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A Magical Revolution [Azecreth & Wingshadow]

Mami's eyes grew wide as Kyoko knocked her back, loosing her footing for half a second as the redheaded magical girl took matters into her own hands. The distinct sound of chains clanging and interlocking reached her ears as the long red strings extended from the floor to the roof of the room and as broad as the room was wide. She had no way of breaking through fast enough to help Kyoko, the sudden feeling of helplessness rushing through her. "Kyoko!" Mami rushed over to the barrier, placing her hands against its surface as she called out to her, "Kyoko, stop this right this instant! I can't let you fight them all by yourself!"

Alone.

All alone.

If Kyoko fell defending her, that is what she would be once again. The mere realization of this terrified her.

"Kyoko!" Mami cried, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

Sayaka felt the cool rush of wind as the magical girls passed her by, completely ignoring her as if her presence was little to no consequence. She turned, glancing over her shoulder and brandishing her saber just as Kyoko's chain shield wall extended, cutting Mami off from the battle for the time being. She gripped her sword firmly in both hands, finding the very notion that magical girls were being forced to fight each other distasteful in itself. But this was the hand that had been dealt to her, and she had no choice but to play it.

"Hey, don't forget about me," Sayaka called out to Kyoko, "Like it or not, we are in this together."

Their opponents wasted no time with idle chatter, the first two rushing in to engage Kyoko head-on. The first one brandished a massive hammer, seemingly weightless in its wielder's skilled hands. She wore medium armor, the interlocking places protecting her more vital areas while not sacrificing too much mobility. The second wore tight robes indicative of an assassin's clothes and wielded a chain-scythe, a weapon similar to Kyoko's except for its lack of reach and heavier emphasis on speed rather than power. The first swung her weapon overhead, aiming a powerful blow directly at Kyoko's body. The second dashed to the side, the sharp edge of her curved blade gleaming as she threw her chain out horizontally, attempting to catch Kyoko and immobilize her in time for the hammer strike to take full effect.

Sayaka, meanwhile, dashed in to engage the third magical girl, who whielded two shortswords. The girl sidestepped, one blade deflecting Sayaka's attack while the other slashed across her body, the sharp blade drawing a clean cut across her torso. Sayaka grit her teeth, the pain barely registering despite the spurt of blood that erupted from her even as her opponent's blade slid across her body. The bluenette waved her hand, summoning another blade as she released her grasp on the first, allowing her opponent to bat it aside. Sayaka then used her forward momentum to drive the point of her blade forward, catching the dual-wielding magical girl off-guard with a reckless lunge attack.

The dual-wielding magical girl stepped back, stunned, "Why are you helping them?!"

"I am Magical Girl Sayaka Miki, and my sword is the blade of justice!" Sayaka shouted before diving back in to continue her relentless assult.

By then, the other three magical girls slipped past to join in attacking Kyoko, much to Mami's horror. Why was this happening? Why was she so powerless?

"No, Kyoko," Mami declared through her tears, "I won't leave you, Kyoko! I won't leave you to die!"
 
Kyoko heard Mami behind her, the blond having something close to a breakdown as she found the magically created wall of chains between her and the fight going on. Well, that wasn't too bad, she supposed. This had to be done, and she wasn't about to let them gang up on the weakest member of the duo, Sayaka notwithstanding. As the violence part of the leadership, she considered it her job to act in situations like these, and Mami not being at a hundred percent made it all the more necessary. This wasn't a situation she would ideally fight in right here and now, but she had little choice in the matter, thanks to the girls attacking.

So she banished the pained cries from her mind, focusing on the fight ahead. Sayaka's comment drew a flicker of a look, and the redhead smirked as she readied her spear. "Alright then," she agreed with veiled anticipation. "Let's see if you've learned anything since the last time I kicked your ass." Her hopes weren't high in that regard, but who knew? Perhaps the blunette would surprise her for once. Stranger things had happened.

As the first two rushed to meet her head on, Kyoko did much the same, taking in what her opponents were using. So, a hammer and a chain scythe then? Well, this was interesting, leaving out any sorts of tricks they might pull out with their magic. But she wasn't going to worry about things like that which she couldn't predict, instead moving forward to meet them as far from the protective wall as possible, even as it proved a slight drain on her magic. But she was fully cleansed, and she would manage it as well as whatever other tricks she might pull.

She reacted to the strikes, spear sweeping out to knock side the chain scythe before leaping back, and dodging the hammer blow that came from above. Her spear then separated with a rattle into it's various chain segments as she sent it whipping at Hammer, hanging in midair herself as she kept up her defense against the two of them, and the other three coming in as Sayaka sparred it out with one of them. Following on that strike she dropped, shifting over and using it as a prop to try and sweep Chain-Scythe's legs out from under her, which would allow for a follow up stab to the chest or somewhere else.

In between this dance, she glanced back at Mami, noting her presence still there and how she was crying rather than doing anything productive. Relax," she said via telepathy as she shifted back onto the defense, moving at a practical blur back and forth, using he relatively cluttered space to her advantage against the five others. I don't plan on dying any time soon. Now get going would yah? I'll be right behind you." It was the truth, though putting it into practice would be difficult. But one way or another, she would not let this be her end. That much she could say.
 
Both attacks failed to find their mark, the first two magical girls standing their ground as the other three rushed in. The third magical girl wielded a giant boomerang, which she swung in a wide arc, the bladed edges grazing her fingertips without cutting them before flying in a sweeping motion across the room, cleaving through the bed Mami had been reclining in mere minutes earlier and striking the barrier on the far side of the room before sweeping back around to its owner. She caught int once again, repeating the effort as she sought to put pressure on Kyoko while at the same time wearing down the wall that protected Mami and prevented them from pursuing her.

Kyoko's attack knocked Chain-Scythe off her feet, falling onto her side with a pained cry. Before Kyoko could wind for a downward stab and finish her off, however, a powerful wind blast flew toward her. The fourth magical girl wielded a battle fan, its wide swing and sharp edge making her a formidable opponent regardless of the distance. She ran forward, repeatedly launching magically-infused gusts of wind at Kyoko while Hammer dashed in front of her, swinging another powerful strike in the wake of her companion's wind waves.

The fifth magical girl brandished her crossbow, dropping to her knee once within range and taking careful aim at Kyoko's soul gem before firing a single bolt. Not waiting to see if the barbed projectile hit its mark, she swiftly reloaded and aimed once again, repeating the process as the other girls worked to drive her back.

Mami watched as Kyoko staved off the would-be-assassins, the redhead's words finally reaching her. Kyoko was doing this for her own sake, she knew this to be true, but at the same time she did not want to leave her side. Even if she could not do anything to help in her current condition, and even if she was nothing but a burden to them, she still felt compelled to fight. Yet, her battlefield was not here, and she would not let Kyoko's efforts be in vain. Wiping the tears from her eyes, Mami somehow found the strength within her to step back from the barrier. You are far too stubborn for your own good, Kyoko She gave Kyoko a sad, almost distant smile. But alright... The next time you come into my office, I'll have a cake there waiting for you. You had better eat it with me, or you will never hear the end of it, understand? Mami's intentions were clear enough, even as she took up her musket and turned toward the far side of the room. I will see you later, Kyoko-san... In this life or the next.

With that, Mami stepped through the door, her footsteps echoing through the empty hallway as she fled from the sound of clashing metal and twinkling of magic behind her. She stumbled once, barely regaining her balance in time to keep from impacting the hard, cold floor. Tears once again threatened to run down her cheeks, the brine distorting her vision. A sudden explosion knocked her backward as the wall beside her burst inward, sending her body crashing into the opposing wall. She fell onto her bottom, her legs pushing her back against the wall as she eased up onto her feet before turning to face the gaping hole in the wall.

Her eyes narrowed, trying to see through the cloud of drywall dust. Sensing four magical girl auras in front of her in the darkness, Mami slowly bowed, lifting the edges of her skirt to summon a spread of muskets. "Good evening..." She whispered, then swiftly unleashed a spread of musket shots, one after the other. She had to live to see them again. Kyoko, Miyako, and Etsuko, too... They were all depending on her. She had to be strong, to stand up even if it hurt her to do so. She had to live for their sakes, protecting their lives and their precious smiles. Why? Because they were her friends, dear friends that she held close to her heart. Without them she would have nothing left in the world, nothing but the bare, meaningless pain which would be the only remaining rewards for her toil and effort.
 
Kyoko nodded as she registered the telepathic messages, a bit busy to be glancing back even as she recognized Mami moving away. It's a deal, she answered with a nod. At least Mami was smart enough to recognize that she should be running for it in this situation, and not making things more difficult for her. She'd keep the barrier up though to give Mami more time to get away, even if she planned her own tactical retreat pretty soon. If she could whittle down the odds, that would be a lot better for her current situation. As for Sayaka, well, she trusted that the blunette could figure out something if she wanted to stay alive. Survival was a good incentive.

She grinned in success, smelling blood in the air as her targeted opponent went down, only for a gust of air to send her flying, earning a cry as she slammed into some hospital equipment. It didn't incapacitate her by any means, but it hurt like hell. Well, that was the downside of having the quality advantage as opposed to the quantity one, as she got a good look at the other three opponents. Boomerang was annoying, if not impossible to deal with, Fan was more of a problem, and Crossbow....well, she certainly made this not a picnic, as a hasty chain whip deflected the bolt sent her way. She supposed she deserved it really, since she had wanted a challenge.

Readying her spear, she moved quickly then, dancing back and forth using it to vault over blasts of wind and dodge crossbow shots. At the same time, she tried to use the current setup to obstruct her opponents, lest they hit each other with their own attacks. Her spear spun and slashed, whipping about as she used every trick available. She couldn't see how Sayaka was faring, but presumably the blunette was still alive. That would have to be good enough, she supposed.

She fought with all her tricks, spear collapsing back together to counter a hammer strike as she dodged to the side, before unwinding to try and wrap around Chain-Scythe and send her flying into one of her companions. Even her fists and feet were used, drawing on what she could, though she took her hits in turn. Even as the sounds of gunshots came in from behind she still fought to buy time. Even if she couldn't win, her own forces would show up soon to back them up. There still had to be a few other loyal magical girls in the city, and if they wanted to stay that way they would come. She might not bet on it, as she reinforced the chain wall, but she was confident. THis would not be as easy as they liked.
 
Still alive was a fairly accurate description for how Sayaka was faring, her body shimmering with gleams of light as her magic passively healed her. Thankfully she had used a grief seed along the way to the hospital to purify her soul gem, maximizing her battle endurance. Unfortunately for her, Sayaka's combatant was much more skilled and nimble than herself, a fact that became more and more obvious as the battle dragged on. Sayaka's sabers clashed with Sword's blades, sparks flying from the sharpened blades yeach time they made contact. Each time they passed each other, blades whirling and slashing, cuts of various depths and severity appeared on Sayaka's body, only to be healed in a flash of blueish light. Swords remained relatively unscathed, although she too took the occasional glancing blow.

Kyoko's efforts to place the magical girls at odds with each other through careful placement began to have a noticeable effect. Chain Scythe dodged Kyoko's second attempt at binding her, having learned from the earlier experience. In doing so, however, she put herself in the direct path of hammer's handle, knocking her over backward from the force of the blow. "Hey, watch it!" Chain Scythe shouted.

The magical girls had never been trained how to fight together as a team, and as each looked out for their own personal safety while putting collective pressure on Kyoko, it became a much simpler matter to cause their offensive efforts to clash. Hammer bought her weapon to the fore, slamming it down onto the floor with force, causing the entire level to shake from the impact. Fan was knocked off-balance, steadying herself by dropping lower to the floor but neglecting to continue her attacks. More gunshots rang out from the hallway, indicating that Mami had a fair bit of fighting to left on her own end.

Mami turned and fired, a single shot launched for each musket as she grasped its handle, aimed, and fired with deadly precision. Each magical girl in turn that approached her was coldly shot down, musket balls penetrating her attackers in the head or chest to inflict fatal or near-fatal wounds. Onward she walked, spent muskets littering the hallway as they continued their assult. She breathed heavily, almost panting as her muscles screamed at her, begging her to stop. But Mami could not stop, she could not afford to let up for even a moment.

An axe whistled past her head, narrowly missing her soul gem as it embedded itself in the wall behind her. The girl who threw it looked on in horror as Mami ducked down, throwing out a length of ribbon to bind her legs together. She fell to the floor, a second axe in her hand which she fruitlessly attempted to use to cut the ribbon binding her. Her wrist had been tied in such a way that this was impossible, however. She continued to struggle, straining against the magic-born fabric. Mami simply walked past her, her right hand pointing a musket at a downward angle behind her.

A single shot.

The struggling form had gone completely still.

Mami sighed as she tossed the spent musket aside, but in just that moment she heard a soft beeping sound. Her eyes grew wide as an explosion enveloped her from below, fragments of cement flying in all directions.
 
Kyoko grinned bestially at the squabbling in the ranks of her opponents, only working to her advantage. It seemed someone had stinted on the prep work for this attack and hadn't really emphasized the aspect of cooperation, giving her a lot of opening to exploit. Sure, they were nominally working together, but by the same token they weren't doing a very good job at coordinating their actions for it's maximum effect. Which made it easier when she was heavily outnumbered and fighting practically solo. Just the usual, really.

So she fought on, riding out the shockwave from the hammer as her feet shook, threatening to give out but not doing so as she used her spear for a support. When it had faded away she struck out, chain segments snapping open as she whipped her spear downwards at Fan, taking advantage of her slight diversion from falling over, in the hope that she could knock at least one of them out of the fight. That was followed with a twirl, batting aside another shot from Crossbow in the process. She continued with her plan, of course, moving about and making it difficult for them to get a clean shot in, even as her bruises and cuts accumulated, worn down over time.

"Man, five on one and I'm beating all of yah. You guys are bad at this," she commented aloud with that same grin, willing to get a bit of a taunt in since she had the time. It was true, at least from her perspective, and it couldn't hurt her efforts to get them to break apart. Of course that would depend on them to some extent, but she had the feeling she would get a reward from it, perhaps a reckless attack that she could take advantage of, which she prepared herself for to respond accordingly. She was in her element, and this would not end so easily.

Then the explosion rang out from behind, not simply a musket shot or Tiro Finale. And that meant that something was up. There was a moment of indecision on her part, fighting back the urge to see what was happening, and in that moment she realized her mistake. But it was too late to turn back, and she could only hope that none of her opponents took advantage of it as she berated herself. Well, the worst that could happen was her dying, right? She'd manage.
 
Faster and harder Sayaka pushed herself, knocking Sword's blades aside with greater ease even as her muscles turned from aching to screaming even through the dulling of the pain. Sword created more swords, backing away, giving ground first by single steps then several at once as Sayaka continued to advance. "What... What's wrong with you?!" Sword shouted, Sayaka taking the momentary distraction to dive forward, the point of her sword piercing her through. Sword's eyes widened and stared blankly at the battle which raged in the back part of the room. She taste of iron filled her mouth and ran down the corner of her lip.

"Nothing is wrong with me," Sayaka replied coldly, her right hand coated in blood pushing Sword's body backward and off her sword, the blade sliding free of her as crimson fluid dripped from the hand guard, "I simply do what needs to be done."

The corner edge of Kyoko's spear head caught Fan's side, the sharp blade slicing through her with ease, pulling a scream from the magical girl as she tumbled, a trail of blood smearing the floor behind her. While not dead, she had taken a severe blow, rendering whatever aid she might give her companions an occasional assist at best. Tension within the ranks began to build, as they had not anticipated fighting Kyoko for such an extended period of time. While Kyoko had taken a few licks and kept kicking back, fatigue had begun to set in on their side as well.

The tension turned into all-out rage for Chain Scythe upon hearing Kyoko's taunt, the nimble magical girl performing a back flip in midair. "You sit in your ivory palace and watch those around you suffer... You don't understand anything!" Chain Scythe shouted, kicking off the ceiling into a downward dive, "Die, Tyrant!" Hammer turned and shouted to her to stop, but to no avail. Crossbow began to back off, putting some distance between herself and the spear-wielding magical girl while realizing that the tide was no longer in their favor.

Just then, the explosion shook the entire floor, Kyoko pausing in her assault. With her companions falling, wounded or dead, Crossbow knew that the fight would end soon. She then took careful aim and fired, praying that her shot would find its mark. The bolt flew from the shaft, its feathering whistling through the air as it flew...

-----------------------------------------

Mami's consciousness fluttered back to her, her ears ringing and her vision blurred. She could hear voices and shouting, and a heavy weight bearing down on her right leg and arm. She slowly looked around from left to right, the heavy cloud of dust from the explosion having not yet settled, but was unable to pick out much of anything. It was all just a dull grey mist. Looking down at her own body, she tried to move, the pain that shot up her back making this an impossibility. Her right side and both legs were partially buried under huge concrete fragments. She was fairly certain that her right leg on the very least had been broken.

The voices continued to draw closer, shouting to each other. what were they shouting about? Mami could not tell for certain, but they were probably looking for her body, to make sure they finished her off. Mami leaned her head back and rested against the cold floor, her eyelids gently closing. She wondered why only amateur magical girls had attacked her, and then only one-by-one. It had been a trap all along, and she stepped right into it without realizing it.

Mami waved her left hand, a musket appearing beside her which she then took hold of. When the dust settled they would be able to find her without much trouble. It was just a matter of time before that happened, and when it did, she doubted she could put up much of a fight.

A soft smile spread across her lips, her soul gem shimmering a brilliant yellow mixed with splotches of black. She could remember a time when she was like this before. She could hardly move, pain rushing through her body, and death imminent. That was when she first met Kyubey, and the moment her journey as a magical girl began. She opened her eyes, the air before her clear enough to make out the ceiling. It seemed a fitting setting for her journey to also end...
 
Kyoko's fanged grin widened at the meaty sound of her weapon, the shudder of it impacting, and the smell of blood that sprang to the air with the successful strike. That was one down, and four more to go, and a shift in her favor. Fan had been a problem, and eliminating her was a significant shift in the power balance of the fight. But as she was aware, the problem was that she had no idea how many other magical girls would show up, how many she had to contend with. That meant she couldn't waste time with this fight, and that meant doing whatever she could to win.

Even better was the response the taunt got, Chain Scythe practically going berserk as a result of it. Kyoko acted quick, spear clashing and spinning as she defended herself, looking for an opening. Of course, at the same time Hammer and Crossbow backed off, and it looked like Swords had been taken care of, which made it easier and highlighted the disunity present in her attackers. Amateurs. Kyoko would have done a lot better had she been in her position, at least in her mind.

Before she could finish off Scythe though, the explosion hit, the ground rocked, and she let herself be distracted. A split second, a moment, but it was enough for Crossbow to take advantage of it. As Kyoko returned mentally to the fight she fired, seeing her own opening and taking it. Good on her, though Kyoko didn't approve of any efforts to kill her. Just personal preference of course. But that didn't make a difference in a fight, never did.

The sound of shattering glass filled the air with a flare of magic as Kyoko tumbled, eyes lifeless, their success at last apparent.
 
The distinct sound drew the bluenette's attention, her eyes drawn to the redheaded magical girl's lifeless form. "Kyoko?!" Sayaka called out to her, unable to see her eyes from her current position. She rushed toward her only for Hammer to step in the gap, weapon held at the ready. Sayaka took half a step back, glaring daggers at the magical girl in front of her, "Get out of my way..."

Crossbow sighed and stood up, wiping beads of sweat from her brow as she did so, relieved that it was finally over. With Kyoko gone and teh sounds of Mami's fighting long since ceased, it seemed as if their mission had succeeded. All that remained was for the few foolishly loyal magical girls to be finished off or driven away, starting with the bluenette in their midst. Crossbow pointed her aim at Sayaka, calmly waiting for an opening in which to finish her as well if the need arose.

"Its over," Chain Scythe turned to Sayaka as well, her left hand clutching her wounded side having been grazed by Kyoko's spear at some point, "You no longer have a reason to fight us."

"No... No, its not over," Sayaka shook her head indignantly, "Its never over, not for me!" She held her sword at the ready, willing to take on all of them at once if she had to. Anger burned within her. It was anger at her own weakness and inability to save Kyoko and Mami, and anger at the remaining insurgents who had taken it upon themselves to dispense what they believed to be right.

"Such a waste..." Chain Scythe lifted her weapon and lowered her stance, preparing to incapacitate her in a single strike.
 
Homura frowned as she looked at the current situation from the safety of time stop. She'd been moving at a regular pace, but the sound of fighting had reached her ears and she had shifted into time stop when she was close enough, moving through the ability and disabling any girls she found in the process. And now she was here, near the sight of a recently detonated explosive, Mami Tomoe half buried with a musket in hand, and girls coming upon her, their weapons present and intent obvious. Well, this was a situation.

She could simply shoot them and kill them, eliminating the threat. But she wasn't sure how well Mami would take that, and the last thing she needed to do was to shatter her world view when she had so recently recovered from her injuries. That would be unfortunate. She couldn't remove the rubble, since that might clue Mami into how her powers worked if they came in contact. So that wasn't an option.

Instead she went for the last option to present itself, pulling out a Desert Eagle, reloading it, and moving behind them. Then she fired, aimed with unerring accuracy at the backs of their knees, for both legs. That would incapacitate while preserving life, and if Mami chose to finish them then that would be her decision. Once done, she let time resume and watched the aftermath before approaching where Mami laid, to rescue the magical girl leader.
 
While Mami Tomoe had begun to accept the inevitability of her own death, a certain someone had other plans.

Near simultaneous cries of pain reached Mami's ears, causing her to look from side to side once again, unsure what had just happened. From her pinned position, however, she could not very well get up and investigate on her own volition. She could hear many distinct cries of pain, but she could only assume that they belonged to the magical girls who had been looking for her earlier. Some stray bits of cement shifted, drawing Mami's attention upward as she spied a familar face peering down at her.

"Akemi-san," Mami smiled, quite pleased to see the taciturn girl, "May I request your assistance in his matter? I am afraid I am quite unable to move at the moment..." While certainly not the most personable of individuals, Mami believed that Homura was a good person at heart and would do all she could to protect what the three of them had worked so hard to build. Her arrival would doubtless put a severe dent in their attacker's morale in the very least, if not turn the tide to their favor entirely. She did not know what mechanism Homura's magic worked on, but its lethality and effectiveness could not be denied. In fact, she had never actually seen Homura engage in a straight-up battle with another magical girl.
 
Looking down from her new vantage point, Homura was not at all surprised to see Mami still alive, the blond also understandably looking grateful at her presence. It probably seemed to have been a very fortunate rescue, as was the intent. And judging by how she spoke, it seemed she was still unaware of how her abilities worked, or the fact that the girls that had been disabled were still alive. Well, there was really no way for her to know that, but she would figure it out soon enough, that much was for sure. So many crippled or unconscious would be hard to miss.

"Of course," she replied without hesitation, and began to do her part to shift the debris that had fallen atop the blond, with some concern given towards not making things worse. Their ability to handle damage was good, but she didn't want to accidentally crush and immobilize her, not at this point. That way only ended up in making their situation worse, and at this moment that was the last thing that they needed. Fortunately her soul gem was in no danger, at least at the moment.

She would straighten up once done, flipping her hair with her left hand. "The way out is currently clear of enemies," she said, figuring that to have not changed in the time that this had taken. "You should leave before more enemies show up." Without Mami in danger she could cut lose and eliminate this threat. Besides, Kyoko still needed rescuing, though she had faith in the redhead to not go down easy. Repeated cycles had shown her that. So, one thing at a time, a sshe stood, shield adorning her arm, as she waited for an answer.
 
Mami breathed slowly, the air entering her lungs in time with each bit of debris Homura removed. She worked slowly but carefully, a fact that Mami did not let go unnoticed. Elegant, serious, and enigmatic Homura toiled for her sake, a living mystery working for the benefit of one who had known her for so long yet knew virtually nothing about her. Homura always came and left in the same manner, appearing without warning and vanishing just as quickly, as if her presence alone were a fickle thing. Homura's objectives were anything but that, however, as even she as an outside observer could tell that there was some driving force behind the raven-haired magical girl's actions. There was something that she sought to protect, and in that way the two of them shared something in common.

Mami slowly reached her left hand down, a faint yellow glow emanating from her palm as she infused magic into the bone fractures in her legs and right arm. She had not suffered any serious internal damage from the explosion, which was remarkable in itself given that she had been standing right above the center point at the time of detonation, falling through the hole left behind onto the floor below. She eased herself up once she was finished, "I'll leave Kyoko-san in your care, then."

She then turned her gaze toward the now-clear hallway, which was littered with incapacitated magical girls. Every time she saw the results of Homura's attacks it surprised her... It was almost as if she took no time at all actually fighting her opponents. They simply dropped at her feet without effort, a fact that both awed and confused the blonde magical girl. There was certainly something off about her magic, whatever it was. She did not put much more thought into at at the moment before departing through the hallway, heading directly for the window at the far side of the building. The sooner she escaped that death trap, the better.
 
As Homura finished, she stood back whilst witnessing Mami using her magic to heal her wounds, a brute force measure that would serve, though it was more energy intensive than the healing that Sayaka had as her special ability. Still, better for her to be able to move than to wait for natural healing, and she didn't want have any complaints for it. The sooner Mami removed herself, the better she would feel about this entire situation as a whole, when she would be able to act without restraint. Personal preference made that choice, though having the gunners help would be appreciated, she admitted. But it would be ore trouble than it was worth right now. She could handle this.

"Understood," she replied with a nod, not surprised to have that voice of confidence from her current companion. Kyoko could handle herself, had handled herself thus far, and it was only natural that Mami would leave her well being in the hands of herself. And Homura could handle it, so long as she did not overexert her time stop ability. She had a feeling that she wouldn't though, since Kyoko was hardly one to go down easy. That much she knew from her times looping, and she was less concerned there.

She didn't look back at the hallway behind her, littered with pained groans and cries from the wounds she had given every girl there. A reaction was waited on, but she wasn't too surprised to see Mami dimply go on, leaving the girls she had taken out there. that could be handled later. As Mami went on, she turned and jumped up, going through the hole that had been previously made in the floor. Time to find Kyoko and help her finish this, before more reinforcements arrived.
 
In a brief flash of light, Chain Scythe passed Sayaka Miki's body, the tip of her blade cutting across both her ankles and severing the tendons, rendering her incapable of standing. The bluenette's legs gave out under her, small pools of blood forming around her ankles as she glared at the magical girls that stared back at her. She reached down and clutched her legs, trying to stop the flow of blood before she lost too much and passed out from the combined forces of blood loss, pain, and exhaustion. Even her remarkable healing ability had its limits, as even then the process had significantly slowed on account of the repeated wounds she had sustained during her battle against Sword.

"You... You will pay for this," Sayaka growled, her grip on her legs tightening, "All of you. You have no idea what you are doing... You think you're doing the right thing, but you've just opened the floodgates of violence. Kyoko-san and Mami-san might not have gone about things the right way either, but you can't just-" A kick to the stomach from Hammer cut her speech off short.

"I'm afriad we just did," Hammer smiled, "Just cool your head for a bit and get back to us when you're thinking straight."

"Come on, we need to report back to the others," Scythe Chain nudged Hammer, "If we stick around too much longer we might get caught up in the second wave of the attack." Crossbow simply nodded and joined with the others nearby the broken window on the far side of the room.

"I'm... Not done with you yet..." Sayaka growled, but the other magical girls simply ignored her. They had accomplished their given goals. All that was left was to sweep up the lingering resistance in the city below, or so they thought.
 
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Sayaka had fallen with relative ease, the attackers proving more than her equal given how much of a fight they had put up against Kyoko herself. And if the redhead couldn't win, what chance did the blunette have, even with her vigor and burning desire to avenge her fallen ruler? It was as Hammer said. They had the right because they had won, and now they could enforce their will on Mitakihara, Kazamino, and the other cities in this domain, even if they were unaware of the forces against them that still operated of their own accord. But those could be reasonably dealt with, now that the biggest stumbling blocks had been removed. At least, according to their information at the moment.

But it wasn't over, far from it, and there would be a brief burst of magic before something unexpected happened. Specifically, a girl appearing, or rather reappearing, in the room. One moment Kyoko had been on the ground, and the next she was suddenly alive and standing right behind Crossbow, a fact they might have a moment to take in before she stabbed Crossbow in the back with her spear, at full force. It seemed her death had been a bit less final than expected, though if Sayaka looked she would see that the body was gone, as if it had never existed in the first place.

"Illusion magic is great, doncha think," she commented aloud with a smirk before planting her foot on Crossbows back and kicking her forward, spear sliding free with a squelch of blood and meat as she aimed the impromptu projectile at Hammer, aiming to knock the both of them out the window and out of the room itself. Hammer might survive, but it would be one more moment that she would have to act, and that was just fine by her.

Spear dripping red with blood, she twirled it as she shifted to face down Chain Scythe. "Nice try, but I didn't get here just by being bullheaded stubborn," she said, ready to beat the hell out of Chain Scythe and end this, so she could link up with Mami before the 'second wave' got here. Still, things were looking up. That much was for sure.
 
It all happened so fast. Crossbow's swift demise and Kyoko's simultaneous return, an outward show of the brutality that had made the redheaded magical girl famous across the island. Chain Scythe's eyes widened, realizing from the lack of reinforcements and the quiet solitude in the room itself that she was the last remaining member of the attack force. Damn those other magical girls who had taken out Mami and left without giving the signal. Hammer's cries faded from the room as Chain Scythe's gaze narrowed. She lowered her stance then dashed for the opening in the window itself as well, dropping something behind her as she fled.

"I'll see you in hell, Kyoko-dono," she shouted to her as she swung her scythe wide, the curved tip catching on the edge bottom edge of the window, swinging down to a lower floor to escape. The object Chain Scythe left behind rolled a short distance, a red light blinking, flickering, then remaining red mere moments before the entire room was enveloped in flames. All the remaining windows were blown out, a sizable cloud of smoke emerging from the room which had at one time served as Mami's hospital room.
 
Kyoko was ready to fight, but she couldn't blame Chain Scythe for choosing the concept of discretion over valor and beating a hasty retreat when she knew she wouldn't win. Kyoko herself would have done the same in her situation, and probably would have gone after her otherwise if she didn't have any other distractions. But there was Mami to worry about, and Sayaka she supposed given how she'd seen the girl go down, so she restrained herself from pursuing, even if it earned a 'tch', and a click of her teeth at the same time.

Then her confidence grin diminished as she saw, and hear, the thing that Chain Scythe had dropped. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that it was an explosive of some kind, and she quickly reacted, chain segments whipping out as she swatted at it to get it out of range. Even as she did though she could tell it wouldn't be enough, not to escape the inevitable following storm of shrapnel, that had a better chance of hitting her soul gem for real this time. But there was nothing she could do except brace for the end, guard raised, and hope it didn't come to that.

The bomb, and the room, exploded, leaving her ears ringing and heat washing against her. Yet she noted to her satisfaction that she was most definitely not dead. In fact, she was relatively fine. A quick look pinpointed the cause, Homura Akemi having pulled an appearing act and now standing in front of them, purple energy washing from her shield to deflect the explosion, and even doing the same for Sayaka in the process.

Soon enough it was gone, leaving Kyoko to give a sigh of relief as Homura turned around, before grinning. "Well then, I guess you're some use after all," she noted as she sent her spear away for the moment, not needing it right now. That said, her expression darkened. "Don't think that's gonna be an excuse for this whole mess." She was royally pissed, and rightfully so.

It didn't help that Homura was as unperturbed as ever. "Mami Tomoe is safe and currently evacuating. I suggest we do the same before their reinforcements arrive." She then looked over at Sayaka, not betraying any emotion at her presence, or current state. "Can you move?" They'd have to decide if they were going to leave her behind or bring her with them, and the sooner they reached a decision on that the better. Right now they were sitting ducks, and it made Kyoko nervous. She'd prefer to be on the move, so here was hoping they had some time.
 
"Of course I can move..." Sayaka used her saber to help prop herself up, her hands grasping the handle as her arms shook, threatening to give out on her at a moment's notice. A dim blue light shimmered at the back of her ankles, swiftly healing the injury she had sustained earlier. Her vision was starting to get a bit blurry, but as stubborn as the bluenette was, she refused to give up even though she looked as healthy as something a cat would drag in from outside, "Who do you take me for, anyway?"

While it was encouraging to hear that Mami had also survived, the news that she was retreating was anything but comforting for Sayaka to hear. If she was doing that instead of coming back to help them, then that meant things were bad enough that her presence would have little benefit. In fact, given that they were gunning for both Kyoko and Mami, it might have been safer for them to split up and more easily avoid detection in the process. While disguising one aura would be hard enough, if both Mami and Kyoko were in close proximity, their respective auras would be all but unmistakeable. Having a distinguished presence certainly had its downsides at times such as this.

"I'll be right with you," Sayaka declared firmly, pulling herself up onto her feet. Although she was somewhat uneasy in her stance, she was determined to see this through to the end. For better or worse, Sayaka was determined to help Kyoko and Mami build a fair system under their rule, and for that she needed both of them alive. If she would be of any help should the situation take a sour turn without a good night's rest and period of recovery was another matter entirely.
 
Listening and watching as Sayaka staggered back to her feet, looking thoroughly thrashed and yet still willing to go on anyway, Homura merely gave her a look that seemed to imply 'do you really want me to answer that question' before turning away. If the blunette insisted on doing something stupid and getting herself killed, then that was her prerogative. She was too used to it by now to try and dissuade her otherwise, when she knew that it wouldn't work. Sayaka would do what she wanted, and if it led to her downfall then so be it.

Kyoko, on the other hand, had a more incredulous look, but she quickly came to accept it as well. She was less silent though, harrumphing as she searched herself, quickly revealing a Pocky stick and chomping down on it as she glared at her companion. "Fine. But if you slow us down them I'm leaving you behind, got it?" She wasn't going to let something like sentimentality get her killed if she could help it. Besides, her power was super healing. Either Blue would manage, or shed just have to deal with going it alone. End of discussion.

With that done, Homura moved to the door, Desert Eagle pulled from her shield to make sure the way was clear. A quick peek outside and she nodded back to them before moving on, Kyoko following afterwards. There was no resistance for the moment, and the two of them made their way out as rapidly as they could, to get out of this building and to one of their safehouses, or Kyoko's apartment, before their enemies could. It would be difficult, but it had to be done. And both Kyoko and Homura were ready to fight if needed, and it most likely would be needed at that. One thing at a time though, and right now the current item on the agenda was escape. Time to see if it was easier said than done.
 
"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure I'm the one who is going to be lagging behind," Sayaka smirked, determination dripping from each word which passed through her lips as she reached into her pocket, drawing out one of the many grief seeds she had been given beforehand. She touched it to her soul gem, cleansing the darkness from the cerulean glow until it shone a brilliant blue. Once finished, she returned it to another pocket until she could find a certain someone to take the spent witch core off her hands. She hurried after Kyoko, letting the other two take up the forward while she stood as rear guard against any potential rear ambushes. At least, this is how she justified her positioning in her own mind.

She followed after them all the time, unsure where they would lead them or what would await them in the potentially hostile streets far below. Already the sounds and smoke of destruction and devastation had begun to climb up like great grey arms of darkness reaching, clawing at the sky to pull it down to the depths of hell. How long would the cycle of hope and despair continue to flow? Would there be no end to the suffering and disappointment, the disillusionment and pain?

-----------------------

Mami Tomoe landed down on the asphalt road, her heels touching the ground accompanied by a gentle tap as she dropped down almost to her knees. She glanced left and right, a musket drawn and held at the ready in both hands. She slowly stood up and turned her head left and right, checking all directions while her signature curls bounced lightly with the motion. She then started off, her footsteps slow yet resolute.

While her heart remained tender, some brilliant shimmers having escaped from her during her moments of weakness, she once again donned the persona of a stronger being, the reliable, experienced persona of Mami Tomoe which hundreds looked up to and admired. She would be that person for them, a shining star of determination and skill, a rock of strength and a shield to those who had none. She could hear the cries of magical girls throughout the city, some in pain and at the verge of death itself, while others pursued them, and herself, with the darkest of intentions. She could feel the emotions, both good and ill, swirling about her, touching her empathetic soul.

But she could not listen to them, neither their cries of vengeance or of woe. No, she had to remain strong and resolute, the person that she had been called to be, both for her own sake and for the sake of those she deemed her friends. Yes, she had friends, ones which she would stand by through both the good times and the ill, both on rainy afternoons and full moon nights. If she wanted to see them again, then she needed to be the person she was at that very moment. If she wavered or clung to lingering doubts, they would be her undoing. She knew this to be true, but at the same time she feared what she had become, for it was but a facade, a paper-thin mask which concealed her true heart behind a covering of paper and paint, of lace and prestige. If the facade of strength were to be destroyed now, would she still remain?

She had not the luxury of such thoughts. She could not afford to be consumed by sentimentality, no matter how fervently her tender heart burned within her to do so. She wished to be loved and wanted, to be held close and cherished. Perhaps at one time she even desired a lover to stand by her side and reassure her that all would be well in the end. She had no such reassurance, as the future itself felt uncertain, a flow of troubled waters constantly in flux. She could not pull an innocent into such a maelstrom of horrors and grief.

Her friends, however, had already become inseparably involved in the matter, and as such they shared a bond which few others could understand. They were the only ones who she could stand by, and likewise they with her.

Mami knew that Homura and Kyoko would likely escape on their own accord and search for a safe place to regroup and recover for whatever the enemy might have in mind next for themselves and the city as their initial ploy to assassinate both heads of the government failed. She stopped, her eyes slowly glancing behind her as a single splash of water drew her attention from her inner thoughts.

"I see..." Mami nodded, "If you wish for me to entertain you, then entertain you I shall."
 
"Good," Kyoko replied with a nod as Sayaka voiced her determination. At least Blue wouldn't be left behind to get killed, but she was sincere when she said that she'd leave the girl behind if need be. they just didn't have to worry about doing something like carrying her along any more, and that could save them a lot of time at the end of the day. Time they sorely needed in a situation like this. They were on the defensive, and that had to be changed, as rapidly as possible if they were to win this fight and maintain control of the city.

With Homura leading and Sayaka making up the rear, they made their way through the hospital, noting the occasional human or magical girl body and the signs of fighting present, before at last they emerged into the city itself. And it was....unexpected, to say the least, catching even Kyoko off guard. Smoke could be seen rising into the sky, and he air was filled with the sound of combat, whether it be weapons clashing, explosions, gunfire, and more, as the invading army attacked the magical girls of the city and the local mundane defense forces that protected it. There was no way to know what the situation was, but they couldn't worry about it. They had their own goal to focus on.

Rather than going via rooftop though, Homura took to the streets, leading them on and ignoring any contacts. Better to not risk a fight if they could help it. "So, where are we going," Kyoko asked as they went along, ready for a scrap and curious as to their destination. "My place?"

Homura shook her head briefly without glancing back, focused on moving on ahead. "No," she responded calmly. 'They will have it watched. The same for my apartment. We will be going to one of my safehouses instead." She'd planned ahead, even if these sorts of things were more bases for quick resupply when dealing with Madoka or Witch issues.They would serve just as well here. With that said she moved on, Kyoko following closely. They just had to hope they made it there unharmed.

-----------------------

The voice that rang out after her proclamation was strong and clear, not intimidated in spite of who they knew had to be speaking. "I'm glad to hear it. I would hate to be disappointed by the leader of Mitakihara itself." With that said, the person who had drawn her attention stepped forward from the shadows itself, clad in browns and greys, wielding a wicked sickle that had blood on it already, rippling as moonlight and dim reds illuminate her averagely typical magical girl uniform.

Once revealed, she settled into a combat stance, wearing a confident smile as she faced down Mami. "Try not to disappoint me, okay? I didn't come all this way just to waste my time." Still, while she might be tough, she was only one girl. How hard could it be for someone like Mami, strong and a veteran in spite of her previous injuries? There would be only one way to find out as she waited for the blond to make the first move.
 
Sayaka looked between Homura and Kyoko as they decided where they should hold up for some rest and hopefully to catch some sleep. If Homura had anything to say about it, they would probably be sleeping in shifts. The bluentte resisted the urge to groan at the mere thought of it. Then again, she did not wish to wake up with a blade at her throat in case they were found out.

"Safehouses?" Sayaka sighed, "What is this, some sort of spy movie?" Despite her words she agreed that it would probably be best not to choose a location any of them had been known to frequent.

---------------------

"Silly girl... Kyoko-chan rules alongside myself. It is not a one-woman show," Mami turned to face her opponent, setting up her two muskets, mussels pointed downward, on either side of her. Her fingertips grasped the edges of her skirt as she lifted it a mere inch, six more muskets falling free from her clothes as she offered her a polite bow. It would be the only show of courtesy she would receive.

"Oh, I never disappoint," Mami smiled, accompanied by one of her signature winks, "But you already knew that, did you not?" Scythes had a longer reach than some weapons, but they still required a minimum distance which the magical girl would doubtless seek to close quickly. Her overconfidence, Mami concluded, would draw her in close if she stayed still long enough to bait her into it.

Mami took a step backward and flicked her wrist, grasping one of her musket's handles as her finger slipped into the trigger grip and pulled. A momentary spark and a cloud of smoke accompanied the single projectile as it flew toward her opponent's head. Another swift motion and another soon joined it, followed by another. She turned and stepped, each motion accompanied by a shot as more and more muskets appeared with a single wave of her hand, her body turning and spinning almost as if dancing.
 
Homura didn't look back at Sayaka's comment, fully devoted to the task at hand. She had no time to give to petty concerns like that, and was more than busy with what she had to do at the moment. As for the subject of shifts, she had been planning to stay guard the entire time, drawing on the fact that she was no longer human and such bodily issues were secondary, but she could be swayed. Even if it wasn't necessary, it was welcome. And she would not allow failure simply because she was tired.

Kyoko shrugged as she moved along, the three of them headed towards the poorer and more urban sections of the city, as opposed to the center. "No one's making yah come if you'd rather not Blue," she pointed out nonchalantly, munching away on her Pocky as she moved. With all this fighting she was using a lot of energy, and fighting helped her work up an appetite anyway, so she saw no harm in it. And as they drew nearer the safehouse, she could begin planning out her next move. If not before, then someone was going to pay for this.

---------------------

The girl chuckled aloud at Mami's comment, dismissing it for the lie that it was, at least in her mind. "Please, anyone with some common sense can see that you're the one doing all the work and Kyoko's just riding on your coattails. This whole situation wouldn't have happened if that wasn't the case." Indeed it did say something to that regard, though it could also simply have arisen from miscalculation on Kyoko's part. But regardless of the reason, and what she said, it was apparent that neither of them would back down. Not from this.

The fight quickly began in earnest as Mami opened fire, Scythe twirling her weapon to deflect the bullets as she closed in, just like Mami predicted. Getting in close was the only way for her to win, especially when her opponent was a primarily long ranged fighter who could summon infinite guns. For just getting out of the hospital, Mami was proving to be a tough fighter. Just as expected really, and she would have been disappointed if it hadn't been the case when the time came.

Left to right, up in the air she dodged, spinning and weaving as she spun her scythe about, dodging or otherwise deflecting shots until she had closed to range, at which point she could lash out, spinning and cutting as she used the sharply honed blade to its intended purpose, confident in her chances of success. After all, she had her own tricks, and she would not go down easily, even to someone like Mami Tomoe. as her blade caught the moonlight in it's flight, that much she was certain of.
 
"I said I was coming so I'm coming," Sayaka replied, placing her right hand on her hip, "I'm just..." She sighed, her shoulders sagging, "Nevermind..." The inner city gave way to a more comfortable urban setting, with small houses nestled close together and iron gates drawn across their front entryways. If Homura had a safe house way out here, then it would certainly take a while for them to be found. They would have to comb each district with a fine-toothed pick if they wished for any success at all.

--------------------------

As her opponent began to close in on her, Mami started to back away, taking half-steps at first then full steps while retaining her rate of fire all the same like a well choreographed performance. Her steps drew her closer to the end of the alleyway she had been walking down, the far side of the building getting closer with each step of ground she gave. Her volleys continued and intensified, with rifles appearing over her shoulders and behind her to aid in the barrage as the scythe slashes came closer to reaching within striking range.

"I am doing all the work? You give me too much credit," Mami smiled, "Surely you would not be foolish enough to attack someone who you believe is the one person who has held rule over the entire city of her own efforts alone... Foolish, or just plain arrogant." One of the scythe swings barely skimmed past her left cheek, the sharpened tip glistening in the moonlight. Just then, Mami shifted her battle form, swinging her firearms around herself at arm's length from her body, using the butt ends of the muskets for sweeping melee strikes accented with quick shots following close upon them. Throwing out a length of ribbon from one hand, she pulled herself back, putting some much-needed distance between herself and her opponent while at the same time avoiding a vertical slash.

Mami breathed in deep gasps, her heart pounding and thundering against her chest, mixing with the sound of her muskets. She landed on her feet, her shoes skidding against the damp asphalt. For just a moment she lost her footing, and in that one moment her eyes widened in surprise. Quickly jumping backward she fired off two more rounds at her opponent, turning in midair as she reached for two more muskets. So slow... Why was she so slow?
 
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