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Evening was approaching.
In the "Warrior of Love" fan groups and on the AniSphere Forums, specifically within the sub-forum dedicated to the screenwriter Haruto, hordes of Puella Magi Madoka Magica fans were mobilizing at lightning speed. These people usually stayed quiet, but the moment Thursday rolled around, the community became a beehive of activity.
It was the same old story. The Magical Girl genre had a massive built-in fanbase, but the trope had grown so stagnant over the years that many viewers suffered from aesthetic fatigue. However, whenever a high-quality entry in the genre appeared, the dormant memories buried deep within the minds of anime fans were easily reawakened.
That was exactly why Madoka Magica had managed to climb from 21st to 10th place in the viewership rankings in just one month, despite Haruto having almost no budget for promotion.
Don't be fooled by a mere jump in rank. The actual growth in ratings and audience numbers was over twofold. When that success eventually trickled down to the merchandise market and licensing value, the returns were likely to multiply several times over.
With its current performance, the series was practically guaranteed to be a massive financial success. Even if the ratings and popularity simply plateaued, Haruto's three hundred million yen investment would still see a significant return. While it might not be the most popular anime in the summer market yet, it was certainly on track to be one of the most profitable.
"Alright, it's time for our weekly tradition of complaining about why Madoka hasn't transformed yet."
"I'm starting a betting pool right here. Everyone, guess whether Madoka actually becomes a Magical Girl this episode. If you guess right, I'll post a private photo!"
"I feel like she has to transform this episode no matter what. It's already episode six. I checked the official Haru-Yuki Animation website, and the show only has twelve episodes. In a Magical Girl anime, having the protagonist remain a bystander by the halfway point is just unheard of."
"Oh, give it a rest. Someone said the exact same thing before episode five aired last week. I'm making a bold prediction. She might not even transform until the very last episode."
"Are you kidding? If she doesn't transform until the finale, I'll do a handstand on live stream. Just think about it, how many viewers have the patience to wait another six weeks to see the main character transform? Unless that Warrior of Love is a complete idiot, there's no way he'd write such a nonsensical plot."
"Well, if he weren't an idiot, Mami Tomoe would still be alive. Don't try to use normal logic to predict the mind of that Warrior of Love freak."
"Look, even though every Madoka fan is currently blasting the writer for killing off Mami, you have to admit that scene was the show's greatest innovation."
"It shattered the belief viewers had that the protagonist and her companions are invincible. For the first time, we realized that even a cute character that is cute is just meat once she's eaten. It's precisely because that plot point was so unexpected that the show broke into the top ten ratings this season."
"Don't speak too soon. People are calling Mami's death the peak of innovation, but who knows if the Warrior of Love has something even more explosive planned? The more I watch this show, the more I get an uneasy feeling in my gut."
"Haha, who else could even die? It's not like he's going to kill off Sayaka too!"
As the broadcast time neared, fans flooded the forums with comments, frantically speculating on the upcoming plot.
Aguri's fingers danced across her smartphone screen, tapping out replies to shut down the anti-fans who were badmouthing the show. As a university freshman, she was currently in the middle of a busy semester, and Madoka Magica had become her primary way to unwind.
She had loved Magical Girls since she was a little girl. She had fantasized more than once about a magical pet appearing before her to offer a contract. To her, Magical Girls were the pinnacle of perfection, a status comparable to what superheroes represented to other kids.
Granted, Mami's death in episode three had left her with a bit of a lingering shadow, but thankfully, the plot seemed to have stabilized since then. Given the show's exceptional narrative quality, Aguri had decided to forgive the Warrior of Love.
"Alright, Madoka, don't let me down today. Hurry up and transform so you and Sayaka can fight happily together. You two should support each other and wipe out the evils of the world!"
A smile tugged at Aguri's lips as she tuned into Tokyo TV. At exactly 9:00 PM, the moment the sixth episode began, the ratings peaked at 2.06%.
To be honest, the station manager who had signed the deal for Madoka Magica was currently beaming. The show's performance had vastly exceeded the station's expectations. Had they known it possessed this much potential, they wouldn't have let the production company pay for the time slot; Tokyo TV might have paid them for the broadcasting rights instead.
The episode began.
The story picked up where the last one left off. The confrontation between Kyoko Sakura and Homura Akemi ended with Kyoko backing down, but the friction between Sayaka and Kyoko was now a full-blown feud.
During this standoff, Kyubey seemed to be speculating about Homura's true identity through its internal monologue.
"Wait, so what is her real identity?" Aguri wondered, her brows furrowing.
Even Kyubey, the entity that specialized in forming contracts with Magical Girls, didn't seem to know where Homura came from. Yet, Homura was undeniably a Magical Girl. It was a paradox.
The scene shifted to Sayaka using a Grief Seed obtained from a fallen Witch to purify her Soul Gem.
"So, if a Soul Gem becomes completely murky from overusing magic... what actually happens to the girl?"
The more Aguri thought about it, the more she realized the series was riddled with unsettling details.
What was Kyubey's true objective?
Where did Magical Girls eventually end up?
Why was Homura so desperate to stop Madoka from becoming one?
Even just existing normally caused a Soul Gem to slowly darken, let alone using magic. The entire system felt wrong, it felt designed to manipulate them. The episode continued with a conversation between Kyubey and Sayaka. They discussed the gap in talent between her and Mami, as well as Madoka's overwhelming potential, which far surpassed them both.
Kyubey urged Sayaka to convince Madoka to transform so they could handle Kyoko together.
Meanwhile, Homura and Kyoko formed a temporary alliance to prepare for the arrival of "Walpurgisnacht" in two weeks.
"Walpurgisnacht? Great, another ominous term," Aguri sighed.
Yet, even now, Madoka had not transformed. As the plot progressed, Madoka became increasingly anxious about the conflict between Kyoko and Sayaka. She hoped the two could put aside their differences and work together against the Witches.
However, this hope became the catalyst for the first real argument between the two friends.
"Homura is the same way, she waited until Mami-san was dead before stepping in just to snatch the Grief Seed. And Kyoko? She uses humans as bait to lure Witches out just for a Seed. How can I ever get along with them? Among Magical Girls, Mami-san was the only kind one. The rest... they're all selfish monsters like Kyoko."
Sayaka's expression was one of loneliness.
Aguri fell silent.
Sayaka was wrong about Homura because she didn't know the full story, Homura hadn't stood by and watched Mami die; she had been restrained. But her assessment of Kyoko was spot on. Oil and water don't mix. Sayaka, who had become a Magical Girl solely to heal the boy she loved, could never tolerate Kyoko's ruthlessness.
Between the two of them, a fight was inevitable. The spark for that battle arrived quickly.
Sayaka was once again hiding outside Kyosuke's house, listening to the melody of the boy she loved practicing his violin. Kyoko, who had been tailing her, appeared to mock her.
"Honestly, you waste your one miracle just to fix someone else's body? How pathetic."
Kyoko looked at Sayaka like she was a fool. It instantly provoked Sayaka's rage.
"What could someone like you possibly understand?"
"You're the one who doesn't get it. Magic is for granting your own wishes. If you use it for others, it never ends well. If you want that guy, there are better ways to get him. Just use force to make him yours. Go break his arms and legs again, make him a cripple who can't do anything without you. That way, he'll belong to you forever."
"If you can't bring yourself to do it, I can do it for you. Consider it a favor between fellow Magical Girls."
Aguri's eyes widened in shock.
What kind of twisted logic was that? You're supposed to be a Magical Girl! How can you say something like that so casually? Kyoko sounded more like a villain than the actual villains. The tension between Sayaka and Kyoko snapped, and they engaged in combat. This time, both were given stunningly beautiful transformation sequences.
Just as they were about to deal serious blows, Madoka arrived. Homura also appeared to act as a mediator.
But then, Madoka acted.
In a desperate attempt to stop the fight, she caught Sayaka off guard, snatched the Soul Gem from her hand, and threw it. With all her might, she hurled the gem over the side of the overpass, where it landed perfectly in the cargo bed of a passing truck.
"Huh? Madoka, what are you doing?!" Aguri shouted at the screen.
The situation was a powder keg, and Madoka had just disarmed her friend in the middle of a life-or-death confrontation. Did she really think that would stop the fighting? Did she not realize she had just left Sayaka defenseless against Kyoko's potential aggression?
Aguri didn't like seeing blood in her anime, but based on everything Kyoko had said, the red-haired girl wasn't exactly known for mercy. Disarming an ally was an incredibly foolish move.
But... sigh.
Aguri felt a pang of resignation. That was just who Madoka was. People loved her because of her gentle nature, but sometimes, "gentle" was just another word for "naive."
The moment the Soul Gem was thrown, Homura's face went pale with terror. She immediately bolted to chase after the truck.
On the other side of the bridge, Sayaka, who had been full of life and anger moments ago, suddenly went limp.
Her eyes lost their light, and her consciousness vanished instantly. Like a smartphone losing its signal, she was nothing more than an empty shell.
"That's really not good... Madoka, you just threw your friend away. That was a horrible thing to do." Kyubey crawled onto Madoka's shoulder, staring at her with its innocent, ruby-red eyes.
Aguri froze when she heard Kyubey's words.
Threw her friend away? Madoka threw the Soul Gem, didn't she?
A shiver ran down her spine. A wave of cold dread surged from the depths of her heart.
Wait... why did Sayaka lose consciousness the moment the gem left her hand? Why did Kyubey say she threw her friend? Could it be?
Aguri felt as though she had glimpsed the truth.
For the first time, she truly felt the malice of the screenwriter known as the "Warrior of Love."