Watching Kyubey depart, Lancer turned his gaze toward Zero, who had somehow sidled up next to him. Seeing her wearing a "Look how well-behaved I am" expression, Lancer simply crossed his arms and looked down at her with a stern, silent stare. Even without words, Zero knew exactly what that look meant.
In the original plan, Lancer had intended for Zero to make contact with Kaname Madoka and the others—ideally saving them. So, while Lancer had indeed arrived at the very last second just as he'd said, it was purely thanks to their luck. So, where did the problem lie?
What happened to the backup he'd left behind?
Internally, Zero was panicking. She knew the fault for this failure lay with her link in the chain. After all, she was essentially a weapon; maintaining a human form and using her "Transformation" both consumed energy. Normally, being near Lancer was like having a portable power bank, so it didn't matter. But when operating independently, her magical energy was a finite resource.
So, where did all that mana—which Lancer had calculated would last her at least 20 minutes of combat—go?
Zero carefully reviewed her day:
Right after crawling out of the briefcase, she saw a bee-like Familiar floating past carrying a cake. She decisively "eliminated" it and stole the cake. This, however, kicked the hornet's nest; she was swarmed by bees. While the Familiars weren't a threat, fighting them off drained a chunk of her mana.Because of the fight with the Familiars, she got lost in the Barrier, wasting time before finally locating Madoka and Sayaka.Under Sayaka "Cake Offensive," she went all out, steamrolling everything in her path. She killed nearly a hundred Familiars, but the price was most of her mana. This was why she lacked the energy to interfere when Mami fought the Sweets Witch and could only protect the girls from the rear.
Reviewing points 1, 2, and 3, Zero finally realized one thing: she was absolutely screwed today.
To be honest, Lancer was angry. Zero hadn't completed the task he'd set, but it was a measured anger. He didn't know the specifics of her detour; he was being stern because he'd noticed Zero becoming increasingly "lazy" in her daily life recently. He wanted to take this chance to "educate" her.
But seeing a toddler in a plush suit squatting on the ground, head in hands and shivering, he found himself at a loss for words. And besides—
"Dr. Lancer! This girl just saved Madoka and me! You're not allowed to bully her!"
Lancer wondered if Miki Sayaka body just moved faster than her brain, or if she was simply an idiot. Her legs were visibly shaking, yet she stood resolutely in front of him as a shield.
Lancer mood became incredibly subtle. Though the method differed from what he'd imagined, Zero had technically completed the mission, right?
Lancer hand moved closer to Miki Sayaka. Her legs shook harder, and she eventually squeezed her eyes shut. But instead of pain, she felt a light ruffling of her hair.
"I won't let you get away with it so easily next time."
Lancer didn't state who he was talking to specifically, but it served as a confirmation. Sayaka and Madoka beamed with relief, and Zero, who had been in "Head-Down Defense Mode," looked like a death row inmate who'd just received a pardon.
Right then—
Buzz... buzz...
A phone vibrated. Madoka scrambled to answer it.
"Madoka?! You finally picked up! Where are you and Sayaka? You were right there and then you just vanished! And I couldn't get through to your phones..."
The frantic, anxious voice made the previously joyful Sayaka and Madoka look instantly awkward. Between the Witch and the rescue, they'd completely forgotten they'd come to the hospital with Hitomi Shizuki. They'd been pulled into the Barrier, but she hadn't; being unable to find them had clearly worried her sick.
No one likes being nagged, but the two couldn't help but smile through their helplessness. After all, her anger was proof of her care.
After hanging up, they apologized to Lancer and Mami and went running off the rooftop.
Watching the energetic Sayaka drag Madoka away, Lancer shook his head.
Only then did Zero undo her transformation, returning to her usual dress-wearing self.
If Olga Marie "Transformation" was a standard power-up for defense and sorcery, Zero was... unconventional.
Normally, it was a "Monster" plush suit with decent defense but zero offense. Feeding it a bit of mana turned it into an exoskeleton that looked suspiciously like the "Non-Killing Owl." The main difference was the lack of kakuhou and a much brighter color scheme.
Feeding it even more mana would turn it into the "One-Eyed Owl."
Because of this, Lancer had suspected her identity before. But every time he remembered her squirrel-like expression while holding a cake, or the heartfelt smile she gave while devouring Tiger's cooking, he'd shake his head and scold himself for being too suspicious.
In his memory, the "Owl" had used a literary-girl persona as a disguise, but Lancer—who had encountered her several times—could see the madness in her eyes. Her past had left her wary of everyone, like a hedgehog that bites.
Lancer might not be the best judge of character, but at least he knew she wasn't like this girl.
Looking at Zero, who was now wearing a "perfectly behaved" expression at his feet, Lancer would likely never guess that the soul inside really was the "One-Eyed Owl" who once terrified thousands.
Unfortunately, even those who knew her before wouldn't recognize her now. She had turned into a "True Foodie." Was it the body influencing the soul, or was she always a foodie at heart?
Even she probably didn't know the answer...