Oriko Magica Sadness Prayer: Chapter 5
Akira meets up with Komaki's little sister Koito Asako, the latter noting that Akira isn't with her older sister today. She then asks Akira if she has a minute to talk about Komaki. According to Koito, she believes Komaki is secretly sneaking out to attend all-night parties. Akira is incredulous as it doesn't sound like something Komaki would do, and Koito says she didn't believe it either at first but has noticed it's been happening often and she is worried that her sister might get into trouble. Akira decides to investigate the matter.
The next morning Komaki is chatting with Miyuki, though Akira is notably staring at her and mumbling to herself as she tries to figure out what Komaki is planning. Komaki notices and asks her what's wrong but Akira doesn't answer and continues examining her, resulting in Komaki hitting her thinking she's being idiotic. Throughout the day Akira takes note of Komaki's behavior but doesn't seem to find anything out of ordinary. Akira flashes back to her discussion with Koito where she will watch Komaki at school while Koito watches her at home and to report on anything strange. Koito thinks it's too much, but Akira disagrees and says she wants to do it because Komaki is her friend and a hero to her and Miyuki. In the present, Komaki snaps Akira out of her daydream as it's time for them to walk home together. During the walk Miyuki asks her friends if they want to check out a new cafe by the train station, but Komaki at first declines. Akira asks her if it's because she's on a diet, but it instead infuriates her change her mind and join them. Akira wonders why Komaki is so worked up over a simple question when Komaki asks Akira why she's been acting weird as it's making her worry. Akira makes up a lie saying she just wasn't feeling well today after drinking expired milk, causing Komaki to get angry at her for being stupid. Komaki orders Miyuki to help her walk Akira home out of concern. Akira doesn't tell Miyuki the truth and as she gives her friend her bag, she concludes that Koito was overreacting and that Komaki isn't doing anything weird.
Akira recalls another flashback with herself waking up to find Miyuki by her side and in front of her Komaki and a building on fire. Akira asks Komaki if she was the one who saved them, but Komaki berates her to lie down and that she only moved her because she was in the way. When the other girl turns her back to her, Akira takes notice of the burn scars upon Komaki's hands, indicating that she was indeed the one that saved their lives and injured herself in the process.
The group then crosses paths with Oriko and Akira worries that Komaki will try to pick another fight with her. But to her surprise the two girls walk past each other without a word nor glance, confusing her and Miyuki. Miyuki thinks it's because Akira's sick that Komaki doesn't want to bother with Oriko, but Akira says that Komaki would still pick a fight regardless of her friends' current state. Miyuki seems to think that Komaki is maturing instead, but Komaki's thoughts reveal that she was avoiding Oriko as the girl knows that she's a magical girl and doesn't want her friends to know.
Back at her home, Akira thinks about Miyuki's words but doesn't believe that Komaki has matured at all given her usual behavior during her investigation. She speculates that something must've happened between her and Oriko to cause the sudden change. Akira theorizes that Oriko perhaps knows a deep, dark secret about Komaki that would ruin her and to keep her quiet, Komaki must take a job at a nightclub and serve her. Akira decides she must investigate Oriko next in order to uncover more about this mystery.
Elsewhere during a fight with a Witch, Komaki grumbles about being unable to study because of her duties. After she manages to kill it, she recalls a talk she had with Kyubey as he noted how she makes decisions differently from others. When she and her friends were in that burning building in the past, Kyubey says the average person's wish would've been, "please save my life." But Komaki has instead chosen to save Akira and Miyuki's lives through her wish. She says once she's decided something she sees it through to the end, whether it's rescuing or being rescued, and that's why she'll do what magical girls do. Suddenly Komaki senses someone and turns around to fight an enemy, which turns out to be Kirika, who was tracking the same Witch the other girl killed, and suddenly prepares to fight her.