Kazumi Magica Chapter 17: Secret Ingredient
Following from the last chapter, the Pleiades quickly show up after Kazumi's ultimatum. Kazumi welcomes them to her "barrier", telling that if anyone other than her uses magic, it will automatically break the seals on the girls' Soul Gems. Saki calls for Kazumi, but she stops her from talking, demanding them not to talk unless they are answering her questions since she doesn't need to hear any more lies. She then proceeds to tell them she has read Michiru's diary, figured everything out from the memories she was given and the diary, then asks them why they didn't give her Michiru's memories. Saki answers that all the clones that were given her memories lost their minds to their fighting instincts and became murderers. Umika comments that they took it as "Michiru's will" and stopped giving them her memories, then created a magical girl with a different personality. Kazumi objects that she isn't Michiru, and that they created a different person with only the same face, to which she replies that they wanted to reject Michiru's death.
Kazumi then announces she won't allow magical girls, who were born from hope, to die from despair, demands them to promise her to never give up on reviving Michiru and Satomi, no matter how many times it takes or how tough it is, calling it their responsibility for rejecting the magical girl system and creating her, and finally, as she starts turning back into a witch, urges them to kill her. Kaoru objects, but Kazumi begs them to do so, then asks one last question: "Would they have been friends if she were a normal human, rather than Michiru's clone?" while holding the picture from the end of Chapter 15, to which Kaoru answers that they made friends with her when she was brand new and had no memories, and that they were always friends, and always would be. Kazumi thanks them, saying that was all she wanted to hear, dropping the picture. She then continues transforming, eats the Evil Nuts in the freezer and asks them once more to hurry up and kill her.
Kazumi, as a witch, knocks Kaoru into a wall with a tentacle, leaving her paralyzed, and starts engulfing the room with a barrier. Umika tries to get Kaoru back up, but to no avail. Mirai tells a shocked Saki that they have no choice, they must do it to save Kazumi. Niko also asks her what they would do. Saki then transforms, making the decision of keeping on killing the Kazumis, until they get the real Michiru back, no matter how many times she has to do it, and says she will then carve the sins into her mind and body, to which Mirai replies that she will share the burden with her. Kazumi then knocks Niko out with energy blasts. Saki and Mirai then perform a combined Episodio Incrocio, which creates a huge teddy bear of energy that attacks Kazumi.
Meanwhile, Umika is still calling for Kaoru, until she notices Kazumi's magic symbol on Kaoru's cheek. She then performs Carcere Pausa on Kaoru, who then wakes up and sees Saki and Mirai fighting Kazumi. Kaoru says she must stop them, while Saki generates a pair of electric yo-yos, preparing to strike Kazumi with Pietra di Tuono. The next panel, however, shows that Kaoru jumped in and caught her attack. She then pulls Saki toward her, and the two start arguing. Saki demands Kaoru to get out of the way, to which Kaoru replies Kazumi is forcing herself to look like a witch. Saki asks why, and Kaoru replies that Kazumi knew Saki couldn't bring herself to kill her if she didn't do that. Saki keeps confronting her, and she tells her that Kazumi knocked her away first, because she had promised to protect her. She then urges Saki to stop, which she does.
Kaoru then says that she will be the one to kill her, while Saki breaks down in tears. However, Mirai jumps behind Kazumi and slices her into two. Kazumi's barrier then disappears, while Kazumi turns into a doll-like decoy of Niko. Niko, who was knocked out before, also turns into a decoy. The real Niko then shows up, showing Kazumi locked into her container, much to the others' surprise.
Mirai objects: "How unnecessary", to which Niko replies that that isn't the time to worry about her. Mirai turns around to see Saki with her Soul Gem about to hatch. Niko then uses Prodotto Secondario to create a clone of herself near Saki. Said clone tells Saki she will be putting her to rest, then calls Abra Kadabra, creating an Evil Nut. She says that is the "Secret Ingredient", then presses the Evil Nut into Saki's forehead.
Saki then yells as a pillar of lightning shoots up around her, obliterating the clone. Kaoru asks her why she did that, to which Niko answers with a smile: "I can't let you kill Kazumi", then looks back toward her, with a sinister grin on her face, and comments: "You humans, that is."