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Tales from Tama Town

Cross-District Arc

Chapter 35

"Hi, hi~!" Miki felt her grip loosen on her phone as she processed what she heard. "Come again?" She didn't like what she was hearing at all, and struggled to keep herself composed. "Hello? Can you repeat that?"

"I said," Knockout repeated, "We have a problem. I think... I think you need to get down here right now." The line went silent as the call dropped. Miki glanced at the time and sighed; it was almost midnight. The streets were empty, and it was dark out. A perfect time for trouble, and no one to witness it.

'What now?!' Miki groaned as she got out of bed and slipped into her shoes. It was a school night, she was still angry over those careless words thrown at her face, and it was just her luck that something would go wrong again! She tiptoed through her house so as not to wake anyone up; it wouldn't do if she was caught sneaking out in the middle of the night by her parents again! That would mean punishment, and more nagging.

The cool autumn breeze blew through Miki's hair as she walked out the front door with a satchel of talismans to ward from Othersiders. Given her luck lately, she considered grabbing her dad's gun, or maybe just a kitchen knife. Talismans were useless against the dregs of society: the type of people who'd harmed their friends! Miki shuddered at the thought of some random thug cracking her skull open.

As Miki hurried through the dark streets of Tama, she couldn't help but think about Lee and Ngozi. 'Please be safe!' She prayed, hoping against hope that they'd find Ngozi soon. It had been two days since her disappearance, and so far they had no leads. The Magical Girls were keeping their eyes peeled—apparently, Nighty Knight had roped Mel-Belle and a few others into a big operation to find a missing Sweeper—but Miki wasn't optimistic about the situation.

'Don't think about it.' Miki thought as she rounded a corner. 'It won't help. Focus on one thing at a time.' It seemed that Stella was causing trouble, but Knockout was reticent about the details. Miki had her theories though: 'Did Stella pick a fight? Or maybe they were ambushed?' Miki sighed and shook her head. That girl was on edge ever since the rescue operation last week. The things she saw in Third District had taken a toll on her, more than anyone else involved.

"So..." Miki groaned as she spotted Knockout waiting for her. "What's this all about?" The blonde girl's expression was grim, which worried Miki even more than usual! Knockout's energetic, bubbly demeanour was nowhere to be seen. She didn't need another catastrophe after yesterday's disaster! "Hey, where are the siblings?"

"Close." Knockout stated as she motioned for Miki to follow her. "I needed to talk to you first, before I bring you to them." Knockout led Miki into an alleyway between two buildings; they huddled against a dumpster to block out the wind. "I've never seen this before."

"Seen what?" Miki fell in step with Knockout, waiting for her to elaborate. "You're worrying me here, Kno—"

"You need to see this for yourself." Knockout muttered as they approached the site where Stella had exploded. Miki blinked in confusion as she took in the sight before her: several halos of energy swirled around a central point, radiating that same eerie energy she had felt a week ago! The hairs on the back of Miki's neck stood on end as she walked closer to investigate the phenomenon. "She did this. Stella."

"What?" Miki squinted as she approached the centre of the whirlpools; it felt like walking through a thick fog. The energy made it difficult to breathe, and the pressure of it weighed heavy on her shoulders. "What is this?" She stared at the dark mist coalescing inside each swirling ring. "How did this happen?"

"I don't know." Knockout admitted as she joined Miki by the centre of the strange phenomenon. "She lashed out at me, no clue why! Swung her arm, then BAM! Out comes a wave of this stuff! And in the epicentre? Something that felt less 'raw energy,' and more 'out-to-kill.' Freaky stuff, miss Central. Freaky."

"Are you saying—" Miki froze as a voice called out to them from nearby.

"Hey!" A young woman emerged from the alley, dressed in a garish outfit that would make a circus clown blush. Her hair hung loose and wavy around her shoulders, and her eyes sparkled with mischief. The oversized hat on her head looked like a cross between a traffic cone and a mushroom. "Was wondering when you'd show up. You know I don't usually DO Othersider crap, right?"

"Hey, Fun Gal." Miki nodded at the Magical Girl, who tapped the brim of her hat with one finger. "Thanks for coming."

"Yeah well, 50 big ones is a lot to turn down." Fun Gal grinned at Miki before turning to Knockout with a smirk. "Besides, I'm a HERO! Been on a bit of a kick lately, you know?"

"Mhmm." Miki nodded along with the girl's story; Fun Gal's schtick was self-serving heroism, yet her record was sterling! When someone needed help, she was first on the scene: stopping muggings, breaking up fights, preventing robberies... hell, she even broke up a kidnapping earlier this week. She had eyes and ears everywhere, between her mystical mycelium and her cordyceps zombies. Her information network was incredible, and she knew more than anyone about everything. "Knockout called me here because we have a problem."

"She called ME here because 'Knockout' felt bad about 'KNOCKING' those kids 'OUT!' I, on the other hand, have no qualms. No conscience to get in my way!" Fun Gal chuckled and extended her arms towards the sky. "My fungal emissaries have tasted the wind, and its pollutants are thick!"

"Okay." Miki hated this woman. The oldest of the Magical Girls, and the only one to outright refuse to work with Central. Still, she was reliable and pragmatic: no fanaticism or other such nonsense. Fun Gal simply did not give a fuck about most things other Magical Girls held sacred. "You didn't hurt them, did you?"

"Miki, please. They're tripping balls right now, if they're even conscious, but they're safe. Give it another hour and they'll be fine." Fun Gal snapped her fingers, and a swarm of spores began seeping from the cracks in the pavement. "Here, force-feed the girl these every few hours until you know what to do with her. Now pay me, I've got places to be."

"Thank you." Miki nodded, impressed by the girl's business sense! No matter how much she despised her methods, or her attitude, Fun Gal always delivered, and didn't ask questions either! 'Professional, if you disregard the ethics.' Miki thought as Knockout fumbled with her wallet to pay the Magical Girl for her services.

"Yeah, whatever. Anyways, about those kids... be careful with them." Fun Gal smiled as Knockout handed over the cash. "The boy's just protective of his sister, but that girl? She's something else. She's not one of us."

"Wait, what?" Miki gaped at Fun Gal as she waltzed away whistling a cheery tune. "Hey! What do you mean?! What do you know?!" But Fun Gal ignored her, and disappeared around a corner.

"So... about that 'problem'..." Knockout mumbled, standing with her hands on her hips as she eyed the swirls of energy in the middle of the parking lot. "Uhhh... where should we put her? Hospital? My place? Your place? Lock her in the basement? Tie her down? Leave her on a train platform?"

"Shut up." Miki shook her head as Knockout rambled on. "No trains. Just... just come back to my place." She sighed and glanced towards the siblings, wondering what the hell was going on in that girl's mind. "We can bring them to my family's shrine, okay? The temple won't care, and no one's gonna stumble across her there." And besides that, Othersider energy seemed to dissipate around sacred grounds like temples, shrines, churches, and mosques.

"Sounds good." Knockout nodded slowly as she assessed the situation. "I'll carry them then?"

"Yeah." Miki said, trying to process Fun Gal's ominous warning. 'She's not one of us.' What the hell did that mean? The implications were concerning, and Miki dreaded what would happen if the elder Magical Girl's words proved true!

Chapter 36

To say he was bored was an understatement. Lee lay in bed staring at the ceiling as the ticking of his wristwatch filled the silence of his hospital room. A dull ache emanated from the wound on his chest; despite that pain, it was his restlessness that bothered him most. It was an itch he couldn't scratch. An itch that begged for action, or at least some sort of distraction.

Lee didn't blame himself for Ngozi's disappearance, but he wished that his fucking hammer found the biker's temple before that bastard got away! Instead, Ngozi was out there, somewhere, likely suffering! Lee didn't want to think about it.

"Looking good, bud." That prick Keichi came over to 'cheer him up.' A Sweeper from Fifth, they traded blows sometimes back in the day. There was no bad blood between them. They were a bit alike, truth be told. Stubborn, pig-headed, arrogant assholes with more talent than common sense! In another life, they'd probably be best friends! But in this one? They were too similar in all the wrong ways. "You've seen better days though, yeah?"

"Hahaha." Lee scoffed as Keichi sat down by his bedside. "What do you want?"

"A million bucks, a nice car, a nice girlfriend," Keichi grinned and shrugged his shoulders, "and an end to Tama's bullshit!" He slapped Lee's shoulder gently, as if afraid to hurt him. "But most importantly? I heard that you were with that girl when she went missing. And like, I was with my neighbour the night she vanished too. Mary's her name; I still think about her every day. Thought maybe I could offer a sympathetic ear. You know, talk it out?"

"Oh..." Lee hadn't considered how others would perceive his connection to Ngozi's abduction. "I see. Central sent you?"

"Eh..." Keichi grimaced, "yeah. Plus, things are so quiet this week. Even the kids in Third say they won't need us around much longer, and they're down to like, three vets, a hospital case like you, and a Magical Girl."

"Three?!" Lee stared at Keichi in disbelief. "The fuck are they thinking?!"

"It's been quiet, Lee. Huge migration patterns were supposed to lead into Third, but all of a sudden the swarms vanished? Beats me! Something is up though. Think we should go scope it out? See if we can figure out where they all went?" Keichi stretched out his arms and yawned. "This is so boring, man."

"Oh hell no! My injury's healing up now, and I'm gonna stay in here until the doctors say so." Lee grunted, waving away Keichi's concerns.

"I meant 'we,' as in fuckin' Sweepers, moron. Who wants to snoop around with a guy in a hospital gown? Huh?" Keichi smirked at Lee before continuing: "Plus, I know you Second District types have a taboo against Third. It's like a thing with you guys. I get it."

"You weren't there when it happened, Kei." Lee muttered, recalling that nightmarish ambush. "All those fucking people. Dead. Because of Othersiders. And it wasn't just the death, dude. It was HOW they died, ya know? I've seen... well, we haven't seen Othersiders like that before, or since." A Magical Girl fell, for the first time ever. It wasn't just some random kid swept up in their shit: it was a true ally of justice. That girl was a hero—a warrior—someone who saved lives daily. To see her killed was terrifying to Lee, but to see how she died? It chilled him to his core! "That freak killed her with a flick of his wrist. Like she was nothing! She had no way of resisting him! It was fucking everywhere that night! Encompassing and encroaching, corrupting and contaminating!"

"It wasn't human." Keichi nodded solemnly. "I get it. Honestly, I shouldn't have brought it up. Fuck dude, I wanted to help you cope or some shit." He looked away and scowled. "Hell, I don't even know what I'm doing here. I never met Ngozi, but I heard she was good."

"We're going to find her." Lee declared, slamming his fist against his bedside table hard enough to rattle it! "I swear, Kei. We're going to find her!" He stared at the bandages wrapped around his hand as pain pulsed through his arm. "So stop speaking in past-tense, dammit! I'm gonna get back out there, and I'm gonna find her!"

"Hell yeah!" Keichi raised a fist, "and Mary, too. Trevor, and Roy, Kylie, and all the others." He grinned and stood up from his chair. "And if there's someone behind this all? I swear, we're gonna kick their ass!"

"Fuck yeah." Lee agreed, watching Keichi stride towards the door.

"Catch you later, champ." Keichi waved goodbye as he left, and Lee smiled despite himself. 'I can deal with a prick like that,' he thought as he listened to Keichi's footsteps fade away down the hall, 'especially when we're on the same page.'

"Alright." Lee closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, counting each breath as he inhaled and exhaled. The doctors wanted him to relax and heal; that meant no exercise, no heavy lifting, no strenuous activity! And he couldn't risk re-opening the wound either! Keichi worked him up a bit, and he needed to calm down now. "In... and out... in... and out..."

A nurse walked in to check on him a few minutes later, bringing with her a fresh set of bandages and a cup of water. "Good afternoon, Lee." She said, offering him the glass of water. "How are you feeling today?"

"Bored, but good. Thanks." Lee grabbed the cup from her hand and sipped from it slowly. The cold water soothed his dry throat as it flowed down his gullet.

"Well then, that's good to hear." The nurse nodded as she began removing his bandages to check on his wound. "There are a couple of gentlemen from a local security outfit interested in speaking with you. Would you like me to tell them to come back later? Or let them come up for a quick chat?"

"I've got nothing better to do." Lee chuckled as the nurse continued her work. "Besides, I've been meaning to talk with Keats Security anyways!" His family paid their dues, weren't they entitled to protection? How the hell did some random band of bikers slip past the PMCs anyway?

"Ahh," The nurse trailed off for a moment before adding: "I don't think they're from Keats Security?" She glanced at Lee, then back down at his injury. "They said something about wanting to 'interview' you as part of an ongoing investigation? I'm not sure what they meant by that, though."

"Oh? What were their names?" Lee's curiosity piqued, he shifted in bed as he considered the possibilities.

"An officer named Stewart? I believe the other was a researcher named Higgs. At least, I think it was Higgs? Checkered shirt, bow tie. Said he was concerned with the uptick in young people getting injured lately." The nurse cleaned his wound with disinfectant, ignoring his yelp of pain. "I can send them away if you're not in the mood for visitors."

"Nah, they can come in. Can't promise they'll get anything useful, but they're welcome to try." Lee finished his water and set the cup on his bedside table.

"Alright then." The nurse finished dressing his wound and threw the dirty gauze into the garbage. "I'll have a colleague let them know." She left the room without another word.

Chapter 37

Stella's eyes fluttered as her mind floated in a sea of dreams. Half-forgotten memories bled together like a smeared watercolour painting. A warm summer day. She saw her parents chatting with their neighbours. A trip to the zoo. Lenore's martial arts tournament. Dancing in front of an audience. Ben's birthday party. Studying at the library. Everything swirled together in an incoherent mess; she couldn't make sense of what was going on around her!

Cold eyes.

The smell of rotten meat and brimstone. Black tears streaking down pale cheeks. She watched Milkyway stand alone against the horde. The fire burned around her as she struggled to keep them back. Corpses, strangers from another part of town. Dozens of bodies. A Magical Girl, fallen and broken. Steel wires covered in blood.

Cold eyes.

A blonde girl wrapped in bright colours danced around her as they rushed through the streets. Where was she? She saw a hammer blow past her field of view; flashes of light flickered in her mind's eye as sparks flew from its head! Who was she? A familiar presence, a new friend. Envy and hatred, but admiration too! A protector? She saw the Youma approach, saw her brother fight with all his might. He was exhausted, on his last legs! The girl leapt to his rescue, and then... what happened next?

Cold eyes.

"You're safe." A voice called out from the darkness. "Your brother is safe." It was a whisper, or maybe a memory. Stella couldn't be sure! "Everything will be alright." Who was speaking to her? Stella tried to remember who that voice belonged to, but couldn't focus! "I found you." Who had said those words to her? She reached out to the blonde heroine, enraged for no reason at all! Her hand... energy! Darkness! Chaos! Where was she?!

Cold eyes.

Hatred and envy! Arguing, yelling. Her brother was crying. That girl, and Miki. Stella saw images flash past her: the tall blonde girl wrapped in garish colours, the boy struggling to escape her grip as she begged Ben to be rational. A high-pitched laughter, cruel and dismissive. A strange woman in a comical hat approached and presented her with a tray of sweets. A sharp pain, a saccharine sneer, and then...

Cold eyes.

Stella snapped awake in a panic! She felt the dreams fading before she could even make sense of them! She scanned her surroundings, desperate to ground herself in this strange place. Her memories of the night prior were a haze. She vaguely remembered something about Ballet Club, and patrolling Tama with Ben and... Stella groaned as she recalled her argument with Knockout. 'I thought she was a bitch?' She wondered as she tried to piece together what had happened after their fight.

Nothing.

"Good morning~!" Miki's voice startled Stella out of her reverie. "Well, more like 'afternoon,' but don't sweat it! Ben, she's awake." Stella shook her head to clear the cobwebs away and took in her surroundings. She was in some sort of building? But where? She saw Miki standing in front of her, along with that blonde girl from last night! 'Knockout,' her brain supplied. Stella wasn't sure what they were doing in some strange place, but she had a feeling it had something to do with those eyes from her dreams.

"Miki." Stella couldn't keep the venom out of her tone as she addressed her friend. "Where the fuck am I?" She didn't recognize the room: the tatami mats on the floor and sliding doors seemed like something from a karate dojo or an old samurai movie. "And what the hell did you do to me?!"

"What?" Miki stepped back and narrowed her eyes at Stella. "Nothing! Please, behave. This is my family's shrine. You three got attacked in patrol last night, 'kay~?" Miki gestured towards Knockout and added: "Seems you three got hit by some sort of chemical gas or something. Right, Anne?" Knockout nodded and muttered something unintelligible in response.

"Anne?" Stella croaked, peering at the girl. "That's your name?" She glanced at Miki, then back at Knockout, noting the awkwardness of their body language. Knockout avoided making eye contact with either of them, and Miki looked like she'd rather be anywhere else! 'Yup, definitely didn't plan this ahead of time.' Stella thought as Knockout stared at the wall to her left. "Okay."

"So..." Knockout began, standing up to stretch her back and arms. "Yeah, basically. Um, I called for backup, right? From a friend of mine, a fellow Magical Girl from Ninth—did you know? There are way more of us born in that district—anyways! I called her in to help, but we might have gotten caught in the crossfire or something. 'Cause my head feels like soup, and Ben's not much better. He's next door with—"

"STOP!" Stella winced as the other girl's rambling set her nerves on edge. "Oh God! Do you always talk like that?"

"Talk like what?" Knockout looked confused by the question. "Sorry. Head's soup." She tapped her temple for emphasis, smiling as Stella grimaced. Why did Stella feel so upset? She wasn't sure what it was about the girl that bothered her so much. Was it just that bubbly demeanour? That incessant positivity? Her... whatever her deal was with Ben?!

"Ben, can you get in here already?!" Miki called, an edge of anger on her otherwise calm tone. "C'mon dude! Your sister is awake!" She waited a moment before screaming at the top of her lungs: "Oh fine, fine~! I'll go fetch him myself... ugh."

"What is going on?" Stella's voice cracked as she spoke. She felt awful: a mixture of drowsiness and fatigue washed over her like a wave. Her memories of yesterday's events were as ephemeral as her dreams. "Why am I here?! What is happening?! Is Ben okay?!"

"Everything's okay." Knockout placed a hand on Stella's shoulder and offered a weak smile. "We got our butts kicked last night, that's all. Your parents know you're safe. Your brother wasn't as bad as you or me. He's been walking around just fine... in fact, he's been chatting it up with Miki's mom or whatever. So I bet you'll be back home soon."

Stella laid back in bed and covered her face with a pillow. "Okay... thanks."

"Hey Stel," Ben smiled as he walked through the door to her room. He gave her a quick hug before sitting down beside Knockout. "How are you feeling? Good? Bad?"

"Fucked up." Stella groaned into the pillow.

"Hahaha," Ben chuckled and patted her on the head, "well, I'm not surprised. You've been out cold all morning. I can't remember shit about last night, but they tell me we came close to biting it. Miki says we were almost done sweeping that block before a pack of Tsukaima found us." Tsukaima? That sounded wrong; Knockout was a full-fledged Magical Girl, so Tsukaima were beneath her. Did they get caught up in someone else's mess? Maybe some freak lab experiment or an escaped test subject? "Gassed us real good too. We didn't stand a chance."

"Eww." Stella shivered and turned over on the bed, leaving the pillow under her head and staring up at the ceiling. "Yeah, I figured. My memories are... I don't know if it was real or not. But I remember being scared? Like, really freaked out." She clutched her blankets tight to her chest as she remembered the fear in her heart. "And I think... we were arguing? About something?"

"Arguing?" Ben frowned and glanced at Knockout, who stared at the floor and shook her head. "I dunno about that, Stella." Ben took a deep breath and asked: "Who'd you argue with?" Stella racked her brain, searching for the answer. She felt it was just beyond her reach, but it refused to surface!

"A-anyways, let's put that behind us." Knockout clapped her hands together and bowed her head towards Stella. "Sorry about last night, whatever happened. Let's just forget all about it and chalk it up to Tama being Tama, yes?" Knockout hopped to her feet and made her way towards the door. "I'm gonna go help Miki with something, so feel free to relax."

"Um..." Stella watched Knockout leave in a hurry. "Sure?"

"We'll head home tonight, Stel. I asked Len to pick us up, told a little white lie about us crashing at a friend's place last night. Don't snitch, hey? Mom would flip out." Ben laughed as Stella rolled her eyes. "Something feels... I don't know, 'off,' about this whole thing. But I guess it's best we just count ourselves lucky. Othersiders don't leave survivors."

"Yeah." Stella nodded and rested her head against the pillow again. "You're right. Fuck this town." Her head was spinning, like a fog had settled over her mind. "Do you remember what happened?"

"Bits and pieces." Ben sighed as he scratched his neck. "I think I remember an explosion?" His eyes grew wide. "Black, cold. It wasn't normal." Ben's hands trembled as he recalled the night's events. "Then... nothing. I don't know what it was, but it was beyond terrifying."

Stella frowned and squeezed her eyes shut. That sounded familiar. A swirl of energy. A chill down her spine. No matter how hard she tried to remember, though, nothing surfaced. Only vague feelings, blurred images, and faint impressions. It was all so distant, yet she couldn't shake the sense of unease that lingered. Something was wrong; something had changed forever.

Chapter 38

"Thank you again, Yoshi!" Melanie was beaming as she entered his private office, helping herself to a can of iced coffee from his mini-fridge. "I can't believe he's being released so soon. It's like magic, for real."

"Yeah." Yoshi sighed and nodded, sipping from a bottle of mineral water. "It's no problem, really." Felipe's injuries were superficial, more psychological than anything else. Not to mention, the Antaeus Conglomerate was on the bleeding edge of medical research, which meant they could patch him up good as new. Yoshi wasn't one to pass up a chance to harvest some confirmed Sweeper blood. He tapped away on his keyboard as she yapped some nonsense about their latest patrols together, and the balancing act that high school demanded of her. "How have you been, anyways?"

"Tired." Melanie admitted, plopping down in a chair beside him. "I'm exhausted. I barely got any sleep last night, and I haven't felt this stressed since finals week last year!" She opened the can and took a sip. "I guess the good news is that everyone's okay, right? No casualties."

"For now." Yoshi muttered, typing up his report for the day. "Things are getting worse, but I have made fantastic progress on the realm of that 'On-Sider' experiment. You know, I am so grateful for your assistance in my research." He spun his chair around and faced Melanie, placing a hand on her arm and smiling. "Really. It would have been impossible without you, Mel."

"Ahh," Melanie blushed and stared at her drink, "yeah. It's no big deal. I mean, I'm just doing what's right. Like a Magical Girl should!"

"Right." Yoshi nodded. "Well, I was hoping you might be able to offer me two more favours. I can assure you, you'll benefit immensely from both! And in exchange, you know you can rely on me to help with anything that may arise in your day to day life. I have the power and influence to solve most problems you may face. And, I'm quite fond of you. So, it wouldn't be a bother at all!"

"W-well, I don't know..." Melanie bit her lip and furrowed her brow, thinking about the offer. "I guess I could hear you out? After all, your guys are doing such a good job at keeping Third District safe. I mean, I don't know what we'd do without you." She laughed and added: "I guess, depending on what it is, I'd owe you another favour?"

"Excellent." Yoshi's lips curled into a shy smile, "I'm glad you've come around, Mel." He reached under his desk and pulled out a thick dossier, opening it up to reveal several photos of the same girl. "I understand that you're friends with a certain Magical Girl by the name of Nighty Knight. She has been in the hospital for a few days too, has she not? I was wondering if you might offer her the same assistance we offered your friend Felipe." Yoshi was practically drooling at the thought of acquiring another sample of Magical Girl blood. He just could not think of an organic way to approach Nana or any other Magical Girl, but Melanie was the perfect bridge for him. "We can help your friend get better, and have her battling Othersiders by the end of the week. Just like new."

"Oh, I don't know..." Melanie frowned and averted her eyes. "Nighty Knight is... well, she's really strong and independent. I don't know if she'd be okay with you doing some sort of weird medical experiments on her. I mean, it sound like something from a creepy horror movie, you know?"

"Of course, of course. You're right, of course. But it wouldn't be an experiment per se. More like... advanced care. The same stuff we offer our own contractors when they come back from bad missions. The same care we offered your friend Felipe. You've seen the results firsthand, no? Imagine being able to help others like that." Yoshi leaned forward and stared into Melanie's eyes, trying to gauge her reaction. "It doesn't hurt to ask, right? And you're friends with her, so it's not like you're trying to take advantage of her."

"Hmm..." Melanie hesitated, but nodded after a moment of consideration. "Fine. I'll do it." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "So, what's the other favour then?"

"It's nothing major." Yoshi chuckled and shook his head. "I was hoping you might join my On-Siders on patrol tonight. Watch how they work, bail them out if things get too rough out there. I finally feel confident in their abilities. Their pseudo-Sight is reliable, and their training has been coming along nicely. Plus, I want you to get used to working alongside them."

"Ahh." Melanie nodded. "I see. Yeah, I could do that. Thanks for looking out for me, Yoshi. You're such a sweetie!"

"Of course." Yoshi grinned, grateful for all the work he put into cultivating this relationship. When he approached Mel those weeks back, he was worried about the emotionally-unstable Magical Girl. It had been risky to involve himself in her issues, but he knew she had the potential to become an extremely useful asset to his operations in the long-term. And since then? She procured several Othersiders for his study, inadvertently 'donated' a few samples of Magical GIrl blood, and kept him in the loop of Central's activities. Best of all, she was much too loyal. 'All it takes is some kindness, and these people become attached.' It was all for the good of Tama, though. And it wasn't like he wasn't fond of her.

"So..." Melanie began, "they can really, actually sense Othersiders?"

"They can." Yoshi confirmed. "Not quite the same way we can. You magical girls, or people with the Sight. But it's reliable and accurate. Their memories are quite poor, and their understanding is borderline schizophrenic, to be blunt. But put them within 30 feet of an Othersider and the training takes over."

"Wow." Melanie's eyes went wide at his revelation. "That's amazing!" He knew what she was thinking: 'now Tama's adults can protect Tama themselves.'

"Indeed." Yoshi agreed. "Now, what do you say we get some food?" He asked, changing the subject to something lighter. "I'm famished! My treat, of course." He wanted to keep her mood high. After all, those On-Siders had a very off-putting aura about them. They weren't quite human anymore, yet they weren't Othersiders either. They were something else, malleable like a mind on the brink of rest. Hardware for a paracausal mind, coordinated by yet another mind. "How does ramen sound?"

"Sounds perfect!" Melanie agreed, beaming as she hopped out of her seat. Yoshi chuckled and stood up, pocketing the dossier and slinging his messenger bag over his shoulder. He led Melanie out of his office, locking the door behind him as they headed out into the mid-afternoon sun.

"I'm glad you're here." Yoshi said as he opened the car door for her. "The world needs more people like you, Melanie." And he meant it. The Otherside had taken too much from him already. He wanted nothing more than to purge that scourge from their world once and for all.

And he'd do whatever it took. Time was running out.

Chapter 39

"I was thinking," Melanie broke the silence between them. She slurped her noodles up as Yoshi ate his bowl of pork belly ramen. "It all seems too good to be true, you know?" Melanie set her chopsticks down and smiled at Yoshi. "Like, ever since I met you, it's felt like... fate! We've been so lucky, and everything seems like it's starting to go right in my life."

"Oh?" Yoshi raised an eyebrow at her. "In what way?" He asked. She wasn't sure why he got this way: distant and closed off whenever they talked about something unrelated to their mission.

"Well..." Melanie chewed her food while she pondered her words. "For starters, your people really seem to care. It's so, I dunno, I mean... Tama's Tama. Nobody's nice here unless they've got a hidden agenda." She paused, waiting for a reaction from him, but received none. "But then there's you, Mr Hoshino. You're different." Her cheeks flushed red at that admission. "You're kind, thoughtful, and selfless. You always know what to do and say, no matter how dark or desperate things get. I love working with you." And if that was enough to satisfy him, well...

Yoshi was silent for several seconds before letting out a chuckle, taking a sip of water before replying. "Thanks for the flattery, but I'm not THAT special. Tama can be better. I'm still young enough to see the Others, and I'm smart enough to see a way out." He shrugged as if it was nothing. "If everyone took responsibility for our community, rather than let scum reign unchecked, we could make this town better! For all of us."

"But nobody does. Until you." Melanie pushed aside her empty ramen bowl and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "No matter how bad things got, it somehow got worse. Nothing but lower lows. But you stepped in when things reached their worst. Your mercs keep us safe. Your researchers get out there and figure shit out. You've managed to bring hope to this town! People FEEL safe! All thanks to you, Yoshi."

"It was the right thing to do." Yoshi shrugged and pushed back his own bowl. "Nothing less, nothing more." She often felt that he was hiding something underneath that cool exterior, but whenever he spoke of his vision for Tama? She could tell he meant every word.

"You really need to learn how to accept compliments." Melanie laughed, placing her elbow on the table. "Seriously! You don't give yourself enough credit!" She didn't want to say anything mushy or sentimental, so instead she just left it at that. "Oh! I know. That favour you owe me? How about..."

"Just say the word, Mel." Yoshi smirked as he paid the bill. "Anything in my power, and it's yours." She wondered just how far she could push that offer before crossing a line? Yoshi hadn't shown any sign of irritation whenever she asked for something small, but Melanie didn't want to find out how much was too much.

"Well, you see... my friend Nana—you know her as Nighty Knight—has been looking for a girl from Fifth. A friend of hers named Mary. I know Antaeus has people all over town busting up cartels and trafficking rings and all that, but it'd really mean a lot if we found her for Nana. That'd show her Antaeus really IS different! Right? And I don't think anybody knows what happened to Mary, so we could totally—"

"I'm sorry," Yoshi cut her off gently. "I doubt there's anything we can do. Most people who go missing never return, and many are trafficked overseas where our organization isn't present. If she's gone missing, she could be right under our noses and we wouldn't even realize it. Tama's a den of sin, and—" Yoshi trailed off when he saw her crestfallen expression. "Melanie, I know how important this is to you and Nighty Knight, but I cannot promise you a miracle. Look, I can ask my connections to keep an ear out, but..." he trailed off with a shrug.

"You're right. Sorry, it was stupid. Nevermind!" Melanie smiled, despite the sinking feeling in her gut. Why did this bother her so much? Mary was nothing to her. Just some stranger in some district across town. Melanie doubted they'd ever meet, nor would their lives intersect. Still... this whole situation stung in a way she couldn't quite explain. Like salt in an open wound.

"Nah." Yoshi shook his head as they headed outside. "I'll see what I can do, okay? No promises, but I won't just ignore it. It's important to you. I get it." He stopped outside the car and looked at her with concern written across his features. "Don't worry. Let's focus on fixing what we can right now, okay? Tonight will be the inaugural patrol with the On-Siders, and their performance could make or break Antaeus' influence here. Imagine it: a squad of security guards decked out in cutting-edge gear and armed with the latest weaponry, able to fight things that most folks can't even sense!"

She forced a smile, knowing there wasn't much else she could do now. "Okay."

"What's more," his green eyes sparked with enthusiasm as he slid in the back seat and motioned for her to follow, "the technology they use means their presence is indistinct! They blend in. They can go where others cannot. That's key." He flashed another toothy grin, tapping away on his laptop screen again. "No more secrets. No more surprises. No more fear."

"I hope you're right, Mr Hoshino." He raised an eyebrow as she called him 'Mr Hoshino' again. "I just have a bad feeling about all this." She wasn't sure how she managed to keep up with him. His energy was contagious, especially when talking about something that excited him this much. But this tech? It bordered on magic, didn't it? And it reeked of the Otherside, despite his assurances otherwise.

"Don't sweat it, Mel. Just focus on what matters most: you're protecting this city and making a difference. Nobody else is stepping up, so that puts YOU at the front lines." Yoshi shut his laptop and leaned back in his seat as Melanie sat opposite of him. "Tama deserves heroes. Not the two-bit gangs who profit from its misery, not the crooked companies who line their pockets with bribes and embezzlement. Not politicians who write legislation to screw the masses. Ordinary folks like us."

"That sounds nice." Melanie murmured. "Let's hope I can live up to that ideal." She could hardly consider him 'ordinary.' A child prodigy approaching adulthood, whose brain swam with so many brilliant ideas that she felt dizzy just thinking about it? The heir to a huge corporation who'd poured billions into building up infrastructure in the name of charity? Yoshi was a lot of things, but he certainly wasn't 'ordinary.'

"Live up to that ideal." Yoshi suggested. "Trust me, you will. In time, all of Tama will see the great things you're capable of." She hoped he was right.

Chapter 40

The weekend came and went. Felipe was discharged from the hospital and eager to get back to sweeping duty. He was the same old Felipe, except for his hair. Now, it was white as a ghost's! "Sup, gramps." Ricky snorted, grinning as Felipe ran his fingers through his new snowy look. "Didja fall in some flour, or are ya gettin' old on us?"

"I was trying out a new style." Felipe grinned and flipped Ricky off in the same breath. "Think I can get away with buying booze?" He joked, chuckling to himself as he pulled out his wallet. "Maybe the old man look will work better than the fake IDs."

"Maybe." Ricky nodded, before breaking into laughter. "Dude! You look ridiculous. Welcome back," It had been Ricky who carried the unconscious lad away from the attack. That whole night was a blur, and none of them wanted to relive it. "Maybe when you start growing some facial hair, you'll be golden. C'mon man, we got shit to do. The others are waiting for us." They laughed, the tension of the previous week melting away as they fell back into their familiar routines. Tama Town was an endless nightmare, but for the kids of Third District, there was no other home. No escape, no way out. Only forward.

"Good to see you!" John nodded, leaning against a crumbling wall as the boys approached. "Kam's on the phone with those guys from Fifth. You hear from Mel, by any chance?" Their de-facto leader was nowhere to be seen, and her absence was a sore spot for the Sweepers. "I dunno, man. It's weird, but ever since that Yoshi guy rolled in..."

"Not since the hospital. Who's Yoshi?" Felipe asked, scanning the alleyway for signs of danger.

"Some bigwig from Antaeus." Kam turned the corner, placing a hand on Felipe's shoulder. "Mel's buddy. The reason you healed up so fast, I reckon." As much as they hated to admit it, Antaeus had been a blessing. Their district was as safe as a gated community, and the risk of dying had been reduced to almost nothing. And, they'd been getting more sleep too! "We're gonna go back up Keichi's crew, there might be Tsukaima around, but Central doesn't think it's credible. Oh, and speaking of Mel: we are ABSOLUTELY forbidden from approaching the riverbank."

"That's ominous." Ricky stated flatly, before shrugging. "Well, let's get to it. Can't keep Keichi waiting." The mood was picking up, and everyone was smiling. This was how things ought to be: a new day, new monsters, and a chance to make Tama Town a safer place for all who lived there. "What about you, Felipe? You doing alright?"

"Yup." Felipe nodded, his smile as bright as ever. "Oh, by the way, what the hell does 'fulminate' mean? And 'precipice?' Mel was yappin' about those the other day." Ricky rolled his eyes, as Kam burst into laughter.

"I'm sure she'll tell you when she gets back." John snickered, leading them to a nearby intersection. "Sounds like corpo junk's rubbing off on her. It's good to hear that she's doing okay though. I guess she and—" John raised his hand and pulled out a set of brass knuckles. He held a finger to his lips and gestured towards an alleyway across the street. "Feel that?" Something set their hearts beating. Something unnatural. Something dark and sinister lurked within.

"Yep." Felipe nodded. "Tsukaima?"

"Only one." Ricky confirmed, cracking his neck. "Let's go say hello." The four of them headed into the alleyway, weapons at the ready. A low growl could be heard emanating from the darkness. They'd faced worse before. A single Tsukaima was nothing, but alone? In broad daylight? That was unheard of. "What are the odds of that?" Ricky muttered as the boys crept forward. There it was: the outline of a beast standing in the shade, crouched on all fours like a predator. A hound of some sort, with crimson eyes that burned with a hunger that would never cease.

"Let's see what this puppy wants." Ricky quipped, swinging his bat. John charged forward with his fists raised high. The hound leaped from the shadows, its fur matted in blood. Teeth bared, it pounced, knocking John flat on his back. The two struggled in a flurry of snarling, biting, and clawing. John landed several punches to the beast's sides as Felipe plunged his butterfly knife into the creature's neck. The hound howled as Ricky brought his weapon down on its spine repeatedly, until finally the monster lay still at their feet.

"Shit!" John panted as Felipe pulled him up to his feet. "Look at that blood. I wonder whose it is." The four of them stared down at the Tsukaima's corpse. There was a lot of it, and it wasn't the beast's!

"It's gotta be fresh." Kam pointed out, kneeling beside the dead body. "This thing wasn't here long, or else we'd have heard about it. We should tell Karen that we've got confirmed Tsukaima activity. And... uh... let Keichi's crew know too."

"Yeah." John nodded. He pulled out his phone, but froze when a loud gunshot rang out nearby. They turned towards the sound, eyes wide with fear. "What the hell...?" John trailed off, glancing around. "Tsukaima don't carry guns, do they?"

"I hope not." Kam replied, following close behind. They crept through the alleyways, keeping to the shadows. The sun was still high, and the streets were crowded, but Tama's denizens knew better than to question any strange sounds. As the Sweepers moved deeper into the labyrinth of alleys, the sounds of a struggle grew louder. Screams, shouts, and the clanging of metal.

"Stay sharp." Ricky warned as they approached the source of the commotion. The four crept along the wall of a building, peering around the corner to get a better look at the scene. Four figures stood with their backs against a brick wall, fending off a horde of Tsukaima, dozens of them. The creatures' twisted forms crawled over every surface, their maws snapping for flesh. Their eyes burned like firelight in the shadows cast by the afternoon sun.

"Reloading." A chilling deadpan voice rattled through some amplifier or another. The speaker was a tall, dark-suited figure holding an assault rifle in one hand and a pistol in the other. He wore a mask and body armour, his eyes hidden behind a blank visor. The others wore a similar getup, and seemed just as cold and unfazed by the violence around them. His companions were silent as they fired shot after shot into the horde of Tsukaima, though the creatures kept coming in droves! "Cover me."

"Covering fire!" Another voice answered, higher-pitched, more feminine, and almost familiar. The sound of a gun firing echoed throughout the alleyway, followed by the screams of the Tsukaima. "We have company." She didn't point the boys out, but it didn't seem like she needed to. Her comrades picked up on her warning and turned their heads towards them, their masked faces expressionless and unreadable.

Their movements were unnatural, rigid and mechanical, as if these were marionettes being pulled along on strings. They coordinated their efforts as one entity, covering each other's backs while taking down the Tsukaima with ease. Their bullets tore through the monsters like nothing, leaving holes in their bodies that oozed black ichor onto the ground below. "No worries, kids." A shorter figure spoke, his voice a smooth tenor. "We're the good guys."

"Who are you?!" John shouted from behind his cover. "You can see those things?! What the hell is going on here?" The masked figures exchanged glances, their gun barrels still smoking from the carnage. There was something about them that put the four Sweepers on edge, a palpable sense of wrongness. It was like staring into the abyss.

"Security." A woman's voice replied, her tone flat and emotionless. The four figures lowered their weapons, though they kept them trained on the monsters' bodies, which had yet to dissolve into nothingness. "You're Sighted, yes?" The dissonance of their flat whispers and the amplifiers' artificial tones was unsettling to say the least! "That one is injured. And that one's... touched." Their guns were raised again, pointing straight at Felipe and John.

"What the hell do you mean 'touched?!'" Ricky snarled, stepping forward. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Stand down." A woman commanded as she approached, her voice icy cold. "For god's sake, they're just kids. You fucking On-Siders are defective as shit, aren't you?" The blonde, middle-aged woman wore a red skirt and matching jacket, along with a set of wire-rimmed glasses. Her hair was done in a tight bun, and her red lipstick was perfectly applied. She had a look of disdain on her face as she spoke to her masked comrades. "They're not the enemy, dumbasses." They lowered their guns at her words. She looked over the Sweepers with a raised eyebrow. "Well? Don't just stand there, you're gonna get eaten alive." With that, she turned on her heels and left the alley. The four figures holstered their weapons and followed.

"Who—?" Kam began to ask, but was cut off by John raising his hand in warning.

"Let's just leave them be." He grunted, picking himself up. "These people are bad news, I can feel it." The others nodded in agreement, their faces pale and drawn. It wasn't the same as the fear that gripped them while fighting the Othersiders, though. Something about those masked people felt wrong. Off. Their aura was just as chilling as the monsters who lurked in the dark, but without the anticipation of an attack.

"That was weird." Kam whispered as they crept through the alleys, away from the scene of the massacre. They'd never seen mercs shoot down Othersiders before. "Uh, we should report this immediately. To Karen and Keichi. Shit, this is huge!"

Chapter 41

Keichi's team was bored out of their minds. These past two weeks were filled with brief spurts of intense action, and long stretches of boredom. They'd been sweeping Third for a full week, which was about as dangerous as watching paint dry. The whole place had become a ghost town, thanks to the Othersiders' recent activity. Darryl was almost done training the new recruits, and the senior Sweeper was looking forward to going back home to Fifth. Even if it meant dealing with the occasional Tsukaima. This afternoon, the most exciting thing to happen was some gunshots a few streets away. That was all.

"I swear I saw something big," one of the newer Sweepers, a boy in his late teens named Ryan, muttered as he scanned the area. "Like, a hound! Or maybe a wolf." The squad was on patrol, checking out a reported sighting of Othersiders in the area, but the streets had been empty for days now. No sign of anything unusual, but they were waiting on Kam's crew all the same. Then Keichi's phone buzzed. He glanced at the caller ID and sighed, before putting it to his ear.

"Hey, Kam. What's the word?" About time they got an update; Keichi didn't expect to wait so long.

Ryan was still yammering to Darryl about something or another. Keichi tried to focus on the call, but his mind began to wander, as it always did when dealing with Kam. It wasn't his fault, really. Kam was just... well, boring. Sure, he was competent enough at leading a team, but he lacked that special spark that made a good leader great. That's what kept him in the second-stringers. Kam's words brought him back into reality, though.

"Come again?" Keichi blinked, his mind trying to comprehend what he'd been told over the phone. "You got attacked by a Tsukaima, then saved by a team of mercenaries. Mercenaries, who can see the Othersiders and kill them?" Ryan's face lit up at the mention of Tsukaima and Othersiders. The kid had a hero complex a mile wide, and had been itching to put his skills to use ever since he joined the Sweepers. Keichi put his phone on speaker for his team's sake, so everyone could listen. "And you say they were working with a woman in a business suit?"

"Yup. Red blazer, bun. Super corpo-looking. We think she was their boss." Kam's voice crackled through the speaker. "She called them 'On-Siders,' but didn't give her own name or affiliation. There was no company logo on her clothes. Who's got the tech to make the blind see?"

"Maybe they were teenagers in fancy gear?" Darryl offered as he sat on a bench, nursing a cup of coffee. "I mean, look at. High school senior, but big enough to pass for an adult. They're probably our age. Just kids with guns." His teammates shared a glance amongst each other; he had a point, even though it was an unsettling one. With Tama's lax gun laws, there was no telling who might be packing heat!

"It's possible." Keichi muttered, rubbing his chin in thought. "But I doubt it. Kids like us would've stuck around to talk. And Central would've let us know if there was a new team in town, right? No, this is something different." He frowned and glanced around the square, noticing how empty the streets had become. Where did all the people go? It was eerie how quiet the streets were. "Adults that can see the Otherside, fight it? We should be ecstatic! So why don't I feel excited, huh?"

"They're freaky." Kam admitted. "They're... weird. And not in a good way." There was an edge to his voice that gave Keichi pause. Kam wasn't one for hyperbole, which meant he must have been rattled by something he'd seen. "Their auras are off. I can't explain it, but they're different from the rest of us. Like they aren't quite human anymore." Auras, really? Keichi rolled his eyes and motioned for his squad to move out.

"Well, we've heard your story, Kam." Darryl groaned as he stood. "Now, let's go find these guys ourselves! They can't be too far, right?" Ryan nodded and grinned. He was always up for a little adventure! "Guessing we should move towards the gunfire. Let's look alive, people!" The other two recruits exchanged glances as they followed behind Darryl. What was the deal with this guy?

"No! Are you insane?! Stay away from them!" Kam insisted over the speaker. "I mean it! Report it to Central and stay alert, but do NOT try to contact or fight them!" Darryl scowled at that and grabbed the phone, holding it up to his ear.

"Hey man, chill." Darryl whispered, trying to calm the other sweeper down. "We won't provoke them, okay? We just wanna get a good look at 'em, maybe follow 'em a bit." He didn't want to cause trouble for anyone, but this was just too interesting to pass up! "Ope, bit of static. Bye!" He hung up the phone before Kam could protest further and smirked at his teammates. "Let's go take a look!"

Kam's voice had been tense, almost frightened. That alone was enough to put Keichi on edge; he'd only met the kid twice, and never heard him raise his voice. "You're going to get us shot, dumbass." Keichi muttered, but Darryl shrugged him off and motioned for the team to move forward. The group moved through the empty street, keeping their eyes peeled for any sign of movement. It was quiet, too quiet, and they were all getting nervous.

"We're just kids on a walk," Darryl insisted as they walked. "Worst case scenario, they tell us to buzz off and we go home with a story. Best case, we're the first to get a look at 'em! C'mon, where's your sense of adventure?"

Keichi shook his head at Darryl's enthusiasm and kept scanning the area for a trace of anything out of the ordinary. He spotted something out of the corner of his eye, a flicker of movement on a nearby rooftop. Keichi squinted, but couldn't see anything in detail. The sun's reflection on the window was blinding, so he couldn't be sure if it was a shadowy figure watching from above or just his imagination. Either way, his gut was telling him to be cautious, even if Darryl was right: what was the worst that could happen?

"Hello? Hellooo?" Ryan waved a hand in front of Keichi's face, bringing his attention back to the conversation. "Anybody home in there?"

"Sorry." Keichi cleared his throat. "Just thinking about the situation." It was strange that Kam hadn't tried to call them back, considering how insistent he'd been on not getting involved with the strange mercenaries. Maybe it was nothing, but Keichi's instincts were usually spot on. And this felt off. He checked the rooftops again; nothing. He wished his Sight wasn't so weak, or he would've been able to tell whether those shadows were Othersiders or just his imagination.

"We should start heading back," one of the younger recruits spoke up. She'd been quiet ever since the call, but her worry was evident in her tone. "If we get caught up in a fight, there's no guarantee that these new guys won't open fire on us. Even if they can see the Otherside, they might not care about us."

"Relax, relax." Darryl brushed off her concerns, though he was starting to look uneasy himself. "They didn't attack Kam's crew, and I doubt they'll attack us either. Worst case, we get yelled at and sent home by some corpo." Darryl chuckled. "Besides, we've got a duty to Tama! If there's something weird going on, we should investigate!"

"One last huzzah before you grow out of your Sight, Darryl?" Keichi asked, his voice tinged with bitterness. He didn't mean for it to come out so harsh, but he was tired and stressed. "You've got what, a year left in you?" The tension in the air was palpable. It was no secret that Sweepers would lose their abilities to fight the Othersiders by the time they were in their late teens.

"Hey man, I'm not trying to pick a fight here." Darryl raised his hands in defeat, chuckling. "Just saying, it might be nice to do something cool before I'm too old to keep doing this. Let's call Yuki and see what she says. If I can't convince her it's fine, we'll head straight home, okay?"

"Fine." Keichi grumbled. He pulled his phone out, only to find that it had no signal. "Darryl, you ass. You hung up on Kam and then put the phone on airplane mode!" He held up the screen to prove his point, and the senior sweeper burst out laughing. "Really?!"

"Sorry!" Darryl was still snickering as Keichi fiddled with the settings. "No harm, no foul, right?" Darryl was grinning from ear to ear, his confidence infectious. Keichi couldn't stay mad at him for long; not when he seemed so upbeat about everything.

"Okay, whatever. Let's get moving before—" Keichi groaned. "Can't get reception. Darryl, can you call Yuki ?" Darryl pulled his own phone out, and frowned at the screen.

"No signal." He looked around, scanning the surrounding buildings. It was quiet. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, but shook his head and laughed. "You know what, it's probably these new mercs' tech. Or, the sunspots are fucking with the weather again! C'mon, let's go back home. We've got some stories for the others when we get back!" The last time they experienced mass cellphone outages was the night Mary went missing. It made Keichi nervous. Especially since they'd heard gunshots earlier.

"Are you sure...?" The young recruit began to say, before she froze up. It was pure terror; Keichi felt it too. Darryl's face paled. His bravado was gone, and he looked like a frightened little boy again. They all did. No amount of training or experience could prepare them for the feeling of sheer dread that overcame them in that moment. This wasn't an Othersider aura. It was worse. And it was coming from somewhere above. There was something on top of the buildings nearby, watching them from above, waiting for the right moment to strike!

"Run," Keichi muttered as he broke into a sprint. "Run run run!" The other Sweepers followed suit, running down the street as fast as they could. It was hard to hear anything over the sound of their own breathing and their footsteps pounding on the pavement. "What the hell was that thing?!" Keichi asked when they'd reached a safe distance.

"I don't know," Darryl answered between gasping breaths. "But it didn't follow. I think it's an Othersider, but I've never felt anything like that! Not ever!" Keichi wished he could say the same. But he remembered a very similar aura from the day Mary went missing, and that thought alone made him shiver in fear. "Did anyone see it?" Nobody had. "Maybe it's a new kind of Othersider?"

"Maybe..." Keichi looked behind him. Whatever it was, it didn't seem interested in them. Maybe because they weren't its prey. He knew better than to question a small mercy, but still. That thing's aura made his blood run cold, and he had no idea why. What was that thing? Why hadn't it chased after them? Was it already too late for the mercenaries?

Chapter 42

Taz followed the mercs, or On-Siders, or whatever the hell they were. She was their leader on paper today, but in reality she had about as much control over them as a rider had on a wild bull. They didn't listen to her orders half the time, and didn't care who got caught in the crossfire. They were just puppets, dancing to an unheard tune.

"Two blocks east, stick to the alleys." Taz barked, trying her best to sound assertive and commanding, rather than annoyed. "And give me the briefcase." It was heavy, full of things that she couldn't afford to lose. Things that could get Antaeus in hot water, if they were found in someone else's hands. The On-Sider named Adler handed the case to her, his movements fluid yet robotic, as if he had no control over what he did. He did as he was told without question, and she wondered if the other two were the same.

"Ah." The four of them snapped their heads to the left, as if watching something move through the walls. Taz was at a loss for words. She knew that they were enhanced in some way, but she wasn't sure how it worked. They were stronger, faster, more resilient than before, able to move unseen and unheard when needed. Hell, the only reason she saw them was because her earpiece played a recording on a loop, reminding her that they were there.

"That was Keichi." The tallest On-Sider spoke, flat and monotone.

"Yes, Keichi's there." Adler chimed in, nodding. "He was with others."

"Is he okay? He looks frightened," one of the On-Siders remarked, pointing in Keichi's direction.

"Very scared." The shortest nodded. Taz frowned, not liking where this was going. The four of them kept walking lock-step, their heads swaying in sync as if the walls were glass. She didn't know what was going on, but it couldn't be anything good. She'd seen some shit during her tenure at Antaeus, but ever since she got stuck with that brat Yoshi's pet project, things had gotten weirder and weirder. And then she had to deal with these four weirdos, and their creepy, zombie-like demeanour.

"What are you guys talking about?" Taz asked, but got no response. "Hey!" She snapped her fingers in front of their faces, breaking whatever spell they were under. They stopped in their tracks and turned to face her, as if noticing her for the first time. "What are you guys looking at?"

"Don't worry about it," an On-Sider spoke, shaking her head. Her voice sounded hollow, and there was no emotion in her words. The others nodded in unison, as if they were all of one mind, their heads once more facing ahead. Taz sighed and followed after them, hoping she'd get used to their odd behavior soon. Just a couple more weeks, and she'd be done with this shit! She hated to admit it, but she missed being cooped up in the office with Higgs.

The four of them walked in silence for a while, before stopping again. They seemed to pick up on something that wasn't apparent to Taz. "Class A, 'Noroi.' 500 meters north." One of the On-Siders spoke, and the others nodded in agreement.

"Irrelevent." Another shrugged. "Let the kids play," she added, a hint of emotion in her voice. Amusement? No, it was more sinister. Was it schadenfreude? Taz frowned. This was more of that Othersider nonsense that Yoshi kept harping about. She'd never seen an Othersider, nor believed in them. Still, whatever half-crazed hallucination he saw that day had done a number on him. The boy was smart and rational, yet here he was, spending billions to hunt imaginary monsters? Well, at least the On-Siders had practical uses.

"Okay, whatever." Taz sighed and shrugged. "You all heard the lady, let's keep moving. We've got to get back to the safehouse." She wanted to ask what they'd meant, but she was afraid they'd give her the same answer as the last five times she'd inquired: nothing. The four of them continued on their way, moving with unnatural speed and stealth. They were silent, their eyes always scanning for threats.

"Tsukaima ahead," one of the On-Siders warned. "Mere pests."

"Numbers going down." Another nodded.

"Mel is there." the shortest one pointed out. "Threat terminated."

Taz looked at the four of them, waiting for an explanation. She was getting sick of this nonsense! "What's a Tsukaima? What are you guys talking about? Hey!" She clapped her hands, breaking their trance-like focus. They turned to her as one, and she regretted drawing attention to herself. Their blank masks hid the cold dead stares she knew were behind them.

"Nevermind." The shortest spoke up, her voice flat. "Mel is near the safehouse. Task complete?" The four On-Siders stared at her, as if expecting confirmation of their orders. Taz sighed and nodded, relieved when they didn't press her further. She didn't need to know what they were talking about. All she knew was: Mel-Belle was a Magical Girl, Mel-Belle was involced in this Othersider/On-Sider garbage, and Mel-Belle's powers were very real. As stupid as it all sounded, she had seen that girl conjure ice out of thin air. These On-Siders were freaks too. Something to do with genetic engineering and a ton of other sci-fi bullshit.

"Good work, team. Let's call it a day." The safehouse was a small boat moored in the docks. It was cramped and uncomfortable, but it offered a measure of privacy, which was all she could hope for in Tama. They boarded the vessel, and she waited for them to get inside before locking the door behind her. She put her briefcase on the kitchen counter, and opened it. "Good work!" She repeated, glad to see that everything was still there.

She pulled out a manilla folder and a stack of photos. How they managed to waltz into the office, undetected, take all these snapshots, and sneak out again, she did not know. But, that was the point, wasn't it? The On-Siders were ghosts in plain sight, unseen, unheard, and untouchable. And, as the photographs proved, they were very good at their jobs, when they weren't shooting at invisible monsters and spewing nonsense. She was looking forward to being rid of them.

"Did Yoshi give you permission to look at that?" The sweet voice of Mel-Belle made her jump, and she slammed the briefcase shut. She turned around, and saw a petite girl wearing a blue dress. Her eyes were bright and cheerful, her smile wide, and she gripped a snowflake-emblazoned sceptre. The most unsettling thing about this girl, however, was her aura of innocence. "I think he'll be mad, don't you?" What, had Yoshi sent a babysitter?

"Yoshi's always mad." Taz retorted, but her heart was beating in her chest. She was used to Yoshi's mood swings, the way his eyes lit up with anger or how he'd get that evil glint in his eyes, but Mel was different. This girl was a runaway, a psychopath, or a victim of the city's dark underbelly. Whatever her story was, Taz didn't want to know. "So, how was your day?" She asked, trying to sound casual. "How was... whatever it is you do?"

"It was fun!" Mel twirled her wand around, her voice light and airy. "I got to meet a bunch of people and help them out. Have you seen what happens to a human body when frozen from the inside out?" Taz felt sick. "Fluids expand when frozen." The girl added, as if sharing a harmless anecdote. Taz wanted to believe that Mel's sunny disposition and cutesy appearance was nothing but a facade. But then, the things she'd seen this girl do...

"I haven't," Taz replied, and she meant it. She didn't want to know. She was afraid that if she did, she'd see it every time she closed her eyes. "Is this a social call, or..."

"Nope. Yoshi wanted me around again—in case the On-Siders malfunctioned—so I took the liberty of trashing some syndicate fronts on my own." Mel's smile didn't fade. "Some of them were really awful. Organ farms, slave markets, you name it." Taz tried not to let her face show her revulsion. "I saved a dozen children,"she added, and her smile faltered. "Mary wasn't one of them, though."

"Good work." Taz repeated herself for the third time, though she didn't mean it. Not one bit. This Magical Girl was manic when all suited up, and jaded beyond her years when out of uniform. It was impossible to tell who the real Mel was, or what she wanted. Yoshi seemed to think he could use her for his own goals, but Taz had some ideas about who was using who. She pushed the thoughts aside, however, and turned her attention to the briefcase. "Hey, do you know a 'Keichi,' by the way?"

Mel tapped her sceptre on her chin. "He's a Sweeper; we're friends. Kind of a delinquent, but he's got a heart of gold. You know? Bit of a cliche." Her smile was genuine, soft, and seemed less put-on than the Mel-Belle persona. Taz wondered if this was the real girl beneath it all. Just a lonely, sad teenager, looking for a friend. "Why do you ask?"

"The freaks were talking about him." Taz said, gesturing to the On-Siders, who were now all seated around a table. Their masks lay on the table, revealing four young men and women in their late early twenties. They were eating dinner. "They were talking about him being afraid, or something like that. And a Noroi too? Do they mean a curse?" Most Tamaites spoke English, but many townsfolk were Japanese expats. The locals tended to mix English, Japanese, and a mish-mash of other dialects and slang words. It was a mess.

"Oh. Well, I'll check on him later." Mel replied. "He's not involved in this, is he? I think he should stay out of it."

"Agreed. The less people we involve, the better." Taz was glad to hear that Mel had no intentions of involving innocent bystanders. "So, are you two friends? Really?"

"Really really. He's good people, from a nearby district. Not super close to the guy, but we walk the same circles. I know what it's like, to feel powerless. I want to help him out as much as I can." She shrugged. "I've got my own stuff to deal with, but that's why I'm keeping my eyes out for that Mary kid. Maybe he'll find her first, who knows. But I know what it's like to lose people."

There it was. The Mel-Belle persona melted away, and scared little Melanie came out in full force. "I know, kid." She wanted to hug her, but she didn't want to get too close. She was unstable, unpredictable, and violent. And, truth be told, Taz wasn't much better. "Why don't you go ahead and talk to him? See what he's up to. It can't hurt to check on him."

"Sure." Melanie's smile was back. Not the Magical Girl's cutesy facade, nor the depressed frown she wore when the mask came off, but a true and honest one. "My buds from Third are probably out there too. I wonder if Felipe's okay." She grabbed her sceptre, and spun around, her blue dress twirling in the air. "Magical Mel-Belle is on the case!" She winked, before dashing out the door in a flurry of snowflakes. They melted, leaving a small puddle of water on the floor.

Taz shook her head. "One of you mind mopping this up?" The On-Siders didn't react, or even seem to hear her. She frowned, and repeated herself. Nothing. Taz sighed, resigned to her fate. "I'll get a towel."

Chapter 43

'The freaks were talking about him.' When Mel-Belle heard those words, she felt sick to her stomach. Why were those monsters watching him? Did they know something? Did Yoshi know something? It felt like the final straw. "Magical Mel-Belle is on the case!" She forced herself to smile, hoping that her false enthusiasm would mask the overwhelming anxiety building in the pit of her gut. Taz let something crucial slip without thinking, didn't she? So much for opsec.

She landed with a thud before letting her transformation fade. She took a deep breath, then another. Then, she began to run. Tama flew by as she dashed through the alleyways and side streets, her feet pounding against the pavement, her mind racing faster. She should have trusted her gut instincts that night! That overwhelming sense of wrongness that the On-Siders gave off, and that familiar-yet-stranger feeling that came from the Observer.

She slowed her pace and took a few more deep breaths. No, she was jumping to conclusions. Mel had done that before, when she first saw the On-Siders in action. Her mind had jumped to the worst possible explanation: the Observer was a monster. The Observer was an Othersider. A Tsukaima, a Youma, or something worse. She had never seen a humanoid Otherside denizen, and the only thing that came close was that "Observer" freakshow. And, come to think of it, the On-Siders were almost as strange. But Yoshi insisted that the On-Siders were "humans, with some modifications." That the Observer was just some kind of weird reverse-engineered tool derived from the Otherside, a weapon that used their own power against them.

But what if Yoshi was lying? She had no reason to distrust him, but he wasn't exactly a trustworthy person. He was a manipulative charmer who was willing to use people as pawns, an egotistical narcissist who was far smarter than a kid his age should be, and she knew he only cared about what she could do for him. And yet, he had been there for her when she needed him most. She had gotten so caught up in the rush of being a hero, the thrill of taking down evil monsters and bad guys, that she didn't stop to think about what he was doing behind her back. She knew that he was a force for good in the city, that he was fighting to take the whole island back from the corporations who controlled it. But she didn't know what lengths he would go to achieve his goals.

"Hey! HEY!" She screamed, seeing her friends standing around and talking amongst themselves. They all turned to her and waved, smiling at her as she ran up to them. Mel was relieved that none of them seemed to be hurt. "Are you guys okay? No injuries?"

"What are you doing here, Mel?" John asked, confused. "Did you miss us so much? You could've waited till tomorrow, we were about to head back." She shook her head, trying to calm down. She didn't want to seem frantic or worried, but her concern must have shown on her face because Felipe looked concerned.

"No! I just... are you guys alright?" She looked at the four of them and saw that they were fine, although they were a little dirty from their adventures. "Glad to see you're on your feet, Felipe." She chuckled, before scanning the alley. "I heard there was an attack, and some scary shit went down. I just wanted to check on you, that's all."

"Oh! Did Darryl's crew send you?" Ricky asked, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, we had a run-in with some people. Looked like PMCs. They took care of a few Tsukaima, then pointed their guns at us and told us to fuck off. No casualties, and nobody was injured. They looked... weird, though." He frowned and rubbed his chin in thought. "They were wearing these freaky masks, and talking to themselves. They didn't seem hostile. But yeah, we're okay now. Just shaken up a bit."

"Ah. Good to hear," she nodded, not sure what to say. "So, are we going to get out of here? This place is giving me the creeps." She gestured to the alleyways around them, hoping they would take the hint. She didn't want to mention the Observer, but she also didn't want to stick around for too long. Whatever was going on, whatever this nonsense was, she was going to find out.

"Good idea." Kam nodded and started walking. "Let's get some pizza or something." Mel followed the rest of the group, but her mind was racing. Following along, she felt as if someone was staring into the back of her skull. Watching. Judging. What did that mean? Was the Observer still watching them? Taz had given her the go-ahead to see her friends, and that meant Yoshi couldn't complain. Right?

She pulled out her phone, and fired a text to Karen. It was simple, perhaps cryptic: "Can u arrange Central meeting tmrw? Esp 2nd 3rd 5th, any1 who was there that night. u know." She hoped that Karen would know what she meant and agree to it without asking too many questions. The last thing Mel wanted was for Antaeus to catch on. The others kept walking, unaware that anything was amiss.

"What a day, huh?" Felipe laughed. "We got attacked by a hound, saved by PMC's, and then almost shot by the same PMC's. That was wild! I thought we were dead for sure!" He laughed again, shaking his head. "Man, what a rush!" Of course Felipe would call it 'wild.' He was always the adrenaline junkie. He lived for this kind of stuff, even though he got hurt half the time. It was part of the reason Mel liked him. He had guts.

"Yeah, it's been a helluva day," Kam muttered, his eyes fixed ahead. "But I'm glad everyone made it out alright in the end." Ricky and John nodded, and the group walked on, each of them lost in their own thoughts, trying to process the insanity that had just unfolded around them as they traded stories and thought about classes the next day. Mel checked her phone. No answer from Karen yet. She sighed and slipped it back into her pocket, her mind racing with a million different things she should do.

Chapter 44

The sun was setting over Tama, casting a deep amber glow over the city. Karen read over the cryptic text from Mel again. The two had crossed paths a few times, and the Magical Girl made it obvious that she didn't like Karen. Mel was abrasive, rude, and dismissive of the miko's efforts to help. Karen thought of a dozen condescending retorts to type. She wanted to tell her to get bent, to ask who died and made her boss? She was in a bad mood, and the last thing on her mind was playing secretary. In the end, with a frustrated squeak, she typed out a short, terse response: "K. I'll see what I can do." With that, she began a flurry of calls and messages.

The first was to Yuki from Fifth District, the short-tempered shrine maiden who was always quick to jump into any fight. She was one of the best fighters on Fifth's team, though she tended to let the Sweepers take the spotlight. After all, she had a temple to run. Yuki was receptive to the idea, and promised to show up if she could spare the time. "I'll check n see if Nana can come too, no promises." She had added in a followup text, to which Karen replied with a smiley face.

Miki came next, since Second District bailed them out the night of the incident. The girl was hesitant. She didn't want to waste time with pointless meetings, especially when she had a minor catastrophe of her own to deal with. "We're not goin 2 ur district, right?" The text read, which made Karen laugh. No, of course they weren't. "Gr8. I'll be there." Miki promised, "I'll see if Lang n Knockout can come." With the most vital Districts dealt with, she moved onto the rest.

First District was a mishmash of old and new, a place where poverty and opulence coexisted in harmony. It wasn't unusual to see a run-down wooden house next to a sleek glass skyscraper. The air smelled of money, power, and prestige, while it felt like it was on the verge of falling apart. Tsumugi slapped a talisman on her friend's bike, and grinned. "That's never gonna work, but have fun." He sped off, presumably to run over some poor Othersider somewhere. Idiot, she thought. Then, her phone buzzed, and she glanced at the screen. "Huh, that's new." It was a message from Karen from Third. "A meeting? Why not. I'm bored."

In Fourth District, a place of lights, sounds, and sin, where the PMCs were blind, and the residents were even more so, Aiko and Ryoji were busy with a stakeout. They observed a shifty-looking man who had been spotted hanging around a school days ago. Too many kids had gone missing for the two to take this situation easy. So they stayed, determined to get to the bottom of this. Aiko's phone beeped, and Ryoji looked at her with concern. She read the message and then put it away. "Oh, shoot. What say we break his legs and call it a night?" She offered, and he smirked. It sounded good to him.

Up in Sixth, where the slums stretched on, and the people were meaner than the streets, a handful of Sweepers were on patrol, always on the lookout for any unusual activity. They were all on edge; they'd gotten used to the odd Noroi or Tsukaima, but the recent spike in Othersider activity was worrying. Their leader, a tall shrine maiden with braided hair named Chieko, glanced at her phone. "You've gotta be shittin' me." She whistled at her team, and they gathered 'round her. "We ain't doing rounds tomorrow, boys. So let's make double time tonight! I wanna see some asses kicking!" They groaned and complained, but followed her orders. They knew better than to disobey her.

Out in Seventh, where the homes were cramped, and the walls were thin, Setsuna watched her friend's cat play with a toy mouse. She smiled to herself, feeling a warmth that radiated from her companion's presence. The feline purred, its tail swishing back and forth as it batted at the toy, while she lost herself in the moment. It was a welcome break, and she could forget what plagued her. "You're so cute~!" Setsuna laughed, reaching out to pet her friend, but she only got a few pets in before her phone buzzed. She sighed, picked up her phone, and read the message. "Uuugh, noooo, I wanna stay hooome!"

In Eighth District, white-collar workers went about their day oblivious to the dangers around them. Just a few streets away, Trev and his junior squad were cleaning up the last traces of the Tsukaima they'd taken down. They'd used a very clever (read: janky) trap to catch the creatures all in one fell swoop. The Central representative, Natsumi, preened over her ofuda work. "I think that's a new record! Hell, I don't even think the other districts will believe us!" She grinned. "Who needs a Magical Girl when you have me?" Trev laughed, as the rest of his team cheered their victory. A few minutes later, her ringtone went off. She frowned, and checked her phone. "Huh?"

And in Ninth, the quietest District of them all, Fun Gal paid the local shrine a visit. She looked around, admiring the architecture with a wry grin. "So, when's the last time you got to kick some ass?" Her voice was light, almost musical, her words lilting with a playful tone. The shrine was empty, save for the lone miko standing in the middle of the courtyard. She swept the leaves into neat piles. "I'm just saying! It's good to let off some steam!"

Hibiku paused her work to fix the woman with a curious gaze. "Not much of a fighter, I'm afraid." She had a gentle voice, and her tone was warm. "What can I do for you today?" They had never met before, but everyone knew who the Fun Gal was. She was, allegedly, the first and the oldest of the Magical Girls. And, according to rumour, the strongest of them. However, she didn't deal with the Othersiders, and had no contact with Central either. Instead, she spent her time fighting human crime. Which, to be fair, was just as threatening as the monsters of the Otherside.

"Needed a good luck charm." Fun Gal smiled at Hibiku, but the shrine maiden saw that her eyes didn't quite match the brightness of her grin. She was always ready for action. Hibiku wondered if the rumours about her were true: did this cheerful, eccentric woman really fight crime all day and all night? Did she really spend her every waking hour beating up monsters and bad guys? "Besides, I wanna be here when it happens."

"When what happens?" Hibiku tilted her head to the side, curious. She watched Fun Gal's face carefully. Her smile faltered, and her gaze grew distant.

"You kids are a hoot." Fun Gal laughed, and pointed at Hibiku's phone. The girl looked at the device, then back at her. Fun Gal's eyes were sharp, alert, and focused, and she spoke as if she could see something that no one else could. "So, why not volunteer to host the party? It'll be a great opportunity to bring everyone together." Hibiku blinked, not understanding a word she was saying. "I know a thing or two, being a hero and all that." Hibiku stared at her phone, and then back to the eccentric woman.

"I—" Hibiku began to speak, but her voice was cut off by the sound of her phone buzzing.

"See?" She grinned. "They're calling for a meeting! Why not offer to host them in Ninth?" Hibiku's phone vibrated with another notification.

Hibiku looked to her phone for a few seconds. She then unlocked the device, and opened the messaging app. Sure enough, there was a notification for a meeting. Karen had reached out to all of the districts, requesting their presence at an emergency gathering. Hibiki fired a text back: "You can have the meeting at my shrine. I have space, and I don't think anyone here will mind the noise."

"Why do you want one of those charms?" Hibiku asked, gesturing to the display. "You don't seem like the type who'd need extra luck." The Magical Girl had eyes and ears everywhere, according to the stories. Always listening, always watching, and everything she did was planned. Calculated. Deliberate. She'd never act without good cause. So, why did she want a good luck charm?

"Oh, I'm just a collector." Fun Gal said with a shrug. "Besides, even if it's just superstition... I can pretend it works, right?" She chuckled, and the priestess couldn't help but laugh along. "It pays to be prepared! Now, do you have any with cute lil' mushrooms?"

Chapter 45

The night had been a disaster. As he stepped back from his workstation, Yoshi took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. The On-Siders were a costly and dangerous mistake, but at least they were still useful. In fact, their most recent outing had yielded valuable data, though he'd have preferred to get the results in a less messy manner. He couldn't let his emotions get the better of him. This was a setback, yes. However, he still had plenty of options to choose from.

And then there was the Magical Girl. Mel was a handful, and he could tell that she was growing suspicious. The other day she had thrown a tantrum because he wouldn't let her run off and hunt for some lost kid, and now she wanted him to strong-arm some hospital into discharging another kid. A kid who was still recovering, might he add. That was a headache for tomorrow. Today, he needed to figure out how to salvage the situation.

Higgs glanced over at Yoshi, a sardonic smile on his face. "Seems like the girl is a perfect match." Higgs chuckled. "I've gotta say, that was a pretty good show." He pointed at the display, where a camera feed showed a young girl in a coma, her body covered in bruises. "It's a shame that the side effects are so severe. But, hey, we've got plenty more test subjects where that came from." His smirk grew bitter he watched the screen. "Tama's full of orphans, just waiting to be picked up."

He didn't mind the cynicism, but Higgs' casual indifference was starting to wear on his nerves. "Yes, the procedure is a success." Yoshi mused, ignoring the comment about the children. They were just numbers. Statistics. Nothing more. The loss of a few test subjects was within the margin of error, and they would get over the kinks with time. In the grand scheme of things, he would be saving thousands, tens of thousands. Millions, even! He couldn't let a small number of casualties deter him from his mission.

"And the side effects...?" Higgs' voice trailed off, but the implication was clear. Yoshi saw that his eyes were still glued to the display, his face a mixture of concern and curiosity. Was it a glimmer of humanity, or morbid fascination? Yoshi knew what side effects were, and the risks involved. If they couldn't find a way to mitigate the damage to the subjects' organs, it could cause problems down the line. "The coma, the liver damage, the memory loss... Cripes, mister Hoshino, the least we can do is let her parents visit their daughter before she's worm food." Their cells were next to each other in the Antaeus facility. After all, Mary's mother was the original target. But, it was her daughter who proved the more useful asset in the end.

"Who would benefit?" Yoshi shook his head, his voice level. "She won't wake up anytime soon. And, if her condition worsens, it would break their hearts." He sighed, and looked at the screen himself. The girl in question was hooked to several machines, her body covered in wires and tubes. It was a sad sight, and he felt sorry for the child, but it was a sacrifice he had to make. "Better to keep them in the dark." He turned away from the screen, and back to his work. He needed to figure out how to replicate this success, while avoiding the undesirable side effects.

"She's babbling. There's something in that noggin," Higgs leaned back, his expression turning pensive, as his fingers ran across his chin. "Wonder if that 'Keichi-kun,' or whatever his name is, might know something." He glanced over at the display once again, and then turned back to Higgs with a raised eyebrow. "Bet you're real spooked, boss." Higgs chuckled, thinking of the half-assed report Taz had given them.

Yoshi didn't respond. He was terrified, in fact. Mary was a 'router,' to use an analogy. She could connect to a 'network.' A network where his On-Siders couldn't operate. The Otherside. And that other thing, that 'Observer,' was the eyes and ears of his men. But, she was only meant to bridge that gap for them. She wasn't meant to have any contact with either side, nor was she supposed to be stuck in that limbo between them. Keichi's name shouldn't have left her mind through the On-Siders' lips. So, what was it?

It didn't matter. If he couldn't control it, then he had to eliminate it. "Hm. I suppose I'm spooked." He admitted, his voice low and even. "If Mary keeps talking in her coma, we might have to silence her." He looked at Higgs, his expression serious. Higgs' face was a mask of indifference, but his eyes betrayed a hint of disgust.

"Damn, boss." Higgs whistled, a wry smile on his lips. "You scare me sometimes, you know that?" Yoshi didn't answer. Instead, he turned his attention back to the display, and watched as Mary's body twitched and convulsed, her eyes flickering beneath her eyelids. Perhaps it was just a coincidence. Perhaps it was just a random bout of delirious nonsense brought on by the coma. He'd been lucky so far. Maybe that luck would hold out. But, if not...

"Cut her off. I don't care what happens to the Observer, I want her disconnected for a while." He looked to Higgs, and nodded. The man was a genius in his own right, and a loyal minion. As much as Yoshi hated to admit it, he was good at his job. "And... let the parents see her. Fine. But no more than half an hour, and I want armed guards stationed inside." With that, he left, and Higgs was alone once again.

"Sure thing, chief." Higgs watched as Yoshi left. When he was gone, Higgs chuckled. "What a nutcase." He leaned back in his chair, and looked at the screen. The 'Otherside,' as Yoshi called it, was a fascinating concept. A dark mirror of the world around them, a shadowy reflection that affected the real world in strange and unpredictable ways. It was a land of monsters and magic, and a source of unlimited energy. If they could tap into that, it would solve all of their problems. "Just one big game of pretend, isn't it?" Higgs mused aloud, tapping his finger against the desk. It was evident that Yoshi had tapped into SOMETHING, but Higgs was a skeptic by nature, and Yoshi's plans were nothing more than half-remembered dreams and ramblings. A man desperate to prove that he wasn't crazy.

"Hey kid, I hope you wake up soon." Higgs muttered, his gaze fixed on the monitor. "You've got some questions to answer." In the meantime, the data from her brain scans would have to suffice. They could analyze the patterns, look for abnormalities, try and figure out what had happened. If Mary's mind survived the ordeal, and she didn't suffer from any lasting damage, then they might get a chance to speak with her, and piece together the truth of the matter. Until then, though... "Sweet dreams, kiddo." He turned off the screen and stood up, stretching his arms high above his head. He stifled a yawn before walking over to the door. It was time to call it a night.

Chapter 46

It was 6 o'clock in the morning when the phone rang. Nana rubbed her eyes and reached over to her nightstand to pick it up. Who the hell would call at this ungodly hour? "It's far too early for this, isn't it? What's goin' on?" She mumbled, her voice slurred and heavy with sleep.

"Hey, Nana," Mel-Belle sounded apologetic and a little guilty. "Yeah, I know it's early. Sorry to bother you, but I need your help." Nana could tell that something had upset her. Her voice wavered, and she spoke as if the words were rushing out of her. "I just found out some stuff that's worrying me. A lot. And, I was wondering if you could come to the shrine in Ninth District for a meeting, I want us all together. You know, to talk about things. Important things."

"I'm bedridden, dork." Nana grunted and laid her head back on the pillow. "You don't really expect me to go out, do you?" She could almost see Mel standing there, tapping her foot and frowning. "I'm serious. They don't know what's wrong with me, but they're saying I shouldn't go anywhere." It was true. Her scans and tests were coming back clean, yet she felt as though her body was being drained of its life. It was like someone had sucked the air from her lungs, or pulled the plug on her heart, and all her strength was draining from her body.

"They can't help you. No one can, Nighty-Knight. But, maybe we can figure something out." Mel's voice grew conspiratorial. "Since when do doctors ever know how to treat a Magical Girl's injuries? You and I both know that this isn't some kind of mundane problem." She sounded like she was trying to convince herself as much as Nana. "You pushed too hard, that's all. If we're powered by love and friendship, then maybe spending time around your friends and loved ones is just what you need."

"That's... that's so stupid. Just, so stupid. Mel. Oh my god." Nana burst into laughter, pulling the covers over her head to muffle the sound. Her condition wasn't getting worse, but it wasn't getting better either. The doctors kept saying she needed to get more rest, but no matter how much she slept, or what medicine they gave her, nothing helped. It was frustrating. "And, besides, they won't let me go out." She added. "My folks are worried sick, and the insurance keeps paying for the treatment. I can't just walk out, can I?"

There was a moment of silence, and then Mel spoke again, her words slow and careful. "Would you come if you weren't stuck there?" Nana paused. That was a good question. She wasn't sure. She wanted to say no, that she was happy here, but that would be a lie. The truth was, she hated being stuck in this bed, and she missed the thrill of the hunt. "I bet you're bored to tears in that place."

"I guess I would." Nana admitted, though she tried to keep her tone neutral. "But I can't—"

"HA! Well, I arranged everything last night. You'll be outta there before noon!" Mel cut her off, and Nana could almost see her triumphant grin. "We're gonna have a meeting, and then we'll see what happens next. Maybe we can fix whatever's ailing you, or maybe not. But it beats lying there, waiting to die. So get ready!"

"What? How?! What did you do?" Nana sat up in bed, her eyes wide. She stared at the screen, as if trying to peer through the phone and see Mel on the other end. She hadn't even agreed yet! "Are you serious?" Nana's deadpan mask returned, her voice flat and unimpressed.

"Super. Serious." Mel declared, with a triumphant air. "You'll be discharged before noon, and we'll come pick you up after school. Kam's driving, but don't worry!" a manic energy ran through her words. "He's getting better at it!"

"I can't—wait. How." She shook her head as she tried to process what was happening. This wasn't right. This wasn't how things worked! The doctors wouldn't just discharge her like that! Not even her parents would pull her out of here, unless it was necessary. "How did you manage that?!" She demanded. Mel's voice came through the phone, low and dangerous.

"Don't worry about the details, Nana." The playfulness was gone from her tone. "It's best to just let some things go. All that matters is you're coming with us." There was a pause, and the line went quiet. "I'm still looking for Mary, you know. We owe you big time over in Third District. Felipe and the others would've been toast without you. And you've always been my friend. Let's call it a favour." Nana was silent. She didn't understand. How could she have managed to pull these strings? Why did she sound so threatening all of a sudden?

"Fine." Nana relented. "But I don't like this. I hate the fact that you got to decide for me," she added. There was another moment of silence, and then Nana continued. "Where is the meeting?"

"Shrine in Ninth District, around 6. Call Yuki, I'm sure she misses you!" Mel hung up the phone, and Nana felt the urge to throw it against the wall. She didn't, of course. That would've been childish. And expensive.

She sat there for a few minutes and tried to collect her thoughts. She was going to leave this place with the permission of the hospital staff? It still made her feel sick, but... maybe Mel was right. No amount of rest or medicine seemed to help her. If the doctors didn't know what was wrong, and the scans couldn't find anything, perhaps her condition had nothing to do with her physical body. Was she just being farmed for insurance money? Was she going to be a medical mystery forever? No, she needed to do something. Mel was right. She needed to get out of here, and get some fresh air, and maybe spend time with people who cared about her.

And, she had to admit, she did miss her friends.

Chapter 47

The sky was overcast and the clouds threatened rain, but that didn't stop Karen from feeling good as she hopped up the stairs to the shrine. It was good to see everyone coming together like this; even Setsuna had deigned to show up, though she glared daggers at the group and kept herself apart from them. There was a kaleidoscope of colours and styles on display, from Knockout's bright and colourful costume, to Keichi's subdued ensemble. More than half the kids still wore their school uniforms, having left straight from class. And of course, there were shrine maidens from all across town. There was something magical about seeing them all gathered in one place.

Nana was the last to arrive. She looked tired and pale, but refused Kam's offer to help her up the steps. "I'm not THAT weak." She insisted, brushing him away and making her own way up. He and the other boys from Third were flitting about like worried birds, eager to make sure she didn't hurt herself. They owed Nighty-Knight big time, and she seemed embarrassed by all the attention. "I'm fine!" She repeated, for the umpteenth time, before fixing her attention on Mel. "Alright, what's going on?"

"I don't want you to get mad at me," Mel started, and Yuki groaned. Not a good start.

Karen let out a cough to get everyone's attention and stepped forward. "Um, hi everyone. I know you're all probably wondering why we're here, and the truth is, Mel has a few things to tell us, and... well, we'll see where this goes. These past few weeks have been rough on all of us, and, well, we all need to work together to figure out what's going on. Right?" The girls and boys muttered amongst themselves, and Karen took a step back and gestured to Mel. She was in the spotlight now, and she had to do the rest on her own.

"Right," Mel's ice-blue hair swayed as she took Karen's place. "So, I think the first thing we need to do is address the elephant in the room. That, uh, that day," she began, her voice growing strained. "That night. When we fought those things." Her eyes were fixed on a spot somewhere on the ground, as if trying to see her missing friends. "When we were attacked, some of us... didn't get out." She paused, and there was silence. "I'm sure you all remember the report. Hell, those of you from Second still won't come to the district, will you? We were just kids, playing at being superheroes. And then... that thing came out of the dark."

"I remember. I was there when it showed up. It looked so... human. So, ordinary, and, and..." Felipe spoke, and trailed off. He was shaking like a leaf, and ran a hand through his white hair. Kam reached out and placed his hand on Felipe's shoulder, a fellow victim lending support.

"Yeah. I don't want to think about it. That thing was... I mean, that was a horror movie, right? Not real." John chimed in, his voice wavering with fear. "I mean, we thought Milkyway was invincible! We thought all the Magical Girls were invincible, right? Like the ones from the cartoons, you know?"

"Invincible. Yeah. But we aren't, are we?" Nana asked, gesturing to her own frail body. "We're just kids. No matter how strong we are, or how cool we think we are, we're just kids who got a lucky break. Sometimes we aren't that lucky." She leaned against the wall. "I'm still struggling with my health. And yeah, I didn't help anyone that night. So, what's your point? What's the big secret?"

Mel nodded. "My point is, there's something bigger going on here. That 'thing,' whatever it is, wasn't the only one like it. YOU of all people should know that, Nighty-Knight." Nana fought two of them already. Or maybe she fought one twice. Either way, she was the most experienced fighter in their ranks. Mel continued. "I believe that thing you keep scrapping with, the one that was there when Mary went missing, the one you saved my Sweepers from? I believe it's the same thing that wiped Third District."

Nana shook her head. "What? But that's impossible! It..." she trailed off. Mel had a point. "I guess so. It would be too much of a coincidence, huh?" No one had seen that thing before. Not in any of the districts. Not until the Third incident. Then, a few hours later, in Fifth. "It wasn't that tough." Nana's calm facade returned, and she crossed her arms. "It was a little stronger than the regular freaks, but nothing special. I don't buy that it could wipe a whole district. So, what makes you think it was the cause of the Third Incident?"

"Because it was there, Nana." Mel insisted, her voice rising. "And we know that it came from the Otherside, right? The timing was too perfect, the circumstances too weird! For twenty years, kids from Tama have been scrapping with Youma at worst. But then, a few weeks ago, this thing shows up. It's smart, and strong, and it can plan." Mel's fists clenched and unclenched in frustration. "And, on the same night that thing shows up, Third is wiped out, you fight it off, and Mary goes missing." Mel's words hung in the air; no one dared to break the silence. Finally, Mel spoke again. "Correlation, sometimes correlation is telling you something important."

"What do you mean, it has a plan?" Yuki interrupted, looking from one to the other. "What makes you say that?"

Mel looked at the shrine maiden, then back to the crowd. "I didn't say it HAS a plan, I said it's capable of planning. What I mean is, that thing thinks and strategizes. It doesn't just mindlessly kill. It targeted Milkyway BECAUSE she was a Magical Girl, and because she was the biggest threat to whatever it's doing. That's the only explanation that makes sense. If the thing just wanted to feed, why go after her first? Why not the easy prey, right?"

"That... that doesn't make any sense!" Natsumi stammered, shaking her head. "Youma are dumb animals! They're not like us! We've known this for years now!" She glanced back at the Central reps, seeing a firm nod from Chieko. They were the experts on the subject, after all. Central had two decades of notes to draw on. They knew more about the Otherside than anyone else in Tama! "I've been doing this longer than most of you, and I know what I'm talking about." The girl looked offended, and her face contorted into a snarl as she glared at Mel. "You Magical Girls are full of shit! You act like you're the best there is, but you're just mutant freaks with vigilante complexes!"

Karen flinched. "Please, Natsumi, calm down!" She felt the attention of the group shift from Mel and the Central reps to her. "Mel's not saying you're wrong, she's just trying to get her point across. Come to think of it, Mel," Karen turned to the Magical Girl. "How DO you know so much about it? How can you be sure it came from the Otherside? How are you sure that it was the thing responsible for Third?"

"Because..." Mel looked from one face to another. "Because... because I know it. I KNOW it was there, alright?! I don't need proof!" Her voice rose with frustration. "I know, because I saw the whole thing happen! I was THERE when Milkyway died, okay?! It was so strong, it was so fast, I couldn't do anything to stop it! It was a blur, and then she was dead!" She was shouting now, and her voice echoed off the walls of the shrine. "You were all asleep when she died, you were all getting your beauty rest, while I watched my friend get torn apart by that thing!"

She felt hot tears stinging her eyes as the memories flooded back. What she had wanted to share was her suspicions on Yoshi and Antaeus. The fact that the creature had appeared soon after his research efforts had increased. That she had been complicit in his experiments, and that those goddamn 'On-Siders' were somehow connected to Keichi, and maybe to other Sweepers. And maybe, just maybe, to Mary. It was supposed to be a conversation about how they could work together to figure it out. But... instead she had a panic attack. "I saw the whole thing unfold, and I saw her get cut to pieces!" Mel screamed. "And I saw the others die too, and there was nothing I could do! I saw it! I saw everything! And I don't care WHAT the fuckin' Central Rep thinks!"

"Mel—" Karen placed a hand on her shoulder, and the girl jerked away from her touch. Mel's heart was pounding in her chest, and her vision swam with tears. She didn't mean to yell, but she couldn't help herself. "Mel, please, calm down. We need you to stay calm, okay? Why don't we take a break, huh?"

"What's gotten into you, you little brat?" Setsuna snarled as she stepped forward and shoved Karen aside. "If you have information on a threat of this magnitude, you should tell us about it right away. We're not here for your therapy sesh, you freak." The Magical Girl's icy blue eyes flicked up to meet Setsuna's, and they glowed with an inner fury. "Magical Girls are all the same: selfish! You think just because you can throw a punch, that means you know better than the rest of us?" A chorus of nods and mumbles from the others in the room, including from some of the Sweepers in the corner, only egged her on. "I bet you just wanna lord this over everyone, don't ya?" Setsuna pressed. "Magical Girl thinks she knows better. I bet you just want us to beg you for the info!"

"Setsuna, calm, calm~!" Miki took a step in between her fellow shrine maiden and Mel. "We're all upset, but that's no reason to take it out on her." Miki and Setsuna exchanged glares. "Don't take your anger out on her. We need to stick together, or we'll fall apart. Without trust, we have nothing. Nothing! Right, Mel?" She turned to the Magical Girl, and reached out to take her hand. "We need to work together, right?"

A high pitched cackle rang out, and then echoed through the shrine, as Fun Gal stood off to the side, clapping her hands, a grin on her face. "Wow. You guys sure are an emotional bunch, aren't you?" She shook her head and chuckled again. "That speech about trust was a real winner, too. Gave me chills!" She wiped a fake tear from her eye, and laughed again, louder this time. The other kids looked at her in confusion, some even laughed with her. "It's kinda funny, isn't it? Miki, where's Stella? Why isn't she here tonight?" Miki looked taken aback. "Trust. Classic!"

"What are you talking about?" Mel asked, looking from Fun Gal to Miki. "Who's Stella?"

Chapter 48

"Maybe I'll save that one for the next meeting" Fun Gal shrugged, and the smile slid from her face. As an ally of truth and justice, she didn't like keeping things like this a secret. But, the timing wasn't right. That was what Tama's brightest hero said to herself, at least. "Stella's a Sweeper from Second. She's not a bad kid, she's just got a lot going on."

"She's my responsibility," Miki interjected. "We've been trying to help her, but it's hard. Look, I'll explain everything, I promise." There was an edge to her voice, as if she was desperate to steer the conversation back on track. "But now's not the time."

"Your responsibility, huh? That's a load of garbage," Aiko snapped from the crowd. Her voice carried an anger that was rare for her. "We should all be helping each other, not hoarding our information. What's the point of Central's database if you're not gonna share, Miki?" She shook her head, a scowl etched on her face. "I thought we were all in this together!"

"I'll tell you what's going on, Aiko." Setsuna's voice cut through the tension and dripped with venom. "I'll bet Miki's trying to keep a monster alive." Miki's eyes went wide, and she looked around frantically. "Just a guess, but look at her face!"

"WHAT?! No!" Miki blurted out. "No, that's not it, that's not it at all!" But the damage was done; no one was listening to her anymore. They were too busy hurling accusations at each other. "It's not like that! She's a Sweeper! She just got sick, that's all. That's all," she repeated, her voice louder and more panicked than ever. "I didn't know how to help her, so I kept her a secret. We tried to cure her, but—"

"Touched..." Felipe muttered the word like a curse. "Oh, crap. CRAP!" He looked at Kam. "It's the same thing, man. They were talking about it! It was the same thing!" he looked to Ricky and John next, but they offered nothing but confusion in return. "Remember when we met the mercs, and they were gonna shoot me?!" John's eyes lit up, and he nodded with gusto.

"What are you all babbling about?" Nana interrupted, the frail girl looking from one person to the next. "Touched by what?"

"The Otherside." Fun Gal explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It happens now. It didn't before. Curious, isn't it?" The room erupted into chaos, with shouts, accusations, and confusion filling the air. Fun Gal chuckled. Secrets were a lot like mushrooms, weren't they? Secrets and mushrooms both grew fat and juicy in the dark. That was why she had to do this. "Stella's 'sick,'" she added, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "And it sounds like your friend Felipe's got the same problem."

"Enough! All of you!" Hibiku's voice rang out through the room like a thunderclap. The girl stood, and glared at all of them. "This isn't the time to point fingers and accuse one another! Fun Gal, why are you here?" Hibiku turned to face the Magical Girl. "Who invited you? You don't involve yourself in Otherside business. That's not your style, so what the hell is this? Why are you stirring up trouble in my family shrine?!"

"Because," Fun Gal said with a shrug, "I wanted to throw my floppy hat into the ring." The room was still, and silent. Everyone's eyes were on her, and her smile only widened at the attention. "The situation got bad, as Mel tried to explain. And now, I'm getting involved, because I'm an ally of truth and justice!" She declared, her voice booming around the room. She stepped forward and stood next to Mel, her hand on the Magical Girl's shoulder. "It's heroic, isn't it?"

"It's something, alright." Nana mumbled at the older Magical Girl. "Do you ever get tired of hearing yourself talk?" There was a snort from the back of the room, and then a chorus of chuckles. Fun Gal felt a flash of rage. How dare this weakling speak to her elder that way?! She bit it back, though. She needed the support of these little squirts, since her own brand of magic was inert against the monsters of the Otherside.

"Hey, you guys, we need to work together. Not fight each other," Karen's voice was a small, timid thing compared to the others. Still, her words had an effect, and the arguing quieted down. "I'm sorry Hibiku, but... if the situation got out of control, we need all the help we can get."

The crowd erupted in a cacophony of voices again, and Fun Gal knew it was for the best. Sometimes you had to pull the bandaid off in one fell swoop, instead of peeling it away slowly. It was unpleasant, but the truth would see the light, and that was all that mattered. Then Mel drew her wand and fired a bolt of magic into the ceiling. It got their attention. "Look, the truth is, a lot of us have secrets," Mel admitted. "But we have to trust each other, or we're useless. I did a bad thing." She looked to Nana, as if expecting some kind of reproach. "I kept secrets. I hid things from you all, because I was afraid. Of what, I dunno. I dunno. But, I'm gonna trust you. I'm gonna trust you, because there's a bigger threat out there." Her eyes drifted back to Nana. "I... I captured a few Noroi a few weeks ago. And a Tsukaima. I gave 'em to Yoshi Hoshino."

"WHAT?!" The room erupted into chaos once more. Nana raised her hand, pulling a spear out of the air. "You what?! You did what?!" She yelled. "Those are dangerous, Mel! They're monsters! We KILL monsters!" The whole display would have been terrifying, if the infamous Nighty-Knight wasn't so weak she could barely stand. Instead, it came across as pathetic.

"Yoshi's been researching them for years," Mel explained, trying to calm the others. "He's Sighted, it's not a secret. In fact, I KNOW y'all wanted him for Sweeping duty, but he was too rich and high-profile to risk it. He can see the monsters, and he's been studying them for years!" The room was quiet again. Mel had their attention, even as they looked at her like she was a stranger. It stung, but she knew it had to be done. "He's almost eighteen now, and he's losing it. Kid's a bone-fide genius right? But, he doesn't have much time left, and he wants to use the data to help us all." Mel explained. "He thinks there's a way to stop the monsters from forming in the first place. To seal up the Otherside, forever!"

"That's insane," Nana shook her head. "Even if the data's good, you can't trust ANYONE with those creatures. Especially not that rich nepo-baby. He's already half-mad, and now he wants to study the damn things?" Nana's grip on the spear tightened, but Mel just didn't care. "I don't know what you're playing at, Mel, but this is a dangerous game!"

"It was a bad idea." Mel agreed. "But he figured something out last week. The kids from Third can vouch for me—you saw them last night—Sighted adults, mercs who can fight, and Yoshi's got a theory on how to keep everyone safe." Mel looked around the room, making eye contact with each of the assembled Sweepers and Magical Girls. "I know this sounds crazy, I know it's hard to believe. But, he's close to a breakthrough, I know it. And I think he might have something to do with the Third Incident, too." There was another uproar. "Hear me out!" She shouted over the din. "Not deliberately, but indirectly. He's been ramping up his work, trying to get the data. It's a stretch, but I don't think the timing was coincidental. Correlation: a few weeks ago he got serious about the experiments. A few weeks ago, people started to go missing. A couple weeks ago, that... thing... happened."

The shrine maidens were looking at her with wide eyes, and even the Sweepers seemed shocked. "I'll be blunt," Natsumi interjected. "I hate you Magical Girls. And I think you suck for keeping that hunch secret, and you might just be the reason your friends died." She jabbed a finger at Mel. "But, what you've said lines up with what we've heard. We've been seeing the Othersiders less frequently. When they do show up, they act weird. Migrations. Tsukaima in huge packs. Noroi acting AGGRESSIVE. Something is going on, and it's not natural." Natsumi's gaze was intense. "So, if that rich boy has a theory, I want to hear it. And if he's behind this shit, I want him eating through a straw for life. Simple as that."