November 2025

  Arisu woke up in her room, letting out a little yawn as the first rays of sunlight came through the solar tube on her ceiling. Her room was in the middle of the apartment, nestled against a neighboring unit, so it had no windows, but the lamp-like installation lit her room up, nonetheless.

  She let out a long, strained groan and wrapped herself tighter in her blanket as she decided that it was still too early for her to get up, all under the watchful gaze of her three Magical Girl figurines at the foot end of the bed. Her attempt to fall back asleep was disturbed, however, as her door opened and Mama Seika snuck inside, kneeling next to the bed and putting a hand on Arisu’s shoulder.

  “Good morning,” she spoke softly to Arisu, who grumbled in response and slowly sat up, blinking away her drowsiness.

  “Morning, mama…” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

  “Do you know what day it is?” Mama Seika asked, and she appeared very giddy about it. Arisu tilted her head and racked her brain, then she perked up.

  “Ah! Saturday! Mama Miori’s birthday was on Thursday, so…”

  “That’s right, we were going to go out into town together. Let’s prepare breakfast, alright? You know that she has a very irregular sleep schedule with her job, so we want to let her get as much sleep today as possible.”

  Arisu nodded and hopped out of the bed, yawning and stretching before she moved into the bath to brush her teeth and get herself ready for the morning. She could hear Mama Seika move around in the kitchen to prepare some things, and soon after Mama Ayame joined her in the bath as usual, with them both brushing quietly next to each other. And, predictably, Mama Ayame used the opportunity to gently pat Arisu’s head again while her mouth’s corners crept upwards into a smile.

  After leaving the bath, Arisu walked towards the dining area of the living room to set the table; she stopped as she saw various books and a notepad on the table. She recognized Mama Miori’s handwriting, while the books were all labelled as learning materials for ‘Fashion Brand Management’.

  “This is…?”

  “Ah, that… put it on the couch table, please,” Mama Seika commented, though as she saw Arisu’s questioning expression, she continued with an explanation.

  “Miori is taking correspondence courses to further her education. She took that job in Snack Starlight to keep in contact with me and never got higher education… so now she’s catching up to get a better job.”

  “And I told her that we could support her, so she doesn’t have to juggle being a mother with her job and her education, but she can be strangely stubborn,” Mama Ayame chimed in and let out a little sigh, before she chuckled to herself.

  “At least she allowed Miyu and Momo to pay for it. It is a rather expensive course. But it’s only for one year, and then she shares work time with us. Any longer course and she wouldn’t get a job with more reasonable times before Arisu graduates, and that was the entire point of her switching jobs.”

  “And she agreed to send her application to Atelier Pierrot. Can’t wait to see her be both the model and brand manager while also being your best customer,” Mama Seika mentioned and they both laughed before she addressed her daughter.

  “Anyway, we should continue. Arisu, can you help me cut these veggies?”

  “On it, mama!”

  Arisu hurried behind the kitchen counter and helped her mothers prepare breakfast for Mama Miori.

  ***

  “Mh… good morning. You three were already up?” Mama Miori asked with a long yawn as she walked out of the big bedroom. Her hair was a little messy, and her eyes half-lidded as she kept trying to blink her tiredness away. She sat down at the table, where Seika quickly put down the prepared breakfast, and immediately chowed down on it.

  Arisu and the rest quickly joined her, and they enjoyed a quiet breakfast together, before Mama Miori put her food down and let out a long, fulfilled sigh.

  “That was good… and you two look like you have something planned. You can’t stop grinning.”

  “Oh, we’re just…” Mama Ayame started.

  “We already wished you a happy birthday, but today we’re going out into town to celebrate properly!” Mama Seika announced in her stead.

  “Hmm, are you?” Mama Miori gave them both a tired smile and stretched again, letting out a long yawn.

  “Well, sure, why not? I’ve been working and studying in tandem for the past month…”

  “You could just push the housework on us, you know…” Mama Ayame started, but Mama Miori quickly shushed her with a little gesture.

  “You don’t have to do anything. We’ll keep doing our chores like we did them before I started studying.”

  “You’re wearing yourself thin, Miori. Trust me, I’ve been there…” Mama Seika warned her with a sigh, and Mama Miori looked at her, seemingly contemplating her words.

  “I don’t know… but I’ll think about it. For now, let’s enjoy our day together, alright?”

  “And here I thought we were going to celebrate my birthday…! Why is it that you are taking our daughter to your otaku spots instead?” Mama Miori said with a laugh, which only intensified as Mama Seika turned around and poked her tongue out at her.

  “Because you suggested that we should use this day to have a family outing with our cute daughter together. And what better way to have a family outing than to share our interests with her?”

  Arisu held multiple Blu-Rays of various anime in her hands, most of them belonging to the Magical Girl genre, which Mama Seika talked about at length before this little interaction. They were in Shibuya’s Animate store, and both her and her mama were admiring the various figurines and the selection of anime to choose from.

  “Besides, the clothing stores are only a stone’s throw away, so let’s take our time!” Mama Seika continued, and Mama Miori let out a chuckle.

  “Alright, alright! I was just teasing you. Of course we’ll do all sorts of things today, so go ahead. Maybe you can convince me to watch some of these together.”

  Mama Miori added a wink to this, which appeared to light a fire under Mama Seika’s heart, and she clenched her fist in front of her chest.

  “Alright! That’s it, Arisu! We’ll have to work together to find the best Magical Girl anime ever made so your mama Miori will watch it together with us!”

  Arisu looked Mama Seika in the eyes, and she only found otaku determination in there – something that she definitely passed on to Arisu. She quickly pumped her fist in the air, signaling her agreement to the proposed plan.

  “On it! We’ll get mama to watch a show with us!”

  And the two were off, running fingers over titles printed on cases, reading descriptions on the back and pondering which Miori would want to watch.

  Arisu knew in the back of her mind that Mama Miori would agree to just about anything, as long as it meant spending time with her family, but still, she tried to find something that would appeal to her. It was her birthday, after all.

  “Hmm, Sailor Moon is the classic, but… ah, it’s a long runner, we have to consider her time to do these things… maybe something shorter, like Magilumiere? No, that one’s more about corporate life…” Mama Seika mused next to Arisu. She was completely focused on Magical Girl series, obviously. There was a certain charm to her excitement about the genre despite being a Magical Girl herself – no, being the Magical Girl herself – which made Arisu adore Mama Seika even more.

  As she continued her search for an appropriate anime to watch together, she turned a corner and was in front of a display case.

  They work fast…

  Right in front of her were brand-new figurines of Mama Minerva and Mama Bellona in their base forms. Minerva Crimson with her cane sword and librarian’s coat, while Bellona wielded her halberd and wore her armor. Even though she knew that they were now celebrities of some kind, being faced with miniature depictions of her own mothers was a little surreal, even more so as they were accompanied by figurines of her aunties, transformed into Luna and Sol. And if that wasn’t enough, the price listed for these figurines made Arisu’s head spin.

  She took a step back, and Mama Seika gently caught her by grabbing her shoulders, eyeing the miniatures curiously.

  “Phew, they got my good side,” she joked, causing Arisu to let out a little laugh.

  “Do you get anything for these?” Arisu asked curiously, looking up at her mama.

  “Hmm, no, not really. Miyu and Momo suggested that they could pull some strings so that part of the proceeds for these go to us, but I’m not sure…”

  “It could help Mama Miori. Maybe she can focus on her studies instead of working.”

  Mama Seika took that idea in and visibly pondered it.

  “You know what? It might be worth a shot, just to prevent her from destroying herself like I did when I was still operating alone, always trying to be everywhere at once… you never know how destructive a lack of sleep is until it hits you.”

  Arisu nodded, then her eyes wandered to a curious boxed set that caught her eye. She could have sworn that she saw Mama Miori from the corner of her eye, but as she stepped closer, she noticed that the blonde wearing a Gothic Lolita outfit had green eyes, and sported twin tails instead of long flowing hair. She was depicted looking at the viewer, while elegantly holding a cup of tea.

  This might not be Magical Girl themed, but Mama Miori might like it for these outfits alone…

  “Hm, what do you have there?” Mama Seika asked as Arisu walked back over to her, holding the boxed set in her hands. She immediately presented it to her mama, who took it in her hands and showed Arisu a gentle smile.

  “Oh, Arisu… Rozen Maiden, really? You really have a good eye for these. Not only will Miori love the outfits, but this is also a classic. Though, from what I remember, the anime ended on a cliffhanger, so let’s buy the manga, too.”

  Arisu nodded enthusiastically, and Mama Seika turned the boxed set around in her hands. The color immediately drained from her face.

  “Ah… what’s wrong, mama?”

  “N-nothing… phew, I guess it is the complete and limited edition, but… ah, nothing’s too expensive if it means I get to share my passions with Miori!”

  “Are you making a bad financial decision, mama?”

  “N-nonsense!”

  ***

  After their purchase, for now kept secret in a tote bag, the two rejoined Mama Miori and Mama Ayame who were chatting just outside of Animate, near a crêpe stand.

  “Got what you wanted?” Mama Miori asked, and both nodded with enthusiasm. Ayame tried to hold in a laugh but still let out a snort.

  “Hm? What is it?” Mama Seika asked with confusion written all over her face.

  “Sorry…! It’s just, you two are so similar sometimes,” Mama Ayame responded with a wide smile, and Arisu felt Mama Seika’s arms wrap around her from the side, with their cheeks squishing together.

  “I know, right? She’s taken after me! I’ve seen her go through my Blu-Rays, watching my Magical Girl shows and my old movies!”

  “Mama… stop! It’s embarrassing!” Arisu complained quietly, and Mama Seika let her go, gently ruffling her hair in departure.

  “Oh, come on, Arisu! You know how much we love you.”

  “Mh… I know, but in public is…”

  “Alright, alright, we’ll save the hugs for when we’re home,” Mama Seika said with a little chuckle, and Arisu nodded.

  “Well, since we’re all here, want to have a little crêpe break?” Mama Miori asked, and there were no objections raised. The little family of four enjoyed their snack break together in peaceful quiet.

  “Hmm, this does look good on you. Spin around for me once!” Mama Ayame demanded, and Arisu obeyed. Her skirt futtered a bit as she demonstrated the clothes she had changed into at the store and settled again as she completed the spin.

  “…well, that was a bit faster than I intended, but I got a good picture!” Mama Ayame laughed and walked around Arisu, inspecting the fashion she picked out earlier. A skirt of about medium length, with a plaid pattern in earthy colors, an off-white cardigan with big buttons and a wool beret. This was supposed to be worn with off-white tights, for the colder months.

  Right after they were done with their crêpes, they entered the train in Shibuya station and drove north to Harajuku and finally walked to this large store housing many different clothing brands, where both Mama Ayame and Mama Miori intended to buy new clothes for Arisu. So, for today, she was like a model, asked which clothes she’d like to try, and sometimes also being handed clothes she didn’t even consider trying out on her own, so her mamas could judge how well they suited her.

  “Hmm… I like it! You look adorable in them! The eyepatch is a little atypical for it, but…” Mama Ayame mused, and Arisu looked at herself in the mirror.

  “Maybe a white eyepatch instead? But uncle Janus gave this one to me…” she started with a sigh, and Mama Ayame stepped next to her, putting her hands on her shoulders.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  “I’m sure we can find something in dark colors, if you prefer those?”

  Arisu pondered and imagined herself in dark colors, like her school uniform. She did like wearing those, but at this point she wondered if her appearance would allow her to wear something cute. Something she could wear on a date, maybe with Mana…

  “Woah… Arisu, your face is glowing red! That wasn’t such an embarrassing suggestion, was it?” Mama Ayame asked with a slightly panicky voice, and Arisu quickly covered her face, clearing her throat.

  “Sorry! I was just thinking about… something.”

  Mama Ayame looked around, in the direction of Mama Seika and Miori, who were chatting a little to the side, then she smiled and gently pushed Arisu towards the changing booth.

  “Or someone, maybe?” she teased after closing the curtain, eyeing Arisu up and down. Her bright smile put Arisu a little bit at ease, though she still wrestled with the decision whether to tell Mama Ayame or not.

  “I’m not going to tell. Is it someone I know?” She asked, looking Arisu in the eye. She squirmed a little, attempting to avoid eye contact, but ultimately, she gave in.

  “…it’s Mana.”

  “Got a crush on her, don’t you?” Mama Ayame asked, then she reached out to pat Arisu’s head. “No need to be embarrassed, Arisu. You know that I’m on your side and you can always talk to me.”

  “Mh… thank you,” she mumbled, looking Mama Ayame in the eyes.

  “Recently, during my fight against Okumo… she took charge and helped me out. She was so cool, that I…” She stopped herself and took a deep breath before she continued. “My heart keeps hammering when I remember it…”

  “Oh dear, the arrow of love hit you good, didn’t it?”

  “Eh? Arrow of love? Like Cousin Cupid’s? I don’t think he’s here…” Arisu started but Ayame let out a little sigh and shook her head.

  “No, no, it’s an expression. You know… the feeling of love just goes… ‘woosh’! Or maybe ‘fwump’! Like you’re being hit by an arrow.”

  “Oh… yes, that’s what it felt like!” Arisu immediately exclaimed as her mama hit the nail on the head. Then she deflated again, fidgeting in place as she tried to sort her thoughts. She only found a question to ask her mama after a minute or so of uncomfortable silence.

  “…how do I… you know… approach her about my feelings?”

  “Ah… well, that’s complicated, and I might not be the best person to ask. I never did manage to confess, and sort of… ended up with your mamas in this strange, wonderful little family we have…” Mama Ayame trailed off, pulling the curtain aside to sneak a peek at Mama Seika and Miori, smiling wistfully.

  “Hmm… so you can’t give me any tips?”

  “Not for a wholesome relationship,” Mama Ayame replied with a chuckle and ruffled Arisu’s hair. “You’d have to ask your Mama Miori for that, she’s been the forward one for nine years and kept asking your Mama Seika out.”

  Arisu nodded and gave Mama Ayame a tight hug, squeezing her a little.

  “Will you help me pick something cute for a date, maybe?”

  “Well, if I’m honest, I think you look cutest in your school uniform. When it doesn’t have holes in it, that is. There’s something about that big ribbon that brings out your adorableness.”

  Arisu pouted for a moment; this wasn’t exactly what she wanted to hear. She imagined trendy clothes from Mama Ayame, who always looked so elegant and stylish.

  “That simplicity suits you, trust me. Seika is also incredibly beautiful in her office lady getup, and you take right after her,” Ayame said with a wink.

  “I kind of want to take after you, Mama Ayame… you’re always so beautiful, and you can wear anything…” Arisu said quietly, and Mama Ayame let out a little laugh, grabbing Arisu’s cheeks and squishing them.

  “Now, now, Arisu. I’m not your mother by blood, even if you are dear to me. You should take after any of the other four, not me, hm? Especially given that I’m not exactly the most… moral woman.”

  Arisu narrowed her eye at Mama Ayame and pouted, squished as her cheeks were.

  “I don’t care. You’re my mama, blood or not. We are all a family, and I don’t care about how ‘moral’ you are…”

  Mama Ayame hesitated after that little declaration, then her surprise melted away into another beautiful smile.

  “Flatterer. Come, I’ll coordinate an outfit for you that will blow Mana away.”

  Arisu hummed happily as she carried bags with a cute, trendy outfit inside and accompanied Mama Miori down the stairs of the shopping center. Mama Seika and Ayame stayed behind to pick out some more clothes, so mother and daughter went to try out some of the more unconventional clothes. Naturally, that meant Gothic Lolita dresses.

  Arisu wasn’t entirely sure whether any of them would fit her, but Mama Miori was very insistent that she’d look cute in them.

  “Here we are. These are even by Atelier Antoinette, Ayame’s studio.”

  “Wait, why can’t we just have Mama Ayame bring some of them home to…” Arisu started, but she was immediately interrupted.

  “It wouldn’t be the same! Trying them on at the store is something special, you’ll see!” Mama Miori insisted, gently pushing Arisu through the rows of dresses. Some felt like they had a pirate theme, others evoked the imagery of old European aristocracy. And above all of them was a banner depicting her mama, dressed in an elegant outfit and giving the viewer an aloof look.

  “Oh dear, those are still up? I did that shot more than a year ago!” her mama exclaimed before she let out a little laugh.

  “I swear, I didn’t want to brag with my micro-celebrity status!”

  “It’s okay, mama. It’s a cute picture!” Arisu quickly insisted, and her mother smiled, letting go of her shoulders and rifling through the rows of dresses. Irregularly, she pulled one out and held it in front of Arisu, letting out a ‘hmm’ here and there.

  “Let’s try this one!” she declared, pulling Arisu into the changing booth while holding a dress. It was black, with purple highlights, and with a rose eyepatch. Arisu was reluctant to part with Uncle Janus’ gift, but Mama Miori simply put the new eyepatch over her old one.

  “There. That looks good on you, and you don’t even need to remove your uncle’s gift,” Mama Miori declared and turned towards the mirror with Arisu. She looked herself up and down, dressed in a black Lolita style outfit and blushed a little. She looked like a princess – of darkness, perhaps – and she was surprised by how well it suited her.

  “See? I knew you would look pretty in this!” Mama Miori declared with a smile, then she wrapped her arms around Arisu’s shoulders and pulled her close all of a sudden, looking down at her with a smile.

  “Mh…? Mama?”

  “Let me have a little moment like this, hm? Mama needs to charge up on Arisu energy…” Mama Miori said quietly, closing her eyes as she kept hugging her daughter.

  “I was never certain if I would be a good mother, or if I wanted to be one. I always thought I was too single-mindedly focused on Seika, or when fused with Bellona, that I was too wild and savage for it… but now… I’m really glad to have you, Arisu. Mama loves you. Never forget that.”

  Arisu looked into the mirror, seeking eye contact with her mother’s reflection. Her smile was gentle and full of warmth, and Arisu felt her cheeks heat up a little. Before long she grabbed Mama Miori’s hand in her own.

  “You’re a great mama… but…” Arisu hesitated a little, thinking over what she wanted to put into words.

  Mama Miori tilted her head and looked attentively at her daughter, waiting for what she had to say.

  “Please don’t overwork yourself, mama… you’re already so busy with your work and your studies… Mama Seika told me.”

  Her mother let out a sigh and ran her hand through Arisu’s hair.

  “Is it that obvious?”

  “It is… and everyone’s worried about you. Please don’t exhaust yourself, mama…”

  Mama Miori pondered and stared into the eyes of her own reflection. There was some make-up that hid developing rings under her eyes, Arisu realized.

  “I’ll think about it, okay? I just… I’d hate to be relying entirely on these two for my education,” Mama Miori said quietly, though just at that moment, the drapes of the changing room were partially pulled aside, and a familiar voice could be heard.

  “And why would you hate that? We’re there for each other. You held out in that job for nine years, all to find a way to save me. Let me pay you back in some way, Miori.”

  Mama Seika was peeking into the changing cabin, and if Arisu weren’t there, Mama Miori would have surely taken a step back in surprise.

  “But… that was…”

  “Miori… you’ve done enough for us. Let us do something for you in return. Don’t push yourself, alright? Now that Ayame lives with us, we’re not reliant on your income to pay the rent.”

  Mama Seika reached out and patted Arisu’s head, as if she was trying to apologize for having that discussion in front of her. Mama Miori squirmed a little in place, and as she looked down into Arisu’s eye, she appeared to have made up her mind.

  “Alright. I’ll switch my hours at Snack Starlight to half time, and I’ll only work during the week, just to make the money for my dress purchases. How does that sound?”

  “It’s a start,” Mama Seika said with a nod, turning to give Arisu a little smile before she vanished behind the curtain again. Mama Miori took a deep breath and let out a little sigh.

  “…alright. Let’s buy the outfit for you and go home, hm?”

  The way home would mean a short walk to Harajuku station and then back to Yoyogi-Uehara via train, or at least it would have meant that, if there hadn’t been an interruption. It first manifested as Mama Miori and Seika exchanging short looks, then a strange, tingling feeling spreading through Arisu’s body.

  Visitors.

  She blinked and shook her head a little as that strange feeling and awareness spread through her, before Mana Seika and Miori took the quartet into a side alley.

  “It’s nearby, so we should go,” Mama Seika said apologetically, turning towards Mama Ayame.

  “Keep an eye on her, hm?” she said, and her request was met with a nod and a hand on Arisu’s shoulder that tightened a little.

  “Wait… I could come with you! I defeated Okumo, so I can handle myself!” Arisu exclaimed, and Mama Miori shook her head.

  “Oh no, young lady. Things were alright because Mana was with you, and even if we’re here, we wouldn’t want to expose you to danger, especially considering who’s after you.”

  “But if they’re after me, shouldn’t one of you…” Arisu started but didn’t get to finish. Her mamas were already transformed and ascended into the sky in their base forms: Mama Minerva in her jacket, with her cane sword, and mama Bellona in her armor, wielding her halberd.

  They flew into the sky and immediately dashed out of sight, leaving red and blue trails of light behind. Arisu let out a frustrated groan and turned towards Mama Ayame, pleading with her.

  “Let me help them! Please! I want to protect this world, too!”

  Mama Ayame let out a little sigh, patting Arisu's head.

  “I'm sorry, but even though you're a super powered girl, you are still our daughter, and we can't let you just jump into danger like that.”

  Even Arisu's pouting couldn't sway her mama, who gently but firmly held Arisu by the wrist to stop her from following the fighting couple. Still pouting, she pulled out her phone, looking at the alert that appeared a moment later.

  ‘Unknown assailants. Evacuate the area immediately!’

  ***

  “What a shame, I would have loved to fight together with Arisu.”

  Minerva let out a long sigh as the two flew through the sky, with Bellona giving her a scrutinizing look with a raised brow.

  “You really want to involve our daughter in our fights against otherworldly threats?”

  “She had a point: she did defeat a Jorogumo. I didn't even know those exist!” Minerva said with a grin, and Bellona let out a long sigh, so Minerva continued.

  “We can't coddle her forever. In fact, I fought Kuma back in the day because he coddled his girls to the point where he'd endanger them if they were ever faced with a real threat. It feels a little hypocritical that we're keeping her overly safe, now.”

  “I don't like the thought of her getting hurt,” Bellona admitted quietly.

  “No mother does,” Minerva said, touching Bellona’s shoulder. “But we're far from normal. We have to let her grow as a Deogemma as well as a human.”

  “Ugh, I know, but I don't like it…” Bellona complained; they slowly approached the area in Shibuya where the incursion took place, and saw strange portals open, identical to the ones Mana used. Red-robed men stepped out and scanned the area, and one tossed a fireball, making it explode in the air to scatter the surrounding civilians.

  They shouted orders at each other, so Minerva already guessed that they were conducting an organized raid.

  Not on my watch…

  As they approached the mages, they could already hear snippets of them talking.

  “This is the world of the thieves! Bring them in!”

  “Blue hair with cat ears, and one who has green glowing hair and a crystal eye, or blonde hair and an eyepatch! Comb the place with magic, or manually if you must, the sorcerer king demands his library back!” another shouted, and Minerva stopped mid-air, dumbstruck as she understood who they were after.

  Bellona was already on the ground, right in the middle of the mages. She gritted her teeth as she prepared a large swing with her halberd, and the mages let out a horrified shout, but at the last moment, she rotated her weapon and hit the wizard in front of her with the flat of the blade, sending him flying into a nearby wall. A second wizard attempted to summon a large hammer above Bellona, but Minerva arrived on the battlefield, summoning a magic barrier above her partner that caught the descent of the glowing, magic weapon and dissipated together with the attacking spell.

  Bellona turned her head towards Minerva, giving her a thankful nod before the two stood side by side, firing spells and knocking out red-robed wizards who kept appearing through portals in reality. It was here, however, that they missed one wizard avoiding them, slipping through a portal.

  ***

  Arisu scrolled through her news feed to at least follow the battle somewhat, still showing a mighty pout in front of Mama Ayame, who did her best to try and calm her down.

  “Now, now, Arisu. How about I take you for a parfait later? Just calm down a little and stop pouting, please…”

  “I could have used this to spend some time with Mama Minerva and Mama Bellona… it's so rare that I see them…” she complained and let out a little “Hmph” as Ayame patted her head again.

  “I’ll talk to them to let you hang out with Minerva and Bellona someday, okay? But just jumping into battle is…”

  “I finally found you! You wretched thief, where is it?!” a voice shouted from behind. A man wearing a flowing, crimson robe approached her, already channeling some kind of spell in his hand as he left a portal, similar to the ones Mana used to take Arisu to various places. Arisu could feel his otherworldly origin clear as day, and the image of a dark, dreadful castle dominating an otherwise beautiful countryside filled her mind for a fraction of a second, then she was rudely brought back to reality as she felt a surge in magical energies right in front of her.

  The wizard prepared a fireball spell, and it wasn't aimed at Arisu alone: her mama was with her as well. Mama Ayame's immediate instinct was to try and pull Arisu out of the way, into a side alley, but Arisu instead approached him, building distance between herself and Mama Ayame, who shouted her name behind her.

  Arisu took the fireball head-on, and even as the fire singed her skin and pain radiated through her, all she was worried about was the safety of her mama behind her; Mama Ayame looked on with wide eyes as Arisu emerged from the flames, transformed, as her injuries were already in the process of mending. She pulled off her eyepatch, tossing it to Mama Ayame to keep it safe as she stared the wizard down.

  “That was a mistake…” she spoke in a low, aggressive voice that surprised even her. An instinct took over, and she held out her hand, palm upturned. The magical signature of the fireball spell that just hit her was now flowing through her, and she directed it into creating a fireball of her own.

  “What the…! What are you?!” the wizard spoke breathlessly, taking steps away from her as she drew closer.

  This was the second time someone asked her that, and now she realized that she hated this question. It was a constant reminder that for most people who witnessed her, she was some kind of ‘creature’ or ‘entity’, instead of a simple young girl called Arisu.

  Her thoughts were interrupted as he tossed a fireball her way, which she countered with her own. The spells collided mid-air, and Arisu sprinted ahead, breaking through the flames filling the alleyway and ending up right in the wizard's face, which contorted in surprise and fear.

  She didn't want to kill him, even if he endangered her mama and asked that loathsome question, so she went at him bare-handed. Her fist connected to his cheek, and she could feel a crack before he flew away, into the nearest wall, where he left a crack and made a very ugly sound, but as far as she could tell, he was still alive. Arisu took a deep breath and witnessed a portal forming under the unconscious wizard, which he fell through, removing him from her world.

  She couldn’t keep wondering about the wizard's disappearance for long, as Mama Ayame rushed her from the side and hugged her tightly.

  “Oh, goodness! Arisu, are you alright?! You got burned, but…?”

  “I'm alright, mama! I don’t die from hits like that, just like my mamas!” Arisu quickly brushed her off, keeping quiet about the fact that she still felt pain.

  “I’m going to help Mama Bellona and Minerva now!” she declared, and she saw Mama Ayame trying to protest, but with she quickly brushed her off and ascended into the sky, where she shot towards the invasion.

  ***

  It wasn't a very long flight. She could already see the spectacle the moment she was in the air. Fireballs, icicles, magical weapons: all of these were summoned, flung and collided with magical barriers erected by two Magical Girls, who retaliated in kind, be it with summoned weapons from Mama Bellona or arcs of lightning summoned by Mama Minerva. Wizards in large numbers were knocked out and forcibly returned to their own worlds by magic portals.

  Arisu's help wasn't necessary, but she still wanted to be part of the action. With a loud thud she landed in the middle of three wizards, quickly punching two of them with her augmented power and flinging them away, while the third tried to hit her with a fireball. She quickly jumped backwards and countered with her own, watching the resulting explosion catapulting his body away like a ragdoll.

  “Arisu?!” she heard Mama Minerva shout, and both the Magical Girls quickly jumped in to surround her, shielding her from any more incoming attacks.

  “How foolish can you be…!” Mama Bellona started but shook her head. Arisu didn't care much. She flung fireballs and dashed towards some of their assailants to punch them, while Mama Bellona kept close to her. She laughed and enjoyed her time, despite her mamas objections, despite the danger these wizards could potentially pose.

  She spent a day with all five of her mamas, and that was the best thing in the world.

  “Ow…” Arisu complained as Mama Miori gently karate chopped her on the head, letting out a long sigh.

  “You ruined your uniform again…! And after we told you to stay behind.”

  “Actually, that wasn't her fault. You missed one and he came for us…” Mama Ayame came to her defense, and Mama Miori let out a little ‘ugh', looking at Arisu with an apologetic expression.

  “I should have stayed behind to make sure you were safe. I'm sorry,” she quietly said.

  Mama Ayame pulled a phone out of her pocket and searched for something as she spoke. “Do you think it’s going to be a problem that she was seen with you? With cameras pointed at her and everything.”

  She opened a video platform and looked at footage of Arisu fighting by her mamas’ sides, though she raised a brow.

  “Huh, her face is slightly blurry.”

  “That would be the magic that prevents people from recognizing you,” Mama Seika mentioned and Ayame looked at her with a befuddled expression.

  “Huh? You think she inherited that from you? I always thought the actual reason was that you and Minerva were two different people.”

  “Unless someone sees her transform directly, they won’t have a clue that it’s her. I had a variation of that, though… it wasn’t really necessary, as you said, seeing how transforming turns me into someone else, in essence.”

  Mama Seika made a short pause after speaking those words, letting her eyes rest on Arisu

  “Maybe we should become a fighting trio…” she mused, and Arisu perked up, looking towards Mama Miori full of hope.

  “No way! Not until she learns how to block, at least. I had to rush in to defend her so many times! I don’t want her to get hurt…!” Mama Miori spoke, and Arisu nodded enthusiastically as her head was already brimming with ideas.

  “Learning to block… got it! I'll go and ask Uncle Hachiman on Monday after school!” she declared full of enthusiasm, to a dumbfounded expression by Mama Miori. Mama Seika broke out in laughter.

  “Well, if ‘Uncle Hachiman' in the flesh is teaching her…! There shouldn't be an issue.”

  Mama Miori gave Mama Seika an incredulous look and sighed before they all shared an awkward laugh. And Arisu made good on her plan that next Monday.