Have you ever seen Mitakihara at four in the morning?
Homura Akemi had, countless times.
During her long years in the hospital, nightmares often jolted her awake in the middle of the night. With no one to rely on, she could only stare at the stars, passing the long, tedious hours.
Those days of utter despair laid the foundation of her personality.
She was a person who lacked a sense of security. No matter how much she craved companions and family, the people she could truly trust were always a select few.
Like Madoka.
For the friend she held dear, she was willing not only to give her life but to stand against the world.
And in fact, she had done so.
To fulfill her promise to Madoka, she had fought and died in nearly one hundred time loops, replaying the same scenario over and over, battling to the death again and again, just to find a way to break the cycle.
Naturally, she experienced failure after failure, despair after despair, and the total annihilation of her party time and time again.
Walpurgisnacht was invincible. She had almost labeled the enemy she faced with that tag. But in the end, she never gave up.
There was no grand reason. Since Madoka had chosen to believe in her, to entrust her with hope, then she had to live up to Madoka's expectations.
No matter how many times she had to loop, she would save Madoka.
And so, after yet another failure, Homura Akemi once again activated her power as a magical girl, rewound time, and returned to the past.
"Hmm?"
For some reason, this time loop felt different from all the others.
Like a fish that had been swimming beneath the surface finally breaking into the air, Homura felt as if she had punctured the film of an illusory bubble and entered a real one.
It felt less like the her who had looped a hundred times was looping again, and more like the her of this time had absorbed the memories of a hundred loops.
She was curious about this strange sensation but didn't dwell on it.
After all, just because she could use a magical girl's special ability didn't mean she had done much research on the temporal powers she wielded.
To her, it was just a one-button, idiot-proof operation—nothing worth noting.
What truly made her feel that something was wrong was the sight that greeted her when she opened her eyes.
"An unfamiliar ceiling..."
The girl's eyes opened, filled with utter bewilderment.
What's going on? After nearly a hundred loops, this was the first time she had ever appeared in the wrong place.
Based on past experience, she should be in the hospital right now, lying in bed and thinking about what had happened with her father during the day.
It wouldn't be until two hours later, as the sun was about to rise, that she would make up her mind and go to the rooftop.
There, she would meet her best friend and second-most-important family member, Madoka, and with her guidance and influence, escape her father's threat and gain a new life.
And after that, she would witness Madoka's tragic defeat and, to undo the tragedy before her, make a wish to return to that first moment.
Homura remembered the events of that time with perfect clarity. And she was all too familiar with the loop she had experienced nearly a hundred times.
That was why she was so confused now. If her time-rewind hadn't malfunctioned, then what was this ceiling above her—one that looked simple yet held a subtle air of luxury?
And this reassuring warmth her cheek was pillowed on, and the thing her arms were subconsciously wrapped around... what was that?
Most importantly, why did she subconsciously feel that Madoka was her second-most-important family member? If she was second, who was first?
Amidst her confusion, the battle-hardened veteran of a hundred loops, Homura Akemi, finally realized something was wrong.
She shot up warily, only to notice her hands were wrapped around a long, well-proportioned arm as she slept.
She instinctively looked at the arm's owner and froze in shock.
What's happening? Why is she in a man's bed?
Homura was stunned into a daze. Even after a hundred loops, she had never encountered a hidden plotline like this! What's more, she had no memory of this man; he was clearly a stranger.
No, that's not right!
Before she could finalize that judgment, the memories of this loop tore through her mind like an alarm bell, emphatically warning her of a fatal error.
"He's not a stranger, he's my... family? Big Brother Su Mo?"
Muttering the name that was both unfamiliar and familiar, Homura felt a wave of dizziness.
She immediately searched her memories and understood that the man before her was apparently her family, her legal guardian, and, in a legal sense, her father.
Wait, if he's my father, why am I calling him Big Brother? And why are we sleeping in the same bed?
A horrifying possibility came to mind, and Homura immediately ran her hands all over her body, trying to check for something.
Then she realized that, having no experience in these matters, she didn't actually know how to check for her own purity.
Before she could put her anxious heart to rest, she suddenly saw a hint of pink hair on the other side of the bed.
Her eyes widened as she threw back the covers, only to discover with a start that her second-most-important family member, Madoka, was sleeping on Su Mo's other side.
Just like she had been moments ago, Madoka was hugging Su Mo tightly in her sleep, a string of drool even glistening at the corner of her mouth.
What is going on? He didn't just go after me, but Madoka too? That beast! Madoka isn't even thirteen!
Just as Homura's righteous indignation began to simmer into anger towards Su Mo, a tidal wave of emotion suddenly washed over her.
It was as if her own memories were refuting her judgment. Everything about Su Mo was laid bare before her.
Homura's eyes immediately filled with guilt. She realized she had been overthinking things.
She didn't know what the situation was with Madoka, but she herself had simply cried herself unconscious...and had been placed here by Su Mo.
And looking at her previous actions, based on her muscle memory, it was definitely not Su Mo trying to take advantage of her, but her clinging to him, refusing to let go.
Thinking of this, she lowered her head and looked at the black ribbon clutched in her arms, held tightly even in her sleep.
"A gift from Big Brother Su Mo..."
She glanced back at Su Mo, finally understanding why in this timeline, she considered him her closest family, to the point that even Madoka was secondary.
Given Su Mo's attitude and everything he had done for her, this position was well-deserved. Even she, who had looped nearly a hundred times, had to admit to the emotions welling up in her heart.
Previously, she had firmly believed that there was no salvation in this world, only the same old despair. But now, the existence of Su Mo and Madoka negated that idea.
There were still beautiful things in this world.
For example, Su Mo.
For example, Madoka.
"Which is why I have to protect them even more!" Homura gave the two of them a deep look.
Although she didn't know why Su Mo had appeared in this timeline, or why she hadn't met him before, she would not doubt the sincerity of his feelings for her. Otherwise, who would be so good to a useless, sickly girl?
Since there was no need to doubt her family, her mission hadn't changed. It was the same as before: to protect those she cared about. Previously, that list only had Madoka's name on it. Now, Su Mo had been added.
Therefore, Walpurgisnacht was still her greatest enemy. The worrying part was that she still hadn't found a way to defeat it; the monster was practically invincible.
The fortunate part, however, was that for some unknown reason, this world had changed. Perhaps a new opportunity would present itself.
Of course, right now, having just arrived in this timeline, she didn't need to consider that yet. Based on past experience, there was only one pressing matter: dealing with those cultists.
Therefore—
"I'm sorry, Big Brother Su Mo!" Homura shot Su Mo an apologetic look.
"As a magical girl, it's too dangerous to be around me. From now on, I suppose I can only protect you from the shadows!"