Kohaku reaches the mouth of the river where it empties out into the ocean before she surfaces. She climbs out onto the beach, water flowing out from gaps and damage to her suit. She scans the area, ensuring that any pursuers have given up the chase, before dismissing her suit. 

Kohaku takes off her army jacket and pulls up her sleeve. On her upper arm is a strange, red-black spined insignia. A curse? Kohaku makes some effort to scrape it off with wet sand and then with her Soul Gem, but gives up before trying too hard. She lets her jacket fall onto the sand. The soldiers at the pavilion. All dead. Kohaku takes a shaky breath and presses her hand to her face, tears flowing out for her fallen comrades.

Cecilia: (a melancholy voice softly calls out from behind Kohaku) …I truly am sorry.

Kohaku: (She jumps in surprise) … Oh, it’s you. You should go back out of town. (sniffle) It’s not a good time to be here.

Cecilia: (Cecilia slowly stands, making careful strides towards Kohaku) This is the best time to be here, I’m afraid, for someone like myself. …I am a member of a once-and-current organization known as The Conductors. I go by the title of Oracle. …Like Kae, Anisa and Yui, I am also what is known as a Puella Malefica. (her voice wavers a little as she continues) My power allows me visions into the present and future. I… I knew to find you here, and what has happened to you. …To your men. I… this was not supposed to happen. I’m truly sorry. But trust me enough to know that someone like me… well, I’m on your side.

Kohaku: What are you talking about? (She recovers her jacket from the sand) I don’t know anything about this mafia Yui was a part of. This isn’t the time for that. 

Cecilia: …You’re right about one thing. We don’t have a lot of time. That woman that attacked you. She called herself  ‘Punisher’, correct? She… isn’t acting alone. The Incubator… it conducts what it calls ‘Balancing’ when a region becomes too powerful or dangerous to control. So it has brought in these ‘Balancers’ to eliminate the Puellae and Puella adjacent residents of Mitakihara City. Punisher is one. There’s also Moonlover, Worldeater, and… (Cecilia takes a shaky breath) …Firestarter. The girl who immolated the mayor in that video. Their goal is to erase us all. You were not the only one attacked today, Kohaku.

Kohaku: What!? (Kohaku throws on her jacket in a hurry) Where’s Shinju? I have to go!  

Cecilia: (Cecilia holds out her left hand, as if to both calm and stop Kohaku) She is far from town, at present. Headed towards a roadside inn, outside of Tokyo. Koharu and another friend of theirs is with her. In a few days, Hanako will reunite with them. (her eyes flash blue a few times before she speaks again) They are safe, I can see them now. I can convey my vision of your sister’s current whereabouts telepathically, if it would make you feel better. But… right now, we need you here, Kohaku, in Mitakihara. Not everyone was lucky enough to be sent out of the city. Hotaru… A girl with teleportation powers gave her life to ensure their safety. She… she was not meant to die here, either.

Kohaku: (She starts walking off as if to leave, but stops) Meant? Meant? And who is meant to die? These are high school girls– children– even the one who attacked me! Nobody is meant to die! 

Cecilia: Precisely. No one was supposed to die. This wasn’t supposed to happen. And my goal now is to prevent any more suffering and death from these Balancers while we can still fight back.

Kohaku: Supposed to happen… huh. (Kohaku pulls down her jacket to expose the mark again) I should get rid of this. I don’t know if it’s going to weaken me or tell them where I am or blow up, but I don’t want it to happen when I go to Shinju. 

Cecilia: In a few minutes, you’ll be contacted by Yui. Rendezvous with her, and compare notes. She will have a solution to that mark, I’m sure of it. …Can we count on you for a while longer?

Kohaku: Kyubey’s turned these girls into his child soldiers, has he? … I don’t think I have a choice. 

Cecilia: Indeed. Some were groomed as such from an early age, and some, their history led them down this road organically. Kyubey is using all of them for its own, destructive end. …Kohaku, my one true enemy is, and has always been the Incubators. There are many things I say that bend and break the truth. This… this is not one of them.

Kohaku: You keep saying that, but I wasn’t around for whatever mafia thing made the others not trust you. It’s unnecessary. 

Cecilia: Good, then. We need to regroup and stick together to take on this threat. As we are now, we cannot hope to beat them on our own. Neither of us are in the shape to—

Shiori: Well, shit. Two for the price of one. A juicy pig… (standing atop the levee overlooking the beach, she glares at Kohaku, before letting her hateful gaze glare towards Cecilia) … and a mangy bitch.

Cecilia: {Kohaku, run. Yui will help you remove that thing on your arm. But get to where she is. She will help you, and more importantly, give you better news regarding your sister’s safety. Run into town, and I will hold the Firestarter at bay.} (Cecilia turns to face Shiori, pulling her hood up over her head)

Kohaku: {She’s another one of them? … Alright. Sorry to leave you to this, but I have people I need to look out for, too. Don’t overdo it.} (Kohaku turns and dashes away off the beach. )

Cecilia: (Cecilia stands between Shiori and the retreating Kohaku) …I always knew we would meet again, Satomi Yasuda.

Shiori: Call me by that name again and I’ll send you back to Italy in a pizza box. 

Cecilia: (she takes a couple steps toward Shiori) It doesn’t feel right to call you the new Chairman. He never burned someone to death in a video, at least. Well, let’s get to the point, then. Say to me whatever it is you want to say to me.

Shiori: (she scoffs) You and Arashi really are like two sagging tits in a top, aren’t ya? Sure you aren’t actual sisters? No hearts, the both of you, and no fucking heads either. I have nothing to say to you, snitch. Not a single fucking word. I’ve got so many colorful insults all lined up, and you don’t deserve a single fucking one of them.

Cecilia: Odd. I expected a modicum of vitriol, considering I’m the one who abandoned you to this fate. Not a single quip, then? You weren’t ever even wondering why I did this? Besides any aforementioned colorful insults, I mean. My motive never once caught your curiosity, Firestarter?

Shiori: Aren’t you fucking eager. Do you regret what you did? Or lemme guess — you did it for my sake. So many nannies, looking out for ol’ Shiori. Do you honestly think there’s going to be any way for you to walk away from all this?

Cecilia: I did what I did for the sake of Mitakihara. For the world. I could explain why, but do you honestly even care? Or does ironically calling everyone who rebels against your feline master a bootlicker take precedence in your mind? Did you even think to question it, when you made your wish? When it asked you to take part in this scheme? Or did the good little Satomi march in lockstep because it promised anarchy and destruction, fuelling a self-fulfilling desire to “get even” with those who wronged you? Because you never were good at talking things out, were you?

Shiori: You couldn’t have fucked it up harder if you tried. All that anarchy and destruction? It’s your fault. You set this godforsaken shithole on fire. I’m just the match.

Cecilia: (a smile appears under the Oracle’s hood) Does this mean you embrace your role as a mere tool? Or, could it be that you have some grand design that the rest of the Balancers are unaware of, as of yet? I started a fire that will do some damage, but can be extinguished. The alternative was salted earth and ash.

Shiori: My “grand design” is your snitching ass six feet under. Don’t you get it? I don’t fucking care if what I want happens to be what the rat wants. I don’t plan on sticking around for some grand design. All I care about is making sure hell’s got a welcoming committee for when I arrive. (the large concrete bricks composing the levee she is standing on begin to shake, as if something is awakening within)

Cecilia: …To say that this is a disappointment would imply that I didn’t foresee this outcome. (Cecilia sighs, jumping away from the shaking bricks, pulling her cloak off with one hand and revealing a full suit of slick, silver armor underneath. In her left hand, a silver staff forms into a spear.)