Magia Record Main Story Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Far End of Solitude

Section 1: The Girl's Voice Heard From the Radio Tower

Homura thinks about the strange girl she saw in the Prologue. She is broken out of her thoughts by Madoka. Elsewhere, Iroha settles into her new house. She promises to look for Ui and thinks about the previous chapters' events. Yachiyo then invites Iroha to get dinner. They try to buy ice cream for Tsuruno but can't find any. They return home to Felicia. Tsuruno then arrives with ice cream, and the group makes dinner. Iroha thinks they're kind of like a family.

Iroha narrates that she never really had fun hanging out with other people. She tried to make excuses, but she was so afraid of becoming a loner that she pretended to smile and clung to everyone. In a flashback, her classmates say they can't tell what Iroha is thinking, since she's always smiling and saying she's fine with anything. Iroha narrates that people thought she was weird, and she was too scared to express her true feelings. She says she tries to blend in with the people around her, and the only places she's at ease are her house and Ui in the hospital.

In another flashback, Iroha thinks about Ui and her friends Nemu and Tomoka. Ui asks her friends why they always fight. Nemi quotes a French author named Andre Maurois and says that since her friends are like her family they are free to be themselves. Tomoka says that a "best friend" is something astronomically improbable, as there are so many people in the world. Counting Iroha, she says they got lucky three times. Iroha is then broken out of her thoughts by Yachiyo, as Iroha was spacing out while holding sharp utensils. In her narration, Iroha believes her group was chosen by astronomically small odds, but thinks it's so embarassing she can't say it out loud.

In an oddly metafictional moment, the group play a game on their cell phones. Felicia has a city made entirely of ranches because she loves cows. Yachiyo's city is full of police, believing that having nothing but peace is important. Tsuruno is trying to get a hundred Chinese restaruants. Iroha's city was devastated by Felicia's runaway cows. Yachiyo then ends the discussion to bring up Wings of Magius. Iroha says that while they've investigated rumors, they haven't found the group. Felicia thinks that's because they only investigate the tiny, obscure rumors. Tsuruno suggests looking for a dangerous one that gets people invovled. Yachiyo says she has one: A rumor called the Denpa Girl.

Yachiyo said that this rumor doesn't have the same phrasing as the other rumors that became reality. She thinks this might be just another rumor, but they have no choice but to investigate. They decide to look for it tomorrow. Iroha asks if she can continue to look for Nemu, which is accepted. Yachiyo says she will also ensure Felicia goes to school. The next day, Yachiyo drags Felicia to school while Iroha looks for Nemu. Suddenly Iroha gets a call from Tsuruno, saying to meet her at the radio tower in Kamihama City's Central Ward. The group meets at the tower, where Tsuruno explains she found something while collecting delivery plates. The girls hear a voice seemingly coming from the air. The voice appears to be a laughing girl. Yachiyo finds this strange, as according to the rumor the voice was supposed to be sad and begging for help.

Two girls walk by. One of them says the voice they heard earlier sounded like a girl from their school. Tsuruno tries to chace after them but fails. Although she isn't sure if this a true Rumor, Iroha thinks they still have to investigate. The team decides to split up tomorrow. Later, Iroha and Yachiyo help dry Felicia's hair. Yachiyo asks Felicia about school, and Felicia finds it boring. She also says no-one wants to talk about manga or cows. All they wanted to talk about was idols, liveshows, and a weird homepage. Felicia was shown the homepage but couldn't get in. After her hair dries, Felicia falls asleep. Iroha then gets a message on her phone: "Can you please save me somehow". Yachiyo thinks it's a prank, and says not to answer.

Section 2: A Disconnected Lead

Later, Iroha eats lunch with Momoko, Rena, and Kaede. It turns out Iroha is going to the same school as the trio. Momoko asks how Iroha'a investigations are going, and Iroha answers It's not going well. She tells the trio about the Denpa Girl rumor, and both Momoko and Rena find it familiar. Momoko says she'll talk to Iroha after school.

Later, Momoko explains to Iroha she was talking to some people who knew about the rumor. She says the source of the rumor appears to be a homepage. Rena and Momoko found the rumor familiar because an idol they know saw the homepage and went to the radio tower. However, Momoko's contacts wouldn't tell her how to access the homepage, and there are apparently requirements to access it. Momoko was also told to beware of "the far end of solitude". Momoko apologizes for not getting more information, but Iroha thanks her and invites her to investigate the rumor. Momoko declines, as she doesn't feel comfortable working with Yachiyo.

Iroha meets with Yachiyo, who said she was phone calling Iroha. Iroha said she shut off her phone because she was scared by that message from yesterday. When she turns on her phone again, Iroha sees another message begging for a response. Yachiyo tells Iroha not to reply. Iroha tells Yachiyo the information Momoko gathered. Yachiyo feels things have gotten more confusing. Suddenly they see one of the girls that walked by the radio tower the other day. Yachiyo and Iroha are horrified to find she's been witch kissed.

The victim heads to the radio tower, and Iroha and Yachiyo follow. They find her heading for the tower's emergency exit. The girls realize the witch will make the victim jump. Iroha wonders why no-one is stopping her, but it turns out the other people in the tower are witch kissed too. Iroha and Yachiyo rush outside to save the victim. They appear to be too late, but then Madoka appears and saves the girl.

Madoka explains she was looking for someone but then saw someone with a witch's kiss. Yachiyo says the same thing happened to them for the most part. Yachiyo thinks the best thing to do is confront the witch now to prevent it from killing more victims. Madoka formally introduces herself and offers to help. The trio enters the witch's barrier on the radio tower and fight off familiars. As Iroha fights, she gets another message on her cell phone from someone asking to be saved.

Madoka is impressed by how strong Iroha and Yachiyo are. Madoka says that when she came to Kamihama the first time she was escorted by her senior, but she's still surprised by the number of witches in the city. Iroha wonders if Yachiyo is going to test Madoka the way she tested Iroha in Chapter 1. Yachiyo says that if Madoka came with someone else there's no need.

The girls confront the witch, Rebecca, and defeat her with a combination attack from Madoka and Iroha. When the barrier disappears, Yachiyo thinks the quality of Madoka and Iroha'a magic might be similar. They then bring the victim from before back down from the radio tower. Iroha explains to Madoka they wanted to ask the victim about rumors. Madoka says her senior came to Kamihama to investigate rumors and hasn't come back. Although she was told not to go, Madoka couldn't wait and came to Kamihama with a friend to look for their senior. However, they were seperated as well. Yachiyo invites Madoka to work with them, which she accepts.

The victim then wakes up. Iroha asks her about the Denpa Girl's voice. The unnamed girl said there was a rumor that the voice was from a missing student in her school. She says the girl wasn't anyone she knew, but she heard the girl was always out of place, didn't fit in, and didn't seem to exist. The unnamed girl thought she might have ignored the missing girl without realizing and got so worried yesterday that she came to the radio tower.   The description of the missing girl causes Iroha to flash back to her old class. Whenever they took pictures or grouped up for trips she always felt left out. Iroha was also made class President, without anyone caring for her opinions. Iroha wondered why she always felt out of place. Iroha is broken from her thoughts by Madoka, who says Iroha is looking pale. Iroha tells her not to worry. From the unnamed Girl's uniform, she deduces the missing girl is from Mizuna Girls' School. Iroha then gets another phone message: "Please respond. This is something only a magical girl like you can do."

Section 3: Denpa Girl and Futaba Sana

Felicia doesn't want to investigate, so when school ends she tries to sneak away. She's quickly caught by Tsuruno, who takes Felicia by the hand. As Tsuruno drags Felicia away, she reveals he plan. Back when they were fighting the Wings of Magius, Tsuruno saw that Tsukuyo Amane wore the uniform of Mizuna Girls' School. Tsuruno says she called the school, posing as one of Tsukuyo's relatives, and asked them to have Tsukuyo wait at the school. She's then going to call the school again to let Tsukuyo leave. When she does, they can grab and interrogate her about the Denpa Girl rumors.

The plan is successful. As Tsukuyo wonders why she was called and thinks about how she has practice, she's caught by Felicia and Tsuruno. Tsukuyo says they're basically kidnappers. Tsuruno apologizes, and Tsukuyo says she doesn't mind. Then, remembering that they're enemies, says she dies mind. Tsuruno and Felicia take Tsukuyo to a cafe to talk. Felicia drinks all of Tsuruno's juice. Tsukuyo offers Tsuruno her juice, prompting Tsuruno to claim Tsukuyo is a good person. Tsukuyo says she was taught by her grandmother. She wonders if the two want to join the Wings of Magius, but Tsuruno and Felicia ask about the radio tower. Tsukuyo blurts out that her group is doing something there. Shocked by her mistake, she runs off.

Tsukuyo runs out of the restaruant. Tsuruno stays behind to pay while Felicia chases her. She asks a random passerby to help her catch Tsukuyo, claiming that Tsukuyo dined and dashed. The passerby turns out to be Homura, who reveals herself as a magical girl. The two are able to subdue Tsukuyo. Tsukuyo yells at Homura for using firearms, but Felicia think it's cool, like an action movie. Homura says this is the first time someone told her that. Tsukuyo tries to run again, but is caught by Tsuruno. Finally caught, Tsukuyo says she can't betray the Wings of Magius. Also if she's late for her practice her grandmother will be angry. Tsuruno is called by Yachiyo, who tells her what her group learned in the previous chapter. Tsuruno asks Tsukuyo who the Denpa Girl's voice belongs to. Tsukuyo reveals the voice belongs to a girl named Sana Futaba.

Tsukuyo runs off, saying she's going to be late. Tsuruno calls Yachiyo back to tell her what happened. Felicia thanks Homura, who asks her if she's investigating rumors. Homura says her magical girl senior is investigating rumors herself, but she hasn't come back. Homura came to search for her with a friend, but they were seperated. Felicia wonders if she was caught in a rumor. Homura asks Felicia if she saw a magical girl who uses ribbons, but Felicia hasn't seen one. Tsurno finishes her call and says that Yachiyo's group also found a magical girl looking for their senior. She explains the girl's name is Madoka, which Homura obviously recognizes.

The two groups reunite, and Madoka reunites with Homura. Madoka and Homura tell each other they couldn't find Mami, who's name surprises Iroha's group. Tsuruno explains that Iroha is the girl Mami thought was a witch. Madoka claims that Mami warned them about her, but thinks that Iroha isn't a witch. However, Homura is still suspicious. Yachiyo says the duo doesn't have to work with them and can go off to find Mami on their own. Madoka reassures Homura, and Homura decides she will work together with Iroha's team. As they exchange contact info, Iroha finds she has two more messages: "Please save the girl I confined here" "Please erase me"