Episode 5 : Occurrens Puellis Magicis (Part 3)

The sound of the door creaking open filled the quiet room.

Rin let out a long breath as she stepped inside. Without another thought, she dropped her bag onto the floor with a soft thud and collapsed onto her bed. Her body sank into the mattress, her arms sprawled out beside her. Staring up at the ceiling, she focused on her breathing—deep in, slow out—trying to let go of the tension weighing her down.

Just as she was beginning to relax, a voice broke the silence.

"So, how was it?"

Rin blinked and turned her head.

Her sister stood near the door, leaning casually against it with her arms crossed. Her expression was calm.

"Kind of stressful, but I managed to pull it off," Rin said as she sat up straighter on the bed.

"That's great," her sister replied.

"Unfortunately, Ezakiel told us not to contact him in any way."

He had warned them that if they tried to reach him right after the meeting with the principal, it could raise suspicion. If she was ever questioned again about his whereabouts or whether she had been in contact with him, the principal might be able to tell that she knew something. To stay safe, Ezakiel insisted they avoid contacting him for a week. Otherwise, the magical girls could track him down. He was almost certain that at least one of them was already after him.

"He'll know you pulled it off if no magical girls come after him," her sister said. She stepped further into the room and sat down on the bed beside Rin.

"I know, but it would have been great to tell Ezakiel that the plan worked," she said.

"I'm really grateful to that guy. He risked his life to save ours," her sister said with a smile. But then, her expression shifted, a chill settling over her features. "I shudder to think what could have happened to us if he hadn't come to our aid."

"Let's not think about that. It'll only bring sadness and pain," she replied. Then, after a brief pause, she added, "Though today, I ran into that Kiharu guy again."

"Isn't he the same guy you met in the library? The one who's kind of a social outcast like you?" her sister asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "But the thing is... how do I say this? He was acting kind of weird today."

"Acting weird...?" her sister asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just forget about it. I'll talk about it later. It's not that important right now," she said before lying back down on the bed. "I'm going to sleep for a bit—before I head out and hunt down a monster or two before they come looking for me."

"Just be careful, okay?" her sister said, concern in her voice.

"Don't worry, sister. I will," she murmured, closing her eyes.

---

Mari walked through the halls of the underground magical girl headquarters when she spotted Tsumi sitting in the cafeteria, sipping a cup of coffee.

Well, well… didn't think I'd find her here instead of her usual spot.

Curious, Mari stepped inside and sat down beside her. "Hey, hey, why are you alone?"

Tsumi barely glanced at her before taking another sip of her coffee. Then, setting the cup down on the table, she replied flatly, "Why ask such a pointless question when you can already see the answer with your own two eyes?"

Mari pouted. "I was just trying to start a conversation, you know..." She leaned in slightly, resting her chin on her hand. "Besides, I prefer getting straight to the point when we talk, and you know that. Can't you at least act like you do at school? I get that you're all emotionless and everything, but can't you keep up that facade even here?"

"Then speak up. I have work to do after this," Tsumi said, taking another sip of her coffee.

Mari crossed her arms. "Well, I was just curious why you're sitting here instead of, you know, your usual spot. You don't normally come here," she said. She had always seen Tsumi in her quarters, doing whatever it was she did there—not in the cafeteria. "Besides, it's not like you can even taste coffee. Your tongue doesn't have the ability to, remember?"

"There's no hidden motive," Tsumi replied calmly, taking another sip. "I just decided to come here. Nothing more, nothing less."

Mari narrowed her eyes. "I really doubt that. But fine, I won't press further," she said, shifting the conversation. "Tell me about the status of him."

She deliberately avoided saying Ezakiel's name. If another magical girl overheard and decided to interfere, Tsumi wouldn't be pleased. This was a secret—one that only the two of them were supposed to keep.

"Not much progress. I can't make time for it with the increasing number of attacks," Tsumi said, taking another sip of her coffee. "I can't tell you how much I want to get my hands on him, to see him cut open and all that, but I can't. These monster attacks keep pulling my attention away, and time keeps slipping through my fingers," she admitted. Then, after a brief pause, she added, "I feel... I don't know. It makes my chest ache. There's this strange, uncomfortable feeling. I think it's what you call frustration... or something like that."

Mari smirked. "Ah, so you're feeling jealous. That's surprising, considering how emotionless you are. This is the first time you've ever experienced jealousy—it's practically a miracle." She tilted her head slightly, watching Tsumi closely. It even makes me curious about this guy I haven't even met. If he's made such an impact on you, enough to make you feel jealous, then he must truly be a mystery.

"Jealousy... yes, that's it. Jealousy," Tsumi said in her usual flat tone. "The only other time I felt this way was when my pet decided to become an attention whore and started acting all friendly with my so-called middle school friends." She blinked, unfazed by her own words. "My feelings toward him… they're like that of a master toward a pet."

"A master and a pet," Mari mused before leaning in slightly. "You know how many boys would die to have that kind of relationship with you?" She smirked before leaning back.

"I know… but I don't care," Tsumi said flatly. This time, she downed the rest of her coffee in a single sip and set the glass down. "Men are animals. It's only natural for them to feel that way. If men didn't act like animals, then who would? Women?"

"Not gonna lie, that's absolutely true," Mari said with a grin. "That's why they can't wield magic—because they're unworthy."

Then she stood up and stretched. "Well, I should get going. The meeting is about to start soon, and you should hurry too."

"I will…" Tsumi replied.

"Though, I wonder if that new magical girl, Rin, will show up. She made it pretty clear she hates us for what we are," Mari mused.

"Nah, we'll only contact her if it's absolutely necessary. Otherwise, we stay separate," Tsumi said as she got up as well.

"Well then, let's go."

With that, the two of them left for the meeting room.

....

Arriving at the meeting hall, Tsumi took her seat, with Mari sitting beside her. Around them sat the other magical girls—ten in total. These were the ones currently active in their branch. There were more, but due to a shortage of magical girls in other areas, many had been transferred to different branches.

At the center of the room sat none other than Principal Rukiya, and standing beside her was Yuki.

I wonder what this sudden meeting is about… Tsumi thought to herself. Her sister hadn't given her any details in advance—just an urgent signal indicating an important meeting.

"Now that everyone is present, let's begin," Rukiya said, tapping her hand on the table.

At that moment, an image flickered to life before them.

Everyone leaned in, studying the projection carefully. It depicted a skeletal figure, towering at an intimidating 13 feet. It was draped in black, layered robes, and in its hollow eye sockets burned dim, eerie blue flames.

"Who is this?" asked a magical girl in a calm yet curious tone.

She had long, silky black hair that fell past her shoulders, with the front strands cut neatly to frame her face. Her bangs were perfectly straight, just above her sharp, watchful eyes, giving her an air of quiet elegance. She wore a gothic gown adorned with layered frills at the bottom, decorated with artificial black roses. Her lips were a deep red, and beneath her eyes, streaks of dried mascara trailed down like faded tears. Small black leaves were woven into the fabric of her dress, adding to her hauntingly elegant look.

Rukiya turned her gaze toward her. "Well, Sumiya, this is none other than the infamous Exsecrati Mortui."

"Exsecrati Mortui…" Sumiya repeated.

"Well, this wasn't easy, but I managed to reconstruct the image using the residual essence left behind in Yoyogi Park," Rukiya said. "If I had been just five seconds later, it would have completely faded away, and you wouldn't have this image."

"What about the other one?" Yonoshita asked.

"Unfortunately, I wasn't able to capture the essence of the other one. It disappeared before I could get to it," Rukiya replied.

She tapped her finger on the table, and the image vanished. "But that's not the main reason I called you all here."

She tapped the table again, and this time, a new image appeared—a silver sword, gleaming under the dim light.

"This," she said, her voice firm, "is why I called you here."