"I don't want to die..." What appeared before Mami Tomoe was a grotesque, twisted, and even somewhat comical face made of desserts.
But facing this comical face, Mami Tomoe couldn't bring herself to smile.
She wanted to mobilize the magic within her, but she couldn't, because the last strike had completely exhausted all her remaining magic. Because she thought the Witch was dead, she hadn't saved much magic, and now it was even a question of whether she could maintain her transformed state.
Looking at the Witch's face, Mami Tomoe froze. She stood rooted to the spot, only able to stare blankly as the Witch drew closer and closer.
It seemed to be laughing, and Mami Tomoe could read the meaning in its smile. It was mocking Mami Tomoe's ignorance, her powerlessness, and her weakness.
It slowly, yet quickly, opened its mouth, formed from desserts, and enveloped Mami Tomoe with countless shadows and darkness.
'Am I... going to die?' Looking at the Witch's huge mouth, Mami Tomoe thought for no reason. This thought suddenly flashed through Mami Tomoe's mind, but it was like a slowly arriving shadow, gradually occupying Mami Tomoe's heart.
'Am I... just going to die like this?' Mami Tomoe looked blankly at the giant maw that was now almost upon her, thinking with some despair.
Just then, her past memories began to replay in fast-forward in her mind. Memories from elementary school, middle school, and her parents' car accident quickly flashed through her mind. Finally, Mami Tomoe felt herself return to that empty, very spacious home.
Looking at the familiar front door, Mami Tomoe was afraid. She was afraid that if she went inside, the spacious house would make her feel lonely. She would once again hide in her room and cry alone, with no one to accompany her. When hunting Witches, the tension of battle would distract her from those thoughts, but when she was alone, she always couldn't help but remember them.
But as she hesitated, the front door suddenly opened by itself. It wasn't dark inside; rather, a faint light shone on her. When the door was fully open, Mami Tomoe saw a figure wearing an apron appear before her. She smiled at her, holding a spoon in one hand and a funny hand puppet in the other.
"Yoshino." Looking at this smiling figure, Mami Tomoe spoke unconsciously.
That's right, that person was Yoshino. This girl, who had only been in her home for less than a week, had an alter ego who told her she had a mission to save this world. But none of that was the point; what was important was that during the few days she spent with her, she felt the loneliness in her heart slowly dissipate with Yoshino's companionship.
It's amazing, isn't it? Just a few days ago, they were strangers, but a few days of interaction made her feel Yoshino's important place in her heart. Her gentleness, her kindness, the warm meals she prepared for her every day, and the gentle "Welcome back" she would say when she returned from hunting Witches every day.
'What a strange child, but truly adorable.' The despair in her heart slowly vanished. Mami Tomoe closed her eyes; if there truly were gods, then bless her. She still wanted to see Yoshino; she had only just found the warmth she desired. She... still wanted to live on.
'Bang!'
Just as everyone thought Mami Tomoe was about to be swallowed by the Witch, a giant rabbit's palm appeared beside the Witch and slapped it across the face. Due to the immense force, the Witch's body was directly launched, smashing hard against the wall and raising a large amount of dust.
"Eh?" There was no expected pain, and Mami Tomoe and the others opened their eyes to see a giant rabbit puppet where the Witch had been. Its eyes glowed blue, staring in the direction the Witch had flown, constantly exhaling cold air from its mouth.
"Roar oh~" The giant rabbit puppet let out a furious roar, and the swirling air current made everyone instinctively cover their eyes and skirts. After the air current disappeared, Sayaka Miki looked at the giant rabbit puppet with alarm.
'Hey! Hey! What is this? Why is there such a monster here? The Witch was already troublesome enough, and now this thing appears. Is there really no hope left?' Sayaka Miki nervously looked at the rabbit puppet. She was a little worried that this rabbit puppet would suddenly attack them, in which case it would truly be game over.
Just as Sayaka Miki was feeling panicked, Madoka Kaname next to her stared blankly at the giant rabbit. She didn't show any expression of panic. Unlike Sayaka Miki, she knew that this suddenly appearing giant creature would not harm them. If you asked why, it had appeared in her dreams before.
'This rabbit was summoned by Yoshino, which means Yoshino is currently on this rabbit?' Thinking this, Madoka Kaname squinted, carefully looking at the rabbit's back. Although the distance was a bit far, she could still see Yoshino on top of this giant rabbit.
Now, her hands were plunged into the back of Ice Binding Puppet (Zadkiel), and her clothes had changed into her spirit dress. Her left eye glowed blue as she stared expressionlessly at the Witch. The moment the Witch opened its mouth, Homura Akemi activated her time-stopping ability. Yoshino also changed into her spirit dress with Homura Akemi's help.
Then, after summoning Ice Binding Puppet (Zadkiel), she quickly came to the Witch's side and slapped it across the face, sending it flying. Although she knew she could save Mami Tomoe, she had been truly worried. In less than a second, Mami Tomoe would have truly become a headless Senior Mami, and then she would have had to use The Twelfth Bullet (Yud Bet) to go back a few minutes and save Mami Tomoe again.
At the same time, Homura Akemi appeared beside Mami Tomoe, taking her away to hide in a safe corner. Mami Tomoe, who was standing there stunned, didn't seem to notice that Homura Akemi was pulling her. Her eyes remained fixed on Yoshino, who was sitting on Ice Binding Puppet (Zadkiel), with a warm smile on her face.
'Sure enough... you still saved me, Yoshino. You really came just in time; I almost thought I wouldn't see you again.' Wiping away tears from her eyes, Mami Tomoe now felt incredibly happy. Because she was no longer the one others relied on; now she could also try to rely on others.
"Senior Mami, are you okay?" Sayaka Miki and Madoka Kaname rushed over, looking at Mami Tomoe with concern. They had truly thought Mami Tomoe was going to die from the Witch's attack; it was so good that she survived.
"I'm fine," Mami Tomoe said, waving her hand to indicate she was alright, then turned to look at Homura Akemi standing beside her. "But Homura, how did you break free from the ribbons?" She no longer had any guard against Homura Akemi, because the way Yoshino, riding Ice Binding Puppet (Zadkiel), appeared was exactly the same as Homura Akemi's.
"It was Yoshino, who appeared later, who untied the ribbons on me. Then, when I brought Yoshino here, I saw you about to be attacked by the Witch, so Yoshino used her power to rush over and rescue you." Looking at the Witch emerging from the dust, Homura Akemi turned and looked at Mami Tomoe seriously.
"I should have told you that this Witch's pattern is different from the usual. Have you ever considered, if Yoshino and I hadn't arrived in time, could you have survived that attack?" Homura Akemi reproached Mami Tomoe. Although this was her deliberate arrangement, due to her mistake, Mami Tomoe almost died at the Witch's hands.
"I... I'm sorry." Looking at Homura Akemi's angry face, Mami Tomoe apologized weakly like a girl who had made a mistake. But she suddenly heard a loud noise and looked up at where the sound came from. Then she saw the Witch being thoroughly beaten by Ice Binding Puppet (Zadkiel). The scene was like a monster PK, only the Witch was no match for Yoshino's side.
Looking at the Witch being pressed to the ground and fiercely rubbed, Madoka Kaname and the others all broke out in a cold sweat. It wasn't because the Witch was being abused too terribly, but because Ice Binding Puppet (Zadkiel) would let out a heavy laugh while abusing the Witch, as if it was very pleased.
"Is this also Yoshino's power? A giant rabbit puppet made of ice, it's truly terrifying. I really don't know how strong her power is." Mami Tomoe said with some emotion, looking at Yoshino's figure. Is this the power to travel through worlds? It's truly powerful; no wonder she was given the task of saving the world with such abilities.
Homura Akemi, standing nearby, nodded, thinking of the self-sacrificing magic Yoshino used in the previous world to defeat the powerful Walpurgisnacht. Her expression now turned grim. Mami Tomoe's outcome this time was already certain; now the target was Sayaka Miki.
Stealing a glance at Sayaka Miki, Homura Akemi had the thought of preventing her from becoming a Magical Girl. But then she thought, Kyosuke Kamijo, whom she cared about, still hadn't had his hand healed. To heal his hand, she would definitely become a Magical Girl, but how to prevent her from becoming a Mermaid Witch?
Homura Akemi thought with some annoyance.
At this point, the battle on Yoshino's side had ended. The Witch, having been thoroughly dealt with by Ice Binding Puppet (Zadkiel), was now softly sprawled against a wall, unable to move. Yoshino also disengaged from Ice Binding Puppet (Zadkiel) and came to the Witch's side.
"You're in a lot of pain, aren't you...?" Yoshino whispered to the Witch, who still had a breath left, her voice so soft that only she, Yoshinon on her hand, and the Witch could hear it.
The Witch's body trembled slightly upon hearing Yoshino's words, but it was unable to do anything now. Yoshino didn't know if it was truly in great pain, but she knew the Witch must want to die now... "I will end your suffering... I will inherit all your despair and sadness. Next time, don't make such hasty wishes, and be able to live happily with your family."
A white light appeared in Yoshino's hand, enveloping the Witch. Under the illumination of the white light, the Witch seemed to be relieved, its body gradually disappearing and transforming into a grief seed that fell to the ground.
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