“I can’t believe we agreed to this,” Himari said, regretting even setting eyes on this Seina girl. Five minutes and everything had already gone catastrophically wrong! She huddled in a corner, glum and defeated.

The girl in question was swinging her ridiculous bubble-blowing wand wildly in the air, trying to make it do something useful. It only produced a bubble here and there, doing little else. Seina clearly had no clue how her powers worked.

Joining Seina was such a mistake. Himari had clearly given her faith to the girl in haste.

“Hey, it isn’t over yet! We’re strong! We’ll think of something!” Liam said, giving his partner a reassuring pat on the back.

“Thanks.” Himari sniffed, gladdened by her best friend’s support. She gave his paw a gentle squeeze. Still, what are we to do? My powers are useless in this situation.

While her phasing ability was useful for stealing pens from banks or socks from drawers, it didn’t help her break through dimensions. In her brief magical girl career, she’d only used it sparingly, mostly to avoid awkward conversations with her peers. Nobody could bully someone they couldn’t find.

“I did it!” Seina clapped her hands together, delighting in her success. She’d used a bubble to burn a tiny chunk from a piece of firewood.

Amazing! At this rate, she might be capable of destroying a single block of wood! Stop it, Himari, you’re being unkind! Seina had only wanted to fight against evil, the only magical girl brave enough to stand against Starlight Dream’s tyranny. Yet, her rebellion hadn’t even lasted a single day. It was depressing.

“No, depressing is hiding in a corner while Seina works her butt off to free us!”

“What the!” Himari yelped in surprise, her heart almost beating from her chest. Liam hid behind her, shaking in fear.

It was the odd fairy Seina had rescued from the secret prison. She was smiling at them, eyes alight with mischief.

“You shouldn’t be able to see us!” Himari spluttered. With her power, she’d hidden from lieutenants on occasion. This shouldn’t be possible!

“Yeah! What are you?!” Liam said, poking his head out.

“Little escapes Charity, you see.” The other fairy said. “Charity sees much!”

“Sorry, what?” Himari said, not following the fairy’s odd words.

“Charity says Seina will need your help if we are to escape.” Charity continued, ignoring Himari’s confusion. “Together, you are both needed!”

“Me?” Himari pointed to herself, unsure she believed such a statement.

She’d been nobody special, just a bumpkin girl from a tiny village on the outskirts of Nagoya. Her parents had been farmers. Heck, she should be a farmer, too. But Haruko, the recruiter, had shown what happened to magical girls that defied Starlight Dream’s wishes.

Yet, Seina remained brave despite that danger.

“Seina’s seen worse, Charity fears. Her home was cruel, beyond heartless. Every morning might have been her last!” Charity said, somehow reading Himari’s thoughts. “That’s why she fights. Someone needs to stand against such cruelty.”

“Oh.” What else could Himari say?

She studied the other magical girl more fully, noticing aspects she’d overlooked before. The girl seemed too thin, her face gaunt. Her build seemed odd for someone of her age, like she’d suffered years of heavy labor. Overall, Seina didn’t seem entirely healthy. What had this girl suffered through in her brief life? Guilt and compassion filled Himari. She’d underestimated Seina’s resolve.

“What do you want me to do?” What the heck. Rather than sulk, she might as well work towards escape.

“That’s up to you! Believe in yourself, and you can accomplish great things!” With that, Charity flew off to rejoin Seina. The magical girl beamed as she showed the mad fairy a piece of wood with a crack along its surface. Charity smiled and nodded in approval. Nier said something sarcastic, but hid a smile.

“What?! What does that mean?” Just telling someone to believe in themselves wasn’t helpful. She’d been expecting something actually useful, not useless garbage platitudes! Himari looked towards Liam for any further insights, but her partner only shrugged in response and shook his head.

“We are so screwed.” Himari put her face into her hand, wanting to scream at the top of her lungs. A black figure appeared between the gap between her fingers, and she gasped as Seina’s fairy partner pointed right at her.

“There’s someone here!” The fairy, Nier, said. “They’re invisible!”

Stupid! Stupid! Why had she been so loud? Why had she never learned to keep her big mouth shut?

“Huh?” Seina blinked, peering towards the spot the fairy had indicated. “You might be right. I thought I heard someone earlier.

“Show yourself!” Nier snarled.

With few better options, Himari phased herself back into normal space-time. “Uh, hi! I’m Himari Uyou. Call me Coriander Cleave!”

“Uh, hi.” Unlike her partner, who gave Himari suspicious looks, Seina only looked confused.

“Looks like we’re stuck together.” Seina gave the unexpected arrival a wry smile. “My name is Seina Kamiyama. Were you following me?” Instead of sounding accusatory, Seina sounded curious.

“Yeah, why?” Nier, however, wasn’t so patient. “She might be a Devil Princess spy!”

“Not a very good one if she got caught for all eternity,” Seina replied. “Besides, she doesn’t look like a spy.”

“Yeah, because she’s a spy!” Nier countered. “That’s the point! Still, you’re right about her getting trapped in the rose girl’s trap. Explain yourself, girl!”

“Well, funny story.” Himari’s tongue caught in her throat. How could she explain her situation without appearing an absolute ninny? But she’d never been a good liar, so she offered the truth instead.

“I saw you defeat those two guards guarding Charity here and thought you might need my help.” Himari’s expression turned sullen, filled with pain. “I hate Starlight Dream, always have. I’ve done many terrible things,” she looked down at her feet in shame, “I was too terrified of defying the Devil Princesses,” she mumbled.”But then you arrived,” she looked back up with a smile on her face, “so cool and heroic! Without fear, you openly declared your defiance against the Devil Princesses. It inspired me, I guess.”

“You saw that?” Seina replied, somewhat embarrassed and mortified.

“Hmm.” Himari backed away as Nier flew into her face, studying her with intense scrutiny. “And you just randomly choose to discard your evil ways?”

“It was a long time coming,” Himari replied, giving her best reassuring smile.

Both Nier and Seina stared at Charity, silently asking for her opinion. “Whether you trust her isn’t something Charity can decide. Only your heart can show you the truth!”

“I’m starting to think you’re completely useless!” Nier said, fuming. “Why’d we rescue you again?”

“Okay.” Seina extended a hand and smiled. “I’d love to have you on the team. If Takako has taught me anything, nobody is beyond redemption.”

“Seina.” Himari took the proffered hand and shook it, lost for words. Nobody had ever been this kind towards her before. Tears welled in her eyes, giving a silent nod in response.

“Glad to be part of the team!” Liam joined the hand pile, filtering around happily.

“Why not?” Nier rolled his eyes, but smiled and completed the pile. Behind them, Charity beamed with pride.

“I’m surprised you’re going along with this so easily, Nier,” Seina said, giving her partner a sidelong glance. “I’d feared you’d suggest she wasn’t worth the risk and I should kill her, just in case.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Nier snorted in disgust. “I’m not some paranoid nutcase like Ume. Himari is hardly the first magical girl dissatisfied with Starlight Dream. Besides, your speech about nobody being beyond redemption moved me, too.”

“It’s nice you’re on the same page with your partner, Seina.” Their uncomplicated belief in her warmed Himari’s heart. Goodness, she’d been too long without friends other than Liam.

“Nier isn’t my partner,” Seina replied. “My partner, Colten, is back home watching things. Nier is on loan for this mission.”

“Oh!” Himari said, surprised. That was unexpected.

“And we’ll never get home if we don’t escape!” Nier said. “Himari, please tell me you have some sort of power that can help us escape?

“My power allows me to phase through reality. I can’t phase into another universe, though,” Himari shook her head and sighed. Her power wasn’t more useful for anything other than hiding. Like Seina, she had a lackluster power.

“Well, okay,” Seina said, taking charge. “If we work together, I’m sure we can figure out something!”

“I’m not the greatest with magic, but I have some ideas.” Himari considered the girl’s ability, knowing it must be more than simple bubbles. A magical girl could sow terrible destruction with her powers. “What have you learned so far?”

“Okay.” Seina summoned a bubble the size of a man’s fist with her wand. “I learned a few things. Like, I can make them indestructible if I wanted.”

To demonstrate, Seina poked the bubble with a finger. Its surface bent inward but didn’t pop. It remained firm, no matter how much prodding she did. Then it popped when Seina finished the demonstration.

“Oh, so you can alter the properties of your bubbles.” Himari had seen this type of power many times. She’d watched other magical girls experiment with their abilities, headless of the destruction it might cause, many times. But, thinking about it, Himari couldn’t just make herself unseeable. If she wanted, solid objects could become like smoke to her.

“Can you make your bubbles do more than destroy? For example, make them acidic?” Himari asked, testing her theory. She bet their powers weren’t too dissimilar to each other.

“I’ll try.” Seina summoned another bubble and pressed a piece of firewood against its surface. Smoke wafted from the wood as its surface burned, filling the room with an acidic smell. Seina pulled the firewood away, finding a small burn mark where the bubble had touched.

“That’s not particularly useful.” Liam lamented, sighing.

“No, something’s not right.” Himari got a hunch, thinking she had the root of the problem. “Seina, you’re holding back.”

“What do you mean?” Seina blinked, confused.

“You’re not entering this with the right mindset,” Himari said. “You’re not approaching this with confidence. Think bigger. Make the bubble as acidic as possible!”

“Okay.” Seina tried again, pushing the firewood against the bubble again. The poor thing didn’t stand a chance. A large hole remained where it had touched, taking mere nanoseconds for the bubble to burn right through.

“Wow.” Seina stared at the hole, amazed. Himari only smiled, nodding with confidence. Her new friend had an impressive amount of raw power.

“With a magical girl’s magic, willpower is what controls it’s strength.” While Himari had never given it much consideration. It seemed blindingly obvious when voiced out loud.

Seina tried again, throwing the wood against the bubble. Very little of it remained when it struck the floor, sizzling with smoke. “I wonder what else I can do.”

“Can you make images in your bubbles?” Himari beamed, pleased she’d helped a new friend. Already, she had a million different tests Seina could perform with her bubbles. Despite possibly being trapped forever, Himari was having fun. If they ever escaped, they should have a girl’s night out. Himari knew the perfect bakery that made the best strawberry cake in the multiverse.

But you’re getting ahead of yourself. Focus on escape, then cake! And cake was a great motivator to escape eternal imprisonment.

---

“Come on, you lazy bums. I expect a thousand laps before you’re finished. And no powers!” Haruko, lead recruiter of Starlight Dream, said, cracking a whip. A girl flinched as it snapped near her ear, pushing herself to catch up with the others.

“Yeah, push harder!” Kion, her partner, said.

From a distance, Jin watched the scene with disgust. The recruiter pushed the poor girls to run almost two marathons. And why? Because this magical girl thought it was amusing. Worse, several girls laughed with cruel intent as the hardest working girl in front got tripped by another girl.

“Yeah, that’s the attitude we encourage in Starlight Dream! The only way ahead is to pull everyone else down! Weakness is death!” Haruko said, amused. The hardworking girl winced as the recruit’s whip snapped against an ear, drawing blood. “Get up! Who told you to rest?”

“Yes, mam.” The girl fought the urge to cry, only earning more mocking laughter from her peers. The scene only raised Jin’s hackles more.

Laugh now. Your doom will come soon enough! Speaking of punishments. I better hurry with these papers before Miko yells at me, the witch!

Before Jin could fly away, a gasp caught her attention. Her breath was stolen from her lungs as an armored figure approached the training yard.

“How are things progressing, Ayaji?” The newcomer said, and everyone stood to attention. The magical girls in training gathered into a line, backs stiff.

“Mistress Inouye,” Haruko said, giving a bow. “These maggots are learning well. Some are showing real promise.” She gave a covert glance towards the girl who’d tripped the girl whose ear was still bleeding and smiled in approval. It was clear she was the recruiter’s favorite. The girl didn’t react openly, but her manner became smugger.

“Excellent. I’m hearing reports that the suffering quota is lower than expected.” The Devil Princess, Mei Inouye, said.

Unlike other magical girls, this one wore armor whose black surface glinted in the midday sun. She appeared more like a medieval knight than a magical girl. But her armor was sleeker, and not as bulky. A scabbard hung on her side, hiding her famed katana. Masking the bottom half of the Devil Princess’s face was a mask shaped like an oni, with two jagged fangs poking out from either side. Her dark hair hung long, waving in the light spring breeze.

“I don’t expect to be disappointed, Ayaji. Understand?” Mei hasn’t raised her voice or even offered a threat. Still, Haruko trembled in fear.

“Y-yes, mistress!” Haruko replied.

“Totally!” Kion added.

“Hey! Hey! Hey!” Another voice joined the conversation. The silence increased tenfold, if that was somehow possible. Jin lost her grip on her paperwork, almost losing the strength to fly. Terror filled the recruits, eyes widening to pinpoints. Haruko stood stock still, all breath leaving her. Considering who’d entered the training yard, these reactions weren’t unexpected.

“Yoshida,” Mei said, the only person to not react to the newcomer’s presence. Jin’s heart almost beat from her chest as she got a better glimpse of Yoshida’s dress. Blood caked her flowing dress almost from top to bottom. The Devil Princess didn’t even seem to notice or care.

“Come on, Mei sweetie! Call me Reiko. How long have we known each other?” Reiko said, almost dancing around her fellow Devil Princess.

The other didn’t react, expression stony. “I expect you need something?”

“Totally do!” Reiko said, beaming. “Have you heard of a magical girl named Seina?” She gave a brief description of the magical girl in question.

Seina?! What the hell? Jin had Emiyo’s troublesome partner locked and gagged tight in her basement. It’d been necessary because Emiyo hadn’t died as expected, but it was only a minor complication. Still, it shouldn’t be possible for information to leak about the rebellious newbie!

The other Devil Princess considered for a moment before shaking her head. “No. This magical girl is unfamiliar. Why?”

“Just a villain who’s been causing trouble! You really haven’t heard of her, Mei sweetie?” Reiko pouted, cheeks puffed out in annoyance. “I don’t get it. You have a photogenic memory! Is she a survivor of the dark times?”

The hell?! Who told Seina it was a good idea to come to Starlight Dream?! Does she have a death wish?!

“No. They’re all dead.” Mei intoned.

“Really, what about the rebel? She’s from back then!” Reiko shot back.

“In its dying days. She never received formal training as a magical girl.” Mei said. “She only escaped through luck.”

“So dumb! So dumb! Who is this Seina, then?! We carefully regulate fairies and their bondings.” Reiko pounded a foot against the ground in annoyance. “How’d this Nier bond with her without us knowing about it? Someone will lose their head for this!”

“Nier?” Mei tilted her head, puzzled. “That fairy’s name is familiar. His partner is a girl named Takako Kodama. This Seina’s partner must be someone else.”

“Oh, I’m pissed off now! My source misled me! Like an idiot, she just assumed something without confirming it. Terrible! Naughty!” Then, like a switch, the Devil Princess calmed down and straightened her dress. “Oh well! My fault for listening to an incompetent. I guess I shouldn’t have tortured her to death so quickly.”

Screams erupted as blood splattered everywhere, landing on some of their newbie magical girls. They backed away, horrified, eyes widened in stunned horror. Even Haruko seemed shocked. Reiko had chopped off the earnest, weaker girl’s head with a single chop of her arm. The poor thing had only wanted to survive, impress her instructors. And Reiko had slaughtered her for fun.

“Much better!” Reiko smiled as the girl’s head rolled across the track yard. “I get so stressed, you know. Being a Devil Princess is a very difficult job.”

“Pointless waste.” Mei shook her head, otherwise seemed unbothered.

“Reiko! Reiko!” A new fairy flew onto the scene, fluttering with excitement. “Your instinct was correct!”

Like a light, Reiko brightened with excitement as her partner approached, acting like she hadn’t just slaughtered an innocent girl before everyone. “Gugu! What you got?”

“She headed right towards the Hall of Suffering, as you suspected!” Gugu said. “Best yet, the dummy got herself in one of Masumi’s traps! She’s stuck with no escape!”

Reiko danced with her partner, hopping from foot to foot. “Happy day! Happy day! A horrible threat is vanquished, and the heroes are victorious! She was planning to wreak such havoc and horror on Starlight Dream, the villain! Lucky we stopped her before someone got hurt!” The Devil Princess turned towards the recruits and Haruko, expecting an applause. After a terrifying moment of indecision, they applauded and complimented Masumi for her quick thinking.

“Still.” Reiko dragged out the single word. “I don’t like Takako’s partner hanging around with such poor company. Such a terrible influence! Mei sweetie, can you track her down and punish her? She should have better control of her fairy.”

“Indeed. Ayaji, you heard her. I want Takako Kodama found and brought to me.” Mei said, crossing her arms. “She works in Sector 8. It shouldn’t be hard to find her.”

“Ah! You’re not going yourself?” Reiko asked, disappointed.

“No. I have work to do here.” Despite remaining stoic, agitation crept into Mei’s voice.

“Okay,” Reiko replied, disappointed.

Crap! How had things gone so wrong? Why had the fool Seina come on some suicidal mission on Starlight Dream? This ruined everything!

“Oh well!” Reiko said. “If you would excuse me, I owe Seina a visit. I’m sure I can convince her to change her villainous ways. She only needs a friend! We can have tea!”

“Totally! I’ll get the scones. I know you get hungry during your playtime!” Gugu snickered at a private joke.

I have to do something! Jin flew away, mind racing as she darted away, paperwork forgotten. With a Devil Princess on the prowl, saving Seina was a hopeless cause. Still, Jin had to salvage the situation somehow.

Takako! I need to find and warn her. To defeat Starlight Dream, Umi will need her help. While Nier faced likely capture, that was alright. As long as Takako lived, he couldn’t die. It’d just be unpleasant for him until they rescued him, somehow. But that couldn’t wait until later. First, Jin needed to find Takako before Haruko did.

Miko is going to kill me for running off! But the mission mattered more. She’d placate the girl with some dumb excuse. Sector 8? How can I find her? I’d need to search thousands of universes!

Suddenly, an idea struck Jin. It was so obvious, Jin kicked herself for overlooking it. Takako was in the universe with the unexpected drop of suffering. Seina’s home universe! Yes, Jin could somehow salvage this disaster.

Don’t worry, Seina! I’ll make sure we avenge you!