A building not too far from the center of Mitakihara City stands unassuming, with a simple sign on top of it. “New Eden.” A gymnasium that gets enough foot traffic to stay afloat, though closed to the general public on Sundays. Instead, the gym hosts a “self-defense” course for young girls of all ages, though the primary focus is on girls in middle and high school, and those just entering college and university. To the general public, this is on the up and up. And to most, the self-defense training is legitimate. But to the owner, the purpose of these Sunday gatherings is simple. Once a week, New Eden is a front for a specific kind of self-defense training. The kind of training that would become a lifeline to victims of the Incubators, and their wish-granting scheme. Yui Arashi, the owner of New Eden, trains young Magical Girls to survive in a world that would just as easily devour them whole. She teaches these girls how to use their power to their fullest potential. Along with someone who can cleanse their Soul Gems without the need for Grief Seeds, New Eden would become an oasis, a veritable paradise for wayward girls and give them a better chance at life. …Or so it would seem.

New Year’s Day was always going to be quiet for places still open around town, doubly so given that Mitakihara was still healing. A questionnaire is presented to two girls in the foyer by a small woman with bright green hair, before she makes her way back into the office. 

• How long ago did you make your wish?
• What did you wish for?
• Will you, on pain of death, keep New Eden a secret?
• On a scale of 1-5, how confident are you in your ability to fight?
  
  • 1 – Terrified
  • 2 – Nervous
  • 3 – Modest
  • 4 – Confident
  • 5 – Master

The two girls study this small sheet for several minutes, exchanging glances with one another. Another girl stands in the middle of a small boxing ring in the center of the gym floor, trading quiet words with another woman with violet eyes and black, disheveled hair, kept up in two spiky buns. They finally fill out their forms, one looking more nervous than the other, and wait for the third girl to exit the ring. She makes her way into a door in the back, a brief glance showing her descending into the basement below. The woman calls out to the girls, and they could both swear that her eyes flashed violet, as if revealing a small storm behind the irises.

Yui: A’ight, next! Yeah, you two can come up at the same time, that’s fine.

The girls stand up and approach the ring. One of the girls enters with minimal effort, the other taking a bit longer. Eventually, both of them stand before the woman, standing almost at attention. She gazes between them, as if sizing them up. She takes their forms, calling out before looking them over.

Yui: ‘Kay… Ayumi Fujimoto, we’ll start with you.

Ayumi: O-Okay! (The more nervous and clumsy of the two steps forward) U-Um… well…

Yui: Where’re you two from? I’m assuming you come from the same place.

Ayumi: Bi… Biei. A-And yes, we, um… we go to school together… um…

Yui: Biei? That’s a ways out, ain’t it? How’d you hear about a place like this?

Ayumi: A-Ah, u-um… well… Tomomi-chan has friends a-all over Japan, a-and… a-a lot of them are… l-like us. She heard about this place from one of them, and… um…

Yui: Oi. (Yui’s voice softens considerably, as does her expression) Breathe, kid. You’re here for help. You uh… checked a 1 on the sheet, right? I’m guessin’ you barely know anything about this sorta thing. Hell, it says you made your wish last week?

Ayumi: Y… Yes. (Ayumi takes a deep breath, then closes her eyes, taking another) Kyubey said… he said it was the best way to help Tomomi-chan. She’s… been at this for a lot longer, a-and…

Yui: Right, yeah. (Yui mutters under her breath, quietly swearing at the Incubators) Tomomi Yuki, right?

Tomomi: (The other girl, Tomomi steps forward and places her hand on Ayumi’s shoulder) That’s me, boss!

Yui: …Just call me Yui. Not a fan of titles, personally. 

Alice: (she sniggers)

Yui: Anyway, Tomomi, I’mma start with Ayumi. (Yui motions to a seat just outside the ring, and Tomomi slips away and sits down to watch. Ayumi looks back nervously, but swallows, standing firm to face Yui.) …What’cha think, Ayumi? Got in over your head, yeah?

Ayumi: Y… Yes.

Yui: Can ya transform for me? I wanna see what you can do, firsthand. Don’t worry, I’m not gonna like… fight you or take your picture or anything. I just wanna see.

Ayumi: (Ayumi transforms in a meager, subtle flash of bright blue light. When it fades, she stands before Yui, nervously holding a large, decorated turquoise warhammer in front of her, barely able to keep it balanced in her hands. It was almost as if she were hiding behind it)

Yui: (Yui studies Ayumi’s form for a moment, then nods, taking a step back) Not bad, actually. Most girls like you that get suckered into a wish for someone else usually get the short end of the stick. But if you can learn to wield that thing, you’ll be a force to be reckoned with. (In a more pronounced, almost violent flash of violet light, Yui transforms as well, an ornate golden staff appearing upright in her right hand) Hell, if you swung that thing right, you might even break this thing in half.

Ayumi: B-But… but I… c-can hardly hold this hammer, let alone swing it… (as if to emphasize her point, Ayumi’s hammer falls with a thud onto the mat, and a soft squeak of a whimper follows)

Yui: (A gentle smile crosses Yui’s face) Yeah, normally. Thing’s the size of a truck. But your mindset is all wrong. This is your weapon. It was made for you. This is what makes you a Magical Girl, Ayumi. You gotta believe in your soul that that hammer will protect the people you love most. If you believe, deep in your very soul that it’s just an extension of your very being, it should feel lighter than air. (Yui motions her head back towards Tomomi) Just picture her in trouble. Some Witch has her dead to rights, and the only thing that can stop her and save your friend is you.

Ayumi: (She hesitates, but with surprising ease, Ayumi lifts the hammer, though she sways a bit with the momentum. Eventually, she holds it in one hand, resting it over her shoulder, though her body struggles with the weight until she holds it in both hands once more.) A…Aha…! I-I did it! Tomomi-chan, I did it!

Yui: ‘Kay! Good stuff! Now take a swing, Ayumi. (Yui holds her staff up in a defensive position)

Ayumi: (Sputtering a bit, her eyes widen in fear as she faces Yui) Ehh?! B-But… I-I can’t do that! Y-You’re not a bad person, Yui-san… I-I… I only fight Witches… right?

Yui: (Yui’s tone drops just a little, but not quite enough to intimidate the girl) Mostly, yeah. But not everyone the genie-cat gets a hold of has a pure heart. Sometimes, you might have to defend yourself against another of our kind. Take that analogy I gave you before. Now imagine I have her dead to rights, and the only thing that can stop me… is you.

Ayumi: (Ayumi’s eyes remain widened, her breathing still quickened from fear. But after only a moment of hesitation, she brings her hammer down in a wide arc towards Yui, a heavy slam with a primal scream. Yui’s staff, surprisingly, snaps clean in half from the hit, and the force sends her into the corner of the ring.)

Yui: Guh! (Shaking her head, Yui reorients herself, giving a slow nod as she steps forward) Damn, kid. You really pack a punch when it matters. You probably easily hit a 2 or 3 on that scale. Heh. Just keep at it. You’re doing fine. Now, wanna continue our little spar for real?

Ayumi: (Ayumi quickly and rapidly shakes her head no, stepping back a bit as her weapon vanishes. Soon after, her form itself dissipates, and she returns to the outfit she was wearing when she came in) Th-th-that’s okay! Th-thank you, Yui-san…!

Tomomi: (Not waiting for Yui to call her, Tomomi steps into the ring, already transformed. Her outfit is a bright green by comparison, and on her hip, a katana in an emerald sheathe.) You did good, Ayumi-chan. But let the pro take it from here. (Ayumi nods quickly, scurrying out of the ring, leaving Tomomi to face Yui) Heh… if that hit from Ayumi-chan was enough to knock you back, this shouldn’t be too hard for me.

Yui: …Tomomi Yuki. You marked yourself off as 5 on my checklist. Master, huh? We’ll see about that. (Yui’s eyes flash just a bit before they close) …Age sixteen. Contracted six months ago. Wished away an incurable sickness. Fair enough, not a terrible wish. Killed just under a dozen Witches since you made your wish. Not bad, I guess. Helps to work off the atrophy if nothin’ else.

Tomomi: Whoa, hold up—

Yui: Picked a fight in your high school class about three months ago with an upperclassman. …Yeah, that’s about right. No evident fears, ‘cept appearing weak. ‘Specially in front of your ‘weaker’ friends. Prone to overconfidence, but not one for lying all that much. Guess that superhero look works for you, then. Good diet, even before contracting. Decent shape, good enough grades, genuine friends… not a bad resumé kid. 

Tomomi: H-How do you—

Yui: So what brings a hotshot like you into a self-defense training course, anyway? ‘Specially if you’re bragging about how good you are? You’re gonna tell me it was for Ayumi’s sake? We both know that ain’t it. (Yui’s eyes open again, flashing once more before she summons another staff into her hand) …You’re lookin’ for someone big to knock off, so you can be on top. Right?

Tomomi: (Flustered, yet even more frustrated, Tomomi draws her katana, a pristine silver blade with a deep emerald grip, another blade replacing the first in her sheathe) Tch… know-it-all, huh? Maybe all that’s true. But what are you gonna do to stop me?!

The girl’s attack ends as swiftly as it begins. Before she can even bring the blade down, Yui’s staff catches Tomomi in the stomach. Another swift swing of the staff catches her in the chest, knocking the wind out of her as she falls onto her back. Not satisfied, Yui brings her weapon down across Tomomi’s throat, leaning down and staring into her eyes.

Yui: That type of attitude… will not just get you killed. But Ayumi, your friends, your family… everyone you know and love could fucking die ‘cause of your arrogance. That overconfident bullshit… (Yui’s eyes narrow) I can’t stand people like you. Come back down to earth and maybe learn something before you come into my house an’ act like you know your shit better than I know mine.

As Yui brings her weapon up, distant thunder can be heard across the cloudless sky. She swings downwards, thrusting the end of her weapon towards Tomomi’s neck, but she’s knocked back by a familiar show of force, this time over the top rope and down to the floor. Standing between where the two girls clashed, Ayumi stands transformed once more, holding her hammer in both hands.

Ayumi: L… Leave Tomomi-chan… leave Tomomi-chan alone!

Yui: (Yui stares into the ring with an incredulous look, then simply dusts herself off as she rises to her feet) …Not bad. Good to know you can put your money where your friend’s mouth is, kid.

Tomomi coughs violently a few times, shakily rising to her feet. Ayumi turns to check on her, but Tomomi simply shakes her head. She still can’t quite speak, but she dismisses Ayumi’s concerns. Ayumi turns back to Yui with a concerned expression. Before she can put these worries into words, Yui jumps back into the ring, over the top rope from the ground.

Yui: She’ll be fine. Lesson one, though. Don’t go picking fights just because your opponent looks weak. I went easy on you because you didn’t know how to fight. Tomomi picked a fight, and I kicked her ass for it. Lesson two, things that’d kill a normal person shouldn’t be enough to knock you off. Keep your Soul Gems safe, and you can heal up the rest naturally. Any questions? (After a beat of silence, Ayumi shakes her head, and Yui motions her own towards the door in the back) Get downstairs. Our healer will patch you both right up. Afterwards, I’ll train you both. Just uh… make sure that this place doesn’t get out. (Yui’s tone drops to a threatening pitch, just above a whisper) ‘Cause now you probably know what I can do, and more importantly, you know I won’t hesitate. This place is my thing to protect. Got it? 

A suddenly petrified Ayumi helps Tomomi out of the ring, the older Puella leaning on her shoulder as they descend into the basement. Yui heaves a heavy sigh, beginning to clean and repair the ring from the damage those spars left. It takes her surprisingly little time, and as she finishes, she hears a voice calling from behind her. A slight and delicate-looking girl stands behind her, with platinum blonde hair that has clearly been left to outgrow the short length it’s been styled for. Far larger than her, though, are the six wings erupting from her back. In a new change, all of them are draped in white cloths to conceal their battered and dirty appearance. 

Aoi: I’ve finished treating those two girls. Ayumi and… Tomomi, was it. They’re resting downstairs for a bit longer. 

Yui: Record time, damn, man. Yeah, I kinda scared the shit out of them, no surprise they need a minute. Surprised Ayumi could even walk after that little display. Thanks, Aoi.

Aoi: “Could even walk…” If you go too hard on them, they might not want to come back, you know. 

Yui: (She’s quiet for a moment, then just nods slowly, replying perfectly calmly.) …I know, yeah. But if I go too easy, ‘specially on the Tomomi-types, we’ll get another Ozymandias chick in the making. There’s a grey area, and I gotta find it still. ‘Sides, if they get strong enough to walk on their own, they won’t need this place. That’s the point, ain’t it?

Aoi: … Well, I did my best to make sure they’ll be comfortable to come back. Nono-ch… Ueno’s cookies will help. 

Yui: (Her eyes briefly widen, and although she doesn’t say anything, the look she gives all but confirms that Yui makes a mental note of Ueno’s nickname) They usually do for the 1s and 2s. She won’t let me pay her for ‘em though… Puttin’ money on it now, though, Tomomi’s gonna refuse ‘em.

Aoi: Yes, actually, she did. I thought about going through the “prove they’re not poisoned” routine, but it was hard enough getting her to come close enough to heal. Though she didn’t stop Ayumi from doing either of those.

Yui: Hah! The arrogant ones always do. Tomomi’s gonna come back for two reasons. First bein’ ‘cause she an’ Ayumi really are friends, an’ Ayumi’s gonna want follow-up lessons. Two, she’s gonna want to beat the shit out of me someday. Dunno which is gonna come out bein’ the stronger motivation, though.

Aoi: (She sighs and puts away her wings, though this leaves some sizable white cloths trailing on the ground behind her) With your power, I guess you can be confident about that. 

Yui: I could, yeah. But where’s the fun in that? I like guessing sometimes. (She turned her head to the side, glancing back at Aoi) …Anything else you wanted to ask about?

The question was loaded, even if Yui’s tone was still calm and bouncy. It wasn’t accusatory, of course, but it served a similar purpose. Over the last month, Yui had been taking little shots like this— asking normally pointed questions that held subtle undertones— to provoke a reaction. To bring some emotion back into Aoi, one way or another. It never worked, of course, but it didn’t stop Yui from trying.

Aoi: (After a slight pause, Aoi gives a sort of tired squint) Like what? 

Yui: Anything, really. Like about the training program, or something?

Aoi: (Aoi folds her hands and shakes her head) No, nothing. This is your program and your property. 

Yui: (Another pause) Well, I’m here if you need to talk or anything. 

Alice: (she emerges from the basement, carrying a six-pack of water bottles) How many times do I have to tell you to stop talking like a side character in a video game after you’ve exhausted all of their dialogue options?

Yui: A few more, probably, babe. Need a hand?

Alice: No, I’m just filling up the fridge. You’ve got your work, and I’ve got mine… And someone’s gotta make sure customers want to come back.

Yui: I’mma take a guess. Those two down there’re talking about how scary this was, but Ayumi’s talking about “next time” with Tomomi lookin’ like a deer in headlights.

Alice: (she looks up, frowning) … Maybe you oughta ask ‘em what they thought of it? I’m… not liking this whole “I know exactly who people are five minutes after meeting them” thing you’ve got going on, to be brutally honest.

Yui: What? You said I need a hobby, so I picked up people watching! 

Alice: I just don’t think it’s smart to start psycho-analyzing people and assuming their intentions, especially since—(she rubs her eyes) Ah, well. Doesn’t matter. It’s just—an easy mistake to make. You… create a narrative and warp people’s true intentions and feelings and stuff so they fit it. You know… I mean, I’ve done my fair share of it, don’t worry. 

Yui: Oi…

Alice: (she looks at Aoi) … I guess… I never told you I’m sorry. For calling you self-centered. You haven’t exactly had the time to reckon with everything that happened.

Aoi: (She doesn’t look up from her work, scrubbing dirty shoe-marks from the recent clash in the arena) It’s fine. That’s the right expectation to have for someone who’s a former enemy. 

Alice: I… (she sighs) Well, in any case… I won’t make the same mistake again. (she takes a seat, pulling out a laptop lying around on the makeshift reception desk) Sorry, Yui, where did you say these girls came from again?

Yui: (Her eyes had closed during Alice’s apology) …I heard Ayumi say Biei.

Alice: (she whistles) That’s… Quite a while away. Guess it makes sense. I don’t see Kyubey showing its face around here anytime soon…

Yui: If it knows any better, yeah.

Alice: It’s been keeping busy, though… I dunno, if Kyubey is gonna end up recruiting every girl under the sun in neighboring cities, I might prefer it skulk around over here where we can see it…

Yui: I sincerely doubt it’s trying to rush into another hodgepodge of Balancers. That last crew wasn’t exactly all together either.

Aoi: … Have there not been any new Puellae from around here?

Yui: Not that I can tell, no. Ain’t seen the Genie Cat since.

Alice: Well, if the newcomers are finding their way here, I suppose we must be doing something right…

Yui: I learned about the power of Puella urban legends over the last couple weeks. Decided to take advantage of it. Nothin’ says “let’s tell everyone about this place” quite like tellin’ people I’ll kill ‘em for tellin’ everyone about this place.

Alice: Oh, is that why I’m handing out death threats to middle schoolers?

Yui: Yeah. I told you this, I thought?

Alice: Must’ve slipped your mind… (somewhat taken aback by Yui’s complete non-response to her joke, she pulls her legs onto the couch and tries to focus on filling in a record on the two new recruits, while Aoi and Yui turn their focus towards their work as well)