Another meeting of Mitakihara’s Citizens’ Council passes without incident, as Anisa observes Katsumi Sasaki overseeing the signing of a makeshift contract between half a dozen local business owners affected by the city’s regression. In the corner of her eye, she notices Toi striking up a friendly conversation with two of her former colleagues at Mitakihara High School, and to her left, Kenji Ito and his wife taking their coats and scarves and making for the door. Moving to follow them, she gets up from her seat.

???: O-Oh, ma’am! Excuse me, ma’am?

She turns to face the source of the voice calling out to her, casting a brief glance at the woman through her thick-rimmed glasses before noticing her friendly smile.

Marian: Don’t forget your bag.

Anisa: (somewhat baffled, she takes her bag, smiling apologetically at the woman) Oh, right. Sorry, I got a bit — I mean, no, thank you.

Marian: I don’t think I’ve ever seen you here before. Where in town are you from, if you don’t mind me asking?

Anisa: Oh, I just… live in Shinmachi. I… It’s a funny story, actually. I’d just opened my own place in town, and then two weeks later, I, eh, had to shut down. Hard to do business as usual when… well, all of this is happening.

Marian: Oh, that’s a bummer. Can’t say I don’t relate, though. What line of business are you in?

Anisa: Eh… it’s a… milkshake bar?

Marian: Is it?

Anisa: H-huh?

Marian: (she chuckles) I’m just pulling your leg. You just sounded a bit confused, is all.

Anisa: Right. Well, I’d love to stay and chat, but— (she quickly glances at the door, where the Ito couple appears to have been held up by Katsumi Sasaki)

Marian: Oh, wait, if you’re new here — You do know the Citizen’s Council has a LINE group, right? Most of the discussion we’re doing happens over there. It’s why these meetings get to be so peaceful. (she chuckles, holding out her phone with a QR-code for Anisa to scan) If you give me your contact info, I’ll add you.

Anisa: Ah. Much appreciated. (she idly scans the QR code with her own phone, before noticing something that causes her to frown)

Marian: Something wrong?

Anisa: No… no, sorry, I’m just… getting used to everything. (she does a slight bow with her head, making sure her black wig doesn’t fall off) Thank you.

Marian: (she looks at her phone screen) Ms. Sakurauchi, then? Pleasure to meet you.

Anisa: (she nods) Pleasure to meet you, too, Mrs. Tokai.

Pocketing her phone, Anisa adjusts her glasses before heading straight towards the door, addressing the Ito couple directly.

Kenji: (as if anticipating her, Kenji Ito turns to face the woman with a warm smile.) Ah, we’ve been expecting you, actually. (The couple, along with Katsumi are waiting by the door, yet no one else seems to be around)

Anisa: (she smiles) Mister Ito. Could we speak privately?

Kenji: Certainly. My wife, our associate and I were just about to suggest the same. Shall we? (Kenji holds the door open, motioning towards his car, parked right outside)

Anisa: Your associate? (she eyes up Katsumi) Whatever happened to discretion?

Katsumi: Call it attorney-client privilege. Besides, you aren’t the only one with business with our resident “know-it-alls”.

Kenji: Come, come. The safety of our vehicle awaits. (Ayame gives a polite bow before making her way to Kenji’s small, black car)

Anisa: (she sighs, following Ayame to the car before turning back around) I prefer to be the one in control of who I divulge my secrets to, Ito.

Katsumi: (Opening the rear passenger’s door, Katsumi’s eyes flash in knowing as she speaks just above a whisper) The Birds of Mitakihara are more than a safe enough vault… Anisa Nobunaga. (Katsumi gets into the car, closing the door as she sits down)

Anisa: (with another sigh, she removes her wig and glasses) Well, that’s a considerable amount of time saved. I’d rather we skip the usual lecture and get straight to the core of the matter, shall we? (she sits down next to Katsumi)

Katsumi: (Kenji and Ayame sit in the front seats, with Ayame behind the wheel. The car starts, the motor enough to quell any chance of being overheard) I’ll be brief. I am meeting with the Birds of Fujiwara in order to ascertain the whereabouts and well being of my daughter. I have not physically seen her in over a month. The information, mercifully, did not come with the usual price. I have nothing to do with your meeting with the Birds, yet they did not insist on me staying away, either.

Kenji: I figured at this point, there was nothing to hide. Katsumi could see through that disguise with ease. She identified you to me privately the moment you walked in, former Director Nagano. To the point, then. Oracle Cecilia Ambrosi bid you seek us out, as part of a branching path she presented to you, correct?

Anisa: Director Nagano is dead. I couldn’t exactly waltz in there, they’d damn well lynch me—I… Look, I have had enough of higher powers — or people who claim to be higher powers — deciding my path for me, okay? That doesn’t tend to end well. I’ll spend the rest of eternity repenting, and then repenting for all the trouble I caused trying to repent. So if you truly believe I can be of help here without screwing everything up again, just tell me what I can do to help.

Kenji: Then that all depends on what repentance looks like for you. Is it using that ‘cursed’ power of yours to stand beside the others on the front lines, fighting our enemies by force? Or is it using the knowledge and expertise of that dead woman, and aiding us powerless humans in humanitarian aid for this city, now and after this conflict? For our part, the Birds are fulfilling both roles. Those of us who made wishes are helping drive the Balancers apart. Ayame and I, we have lifted a lid on some of our stored information, passing it along through proxies, to help this Council operate more safely.

Anisa: I cannot use my powers as a please. And I don’t exactly have access to the resources of the Sixth Bureau anymore either. All I can do is whatever any ordinary citizen can do.

Kenji: (he turns, giving her a small smile from the passenger seat) No different than the three of us, then. Or the Citizens’ Council.

Katsumi: Though, even if you say Director Nagano is no more, you still have that experience under your belt. If absolutely nothing else, someone like you would be invaluable once we can establish a government in this city again.

Ayame: Are you… suggesting we name Shinobu Nagano mayor of Mitakihara?

Katsumi: Of course not. I sincerely doubt she would even want the role. No, just something advisory, I would think. But that doesn’t answer your question of what to do now, does it, Anisa?

Anisa: Given what happens to mayoral candidates in this city, I think I’ll pass on that, in any case. (she sighs) So, let’s hear it. What’s the plan? I assume you have one.

Kenji: I have routes available that are relatively safe, and people who once owed me favors to help deliver aid, usually medical. Though we also deliver other supplies, such as clothing and food and the like. Supply vehicles are often targets of raids and looting, so we have alternate methods in and out of the city. And before you ask, yes, we do help citizens escape, should they desire. Yet even so, some choose to remain in their homes, despite the danger, so we do what we can to help them. In short, Anisa Nobunaga, I am using our information network in a constructive manner.

Anisa: Unfortunately, most of the resources I had access to in my capacity as Director were material, and if they haven’t been destroyed along with HQ, they’ve been called back to Tokyo. Our vehicles are now being used to make sure nothing gets in or out of town. (realizing she is not exactly being constructive, she ponders) … I can pull some strings with a handful of former Bureau staff, at most, but… a lack of skilled combatants willing to take up arms to protect the city isn’t exactly the problem here. If we want to eliminate the root cause of the issue, we need to free these hostages, and take Satomi Yasuda down. For that, a single Puella Magi is worth more than a thousand soldiers, be they Bureau or JSDF.

Kenji: Unless you are volunteering, I feel like there are enough Puella Magi in the city who are taking up the fight. I would have you instead aid us in our delivery of humanitarian aid. If that was not clear, I do apologize. Though, any resources you can get your hands on are welcome, I would instead borrow your, um… durability—

Ayame: Our intel indicates you are functionally immortal. Correct? Perfect for running supplies around town to minimize risk. If you were willing, of course.

Anisa: Functionally immortal as long as my probation officers want me to be, yes… (she gazes out of the window) Look, it’s inevitable things will go wrong if I get involved. I’m honestly surprised I haven’t been immolated yet for even talking to you people… though that probably means they have something even worse in mind. (she sighs) But it is true, they can’t exactly kill me. That would be a relief.

Ayame: Then it’s a proposal. Help deliver food, medical supplies, and whatever other sundries our network can acquire, then help us lead this city after the crisis is averted. That, or fight Shiori Nakae personally. Unless you have another idea?

Anisa: (she shakes her head) I need to avoid the big swings. The lower a profile I keep, the less incentive I give the Hierarchy to screw over this entire town just to get to me. I’m sorry if that sounds selfish, but that’s just how they do things.

Ayame: Note to self, research this Hierarchy…

Kenji: Then our aid work would be most suitable. Keeping a low profile is to our benefit as well, not to mention the citizens themselves.

Anisa: The Puella Magi in town need to unite. I’m afraid the fate of this city is quite explicitly in their hands.

Ayame: With any luck, such an imminent reunion is on the horizon.