The City I Heard About From Her Part 2

Chapter 4
Part 2: Reality Becomes Clear

Kyouko: (I turned down her offer to play the let's-all-be-friends game, which is fine and all, but... I don't even have any leads on how to find those..."Rumors"? Is that what she called 'em...? Anyway, those monsters that caused this...)
...Geez...what am I supposed to do...?


Man: Ahaha, man, all of a sudden I've got a lot of cute customers here. Got it, just wait a little bit, okay?
Girls: Puwaaaaaaaaa--!!
Iroha: This water is really delicious!
Felicia: Old man, old man! Give me another glass!

Kyouko: (...If those incomprehensible, annoying papers and...that water vendor are connected, then those two who drank the water in the same way, on the same day, at the same time as me should be in the same situation I'm in...)
...In that case. I guess I'll try changing the target of my search.


Kyouko: .......... (If I'm gonna ask for info, I should...ask girls who are the same age as me, right...?)
Around here there's.....aah?

Rena: Ahhh--geez--! This seriously doesn't make any sense! Remind me, when exactly did we meet up again!? If this went the way we planned, then we should be...elegantly pecking at desserts around now...!
Kaede: That's...because you were late, Rena-chan...

Kyouko: (...Bingo)

Iroha: Ah, yes, thank you very much.


Kyouko: (They're middle schoolers...just like her?)
Rena: Don't you think that whoever picked a place that's thiiiiiiiis hard to find is the one at fault!?
Kaede: B...But...!! ..........It was facing a main road though...
Rena: ...Did you say something...?
Kaede: Auau...enough of this already... I'm starving already too...
Rena: ...Haaaaaa, geez...! Right now, I don't care what it is, as long as...

Kyouko: Hey

Kaede: Heh?
Kyouko: Do you mind? I'm looking for someone but...
Rena: Haaah!? What do you think you're asking out the blue!?
Kaede: He, Hey, Rena-chann...!
Kyouko: Whaa...!? ...Hey, hey...What's with you? Suddenly snapping like that just because someone tries to talk to you.
Kaede: ...I know, right...?
Rena: Kiiii~iii...! It really ticks me off~~~...!
Kyouko: What are you so mad about?
Rena: Haah? Rena's hungry! When your stomach gets hungry, you start to get mad, don't you!?
Kyouko: ............Haah? "Stomach"...?
Rena: A--ny--wa--y--! Right now, getting food is my number one priority, over everything else! Making my stomach full needs to come first! OK?
Kyouko: ...............Is...Is this a scenario where I have to go along with what you say or else nothing will happen?
Kaede: ...Yes...It's just as you've said...
Kyouko: (...Sheesh. Out of all the people I could've asked, I ended up with the wild animal.)
Alright, fine. Food is important, after all. Anyway, do you mind telling me a few things? I don't mind if you're eating


Kaede: ...Wait...

--Chinese Restaurant - BanBanzai--

Kaede: Why here...?
Rena: Because it's the closest, and furthermore, it's the cheapest.
Kaede: Hauuuuu... But I don't really like the food here...
Rena: Eh? You didn't? Well...It's not the tastiest stuff out there, but it doesn't taste that bad either, don't you think?
Kaede: It's so oily... and the flavor's too intense... Whenever I eat here, it just sits in my stomach...
Kyouko: ......
Rena: Don't you think that tha--t's--be--cause--you always eat such flavorless food meant for older people...?
Kaede: H, How mean! You know, that stuff is called organic food...!
Rena: Anyway, right now speed comes first. Don't be so picky...
Kyouko: ...Now listen
Rena: Eh?
Kyouko: I'm just gonna say this now, but I don't have a single yen on me, alright?
Rena: Haah!? What are you suddenly saying, after we followed you up till here...!?
Kyouko: And I never said anything about wanting to eat food, right?
Kaede: You're absolutely right...
Kyouko: Besides, as long as I fulfill my own objective, I don't feel like mooching off of you guys at all. As long as I learn something about the person I'm looking for...
Rena: ...Noooooooo...! ...Ahhhh--geez--!! Who--cares!? It's fi--ne!! Anyway, we're going in! This is your reward for putting Rena's objective first! Rena will treat you to some food here!
Kaede: Fueeh!?
Rena: ...Hu--ff...! Hu--ff...!
Kyouko: .......Well, if that's the case, I'm fine with this but...?
Kaede: Rena-chaan...! You said you're going to treat...are you feeling okay...?
Rena: Rena's okay. Since her friend discount will work. At this rate, it'll be a lot more dangerous for us to be standing around here talking.
Kaede: Geez...You really don't know how to be patient...


Tsuruno's Dad: Ohh--! Rena-chan, welcome!
Rena: Excuse us.
Tsuruno's Dad: Ohh! You're with your friends today, aren't you!
Kyouko: Hey.
Kaede: Ah...! Hello...!
Tsuruno's Dad: Unfortunately, Tsuruno's not here today. She went out with Yachiyo-chan.
Kyouko: ...!
Rena: Ahh--, that's o--kay. Ah, I'll have the gomoku mixed rice and gyoza combo.
Tsuruno's Dad: Okay.
Kaede: T, That was fast...!
Kyouko: (... "Yachiyo"... Isn't Yachiyo...)

Yachiyo: I'm Nanmi Yachiyo. I'm a magical girl.

Kyouko: (I thought I really messed up and picked the wrong person, but... I might've actually been lucky to have ended up at this restaurant.)
Kaede: Rena-chaan! You're not supposed to eat that much tsukemono...!
Rena: Chommp...Mmm...munch...Hit's vine, since it's on the table...munchh...
Kyouko: (Is this what a wild animal that's acting entirely on its instincts looks like?)


Rena: ...Munchh...chomp...chomp.........guuuulp! ...So? You said you're looking for someone?
Kyouko: Ahh, yeah, yeah...
Kaede: So you did remember...uuu...! Hauuu...the oil is...
Kyouko: I'm looking for a girl who's about the same age as you.
Rena: As us? ...Rena doesn't know. Even if you're just talking about people who go to the same school as us, it's not like we know who everyone is...
Kyouko: One of them's a bit younger. She's blond and had her hair tied into two separate parts like...this down here...
Rena: Hm....
Kyouko: Her height's...about the same as you guys.
Rena: Hm, hm...
Kyouko: Her outfit was...a blue sailor uniform. If I'm remembering it right, the skirt wasn't a single color, but it was checkered. I think it's some school uniform, but...
Rena: Sailor...Hey, about the blue sailor uniform. Wasn't there one near here? Where was it again?
Kaede: Um...hey........Maybe it's...Central? Hauuuuu...! T, The oiiiiiiil...
Rena: Ah, yeah, yeah. If you're talking about someone from around here, then it's probably a uniform from the Central School.
Kyouko: Central School...where's that school?
Rena: Central is the ward next to this one. It won't take long if you take a train.
Kyouko: H---m... You don't know who that kid is? She was a pretty noisy kid...
Rena: Blond...Two pigtails...A girl from Central School...?
Kyouko: Right. If you need another characteristic she has then...

Felicia: Old man! Give me one too!

Kyouko: ...Oh, that's right, that's right. She talks like a guy. [1]
Rena: Hu--h.... that's a really peculiar girl. Hm---m...Well, at the very least...Rena doesn't know a girl like that.
Kyouko: I see. ...Then, what about the other one?
Rena: Another one? What about that girl? What kind of girl was she?

Iroha: Thank you very much.

Kyouko: ...She had a gray vest and...a black skirt. I think it's another school uniform from somewhere else.
Rena: Gray vest...? Was there a school with a uniform like that around here?
Kyouko: Her height was...a bit taller than you guys. She had long hair and...it was hanging down...
Rena: Yeah.
Kyouko: She had pink...pink hair.
Rena: Pink, huh... Nn--...Anything else? Like what kind of impressions did she leave on you?
Kyouko: Impressions? Hm...let's see...She was kinda...smiling but looked troubled...I guess...
Rena: Smiling but...troubled...?
Kaede: Could that be...Iroha-chan?
Rena: Iroha?
Kyouko: "Iroha"?
Rena: There's a girl Rena and Kaede knows who's like that. She's always got this troubled smile on her face. But you said her hair was hanging down...are you sure it wasn't just long hair? Like...was it tied together down here like this...?
Kyouko: ...Ahh...yeah... yeah, that's it...! Then...that's a bingo?
Rena: Well, there's a ton of students around here...so Rena can't say 100% for sure, but... There's a pretty high chance that you've got a bingo, don't you think?
Kyouko: Yeah, that's true.
Rena: ...That being said, she is someone we know, but sorry, we still don't know how to get a hold of her. There's a mutual friend that might know, but...
Kyouko: Ahh...that's okay. I still don't know if it's her for sure and...
Rena: Oh, really?
Kyouko: (...It's still too soon for us to meet face-to-face...Since she might be a rival that's after the same prey as I am...) ...If I wanted to meet that girl, which school should I go to?
Rena: Ah--...You see, that girl doesn't go to a school in Kamihama. Rena doesn't know which school she goes to either, so... Lately, it seems like she's been coming here a lot, so...it might be better if you try waiting around here.
Kyouko: ...Huh, is that so? Nn, thanks a lot. For the food and for the info...
Rena: You're welcome.

Kyouko: (Since she's been coming to this restaurant...does that mean she's a friend of Nanami Yachiyo? ...Is she also...a magical girl...?)

Rena: Haaaa~~h! Man, Rena really ate a lot...!
Kyouko: Anyway, I'll be... (----!? My soul gem's reacting...! ...Furthermore...it's pretty close...)
Anyway...I'll be leaving.
Rena: .......
Kaede: .......
Kyouko: ...? Hey, what's wrong?
Kaede: ...Heh!?
Rena: Uaah...Aaa, aaaah...yeah...Th...Tha---t's right...! Rena and Kaede have...some errands to run too...
Kaede: T, That's right...! We'd better get going...
Kyouko: (...Haah...? What are they suddenly in a hurry for?)

Rena: H, Hey...! The station's in the opposite direction... you know...?
Kyouko: Haah? Yeah, so?
Rena: B, But... you're looking for Iroha, aren't you? Then it's better if you look outside of Kamihama...
Kyouko: You do realize you said something that's the complete opposite of what you said earlier, right? Weren't you the one who said that it's best if I wait around here?
Rena: Guhh...!
Kyouko: Besides, right now I'm just out for a walk. I need to walk off what I ate and I need a little break from looking for people.
Kaede: Ah...! A, A walk! If you're going to go for a walk, then...there's a great course you can walk over there...
Rena: T-Th, That's right...! Over there! Over there, in the opposite direction!
Kyouko: What the hell are you... (...The reaction's getting stronger. Pretty soon...it's gotta be around here.)
Rena: Nuuuuuuuaaaah, geez! Why are you following Rena and Kaede!?
Kyouko: Haaa? Don't misunderstand me, okay? I told you, it's just a coincidence that I'm going in the same direction as you guys.
Rena: Uaaaaahh, geez...! Even though it's really close by...!
Kaede: Rena-chaan...!
Kyouko: ............Ohh---hh, seriously? So that's what it was?
Kaede: Heh...?
Kyouko: You don't have to sweat that hard about it...Since it's not like you've put up a barricade...in order to keep it all to yourselves...
Rena: Haa...? What are you saying...?
Kyouko: Let's compete...to determine whose "prey" that's going to be.
Kaede: ---!!
Kyouko: Count me in for this one.
Rena: Wha...! You were a magical girl...!?


Rena: hh, HAAAAAAAH!
Kaede: Fuu...eeiii!
Kyouko: (I never could've imagined... that I'd be losing in terms of abilities...Especially with that one over there...)
Kaede: Hyaaahhh!? U, fuuuuuuuu!
Kyouko: (I don't think she's cut out for battle at all. But...)
Rena: Kaede! Let's do this, the two of us! Give me your support...! Follow up Rena's attacks!
Kaede: Got it!
Rena: One, two...

Both: THREEEE!!

Kyouko: (...They've got that covered, by their perfectly coordinated plays...)


Kyouko: Ah---ahh. It's just like I thought, I still can't beat you, Mami-san.
Mami: My, that's not true, you know? Both magical girls and magic have their own unique characteristics...There's advantages and disadvantages with each one. Just as I can do things that you can't, Sakura-san...You can do things that I can't. We make up for each other's weakness...and that's how...we should fight.
Kyouko: ...Yeah, you're right. You're right.


Kyouko: (...Haah...What am I doing, remembering something like this right in the heat of battle...?)...Am I being careless or what...!?


Kyouko: I became this strong...so that I'd be fine, even on my own...so that I can live, even if I'm alone.


Kyouko: What a pain in the asss! I'm...gonna take care of this in one shot! KUGATACHI!!


Kyouko: Hey, seeing as you guys are magical girls from this city...do you happen to know anything about Rumors?
Kaede: R, Rumorss...!?
Rena: We not only know about them.... we had a rough time because of them too...
Kyouko: Then...you guys also got caught up in a weird "rumor"...?
Rena: That's right...Who would've thought that a rumor could become reality...?
Kyouko: ...Then, how about a rumor like this? Do you know anything about it? If you drink water...then papers with numbers counting down from 24 will come falling down on you.
Kaede: Water...24...?
Rena: Isn't that...the one you were talking about the other day, Kaede?
Kaede: So it is that one...isn't it...?
Kyouko: What? Can you tell me anything in detail?


rumor: Hey, did you already hear about this? Who did you hear it from? The Rumor of the Misery Water.
A cooler box sitting in the carrier of an old-fashioned, nostalgic mama-chari. If you tell the old man "old man, give me one glass please!" and drink the water given to you, with a gulp, gulp, puhaaaaa you'll feel refreshed and full of energy too! But! But! That is a sham! The water you drank is dangerous!! If 24 hours pass, then the misery melted by water will cause a disaster. This is a Rumor that's popular among students in the Sankyou Ward!!
My, how missssseeeerrrrraaable!


Kyouko: Tch...I was wondering what would happen if they got to 0...You're telling me that they give out free water...and if you drink it, then misfortune will come falling down on you!? Well, isn't this my lucky day.
Rena: Hey, we'll help you too.
Kyouko: Nnaah?
Kaede: Y-Y, Yeah...! We've never seen this Water Rumor before, but...buuut...we've fought a different Rumor before...
Rena: Exactly. It's not a lot, but we do know some things about Rumors.
Kyouko: Haa? How good-natured are you people? You're saying you want to fight that monster again?
Rena: Well, it's not like even Rena and Kaede...want to get involved in dangerous things because we want to, but...
It might've all been because of a coincidence, but we ended up getting to know you and...if you need to solve a problem, it's better to have a friend or two...the more the merrier, right?
Kaede: Yeah, yeah. We're all magical girls...we need to help each other out...!
Kyouko: .................


Kyouko: Can I become your apprentice, Mami-san?
Mami: Apprentice...?
Kyouko: In order to become a capable magical girl...I want to learn from you, Mami-san. Besides...when it comes to fighting witches, isn't better to fight as a pair rather than by yourself? Y'know, in order to save this world...magical girls need to help each other out.
Mami: Sakura-san...Yes, you're right. I think you're exactly right. Besides, I...was just thinking...that it'd be nice to have a friend who's a magical girl.


Kyouko: ..........Brandishing how righteous you are like a bunch of idiots...Don't even spew that kind of crap at me...
Kaede: ...Eh...?
Kyouko: Here. This is the grief seed from the witch we fought earlier.
Rena: Ehh....?
Kyouko: I'm gonna give it to you guys. Well...there's only one though. Go ahead and split it up between the two of you or something like the friends you are.
Rena: Hold on a second...! What are you...
Kyouko: I'm through with playing pretend. I'm gonna go, so.
Rena: Hold on...! What're you suddenly...!? Heeey...!
Kaede: ...She's gone...
Rena: ...What's with her...? All of a sudden...
Kaede: Did we...say something that made her mad...?


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[1] = Felicia uses the first person pronoun "ore" to refer to herself, which is something a guy would normally, casually use.