Magia Record Another Story Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The City I Heard About From Her

Section 1: Baptism of the New World

Kyoko narrates that when she first heard about Kamihama she thought it would be the best hunting ground ever. But when she finally entered the city, she really just how bizarre it was. The story jumps to Kyoko trying to enter Kamihama, despite telling Mami otherwise. Kyubey appears and asks what Kyoko is doing. Kyoko reiterates that witches are vanishing from Mitakihara and Kazamino, and so she plans to hunt in Kamihama. Kyubey reveals that Mami asked him to advise Kyoko against going. Kyoko says that she doesn't need to listen to Mami, which Kyubey agrees with. Kyoko wonders if Mami's trying to keep the Grief Seeds to herself. Kyubey thinks Mami isn't that kind of person, and believes she was just worried for Kyoko's safety. Kyoko admits she knows and leaves.

Upon entering Kamihama, Kyoko is constantly attacked by witches. She runs across a familiar and ignores it until it attacks. Angry, Kyoko destroys the familiar. Afterward, Kyoko is annoyed at how she can't even let her guard down against familiars. She then comes across an old man giving away water. Along with Iroha and Felicia Mitsuki, Kyoko is given a glass. Drinking it, Kyoko finds it delicious and asks for another one. Felicia also wants another drink, but the old man says he can only give one glass per customer. After Kyoko leaves, a piece of paper falls on her head with the number 24.

The next morning, Kyoko wakes up to find papers next to her pillow, with numbers counting down. Kyoko wonders if someone brought them to her room, but dismisses that line of thought. She then remembers when the first paper appeared and realizes that the latest number is 10. While she doesn't know what's going on, she realizes the numbers are measuring time. She thinks about telling Mami about it, but believes it wouldn't benefit Mami. Kyoko thinks she would just be asking Mami for advice. She also doesn't want Mami to scold her for going to Kamihama. Kyoko decides to investigate the phenomenon at it's source and returns to Kamihama.

Unable to find the water vendor, Kyoko comes across a school. She sees a bizarre creature talking to a student. After it disappears, Yachiyo goes up to Kyoko and introduces herself. Suddenly another paper falls down on Kyoko. Kyoko explains what happened to her. Yachiyo believes the numbers were caused by drinking the water from yesterday, and explains to Kyoko what she knows about Rumors. She then invites Kyoko to investigate, but Kyoko rebuffs her offer. Kyoko thinks that she can't let someone sacrifice something so that others can be saved, and chooses to confront the Rumor solo.

Section 2: Reality Becomes Clear

Without any leads, Kyoko decides to ask girls her own age about the Rumor. She then runs into Rena and Kaede. When she tries to ask them a question Rena suddenly snaps and admits she's hungry. She says that food comes first, prompting Kyoko to think she's a wild animal and is forced to play along. The group ends up going to Tsuruno's Chinese restaurant. Rena explains she wants to go there because it's close and cheap. Kyoko then points out she doesn't have any money on her - and wasn't really hungry anyway. An annoyed Rena decides to treat her, as she has a "friend discount".

Tsuruno's father rrives and tells Rena that Tsuruno went out with Yachiyo, prompting Kyoko to think she might be on the right track. She is then disturbed by Rena's eating habits. Kyoko then explains she's looking for a girl with blond hair (Felicia). When she describes the girl's uniform, Ren and Kaede recognize it from Central School, one ward over. Kyoko then says she's also looking for Iroha, who Kaede and Rena immediately recognize. The two say they don't know how to get Iroha, and she doesn't go to school in Kamihama anyway. The two suggest that Kyoko wait at the restaurant.

Suddenly Kyoko senses a witch and leaves. Rena and Kaede sense the witch as well and hurriedly excuse themselves. The three of them end up walking in the same direction. As they try to hide their real motivations from each other, Kyoko realizes that Kaede and Rena are also magical girls. She challenges them to compete for "Prey". As the girls fight the witch (Stacey), Kyoko realizes that she's outclassed thanks to the teamwork of the other two. The event causes her to think of her time as Mami's apprentice. At the time, she couldn't beat Mami, but Mami said it's alright because they cover for each other's weaknesses.

Kyoko thinks she's being careless by remembering something during a battle. She thinks that she became strong so she would be fine even on her own and destroys the witch with a final attack. Afterward, Kyoko asks Kaede and Rena about Rumors. When the girls say they have experience, Kyoko asks them if they've heard about papers falling on people's heads after they drink water. As it turns out they do recognize it and explain the Rumor to Kyoko. Apparently when the numbers on the paper reach zero, it will cause a disaster.

Rena and Kaede offer to help Kyoko, saying that as magical girls they need to help each other out. Kyoko flashes back to when she asked to be Mami's apprentice, saying much the same thing Rena and Kaede said. Back in the present Kyoko says they're self-righteous idiots. She gives them the Grief Seed from the witch and leaves. Rena wonders what happened, while Kaede thinks they might have said something that made Kyoko mad.

Section 3: Distance Between Hearts

Kyoko thinks she shouldn't have gotten herself worked up and wondered if she should have just seized the opportunity to get help. She thinks back to meeting Iroha at the water vendor, and guesses that she and her allies are active in the region. She figures that they'll come back here, and when they do they'll pass by the shopping district. Kyoko goes there and waits for two hours. She finally sees Tsuruno, Yachiyo and Iroha pass by. Kyoko follows them.

Events proceed according to Main Story Chapter 4. Kyoko listens as the Wings of Magius Black Feather explains about their goal. Kyoko decides there's no way she's going to waste time listening to an unrealistic conversation and attacks. Kyoko assists the girls in fighting the Wings of Magius and the Rumor. She's shocked when Tsukuyo Amane reveals her Doppel, and thinks back to what Mami said about a human witch. Kyoko thinks Mami only understood that it was dangerous.

Kyoko barges past Tsukuyo and her sister Tsukasa Amane with Iroha and Felicia. Kyoko thought about getting the jump on them and defeating the Rumor first, but figures that the smartest option is to gamble on the chance she'll be one of the winners by working with the others. Kyoko thinks that no matter who gets saved, she won't bear any grudges. Afterward, Kyoko and the others confront and defeat the Rumor. Kyoko thinks Mami was right and Kamihama is a bizarre and unbelievable city. Iroha then asks Kyoko to clear up what happened to Mami. Kyoko says if she runs into Mami she'll tell her she's overthinking it.

Later, Kyoko runs into Mami when she's returning home. Kyoko tells Mami that the humanoid witch she encountered the other day was something like "a projection of feelings" that a magical girl can let out if her Soul Gem was tainted. In other words, it wasn't a witch. Mami asked where she heard that from, but Kyoko said she saw it with her own eyes. Mami asks if Kyoko went to Kamihama. When Kyoko answers yes, Mami says she told her not to get involved and asks why she went. Kyoko rhetorically asks if she would honestly do as Mami said. Kyoko says she'll gladly accept advice, but is free to do what she wants after hearing it. Mami says she can't stand back and let Kyoko put herself at risk. Kyoko asks if Mami is trying to order her around again and wants to know what she's after.

Mami says that she's worried and just wants to protect Kyoko. She claims that even if it was for a moment, Kyoko was her friend. Kyoko thinks about earlier when Yachiyo said she wouldn't give up on her friend, Mifuyu Azusa. Kyoko thinks that even though they were close, even though they were friends and family, none of it is something she can rely on. Thinking of her father, Kyoko believes that people change and human hearts break easily. Kyoko tells Mami that she's changed, and she's not a "stupidly honest" magical girl that believes in justice or protecting happiness. Kyoko does not believe Mami still wants to protect her. However, Mami says that she believes it's possible they'll walk the same path again someday. She says she won't give up on Kyoko.

Kyoko thinks back to Yachiyo's conversation with Mifuyu from earlier, and wonders what happened if her fate and Mami's switched. Kyoko decides that even if that happened, Mami would still walk down the same road. Kyoko believes that her "conceited" wish to make everyone happy destroyed her family. She thinks that becoming alone is just part of her nature, and that her path and Mami's wouldn't cross. While they walked together for awhile, Kyoko believes she was destined to part with Mami, for her nature is to be alone. Kyoko says that she decided a long time ago that she would use her power for her sake and her sake only. The chapter ends with Kyoko telling someone (possibly Yuma Chitose) that no-one will save them no matter how much they cry. Instead, they should stand up themselves and keep on living.