Although Mami Tomoe asked her to protect Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki (Blue-haired girl), with the barrier frozen, any area with ice was within her control. With just a raised hand or a thought, ice shards or pillars could appear in the barrier to attack Familiars. This ability was most effective for a guard.
The reason she didn't display other abilities was because Kyubey was still there. Yoshino didn't have a good impression of this creature. Moreover, it was the main culprit behind Homura Akemi's endless reincarnation. If it weren't for Kyubey's identity being too numerous, impossible to kill no matter what, she would have wanted to find each of Kyubey's identities and then cook them for… uh~ Kyoko Sakura to eat!
This creature would also tell Oriko Mikami information about her. Although Yoshino wasn't worried about this, she still needed time to eliminate all unfavorable factors. Currently, she couldn't expose too many of her other abilities, so she could only use her ice ability to make it think she only had control over ice.
'Forcibly integrating one's own reality into a Magical Girl's barrier, even the strongest Magical Girl I've seen before couldn't do this. Yoshino can do this so easily, it's quite unexpected.' Kyubey, held in Madoka Kaname's arms, had a flicker of light in its crimson pupils. 'It's getting more and more curious, Yoshino. I wonder what other interesting abilities you haven't shown yet.'
"How amazing, Classmate Shikino is actually so powerful, even though she's so timid at school…" Madoka Kaname said with some emotion, watching Yoshino display her might.
"Yes, she has such strength yet no arrogance, and still maintains a kind heart. She's really a good child." Sayaka Miki said, "I kind of want to see Yoshino angry. If Yoshino's personality could be a bit stronger, that would be very interesting, wouldn't it?" (Don't expect it, you'll see it very soon.)
On the way to find the Witch, Mami Tomoe felt an unprecedented ease. Even though Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki behind her were burdens without any power, she didn't need to worry about their safety. Behind her was an absolutely protected area; if any Familiar tried to approach Madoka Kaname and them, ice spikes would appear from the ground to pierce them. And these ice spikes would occasionally clear out targets her flintlocks missed.
'Is this what a companion feels like? This feeling of happiness, how long has it been since I experienced it?' Looking at Yoshino's back, Mami Tomoe thought with a trace of absentmindedness.
[To have companions] This was her only wish now. Ever since she survived that car accident years ago and became a Magical Girl, Mami Tomoe had been fighting alone in Mitakihara. Apart from a period when she met Kyoko Sakura and felt the presence of a companion, it had been a long time since she had experienced this feeling of happiness.
Whether it was joy, sorrow, happiness, or pain.
Every time she returned to that luxurious apartment, there was no one but herself. To others, she seemed to have a wonderful life, but in reality, she was not happy at all. Humans are social creatures; no one can endure the feeling of despair. After she became a Magical Girl, no one stayed by her side, and she never shared her feelings with anyone.
That gentle and elegant smile, rather than being a genuine composure or maturity from seeing too much, was more like an eggshell protecting her fragile inner self, a measure to prevent others from seeing her true thoughts.
It was just that no one realized that behind this perfect smile was actually a fragile heart. If this barrier were broken, then the weak Mami Tomoe would be exposed.
'My body feels… so light. It's like I'm dancing. I feel so happy right now.'
Feeling her body incredibly light, Mami Tomoe danced, as if performing an unknown dance. Mami Tomoe continuously produced flintlock after flintlock, drawing arcs with her feet and elegantly spinning, destroying every Familiar that tried to attack her.
Sayaka Miki wielded a baseball bat infused with Mami Tomoe's magic, swinging it vigorously, while Madoka Kaname nervously hid behind Sayaka Miki, trembling. Any movement would elicit a cry, and she would then cling tightly to Sayaka Miki's back, her eyes squeezed shut.
"Are you very scared, Classmate Madoka?" After casually dispatching a Familiar, Yoshino, who was standing nearby, asked with some concern, seeing Madoka Kaname's nervous appearance. Although in other timelines, they all had experiences as Magical Girls, at present, she was still just an ordinary middle school student, and it was normal to feel scared in such a situation.
Thinking of their uneasy emotions, Yoshino reached out and placed her hands on their backs, transmitting energy to gradually calm their anxious hearts.
"I feel much better, not as nervous anymore." Feeling her heartbeat gradually slow down, she looked at Yoshino's hand on her, continuously injecting energy, knowing that Yoshino understood their nervousness and was helping them alleviate it. "Thank you, Classmate Shikino."
"You're welcome, it's my duty to protect you. Don't be afraid, I will protect your safety well." Nodding, Yoshino pulled down her hood and continued to stay alert.
"Speaking of which, Yoshino isn't scared of these monsters at all. Did you have experience dealing with these monsters before?" Looking at Yoshino's calm expression, Sayaka Miki felt a little curious. In class, she would show a shy expression if too many people looked at her, but facing these terrifying monsters, she showed no fear. This made her increasingly curious about Yoshino.
"These… actually, they aren't scary, Classmate Miki. Because they usually attack you with malice. As long as you eliminate all of them, there won't be any problems." Recalling the demons she dealt with during her Red Wings period, Yoshino stated that these Familiars were nothing significant. The memories from back then, even now, were precious and unforgettable.
"Remember, Classmate Madoka. The most terrifying things aren't these monsters; the most terrifying things are often humans. Because humans are multifaceted; one moment she might be your friend, but the reason she approaches you might be because she has some ulterior motive. This is an experience I gained before coming to Mitakihara." Yoshino's face showed an expression unbefitting her youth as she spoke to Madoka Kaname.
"Um…" Listening to Yoshino's words, Madoka Kaname didn't understand what she meant. She just felt like she was talking to someone the same age as her parents.
Just as Yoshino was about to say something more to Madoka Kaname, Yoshinon interrupted her. "Alright, Yoshino. Don't make it too hard for her. What you're telling her now is completely useless. Remember, she's still just a middle school student in her teens. Your words are really too complicated for her."
"...Yes, there's no point in me telling you these things. Classmate Madoka, you don't need to mind my words; just pretend I said them and move on." After a moment of thought, Yoshino returned to her original gentle smile.
'What exactly has Classmate Shikino been through? What is her past like?' Thinking about Yoshino's recent expression that didn't match her age, Madoka Kaname tilted her head. Facing someone surrounded by secrets is always very attractive. Yoshino had now captured Madoka Kaname's attention; she felt Yoshino was full of infinite attraction.
With Yoshino's help, finding the Witch this time was much faster. Perhaps it was due to the connection between Magical Girls and Witches, though the twisted, oil painting-like labyrinth along the way didn't hinder their progress at all.
"Look, there it is, this time's Witch." In the spacious dome-like space, stood a creature even larger than the Witches they had seen before. Although huge, Yoshino estimated it was smaller than the Dark Witch (Suleka) Yoshino had faced previously.
"This is the Rose Witch (Gertrud)."
"The Rose Witch (Gertrud)?" Looking at the Witch's form, Kyubey stated its name, prompting Sayaka Miki and the others to ask further.
"The Rose Witch (Gertrud), her nature is distrust. Roses are more important than anything else; she pours all her power into roses. Humans who lose their way in her rose garden will have their life force stolen. She dislikes others intruding into her barrier."
"Ugh, it looks so grotesque~" Sayaka Miki said with a wrinkled face, looking at the Witch before them.
'Grotesque? Yes, it is strange. But isn't this what the human heart looks like?' Although it was much better than the previous Dark Witch (Suleka).
"Are we going to fight that thing?" Madoka Kaname, who had just been somewhat captivated by Mami Tomoe's fighting posture, became uneasy.
"It's alright, how could I possibly lose?" With a confident smile, Mami Tomoe slowly walked forward. "Yoshino, I'll leave the cover mission to you, okay? I'm entrusting my entire back to you." Mami Tomoe smiled as she instructed Yoshino, then jumped into the rose garden.
Mid-air, Mami turned, and a large number of silver rifles fell from her yellow ruffled skirt.
Then, in an instant, the rifles, neatly arranged in a diamond shape, all fired simultaneously. Golden bullets rained down like a torrent, blasting away the Familiars on the ground, and Mami landed safely.
As if angered by the destruction of its territory, the Witch trembled and charged towards Mami.
Silver long rifles continuously extended from her hat, skirt, and sleeves. Mami kept discarding the single-use guns, spinning to dodge the Witch's attacks.
However, black vines appeared from nowhere, entwining Mami's ankles and hanging her upside down.
Although she continued to fire stubbornly, the bullets she shot seemed to all fall to the ground because her body's mobility was controlled.
"Senior Mami!" Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki cried out in concern, while Yoshino waved her hand, conjuring several spinning circular ice rings to cut the vines wrapped around Mami Tomoe's ankles.
"Thanks, Yoshino. But I don't want to lose too much face in front of a junior from the future." Mami Tomoe smiled and thanked Yoshino, then countless bandages reappeared on her hands.
'I feel like that girl named Suzuya Yuriko might have been right. Senior Mami might really have that kind of interest,' Sayaka Miki thought, blushing slightly as she recalled the previous scene.
Because Mami was hanging upside down, and reality isn't like anime with anti-gravity systems, Mami... had her privacy exposed beyond measure while in mid-air... However, it seemed there would be terrible consequences if they spoke of it, so the three of them decided to remain silent.
'As expected of Senior Mami, such a mature style... black lace and all...' The two girls, covering their mouths on the ground, whispered, their hearts pounding and faces red.
Almost at the same moment the vines broke, glittering golden ribbons extended from the bullets Mami had fired but which had fallen to the ground, firmly binding the Witch's entire body.
The Witch, realizing she was restrained, went berserk as if to destroy everything, but Mami, still in mid-air, waved her ribbons, drawing a circular spiral like a rifle bore. As light rapidly gathered, the ribbons and light gradually coalesced into a giant—a very giant—rifle.
"Tio Finale (Finale)!!" Accompanied by a dazzling flash that forced everyone to close their eyes, it fired. Deafening screams echoed around, and Gertrud the Rose Witch was eliminated, but the surroundings did not return to normal.
"What's going on? Why haven't we returned to the real world?" Mami Tomoe said, picking up the grief seed, a hint of confusion in her voice.
'How interesting. The Witch's barrier, which should have disappeared, why hasn't it? It seems something interesting is about to happen,' Kyubey thought, looking at the spot where Gertrud the Rose Witch had vanished.
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