Now, Kain sat in the car Black Label's people were driving, headed for their base.
He closed his eyes like he was resting, but in reality he'd opened the Hyperdimensional Channel.
A quick look showed a few people online. Might as well chat a bit. Gossip a bit.
Just as Kain was about to type, something strange happened.
The channel interface began to blur, fading like it was turning transparent.
At the same time, another display surfaced—something like a radar hologram. In the center floated a complex, multi-faceted crystal polyhedron, pulsing outward with search waves like a scanner.
Then, two points of light appeared.
A line shot out from the crystal polyhedron, linking to each light point.
Mr. Golden Toilet: What's going on?
Fallen Angel Kuroneko: Looks like someone new is joining again.
Martian: Two light points… does that mean two people are joining?
Seventh Heaven: I hope whoever comes is from a peaceful world like Kuroneko's.
That ID—"Seventh Heaven"—wasn't that the poster girl?
The 3D-zone celebrity from his past life. Even more popular than 2B.
Kain was about to probe for details when the chat window faded. He couldn't type anymore.
Once the two light points were pulled fully into the radar, the hologram vanished like a mirage, and the Hyperdimensional Channel interface returned.
Then the system notification popped up in the main feed.
New member [Asuna] has joined.
New member [Magical Girl Madoka] has joined.
Kain stared at those two IDs and went quiet.
Asuna… was that really "workhorse Asuna"?
And "Magical Girl Madoka" was even more blatant. There was only one person that could be.
Fallen Angel Kuroneko: Asuna… don't tell me it's "doujin Asuna"?
Fallen Angel Kuroneko: No, no, that's not the point. The point is Magical Girl Madoka is here.
Fallen Angel Kuroneko: No way. No way. Is it that Madoka? Has she already become a magical girl?
Fallen Angel Kuroneko: Kyubey must dieeeeeeeeeee!
Fallen Angel Kuroneko: That demon thing turned kids' dream job into a high-risk profession!
Fallen Angel Kuroneko: Kyubey needs to be /@$%^*_=--~\
Kuroneko was spamming so hard it was obvious her world knew those works too.
Especially Puella Magi Madoka Magica. She was so furious her words devolved into garbled Martian—either pure profanity or the system censoring her.
Martian: Um, Kuroneko… calm down. What's wrong?
Tendou Civilian Security Company: She's obviously lost it, but… "magical girls"? There's really a world where magical girls exist?
Whisperer: Magic? That kind of unscientific power is real?
Fallen Angel Kuroneko: Maybe it wasn't, but it is now, isn't it? Madoka joined. Madoka, hurry up and strangle Kyubey!
Fallen Angel Kuroneko: Ah—no, wait, that thing is almost impossible to kill. It has endless spare bodies.
Magical Girl Madoka: Um… th-that… I was joking. I'm not a magical girl.
The emotional tone in that line made Kain raise an eyebrow.
It didn't feel like a lie.
Fallen Angel Kuroneko: Huh? You haven't become one yet? Wait—are you Kaname Madoka?
Magical Girl Madoka: Yes. My name is Kaname Madoka. The "magical girl" thing is just… like an online handle. When I was little, I watched anime and wished it could be real, so I… I picked that as my ID…
Fallen Angel Kuroneko: Th-th-th-that's great! Madoka, listen, you absolutely—
Mr. Golden Toilet: Kuroneko, shut up.
Fallen Angel Kuroneko: Huh? What's your problem?
Mr. Golden Toilet: Come to Saeko's livestream channel. Madoka, you're not allowed in.
Magical Girl Madoka: Ah? O-okay…
Mr. Golden Toilet: Also, do you know who Kyubey is right now?
Magical Girl Madoka: Huh? No. I don't know.
Mr. Golden Toilet: Good. Then you, good kid, just wait obediently and don't eavesdrop.
That was Kain speaking—silent until now, and suddenly dead serious.
Madoka said she didn't know Kyubey, but Kain still couldn't tell what point in her timeline she was at. The absolute beginning? The start of the main story? One of the loops?
So, once they entered the livestream channel—
Fallen Angel Kuroneko: What is it? Why are you so serious?
Mr. Golden Toilet: If she really is the Kaname Madoka we understand, and you tell her the truth about her world right now, you'll only push her closer to the magical-girl side of things. You might practically drive her into becoming one.
Fallen Angel Kuroneko: Huh? Why would that happen? If we tell her how disgusting and dangerous Kyubey is, wouldn't that stop her from becoming a magical girl? Unless… you think Madoka is still confused about joining the Hyperdimensional Channel and doesn't trust us yet? Yeah… that's possible.
Mr. Golden Toilet: That's not the real problem. If Madoka truly has the personality we're talking about, then even if she knows the truth, Kyubey's tricks will still hook her. It'll be easy. A little moral blackmail and she'll soften immediately.
That was why Kain cut Kuroneko off earlier.
Telling Madoka the "truth" now would only expose her prematurely to the other side of her world—before she ever needed to see it.
Fallen Angel Kuroneko: …Yeah. That could absolutely happen. Damn it. That thing is so vile!
Tendou Civilian Security Company: So what's the situation, exactly? Could someone explain it to those of us who don't know? I'm completely lost.
After that, Kain stayed quiet, letting Kuroneko explain what Madoka's world was like.
He listened carefully to see whether Kuroneko's version of Puella Magi Madoka Magica matched what he knew.
From what he heard, it was basically the main story. No mention of side stories. Either her world didn't have the spinoffs, or it simply wasn't necessary to dump that much detail right now.
And yes—Mami Tomoe's scene was in her version too.
The same gut-punch darkness, the same kind of moment that made Kuroneko rage hard enough for the censor to start biting again.
Which brought them back to the real problem.
If Madoka was destined to meet Kyubey anyway, then contact might be unavoidable.
So how do you stop Kyubey from exploiting her?
Kain had a rough idea.
Exploit a wish loophole.
(End of Chapter)
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