Madoka Kaname, Sayaka Miki, and Homura Akemi all mostly wore confused expressions. After all, they truly didn't know anything. Because of Lancer intervention, they hadn't encountered any danger; even Kyubey could only try to manipulate them through hollow words.
Although they were "in the know," they hadn't actually been dragged into the center of the incident. Mami Tomoe and Kyoko Sakura were different. As the ones directly involved, they had already begun to harbor negative feelings toward Kyubey due to the information Lancer provided. Even so, there was a difference between the two of them.
If we say Kyoko—who hated Kyubey to begin with—had been completely won over by Lancer, Mami was still hesitating because of the goodwill Kyubey had built up previously.
Though she appeared like a true lady—gentle and strong—hidden beneath that tough exterior was a very "fragile" heart. After her family died, Kyubey was the one who had stayed by her side. Since she hadn't had any companions later on, she had almost treated Kyubey as her pillar of support.
But with Kyubey temporary absence and Lancer timely entry, those cruel realities were laid bare before her.
Thinking about how she had used children like Nagisa Momoe to absorb the negative emotions from her Soul Gem made her feel consumed by guilt. Furthermore, even though Lancer had never explicitly explained the connection between "Magical Girls" and "Witches," the similarities she discovered between Soul Gems and Grief Seeds led her to start doubting the relationship between the two on her own.
Her former pillar had come crashing down; the complexity of Mami internal state was easy to imagine.
If Kyoko hadn't reappeared and her three underclassmen weren't also supporting her, she might have completely broken down by now. Of course, the most critical reason was that Lancer had given her a "solution."
What is scarier than death is the process of waiting for it. Similarly, for Mami, more than the fact that she had unknowingly become an accomplice, what she cared about more was her inability to make up for her past mistakes. Lancer had given her a chance at redemption. Even if it was just to atone for her past actions, she would persevere.
Now, facing Kyubey question—which was no different from usual—her expression became extremely complicated, but she eventually shook her head.
"It's nothing. I was just thinking about what you mentioned earlier, Kyubey."
Although she wanted to question him directly, she suppressed the urge, remembering Lancer warning before they left.
For her, who had become lost due to the shock to her worldview, Lancer had essentially pointed out the path ahead. Combined with Lancer "age advantage," she chose to follow his arrangements—such as not turning against Kyubey just yet.
With a light leap from Madoka shoulder, Kyubey landed on the headrest of the seat, lying down like a real pet.
Though his movements and that perpetual smile were no different from usual, Mami couldn't help but feel something was off in her heart.
Thinking about how she had done so many things she found unacceptable because of his deception, she felt an overwhelming sense of sorrow.
As for Kyubey not knowing?
In Mami eyes, if Lancer—someone she'd known for less than a month—could figure it out, how could the one who helped her become a magical girl possibly not know?
Being stared at by him now made Mami feel nervous, but fortunately, Kyubey only tilted his head and looked at her for a moment before turning away.
"I was planning to go to your house, Mami, to tell everyone. After all, even if ordinary people can't see me, discussing 'Witches' is a bit conspicuous. Since we're in Mr. Lancer car, I'll just tell everyone directly————'Walpurgisnacht' is about to descend."
Silence fell over the car when Kyubey said this, but in reality, aside from Lancer and Olga Marie—who already knew of Walpurgisnacht's existence—everyone else was mostly just confused.
"Walpurgisnacht? What's that?"
If we're talking about which of the three "ordinary girls" in the car cared most about magical girls, it was Sayaka Miki.
Madoka had no sense of urgency regarding "Magical Girls" because of Lancer presence, viewing it purely as a "fantasy." Homura, on the other hand, had Lancer "guarantee" that he could heal her body. Sayaka, however, had much more straightforward thoughts on the matter.
If before she had considered making a wish to secure her feelings, the recent time she spent obsessing over "Witches" had led to less contact with Kyosuke Kamijo. Meanwhile, the relationship between her friend Hitomi Shizuki and Kyosuke had rapidly heated up, leading Sayaka to silently choose to end her unrequited feelings.
Her thoughts on "Magical Girls" were now more pure. Though she appeared tomboyish, it didn't mean her heart lacked a woman's delicateness. She hoped she could become a woman like Mami—not just appearing like a refined lady, but also silently protecting the city from the shadows. It was the ideal combination of gentle and cool!
Mami used to think Sayaka was the one she had the best chance of convincing, but seeing her so enthusiastic now gave Mami a sharp pang of pain. It felt as if she were watching herself push an innocent girl into the abyss.
Just as she was about to speak, she felt her right hand being squeezed. She looked over to see Kyoko leaning against the window with her head propped on one hand, giving her a look that said, "Let me handle this."
Mami suppressed her thoughts for the moment. When Kyoko spoke, she was far from polite.
"Kyubey, I've never heard of this 'Walpurgisnacht' thing from you, but it's no doubt an enemy related to 'Witches,' right? So why drag these little girls into it? They can't help at all!"
Kyoko had disliked Kyubey from the start, and her attitude toward it had never been good. It wasn't strange for her to speak sharply now, though one wondered if the emphasis she put on "little girls" was a bit of personal spite because the other three girls were her age but taller.
Facing Kyoko questioning, Kyubey simply shook his head.
"If Madoka and the others knew nothing, then naturally I wouldn't tell them. But since they already know a bit, and I've notified Mami through Madoka, telling them about the events to follow is just a way to let them prepare themselves mentally."
What Kyubey said seemed reasonable enough, but in reality————it was nothing but lies!