"Tch... no one else coming to pick a fight?"
Accelerator had wandered until nearly 2 AM without encountering another enemy.
Thoroughly bored, he decided to find somewhere to sleep—somewhere away from Yuuki.
He could handle ambushes. She couldn't.
If Yuuki got attacked, she wouldn't even be able to run.
Especially here, where even he needed time to figure out the secrets, the danger was too high.
He couldn't afford to linger near her and give away her position.
At least she was confined to a medical pod. That made her identity difficult to trace.
Unless another Master happened to be hospitalized in the same facility, exposure was unlikely.
His silhouette melted into darkness, vanishing beneath the night sky.
"Ho ho..."
"So Diavolo actually fled from that one?"
DIO had trailed him silently, witnessing everything. He murmured to himself.
He hadn't observed the full confrontation between Diavolo and this Servant, but the residual trace of an activated Stand ability told the story. That octopus-headed idiot must have tried attacking.
And clearly, it hadn't gone well.
"This war may not be as straightforward as I assumed..."
A realization dawned. DIO fell into contemplation.
First Jotaro. Now this peculiar individual.
Had he not worried about alerting Jotaro with another time stop, he would've loved to test this stranger's capabilities personally.
...…
*Tch!*
Jolted awake in the dead of night, Yoshikage Kira was thoroughly displeased.
He spared a glance at the woman sleeping beside him—unremarkable—then rose and moved to the window.
"What's wrong, Kira? Insomnia doesn't suit you at all."
"Still worrying about your identity being exposed?"
"You've got that Servant running interference. Even if Rohan Kishibe comes sniffing around, we needn't worry."
From within the small photograph, Kira's father—Yoshihiro—poked out half his body on the windowsill to speak.
Yoshikage Kira was famously disciplined. His own classic "self-introduction" made that clear: insomnia was virtually impossible for him.
"It's not just that. This thing won't stop buzzing."
"The noise is keeping me awake."
Kira answered his father honestly.
Yoshihiro followed his son's gaze—and discovered the Arrow. The very one that should have merged with Kira's body had reappeared, separate again.
"What...?!"
"It fused with me earlier and granted Killer Queen a new ability. But now it's detached."
"..."
"No effect on me—the power remains. But this restlessness... it's searching for someone."
"It must have sensed a person with enormous potential."
Yoshihiro swallowed hard. He'd spent years using the Arrow to create Stand users. He understood exactly what this behavior meant.
The Arrow only reacted when a potential Stand wielder emerged.
And the more violent the reaction, the greater that potential.
"I see. It thinks it's found someone more valuable than me?"
Understanding the principle, Kira gripped the strange Arrow, his expression darkening.
"Mm..."
Yoshihiro hesitated.
He could take the Arrow and seek the target out—but whether the newly awakened user would cooperate was another matter entirely.
The people he'd targeted before had all been manageable. He'd never worried about rebellion.
But this trembling... he'd never seen the Arrow react like this. It seemed almost impatient.
Which meant this new target could very well become an extraordinarily powerful Stand user.
If recruitment went smoothly, fine.
As an ally, that could be reassuring. But if they turned hostile, the complications could be immense.
"Forget it. Take the Arrow and find out who it is."
"If we can use them against Jotaro Kujo, all the better."
"I'm invincible now, anyway."
Kira handed the Arrow over. The thought of Bites the Dust's power swept away his concerns.
For someone who could rewind time, the identity of the opponent was irrelevant.
His partnership with his Servant had already rendered him untouchable.
No point fretting over anomalies.
"Understood. I'll go investigate."
Accepting the Arrow, Yoshihiro—ever doting on his son—trusted his judgment completely.
...…
'Won't you make a contract with me and become a Magical Girl?'
'Magical Girls... become Witches.'
'Don't be pessimistic. Your existence was born for the sake of the universe.'
*BANG!!*
'If Soul Gems give birth to Witches, then everyone's only option is to die?!'
'We'll all become those monsters in the end!!'
'Stop...'
Miyu watched the scene unfold, pupils trembling with horror.
After learning the truth, the girls had turned on each other—slaughtering one another—until only two remained.
She understood now.
This was Archer's life.
The memories of the Magical Girl named "Akemi Homura."
'You can return to the past... right?'
'Can you go save that idiot version of me—before Kyubey ever tricked her?'
'I promise you... I'll save you. No matter how many times it takes!'
'I don't want to become a Witch.'
Two figures lay on the ground, drenched in wounds, exchanging those words. The anguish in their eyes struck Miyu to the core.
So... this was what Magical Girls truly were?
Slaying monsters was a facade. In truth, only endless suffering and inevitable tragedy awaited them.
Too cruel...
Even young as she was, Miyu grasped the devastating blow this reality dealt those girls—and the scars it left on their hearts.
"!"
She woke with a start. Through the window, overcast skies promised an uneasy morning.
7:42
Checking the clock, Miyu sat up in bed.
"Archer?"
"What's wrong?"
Sensing Miyu's melancholy, Homura materialized beside her.
"Your wish... is to save your friend?"
"!"
Homura's pupils contracted at the question—but she didn't immediately respond.
"You've been struggling... suffering this whole time."
"That's why you're so desperate to make it come true."
Miyu lowered her gaze, voice soft.
She understood now—Homura's obsession, transcending all reason.
Endless loops. All to find a way to save a single friend.
Though Miyu's circumstances differed, she recognized the feeling.
Her brother had been the same—protecting her with everything he had, sending her away from their doomed world.
Everyone had it so hard...
All anyone wanted was to protect the person who mattered most.
"I'm sorry..."
"?"
Homura blinked, unsure why Miyu would apologize.
But one thing she knew for certain: the magical energy pulsing from this girl proved Miyu was far from ordinary.