further away from them.
"Zero, can you go any faster?"
"Mm..."
Hearing that slightly hesitant voice, Miki Sayaka knew the other girl probably did have a way to speed up but didn't want to use it for some reason.
"I'll treat you to another cake buffet!"
"Mm..."
Zero expression began to waver. Sayaka decided to strike while the iron was hot.
"Three! I'll treat you to three buffets total!"
'!!!'
Was it Sayaka imagination, or did Zero eyes just flash like searchlights?
Regardless of the cause, Zero immediately made good on the promise. The "humanoid" that had been sprinting slowed down, gently placed Sayaka and Madoka on the ground for a moment, and then—
Clatter! Clatter!
Accompanied by a series of mechanical and wet sounds, several tentacle-like appendages extended from within the humanoid, binding it until it transformed into a four-legged, crawling "lizard." Thanks to the sleek metal coating, it didn't look particularly gross.
Once the "transformation" was complete, Zero waved a chubby little hand from the head of the construct toward Madoka and Sayaka.
As soon as they were seated, she waved her tiny fist forward with an excited look.
"Let's go! For the cake!"
Four legs were indeed much faster than two. They caught up to Kyubey in no time.
"Zero!"
Madoka whispered a warning, and Zero nodded. With a flick of her small hand, several tentacles shot out from the body of "Owl."
Squish! Squish!
With a series of wet slicing sounds, the flying Familiars were instantly cut in half. Kyubey, naturally, was saved just in the nick of time.
"Thank goodness. Madoka? Sayaka? Thank you both."
Kyubey thanked them in its usual cute voice, seemingly relieved. But then, its gaze settled on Zero. It tilted its head in confusion, then looked as if it had discovered something incredible.
"Young lady, would you like to make a contract with me and become a Magical Girl?"
Upon hearing those words, Zero reached out with both hands, grabbed Kyubey by the "armpits" of its front legs, and slowly lifted it up. They stared at each other eye-to-eye. Kyubey saw the curiosity in her gaze and thought to itself, 'Jackpot.'
Kyubey criteria for a Magical Girl were simple: first, they had to be a "girl"; second, they had to be special. Otherwise, if the energy released during the transformation from "Magical Girl" to "Witch" was too low, it would be a waste of investment. After all, granting wishes and creating Soul Gems wasn't cheap.
This little girl looked extremely special. It had never seen a being quite like her. Even if her efficiency as a Magical Girl was unknown, it was willing to gamble. Besides, she looked so young and naive; it could probably trick her as easily as the owner of the current Barrier—a single piece of cake would likely do the trick.
But just as it thought it had succeeded, a hand suddenly grabbed its middle.
"Wait! Zero! This is Kyubey! You can't eat him!"
It wasn't until Madoka frantic cry rang out that Kyubey realized the green-haired toddler was opening her mouth, seemingly contemplating where to take the first bite.
"I can't eat him?"
Zero eyes widened in surprise. Madoka shook her head with a very serious expression.
"No eating!"
"..."
Looking at Zero as she pouted in disappointment, kicking her smooth little feet back and forth, Madoka felt like an arrow had pierced her heart from the sheer cuteness. Fortunately, she held her ground.
While they were interacting, the sound of fluttering wings returned. They looked up to realize that, without them noticing, hundreds of "Familiars" had gathered above. These "bees," barely larger than a human fist, were swarming so densely it made their skin crawl.
But that wasn't all.
"Pe... pe..."
With a strange sound, Madoka and the others realized they weren't alone in this space. A pink doll-like figure wearing a black cloak was slowly standing up, looking at the intruders with a confused expression.
Kyubey leaped out of Madoka arms.
"Be careful! That's the 'Witch'!"
"A Witch?! That little thing?!"
Sayaka couldn't help but exclaim. Mami had told them that Witches were usually grotesque and extremely aggressive, attacking anything that entered their Barrier.
However, the creature Kyubey called a "Witch" didn't attack. Instead, it just stared at them in confusion. The two sides were in a standoff when suddenly—
Crack! Shatter!
The sound of something breaking echoed from the surroundings.
'Finally, she's here.'
Kyubey expression remained unchanged, but it felt a sense of relief. There had been too many variables in this "operation."
Plan A was to trap Madoka and Sayaka in the Barrier, use fear to manipulate them, and eventually trick them into becoming Magical Girls. Sayaka was just a bonus; if necessary, it would use her "death" to trigger Madoka.
To ensure Madoka safety, everything was under its control. The "Grief Seed" for this event was carefully selected.
The "Sweets Witch" was one of the most "efficient" cases in its career.
The girl named Nagisa Momoe became a Magical Girl to let her terminally ill mother eat cheesecake. Later, at her mother's funeral, she fell into regret because she hadn't wished for her mother to be resurrected.
Being emotionally unstable and too young to handle the burden, she fell into despair during her very first mission and turned into a Witch.
Her Familiars didn't even attack humans; they only searched for "cheesecake" as she commanded. She was the "safest" choice.
But then, the unexpected happened—
Thinking of this, it glanced at Zero again. She remained expressionless.