Originally, Kyubey planned to trick the girls into the contract the moment they encountered the Familiars. But Zero appearance had neutralized the threat. Now, its only hope was the "Sweets Witch." It had pretended not to hear Madoka calls and led them to the Witch's location, only to nearly be overtaken by them despite having the home-field advantage.
But now—
Seeing Mami Tomoe break through the Barrier and appear before them, it let out a sigh of resignation. Although it was prepared to sacrifice her, it was still a bit of a waste.
'I thought I could save a bit of investment here...'
Negative emotions began to swirl toward the Sweets Witch. The creature, which had been sitting idly, began to wail.
Mami felt a sense of unease. She had fought hundreds of Familiars and dozens of Witches, but she had never seen one react like this. Usually, they attacked on sight. That was why she had been in such a rush; ten minutes had passed since she got the news, which could be a death sentence for a normal person.
Instead, she found the Witch in a staring contest with a strange child. Even after Mami appeared, the Witch didn't attack immediately, but continued to let out odd cries.
But then—
A sudden sense of danger made her leap to the side by reflex. A swarm of Familiars lunged from above.
She actually felt a sense of relief. 'Now that's a normal Witch.'
The battle was on!
Madoka and Sayaka had seen Mami fight once before, but the enemies were so weak then that Mami had ended it in a flash. This time, they saw her true power.
Even against a terrifying "Witch," her magically conjured muskets kept the enemies at bay. Whether it was the swarming bees or the doll-like Witch, they were handled with grace.
However, despite her elegant appearance, Mami was starting to feel the pressure.
The number of "one-hit-kill" Familiars wasn't decreasing, and although she had hit the doll-like Witch several times, ordinary bullets weren't enough to finish it. She wanted to use her "finishing move," but the swarming Familiars left her no room to breathe.
She glanced down at Madoka and Sayaka, who were being protected by the green-haired girl, and managed to stay calm. At least her juniors were safe.
'Let's gamble. If it fails, I'll retreat with the girls.'
Retreating in front of the juniors who admired her was a bitter pill, but she chose their safety over her pride.
Mami changed her style. Instead of summoning muskets to push back the swarm, she lifted her skirt slightly. Several muzzles appeared from beneath it.
Bang!
Using the recoil of the continuous fire, she lunged straight toward the Sweets Witch. The move caught everyone off guard—not just the girls, but the Witch itself. It tried to flee, but it was too late.
Mid-lunge, Mami untied the ribbon at her collar. The soft-looking ribbon transformed into a revolver nearly as long as her arm.
"Time for the Finale!"
The barrel, almost as large as the Witch's body, pointed directly at it. As the Witch tried to scramble away, Mami pulled the trigger.
BOOM!!
It was less a pistol and more a hand-cannon. The roar echoed through the enclosed space. Mami watched as the nearly shredded body of the Sweets Witch fell like a rag doll. She breathed a sigh of relief.
She had gambled everything on this one strike, leaving herself no energy to retreat. Fortunately, her gamble paid off.
'I finally showed Madoka and Sayaka my cool side. They'll surely want to become Magical Girls now... then I won't be alone anymore...'
Mami motive was simple: she just wanted companions to share her victories with.
But as she landed, she suddenly remembered the man's words: "Do you have any idea how many people I've seen die because of their own pride?"
She realized something. The Barrier hadn't disappeared.
Shouldn't it vanish when the Witch is dead?
Sensing something was wrong, she lunged forward without hesitation. The moment she moved, a whistling sound came from behind her.
"Munch~!"
Madoka and Sayaka screamed in unison.
"Mami-san!"
Mami, now flat on the ground, didn't see what happened, but the girls saw it clearly. The "doll" that had fallen to the floor suddenly bloated up. A massive head erupted from its body and lunged at Mami with its jaws wide.
They thought she was done for, but she miraculously dodged. The Sweets Witch didn't give up; it raised its head to strike again while Mami was still pinned to the floor. But right then—
VROOOOM!! VROOOOM!!
Even as the strange roar echoed out, the Sweets Witch didn't abandon its prey. It opened its mouth to reveal saw-like teeth. But the roar grew deafening.
CRASH!!!
With a massive impact, the Sweets Witch was sent flying. As it raised its head with an angry roar, a clear "tire mark" was visible across its face.
"Looks like I'm not too late."