“I can’t believe Takako duped us like that!” Colten said, fuming in anger. “We underestimated her, and she’s gotten stronger!”

“It didn’t fool me for a second.” Mr. Kiyojiro said.

“What?!” Aiko, Colten, and Seina exclaimed in surprise.

Seina’s bodyguard smirked. “It wasn’t like she made it difficult. She barely acted differently than her normal self.”

“I suppose.” Seina blushed in embarrassment. The deception was obvious if you stopped to consider it.

Mr. Kiyojiro rubbed the back of his neck, his turn to be embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I allowed her to train with you because I thought she’d be a good rival to increase your abilities.”

Her bodyguard’s mood darkened, voice tinged with self-loathing. “I never considered she might team up with the vampires. It almost got you killed.”

“Yeah…”

“It’s fine!” Aiko said, trying to disrupt the dark mood that had overtaken the room. “She saved my life, remember? I’m certain we can become friends again.”

“You want her back?” Seina said, annoyed. After everything, why was her friend so quick to forgive the dark magical girl? “She hates me, remember?”

“Oh, that’s just Maeko, er, Takako, being her usual self. I’m confident she doesn’t really hate you.” Aiko puffed out her chest. “We had a lot of fun together, didn’t we?”

Siena looked away. “I’m still not sure I want her around.” While part of her understood Aiko’s argument, the nastier part of her refused to forgive Takako’s deception and betrayal. It was childish, but Seina couldn’t help herself.

A weak smile appeared on Aiko’s lips. “Okay, I can’t force you to be friends. Still, open your heart to forgive her, okay?”

“Sure.” Seina changed the subject, wanting to discuss something less painful. “I still have the entire day off. How about we celebrate my victory with some lunch? We still haven’t tried that ramen place you recommended, Mr. Kiyojiro.”

Much to her relief, this restored her bodyguard’s mood, and he nodded. “It isn’t far from here.”

“Actually, could you go without me?” Aiko said.

Seina blinked. “You aren’t hungry?”

“There’s some matter I need to attend to. Go and have fun. I’ll catch up with you later.” Aiko gave her friends a wink. “And I’ll come with a special surprise! Later.” With a wave, her girl dashed off in the other direction.

“Okay,” Seina said, after some reluctance.

“What’s she up to, I wonder?” Colten asked, before shrugging. “More ramen for me! All that action has made me starving!”

---

A pebble fell over the bridge as Takako kicked it away. Since she’d ruined her day-out plans with Seina and the others, it left her little to do. Without Nier, she couldn’t leave this universe, unable to escape her shame. It burned her that Seina had given her mercy. Not that Takako wished to die, but it was still a black mark, regardless. Her stomach rumbled, and she groaned, hanging her arms over the bridge’s railing. Why hadn’t she fought with her rival after they’d gotten lunch first?

Should I go back to Lilha’s place and raid her fridge? Still, it meant encountering her former ally, and Takako despised seeing a reminder of her shame. Because of that woman, Aiko had gotten hurt, and Takako found she couldn’t forgive herself for it.

Wonderful. I just realized something. Without Lilha, I don’t have a place to live anymore. I’m homeless and trapped. Did this mean she’d need to live in a cardboard box by the river until Nier returned? Or live in an abandoned building full of rats? Takako grimaced when her stomach rumbled again. She gasped as someone pushed a bento box into her face.

Takako glanced up to find Aiko smiling down at her, carrying her own bento box. “You haven’t had lunch yet, right? I thought I’d join you.”

For a moment, Takako hesitated taking the lunch box. She hated taking charity. Was this some kind of trick? A way to mock her for her failure? Yet, Takako sensed genuine kindness behind Aiko’s smile. Her stomach growled again, and she grabbed the box, grasping the chopstick inside.

“I don’t know what you’re scheming, but thanks,” Takako placed her back against the railing.

“I just thought you needed a friend,” Aiko replied, joining her. She gave thanks for the meal and dug into her bento box.

“Friend?” Despite her hunger, Takako still hesitated, staring at her meal untouched. “After what happened, I thought you hated me, like Seina.”

“Hate you? Nah. I never hold grudges. Waste of time.” Aiko waved a dismissive hand.

Takako only stared at the girl, dumbstruck. “Really?”

“And I doubt Seina hates you either,” Aiko said. “She doesn’t take betrayal well. She’s had a bad history with it. Are you going to eat or what?”

Takako mentally slapped herself and gave thanks for the meal. She grabbed a piece of shrimp and bit into it before gasping in amazement. It was spectacular!

Aiko smirked when she caught her friend’s expression. “I’m glad you like it. A really nice old lady down the street likes making them for people. She was a famous chef before the vampires came. We’re old friends.”

They ate in silence for several moments before Takako broke it. “She truly doesn’t hate me? Maybe she should. She wasn’t completely wrong.” Seina’s accusations still burned in her mind with its unwavering conviction.

“Yeah, she was right,” Aiko said, nodding, making Takako wince. The girl caught her reaction. “What? I won’t lie and say it’s a good thing you’ve allowed people to get hurt through your inaction.”

“Thanks.”

“But I won’t say you’re hopeless either,” Aiko said. “If you were evil, you would have allowed that brute to kill me. I don’t believe anyone is beyond redemption regardless of their past actions.”

“You’re a marvel, Aiko. You know that?”

“Huh?”

“The others argued I was too dangerous to leave alive, but not you. After everything you’ve suffered through, I thought you’d be the first to condemn me for my sins.”

Aiko snorted. “That’s because I can see people’s hearts. Besides, most people aren’t evil regardless of what they’ve done. They just need to do better. Or, that's what my mom always tells me, anyway.”

“What makes you think I want to be good?” Takako asked defensively.

“I’m not asking you to be a saint,” Aiko said, snorting. “How did you even get into this magical girl business, anyway? You seem to hate it.”

“You’re not wrong,” Takako said, admitting the truth. “I’m not like the other magical girls. I don’t like hurting people. As for how I became one…” She hesitated. It wasn’t a story she’d told anyone else before. It had been so long ago, Takako had almost forgotten it. No, that wasn’t true. She hadn’t wanted to remember. Yet, something about Aiko made Takako want to trust her.

After taking a deep breath, Takako began her story. “It began almost three hundred years ago. I was just an ordinary girl. Plenty of sass, sure. It drove my parents and teachers up a wall, but ordinary. One day, my fairy partner appeared to me while I was sitting on a bridge, not unlike this one. I’d had a fight with my parents and wanted to be alone. They wanted me to attend a cram school, and I hadn’t taken it well. Nier, he offered me the universe with the power to do anything. I was so angry and frustrated with my boring, ordinary life that I accepted without hesitation.”

“They told me magical girls exist to cause suffering, but I was more interested in exploring the cosmos. Some magical girls like to burn their homeworld as an initiation ritual to join the order. I just left and never looked back. I ignored my magical girl duties and went exploring.” Takako smirked. “It annoyed Nier to no end, but the multiverse is a beautiful place..”

Takako’s mood darkened when she remembered the next part. “I’m immortal, and the cosmos is a huge place. When I finally remembered to return home, over four decades had passed. Everything I’d known had long disappeared. My brother already had teenagers, and my parents had long since passed. My disappearance devastated them. They never really recovered.”

An unexpected tear slid down her face. “They loved me so much. They did everything to find me. Every day my disappearance tormented them, and I was gallivanting around the universe. Our relationship wasn’t the best, but I loved them.” How had she allowed herself to forget it? She’d been such a child. Aiko grabbed her hand and squeezed, giving Takako some measure of comfort.

“After that…” Takako trailed off.

After learning about her parent’s fate, she ran away again, unable to bear the reality of what she’d done. It had been too painful. Her brother would be long dead now, forgotten by history. She had never even visited his grave. Takako couldn’t deny Seina’s accusation. She was cowardly.

“It’s okay.” Aiko pulled her into an unexpected hug, and Takako cried into her shoulder. Long suppressed emotions spilled out like a burst dam.

After several minutes, Takako wiped her eyes. “I’m such an idiot. Look at me. I’m a mess.” Yet, the cry paradoxically felt good, not realizing how much she’d needed it. Aiko continued to say nothing, using her presence to comfort her new friend instead.

“I suppose once you grow accustomed to being alone, you forget how good it is to be around people,” Takako considered her relationship with Neir. Could she even really consider him a friend? It pained Takako to realize she couldn’t answer that question.

Aiko smiled and nodded. “That’s true. But remember, you aren’t alone. You have Seina and me.”

This made Takako flinch. “If she’ll even take me back.”

“She will. Just give her time.”

A horrible realization came to Takako’s mind. “I’ve basically betrayed our order! The other magical girls won’t tolerate such treachery.” And her fairy partner would have an aneurysm.

“You haven’t told them about Seina yet, have you? After your first fight with Seina, we’d assumed you’d returned home.”

“No, but Nier went to Starlight Dream to gather more info about Seina’s weird powers. She shouldn’t be that powerful. He might have told someone.” Takako sighed. “I suppose it doesn’t matter, regardless. My report about this universe is super late. They’re bound to send someone.” They tolerated Takako’s laziness, but only to a point.

Aiko clapped her hands together. “That’s no big deal. Together with Seina, I’m sure you’ll make an unstoppable team!”

“I’m only a lowly grunt. You have no idea how powerful the Devil Princesses and their minions are.” Wait, had she just resigned herself to betraying Starlight Dream?

No, I suppose I don’t want to go back. They’re a bunch of jerks, anyway.

“Can you teach Seina how to better use her abilities? She’s been trying to learn magic, but it hasn’t really worked out.”

“Maybe? I’m surprised she hadn’t already. Normally, magic comes intuitively to magical girls. She has her weapon already. It should be enough.” Another oddity about Seina. What the hell was she, anyway?

“It’s something, I suppose. But we can worry about that later.” A mischievous smile appeared on Aiko’s face. “In the meantime, how about we go shopping as we planned? I really want to see that trendy place I mentioned earlier. And I have a fantastic idea to help you get back into Seina’s good graces.”

Takako blinked. “Really?”

“We’ll get her a cute purse. It will be a great makeup present.”

“Okay.” Takako shrugged and quickly finished her bento box. “I’m actually in the mood for some shopping.” Even if she bought nothing, Takako loved trying on cool outfits. Besides, it would be fun to go out shopping with someone. Nier hated doing it and whined about every single time.

Aiko beamed, grabbing Takako by the hand. The girls giggled as they ran towards the shopping district. Takako’s heart felt lighter than it ever had in several centuries.

---

“Yo, we’re back!” Aiko waved as they entered the training dojo, her hands full of bags.

It had taken several hours, but they’d found several outfits Aiko was certain Seina would love. After their shopping session, they’d gone back to Aiko’s house, and Takako had spent the night over. Aiko’s parents had been very kind, treating Takako like a second daughter. It surprised the magical girl how much she’d missed having an adult fret over her. Plus, Takako was beyond grateful she didn’t need to spend the night on the street. Aiko’s parents were happy to have her sleep over anytime. It gave her a home base while she considered things.

Takako still wasn’t certain she wanted to turn against Starlight Dream and the Devil Princesses. It was an insane risk. Yet she couldn’t stand the thought of anyone hurting Aiko. She’d at least train with Seina for the time being and get stronger. Their fight had reminded Takako how far she still needed to go.

“Oh, so you brought her.” Mr. Kiyojiro said, scowling when he spotted Takako.

“Uh, hi.” Seina gave Takako an awkward wave, not eager to see the dark magical girl, either. Colten watched the unwanted newcomer with suspicion.

“We brought gifts!” Aiko said, beaming, and pushed bags into Takako’s hands.

“What?” Takako suddenly became self-conscious. Aiko wanted her to present the gifts to Seina? Her friend gave an encouraging smile, and Takako steeled her nerves. Here goes nothing.

“Here, I got you these,” Takako said, voice stiff. “I’m sorry for what happened. It was wrong for me to betray your trust like that.”

Seina accepted the offering, peering into the bags. Colten joined her, peering over her shoulder. The girl’s face brightened when she lifted the purse out.

“It’s so cute! Thank you!” The purse had stitchings of lotus blossoms sewn onto its side. It had taken many shops to find it.

“There’s more in there, too. We found you this sundress you’re sure to love!” Aiko gave a wink.

“Huh.” Seina peered deeper into the bags.

“Do you really expect a purse and a few dresses will make up for your past transgressions?” Mr. Kiyojiro gave Takako the stink eye.

“Yes, actually. Stay out of this. These are girl matters!” Aiko said, matching the bodyguard’s glare.

“It’s a start, at least,” Seina said.

“It’s not bad.” Colten gave Takako an encouraging smile, accepting the apology.

“Don’t expect me to help you fight against other magical girls,” Takako said, trying to regain her cool factor. She couldn’t allow her rival to see her as going soft. “But we aren’t enemies anymore either.”

“Everything is mended!” Aiko nodded in satisfaction. “Now you can train together again.”

“Uh, actually.” Seina rubbed the back of her neck, embarrassed.

“Yeah, I’m Seina’s new training partner!” A giant brute with a mohawk walked into the gym. “The name’s Masato Shibata.”

“What?” Takako said, baffled. Wasn’t this one of Lotus Butcher’s goons? The memory of the fake magical girl still caused her to stutter in horror.

“We couldn’t find anyone else.” Mr. Kiyojiro didn’t seem pleased by the idea either. “Some vampire was threatening girls to not train with Seina, and they’re too scared to argue.”

“Don’t worry, sensei. With my Fist of the Scorpio, Seina skills will be unstoppable!” Masato smacked the bodyguard across the back, earning a further glare from him.

“No, we’re sticking with karate.” Mr. Kiyojiro replied without compromise. “Besides, you literally only know one move.”

Masato coughed into his fist. “Well, they kicked me out before I could learn much else. But I’ve supplemented it with my own self-taught techniques.”

“Your useless self-taught techniques you mean.” Mr. Kiyojiro shot back.

“Now, let’s not fight,” Seina said, trying to avoid a bigger argument. “We’re glad to have him, regardless.” Though this was an obvious lie.

“I’ll prove my worth, you’ll see,” Masato said.

“Hey, what about me?!” Takako said, unable to hold back her frustration any longer. They’d replaced her with this lug?! It was beyond an insult!

“You’ve lost your right.” Mr. Kiyojiro said, crossing his arms. “I don’t see any reason why I should train you any longer.”

“Give her another chance!” Aiko’s glare intensified.

“No, I’m not changing my mind on this.” Mr. Kiyojiro said, refusing to budge.

“Forget it! I don’t need these guys!” Takako stormed out of the room. It twisted her insides when Seina didn’t move to stop her. Only Aiko loyally stood by her side.

“Damnit!” Takako kicked a trash can, which made a satisfying thud when it crashed to the ground.

“Those two.” Aiko rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I can’t believe how uncompromising Mr. Kiyojiro is! The jerk!”

Takako’s entire body sagged. “I guess they don’t want me around.”

Behind them, someone coughed. It was Seina. “He means well, but Mr. Kiyojiro is hard headed sometimes. So, uh, sorry. That could have gone better.”

Seina fidgeted on her feet before gaining the courage to speak again. “I really enjoyed the time we trained together. I won’t mind continuing our training, but it won’t be full-time or anything. Though, I’m not sure I’d be a great teacher.”

“Seina.” Takako said, lost for words.

Aiko beamed, glad her two friends were mending their differences. She suddenly turned thoughtful. “Actually, I have a better idea!” The two girls gave her an expectant look.

“How about Takako finds her own master? Then you two can spar in your free time. It’s a great way to hone your skills. Besides, karate doesn’t really suit Takako, anyway.”

“You’re a genius!” Besides, Takako had hated training under Mr. Kiyojiro, not liking the subtle disapproval he radiated whenever she was around.

Seina nodded in approval. “We can meet together in one month’s time and spar to see what we’ve learned! Without powers, of course.”

“I’ll be there!” Takako would beat Seina, but in her own style.

While she hadn’t become friends with Seina, Takako valued their rivalry. It brought some excitement to her usually dull magical girl life. They extended their hands and shook on it with Aiko’s hand sitting on top of it. Takako couldn’t wait for next month.

Still, it offered a burning question Takako hadn’t considered until now. Where would she find a new martial arts master in a ravaged world barely recovering from the vampire’s evil reign?

When she asked Aiko about this, the girl only smirked. “Don’t worry. I have plenty of contacts. They’ll find you something.”

“Okay,” While still unconvinced, Takako wouldn’t argue the point. Her upcoming battle with Seina sparked a fire within her, and she was eager to see what awaited her down this strange new path.