Tart Magica Chapter 3

The chapter begins with Kyubey telling Tart he'd like to make a contract with her to become a magical girl. He explains how she would have to fight witches, much like Riz has just done, in exchange for any wish. Before Tart can answer however, her father appears with a few of the other villagers. He finds Tart standing next to Catherine's inert body as Tart explains she's merely fainted. Her father breathes a sigh of relief as he surveys the field of fallen soldiers. Tart explains how they were attacked and saved thanks to the likes of Riz before suddenly fainting, the tension and exertion of the fight earlier having spent the last of her energy. Riz carries the girls to their home where Tart's father, Jacques lays out a humble feast as thanks to Riz. Catherine flits around Riz, thanking her for rescuing her earlier and asking for her name. Riz replies it's "Riz Viscounti" and Tart's mother appears, asking if it's an Italian name. Riz explains that while she was indeed born in Italy, her job as a hired sword is what brought her here to France. As she wonders where Tart is, her three brothers Jacquemin, Jean, and Pierre simultaneously reply that she's still asleep in the other room. Riz goes to check on her despite the others telling her she hasn't awakened yet.

In the darkened room, Kyubey sits on the open windowsill and watches as Tart continues to rest. Riz asks Kyubey if he's sure it's this girl. Kyubey is certain that she is indeed the one that they have been searching for. As Riz brushes Tart's hair away from her face, Tart stirs then awakens, surprised to find herself in her own room. She's shocked to see Kyubey and Riz there and realizes that their meeting earlier was not a dream. Kyubey tells Tart that they were searching for her because he looks for girls with the potential to become magical girls and fight off the monster-like witches that are out there. He asks her again if she would be willing to contract with him. As Tart looks out at the full moon, she replies that she can't. Kyubey asks her for her reason and she replies that she is just a normal girl with no special abilities and all she can do is pray to God. Kyubey tells her that once she makes the contract, she will have power and any wish she asks for will be granted, no matter how miraculous it may seem. Tart believes that miracles are happening before her eyes already and that the only thing she could have wished for, namely the safety of her family, friends, and the townspeople, has already been granted. Her father enters the room and Tart explains how she has just awoken and was talking to these two. However as Kyubey explains to her, her father and other normal people cannot see Kyubey. Tart dismisses what she said earlier and asks her father what he needed. In fact, he came to see Riz and ask her if she was free to be a village guard. The soldiers are too numerous for him and the limited number of trained men to defend their town and allow the villagers to work. Kyubey telepathically tells Riz this is a stroke of good luck as they needed an excuse to stay close by Tart. Riz agrees to the job and Jacques is overjoyed as he heads to tell the other villagers and offers his home to Riz. Now that Jacques has finally left, Kyubey resumes his conversation with Tart telling her that, although he certainly cannot force her to do anything, her potential as a magical girl is very real and even he cannot understand why, as Tart is certainly not nobility. He reminds her that he can grant any wish should she decide upon one in the coming days and in the meantime she can see exactly what a magical girl is.

The following day, Kyubey watches as Tart swings a sword about clumsily. Riz walks over and asks what she's doing up so early. Tart replies that, although she's still not sure about being a magical girl and hasn't decided upon a wish yet, she does want to at least be able to defend herself and Catherine in the future. Kyubey doesn't see the purpose, as she'd have strength to spare were she to become a magical girl. As Riz watches Tart, she tells her she swings a sword like a drunk and asks if she's never held a sword before. Tart proudly beams as she's never even injured another person before as the penance would be too great. Riz takes her hands in her own and adjusts her handle on the hilt, telling her not to hold it so tightly lest she injure herself in the process. Catherine watches with amazement as Riz swings the sword down lightly with Tart. While Catherine is excited and asks if she too can learn, Riz warns her she's still too young for such lessons. But Catherine can only give her puppy eyes and ask again, as it's not fair that only Tart should learn. Her pleading gets to Riz and she finally acquiesces, telling her to fetch a wooden stick for a practice sword. Tart thanks Riz once more for protecting her and her family and the two continue with their sword practice in the days to come. Again and again soldiers attempt to attack the village, but Riz fends them off each time.

The year is 1428 and one day, Riz is watching Tart at sword practice and comments on her tight grip and waste of movement. Catherine, however, has taken to the sword and has improved greatly over Tart as she practices her sword swings nearby. Kyubey agrees and wishes that Catherine also had the potential to be a magical girl, but Tart objects, not wanting her sister to be mixed up in anything dangerous. Seeing as how Tart has still not come up with a wish in the past three years, Kyubey considers that it may be time for them to move on. He tells Riz they'll come back when Catherine is a bit older. Riz wonders if maybe they stayed too long because it was simply too comfortable to stay. Riz then turns to guard a shipment of goods the village is sending out. As Catherine bids Riz goodbye, nearby in the shadows some soldiers watch as Riz leaves with the shipment. Tart looks down sadly and tells Catherine that Riz may not be returning to the village. Before she can elaborate, she notices smoke in the distance. The village has been set on fire and soldiers slash the villagers indiscriminately as they pillage their homes. Tart and Catherine arrive at the scene and a soldier turns his attention to them. Tart stands protectively in front of Catherine and as the soldier reaches out for them, Tart runs at him and grabs his sword arm, pulling it down only for the soldier to kick her away. The soldier pulls out a dagger and before Tart can get back up, Catherine picks up a nearby sword and charges at the soldier. She slashes at his shoulder before he can react and dodges the swing of his dagger. She drops down and proceeds to stab the soldier through with her sword. She stands stunned until Tart calls her name, at which point she turns and smiles, relieved to find Tart unharmed. Immediately, the tip of a sword pierces through her heart from behind and she falls down dead before Tart. Tart drops to her knees, screaming out her sister's name. Satisfied with their spoils, the soldiers turn and leave, ignoring the crying Tart as she tries to console her now dead sister.

A short time later, Riz is seen standing by Tart and surveying the damage. She couldn't have suspected that their enemies were waiting for just such an opportunity when Riz would not be around. Tart sobs as she tries to tell Riz that she is the older sister and she should have been protecting Catherine, not the other way around. Only a few hours ago they were living in peace, and she now realizes how easily such peace can be ruined. Tart turns to Kyubey and asks if her sister and village to be restored if she wished for it. Kyubey tells Tart that although he can grant this wish, there is no guarantee that she wouldn't lose them again in the same way, or possibly lose her father, mother or brothers as well. He tells her France is a place in which such tragedies as these are enacted daily, and witches wouldn't even be needed since normal soldiers bring more than enough grief and take just as many lives. France is embroiled in a war that shows no signs of ending. Tart stays quiet as she looks out at the ransacked remains of her village. She thanks Catherine for saving her, and cuts off her long braid as she declares that she will become a magical girl in order to prevent this tragedy from happening to anyone else. Kyubey asks her what her wish will be and Tart stands before him as she wishes for the power to bring light to France. A large burst of light pierces the overcast sky above and engulfs Tart as far away, both Eliza and Melissa see the glow of light. Light and Hope bathed all of France in that moment of Tart's transformation. But the brighter the light, the blacker the darkness as the scene shifts and shows tens of magical girl courtesans standing double file before a woman in a throne chair, the cat masked magical girl standing beside her.