Junko had left for work. Madoka had left for school. Even Tomohisa had gone to drop Tatsuya off at daycare first.
For the time being, Yimi had the house to herself. A perfect chance to cook.
She stood on a step stool, carefully handling chunks of Kyubey meat.
Skinned, a Kyubey didn't look like much of anything identifiable—somewhere between a rabbit and a mouse in build. Once the blood was drained, the pale white flesh didn't exactly inspire any appetite for eating it raw.
So Yimi would need to use her decent knife skills to debone and dice it. For sashimi, this was more or less all the prep work required.
To conserve ingredients, she used only two pieces. The System's requirement was delicious, not filling.
The last step was that lonely sauce stuff. She'd forgotten to ask Tomohisa how to use it again.
The little cat peered down at the meat she'd arranged in a bowl, then cautiously drizzled in a little lonely sauce. It didn't look like enough. She dumped the whole bottle in.
She personally didn't understand what humans saw in this stuff. But they were wild about it.
"Your behavior has exceeded the scope of any intelligent species I've encountered." A fresh, intact Kyubey hopped onto the table and stared at the sashimi Yimi had just sealed under plastic wrap.
"'Our' flesh was never meant for consumption. No matter how elaborate your preparation method, it won't become palatable. That said, it does contain nutrients not found on Earth. Is that what you're after?"
Of course it couldn't figure it out—based on its covert observations, Yimi should have already used something like Miracle to make the meat taste good.
"If you possess the power to freely manipulate 'Miracle,' then both 'deliciousness' and 'nutrition' shouldn't pose any difficulty for you."
It settled onto the cutting board, pink beady eyes meeting Yimi's gaze. "A 'Miracle' generated directly from within yourself—power like a perpetual motion machine, infinite and entropy-free. That shouldn't exist under the current laws of the universe. So are you a god?"
"Probably not?"
Yimi rinsed the kitchen knife under the faucet and looked down at the Kyubey on the cutting board.
"If you're fond of the flesh I use for my activities, I can provide as much as you want." Kyubey didn't flinch, casually scratching its neck with a hind leg. "However, the apple you used to sign the contract with Miki Sayaka—that technology is something I, and indeed the entire universe, need."
"Oh." Yimi folded her arms, deciding this trade was a ripoff.
Kyubey meat tasted so awful that it obviously wasn't a fair exchange for her invention. And the last time she'd used Miracle to make the meat taste good, the System had rejected it as cheating.
"Are you holding a grudge because I previously refused to share the Magical Girl technology with you? But what I did was perfectly reasonable. If an unknown individual like you obtained that technology and found a way to circumvent it, it would pose an enormous obstacle to the continuation of the universe. Even now I still can't predict your behavior. Would you care to explain your motives?"
Kyubey's expression hadn't shifted one millimeter from its perpetual cute-face. "Besides, even so, you still managed to get your hands on the principles of Magical Girl contracts using your own methods, didn't you?"
"Creatures with emotions wouldn't want to see girls sacrificed, right? This could be a win-win. With a better alternative, there'd be no need to rely on energy from Witches to sustain the universe. Or does that not matter to something like you?"
Yimi lowered her head further, thinking hard.
It was Kyubey's system that was messed up in the first place. So why did it now feel like she was the one in the wrong?
She pointed at Kyubey. "Where's your home base?"
"Somewhere in the universe."
"I'm back." The sound of the front door cut them off.
Tomohisa had returned from dropping Tatsuya at daycare. Spotting where Yimi was standing, he hurried over and scooped her up. "If you want something to eat, just tell me, okay? Wait until school teaches you home economics before you try cooking on your own."
He assumed the adopted child felt insecure and was trying to contribute to earn her keep.
"School?" Yimi looked up at him.
"School enrollment paperwork. But first—adoption paperwork. Are you seven or eight?"
That was exactly why he'd sent Tatsuya to daycare today. Busy schedule.
"Oh." Yimi nodded. Joseph had done this for her in the last world too.
"Just… accepting it, huh…"
Had this child already figured out she'd been abandoned?
Tomohisa took her small hand with a pang of sympathy and led her toward the door. Meanwhile, the Kyubey on the cutting board hopped up onto Yimi's head and settled there as naturally as anything.
Yimi tilted her head back to glance at it but didn't shoo it away.
Having it come to her voluntarily gave Yimi the feeling of keeping emergency rations around. No reason to deal with it right away.
…
…
This Tomohisa wasn't playing fair. He said he was taking the kitty to handle adoption paperwork—she'd figured it was just signing some stuff and going home. But after that was done, he didn't head back. He walked straight toward the hospital.
Did he think she didn't know what a hospital was? Back when she was tiny, Grandma had lured her into a carrier with cat treats. There'd be a doctor who pinned her down and stuck her with a needle.
Good thing she was clever. She told Tomohisa she needed the bathroom and slipped away.
"Hey, kid!"
A familiar voice called out. In a nearby alley, Kyoko Sakura flashed a bright grin, an apple in one hand, the other waving Yimi over.
"Come here a sec—I found a super sweet apple."
Sweet!
Yimi ran over without a shred of caution, not even stopping to wonder why Kyoko would be in this city.
"Good, good, good… gotcha!" The moment the little girl was close enough, Kyoko snatched her by the collar and pocketed the apple, refusing to share.
"Hm?"
"Sacrifice, huh?" Kyoko raised her hand and brought it down square on Yimi's butt.
That little brat had lured her all the way to Mitakihara, and not only had she gotten nothing out of it, Mami Tomoe had taunted her right to her face!
"Mmf!" The little cat yelped.
At the same time, Kyoko straightened up and furiously rubbed her own rear.
That was weird. There was a wall behind her, nothing else.
Kyoko swatted twice more.
"Hsss—" The pained hiss came from her own mouth.
She glanced at the Kyubey perched on Yimi's head. Understanding hit instantly.
"You went and contracted after all."
A Magical Girl's abilities were tied to her wish and personality. Mami Tomoe had the power of binding and connection. This little brat's seemed to be about not wanting to get hurt—or maybe some kind of shared-pain ability?
Not very useful in actual Witch combat. Who'd voluntarily take a hit?
But damn, the pain was real.
Kyoko rubbed her butt and flipped up Yimi's hood, staring in surprise at the cat ears beneath.
"What did you wish for?"
Yimi blinked through teary eyes, completely at a loss as to why she'd just been spanked.
"You're mistaken about that. I haven't signed a contract with her," Kyubey clarified from its perch. "In fact, her very existence and behavior are beyond my comprehension."
"Hah?"
Yimi shot Kyoko a wounded look.
But the kitty was big-hearted. She repaid cruelty with kindness, producing the Kyubey sashimi she'd just made. "Here. For you."
"What is this sketchy stuff?" Kyoko eyed the suspicious substance. Deeply baffled—but as someone who'd gone hungry before, she still pinched a piece and tried it.
Kyubey meat, drowned under an entire bottle of wasabi.
…
…
Mitakihara Middle School. The rooftop.
"Sayaka seems to be in a great mood."
"Because Kyosuke recovered today." Sayaka had confirmed it with her own eyes. The power of Miracle really was incredible.
But she felt guilty looking at Madoka. She'd told her friend not to even think about becoming a Magical Girl, then gone and done it first. From Madoka's perspective, it probably looked like Sayaka had been hoarding some great opportunity.
"Miki Sayaka." The transfer student's voice came from behind.
Before Sayaka could turn around to respond, she spotted a familiar figure through the rooftop railing, down in the street below.
"Madoka, isn't that your Yimi?"
"Huh?" Madoka looked too.
A red-haired delinquent was chasing a little girl with a broom.
The kitty ran in bewilderment, too fast to actually get hit, and too confused in the moment to think about fighting back.
Humans didn't even like this stuff themselves, and that vendor human had the nerve to sell it to her. The cat got tricked.
Sayaka's jaw dropped. She pointed at Kyoko. "That jerk is bullying a little kid!"