For a while, the nights in Mitakihara Town had been deathly quiet. The occasional "mysterious disappearance cases" had always left the residents feeling uneasy. However, nearly six months ago, those cases had gradually vanished into thin air. Even so, late at night was not typically a time for ordinary people to be active—except for this moment.
"Sayaka? Are you ready? Jump! I'll catch you!"
In front of a single-family house, Kyoko Sakura, dressed in a long trench coat, was shouting and waving her arms toward the second floor. Standing by the windowsill, Sayaka Miki was so flustered she couldn't find her voice—it was hard to tell if she was nervous about the height or simply embarrassed by the other girl's loud shouting. In the end, she decided not to listen. She climbed out the window, braced her hands against the ledge, and slowly let go.
Thud.
With a dull sound, she finally landed on the ground.
"I can do it myself!"
Unlike Kyoko, Sayaka didn't have the luxury of "magic," so she didn't dare complain too loudly. Kyoko just folded her hands behind her head and grinned without saying a word. Sayaka blushed and stayed silent; clearly, they both remembered a similar scene that happened a while back. It was when they were clearing "Wraiths" in some ruins—the only difference was that time, she actually jumped and was caught in Kyoko arms.
Perhaps to break the awkward atmosphere, she turned her focus to the task at hand.
"Anyway, when are we leaving? Doctor Lancer said the location for tonight's banquet would be a surprise?"
The smirking Kyoko gave a cryptic smile upon hearing Sayaka question.
"The location? It's right here~"
Kyoko then acted like a gentleman in a play, placing one hand over her chest and bowing slightly, while her right hand traced a wildly dramatic circle in the air.
Sayaka didn't know what she was up to, but her eyes lit up. Before she could speak, the circle beside Kyoko began to glow, and a strange source of light pulsed in the dead of night.
"Welcome—to the world of 'Magical Girls,' lovely lady~"
Though her stance had been gentlemanly, her playful tone made Sayaka burst out laughing.
"What? Is my 'posture' not standard?"
Sayaka laughter deflated Kyoko smugness a bit, but the blue-haired girl just shook her head with a smile.
"I don't know about 'standard,' but it definitely has that 'Kyoko' flair~"
Kyoko scratched her head, feeling a bit helpless.
"Really? I was trying to copy Lancer, but I guess I didn't get it right. Is it because of the height?"
The thought that she was shorter than the man's chest made Kyoko feel a bit depressed. Because of this, she missed the brief, odd pause in Sayaka expression. She simply grabbed Sayaka hand and pulled her toward the "circle."
"Whatever. You took so long to change, Sayaka. Everyone else should be there by now~"
Sayaka face flushed instinctively as Kyoko grabbed her hand, but she followed her lead and stepped into the circle.
The moment she crossed the threshold, she was stunned. She found herself in the middle of a vast "garden." Unlike the world outside, a gentle light shone from above. Surrounding them were many girls dressed in various ornate outfits. They didn't seem surprised by the duo's arrival, merely nodding in a welcoming manner.
As Sayaka stood there dazed, Kyoko pulled her further inside.
"I see Madoka and Homura. Mami-san is waiting for us too, hurry up!"
It wasn't until they reached the inner area that they heard Lancer familiar voice.
"The powers of magical girls are all-encompassing. Whether it's 'Light,' 'Water,' or 'Plants,' it's all supported by everyone's collective strength. From now on, this will be everyone's home. I'll be handing the management permissions to Kyoko and Mami. If you want to come here to play in the future, you can just go to them..."
As they reached the group, Kyoko stopped, and Sayaka asked instinctively.
"Doctor Lancer, are you leaving?"
Lancer, who had been talking to Madoka, turned around with a smile and gave her a playful, knowing wink.
"Yeah. My 'objective' is complete, so it's time for me to start my next journey... So, Sayaka, you've gotta work hard too, okay~"
"Work hard? Sayaka? Do you need help with something?"
Kyoko asked by reflex, but Sayaka stood there frozen, her face turning beet-red.
Only one thought was racing through her mind—
'Doctor Lancer knows?'
Then her face got even redder as she realized something else—
'Does this mean Doctor Lancer supports me?'
"I'll... do my best."
Though she gave a direct answer, her eyes were darting around nervously.
"Huh?! What thing?! Are you guys hiding something from me?"
Watching Sayaka try to dodge the question and Kyoko chase her with confusion, Lancer felt like laughing. In his eyes, Sayaka feelings were obvious; the only problem was that Kyoko hadn't even considered that possibility yet. If she thought about it for a second, she'd likely guess the answer.
Lancer chuckled and ruffled Kyoko head.
"It's nothing~ But since everyone is here—let the banquet begin! A celebration for the completion of this place, and a farewell party for me!!"
As Lancer raised his glass, a cup floated in front of everyone present. They each took their drinks and raised them high.
"Ohhh~~!"
Usually, such a cheer would be hot-blooded, but since everyone present except Lancer was a girl—some of whom were lolis or even toddlers—the high-pitched, childish cheering actually made Lancer the first one to burst into laughter.
He shook his head and lowered his glass with a smile.
"Everyone, eat up! Today's feast was prepared by Tiger and over a dozen 'companions' who are experts in the kitchen~"
Standing in the middle of the crowd of girls, Lancer looked like a "leader of the kids." He didn't mind at all. To him, seeing the radiant smiles on the faces of these girls—some familiar, some strangers—felt like a healing balm for his soul. For him, the efforts of the past six months had not been in vain.