Magia Record Story Wings in the Wind

Episode One

Three girls are asked what is the place where they belong. Ikumi Makino answers it is a place that will make the dreams they’ve kept alive with their love come true. Ryo Midori believes it is a place that symbolizes fate and intent, and when grasped, materializes them. Shizuku Hozumi however, has no answer. Despite having many close relationships, Shizuku can’t relate to any of them so she continues to search for the place where she belongs. She recalls an incident that caused her to become angry with Ayaka Mariko. Ayaka and Mitama Yakumo were were helping her choose a new place to search by throwing darts at a globe. The dart had landed on the Japanese trenches and the two had cheerfully declared her new location to search would be at the bottom of the ocean, angering Shizuku for making her search into a joke. Since that day, Shizuku hasn’t spoken to Ayaka despite Ayaka texting her daily.

• 

Shizuku continues to be paid to use her magic for the Wings of Magius. They won’t tell her why they need her magic to connect Kamihama to other spaces, but they are willing to divulge such information were Shizuku to join Magius. At their most recent meetup, Mifuyu Azusa accompanies them to talk to Shizuku and extend an invitation. Seeing that a veteran is leading the group, Shizuku agrees to join. Mifuyu is glad to have her on their side, but informs her that she must learn the truth about Magical Girls first if she is to join their organization.

Some time later, Mifuyu invites Shizuku to the Memory Museum so she can learn the truth for herself. Shizuku is skeptical at first but agrees to look inside the book that contains Mifuyu’s memories.

Episode Two

Shizuku narrates as she wonders what it means to belong somewhere. She recalls the boy she loved and how he had found the place he belonged: by Shizuku’s side. Like him, Shizuku had tried to find a place she belonged with Yachiyo and her friends. But she had believed that there was no room for her in their lives and left. Now that she knows the truth, Shizuku feels the urgency in her quest more than ever. She wants to find her place before she becomes a Witch. Within her memories, Mifuyu explains to Shizuku that she will never become a Witch so long as she stays within the borders of Kamihama, and so long as the Magius are around. Mifuyu offers Shizuku a place among the Wings of Magius and suggests this is the place where she belongs.

Shizuku awakens to find herself at the headquarters of the magius, her eyes dull and lacking the sheen they normally have. Mifuyu calls this place Hotel Fendt Hope. Shizuku explains how eerily calm she feels after learning the truth about witches, and says she felt like she was meant to find this place and stay here. A knock is heard at the door and a Black Feather and White Feather enter the room. Mifuyu introduces them as Shizuku’s new teachers. Before leaving, Mifuyu apologizes to Shizuku. The two Feathers hand Shizuku her own Black Feather robes to wear.

Episode Three

In the inner sanctum of Hotel Fendt Hope, Shizuku and two other Black Feathers stand before Embryonic Eve. The two other Feathers are weak from all the impurities filling the air and sit down, while Shizuku is able to just withstand it. She asks Mifuyu why it hurts so much there. Mifuyu responds that they can’t help the fact that the chapel fills with impurities. She goes on to explain that it is thanks to Eve that their salvation is now a reality, though their work is only halfway done. Shizuku guesses that their next step is to extend this miracle to the rest of the world. That is why they will soon be given assignments once their training is complete in order to use both Witches and Uwasa to gather the energy they’ll need.

Outside the chapel, Ikumi and Ryo check to see how Shizuku is holding up. Ryo compares the feeling inside the chapel to altitude sickness and assures her that she’ll get used to it soon enough. She then directs Shizuku to the sparring grounds outside so she can watch the other Black Feathers and memorize their fighting techniques so she can fight like the others. Ryo says Shizuku must learn to hide her fighting style so she’s not identified. Not all Magical Girls know the truth about the system and many would see the Magius as a threat to society for using Witches for their own purposes. This is why they must hide their identities with the robes as well as anything else that might make them stand out. They take Shizuku out to the grounds and have her practice with the other novice Feathers.

Episode Four

Shizuku practices charging her magic through a chain before releasing it on her opponent. Her sparring partner takes a small injury from the attack but is relatively unharmed. Shizuku seems to be getting the hang of the technique, but notices the other novices are having a harder time. A White Feather calls an end to the practice and orders the novices to report to their supervisors for feedback. Back inside, Ikumi praises Shizuku for learning so well and so quickly. Ryo also gives Shizuku some praise, but notes that she still uses her unique magic at times and warns her that doing so will give away her identity. Regardless, they believe that Shizuku must be a pretty powerful Magical Girl to be so in tune with her magic. If this were the old Kamihama, no doubt Shizuku would be able to kill a Witch single-handed. Shizuku doesn’t think she deserves so much praise since she believes that should be normal for a Magical Girl, but Ryo explains that many of the Black Feathers wouldn’t be able to defeat a Witch on their own which is why they can’t handle it when they learn what’s in store for them. Ikumi asks Shizuku why she joined the Wings of Magius to begin with. Shizuku thinks back to when she was in Mifuyu’s memories and how Mifuyu had insisted that she belonged with the Magius. When Shizuku relays to Ikumi that she belongs there, Ryo finds her answer to be strange. It’s very unusual for a Magical Girl of her caliber to join the organization, much less one with that reason for joining. Ryo explains that she’s probably the only one who feels like she belongs there. Everyone else just sees it as something necessary they must do to protect what matters most to them. Ikumi reminds Ryo that everyone has a different reason for joining. Ryo apologizes to Shizuku, who doesn’t take offense at all. She then hands Shizuku a black gem. She explains that Shizuku will have to imbue the gem with her magic little by little, but tells her the reason why is a secret.

• 

Episode Five

Shizuku stares at the black gem she was given earlier. Though she knows she’s supposed to imbue the gem with her magic, she still doesn’t know the reason why. Just then she receives a text message from Ayaka, asking her to reply and apologizing for hurting her feelings with the dart thing. Shizuku recalls the incident, wherein Mitama and Ayaka threw darts at a globe and then suggested that Ayaka could find the place she belongs at the bottom of the Japanese Trench. Ayaka’s flippant attitude hurt and upset Shizuku, who believes that Ayaka never considers other people’s feelings since she’s always so cheerful and enthusiastic. But Shizuku realizes that Ayaka also always worries about her friends. Despite this, it was overwhelming for Shizuku to keep up with Ayaka’s boundless energy and she never had the time to think about what mattered most to her. Shizuku thinks that the fact that the incident and her joining the Magius coincided gives her the perfect time to distance herself from Ayaka. Shizuku can imagine Ayaka crying about it too easily. As she does so, tears well up in her eyes and a camera shutter goes off. Ikumi asks Shizuku if she’s ready for the day’s combat training but stops herself when she notices the tears. Ikumi excuses herself, saying she didn’t realize that Shizuku was without her robes. Shizuku doesn’t see what the matter is since she met them without her robes originally, but Ryo stresses the importance of hiding their identities, even from each other.

Now dressed in her robes, Shizuku, Ikumi and Ryo stand in front of a Witch’s barrier. For their training today, they’ll be fighting out in the field to get real combat experience with Ryo and Ikumi acting as backup should Shizuku need it. While Shizuku doesn’t have any questions pertaining to the combat, she does ask again what the black gem is for. Ryo reminds her that the reason is a secret while Ikumi promises she’ll learn soon enough. Ryo assures her that it is something that all Black Feathers need and that she’ll get another gift as soon as the Witch Hunt is over.

Episode Six

The Witch is defeated and Shizuku sighs heavily with relief. While it didn’t go perfectly, Ikumi believes it’s enough that she was able to stand up against a Witch on only her second day. They hand Shizuku a key that a familiar dropped, calling it her cut for today’s hunt. Since they wrapped things up early enough, Ryo suggests they grab dinner together. At first Shizuku thinks they’ll go to a restaurant with their robes on, but Ryo laughs and takes off her robes and transforms back into her casual clothes. Ikumi follows suit and tells Shizuku to hurry so they can go eat. But Shizuku reminds them that they’re supposed to hide their identities at all times. Ryo laughs again and says they only said that because they were still at headquarters. She reminds Shizuku that they had already seen her and heard her name before she donned her robes, so now that she knows who they are they’re all even. Ryo and Ikumi introduce themselves to Shizuku.

They all head to a restaurant and sit down to eat. Ryo and Ikumi keep gushing over how good the food and drinks are with Ryo teasing Ikumi for slipping out of her idol character. Shizuku remains quiet until she asks them why they’re eating at her family’s café. Ryo felt it better that they go and explain things to Shizuku’s dad personally so he wouldn’t worry about Shizuku coming home late every night. Shizuku thanks them as Ikumi asks her if her home isn’t the place where she could belong. Shizuku says it’s hard to describe, since she feels disconnected from this place and finds it hard to talk about things that matter there. Ryo understands, since not everyone feels like they belong in the place where they grew up.

• 

Episode Seven

Shizuku received another text from Ayaka, which she ignored. She feels bad for ignoring her texts, since Ayaka has been very polite in them, but she also knows that if she responds she’ll just go back to being dragged round by her whims again. She feels like she can’t think when she’s around Ayaka, but then again she’s not exactly calm at the Wings of Magius either even with two nice girls looking out for her. Their kindness makes Shizuku suspicious, but she blames herself for being paranoid and distancing herself from others.

At Hotel Fendt Hope, the novice Black Feathers are discussing their training. Many of the novices are still having trouble using the fighting techniques they’ve been taught as many of them are still slipping up and using their unique magic. A few of them are just able to defeat familiars. When asked, Shizuku states she was able to defeat a Witch the other day with the help of her mentors. Shizuku tries to encourage the others, saying they’ll catch up to her soon enough. But the Black Feather she was talking to admits she would have a lot of trouble defeating a Witch with her regular fighting techniques as it is, which surprises Shizuku. The other novices complain about handling Witches, preferring to be assigned to an outpost or an Uwasa since those assignments involve defense and not offense. Shizuku then accidentally lets slip that it’s her turn to pick somewhere to eat for dinner with her mentors. The other novices smile and tell her they too eat dinner with their mentors, even if they’re not supposed to. As they relax a bit around each other, Shizuku asks them if they too received an item from their mentors, referring to it as something that all Black Feathers need. The other novices don’t know what she’s talking about and Shizuku lies to them, saying she received a grief seed. The novices tease her, saying her mentors are spoiling her rotten as Shizuku smiles and lets the subject drop.

Episode Eight

Ikumi hands Shizuku a compass, explaining she and Ryo had charged it up with their magic. Ryo smiles, telling her when and what she’ll need it for is a secret. Shizuku accepts the item, but asks them why she keeps receiving items when the other recruits didn’t get anything. Ikumi reminds her they told her that SHE would be needing these items as a Black Feather when she leaves the nest. Ryo says it’s more of a gift from the both of them to see her off on her journey while Ikumi calls it an extra-special love letter from her favoritest mentors. Shizuku trust them, but can tell they’re definitely hiding something from her. Especially since they keep coming to her house and trying to learn more about her despite the organization’s taboo on learning the identities of others. Ryo says they just want her to be happy, but Shizuku thinks they might be trying to put her at a disadvantage so she’ll get kicked out. Ryo laughs, saying she’d never do that even if she had the authority. Since they know the reason why Shizuku joined, Ryo and Ikumi offer to tell her the reason they themselves joined. Ryo had joined, in her words, to "lower my stress back to base level" as the knowledge of Witches had added more stress to her life, while Ikumi's friend had already joined as a Feather so she joined so they could both protect their dreams. As they tell them their reasoning, Ryo teases Ikumi about slipping out of character again. Shizuku giggles a bit when Ikumi tries to convince them that her bubbly personality is the real one. As they settle down, Shizuku states she felt the same way in the beginning, wanting to be freed from the suffering and that kind of pain. Ikumi agrees, saying their circumstances are different but their motivations are the same which is why they would NEVER do anything to sabotage each other. She offers to charge up Shizuku with her patented love beam, but Shizuku doesn’t react initially. Ryo makes fun of her bubbly act again as Shizuku giggles once more. As Ryo and Ikumi bicker, Shizuku scolds herself for doubting them and for being extra paranoid lately. She wonders if the reason is because she’s felt so safe lately.

• 

Episode Nine

It’s been some time since Shizuku joined the Wings of Magius and she’s gotten used to her life there. But even to this day Shizuku still doesn’t know why she needs the gifts they give her each time she beats a Witch. She believes now that they mean her no harm, but some small part of her heart is still on edge and doesn’t see them that way. She feels she needs to clear her head and since she is on break from her assignments, now seems the best time to do so. Shizuku is at home, helping her father with the family’s café. She asks if there’s anything else that needs doing, but it seems Shizuku has already completed every chore there is to do. With no other tasks at hand, Shizuku asks her father to teach her about their coffee. Her father is surprised since she’s never taken in interest in it, but Shizuku says she’s just surprised so many people love the coffee they serve there. The door’s bells jingle announcing the arrival of a customer. Shizuku goes to attend them only to find that the customer is Ikumi. She worries she might have taken the wrong day off, but Ikumi assures her she’s just there to buy some coffee beans since she enjoyed the taste of the coffee so much.

Shizuku brings her a bag of roasted coffee beans, saying the brewing process is probably part of the process behind the delicious taste. Ikumi’s not worried though, since she’s a maid in a café. Shizuku warns her part of the secret is the temperature that her dad roasts the beans at, but promises she can sell her as many beans as she likes. Ikumi thanks her and invites her to come visit the maid café Ikumi works at as thanks. Shizuku thinks she doesn’t really want to do that as she remembers that Ayaka had promised to visit the café and talk with Shizuku since she knew she didn’t have school that day. Incensed at what she perceived as Ayaka being pushy, Shizuku decides to visit the maid café after all and demands Ikumi lead the way.

Episode Ten

Shizuku watches as Ikumi takes to the stage and is greeted with a lively chant from the audience, with some of the patrons calling her retro and old-fashioned. As she finished up her set, Ikumi goes to where Shizuku is standing and apologizes for making her wait. It seems she forgot that today was her turn to be on stage. Shizuku tells her not to worry, since everyone seemed to really enjoy her singing and dancing. She’s more surprised about the café in general since she pictured it to be a more classic café like her own. Ikumi says that just because they emphasize the idol aspect doesn’t mean they skimp on the quality of the drinks and food. As they chatter, Shizuku asks if it’s ok for her to just be talking with her while she’s at work, but Ikumi assures her she’s on break. She asks how the coffee she had served Shizuku was since she used the coffee beans she bought from her. Shizuku admits she doesn’t remember what it tasted like since she was transfixed and a bit overwhelmed by Ikumi’s performance. Ikumi looks a bit down at the word overwhelmed, but Shizuku promises that she enjoyed the show. Shizuku tells her she feels like she can understand her better now that she knows what her life is typically like. Ikumi responds that she spends all of her time at the maid café since it’s the place where her dream will come true. She explains how she promised her friend she’d make their dream come true, and without her their dreams and the café would all go up in smoke which is why she joined the Wings of Magius to begin with. Shizuku is surprised at the change of subject, as Ikumi states that she felt like her explanation the other day was lacking. She felt bad that perhaps her and Ryo had made her feel less welcome at the Wings of Magius and so she showed Shizuku the place where she feels she belongs to make it up to her. Shizuku requests another cup of coffee, promising to describe the taste this time to Ikumi. Ikumi then receives a text message from Ryo, telling Shizuku to stop by her place after she’s done there. Most likely as not, Ryo had the same idea as Ikumi.

Episode Eleven

Shizuku arrives at the place where Ryo requested they meet. There she finds Ryo with an upset look on her face as she announces herself. Ryo asks her if she wouldn’t mind waiting a few minutes as she wraps up her work. Shizuku asks what she’s doing as Ryo shows her the newsletter she puts together for the Feathers. She shows her the latest article, a story about how the Chelation Land Uwasa has crumbled but their energy harvest quotas have been unaffected. Ryo explains it’s part of her duties as part of the Magius’ PR department. Shizuku asks if they won’t get mad that an Uwasa was destroyed, but Ryo thinks they’re just massaging the truth a bit so as not to worry the Feathers but she doesn’t think it’s too concerning. Ryo finishes her work and asks Shizuku to come with her for her next job. Shizuku thought they were going to talk about belonging somewhere, but Ryo says that it’s not just about physical locations. She urges Shizuku to hurry or they won’t make it in time to get The Midori Report to print. The Midori Report, she explains, is a school paper that Ryo writes and edits for herself that covers everything from fluff content to student achievements and even corruption. But her most popular article is the Kitty Cat Corner for which she’s still missing a photo. She asks Shizuku to use her space fusion magic to transport them to a secret path in Sankyo where cats like to gather. Shizuku remembers how excited Ayaka was when she first learned about her space fusion magic and smiles to herself. She tells Ryo she’ll help her out this time but not to rely on her magic too much as Ryo smiles and thanks her.

Episode Twelve

When the girls arrive at the alley, they’re attacked by a Witch. The two quickly defeat it, and after the battle Ryo laughs in surprise. She wasn’t expecting Shizuku to fight Black Feather style in the battle just now. Shizuku sheepishly admits it’s because she got too used to it with all the training, but Ryo says she passed with flying colors back there. They look around at all the cats hangin gin the alley and Shizuku notes that there are kittens there as well. She warns Ryo not to get too close or she’ll scare them away before she can get her shot. Ryo says that’s not a problem for her and takes the perfect shot of the cats and kittens. She turns to Shizuku and shows her the picture, explaining there’s nothing she can’t take a perfect shot of. Ryo admits that the moment when she presses the shutter is what she thinks of as the place where she belongs, explaining that a place where you belong doesn’t have to be a physical place. Shizuku kind of understands what she means by that, as she originally believed she belonged in the place beside the guy she liked. And the guy she liked felt like he belonged in the place beside Shizuku.

Ryo smiles and says he sounds like a great guy. Her place, she says, is behind her camera. She’s bound to it and in return it helped her work out who she really is. Much like the kittens who wouldn’t survive without their mothers, Ryo feels she wouldn’t last long without her camera. It’s part of her identity and at the same time something she can’t turn her back on. Shizuku says she sounds negative when she puts it like that, and Ryo admits it can be negative and hard to bear at times but she’s accepted it as part of her fate. Ryo feels like her life was full of suffering even before she became a Magical Girl, which is why she joined the Wings of Magius. She didn’t need anything else with power over her and she won’t feel safe until she’s able to escape her fate as a Magical Girl.

Back at headquarters, Shizuku relays everything to her fellow novice Black Feather. The novice warns her that her mentors have told them too much about themselves and could jeopardize everything she’s accomplished so far especially since she’s made so much progress. Shizuku asks her not to tell anyone else, and the novice promises to keep it a secret since she wants to stay out of it, warning Shizuku she might get kicked out at this rate. Shizuku worries she’ll get kicked out after finally finding a place she belongs and thinks her mentors are cruel for doing this to her.

Episode Thirteen

Shizuku paces at a local park, worring about what the novice warned her about. She wonders if Ikumi and Ryo were just trying to reassure her by telling her about themselves and not because they were trying to tear her away from the place she’d found. She hates thinking things over because it makes her feel like she’s looking at herself from a distance. She recalls the boy she liked and how they had found the place they belonged at each other’s side. She felt safe there, like she could just be herself without overthinking things. But he’s gone now, which is why she sought a new place to belong to with the Wings of Magius. She vows to protect this new place from Ikumi and Ryo.

The next day at the sparring grounds, Ryo and Ikumi announce that everyone’s new assignments will be set by today or tomorrow. Not just the new recruits, but the other established Feathers will also be given new posts or assignments as well. Ikumi coughs as she tells Shizuku that she probably won’t have to worry about any of that since she’s already an expert at fighting like a Black Feather and is saddened to see her go. Ryo assures Ikumi that they’ll likely bump into her in the future. Shizuku tells them she isn’t so sure and attacks them. Ryo and Ikumi are taken back and ask why she’s attacking them. Shizuku explains that they’ve been trying to get rid of her and she won’t let them get away with it. Ryo tries to explain that this is a misunderstanding as Ikumi exclaims that they’re all friends. Shizuku attacks again, promising to never forgive them if they are trying to drive her out.

Episode Fourteen

Shizuku asks them why they keep giving her items that the other Black Feathers don’t receive and why they keep telling her about themselves, which only causes others to be suspicious of her. Ryo and Ikumi promise her that everything they’ve done has been for her sake. Shizuku demands an explanation, and when Ryo says nothing, Shizuku threatens to get rid of them both. A nearby White Feather calls out to them and asks what they’re doing. Ikumi tells her they were just doing one last sparring match using all of their strength. The White Feather doesn’t buy it, but Ryo assures her that they wouldn’t be able to test her full abilities if they didn’t go at it full strength. The White Feather reluctantly accepts their explanation before relaying to them a message: the Magius wants to speak to all three of them before they decide on their new assignments. Ikumi and Ryo tell Shizuku once more that she has the wrong idea before Shizuku turns and leaves.

Inside the chapel, Alina Gray asks Shizuku if she’s gotten used to the impurities in this place. She responds that she feels fine since she got used to the place by frequenting it often, just like Mifuyu said she would. Alina thanks her, since thanks to Shizuku’s help they were able to gather many Witches from other cities. Alina says her ability has been very useful and asks her where her loyalties lie in this organization. Shizuku responds that her loyalties lie with the Magius, who are the ones who can make liberation a reality. Alina thanks her once more and tells her to report back to the chapel tomorrow alongside the other Feathers. Shizuku is grateful that Alina has formally recognized her as a Feather. Before she can go, Alina calls her back and reminds her to make sure she wears her robe and pendant when she returns to the chapel tomorrow.

Outside the chapel, Ikumi asks Shizuku what they wanted. Shizuku says they’ll give her her assignment tomorrow and that she’s been formally recognized as a Feather. With that, she feels that Ikumi and Ryo shouldn’t have to do anything more with her and that that is best for all of them. As she leaves, Ryo calls out to her. Shizuku turns back, and Ryo warns her not to wear her pendant tomorrow for her own good. Shizuku leaves without another word as Ikumi and Ryo shake their heads sadly.

When Ikumi and Ryo had been asked about their loyalties, both had responded that their loyalty lay in liberation. They were then instructed to wait for further instructions inside headquarters and to make sure they leave their pendants off. The Magius feel that they won’t have any use for those who swore fealty to Magius after this.

Episode Fifteen

Shizuku recalls what she said when she last saw Ryo and Ikumi. She questions if they were really trying to drive her out of there and why they would unless they had a reason since they kept talking to her about belonging. Ikumi belongs on the stage, where she can make her dream with her friend come true. Ryo belongs behind her camera, the symbol of her fate and intent. Shizuku feels she belongs wherever she can just be herself without thinking things over too hard. She believes that place is with the Wings of Magius, but she questions if that’s true. Lately she’s been overthinking things and constantly feeling scared she’ll get kicked out.

Shizuku continues to wonder if she really belongs in a place where she’s nothing more than a cog in a machine as the Magius give a speech about spreading their miracle across the world by gathering more energy. The Magius tell the Feathers that they want them to mercilessly kill all the Magical Girls of Kamihama for standing in the way of their future. Upon hearing this, Shizuku realizes that the Magius are just a checkpoint for the future, not a place to belong to. This is why Ryo had found her reasons so unusual to begin with: everyone there belongs somewhere else. They only joined the Magius to protect those places. Shizuku wonders where that leaves her since the guy she liked is already gone. Shizuku scolds herself for overthinking things again since she’ll lose this place if she keeps that up. She begins to feel overwhelmed by her feelings and begs someone to keep her so occupied she won’t be able to overthink things. It is then that Shizuku remembers Ayaka, and how she was never given a second to think for herself because Ayaka kept pulling her from one thing to the next.

• 

She then receives a text message from Ayaka. Ayaka apologizes for annoying her with so many texts, promising this will be the last one she sends and asking Shizuku to please call her if she can. Mentally Shizuku apologizes to Ayaka, since she was the closest thing to a place where she belonged and both Ryo and Ikumi had noticed that fact long before Shizuku had realized it. She remembers Ryo’s warning and takes off her pendant. As she does so, the Magius’ speech continues, promising to grant every Feather the power they’ll need to accomplish this task with pure unclouded judgement. A blinding light flashes and Shizuku notices that the Feathers are beginning to act strangely. Her fellow novices begin to yell and scream in confusion and pain as Shizuku wonders if the Magius used an Uwasa to control their minds. She realizes she’ll be hunted down if she stays there any longer.

As she tries to flee, Shizuku runs into a Witch that was waiting in the Hotel. She wonders if the Magius set this Witch up in case there were other defectors like Shizuku. But if Shizuku stays to fight the Witch she’ll be caught by the others. As Shizuku wonders how she’s going to escape, she remembers the rooftop key she received as payment and realizes she can use it to escape the barrier.

Episode Sixteen

Outside of the barrier, a Black Feather attacks Shizuku, who fights her off. She remembers the black gem that Ryo had given her and realizes that it is filled with her magic and therefore her magic signature. She can use it as a decoy to disguise where she really is.

Episode Seventeen

As she escapes the hotel, Shizuku knows she has to hurry and warn the girls of Kamihama about what’s coming. But it seems all the entrances and exits to the headquarters have been sealed off except for one. She knows that that exit is near the southern base of the hotel, but she has no idea which direction that is. It’s then she remembers the compass she was given. Shizuku still doesn’t understand what Ikumi and Ryo want from her as a Black Feather catches up to her. Shizuku takes her down easily enough and makes a run for it.

At the southern exit, she sees Ikumi and Ryo waiting for her. They knew she’d make a break for it once she came to her senses. Shizuku realizes they had been planning to help her escape from the start. Ikumi and Ryo deny this, saying they never meant to let her escape since she would then be their enemy. Shizuku urges them to escape with her since the Magius are just using them. Ikumi asks her why they weren’t brainwashed the same as everyone else. The other Feathers had sworn their loyalty to the Magius, but her and Ryo are different: they had sworn loyalty to the concept of liberation itself. Meaning they would continue to work and do what was needed so long as they still had the hope of being freed from their fates. They won’t run the risk of turning traitor and have been stationed at the base. Ikumi says they won’t let her escape and will fight her. Shizuku can’t understand why they would help her get this far if they plan on fighting her at the end.

Episode Eighteen

In a flashback, Ryo and Ikumi are called into an office to discuss the training of a new Black Feather recruit. While Ryo has trained recruits with Ikumi before, this is the first time they’ve been called into a special meeting about it. Mifuyu is waiting for them inside, and she instructs them they are to train the newest recruit. But she also wants them to free Shizuku of her brainwashing. Ryo can’t believe what she’s heard as Mifuyu confirms that she used the Memory Museum on her under orders from the Magius. Normally they wouldn’t take such drastic measures to recruit someone, but her space fusion magic is too tempting for them to risk giving her up. Ikumi thinks they’ve gone too far and Mifuyu agrees, believing they’ve been too rash lately and impatient. Mifuyu thinks they’ll continue to resort to measures like this, meaning there will be more brainwashed girls like Shizuku. She means to minimize the chances of that happening as much as possible. She begs them to free Shizuku from her brainwashing while maintaining the appearance of obedience as Mifuyu works on releasing the other girls from their brainwashing. When asked why they were chosen, MIfuyu explains that she wouldn’t be able to ask this of anyone who is loyal to the Magius. Both Ikumi and Ryo agree to help.

As they discuss what they spoke about afterwards, Ryo asks Ikumi why she agreed to help. Ikumi believes that Shizuku only joined because she was brainwashed and therefore she’ll be betraying her own feelings which could be dangerous for a Magical Girl. Ryo agrees, knowing that the longer time goes by the more it’ll hurt once she comes to her senses. Just because they share the same goals doesn’t mean they have to agree with the means of achieving them.

Back in the present, Ikumi tells Shizuku that she’ll have to beat them if she wants to escape since they don’t know what she’ll do, but Shizuku doesn’t understand why.

Episode Nineteen

Shizuku stands behind Ikumi and Ryo, having defeated them and regained the bright gleam in her eyes. She promises to never forgive the Magius for betraying their allies while saying they would save them. Since she can’t believe in the future she was promised, she vows to put an end to whatever it is the Wings of Magius are planning. Ryo says she has no regrets, even if she were to stop them. But she’s begun to hate herself too for clinging to liberation despite wanting to save Shizuku. Ikumi also intends to fulfill their liberation even if she has to use the Magius to achieve that. Ikumi promises they won’t cross any lines, however. Shizuku thanks them for their help and hopes they’ll meet again in the future under better circumstances. As they’re left behind, Ikumi begins to sob a bit.

Episode Twenty

Shizuku stands panting as she runs through the streets of Kamihama. She can sense magic nearby and she knows the Feathers are already in the streets. She knows she would still be brainwashed if it wasn’t for Ikumi and Ryo. Thanks to them she was able to truly remember her friend Ayaka. Even though she had pushed Ayaka away and had gotten mad at her, it was only because she was the only one she can be that emotional with and still be friends. Originally Shizuku believed the only place she could belong and be herself was at the side of the guy she liked. But now she knows that that place can also exist by Ayaka’s side since she can be herself around her. She knows she has to tell Ayaka, even if it means going against her former mentors.

Shizuku calls Ayaka on her phone. Ayaka is surprised to hear from her and thought at first it might be a kidnapper even if the caller ID did say Shizuku. Shizuku says she’s not that far from the truth when she called it a kidnapping, but tells her she’ll explain later. Shizuku says she has something important to tell her and at the same time both of them apologize to each other. Shizuku apologizes for being dramatic and pushing her away. Ayaka tears up and says she’s sorry for clowning around even though she was aware that Shizuku was taking it seriously.

Shizuku accepts her apology, but warns her that something more important is going on: Ayaka needs to run and hide from some Magical Girls that want them all dead. Ayaka gets the message and evacuates as soon as possible after making sure Shizuku will be ok. Just then, a number of Black Feathers catch up to Shizuku and attack. Shizuku remembers that Ryo and Ikumi had given her one last thing to help her.

Episode Twenty-One

Shizuku continues to fight off the numerous Black Feathers that come at her from all directions as she tries to escape. Just as she nears her destination, she’s attacked by a White Feather. Shizuku finds herself unable to speak due to her body being wracked in pain. She hears the voices of Felicia Mitsuki and Tsuruno Yui announcing an all clear. She then hears the voice of Ayaka worrying about the injuries that Shizuku had sustained. Shizuku is glad to hear that Ayaka is safe as Ayaka looks over her, apologizing again for everything that’s happened between them. Ayaka says that Shizuku is the only one who ever laughs at her jokes. Mentally Shizuku thinks she still doesn’t understand Ayaka’s sense of humor but she’s just happy to be by her side. She’s not sure why, but the idea of being with Ayaka doesn’t bother her at all. She thanks Ikumi and Ryo once more for their help in her escape and regrets that the next time they meet may be as enemies. Still, Shizuku would like nothing more than to have dinner with them once again.

External Links

JP Server

• Complete Event Youtube Recording
• Challenge Quest Dialogue Youtube Recording

NA Server

• Complete Event Youtube Recording